Forgot Something...Changes to the Cardiac Ironman Kit

OK, so with the new HED wheels from Austin TriCyclist (same place I got the 58s, by the way), the Cardiac Ironman "kit" is:

     Cervelo P2 Tri bike, Ultegra components;

            HED Jet 9 90mm Wheels wearing Continental 4000 Grand Prix Tires; 
            American Classic Carbon 58mm wheels, also wearing Continental 4000 Grand Prix Tires; 
            Shimano R500 (stock) wheels, wearing Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick;

     Fuji Team Issue road bike, Dura-Ace components; 
            Custom-built wheels by Bobby Fiddes (BobbysBikes.com), 30mm, wearing Panaracer Stradius Pro
                  or Continental Ultra Race;
     Rudy Project helmet;

     Steel MX Optics sunglasses, Radian 4410s, Black;
     Wetsuit, Nineteen Pipeline;

     Infinit Custom-Mixed Nutrition (designed by me, for the bike portion of the race);

     Athletes HoneyMilk recovery drink;

     Chevrolet Silverado; and

     Jerseys and shirts printed by Champion Printing in Pflugerville, and cool embroidered ball caps from Anne's Embroidery. (You can buy these at www.LikeItMeansSomething.com).

JeffG thinks I should add the kayak to the kit, but that might be stretching it a bit. I am working on getting into a new pair of running shoes, though, so there may be additions to the list still to come. I will start posting the product reviews as promised, to the Reviews page at www.CardiacIronman.com.

It's getting CLOSE!!

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. -- Zig Ziglar

Well, quite a bit of news this time around -- We are about 3 1/2 weeks out from LoneStar 70.3, and I am feeling pretty good about where I am at training-wise. (After all, last year I was training for the Sprint and ended up doing the Half-Iron!) I still need to get in some longer distance swims, and a couple open water swims at the lake. I will also be doing longer runs after the bike rides on the weekends.

I rode the "warm-up" ride for Spokes N Spurs this past weekend, which left from Bicycle Sports Shop up north and went out the "Parmer Wind Tunnel" to Andice and back. About 200-250 of us cruised outbound at 18-20+ speeds, and then hit the wind headfirst on the return trip. I was fortunate to even see 12 or 13 mph on my bike computer! And a whole bunch of people were having flats, me included... definitely made for a really long return trip. And the ride was followed by a 2-mile brick run, which normally would have been reasonable and short, but after that ride, it beat me up to do the run too.

I am so excited about a bunch of things all going on at once... I ordered some deep racing wheels from Austin Tricyclist (my newest Cardiac Ironman sponsor), they came in yesterday, and I got them put on the P2 today! Gotta thank Don and Adam at ATC bunches! I am really anxious to get out on the road and try them out. But that is going to have to wait a couple days.

One of the reasons the ride will have to wait is because I am taking Mom out tonight for her birthday for dinner and to see Cirque du Soleil. This new version of their show is supposed to be pretty awesome. So hopefully Mom will have a good time.

But the way I got these tickets is kinda cool too. My friend Cortney ran the Diva 5K, and won the grand prize drawing - the 2 tickets. (Congrats to Madison Roehling for placing 3rd in her age group, by the way!) But rather than go herself, Cortney auctioned them off to the person bidding the highest number of pounds of rice they would purchase in exchange for the tickets. This will support the PFUMC food pantry, so I had 2 reasons to bid - support a great cause AND get off the hook for a birthday gift for somebody who "doesn't want anything" -- she ALWAYS says that! I think mom will enjoy what I bought for 350 pounds of rice!

Another great thing -- Jeff G., my newbie triathlon buddy at work, ran the CowTown races recently wearing his Cardiac Ironman "Crew" shirt. Apparently, he had a number of people make comments or ask questions, so I guess he spent some time explaining me to them. Way to run, Jeff! So be aware - the Cardiac Ironman shirt could be seen at races all over the place!

