Ironman Cozumel Race Report

Funny thing about Ironman and any endurance event for that matter, is that there are no magical days. No matter how hard you try, no matter what kind of luck you have on your side you will not go faster than your training says you can. Some sports have the advantage of special days. Take baseball for instance, things like no hitters, perfect games, hitting for the cycle, or a 4 homer game are all very rare and special performances. They are performances that you couldn't ever imagine doing, but every now and then the stars align, you get the calls or get in a groove and you do something that is unique and special. Ironman has no special days. If the best you could do in training is a 20 mph average on the bike, then that is what you can expect in the race. If you ever dare decide to throw caution to the wind and "go for it" in a race of this length you will pay. Maybe not on the bike, maybe not in the first half of the run, but rest assured their is no where to hide on that last 13 miles. This race in particular is even more unforgiving because the run is 3 loops. So that means you literally run by the finish line at mile 18 and have to head back out to suffer for 8 more miles. Everyone suffers in a Ironman but the key is always to suffer less than the next guy. Bottom line is that you are only as good as your training has been and to say the least my training had been spot on.

I had upped my volume drastically from 2011 and nailed every workout and all the key sessions that were called for. I was rested, ready, and eager to erase the time I put up at IMLP, which by my account was a great learning experience but no where near what I thought I was capable of. So going into this race the training hours and paces I had done in training had suggested a 1:24 swim, 5:33 bike, and a 3:43 marathon. Throw in 5 to 10 minutes for transitions and I was looking at a 10:48 overall time. This became my number. I wrote it on all my water bottles and hung it where I could see it for every basement session I did. It was a not a magical number and meant nothing to anyone else but me. What was special about it, was that it was real. Not some magical number that was too far out of reach. It was based on the training, the hours spent swimming, biking, and running. If I didn't hit those numbers then I could not blame the plan, I could only blame myself or worse, something out of my control.

Pre-Race: Considering it was my first time going to Mexico and never having done a race where I had to fly, it went very smooth. I pride myself on being adaptable to different situations, something that the Army hammered home, one drill sergeant after another (ummm that doesn't sound right does it?). Also a huge burden was taken away by shipping my bike with Tribike Transport.

Swim: Every race report I have read since the race (except Becky's) says that the swim was rough. I have yet to swim with 2700 people and experience calm waters. However considering most people have said that there swims were 5 to 10 minutes slow and 300+ people were pulled from the water I will take my time. Lots to work on for me as a swimmer but a non-wetsuit swim in rough waters with a current and I will take my time as a big improvement. I experienced none of the stomach issues I had in Lake Placid although I did trust a fart about a hour in and managed to keep it dry.
Time: 1:21:53 126th AG 727 OA

Bike: This is where I knew I had done the most training and my strength on the bike and the ability to stay aero for 5+ hours is key. The bike is 3 loops and within those 3 loops there are 3 distinct sections. Headwind, crosswind, and tailwind. So on every loop I would ride 23mph with the tailwind, 20mph with the crosswind, and 17mph with the headwind. All in all it averaged out to a 20.36mph average for the 112 miles. Again I tailored my training to be uncomfortable for the whole ride and knew that there would be no chance to sit up and spin if I wanted to hit my target time. So I rode it exactly the same for all 3 loops and was quite happy with the result. I will say this race is heavy on drafting and as someone who prides myself on playing by the rules it did get frustrating. I rode my ass off only to have large packs come by me quite easily and then decide to ease up and I just couldn't get around them. There were only two officials I could see and they seemed to be enjoying their scooter rides more than actually doing their jobs. All and all I don't think it hurt my overall time but I did consider a flying arm bar or two. The only thing that kept me from doing it was when in Mexico you never quite know who is a Lucha Libra. The last thing I need is a dnf from someone dropping a elbow on me from the top tube.
Time: 5:30:00 55th AG 292 OA

Run: This is where every good race is made. Their is no such thing as a great bike and a bad run. That simply means you over road the bike and payed for it on the run. So knowing I had kept a steady heart rate and rode what I was capable of I had no fear heading out on to the run course. I have a tendency to go out too hard and fade late but I knew that here, unlike Lake Placid I was strong enough to go faster, longer, harder (only at Ironman, not at home). So I headed out of the transition tent and just ran. I stopped looking at the watch and just did what I do best. I shut my mind off, zoned out and kept my feet moving. Having run 3 ultra marathons you become a master of not over thinking the run. It is such a simple task, one foot in front of the other, repeat and hope that it looks fairly decent for photo ops. It hurts, it's uncomfortable but is not nothing other than grit and balls for 26.2 miles. I took in the right amount of calories and hit all the Gatorade stops I could. Finally at mile 16 I made the switch to Pepsi (odd that the Mexicans don't like COKE) and never looked back. The only problem with this strategy was that they didn't let the soda go flat so it felt like I was drinking pop rocks, however on the bright side I got a little gas powered for a few stops. The down side was what felt like a cross between a Mariachi guy stabbing me repeatedly in the rib cage and smuggling heroin in places we don't talk about at parties. This made for a fun few miles until I passed the heroin and Pancho went back to serenading the ladies. All and all I was happy with my "run scared" strategy and think that had I gone out more conservatively It would not have resulted in a better time.
Time: 3:51:44 39th AG 218 OA

