An Ironman's musings

Beast of burden...

2012-02-03T14:57:00.000-06:00

...pack mule, sherpa. All things things are another name for a person that is carrying a large amount of physical burden. Carrying all the families luggage through the airport...you're a sherpa. Bringing in the 200 bags of Target items...you're a pack mule. You get the picture. Well, I have apparently decided to make see how much I can deal with this year. 2012 will be the year of the pack mule for myself. I am not sure if that is an official sign of the Chinese calendar, but it is in my world.

2012 is going to be busy. It will consist/has consisted of:

Started a new job as the controller of a local bank
Signed up for Louisville 140.6 (along with about 8 other races)
Will be studying for/taking the CPA exam

I am not usually a morning workout person, but in order for me to get the studying and training in as well as keep as much of a normal family life together as possible, those am workouts will become a necessity. I figure I will need to carve out enough time each week to have about 10 hours of study and 10-15 hours of training in addition to work and family time. For those that have kids and both train for 140.6 and are in school or studying for some sort of accreditation, how do you do it? Any tips or tricks will be much appreciated.

On a separate note, I can't wait for Spring to arrive. Really miss riding outdoors. See you at the races!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes....

2012-01-18T12:56:00.000-06:00

...turn and face the strain! You know the David Bowie song. Well, that song is the theme of my 2012 season. I have always, in the past, completed my last race of the year in September or October and then proceeded to take off the next 3 months, doing only some light running, some lifting and a few other things to generally keep my body and muscles from atrophying. I then decide in January what races to do for the year and then slowly ease into a training regime that peaks with my year ending race in the September/October time frame. Wash/rinse/repeat. Seems to get me by in the shorter races, but I have struggles in the longer ones.

Last year, I had my first DNF in a race at Louisville. Started vomiting on the bike and then muscles just quit working. I ended up in the med tent with some IV action going on. It sucked, but I am over that. In looking back, I have had issues in all my long races. In 2009 in Louisville, I had similar issues but finished, albeit, walking about 20 of the 26 miles of the run. I decided to analyze my overall training regime. Mind you, I don't train in hopes of winning or placing in any race, I train to challenge myself while still having a good time. I realized in my analysis, that I was taking it easy for the majority of the year and then kicking it in to overdrive around mid-July. Usually about that time, I started dropping a lot of weight in conjunction with the long rides and runs. While this may seem logical and normal to most, I have started wondering if my body never really gets acclimated to race correctly. In the offseason, I usually weigh in around 180lbs. The 140.6 races I have entered, I race at 160-165 lbs. But up until the end of July, I usually tip the scales around 170-175 lbs. Does the 10-15 pound weight loss in the final month seem right? Is that too much in the lead up to my A race and could that be a reason why my results have suffered? I hardly ever have issues during training.

This year I am going to try and change the way I go about training. I am going to up my run mileage over the next couple of months and go ahead and start my healthier (notice I said healthier and not all-inclusive healthy). I am going to get in some longer bike rides earlier in the season and will get into my normal swim routine earlier in the year than I normally would. I also , plan on using more data in training. i want to set some training benchmarks for use in races. While a ton of you guys already do this, this will be a big change to me. All in all, a lot of new and exciting things on tap for 2012.

I have my sights set on revenge in Louisville. Other that that, I am looking to do Rev3 Knoxville (awesome course), Memphis in May, a few local sprints, Germantown Half Marathon and Rev3 SC. If you haven't checked out any of the Rev3 events, do so. Great group that puts on a great race.

Lastly, please go to http://www.rev3tri.com/ and check out the link on their page for charities. They are doing a Run Across America to help raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund. If you normally give money to charities during the year, please consider adding them to your donation list this year. If you can't give this year, see if they are running through or near your home city and consider donating your time to run some of the mileage.

Thanks and see you guys at the races!

Holiday Wish Lists...

2011-12-14T09:45:00.000-06:00

First I want to say Happy Holidays to all my new Rev3 teammates as well as all the returning guys and gals. I look forward to meeting you at some of the races.

Now on to the time sensitive material....

To help the family with some Christmas/Birthday ideas (since I am a January birthday), what are some of your favorite workout and race products?

Shoes?
Gadgets?
Training Aids?
Etc.?

I need ideas!

Not much else to report. I am working on finalizing my race schedule for 2012 and will be starting a new job the first of the year. Other than that, I am enjoying (aka fattening up:)) the offseason and looking to get myself back in gear January 1. First up is the Germantown half marathon.

Post season lazies...

2011-09-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

Not a whole lot to report these days. Now that my season has ended, I am taking some time off and hanging out for a bit before I start my offsesaon program. For next year, I am leaning towards 1-2 halfs and then targeting an August revenge date with Louisville. Other than that, not a whole lot to report.

What do you guys do for offseason programs? Weights? Sport specific training? Looking for tips and possibly looking to outsource the program to someone more qualified than myself.

Not what I had planned....

2011-08-30T09:30:00.000-05:00

I'll go ahead and get it out there...I DNF'ed. First time ever and I can report that it sucked! As I sat on the side of the road waiting for the SAG truck, I actually cried. Yep, I cried. Don't really know why, just the emotion of it all hit me. I despise quiting. I walked 20 miles of the marathon of this very race 2 years ago, because of GI issues. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I quit something. But my body decided that Sunday was going to be a first. The night before, I had a few stomach issues, but didn't think much of it and kind of chalked it up to nerves. Looking back, this was probably the first sign of the issues to come.

The swim went ok. I planned on taking it easy and was shooting for a 1:20 swim. I came out of the water with a bruise on my ear from getting punched right around 1:24. Pretty much on schedule. I then had a plan of taking the first 20 miles of the bike easy until I got my legs going. As soon as I got out of the water, I noticed my stomach was already feeling somewhat queasy, but the first 20 of the bike went pretty well. I averaged around 18.5 mph up until the turnaround. This is where it all started to unravel. In Louisville, there is a long downhill at the turnaround where you can hit speed of over 40 mph. Right before this turnaround, is a water hand-off. I had started drinking water only for the first 20 miles, hoping to settle my stomach. I ditched my water bottle and grabbed a hand-off as I started the downhill. After placing the water bottle in the cage between my handle bars, I reached for my nutrition in an effort to start that aspect of the race. As soon as I had my nutrition in hand, I hit a bump and lost not only the water that I had just picked up, but also ended up dropping my nutrition that I was holding. So, now I am without food and water. Not what I had planned!

After making it down the hill, I quickly went into plan B mode. I still had my First Endurance EFS, but it was not sitting well on my increasingly angry stomach. It was as if, I was not digesting anything at all and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I made it to the next bike aid station and grabbed a water and banana. I was determined to try to get as much nutrition down as my stomach would allow. I continued this plan up until special needs at around mile 70. By this time though, I was feeling very nauseous. At special needs, I took some pepto that I had placed in my bag. Unfortunately, this only stayed down for about 2 minutes. I tried to go to the port-a-john, but nothing was coming out. It had now been about 4 hours since I had peed and I should of had to go by now. My trip in the port-a-john quickly turned from a restroom break into a full on vomit fest (sorry for the gory details). I quit counting at 11, with the last few being dry heaves that resulted in the worst stomach cramps ever. I now had absolutely nothing left in my stomach and still had 42 miles to go. Not good.

I spent about 10 minutes in special needs trying to get some water down and a bit of food in me, but as soon as I got back on my bike, it all came back up again. This is where the cramps in my legs also started. I made it about 5 miles and had to pull over again. At this point, I was an absolute mental wreck. I said I would try to back it way off and see how that went, but every little rise in the road, felt like Alpe de Huez. My legs had nothing in them. I stopped a second time, and had my quads and hip muscles seize up. As I sat on the side of the road, I had my come-to-Jesus moment and decided that today just wasn't meant to be. I was in terrible shape and just getting back the 32 miles I had left was going to be a monumental task, not to mention that little marathon I would still have to tackle. About that time, a bike tech official road by and asked if I needed help. I rehashed the fact that I couldn't keep anything down and was cramping severely. From this info, he radioed the bike SAG and from there I was loaded up and taken back into transition (by the way, the phrase...can you hand me your chip is the worst question ever).

At transition I went to the med tent, where they packed some ice on me and had me lay down. They took my blood pressure (they didn't give me that info though) and asked how I felt. At this juncture, I was still nauseous and cramping a lot. After about 30 minutes in the med tent, I was transferred to the convention center, where the IV ward was located. Once I got there, they hooked me up to a magic IV that also had some nausea medicine in it and took my blood pressure again. At this point, almost 2 hours after I called it quits, my blood pressure was 102/56 which is pretty low for me. The IV started helping pretty quickly. I was up and at em' by 4 and back in the hotel by about 30 minutes later.

