Jeremy Hagerman

ClimbDetroit.com

2012-01-28T09:56:00.001-05:00

March 4th, 2012 I will be climbing all 70 flights of stairs at the Detroit Renaissance Center. I'm taking part in the American Lung Association's "Climb Detroit" event in the Firefighter Full Gear Challenge.

Yup, 70 flights in FULL GEAR. My goal was to simply raise $100 - you guys have already put me to that goal... BUT if you all help me raise $500 I'll also carry a section of 2 and a half fire hose. Yeah, that's crazy, but I love a challenge and this is a fundraiser for a good cause!

If you would like to donate (even if it's only a few dollars) follow this secure link. This will take you directly to the ALA Donation page. Donate to the ALA now.

Thank you for your support!!

ClimbDetroit.com:

FIREFIGHTER FULL GEAR CHALLENGE

All Firefighter Challenge participants are timed during their vertical climb to reach the top of the 70th floor of the Marriott Tower of the Renaissance Center and are to wear full structural firefighting personal protective equipment which meets current NFPA standards.

This includes: Boots, turnout coat and pants, helmet, gloves, and SCBA harness with air cylinder.

Run HOW Far? Dances With Dirt - Run Through Hell

2011-09-26T17:55:00.000-04:00

Dances With Dirt - Run Through Hell 50 Miler (DWD)

*Be prepared for a dissertation below*

Let's just start with answering the most basic question... Why run 50 miles?

To be completely honest, I don't know. I've been intrigued by the idea of the Ultra Marathon (anything greater than a 26.2 mile race) for some time. I've had the honor of training with Lisa Taylor over the past few years - for those who don't know her, she's a Western States 100 mile runner, ultra runner freak, has run about as many marathons as the number of years I've been alive, and has competed with Team USA at the Duathlon World Championships on more than one occasion (in fact, just this past weekend she took 4th in her Age Group and 14th Overall Female athlete at the Duathlon World Championship in Spain). For me, watching her train for these events has been fascinating and what is more inspirational is the fact that she makes it seem normal.

Last year I read the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. He talks about a tribe of "super athletes" from a very remote village in Mexico; they run barefoot everywhere and do it from a very young age. The adult men run an endurance event annually for fun, after drinking copious amounts of a home brew the night before. The event is very long, as I recall, over 100 miles. The book highlights the fact that the human body was designed to run. He documents specific anatomical features and covers some of the basics to human development. Another aspect to the book is about our feet and how modern day shoes hide our injuries rather fix them... describing that we wear shoes and orthotics that prevent the foot from landing correctly when we run. For example - when you run barefoot, you will likely land on the front or ball of your foot, but when you put on shoes that protect your feet you will land on the heel of your foot, which does feel better with all of the padding, but it jars your joints with every step. After time you become more dependent on supportive shoes and may be prone to 'running' related injuries associated with the knees and hips. After reading this book I felt the initial pull towards completing an Ultra run. I started training barefoot on the treadmill or with the Vibram Fivefingers shoes. I started retraining my feet and the accessory muscles that support my feet, I made a serious effort to land with a forefoot strike, a process that I still struggle with.

A few weeks ago I picked up the new Dean Karnanzes book "Run" and couldn't put it down. I finished it in 2 days (practically a miracle for me). It's a compilation of a bunch of short stories that I found to be very inspirational and motivational on the topic of long distance running. Then I picked up one of his other books "Ultramarathon Man" and again I was hooked. While this book was more about who Dean is and how he got started in running, it also hit home for me. Dean ran in school but never really ran after school until one specific night (I'll spare the spoiling details - go buy the book) where he realized how out of shape he was. The point I drew out was that he was an adult when he started running long.

A couple of other things that prompted my desire to run Dances With Dirt - Hell were for the sheer fact of pushing past what I have ever thought was possible. I ran a marathon last year and have wanted go farther ever since. I couldn't justify the distance training with my higher priority goals for triathlon. I also love going in to my annual duty physicals and talking to the doctor about my training and races (she also has competed a few marathons). Lastly, with the USAT Clinic coming up soon, I felt like the timing for DWD would be good for me on my race history list.

I called Lisa and asked her opinion... She told me that it would be "Crazy Stupid" to try DWD 50m. I listened, but still had that desire inside! So I did what I figured anyone else would do - I asked someone else. As a Boston Marathon runner and recent 50 mile runner (At the North Country race he was in the lead pack until an accident where he broke his foot during the race), Nick Gooch said to wait until my volume was higher... significantly higher. 'Crap!' I thought. I wanted someone to tell me to go for it. That's when I decided to go for a long training run just to see how I could do and how my recovery would be.

I called a couple of friends, Ryan and Gus, and asked them to ride their bikes near me for a few miles. It was asking a lot... Someone to ride for several hours with a single objective: encourage me. These guys gave me that and a little humor as well. I'm grateful for their willingness to help out! We went 32 miles, it wasn't pretty and it wasn't as fast as I expected. I averaged a 10:15 mile pace. But finishing it gave me a huge confidence boost - after all, that was and ultra marathon distance. Recovery went well and a few minor aches worked themselves out relatively quickly. It was at that time that I decided to commit to the DWD 50 mile run.

Preplanning the Drop Bags

As race day neared I started making mental notes of what to pack for race day. Prepping for a triathlon is always a multi hour process but packing/prepping for an ultra was all new to me. I called another buddy who would be running this race as well. David Potter has run Ironman triathlon and has been on a triathlon team that is well known for their speed (Team Fraser) and he was very encouraging. Now I was stoked! He gave me some great advice and I was on my way to start packing the 'drop bags.'In an ultra distance event you pack 2-3 "drop bags" that are placed at specific locations where you can access them upon arrival and use whatever you put in them. In each of my 2 bags I put in extra clothes, shoes, socks, nutrition and body care items (anti-chafing stuff, athletic tape, etc). The bags would be awaiting my arrival at the 22 mile mark and the 43 mile mark. While I always over pack for any trip, I figure this would be one instance where I couldn't go wrong by over packing. I planned out worst case scenarios and even planned special "surprise" snacks for myself in case I got an urge for something that wouldn't be offered at the aid stations. I planned to be out running for upwards of 12 hours but also knew that the race cut off time was 13 hours. I knew the race covered some water crossing and several hills, some of which would be off the regular marked trails. I really had no idea what was in store for me!

Race morning came quick. I was up at 0330 and out the door at 0345 on my way to Hell (true, the race is held in Hell, Michigan -- The run takes place in the Pinkney Rec State Park). As I was just about 20 minutes away from home I realized that I had forgotten my iPod Shuffle. I normally have 1 earbud in while I run to help me keep pace and keep my mind off of how far I've gone or the how much time has passed, worse yet, how much time I still have to go. But not today, I would be running without music. I did bring my iPhone with me in case I got lost or needed some type of help, but with the possibility of some rain for the day, I had the phone packed in a Ziploc bag and stored in my Camelbak.

DWD Race T-Shirt

Once I arrived and parked, I noticed several things that would stick in my mind throughout the day. First was that it was so dark and the sky was so clear that you could see thousands of stars! I grew up in the country so this wasn't a crazy new sight for me, but it was a simple thing that made me smile. As I approached the packet pick up tent there was something else in the air that was different than all of my other races. Everyone was chatty and outgoing. People were interested in everyone else and few people talked about themselves, rather shifting the focus on someone else or asking about me. I got my drop bags set and I was ready to go. Head lamp on and the announcer marked the countdown to the race start. Funny thing happened when the gun went off to start, people simply shuffled forward. There was no jostling or elbowing for position, no one even bumped into me or accidentally stepped on my heels. The "ReAwakening" was under way!Please note: The Dance With Dirt organizers got pretty creative with the names of each of the stages of this race. On paper the event is broken up into 12 stages, each stage or 'Leg' is characterized by level of wetness, elevation and torture and then separated by aid stations. Below is my account of the race as best I can recall. I didn't take notes during the race and I didn't really know what to expect. Part of the DWD disclaimer is that it is "an adventurous trail run with difficult and stupid sections. Crying is acceptable" Another advertisement for this run titles itself an "Insanely fun extreme trail run".

Dances With Dirt - Race Start

Leg A - "ReAwakening" starts at Half Moon Beach and is 5.3 miles and starts in the pre dawn darkness, claiming to be a dry run with 479 feet of climbing and 472 feet of decent. I was still tired after not sleeping very well in anticipation for the run, but it was now 0615 and Go time and as the Leg is titled, it was time to reawake! I started out slow, as planned. It wasn't long before I realized that we were already starting a slow ascent and before I knew it we were in the trails. This group run with headlamps was awesome! Most of this part of the race had to be single file due to how narrow the trails are, but still, no one was forcing anyone else out the way to get in a better position. When we hit some rugged area where there were ruts and roots someone would call it out and the pack slowed and then like a pack of sheep everyone would follow suit jumping left or right, weaving around the obstacle and then continue on. I planned to walk up every hill. As part of my preplanning for the long day ahead I followed the plan, even though some of the hills weren't too steep, yet. I wondered how long it would be before the sun started to appear. While I recently did a night run to assure that I had my headlamp set right, this was different and everyone around me had one as well. I was anxious to see the sun start to peer into the woods and it wasn't long until the light started to break the darkness. Now I could see some of the trails leading up the hills we were climbing, perhaps it was better when I couldn't see them coming. Before I knew it we were at the headlamp drop off area and there was a small water/aid stand. I stopped, took off my headlamp and took off my long sleeve shirt, tied them together and dropped them in the box to go back to the race finish area. Again, I was off running.

Leg B - "Limbo" starts at Hiland Access and is a 4.95 mile dry section designated as a horse trail with 417 feet of climbing and 394 feet of decent. Organizers advise you to watch out for horse droppings, ha! This part of the run was nice and not too difficult. The air was warm enough that there was quite a bit of fog which looked very cool when we would run out of the wooded areas. The sky quickly brightened and though it wasn't sunny, it was turning into a beautiful day. Time slipped away from me here. I found a groove and I was in it fully. We popped out of the wooded area and there was a fully stocked aid station. Already? Wow, I didn't really know how far in to the race we were until a volunteer yelled out that we were about 10 miles in and had about 5 more to go until the next aid station. I didn't let myself start doing the simple math but there was still 40 miles to go. I downed some PB&J sandwich squares and some cold boiled potatoes. Yup, you read that right and they were tasty!

Just another part of DWD trails

Leg C - "This Sucks, Less?" is a 4.75 mile section that heads out at Hell Creek Ranch. It is another dry section that claims to become "resistance running" with 400 feet climbing and 472 feet of decent. This was pretty much an 'Out and Back' section of the race. It went by quickly as I was quickly befriended by an old friend from my college days in the medic program. I saw him briefly during the packet pick up. Brandon Mulnix has been on an incredible journey in his weight loss and was in a very unfortunate car accident a few months ago; today he still has his jaw wired shut. He ran a 50 Miler a couple weeks ago and today was back at it. My hat goes off to him, there's no way I'd attempt something of this caliber when I couldn't eat normal food. "Hagerman, is that you" I heard a voice call from behind me. It was Brandon and the timing for him to run with me was perfect. Now I had some time to talk with, or rather to try to talk with. It's rather hard to hold a conversation while running trails, let alone when you have your jaw wired shut. As we approached the mini aid station, he stopped to refill his water bottle. I took a quick drink of some Gatoraid type drink and I was off.

The Stripper Pole

Leg D - "Stripper Pole" is a 3.95 mile 'moist' trail with some "Chutes and Ladders" this leg has a demanding 492 feet of climbing and 456 feet of decent. While the name is slightly misleading, the description of this section includes terms like 'wicked hill' and 'hands assisted climbs' followed by the 'Butt Slide' downhills. Sure enough, these were some wicked trails! Flags marking the course led us off the normal trail and up the side of a hill that did, in fact, require the use of my hands to make the ascent. My heart rate was soaring and I wasn't even half way up. I only briefly thought about WHY I was running this when I realized that this is part of what makes this run so stupid fun. I loved it! I remember just simply laughing and wondering else lay ahead. The "Stripper Pole" alone separates this run from any other mud run! When I finally got to the top of the 'Stripper Pole' I again just had to laugh! Ran a short bit and realized that it was now time to start the 'Butt Slide' down the hill. Wahoo!!

Below is a video that Brandon Mulnix took while climbing this section of the run:

Part of the River Run - Not me

Leg E - "Styx, River of Death" is a 3.15 mile run listed as "Very Wet" It also states 262 feet of climbing and 295 feet of decent. The leg description includes "Wet, wet, wet. Dangerous river rocks that cut. Deep holes. The path to Hell is the River of Death" "If a shoe comes off, just reach into the mud, there are plenty of them in there". Through this section you cross the knee deep to waist high river waters 3 separate times; this ain't no little creek! It was at about the 19 mile mark where I had my first real cramp, in my right upper inner thigh/groin. Crap it hurt. No way was I going to let this get to me so 'early' on in the run. I doubled up on my salt tabs and amino supplement. I refused to stop moving forward, I stretched out and walked for about 4 minutes. The cramping subsided and I was back into a run. I really found it amazing at how my body was able to quickly adjust to the nutrition change and quell the cramps - very cool. Just when you think you're done, nope. Now it's time to get really wet. The last part of this leg runs in the middle of the river and against the current for about a half mile. This is, of course, where the first photographers are. The water was very cold but it did feel rather good on my legs. I joked with a couple of guys that I was running with "if I would have known we would be walking this far in the water, I would have brought my waders and fly rod". Still I could only laugh at how much fun I was having! When we reached the dam, we were officially welcomed to Hell by a man wearing a Satan costume. I was so preoccupied giggling to myself, I didn't realize that I was at the first bag drop location - 22 miles in! Time for some more food at the aid station and a dry pair of shoes. For this first 22 miles I wore my New Balance MT10 Minimus shoes. They felt great, and my feet felt great except for a minor blister under my left big toe. The Minimus MT10's were now mucky from the river and I thought that my next opportunity to change shoes wasn't until the 43 mile mark, so I changed shoes. In my prepping and planning for 'worst case scenario' situations, I packed super glue and athletic tape for blisters. I popped the blister and filled it with super glue, just as I had been instructed by something in a Dean Karnanzes book. I got my socks and dry shoes on, they were warm. I took my time at this aid station. No rush and I got my phone out and sent a text message to Becky letting her know where I was and that I was having fun. A coworker, Mark, then arrived, he was supposed to be running the 50k but ended up working an extra shift until 7 am. He still came out to the event and started an unofficial run through the trails. He said he would run with me for a while. I ate a bunch of food at this stop, anything tasted better than more gel packs at this point.

Leg F - "Bad Out of Hell" leaves Hell, Michigan and starts the next 2.9 miles of slow torture. 325 feet of climbing and 331 feet of decent. I was almost instantly assured of the poor decision to change shoes. Something didn't feel right, ah well, too late now. A significant portion of this leg was run on a hard packed dirt road with a gradual incline. As one of the shorter sections, this one went by fast. Again, it was good to have someone to talk with, or rather someone talking to me knowing that I wouldn't always respond. Mark has run a handful of 50k's and had also given me some pre-race advice, so at this point his words were encouraging and helpful.

Leg G - "Potto" is a long 6 mile dry jaunt with 577 feet of climbing and 591 feet of decent. My pace dropped significantly here, I knew it I could feel it. At one point I cramped up again, but now I was out of salt tabs since I had doubled up earlier. I couldn't stand the thought of more gel packs, luckily I packed some sport beans. I downed them. The cramming eased but didn't completely leave. By this point I had already drank through about 3 liters of water and I figured that I was somewhere around the 5-6 hour mark. Again, I found it crazy cool how the body can adapt to pain and utilize minor nutritional changes and the overcome a problem. This section of running had some running along the side of the hills where footing was blatantly uneven and then there were rock piles to run over. I let myself walk for a several minutes. Was I hitting the wall? I'd been there before in training and in last years marathon, where I found the wall at the 24 mile mark. What was it that I had just recently read about the wall? Dean Karnanzes wrote something to the effect of - when you hit the wall, just go around it. I was still enjoying the run, I didn't want to quit early, I paid for 50 miles. I knew that this was the last section before the 50k finish. Soon enough I was there.

My blister after cleaning and more superglue

The 50k Finish and Aid Station - I refused to even consider quitting but there was an overwhelming sensation knowing that I had just completed my first ultra marathon. I could call it a day, go home and say that I ran my first ultra. I still had half marathon to run without salt tabs. Maybe Lisa and Gooch were right, I wasnt ready for a 50 mile run; what if I got 1 mile out and couldn't take another step? As I approached the chute to the 50k finish there was a separate chute leading you off away from the glory of the finish line. People started cheering, I was running alone. I heard someone yell out "Way to go Ultra!" and another person yell "Go 731" - this was my race bib number and those who paid for the 50 mile run had a different color bib. No way would I stop now. I made the 50k cut off by more than an hour. I rationalized that I had time to make it to the next cut off at the 43 mile mark, even if I was slow and get some salt tabs and my extra goodies (as I put my second stash of them in my second drop bag so they wouldn't get wet and ruined in the first bit of the race). Of course, I veered off to the Ultra side of the chute and dropped in to the aid station where there was more food and to my surprise I found the first drop bags waiting for us there. I grabbed it like a child who just found the secret stash of cookies. I had good stuff in there... some nutritional items that I didn't have room to carry from the 22 mile mark. I sat down and was happy to be able to change my socks, which I hadn't planned on being able to do. One small problem. My sock was superglued to my toe, apparently I didn't wait long enough for the fast drying Krazy Glue to dry. Mark (form work) came over, his wife was volunteering for the day. They saw my problem. I had no choice but to rip the sock off, tearing the skin. I immediately grabbed the superglue and liberally applied it to the bleeding wound. I needed it to be fixed enough so that I could run the last 19 miles. I grabbed the athletic tape and this time, waited a bit longer for the glue to dry before covering everything up. Mark got me a couple of slices of pizza from the volunteer tent, it may have taken me almost 10 seconds to devour them. I shoveled food into my mouth after I got my shoes on. I ate every bit of food I could get my hands on, yet my stomach still growled for more. I felt better, the pizza tasted so good! I soon came to the conclusion that I should probably get out and finish my run.

The Abyss Muck - Not me in the pic

Leg H - "Abyss" is a 2.55 mile run starts with the muck. There is only 233 feet of climbing and 226 feet of decent in this section. Just outside of the 50k finish I realized that the last 19 miles of this run would be completely different than the first 31 miles. The muck is described as "suspicious stuff" with "a good opportunity to sprain an ankle." I had just got new socks on and a fresh blister wound repaired and I was immediately swollowed up in the muck. With each step I sank up to my knees. A one point my right shoe got stuck, I couldn't lift my foot out. Crap! I stuck some sticks to put under my left foot to prevent it from getting stuck while I tried to loosen my right shoe. I heard about people loosing their shoes in this muck and running barefoot to 43 mile mark. I reached down behind myself and grabbed the heel of my shoe with my hand and pulled it up... Whew, that was close. But I still had about 50 yards to go. Finally makiout making out, I started running and again just laughing at what had been created for me in this adventure. I found a groove again and while I continued to follow my plan for walking up the hills, I found myself walking up the small hills just a little bit faster.

Leg I - "Vertigo" is another long section with 5.8 miles of trails, crazy steep downhills and is mostly a dry section. This section also includes part of the previous years course "Where's the F'ing Bridge" Here there are 545 feet of climbing and 525 feet of decent. I owned it here. I passed a guy who said I looked like I had just started the race with fresh legs. THIS was fun! My feet were trashed and mud still flung off my shoes with each step. I did manage to catch up with another guy and ran with him for a bit. He has been running ultras for a long time and has qualified for the Western States Endurance Run (the 100 mile run) two years running, but his name has yet to be drawn from the lottery. He is a addictions counselor and moved here many years ago from England. We mustered up a good conversation while he lead us through the winding trails. Suddenly he stopped... "Flags" he said. And I realized that there was no course flags in sight. How far off course did we get? We back tracked and found our way again and started to run with a few others. Maybe a half mile of course. There were warnings that some locals would go out and move the course flags or take down the course markers, in this case, we just missed an obvious turn.

Leg J - "The Stupid Lake" 3.65 miles. Hahaha! Really? Yes. This part of the run has 266 feet of climbing and 243 feet of decent and is listed as "Very Wet". The section description reads "Aquatics Running 101 is taught here" "Failure is not acceptable" "Who's stupid? Trail Dog measured the lake with his bike" We ran on the edge of some corn fields and quickly found... Guess what... a lake. Yup, a lake. Run it. Not beside it or in the marshy area next to it but IN it. At this point the course for the100k Relay runners matched up with the 50 mile course. Several of the Relay people caught up with us here, with their fresh legs they also passed us here. I heard things like this - 5 times "Are you doing the ultra?" Yes "the 50k or the 50 Miler" The 50 Miler, the 50k mark was about 10 miles back. They always laughed at us and wished us luck. It was rather fun to inform them that this was our 4th time in the water... They didn't get the same adventurous course that we did. But man, they were all FAST! At one point I found a hole under the water that managed to dunk me down to my chest, brrr. At the end of this section is the 43 mile mark and the final aid station with food AND our second drop bag. I changed my shoes again, this time my socks came off easily. I was drenched. The volunteers at this station were absolutely great! I had a nurse and a massage therapist tending to me. They made me laugh and asked if they could fill my Camelbak, while they stripped it off of me. They wanted to change my socks for me, help me with my shoes. I declined the offer, I wanted to do this on my own. They asked if they could do anything for me - I just smiled and they laughed. I noticed that I had some seaweed stuff stuck in and on my shoes, it made me laugh out loud. The volunteers found it funny too. I changed my clothes in the middle of the parking lot, relay runners were there, support cars everywhere. I ducked behind one to change my shorts. Fresh socks and another pair of dry shoes, I was clean and ready to rock! As I geared back up to head out for the final 7 miles I KNEW that I was going to finish. It was then that Mark Koonter found me. We have trained together quite a bit over this spring and summer and he had an offer to join a relay team for this race. He said that he would be running their final leg to the finish, so we would probably see each other during the final few miles. He offered to run with me - heck no! I knew there wasn't a chance I could keep up with him now. But I did wonder how long I could hold him off from catching up to me...