Overall: The crowds here are really great and the whole island gets behind the income, ummm I mean the race and what it brings to the island. They really do embrace the race and although I probably would not go back to race it again, it is a race worth putting on the IM bucket list. So long story short there was no magic on the day but instead a affirmation that hard work pays off. I was only 3 mins off my goal time and in a race of this length I am pretty proud of that. Was it the perfect race? by no means, but it was the race I was capable of and sometimes that can be just as good.
Time: 10:51:32 218th out of 2664 athletes

Everyone has a plan till they get hit

There are so many parallels between the sport of boxing and the sport of triathlon. The title of this blog is a quote that many people like to use in regards to sports such as boxing and triathlon. The problem with this, is that people have implied this to mean that not having a solid plan is ok because eventually you are going to get hit and the plan will falter. Any decent endurance athlete will tell you that you can not prepare for a 5k run, or a sprint triathlon and live to tell about it. You can not however hope to do this in a long distance race of any kind, in any sport, especially marathons and Ironmans. Their is just too much time for things to go wrong and not having a plan, a backup plan, and a backup plan to the backup plan, means you are really just not prepared for the race.

The reason I am writing about this is because as many of you know I am deep into training for my second Ironman (hence the lack of blog posts). And with experience has come the knowledge that while you need to put in the long training miles required to finish the race, their are so many other things that you need to plan for to have a good race. From the logistics of getting to and from the race with all the necessary gear in tow, to a solid nutrition plan, not only for race day, but the week leading up to the race. This is my fourth year in triathlon and I am constantly learning more and more about my self and about this sport everyday. And with that comes the added knowledge that while yes it is true that not everything will go exactly to plan on race day, that is no excuse to not have one.

Here is a prime example of two athletes one with a plan and another who didn't. For those of you that follow boxing you no doubt have heard all the arguments of why Floyd Mayweather jr is not a great fighter despite his 43-0 record over 16 years. You have also probably heard that Mike Tyson was one of the greatest ever. Mayweather's style is to play defense, pick and choose his spots and fight a tactical fight. Tyson's style was to engage his opponent early and often and usually this resulted in a highlight reel knockout. Well the fundamental difference between these two fighters is that one had a plan and the other did not. Tyson's "plan" which is not really a plan at all was to knock out his opponent as soon as possible thus avoiding taking a hit and having to use something other than his strength and speed to win the fight. The problem with that "plan" was that when he failed to gain the early knockout he would lose. Of his 50 wins he only went past the 7th round 12 times and his record was a very mediocre 6 wins, 6 losses in those 12. Whereas Mayweather has gone past the 7th round 22 times, and went the full twelve rounds 17 of those times. Mayweather's plan is to fight smart, and have a plan for every conceivable situation resulting in a unbeatable strategy. Tyson was no doubt an amazing athlete, however he was very one dimmensional. And once that first loss to Buster Douglas happened and other fighters developed a plan to beat the once unbeatable Tyson, he was essential no longer feared and proved very beatable.

Now we all know that even the best laid plans do not ensure a successful race. However one thing is for sure, the athlete who does not develop a plan, and a backup plan will definitely not succeed. If you are going to put in hours and hours of training miles then you owe it to yourself to be a complete athlete. Train like a athlete, eat like a athlete, learn as much as you can about your sport and prepare for whatever the event will throw your way.

"It ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"-Rocky Balboa

Lab Rat

Sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and consistency, these are all words used to describe success in athletic pursuits. Well guess what, they are the same words that apply to your diet and nutrition. And let me start by saying that when I use the word diet I use it to mean the way you eat day in and day out. I do not use the word diet to mean some book you read that said if you eat rabbit poop for 10 days you will lose 10 lbs.

I eat pizza, I drink beer, I love Dairy Queen and for the most part if I REALLY want something I eat it. The difference is that when I do these things I quickly get back on track with my diet right away. If you don't and you let it escalate then you find yourself 20lbs overweight and wondering what went wrong. You don't have to be a robot and eat things you don't enjoy to be healthy, fit and happy. In fact in my opinion it is just the opposite. Your body and mind need these treats and luxuries to not only keep you sane but also to keep your metabolism constantly working.

In writing this piece on diet and nutrition I can only speak from personal experience and I am by no means a registered dietitian. What I can speak on are the things I have tried and the things that work for me. Their is no magic pill or special diet, and exercise, even large amounts of exercise alone will not get you those abs you see in the magazines. What will work is doing the right thing at least 90% of the time and being consistent. Not for days or months, but years. I have been "dieting" as some would say since I was 18 years old. I could not tell you how many calories I eat in a day. However I will wager that I eat more than anyone else I know day in and day out. I also would wager I burn far more calories then anyone else and that my metabolism is constantly working to burn calories.