I relaxed for a bit, grabbed some dinner with my wife and oldest daughter and then put my big boy panties on and went back down to the finish line to cheer on some folks and to watch my brother finish his first Ironman (way to go Bubs!). All in all, it was not how I had planned, but I realized that plans to always go the way you hope. Yes I DNF'ed. No, I still don't like it. But I will be back to race the 140.6 distance again.

Congrats to my Trakkers teammies Jill and Andree who toughed it out and got their finisher's medal at Louisville and to Trakkers pro's Big Sexy McDonald, who just happened to win the whole she-bang, and Hillary Biscay who crossed the finish line to record her 50th 140.6 distance race.

Good luck to those that have races coming up, I am taking a short break to eat some Doritos and some other junk, before I start getting ready for 2012, the revenge season:) Keep smiling and keep working hard.

Josh

It's show time!

2011-08-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

The lists are being checked. The bags are being packed. It is time! IM Louisville is a mere 6 days away and I am making sure everything is in order. EFS cannisters...check. First Endurance Prerace...check. TYR Elite Torque swimskin....check. Helmet....check. And so on and so on. I feel ready for the swim and bike and maybe a tad underprepared for the run, but let's be honest, the chances of me running the whole marathon are pretty slim:) I don't feel too nervous, but instead anxious to start. So let's get this show on the road. Time to rock this thing and have a little fun while doing it!

Good luck to evryone else racing this weekend.

Down goes Frazier!

2011-07-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

In an effort to entertain all of those who read this and to laugh at myself a bit, I thought I would share an anecdote from my ride this weekend. Our normal 100 mile ride to prepare for Louisville is a 56 mile out and back where we add a second loop of about 40 miles to get us right at 100 miles. The ride is all on two lane roads that are considered rural and considering we leave at 6am, we see very few cars, especially on the first loop. Along the route, there are a few 2 way stops where our road crosses a more heavily traveled rural highway. Some of the intersection have limited sight lines, but you can usually hear the cars coming b/c of the light traffic. Well, this weekend while on the second loop of our ride, my brother and I came up to one of these very intersections. I looked right (very easy to see traffic looking this way) and noted we were clear. To the left, sighting cars is limited to about 30-40 yards. From what I could see, there was nothing coming. I also didn't hear anything. So as I started to pedal out into the intersection, I suddenly hear "CAR LEFT" in a somewhat dire tone. I quickly grabbed the front brake...so hard in fact that my rear wheel came off the ground. I managed to get my left foot unclipped, but by the time I did, my balance was a bit off and I began to do the dreaded biker pogo. You know the move....you start hopping on one foot try to find any way possible to regain your balance and stop the impending tumble. After a couple of hops, I was feeling confident that I had averted disaster. That feeling quickly turned to despair on the third and fourth hop. The fifth and sixth hop became quicker than the previous ones, and I am pretty sure that by the 7th and eighth hop, I was on my way to the asphalt. TIMBER! Of course I had manged to fall on the most jagged and rough section of gravel that I could manage to find. Sliced my knee open, bruised my knee and hand, and I have a sore shoulder to boot. I am sure, the incident was humorous to the cars that got to witness the extravaganza. Next time I will come to a complete stop, and double check the traffic situation so I won't become the human pogo stick again:)

See you at the races!

Training update...

2011-07-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

It is HOT! The heat indexes the past couple of weeks has routinely been in the triple digits and Excessive Heat Warnings have been routine. Since I am profoundly against dreadmills (would rather barrel roll 5 miles than run on a treadmill for 5 miles), it has been a sufferfest. I am now 7 weeks out from Louisville 140.6 and am feeling overall pretty good. I will be doing my second 100 miler this weekend and will be getting in a 2-2.5 hour run this week as well. It has been 2 years since I last did a 140.6 , so my memory may be a little fuzzy, but my legs are feeling way better at this point of the game than they did in 2009. Must be the Recovery Pump and the First Endurance Multi V:) I do need to get my diet straight in these last few weeks, but other than that, everything seems on track.

For those others training out in this crazy heat, stay hydrated and safe. See you guys at the races!

Training unplugged...

2011-06-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

This year I am going back to the 140.6 distance at Louisville this year in August. I did this race 2 years ago and am ready to tackle the course again. This year, though, I will be making a few changes in the training schedule. Some of the minor ones are swimming only 2 days a week, increasing my run days (not necessarily more long runs, but more runs in general), and only doing 2-3 rides of 100 miles or more (but increasing the rides in the 80 mile range). Hopefully these changes will keep me fresh for the race while not leading to burnout like I had a couple of years ago.

The bigger change though, is I am training without using a computer, stopwatch or heart rate monitor. I am going unplugged. And so far, I like it a lot. I wanted to go out and train for the race and enjoy it without being tied down to how fast my workout was, or what HR zone I stayed in or how my cadence compared to other rides. I just want to go out and swim, bike and run. If I feel like I can push it some days, I do. If other days I feel slow, I slow down. So far this season, I seem to be benefiting from it. I have been able to run and bike faster than I have in previous years. I think alot of that comes from the fact that I am enjoying it more and not having those "disappointed days" where I didn't measure up to some metric that I felt like I missed or didn't quite hit. I am doing it for fun and doing it with a smile on my face. For those of us that aren't podium material, the race and training should be something we enjoy. And this year I am enjoying it more than ever!

Keep moving forward and keep smiling! See you at the races.

Short and sweet....

2011-05-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

I thought I would use this post to do some a couple of very short but sweet product reviews.

First up is the Avia Stoltz. I have been using the Avia Bolt III for a couple of months and it was light and FAST! Being a bit larger triathlete, though, longer runs and racing flats don't usually mix well on my feet. I completed a half marathon in the Bolts, but that is about my limit in the Bolts or any other race flats for that matter. About two weeks ago, I received my new Avia Stoltz. Besides looking great (check them out at www.avia.com), they definitely give me that bit of extra cushion to push past the 13 mile barrier my feet had seem to find in racing flats. The Stoltz are marketed as mainly an off-road shoe, but through talking with Avia, I found out that they make a great road shoe as well. First thing I noticed was the extra cushion. Very comfortable shoe and unlike other brands cushioned footwear, the Stoltz weigh in at just 10oz! That is as light as some other's racing flats. The shoe also comes with speed laces, a microfiber mesh upper (to keep your feet cool) and a gusseted tongue that stays in place. If you are looking for a good cushioned shoe that can double as a training shoe or a long distance race shoe, give the Avia Stoltz a look.

Next up I would like to rave about the TYR Nestpro googles (www.tyr.com). Best goggle I have ever used...hands down! These things are light and do not leak. What more can you ask for in a goggle. They offer a great range of vision that works well in both the pool and in open water swims. They also don't leave you with raccoon eyes after long swim sessions! If it is time to replace your goggle, give the TYR Nestpro's a try...you won't regret it.

Two weeks until Rev3 Knoxville. I am excited....under trained but excited. This race has always been on my schedule as a training day as well as a weekend to meet some of my Trakkers teammies. But with all the rain and severe storms we have had (not to mention the multiple days sprinkled in with no power at the house), I am feeling a little behind on the training. Regardless, it will be a fun weekend. Can't wait to see some of you guys there. Hope everyone else's training is cruising along. Summer is right around the corner!

I Fartleked in the pool....

2011-04-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, not really, but my juvenile mind thought that sounded really funny:) I did have a video swim analysis in the pool though. I recommend it to anyone that is looking to improve their stroke and is more of a visual learner than than an audible learner. I was doing some major things incorrectly as well as some little things that I wasn't even aware of.

The group that I did the video swim analysis for me was BPC Performance Systems (www.buildpeakcompete.com) out of Memphis. The instructor that gave my lesson was Dale Sanford. Excellent teacher and very easy to talk to. If you are looking to improve your swim, bike, run or all three, and are in the Memphis area, give them some consideration. Top notch group!

Back to my swim analysis though. Two of the bigger things that I need to correct in my swim stroke are the fact that I tend to swim uphill (meaning I drop my legs) and my kick is inconsistent and at times very flawed. Both of these I was aware of subconsciously, but seeing what I was doing wrong, has allowed me to focus on the best ways to correct them. In reality, the two are tied to each other. If I improve my kick, it will help to correct my uphill swimming. I have always had a poor kick. I am not consistent in the number of beats per stroke and I have some form issues (especially when I rotate to breath). To combat this, I have been focusing one swim session each week to fin work. I am starting to see some improvements, but have some work to do.