Leg K - "Don't Get No Better" is a dry and sandy 2.85 mile run with only 210 feet of climbing and 180 feet of decent. Lots of raspberry and pricker brushes, but I didn't care, I busted through them. I felt light on my feet. I was ready for the race to be done, but it was MY race now! I caught up with and passed some of the slower relay runners and that was a huge mental boost. I still made a slower progression up the steep hills but I was holding an 8 minute mile pace on the flats and downhills (I figured this out after reviewing my Garmin data back at home). Quickly came up onto the mini aid station where they asked if I needed anything, I thanked them without stopping and kept running. I heard the relay team members cheering for me as they awaited their runners to come in, only so they could soon smoke me to the finish - it was great!

Leg L -"Dirt's Revenge" Is the final 4.15 miles of the race. It boasts 371 feet of climbing and 453 feet of decent on a final attempt to kill each and every one of the runners out there. The climbs seemed more difficult and I was still walking them - no sense in cramping up again and being forced to walk in the final Mile of the course. I heard another familiar voice yelling from behind me, it was Mark Koonter and he was flying up the hill that I was walking. We exchanged a few short words as he flew past me. Now I was on a super mental high, this leg was mine. Stay focused on the markers, hold tight on the turns... Go get it it! Go, Go, GO! I wished my wife and girls could have been there to see my finish. While to them it wouldn't be any different than any other race finish, this was going to be one of my personal biggest running accomplishments ever!

Back Home

Finally there! I run into the park, and jet down the final hill with what felt like a blazing pace, my lungs burning and legs on fire. There are several relay teams cheering on their own runners as well as yelling out "great finish ultra!" Then I was there, the finish - I completed Dances With Dirt Run Through Hell 50 Mile Run! Mark Koonter met me at the finish. 11 hours and 21 minutes was my final time. 7th in my Age Group of 11 Men and 36th Overall out of 62 People. Koonter gave me a beer and I walked around to cool down. What a huge day. I feel hugely accomplished! I left it all on the course.The last aspect to this day was to drive home. I felt good and my body felt pretty good. When I finally got home I realized how jacked up my legs and feet were. The recovery is going to take a while and there's quite a bit of swelling in my feet. I own this pain! This race was mine!

Much thanks to Marsh Findley at Escapes Theraputic Massage for prepping my legs and getting me back in shape after this run!

*More Pictures to follow soon - several of the above photo's are from Brandon Mulnix.

Pictures above are from the sites listed below:
http://brandonmulnix.com/dances-with-dirt-hell-50-something-race-report/
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/trail-running/dwd-100k-insane-terrain-relay-rr

So very close....

2011-09-01T23:32:00.002-04:00

September is here! I'm opting out of Rev3 Cedar Point half iron tri due to finances. I finally got in to the USAT Coaching Certification Clinic - very exciting as I've been trying to get in since March; it's a very limited class, both in registrants and location. It just so happens that the event I finally got in to is in Las Vegas. This will be a great opportunity for me as a personal trainer as well as for Team Motiv8 Fitness and Training! The cost of the class and travel is going to be rather expensive but it's a worthwhile investment. So sadly, I'm out for Rev3CP.

That being said I will be racing a local sprint tri on Saturday the 10th - The Playmakers Classic. I see that the Capital City River Run Half Marathon is the 18th... I cannot rule that run out as I've run it the last 3 years, but I'm also not trained to race that distance. Run,yes - race, no. I was secretly hoping that I could convince my body to run Dances With Dirt - Hell 50 Miler, not going to happen, maybe the 50k. From there I'm looking into October at the MSU Triathlon and either the Grand Rapids or Detroit Marathon.

This year it has been a struggle to get my needed workouts in. Childcare has been different with the prospect of losing my job with the fire department, though that is pretty much a sealed deal NOT to happen now. I'm thankful for that as I do enjoy being a firefighter/paramedic. Next week Anna starts kindergarten - my little princess is growing up! So now Sophie and I will have a lot more time alone during the days I'm home and it may be a bit easier to get one girl out with me on a run rather than two. But still, I wouldn't change anything... except the whole thing about my little girls growing up.

August totals were as expected:

Bike: 91 miles, Run: 65 miles, Swim: 10 minutes... WHOA! WHA? Yup... my only swim in August was at the Lansing Legislator -- oops. Strength (other) training took a little boost to about 10 hours this month.

The good news, I just broke 1000 miles on the bike for the year. Just shy of 400 miles running for the year. So that leaves me to get in 1000 miles more on the bike and about 350-400 more miles running. No big deal, right? That only means 8 miles a day on the bike and a merely 3 miles a day to run. Sept and Oct have always been high run volumes for me. I won't bail on the swimming as it's always been my biggest limiter - I've made several big gains this year, so I have to hit the water in this off season. But time in the water has been very poor so far this year.

Races are pretty much done, now it's time to break some personal bests and annual totals!

Lansing Legislator Sprint Tri Race Report

2011-08-07T15:40:00.002-04:00

Lansing Legislator Sprint Triathlon
2011-08-07
Laingsburg, Michigan
United States
3 Disciplines Racing
85F / 29C
Overcast

Triathlon - Sprint
Total Time = 1h 09m 45s
Overall Rank = 8/
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 3/

Event warmup: A quick dip in the water and lots of jaw jacking with teammates and friends who I hadn't seen in a while.

Team Motiv8 was in full effect today!

Swim Comments: I jumped my ability from the gun to the first buoy, but did well staying with the appropriate pack once I settled in. I'm learning the draft! Unfortunately those who I was drafting also knew how to sprint the last straightaway and they left me alone. Great swim for me!

What would you do differently?: Starting out hard worked well for me. This swim wave/group was all the men for the sprint race and the last wave of the days events. Lot's of competitive people swim at the front of the group... I may have faired better starting farther back, but I had fun trying to keep up with the real swimmers.

T1 Comments: Quick, but not as quick as others... picked up 11 places in T1.

What would you do differently?: Solid T1, no complaints.

Bike Comments: Lots of fast cyclists out here today! Several avg 23mph. I'm very happy with my performance and I feel it was a solid effort. Matches my faster speeds from last year on comparable courses (training).

What would you do differently?: I feel good about this bike.

T2 Comments: In retrospect I could have been a touch faster but I'm happy with a 44 second T2. I rode my bike in towards the dismount and did a partial dismount until I hit the line. Running the bike into T2 there was a guy who forgot which side his rack was and he cut me off, I almost lost it and fell over. All I did was laugh - could have been me.

What would you do differently?: Good - but Craig pulled a sub 30 second T2 :)

Run Comments: Almost a double out and back. Kind of sucked, but it was short and you got to keep seeing/passing the leaders which is an absolute motivator to run harder. A big benefit was that they moved the run from where it was last year - which is now a loose gravel road.

What would you do differently?: Wasn't as fast as the Motor City Tri earlier this year, but I felt like I gave it a good go today!

Post race

Warm down: Nothing special - water. Forgot to bring along Fluid, though I remembered the bottle.

What limited your ability to perform faster: I feel good about this race. If I were focusing on short distance tri's I could be faster on all 3 disciplines.

Event comments: 3D really has picked up the pieces to organize a much better race than they had in the past. Plenty of volunteers and a well marked course. The run ended up a little long, but no big deal. I'm happy to do a well run race when it's in my back yard.

Ironman Racine 70.3 Race Report - 2011

2011-07-20T15:51:00.004-04:00

Here it is; my 2011 Ironman Racine race report. It was crazy hot from the time the sun came throughout the day with a heat index of over 100 degrees F. I was fortunate that my wife was there to cheer me on and good friend Eddie was racing as well, it was good to see familiar faces on the coarse. Several people from BeginnerTriathlete.com were there as well!

My recovery is going very well! I did a short swim yesterday and had a massage with Marsha at Escapes Spa - Therapeutic Massage She works wonders and today I'm feeling much better.

Overall Time was 5 Hours 58 Minutes

Warmup: Did a little swimming / water acclimation. The water temp was 66F and little to no wakes. It was a beautiful morning.

Swim: Perhaps my best swim ever! I felt great and stayed with my pack. Everything seemed to be there for me. We did swim against the current, while it was barely noticeable at first, the final few buoys were a struggle. I was able to find someone to draft off of and this was the first time that I was able to move from one persons draft to another and successfully hold their pace. I did get stuck a few times behind some slower swimmers from the group who launched before us. I still need more work on speed, but I'm getting there.

T1: I utilized the wetsuit strippers and had to wait for a second for their help. Got in to T1 and didn't rush.

Bike: Wow, it was hot before I started my swim and I definitely felt it on the bike. I didn't push the bike as I knew that I hadn't trained to race this bike. I wanted to save energy for the run and had high hopes of nailing my run. I felt that I held a good cadence on the bike but OA it was 67. I did coast a lot but my OA cadence should have been much higher! I started out holding a solid 20-22mph pace. I opted to slow a little to hold for the run, but near the end of the bike I felt spent. It was just crazy hot!

Speedfil - if you don't own one, buy one! It's a 40oz container, but I refilled it at each aid station. I also had 1 bottle of Fluid with me. Never felt the urge to use the bathroom, so I know I was sweating out a lot more than normal.

What would I do differently?: Spin baby, spin. My overall cadence was WAY too low by the midway point in the race. I should have known better.

T2: T2 went well, but again, I took my time. I felt the burn in my legs so I let them rest for a bit. Started up the Garmin 410 and let it sync, took some MAP and SaltTab and I was off to run.

Run: I was hurting when I left T2. I knew from the first step of my run that this was going to take a LOT longer than I planned. I'm not exactly sure why I was so cramped and I have a hard time believing that it was solely the heat. Water and nutrition intake was good on the bike. Supplements were right on during the bike - so that leaves me with pre-race training. I made the immediate decision to take the Hal Higdon approach to running and followed it strictly for the entire first loop. I knew that it would cause my OA run to be slower than planned, but I wanted to be sure that I could finish the race without letting the cramping stop me. Again, nutrition and supplements were right on. Second loop I did pick the pace a little and limited my breaks. I hoped that this would still give me a sub 10min/mi time. At the last turn-around I stepped it up and then paid for it. I did take another minute walk break about a half mile before the finish. Then I took final stretch in with a sadly slow stride. Turns out that only 2 of my miles were sub 10 min/mi. So apparently my walking intervals was longer than Hal Higdon would approve of. Per the Garmin data (reviewing after the race), while I was running I held 8-8:45 paces. Thankfully the good citizens of Racine were out again in full force soaking down everyone with cold hose water! I took a bath at every opportunity and put ice down the front of my shorts at every other aid station. I took in oranges at every opportunity, grabbed a sponge and kept it cold and wet.

What would you do differently?: I let my training fail me here. I should have been doing bigger and longer bricks over the past few months!

Post race: Ate a turkey sub immediately and drank some water. I hate ice baths, but if one was available, I would have dove into it! From there I was able to watch several people cross the finish line; including Madison firefighter Rob Verhouse who did the event in full turnout gear, helmet and Scot Pak as well as Iraq War veteran Melissa Stockwell of Chicago who completed the race with an artificial left leg.

All in all this was far from a PR for me at this distance but I cannot complain, I had a great time. My training was focused, but not specific enough and my volume was WAY under where I should have been for this race. I knew that going in. I knew that I was prepared to finish, but hoped that I could still race it. Ironman did a great job organizing this race. The only fault that I can point out is that one aid station ran out of cups - but with the heat and people taking 'extras' it does add up. I had a good time and hope to be back next year. I can't wait for the Lansing Legislator in August and then the Rev3 Cedar Point Half Iron Distance. I'd love the opportunity to get another 70.3 in this year, but at $250 I won't be able to swing it. I have high hopes for a full distance Ironman next year, but we'll see how this year progresses.

Again, my sponsors are the best! Take time to visit their websites and try what they have to offer!

Trinity Multi-Sports for the extremely comfortable tri kit!!

Fluid for the best recovery drink mix!

Marsh at Escapes Therapeutic Massage for a great pre and post race massage!

My family is the best. Much thanks to Becky's parents for watching the girls this weekend.

Training and a Season Update

2011-06-17T09:37:00.000-04:00

We've jumped into June and it still feels like April with our cold and windy weather! The training for Ironman Racine 70.3 is going well and Team Motiv8 has had a successful first few weeks of racing.

Craig Weaver and Family wrapped up the Curwood Half Marathon in style! Craig took 2nd in his Age Group at the Half Marathon distance. Craig's wife, Susan, took first in her Age Group at the 5k distance and son, Ryan, took first in his Age Group at the 10k distance. This absolutely shows the underlying reason that Team Motiv8 exists; to help encourage families to be active together!

I raced the Hawk Island Triathlon and the Motor City Triathlon. At Hawk Island (400m, 10mi, 5k) I raced well but I wasn't as fast as I hoped to be. In fact, I was about 20 seconds slower than I was last year. Unfortunately I was about 2 min 30sec out of contentions for an Overall finish; in a sprint distance triathlon that is a fairly big time gap! I had the disadvantage of working my normal shift (24 hours at the fire department) the day before the race. So I got off from work at 7am and went straight to the race. But I finished in 1h 2min with a 2min/100 swim, 21mph avg on the bike and a 7:10/mi paced run. A good friend, Adam, did race very well taking a 3rd place OA finish and setting a new PR at that course!

Last Sunday at the Motor City Triathlon (500m, 12mi, 3.44mi) I raced very well! I set a huge personal best in swimming! I placed 6th Overall and 1st in my Age Group by over 7 minutes. I was still about 2 minutes away from a Podium Overall placement, but I am very satisfied with the performance! My swim averaged a 1min/100, biked 22 mph and runs were paced sub 7min/mi. My biggest advantage came in the swim where we had the help of a 3-4 mph current in the Detroit River - we swam mostly with the current and I used my full wetsuit as the water was a little chilly. What I find rewarding is that even if I would have experienced my "normal" swim, I still would have placed first in my Age Group. My bike split was very good and also a race PR for speed. My run followed suit where I raced a sub 7min/mi for the first time in a triathlon.

This past week was my Peak Week in the Periodization Training Plan for Racine. So my volume was huge and the speedwork on the run was intense. I hit a big benchmark in speed training on the run and completed a new 1 Mile Best Effort Run in 5m42s. I feel like the past 4 years of training and planning and analyzing data are finally paying off. While my overall training volume is much lower this year than last year, I have trained much more intentionally and spent a lot of time working on form, both in the water and on the run. Perhaps later this year I'll be able to bring my biking up and show a big break to hit avg speeds of 24mph.

Racine weighs heavy on my mind every day. I've looking back at race data from last year and trying out more specific nutritional planning. While I raced well at Racine last year, I know that my nutrition was low on a caloric base and I wasn't properly conditioned for the run. I cramped up on the run last year, partly due to nutrition/hydration and partly due to a storm that left the run course brutally hot and humid. Tuesday I will complete my final long distance bike/run session being a full distance brick session. From there I am only about 3 weeks away from Racine and will wrap up the Peak Training Plan and start my Taper.

After Racine I plan to enjoy the rest of the season with another 70.3 in September for fun, a local triathlon, a marathon and wrap up the year with the largest single mountain biking race in America - the Iceman.

I have to send out a big "Thank You!" to my family and friends who have helped me with training (support and encouragement, watching the girls and so much more). Becky has always been my biggest supporter! Marsha at Escapes Spa Therapeutic Massage, Fluid and Trinity Multisports continue to be very supportive sponsors -- You owe it to yourself to be treated the way I have been by visiting them! (Marsha even has a special offer for first time customers if you mention Team Motiv8) Please do mention Team Motiv8 when you visit or purchase from these sponsors - we get NO kickback from them when you utilize them, but they do like to hear that we are promoting them.

On the personal training front: I have set up a training studio in the PKSA Karate Saint Johns location (this link will take you to their Facebook page - please go 'Like' them. I hope to start building a solid client base in the St Johns area and still plan to meet others for sessions. I look forward with great expectations to this next month! Come out and swim, bike and run with me!

Game Time!

2011-03-02T21:48:00.002-05:00

It's game time. Well, not time to race, but time to train. 20 Weeks until Racine! My racing plans have taken a definitive shape. Here's the list:

    4/02 Martian Marathon (Not set in stone yet)
    6/05 Hawk Island Tri - Sprint
    6/12 Motor City Tri - Olympic
    7/17 Ironman Racine 70.3
    7/30 Warrior Dash MI
    8/07 Lansing Legislator - Sprint or Olympic
    9/11 Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3
    10/15 GR or Detroit Marathon
11/05 Iceman MTB Race - 27 Miles of Pain!!

To summarize my off season: October left me spent. Grand Rapids Marathon was a great race, but I was secretly glad the season was done. I had hopes to run an ultra marathon, but I needed the rest. I decided to take December easy, January came quick and I emphasized strength training and stretching. I did low volume running and no swimming. February proved to be a challenge to get back into the groove of training. Many times I had to really make a mental push to get in the workouts.

Warm weather is close, here in Michigan, and everyday we see more sunlight earlier in the morning. I'm ready to go, I'm chompin' at the bit!

I've registered for the Iceman Cometh mountain bike race. This was my 3rd year thinking about the race, but every year it sells out within hours of opening registration. This year I got in, the race sold out in 5 hours with 3700 participants. I'm pretty excited about this race.

Becky and I will be running the Warrior Dash just after Racine. I'm excited about this one too, it'll be my first adventure race and it will be super fun to run it with Becky!! Some good friends ran it last year and came back with stories and pictures that you wouldn't believe, I'm stoked to run this one!

Team Motiv8 is well under way! We're nailing down our sponsors and creating our tri training classes. We are also readying our childrens programs. I can't wait to get in with the kids and talk to them about the importance of making healthy nutritional choices and to encourage them to play (like kids should do). What a great opportunity that we have! Check out our website at Team-Motiv8.com We'd love for you to join us and run with us across the finish line. Watch for us at local races and stop by our tent before and after the event! There will be good stuff happening at our tent!

As always, thank you to my girls! Becky, Anna and Sophia - you ARE my world! You inspire me to be a better person every day.

February Totals:


Bike:	10h 29m 48s - 161.55 Mi
Run:	9h 31m 10s - 53.5 Mi

Crossfit and Firefighters

2011-01-20T16:20:00.001-05:00

Crossfit for Firefighters
As firefighters we NEED to be functionally strong. We need to do strength training that represents the conditions that we could face on a fire ground. You need to be able to give 100% in order to save your life or that of another person. Regular functional strength training may be the single thing that gives you the power and stamina to get out of a life threatening situation. Be safe and be prepared! As triathletes now is a great time for us to be putting time in the strength bank. Those of us who periodize our training typically take this time of the year off, or may be in the early stages of base building. The off season is the best time to make gains in power. The Crossfit movement is gaining momentum in the multisport and endurance sport worlds. You will be seeing more extreme training plans popping up. Crossfit Endurance has already been taking the bull by the horns and mapping out WOD's (Workout of the Day) that will kick your butt AND incorporate multisport training! Take your training to the next level. Whether you subscribe to Crossfit and regular strength training or not, give this a try for a month and watch your speed, power and agility grow exponentially!
Complete this workout 5 times in circuit style intervals. Using the pattern of 1 minute per station followed by a 20 second rest, this workout will take about 7 minutes per circuit. You may rest up to 2 minutes between each circuit. After 5 circuits, complete the 6th circuit with no rest intervals. With the Warm Up and Cool Down, the workout will take about an hour. You can have 1 firefighter at each station (5 firefighters) for the entire workout -- Develop crew integrity!! The goal of this workout is to push you mentally and physically; push through the burn and complete each station. Your effort at each station should push your heart rate into an anaerobic state, just like on the fire ground.
Warm Up: Run for 10 minutes - Quick warm up and then a strong sprint (push for a 1 mile sprint). Any cardio warm up is fine, but be certain that you are getting your heart rate up!
3, 2, 1... GO!
	STATION 1: “Sled Pull” with a rope, pull a rolled 100’ section of 5” hose across the apparatus bay floor from a seated position without foot anchors. Use a 40’ section of utility rope. Tie to the hose roll, pull on this rope. Consider placing extra weight on top of the hose roll to increase resistance (50# bag of salt/sand). When you've pulled the 'Sled' to you, run the rope out and pull again. Try to get 3 full length pulls in this minute. Try this exercise as if you were rowing: stretch forward, grab the rope and pull while you lean back. This will work your lower back and help prevent the common back injuries.
	STATION 2: “Step Ups” while holding a rolled 50’ section of 1 ¾” fire hose, step up onto the tailboard of an ambulance (or any sturdy surface greater than an 18” height). Remember to alternate which foot steps up first. Do not lean forward. Keep your chest out and your shoulders back.
	STATION 3: “Hose Ropes” swing ropes alternately creating ‘waves’ with the rope. Take a 25’ section of 1 ¾” fire hose, anchor it in the center around a non-movable object so that both couplings of the hose are at the starting point (You'll want to duct tape around the anchor point so the hose doesn't pull one way or the other). Grab the hose below the couplings and make ‘waves’ with the hose. Single Waves, Double Waves; mix it up with Isometric Squats, Skaters Lunge or run in place. Keep your upper body upright with a straight back!
	STATION 4: “Hammer Time” Use a heavy sledge hammer to hit an object on the floor (preferably one that is meant to be beat on). Kneeling or standing - alternate the dominate hand at the 30 second time mark.
	STATION 5: “High Rise Lunges” while draping a high rise hose pack or a 50’ section of 2 ½” across your shoulders, do step lunges 40’ out and back. Upon reaching the starting point, do 10 full squats. Keep a straight and upright back. Push your chest out. When you squat - "Ass to the Grass" or You're Doing It WRONG!
Cool Down: Rowing machine or Elliptical machine for 10 minutes. Any cardio is fine. Strong and steady effort, but not anaerobic.
Lastly, after you've completed this routine a few time and can "comfortably" go through it without being excessively sore the following few days: Do it in your turnout gear! If you're not a firefighter or do not have turnout gear to 'play in' then use heavy pants, boots and a heavy coat (Carhart gear come to mind). Consider this a heat acclimation drill.

