FTMM - 18 November 2013 - OUTSIDE Finally!

Man I hate treadmills!  And trainers!  But when you are a wimp, plus the weather sucks and/or it gets dark before you get home from work, these things all lead to them.  Hey, I love the feeling of wind in my hair, even if you start to lose feeling, I'd rather be outside.  And this finally happened this weekend.  I got two solid runs in and it felt great!  Now that I am free on my lunch hour now, running at lunch is on again!  But still have to force myself to go to the pool, since I checked my training logs, yup, no real swimming since June.  Yes, June!  Man, I'm a wimp!

Also finally got great news, I'm headed for Texas!  A place where it's 16* warmer on average and I hope a ton less windy than Kansas!  I am looking forward to being able to train year round outside, so let it begin!

Here's a look at last week:

SWIM: Still looking!
BIKE:  20.2 miles (all indoors)  Well I almost made it through Fast and Furious 6, just a little longer!
RUN:  13.7 (with two outdoor runs) I ran hella fast on Friday, got sore from not running that much, then ran 8.6 hilly miles Saturday.  Yeah, stupid, but it hurt sooo good!

Looking ahead:

SWIM: 7600 yds (3:50)  Got these scheduled for the evenings so the wife can go.
BIKE: 40 miles (2+ hrs) All indoors unless we get some freaky warm weather this weekend.
RUN:  32 miles (3:45)  These will be all outdoors this week, so should be a good week.

I'm going to lock myself into two races by paying for them now so I can't "worm" my way out of them.  So this week both going to sign up for the Winter Runderland 5K here in Manhattan, KS and the Topeka-to-Auburn Half marathon coming up in January before I move.  That way money will be paid and no getting out of that!

Well, I'm off like a prom dress, so we'll see you next week!

FTMM - Tuesday Edition 12 November

Well this last week was crazy!  Lots of work, little to no motivation to run, but got a nice 20 mile bike ride in, a single treadmill run, and a trainer ride, so all was not lost.  Thank you Day Light Savings Time!  Now it gets dark at 5pm, which means I can't really run when I get home, so it's either mornings or lunch runs.  That makes for sad panda!  But I have been hanging with the wife on the 30-or-so day plank challenge to tighten up the core.  It started with 15-30 sec planks and as of right now, we are at 90 seconds.  We will culminate with 270 seconds, which is like, um, let's see, carry the one, oh screw it, when planking, a long freaking time!  But so far so good.

Since it was nice out, I did a 10 mile time trial with the Manhattan Tri Club, and got to break out the tri bike and new aero lid (since my suspension for my road helmet is busted), so I looked like an alien riding through the streets on our way to the site, a nice 5 mile stretch of road with a total elevation gain of 5 feet.  Nice, flat and straight.  I ended up with a 27:24, but I credit the equipment, not the engine because the entire way I bled power and held at 25 mph, then 24, then 23 and on down, so not really consistent, but then again, I haven't ridden in a while either.  But for almost mid-November, it wasn't bad and just a little wind from the south (which felt like headwinds both ways).  But I averaged 22 mph, which was ok, but that is what I'd like to average over 40K or more, so I have some work to do over the winter.

My stats for this last week:

SWIM: 0 yards (I'll pick up mid month, once I'm done with a few things)
BIKE: 20 Miles (out of 18 planned)  It was nice to get out and ride outside, but I feel those days will be few and far between coming up.
RUN: 3 Miles (out of 34 planned) Horrible week!  I wasted too many "nice days", but it was a busy week as well, but no excuses to repeat for next week

Plan for next week:

SWIM: 2000 yards (A nice welcome back to swimming day)
BIKE: 30 (On the trainer) and maybe a few outside on the weekends
RUN: 34 (Need to ease back into it, but still need the long runs up there to get ready for NOLA in a few months)

And yes, I bagged the Double Road Race.  I saved 45 bucks, and since I hadn't run much the last few weeks, didn't want to waste my money or time to get pissed off that I didn't do as well as I could or should have.  Discretion is the better part of valor!  But also got some good news, looks like early next year I'll be in Texas, so I can follow thru on my race plans and training and hope that Texas brings a little more winter warmth to allow me to train outside versus on the treadmill / trainer!

So there is a bright spot for me, but looks like back to the grind here!  See you all next week!  It is almost "that" day here at work!

FTMM - 4 November and Possible 2014 Races!

As the calendar changes to another month, I have racked up two consecutive 100 mile months, but to hit my goal I set in back at the beginning of the year, I need two more 100 mile months.  Uggh!  And with weather starting to go south, the added stress of the old "is-the-Army-going-to-move-me-or-not" game, and a few other things, it kinda sours the mood, right?

Well, now I'm on 24 duty tonight, hence the FTMM post a bit early!  I did apply this last week for the US Military Elite Triathlon team, and got a call...I didn't make the Elite team (only 3 guys right now), but have been invited to the Club team (also in it's first year), so that gave me a little pick me up, and then received another email from another potential sponsor, so I'll have to wait later in the week on that one, and I still have a few other sponsors that I am thinking of applying for in the next few months (if you're looking for a fairly good over 40 triathlete, let me know!  I'm available!), so that will help with some more motivation.  The only niggling thing is that I still don't know if I'll be in Texas in a few months or be staying here in Kansas, so I'll hold back on my race schedule (or publish two! One for TX and one for KS!).



