Runnin' with the Kenyans

On this beautiful Sunday morning close to 5,000 runners gathered in north Austin for the point-to-point start of the 3M Half Marathon. Having done my first threshold interval session of the season just this past Wednesday with my buddy Pat, I was not quite sure how the legs would respond to a hard 13 mile effort. Awaking at 5:00 am I was excited to get a snap shot of my run fitness as it would provide good insight as to what areas I need to foucs for my upcoming IMAZ prep. Several of my friends would be running and the weather was mild enough to make a go at it with no extra layers. After a decent warm-up I made sure to position myself at the front as this has been a mistake I have made in the past with a slow start. My mind was ready for the suffering and I was ready to roll in my Spira Stingers, Team Sport Beans/NTTC lime green Coolmax tee and Jelly Belly visor. Looking around pre the gun I noticed several Kenyans who were part of Spira's elite running team. It was cool to see each of us sporting our black and yellow kicks. My goal time for the race was sub 1:10, but more importantly I wanted to run hard enough at the start to put myself in a good position. The horn sounded and we were off. A fast group quickly formed at the front as I found myself in a small chase pack. I knew it was going to hurt, but I had to drop back as I could not sustain the pace of these guys. Through the first 5K I ran 15:47...can I hold this pace?? As the race progressed I found some rhythm and settled in a bit. The first part of the course was mostly flat as it twisted through the north Austin neighborhoods. One of my goals was to make tactical decisions as needed. Shortly after the halfway mark, one of the professional men came up on my shoulder and we stayed together for about a mile. He was able to gap me on a downhill going into a turn and I thought, "Okay, time to be tactcial and respond." I shifted my focus to a quicker cadence and over the next couple of miles I noticed I was bridging the gap. By about the 9.5 mile marker I had successfully caught and dropped him. I knew there was a group working hard behind me and continued to press the pace. Approaching a set of small rollers my legs really began to feel the effects as my pace slowed. By the 10 mile mark I was beginning to hear what I already suspected: the lead professional women. I soon found myself running shoulder to shoulder between two Kenyans, both of whom are Spira sponsored athletes. We worked hard as a group of three with one or two just behind us as our Stingers danced along the road. Even though I was running stride for stride with some strong runners my ego flared up a bit as I thought, "Oh no, I don't want to get chicked." I made a little surge and brought one of the ladies with me, Jacquline Nyetipe. We stayed together over the final two miles and she was kind enough to apologize for bumping me on a turn. As we approached the finish line I backed down a bit so she could enjoy a "clean" finish. All said and done I was pleased with my effort of 1:09:40.

The crowd support was great and the race featured quite a bit of entertainment to keep us moving. It has given both me and Zane a good idea of my strengths and weaknesses with respect to my run at the moment.

Keep it smooth...

Bomb Run

For years I have heard about the famed "Bomb Run" in Austin headed up by running icon Gilbert Tuhabonye. It is a weekly run featuring some of Austin's top runners and triathletes. The distance and terrain vary from week to week and today's run was a 10 miler over paved roads and portions of Town Lake Trail. With the rain and cold temps only six of us gathered for the 6:00 am start. I can understand the need to get this run rolling as the summer months bring heat & humidity, but why such an early start in the darkness of a January morning!?! My goal was to be patient, wise and leave my ego in bed. Upon meeting Gilbert and the group at RunTex in downtown Austin I knew I was in good company. My buddy and fellow triathlete Pat Evoe was in attendance along with four other capable runners. Gilbert has a humorous nature about him as he proceeded to tell me he would be toeing the line at IM Arizona with a goal time of 8:45 or 9:00 as it was an early season race. He has an incredible story, so be sure to check out his website.

