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2015-09-30T20:47:00.004-05:00

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@LYFEKitchen - AWA Ironman Athlete - #GelQuantum360 by @ASICSAmerica - #IMBoulder 2015 thoughts going into race day

2015-08-01T17:34:00.001-05:00

So tomorrow is it. Ironman race of 2015, Ironman Boulder.

Pretty much my whole multisport year has revolved around getting ready for Boulder. It's going to be a long and hot day.

I'm trying not to get sucked into the hype that the bike course is fast and easy. I'm also focusing on hydration and nutrition early on the bike before it heats up to get as much into the system before it starts shutting down due to heat. It's going to happen. Lets just hope for plenty of shade on the run!

Training for Boulder, I had a minor setback for a month with Plantar Faciitis. I went to the elliptical and was sent the ASICS Gel Quantum 360 shoes in perfect timing. While the elliptical allowed me to take some stress off the foot, none of my go-to ASICS models were relieving the pain of just every day walking around. That was until I was sent the Quantum 360's. They worked wonders and I'm pretty much 95 percent pain free. I've been back out running this week, granted nothing at race pace or high intensity. Aleve and patients will be my best friend on the run... and will probably serve me well to pace myself in the heat. Probably a blessing in disguise.

Packing... how did I get all this junk to Lake Tahoe in 2013??? It was a mess, but ended up only to be three bags and a bike... and a bag of food. Not bad, but it was a mess for a good 8 hours.

What's the best way to save money racing these events? Stay with family. I have been blessed with some great in-laws that live in Denver and have graciously opened their home and pantry. Very open to let me come and go and fixing great chicken quinoa salads and awesome healthy dinners! SCORE!

Yes, racing at altitude causes issues, but being in Boulder, Colorado for an Ironman race does not suck.

Volunteers are great! Just don't get a card and have to stop at the penalty tent... they aren't as happy to see you.

Watching on IronmanLive.com? I'm bib 427 (low number for All World Athlete Bronze) and will be wearing some neon... helmet home paint job to match! Son, you got to coooooordinate...

Speaking of AWA. It's a strange side deal with IM races. Based on your performances in past IM events, IM KS in 2014 and IM Chattanooga in 2014, you get AWA status based on your point total. Some how I earned enough for bronze. So far the non-paying benefits are a sticker, express line in check in and a lower bib number that got me closer to the bike racks in T1. You could go wild and order AWA gear online and if you get gold or silver, you get early chances at IM entries than the regular participants. It's cool, but doubt I will qualify for 2016.

Boulder has some sweet eats! IM decided to give meal vouchers for 6 or so Boulder restaurants and have an outdoor welcome celebration at 7pm, skipping providing food. This was my first with this setup... and I found LYFE Kitchen and AWESOME! Healthy. Nutrition Facts readily available. TASTED KICK ASS! And, the $25 voucher covered my entire meal.

So far the pre-race highlight has to be getting Rinny to sign an IM Boulder poster and pose for a picture! Who knows if I will ever be in the same air as her again, so I jumped on the chance. We are now besties.

I'm trying to soak it in this race. Taking time and doing things intentional and not be lost or in a hurry. This could be the last full IM for a whole due to some home front changes (in a good way), so I'm taking lessons learned from Texas and victories from Chattanooga and hopefully putting a nice bow on this chapter of triathlon racing. Stay tuned and good luck to everyone else racing!

2015 Ironman Boulder on the horizon : thoughts : @AsicsAmerica updates #GelQuantum360

2015-07-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm down, but not out.

Plantar Fasciitis... I have it going wild and it sucks. It started right as we left for vacation after a long run and has been bugging me ever since.

What I have I been doing to get rid of or minimize it before IM Boulder in 1.5 weeks?

Of course I ran on it a few times before realizing I was causing more issues and making it a lot worse. Stubborn. Bull headed. Whatever. I tried some trusted shoe models. Stretched more diligently before runs, but ultimately it's a factor of not running to heal. I've done some damage from not dedicating enough time to warm ups, using improper shoes and using shoes with too many miles. There's a laundry list of factors, and I'm addressing them in the weeks leading up to Boulder.

For the past 2.5 weeks, and the week leading up to Boulder, it's elliptical only. It's not the same, but it's the closest to running I can get without pain. I couldn't even pool run. Just pushing off irritated the PF.

Aleve has been my friend. Large dose in the morning, very small dose before bed to get some good sleep. As time has passed, the pain has subsided to non-existent for normal daily activities. I'm reducing pain meds to minimum as possible in order to get maximum benefit on race day. Yes, Aleve will be in my transition and special needs bags!

Straussburg sock at night before bed. I cannot wear those things at night when sleeping as it wakes me up, but I try to hang my feet off the bed to not put them in position that shortens the achilles and promotes improper healing. I can wear it for the few minutes between putting the kids down and going to sleep.

Proper warm ups and cool downs. Warm up gently, dynamic stretching and then go after the workout. After the workout, ample time stretching statically and getting some length back in the calf and achilles. I have been better about doing this as opposed to not at all in the past, but it's been too short of time and not warmed up gently enough. I'm getting old...

Massage. My dude Kent at Thoroughly Kneaded Muscle Therapy has beat me up. He's brutally attacked the heel and calf to get recovery stimulated and have the healing align with the tendons and not criss-cross which makes for a weaker structure. Look it up. ART is not hot air. It's real and if you keep injury a certain body part, this could be key to get it to heal effective and be stronger in the long run.

I've messed around with shoe inserts and they just aren't doing it. I figure if it hurts my feet just walking around, it's probably not helping. I've been blessed with a blitz of ASICS shoes to try and while I have my staples, I might have used the new models a little too overzealously in my training runs. Traditionally I go with the Gel 1100 series, GT 1000 or 2000 series or the Tri Noosa's. Sadly I'm out of 1100's and GT's. I don't have enough time to break a pair in with elliptical runs, so I needed an option I have already broken in. That left me with the Gel Kayano 21's, Tri Noosa 8's and the Gel Quantum 360's. Unfortunately the Kayano's weren't feeling good with the PF and the Noosa's are too rigid in the heel for the PF. BUT, the new Quantum 360's are EXCELLENT! They feel great just wearing for every day and for elliptical work. Since I have had them for a few weeks and wearing them, I feel comfortable they are worn in enough to tackle IM Boulder.

So that's the plan. Hit the bike and swim hard, run on elliptical only til race day, pain management meds full force for the race and a lot of prayer and rest and recovery / therapy. I'm crossing my fingers that I have enough miles in the bank to get me to the finish line and enough Aleve to get me through the run. ;)

@openoptionskc Shawnee Mission Triathlon Race Recap - 7/12/15

2015-07-13T06:14:00.000-05:00

So at the last minute, I won a free entry to a race!

As I was on vacation with the family, I randomly entered a Facebook drawing for entry into a local triathlon, knowing it was the day after we got back and figured it was a long shot to win. Wouldn't you know it, I won the free entry!

I'm all about free race entry! Thanks to Open Options of Kansas City (http://openoptionskc.org/) for sponsoring the event and giving a random entry into the Open Options Shawnee Mission Triathlon!

A little bit about Open Options:

Our Mission
At Open Options UCP, we are guided by our mission to support people to realize their full potential.

Our Vision
We seek to become the premier provider of supports and services for people with disabilities, signifying quality, innovation, and person-centered principles. We are committed to ensuring the sustainability and growth of our organization and are driven by a ceaseless desire to improve. The people we employ will be engaged, dedicated, and invested in our mission.

Our Values
Every day we are given the amazing opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. We are a catalyst for growth, supporting others to see and pursue the many opportunities and options a meaningful life presents, and contributing to the happiness of those around us. The people we serve are our priority and the people we employ are our greatest resource. Our interactions are guided by three core values:

Demonstrating an unselfish concern for the well-being and happiness of others
Being open, authentic, and truthful
Respecting the dignity of every person and every role

But I am "injured"

Lately I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis, and anyone that has had a case flare up, it sucks. It started the weekend we left for vacation after a long run and got worse as I tried to work out over vacation. I shifted to spin bike, weights and elliptical to let it rest, but the damage has been done.

So, the last thing I wanted to do was run a race with IM Boulder coming up and in serious need of recovery.

That's when I sent the call out to my local group of tri peeps and found a ringer, I mean runner, for a relay team! I swam and biked, and my pub crawling, potato-ole eating friend ran. Problem solved.

It was ugly

The swim was ugly from the start as I went out too hard and it was the worst swim ever at this event. I have been spotty in my swim training over the past month and coming off vacation with no swimming, it showed. Unfortunately I'm not the type that can take time off and show up and kill it.

I had to gingerly walk the 0.10 miles to my bike on a paved parking lot since there was no running going to happen with my foot.

After mounting the bike, I produced the worst bike split ever for this race as well.

And then it turned around

My runner busted out the 4.5 mile in sub 7 minutes and propelled us to the 3rd best long course team out of 10 teams. We actually got some hardware out of the day which made me feel a little better about my crap times.

I would like to think I contributed to the results, but in actuality it was all due to my runner. If he can bail me out like that again, potato-ole's on me!

SWIM 1000 METERS : 21:17
T1 : 3:16
BIKE 18 MILES : 57:57
T2 : 0:33
RELAY RUNNER 4.5 MILES : 31:00
TOTAL TIME : 1:54:02
3 of 10 LONG COURSE TEAMS

Thanks again to Open Options and Johnson County Rec for the free entry! If anything it was great to get an open water swim in and try and bust my butt on the bike for an hour.

Garmin Vector Pedal based Power Meter Rebate before they sell out!

2015-05-25T09:16:00.001-05:00

If you're into power meters and cycling, this is your chance to get in for an affordable price.

I've not dove into the power meter market other than the CycleOps PowerCal that's a poor man's power meter measured from heart rate.

But, I've been dieing to get into the pedal based meters like the Garmin Vector. Well, the original Vector system is going off market since Vector 2 came out and Garmin is offering rebates to get rid of all Vector original stock.

So, follow the LINK here for the rebate form and check out Clever Training for great deals!