Diet and nutrition, especially as it applies to athletics is the biggest mystery known to man. Nobody and I mean nobody has it completely figured out and they never will. What works for Joe may not work for Jane and what works for Jane may not work for Joe. People are not cookie cutter and are bodies are not so simple that x.y, and z is guaranteed to work. What you need to do to become successful and maintain a healthy weight is to become a lab rat. Find what works for you, day in and day out. Find foods you like to eat, study what times you feel best based on what and when you eat. And pick up a book or google different strategies that work for others and try them.

For 14 years I have been doing this and I finally have a system that works for me. I don't consume any of my calories from liquid form except when exercising. This is how so many people lose count of their caloric intake because it is so simple to drink 12oz and consume 200 calories without a second thought. I eat every 2 and half to 3 hours, and when I don't look out because I get slightly (ask Amy) agitated. The running joke amongst my coworkers and friends is that you really don't need a watch when you are around me for I will eat at 7, 9:30, 12, 3, 6, and 9. I always am prepared to eat my next meal and I always think ahead so I am never out of reach of food when I need it. It has become routine for me. So when I want that treat after dinner I allow myself to have it but I wait and push it back to the next time I eat so I don't overload my body with calories that it can't burn. Now most people think I am nuts or that I deprive myself of things that others enjoy. This could not be further from the truth. I just make it work for me. I am probably one of a million people who go to Dairy Queen and ask for it to with a lid to go. It is so I can eat it when it works for my body.

All this being said I sometimes overeat at meals and their are certain days that I just eat way more than I should. I make the same mistakes others make but I never let those mistakes compound so they add up to weight gain. I stop, re access and get right back on track. And I don't consider what and how I eat to be a "diet". After 14 years I am still learning new things everyday, especially when it comes to race day nutrition (see marathon race report). What I have figured out is what foods are best for ME and when and how they should be consumed. And in order for you to be successful you need to do the same. I only wrote this particular blog because a few asked for me to write something about diet and nutrition. And if you want my top ten list of what, whys and hows I could give it to you. But make no mistake that the only reason I have figured it out is because I was willing to be a lab rat and follow the same principles that pretty much apply to anything that you want to be successful in. Sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and consistency. So if you will excuse me I am going to go run 100 miles and have a beer and some pizza.

For those of you wondering what weight loss will mean for your run times:

WEIGHT LOST	5K	10K	HALF-MARATHON	MARATHON
2 lbs	12.4 secs	25 secs	52 secs	1:45
5 lbs	31 secs	1:02	2:11	4:22
10 lbs	1:02	2:04	4:22	8:44
20 lbs	2:04	4:08	8:44	17:28

Race report: Grit and Balls

I did it, I followed my race strategy, went out hard and hoped to hold on for the finish. It worked real well for 18 miles and then the wheels came off and the engine seized. I made it to the finish line but not without some serious pain and "Grit and Balls" as Kevin Garnett was recently quoted as saying. Truth of the matter is I left every ounce of effort out on the course. At the end of the day that is all you can ask for, and if you don't reach your goal then at the very least you can keep your head held high. Breaking down the numbers and taking a step back to analyze, it was easy to see what went wrong. First things first I relied on the aid stations for GU and fluids, when at the end of the day it is never too smart to leave anything to chance. My reason for this was a)my disdain for wearing fuel belts and b)having read the race website and being confident they would uphold their end of the bargain. They did not, so I ended up consuming only two Gu's (the first one at mile 12) and probably only got in about 20oz of water/Gatorade. They had advertised gels at 7 of the 8 aid stations and only had them available at 4 (the last one being with 2 miles to go). So poor nutrition and a lack of fluid certainly did not help my result. Going out too fast at the start. This has been a big issue with me at all my races but I was aware of that and although I hit mile 1 at a 6:17/mile pace my heart rate was steady and in control. From there I held a faster than goal pace for as long as I could, thus hitting 5K in 20:20, 10K in 41:44 and the half marathon in 1:28. This translates to a 6:45/mile pace which I have now done for the half marathon distance 3 times. So this was good and truth be told I was in a great rythmn and felt strong. I knew at this point a lack of gels and fluids was going to catch up to me, but the only option I had was to keep runnning and running hard. From miles 13 to 17 I was tetering but was still under race pace until mile 16. From there it was a slow decline until mile 18 where the wall went up and my body had had enough. Getting to mile 20 was a huge relief and I even got pretty excited seeing 2:18 on the clock knowing I had 6.2 miles to go and 47 minutes to do it. On any given day this is not a problem and in fact despite my legs feeling like they were cased in cement I really still felt I could do it. However those that have run this distance or any distance over what they are prepared for knows that no matter how hard you run, and no matter how much your mind wants to do it, sometimes it just isn't there. My body was out of calories and hydration was not adequate. So starting at mile 20 it all went to sh*%. The numbers don't lie, 7:35, 7:50, 8:23, 8:56, 9:03, 9:13, and 8:54 for the last 7 miles. And then came the .2 miles which is the hallmark of the marathon distance. Only problem was that this .2 miles somehow ended up being .5 miles. On any normal day a little extra is not the end of the world but when you are doing the Bataan death march that can be a real long time. It also adds time which in a race against the clock is not a good thing. So there it is, I held a 6:55/mile pace for 20 miles and then promptly hit the wall. Running a final 10K in 56 minutes was a reality check but knowing that I gave everything I had and then some made me ok with the how the day went. A lot was learned and I know that with proper nutrition and maybe a different pace strategy things may have turned out different. I will however not omplain about finishing a marathon in 3:14 so it is what it is. Boston will always be there and this was my first ever attempt at a fast marathon so all and all I am happy. For those that want to see me hit the wall here is the Garmin profile. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/175495384