We made our way into the quiet early morning darkness with good chatter at a comfortable 7:30ish pace. This was a great way to warm the body in anticpation of the "bomb" to come later. Our pace gradually increased to 6:45-6:15 through mile 5. Gilbert advised us to "drop the bomb" over the final 4-5 miles. Not knowing exactly where we were I was content to sit on the heels of Pat and two other guys. At the 6 mile mark, one guy proceeded to go off the front while our pace made a significant change. Said "bomb" was being dropped. The lead runner was 100-150 meters in front as I decided to up my effort and keep him within that distance. I figured I would really have to find another gear to bridge up to him and I suspect at the time we were clipping off 5:40-5:45 miles. The final two miles continued with me in that position and it was a good indication my run fitness is coming around. All said and done, it was a great run and excellent way to get in a solid 10 miler when most folks were just diving into a cup of coffee. I think I will now dive into bed for a nap!

Keep it smooth...

Swimming Under the Lights

Thought I'd drop a brief note from Austin. Weather was beautiful on my Monday arrival and decent yesterday. It's great to be able to train sans all the extra layers with the mild temps. I had a sweet set of hill repeats yesterday up Mt. Bonnell and a swim at Old Stacey outdoor pool in the early evening. It was cool swimming under their lights in the 33 and change yard pool. This morning was 6:30 am masters at UT which is always a treat to swim in their facility. A bit of downtime before getting in a nice run and ride. Terra and Zane are such great friends and a pleasure to hang with.

Thanks for checking in & keep it smooth...

Winter Riding Part II

Awaking to a vast blue sky with plenty of sunshine and what seemed to be calm winds I decided it would be a splendid day to ride OUTSIDE! After a leisurely breakfast I walked over to the gym to get in my preventive PT exercises. This would allow the mercury to creep into the upper 30s. I opted for the full booties and it was a good choice with the winds a tad stronger than what my protected balcony view revealed. Riding out of town along the rolling hills of 36 I was surprised to not see more cyclists out on the road. Did they all get out before me or were they warming themselves at Amante? Despite the steady headwind I enjoyed the solitude of this brisk winter morning. I kept thinking "Oh man it will be sweet to get a tailwind once I make my turn away from the mountains." Upon making said turn I found yet another headwind. Niiiice.

As I pack for my training camp in Austin I reluctantly include the cold weather crap as history tells me I might just need the extra warmth. I'm hoping to keep it all buried in my Rudy Project roller bag for the duration of my visit. Coach Zane tells me the fellas are already talking smack. Can't wait to get in the mix.

Keep it smooth...

Winter Riding

Sitting in a meeting this morning I was thinking how great it would be to ride OUTSIDE later in the day. After lunch I dusted off my trusty road bike and donned the appropriate gear for the comfortable 40 degree weather. Pshh...not too long into my ride a few flakes began to fall as the snow clouds rolled down from the mountains. I soon found myself riding in the midst of a snow squall. Sweet! I can't decide what hurts more on the face: rain, hail or driving snow. It felt like tiny needles against my cheeks. Needless to say it took a mug of hot chocolate and soak in the hot tub to get back the warmth. Well at least I should not have to contend with this next week down in Austin!

DITCH FITCH! That's my thought as I read an article detailing A&F's newest t-shirt slogans for kids, "Make love, not babies" and "Awkward mornings beat boring nights". I'm no fuddy-duddy but I do believe this sends an unhealthy message to young people. Not surprising though as A&F is known for its controversial ad campaigns.

Keep it smooth...

Research v Reality

Most of my friends know outside of triathlon I visit various schools and church youth groups promoting the message of abstinence. I am currently the only approved abstinence presenter for the Boulder Valley School District. This afternoon I was in the gym and my friend Joanna asked my thoughts about a front-page article in Boulder's Sunday paper revealing the State of Colorado has declined federal funding for any abstinence-only education. She was curious as to my take on this. The article in our Daily Camera referenced a study indicating the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only education. While I find research and statistics to be of value, they can easily be manipulated for a specific agenda. While some stand firm abstinence-only education does not work based upon a particular study, there are others who will argue it does waving the results of a different study in their hands. As a former director of a crisis pregnancy center, a middle school & high school coach and teacher and someone who has interacted with teens across the country from my speaking this much I know: Today's young people deserve a better kind of love than Jerry Springer has to offer.

