Team SP Ironman

Photos of the End of an Era

IMTex Recap

Ironman Texas was the first time I competed in an inugrual Ironman race and there was a special excitement that came with that. The crowds were amazing and the course was outstanding. I did something I've never done in an Ironman or ever in a race before - crashed my bike. It was minor by crash standards, but certainly sounds tough. The knees got the worst of it. It happened at mile 50, luckily I only had 60 more miles to bike and a full marathon to run! Obviously, I am thrilled I just finished.

The swim was point to point, so no loops, which was really nice. The water was 79 degrees and was the first Ironman swim I did without a wetsuit. (Wetsuits aren't Ironman legal at that temperature.) The course was a bit oddly shaped and swimmers kind of piled up on each other, it was hard to get away from flying arms and legs. The last mile was through a canal, which was cool, great for spectators, but way to narrow for swimmers competing. There was just no where from anyone to go, so it made it tough to blaze a path ahead or avoid someone trying to blaze past you.

The bike course was a single loop which never really had any boring stretches. It was mostly rolling hills and really pretty with tons of trees. Trouble came at mile 50 at an aid station. I was slowing down, maybe 10 mph, and reaching back to place a new water bottle in one of my bike cages and with only one hand on the front brakes I saw the guy in front of me brake really hard. I wasn't paying close attention ahead, panicked, and slammed hard on my front brake sending me over my bike's handle bars and sliding forward over on top of my bike. Thankfully, nobody crashed on top of me and the volunteers were really helpful. My bike had dings but amazingly nothing was broken and the parts still worked. The rest of the bike I kept replaying it in my head and could not believe how lucky I was. God must have been a spectator watching the race as well.

The weather had been ideal up until the run. It was overcast with some winds, but as I started out on loop 1 of 3 on the run the sun came out. The first loop I tried to gauge running in the heat and pushed a bit harder than I should have. I nearly walked the entire 2nd loop just to avoid overheating, knowing the sun would set with time and actually give me a shot at running a bit toward the end. The 3rd loop was cooler and I actually got running and finished with a crazy fast last 2 miles. The finish line was the coolest set up of any of the other races I've done and felt just as monumental as ever.

To have been signed up for so many races over the past couple years, to have had a goal in sight and kind of always top of mind and to cross a line that meant I had finished them all felt more relieving than anything. I don't think I'm done with triathlons, I still love race days, but a decade off might be nice.

FINISHED!

The Secret Weapon - Bike Biscuit Basket

Air 1 Verse of the Day

It's perfect for today's Ironman - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17. 

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying."

Nothing Left

I'm checked in, bike and bags set, and feeling as good as you can pre
race. The weather looks really windy, overcast and of course Houston
hot. You never know what the day will bring.

Almost First

Executing the Plan

Going Down

Tools of the Trade

Familiar Place

Tonight was the Ironman dinner. This was my third time eating amongst other ironman tri nuts and watching crazy inspiring videos. It is impossible to leave without an extra boost. My blood pumps and my body is ready for round 3. I'm running on experience rather than training and I have 5 years of it building up in me. Being my last run for some time, I'm more excited than ever to hear the gun go off.

You never forget how to ride a bike. Or swim. Or run. And more than anything my just excited to get on a new course and do all 3.

Dead Man Walking

Bike's Car Ride

Going Out Fast

The same thing that made Prefontaine famous has been the way I've set personal bests in the Ironman and marathons, going out way too fast. It is strongly discouraged by most, because you are said to lose much more than the time you gain in the first half of the race. I am not well trained for this race this weekend, which is usually the case before my races. However, this one is the least physically trained I have ever been. Though I would argue experience will make up for most of what I am lacking.

Yesterday I logged the longest ride of my training - 46 miles. Though I did average 17 mph. The week before I ran the most I have leading up to the race, 3 miles. The next day I ran 3 miles as well, I was really sore. Though both times I did maintain the pace I previously set as my best, 8 minute miles. A month ago, the last time I did any kind of swimming, I swam for 45 minutes. The next day was when I realized something was wrong inside my rib cage. But now, the week of the race, I feel as good as I can all things considered. I still notice the bruised rib slightly when I am fully extended, but that only happens in the swim. While swimming I am just going to take it slow, get out of the water, and then do what I have done with reckless abandon in these races before - go out way too fast.

Healthy or Trained

I am slowly recovering, slowly. My chest still feels sore on big breaths, but my lack of activity is helping to heal it. The injury has me thinking a lot more than I normally would with actual training. I would rather be healthy and compete in anything rather than trained without my health on the starting line. We will see if I say the same thing 10+ hours into the race.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

It is embarrassing to have self inflicted injuries. A week ago I got
up in the middle if the night and went to the bathroom. I almost made
it. I was half dazed and found myself sitting up on the ground. I
think I ran right into the door frame, it is hard to say but my
injuries included a knot on the left side of my head, a bruised right
thumb and a bruise feeling in the left side of ribs.

My head and thumb healed quickly but the pain in my ribs got worse.
Shoveling hurt bad and breathing was ok but noticeable on a deep
breath. I went swimming for an hour on Friday and no pain. Saturday it
was clear something was really wrong with me.

