2010 "Racing" Season comes to an end

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -- Jim Rohn

OK, the last 5K of my year is in the books... does that sound as odd to you as it does to me? A year ago, I would NEVER have thought I would be saying something like that. Heck, after our Tahoe ride in June 2009, I joked with Gary Holliday and Briana about how crazy the notion was of me even running. We were talking about the Team In Training's Triple Crown, where you complete a century ride, a run event and a triathlon event... I said blatantly "Not me - no way, no how!" Friends, NEVER say "never"!
So, after all that being said, I ran my 5th 5K run in 32 days. The Zilker Tree 5K is apparently the replacement for the Trail of Lights run, which obviously ended when the city of Austin canceled the Trail of Lights. There are a couple of hills in the park run, which I decided I would walk rather than attempt to run up. But even with that I managed a 32:03 for a 10:10-per-mile average, so I was very happy with that. Not a bad effort for a post-Christmas-eating run.
Another opportunity to continue the validation of the recovery drinking of the Athletes HoneyMilk, since they were a run sponsor this time around. This stuff is really working for me as a post-run recovery. I rotate through the 4 flavors as a test after the run workouts, and I don't have the day-after pain as I did before. I think the HoneyMilk is going to be my post-run salvation for the next 11 months. Since I do most of my workouts after work at night, on the shorter runs I have used the drink as a meal substitution, and it helps that I don't have a lot of food in my stomach all night. So I am excited that I have this part of the nutrition figured out.

So, it is on to next year - lots of running, biking and swimming! Yippee! - I think...

A Season for training, for family, for sharing...

You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. - Albert Schweitzer

The running continues... on the 13th, I ran 7 miles on the treadmill; on the 20th, an 8-mile "adventure"; last night was 3.4 miles out on the streets in the neighborhood. I am definitely slower on the road than on the treadmill. The next few days will include another short run through the 'hood, the Zilker 5K the day after Christmas, and hopefully some bike time. The city parks/rec folks sent out an email about a tri-prep swim class on Wednesday nights that I am going to check into. 

I still have some nutrition stuff to figure out... since the Project Overflow 5K, I have been using the Athlete's HoneyMilk as a post-workout recovery drink, and I think it is helping quite a bit. In previous training, I would drink chocolate milk (or Coke; or both) but the HoneyMilk has a load of carbs AND protein in it. I haven't felt the post-event soreness I used to, so I think I have THAT component going right. Next is the Infinit for the ride, and I will get that ordered next week to try that out.
Last Friday, we celebrated our now-kind-of-an-Aggie's first semester of grad school, and in that discussion the decision was made to make the return trip to the Triple Bypass ride in 2013. So already the future is being laid out before me. It is funny to me though that I can actually plan something that far out. 
Another bit of information in that talk over beers (carb-loading, coach... carb-loading) was that one of my charities will likely be not supported by the city, so I am pretty well just going to commit to the American Heart Association at this point. If the focus changes to a different cardiac-related charity, I will make that adjustment later.

After serving dinner at the children's hospital last week, I get to help serve at a cafe in Georgetown on Christmas morning. And the lady in my work office that coordinated our adopted Christmas family reported back that the mother and daughters were so super-excited about Christmas with the stuff we provided. So - a good Christmas season, and what a great privilege to be part of those smiles... 
Merry Christmas, everybody! Remember - it is all for the love of One.

It isn't ALWAYS about you!

Our friends should be companions who inspire us, who help us rise to our best.   -- Joseph B. Wirthlin 

Saturday was the Project Overflow 5K. This is a first-time event put on by a great lady who I have come to know through another friendship. Cortney attends the same church as Briana, and she has taken up a more active lifestyle to get into a more healthy lifestyle. Cortney is also a force to be reckoned with, in that she is ALWAYS involved. She is active as a leader in her church, is a leader and positive role model to the youth, is committed to her exercise ethic, is focused on her service working for a national charity, and gives continually of her time to any number of beneficiaries. This run was conceived to help Cortney's youth group raise funds to pay for the drilling of a fresh-water well in Africa, to supply drinking water to thousands.