Our teens and young adults are the ones most impacted by those making public policy and if you were to ask a middle or high school student what message they prefer you might just be surprised. I believe abstinence is the healthiest option as it offers protection for the complete person: physically, emotionally and socially. If comprehensive health education is going to be taught, as it is within the Boulder Valley School District, all components should be addressed equally. Abstinence eduation should be presented along with contracepion. Unfortunately, many "comprehensive" health education models are left to the discretion of the individual teacher and it is quite likely abstinence is not given due discussion.

Interestingly, over the past several years the Center for Disease Control has changed its language on their website and what was once called "safe sex" is now referred to as "safer sex". This comes on the heels of an abundance of research on the effectiveness of condoms. I am not going to throw out a bunch of stats or reference any studies. I simply know there is no condom, jam, jelly, pill, plug or drug to protect a young person's heart. We live in a sex-saturated society that is constantly hitting our teens over their heads with a sexual sledge hammer. While some argue kids are simply going to "do it" (as evidenced by the Portland Maine school board's recent decision to provide contraception to middle school kids as young as 11 without parental consent/notification) I believe our young people have the ability and skills to practice abstinence. They do have more self-control than the family pet, don't they? I do not tell kids to repress their sexuality and bury it into the ground. It is a gift which should be guarded, treasured and protected. Ultimately, parents are the primary educators and I often encourage them to keep up on current trends, especially with STIs (also known as STDs; seems as it is more politically correct to reference STIs) as we are in the midst of an epidemic. It's a different game being played today than perhaps when you were in school with over 25 different sexually transmitted diseases. Many of these, like HPV, have multiple strains. If I had a young daughter or son I'd be damn open with my discussion on sex. Too much damange can be done if simply left to MTV or an over-burdened teacher to be the main source of information.

Abstinence education is not about squashing a person's sexuality, but rather preserving it for the future.

Warm & Windy

After several weeks of cold weather and snow, we had a brief reprieve the last couple of days with temps reaching into the mid to upper 50s. Of course, there was plenty of wind with that warm weather (yesterday gusting 35-40mph) and I opted to continue the love affair with my CompuTrainer despite the warmer temps. My body is responding well to the extended base phase and strength training, although the early season race schedule is still pending. I am looking forward to my annual pilgrimage to Austin for a couple of weeks leaving on 1/14. They have been having some stellar weather and I'm hoping it holds through the end of January. It will be great to train with the crew in Austin and spend time with Coach Z and Terra. As I glance out the window it is once again snowing...just in time for outdoor swim practice!

May 2008 bring you good health & happiness!

Keep it smooth...

Holiday Shuffle

After a stellar week celebrating the Christmas holiday with family & friends in Michigan I returned to snowy Boulder late Wednesday evening. I had a hoot with my nieces and nephews, catching up with friends and feasting on some of my mom's tasty eats. Oh yeah, I did manage to get in a few good swims and runs.

As much as I enjoy seeing my family, it is always refreshing to return home (yes, I do refer to Boulder as home) and get back into the training, etc. Seeing several friendly faces around the gym has been great and this morning I doned my YakTrax for a sweet hill workout with a few folks. Amanda & Michael dished up a spicy little session and while my lungs were burning from the 11 degree temp, the snow covered mountains and blue sky provided some excellent scenery.

2008 is just around the corner and I am looking forward to what it brings! One of my goals is to learn how to salsa, hip-hop or ballroom dance. Wish me luck ;)

Keep it smooth...

Back in Motown

Motown, Hockeytown, the Motor City...all nicknames for Detroit. My flight arrived with no glitches Wednesday evening and it's great to be back. My family is gathering for our Christmas gig Saturday afternoon with the Christmas cheer lasting until the last little kid is standing :) Planning to go to one of my niece's soccer tournaments Saturday morning, sledding, snow ball fighting or bowling with the band of kiddos during the day then meeting up at my parents house late afternoon. Catching up with friends tonight at a Chritmas party hosted by my friend smokin' Joe Deighan. It will be great to see the crew from BD's Mongo Multisport Team.