Some of the smaller things that I was unaware of that BPC pointed out, were that I rotate a bit to much when I breath (I also had been only breathing unilaterally) and that my thumb is the first part of my arm that enters the water. What is the big deal with this you might ask? Well, when my thumb enters the water first, it is causing my shoulders to over rotate which then pushes my underwater stroke off to the side instead of straight back. The over rotating issue I have further exasperates this issue. I have been using a second swim session each week focusing on pull drills. In doing so, I have been able to get about 80% comfortable bilateral breathing. In doing so, it has really helped with my overall swim body balance. I am not quite there, but I am definitely seeing improvement, and that in of itself is enough for me to justify the swim analysis session and allow me to look forward to better swimming in the future. Good stuff by BPC Performance Systems!

Rev3 Knoxville is only 5 weeks away. The weather has finally made a turn allowing outside riding to be possible. Here we go! Keep smiling and keep training hard...

Swim help is on the way...

2011-03-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

I am not a strong swimmer. I am not a bad one either (at least I don't think so). I am pretty much middle of the road. With Louisville coming up later in the year, I have decided that I want to be a bit more effiecient in my swim. Being faster would be an added bonus, but I definitely want to finish my swims feeling as fresh as possible heading into the bike. I have found someone locally here that offers video swim analysis and coaching that I am most likely going to try. Anyone else out there ever had video swim analysis done for the stroke? How did it work out for you?

On the training front, things are moving along. The new bike (Kestrel 4000) is AWESOME! Rides fast and smooth. I plan on doing a review on it later in the spring, once I have a few more rides under my belt.

Knoxville is 2 months away and closing in fast. Hopefully, I will see some of you there. Keep smiling and keep working hard, you never know who you might be inspiration to:)

Knoxville,here I come...

2011-02-21T22:55:00.000-06:00

So Rev3 Knoxville is my first triathlon of the season and it is about 3 months away. In anticipation of the race, check out Rev3's Knoxville site and look over some of the course preview videos from last year.

http://www.rev3tri.com/knoxvilleComingSoon.htm

(the videos are at the bottom of the page).

Enjoy! Hopefully, I will see some of you guys there!

The new ride is almost here!

2011-02-06T21:36:00.000-06:00

New pedals....check.
New seat....check.
New bike to put new pedals and new seat on....almost.

The new Kestrel 4000 is 1-2 weeks away. And I can't wait! Not that the weather has been all that cooperative which would have allowed me to ride outside anyways.

Beside waiting for the new bike, I have been mainly doing some light running in preparation for a March half marathon that I will be doing with my brother and dad. Today was a slow 8 miler. Had a little knee pain near the end of the run, but nothing that I am overly concerned about...yet. Lastly, I hope that old ground hog was right about an early spring, because I can't stand doing workouts inside. I mean, I really can't stand them. Running on a treadmill or doing a 5 miler on a .1/mile track is getting really, really old. Bring on the sunshine!

Keep smiling and enjoy what you are doing, because you might not always be able to do it!

Ever had a race or training question you wanted a Pro to answer...

2011-01-25T21:55:00.000-06:00

Well now you have a chance to have a bonafide professional triathlete answer YOUR questions. Check it out.

http://www.kestrelbicycles.com/Explore/ASK-THE-PROS.aspx

Need training advice?
Curious about that bike question you've been wondering about?
What is the best setup for transitions?

Go to Kestrel's website and ask one of the Pro's in their vast stable your question. Where else can you get this kind of access to a professional athlete?

Schedule and planning...

2011-01-15T23:16:00.000-06:00

So my 2011 season is coming together. Here is what I have so far:
March - Germantown Half Marathon
May - Rev3 Knoxville Olympic, Memphis in May Olympic
June - Dragonfly Sprint
July - Music City Olympic
August - IM Louisville
October - Rev3 South Carolina (maybe)
November - San Antonio marathon (maybe)
December - Memphis St. Jude marathon

As you can see, my schedule is not totally complete, but I am getting close. I have a plan to focus on certain segments of certain races in my prep for Louisville, which is going to be my "A" race for the season. I am going to focus on the bike in Knoxville (prep for Louisville hills), the run at the Germantown Half Marathon, and the swim at Music City (to prepare for the non-wetsuit river swim in Louisville).

I am really looking forward to this season. I will be on a new bike (hopefully soon since I just sold my current bike). I have changed up my training plan to hopefully eliminate some of this past season's stomach issues. And I will be doing most of my races with either my best friend, my brother or both. What a better way to spend the season!

Keep training and keep smiling...remember, triathlon is a choice we make...not a burden.

And the winner is....

2011-01-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

Shannon (IronTexasMommy) is the winner of the TriSwim give-a-way! Congrats! Email me your address and I will get the goods into the mail to you (djscobey99@gmail.com).

Time for a GIVE-A-WAY!

2011-01-07T09:14:00.000-06:00

Since so many of you guys are swimming indoors this time a year, I will attempt to do another give-a-way! I have a few more samples of Tri Swim for those of you battling the chlorine this winter. This stuff rocks! I still have a few samples of the shampoo, conditioner body wash and lotion. Winner gets it all!

To find out more about Tri Swim, as well as their other products Foggle and Tri Slide, go to http://www.sbrsportsinc.com/index.html and check them out.

On to the rules. They are actually really simple. To be eligible to win, you only have to follow to steps.

1. Be a follower of my blog

2. Leave a comment on this posting

Bonus entry option:

1. Who is the founder of SBR Sports, Inc.? Hint-The answer can be found at the above website. Just include the answer as part of your comment.

I will select a winner on the January 14th (next Friday) and will be using a random number generator for the selection (http://www.random.org/).

Good luck to everyone and happy training!

2011 is here and exciting changes are on the horizon...

2011-01-05T13:20:00.000-06:00

2010 is in the books and 2011 is here! Last year was a pretty low key race season for me and the main factor was the birth of our second daughter. I did a few races, but mainly was under trained for them and did the races with no expectations. Surprisingly, it was a very enjoyable season. That might seem like it isn't the right attitude, but I enjoyed the races I did this past year more than I have any other season. Having said that, I am going to go with this philosophy again in 2011, just without the under trained portion:)

I have a full slate for this year and plan on working my rear off tho be prepared, but in the same breath, I am going to focus on enjoying the event and atmosphere of the races and less on my performance. I have come to realize that my times will be what they will be (meaning middle of the pack). The more I stress about how fast I am or how fast those around me are going, the less I will enjoy the sport. And let's all be honest, the vast majority of us are not making a living racing and are there by our own free will. If it isn't enjoyable, then why do it? So look for me at one of your races this year. I'll be the goofy guy in the bright green outfit, sweating profusely, but grinning from ear to ear realizing that I am lucky enough to be healthy and able to compete in this sport.

On to more exciting news....I am getting a new bike! I will soon be the proud owner of a new Kestrel 4000 with Ultegra components!

This will be my first tri bike. I have been racing the past two seasons on a Cervelo S1 in the forward seat position with clip on bars. Seeing that all my riding (or at least 98%) is for the sole purpose of races or training for races, I decided to take the plunge and get a dedicated tri bike. Besides looking totally sweet, it sounds like it will have the added bonus of being fast as well. Check out this review on slowtwitch.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Tri_Bike_by_price_/Tri_bikes_by_price_for_2011/Tri_Bikes_3800-_4700_2011_/Kestrel_4000_Ult_2011__1822.html.

In addition to the new bike, I will be trying several other new products this year including, but not limited to Avia running shoes (http://www.avia.com/endurance/). Check back later to find out more about the bike and shoes...I'll be doing write-ups and product reviews throughout the year.

Have a great 2011 and see you at the races!

12 days of Christmas (my edition)...

