And so it begins (again)...

It is time again! Training officially starts Monday Nov. 30. Still working on finalizing my training plan, but will be all systems go next week. All of this for Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. I am taking a break from the full distance in 2010, but expect to tackle it again in 2011. I am looking forward to New Orleans for several reasons.

The first being that it will be my brother's first long distance tri. He got into them last year and completed an Olympic distance tri, but this will be a new challenge. Training is so much more fun when you have others to train with.

The second reason I am excited about New Orleans, is to see if I can push myself a bit more in the shorter distance compared with the full Ironman. It ma be a bit misleading, but the training schedule compared to this year's schedule I used in preparation for Louisville, seems incredibly easier. Maybe a bit misleading, but we'll see.

Finally I am looking forward to racing New Orleans being part of Team Trakkers. Getting to try out new products during the training and meeting new people will help me in my triathlon journey. I plan on learning as much from my teammates as I possibly can. Being new to the sport (2010 will be only my third year), I have a lot to learn and the Trakkers Team appears to have a dearth of knowledge and experience. Looking forward to meeting you guys.

2010 will be a big year. I plan on dong two half ironmans, two Olympics, several sprints, a half marathon and a whole marathon. I have been mainly taking it easy since Louisville, but am ready to get back into the swing of things next week. Good luck to the rest of you in 2010!

Another product that has teamed up with Trakkers. Check it out! I for one will be ditching the children's chlorine shampoo for it.

http://www.tri-swim.com/

As part of Team Trakkers, I have been made aware of a cool product. If you are interested in revamping your nutrition for your races next year, give these guys a look.

http://www.firstendurance.com/

Check out this race series...

This year I raced as part of Team Trakkers (trakkersgps.com). Through this group, I have been made aware of a pretty sweet race series for 2010. Check it out (and sign up for one too)!

http://www.rev3tri.com/

So it has been awhile since I have posted. But in that time, a few things have happened:) During my tainig for Ironman Louisville, I ended up losing almost 30 pounds! I also confirmed that I really enjoy the sport and the competition. Oh, yeah and I also became an IRONMAN!

Unreal experience and one that I would recommend to anyone that is considering it. You learn a lot about yourself during the training and during the event. I will definitely be doing another one in the future.

So now that my Ironman journey is completed, I am taking some time off before I get back in the saddle for next year. I am looking at doing 2 half ironman triathlons, 2 olympic triathlons, and several sprint distance triathlons. Should be a busy year.

During my training, I was part of Team Trakkers. While I didn't get a chance to actually test the device, I did learn about what it offers through observing other race beta test. This device looks to be very cool and very useful. Check it out at trakkersgps.com!

Finally I offer a parting question to those reading....do I get the IM tattoo or not?

Training,sponsors, bruised egos and other various musings...

So far so good on the training front. Currently I am doing about 9-10 hours a week. Usually 2-3 swims, 2-3 runs and 3 time a week on the bike. This is really in preparation for the Memphis in May event as well as building a base for Louisville. I have a swim lesson in a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to this since I am a self taught swimmer. I am sure I am doing all kinds of things wrong so I would like to get that corrected before race season. Michael Phelps I am not!

I have a sponsor! I have teamed up with Trakkers GPS for this year. The company has a product that will allow others to follow me through training and races via google map. They are still in the testing phase which is where athletes (no laughing, that is what I call myself) like me will be using the product in various races and offering feedback. The idea seems like a very useful one. I know there have been many times in training when my wife wondered where I was. It would also allow friends and family to know where to look for you during races. An added bonus of the product is that the user can chart his workout stats after the fact. The device is worn like a watch and the user will have to subscribe to a monthly service (I believe). I am looking forward to using the device and will provide updates and facts as I learn more.

I am also raising money for the children of St. Jude in conjunction with my Ironman race. I hope to raise $10,000 by race day. No children are ever turned away for lack f funds and the hospital uses donations to help fund the treatment and to look for cures for childhood illnesses and diseases.

On to some self humiliation of the day. So tonight, I was doing a 5 mile run. About 4.5 miles into the run, I came up on a driveway that had a drop-off. So obviously I look down to make sure I don't trip, roll an ankle, etc. as any normal person would do. As I was doing this, all of a sudden I was knocked onto my keister. You guessed it...I had run smack dab into a ginormous tree limb. As I sat on the sidewalk (it was on one of the busiest streets in town, so I am sure many motorist got a kick out of it), my ears were ringing and my head and pride were in serious pain. I now am sporting a big knot on the top of my noggin. Just another day in the life of an athlete:)

Greetings

I wonder if this is how Doogie Howser felt? So, my name is Josh and I am a triathlete. No, really, I am. I am not the fastest swimmer...or biker...or runner, but I am a triathlete. And hopefully on August the 30th, I will be an Ironman.



Today, I rode the spinning bike for an hour and followed that up with a quick 15 minute run. Doesn't that sound like a grand time? While pedaling in a dark room at the gym, I followed along on my cell phone as my Memphis Tiger's beat the Mighty Mustangs of SMU (well maybe not so mighty). Currently I am training about 10 hours a week in preparation for the Memphis in May triathlon. As we get closer to August, that training number will go way up.



This triathlon "thing" started for me last year. I would like to thank my friend Erik for that. What started out with me buying an entry level bike and to see if I liked this triathlon thing, has ended up with the purchase of a new bike, along with numerous other toys, and an entry into the Louisville Ironman. What a leap huh? Man is it addicting though!



I will be using this page to update my training as well as share other triathlon and non-triathlon stories. I will do my best to keep it light and fresh, but I won't make any promises. Good night all.