The Year in Review: 2010

2011-01-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

2010: What a great year!

I've been able to complete a few things this last year that I've been working towards for a while. Over the course of the year I exceeded each of the goals I set for myself. 2 of my biggest race goals were to run a marathon and complete a Half Ironman. Both went very well and were a big step up in 'The Plan'

Annual Swim/Bike/Run goals were met, though my run totals could have been much higher if I would have kept running through the end of the year. But again, my foot needed the rest and I think my mind needed it too - thus, the Off Season.

2010 totals
Bike:	2098 Miles
Run:	702 Miles
Swim:	31 Hours
Strength:	16 Hours
Other Exercise/Stretching:	55 Hours

In 2011 my biking mileage will probably be about the same but I plan to do a bit more work on speed. My average race speeds are currently about 21mph and I'd like to be about 24mph for Racine. For my run goal I would like to shoot for 1000 miles in 2011. It's a huge step up, but based on my peaking from last year, I think it would be a good goal. I always need to improve my swimming so I'm not setting a specific goal for swimming. Yes, it is my biggest limiter and needs the most work, so if I could swim even 10-20 seconds faster (per 100m) I would consider that a pretty big success.

Strength training will need to be increased quite a bit. I've been fairly consistent the last 2-3 years in total volume for strength training, but in order to improve my overall speeds, I'll need to gain more power early this year. I've been on a kettlebell routine that will surely help me improve all around. I'll be working on basic calisthenics (like push ups, sit ups, pull ups and squats - body weight stuff). I've always liked the basics and enjoy the Navy SEALs workout programs. I've also looked at the newer things from books like "Convict Conditioning" - all body weight things... you know, everything you'll need to be able to do to prove yourself strong in the prison system!

I did learn quite a bit of valuable information from the MSU study that I was a part of. A big key is the total volume of aerobic activity that I need to be doing. A LOT! And along with that I am learning the importance of more frequent high intensity drills and circuit style training.

Lot's of things to incorporate in this years training program. I'm excited to start the new plan. My Racine plan will start in mid-February. While I haven't pinned down the exact race plans for the year, here's the list of events that I'd like to consider:

     4/02 Martian Marathon
     5/01 Steelcase Du
     6/05 Hawk Island Tri
     6/12 Motor City Tri Oly
     7/17 IM Racine 70.3
     7/30 Warrior Dash MI
     8/07 Lansing Legislator Oly
     9/11 Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3
     9/24 DWD 50k
     10/15 GR or Detroit Marathon

As always, THANK YOU to my family and friends for your support over this past year. My girls are my biggest supporters.

Fluid continues to be a huge part of my training and racing as a sponsor! Thank you Rich and Dave and to the whole rest of the Fluid crew. Give Fluid a try sometime and you'll find the best available recovery drink mix of electrolytes, protein and glutamine! For those who like the typical post workout protein shake, try the new Fluid flavor: Chocolate!

Team Motiv8 is underway. If you'd like see how you can get on board with our team, send me an email at JHag@Team-Motiv8.com We continue to look for sponsors who want to come on board and help us take the message of the importance of making fitness part of a child's everyday life! As part of that, adults need to be proactive WITH their children.   If you are interested in completing your first triathlon - let me know. We will be putting on a First Time Tri training program that will lead up to the Hawk Island Triathlon in Lansing, MI. We will cover all of the basics that a "Noob" will need to know in order to successfully complete a sprint distance triathlon.

Bring on 2011!!!

Oops, Where Did October and November Go?

2010-12-09T10:49:00.000-05:00

This past 2 months have flown by. I ran the Grand Rapids marathon and had a great experience at that site. The venue was great and the spectator involvement was huge. I didn't expect to see so many people out on the course cheering. At the 18 mile mark (they typical area where people "hit the wall") there was such a huge crowd! My finish time was 3h42 minutes - which was just over my "Perfect Race" goal of 3:30. I won't complain at all since it was my first marathon. Post race recovery was awesome! (Beers)

Another great aspect to this race was that Becky and a few of her coworkers also ran the marathon as a relay. Becky ran a leg longer than she has ever ran in a race before. She did great and said that she felt great during the run.

Since the GR Mary I took a 2 week time of minimal training in order to recover. I had hoped to run an Ultra Marathon in middle December but I opted to let my body rest and to take care of a small nagging injury to my right foot. November became a month of rest. I didn't plan to take the month off, but as time progressed it was a nice break. Over the last 2 years I have taken November off to recover. So not a big deal.

This month I will be starting my new training plan back up. December and January are prep months - basically a way for me to get back into a regular routine without the specific demands of high intensity training; not that I won't be doing some high intensity stuff, but it won't be a mandatory part of the training plan. During this time I'll be doing regular aerobic base building which means long and slow. That means it's time to catch up on some movies while riding the trainer and going out to enjoy the cold weather for some runs. Swimming hasn't been in my regular routine lately. Why, you ask? Good question... to which I have no good answer. In part because I haven't had any specific event that forces me to stay in shape for the water. In January I will be back in the pool regularly building that base back up.

I have a handful of races that I'd love to consider for next year. There's not a chance that I'll be able to do every race that I want to do, so it'll be a slow selection process. My A race of the year will be Ironman Racine 70.3 again. Last year it was a great race experience and I'm stoked to go back and see what I can do! I'm also considering Rev3 Cedar Point, also a half Iron distance race. I wasn't able to go last year while several good friends did, and it sounds like it was an awesome venue with outstanding race support! Races the I'm considering: 3D Motor City Oly, 3D Racing for Recovery Half Iron Distance (yes, that would make 3 70.3's), and 3D Lansing Legislator Oly. Also on the list would be Hawk Island Sprint Tri and, of course, another marathon - either Grand Rapids or Detroit. I'd like to think that I could consider an Ultra next year, but my schedule is quickly filling.

I have decided against running with the RACING GREYHOUNDS team this year. The last 2 years have been fun, but next year I will be racing for Team Motiv8. Craig and I are starting this team as a non-profit with the main focus in educating young children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle through exercise and nutrition. We plan to take our team out beyond the schools into the corporate world to encourage adults into the multisport world. We will be leading a "Your First Triathlon" experience where we will help guide individuals into a successful first triathlon. We will invite anyone and everyone to participate with our team during the year. We will be raising funds for other charities during several races throughout the year. We hope to be able to offer a special incentive to individuals who raise the most money during each event. Details will follow soon, so check back here regularly and start frequenting our website.

Team Motiv8 is currently seeking out sponsorship opportunities. So if you or someone you know would like to financially assist us in making this team a reality, I would love the opportunity to talk to you. Our main focus will be in the programs that we will take into the elementary schools. Sponsors will be listed on our print material, website and given promotion at multisport events. We will be making a big impact and we would love the opportunity for you to join us.

I have finally decided to become a certified personal trainer. About time, right? A lot of the study material is review given my background. I then hope to also become a USAT certified coach. Good things in the mix for next year!

A huge Thank You to Fluid for their sponsorship this past year! What a great product and a great company. Rich and Dave, you guys rawk! Check Fluid out for the perfect blend in a muscle recovery drink mix. The new chocolate flavor is my favorite!

Thank you for all of your support over this race season!

Sept 2010 - Capital City River Run

2010-09-30T21:52:00.000-04:00

Wrapped up September today, another month in the books.

I opted to run the Capital City River Run half marathon last Sunday. I figured that it would be a good final tempo run for training towards the Grand Rapids Marathon on Oct 17th. I ran it by the race clock 1 minute slower than last year with a final finish time of 1 hour 38 minutes. I would have liked to be faster than last year, but given that my recent training has been for a full marathon, I'll take that time!

On my way to the race Sunday morning, my truck started leaking gas from somewhere. A half a tank of gas went missing along Michigan Ave. The tank went dry... not my glycogen tank you geeks. I happened to stop just close enough to the race site where I could walk in to PPU. I opted to race, even though I was upset. I could see where the gas leak was from, so I figured that since there was no more gas (thus no more gas leak) that I would have the truck towed home... after the race.

I started off in front of the 7:30 pacer. Initially I thought that I would run as far as I could at a 7:20 pace. That lasted until mile 8. I slowed to a 7:35 pace and held it there for all of mile 8, 9 and into 10. I did take 1 GU at the 8 mile mark and water at every other aid station. I had hoped to have enough 'in the tank' (glycogen now) to finish the last 3 miles real strong. It was at that point that the 7:30 pacer caught up to me.

Now, I'll give it to the pacers for running a specific pace while encouraging runners to give it their best. But I just didn't want to hear all that 'encouragement' I just wanted to finish my race. I couldn't get back in to a good groove. I could hold a 7:15 pace, but when I tried to push into the high 6's my HR jumped up. Funny thing - the 7:30 pacer found himself all alone and started running a 7:00 pace. C'mon!!

I finished with a short final sprint. I felt great! I had a good run and was thankful for a beautiful race morning.

Finally, finished off my morning with a tow truck ride home. Then replaced a minor part on the truck and spent the day with my family.

Totals for the month:
(yes, only 30 minutes of swimming due to a broken rib)

Bike:	7h 16m 31s - 106.17 Mi
Run:	11h 50m 07s - 80.57 Mi
Swim:	30m - 1000 Yd

September Update

2010-09-22T15:30:00.004-04:00

It feels like fall. The triathlon season is ending. It's time to start thinking about running with the arm warmers and a hat. I welcome the fall season this year. Something about it this year feels comfortable.

August was a great month for to recover from my biggest race to date; and I may have taken advantage of the 'month' for recovery. My total biking miles were down, but my running was up as I will be running the Grand Rapids Marathon. I did have a minor injury, so my swimming has been exceptionally minimal. I dislocated a rib that caused an inflammation issue with the cartilage in the front of my chest. I was told to rest, relax... blah blah blah or something to that effect. I did, sort of. I'm pretty much back to normal now - so about that water.

I was fortunate to participate in a study at Michigan State University for a PhD student who was finishing some research about energy expenditure in endurance athlete's. It was a 2 week study where I had 3 visits to his lab each week. I did complete body composition tests during each visit in a BOD POD (an enclosure that measures body density and body fat in about 45 seconds - equally as reliable as a water submersion test). I also wore a SenseWear BMS armband for the whole 2 weeks. This enables post week review of total calorie expenditure, activity and sleep efficiency (they are in for a ride looking at my sleep patterns!!). Week 1 of the study I needed to log 15+ hours of training and week 2 I needed to log less than 10 hours of training. Lastly, I did 2 separate VO2 Max treadmill tests. My VO2 Max is 56 with a max heart rate of 186 for that test. I've never felt my legs turn to noodles so quickly ever before. I will be getting a complete training review at the end of this month with specific details about how I can better prepare for races and how to focus my training. That was very cool to be able to be a part of.

On the family front, Anna started pre-school. She is so very excited and I love her enthusiasm. This also means more time for Sophia and I to hang out together while Anna is at pre-school. Becky's work is stable and steady. My job... well, is not 100% stable. The township will be asking for voter support for a millage (essentially). If it does not pass, I was officially informed yesterday by the fire chief, that in 2012 I will be laid off (along with 2 other firefighters). Currently the fire department is down more than 6 positions and our monthly run volume has been consistently more than 100 calls higher for 3 months in a row. So the stress level at home and work has been a little higher than normal.

Fluid has continued to support me throughout this year. Today I received a new product that they are offering; the same great recovery drink with a new chocolate flavor. In fact, I'm drinking some as I type! Plus this flavor will mix great with milk - so for those of us training where it gets cold, it'll be a great post training session warm up (imagine the most nutritious and best tasting hot chocolate after playing in the snow)! Go give it a try or hit me up for some samples! It's only 140 calories and has protein and glutamine in the mix!

Sharkies has also offered to bring me on board, the details are in the mix right now. As soon as I know anything, I'll post it here. Sharkies are a USDA Certified Organic snack-type source of electrolytes and complex carbohydrates. They are Gluten and Wheat free as well as Vegetarian. They have a few different flavors and even make a children's version of the snack. If you've been bike riding with me, you know that I swear by Sharkies as a nutritional supplement while training and racing. I've been using Sharkies for over a year. So this opportunity is pretty exciting for me!

I look forward to this coming month and completing my first full marathon. Thank you all who have continued to support me! Fall is a great time to ride and run! I'm always looking for people to run with and I'm determined to get in a century ride again this year. Give me a call and let's play!

That's My Girl!!

2010-08-08T12:08:00.001-04:00

So after deciding to compete at the Grand Rapids Marathon this year, one of my training partners (we shall call her 'Trixie') encouraged me to go for a long run. 16 miles was my farthest single run to date. I did it, we ran a planned pace of 8:22, but after 3 planned breaks our overall pace was 8:30. Good stuff, not too much pain. I should have been doing these regularly. It was fun, a bit painful, but a great marker of where I could be at for pacing during the marathon.

So Friday we ran the 16 miles at Kensington Metro Park. Then Saturday I entered a 10 mile run - the Mint City 10 Miler. I was told... again by Trixie, that this would be great for my marathon training. I failed to see the real significance at first. The 'plan' was to run at a 8:15-8:30 pace and see how it feels to run on 'dead' legs (named due to the previous days' run).

Before the race, I did some lite stretching. I was very happy to see my chiropractor at the race site - he was offering free ART treatment to the runners. Since he already knew where I needed the most help, he hooked my up! I felt great... as soon as I was off the table. I toe'd the line and the gun went off - I started out as planned, but simply felt great running. I jumped up my pace and held 7:30's for most of the run. The last 2 miles were mostly a slow grade uphill. This caused me to slow down... funny thing: I slowed to my pre-race planned pace. Near the finish the grade leveled off and I finished very strong with my last .25 mile at about a 6:11 pace. Post race, everything felt good.

Then I took an afternoon nap on the sofa couch. I may have felt a bit of discomfort in my legs at that point. All is good, did some easy stretching and walked around outside with my family, and I'm good again.

All in all the race was very well organized and there were plenty of volunteers across the course. I was very pleased with event as a whole. They offered a 5k run, a 1 mile kids runs and a 200 yd dash for the littlest runners. Becky didn't have to do very encouraging to get Anna signed up for the run. But at the last minute the RD changed the little kids run from 200 yards to a 300 meter dash. Becky describes that Anna was a little gun shy at first, but once she rounded the last turn on the track, she was off like a bullet! That's my girl!! It won't be long and my little Sophia will be out running me as well.

Congratulations to Anna for a race well run!

What's Next??

2010-08-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

August is here! As summer will begin to wind down, fall approaches. You know what that means? The triathlon season is almost over and runners will be taking over the roads :) Now is a great time to reflect over the last 7 months of the year to see where you've come.

I think that it's kind of funny, November is when I started my training plan for Ironman Racine. This November, I will start the same basic periodization plan. However I will be staring with my basic volume the same as it is right now. I'm excited to think about next year's training and racing, even though it's still several months away. I'm not ruling my tri season over yet, but September offers the last of the local tri's - so it's not far out.

With the August calendar now on the refrigerator, I look forward to this new page.

To me this is great for a few reasons:

I chose to start a marathon training plan and I plan to run the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 17th... this year! I'll be running it with a friend who is hoping for a BQ time, she's got to finish under 3:45, so we'll be training to finish at 3:30. Just FYI - my BQ time would be 3:10... not happening!
I am participating in a study at Michigan State University. I will be one of a handful of people to be subjected to some pretty crazy testing that includes data tracking for 2 weeks of workouts, 1 week at a volume over 15 hours and a second week at a volume under 10 hours. There will be a nutrition/metabolism and threshold/ VO2 Max treadmill tests and blood testing before and after the study. It'll tell me a LOT about where I am, as well as where I could be in training intensity.
September is the Rev3 Cedar Point half distance triathlon. But due to some family happenings, I may not be able to run this race. I'm waiting for word back from Rev3 about a couple of options for me to get in to this event. Whether I do or do not do race this event, my training will have to peak during the same time frame due to the MSU study.
Lastly, August marks the month that I hired in to the fire department - this year I become Senior Firefighter... which is a fancy way to say that I get a significant pay raise! Sadly, I only have 1 person below me in seniority due to budget 'shortfalls' The 2011 budget will be tight, but word is - 2012 will be worse for the area that I work. Who knows. Right now, I'm good.

Due to the Ironman Racine triathlon and the tapering for that race, my total training volume and distances for last month are lower than normal. However my run totals are still higher than what I wrote down for monthly totals at the beginning of this year. Last month I surpassed my total time swimming from all of 2009 and in August I will surpass my 2009 run total of 500 miles. I'm very close to passing the 2009 total distance on the bike as well, maybe in September I will break that mark.

SO, where are you in your fitness? Do you have a goal? What motivates you? What do you want to do this year or even next year? Get healthy, stay healthy! Live life to the fullest knowing that every step you take will influence someone close to you!!

A HUGE congratulations to The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Chapter (Lansing Office) for committing 5 people to run the Grand Rapids Marathon as a relay this year! My wife will be on that team with 4 of her coworkers. That's a huge step to take and I'm soooper proud of all of you. Train like you want to win and represent TNC with pride!!

Ironman Racine 70.3

2010-07-21T00:20:00.000-04:00

Ironman Racine 70.3
2010-07-18
Racine,Wisconsin Temps - 95F / 35C and Overcast
Total Time = 5h 35m16s
Overall Rank =502/~2000
Age Group Rank =68/384 (?)

Event warmup:
Early morning stretching and breathing exercises. A very brief swim just to get the cold water in my wetsuit.

Swim: 00:45:26 | 2112 yards | 02m 09s / 100yards
I liked that this was a straight swim vs a triangle course or other odd shapes. I started out great, my wave didn't seem too aggressive. I stayed outside so that I wouldn't get all screwed up fighting for a position at the first red buoy. I did veer out a bit too far after the first buoy but got back on track quickly. Tried to draft off a few different people, but I'm just not that good of a swimmer yet, better, but not good.

I counted the buoys before the swim start. So I knew that at about 5 yellow buoys I would be half way done and then the buoys turned to orange, so it was a countdown from there! By far, my best swim - since I've only done that distance OWS in calm/clear ponds. But I feel like I could be much better with more specific practice!!

What would you do differently?:
I was happy with how I felt coming out of the water, but I wish my time was at least 5 minutes less. I was hoping to be a lot more close to a 35 minute swim. The wind/waves picked up toward the end of my swim and the swells were noticeably larger at the last red buoy.

T1: 03:37
I got my cap/goggles off and pulled them into my suit sleeve planned. The run to T1 was a long haul up the beach to the sidewalk. I stopped to wash off my feet in the pools, got in to T1 and got my suit off. I took my time purposely. Everything else went smooth. Out of T1 and eased on to my bike so that I didn't get stuck while going up the hill.

My bike seat wouldn't fit under the bike rack bar, so I had to place my bike with the handle bars on the rack (reverse). I've never had to do that before.

What would you do differently?:
I probably should have gone a bit more quickly and saved a minute, but I'm satisfied.

Bike: 02:40:54 | 56 miles | 20.88 mile/hr
Avg HR 153. Tried to stay about 155-160.
I pushed hard. I felt it. I wanted to be a touch faster, but this pace seemed right at the time. I had a high speed of 32. There were more hills than I expected, so they slowed me down; while they weren't hard hills, they were very frequent compared to the 3 or 4 hills that I typically train on. Took Fluid and water and nutrition at every aid station. Ate 2 bananas. That was the first time I'd every hit an aid station rolling through on my bike - AWESOME!

What would you do differently?:
Include more hill repeats in training.

T2: 01:54
Given the overall size of the transition area and where I was racked, I think my T2 time was good.

