"Dream, Believe, Succeed"

"Dream, Believe, Succeed"...those are the words I read on Chris McCormack's (Macca) blog this morning.  Three simple words that really resonate with where I am in my life right now.  They are words that I need to repeat every morning when I wake up and every night before I fall asleep.  They are words that I need to repeat to my daughters, so they know that anything is possible.  They are words to live by and words that will not only help me in my journe to Ironman, but also my journey through this life.

The past few days have been exhausting, that is the only word that I can think to accurately sum up Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  EXHAUSTING!  Friday was supposed to be a swim-only day because I was just feeling tired from the days leading up to it (did a five mile, very hilly run on Thursday).  I hadn't gotten more than five hours of sleep in any of the two nights prior and I just wanted to take it somewhat easy.  I guess I got my wish of taking it easy...I slept through my alarm and didn't get out of bed until 5:45AM.  DAMN!  Looks like the swim was off.  I think that was my bodies way of telling me to take a day off and relax, which is pretty much what I did.

Saturday was a whole different story.  I awoke to find that the much talked about snow storm was in full effect and it was looking like I was going to be doing a bit of snow shoveling.  Around 11:00AM, I went outside and spend about an hour shoveling our driveway, front walk and back deck.  About a half-hour into the shoveling, my back was already starting to get sore.  45 minutes and my shoulders were aching.  When I was finally done, all I wanted to do was eat some lunch and lay down.  What happened instead was my daughters wanted to come out and play in the snow.  So out they came and for the next hour we ran around, made snow angels, build an igloo/tunnel and just had fun. (pictures will be posted later)

I wish that it could have all been fun and games for the entire day, but around 3:30PM I knew that I had to get a long run in since I have a half-marathon to run next Sunday.  So I threw on my trail running shoes and my cold weather running gear and headed out for a 10 mile run in the snow.  It was slow going because of my lack of solid traction; I felt like for every four steps forward I was only going maybe two or three, my feet slipping in the snow.  I figured that this ten mile run would be like running 13 based on my effort....at least that is how I justified my slow pace.  I ran from my house into the Borough of Doylestown, a route that allowed me to run on streets that didn't have a lot of traffic on them. 

The Good Deed - Once in town, I spotted a station wagon that was struggling to make it up a bit of a hill and was in jeopardy of gettign stuck in the middle of an intersection.  I hustled over to it and tried pushing it, but nothing doing.  Then another guy hopped out of his car and offered to help me push this strangers car.  A couple of heavy-ho's and off the station wagon went.  That little act put the biggest smile on my face.  That is all I have to say about that.

The rest of the run was slow going.  My legs were sore, joints were aching, and my mind was starting to get filled with doubt.  I just wanted to get home and take a hot shower.  I ended up finishing up my 10 mile run in 1:28 (8:48/mile), not horrible considering the conditions.  With some better traction under foot, I think that pace is closer to 8:00/mile.

Sunday was supposed to be a 5.3 mile race down in Tyler, but it was cancelled.  Sunday was supposed to include a 1,500M swim, but I was tired.  Sunday was supposed to be a free-for-all-eat-fest, and unfortunately it was.  Let me just say that when you make a full plate of nachos, a ton of homemade french fries, and a platter of pigs-in-a-blanket, it is best to do so when surrounded by a bunch of burly guys who will eat their share.  What you shouldn't do is make all of the above food and then expected your tiny wife and two young daughters to eat their share, because what ends up happening is that I ate my share plus their share and still fell as though my body is breaking down all of the fat and pasting it to the walls of my abdomen.  Too much food and not enough people.

As for today, I was good.  I woke up at 4:50AM and laid there until my alarm went off at 5:00AM.  I did my morning things, go the the gym and was in the pool just before 6:00AM.  It was pretty empty, good for me!.  I banged out 1,500M and even though I was sore as hell, I was happy with my effort. 

That leaves me where I am now, procrastinating, knowing that I have a ton of work to do today, but not wanting to get started.  I will now stop abruptly and get to it.  Goodbye!