And the fun continues... with my experiences with Team In Training, and the "marketing" I have done in the past (read:searching for charitable donations), I am setting up a website and a developing business to sell shirts, ball caps and the like, for the "Do It (Whatever) Like It Means Something...Because It DOES!" belief that I have. I have had a number of people ask in the past about the phrase, and if they could "borrow" it for their fundraising, and I just thought it was the right time to get all that stuff trademarked and licensed, etc. So I am drafting some designs which surely will evolve and improve. You can check it all out at www.LikeItMeansSomething.com - just recognize that we are in the early evolution of this whole concept.

Last night was a pretty good swim. Got to see a number of familiar faces at the pool, and managed a decent 2000 yards. Time to soak the wetsuit for the OWS...

I think that is about it for now. Talk to you next time.

Your Opinion Counts! (At least, that is what they are telling me!)

As of this past weekend, I have received the products from my sponsors. I made the commitment to provide feedback over the course of my training going into Ironman Florida. 

So here is what we have on hand, and what is now part of the "official" Cardiac Ironman kit:

     Rudy Project helmet

     Steel MX Optics sunglasses

     Infinit Custom-Mixed Nutrition (designed for the bike portion of the race)

     Athletes HoneyMilk recovery drink

     Cervelo P2 Tri bike

     Chevrolet Silverado

     Shirts printed by Champion Printing in Pflugerville.

There are a couple of other components to the kit, but I am still working on those, so I will let you know how that works out... think round, aerodynamic objects.

I am still working on the Eat N Park food and the Smiley Cookies testing (read:eating) -- one of the Cardiac Tri Team members, Brooks, runs the place with his family, and I am trying to figure out the best way to get the great food down here from their restaurants. Presently, they are only located up in the Northeast... maybe some dry-pack stuff. But any of you who get the chance, definitely stop in one of their locations - the menu is awesome, with loads of healthy choices!

You already know by now how successful I think the HoneyMilk is working for me. You only have to ask all the people I have given my own product to for their own experience, to know this stuff works -yeah, you guys are costing me money :-). My own workout recovery has tremendously improved as a result of these drinks. The variety of flavors (vanilla, chocolate, coffee, honey and the new strawberry-banana) offers athletes a broad choice. Personally, I have no flavor preference - I like them ALL!

So keep up - I will post after this weekend's ride and run. I am looking forward to reporting back.

Cold Water, Wind and Funky Knees - What A Great Training Plan!

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. - Carol Burnett

Things are looking pretty good since the last post. I am getting more time on the bikes, though that also includes more opportunities to change flats lately; the swim is getting better, putting in the longer sessions and alternating between distance swims and speed work; and the run is what it is. I have been doing multi-sport workouts, adding in the transitions, and going from the bike to the run is not bothering my hips as much as it used to. In another week or so, I will try to get into the lake - hopefully it won't be quite as cold.
The nutrition is coming together really well, too. The Infinit on the bike feels pretty good, in that I think the nutrition balance and the hydration is working... but I still need to remember to drink more. The gel buttons and water seem to work on the runs, and the Athletes HoneyMilk really kicks in post-workout. 
We are only 33 days out from LoneStar 70.3 at this point. I want to at a minimum improve my time, and preferably drop it by 30 minutes. That's the goal, anyway.
I am excited too about the rest of the Cardiac Ironman stuff... the t-shirts turned out nicely and I got them mailed out - from Hollywood to New York and Pittsburgh - and the Rudy Project helmet and Steel MX Optics sunglasses came in last night. So I am looking forward to getting the whole package together this weekend. I will at least LOOK like I know what I am doing...
On a different note, my sister's lumpectomy went well, though apparently in the post-surgery biopsy there was a small amount of cancer in the lymph node. P1 will be doing the chemo and radiation, and afterward said she will be "a damn good looking bald woman!" -- prayers and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
So onward toward Galveston. See ya there!

The Plan Is Coming Together --

The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. -- William Wordsworth

These things are going EVERYWHERE!

It has been a bit light, training-wise, for the last week or two. I have been trying to get a lot of miscellaneous things taken care of so I can focus on the training, and I think I have managed to do so. Tonight I plan on swimming and possibly a short run on the treadmill. I am still a bit concerned about the left knee but with light activity it seems to be okay so far. I rolled the other night and there were some muscles definitely getting my attention.