Race Strategy

Their it is, their is what my race strategy for the marathon is going to look like. Not sure if that will be 16 miles in, 22 miles in or if all goes as planned, then that is what I will look like at 26.3 miles in the medical tent. I am going to go out hard and just hold on for as long as I can until the wheels fall off. The training numbers say that I should be able to run a 3:04 (7:03 per mile pace), and in my last half marathon I ran a 1:27 (6:40/mi pace). So the fact is the only thing that is going to hold me back is myself, and I have an oppurtunity to run that 3:04 and qualify for Boston in the process. Lofty goals considering that just 3 years ago I started running. However going big is the only way I know how to do it. I do not fear failure and that can be both a curse and a blessing. Their are 3 ways this can turn out, I can do it, I can come close to doing it, or I can blow up and end up crawling or worse, not finishing. Since I put this marathon on the schedule and my training has increased, so have my expectations. And with that comes pressure to put up or shut up. I enjoy the pressure, I enjoy putting my goals out their for people to see and scrutinize. I don't care if I fail because not one person can ever call an attempt at something a failure in my book. Toeing the line and taking a shot is what this thing is all about. I don't train to lose weight, or meet new people, or travel to different places. Sure those are bonuses that come with the journey, but bottomline is that I am out to acheive my best at everything I do. If I don't get that 3:04 the sun will rise and set the next day regardless. I can live with not reaching my goals as long as I put my best foot forward. For me all I care about is racing, I absolutely love it. I like the pressure, I like the nervousness, the unsettled stomach and I love crossing the finish line and feeling that something was accomplished that day regardless of the result. So from the minute that gun goes off 6 days from now at 7:30 am I am just going to go hard. Now with that hard effort comes the inteligence to know what would be foolish. Foolish would be running a pace that I know I can not hold for 26.2 miles. That is where the training and the experience comes in. And to be honest I don't have a lot of experience at this distance. But I am aware that I have the ability to shut my mind off and just go. And go I will. So If you see on the news some guy who happens to be in a big smoldering pile at mile 20 of the Providence marathon next week, don't worry I will be satisfied.

Pressure is building

Pressure, why is it that we let it control us like nothing else in our lives. Why do we allow the pressure of a race or event dictate the outcome. We do it because we don't know any different. We assume pressure is a normal part of a race. So much so that we equate it to nerves. Well this may be news to some, but pressure, unlike nerves is something we can control and something that we bring on ourselves. When I line up at an event for the first time, or even the hundreth time the nerves will always be there. However by rationally thinking about the event, being prepared for the distance and setting reasonable expectations you can eliminate any pressure.

Many people I know are six days away from the one of the biggest events of their lives, the Boston Marathon. Thousands of others I don't know are also preparing for what very well can be a life changing event. And one thing that all these people have in common is the undue pressure they are going to put on themselves. Now their is absolutely nothing wrong with having a goal and going after it.However allowing that goal, wether acheived or not, to lessen the moment is a real shame. Last I checked neither you or I will be listed in the Herald the day before as a race favorite. There will be no laurel wreath placed on our heads or microphone shoved in our face. However what their will be, is a huge crowd of people who will be there to cheer you on regardless. The medal you receive will weigh the same as the Kenyan that will probably win the whole race. And most important you will have run a marathon.

20 years from now when our grandkids as us about these things they will be no less impressed if you say you ran sub 3 or sub 6. Times and race results will always be there for comparisons, however aside from winning or not even trying, the only thing that truly matters is the doing. Being on that start line, regardless of being a qualifer or a charity runner at the end of the day all that will matter is how you feel you did. To often people allow the pressure they place on themselves to cripple them and not let them enjoy the event. Chances are you are not running a 2:05 and just by being there you have beaten everyone on the DID NOT START list. So stop, take a step back and get rid of the pressure you are putting on yourself. It is one of the few things in a race that you can control. Allow it to control you and you will never enjoy something that should be enjoyed. You are running. Not working or dealing with life's endless stresses. There are few things in this world that are as empowering as being able to self power your way 26.2 miles. Most people complain about driving that far and you are about to run it.