Afternoon Update:  Lunchtime run, 4.58 miles in 35:43 (7:48/mile), 160 BPM.  I ran the first two miles with Chris and despite my desire to run at an easy pace (~8:15/mile would have been good), we averaged 7:50/mile.  He continued on and did a 6.5 mile run, while I turned and headed back to the office.  I maintained that same pace for the rest of my run, with the exception being the last .58 miles where I ran at 7:28 pace.  I felt really good and didn't feel like I was killing myself.  This coming Sunday should be interesting with the half-marathon at Tyler.  It is going to be tough, but I am nearly ready.

Terrible Tyler 9.3 Miles

Never has a race been so appropriately named as the Terrible Tyler 9.3M.  The fact that it is run on paved paths through Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA would lead most not familiar with the park to think that it is a beautiful and scenic run through a lush and magical forest (maybe lush and magical is really pouring it on, but you get the point).  Anyone who has run in Tyler knows that there are few easy trails and most border on extremely hilly and steep.  Well, Sunday was the day of the race and I thought I was ready for it...I thought I was ready.

I had a good nights sleep, close to eight hours which is unheard of for me.  I hopped out of bed around 7:15AM and headed to the kitchen to fix myself a bagel with jelly, which would serve as my pre-race meal.  My wife came down shortly after and around 7:45AM my two little ones finally emerged from their bedrooms.  My wife and I couldn't believe that the whole house had made it past 7:00AM, especially the girls.  Anyway, after finishing breakfast, I threw on my cold running gear since the temperature outside was still in the teens, and it wasn't likely to warm up anytime soon.

Wow!  My one mile warm-up was COLD!  Everything was freezing, I mean literally freezing.....snot, spit, drool, tears....all of it was freezing on contact.  It was going to be one cold race today.   9:30AM came all too quickly, I had found a spot near the fire to warm-up and BAMN, time to head to the start. 

I felt surprisingly good for the first 2.5 miles (for the most part all uphill), the whole time I kept reminding myself to leave some fuel in the tank for the second loop, which starts out with a one mile long steep uphill climb (thus where the name "Terrible Tyler" derives from).  After getting to the top the next 2.8 miles was mostly downhill and I was able to cruise for a bit, preparing myself for the BIG hill. 

At the 5.3 mile mark (the Start/Finish location), I grabbed a cup of very strong Gatorade, downed it quickly, cleared my sinuses and took a couple of deep breathes.  I knew what lay before me and it deserved all of the respect that I could give it.  I thought that I had prepared myself, I thought that I was ready to go strong up the hill and pass some people, I thought I would be able to just crush that hill.  I was hurting. I was weak. I was wrong.   Despite how badly I was feeling, I made a promise to myself that I would not walk one step up that friggin' hill; no matter how tired or dejected I felt, I wouldn't allow myself to walk.  I kept trudging along, keeping my head up and pushing.  It felt like the longest mile I had ever run, but I made it to the top and then it was time to start making up time.

My legs were feeling heavy and I didn't think that I was going to be able to come close to my PR I set two year prior.  I was at the point where I needed to make a decsion, do I push on and run as hard as I could to try and get close to 1:07 or 1:08 or do I just coast in and chalk it up as a good training run?  I opted to push on hard and see how fast I could run it.  My Garmin was a bit off mileage wise (lots of tree cover that skews the mileage, usually cutting corners, etc.) so it was tough for me to gauge how well or badly I was really doing, so I really had no clue how far I had left.  

The last three miles is probably 80% downhill, but it still was tough going.   With my quads feeling as sore as they were, what should have an easy cruise down the mountain was more like jack-hammer pounding session.  I pushed on.  About a half mile from the finish I had some one in my sights that I thought I could catch, he would be my target, the one that would pull me along.  (there I am about 50 yds behind my target)

About 200 yards from the finish I was able to catch and pass him (Thank God!) and held him off to finish in 1:07:10 (7:13/mile).  I was surprised that I was able to do so well considering how slow and heavy I felt the last loop.  I was happy with the result even though I didn't beat my time of 2008 (1:06:35).  It was a bitterly cold day and I ran as hard as I could.

I would spend the rest of the day laying around the house.  I was tired!

