Cry For Help

There is a real point I have crossed. I would imagine it is the same point someone would get to when they realize rehab is the only answer, I need help. You can stop and look back and just think, how did I get to this point, how did this snowball so quickly?

I am going to Ft. Worth to run in Saturday's ultra marathon. I didn't register in advance, I am just going to sign up on race day. 6 a.m. buy a bib number, put it on and subject myself to 31 miles... of fun.

Where is the clinic?

Becoming Bunsen Honeydew

I think I like what I am doing, what I am trying to do, but I can really see the line. I don't know what I am searching for in books and articles about becoming better at this sport, simply a story about survival and what limb to cut off first I suppose. It is clear though, you better become a scientist if you want to improve.

I do this because it is fun but getting better at it is a world of complication that requires tests and lab studies using numbers and terms like: aerobic capacity (ability to transport oxygen to working muscles), lactate threshold (level of exertion at which the blood lactate level begins to increase), VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use to fuel exercise), pedal cadence (I had to look up the word 'cadence' in a dictionary) and just trying to make sense out of Lance Armstrong maintaining a steady heart rate—just a hair below his lactate threshold heart rate, which for him is an inhuman 178 to 180 bpm—for a long duration of up to two hours.

It is all very interesting, if you are trying to win an Olympic medal. I think I just want to have done it, first or last place.

Believe In The Run

And some other signs will make you run faster and farther too...

Encouragement

Encouragement can make you do big things.

Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen

Two More Miles

It really isn't good to get an email with race updates less than 24 hours before start time:

"In an effort to make sure that we have the safest ride possible, the Katy Police Department asked that we do a minor change to our routes at the beginning of the ride. We have done so but the change added approximately 2 miles to each route. We now are riding 28, 46 and 70 mile routes."

Today I went for a bike ride, 70 miles. For those keeping track at home, 14 miles longer than I have ever gone. Today had about 15-20 mph winds. Luckily, we were only dead into the wind for about miles 50-60. I finished at about 5 hours and 15 minutes. I stopped at all 5 rest stops and had about 4 hours and 30 minutes of actual ride time.

The question you ask yourself after such an event is, could I have gone 42 more miles, completing the 112 mile ride in the IRONMAN. Also, you think about how you feel at the finish of that ride knowing you have a marathon to run after that. Oh, and to start the day you have to swim 2.4 miles.

But that is really a rhetorical question.

Wile E. Coyote

I have been signed up for a little over 6 months, I have another 6 months to go and not until this week have I had this bad feeling.

I feel like the race is an anvil hanging above my head.

Training Wheels

Yesterday I did something I normally only do in a big triathlon, I rode my bike. I did a 46 mile race and the only positive I can take from the day was that I didn't have to walk my bike. About mile 36 my legs said adios, which turned out to be a little early not only because there were 10 miles left but the final 3 miles were basically completely uphill. The road bike is an evil invention. If you want to know uncomfort just sit on a bike seat for an extended amount of time.

I probably should admit myself or rethink the 68 mile ride next Saturday.

Advice

I am at a bit at an impasse. I am running out of events. Every event has led to a bigger event and the next challenge of completion. There are a couple events that are basically good training, but none that can ramp up to the feat of an Ironman. I have done a half-Ironman, and could continue to do them, however, there is no event that is a 3/4 Ironman. I am basically left with distance training on my own. I don't really care about distances, but hours.

Basically, in the Ironman I am going to expect an hour and a half swim, seven hour bike, and five hour run. I think a finish under 13:30 is going be exceptional. I have a total of 17 hours before the cutoff.

I am finding advice everywhere. I think once you have done a bunch of races and signed up your email address at enough spots, you get bombarded with tips, tricks and advice. I knew I would have a lot of swimming, biking and running, but it seems I have just as much reading to do.

From The Book

As this year promises one the world's toughest events, I think a verse helps to set the feet ablaze. Let me know if you have a good one.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Hebrews 12:1, NLT

Graphs, Charts, and Photos

The only thing that is missing is a pie chart. See if you can tell which photo was taken last in the running of the race.

1593rd Place

I came in 1593rd place in the Houston Marathon. 1260th place in the male division. My goal next year is to make the paper. The Houston Chronicle lists the top 1000 finishers in both the male and female division. 1000th place was around 3:53:00 this year.

Whenever I think about making the paper, falling short of my goal this year, the first thing that comes to mind is the Tebow press conference.

A Minute 56 Seconds Late

It is painful to come up short of a goal. I know by a shade under 2 minutes. The same 2 minutes, only 2 hours earlier, that the Houston Marathon winner was short of his goal, setting the fastest marathon time on U.S. soil. While Merga set the course record and I set a personal record, and that is where the similarities pretty much end, I do like his quote:

"I really tried to get the record," Merga said through a translator of his attempt to run under 2:05:42, "I can run better next year."

The Elevator

As Katherine and I got on the hotel elevator at 5 a.m. to head down to the race start, the elevator stopped on a floor below. A small African runner got on. He was about 6 inches shorter than me, looked a bit like he was made of toothpicks and was wearing a Kenya national track suit.

"Are you going to win?" I asked.

"Maybe." He shyly said tugging on his skull cap.

Needless to say, we didn't see him after that - at the start, during or at the finish of the race. He placed 4th. Unfortunately for him, Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga broke the 20-year-old Chevron Houston Marathon course record by more than two minutes.

I don't have my official results, but I think the course record is safe at 2:07:52.

The Prize Fighter

The day before any big race spectacular is very interesting. I think of a boxer and wonder how can they sleep before a fight, basically knowing you can call the hospital today and check yourself in for tomorrow. The similarity is that in both you have absolute certainty that tomorrow will be painful. The fascination in race day is that if you run long enough, far and past the pain, elation lies just ahead.