2010-12-08T09:33:00.000-06:00

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
a Kestrel 4000 LTD (http://www.kestrelbicycles.com/TRI/4000-LTD.aspx)

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
3 wild berry EFS shots (http://www.firstendurance.com/efs-liquid-shot.html)

2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
5 Cans of Trislide (http://www.sbrsportsinc.com/trislide_products.htm)

4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
6 packs of Foggle

5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
7 TYR Swimmask goggles (http://www.tyr.com/shop/swimmask-p-215-c-68_70_75.html)

6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
8 Race fee entries (preferably Rev3 events-www.rev3tri.com)

7 TYR Swimmask goggles
6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
9 Xtenex laces (www.xtenex.com)

8 Race fee entries (preferably Rev3 events-www.rev3tri.com)
7 TYR Swimmask goggles
6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
10 CO2 cartridges
9 Xtenex laces
8 Race fee entries (preferably Rev3 events-www.rev3tri.com)
7 TYR Swimmask goggles
6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
11 spare tubes
10 CO2 cartridges
9 Xtenex laces
8 Race fee entries (preferably Rev3 events-www.rev3tri.com)
7 TYR Swimmask goggles
6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
12 EFS bars (http://www.firstendurance.com/efs-bars.html)

11 spare tubes
10 CO2 cartridges
9 Xtenex laces
8 Race fee entries (preferably Rev3 events-www.rev3tri.com)
7 TYR Swimmask goggles
6 packs of Foggle
5 Cans of Trislide
4 pair of compression socks
3 wild berry EFS shots
2 Continental Grand Prix tires
and a Kestrel 4000LTD

Offseason stuff...

2010-11-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

The offseason is here and my annual 3 month fitness decline is in full effect. Every year, I vow to not let the offseason effect my workout routine and yet every year, I revert to do-nothing mode like a school kid getting out for summer break. I then act shocked about how far I have to go to get back in shape for the upcoming season. Well here I am realizing that I need to get my lazy butt in gear before I fall even more behind for next year.

I am hoping for 2011 to be a big year. I'll be doing another Iron distance event next year, and would like to be markedly faster than I was in 2009. I plan on changing my workout routine, diet routine and even some of my equipment (Kestrel 4000?). I am really looking forward to the Rev3 series next year as well as the changes to my home-town race (Memphis in May triathlon). Lots of exciting things are in the future!

As far as offseason workouts/training go, I will be starting a weight program at the first of December that will last about 18 weeks. I will also be playing some indoor soccer and a little rec league basketball. From there, I will jump into my 16 week program that will lead to Ironman Louisville. In between, I plan on doing 4-5 other events.

What events is everyone else looking at doing in 2011?

On a separate note, what has everyone done to get new followers on their blog? I am looking for ideas (besides writing more entertaining material:) on how to expand my follower base.

Hope everyone has a good holiday season!

Rev3 Invades South Carolina in 2011!

2010-10-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

These people put on a great race and now they bring their craft to the great state of South Carolina! Check it out.

http://www.rev3tri.com/!/news/press-release/2010-10-6-AndersonSC.html

My Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 Race Report (Finally)...

2010-09-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

First off I want to say that the Rev3 Cedar Point race was an awesome venue and was also very well ran. I am saying that not as a sponsored athlete of Team Trakkers, but as a racer. My buddy that also did the race echoed the same sentiments. Personally, I believe the race rivaled those put on by Ironman in terms of quality. But now on to the race report.

Leading up to the race, I felt a little unprepared. I have felt this way before, but this time I was actually unprepared for the race. I was confident on the bike, but my preparation for the run and swim were a bit lacking. I am sure I could come up with a myriad of excuses, but I won't bore everyone here with those.

Day 1

We (my racing buddy Erik and I) arrived in Cleveland late Thursday night, picked up our rental car and headed for Cedar Point. We arrived about midnight and the place was a ghost town. Seriously, there were maybe 4 other cars in the parking lot. Friday morning we walked out of the hotel and made the long 50 yard trek to the practice swim about 8:30 and were greeted by some not so fun chop and swell and Lake Erie. Some of you might be used to this, but in Memphis, TN, we aren't. The swim was, shall we say, not so great. It had me worried about Sunday's race. After the swim, we headed over to the check-in area to pick our bikes up, get checked in for the race and to also get checked in for the volunteering duties Sunday night. Once we were all checked in, we went for a short bike ride to ensure that everything was put together properly and the bike was running ok. Great job by the guys at Bike Authority of Cleveland. Well worth the money to ship it to them ahead of time and have them bring the bike to the race, already put together. After the short spin, I spent some time at the Trakkers tent with Anne and her husband before a quick change of clothes in order to be back for Robert (of http://www.firstendurance.com/) nutrition talk and a night of roller coasters! The talk with Robert was very informative...lots of good info that would end up helping me in the race on Sunday (more on this later). Afterwards a Trakkers group of us headed over to the amusement park to ride some roller coasters. Needless to say, it was awesome. This was my first time to Cedar Point and if any of you guys are roller coaster nuts, you have to visit. The best by far was Top Thrill Dragster. 10,000 horsepower rockets you off from 0 to 120 mph in 3 seconds, then shoots you straight up (and I mean literally straight up) 420 feet from which you then plummet straight down topping out at 120 mph again. It was awesome! I will also admit that I realized that I am not as young as I used to because after 6 roller coasters, I felt like I was going to hurl! After doing 6 roller coasters, my buddy and I decided to go find some food, because we were starving.

Day 2

I took it pretty easy on Saturday. Went out with my teammates to the practice swim and lubed up some athletes with some TriSlide (anti chaffing spray) and passed out some samples of Foggle (anti goggle fog wipes) (http://www.sbrsportsinc.com/index.html) . The chop and swell had returned, so the nerves were a little frayed. After that, I grabbed some pancakes for breakfast and then proceeded to watch football for a while. Some time around lunch, we took our bikes over to the transition area and then headed back for some rest and relaxation. A dinner trip to the Olive Garden ended the night.

Day 3 aka Race Day!

The last race of the year was here and I was determined to have fun in this one and not really focus on my time. We arrived to transition around 6:30 and began setting up. It was here that I realized that I made my one mistake of the trip (besides riding that last roller coaster)....I had forgotten my bike nutrition. I had my EFS drink (http://www.firstendurance.com/), but had left my Payday bar back in the room. Looks like I would be operating on EFS alone. After leaving transition, we headed down to the swim start to watch a bit of the Full Rev3 participants and to my surprise, the water was actually a lot calmer than the previous days. My wave went off right at 8:20 I believe and the water was cold, about 66 degrees last I heard. For you northerners, that might be just right, but this was the coldest water I had swam in to date. Overall the swim went ok, minus the bloody nose from getting kicked about 300 yards into the swim. It took me a couple minutes to get my bearings, but I recovered and put in a solid, not spectacular swim by my standards.

Out of the water, I ran up to transition and threw my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses on. At the last minute, I decided to put on the arm warmers that I threw in my bag (I already had on my Saucony compression calf sleeves http://www.saucony.com/) and this ended up being a bit more difficult than I had hoped since I was wet. No worries though, today was all about fun. I ended up running out of transition with my training/racing buddy, so we chatted a bit for the first 2/3rds of the bike, which also led to my first ever penalty, but it was worth it because the bike went by fast. About 35 miles into the bike portion, my past stomach issues started to rear their ugly head. Once this started, I remembered what Robert of First Endurance had told us on Friday night. He mentioned that if you feel stomach issues starting, to start taking in water only in order to dilute whatever was causing the issues in your stomach. By continuing to force gatorade/cerrasport or whatever other sports drink the course offers will only make it worse. I can honestly say this made the difference in making my race being a pleasant one and being a miserable one. Thanks Robert! I might have finally found the reason why I have had some issues this year. In all other races I felt like I needed to keep forcing down the sports drink. The course was very flat and fairly fast except for the last 10 or so miles that were into a pretty steady headwind. I wanted top average around 20 mph and came in around 19.5.

The run was pretty uneventful for me. I was undertrained (never ran more than 7 miles in preparation) so I knew there would be some walking. While I did walk some, I ended up being faster than I expected and had zero foot/knee pain or stomach issues. I talked to a few other racers and volunteers along the way. The weather was perfect and the course was very enjoyable. I started getting calf cramps the last mile, but nothing serious. The finish in the park was pretty neat and I would estimate there were about 200 people lined up to see the finishers. This doesn't even include the rest of the people that were in the park enjoying the rides. My overall time was 6:23 and it felt fairly easy and comfortable. A nice way to end the season.

Nutrition wise, I relied solely on my EFS drink during the bike along with some water at the stops. I had some more EFS at the run transition and then had a few cups of coke and the rest water during the run. Doing this race and listening to Robert, I realized that you don't have to have a smorgasbord of nutrition during these longer races to get you through them. If you are smart with what you eat leading up to the race and then have the right selection during the race, your body can get through it on liquid nutrition alone. This might not work for everyone, but it worked for me and actually has me excited about next year's race schedule and the possibilities. Thanks again First Endurance, and if you haven't used them before, please check them out http://www.firstendurance.com/. If nothing else, their website has some really good information on nutrition in general.

