OWWWW

my foot/ankle hurts. Everything else feels great though. I even felt good enough on Tuesday to try and take an easy run on the treadmill. It's when I started running that I realized something wasn't right. I took it easy; did the R.I.C.E treament, but it still kept hurting. I went to the doctor on Thursday nervous that I had a stress fracture or something else bad. We did some x-rays and the Dr feels pretty confident that it is just tendonitis. He gave me some anti-inflamatory pills and said to take it easy but not to stay off of it. I'll go back on New Year's Eve day for a follow up. If it's still hurting, I'm pretty sure he will send me for an MRI. Today is Sunday, and it still hurts. Hopefully it will start to taper off over the next couple of days. I'm going to limit myself to strength training, swimming, and biking this week.

As of today, I'm not scratching the First Light Marathon off my list. If I feel better towards the end of this week, I'll try to get in a run this weekend. I'll use the run to gauge the possibility of still making it down there.

The 2009 Ironman World Championships were aired on NBC yesterday. Just watching it stirs up feelings of nervousness and excitement. I know I've got a long road ahead of me. It's gonna be a lot of riding, running, and swimming. It's gonna rock!

I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Eric's Quote of the Day: "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." ~Christopher Reeve

Rocket City Marathon Race Report

Well, I did it! It was by far the most physically exhausting thing I’ve done. The folks up there know how to put on a race. It was very well organized; the volunteers were wonderful; and the swag was top-notch. I felt like my nutrition plan worked out well. I took a Gu every 45-55 minutes. I didn’t feel like I was exhausted due to lack energy, my knees and ankles just didn’t want to work too hard towards the end of the race. Overall it was a great day. So, just sit back, relax, and follow along…

Pre-Race
The alarm went off at 3:10 Saturday morning. I was curious to see if I hit my fighting weight of 238….I did! My feet hit the ground and I went downstairs for a cup of coffee and my breakfast (Turkey Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich). I tooled around on the computer for a few minutes just to try to settle my nerves (see previous post). I jumped in the shower and got dressed and headed up to Gardendale to meet Jeff around 4:30. On the way, I ate half a peanut butter sandwich and sipped on some vitamin water. We met up and got on the road around 5:15 (had 1 Ensure on the way up there). We got up to Huntsville right around 6:30. It was definitely a little on the cold side up there. The wind was whirling around which would be the case for the rest of the day. We went and got our race packets. The Nike technical shirts are pretty awesome. We put on the rest of our layers and sat in the car to stay warm and then went for a quick jog to warm up the legs. The race director was very adamant about getting everyone lined up and sounding the gun at 8:00. At 7:45, I took the first of many Gu’s that would be taken over the next 6 hrs and finished sipping on some Gatorade. I lined up towards the rear near the 5-5.5 hr pace group. The gun sounded and our journey began

Race
As I crossed that first timing mat, I hit the start button on my watch and said a quick little prayer. I was on my first segment of 5 minute running. Doing a run/walk routine was apparently pretty popular. After the first 4 minutes, you could here beeps coming from everyone’s HR monitors, GPS watches, and stop watches. The first 4 miles were great even with a stop for a bathroom break around the 5K mark. I was going along at around a 12 min mile pace. I felt comfortable there for the time being.

Miles 5-8 were still good. I averaged closer to 12:30 minute miles. Some people passed me, but I passed some as well. So far, all the running had been thru neighborhoods. You’d think that would have helped with the wind, but somehow, there always seemed to be a headwind.

Miles 9-14 were pretty rough. These were in one lane of a big 4 lane highway. The wind was pretty brutal. I was so happy that I had bought a set of running gloves and an head band for my ears. My splits started to drop even more here. I was in the 13 minute miles. I was slowly getting closer to the 6hr cutoff pace. After I hit mile 10, I got a little nervous. My longest training run was just 10 miles. I did the half Mercedes Marathon last year, but for all intents and purposes, I was in uncharted waters. How were my legs gonna hold up? Will I start to cramp up? Will I have GI problems? So far, I was fine. No pains in my knees or feet. No stomach problems. Other than a runny nose, I was golden. I crossed the 13.1 mat at around 2:57. I was a little disappointed to have not beaten my time at Mercedes. It was beginning to look like I was going to be racing the clock to come in under 6hrs.