So before Monday comes and the inevitable race nerves hit, stop, take a deep breath and leave the anxiety for the next guy. Worry about what you can control, do your best, leave no stone unturned and cross the finish line. If you are not going to enjoy the fact that half a million people are going to line the race route to cheer for a bunch of everyday folk then what can you enjoy. It is your chance to shine, your day to put all those training miles on the pavement. Remember to smile, for a bad day running is better than a bad day at work. And for gods sake remember to cover your nipples.

JUST ONE OF 30,000

You got to have heart

Plain and simple you got to have heart to succeed in sports both figuratively and literally. Without your heart being in it 100% you are not going to get better. You have to be willing to do what it takes. That means paying your dues, putting in the hours and learning as much as you can so you can apply that to your sport. There is however another side to this that many have not embraced or overlooked for one reason or another. And that is actually training your heart. This season I knew I needed to step up my game if I wanted to get to the level I want to, and for me that meant heart rate training.

For many heart rate training is so complicated and painstaking that they skip it and never give it a chance to work for them. The best way to explain it is by using work (which is what endurance sport essential is) as an example. Most of us put in 40 hours a week at our jobs for x amount of salary. Well what if I told you I had a way that you could work just 20 hours a week and make the same amount of money. You would surely take the time to listen and be more than willing to give what ever I said a shot. Well heart rate training is based off the same principle. By training your heart to work better with less effort you are essentially going to be doing less work and getting the same, if not better results than before.

This is my first year being patient enough to really give heart rate training a try and I have been blown away by the results.I started monitoring my heart rate when I ran and biked in early January and since then the numbers don't lie and I have pr'd twice in a month at the half marathon distance. I also have noticed how much easier it is to do the same exact workouts that a year ago a just barreled through hoping for the same results. They say a crazy person is someone who repeatedly tries the same thing all the while expecting different results. I would not go so far as to say I was training crazy but I certainly was not training smart. By using a heart rate monitor and applying it to my workouts I could control virtually every training session. For those of you who know a triathlete or marathoner than you know that control is something we all strive for. Having control over all things workout related teaches you to trust the system and not do something foolish. When we lose control we tend to work harder and push through things like injuries, hoping that harder work will automatically mean results.

So starting in January I read some articles, bought a heart rate training book and consulted with some great athletes who train using heart rate. I had always hated strapping on the heart rate monitor and never felt like It was doing anything. However this time I was committed to the process and I vowed to see it through till my first big race of the season, the Hyannis half marathon. On Dec 18Th I started by strapping on the heart rate monitor for a 7 mile run. I did that run at a 134 beats per minute (bpm) and ran at a 8:48/mi pace. Not bad and definitely a run I have done a thousand times. Well 12 weeks late the same exact run at the same exact heart rate is now a 7:45/mi pace. Twelve weeks and the I am doing the same amount of work (7 mile run) and doing it at the same heart rate and going a minute per mile faster. It is not a fluke and my training numbers have shown a steady decline in my pace vs heart rate.

This is by no means an easy process. It takes patients and a lot of education and help to get it right and use it to your advantage. However it works, without question for everyone. The point of exercise is to train your heart to work more efficiently with the same amount of effort. It is so simple and yet many who run, bike or swim just aren't willing to go that extra mile and give it a try. It is not something I could explain in just a few short paragraphs but it was something I felt that more people need to latch on to. Anyone that asks me for advice about running or triathlons will be getting the same stock answer, give heart rate training a try. If your heart is truly in getting better and being the best athlete you can be, than you owe it to yourself to train your heart.

Here is an article from one of the best ever endurance athletes on how heart rate training works: http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=2

Weakness vs Limiters

I was recently talking about triathlon with a friend and they asked me, of the three sports, what I thought my weakness was. Without hesitation I said I had none. I quickly realized how bad that may have sounded so I began to elaborate my statement. So I figured I would try and do the same thing here, while sticking to my statement that I have no weaknesses when it comes to triathlon.

Weakness is defined as "A quality or feature regarded as a disadvantage or fault". The two key words in that definition are disadvantage and fault. Am I a stronger runner than cyclist? yes. Am I a stronger cyclist than swimmer? yes. Is my swim a disadvantage or fault when it comes to a race? no.

Achilles was a mythological greek character whose one weakness was his heel. It was his one vulnerability and one that he could not change. Superman had only one weakness and that was Krptonite. Again it was a weakness that he had no ability to change or become less impervious too. These weakness were things that could not be worked on or improved by these characters and this is what defines a weakness. They are disadvantages or faults in which no amount of training or armor/super powers can overcome. This is exactly why I made the statement that I have no weaknesses.