The evening came to an end with me volunteering the finish line of the Full Rev. I worked from 8-midnight, and it was a blast! I got there in time to see a few of my teammates finish (Anne, Andy and Jamie) as well as seeing the determination of the last few finishers getting in at the cut-off. I definitely recommend volunteering. It is amazing to see the determination, pain and happiness in all the finishers faces.

Season Recap

All in all, it was a good season, if not a bit long. I started in April with a 70.3 event and ended in September with a 70.3 event. In the middle were various Olympic and sprint events as well as a new edition to our family. I would like to thank all my sponsors (You guys all ROCK!)....Trakkers GPS (http://www.trakkersgps.com/), Saucony (http://www.saucony.com/), First Endurance (http://www.firstendurance.com/), All3Sports.com (http://www.all3sports.com/) and TriSwim (www.sbrsportsinc.com/index.html) .

Hopefully I will be lucky enough to be back with TrakkersGPS.com next year...It was lots of fun!

I will be working on my 2011 schedule (will include another 140.6 event) in the next week, and then starting my winter maintenance program. Besides that, there should be some fun mountain bike rides and some leisurely road rides, mixed in with some 5K races, before the heavy training starts next year.

Till next time....

Time to chill....

2010-09-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I recently competed in the Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 race in Sandusky, OH. The race was a blast (as was the amusement park)! Everything was well organized and the volunteers and staff at Rev3 were amazing. I definitely recommend this race to everyone in the future. Great location and event for racers and families. I will be writing a race report soon, including some helpful nutrition tips that I picked up during a Q&A session with the owner of First Endurance (www.firstendurance.com), that helped me get through my race.

In the mean time, my vacation is about to begin. I am off to the beach for a week of rest and relaxation. Later!

Racing and Roller Coasters...

2010-09-01T20:48:00.000-05:00

I don't have a lot to add this posting, but wanted to show everyone not racing in Cedar Point next weekend, what they are missing:) Check out these two links.

www.cedarpoint.com

www.rev3tri.com/cedarPointComingSoon.htm

I'll be sure to report in after next weekend to let you guys know how my race went. Be sure to check back in because I will be including some reviews of my EFS drink (www.firstendurance.com) and my Saucony compression calf sleeves (www.saucony.com). Until next week....

Compression Socks!

2010-08-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Only 4 more weeks until Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 race!

Now that I have reminded everyone, I want to give a quick blog post to something I had never tried until recently....COMPRESSION SOCKS! And can I say, what took me so long? First off, thanks to Saucony (www.saucony.com) for sending me a pair to try out.

Great product from a great company. I have been using these for about a week now after all of my runs. In fact, I have been sleeping in them after my long runs, and to date, I can say that my legs feel fresher than ever the next day. My run has been lagging this year and while it is still not where I want it to be, I can at least say that for the last week, it hasn't been because my legs have felt tired. I love the socks so much, that I just ordered some of the compression calf sleeves to wear during the Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 race. For those who have not tried out the compression movement, give it a try. For those that are using them, give Saucony a try. I don't think they will disappoint!

Visit http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/staticpage?content=AMPPRO2-Home_saucony&iCID=Apparel-Main-AMPPRO2 to learn more about Saucony's AMP Pro 2 Compression gear.

Until next time....

Heat and training...

2010-08-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

Well....there only is one more triathlon race to go in my 2010 schedule. The Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 is right around the corner and I am looking forward to it! I'll finally get to meet a lot of my Trakkers teammates and I will get to ride a lot of roller coasters as well.

The training is going ok except for the stifling heat. I don't think the highs have been below 90 degrees here in something like 3 months. This week, they are calling for triple digits for 4 of the 7 days. Thank goodness for my EFS drink to keep me hydrated. This makes running difficult, but it still has to be done, so I have been running a lot at night. Other than the hot weather and training, there hasn't been a lot going on lately. I am already looking ahead to my race schedule next year and the return of the 140.6 distance will highlight it. Some locations in consideration are Knoxville, Costa Rica and Louisville.

I also am looking at finding a coach for next year. My run has been absolutely dreadful this year and I would really like to get a handle on that for next season. I believe this is the main limiter in improving my times significantly. Any of you guys use coaches and have any suggestions on what to consider when hiring one?

Off to do a run! Stay cool and hydrated out there (EFS helps www.firstendurance.com)!

Another great product that you should try...

2010-07-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

First of all, no one wanted free stuff?!?! I did not get one comment on my TriSwim give-a-way post, so I will not look to Facebook to see if any of those people want to try it.

Now onto the another product I just tried and think you should know about. This past weekend, I tried Scape Athlete Sunblock fr the first time, and let me tell you, it does exactly what it says it does. You don't always get that these days. Scape claims to be a sunblock for athletes that allow them to apply in the morning and not have to reapply for the rest of the day. It is sweat proof and waterproof. Scape was started by Dr. Nic Martens who has a PhD in Biochemistry and spent 13 years developing products for Neutragena. He partnered with Craig Alexander to introduce the product to the public. This past Saturday, I went for a 40 mile ride in 75% humidity and 85 degrees at ride time. Usually, I am plagued my burning eye from sweat pouring into them. This past Saturday, that did not happen. I used the Facestick application and it worked great! It went on clean and allowed my skin to breathe throughout the ride, yet I was left reassured that my skin was protected by 50 SPF protection. I like to judge how well a product is made by whether or not I would purchase it again. I will be going out purchase more Scape, specifically the Sunblock Spray, which would be a welcome addition in my race bag. Great job Scape! Check them out at www.scapelabs.com!

The Full and Half Rev triathlon at Cedar Point is around the corner. Are you registered? I am. Hope to see you there! http://www.rev3tri.com/.

Keep training and keep smiling!

2010-07-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

First things first....do you like roller coasters? DO you like triathlons? If the answer to both of these is yes, you need to sign up for the half or full distance triathlons offered by Rev3 in Cedar Point, OH on September 12th. Check them out!

http://www.rev3tri.com/cedarPointComingSoon.htm

Now comes the other fun part...being a part of Team Trakkers, I have had the opportunity to use some pretty cool products. Some of my favorites are the products offered by SBR Sports Inc. which include Tri-Swim, Foggle and Tri-Slide. I use the Tri-Swim shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion every single week after swimming. It definitely gets the chlorine out of your hair and off your body and keeps you from smelling like a walking swimming pool. The Foggle is simply the best goggle defogger I have ever used! It comes in a towelette form. All you do is wipe goggles with the Foggle and let dry. The great part is after you use it, store the Foggle wipe in a air tight bag, and you can re-use the wipe up to 8 times. Voila...no more goggle fog. Back to the fun part...I have been given some (ok, actually a lot) samples to give out for others to try, and now, I am going to give those away to those of you who read my blog. In order to win, you only have to do two things....1) Be a follower to this blog. If you are not, simply sign-up and you are on your way to being eligible. 2) Leave a comment on this blog. That is it. Follow me and leave a comment. I will pick a winner on July 10th and post the winner on that weeks blog. Winners will be selected through a random number generator to keep it fair.

Good luck! in the mean time, go check out the products that SBR Sports Inc. has to offer!

http://www.sbrsportsinc.com/

Keep training hard and see you in Cedar Point!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-06-23T23:28:00.001-05:00

Since there isn't a lot going on right now (besides some training for Rev3 Cedar Point...www.rev3tri.com), I thought I would compile a simple list of some of my favorite things. These are things, not necessarily triathlon related, but just some simple things that make me smile. So here they are in no particular order:

Anything that makes my daughters smile
St. Jude Hospital...I have been a member of their Heroes program for awhile, so if you are looking for an organization to ever raise money for, check them out at www.stjudeheroes.org
Vacations
My wife...I have known her for over 20 years, been married for 10 years and still haven't figured out how I got so lucky
Friends
Grilling
Riding my bikes
Will Ferrell movies
Bookstore's...I often spend a lunch break browsing the local Border's
Facebook and Twitter...what's not to love?
Christmas

Keep training hard and remember to smile while you do it...it may give someone else the push to start training themselves!

Hospital visits, training and the importance of it all...