Miles 15-21 are where my mind and legs started to get in the way. They were yelling at me “Why are you still runnin?!” I kept asking myself, “what the hell was I doing this for? I’m nowhere near ready to be running 26.2 miles. Holy crap! Did I really sign up for an Ironman?” I started laughing thinking that in a little less than a year, I would be at mile 18 of a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. As scary of a thought as it was, it is what made me regain focus. I had a “come to Jesus” talk with my knees and feet. The pain was still there, but it wasn’t as sharp as it had been. I quit taking longer breaks and got back in my 5/1 routine. My splits didn’t really improve, but mentally I felt better.

Miles 22-26 were up and down. I felt good and then just needed to give my legs a break from the pounding. I walked a little more. There was a group of 3 of us that played leap frog there for a while. One of the runners, Susan, asked me if I wanted to do a 3/1 run/walk with her. So for the next couple of miles, we talked, and complained. It was nice having someone right there. She had just had a baby boy about 10 months ago and was out there doing a full marathon…wow! We got to mile 24 and saw the dreaded sweepers (two runners running at a 6hr pace to bring up the rear of the pack). There were police cars and an ambulance following them. We started to try and run a little more. We kept telling ourselves that we just have a 8 more laps around the track. Then just 6 more laps around the track. I wanted so badly to go faster. My knees were hurting so bad at this point. I clinched my fists and started running faster. I passed the 25 mile mark and couldn’t believe that I was 1.2 miles away from being a marathoner. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep up the pace I was running. I started power walking. Then with .75 miles to go, the sweepers were right there with me. I’d be damned if I was going to come in behind them. I started running again. Then I hit it, the 26 mile mark.

Just 0.2 miles left…not even a full lap around the track. I looked over to the sidewalk, and my buddy Jeff was there cheering me on. He jumped out into the street and started running with me. The finish line was right ahead. Susan was about 50yds ahead of me. Jeff split off to the sidewalk and I started kicking a little harder. I looked at the clock and was disappointed to see that it had already ticked past the 6hr mark but I still kicked those last strides hard. I finished! I was fighting back the tears. A volunteer met me with my finishers medal and hat and a blanket. I headed on inside to hit the food line.

Post Race
I was hurting. I tried to walk a little bit. Then I sat and did some stretches. My ankles & knees were pretty mad at me. The swimming complex next to the host hotel was open for runners to take showers (a very welcomed treat!). We got cleaned up and hit the road back to Bammerham. Our post race meal was a delicious pizza. Most would think that pizza is hard to eat in the car. I’m here to tell you that it is really one of the easier things once you find out what to do with the box.

A quick thanks to my buddy Jeff (Harper Fitness). Thanks for prepping me for this distance and making the trip. Your support on that last 0.2 mile stretch was priceless.

My ankles are still a little sore three days later. I feel like this was a great experience. I know what it is like to go 26.2 miles. My official time is 6:01:18. I’m an official finisher! I wasn’t last in my age group nor was I the last one to finish (not to mention all the people that couldn’t go the entire 26.2 miles). It was a huge accomplishment. I’m looking forward to taking the knowledge and determination I gained/showed in this race and pressing on in my journey to becoming Iron!

Eric's Quote of the Day: "Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn" ~ C.S. Lewis

Game On!!!

So, the day is here. My first race of the off season. To say I'm nervous would be a definite understatement. I'm undertrained, it's gonna be butt-ass cold, and there is a chance of rain The chances of rain don't start until later in the race so it's kinda like kickin a man when he's down. I know, I'm exaggerating a little. I'm pumped about the race. I am nervous, but no more nervous than I was for my first triathlon. It will be cold (the wind will keep it in the 30's for the entire race), and yes, there is a chance of rain. I have a feeling that it will be a welcome change during the 26.2 mile course. This is going to be a huge learning experience. I'm anxious to see how my nutrition plan works out. I'm planning on taking in 1 GU (about 100 cals) every 45-60 mins. I'll try and supplement the rest with gatorade. I'm sure I will need more as I start to run more during my marathons. This one is all about finishing and "going the distance," which will be my theme song for the day (thank you Cake). I'll be rockin a 5/1 split. Running for 5 mins then walking for 1 min. I'll try my best to stick to this and if I have a lot left in the tank around mile 21, I'll pick-up the pace or increase my runtime to 8-10mins. Have a great Saturday everyone. I'll be back as soon as I can with a race report.