The run was held in Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. The run itself was mostly over turf, though some was along a paved path and other spots were loose gravel. I am definitely not a fan of this kind of running surface (which is funny in itself that I can even say that!) My concern is that I not slip or twist an ankle, so I was probably over-cautious throughout the run. Another issue for me was that at about 2 miles into the run, a volunteer pointed a number of us in the wrong direction. I admit I got a bit frustrated with that when a second volunteer caught up with us on his bicycle and turned us around. Once that happened, I decided that whenever I came up on more loose turf or gravel, I was walking.

So, the time of the run was nothing to write home about. And the course was actually less than a 5K. But Cortney and her crew made a good effort, and about 100 people were registered. One of the family photographers actually got a decent picture of me, so I finally have a running pic where I don't look wasted. And another benefit: I had talked to the Athletes HoneyMilk folks about some sponsorship. HoneyMilk is a recovery drink. They had sent me 2 12-packs to try out and give them some feedback. Cortney had managed to get some of this stuff provided in the runner packets and had some at the finish line, so I was able to try it out without cutting into my own supply. I drank a chocolate (they have vanilla, honey and coffee as well), and it was really smooth, no grit or chalky taste like a lot of others. It will be good to try after longer runs, so I am looking forward to the test. I want to see what the difference is if it is cold, too.

Well, on to the next 5K, the day after Christmas. But lots of training miles before then. 

See ya, and Merry Christmas!

Forest Gump, I am NOT!

To me, if life boils down to one thing, it's movement. To live is to keep moving. -- Jerry Seinfeld

I have already run more than 23 miles this month, and the month is only a third gone... I think I will have run this month more than I have in any single year! I have registered for 4 5K runs, and have completed 2 of them at this point. Tomorrow will be the third, the last the day after Christmas. But the training runs are getting longer. I managed a 6-miler non-stop yesterday on the treadmill. This weekend I need to do a 7 mile run, next week an 8, etc.

After Christmas, I will be putting more time in on the bike and in the pool, but the emphasis is still on the running so that I can do the 3M Half-Marathon the end of January. And I don't know what other people are doing for strength conditioning, but I have been hauling bundles of shingles up the ladder to the roof the last couple of weeks. Those things get heavy when you are going almost straight up carrying one of them! While the weight workouts are great, I will be happy to complete this task and go back to normal-people workouts.

Another commitment in the books... I sent in my registration for the LoneStar 70.3 in Galveston. I want to be able to knock off at least 30 minutes from my time from last year.

Looking forward to receiving the shipment from the Athlete's HoneyMilk folks. Their drinks are supposed to be a good post-workout recovery tool, and they offered to ship me some to try out. I am excited about this, because it could lead to some sponsorship in the future, and it would be great to get some of the nutrition stuff ironed out.

This running thing is getting to me!

It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly.
-- Mabel Newcomber

...but in a good way! I signed up for the Turkey Trot in Austin, which is a 5-mile run downtown on the morning of Thanksgiving day. Nothing like getting out and sweating with 17,000 of your closest friends and attempting to run 5 miles, which turned out to be only 4.57 because of a planning error. But the run was fun, even with a lot of lateral weaving in and out of groups of people. I managed a 50:50, which is just over 11 minutes per mile, so I will take that. Nothing to scream and holler about, but the runs are getting better slowly.

So like a crazed lunatic, I have signed up for a number of charity runs... this Friday I will run the Ronald McDonald House Lights of Love 5K, Sunday I will run the Reindeer Run 5K, on the 11th I have the Project Overflow 5K and on the day after Christmas, I have another 5K, the Zilker Holiday 5K. After December, the training gets more serious... I have the 3M half-marathon at the end of January, and will be back in the pool and on the bike. I am also registered to run the Capitol 10K in March.