2010-06-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

It has been 2 weeks since my last post, but there has been plenty going on. This past week end, we had the pleasure of an impromptu trick to Lebonheur Children's hospital for my 4 week old daughter. Apparently 101-102 degree fevers and infants don't mix to well and medical personnel tend to freak out (as do the Parents;). It ended up being a pesky virus, but we ended up spending 2 days in the hospital watching our little Stella, get IV's, x-rays and spinal taps. NOT FUN! IT was really hard watching them prick and prod her. It probably was worse on my wife and I than it was her, since she won't remember it. All is well now though, and I hope we don't have to do that ever again.

Not much to report on the training side. Been taking it a bit easy the past couple weeks with some short runs and some weekend bike rides. That all changes today, as I start to ramp up again for the Music City Triathlon at the end of July and then the season ender in Cedar Point, Ohio with the Rev3 Triathlon people (http://www.rev3tri.com/). Also, sometime this week, I will be placing my order with www.firstendurance.com for my race and training nutrition supplies so, I can dial that aspect of the race in.

Now time for some triathlon retrospect....I have decided that I love this sport! Now matter how bad a race I have, or how miserable I feel after a day of long training, I look forward to the next day of it. There is a real since of accomplishment in it all and then to be able to try new products and learn from other experienced triathlon'ers...it is wonderful. Thanks to http://www.rev3tri.com/, www.saucony.com, www.firstendurance.com, http://www.all3sports.com/, www.kestrelbicycles.com, www.tri-swim.com, and most of all to www.Trakkers.com and all my teammates. Can't wait to meet you guys at Cedar Point!

ps....I am also seriously considering doing the Rev3 event in Costa Rica next year...it looks AWESOME! Check it out http://www.rev3tri.com/!

Cedar Point, here I come...

2010-05-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Well, my race this weekend was a mixed bag of results. I was faster on both the swim and the bike than the previous year and was well on my way to meeting my goal of 2:3x.......until I got to the run:( Make no mistake, there were no GI issues to blame this time. Just good ole' plain hotness! I was over 13 minutes slower on the run this year, due to the fact that heat indexes were 100+ during the run. I ended up walking which was not my plan, but I had plenty of company out there on the run. Lots of people walking, struggling just to finish. The pro's winning times were almost 7 minutes slower than last year, so I guess I can take some solace in that. On a good note, I really like the direction that my swim and bike are heading. Now I just need to get the run going in that direction.

Now that Memphis in May is over, I am in full training mode for the Cedar Point half. I will be drastically changing up my run training over the next few months in hopes of posting a decent time come Sept. 12. I have a new canister of grape EFS drink that I will be working into the program. I also have a new pair of Saucony Rides that will get there initial voyage tonight (I will be giving a review on these in a couple of weeks). No more excuses...time to get to it. Can't wait to meet my Trakkers teammates at Cedar Point! I hate that I have missed the first two parties of the season.

Train hard and keep smiling!

Race weekend anticipation....

2010-05-19T21:46:00.002-05:00

Ladies and gentleman....start your engines! Race weekend is upon us! I love the feeling of race weekend. You get to test your meddle and the hard work you have put in over the course of your training and see if you can accomplish your goals. It is my favorite part of this whole triathlon game. This weekend is Memphis in May Olympic distance triathlon. It is going to be wind with a heat index of 97...BRING IT! I have a goal to finish in 2:3something. Can I do it? Will it be too hot? Only one way to find out...gotta toe the line:) I will be there in my Trakkers gear, with my Saucony Fastwitch 4's (www.saucony.com) with my EFS drink by First Endurance (www.firstendurance.com). Check back next week to see what happened.

New addition

2010-05-11T09:35:00.003-05:00

For those who haven't heard, we just added our newest addition to the Scobey family...Stella Claire was born on 5/4/2010! She weighed 8lbs and was 20.5 inches long. She will one day team with her sister, to dominate the triathlon scene. World championships are definitely in their futures. One can dream right?!?! It is amazing how much you forget or maybe even block out about life with a baby when number 2 arrives. The sleepless nights, zombie days and mountains of diaper changes should be things that you don't forget, but somehow, I did. Maybe it is the adorable faces and coos they make that erase the minor inconveniences from your mind. Being a dad is awesome. For the most part, anything do or say, is the coolest thing in the eyes (at least until they hit the teenage years:)). How awesome is that!

Anyways, the training is going ok. I have the Memphis in May Olympic in 2 weeks. I have missed a few days recently, but sill expect to have a pretty good race. I feel pretty confident about the bike and the swim, and I am determined to kick the runs butt. After Memphis in May, I will turn my focus on to the Cedar Point half in September (http://www.rev3tri.com/). I will start a new (and hopefully one that works) nutrition plan, consisting mainly of grape EFS drink and EFS liquid shot (http://www.firstendurance.com/). So lots to come in the near future. I will keep everyone informed of the goings on. Until then, me and my sweet Saucony's are going to hit the pavement while everyone else in the house is napping!

My To 10 favorite training/racing items plus 5 that I am looking forward to trying...

2010-04-26T20:51:00.009-05:00

My top 10 favorite training racing items (in no particular order):

1.) My new set of Zipp 404's - So fast!

2.) Saucony Fastwitch 4's - Light as air and fast as heck! (http://www.saucony.com/)

3.) Saucony Transit Short Sleeve shirt - Like the Fastwitch 4's, light as air.

4.) Foggle by TriSwim - Eliminates foggy goggles. (http://www.tri-swim.com/)

5.) First Endurance Multi-V - first multinutrient vitamin clinically proven to enhance endurance.
(http://www.firstendurance.com/)

6.) TriSlide by TriSwim - Spray on lubricant.

7.) Aqua Sphere Kayenne Goggles -Most comfortable goggles I have owned.

8.) Beaker Concepts Hydrotail rear hydration system - Holds 2 bottles and all my tubes, etc.

9.) DeSoto Sports Seat Pad - Gives 5mm of extra padding for those long rides:)

10.) My trusty Sony Walkman mp3 player - For those long runs

5 Things I am looking forward to trying this season:

1.) EFS Grape Flavored Drink by First Endurance - Hoping to finally find a drink to fuel my
races without causing GI issues.

2.) Blue Bud bluetooth headphones by Jaybird - Ordered these for a birthday present back in
January and the release date has been pushed back until July. Looking to lose the wires
during my runs.

3.) Timex Ironman Global Trainer - Garmin type device made by the people at Timex

4.) Additional Swim Stroke Analysis - Pretty self explanatory

5.) Rev3 70.3 race - Looking forward to competing in a Rev3 event after hearing so many good
things from various reviews on the Rev3 group! (http://www.rev3tri.com/)

Train hard, race fast and do it with a smile on your face:)

Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face...

2010-04-20T21:12:00.002-05:00

And punched in the face is how Sunday's race started. Looking back, I probably could have trained a bit harder, but I really thought I was ready. I was hoping to finish Sunday's NOLA 70.3 race in a pedestrian 6:15. Not fast by most measure, but a pretty good time for me.

Last year ended kind of bitter sweet for me. I finished Ironman Louisville in only my second year, but ended it by walking almost the entire marathon. The nutrition plan I had been working with all summer, failed miserably on race day. I ended up throwing up 6-7 times in the first 10 miles. Even with all of this, I was hooked. I finished with a smile on my face and a hunger for more.

Back to Sunday...I was in the 3rd from last wave to start. As the morning went on, the wind began to kick up....to the point that when we started to wade out into the water, there were 3 foot swells. I didn't know that could happen in a LAKE! At first, I though it was kinda cool....yeah that ended quickly. I was soon tossed on top of other swimmers and then punched in the face. It was like I had never swam before. I remember my very first race and the hyperventalating that accompanied the swim. Sunday was that times about 10. I actually grabbed onto 3 kayaks to gather my wits. Being from Memphis, we don't get to swim in too many waves. Not the swim I was looking for, but in order to always try to learn from bad times, I now know how to swim in waves. Whatever doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger:)

The bike was pretty uneventful. I was aiming for 20 mph and finished at 19.4. The run had its problems again. Off the bike, my legs felt great, but my stomach did not. I felt bloated and somewhat nauseous for most of the run. This is two straight races this has happened and has lead me to reevaluate my nutrition plan and to also focus more on my running. I have never been a fast runner, but in training, I also have never had these issues. Back to the drawing board!