I have a limiter, and that limiter is swimming. When I first started swimming in 2009 I could not swim more than one length of the pool without stopping. In fact, my log book from that day states that I swam 1000 yds (40 laps) and that I did not swim 2 laps in a row without stopping. I did not log what it took me to swim 100 yds but I would say that it was well north of 2 minutes. Last week I swam 100 yds in 1:24 and I did that two times, then held 1:30's for another 3 and then swam the last 5 100's under the 1:40 mark. So if you had asked me 4 years ago if I had any weaknesses I would have, without a doubt said swimming. But today, with all the hard work I have put in and the hundreds of hours in the pool and the endless laps I will not say that swimming is a weakness. Is my swim time good enough to qualify for Kona? not even close. Does my swim time keep me close enough to pass people on the bike, and bury them on the run? absolutely.

I had the worst case scenario swim in Lake Placid for my first Ironman. I thought on a slow day I could get out of the water in 1 hour 20 minutes. I also knew that a good day could see me closer to 1:15 and in a great postion to reach my target times for the race. I ended up swimming 1:47, puked twice, dry heaved numerous more times and had to swim from lifeguard to lifeguard for the last 45 minutes. Did it kill my goal race time? yes. Did it crush me and unable to complete an Ironman? no. I took that bad swim time and I threw all my energy into my bike ride. I passed 1300 people on that 112 mile bike and got off with a legit shot of still getting under my 12 hour race goal. The run, however had different ideas and I waddled home in 12 hours and 19 minutes. I was elated to have overcome my limiter and fight the rest of the day and finish my first Ironman in what I believe to be a very respectable time.

So next time someone asks you about anything in life and they refer to something as a weakness. Think about it and take your time before you answer. Is it something that you cannot overcome with a little more hard work and determination. I have weaknesses like everyone else, however many people except their weaknesses and making them their strengths. Swimming will always be a limiter for me, but with every lap I swim and every time I answer the alarm to get to the pool I make the decision to not have it be my weakness.

Scary predictions

Many of you in the New England area have heard of QT2 systems. They are a local Triathlon coaching company that has taken off in many years. I am not a member but do follow alot of their athletes via social media. To say they are successful is an understatement. They have some great pro triathletes on their roster and some seriously talented amateurs as well.

The reason I mention them is that although I am not coached by them I have used some of their services in the past. They have a really neat triathlon calculator on their website that can help you come up with a realistic determination of your race times.

http://www.qt2systems.com/calculator-overview/

It is accurate. Scary accurate and those that have used it can vouch for it's accuracy. I recently used it to plug in some of my run times and to predict what I can and should be able to do for a half marathon. It was DEAD ON. The result of the calculations said I should, with the amount of training and experience level, should be able to run 6:48/mi for 13.1 miles. Well true to form this Sunday I went out and ran 6:48/mi for 13.1 miles setting a huge PR and giving a huge boost heading into this race season.

So the reason I bring this up is I wonder how much of our performances can be predicted and how much are we mentally locked into what we believe? I truly don't think I could have run any harder and finished the race in a upright and non-heaving position. But how much did knowing what I could run determine what I did run? So many people rely on Heart rate monitors and Garmin numbers these days that I wonder if it is hurting us or helping us.

Think about it in terms of this....Bill Rodgers won the 1975 Boston marathon in a time of 2:09, and 30 years later the winning time was actually two minutes slower in 2:11. Bill Rodgers did not have compression socks, foam rollers, Garmin files, Gels and sports drinks. He had heart and ability and he used them to run as fast as he possibly could for 26.2 miles. So at the end of the day are we better or worse for having these calculators that tell us what we can and should do? I say a little bit of both. The calculator gave me the confidence to believe that my body was capable of holding that pace for a half marathon. I did not panic when I ran a 6:17 first mile, or when I ran a 7:07 seventh mile. I just settled in knowing that I had some time to give and some time to get back. Not to mention that knowing my splits was made possible by my Garmin 310xt watch. So at the end of the day try not to get too reliant on data and gadgets and use them when they are appropriate. Too many athletes now a days have made themselves into "runbots" in that they are fearful of the unknown and not having the latest greatest device to guide them along the way. Bill Rodgers is quoted as saying "My whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble." It is OK to have the data and the gear to back you up and give you the confidence (much like a coach would) that you are capable of great things. However when the watch dies, or conditions aren't exactly as you have planned out, don't throw in the towel and give up. Tighten up your shoelaces, readjust your hat and have confidence in yourself and what you are capable of.

Goals vs Dreams

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~Diana Scharf Hunt

This statement says a lot about the discrepancy between the definition between the two and yet also shows how they are very similar. We all have goals and we all have dreams. Knowing the difference and being able to chase each appropriately is a huge factor in success. Goals are measurable, they have something that is very definite about them. They are black and white. They are things that you can control, yet also stretch you and push you too your limit. Everyone who competes in a sport has a goal. That goal may be just to finish or to set a personal best. But without a doubt it is something that you will either do or not do.

Dreams on the other hand are everything that goals are not. Dreams are big, scary goals that seem out of reach to you. They are different from goals in that not only do they stretch you but they have an element of impossible to them. Dreams are the thoughts that come from achieving your goals. Set your goals, achieve your goals and allow yourself to dream of future goals that for now seem impossible.