What would you do differently?:
Did pretty well. Didn't miss my rack or bike, in and out quick.

Run: 02:03:07 | 13.1 miles | 09m 24s min/mile
Avg HR 156. Fastest pace 6:51 with my first mile at 7:48.
Just after I got out on the run course - before the first hill - the downpour of rain started! I'm thinking "Perfect, I'll stay cool and I enjoy the rain" But the rain was very short lived and as soon as it quit, the sun came out and made things terribly HOT and humid. Heat index over 100F. My first 3 miles were right on track for pacing. but then I dropped to almost a 9min/mi pace.

I slowed and walked through the nutrition stations. My second loop I slowed to 9:30's. I walked through every aid station. At the turn around I noticed that I was no longer sweating - my arms and forehead were dry and the only reason my chest was wet was because I had been pouring water on myself. I knew that could mean disaster. I was so hot that I started dumped ice down my tri suit. I ran through every sprinkler
and dumped water on myself at every opportunity (Thank you residents of Racine!!) At mile 10 my quads were so cramped up I couldn't help but slow down significantly. At mile 11 I had to take a few 30 second walk breaks. Just past mile 12 I could hear the loud speaker at the finish, I could hear the people yelling and cheering. I told myself that I wouldn't stop running for anything short of passing out. I finished some where near a 9:40 pace.

What would you do differently?:
I'm thinking that I should have had more solid nutrition on the bike. I think that I could have taken it in and maybe the extra little bit of sodium would have helped my water retention during the run.

What limited your ability to perform faster:
Heat!

Event comments:
Carnage everywhere on the run course! People were passing out and puking due to the heat. I saw 3 ambulances transporting people out.

I had a great first half! I truly feel like I left everything on the course, I finished empty - nothing left. I gave this race everything I had at every opportunity. I've never been so painfully sore during or after a race as I was/am post this race. I love it! I'll take this experience with me for life and I cannot wait to race another half!

I'm now into my 3rd year of triathlon. A full Ironman was part of my 5 year goal; I'm halfway there.

On a final note:

A huge THANK YOU to my wife and family for their support over the last 26 weeks that I trained for this event. Becky was absolutely the best - she made a sign for me at the race and endured some crazy weather while waiting for me to finish - I love you! A few others have helped in some significant ways to make sure that my race experience was everything I wanted and needed - You know who you are, Thank you!!

To those who I've had the honor to train with: Thank you! Craig , Lisa and Tom - you've both helped push me beyond where I imagined that I could go. I look forward to these next few weeks to see where we go next! Craig - Coming with me to Rev3 Cedar Point? Lisa - going to the World Duathlon Championships! Tom - time to try this triathlon thing out now that you've got a bike!

To my Wrenches: Al and Ray - thank you for picking up the dirty pieces and cleaning them. Lola loves you and I wouldn't have had the experience that I did this weekend without your help!

FLUID Nutrition - Thank you for making a saweet recovery drink and for sponsoring me while I trained and raced this race!

And Finally - The one big reason that I chose Racine as my first half was due to the race being on my mother's birthday. She passed away from brain cancer two and a half years ago. She never got to see me race a tri, but knew that I would be doing my first sprint tri that same year. I miss her so very much! I thought about her a lot during this race; and a big part of me knew that the pain I felt while racing was nothing compared to what she went through.

I love you, Mom - Happy Birthday!!

Wrapping Up June 2010

2010-06-30T22:08:00.000-04:00

It's the last day of June 2010. It's hump day during my biggest week of training EVER.

On Monday I got hit by a car while running - tru. I'm mostly fine, nothing that will prevent training. But my Garmin Forerunner 305 was broke during the accident and the driver took off - also tru; Garmin is missing... gone. My biggest week of training and I don't have my GPS/Heart Rate Monitor/Cadence and all. I have been blessed to know a few people who have offered to let me borrow their Garmin for Racine - Great, but you know... still not mine.

So beyond all of that where am I at with my training to date?

June Totals:
Swim - 3+ Hours
Bike - 334
Run - 112

So June is beyond any distance training that I've ever done in a single month. This was my first month running more than 100 miles and my second month biking more than 300 miles in the last year. Big steps for me!

For this stage in training (Critical Volume: Sat, June 26 - Wed, June 30 [5 days]) my totals to date are:
Swim - Just under 2 miles (1mile swim in Lake Michigan)
Bike - 146 miles
Run - 24+ miles

I still have a run tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. I also have a swim tomorrow and another bike on Friday.

Almost there!! Racine is 3 weeks away!

Critical Volume Week 1, June 27 - July 3

2010-06-26T00:24:00.000-04:00

It's time.... The stage is set for my hardest week of training ever. This is going to hurt!

The Critical Volume Training Plan Week 1:

Sunday - Work - Treadmill (Easy 6-10 mi), P90X Stretch (1 hour)
Monday - Long Bike (~52 mi) and Run (7-10 mi)
Tuesday - Early Swim (45-60 min), Track Tempo Run (8 mi)
Wednesday - Lk MI OWS (1.2 mi) and Long Bike (56 mi), P90X Yoga (1 hour)
Thursday - Early Swim (45-60 min), Track Speed / Agility Run (8 mi)
Friday - Long Bike (~52 mi) and Run (7-10 mi)
Saturday - Work - Treadmill (Easy 8), P90X Stretch (1 hour)

Apx Totals:

Swim: 3+ miles - 2.5 Hours
Run: 42+ miles - 6-7 hours
Bike: ~160 miles - 8 Hours

Send me lots of love! Recovery will be crucial, so forgive me if I appear a little tired.

**After re-evaluating the Critical Volume plan site, I realized some important things. For my race on July 18 I will need a little more than a week of Taper (easy and less frequent workouts). So Week 2 of the CV plan will be about 60- 75% of week 1. Still another big week, but with more recovery built in.

The Last Couple of Months

2010-06-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

Wow, time has flown by since my last post! Ironman Racine 70.3 is less than a month away and next week I reach the Critical Volume stage of training. This will be the test of mental and physical endurance as this plan calls for "9/3 of the event distance per week" That means swimming 3.6 miles, biking 168 miles and running 40 miles each week for 2 consecutive weeks.

So over the past 2 months I've ramped up my running and biking, though my swimming has been lingering. I've chosen to do a little better than 'just finish' my swim, but I hope to rock the bike/run at Racine.

I raced the sprint distance Hawk Island Triathlon and finished 3rd in my AG with an OA time of 1h01m and some change. My swim felt good, but I averaged over 2min/100yds. My bike avg speed was 21mph and my run avg pace was 7:11. I expected to be a bit faster on the swim and definitely hoped to be much faster on the bike, based on previous trials of the bike course. My legs were very tight on the bike and my calves were sore on the run, but loosened up after the first mile or so. I had been a little sleep deprived at work for my previous 2 shifts worked the night before the race. Perhaps that contributed to the tight legs, maybe not. Nutrition was good and water intake was good.

The following week I went to Motor City Triathlon and competed with the RACING GREYHOUNDS on a relay team. We raced the Oly distance and I completed the swim leg... yippers - you read that right. I even did well. I finished up the 1.5k swim in just under 30 minutes, pacing me at sub 2 min per 100 meters... in the past I've been at or just over 2 min per 100 yds. I felt strong and didn't give up placement to those who chose to hit and kick me, I may have shoved back. So that was a huge boost to my swim ego! It was a good thing I didn't bring my bike along or I would have seriously been tempted to ride and run the Oly course.

All in all, training has been going well. I have been shy on my volume for the last 3 consecutive weeks, but I'll concede that time for my family time. These next two weeks will be brutal and recovery plans will need to be tailored specifically to each day's workout. Then I'll be taking 2 weeks easy as a Taper for Racine. I'm pretty excited!

I have been very blessed with my family for supporting me in these plans. This past weekend was Father's Day. I took some much needed time to spend with my beautiful girls (all 3 of them) and just relax.

I have also been honored to be part of the Fluid team as a sponsored athlete. They provide a great tasting recovery drink that provides electrolyte replacement with added protein and l-glutamine - EVERYTHING you need after a long training session!

May Totals:
Bike - 10 hours - 172 miles
Run -13.5 hours - 83 miles
Swim - 4 hours - 11260 yds

June Totals (to date - I'll have 1 week of CV to add to these):
Bike - 10 hours - 171 miles
Run - 12 hours - 78 miles
Swim - 1.5 hours - 4k yds

April in Review

2010-05-06T10:25:00.002-04:00

Photo Shoot with Lisa Taylor for Fluid

April 2010 turned out to be a beautiful month. There's so much change this time of the year; the trees, the grass, the weather... and with that brings the change in focus for training. My first triathlon is a month away. It's a short distance tri that I've run the last 2 years. The course is fun and the atmosphere is great! Then in the middle of July comes Racine 70.3 So next week I will be starting the Build Phase of training.

The Build Phase of training is Moderate to High Frequency, High Duration and Heavy Intensity. No doubt, a little painful. This phase lasts 6 weeks and then I'll hit the Peak / Race Phase. That 2 week time will be the heaviest and most intense training that I've ever done. I'm rather excited! I will be starting speed work drills for running and biking. I've listened to my swim coach and I while I don't think that I'll be much under a 1:45/100yd swim, I do feel like I'll be able to race the swim strong and be able to drop the hammer on the bike and run. So swim training will be crucial over the next few weeks - making sure that I'm practicing in the open water regularly and doing brick (swim/bike) workouts.

I've been fortunate to have a few friends to train with who truly push me. Thank you to the family and friends who have encouraged me this past month. I look forward to the next 6 weeks with a lot of optimism and expectations.

*A quick side note, we bought Anna new bike with training wheels... then she wanted to 'train' with me in the basement. So I built a 'trainer' for her bike and painted it green like my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine. She uses it and loves to workout with me, she even gave Spinervals a run with me last week. She loves to then go upstairs and tell Mommy - "I'm all sweaty, like Daddy"

As always - I have to give huge thanks to my wife and girls for the love and encouragement that I get from them with this crazy tri thing.

April's totals:
Bike: 16h 34m 15s - 276.87 Mi
Run: 6h 44m 27s - 44.43 Mi
Swim: 4h 22m - 11100 Yd

Go check out Livefluid.com and get yourself the best Muscle Recovery drink on the market.
Thanks to Darryl Evans at Pure Enchantment Photography for doing the Fluid photo shoot - that man has an eye for a great image! He's also on Facebook, you can find more of the Fluid shots on his site!

Bring on the Blue Skies

2010-04-01T09:44:00.001-04:00

March seems to have flown by. I awoke this morning to my wife surprising me with a smirk and a pregnancy test... not that we're pregnant, but because it's April Fools Day. Yup, she got me!

This past month I've taken on a swim coach for some much needed advice. I've got a lot to work on over the next few months! Biking (still on the trainer) is fairly consistent with last month but I upped my running. I should be pushing past 75 miles for each of the next few months.

Racine is only about 3 1/2 months away. That means I'll be incorporating a lot of hills and speed work in my training. St Johns sledding hill, HS track and football fields will be seeing a lot more of me this month! We now have a double jogger (stroller) so I'll be doing lot's of early day runs with my girls.

Thankfully the warm weather seems to be here. Today should be pushing 70 degrees F. Sunny days always make me want to be outside doing something fun, so bring on the blue skies!!

March's totals:
Bike: 14h 22m 49s - 231.32 Mi
Run: 10h 29m 53s - 67.2 Mi
Swim: 5h 38m - 12750 Yd

I've been very fortunate to have Fluid as a sponsor. Go check them out for some great muscle recovery fuel!

I was also given a H2O Audio Amphibx Waterproof Armband and Waterproof headphones for my iPod. Too cool! Go check them out!!

March is Here!

2010-03-01T15:40:00.003-05:00

February seemed to fly by quickly, perhaps that's because we were short a few days. It was a great month for indoor training (not my favorite thing to do). But warm weather will be here soon.

During February I spent a lot of time on the bike trainer and a bit of time in the water. I still haven't started to focus my running; and today's run around MSU campus proved it. I started out too fast (6:40's)and tried to settle into a pace that was comfortable (8:20's)... last year. I ended up going much slower than I had hoped. But with the sunshine, you can bet that I'll pick that pace back up soon.

Swimming seems like it is becoming my friend. I have started to focus on speed workouts. 10x50's and 3x500's... it seems like nothing to say that my warm up is an easy 500. That's good as I'll need every minute of training come Racine! I am finally able to push the 1:20's/100 for a few laps. But I still need the direct help from a swim coach. So I hope to be hitting a few swim clinics over the next couple of months.

Cycling (still on the trainer because I'm afraid of the cold weather drivers) is going very well.

February's totals:
Bike: 16h 39m 17s - 264.55 Mi
Run: 5h 13m 07s - 30.14 Mi
Swim: 6h 33m - 17250 Yd

24 Weeks... and counting

2010-02-09T08:54:00.008-05:00

24 weeks and counting down until Ironman 70.3 Racine. My training is now fully underway and I'm loving every minute of it, almost every minute of it.

I started doing speed work in my swims (in addition to the longer endurance sets), which equates to pain in the water. While swimming still proves to be biggest weakness, I spent most of the last several months practicing the swim and building a solid base. Yesterday I met with two teammates who thoroughly kicked my butt in the water. While it was only a 2600 yd set, the intervals helped me realize how my workouts now need to feel. It has been said that you cannot win an Ironman in the water, but you can certainly lose an Ironman in the water. So while I doubt that I'll reach the 1:15/100 meter split, I will have a solid swim!

As soon as the weather warms I will be breaking the bike out of the trainer and hitting the roads. I got a sweet deal for a Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer through the RACING GREYHOUNDS team buy. I am still amazed at the amount of resistance I get on that thing. I'm told that when I actually get my bike out on the road, that it will feel like someone has cut the rope that's been holding me back and I'll fly. I do hope so, as I will need my average speeds at Racine to be 24 mph. Last year I was right around the 20 mph mark, up from 17 the year before.

Running is still my comfort area, so I have not yet began to hit the run workouts. I'm taking those slow and steady for now. I plan to start the intense runs in a few more weeks. Then I'll begin to do tempo runs and get back in the groove. Last year I ran a half marathon in 1h36min @ a 7:26 pace avg. I want to be under a 7 min pace per mile for Racine and hit a total run time of less than 1 hour and 30 minutes. I don't think that will be a problem. We'll see how things go after the swim and bike.

Lastly, I've added a significantly different approach to strength training this year. I'm focusing on endurance sets and multi-muscle group routines. Kettlebell workouts are now commonplace and I am building the 'powerhouse' in my legs.

Year to date, here's my totals:

2010 totals
Bike: 9h 45m 15s - 151.3 Mi
Run: 6h 58m 11s - 42.28 Mi
Swim: 4h 14m 26s - 11700 Yd

Haitian Children and Families Devastated by Massive Earthquake

2010-01-14T10:04:00.003-05:00

My Mother-in-Law received this email (though I edited specific details for privacy) from Compassion International about the child they sponsor. While this the earthquake and it's aftermath are beyond our understanding, please consider taking the time to make a donation to this (or another relief type) organization.

We can help to make a difference by providing necessary money to the recovery efforts that are already underway. If you are unable to give financially, that's ok - Please repost this on Facebook or Twitter or email the link to your family and friends.

The Email:

Haitian Children and Families Devastated by Massive Earthquake

The catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday has resulted in unfathomable chaos and devastation for hundreds of thousands of children and families.

Compassion sponsors and donors serve more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit.

We know that you sponsor a child and that you must be very concerned. Be assured that we are working to locate your child and determine her specific situation as quickly as possible. We will share this personal update with you as soon as we have that information.

I am asking you to please send a generous gift today to help all the precious Compassion-assisted children and their families who have been affected by this crisis.

We are working rapidly to assess the situation and determine the full extent of damage:

* Sadly, we anticipate there will be many deaths.
* We anticipate thousands of children and families will have lost everything.
* We anticipate many of our church-based child development centers will have been destroyed.

Without a doubt, the children we serve in Haiti are in shock and face immediate needs for food, water, medical care, shelter, and counseling. We have teams prepared to respond, and we are deeply committed to helping each child.

We need your donation today. Please reach out in the name of Jesus to bring relief, comfort, love and restoration to precious children and families whose lives have been devastated by this crisis.

Thank you for caring,
Mark Hanlon
Dr. Wess Stafford
President, USA

P.S. If you would like to give by phone, please call us at (800) 336-7676. Check donations can be mailed to: Compassion International, Colorado Springs, CO 80997.

Onward into 2010!

2010-01-05T11:32:00.003-05:00

2009 has flown past and 2010 is here! What a great year to have raced and to have met many new friends in the triathlon community. I look forward to new opportunities that should come in to focus in this new year.

My Totals:

December wasn't planned to be low volume/distance, but it does appear to have taken that route after family things and the Holidays. I hit my running goal for the year. I think my bike goal was 1500, but I *secretly* wanted to hit 2k. I swam and biked more than double my '08 time and distance and I feel better about where I am right now with my swims.

2010:

I don't have a run 'goal' per-say. I'm where I want to be with speed and endurance. So I'll try to increase my overall mileage. I would like to break the 20 minute 5k as I was off by less than a minute this year. But it's not my focus in 2010.

Bike - I want to nail the bike this coming year. I'd love to break the 2k mileage mark and increase my overall race avg speeds to 24 mph (up from about 16 mph in 2008 and about 19/20 mph in '09)

Swim - My focus of 2010. These last few months have been great for me in the water. Now I just need to translate to OWS / Racing. The swim has been my limiter for the last 2 years. I would have placed significantly higher in a couple key races this year if I could have taken 3 minutes off of my swim time. So I've spent a high volume of time in the pool over the last 2 months to increase my endurance for distance. Now I plan now to start focusing on speed and stroke work.

My Race goal for 2010 - I'm not sure how to set a specific goal yet for Racine 70.3, but my general goal is to qualify for the IM 70.3 World Championships. I have just over 20 weeks from now until Racine. While the swim will be a serious stretch for me, I will race my best at Racine and I'm certain that I'll have a great time

The AVERAGE times for the top 10 in my age group from last years Racine race are:

Avg Racine by the Numbers:
Total Time - 4:20:06
Swim - 25:33 (1:13 /100 yds)
Bike - 2:21:25 (23.76 mph)
Run - 1:29:39 (6:50 pace)
T1 - 1:53 T2 - 1:13

Otherwise, I'd like to race the Olympic distance for a couple of races, just for fun (with another secret hope for a podium finish). I'd like to think that this year will also be my first full marathon but again, only for fun.

December's totals:
Bike: 3h 51m 11s - 61.6 Mi
Run: 2h 00m - 11 Mi
Swim: 3h 31m - 9800 Yd

2009 totals
Bike: 107h 47m 02s - 1840.85 Mi
Run: 77h 44m 08s - 504 Mi
Swim: 26h 10m 25s - 58280.96 Yd
Strength: 15h 47

2008 totals
Bike: 32h 23m 03s - 443.96 Mi
Run: 60h 58m 24s - 400.33 Mi
Swim: 11h 41m 57s - 18696.81 Yd
Strength: 19h 22m

November 2009 'The Off Season'

2009-12-01T10:28:00.002-05:00

November of 2009 has now passed us by. It's time for Christmas and the New Year!

This past month I focused on swimming. I spent more time in the water than I did on my bike (never thought I'd say that). Since I did plan for November to be a month of recovery, I didn't run very much at all. So what did I do?

November's totals:
Bike: 4h 30m 17s - 72.43 Mi
Run: 2h 28m 11s - 14.6 Mi
Swim: 4h 35m 40s - 12650 Yd
Strength: 4h 20m

Next I have my basic plan set up for training to race Ironman 70.3 Racine in July. I'll be doing 9 Weeks Prep, 15 Weeks Base, 6 Weeks Build, 3 Weeks Peak/Race/Taper for Racine. The Prep phase is underway as of this past Sunday. Racine is less than 230 days away. While I want to do really well at this race, my ideal goal will be to qualify for the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 - November 13, 2010 in Clearwater, Florida.

Finding the Life/Work/Training balance will be tough, especially heading into June where I will be reaching the Critical Volume stage of training. There are 2 weeks of training will be huge, nearing 14,000km swimming, 475 miles biking and 60 miles of running. As always, family first then work followed by training. I've already started to plan my specific day to day training for each Phase of this process. So now I just need to sit back and do it :)

I will be a RACING GREYHOUND again in 2010! A few other Greyhounds will be going long in tri's as well, completing Half Iron distance events and even Ironman Florida (Trish).

I've been blessed to have a few specific people to train with this year. Next year I hope Craig will continue to kick my butt in the water and that Trixie will keep pushing my limits in biking and running (and now strength training too).

I'm lucky to have several people to train with. So a big 'Thank You' to those who choose to put up with me. Also to the great friends at BeginnerTriathlete.com and especially those the in SWBKRUN MG. You guys rock, thanks for continuing to encourage and inspire me.

Lastly, to my family: Thank you for supporting me. Specifically to Becky, Anna and Sophia - I Love you! This year will be highly rewarding for me on a very personal level and I won't be able to do it without you. I am truly blessed.

So how can you help? Give me a call anytime.