Training has included a couple of swims and plan to run & hit the gym today. I had a fun social swim with my buddy Dennis at the local Y yesterday and this morning a solid session with my Dad at his swim club. I am super proud of my Dad for starting his swim program and he is rocking it after just four weeks. Like most of us he has his routine and it was fun to be part of it this morning.

Keep it smooth...

Triathlon Training 101

Upon reading Chuckie V's article at xtri this morning I was motivated to relfect on my training and what I deem a productive training model. I will premise my thoughts by stating I do not have any formal education on training principles and no degrees in kinesiology or human biomechanics. My training philosophies, if you will, have grown from the past eight years I have spent chasing a dream and the 15 years or so I spent chasing a soccer ball.

My foundational belief on how to be successful in and outside of sport is simplicity. I see and hear of far too many athletes who spend countless hours scrutinizing training data found on the web and magazines. (Some spend too much time scrutinizing other things on different kinds of websites and magazines, but I'll save that for another post). As Chuckie expresses in his article, debating about heart rate (HR) monitor versus power or how to utilize both is simply "icing on the cake". As a professional triathlete I have invested in these tools and do find value with them in my development. However, when it comes down to it I simply need to do the work - with or without my Ergomo and HR monitor. Gordo and his "good guys" group affectionally call it JFT.

Running is my strength within the three disciplines of triathlon. Having posted a 1:13 half IM run split and 2:53 marathon in Kona several folks have asked me about my running. It seems as though they are thinking I might share a special workout or secret tip. The reality is I simply try to be as consistent as possible with my training which includes taking care of the little things (recovery, fueling, rest, stretching, massage therapy, etc.). This past year when limited to water running I put in the work (which included a 2 hour deep water run) to help maintain my "feel" for running. It is also quite likely my years of playing soccer as a kid through college provdided a foundation for running. I have never received any formal run training. Actually, I used to think to myself when I saw someone jogging, "What a moron."

Boulder is certainly a unique place to live & train...the town oozes of athleticism, creativity, beauty...With this is the reality athletes often look at what so and so is doing and compare it to their training. It should not matter if I choose to swim with a masters group or on my own. It should not matter if Lilly does speed work with a group or bikes long on Tuesdays. What matters is each of us simply gets our arses out the door and trains.

There is an African proverb which reads: Every morning in Africa a gazelle awakes knowing it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa a lion awakes knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. Whether you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up you better be running.

Keep it smooth...

The Giving Season or Silly Season

So here we are with yet another Christmas/holiday season upon us. Holiday parties, lights, parades, office parties and beer miles dot the calendar and consume our weekends. I'm all for the festive mood, but embark upon it with the goal of keeping it sane. For many people this time of year triggers a whirl of emotions, both healthy & unhealthy. One of my goals in closing out the year is to walk with humility and avoid getting caught up in the "loudness" of the season. Don't get me wrong, I am all for spreading good cheer. As a matter of fact my roommate and I are doing just that in a couple of weeks. (Any of you reading who have not RSVPd please do so :) I will spend Christmas with my family back in Michigan which is always a hoot and I look forward to mixing it up with my eleven nieces and nephews. Beyond the commercialism of the next few weeks, I find the connection with family and friends to be the crux of it all.

Keep it smooth...

Called Out

In fulfilling my obligations of being tagged, I am sorry to admit I committed a blogging foul. It appears my friend Kurt (www.stageracer.blogspot.com) has called me out on the sandbagging of the beer mile. Was it a true sandbagging....hmmm....my last quarter was clocked at 1:21 by Matt Reed acting as a non-partisan observer. My drinking splits were most likely triple that...at least!

So, in lieu of this I will retract my sandbagging revelation for this sparsely known fact: I was on the homecoming court my senior year in college (Albion College - home of the Britons).