Garmin Vector S Pedal Set Single Sided Large 15-18T and less than 44W

Purchase a qualifying Garmin Vector or Vector S from May 1st, 2015 through July 31st, 2015 and receive either a $150 or $300 USD via mail-in rebate. Rebate submissions must be postmarked by August 31st, 2015. Limit two rebate submissions per customer. The product must be purchased in factory-new condition.

They are also sporting 20% of CycleOps trainers! Get in while the getting is good before next winter for those indoor rides.

Cycleops Fluid2

ENJOY!

2015 Atlas Race Obstacle Course Race Report - 4/25/15

2015-05-18T12:03:00.001-05:00

What endurance season would be complete without at least one Obstacle Course Race (OCR) mixed in?

I found the Atlas Race OCR series on Facebook, and the timing, distance offered and early bird pricing was just right. The race offers the "Boss" (3 to 5 miles) or the "Ranger" at 7 to 9 miles. I was looking for something a little longer than the Warrior Dash or Ruckus Run to make the time to drive out to Lawrence worth the effort (named Atlas Race Kansas City, but actually held in Clinton Lake State Park).

So, Atlas Race KC it was for 2015 racing the Ranger course.

This will be a more about my experience racing the course, if you're interested in more of an event review, check out my Examiner article for the Event Review.

IT WAS AN ENDURANCE EVENT JUST TO GET TO THE START

Previewing my event review, I expended a lot of energy trying to track down check in, race bib pickup and event logistics in general. Had a been a lesser driven person, I might have just chucked it. The short of it was, the Altas organizers ran a loser ship than I'm used to with endurance events and organization. It was a process just to track everything down and find a parking spot when I got there.

AND THEN IT RAINED 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

Not really... but we had some significant rain the days before the event and mist off and on race day. It made for some sweet mud at the event, of which we would have had none without the rain.

WE'RE OFF

After figuring out what the order of events were, I made my way to the start at the 10am wave after some well timed port-a-potty stops. All you endurance people know how key that can be when not swimming first off... It was also disappointing to learn I could have raced an earlier wave and got back home sooner to miss less on the home front since I didn't see the need to drag the Mrs and the kids to this event. But hey, it's all a part of the experience, right?

After racing 4 or so OCR events, I have learned it pays off to start in front and at east get out ahead of the large groups. After you get 6 to 7 people waiting at an obstacle that only allows 2 at a time, you spend a lot of time standing around. I wasn't interested in that. I'd rather race unencumbered at my own pace. So, I sprinted my ass off for the first 100 yards to get over the wood walls in the few first guys and pretty much stayed at the front for the entire heat.

THINGS WERE GOING SWIMMINGLY

I was doing well only trailing to one guy after the first mile. Was I an OCR rock star? No. This race lended itself to cross country endurance runners more than OCR warriors. There were only maybe 15ish real obstacles with only the end really involving any upper body effort. Again, reference my event review and you'll see how most of the course was about trail running, which favors a long course runner more than an OCR meat head (no disrespect, maybe).

I took the lead after two miles and eventually got passed on the second loop. What's ironic is that I passed the same guy because of confusion at the second lap entry and I think he did some obstacles he shouldn't have... or the volunteer told me to go the wrong way. Either way, I was back in front and eventually he caught me again at the finish line. Good competition.

IN THE END

I ended up coming in under an hour. Pretty sweet for a 7-9 mile OCR event! Too bad it was only 6 miles on the 910XT GPS. So, I either skipped some course or someone got a little lazy making the course. Even if I went around some extra obstacles, there's no way I would have added another mile.

BY THE NUMBERS

Here's how I stacked up vs the competition.

59 : 24 official time

17 / 186 Ranger Course Racers

3 / 28 Age Group

I kind of wished I would have signed up for Elite waves. They were racing for money and I was pretty competitive with their results. It was also key that attendance was probably throttled due to a first time event, questionable marketing outreach and the race was the same day as Warrior Dash.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I enjoyed getting out and doing some endurance outside of the normal swim, bike and run. Trail running is good cross training, and OCR makes it even better. I wished I would have gotten more course in. 9 miles for a 50 minute drive to the race would have been a fair trade, but at least I got in early bird and avoided paying an outrageous price for a short long course. My review and this recap would have taken a different tone had I paid over $100 at race day reg.

I'm happy with my "performance". As I mentioned with Rock the Parkway, my focus is Ironman Boulder and getting the work done for that. I did not come into Atlas with any real goals other than a hard run and wasn't tapering or resting for a race effort. Something to mix it up. I wanted to get the heart rate up and not get hurt. Those goals were met, no problem. I do wish I would have looked at Elite a little harder, but since this was the first time racing Atlas, I wasn't sure what to expect.

Stay tuned for more recaps and previews as race season is in full force!

2015 Rock the Parkway Half Marathon Recap - 4/11/15

2015-05-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago was the first official race event for me of the 2015 season... Rock the Parkway Half Marathon in Kansas City, MO.

I posted my preview thoughts a few days before the race, and to recap, the race just kind of snuck up on me with life going on. I'm to the point where completing the race wouldn't be an issue, but I was not really focused on improving performance, setting a PR or anything resembling being competitive with myself or anyone else.

Mostly I just like the event, been in it one form or another since inception and they have a nice early bird pricing deal. ;)

OFF TO THE RACES...

So, decided I would brave the race myself and leave the fam behind so the Mrs and the kiddos wouldn't have to sit around to see me at the start and umpteen minutes later at the end. Kind of anti-climatic at this point for spectators.

As I have dialed in my eating habits, which translate into eating smart and not being a pig, I allow myself a day of the week to pretty much stuff whatever I want into my face. This was that day and I delighted in trail mix with extra Reece's pieces mixed in. Delicious. So there I was munching mutant mix on the way to the start, not really paying attention to the fact I ended up eating too much that close to a race. I had an hour to let it settle, but I didn't pay attention and ended up with too much to digest that quick.

So, I cut off the food after parking and sipped some gatorade while milling about the pre-race port-a-potty routine. Hydrate, dehydrate, re-hydrate with some #2 mixed in. Glorious.

Too bad I ate too much and didn't time my last pee break good enough before the race.

AND WE'RE OFF

Mile 1, feeling good.

AND WE'RE NOT FEELING IT

Mile 2, had to pee and trail mix was giving me problems.

AND WE'RE STOPPING

Mile 3, pee break at the first aid station port-a-potties. Break for the tummy as well to stop sloshing at 165bpm heart rate.

AND WE'RE RUNNING AGAIN

Break neck speeds and 165bpm, just holding on for as long as possible. I actually did not stop running again for entire race, opting to jog and sip at pit stops for hydration. That's pretty rare for me.

It was a balancing act of aggressive running and gurgling trail mix in the gut. Around mile 11, on the final stretch, I let it all hang out and drove for the finish line. I've been more taxed after an event than I was at RTP 2015, but I've never been more happy to stop running with a stomach of half digested food. I didn't barf, either, so there's a winner right there.

AND WE'RE DONE

So, my PR at the half marathon distance was 1:35:53 last year at the same race, same course.

2015 results were : 1:35:34 - a 19 second PR. Not bad for not really paying attention to a training plan and overeating before the race. I'll take it.

In all seriousness, I do believe the more attention I have paid to eating a better diet and eating to live instead of living and working out to eat has helped in my running. I've permanently dropped a few LBS and that's made me feel a little quicker and lighter on my feet. My philosophy is the less weight I have on me, the less punishment my joints take with workouts in general over the years. I'm going for longevity, not the short term.

So, if I can come out and consistently stay close to my PR's in races, I'm pretty satisfied.

Glorious.

Q&A with Atlas Race OCR in Kansas City this weekend!

2015-04-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

I've got a busy weekend coming up...

Atlas Race OCR on Saturday and Trolley Run on Sunday.

I raced Rock the Parkway a few weeks ago, and still owe a race report. It turned out good and bad... more to come.

I really have no expectations for the OCR. I've raced Warrior Dash and Ruckus Run, but they were only 3ish miles. I signed up for the Ranger which is 7-9 miles. The distance won't be an issue, but the obstacles will be a challenge with my limited strength work.

I recently had a Q and A session with Atlas Race, so read on for what's to come this weekend.

As you may know, obstacle racing is one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. Participants of all ages and skill level are invited to become a part of the obstacle course race movement in any number of experience categories including individual competitor, team or family entry in an event that inspires everyone’s “inner athlete.” It is a great way for the community to come together, build confidence, and have a positive attitude about health and fitness.

Course types are as follows for the Atlas Race series: “The Ranger”: A course ranging between 7-9 miles with 25+ obstacles “The Boss”: A course ranging between 3-5 miles with 20+ obstacles

Further information, as well as complete schedule of upcoming Atlas races can be found at http://www.atlasrace.com/.

Atlas Race is also part of the OCR warrior competition. OCR Warrior is a head-to-head obstacle race reality challenge show, developed by the founders of Mud Run Guide. Every episode, two OCR athletes battle through the knockout rounds to reach the finals, in each venue, only one male and female will be crowned OCR Warrior, and Kansas City will be a part of the series.

On to the Q and A.

Provided By Scott Gephart, Atlas Race

Q: What’s the attendance been like for the first races?
A: Attendance has been good, and nearly what we expected for our first few races. We've been happy, especially going into first year markets, and markets that don't normally get these types of events. The reviews of Atlas have been amazing!

Q: What's Atlas' plan to be sustainable and keep coming back year after year?
A: This is a tough industry. A lot of people think that they are going to come in and do amazingly well right out of the gate. It takes work. Our main road to success is to put on great events, give the race community something that leaves them feeling good about their accomplishment, and establish solid relationships with the towns and communities where we stage our events. By establishing those relationships we are able to create long term partnerships with those communities and increase attendance year over year when we return. We want to continue producing quality events, which means we aren’t looking to produce 40 to 50 races a year. We are planning our growth carefully for longevity.

Q: What made them choose Clinton Lake for the KC race since technically it's 30 miles west of KC?
A: Obstacle races require a certain type of terrain in order to build a course. Most metropolitan areas and cities don't have the type of land needed in order to properly build out a good obstacle race. Clinton Lake was the location that matched our needs to create the best possible event and experience for our race participants. To meet that criteria, many of our event locations are approximately 30 minutes outside of the race city, but naming the race by its closest city helps people to recognize its approximate location.