"The Essential Triathlon Swimming" DVD Review

2009-11-27T14:49:00.013-05:00

The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD

"Discover the secrets to improving your swim
technique, avoiding painful injuries, and shaving
minutes off your best triathlon times to date!" ~ TriSwimCoach

Below is a review of the TriSwimCoah DVD "The Essential Triathlon Swimming" I have now watched this video a few times. I continue to take away great information about how to improve my swim stroke and what drills I should be doing on a regular basis in order to improve my swimming balance and efficiency. Read through my review, post your opinions and let me know if you've watched this video before. I encourage you to go to the TriSwimCoach website and read more about how to improve your swim.

For those who do not know who Kevin Koskella is, he is a very well known and experienced swimming coach. He has been involved in coaching for more than 25 years. You can follow Kevin on Twitter for regular updates about how to improve your swimming as well as general fitness tips. Kevin Koskella on Twitter

Video Overview:
This is the perfect video for the new triathlete. Of course, the DVD is about swimming, but the connection of swimming to triathlon is quickly made and covered throughout the video. Being a self taught swimmer and still new to the sport, I am grateful to see step by step instruction on technique drills and to understand what I should be taking away from each drill. Most of the 36 minute video is covering drills, so the seasoned swimmer may not take away as much information as the new swimmer/triathlete. The content is easily understood and presented in a manner as to where most viewers should be able to visualize the drills while later attempting the swim. There is enough content to necessitate watching the video more than once and the material is covered in a manner where watching it again won’t become boring. While there is a DVD Menu, there is not the option for Chapter selects (i.e. going from one drill to the next). So to review 2 or 3 of the drills may take a short time to find, however after watching the drills a few times, I continue to take away new information.

Video Quality:
Video quality is excellent. Instructional content matches the video / The voice over is properly aligned with the video aspects.

Audio Quality:
The audio quality is good.
Background music is not overpowering of the voice and does not fluctuate too quickly.

Intro:
Learn to “Laugh at the Water”

Drills that are covered in depth:
Vertical Kicking
Side Kicking
Shark Fin - Kevin reminds us that we should expect to sink while doing this drill. Good thing, otherwise I would have wrote off this exercise upon my first attempt in the pool.

Breathing and Full Stroke - Here Kevin Koskella does a review of the complete swim stroke with breathing. I found this to be critical to watch. If there is any single part that I visualize when I go swimming now, this is it! There is multiple angles and some slow motion video.

Many other drills are covered with great detail. A few others include: ¾ Catch Up, Fingertip Drag, One-Arm Drill, Sighting and Bilateral Breathing

Workouts:
Structuring Workouts including what duration and phases to utilize.

Description of Terms and Walkthrough of a workout:
For Example: WU
6x75 Kick/Fist/Swim
Cruise Intervals +/-:05s
6x50 Free Golf

Open Water and Race Strategies:
During the part of the DVD Kevin touches on safety, water entry and sighting. He covers the basics of swim starts - beach starts, wading starts and treading water starts.

Racing:
Be Early / Practice - Upwards of a 20 Minute WU - Swim to the Shore
Hydrate
Review the Course
Waves/Markers/Direction/Heat Starts
The Swim portion covers topics such as the Dolphin Start, staying to the outside and issues relate to panicking. Kevin talks about the essential issues like rounding buoys and drafting with great detail.

The Swim Finish
Swim to the Beach
Walk/Jog to T1
Start Hydrating Immediately

Equipment Recommendations:
Finis Paddles
Fins / Zoomers

Conclusion...

What I liked:
There is not an over emphasis on the slow motion reviews. Some videos seem only to show things in slow motion. I liked that this video included multiple angles and the underwater view. Descriptions of what each of the drills are designed to help you learn - what to focus on during the drill ie: hip rotation. Kevin covered some of the terms that I’ve always wondered about such as "Swimming Golf" and then explained how you can use it to make your swims more interesting without loosing focus. There is also discount codes for some of the equipment used in the video. I was happy to see a quick correlation of swimming and triathlon.

What I would like to see more of in future DVD’s:
How most people do the drills wrong / frequent problems encountered as a new swimmer or triathlete. Perhaps this point is even better covered in text. I liked to see the tips on the triathlon swim, but what could I do while swimming if I start to get cramps.

All in all, this really is a great learning tool. Short of having a coach at your side in the pool to correct your stroke deficiencies, this is a good investment for less than $40. You can buy this directly from the TriSwimCoach website. You will also find waterproof drill cards and an eBook available on the site.

Go Here Now to buy the TriSwimCoach DVD

October 2009

2009-11-03T13:42:00.002-05:00

October of 2009 is now complete. The book is closed and my "Recovery" has begun. Unofficially 'recovery' must have began early in the month as my October training calendar shows more Yellow Days than any other month this year. In October I took 19 days off from training. (I'm not so sure Recovery is supposed to look like that). But I also ran 2 events that were both great for me.

October's totals:
Bike: 4h 05m - 66.51 Mi
Run: 3h 40m - 25.87 Mi
Swim: 2h 19m - 4874.89 Yd
Strength: 1h 15m
Elliptical Training: 55m
P90X: 2h 45m

The Off Season is here. What do I do? Most people 'In The Know' say that the off season is a time to allow your body to recover from a long race season. They suggest that rather than to eliminate workouts, switch out for something different; train and focus on the most weak of the 3 triathlon disciplines; and to strength train.

So I'll do it! I will be back on the elliptical trainer more in the next few months; I will be on the bike trainer doing some easy session; running will be for fun and I'll do it when I feel like it. Easy, right?

Swimming has been my limiter over the last 2 years. I initially focused on running, this year my focus was biking; this off season and next year I will improve my swims. I will also do more strength training in order to increase overall power output next year.

I may spend some time on the MTB and get out in the fresh fall air.

I was nominated and selected to be in a local health magazine about my weight loss...

My Story: I weighed 145 pounds in high school and struggled to get my weight up to 170's for the first few years after high school. After I started working for a private ambulance service and into the time where I worked as a volunteer firefighter, I found myself putting on the pounds. Late in 2006 I was over 200 pounds. I couldn't even run a whole mile without stopping.

January of 2007 I took part in a fitness challenge that I helped to coordinate with a few coworkers. I dropped over 30 pounds. Over the next year I began to run and did my first 5k. I found a local sprint distance triathlon and made it my goal to complete that race... though I couldn't swim.

In January of 2008 I chose to teach myself how to swim. I managed to complete 2 triathlons (though my swims were less than par). I did a handful of running events and decided that 2009 would be my breakout year for triathlon.

Early 2009 I bought my first Triathlon/Time Trial bike and stayed on it all year making some great gains in speed. I have now completed 13 races and taken Age Group and Overall medals in 5 races, and set a new PR for 5k at sub 21 minutes. This year I have ran 2 half marathons, a 10k and 5k, a few Time Trials (Individual - Bike), couple of duathlons and 5 triathlons.

Next year I will race the Olympic distance triathlon and complete my first Half Ironman event - a 70.3 mile race that consists of 1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, and a 13.1 mile run.

Now, if I could just decide what Half Ironman to do... What do you think?

Loving Las Vegas and the End of the 2009 Race Season

2009-10-19T13:20:00.004-04:00

Well, we are back home from our Vegas vacation. Becky and I had a great time and loved our time spent with friends. We were able to see many sights and eat some great food. This was our first real vacation since our honeymoon, almost 5 years ago.

For the first couple of nights we stayed with a good friend who lives in Henderson. She cooked for us and drove us everywhere!

On Friday we went to Lake Mead and Boulder City to get an overview of Saturday's triathlon. We visited the health expo at the race finish and did our packet pick up. Later we ate at Milo's - This is a great place to eat and I'll be attempting to remake my sandwich sometime in the near future! But our appetizer consisted of breads and fruits with baked Brie that had Pecans and dried cranberries over it. So very tasty. Friday night we went to Lake Las Vegas for an outdoor concert. This place is an amazing village inside the big city.

Saturday morning came quick and we were out the door for the race. The weather was great and Lake Mead water temp was 72 degrees F. I opted out of my wetsuit for the race for a few reasons, but one main reason was that this was a point to point race with 2 different transition setups. Anything that you'd leave in T1 had to be in a specific bag with your race # on it; it would then be brought to T2/Race finish after the race. Swimming was awesome! The sun popped up just before the race started and the nearly instant heat felt great while I was in the water. The race was very challenging physically and mentally. It was tough to comprehend the elevation for the bike ride. It was hard to maintain speed when there were no breaks in the climb during the bike. The run went well, but my legs were spent. Andrea placed #2 in her category so we stuck around for awards. Way to be!!

Saturday afternoon we got all things reorganized and packed up to head down to the Las Vegas strip. We stayed at the Rio hotel thanks to Andrea's parents. We ate a fabulous dinner at the Rio's Village Seafood Buffett. So many choices of seafood. I ate way too much, but between the 4 variations of crab legs, fish, sushi and desserts... it was so very yummy!

Saturday night we walked the Vegas strip and played some slot machines. We had VIP tickets to the VooDoo Lounge and spent a few hours hanging out and dancing. This bar is on the 51st floor of the Rio, it's outside and you can see the whole Vegas strip. Absolutely amazing view. We finished up our evening by playing a few more slots. Then off to bed for a couple of hours rest before heading back to the airport to return home.

We had an amazing time! Thanks to our friends for hosting and taking us around the city. Becky's mother was able to take some time off work to stay with the girls at our home, Saturday Becky's father came and my father was able to visit too. We are so greatful for our families to have helped out, which gave us the opportunity to take this vacation and make this final triathlon of the season possible.

With that all said, the Recovery stage of my triathlon training has fallen. I now plan to take a few weeks of easy workouts. I may join the US Masters Swimming and compete in one or 2 swim competitions over the next few months. When I get back into serious training, my main focus for the rest of the year will be swimming. Late this year or early next year I'll start training for next years race season.

I have been honored to be part of the 2009 RACING GREYHOUNDS Team. This team and sponsors are amazing! We have had several opportunities to race together and play together. I have made several new friends that I plan to bother for the rest of my life. Thank you GREYHOUNDS!! Next year I will have a different plan than I had this year, and I hope to be in contact with businesses and people over the next few months to secure opportunities for next year.

In 2010 I will have a different focus. I will not be racing as many events as this year. I'll be stepping up to the Olympic distance races (I plan to still run the Hawk Island Tri and maybe another sprint later). I hope to culminate next year's season by competing in a Half Ironman Triathlon (1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike and a 13.1 Mile Run). I will consider an earlier HIM if my swim training goes well over the off season. I must also consider running a full marathon (26.2 miles). If I am able to race the Olympic distance, complete the HIM this year and race them the following year then in 2012 I may be able to consider a full Ironman (as that will complete my 5 year goal to run an IM) Late this year and early next year I will work on increasing my strength training, maintaining a bike/run base and general recovery. Then in February or March start a training program that will last for about 25 weeks until the HIM. But my main goal now is to recover from a long 13 race season.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged and supported me over this last year of training and racing. I am blessed to have many friends to train with, many of whom have also given me invaluable advice and coaching; you know who you are and I would not be where I am today without you. Becky, Anna and Sophia - you make me who I am. Thank you for putting up with my love of racing and for going with me to the races, cheering me on and giving me hugs and 'high fives' along the course. You bring a smile to face. I love hearing "Daddy, you're all sweaty" and "Don't run too fast, you could fall down and get hurt" I am truly blessed for the support system that I have. Thank you all.

Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon

2009-10-18T21:39:00.007-04:00

Race info: Pumpkin Man

Las Vegas, Nevada
United States
BBSC ENDURANCE SPORTS

Triathlon - Sprint
Total Time = 1h 50m
Overall Rank = 66/340
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 11/29

Pre-race routine:

I'd been coming into my recovery phase for the year and my workouts have been lame. Mostly run focused.

Event warmup:

A little stretching and a quick out and back swim.

Swim
Time: 19m 39s - 874.89 yards - Pace: 02m 15s /100 yards
Comments:

All men 34 and under swim start from in the water/waist deep. This was my strongest swim to date. I had a great time, was focused and stayed on course. Sighting was right on, though I almost always had someone somewhat near me so I could double check my path. After I rounded the last buoy I hit it hard. I felt strong and felt like I was cruising! I've never felt so good during a swim... Oly/HIM will be in next years plans!

What would you do differently?:

I still need to work on my swim. While I felt good, I still only had an avg speed of about 2:30's = slow! But I was comfortable for the first several hundred yards in the middle of the pack.

T1
1:37 for the Overall fastest T1 time!!
Comments:

I forgot to put rubber bands on my shoes and I couldn't get a full revolution of my cranks without my shoe dropping down to the ground. I actually had to stop and reposition myself and my shoe to get going. Someone is going to have a terrible T1 exit photo!!

What would you do differently?:

Remember to put my shoes in position! Time was great considering the distance of T1.

Bike
About 14 miles - Pace: 12.8 mph avg
Comments:

Torture and pain! This was great! Such a challenging ride and yet so much fun. I got passed a lot. For a guy in Mid-Michigan heading out the the mountains to do a race with no previous hill/mountain work... I did alright :)

All climbing with minimal rest time... uh, no rest time.

What would you do differently?:

I could have/should have swapped out for my compact crankset, but didn't want to have to mess with the derailleur.

T2
1:22
Comments:

T2 went very well. Easy in/ easy out.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. 1500 athletes at this event made for a rather large transition set up.

Run
Time: 23m 14s - 3.11 miles - Pace: 07m 28s/Mi
Comments:

Nice out and back course. Ended up hitting all 3 aid stations for water, but still felt thirsty and warm. It wasn't near my best run, but given the conditions and course I'm happy!

What would you do differently?:

Good run after a brutal ride.

Post race

Warm down:

Lot's of water and Vitamin Water (maybe a beer too)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Course difficulty (climbs) and heat.

Event comments:

BBSC did an awesome job on this race. Nothing like what I'm used to for event organizations here in Michigan. Plenty of happy volunteers who cheered me as I passed them. Course was very well marked. Website had everything including elevation charts to prep my mind for the oncoming pain.

Sprint, Oly and Half Iron distances. Award ceremonies after each events winners completed the course. Great prizes and cool finishers medal.

By the end of the race my quads were done, I was totally spent. I couldn't have run any faster across that finish line. This is the effort that I now expect for myself in future races. I pushed beyond any race that I've done before.

Race: St. Johns Pumpkin Trot 10K

2009-10-11T22:01:00.002-04:00

Where do I even start for this event???

I started off real strong. I started at a 5:20 pace per mile - way too fast to maintain for 6 miles, but I figured that if I could maintain a super fast pace for the first mile, then I could settle in to my groove (7:15) and finish well. Last year I took 1st in my AG at this race so I assumed I could do the same again. I quickly found out that there were only 4 of us in the lead pack. We stuck relatively close together... let's say that at the farthest - the leader was in sight. First climb was up the city sledding hill. I powered up it, and looked back. The next closest person wasn't even at the bottom of the hill yet. I've been training on this hill over the past 2 months, so I knew what to expect. First mile was a mix of paved walkway and trails.

Mile 1 at 6:22 - ok, time to settle in. Paved road for about a half mile, then dirt roads to the turn around. Return back towards town and run into the residential area of the city. Mile 4 was just back into the city with an aid station... but NO marking telling us which way to go. So I yelled out to the 1 guy at the aid station - he shrugged his shoulders in disconcern. The runner in front of me yelled back saying that the pavement had markings to go straight. So I followed them. Mind you, still in 4th. At the next main intersection 2 volunteers pointed us to our left. Ok, we're good... I thought.

This was the poorest race course marking I've ever seen. We followed what we assumed was the course as it was marked 10 with an arrow. Then later realized that those markings were from the 10 mile run earlier this year. At the point where we neared the city park (starting point of the race) I yelled out that we had to be going the wrong way. I KNEW that this race did not have any loops. We stopped for a quick second and agreed to head back towards the last main street. As we rounded a quick corner, we realized that about 10-15 people were following us.

Got back to the main road and past the volunteers who told us the wrong way. Ran north to the point where we figured the course crossed back over. I had my Garmin Forerunner, so as we talked between breaths we assumed we would still be close to 6 - 6.5 miles at the end of the race.

Then two guys sprinted out and left me and another guy back. I picked it up, dropping the other guy. I wasn't sure whether to just walk back to the start/finish or keep running. This had never happened to me before... being in the lead group or getting lost. I kept at the race and found the cross street that the course takes back to the park. I turned left. The 2 leaders went straight. They were too far ahead to hear me yell. I caught up to another guy and asked if he was in the 5k or 10k - 10k it was. I had no idea that he was the 'race leader' at that point. Turns out that after our group deviated course, this guy was left leading.

Pissed, I took off. Back in the 6 minute pace I felt like I was going to puke. The last part of the course was back up a hill. A bigger climb than the sledding hill and over a longer distance. Then gave it everything I had to cross the finish line strong. Sure enough - first overall finisher for the 10k. Now I felt like crap and went to the race director. Moments later the other leaders were by my side.

My FR showed a total distance of 6.29. So we ran the distance, just not the course. The director says that he had no way to know that some people went off course and didn't see any problem with our finish.

All in all, I unofficially ended up finishing first OA...

Looked at the race results and it showed me finishing 2nd OA... What??

First place finisher had a time 10+ minutes faster than my finish. Not possible as I was with the top finishers from the very start all the way until that last turn when the 2 made that last wrong turn. So I guess this other guy missed a turn somewhere too.

Many of us were so frustrated. I should have ended up 3rd OA. I took my 2nd OA medal and walked. I wasn't sure that I should have taken it. I took my AG last year and knew I would be faster this year, and since I still put in the distance, I just took it.

But the 2 turns that we missed were not marked on the pavement and once we asked a man at the aid station which way to go and he shrugged his shoulders. Another set of volunteers pointed us in the completely wrong direction. I'm trying to justify my feelings here. I'm not sure who really won that race. Not me. Even though we went farther and still finished on top, something just doesn't sit well in my gut.

Another friend of mine who ran just behind us would have been the first female finisher. The extra distance set her back by about 24 seconds and some other girl who was in front of her got the trophy for 1st OA Female.

*So pissed*

Finished with an avg pace of 7:24 per the Garmin. That's good, but I would have been faster without the confusion.

I'm not asking for any type of sympathy, but what would you have done? ever have an experience like this before?

Capital City River Run Half Marathon 2009

2009-09-27T18:27:00.006-04:00

Capital City River Run
2009-09-27
Lansing, Michigan
United States
Impression 5 Science Center
60F / 16C
Overcast

Running
01:37:00 | 13.1 miles | 07m 24s min/mile

Entirely Z4/5. 59 min in Z4 and 49 min in Z5! Craziness! I guess I was running hard. Slowest complete mile was 7:47. Fastest complete mile was 6:59. Fastest single pace was sub 6.

Pre-race routine:

Not as much running as I should have been doing. I did a couple distance runs recently and some tempo runs.

Event warmup:

Basic stretching as I was 'running' behind after coming off of a 24 hour shift. I felt pretty good and was ready to race, but didn't feel like this was going to be a PR.

Comments:

I went out a bit too fast, as I always do. Found myself feeling great and running past the pacers (I started right behind the 8min pacer knowing I would pass him, but wanted to use him as motivation so that I would never be passed by him). Little did I know that I would quickly catch up to and pass the 7:30 pacer. I figured I would get passed by him and his group before too long.

HOWEVER, I was feeling great. My tempo runs have been pushing the 7:15 pace but only for 20 minutes and then I'd be whipped.... but after my last few distance runs I thought that pace was out of my range. Low and behold I looked down at my FR305 and saw a sub-6 pace. I completely knew that was out of my jurisdiction. So I *slowed* to a 7:15 and tried to stay there, but I was a horse chomping at the bit - so I cruised on the flats and downhills.

At mile 5 or 6 I expected to start feeling sore and tired and to slow, but I took a GU Roctane and took some water. By mile 8 I figured I'd be pushing the 8:30 pace but Not Today! I felt a slight rush, not the euphoric feeling, but probably the Gu taking affect.

Anytime I looked down and saw my pace fall below a 7:30 I picked it up. I did slow a few times to the 7:45 pace, but never to an 8. I passed the 9 mile mark and took a GU Chocolate. I didn't think that I *needed* it, but assumed that I would feel it like the last Gu. I grabbed a water at the next aid station and only sipped a bit.

At the 11 mile mark I had settled into a 7:30 pace but knew how close I was to my goal. I picked back up into a 7:15 pace and pushed faster on the last few straight-aways. The finish was up a slight hill but I didn't slow.

I saw the finish, my wife, daughters and family were there. I grabbed a high five from my wife and finished strong as they called my name and bib #. I was done.

I looked at my Garmin, 1h 37m. Earlier my goal was to be as close to 1h30m as possible. My last HM was 1h44m. Early August I started to focus on my speed and distance work for this race. But after 2 months of training runs I decided that an 1h40m time would be a more realistic goal. This past 2 weeks have been rough and I thought that there was no way I could break my last HM.

Today was a good day! My slowest complete mile was a 7:47 pace.

What would I do differently?:

You take what life deals. Sick children drain you, and over the last couple of weeks I haven't put in the work that I should have. But family first and training got put on hold.

I'm very happy with my results, but if I would have started training a month earlier and been able to stick to a plan, then maybe I could have been even more close to an 1h30m finish. But again, I'm pretty stoked with what I got after these past 2 weeks.

Warm down:

Easy walk and stretching. Food.