Meeting up with a few of the fellas for a "conversational-paced" run in north Boulder.

Keep it smooth...

I've Been Tagged

Apparently there is a cyber game of tag being played within the blogger community and my friend Kerrie was kind enough to "tag" me. At least she was friendly and didn't "karate chop" me as she did recently via Facebook. Yes, I am guilty of having an account. It will take me a while to figure it all out though. Ok, back to the game of tag. I am supposed to list 5 random things about me and then tag some other peeps. Hmmm...what to share and what not to share....

1. I once keyed a cop car.
2. I sandbagged the beer mile.
3. As a kid my backyard had 4 apple trees, 1 pear tree, 1 plum tree, 1 peach tree, strawberry bushes and raspberry bushes.
4. I am not a fan of the domesticated feline species.
5. I am a sucker for Peanut M&M's, especially when frozen.

Now who to tag...

Mark because he might reveal how much running he really does.
Michael because his wife was already tagged and he has nothing better to do at the moment.
Zane because he is worse than I am at updating his blog.
Matt because he is going to win the Tour CLEAN.
Glen because he played basketball for the New Zealand National Team.

Catching Up

I have once again been a bit flaky with my updates, not that my world has been super busy lately. It has been great to get back to some low-end training. Just today I commented to my massage therapist, Kelly (www.kellyliljeblad.com), how I was starting to feel like an athlete again. I am loving the early morning yoga classes and the strength training. My new kicks from Spira (www.spirafootwear.com) are treating me quite well with their responsiveness and comfort. I was back on the FeltB2 for the first time since Kona for a little spin this afternoon and was stoked to have no irritation or tightness in my glute. The plan through November is to keep things tame and allow the body to fully recover/heal before getting more structured and specific as December rolls in.

My beer mile was pretty lame with a time over 12:00 (winning time was 6:40), but I had damn fun socializing between quarters at the "drink zone" with the spectators. I am in need of a new read having finished Kite Runner last week. It was a fantastic book. A couple of movies I want to see include American Gangster and Bella. Perhpas this weekend - any takers?!?

Keep it smooth...

Back On

Well, after three weeks of minimal activity, and I mean minimal :), it is time to unpack my bike, dust off my shoes, find my swim suit & goggles and get back on the training. I have enjoyed getting out on my mountain bike in the sunny, fall weather and look forward to regaining some strength and fitness! Yesterday was day one in the weight room and I like the routine Zane has given me with this phase...lots of variety. Now, if I can only get ride of this damn delayed on-set muscle soreness. Having not run since Kona, I was fairly certain my first run would feel quite foreign, but to my surprise it felt decent. Granted, it was quite the leisurely pace, but the form was smooth and relaxed in my new Spira kicks. Their shoes have been creating a bit of a whirl within the running community and I am stoked to partner with them for 2008. Check them out at www.spirafootwear.com. On the topic of sponsors, I have re-signed with Team Sport Beans/NTTC for 2008. The team will have a couple of new faces on it for 2008 and I am super excited about the upcoming season. More details to follow as our team director finalizes some deals.

It was bliss watching the Lions toy with the Broncos over the weekend. Big boy defensive tackle Rogers rambling for 66 yards after intercepting a weak pass and then stiff arming a Bronco player for the TD...classic ESPN highlight! Rumor has it another Beer Mile is being held in Boulder this Saturday...hmmm, could provide some good entertainment. For those of you not familiar with the Beer Mile visit www.beermile.com. Perhaps there is one at your local track.

Good luck to those racing Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater this weekend!

Thanks for checking in and as always,

Keep it smooth...

Few Random Photos

Running along Ali'i Drive...
Post race with my support crew
Classic Kona sunset!
Scenery along the "Road to Hana" in Maui

2:53 v 2:42

Crossing paths with Chris McCormack. His 2:42 form looks a heck of a lot more relaxed than my 2:53 form at the moment.