Over this past weekend, I didn't get a lot of training in the books. I worked on a friend's house and managed to earn enough to pay for my registration for the LoneStar 70.3 in Galveston in April. It is always nice to not have to take race monies out of the regular budget. But it will be nice to get back on the treadmill tonight (geez, did I just say that??)

I don't have to win - I just have to finish!

I can honestly say that I was never affected by the question of the success of an undertaking. If I felt it was the right thing to do, I was for it regardless of the possible outcome.  -- Golda Meir

Did I mention I am not a big fan of running? Well, I am not – but I also know I have a lot of work to do in that component of the triathlon before next November. Ever since we got back from Florida, I have been trying to get in some run time. I have managed some 30-60 minutes sessions at the gym on the treadmill.

It was a busy training weekend. But what a great way to celebrate another year of being alive!

Started off appropriately by carb-loading Friday evening. Jeff and Mary took me out for birthday dinner at Macaroni Grill. What a surprise I got while I sat there waiting for Jeff and Mary. I looked up to see Briana (Ms. Ironman Florida 2010) and her family walk in. Jeff had contacted her about coming out for the dinner. It was great to visit with all these friends…Madison and Dalton are great kids, and I could see them as inspirational examples of children not becoming “couch potatoes”. Overall, a great way to start off the birthday weekend.

Saturday morning, I picked Jeff up at the hotel and we were off for the Half Calf ride. A charity ride to support the Vista Ridge FFA, this allowed 25, 50 or 75 mile ride options, from the high school up to Andice and over to Florence. We originally talked about doing the 75, but at the Andice store (the 50 mile turnaround) Jeff decided he would have plenty of saddle time on the tri bike doing the 50. I handed him the truck keys and said “see ya later – I am going to ride the 75.” So it worked out well for both of us; I needed a longer ride. So – 4:15 in the saddle and 76 miles later, I was finished.

Sunday, I slept in a little, then went out for breakfast. Did some work around the house and then went up to the gym. Got in a 6.03-mile run on the treadmill in 65 minutes.

I signed up for the Turkey Trot 5-mile run which is on Thanksgiving Day, and the Zilker Holiday Tree 5K on December 26^th. So in a month’s time, I will have done a 5-miler and 2 5K runs, all working toward the 3M half-marathon the end of January.

I will get there – it just might take me a while to do so.

Oh, my gosh! What am I about to do?

You've got to follow your passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love--who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams. -- Oprah Winfrey

This past week was exciting, fulfilling, and scary all at the same time... 

I have watched all year the training my now-Ironman friend has gone through. Swimming, biking and running like a fanatic. But it all has paid off. I volunteered at the Ironman Florida finish line, so that I could register early for the IMFL 2011. I picked a specific time window to be there, so that I could be there when I thought Briana would finish. I cannot tell you how satisfying, how exhilarating it feels to catch somebody you know as they finish their first Ironman. The thrill of seeing them cross that last timing mat, after watching them have an awesome swim, followed by a grueling, windy ride, and then having an excellent run to top it all off… what a great day! Another enjoyable thing I was able to do was take Briana’s son and daughter out on the motorcycle on the bike course so they could see mom racing like a pro. Both kids were thrilled.

I was also able to see a number of new friends finish their race. Members of the Beginner Triathlete forum online now have faces and real names. Seriously, if you ever want to volunteer for an event such as this, the finish line is definitely the place to be. Very exciting, yet very humbling as well.

Having said that, we got up early Sunday morning, Briana to get in line for the expo store so she could get the “finisher” garb, and me to register for 2011. The store opened at 7, so she was finished before our line even started. I was excited to be able to register for the event next year, but at the same time, you get that “Oh geez, what have I gotten myself into?” kind of feeling. But having watched Briana all year, and meeting all these new friends and getting their insight, I feel like I know what it will take to get there. I will read all their race reports, and pay attention to their notes. I doubt seriously my time will be anything close to Briana’s, but for me just finishing on time will be enough.

So it is now official – Briana is now an Ironman, and I am now on the path to IMFL 2011. Let’s get this show on the road!