Event comments:

Great course with plenty of Volunteers to help out. Aid stations about every 1.5 miles. Good venue. Michigan Ave had unfinished construction so there was a brief bit through that mess.

Livestrong Day 50 Mile Ride Update

2009-09-25T21:32:00.003-04:00

Livestrong Day 50 Mile Ride

We now have a page on the Livestrong Day site. If you plan to attend, please register so we can plan for the number of people attending. Again, there is no fee or cost to ride, but registering will allow us to know if we need to coordinate and facilitate multiple paces and/or groups.

Also, on Monday the 28th I plan to ride the route just to make sure all of the intersection are clear. I've rode this route before, the roads are typical Michigan roads with minor, but clearly visible, potholes. The traffic volume is low and for the most part area drivers are respectful of riders.

Thank you all for your support! I look forward to riding with you.

Livestrong Day 50 Mile Route

2009-09-24T12:19:00.004-04:00

LAF Livestrong Day 50 Mile Route
Find more Bike Rides in Laingsburg, Michigan
10/02/2009 - Livestrong Day 50 Mile Ride from Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, MI. Here will be our route for the ride. This is a great route that I have rode a few times before. Low volume of traffic and mostly smooth roads. There are some rolling hills.

The event is also listed on Map My Ride

What are YOU Doing on October 2nd?

2009-09-21T16:40:00.002-04:00

October 2nd 1996 is the day Lance was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer and began the fight of his life. This year on October 2, we celebrate LIVESTRONG Day. It’s the day members of our community celebrate the spirit of LIVESTRONG by organizing hundreds of events and raising awareness about the fight against cancer in communities across the globe.

LIVESTRONG Day is critically important this year – and we need you to step up and help. We’re making a major push to world leaders this fall, urging them to close the huge gap in global cancer funding. By joining an international wave of coordinated grassroots activity on LIVESTRONG Day you can make world leaders and the media sit up and pay attention to this disease while educating your own community about the fight against cancer.

Ride your road, mountain or tri bike with me for 50 miles to help increase awareness of cancer in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. There is no cost to ride this event, it is simply a gathering of like minded people out for a ride; just wear something yellow.

We will meet at the Sleepy Hollow State Park in Clinton County at the beach parking lot and ride a scenic route around the area.

Sleepy Hollow State Park
7835 Price Rd
Laingsburg, MI 48848

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

I look forward to seeing you there.

**Plan to leave by 10am**

Middle of September

2009-09-18T08:33:00.002-04:00

P90X! That's what I'm starting. But because I know that I still have 3 races this year and want to become a better swimmer, I understand that I cannot commit to 90 days of one single program. So I am committing to 90 days of hardcore training with my end of season tri training. The added benefit to doing this now is that I'll be in good shape come Christmas - there will be no New Years Resolution of weight loss for me!

So for the next few months I'm going to change things up just a bit. There is a reason that triathlon is a season; to prevent overtraining and injury you've got to rest. I'll change things up a bit and then winter will be here... the perfect time for easy distance rides and easy runs around the area to simply enjoy what I see.

I still plan to run the Capital City River Run next weekend and then do more speedwork for the Pumpkinman Tri in Vegas (pretty excited about this race!)

I look forward to this couple of months.

Bring It!

Wrapping Up August 2009

2009-09-04T20:05:00.007-04:00

August has now passed. What happened?

This last month has been a mentally challenging month for me. I raced only 1 race early in the month. While the race went very well and I medaled in my age group, I spent most of the remainder of the month recovering. Not just recovering from that 1 race, but from the whole year to date. I took more than 10 days off from training - completely off. I took off more time in the month of August than in any month prior dating back into 2008. That was a hard thing to do and most of those days it was not by my choice. Family and work are priorities and the way my schedule fell, I was taking of my daughters on my off days; and while on shift we were busy enough to block out serious training.

August's totals:
(Minus Sports/Elliptical and Fire Training)
Bike: 4h 23m 29s - 88.74 Mi
Run: 7h 46m 59s - 52.32 Mi
Swim: 2h 33m 29s - 5046.81 Yd
Strength:3h 35m

September brings a new challenge. This month I have only 1 race planned, the Capital City River Run on the 27th. This will be another half marathon. I plan to run my fastest half marathon although I've only ever done 2. I hope for this race to be a benchmark for future runs. I plan to race the 13.1 miles in less than 1 hour and 40 minutes. But my goal is a little faster, push the pace towards a 7 minute mile.

September also brings me to the point where I will start more swim training. This fall and winter I hope to be able to join the US Masters Swimming and compete in a regional swim meet. I would like to swim the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle. While I don't expect to win any medals, I do hope that will challenge me enough to get in the water and become a better swimmer for next years races (where I'd like to think I will be competing at the Olympic distance level).

I was also fortunate to wrap up a set of photo's with Darryl Evans of Pure Enchantment Photography. This will allow me to finish a comp/ZED card and put my image out for a few companies to consider. I've had a lot of fun doing these photo shoots and can only hope that this leads to more.

Lastly, I will be in the Lansing based Healthy and Fit Magazine. I was nominated for an athlete profile in the magazine, but after talking to the columnist it was decided that I would better fit into a success story. These columns are huge (vs the profile is only a quarter page). So I'm honored to tell my story of weight loss and how I got into racing.

Thank you to those who have supported my racing addiction this past month. My wife and daughters are my biggest support right down to the sweaty hugs when I get home after a training session. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do some training while I'm on shift at the fire department as the strength and endurance also enable me to better perform my job.

Until next time, train smart and race hard.

Lansing Legislator 2009 Race Report

2009-08-10T14:23:00.006-04:00

Here is my race report for the Lansing Legislator this past weekend. I had a great time, took 3rd in my AG and was 19th OA out of almost 200 people.

Right click and view image in order to read it.

I ran 18 miles over 2 separate runs this morning; 12 miles easy and 6 miles in interval style.

Anti-bike segment on Detroit radio station WCSX

2009-08-06T12:46:00.004-04:00

94.7 WCSX Detroit's Classic Rock Station:

Anti-bike segment on Detroit radio station WCSX. It was on the morning of August 5 on the Deminski and Doyle show. My favorite is how they are encouraging people to "Lob something at their (bicyclists) heads."

http://greatermedia.cachefly.net/WCSX/DD/2009_08bicycliststhrowat.mp3

If you want to email WCSX management, use theboss@wcsx.com If you want to call them, try 248-398-9470.

I emailed them a nice note:

I simply cannot believe that you allow this on your airwaves. To encourage drivers to "Lob something at their (bicyclists) heads" is harassment. If ever someone assaults me while I'm riding, I will stop and call the police - you've passed me and I will make note of your license plate and vehicle description. You think that because you're in a car you own the road? Look up the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code - you'll see that bicyclists not only have the right to a lane, but all the same rules apply as if you are approaching another car!

Unbelievable. I will be contacting your station sponsors as well!

Why don't you take the time to encourage your team to put pressure on the state and local government to improve road conditions and make a 3 foot shoulder without pot holes. That will improve conditions for everyone.

During the segment they did state a disclaimer, if you will. As mentioned by another friend "‘…not that we condone any of this…’, said slowly with intonation that every listener can tell is mocking is a weak way of covering your potential liability if someone actually did ‘…toss someone like an acorn’. A segment on cycling arrogance is fine – I get it – but crossed the line while joking about violence."

Arrogant?? Really? Send them your opinion. Here are a few sponsors: Beaumont Children’s Hospital, Detroit Medical Center, Medi-lodge, McDonald's Michigan, Direct Optical, and National Benefit Plans. I'll post their show and station sponsors' contact information as I find it. I doubt that these sponsors would support such speak.

This goes beyond 1st Amendment Rights - this is inciting violence, assault and battery as well as harassment: ‘lobbing things’ at cyclists, ‘tossing them like an acorn’, ‘Going Grand Theft Auto’

What are the legal ramifications against them now when the next cyclist is injured? I think these talk show hosts deserve some unpaid time off and perhaps some time in the saddle on the roads we have to ride. Learn why we ride two wide in a lane; pot holes, narrow shoulders on the roadway and being visible to name a few.

A bicycle belongs in the road, not sidewalks, not hidden off to the side, in the road in a lane.

Take a look at the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code:

http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-300-1949-vi-operation-of-bicycles-motorcycles-and-toy-vehicles

http://www.m-bike.org/law

Review the rules in your state:

http://www.ibike.org/education/laws.htm

July 2009

2009-08-05T14:20:00.004-04:00

August is here, what's the deal? This month and the next few months, I'm only planning 1 race per month. I'm not saying that I won't race an additional race should it come up, but I'm only planning these last 3 races.

Last month I joined a virtual Tour de France Challenge. I met my 300 mile goal for the 2.5 weeks of the tour. Just after the TdF I did an impromptu 100 mile bike. I really wanted to get past the mental block for distance on the bike. I had fun, did well on nutrition and felt good the following days. Mental was on 100%. I didn't get stuck on the distance, I just went out and followed the route. I was thankfull to have a friend to ride that distance with, I train with her fairly regularly GoTrixie.com I'd like to do it again, but I'm not quite ready to commit to it yet. I think I could do it with a couple of days for prep. I'd like to push the pace next time. So the details of my 100 miler - 5 hours 19 minutes put me at a pace of 19 mph average. Per the GPS I burned more than 6200 calories - which is on track based on my previous rides.

This weekend I'll be racing the Lansing Legislator. I will do better in the swim this year than I did last year. I'm hoping to be at 12 minutes for the swim... we'll see. I'd also like to see my bike split to be above 22 mph and I'd like to break the 20 minute mark on the 5k run.

So my totals for the month of July are:

Bike: 23h 18m 40s - 412.91 Mi
Run: 6h 50m 24s - 38.64 Mi
Swim: 1h 19m 07s - 1746.81 Yd
Strength: 42m
Elliptical Training: 40m
Massage: 1h 00m
Yoga: 30m

Inter-Rockin' Triathlon

2009-07-24T21:52:00.003-04:00

Race Report from Interlochen's Inter-Rockin' Triathlon

Click the image to view full size / readable image.

RR from BeginnerTriathlete.com

First Photo Shoot

2009-07-23T14:11:00.006-04:00

I had great opportunity this past month to do a photo shoot. I had a great time. Daryl Evans of Pure Enchantment Photography took some amazing shots. I'd highly recommend checking him out if you ever want some photo's taken for almost any occasion or event. Check out his website (link above) or search for Pure Enchantment Photography on FaceBook.

Where I Am Now

2009-07-23T13:53:00.002-04:00

July has been a challenging month so far. I've battled against some fatigue issues I believe to be related to heavy training loads and a strong early season of racing. Work has been busy with several shifts that have left me with little energy come morning, but still I go home to watch the girls for the day. By no means have I lost the desire to train or race, but I've lacked the time and energy to get the regular sessions in that I want.

Last month I opted out of 2 races that I hoped to race. I spent most of last month doing recovery training and trying some focused running stuff.

Early this month I raced at the Inter-Rockin' Triathlon. I didn't place in my age group, I missed a medal by 4 minutes. That's a huge time difference, yet my swim time was more than 4 minutes slower than it should have been for me to actually be competitive in the water. Swim needs to become a focus for me!

In a couple of weeks I'll go back to race the Lansing Legislator. Last year was my first time racing this event and it's stuck in my mind as it was my worst swim ever. This year I will do better, hard to do worse...

Then in September I will probably run the Capital City River Run Half Marathon. October will bring a trip to Vegas and a sprint tri in the big city! The hills in Vegas may prove my demise!

And to continue jumping in and out the month of July, I joined an online Tour de France Challenge. I put in to bike 300 miles in the 2.5 weeks of the Tour. I have 4 days left to complete 100 miles. I should be able to do this! And then this coming Monday I will attempt my first 100 mile bike. I'll be riding with a friend from the BT site. Should be about 5 hours in the saddle.

Here's the stats for the month and year to date:

July's totals:
Bike: 11h 42m 26s - 202.13 Mi
Run: 4h 56m 26s - 27.22 Mi
Swim: 54m 07s - 946.81 Yd
Strength: 32m
Elliptical Training: 20m

June's totals:
Bike: 7h 19m 59s - 137.32 Mi
Run: 9h 46m 17s - 64 Mi
Swim: 1h 10m - 1500 Yd
Strength: 50m
Misc.: 5h 00m
Walking: 2h 00m
Wood Chopping : 4h 00m

2009 totals
Bike: 74h 33m 12s - 1255.25 Mi
Run: 50h 12m 38s - 319.13 Mi
Swim: 11h 25m 37s - 22209.26 Yd
Strength: 6h 27m
Elliptical Training: 2h 15m
Kettlebell: 1h 35m
Massage: 1h 45m
Misc.: 12h 00m
P90X: 1h 09m
StairMill: 10m
Walking: 4h 00m
Wood Chopping: 4h 00m
Yoga: 2h 00m

Tour de France

2009-07-06T09:20:00.002-04:00

Follow the Tour de France and catch up on what you missed on TV.

1000+ Miles

2009-06-15T22:42:00.005-04:00

Well today I had an awesome training day! I ran a slow 8 miles after shift. I then geared up and went out for a bike ride. I planned to meet a friend at Sleepy Hollow and ride for an hour-ish and then return home. But rather than drive to Sleepy Hollow, I rode my bike there.

I've wanted to do a distance ride (more than 50 miles) for quite a while, but things just didn't add up or work out for it. Today was going to be the day.

On my ride out from home I promptly found construction, and since I prefer not to ride on M-21, I had to improvise my plan. Since this was so early in my ride, I figured that I may not get the 50 miles in, but that I should still exceed my previous long distance of 42 miles.

I got to Sleepy Hollow Park with some mild cramping in my calves. I did have to stop once for a quick stretch of my right upper leg. Once I met up with my training partner, we went out at an easy 18-20 mph ride. Planned on about 20 miles, but took another alternate route that ended up being 25 miles. Finished feeling a little tired, but still had a positive outlook for my ride home.

When I started heading back home I realized that I was only hitting about 17 mph. I tried to push harder, but found my legs to start cramping up again. I decided not to stop, but to just push through and stand up to stretch out. That worked well, but really slowed my pace.

I then decided to go a little farther than planned to get back home... really I had no other choice unless I wanted to ride on M-21 or Bus-27 (Not ideal). So continued to the next north bound paved road, which was 5 miles out of my way. During this 5 miles I found that I seriously had to sort some stuff out in my head. "I'm not going to make this" and "Why am I doing this" were thoughts in my head.

I really had to make the mental effort to think positive thoughts; "I'm more than half way done" "I CAN do this" and "I need this experience"

I kept thinking about how good it was going to feel knowing that I broke 50 miles... until I broke 50 miles. Then I started to think about how much farther I was going to have to go, 60 miles? Shortly after I passed my last turning point to head into St Johns I saw the city hall tower. "That's it, I made it!!!" Or so I thought until I realized that I had gone 5 miles out of my way. Even though I could see the city hall, I would still have to get there.

Again I found the mental challenge difficult. My body hurt. My legs were cramping so badly. I did bring several gel packs, and took all of them throughout the ride. I went through 4 bottles of water (1 was HEED), thankfully my training partner had brought me water at Sleepy Hollow (this was planned as I only have 2 bottle cages and I know that I need 1 bottle per hour minimum).

So at this point all of my gel packs are gone, all of my water is gone. I have nothing in reserve... nothing. I have never 'bonked' before, today I felt like I was on the edge. Could I finish this ride without giving up?

As I continued to push forward I found a euphoria that I've only felt twice before. I've only felt it when I've pushed hard while running. I couldn't feel the cramping in my legs. I inadvertently found myself hammering the pedals. I was cruising at 24 mph. I looked up and saw the city limits sign. I knew that it was over, I did it. I rode through our downtown. I rode slow but still felt that euphoria.

I got to my street and it felt like I had just finished a race. I was thrilled. I looked down at my gps and realized that I had completed more than 66 miles.

Since I am a data geek for training, I needed to log my ride and run. I was shocked to see that my morning run burned just over 1000 calories, my ride burned more than 4200 calories. My total input from gel packs and HEED was less than 600 calories, that's a huge deficit. My total time was 3h 36m with an average pace of 18.3 mph.

As I continued to log my training in BeginnerTriathlete.com I saw that my biking miles to date is now over 1000 miles - 1022.91 miles to be exact. Pure craziness, I love it!
BeginnerTriathlete.com:

June is Here Already

2009-06-03T13:27:00.003-04:00

May flew by quick, perhaps it was the 4 races I did. All in all, I have had a great year so far. I only met 1 of my 3 goals for the month, although with the planned races, my goals may have been slightly unrealistic. I wanted to hit 300 miles biking, 50 miles running and 5 hours in the pool.

So what's next? I'm not exactly sure. I'd like to think about another sprint tri as there are two great 3 race series taking place this summer at the Island Lake Rec Area. The way my work schedule falls, I won't be able to make either series, but I could do 2 races of each event. So there is potential for 1 race in June and 1 in July.

August will be the Lansing Legislator (possibly my first Oly tri). September will be the Capital City River Run half mary. And October will be another tri in Las Vegas.

Seems crazy to think about the end of the season so early in the season. But I've learned a few good lessons that I will carry with me for the future. One, for example, is that I cannot afford to race 15 races every year :)

So I need to set goals next year for better performance at longer distances. In this manner I should be able to race my first Half Ironman soon. My 5 year goal of running a full Ironman event seems much more realistic now too. Both of my girls will be in school/pre-school then and I'll have the necessary time to train for this type of endurance event. Man, it's exciting to think about an Ironman!! But, that's still a while away.

Thank you all as always for your support and encouragement! I look forward to the next race with great anticipation, whatever race it may be.

Hawk Island Triathlon Race Report

2009-05-31T21:37:00.008-04:00

Hawk Island Triathlon (Sprint Distance) Race Report and Photo's:

Click on the photo for full size / readable image. A friend from Pure Enchantment Photography took some very sweet pictures. Very good stuff! Go Visit his site.

Good race overall. Now I need to consider my options and plan for the season. I still plan to race the Lansing Legislator, but I need to decide on either the sprint or Olympic distance. Maybe I'll run in one of the T-Rex series races, there are 3 of them... but it's rather expensive :) I still plan to run the Capital City River Run, and then I am planning on the PumpkinMan tri in Las Vegas for November! It's a huge race and should be a ton of fun!!

Rawk Squad Training

2009-05-20T11:23:00.003-04:00

Rawk Squad Training - Michigan

A new group on Facebook that I hope will serve the purpose of a central location to plan training events. Check it out.

Starkermann TT and Du

2009-05-18T14:24:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I had the Starkermann 40k Time Trial and Duathlon (5k/30k/5k). I did very well and placed in both races. For the TT I placed 1st in my AG, and in the Du I placed 2nd in my AG.

Race Reports on BeginnerTriathlete.com:
40k Time Trial
Duathlon

This was a lot of fun and challenged me physically and mentally. The hills were shear pain... That's it, pain. Part of the TT involved climbing what is locally called the "Big Nasty" hill, it's part of the Tree Tops Resort ski hills.

During the TT I had more than 1100 ft of climbing and for the bike portion of the Du there was more than 660 ft of climbing. The runs for the DU were the same out and back course that entailed more than 100 ft of climbs.

I did hit 46 mph on my bike during 1 portion (downhill, of course). That was just plain insane!!

All in all I had a good time. I will consider this event in the future. Today I'm pretty sore, so I went for a very easy trail run at Sleepy Hollow State Park (MI). Nice trails and lots of mud. Put in an hour and covered about 4 miles.

Here's a photo of one of the hills, not the 'Big Nasty'

2 weeks out from now is Hawk Island Sprint Triathlon. I'm so excited for this race because I know I'll hit the bike and run hard. I feel very confident that I'll do well. I'm still leary about the swim, but I've spent some good time in the water over the last few months. I need more time in the water and need to practice some open water swims over the next two weeks. But I am expecting good things. My goal will be to finish in under 1 hour. Last year I finished in 1 hour and 9 minutes. Since the course is pretty flat and I've done this before, I should do well.

Starkermann Epic Challenge Coming This Weekend

2009-05-12T16:00:00.003-04:00

This coming weekend will be the Starkermann Epic Challenge. I will only be competing in 2 of the 4 events. Saturday night will be a 40k Time Trial and then Sunday morning will be the Duathlon. I'm excited.

While I feel prepared, I feel lame doing the whole 'taper' thing. This week will be easy in terms of training so that I avoid possible injury and overtraining. I did strength training with the kettlbells yesterday and did a fairly difficult incline treadmill jog.

So wish me luck and speed for Saturday night and Sunday morning. After this I'll have 2 weeks off and then my first triathlon of the year.

The Start of May

2009-05-03T19:12:00.005-04:00

May has started off strong! I built well last month with some good totals and that puts me ahead early for the season. I have 4 races on tap for this month. My first race was an impromptu 5k run simply to see if I could break the 20 minute mark. While I gave it my all, I fell short by 56 seconds... I'm perfectly OK with this for now, but I had to give it an honest attempt. I finished 58th overall out of 677.