Q. What is 24 Hour Fitness’s involvement in Atlas Race?
A. Obstacle racing is one of the fastest growing sports. No matter what your athletic level, there is a way to participate. Atlas Race and 24 Hour Fitness have partnered to present the Atlas Race series because we provide programs that are available and accessible to everyone.. 24 Hour Fitness is the perfect partner to inspire new fans that can grow an individual’s fitness experience to the next level. And, as our exclusive partner, 24 Hour Fitness is offering a special 30% race entry discount to members. (The link to the Atlas Race discount offer can be found at 24HourFitness.com - CHECK THIS OUT WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER ONLINE TO SAVE SOME CASH!)

Q. Course layout map to see what obstacles were placed, where, etc.
A. There is not currently a map online that indicates the obstacles. There will likely be a map available on site the day of the race.

Q. How do we check in? Morning of? Pre-race packet pickup?
A. There are two ways to check in: 1. Packet pick up will be held at the 24 Hour Fitness location in Kansas City. This is the recommended course of action so that members can take advantage of getting a pre-race workout in as well! 2. The day of the event (though this can be chaotic and is not recommended)

Q. Do we have to pay to get in to Clinton Lake State Park? We have raced several events out there and if it’s like the others, they require cash and the lines to get in the park can be LONG and frustrating.
A. Parking is usually a site/park requirement. Atlas Race will make sure to expedite the process in order to insure people aren’t waiting in lengthy lines Editor’s note - Clinton Lake State Park usually has a parking fee and only takes cash. Bring at least $10 in cash or they will not let you in and you will have to go 10 minutes back to Lawrence to the nearest ATM.

Q. When we check out the event info section on the site, the links go to generic parts about teams and non-site specific details. Will an email be coming out soon?
A. Yes, race participants will receive an email in the next 24 hours indicating your start times. We hope the rain comes in during the night as a muddy course is something that people should be excited about and look forward to in the world of obstacle course racing!

Atlas Race Stats/Facts:

Number of days it takes to set up the course: It takes 5-7 days to build a course
Number of volunteers it takes to set up the course, man the course on days-of-event, etc.: Approximately 10 volunteers to set up and approximately 50 volunteers to handle various responsibilities on the day of the race itself
Pounds of weighted items that participants carry/lift: It varies based on the obstacle, however the average weight for men is approximately 40 lbs., women is 20 lbs.
Height of the 24HF course obstacle: 10 -12 ft.
Bottles of water consumed on race day: 500-750
Bottles of other beverages consumed (non-alcoholic, energy drinks, alcohol): 1,000
Number of 24HF towels handed out at finish line: 500-1,000
Number of participants: Kids: 100 -200, Adults: Event average is 1,000, Teams: 10-15 teams per event
Miles of smiles at the finish line: 3,600 miles Average amount of weight in mud that each participant crosses the finish line with: 10 lbs.

ASICS 33-M Running Shoe from CitySports.com Review

2015-04-22T14:15:00.001-05:00

There’s so many ways to go when runners and triathletes are looking for shoes. We’ve tested several makes and models for which many manufacturers produce to address every category dreamt up, and some that have never been thought of until the shoe was made. Not all shoes are the same across a genre, and not all athletes can use just any shoe. Many learn painful lessons that just because a shoe is the latest and greatest and has the highest price tag, it doesn’t mean that’s the magic shoe to end all foot pain and running issues.

CitySports.com reached out to us to review their latest “natural” ASICS running shoe, the 33-M. The 33-M is built for the natural running experience to lessen interference from the shoe to the body’s running form, assuming it’s a normal pronation and doesn’t need any work per say. With our test pair, we logged nearly 100 miles over six weeks and you can read on for our take from an everyday age grouper on how the 33-M stacks up in the real world.

SPECS

The 33-M sports the following tech details:
4mm Platform / Drop
Solyte Midsole with Amplifoam Layer
Comfordry Sockliner
Seamless Upper Construction
Natural Running Experience / Under and Neutral Pronation
Natural 33 - Heel Fit & Toe Box
10.9 oz
Heel Height : 24 mm
Forefoot Height : 20 mm
Durasponge Outsole

APPEARANCE

At initial glance, the one stand out feature is the actual sole thickness at the rear supporting the 4mm platform drop. If you’re looking to squeeze in a few inches on your online dating profile, the 33-M is your shoe. You might feel as if the ground is a little further away with these bad boys, and you wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Aside from the robust soles, the ASICS 33-M’s we tested were the White / Flash Yellow / Navy style. There are other colors out there, however it appeared that City Sports carried this style in particular. The white is sharp and eye catching to say the least. We immediately got comments on how attractive and appealing the 33-M’s were. One drawback on the white is how fast they will attract dirt and smudges. Naturally if you run outside, you might run into some dirt, water or mud. With a white pair of shoes, it’s going to happen. If you are worried about keeping your shoe investments as pristine as possible, one option would be to limit usage to indoors on treadmills. Lets be honest, shoes are meant to run in and they will get dirty. Accept it. Even after 100 miles of street, track and treadmill running, our white 33-M’s were not any dirtier than other white running shoes.

The overall construction of the shoe is cohesive and doesn’t suffer when you enter the larger sizes. You big foots out there know what we mean when you order that awesome looking pair of shoes online only to get them and have them look distorted when in larger sizes than the nice pictures online. The 33-M’s don’t look odd in the larger sizes.

PERFORMANCE

If a running shoe doesn’t perform the function is was designed and purchased for, then that was a waste of money, right?

In our 100ish miles of testing, we ventured runs on streets, sidewalks, treadmills, long runs, tempo runs, easy runs, interval runs, brick runs and dog walking. We even ran in the rain with our 33-M’s and lived to tell the tale. We also stuffed the 33-M’s in duffle bags for travel and crammed them into airplane overhead bins. You know a shoe is resilient when it rebounds to it’s original shape after 10+ hours being in luggage.

Thoughts of note:

Sole degradation was minimal. Wear and tear on the sole and stitching was not an issue as not one seam had popped or piece of rubber had peeled.
Being designed for under or neutral pronators, the 33-M’s are aimed at a specific running segment, which means they aren’t for everyone. If you overpronate and roll your feet too much, the 33-M’s might hurt you in the long run. We have a tendency for overpronation and after long runs, we would experience hot spots on the balls of the big toe and in the arch area. No blisters came of it, but we could tell it would be an issue if this was our full time shoe. But, this could also offer a “cross training” opportunity for non-under or neutral pronators to use a shoe that works muscle groups left unaddressed by stability or motion control shoes. In moderation and under controlled usage, varying shoe types could potentially be used to promote strengthening of weaker muscle groups and ligaments similar to trail running and other variations of running. It’s not something to switch to 80% of the time, but may be a good option for one or two shorter runs a week to work on stabilizer muscles.
We are guilty of nasty heel striking. It’s just there after years of running and various PT sessions. We’ve coped with finding the right shoe combination and training regime that allows us to stay injury and pain free. One item of concern was the return of heel pain after using a non-stability shoe like the 33-M. We were pleasantly surprised that no heel pain was present after runs and non-existent the mornings after long runs, which was the worst times for heel pain. Also keep in mind that we did not switch to exclusive use of the 33-M’s, but rotated them in with our other trusted shoes.
The 33-M’s actually felt heavier than our trusted styles, but at 10.9 ounces, they were right on target or actually lighter than other styles we use on a consistent basis. For some reason it was deceiving while wearing the 33-M’s, and we don’t really have an explanation.

CITYSPORTS.COM EXPERIENCE

We would be remiss if we didn’t give some review love to the store that set us up with our test shoes. CitySports.com is an actual brick and mortar store in Boston that has developed into an online entity selling quality apparel. They shipped the ASICS 33-M’s free of charge (normally $6 for standard ground) and from order confirmation to shoes at our door, it was around 3 days to get our kicks. The box comes wrapped in plastic to protect is from the elements and comes with a printed receipt in the need of returning the shoes. They offer a 30 day refund policy for online buying as long as you meet their conditions for a return.

COST

The 33-M’s don’t come free. Depending on the source, the 33-M’s run from $125 to $139.99 before tax and shipping. That’s a nice chunk of change, but when you’re buying the latest and greatest in running tech, you’re paying for what you get.

SUMMARY

Overall the 33-M’s appear to be a solid shoe. They are reliable and have been built to withstand some serious punishment.

They are geared to a specific market. The natural running experience is their target, and that may not work for everyone. It’s not to say the 33-M’s wouldn’t serve a purpose, but it’s a large price tag to add a part time runner to your closet. But, ASICS and CitySports.com have several options to address your needs. We just reviewed one of them.

Will we continue to run with our 33-M’s? Yes. They offer the ability to target weaker running muscles groups, therefore proving useful in the war on triathlon. They may not serve as everyday race flats, but they made the rotation.

Would we continue to buy more 33-M’s after our test pair gets retired? Probably not. It’s not a knock on the shoe, but a testament that needs of runners are very unique to the individuals and not just any shoe will fill that need.

We would definitely recommend checking out CitySports.com for future purchases. They have been very reactive to our questions and concerns and seem to care about online customers. They want you happy with what you buy from them. The order process is smooth and it’s not a fly by night operation that may go offline at any time.

For those that made it this far in the review, reward yourself with 20% off the ASICS 33-M with code “TRI20” at CitySports.com.

* Writer's note - City Sports provided the products for this review at no cost and did not influence this review.

Running the first race of 2015! Rock the Parkway Half Marathon!

2015-04-10T20:25:00.002-05:00

Holy cow has the time flown by and very little time to write on the old blog...

Case in point : I'm racing my first 2015 half marathon tomorrow and I never even wrote a recap for Ironman Chattanooga! Yes, I finished. Does that count?

But a few fleeting thoughts before running tomorrow.

1. I'm not really all geeked up trying to PR for a half. Traditionally this has been my target race to PR the half, but this year had been hectic and I'm just happy to be trained up enough to run it. I don't even remember what my current PR is, and I'd rather be in bed relaxing asap than looking it up. Maybe I'll check back post race.