I am a firm believer in putting both dreams and goals out their for the world to see. The thing that motivates me above all else is having the element of failure hanging over my head. I love nothing more than to have someone doubt me or to think what I am doing seems impossible. This is what gets me in the pool or on the bike when everyone else is sleeping. This is why when it is below freezing I bundle up and head out the door to run for several hours. I have fallen in love with the Ironman distance for this very reason. It seems impossible while at the same time being very doable. You tell people you are training for Ironman and they think it is something they could only dream of. When in reality if they were to make Ironman their goal they would be able to achieve it.

I recently came to the realization that this season I have gone from training to finish the race to training to race the race. Ironman is no longer a dream, it is a measurable goal. Marathons are no longer distances which make me doubt my abilities or that seem out of reach. I now train to go as fast as I possible can over these distances instead of worrying if I will even make it to the finish line. So in order to keep myself honest, drive me to perform and get me out of bed every morning I need to have new dreams and goals. And with these new dreams and goals I need to put them out their for all to see. This way with every goal or dream not reached I can hold my self accountable for not doing the things to make them happen.

I dream of one day being on the start line at the Hawaii Ironman. Statistics state that the chance of this happening is 3%. That is what a dream is. It is something that has a 97% chance of NOT happening. I am not afraid to have a dream that big, and I do believe deep down that I can one day be that 3%.

My goals are to do all the things now, that will get me into that 3% someday. My goals for this season are to try and qualify for the Half Ironman championship, Run under 3:25 for a marathon, and finish in under 11 hours at Ironman Cozumel. All things that I may or may not be able to accomplish. Every day I get up these goals are staring me down, daring me to achieve them so that I can set new, higher goals. And when I reach those new goals then I will be that much closer to my dreams.

This is the treadmill in my basement. And this is my goal for the Ironman marathon in Cozumel. Everytime I step on this treadmill I will run this pace. I will never run slower, because if I do I will not be attempting to reach my goals. And if I don't reach my goals I will never reach my dreams.

Making luck

I finally figured out the key to success? Consistent hard work, day after day, week after week, year after year. No magic bullet. No shortcuts. Seems crazy right? Well it really isn't and here is how I know.

I ran my first ever road race on June 14, 2008. That is roughly 1,311 days ago, give or take (actually it is exact, thanks to google). It was a 5 miler and thanks to Athlinks.com I finished in a not too shabby 37:28. I did this on zero training and just went out and ran as hard as I could for as long as I could. And that worked for a while and I then moved on to some duathlons, and other little races that I thought would be fun. To say I trained for anything specific would be a half truth. Basically I knew what I had coming up and just kinda made sure I could complete the race. That all changed in February of 2009. I was offered a race number for the Boston Marathon. To say it changed the way I trained and looked at endurance sports would be a huge understatement. When you get an opportunity in life or anything for that matter I am a firm believer that if you work hard and put in the time, everything will work out fine. I started training for the marathon on Feb 22, 2009 having never run more than 10 miles. The only reason that I had even had a 10 miler in me was that I was gearing up for the Hyannis marathon the following week.

So there it was, late Feb one week out from my first ever half marathon and I get a call to accept a number for the Boston marathon which was 7 weeks away. I took it knowing full well I may never get another chance to run the holy grail of marathons, especially one that was in my back yard. So for all intensive purposes that is when I started the long, hard journey of making my self the best I could be at sport. Truth be told I had asked for a log book for Christmas because I had planned on getting into sprint triathlons later in the following year. So my journey essentially started on Monday January 5, 2009.

I recently closed out yet another log book for which I admittedly was not very good at utilizing when I first started out. I have however come to see the value of keeping a solid log book and took some time recently to sift through the data and lay it out in front of me. What I found was the key to my success. And even though you hear it all the time that hard work and consistency is the key, I guess I never really stopped believing that I was doing something wrong. It couldn't be that simple right? Maybe I just was not meant to be a top guy, the type of guy who could really go out and have a legitimate shot of getting on a podium. Well what I found was very black and white. The numbers don't lie. I thought it would be cool to really go back and read through each log book and dissect what each had meant. Here is what I found:

2009- 275 hours trained
36 hours of swimming (82,375 yds)
50 hours of biking (939 miles)
145 hours of running (960 miles)
44 hours of strength training

2010- 381 hours trained
77 hours of swimming (197,125 yds)
115 hours of biking (2262 miles)
154 hours of running (1009 miles)
36 hours of strength training

2011- 530 hours trained
102 hours of swimming (281,600 yds)
236 hours of biking (4222 miles)
159 hours of running (1141 miles)
27 hours of strength training

There it is, the key to success, hard work and consistency. Day after day, week after week. The alarm goes off everyday and everyday I put in the work. Sure you need to train smart and learn to do things properly (i.e. swimming). But at the end of the day the harder you work and more consistent you become in your training the better you will become. I have said here many times that I don't know if I will ever be a "Kona" guy, but I do know that to get there I need to train in the 600 to 700 hour range per year. Realistically that may not even be enough. At the end of the day though whether I make it or not, I will know that I did everything the right way. I worked hard and I never took a shortcut to get where I end up.