My next races are back to back. I'm competing in two of the four Starkermann Series races in Gaylord, Michigan. My first event will be Saturday night with a 40k Time Trial (bike race). This will push me as I've been riding at that distance for regular training rides. I will then awake early to race in another duathlon. While I do not plan to medal in this race, I do hope to do better than my last du as the distances are the same. (Maybe here I will break the 20 minute 5k)

And my final race for this month is the Hawk Island Triathlon. This was my first triathlon last year. This is a sprint distance race, so the swim is 400 yards, bike ~12 miles, and run 3.1 miles. I'm certain that I'll break my time from last year, but can I break an hour?

From there, the rest of the season is up for whatever comes along. I am considering a few other races that I pooled together early this year. I will also consider a 3 race series that takes place at the Island Lake Rec Area. These would all be sprint distance races, just slightly longer than the Hawk Island Tri; Swims of a half mile, 12.4 mile bike and 3.1 mile runs. And then lastly, I need to decide about an Olympic distance race in August and consider a Half Ironman in November... Hmm. What do you think?

Steelcase Grand Duathlon

2009-04-27T19:27:00.009-04:00

Sunday (4/26/09) I ran my first multisport event this year. It was the Steelcase Grand Duathlon. It was a 5k run, 30k bike and a second 5k run. I feel like I rocked it!

I've spent a lot of time on my bike this year, both outside and on the rollers. In fact I've put out over 650 miles on the bike alone. I've been running about 40 miles per month in hopes of hitting the 600 mile mark this year.

For the Steelcase Du I planned to race the first 5k as a race in itself. I've felt strong in training doing bike/run bricks. So pre-race I went near the front of the group... not in the front, near the front. The gun went off and I took off. I felt strong, looked at my FR305 and found my pace to be sub 6min/mile... Wow! My first mile was 5:46. I had to slow down or my heart was going to pop out of my chest. I hit the turn around and took another quick sprint. I was able to keep my eye on the front runners, so I knew I was in good pace.

A quick side note: I've had great anticipation of running a sub 21min/5k. I didn't think it was within my reach this year as I've been focused on my biking.

As I neared transition 1 I saw the clock - 20:56! I crossed the chip mat into T1 at 21:03. I was so excited about my time that my fingers were shaking! I actually had a hard time putting on my biking shoes. Grabbed my bike and I was out of T1 in 55 seconds.

The wind was a cross/head wind for most of the route. Good thing I spent some windy days on my bike charging into the wind. I faltered climbing some of the hills. The course didn't have huge climbs, but with the wind I did have to stand up a few times. I was only passed once on the bike, by another Cervelo owner, he deserved to pass me as he was flying. My fastest speed on the bike was only about 34mph. We never really got a tailwind. As I neared T2 I started to get my feet out of my shoes so I could hop off the bike and run into T2. I had a hard time getting my left foot out of the shoe and I actually had to unclip, stop and dismount and carry my left shoe into T2. My time for the 30k was 53:20. Not outstanding at an avg speed of 21mph.

I still ran into T2, racked my bike, donned my running shoes and I was out like a bandit in 33 seconds. Yeah!

As I rounded the first turn on the run I felt slow. I looked at my FR and realized that I left it on my bike, no big deal, I just wouldn't be able to tell my pace and heart rate (2 keys I use to help me run and finish stronger). I do normally feel slow running after my biking. So I figured that I was about an 8ish pace per mile. I could feel my calves were a bit sore, nothing bad, but I could feel them getting tight. I didn't want to bomb my second 5k as it would prove that I went too hard on the first run. I pushed on. There was a group of 3 guys just ahead of me, I couldn't catch up to them, but I figured that if I could keep the distance between myself and them that I would be ok. As I neared the finish I started to sprint again. I heard the announcer call out "Jeremy Hagerman of Saint Johns with the RACING GREYHOUNDS finishing strong!"

After first round of results were posted I saw my overall time of 1 hour and 38 minutes. I was pretty stoked. I thought that I surely medaled. Nope, the 30-34 age group is hardcore! The third place finisher in my AG finished more than 12 minutes ahead of me. Wow! I'm still excited. My previous fastest 5k time was 23:54, so I broke that by more than 2 minutes.

Steelcase was a fun race with a good course. The run was on a totally closed course. The bike was good and the intersections were well covered by the police. I had a lot of fun and will plan to run this race again!

March 2009!

2009-04-01T09:09:00.006-04:00

March of 2009 has been a great month for me in the training department. I got my new Cervelo P2 - A carbon triathlon bike. With all of the excitement surrounding my new bike and a biking challenge through the BeginnerTriathlete.com website, I logged more than 279 miles in the month of March.

My total biking mileage for 2009 so far is 451.57 Miles. This is great because that means that I have already surpassed my total mileage for ALL of 2008. Craziness!!

My total running mileage for 2009 so far is 136.19 Miles. This puts me right on the baseline goal for the year. I wanted to have an average of 41 miles per month by the end of 2009.

My swimming total so far is 7700 yards. This is by no means great, hardly even good. However this is almost half of the total distance that I got in 2008. So while I still need more time in the pool, I feel more comfortable.

This year I have already competed in 2 races. The first was an indoor triathlon at a local YMCA. I took first place in my age group. For me personally, the higher achievment in this was that I swam for 20 minutes straight. I had not done that before. In this race I ended up with 975 yds. This gives me hope for the upcoming race season.

I also competed in a 28k Time Trial at Fisk Knob (near Grand Rapids). I placed 61 of 120 Overall. So right in the middle of the pack. That's not bad for my first ever TT. The weather was 38 degrees F and per Weather.com it felt like 27. We had snow flurries mixed with some light misty rain. It was rather miserable weather, but I raced well. I hit my fastest speed on my new bike at 39.6 mph per the Garmin Forrunner 305 gps. The hills were hard, but I feel confident that I will improve my overall biking ability this year.

Upcoming races that I am already registered for:

4/05 Martian Half Mary
4/26 Steelcase Duathlon
5/16 Starker-Mann 40k TT
5/17 Starker-Mann Duathlon
5/31 Hawk Island Triathlon

That completes the first half of the race season for me. I hope to race 1 to 2 races per month. We'll see how these first few races go and then I'll complete my schedule for the rest of this year.

I'm excited about some new opportunities. This year has great potential!

Thank you all for your encouragement and support! I look forward to racing this year. Give me a call and let's ride sometime.

February 2009

2009-03-01T12:58:00.005-05:00

While February was only 28 days, it did go by pretty fast. So far this year I have stayed on track with my basic training for the upcoming triathlon season. As always, I should be spending more time in the pool.

For the most part, February was uneventful. I put in over 110 miles biking and over 50 miles running.

The exciting part of February was that I was able to buy my new bike. Cervelo P2C. It's pretty sweet. It will be a few more days before it's finished and delivered.

Today, March 1st was my first official triathlon. While it was an indoor tri, it was a good opener to the season. I swam 975 yards in 20 minutes. That's potentially one of my best swims to date. At the end of March I'll also race in a time trial event and then early April is my first half marathon of the year.

So I'm excited for this year and I hope to see some serious gains. Wish me luck!

January 09

2009-02-03T23:29:00.003-05:00

January has flown by super fast! I was able to meet my personal goal of 41 miles for the month in running. I actually hit just over 51 miles.

I still need to get in the pool and stretch more. I feel comfortable with my lifting, but ideally I would be spending a bit more time in this area. I recently did a P90X routine, I loved it. I'm not sure that I have the time to dedicate to the actual program, but I will do a P90X session here and there. I did complete over 180 push ups and 47 pull ups during the 50 minute workout. I was pretty sore for a day or two. I started doing some Spinrvals dvd's while biking on the rollers. Those workouts kick butt. Google it.

February is here now and I have put some time in for training (mind you we are only 3 days into the month). I'm confident that I'll get my 41 miles running in for the month. Next month I will start up some outdoor biking too, that will help my mileage increase.

All in all, training has started out strong for me. This year will bring good things!

Baby Sophia

2009-01-28T13:59:00.003-05:00

Just when I think I am settling into a routine, something changes. Sometimes not so good things like being sick or having a few busy shifts in a row at work will cause my training to fall short of my goals.

Sometimes good things happen and once in a while something great will happen. This past few days I have lost more sleep and not even thought about trying to workout for the simple reason that we welcomed our new baby girl, Sophia, into our family on Friday January 23. She weighed in at 8.5 pounds and 20.25 inches. Becky delivered Sophia naturally and non medicated, what a woman huh?

Sophia is a little bundle of joy, and every time she squints her face into what appears to be a smile, I lighten up inside. Sophia makes us a family of 4. Anna is now a proud big sister, Becky is a very proud mother of two and I am more content with life than I have been in a year. Sure we are lacking a little sleep... ok, lacking lots of sleep. But I wouldn't trade this for anything, especially a few hours running in the cold and snow.

My family is my support system. Not only do they help encourage me to run faster or bike farther, they also remind me of the importance of staying fit. I'm not saying that you have to be an endurance athlete, but do what you can to make sure you will maximize the time you have with the people you love more than anything.

I chose to compete in the world of triathlon over a year ago. I'm just beginning to see the results of good training. I will now need to learn how to better balance family and training. I will seek out advice from people I have met over this last year and find ways to better myself for the sport and most of all, for my family.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement over these last few days. Thank you for the phone calls and gifts. We look forward to introducing you to Sophia.

Base Building

2009-01-14T15:55:00.003-05:00

I should be maintaining my base for fitness right now, but with new toys and the excitement of things to come this year, I feel like I'm actually base building.

Today I did my first interval cycling session on my rollers with the Forerunner 305. I haven't actually 'seen' my cycling layed out like this before. I find this encouraging because it will give me motivation to become a better cyclist and at the same time help me build that endurance that I need on the bike.

Here's what you see:
2' WU
6x30" @ 100+ (45" Rest)
5x1' @ RPE 6 / 70+ (1' Rest)
2' Easy
5' CD

RACING GREYHOUNDS 2009

2009-01-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

It's time! RACING GREYHOUNDS 2009

I'm excited to be part of a team this season. The RACING GREYHOUNDS 2009. I will be racing as part of a team and have a lot of opportunities to better myself as an athlete in each discipline.

Base training is underway. My first planned triathlon this year will be Hawk Island. I have 2 others on the radar, but haven't made a final decision as of yet. There is also a MSU Triathlon Team sponsored IronMAC indoor triathlon coming in mid-March that would consider.

All in all there are several races that I hope to be able to compete in this year. This year will be my breakout year for triathlon. I have continued off season training throughout the winter, so my base for this season is significantly higher than where I was last year.

I still need to be in the pool more so I feel comfortable with the Olympic distance swim. This year I hope to run at least one Olympic distance tri, although if I train well enough, early on, that distance will be my regular racing distance.

I am looking forward to a great year!

2008

2009-01-01T21:40:00.005-05:00

2008 has come and now gone. As many of you know, this year has proved to have moments of extreme joy and a few moments of sadness. It's hard to believe that my mother passed away almost a year ago. A friend once told me that the days never get easier; however, each day you find a new way to get by. I have found the joy of life displayed through laughter, hugs and kisses of my daughter; love of my wife; the never ending love from my family and the support of my friends.

This past year I accomplished fitness goals that I set for myself over a year ago. A few goals I even exceeded. My first goal for this year was to complete a triathlon, and that meant that I had to learn how to swim. I also planned to train harder than I ever have before by increasing my endurance and speed in running and biking. I hoped to be in the best shape of my life by my 30th birthday.

I completed 2 sprint distance triathlons in 2008. I finished just above mid-pack in both of those races. I also ran a half marathon and set a new personal best for the 5k distance run. I placed first in a 10k race and also took medals in two 5k races.

My annual goal for running in 2008 was to complete an overall average of 1 mile per day, totaling 366 miles: My final total was just over 400 miles running.

2009 brings new challenges and while I haven't set any specific goals for training, I do plan to complete with the RACING GREYHOUNDS. I was accepted onto the team this past week. I'll compete in 5 races / events that include cycling as per my contract. Ideally I will race in the same 2 triathlons that I completed this year and then I will also add another tri and enter into a couple of cycling events.

This month my family will grow with the birth of our second child. I will need to learn to balance my family with work and training. This may be my single most difficult goal of this year. I am excited to see what the future holds for my family.

As always, thank you all for your support. I look forward to this coming race season, meeting new people and learning more about the sport of triathlon.

Met My Run Goal Early!

2008-12-05T12:16:00.006-05:00

Today I met my annual goal for running distance. I planned to run 366 miles this year. That way I could say that I ran an average of 1 mile per day. Today is number 340 of the 366 days in this year and today I ran past the 366 mile mark. In fact, today I hit mile #369. I ran yesterday and after I gathered all of my data from the Forerunner 305 I found myself to be 0.05 miles short of my goal. I thought about running to the end of the block and back, but that isn't really a training session. So I figured I run again today. And if irony isn't funny, I am now less than a quarter mile away from 370 miles.

Today I underestimated the level of cold associated with 22 degree temperatures. I also somehow forgot that the trail section I run wouldn't be plowed from the snow. This slowed me down just a bit. So my times for the run today are little slow. But that should make me faster in the long run when there isn't the extra 'terrain'

Info about the Forerunner 305: This is possibly the best training tool ever (besides the BeginnerTriathlete.com website, of course). I started to use SportTracks, a free program, to gather the data from the FR305. It automatically overlays my run info onto a satellite image or street map or whatever I select. Tracks my time in each heart rate zone, which translates to telling me that I'm not as tired as my legs may feel. There's so much information that it's actually a bit overwhelming.

It's good to think that I've reached a goal that I trained for over this whole last year. I've spent a lot of time 'working out.' I look forward to continued base building over the next several months. I am very excited to think about this coming race season with anticipation of racing a few races as compared to simply running a race for completion. I hope to make significant improvements this coming year and race in longer distance triathlons. I hope to post my 2009 race goals soon.

Thank you again to everyone who has been supporting me over this last year!

On another note: Michael Phelps was interviewed on 60 minutes recently. At the end of the interview Anderson Cooper saught to challenge Phelps:

Last Month

2008-12-01T12:55:00.003-05:00

Today starts the last month of 2008. I was greeted with snow yesterday and today I must shovel the driveway. I can't say that I've missed the cold weather or the snow.

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 305. I have yet to play with it. I may just wear it while I shovel snow... to track my heart rate and calories burned. Strictly for training, of course.

This month will be an easy month with no challenges from the BeginnerTriathlete website. I hope to take the month slow. I plan to run in maintenance mode, bike easy on the trainer and restart my swimming. Today was supposed to be Day 1 for swimming, but after a long night on shift and a late run (car vs house) I decided to pass on it.

Today also marks my own personal countdown to the big 30th birthday on the 20th of this month. It's a crazy number to think about. Well, off to the driveway.

400 Miles

2008-11-06T14:48:00.002-05:00

Today I went for a MTB ride with a friend from the BT Group. She also brought along a friend who is going Pro as a Triathlete with Team USA this coming season... which explains why he was so fast on the bike. We rode at Sleep Hollow park. Rode out and back for 10.5 miles in just over an hour.

Today's ride puts me just over the 400 mile mark for biking this year. While I didn't have any specific distance goals for biking this year, seeing that 400 mile mark was pretty exciting.

I hope to build my bike base this winter so next year I will have more endurance to maintain faster speeds. Right now I average about 18 mph during races and 16 mph for training rides. I hope to push that up into the low 20's, let's say 22 mph race average. That will be average over a 15 to 20 mile ride as right now my distance rides go from 20 to 35 miles.

And as my friend Lisa says: "It’s what you accomplish in the off season that wins races."

USMC 5X BT Challenge

2008-11-03T14:04:00.004-05:00

November starts a new BT Challenge for me. The Challenge - 5X USMC Challenge

This challenge was started by a US Marine / Triathlete. As the Marines recently changed their workout / PT requirements from 3 days a week to 5 days a week. Our challenge is a basic match of that change - Workout at least 30 minutes a day with a minimum of 5 days a week for the month of November.

Here are the rules:

A PT session must be at minimum 30 minutes per day, but what you do for PT is up to you as long as it hold training value. (A massage does not count as PT)
Basically if it is cardio, strength training, or athletic sports it is fair game.
For each PT session completed you will get a point. It is a hit or miss system, so only one point allow per day and only if you get the 30 minutes required for that day.
With a little room for those overachievers there will be a max of 22 points allowed for the month. That is based on a M-F schedule that the Marine Corps Follows which is 20 days in Nov plus a 10% extra. The most points allowed during a week will be 6 points and that is only allowed twice.
Team with the highest average of % Completion wins.

Time Periods: The cut offs for the time periods will be Nov 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 30th.

I'm In! I'm a glutton for punishment. Plus this gives me more motivation to improve my workouts on the new trainer.

50 Miles This Month

2008-10-31T11:34:00.003-04:00

I got my 50 miles for the month of October!!
Go BT ZzzzzzZombies!

For me - 50 Miles in 1 month is the most mileage in a single month that I've EVER done!

My Annual Goal of 1 Mile / Day for 2008:

Days into the Year / Days Left: 305 / 61
My Current YTD Miles: 332.51

I'm Over by 27.51 Miles!

Rollers Trainer for a bike

2008-10-27T16:57:00.005-04:00

After a long search for what I wanted, I was informed that I was searching for the wrong type of bike trainer... So here is a steal of a deal that I was given at the local bike shop. After about 10 minutes of attempting to figure out how to stay on the rollers (you know, balance and all) this is how I did:

300 + Miles

2008-10-18T13:48:00.005-04:00

Today I headed out for a cool Saturday morning run. I left home and ran to the city park where I took the paved route to the sledding hill (recall the 10k Pumpkin Trot last week). While I didn't feel motivated to climb the hill again, I ran the trails out and around the city park. I ran 5 laps and then continued back home.

As I logged my run I was very excited. I am still over my goal for the day of the year / mileage... But today I also passed the 300 mile mark. To me this is pretty crazy! I'm stoked! 300 miles.

St. Johns Pumpkin Trot 10K

2008-10-12T19:18:00.002-04:00

Today I ran a 10k (6.2 Mile) race. This was the St. Johns Pumpkin Trot 10k. It was run by the Lyons Club. I choose today's race last minute.

I had originally planned to race in a sprint triathlon hosted by the MSU Triathlon team. Several factors came into play as to why I did not run in this race, all in all it just wasn't meant to be.

Today was the first time I raced a 10k. I completed the half mary two weeks ago, but I've never competed in a 10k.

I briefly reviewed the course map and toed the start line. The weather was supposed to be in the mid-seventies, but I figured "Hey, it's October" So while I wore my basic summer runner attire, I choose a heavier shirt. This proved to be a bad idea as the temperature was in the high 70's and part of the race was over newly blacktopped road. This made the heat radiate back up, it got warm...

This course was one of the most hilly runs that I've ever done. The first hill was actually the 'sledding' hill near the city high school. I sprinted up it figuring that most people would tire out quickly and I'd have a few seconds lead. I was right, however maybe other people were aware of the upcoming hills and were reserving their energy. The next 3 hills were tough.

The course covered multiple terrains also. We started on a paved walkway, then on to the first hill, which was all fields. Next into the wooded trails those were uneven, but no big deal. The course then went to paved roads for a short bit and then dirt roadway for a while. The dirt roads made me nervous as I sometimes have lateral knee pain after running them. The uneven, potholed, washed out sections make it tough to maintain a good speed. The hills made it more tough. This part of the race was an out and back, I think it was intentional just for the enjoyment of the hills in reverse. I however did not find this part amusing. Back to the paved roadway, and here is when I noticed how warm it was. I seriously considered tossing my shirt to the side of the road with hopes that I could find it after the race. Lastly we moved back into the city residential streets. These were fine as long I stayed in the center of the road. Finally we moved back into the city park where the race ended.

I finished 6.2 miles in 50 minutes and 40 seconds. That put me at an average pace of 8m 10s per mile. Not too bad!

The best news: I finished first in my age group (24-29). I am pretty excited about this, it makes me glad that I raced here rather than the tri in EL.

So this probably marks the end of the racing season for me. Unless something pops up and grabs my attention, I'll be done for the year.

So now what? I am 10 miles over my scheduled goal for running 366 miles this year (297 miles to date). But I'm behind on my October Run Challenge, I'll catch up this week.

I also applied to a racing team for next year. While they aren't really a 'sponsor' they do supply race nutrition and weekly team training. But they are not in the Lansing area, so the weekly training may not benefit me. I should have an interview scheduled soon, at that time we'll discuss whether the team would benefit from my racing, and if they would benefit my training and races. With this team I have to be dedicated to racing at least 6 qualifying races (Tri, Du or Bike [MTB or Road]). I can do that. On this note, I hope to also hire a coach. I found one, we've talked and I just need confirm price and scheduling.

Lastly, I may consider looking for a few local sponsors this coming race season. I should be able to promote a business with my improving times. A sponsor would help cover my race entry fee's, training, clothing, equipment and equipment maintenance. We'll see how training goes for the winter and how life presents itself with the addition of our new baby.

As always, thank you all for your encouragement and support!

What's Next?

2008-10-03T13:54:00.004-04:00

The Beginner Triathlete October Run Challenge! The most miles I've ever logged for a month is 47 (August of this year). So my goal for October is 50 miles. This should also push me way ahead for my annual goal of a mile per day for the year.

Currently I'm at mile 288 and we are at the 277th day of the year.

Today I ran 6 miles. This was my first run since the half marathon on Sunday. I felt good, but I had to stretch out twice. I still got in my miles in less than an hour.