2. My plan is to just run like hell and see what happens... and avoid injuries. I really have no idea what I have in me and this year I'm driving in instead of riding my bike to and from. I didn't really taper since workout time is hard to come by, so I kept my regular workout routine and did probably too much the day before a hard race. Oh well.

3. It's odd how my goals have morphed. I'm not razor sharp focused on race dates, being tapered and ready. I'm just more focused on being fit and ready for what the weekend brings. Ya, I'll pay more attention to Ironman Boulder, Legends 100, but other than that, I plan on keeping a strong baseline throughout the summer to handle Olympic triathlons, half marathons and maybe a marathon. Oh ya, the Atlas OC Race in a few weeks as well. Endurance, check. Strength work, not so much.

4. What I am focused on is my trail mix! I'm jonesing for it lately and tomorrow I'm letting loose!

Check back and maybe I'll write a recap before the next race... maybe. ;)

Update, Baking Triathlete and 910XT Sale on Clever Training

2015-03-17T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hey readers... for those that are still reading.

Lots going on, which means very little time to blog. I have posted a few products reviews of the 100 products I have to look at. Wish I had more time to devote, but family, work and training have taken all my time. Priorities people!

But, I wanted to share my latest endeavors with baking on my eating cheat days. Some bakes are "healthy"ish and some are downright evil. Take a look at the recipe and what turned out... not bad if I say so myself!

Baked Apple Peanut Butter oatmeal

Recipe from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

The results, with less artistic fanfair...

And it tasted pretty darn good!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies + Peanut Butter Chips

Results...

They don't look as pretty, but I had no problem downing them all day!
Just add master chef to my many titles!

Also, Clever Training is running a super sale on the Garmin 910XT.

Garmin FR910XT now $249 (was $399 down to $299, then $50 rebate) - Visit CLEVER TRAINING

Garmin FR910XT HR bundle $287 (was $449, down to $336, then $50 rebate) : Visit CLEVER TRAINING

Anything bought using the links returns a 10% commission to help offset the costs of running the bare bones blog. Since I'm focused on the day job, I have scaled back quite a bit. :( I'd love to devote more time to the blog and reviews, but that's where I need your help to make it self supporting. No pressure. Thanks for those that do support the site by using the affiliate links!

ASICS Gel Lyte33 running shoe review from weekend Ironman Triathlon warrior

2015-02-18T14:32:00.000-06:00

ASICS was kind enough to shoot over a pair of Gel Lyte33's that we tried out. After a couple of months on the road, paved trails and treadmills, here's a look from an every day triathlete.

Fashion / Appearance

The Lyte33’s are visually appealing. Some styles actually turn a little ugly in the larger sizes, but these were beauty's in size 12. The layout of the patterns meshed well together and avoided the appearance you might think with a Ford Mustang front end and a Ford Futura rear end; just wrong. Not the Lyte33.

They have style. We tested out the red traced with black that are comfy and stylish enough to wear out for casual outings aside from hill repeats or AT intervals. Asics offers a wide variety of colors to assure you have the right shoes for your personality or color requirements.

They do have that twist that comes with the lightweight running shoe line in appearance. It’s a combination of a casual shoe and running shoe that harkens to the crossover car market. It takes a little appreciation and acceptance from that diehard running shoe enthusiast.

Form / Construction

From ASICS.com, “The GEL-Lyte33 gets serious about weight reduction, dropping almost two ounces for a truly lightweight natural running experience. The GEL-Lyte33 is updated with a nearly Seamless Upper and Solyte® Midsole to maximize performance while minimizing weight. Built with FluidAxis designed for underpronators and neutral runners. Weight: 6.8 oz. Heel Height: 17mm. Forefoot Height: 11mm.”

Note that the Lyte33 is built for lightweight features, but contains the ability to be used for underpronators and neutral runners. We’re not sure about the rest of you, but very few triathletes and runners have perfect running form and when balancing work, life and training, few have time to correct bad form issues. It’s good to know that if you prefer lightweight shoes, you don’t have to give up functionality to assist with your running shortcomings.

On the outside, the overall construction looks solid. After over 200 miles of running on streets and treadmills, our tested Lyte33’s are still holding up, a testament to being designed to withstand the test of time and miles.

Fit / Function

Like we mentioned, we have tested out these Gel Lyte33’s for over 200 miles over a span of 6 months. They were used in a running shoe rotation from 3 mile easy runs to 16 mile long runs, pavement and treadmill runs. They were given the royal treatment and spared from no expense.

The soles showed minor wear, but held up overall over the pounding. A successful indicator of a well built shoe is the ability of the sole to stay adhered to the actual shoe. Nothing’s worse than that flopping toe deal after the shoe starts falling apart.

The insole stayed intact and another indicator of good construction is the printed images didn’t rub off after a few outings. The insole held its shape for a good duration of the 6 months of abuse. Towards the end, it probably could have used a refresh replacement.

We did notice a little less bounce back from the sole at the end of our trial. As with most running shoes, the recommendations are to replace the shoe near 6 months or a couple hundred miles of running, depending on make and model.

We have a notoriously bad running form, so to go to 100% lightweight shoe for running just isn’t a reality. We mixed in GT 1000’s and 2000’s with some other running shoes in a two shoe rotation to mix it up. More akin to the idea of running trails every now again to strengthen ankles and various other running muscles, using different styles of shoes in a controlled approach could theoretically yield strengthening in weak running areas.

There is a noticeable difference in weight going from a traditional running shoe or shoes meant for stability or to correct other run form issues. The Lyte33’s were, like the name implies, lighter. It was like wearing a neoprene swim bootie on your foot, but with a sole and laces. They are not rigid and very comfortable, even after a 16 mile run.

Cost

Shoe prices are getting out of hand, which is why it’s refreshing to see the Lyte33’s started at $90 and now run for $55. We suspect they might not have taken hold as hoped for, as color and sizes are limited these days.

But don’t let that dissuade you, the Lyte33 shoes are worthwhile as a solid option in your running shoe rotation. Similar to cross training to work often unused muscle groups beyond the basics swim, bike and runs muscles, they Lyte33’s can be used in moderation to work on muscles long forgotten thanks to shoes that almost run for you. They work great for strength training footwear and you don’t even need to change shoes if you run a couple miles after a lift for cool down. For $55, you can’t get much better quality for long lasting shoes.

Final thoughts

The Gel Lyte33’s are geared for lightweight running shoe enthusiasts. They have design characteristics that can carry them over into the mainstream running community, but with caution and controlled regimes.

The price has dropped since their initial release, which makes them a great deal for what is actually a solidly built shoe. If you have foot issues or bad run form (like 90% of us), don’t lose hope as the Lyte33’s were made with you in mind. It may not be an everyday option, but it is definitely a good shoe for shorter workouts and a savior and break for your long haul shoes.

Take a look.

Disclaimer

* Writer's note - Asics provided the products for this review at no cost and did not influence this review.

Review of @ClifBar Builder's Protein Bars

2014-12-29T14:14:00.003-06:00

If you pay attention to your Facebook or Twitter feed, you undoubtedly see all kinds of add and posts about the need for high levels of protein in your diet. Whether you’re a weekend 5ker, Ironman, cross fitter or obstacle course racer, every fitness related food maker and their dog are racing to get their latest and greatest protein products in your hands. If you’re at all interested in eating better to go along with all those hours you swim, bike and run, then you have probably realized the importance of eating the right combination of fats, carbs and protein. It’s not just about the protein. It’s a delicate dance of factors from desired weight to expected race performance. If you’re not fueling the engine right with more than just protein, it doesn’t matter how many hours you train to reach your goals.

No doubt you also like to enjoy your snacks rather than just get the essential nutrition out of them, unless you’ve really bought into paleo and want to eat like a caveman. What can make the task of proper fueling even more difficult is the specter of the average triathlete being on the go with work, family and friends. Not everyone has easy access to a kitchen with whole food ingredients at their fingertips for every meal. Most need a convenient meal on the go that won’t make a mess that they can jam in their face between meetings in the morning or afternoon.

CLIF bar was gracious enough to send a sample of Builder’s Protein Bars for a review as an alternative for easy access to good fuel with a handsome dose of protein.

Read on for our take on the 8 flavors minus the new chocolate hazelnut of Builder’s Bars that CLIF sent us.

Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing

When you hear the name, “Builder’s Bar”, we immediately think of that body builder dude pumping iron at the gym, screaming at the top of his lungs for that last set of 300 pound bench presses. So yes, the bar might be geared for muscle heads looking for protein substitute instead of raw meat, but for triathletes spending some hard time working out at high intensity levels, they need that protein as well to repair and feed muscles. When you see the bars, they are packaged in a powerful wrapper that’s bold and attention grabbing, like the name. Who doesn’t like something shiny to unwrap? It’s also convenient to throw in a gym bag or the glove box (careful as they will melt on hot days) and not lose track of. The package won’t tear or snag as it’s sturdy construction.

Form / Construction

When you open the Builder’s Bar, the majority are chocolate flavors, so they appear similar to your standard candy bar with a chocolate coating and a crunchy bottom layer. For those that like the crunchy candy bars, it won’t be far off. They are not the other protein bars that are solid and chewy that sometimes can get gritty as you break them down to be able to swallow.

The Builder’s Bars weigh in at 270 calories or so per bar. Of that, 9 grams is fat, 29 grams is carbs and 20 grams is protein if you are keeping count at home. So, don’t just add the Builder’s Bar into your daily diet without planning. It’s almost half a decent sized meal to begin with. It has a good protein to carb ratio, but it will steal some calories from your daily meal planning. That may almost be more than most candy bars calorie wise, but you will get around 40 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein from a candy bar which is hardly the proper nutrition for an athlete or fitness minded person.

An important item of note is that the bars have zero grams trans fat and does not contain partially-hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. In today’s ever over engineered food work where taste and profit are king, some are still finding ways to deliver good food without all the crap.

Fit / Function

Yes, they have a good chunk of protein, but do they deliver on taste and fill you up / fuel you up / help you recover like you would anticipate?