I choose to do this sport and I choose to give it everything I have. I am a all or nothing type of guy. I get a kick out of people who act like I am miserable having to do long bikes, or runs or get up before the sun to go to a pool. I live for this stuff and hope to be able to do it as long as my body allows. And now that I have the blueprint for success I am even more intrigued at what I can accomplish in the next three years.

Live like a dog

As many of you know I got a dog this year. I was never a dog person, grew up with them but never really had any attachment to our family dogs. However the wife wanted a dog and wanting her to be safe when I am not home, we got a dog. Not just any dog. We went with the biggest, baddest, meanest dog known to man. Ok actually he is a big pussy cat but boy does he look mean.So I got to thinking the other day about his traits that make him, well the best thing ever. So I came up with a list of things that dogs do and the way they approach things, that can easily be applied to our daily lives. Here is my top ten list of ways to live like a dog.

#1- Give 110% all the time. Not a day goes by that this dog does not give it everything he has from sun up to sun down. Wether he is sleeping our playing catch, or even trying to get his paws on a wayward shoe. He only has one gear and that gear is known as all out. Do this and you can never go wrong. Don't do anything half assed. You are just wasting your time and your return on investment will not pay off.

#2- Be consistent. If I leave the toilet seat up, and he is in the area he will drink from the toilet. He usually has just come from drinking from his dog bowl but regardless he will taste that water. Certain things he will do everyday no matter what and this is one of them. Consistency pays off, especially when it comes to athletics. You can't swim once a week and become a better swimmer. Swim everyday and you will get some where.

#3- Play hard, rest hard. As hard as he plays he without a doubt rests harder. His life is a cycle of go hard and sleep hard. Like pass out immediately upon going on his bed hard. I fall asleep every night around 10:30 with very little effort. Why? because I bust my ass all day training and working so when I go to bed I am exhausted. People wonder why they have a hard time sleeping, when they don't exercise and sit at a desk all day. Exhaust your body and mind and sleep will come easy.

#4- Wake up everyday like it is the greastest day EVER! Every morning when I come down stairs to let Miles (yes named after the measurement of distance) out he literally jumps up and down, barrels into me and whines like a wounded giraffe. Get up and start everyday as if it is a new day with new possibilites. Yesterdays bad day can be forgotten if you choose not to re-live it.

#5- Get excited about something. When I say the word "park" Miles literally runs around the house and gets so excited he becomes unaware of where he is and runs into walls and couches. When was the last time you did something that got you this excited? Every time I do a race, wether it's a 5k or a Ironman I get crazy excited to the point of nerves. Not because I don't think I can do it because I can't wait to do something so hard and rewarding. It doesn't have to be a race but could be a concert or a hobby, but when was the last time you really were nervous,scared,couldn't sleep for something you were about to do.

#6- Be curious. If I leave any type of food out on the counter or happen to not pick up a sock from the dryer you better believe that he will check it out. For him that means putting it in his mouth and running around until he can safely bring it into his room and really chew/investigate what it is he has. Try different things. Get out of your comfort zone and sign up for something you never in a million years you thought you would do. If that means a race, a cooking class or even take a college class that intersts you. Do something different, learn all about it and give it 110%.

#7- Learn to love a routine. Their is a great book I read (can't think of the name off hand) that said in order to be successfull at something you need to do it consistantly for a long period of time. You very rarely forget to brush your teeth because you have done it everyday for your entire life. Do this with eating healthy or going to the gym and it will be something that becomes part of who you are. Or in Miles case wake up, go the bathroom, lay around for a hour, beg to go out and play, eat breakfast, rest, play some more, eat dinner, rest, repeat....everyday for the rest of your life.

#8- Love to run. Or whatever it is you do, love it. If it becomes a chore you will not succed at it. My wife Amy likes to run, sometimes, she does however love spin class and will always find time to do it. I love working out so when other people roll their eyes about 6 hours on the bike or 3 hour runs I tell them I love it so it is not hard to get out that door. Miles runs/trots everywhere. Sure it helps to have 4 legs instead of two but just try keeping up with him at the park and you soon see that he just likes to move along.

#9- Join a pack. We are Miles pack. I am convinced that he thinks we are tall dogs. We make strange noises we do everything with him and we have a bond that can never be broken. Join a training group or take a class with others that motivate you to be there and get it down. If you isolate yourself and never join a pack then you will go through life not being able to share the good times with anyone else.

#10- If you got a itch, itch it. We are convinced Miles has the first known case of invisible fleas. He goes to town when he itches (see, Gives 110%)and we have yet to figure out why. If there is something you want to try, do it. Don't let the itch linger as it will only get worse. If you want something go get it. If you have been itching to try something knew why wait. If life gets in the way so be it, but don't make excuses because eventually it will eat away at you and become a regret and not a itch. You can't scratch regrets.