Despite the issues I had during the race, I continue to be sucked in by the sport. I got to see Trakkers Elite members Dede and Jacqui finish in he top 8 (Dede smoked the swim)! I caught my brother on the bike and was able to do the entire run course with him. I smiled a lot and thanked a ton of volunteers on the course. Overall, I had a fun weekend. And as always, continue to be hooked on this sport....whether I have to go back to the drawing board or not:)

Go Team Trakkers....and down with K-Swiss/Trek:)

Saucony apparel review

2010-04-12T21:33:00.006-05:00

I thought I would give a quick review of a recent purchase I made of some Saucony running apparel. In the past, I have held no real allegiance to any type or brand of running shoes. I have tried all brands. I have been fairly loyal to Nike running apparel though...until now! About a week ago, I received my order for a Saucony Transit short sleeve running shirt and a pair of RXT Burn run shorts. They ROCK!

The shirt is a basic technical fiber shirt that is ridiculously light weight. It is as light of a shirt as I have ever worn and yet continues to do an excellent job of moisture management. On top of this, it adds a layer of SPF 50 protection from the sun.

The shorts are great as well. Much like the shirt, they are very light weight. I personally like a longer running short, so these particular ones, have a 7 inch inseam. It has a boxer brief liner, 2 side pockets, and a zippered back pocket.

After having worn these for a couple of runs now, I am officially a Saucony convert and plan on making more purchase from them n the near future. Thanks Saucony! Check them out at http://www.saucony.com/

Deep Thoughts of a 3 year old...

2010-04-05T21:02:00.002-05:00

So in the last week or so, I have been asked some pretty interesting questions by my 3 year old daughter that I have not really had an answer for, so I thought I would throw the questions out to the group.

Here they are:

1) Where does the Easter Bunny live? Should be an easy one, but I can honestly say I don't know the answer. Maybe a hole in the ground? Maybe at Santa's house? Don't really know.

2) Why did the Easter bunny have shoes on and walk on 2 legs when he visited my school instead of hopping? Good question actually.

3) If the Easter bunny likes carrots so much, why does he bring us eggs and candy? Because they taste better? I am not sure.

and finally my favorite...

4) I had some bird poop on my windshield and she asked what it was. I told her plainly it was bird poop and she quickly asked me how do I know it wasn't angel poop since they fly too. You know, I didn't actually see the bird do it so maybe...........

Isn't it great to experience the minds of kids!?!?

That is all.

Keep training and keep smiling!

All is fair in brotherly triathlon competitions...

2010-03-28T21:33:00.006-05:00

Being an older sibling has a lot of benefits. We are often thought of as the responsible ones. We usually have the luxury of doing things first. One down side of being the older sibling though (at least in my case) is that all those years you used your size, strentgh and age to your advantage abusing your little brother in basketball, football, video games and just about every thing else in can come back to bite you in the rear. See, while they were getting beat day in and day out, they were also playing against competition above their skill level, thus making themself better. I have always though of myself as a decent athlete that worked hard to become a good athlete. I played basketball and baseball in high school. My brother did too. The difference is he played college basketball. I would like to think that all those whippings a put on him back in the day, contributed to his skills later in life. Often we still wrestle around at family get together (yes we are 30+ and still wrestle) and as much as I hate to admit it, I can't always take him down like I used to.

The point of all this, is that in 3 weeks, we are both competing in the New Orleans 70.3 race and there is a bit of friendly competition going on. He is a faster runner...I am a faster swimmer. Usually I am faster on the bike, but he is quickly closing the gap. I have a year of triathlon experience on him and have the luxury of completing an 140.6 distance event as opposed to his longest distance being an Olympic distance triathlon. I also have to confess that I have been sandbagging a bit about my workouts when we discuss the race. I hope I can beat him next month, but have constantly told him that he is going to win, while secretly wanting to crush his hopes and dreams:) I have new wheels, new Saucony shoes(www.saucony.com), and First Endurance Optygen HP and First Endurance Multi-V (www.firstendurance.com). Will all this lead to a victory for the older siblings? I don't know...but I do know that I will be giving it my best shot. In three weeks we shall see if the older sibling prevails or if youth and vigor conquer all. Just your classic story of good vs. evil...David vs. Goliath...oh you get the picture. Stay tuned and keep training hard!

2010-03-21T21:19:00.002-05:00

"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward."-Abe Lincoln

This is my motto when it comes to my triathlon hobby. Yes it is a hobby, an expensive, time consuming, but very fun and fullfilling hobby. I will never be the fastest person on the course, but I will always keep going forward. I work hard to be middle of th pack and if that is what I can do, then I am ok with it. I enjoy the competition within myself and I enjoy the community of great atletes that choose to compete and share in this sport with me. Thanks guys!

Nothin' goin' on but the rent...

2010-03-15T20:43:00.003-05:00

Not much to report this week. 4.5 weeks out from New Orleans 70.3. My long run went well this week. I did 11 miles in right at 1:27, which is pretty good for me. My long ride on Sunday was canceled due to rain. These next two weeks are pretty critical as far as I am concerned. I am not looking to PR New Orleans (being tha it is an earlier season race), but I would like for it to be a fun uneventful (i.e. no issues) race that I am doing with my brother and friend. Time to buckle down!

I would like to throw out a quick "shout out" to Saucony for my Paramount 2's. I know I have done a review on them in the past, but the more times I run in them, the more I love them. Tonight a ran a quick recovery run in somewhat chilly weather. It was about 48 degrees when I left, and I was a little cold. My feet on the other hand were NOT! The comfortemp upper liner in the shoe does what it says it does (at least in cold weather...have not tested in hot weather). According to their website (www.saucony.com), when foot temperature drops below 82 degrees, the liner releases stored heat to regulate the temp. It worked tonight. Love these shoes! I would also, like to repeat that since I got these shoes I have n longer been using my custom orthotics....I'm just sayin'! Props to Saucony on these shoes.

Until next week...

Just a reminder to check in and listen to big Matt Reed this Wednesday at 8pm. Go to www.rev3tri.com for information.

Chat w/ Mirinda Carfrae

2010-03-08T08:48:00.002-06:00

Rev3tri.com will be hosting an online chat with Jobs runner-up Mirinda Carfrae on Wed., March 10th @ 8pm eastern time.Visit WWW.rev3tri.com for details.

This is normal....right?

2010-03-07T20:08:00.002-06:00

What a great weekend! The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We hosted a wedding shower for my brother this weekend, so the house was filled with yummy treats and food. It was good to visit with friends and family and soak in some sunshine for the first time in a while.

Today we headed out for a 56 mile bike in preparation for New Orleans 70.3. As usual, I was running a bit late this morning when my brother showed up. He showed up right at 10am and I had only eaten a bowl of delicious Honey Nut Cheerios. Thinking that would not get me through the ride, I decided to grab two yummy mini Rainbow Chip icing cupcakes leftover from the party. I mean it is carbs....right? I also took my First Endurance Multi-V, which I will talk about in a little bit, but man does this stuff work. Anywho, the ride is going great. I am feeling fresh and climbing better than I have all year. I feel invincible. And then mile 40 hits and a ginormous bear jumped on my back. I hit the proverbial wall. Luckily, there was a gas station about 5 miles away, so I limped into the store and decided to fuel up on what else.....the biggest Rice Krispy Treat I have ever seen. This is normal bike nutrition right? It helped a bit, but not much. I finished the ride and at this moment I am now laying on the couch...5 hours later. Moral of the story...take your nutrition seriously.

I did muster up the energy to take my daughter on a bike ride and dig around in the dirt for some cool (her rules, not mine) rocks. I was also able to help some fellow riders out with a mechanical problem that allowed them to finish their ride. So all in all, despite the not-so-stellar ride, I feel like today was a success.

Now a quick note on the First Endurance Multi-V...the stuff works. At first I wasn't sure that I could tell a difference, but now I am a believer. I have really noticed the past few rides that I stay stronger longer than before. If you haven't heard about the stuff, check it out at www.firstendurance.com If you have heard of the company, but have yet to try any of their products....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? If it is good enough for me...oh who am I kidding? I eat Rice Krispy Treats during my long rides. But seriously, Contador uses first Endurance...Cavendish uses First Endurance....the Lovato's use First Endurance, why aren't you?

Have a great week everyone and remember to laugh and smile each day...it will make you feel better.

Online Q&A with pro triathlte Julie Dibens

2010-03-03T08:48:00.001-06:00

Julie Dibens will be online answering questions tonight at 8pm eastern. Go to rev3tri.com for details.

Proud Daddy stories, training and of course...product reviews!