With protein bars, taste and texture are the big hangups. Everyone wants the benefits of the protein, but not everyone appreciates the method of delivery. While Builder’s Bars aren’t going to be as tasty as a Snickers bar, they are much better than some chewy protein bars on the market that get all grainy after chewing on each bite for 5 minutes to break it down enough to swallow. They taste like the flavor printed on the package and have a nice crisp texture that doesn’t require jaws of steel. The real issue is limiting yourself to one bar and not using them as a go-to snack substitute or dessert item.

They do fill you up for the short term, which makes them a great snack item between meals. Used before a cardio workout or after a strength workout, they can be key meals to keep your body fueled and reduce injuries from undernourished muscles. We would not recommend the Builder’s Bars as a meal substitute unless you are in a bind. They just won’t fill you up for hours on end.

They have 9 flavors currently to choose from, so if chocolate isn’t your thing, you have options. They are great for throwing in your gym bag for a pre or post workout snack and they even stay in one piece in bags being thrown into your car or jammed in a gym locker. They only drawback will be on hot days, they will melt and make a mess. Best is to not leave them sitting in your car during the summer.

Cost

You could spend $1 for a snickers, or $1.50 (online) for a Builder’s Bar. At the convenience store, you might pay a little more if you’re in a pinch, but plan ahead and you should be ok. That’s one catch with Builder’s Bars, they aren’t cheap, but they can be less expensive than other protein bar alternatives. Some can go from $2 to $2.50 a bar online, and even more in the brick and mortar stores.

You do get what you pay for. You may end up spending more for a Builder’s Bar than a candy bar, but you’ll get higher quality nutrition and not a crap sugar load.

Final thoughts

You know you have a winner when you review a product and you end up buying it outside of the review with your own money. We have since stocked up on Builder’s Bars to be proactive and get them at a reasonable price instead of convenience store prices. One a day will do it, as they do consume a large chunk of calories, but when you need 170 grams of protein a day, and you don’t want to get it all through egg whites and tuna fish, the Builder’s Bar is a good alternative. You just need to be careful about trading it out for other foods in your meal planning and not adding it on and expecting to lose weight.

Disclaimer

* Writer's note - CLIF Bars sent us the Builder’s Bars for this review and in no way influenced the review.

Quest Protein Chip by @QuestNutrition Review

2014-12-09T13:19:00.000-06:00

If you’re at all interested in eating better to go along with all those hours you swim, bike and run, then you have probably realized the importance of eating the right combination of fats, carbs and protein. It’s a delicate dance of factors from desired weight to expected race performance. If you’re not fueling the engine right, it doesn’t matter how many hours you train to overcome that.

But, how do you make sure you are getting what you need from your healthy snacks without sacrificing taste and appeal? Not everyone can kick back a can of tuna and a cup of cottage cheese and “enjoy” it. We’re all human. We like to enjoy taste and texture of what we eat.

There are all kinds of approaches from paleo to all natural grass fed no antibiotic hand combed cows and chickens, but lets get real. This day and age, if you want unaltered ingredients or something “simple”, you’re looking at higher prices and something that virtually financially unsustainable for a family. If it’s not mass produced and chalked full of preservatives for shelf life, it’s going to cost more.

In the never ending quest to find healthy snack alternatives, we found Quest Protein Chips. It’s kind of an oxymoron when you first come upon them. We found them at our gym and decided to buy a couple and give them a spin. We’ve heard of the bars they produce, and my wife loves them, but we were skeptical that a chip could be advertised as healthy.

Read on for our take on the Sour Cream and Cheddar and BBQ flavors.

Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing

The packaging and images actually make you want to eat what’s inside. Not all health foods or those that pretend have the right marketing scheme. Some throw pictures of mascots and other junk not even related to the food inside that distract you from the real mission, finding quality food.

The picture on the package is pretty true to what the ships look like, unless your 4 year old sat on the bag in the car or punched it out of your hands when they were impatiently waiting to leave the gym waiting on you to pay for the chips. It happens. They still eat the same as whole chips or crushed pieces.

Form / Construction

Where the rubber meets the road. Are they full of crap? Do they have the advertised 21 grams of protein per serving and double the carbs? What are you getting for your $2.99 at the gym counter?

INGREDIENTS: Protein Blend (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Dried Potatoes, Corn Starch, High Oleic Sunflower Oil. Contains less than 2% of the following: Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Spices, Salt, Paprika Extract (Color), Yeast Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors. CONTAINS: Milk Derived Ingredients

The bags say right on the front : NO SOY, GLUTEN FREE, 5G CARBS, 21G PROTEIN, BAKED NEVER FRIED

Pretty much all you need to know is on the front of the bag, but for you macronutrient counters, they have in 32 grams per serving (1 bag), 120 calories, 2g of fat, 5g of carbs and 21g of protein. For a quick snack on the go for the fitness types, that’s a quality 120 calories. I know I’m always looking for meals and snacks that won’t blow the calorie budget that give me my best protein ratio. Compare that with a not-to-be-named baked BBQ chip, 28g serving, 120 calories, 3g of fat, 22g of carbs and 2g of protein. The fat looks good, but you’ve just broke the bank for carbs without much protein benefit. Get ready to skimp on dinner to save your day nutrition wise. Hello tuna on a plate...

Fit / Function

Do Quest Chips go down easy, or do you have to choke them down like so many chalky protein powders and drinks that are out there?

I’m here to tell you they taste as good as any chip out there. They have that baked / popped chip look and light density when you bite into one. They crunch and that sweet nectar of cheddar or BBQ that you crave will be there for the taking. Consider your craving for crap satisfied, but you didn’t have to sacrifice your soul for the nutritional deficit that comes with most chips.

Cost

Where’s the catch you ask? We get taste and nutrition!? Well, it’s not free. We paid for these out of pocket, no freebie reviews, and at $2.99 a bag at the gym, it can get pricey. Your generic chips can go around $4 for 6 to 7 servings. Quest chips are $3 for 1 serving. Eat wisely, my friend. You get what you pay for.

Final thoughts

We will continue to buy Quest Chips. Santa may even drop a few in our stockings. If anyone could benefit from a healthier chip, it would be the big man from the north.

The taste and texture is spot on, the shelf appeal is there. It’s got all of the right ingredients, but you will pay a premium for 21 grams of protein, only 5 grams of carbs in 120 calories. You have to decide that if your chip craving can be satisfied for $3 a pop. Used wisely, this is a great alternative for a midday snack, or a companion to your meal. It holds you over for a tough workout without being too full, and serves well as a post-workout meal to replenish protein to rebuild muscle. That’s a big benefit in the winter months as most multi-sport athletes head to the gym for strength and conditioning.

Grab a bag and try for yourself, just don’t sit on them.

Disclaimer

* Writer's note - We purchased the chips for this review and Quest in no way influenced this review.

Xterra wetsuit sale - Use code "C-STPM" and 7 percent goes to Tri4aHandUp.com when buying $99 volt sleeveless wetsuit!

2014-10-09T09:12:00.001-05:00

Our great www.Tri4aHandUp.com partner, Xterra wetsuits, is having a sale! In the spirit of raising funds for Tri 4 a Hand Up charities.

Get their Volt Sleeveless for $99 or Vortex Fullsuit for $163 until the end of today!

Use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the sale price.

Check out the deals below and hit www.xterrawetsuits.com and use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the best price! Also remember that Xterra will donate 7 percent of all sales with the code to Tri4aHandUp charities! We don't keep a dime!

Thanks for the support!

Updates / Races / DNS / Ride to Give / Prayers for Triston / Ironman Chattanooga - #‎TeamRTG‬ ‪#‎IMChattanooga‬ ‪#‎raceday

2014-09-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

So, posts are few and far between, so I will try and bring you up to speed.

After Ironman Kansas 70.3, the only race I had signed up for was a local fun race, Shawnee Mission Triathlon. It's a nice park that is totally closed off for the race. No traffic. Raced many times. Problem was that this race seems to get cancelled or cut short for weather every other year. This year we were about to swim over to the swim start area to line up and bam, started raining and some lightening. Nothing wild, but enough to delay and they eventaully cancelled the race. I headed to the gym to race an indoor triathlon instead of waiting around until 9am to see if they called it off. Glad I did since they did can the race.

SM Tri was the only other triathlon I was signed up for until Chattanooga. I eyed a few local events and even volunteered with my mini-me at one, but opted not to stress out the homefront with a race and save the entry fee for travel for IM Chattanooga.

No pressure on IM Chattnooga since I only had 4 triathlons on the schedule. Texas = DNF. KS = finished with PR. SM Tri = Cancelled. IM Choo = ????

Speaking of IM Choo, as you may notice, I teamed up with Ride to Give to raise funds for racing IM Choo and orginally selected Mended Little Hearts as my charity partner. Well, we did some recon and decided it would work out better to select a child with a need rather than a broad organization. That's when we switched to Prayers for Triston. Trison is a sweet little boy that lives south of St Louis, MO, with his family that was born with a severe congenital heart defect (CHD). By the grace of god, he made it through some tough times, but his family is barely keeping ahead of his medical needs. We're hoping to help pick up a little slack by raising funds to help offset their financial needs. Read on for my journey thus far and think about donating!

The journey has begun...

So Wednesday was the start of Ironman Triathlon attempt 3 journey. First completed was Lake Tahoe in 2013 (2014 was cancelled last week from smoke from an arson fire). Second attempted was Texas 2014 in May which saw me unable to continue at mile 14 on the run (after completing the 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride) due to severe cramps and dehydration. IM Tahoe was nice with a less hectic work situation and I was able to focus on attempt 1 and feel pretty confident I could finish it. Texas I wondered what winter training would get me and I thought I was going to get it done without many problems. I spent 3 days before at a work deal in Tulsa and then drove until like 5am to get to Texas and it was shoe-horned in and not that great of a journey.

The Chattanooga journey this year has been complicated with a new job for me and Emily and both kids in school and growing up. It's been a balancing act and I believe I'm ready, but took some time off this week so it wasn't crammed in. I'm in Paducah, KY, tonight and then driving the last 4 hours tomorrow morning straight to packet pickup and then hopefully some light workouts and enjoying the experience. Unfortunately it will only be me as Emily had to work and it just didn't work out to bring an entourage.