I have been enjoying the three week down time from training and getting my glute healed. The weather has been absolutely amazing since my return from Kona and I have tried to make the most of it with a few hikes and time on the mountain bike. My pre-base training kicks off next Monday. It's always fun to lose some fitness, put on a few pounds and then get back to work. The 7 am yoga class has been refreshing and my body is "unfolding" better than I expected. I am excited about the 2008 season kicking off with IM New Zealand in early March. As the winter weather rolls in I am looking at a few options for a quality block of training during January and early February in a warmer climate. If anyone has some ideas, let me know. At the moment I am considering Austin and Tempe. Kona is also being tossed around.

Happy Halloween and safe trick or treating!

Keep it smooth...

Strained Glut

With some lingering tightness since my return from Kona I made an appointment with PT guru Bob Cranny at Altitude Physical Therapy. I was keen on getting his insight on things and it turns out I have a strained upper glut muscle where it attaches to the lower back. The pain I experienced in Kona was not back related, but the strained glut. Bob initially thought my SI joint was out of whack, but after an evaluation he determined the glut was strained and now healing. At some point I tweaked it in training just before the race, although nothing jumps out at me. I did feel some tightness post my final long ride the week before the race in Kona, which was probably the initial symptom. Anyway, I will have a few more sessions with Bob for ultrasound and continue to stretch & ice it.

A few final thoughts on Kona...

- It is like no other IM event I have raced. The conditions and terrain are unique and the field is loaded with talent. To be top 10 requires a strong, balanced day in all three disciplines. Guys like Patrick Vernay and Michael Lovato did just that on race day...never being right up front, but solid throughout the day.

- Illness is common. Perhaps the gathering of athletes from across the globe in a relatively small area makes one susceptible to bugs & viruses. Several athletes withdrew or had less than ideal days due to illness.

- Be True to Yourself. As race day approaches and the energy builds around town, it is easy to get caught up in what so and so is wearing or how so and so is training. Have confidence in your preparation, know your limits and what works for you and make the best of it on race day!

Keep it smooth...

Sand to Snow

My non-stop flight from Kona Saturday night arrived in Denver early Sunday morning to a bit of wintery weather with snow, rain and temps in the 30s. We were a bit late with our arrival, so me and a few friends (Joanna, Mark & Michael) hung out in the warmth of the terminal over some hot coffee and rather tasteless muffins. Fortunately all our bags arrived without incident, save my bike box which is sitting in some guy's storage unit in Kona. Instead of carting my bike around the islands, I made arrangements for my bike to be stored and then dropped off at the Kona International Airport before I made the connection to my final flight. The minutes ticked by and no sign of my guy. His business card did not have a cell phone so I figured he must have forgotten as I never receieved a call. It was a weeee bit awkward boarding that plane without my bike, but I am hoping he did indeed forget our meeting time and will ship the bike on Monday. I will have to keep you posted...I honestly do not want to deal with any drama.

It will certainly feel comfy to sleep in my bed tonight and enjoy another week off from training. I am looking forward to getting back to yoga this week though. Other items on the list include sponsorship follow-up, new sponsorship contacts, tentative 2008 race schedule, fundraising follow-up and contacts for speaking engagements. If I get really motivated I will download some pics from Kona.

My current read is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini which tells the story of an Afghani boy.

Keep it smooth...

Sick in Maui

Apparently the race really jacked my body. After arriving in Maui yesterday afternoon I have been holed up in a cozy condo with the chills, fever, cold sweats and aching throughout my body. Hopefully it is something of the 24 hour variety.

In reflecting on my 2007 season I would have to say it was perhaps my most challenging and frustrating year of racing. I definitely made more gains as evident from my training, but come race day no one is looking in the training log. Despite not having my ideal race in Kona, I know that performance does not define me as an athlete or person. I ran an IM marathon PR and given how my back was feeling I was pleased with that. My nutrition plan was solid as well and I never felt depleted or experienced any cramping.

Random, lucid thoughts I know, but that is where I am at the moment.

Keep it smooth...