My stats for this last week:

SWIM: 0 yards (I'll pick up mid month, once I'm done with a few things)
BIKE: 0 Miles (out of 0 planned)  It has been a week of late hours and now, day light savings time and a one day weekend (just shoot me, I smell trainer time in the garage coming up)
RUN: 14 Miles (out of 38 planned) Man, talk about limping out of October, but again time is limited!

Plan for next week:

SWIM: 0
BIKE: 18 minimum
RUN: 36 (and a race on Saturday, the Double Road Race!)

This last month wasn't anything special, but set a PR* (*post college PR) in the 5K, raced my first mountain bike race (hope to finish my first one soon!), and just blased my way thru the month, but I can look on the bright side only 5 1/2 months until my first 70.3!  Oh good lord!

My last month:
SWIM: Does my bath time count? No, then mark it zero dude!
BIKE: 45 miles.  I've done longer rides than that, man riding on the trainer is going to suck!
RUN: A Hundy!  A Benji! 100 miles on the dot.

Ok, I am breaking down here a bit: my first draft, pending the wife's overrule, race schedule!

Of course, this is subject to change (depending on where I am living next year):

November 9, 2013 - The Manhattan(KS) Double Road Race
Finishing out this year with a bang (I hope) is the Double Road Race, an event where you run a 10K, get a "half time" then hit the road again for a 5K.  Time is added up and boom, lowest time wins!  Cool concept, despite I ran one like this many years ago in Michigan, the Scenic Emmitt Challenge, a 2.5K, 10K and 5K (or you could just do one or two of them). 

December 1, 2013 - The Winter Runderland 5K (or 5K donut race!)
I ran this one back in 2011 when I first got to Kansas, it is a nice semi-hilly 5K that starts at the crack of 3pm, so awesome time for a race!  I did ok, and want to improve my time, OR, just race the donut race and try not to hurl!  Haven't decided, but any race that adds running and donuts, it's on like donkey kong!

March 22, 2014 - XTERRA Camp Eagle (TX)
I have been looking at doing an XTERRA and looking at my AG and swim and run times (no use comparing bike times as these are all off road), but I think I could hang with the podium folks in my AG and qualify for nationals in Ogden, Utah come September.  I think that they would be a hoot, and for what it's worth, I could see myself having a great time at these!

April 13, 2014 - NOLA 70.3 (New Orleans Ironman 70.3 miles)
Again, not really a "bucket list" item, but something to try to see if I'm any good at the longer distances.  I know this is an early race, but I have an outside goal of trying to qualify for 70.3 Worlds, and while a flat course isn't to my strengths (give me hills, lots of hills) I think with equipment upgrades (new aero helmet, some deep wheels) could give me a better FOP finish on the bike.  But this is going to be a race vacation (so I can sell that to the wife!).  This race looks solid regardless of Texas or Kansas.

April 27, 2014 - XTERRA Blue Bonnett (TX)
This will happen if I'm in Texas and if I'm not still recovering from NOLA (and I liked the first XTERRA).  Just too hard to say, but this would be a "C" race regardless.

May 17-18, 2014 - Memphis in May Weekend
This is a big race weekend that I have heard about, and trying to get two vacations in two months might be pushing it (especially with my wife's twin's wedding in Michigan in June!), but if I could sell this one, whoa baby!  A sprint on Saturday and an Olympic on Sunday with a Amateur challenge paying to top 15, plus BBQ and touring Memphis and Tunica, MS, hmmm could be a blast!

May 26, 2014 - Capital of Texas (CapTex) Triathlon
If I can't swing MiM, then I'm racing here.  I have done well in smaller races, but this is where the big boys come out and this is a good measuring stick for myself, as well as a nice Olympic race within two hours of where I *maybe* living in Texas.

June 28, 2014 - Gull Lake Triathlon
Going back home for the wedding, I'd be doing the Olympic this year if this wasn't the same day as the wedding!  So, going to race the sprint and see if I can defend my Master's title! LOL, I'm just happy this years winner was over 40 also, because the over 40 group took 1 thru 3.  Oh well, it is always good to get back to my roots, since this is where it all started for me racing tris.  Dang wedding!

July 19, 2014 - USAT Duathlon Nationals
Not sure about racing this one, even though DUs have really got my attention after the Ft. Leavenworth TRI err DU (check my race report on this one) and if this was in Arizona in October, I'd be all on it!  But they moved it to St. Paul, MN and into July, so might become an odd man out.

August 9-10, 2014 - USAT Nationals
This is the one I really wanted to get to and if I'm still in Kansas, that will be easier.  I might even get the military to get me some free leave to represent at the race.  But I am targeting the Olympic Nationals and really want to get on to Team USA for my AG.  That is my goal for the year.  Everything else on past that is cake (yummy, cake!).  And since I have already qualified for next year, I am really only waiting to see where I will be living (again, it matters).

I have a few other races, but this is what I am looking at in a nutshell.  Of course, if I get sponsored by some big names out there, I'll race where they need me to (hello Oakley, Zipp, Quintana Roo, Desoto, etc!  Call me!) but I guess a fella can dream right.

Well what you guys think?  And who is the folks from Mountain View, CA, who seems to like to read my blog?  Let yourself be known!  Leave a comment!  Thanks all and see you soon!