But, along the way was a good omen, the Little Debbie trailer on a truck headed the same way. Since Little Debbie is the sponsor for Ironman Chattanooga, I figured I was in good hands on the drive in.

I also made a stop in Ste. Genevieve, MO, and drove through Cairo, IL. What’s interesting about each of those? One was to meet a special bud and the other was like the town that withered and blew away.

When I drove through Ste. Genevieve (an hour south of St Louis, MO), it struck me as an odd place to have a large little town. I didn’t really see any good reason why someone would settle in that area and then have the town grow around it. I actually went to google to find out more, cause as we all know, the internet is always right. Founded by French Canadian colonists, it was the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi River in present-day Missouri. It was founded for farming mainly and later moved inland a little to avoid flooding. Why am I going on about this? I found it interesting to find someplace so steeped in colonial heritage. You could see it in the buildings and town layout and was refreshing to see a place rich with heritage being kept alive. Even better than the history lesson was the chance to meet the little guy I dedicated my fundraising to with Ride to Give. Triston and his family live in Ste. Genevieve, MO, which was pretty much right on the way to Paducah. Emily had met them all before and participated in many CHD awareness events and events specifically to help with Triston’s medical and financial needs. It was the first time I met him in person and he is quite the cuddler. He’d make a great snuggle buddy in the fall for football watching on the couch, or Mickey Mouse, which is his preference. He seemed to be fascinated with facial hair and checks out everyone’s hair versus is curly locks by running his fingers through them. He’s definitely a lover, and a CHD fighter.

Don’t forget about the fundraiser for Triston! We are $2920 away from our $5000 goal, with half going to Triston and his family to help with expenses to keep Triston moving in the right direction. https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6b2s7 - I really need any help I can get to get to the goal and all donations are tax deductable.

A small side note was driving through Cairo, IL. It was basically an abandoned city that looked like it had flourished at one point, but now on its way to being completely uninhabited. Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location within Illinois and is the only city in the state surrounded by levees. This part of Illinois is known as Little Egypt. Several blocks in the town comprise the Cairo Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Old Customs House is also on the NRHP. The city is part of the Cape Girardeau−Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population at the 2010 census was 2,831, a significant decline from its peak population of 15,203 in 1920. At its peak it had a huge ferry, train and trade industry. It had no bridges to cross the river so the town was basically built to support getting people and supplies across the river. Once they built several bridges, the town basically dried up. It was just kind of sad to drive through and see the history and see its active fading into oblivion. It was a unique look into American history and how the impact of progress actually made a 15,000 person city obsolete.

I'm here! I'm actually in Chattnooga finally!

I got in Thursday and headed straight to athlete check-in to get that out of the way. I’ve been on the second day and it’s a zoo, so I wanted to make sure to check that off the list asap. So far I’ve checked in, set up in the hotel, ran a quick 3 miler and chilled. Well, I did a little work too… bleh.

CARB LOADING!

Today I’m scoping out areas to get a quick bike ride in to make sure the setup is all good and then hit the athlete dinner. The main goal is to not spend too much time on my feet and make sure everything is ready.

Being the 3rd full Ironman race I’m getting ready for, it’s a mix of “I kind of know what’s going on” and “it’s going to be great at the finish line, but it’s a long day to get there”. 112 miles (actually 116 since they had to modify the course for traffic issues) is no joke. I’ve heard it’s a “fast” course which hopefully translates into “not killing myself to get it done”. Forecasts have us starting around 65 degrees in the morning with a high barely getting to 80 degrees. They also are slipping in some rain towards the late afternoon / evening. As long as I’m dry on the bike, whatever works.

It’s odd being here and going through the experience while life continues as always for everyone back home. Emily, my Mom and my Aunt have it a little more difficult without me at home and juggling kid patrol. I am experiencing the “Fear of Missing Out”, but trying to stay focused on what I came here to do.

Speaking of my to-do list, we are getting “closer” to the $5000 goal for Ride to Give and Triston. How about that transition? We have surpassed the $2000 mark at $2080, $2920 to go. I know that it will take a miracle to get it all by the end of Sunday, but consider any donation amount, nothing is too small. Check it out at https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6b2s7.

Maybe every time you check out my status during the race Sunday (bib 1679), you donate $1? That would be cool.

Regardless of donations, thank you to all that have supported me and worked around my travel to help with my family while I’m gone.

Xterra wetsuit sale - Use code "C-STPM" and 7 percent goes to Tri4aHandUp.com when buying Kona edition speedsuit!

2014-09-22T15:16:00.002-05:00

Our great www.Tri4aHandUp.com partner, Xterra wetsuits, is having a sale! In the spirit of raising funds for Tri 4 a Hand Up charities, we have 6 days until Ironman Chattanooga and still have around $3200 to raise before then (not impossible, right?)

Get their new 2014 Kona edition speedsuit starting at $149 with two shipping until Sept 23rd!

The countdown to Kona and Maui has begun.. With less than 30 days until Kona, and less than 60 days until Maui, Xterra is happy to unveil their new speedsuit. They're pre-selling them, and if you're headed to Kona, they will be bringing them to hand off to you! If you need it in time for KONA, when you get to the check out section, please enter "KONA" in the company line during checkout! If you're not racing KONA, check out their $237 Vector Pro wetsuit, and of course the always loved $159 Vortex Fullsuit.

Use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the sale price.

Check out the deals below and hit www.xterrawetsuits.com and use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the best price! Also remember that Xterra will donate 7 percent of all sales with the code to Tri4aHandUp charities! We don't keep a dime!

Thanks for the support!

IRONMAN KANSAS 70.3 RACE RECAP - 6/8/14

2014-09-07T14:03:00.001-05:00

So, it's been a while... I'll pick up where I left off.

Ironman Kansas 70.3 was the last race preview I left you all hanging with.

Here's what happened when I hit the swim start, condensed version. ;)

It was half Ironman distance triathlon 7 for me, and it ended up being one of the best overall half yet. If you read the preview, maybe you wondered if I ran a 5k Friday night, half marathon Saturday morning and then a half ironman Sunday. To end the suspense, I ran the 5k on Friday night with the kids in the running stroller, opted to ditch the half marathon as it was raining and the kids were sound asleep and raced Kansas on Sunday.

After running a 28ish minute 5k pushing 150 pounds of kids and stroller, I was a little sore, but ok to hit it hard Sunday morning. I was hoping for a half PR and getting under 5:30.

SWIM : 34:15

The swim was perfect. Calm waters. Calm winds. Temperatures allowing wetsuit legal race, but not too cold. No rain. Perfect conditions for a swim PR by a few seconds, literally.

It felt great compared to where I came from with my swimming skills. I used to be back of the pack getting caught by all the other waves... now I'm the one trying to swim through the back of waves ahead of me. Nice change.

BIKE : 3:01:33

Not a PR, but I like the 18.5 mph average over a tough course. There were minor winds to deal with, but nothing near what we have had to deal with in the past.

I also made an effort to get more speed out of my workouts after IM Texas. It's time to hammer the rides and the way I have to structure rides, I have to get the most work out of less time. It paid off.

I also made it a point to get at least half and half with water and sports drinks. I ate some bananas and Cliff bars on the ride, but after Texas, water was the key even if the temps were not extreme.

I wanted to leave the bike with something left, but a little less than I have had in the past. Push the edge to see how close I can get.

RUN : 1:47:58

The run could not have been better for that race on that day. PR by around 2 minutes from last year. The run was a little warm, but staying on top of water, hydration and nutrition left me with enough to push a consistent pace until 3 miles to go to let it all go to see what I could do.

I was running along flirting with a sub 5:30, but I was in the space of pushing too much too early to get ahead of the mark and risk melting down, or laying off too much and missing my window to get there at the end.

With 3 to go, I opened it up and made a push for sub 5:30.

FINAL : 5:30:40

SO CLOSE! I was one port-a-potty stop in T2 from getting sub 5:30. I was tempted to let it go on the bike, but didn't realize it would be the difference between 5:30 and sub. Oh well. One way or another, I needed the bio-break or it would have been a painful 13.1 miles.

THOUGHTS

Race day was perfect. The only hiccup was the race was to be converted to a 1 transition area race, and they changed it the day before to the traditional 2 transition race it had always been. It's not a deal breaker, but I'm not sure why not just stay with what works? Why tease us with changes. Oh well.

I played this race pretty close to the chest. I didn't go all out, but I was careful to keep the PR in site. Always want to do better than the year before and doing this race as many times as I have, I know the course well.

I like how each year I have done better at the swim. This year was a PR in the swim and run. I have yet to beat the first year's bike time, but I'm almost 30 minutes faster in the run than my first HIM. Not a bad trade off going up by 6 minutes on the bike and down 30 minutes on the run.

It was also awesome to race with my athlete, Tim, that I trained and mentored remote since he lived in Illinois and I'm in Kansas. It was his first HIM and he did great! He definitely gained an appreciation for what race day would take and word on the street is he's looking at a full IM. Good luck!

More to come as I hopefully get more time to dribble my thoughts onto blogger to keep you posted about triathlon, endurance sports, gear, family and life.

Hatfield Foot - Calf - Stretch Strap review

2014-07-16T07:16:00.000-05:00

Planters fasciitis is an ugly word in the world of triathlon. When you're out there pounding the pavement for hours on end during training and running anywhere from 3 miles to 26.2 miles on race day, you're bound to experience it in some form. Some people live with it day in and day out while others might see a flare up on occasion.

Regardless of how often and the severity you have or will experience it, it's a pain in the ass... or rather the foot.

Doctors and physical therapists will recommend anything from proper stretching to ART therapy to relieve the aches and pains, because as we all know, no triathlete worth their salt is going to lay off the training for things to heal up. You might have also seen the sleeping socks that pull the toes up with a strap connecting at the shin or other imaginative solutions. Any way you slice it, there are a lot of opinions on how to mitigate the effects of PF.

Why are we discussing this today you may wonder? Well, the inventors of the Hatfield Strap (http://hatfieldstrap.com/) reached out to us to test out their calf stretching product. We have had our fair share of PF issues and could certainly extend ourselves to test out their torture device. Read on for a look at our thoughts about the Hatfield Strap.

Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing

The box is professional and sharp in appearance, definitely not something someone put together in their garage. You open it up to find your Hatfield Strap with sewn in handles and a shoulder extension strap for any more variation when using. You will as also find some limited instructions with pictures to illustrate how to use the strap. What's also a nice side benefit is the box not being totally destroyed in the process of extracting it for use. Makes for convenient storage later.

Form / Construction / Fashion

When you examine the strap, it's made of sturdy nylon similar to what you would find for construction safety harnesses for workers in high risk areas. It's pretty obvious that's their nothing you can do with your bare hands to break the strap. The seams are hardcore stitching that could probably support the weight of a truck. Rest assured you're not going to anything under your own strength to tear this strap apart.

It's a unique design that allows adaptation for several body shapes and sizes. There might be a few body types that might not fit, but 98% of us triathletes will fit. The adjustable clips can be tightened down to hug the upper calf below the knee for a snug, but not painful fit. They thought of pretty much everything down to the soft pads built into the back of the leg straps so the plastic clasps don't cut unto your skin.

Fit / Function

At first, it's an art form and delicate dance to balance your foot on the strap and find the right position to apply pull force without your foot slipping out. You can't jam your foot in a hurry and hope it works right. That being said, once your foot is positioned correctly, then you can apply as much force as reasonably possible to get a sufficient stretch. The handles are large and provide ample grip to pull with effort and not having to worry about them slipping out of your hands.

The only notable issue we had was with the adjustable straps on the upper calf. We had to pretty much cinch them all the way to get a secure grip to pull against. Even with fully cinched straps, it would slowly slide down our leg if you didn't compensate for it by adjusting leg position or force pulling on the handles. The Hatfield Strap does come in multiple sizes, so make to make a proper selection that will ensure the best fit.

But, we still got ample force to get a good stretch on the calf, relieving some of the achy PF soreness before and after our Ironman Texas attempt and Ironman 70.3 Kansas race. We used the Hatfield strap for a couple of weeks and we noticed an immediate difference. The impact of the effectiveness came in the morning as a lot of PF sufferers will attest to that being the most painful times. After using the strap the night before, we experienced around a 50% decrease in morning heel pain and stiffness. Isn't nice to get to the potty for that morning pee without hobbling and pain? We thought so.

We did experience the same level of issues if we did not use the Hatfield strap. To put it into simple terms, if you don't use it you lose it. We found that if use is discontinued, the relief went away as well. The strap is not a cure for the root issue be it an injury, bad running form, worn out or ill fitting shoes or something else, we found. It gives you relief, but only if used on a consistent basis.

Cost

Now, would we have sought out the Hatfield strap on our own? Perhaps. We have bought several products for PF relief in the past and spent time in a PT office, so the drive to spend money in this area is there. The Hatfield comes in at $35 to $90 depending on style and accessories. In reality, that’s not all that bad for the durability and quality that you get. $77 would get you the calf strap and shoulder strap we tested out. You could pay at least that for most stretching and pain relief apparatuses anywhere.

You will be limited on options where to buy the strap as they are only sold on their website at the moment.

Final thoughts

When the dust settles, the Hatfield Strap is worth your consideration when it comes to PF relief or getting the most out of your calf stretching. Sufferers of achilles strain would also appreciate the effectiveness of the Hatfield Strap. The price might be a bit extreme (based on your perspective) based on all of the options you want, but you could end up with a great passive stretching (using the shoulder strap) that you could use while recovering with a good book, watching tv or writing product reviews. You'll also receive comfort in knowing the strap will outlive your racing days as the quality construction is first rate.

Disclaimer

Writer’s Note – Hatfield Strap sent us samples for this review and in no way influenced the review.

Xterra wetsuit sale - $119 Use code "C-STPM" and 7 percent goes to Tri4aHandUp.com

2014-07-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

Our great www.Tri4aHandUp.com partner, Xterra wetsuits, is having a sale!

Get wetsuits starting at $119 for the weekend of the 4th of July.

Use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the sale price.

Check out the deals below and hit www.xterrawetsuits.com and use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the best price! Also remember that Xterra will donate 7 percent of all sales with the code to Tri4aHandUp charities! We don't keep a dime!

Thanks for the support!

Ironman 70.3 Kansas 2014 Triathlon preview

2014-06-04T08:48:00.000-05:00

Time is short, I'll get to the point.

Sunday is Ironman 70.3 Kansas. I've raced this race 5 times (1 DNF due to mechanical issues) and Ironman Boulder 70.3 once. So, this will be Half Ironman attempt number 7 for me.

After the DNF on the run at IM Texas 2014 in May, I'm careful not to look past a long distance triathlon. Don't take it for granted relying on "I've done this before", "I've got enough endurance to get to the finish line, so it's ok if I miss workouts or don't have 100 percent to give during a workout".

But, after racing Ironman Lake Tahoe and Ironman Texas, I'm definitely looking forward to "only" 56 miles on the bike and 13.1 miles on the run. My best time is 5:34 in 2013, and I'd definitely like to do better this year.

Problem is that there is a local half marathon that I've been doing for 5 to 6 years now that is usually the weekend before Kansas. But, this is one of the rare years that they are on the same weekend. They also broke out the 5k for a Friday night race.

So, I could, if I wanted to, run a 5k Friday night, half marathon Saturday and half Ironman Sunday. I don't know if I'm stupid enough to do it...

On one hand it would be awesome to get the Hospital Hill Re-Run swag of running the 5k and then Half the next day. You get a medal for each race and an extra medal for running both... I'm a sucker for hardware I guess. I'm confident that I have enough endurance in the tank to do all 3, but I'm not sure how my body will react Sunday if I raced them all.

I'm not sure if I could apply my new hammer philosophy to the bike like I have the past two weeks. I've focused on hard effort on rides keeping upwards of 18.5 mph averages on 1 to 2.5 hour rides, whereas in the past it would be from 16 to 17.5. I'm determined to get more out of the bike without completely sabotaging the run.

But if I run a 5k and half marathon the day before, what's left on Sunday?

I'm still on the fence. I'd still love a new half ironman PR or sub 5:30 time, but it would also rock to have a challenge weekend of getting it all in.

Time will tell if I'm ~~stupid~~ daring enough to attempt it.

Stay tuned for the recap.

Tri4aHandUp partners Xterra having wetsuit sale - Speedsuit + lava pants + vortex sleeveless #Triathlon #swimming

2014-05-30T06:26:00.000-05:00

Our great www.Tri4aHandUp.com partner, Xterra wetsuits, is having a sale!

Choose Velocity M Speedsuit + Lava Pants + Meshbag for $225
Vortex Sleeveless + Transition Backpack for $169

Sale ends June 3.

Use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the sale price.

Check out the deals below and hit www.xterrawetsuits.com and use code "C-STPM" at checkout to get the best price! Also remember that Xterra will donate 7 percent of all sales with the code to Tri4aHandUp charities! We don't keep a dime!

Thanks for the support!

IRONMAN TEXAS 2014 RACE RECAP - 5/17/14

2014-05-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you don't know where the edge is until you cross it and it's too late to come back.

After a stellar swim and an acceptable bike ride, I found myself with 9 hours to complete the 26.2 mile run to get in under 17 hours and only needing to complete the run in 6.5 hours to better my Ironman Lake Tahoe time at the 2014 Ironman Texas triathlon... but like a dumbass, I got greedy and put all my training and racing blunders of the day front and center.

It was reminiscent of Mother Nature pissing her pants-suit...

What if I had trained more focused on my bike rides? What if I completed more of my scheduled long rides instead of cutting them short?

What if I had accounted for the time lost going from part time to full time work and dropped the stuff that truly didn't matter in the grand scheme to focus more on training properly?

What if I would have drank enough water and not as much sports drink on the bike and run start?

What if I would have not been aggressive with walking every other aid station to start the run?

What if I would have made myself throw up the crap I had in my stomach and started over with lost of water?

There are a lot of what if's for that Saturday. What's not a what-if is the fact I turned in my 2nd DNF of my triathlon life. Ironman Kansas 70.3 in 2011 was for mechanical reasons and Ironman Texas was for physical reasons.

At mile 13ish on the run, I was light headed, thrown up once and from my abdomen to my quads cramped up in so much pain that I can only think that maybe that's what child birth is like for women... ok maybe a 10th of that pain, but I was hurting. I could not physically get up off the sidewalk to keep walking and ended up in an ambulance to the med tent for IV zofran for nausea and IV fluids for good old fashion dehydration.

Lets take it from the top...

After traveling Thursday and Friday the week before, and then traveling to Tulsa, OK, for a work conference from Monday to Wednesday before IMTX, I loaded up and took off right after dinner on Wednesday and pulled an all nighter to drive to Houston. That wasn't a smart move. I rolled in at 5am Thursday morning and used my hotel room for 6 hours before I had to check out and head to athlete check in.

It was the finest moment, but I had little choice and in retrospect I would have stopped somewhere around 11 to catch some z's before finishing the trip. It would have kept me on a better sleep pattern, not necessarily got me more net sleep.

Meeting my Ride to Give teammates was great!

I met Melissa and Dave from Ride to Give. Dave was racing for Xavier and Melissa was racing for Team Mallorie. I was racing for Ironhearts and kind of picked up IMTX on a whim, which I never thought I'd ever race a spring Ironman.

We hit the practice swim on Friday, and I rode with Melissa Thursday. It was nice to have that added camaraderie, but I was so thrown off by being in a rush to get there from work conference, travel and being tired, I didn't take full advantage of hanging with the team. It was survival mode most of the time.

The swim was awesome. 2.4 Miles : 1:14:13

That's good for sub 2:00/100 and easily the best IM swim compared to Tahoe, besting by 12 minutes. It was so great in fact that at the T1 tent, I could feel my fingers and it only took 11 minutes compared to 26 at Tahoe. What can I say, it went pretty well aside from getting kicked, punched and pulled under and going a little off course.

My only issue is I much prefer the rolling start like Tahoe. Your time starts when you pass the arch and enter the water instead of a mass water start. I spent way too much energy trying not to get killed in the first mile and I even started behind the mass of people at the very front.