Monday
As for today, I was up bright and early to get in a swim at HealthQuest.  I think I was in the pool by 5:50AM, sore legs and all.  I managed 1,450M in 30:27, which consisted of a 400M warm up, a 50 - 200M ladder (up and down) and then a 250M cool down.  I didn't realize until I was adding it all up in my head on my way to work that I should have just done and extra 50M at the end to make 1,500M....but that is really just a number and I shouldn't be too concerned about it.

I would like to get out at lunch today and do an easy 4 miles, but I think I have lunch plans.  I am thinking about skipping out on the lunch though since I don't know when I am going to fit work outs in over the next few days.  I have an all day Leadership Meeting both Tuesday and Wednesday, which happen to also include dinners.  Looks like no swimming those days, but I will have to get up early and get on my bike before getting the kids to school and then off to work.

Time to build some web pages....Peace out!

Growing Gills

I have been a swimming fiend the past week or so.  I have made it a point to get to the pool every chance that I can get, well not exactly every chance but at least on my way to work every day.  One of my primary goals for this off-season is to get better in the water, which shouldn't be difficult since I have started so early in the year.  In all of my previous years of triathlon I haven't stepped foot in water until Memorial Day at the very earliest, but normally not until July 1st to be more realistic.  That didn't leave me with a whole lot of time to get ready for my first race....I was always completely gassed after the swim leg of the NJ State Triathlon.

This are going to be different this year, I am going to transform the swim portion of the triathlon from a suffer-fest into a almost-strength.  I am going to emerge from the water fresh and ready to crush the bike.  Am I going to turn into Mark Spitz (had to show my age a bit....Michael Phelps would have been the easy choice)?  Will I be growing gills?  Hell no, but I am not going to be the guy in the water who is simply looking to avoid drowning and getting out of the water (who am I kidding....that will always be me).

So what has happened since my last post....Friday I got in a solid 1,100M swim along with a 4.3 mile run (8:00/mile pace).  Saturday I opted to rest since I had a race on Sunday, plus me and the family headed down to Lavallette, NJ to see my 'rents.  It was great to head up to the beach and see the ocean.  I took some pictures with my new camera, I will have to post some when I get home. 

Sunday, as is always the case in the winter, is race day.  I had the Honest Abe 4.6 Mile in Tyler State Park, another Sunday of ascents and descents.  I arrived at the race site about 40 minutes before the start and decided to do a two mile warm-up along the creek.  Why two miles?  Well, I usually do a 1/2 mile for the longer races and a mile for the shorter, but since I have a 15K next weekend and a half-marathon in three weeks, I thought it would be good to get some extra miles in just to be better prepared.  As for the actually race?  It was a tough one, I wasn't feeling all that fresh.  My legs were a bit sore and my breathing a bit labored.  About three miles into it I decided that I was going to just hold on and take it easy the rest of the way.  My hamstrings were finally feeling better and I didn't want to risk hurting myself so early in the year.  I ended up finishing in 31:29 (6:50/mile), much better than I could have expected...and with me not pushing myself for the last 1.6 miles.  I looked back at my times for this same course over the past two years and I was only about 15 seconds off those times.  So I would say that immediately following the race I was a little bummed that I couldn't have finished stronger, but now looking back I am very pleased with my effort and hope to put in a good performance this coming weekend.

Yesterday was a pool day, 1,100M of back and forth in the H2O.  I tried to swim a bit farther with less rest.  I think I managed a 300M stretch where my arms didn't turn to spaghetti (yee haw!).  I decided not to run at lunch because I was a bit sore from the Sunday race and the fact that is was a friggin' monsoon out there.  I planned to get on my bike and put in 30 minutes and just loosen up my legs after the girls went to bed, but that didn't happen either.  I was just too tired and I think I fell asleep by around 10:00PM.

Today I was up at 5:00AM, and in the pool by 5:50AM.  I swam the farthest yet this year, 1,250M (25:58) and had a good time doing it.  I did a 400M warm-up and then did 12 x 50M w/:15 rest (averaged just under 1:00/100M).  I finished with a very slow and easy 250M.  Lunch time is probably going to be a 4 - 5 mile run with the guys (or solo).

That's it for now.....looking forward to getting in two to three more days in the pool this week and hoping that I begin to grow some gills soon.   Ciao!