Eric's Quote of the Day: "He's going the distance..." ~Cake, album: Fashion Nugget

Week 8---not too good

So once again, the weekdays go well and then the weekend sucks. After next week, I’m going to be changing up my training plan. I talked with a buddy of mine and 13.5hrs for your prep phase is a little steep. I’m going to drop it down to about 9-10hrs each week. This means I will be revamping my entire training schedule, but that’s cool. It shouldn’t be too hard to refigure everything.
I’ve also decided to alter my race calendar. I will not be doing IM 70.3 in Orlando in May. Instead, I’m going to do a half-iron distance tri in Panama City in May. The race follows the same course as the IM race in November. This way I can have a little bit of practice on the same course.

Onto the training…

Monday
WO 1: Masters Swim. I finished the entire set this time. It’s one of those man, I don’t want to feelings, but you feel awesome after you do it. 75mins, 2550m (1.58mi)
WO 2: Strength Training. The MT phase is a lot quicker…35mins

Tuesday
WO 1: Prep Phase Run-S1. Not a good interval run. I never could find my legs. 2.31mi, 30mins
WO 2: Prep Phase Bike-E1. Easy endurance ride on the trainer. I tried to focus on relaxing my lower legs and feet. 28.3mi, 75min.

Wednesday
WO 1: Masters Swim. Felt great on the swim. I might try to get there earlier to work on more drills and try to improve my stroke/form. 75mins, 2500m (1.55mi)
WO 2: Strength Training. MT Phase 35 mins. Didn’t feel great in the gym at first, but felt great afterwards.

Thursday
Sometimes, you are just tired and need a break

Friday
WO 1: Masters Swim. I think the rest on Thursday paid off b/c I felt awesome in the water! 75mins, 2750m (1.71mi)

The weekend was a bust. I didn’t ride or run at all. I could copout and blame the weather, but I should’ve dragged my butt out of bed both mornings. These would have been my last big workouts before my first full marathon. Hopefully, it is a blessing to give them this rest.

So out of a planned 13.5hrs, I got in 6.17hrs. Next week (race week!!) is going to be an easy week. So far it hasn’t been very productive. I’m just hoping to stay loose and keep my legs rested. Nutrition will be a big focus for this week leading up to the gun going off. It’s gonna be a close, but I might be able to hit my goal “fighting weight” of 238. We will see. Today (Wednesday) I’m sitting right at 240. I finally dropped past that stupid 242 wall. Right now, the forecast for Saturday is cold and rainy. It ought to be an interesting first marathon.

Eric’s Quote of the Day: no quote, just a shoutout to my buddy Justin (Cornbread & Shiftin) for finishing the St. Jude’s marathon this past weekend with a time of 4:24:58. Not his goal of 3:30, but still awesome!

Week 7 (Thanksgiving)

Holiday weeks usually suck for training for me. This week was a little different. I got some good training in on Thanksgiving. It was the subsequent days that weren't very productive.

Monday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (50mins, 2150m=1.34mi)
Workout 2: Strength Training (40mins). I moved to a new phase of my strength training MT (Maximum Transition). The loads increase and the reps decrease. I'll do this for the rest of the month to get ready for the MS (Maximum Strength) Phase.

Tuesday
Workout 1: Prep Phase Run-S1. Interval run on the treadmill (2.44mi, 30mins). Felt strong on the run. The intervals went from jogging at 5pmh to running at 10mph. You know what...a 240lb dude's feet can make some noise pounding on a treadmill at 10mph.
Workout 2: Prep Phase Bike-E1. Easy endurance ride on the trainer (34.8mi, 80mins). There are several different trainers out there. The resistance is generated from wind, magnets, or fluids. Mine uses magnets. The range of resistance isn't that great, and the upper end isn't very rough. If I need to get a more intense endurance ride in, I'll probably try to elevate the front end of my bike to increase the difficulty (any suggestions?)