I was mildly worried that I wasn't getting enough time in the pool, but I was at least maintaining and sort of getting speedier... and with a wetsuit legal swim, it turned out great.

The bike was sufficient. 112 Miles : 6:39:41

After Lake Tahoe, I had no idea what to expect over the rolling 112 of Texas. Luckily this was easiestly the coolest Texas race by far with highs at maybe 83... so the bike was not a suffer fest like it could have been. I took a laid back approach, knowing I did not get in rides like I wanted in training and hoping that I was leave enough to get through the run in good shape.

I focused on electrolytes, sports drinks, nutrition and felt pretty good about how I managed that aspect. I did have to stop 3 times for pee, bananas, back stretching and special needs bag that I'm sure cut into my time, but 6:40 compared to over 8 hours on the bike from Tahoe is hands down the best IM day ever. Score.

I came into T2 feeling a little tired, and hammy's were screaming a little, but no serious cramping or issues to note as I headed to the changing tent.

I will say this, there was maybe a 15 mph wind on the way back, and being from Kansas I was perfectly ok with that, what sucked was the 40 miles of chip seal roads. Talk about a momentum killer. But hey, at 6:40 for a "realistic" IM bike course time, I'll take it.

The run... oh the run... 26.2 Miles : DNF at mile 13.75

So over 8 hours into the race coming out of the tent, I only needed a 6.5 hour marathon to beat Tahoe time and 9 hours to finish before the cutoff. Why the hell I got so greedy to try and get under 12 or at least under 12.5 is beyond me, in retrospect.

I started walking every other aid station which was probably 1.5 miles or so. I felt ok, and loaded a hand held water bottle with sodium/potassium mix with sports drink at the tent to take with me. There I was sipping my drink, grabbing water and bananas at aid stations and thinking I was doing pretty good. And, I was until I headed on the second loop.

As I passed the changing tent on loop 2, the first bought of cramps hit. Groin and hammy's.... plenty of time to walk it off and walk the aid station. I sipped my drink and grabbed a banana half and sports drink to try and get the sodium replaced and potassium on board.

I felt good enough to trot again and went to walk at every aid station. That was working ok until mile 12ish and it was disaster time. Mother Nature pissed her pants-suit.

Nausea, dizziness and dry mouth were my nemesis. I could no longer stomach the thought of anything else going into my gullet. So I walked. I walked to mile 13 aid station, yarfed a little in the port-a-potty, laid on the sidewalk while a sweet gal poured cold water on my and regrouped.

I can do this.

Started walking again.

Got more light headed.

Stopped to sit on a bench to get a rock out of my shoe.

Cramps. Groin. Both quads.

Laid on the sidewalk to stretch out.

Not letting up.

Didn't feel like responding to "are you ok" any more.

Bike riding EMT's on the scene.

"Do you need to wait it out? Anything we can do?"

No, I can't move.

They called transport to take me to med tent.

I now have a new reason to shave body hair. When they hook up monitors, they need bare skin, so they shave your chest anyways. They do NOT shave your shins where they hook up others. Word to the wise, even if you don't think it will be you, shave. You will save yourself agony of ripping highly adhesive monitor patches off your skin and your hair with them. I was left with a happy face shaved into my chest and missing patches of hair on my legs.

That's just one lesson I learned that day after I puked up my socks in the med tent and felt 110 percent better after IV zofran and a bad of fluids.

I also learned my sodium, potassium and electrolyte levels were good, despite the concern I was losing the fight. My wife and I put our minds together and realized I didn't have enough plain old H2O.

READ:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/what-if/what-if-you-drink-saltwater1.htm\

Potential Effects of Drinking Saltwater (or ingesting too much sodium with sports drink / powders or pills)

Have you ever been minding your own business on an elevator when an aggressively perfumed person stepped on? What happened? Did the Lady Stetson/Drakkar Noir stay on the person? Nope, it wafted all over the elevator so that everyone could smell it. That's diffusion in action. This net transport of matter from a region of high concentration to a region of lower concentration is happening all the time.

When it comes to diffusion and saltwater though, human cells have biological membranes, which can prevent salt from freely waltzing into our cells. Although our bodies can normalize sodium and chloride concentrations to an extent, dealing with extremely high concentrations of salt in the blood is challenging. That's because a cell's membrane is semipermeable -- although sodium, chloride and other substances may not be able to easily diffuse in and out of the cell, water can. When the salt concentration is higher on the outside of our cells than on the inside, water moves from the inside to the outside of the cells to correct the imbalance. The attempt to equalize the concentrations of matter on both sides of a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis.

If you're consuming seawater, the results of osmosis are spectacularly disastrous. Remember the salinity of seawater is almost four times that of our bodily fluids. If gone unchecked, the net transfer of water from the inside of your cells to the outside will cause the cells to shrink considerably -- and shrinkage is never good.

Unless you drink a lot of freshwater, the body's regulatory mechanism in this situation is potentially fatal. With seawater, the change in sodium concentration outside our cells is the main culprit. In order to regain an isotonic state, a must for cell survival, the body attempts to eliminate the excess sodium from its extracellular fluids. It secretes urine. However, human kidneys can only produce urine that's slightly less salty than saltwater. So, in order to remove the extreme amount of sodium taken in by saltwater, we urinate more water than we actually drank. And dehydration sets in.

So, if you're guzzling seawater, you actually aren't taking in any water but are incurring a net loss, leading to depleted body fluids, muscle cramps, dry mouth, and yes, thirst.

The body tries to compensate for fluid loss by increasing the heart rate and constricting blood vessels to maintain blood pressure and flow to vital organs. You're also most likely to feel nausea, weakness and even delirium. As you become more dehydrated, the coping mechanism fails. If you still don't drink any water to reverse the effects of excess sodium, the brain and other organs receive less blood, leading to coma, organ failure and eventually death.

Of course, consuming small amounts of saltwater won't kill you. The take home message is clear, though: Salt and water are best consumed separately -- and any salt intake should be accompanied by plenty of freshwater.

So, what's the conclusion?

Do I have a chip on my shoulder for IMTX? No. It was my own stupidity that lead to my DNF. My conditioning should have got me to the finish line. I left out one simple undeniable requirement, water.

My pride and ego is hurt more than feeling the need to either quite Ironman racing or race Texas again to prove I can do it. I've already finished Ironman Tahoe and know I can do 140.6.

What I do need to do is weed out the superfluous junk in life to focus on the important stuff in life.

Up until now I had been trying to fit it all in while going from self employed part time to full time at a company.
Family
Friends
Work
Triathlon Training
Writing
Product Reviews
House Chores

It had to give and at mile 13.75, it came to a crashing halt.

The plan has to change. I wasn't getting it done, being stressed, frustrated and upset that everything seemed half assed.

No more.

The new focus:
Family/Friends
Work
Triathlon training and racing.

This will result in stuff like this recap being a week after the event. I probably won't be pumping out as much writing content. Product reviews will probably be few and far between. The important stuff needs to get handled, I need sleep and all else can wait.

Hopefully all that look to this blog for any pertinent info will understand. It's not going away, but it won't be nearly as consistent as before.

Safe racing everyone!

$3 Triathlon Thursday - donate $3 at https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6b2s7 for charity #IronmanChattanooga #triathlon #Charity

2014-05-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

Alright people, it's time to start stepping up the fundraising efforts for Ironman Chattanooga. Starting with $3 for Triathlon Thursday! Hit my fundrazr page - https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6b2s7 - and donate $3 for Triathlon Thursday.

Help support Ride to Give and Mended Little Hearts as I train for Ironman attempt 2 for the year. As most of you know, I faltered at Ironman Texas and have a renewed sense of focus and cutting out some of the "frivolous" stuff in life that really doesn't matter... no, that's not the wife and kids. ;) I'm spending less time on anything other than family/friends, work and training. Those come first and anything else is a distance 4th. I shorted myself for Texas and it's not going to happen again.

What that also means is I need more support on the fundraising side so I can focus more on training and less on trying to squeeze donations from people. The more you donate, the more I can set myself up for success at Chattanooga! Thanks!

Ironman Texas pre-game thoughts

2014-05-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

So, it's here... Ironman #2 at Texas.

And I'm sort of ready. I wish I had more time on the bike, but it's too late now. I do get a reprieve as of right now that the may may be westsuit legal for everyone and the temps may max out around 85 degrees.

I went on a test ride to make sure the bike made the trip ok with fellow Ride to Give'r Melissa. She's racing Ironman Texas for Ride to Give and Team Mallorie. Check out her Facebook page and check out what's going on.

It was great weather and rolling hills, I'm eager to get on the course without 8000 feet of climbing, above 60 degree weather, no freezing temps at swim start and exit.

But, I'm pretty sure I've done everything wrong training for this Ironman.

I've shorted some long rides.
I spent way too much time on treadmills and trainers - barf.
I drove through the night to get to Texas after a work conference in Oklahoma. I crashed for a few hours before check-in Thursday. But, lets just say I'm not going to be totally rested.
I have been traveling a lot for work and it's put a kink in training.
Stress has been on large supply.

But, I have:

Kept 95% of my planned runs and a lot of long runs have been outdoors.
Have the LA Marathon training in my endurance bucket to reley on for lack of bike training.
Will rest well Thursday and Friday night.
Devised an agressive stragidy to stay hydrated without getting a bloated gut as it will still be pretty warm on race day.

So, I feel confident in finishing barring random mechanical issues or logostics foul up on my part. I would think as long as I play it smart, I can beat my 14:30ish time from Lake Tahoe. I would hope so anyways... hopefully I can average more than 14mph on a rolling course.

One thing I have learned is not to focus on a time. I'm going to finish, and I'm going to run my race the best way for myself. Focus on the details of having everything fall into place and see what happens with the time.

Wish me luck, and oh ya, feel free to contribute to my fundraising for IM Texas at http://www.active.com/donate/kickstartyourheart/T4AHUIMTX. I'm $715 to my $1500 goal. Thanks to all that have contributed thus far! Maybe donate $14.22 or $1.42 for my bib number, 1422!