2010-02-28T20:57:00.000-06:00

So, being a Dad is pretty cool. I have come to the conclusion that your kids will do just about anything that you tell them to and will try to do some things that you do. Recently my daughter has decided to inform people, some random, some not, that I am an Ironman. Despite what my wife thinks, I have never told her to do this. I have a small Ironman tattoo on my wrist, but other than that, I never really mention it outside of my wife and training partners (who did the race with me). Well the other day, my daughter and I were riding bikes and she said that when she got older, she was going to be an Ironman like me...watch out Chrissy! I felt a little emotional:) Now there are things that I do try to get my daughter to do and say for a good laugh. Among other things, she now can do the sprinkler dance move, sing numerous Black Eyed Pea songs on the karaoke machine, and eve tells me "peace out" when I drop her off at daycare in the morning (complete with a fist pound followed by an explosion of course). Well, the newest thing she does now is to tell people that the party doesn't start until she walks in (yes the line from the Ke$ha song). Such a proud dad:) Around the beginning of May, I will have another young mind to mold, when our second daughter arrives.

This weekend has been a pretty good training weekend. The weather has finally gotten above 50 so I did a 30 mile ride Saturday followed by a 10 mile run today. Only 7 weeks until 70.3 New Orleans and I am starting to get excited about it. I am treating this as a "fun race"and not my A race (that will be Cedar Point). I am entering the race with my brother and this will be his first long distance tri, so it should be a good time.

Now to the product reviews. I received some products from the good people at SBR Sports, Inc., who manufacture Tri-Swim hair and skin care, Tri-Slide and Foggle. The hair and skin care are awesome. I no longer have to carry around kids chlorine shampoo in the locker room, thus receiving some strange stares. The products do every thing they claim and remove the wonderful smell of chlorine (not to mention the poison that it is). Their products in the Ti-Swim line include shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. Recommend it all! But the two products that are my favorite are Tri-Slide and Foggle. Tri-Slide is a spray on anti chafe skin lubricant. Think of body glide in a spray. The stuff is AWESOME! I tried some on my run today by putting it on my feet (have had some hot spots on a few toes lately) and on my nipples (yes I said nipples...it isn't a fetish, just that some of my long sleeve shirts are a bit loose and tend to rub me raw). The Tri Slide worked flawlessly. Foggle has become another favorite. It is an anti fog wipe. No more leaking anti-fog in my gym bag...YEAH! I tried it the other day on my goggles (which claim to be fog proof....FAIL) and lasted the entire swim (1600 meters) with clear goggles. The good thing about the wipes is that you can reuse them. Simply store them in a zip lock bag, and a wipe can be reused about 5 times. If any one is having problems with foggy goggles, pleas give these things a try. Thanks SBR Sports, Inc. Your stuff rocks!

A final random note....I can't wait for Ludacris new album release. How Low has been a recent favorite during training runs, so I am looking forward to see what the remainder of the album is like. That is all. Train hard and have fun!

Shoe review...

2010-02-21T22:03:00.000-06:00

First, training has had its ups and downs lately. Two weeks ago, I felt like I was catching a groove on my running. Felt good most runs and was actually posting some faster times. Then last week, I got some sort of stomach virus along with a 102 degree temperature and since then I have been struggling mightily. Rode a somewhat hilly (at least for my area) 32 mile loop and STRUGGLED! Legs felt like they were never there and even though we only rode for about 1.5 hours, I had crazy amounts of salt build up all over my face and body. I also was wiped out later that night as well as today. Not normal:( Hope it is temporary...New Orleans is only about 8 weeks away.

Now to the review. I received a pair of Saucony Pro Grid Paramount 2's as part of Team Trakkers. Before these shoes, I had been using Asic Nimbus for all of last year, including Ironman Louisville. They HAD been my favorite shoes. The Paramount 2's have now surpassed the Nimbus on my shoe scale. It feels light while still providing plenty of stability. The way the shoe is constructed, it almost forces a very efficient heel to forefoot transfer. I haven't even been using my custom sole inserts. Without having any engineering prowess, it almost is as if the shoe cups your heel with support, while giving the front part of your foot the freedom to relax. Hopes this makes since:) The shoe also comes with what the saucony.com website describes as comforttemp, which regulates the temperature of the shoe. In other words, it keeps your foot warm during the cold runs and cool during the hot runs. The upper par if the shoe is mesh while the insert has a few small holes in it to regulate temperature and provide some air flow. All of this and the shoe looks good too! Great job Saucony! You have converted me from my previous brand loyalty. I say this not because they are a sponsor, but as someone that will pay full price for their product in the future.

In the coming week, I will also be reviewing the First Endurance multi vitamin and my Tri-Swim products. Stay tuned......

Training and goodies!

2010-02-02T20:02:00.000-06:00

First things first....the training is going well. I am about t-minus 12 weeks until Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. This won't be my a race this year, so I am not amping up the training like I will for Cedar Point in September. Right now and am on the trainer about 4 times a week (45-60 minutes at a time), running about 3 times a week, and swimming once a week (looking to ramp that up to 2-3 times a week once I get to the 8 week mark). On the weekends, when weather allows, I try to get in 1 longer bike and 1 longer run. So all in all, I feel like I am right on track.

Now to the goodies! As part of Team Trakkers, I have the opportunity to try out products from various sponsors. Two of the products I just received are some Saucony running shoes and a multi vitamin and Optygen HP from First Endurance.

The Saucony's are the Pro Grid Paramount 2s. I just received them today and my initial impression is the look and feel great. I will be testing them out shortly and by the time I write my next blog, I will have some additional feedback. Out of the box, the seem very comparable to my previous par of shoes which were Asic Nimbus. Without having any stats in front of me, they feel lighter on my foot. The Paramounts also seem like they provide a bit more support. For those that care, they also look "spiffy". They are mainly white with some blue and black accent. More on the performance to come. Check them out at www.Saucony.com!

The second product I just received is a multi vitamin from First Endurance. I don't normally train via times or stats, so any feedback I provide in the future will be based on how I feel during training and races. I am hoping to see the training to become easier at the same perceived exertion level as I have been training. Go to www.firstendurance.com and check them out. Lots of good testimonials from some high level athletes (Team Astana and Team HTC just to name a couple). I also received some of their Optygen HP which I will be trying in the near future. This product is supposed to increase your oxygen intake which increases performance. Once I start it I will also be updating for this product.

I am looking forward to trying the products and seeing what improvements they will provide. Off to the trainer! Have fun and train safe.

Josh

Back in the saddle again...

2010-01-13T00:09:00.000-06:00

I am sooooo ready for this weekend. Warmer weather means no more gym spinning bikes and no more treadmills. My new mountain bike is coming in this week, so I will be hitting the trails for some biking and running. On the training front, I am starting to get in the groove for Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. This week, yes it is last minute, I decided to change my training schedule up. Instead of 3 days of swimming a week, I am going to try out 1 long swim a week. I am just ok on the swimming front, but decided that I would be better served working on my biking and running during that allotted time. I'll let you know how it goes. I figured we are talking about the difference in 5 or so minutes during the swim vs. better shape on the bike and run. Anyone else try this out before?

On the sponsor front, I am looking forward to trying out Tri-swim, 1st Endurance and Saucony in the near future. Specifically I am looking to try the Tri-swim shampoo and conditioner to keep the chlorine from eating my hair, the 1st Endurance Optygen HP, and the Saucony Progrid Paramont 2's. If you have a chance, go check all these guys out. I also received some pretty sweet Trakkers GPS hats and visors by Headsweats today. Thanks Trakkers! Hope everyone has a great rest of the week....peace and hair grease!

Baby it's cold outside!

2010-01-04T21:45:00.000-06:00

So the idea of doing an April 70.3 race in New Orleans is starting to seem like a bad idea. Coming off my first Ironman in August and the recent holidays, my motivation was already lacking. Add to that my disdain for running and biking indoors, and you can start to see my issues. It was 15 degrees yesterday when I ran. I realize some of you have colder weather, but in Memphis, that is COLD! Road biking is out of the question and even mountain biking is questionable at best. So, needless to say, I need to get with the program. 15 weeks to go, so enough of this whining.

Did everyone have a great Christmas? Santa was good at my house. New bike computer, new cycling shoes, and a new Mountain bike (as soon as I decide which one want). Now I am looking forward to trying out some of my sponsors great gear. I look forward to trying out Tri swim, Saucony, and 1st Endurance!

Happy training to everyone and I am making it a New Year's resolution to post here more often. Talk to you soon!

And so it begins (again)...

2009-11-24T23:17:00.000-06:00

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!

2009-11-10T22:18:00.000-06:00

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/

2009-10-29T22:47:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-10-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

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/

2009-10-25T00:55:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-02-12T21:46:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-04T23:16:00.000-06:00

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.