I went to the doctor yesterday to see if I was dying. If my ribs were
cracked or fractured I would have noticed a lot early she said. It is
probably a bad bruise that got worse because of all I was doing last
week. She said an injury like this takes 6-8 weeks to heal. I have 4
weeks.

I asked many times if I was going to kill myself if I did this race
with the injury and she said besides pain I'm not doing any
significant damage. Obviously other than the 'regular' damage that
comes from such an event. That's what I needed to hear. I can mentally
prepare for pain, I have 17 hours to finish, and making each cut off
staying on the course is basically the goal for any race of this
distance. It's all about just getting to the finish.

Getting To The Finish

A month to go before my 3rd Ironman in less than 2 years and I can see the finish line. I don't want to do another, maybe not for a decade or two. It is hard to find motivation after being what seems like permanently signed up for a race for the past 5 years.

I am swimming and biking and running, at distances that are almost laughable with a month to go before an Ironman. I can swim for 30 mins great, bike for 2 hours no problem, and run 3 miles at under an 8 minute pace easy. That is seriously where my training is at. Experts say to gradually add distance, that's great, but I'm about to load on some serious mileage just to hope to make it across this one more finish line. I'll have decades to taper after this ride.

Bike

So that crazy Trek ninja tri bike cost $9,000. That's the most frustrating thing about triathlons, it is expensive, and price can translate to performance. I have no idea what type of space technology is on that bike or just how much faster it can go, but I don't think there is any other sport that has such a pay for performance trade off. It doesn't seem fair.

Consider that bike costs nearly 7x as much as my bike, and my bike came with shoes and a helmet. Factor in that of the 140.6 miles in a triathlon 112 are biking. In a time breakdown it is about 60% of your tri day sitting on a bike. If I bought the best swim goggles it might cost $30 more dollars. If I bought the best running shoes it might cost $75 more dollars. Even Lance Armstrong says it is not about the bike. I say it is a little bit about the bike.

The Race

2008 Big 10 Indoor Track Championships

Guess How Much

For Jeff

I haven't been posting a lot because I haven't been working out a lot.
And my ironman is next month.

Here is the thing about my 3rd ironman - mentally I need 2 weeks,
physically I should have started 3 months ago. Work, life and other
activities have taken the place of what in my first ironman would have
been nerves and fear, training for an unknown monster race. I know
this race. More importantly, I know my body. I can do this race now
based on will, one month of crazy mountain training and I can do this
race right.

As for having a phenomenal day and
race, I need God more than I need to be training to do it on my own.

If you haven't seen "The Book of Eli" it's got a great message - "It's
not just a book, it's a WEAPON!"

Insane Downhill Bike Race in Chile

Insane Downhill Bike Race in Chile

You Never Forget How

The stickers and tags? I haven't ridden since Ironman Florida. That's
going to change. I'm turning my weakness into my strength.

IRONMAN TEXAS

HELP ME

Seriously Fast Food

I am doing my best to get a Chick-fil-A sponsorship. Here is my latest effort.

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Story/Stories?ID=426

2011 Houston Marathon

There is one race photo that I love more than any of my others, my first Ironman finish photo. It is just an awesome display of emotion. But, I have never had a group of photos from one specific race display so much of the struggle. In every one of my photos, none of them am I making this race look easy. I was pushing the entire race, apparently that's how you annihilate your personal best time.

Making the Paper

I didn't get first place, but I am really excited to get 449!

Record Breaking

I had never run under 4 hours in a marathon. Today, I broke the 4 hour mark for the first time, with a couple minutes to spare, half an hour to spare.

I finished 3:30:27!

Mega Mind

Tomorrow is the marathon. This will be my 3rd Houston Marathon and 10th 26 or + mile running race. Tomorrow my body won't be my greatest strength, it's my mind. Running is the only sport I feel I can use that to my advantage, when you make up your mind you don't want to quit, what the body wants becomes irrelevant. But, only for so long.

The Houston Marathon is generally a flat, fast course and pace runners are out there, meaning a guy with a stick showing his pace lets everyone know how fast he is running the marathon. I'm going to do what I've never done, do what made Prefontaine famous, start out way too fast. I'm going to start running with the 3 hour marathon pace group, an hour faster pace than my fastest marathon ever.

My body can't last the entire marathon at that pace, no way. But to give up on that pace I'll have to fall back and watch as they run past. As soon as the race starts I'll have a 3 hour timer counting down and it's up to my mind to put off self preservation as long as it can.

Quick Who is This Guy?

He is the first US runner to break 1 hr (59:43) in the half marathon. He also has the fastest time ever by an American at the Boston Marathon, and that only got him 4th place. I can get his autograph at the Houston Marathon Expo, but I really don't want to wait in line with 3 other people. Poor guy is at the top of his sport, I wonder if he ever thought about football or basketball?

Marathon

I keep forgetting I am running a marathon this weekend. That's something I probably should be thinking more about. I have been resting rather than training. It has been 3 months since I went any serious amount of distance. I think my knee wanted some time off, but it is about to get a jolt on Sunday.

Doesn't Get Any Easier

I am running a marathon in 2 weeks. Time to start training.

The other day I went for a long run. I got about 16 miles and needed a taxi to pick me up and get me back home. Apparently, I still need to do some work to stay in ultra endurance mode.

6 Degree Run