The back of the Support Shirts

In other news, Mike J got my Supporter shirts printed, and I have added the pocket labels for the various groups... Coach Jeff and Coach Briana, my Cardiac Tri Team, the Crew, and the Cardiac Team - survivors but not athletes. I am so excited... these shirts are going to New York, Pittsburgh, LA, and of course, Plano and Austin. I already told you that part of the monies from selling the shirts will support the fight against heart disease, so it is all good... the first batch is completely spoken for!

There is a story with one group of shirts, but I will have to wait to say anything to see if the plan comes to fruition.

Went out to Lake Pflugerville this past weekend to do a mini-tri but the water was so freaking cold, I lasted in there all of about 2 minutes before my feet were numb! So a 2-hour ride and a 40-minute run. Sunday it was time to spectate and cheer on my friends running the Austin Marathon and Half-Marathon. Accidentally got to meet Bart Yasso of the running fame... AND a 5-time Ironman finisher! How cool is that!

Things That Make You Stop and Think

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King Jr.

It has been a bit rough coming back from the 3M Half-Marathon run. The left knee felt a bit stretched out afterward, so it was difficult to run for a few days. And working on putting in a wood floor for somebody tends to have an effect on the knees and the shoulders - climbing around in closets and under built-in shelves doesn't help matters, either. But I have managed a couple bike rides and some swims, so I will be building back to the Half Iron in April.
Got some bad news last week, and better news yesterday. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer last week... and that was pretty much all we knew until I talked to her yesterday. She has a single small lump which will be removed, and then chemo and radiation on her schedule as well, both short-term. I did tell her I was better looking bald than she will be, and that this might be the perfect opportunity to see if she wants to be a redhead or a blond. At any rate, it appears after this year of fighting heart disease, I should consider the Breast Cancer races...Susan G. Komen, here I come!
I think with the work floor-wise and this ordeal with my sister, I have managed to get my shoulder muscles all balled up with the stress and the contortions in the closets. I need to work those out soon so they do not impact the training...maybe I should buy a hot tub?
I also am looking at doing the Rev3 Triathlon in Cedar Point in September rather than the Redman in Oklahoma City...no decisions yet, but lots of thinking needs to occur.
Well, hopefully better news in the next post. I was supposed to get the t-shirt mock-up yesterday but didn't, so hopefully I will see it today.
With all the wind we have had, and a fellow TNT rider getting blown into a parked car, it is even more important to remember to keep focused in your training! Heal well, Dickie!

Recovery, and on to Tri Training

“Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but, most of all, endurance.” -- James Baldwin

This past Sunday I ran in the 3M Half-Marathon for the first time. They say it is one of the faster runs people can do because it is mostly downhill. This year's run started out with a little wetness on some of the roads early in the run. I had one episode of slippage when a rather obnoxious runner cut me off going around a corner, but other than that the dampness was not a factor.

The first 4 or 5 miles went pretty well. After that, the humidity started kicking in because the sun had come up to warm things up. The temps were pretty decent, but I think because of the humidity there should have been more frequent aid stations with water.

With all the training on the treadmill, I had pretty well figured out that the Performance gel buttons and water was going to be my nutrition plan for the run, and I feel like that worked well for me. 

I managed 2:26:41 for the run, which is about 8 minutes slower than the same distance on the treadmill. I feel pretty good about that, given the pounding the body takes on the pavement. I was thinking the Athlete's HoneyMilk folks were going to be at the finish since they had included a bottle in the pre-race goodie bag. Having a cold bottle afterward makes my recovery so much better. Unfortunately they were not at the Austin race, and I could really feel the difference later. The legs got pretty tight, and the left knee got a little stiff. Note to self: pack a bottle in a mini-cooler with the frozen gel bags, and stick it in the post-race clothing bag.

It may be that I need to put cushion pads in the heels of my shoes to lessen the impact. I will work on that going through training.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the result. My finish was about 50 minutes faster than my run in either of the Half-Iron races, so it will be interesting to see how much better I can do with the 70.3 in Galveston in April... training for the run distance as opposed to training for a sprint might just make a difference.

Now it is time for more swimming and bike time. Getting the bike nutrition nailed down will be a big key in the next month or so.

Pedal On!