Other good news: Today is Anna's first day at pre-school! Becky and I dropped her off this morning and she took off playing with the other girls (she was looking for the boys when we walked in - none were there yet... uh-ohh). She said goodbye to Becky and I was we left and ran back to playing without even thinking about waving 'bye-bye' I'll be heading back to pick her up soon.

What a day!

(For those considering the triathlon thing - Sign up on the website NOW! BeginnerTriathlete.com Join the October Run Challenge, set and complete a goal it this month! You'll make new friends and find new motivation - stop slacking!)

13.1 Miles!

2008-09-28T21:02:00.006-04:00

I ran my race at my pace and I finished in my goal time. I ran each mile as it's own event. I call it equal opportunity racing - each mile deserves a change to prove itself better than the last. My overall average pace was an 8 minute 41 second per mile pace.

I planned to Gu at mile 6 or 7, and so I did just after mile 6. I felt good and ran well until about mile 11. Then my legs started to get tight. I didn't bring my second Gu gel as I planned. It wouldn't fit into my pocket where the other one was, so I left it behind. I drank water at every station, but only a few sips from each cup. At one station I took a Gatoraid. It didn't sit well in my belly. I never drink that stuff, so I don't know why I tried it now.

I didn't see the 12 mile marker and the next thing I saw was the trail moving back towards the Lansing Center. Up a short hill and I was back on Michigan Ave (right where the race started). A few more turns and I see mile marker 13. Only 1 tenth of a mile to go. I felt strong even as my calves and quads were tight.

As I crossed the finish line I see my time. I planned to finish under 2 hours. I did it, 1 hour 53 minutes. I feel successful.

I finished overall at 434 of 1216. Age Group - 43 / 63

My BT Race Report Below:

Race info: Capital City River Run
Entry by:
spacer JHagerman

Capital City River Run
2008-09-28
Lansing, Michigan
United States
Impression 5 Science Center
Sunny

Run - Half Marathon
Total Time = 1h 53m 36s
Overall Rank = 434/1216
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 43/63

Pre-race routine:
Routine? I attempted to follow a training plan, but I didn't get my weekly times in.

Event warmup:
No warm up as I figured I'd have 13 miles to warm up.

Run

Comments:
I ran well. I slowed down after the 11 mile mark as my running partner stopped to stretch. I still pushed, but probably not as hard as I could have. However, I was very satisfied with my run performance.

What would you do differently?:
I would attempt to follow the training plan more strictly. I'm not sure I would have finished a whole lot faster, but I think I would feel better near the end of the race.

Post race

Warm down:
A brief walk through the food area! I drank a TON after the race!

What limited your ability to perform faster:
My legs were getting really tight at the 12 mile mark, but that's when the most people were present to cheer us on.

Event comments:
I should have taken an extra Gu with me as I planned. I decided no to take it last minute as I didn't have an extra pocket. I would have taken it at mile 10 or 11 and maybe wouldn't have felt so crampy.

Half Mary Tomorrow

2008-09-27T20:36:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow is the day - 13.1 miles

The Capital City River Run - Half Marathon

This will be my first half mary. I've been sick the past few days but today has been better. I hope to awake in the morning feeling rejuvenated.... or at least something good.

If the race goes well, I may plan to run another half mary in October. Who knows? There is also the MSU Triathlon Sponsored Sprint Triathlon on MSU Campus in October that I am still undecided on whether or not to race.

Wish me luck, see you all soon!

2008-09-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

Here's an interesting and yet funny video about awareness:

Stuck in a Rut

2008-09-15T13:17:00.005-04:00

I've felt so tired the last few days. I haven't gotten my workouts in and my last run was not a pretty picture. I need to follow my training plan (stick to it).

Time to regroup and dig in. My first half marathon is a week and a 5 days away. I need to get outside and log time rain or shine, cold or hot. I have gear for almost every weather condition, so I best start to use it.

I've also been throwing the idea around of a 'last race' for the season. There is a sprint distance triathlon and/or another half mary coming, both in October. I'd like one of these to be the seasons final race. Then I can focus on learning to swim competitively.

Becky and I are now more than half way through the pregnancy for our new baby. Anna is excited and loves to 'hug' the baby in mama's belly. I'm pretty excited too. While I'd love to know that we are having a boy, I also loved the surprise finding out that Anna was a girl upon her birth. That excitement is indescribable.

Lastly, my first fire officer class is almost complete. I have my class presentation to give tomorrow night. I titled it 'The Need for Functional Fitness in the Fire Service' I find it alarming that an overall average of 43% of all firefighter fatalities over the last 12 years are cardiac / overexertion related. I plan to touch on the basics of kettlebell training as part of the presentation. The contents of this presentation is part of what motivated me to start my own fitness journey, maybe I can also encourage someone else to make a difference in their own life.

Welcome

2008-09-08T11:34:00.002-04:00

Here we go! I'm glad that you've finally found your way here. Again, my goal is to stop sending emails that have(or may not have)details about my training.

To subscribe to my blog, look to the left column ----->> and click on the subscribe link. There will be a confirmation request sent to your email.

My last post shows the hours spent training and the distances covered. I will continue to update that monthly. Feel free to visit my BT blog (listed in my last post here). The BT site is where I log my training. Unfortunately you can see that for the last few days, I have not logged workouts (Becky, Anna and I went to visit Becky's Grandmother in Traverse City).

Yes, I will be posting personal stuff here. So this blog is not 100% dedicated to my training. But almost every aspect of my life affects training. Family first! I will not be posting political things here, not something I enjoy.

If you have any questions about health and fitness or training, email me and I'll answer it to the best of my ability. If I cannot answer it, I'll try to get you going in the right direction to finding the answer.

Thank you for visiting here. More to come soon!

Training Logs

2008-09-03T16:42:00.006-04:00

Here is the details of my training thus far. Every day I log my workouts, the BT website tracks all of my logged entries.

I'll attempt to continue adding these monthly.

Follow my basic training info here, or go to BeginnerTriathlete to see the fine details.

Almost There

2008-09-03T15:23:00.003-04:00

25 days and counting until my first half marathon. September 28th I'll be running the Capital City Half Marathon. I hope to do this in under 2 hours. This will be my longest distance ever in running. I also plan to run another triathlon in East Lansing in October.

Another good first for me, yesterday I rode my road bike for 35 miles in under 2 hours. That's my farthest distance.

Now if I can only pin down the swimming. A swim coach can cost me upwards of $60 / hour. So I'll be waiting for that.

Other news:

I ran another triathlon August 10th. I finished 7 of 14 in my age group and 83rd overall of 196. I feel good about this.

Late in August I also ran a 5k just to find my race pace. I finished my first mile in 6:48 then I tapered to finish with my fastest time of 23:01. I placed 2nd in my age group with that time.

So we'll see where things go from here. Thank you for all of the encouragement. I hope to start updating this blog as a way to stay connected with you all with my training updates and successes.

Lastly, I started Fire Officer classes last night. These will be night classes and will go until May 2009. Seems like a long ways away, but in the long run it will be good for me to get the classes done now.

What if no one were fat?

2008-07-06T15:07:00.001-04:00

What if no one were fat?
By Shirley Skeel

Imagine a lean and healthy America: The savings on medical, fuel, food and other costs would be enough to give every U.S. household more than $4,000.

Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series on financial what-ifs.

In the United States today, 66% of adults are overweight. Almost 33% of adults are obese, and 4.7% are morbidly obese, or more than 100 pounds overweight. But . . .

What if nobody in America were fat?

We'd save billions of dollars in gas. Airlines would double their profits. A dearth of diabetes and other diseases would save billions of dollars more -- and put thousands of doctors on the street. McDonald's would sell not Big Macs but little steamed chicken snacks -- or watch its profits melt away. Productivity would rise, potentially creating tens of thousands more jobs or higher wages all around.

Add up the savings up on health, food, clothing and efficiencies, and you could buy a professional home gym for every U.S. household -- or hand each $4,270 in cash.

$487 billion in gas, sweat and stretch pants

Yes, it sounds a little wild, but the implications of a leaner, meaner country add up to a weighty $487 billion. That's almost 3.5% of gross domestic product, no small sum.
Mind you, only 1.8% of that is new growth. The rest is a radical shift in resources, away from the needs of our bigger citizens to . . . well, whatever we and our overlords would spend these extra billions on.

First, let's put the meat on that $487 billion. The estimates below assume the average American adult is at least 20 pounds overweight, a figure nutritionists see as fair.

• Savings on fuel for cars and airlines due to their lighter loads would top $5 billion, according to industry studies. Researchers say each overweight driver burns about 18 additional gallons of gas a year, or just under a billion gallons altogether. Savings in the air are far greater: The jet-fuel savings alone could double North American airlines' forecast 2008 profits to $3.8 billion and maybe persuade them to stop stranding passengers because they can't afford the fuel for flights. As for oil imports, they'd be dented by less than 1%.

• Plus-sized clothing costs 10% to 15% more, so shoppers would save $10 billion on shirts, pants and dresses. And clothes might fit better too. Cynthia Istook, an associate professor in textile apparel at North Carolina State University, says the economies of making fewer sizes would be tremendous. Clothing makers could then afford to offer more variety in hip and bust sizes, rather than asking every woman to squeeze into an hourglass shape.

• Because 3,500 calories translates into a pound of fat, somewhere along the way, America's 227 million adults have eaten 16 trillion calories too many. That's 14 billion Big Mac meals, with fries and a soda. Eliminate those and you wipe out $81 billion, or McDonald's past four years of sales.

• If Americans were slim and maintained their weight by eating 150 fewer calories a day (half a slice of pizza), that could snip roughly 6.5%, or $20 billion a year, off U.S. farmers' sales (assuming no extra exports). Bob Young, the American Farm Bureau's chief economist, says farmers would cope. They'd switch some land from fattening seed oils and sugar beets to fruits and vegetables. Or they might grow corn for ethanol, or even open a hunting resort.

• The medical costs of obesity-related problems such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease run near $140 billion, or more than 6% of all health-care costs. That ballpark figure was calculated by Joel Cohen, an economic researcher for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, using data from a 1998 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. Cohen reckons that if no one were fat, medical insurance costs would fall -- to everyone's delight -- and doctors and drug makers could do more preventive care. That sounds good, but Roland Sturm, a senior economist for Rand in Santa Monica, Calif., doubts anyone would pay for preventive care. More likely, he says, some doctors would be on the street. "They could drive cabs," he suggests.

• Productivity in the workplace would jump as people took fewer sick days and spent less time at work feeling unwell. Ross DeVol, the director of health economics at the Milken Institute, says the loss of productivity due to people showing up at work sick is "immense." Using a recent Milken report on the subject, he calculates that if no one were obese, the added output from workers and their caregivers would give the country a $257 billion boost. That's 1.8% of GDP, enough extra output to allow businesses to hire tens of thousands more workers or to raise wages, economists say. Or at least, that's the theory. Given bosses' love of expanding their profits and their own pay, you can count on some of this being spirited away. Just look at 2000 to 2005, when worker productivity rose 16.6% while median wages rose less than half that amount.

• "Jenny Craig would be very unhappy" if everyone were slim, says Rand's Sturm. And so she would, along with the rest of the $55 billion weight-loss industry. Trimmed-down citizens would be swapping their diet pills for bikinis and their gastric-banding for nose jobs.

What to do with all that money?

On top of these savings would be billions of dollars more. Manufacturers and builders wouldn't have to make doorways bigger, car seats wider, furniture stouter. Some even argue that global warming would slow a mite, as consumption of gas, energy, fertilizer and methane-producing cattle decreased.

Even without those extras, the $487 billion reshuffle of the economy would put us on the spot. Exactly how would we spend all this freed-up cash? Optimists sing about improving education or medical research. Others figure we'd fritter away the money.

It seems, in fact, that economists have a word for our usual behavior: suboptimal. That's what we do. We sub optimize. We think short term instead of long term, reducing our chances of living healthily and happily ever after.

So assuming we didn't behave like angels, the net effect on the economy of a slimmer population would be a lot of reshuffled resources, with a nice rise in productivity that should take our living standards up a notch.

The social gains are more difficult to predict. Research has shown that people who are not obese marry more, are paid more, are promoted more, sleep better and have better sex lives. We don't yet know whether people earn less because they're fat, or whether they're fat because they earn less. Researchers suspect it is the former because there's some evidence of discrimination against the obese.

Either way, a slimmer society would, arguably, seem to be more secure and content.

But, of course, then we have the awful question: Can we all be paid more and promoted more and marry more? Only to a limited degree.

Jay Zagorsky, a sociology researcher at Ohio State University, is convinced that society would adjust. We might lose an awful lot of people to pick on, but he concludes: "They will find something else. If it's not the size of your waist, it may be the size of your nose."

~MSN

My First Tri

2008-06-02T15:07:00.000-04:00

Hawk Island Triathlon
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Sports

Race info: Hawk Island Triathlon
JHagerman

Hawk Island Triathlon
2008-06-01
Lansing, Michigan
United States
Sunny

Triathlon - Sprint
Total Time = 1h 09m 14s
Overall Rank = 102/500
Age Group = 24-29
Age Group Rank = 11/34

Pre-race routine:

Swimming was my main focus over the last few weeks as I needed a lot of improvement. I regularly run and bike.

Event warmup:

1.5 mile run apx 30 minutes prior to race start. 3 or 4 minute swim just prior to heat starts.

Swim

Comments:

I started great! Passed a few people then got too excited and lost focus of my breathing. I turned to my back for about 10 seconds and restarted my swimming. This happened twice. I finished the swim well, not strong, but well. I was glad to realize how *quick* the swim went.

What would you do differently?:

Need more OWS experience and practice with other people. I gotta remember to focus on my breathing when I get excited and lengthen my stroke/stride.

T1

Comments:

I started removing my wetsuit, goggles and cap right after exiting the water.

My hand-me-down biking shoes suck and I had a problem getting the strap to stay tight. I realize that I could have spent less time in T1 if I had new shoes. My shoes also were quite slippery when walk/running out of T1.

I was pretty excited to realize that I had just completed the first leg of my first tri!

What would you do differently?:

Buy new shoes.

Bike

Comments:

Rode hard. I pushed hard on the bike, hoping to make up for my slow swim. I was able to dig deep in the hills thanks to the course I've been training on.

I kept an avg cadence of 90rpms. A few times on the flat and downhill areas I knew I could go faster in a higher gear so I shifted up.

What would you do differently?:

I wonder what options I have to make my bike faster? It's an old 70's model Fuji road bike, so it's already pretty light. But I cannot afford a new bike, yet...

T2

Comments:

I wasn't quite as fast as I'd hoped to be during T1 so I tried to move more quickly during T2. Again I had a strap issue with one of my shoes. Overall I was happy.

What would you do differently?:

I had my transition are noted well, but I think I may try to use my daughters sidewalk chalk next time. That may help me find my bike / transition area a bit faster.

Run

Comments:

My calves started to cramp just into the run. I figure I used gel too late into the bike. I've had this happen with longer rides recently so I was kind of prepared for it. I knew that I could just run through it and eventually the cramping would settle. It did. Then I found my grove!

I found myself digging deep up the small hills and cruising along the boardwalk. Then I saw a photographer, gotta look like I'm pushing it here. Running back into the woods and into Scott's Woods I know that I was making good time. After the turn around I looked at my watch. I've run here quite a bit, I know it doesn't take me 6 minutes to run that back stretch back to the finish line.... I make just run my fastest 5k...

I see the finish - there's my wife and daughter, gotta go a bit faster to impress them! Then the rest of the crowd, clapping - I see some guy kneeling next to the course and he looks at me and yells 'good pace, keep it up until the finish line' I think to myself, I have some reserve in me. Then I wonder if pushing too hard now will make me sick. Just finish the run... HECK NO! This is my first tri! I'm gonna finish strong even if I do puke. I pushed harder and lengthened my stride. I felt like I was flying past the guy who told me to keep my pace.

'155 Jeremy Hagerman' I hear the announcer. That's me, I did it, I ran my first triathlon. I looked at my watch - I just ran my fastest 5k ever... after swimming and biking.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing!

Post race

Warm down:

An easy walk. Nothing too intense.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

When I lost focus of breathing in my swim, and cramping calves at the start of the race. I wonder what my time would have been without the cramping.

Swimming
00:08:54 | 400 yards | 02m 13s / 100yards

T1
Time: 02:48

Biking
00:31:47 | 10 miles | 18.88 mile/hr

T2
Time: 01:16

Running
00:24:31 | 03.1099 miles | 07m 53s min/mile

New Tattoo

2008-01-24T12:14:00.001-05:00

After my mother's surgery last year, I decided that when she passed I would get a tattoo in her memory and honor. I've thought for almost a year, and this design is what I came up with. "Love" "Sacrifice" and “Favour” (Grace) describe more than just my mother's way of living, but also my family and the outlook on life that I should keep, even in tough times. I chose Hebrew words in the most appropriate context to what I wanted to portray. When I see this tattoo I will remember the following:

Love (bha): Love God, Family, Friends, and my Enemies AND love myself. It reminds me of the order that I should place my concerns when trials come - I need to focus on God, support my family through everything, rely on my friends, reach out to others and never give up on myself or lose track of my dreams. It's also a reminder of importance and whose guidance I should seek out. My mother loved everyone. You could meet her only once and know that she was a caring person without restriction.

1Jn 4:16 - NIV

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Ro 8:28 - NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Dt 11:1 - KJV

Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Dt 6:5 - NIV

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Jn 13:34 - NIV

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” ~Jesus

Sacrifice (xbd): Be willing to give up anything/everything for the ones I love. It reminds me that sometimes I may have to give up time and money and pride in order to support and encourage others. I need to make time for God (sometimes I forget to do that; Love God First and keep His commandments) Give up guy's night or other events in order to be with my wife and daughter so that I can not only show love and respect, but also to teach and lead by example. I need to encourage my friends during rough times and I need to reach out to the unsaved. Lastly, I do need to make time for myself - I need to be healthy in order to provide for my family now and in 25 years. My mother continually gave of herself in order to support my father and the rest of the family. Even when she was sick, she was praying for others or visiting people who needed spiritual guidance. Mom always asked about “you” and listened to your answer.

Heb 10:10 - NIV
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Eph 5:25 - NIV

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Eph 5:28 - NIV

Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Favour (!x): Also as Grace and Acceptance. I need to remember to rely upon God’s grace when I sin. Not only does God freely give forgiveness to those who are Christians, but he favors / accepts us all for who we are now, not who we will become. We have to look past the sin to see the person inside. It is by grace that we are saved, through faith in Christ Jesus. Divine Grace from God is His alone to give, however I can also forgive those who I love. Allen Cullen wrote a song titled “Favour I Don’t Deserve” and it was a favorite of my mother. When she was planning her funeral half a year ago, she asked that this song be played.

Ro 3:23-24 - NIV

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

2Co 12:9 - NIV

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." ~ Jesus

I actually spent a bit of time deciding on these 3 words. Love is a happy, joyful and even peaceful word. Sacrifice is a strong and sometimes painful word to think about, but it fits because I've felt pain with the loss of my mother. Favour is an elegant word that implies grace, how as Christians, we need to forgive others.

Lastly, the Celtic Trinity symbol This symbol represents that fact that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are individual and yet one. There is no start or end to the symbol. At the center of everything is God. Without God, we are nothing and life would have no purpose. I have wanted a “Christian” tattoo for quite a while. I have not found a better symbol to represent Christianity. The cross represents Christ’s life and death and implies his resurrection, but to me the Trinity symbol better shows the holiness and oneness of God.

My tribal tattoo does have an Icthus (Jesus Fish) on the front and rear of my arm. The Icthus is the Greek word for fish. The fish symbol was adopted by early Christians as a secret sign, due to persecution. The fish symbol was chosen because, in the original Greek, the letters stand as an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." An acrostic is a poem whose initial or last letters can be put together to form a word or message. I don’t hide my Christianity - I’m proud to be known as a follower of Jesus - but I took the design of the Icthus in recognition of the courage and faith of those who followed Jesus in earlier times.

Find more about the tattoos and what the Bible has to say.

http://www.religioustattoos.net/Bible_Support/index.php

Gods Tears

2008-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

OUR DAILY BREAD

Saturday
January 12, 2008

God's Tears

Read: John 11:28-37

Jesus wept. --John 11:35

In C. S. Lewis' story The Magician's Nephew, Digory recalled his terminally ill mother and how his hopes were all dying away. With a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes, he blurted out to Aslan, the great lion who represents Christ, "Please, please--won't you--can't you give me something that will cure Mother?"

Then, in his despair, Digory looked up at Aslan's face. "Great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. 'My son, my son,' said Aslan. 'I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another.'"

I think of Jesus' tears at Lazarus' grave (John 11:35). I believe He wept for Lazarus as well as for Mary and Martha and their grief. Later, Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). And He knows and shares our grief today. But as He promised, we will see Him again in the place He's preparing for us (John 14:3). In heaven, our grief will end. "God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying" (Rev. 21:4).

Until then, know that God weeps with you. --David Roper

He knows our burdens and our crosses,
Those things that hurt, our trials and losses,
He cares for every soul that cries,
God wipes the tears from weeping eyes. --Brandt

If you doubt that Jesus cares, remember His tears.