Wednesday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (50mins, 1200m plus about 8mins of steady kicking in the deep water). This was a big drill day. Some of the drills were new. Towards the end of the main set, my coach tapped me on the head and said that my swimming had gotten great...yeah me!
Workout 2: The SNC Gym was closed for renovations today. Not sure what they were doing, but it could only be an improvement.

Thursday (Thanksgiving)
Workout 1: Turkey Day 10k (Prep Phase E2 Run)...my buddy Jeff organized a fun run for this morning. There were 4 of us out there to brave the cold and the hills. Both of which were brutal. Jeff and I stuck to our race strategy of run 4:26 and then walk 1:00. We did the 6.2 miles in about 73 minutes. It was a great run and a great way to start off a day of eating way too much.
Workout 2: Prep Phase S1 Bike. Speed work on the trainer. SpinUps: Warm-Up; take a minute to get to max cadence; hold as long as you can; then recover for 1 minute...repeat. It was fun. I watched a video documenting the AU Tiger's 2004 Season. It definetly got me fired up for the Iron Bowl on Friday. (36mi, 30mins)

Friday
I didn't schedule a workout for today. It was a fun time down on the plains. I've missed tailgating this year. Hopefully next year, we can all get back in the mix on game days. The game was great except for the last 1:26. The better team did not win this game; Auburn kicked Bama's butt that entire game. Hats off to Bama for pulling it off. Go gators! I hate to say things are moral victories, but this was a game that our boys could walk away from with their head held high. It was awesome to watch. Not to mention I got about 3.5 hrs worth of plyometrics done while I was cheering. I've never jumped up and down so much.

Saturday & Sunday
These ended up being lazy days. I know...WWYDT...I rested.

So, out of a planned 12.5hr training week, I got in 9.63hrs (yes, I did count the AU game. I know that is stretching it, but I was pretty sore on Saturday). According to my plan, I should ramp up my training to Base 1 Phase starting 12/7. I've decided that I'm not going to advance my training phase until I do 3-4 solid 13.5hr training weeks. So if all goes according to plan, starting the week of 1/4, I will ramp up my training. That is the great thing about this book and the plan you make. You can always adjust it to go along with your progress (or lack there of).

Eric's Quote of the Day: "Sittin on G, waitin on O!"~AU Coach Trooper Taylor

Overall this was a fairly productive training week. I still need to do more. I did something everyday except Sunday. The weather, work, and Lucas got in the way of my biking on Tuesday and Sunday. Here we go…

Monday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (40mins; 1150m) It was OK for a Monday morning.
Workout 2: Strength Training Phase AA (50mins)

Tuesday
Workout 1: Prep Phase Run-S1: Interval runs. Felt really good (30mins, 2.3mi)
Workout 2: Should have been a bike, but work ran late, which put me later getting home, which kept me from riding so I could take care of Lucas.

Wednesday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (60mins; 1550m) I really need to focus on bilateral breathing and not kicking my legs so much; need to keep from bending knees so much on the kick
Workout 2: Strength Training Phase AA (50mins)

Thursday
Workout 1: Prep Phase Bike-S1: Spin Ups. I did these on the stationary bike at work. I didn’t feel as productive, but it was easier have all the data right there in front of you instead of having to push buttons through my bike cpu (30mins, 9miles)
Workout 2: Prep Phase Run-E1. The run felt great. It was a little cold and got dark quick. I need to think about getting one of those head lamps or a light that clips onto your hat. I think the cars had trouble seeing me. (70mins; 5.03mi)

Friday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (45mins; 1900m). John kicks your butt on these workouts so it was awesome. I'm hoping to stay for the entire time soon. I think they keep swimming until 7 or 730.

Saturday
Workout 1: Prep Phase Run-E2. Had a pretty good run. I really want/need to get a little faster. I used the fuel belt for the first time. It wasn’t too awkward, but I do need to be sure to rinse the soap out of the bottles better from now on (blahhhh). I kept a pretty good routine of running 5mins and walking 1. I finished at 9.97 miles (close enough to 10 in my book) in 2hrs10mins.
Workout 2: Should have been an easy ride to just practice on spinning. I really can remember why I didn’t do this.

Sunday
Workout 1 & Workout 2: Should have been a long endurance ride followed by a short run just to give my legs some practice at the transitioning. I got out to the industrial park around 1045 to start my ride. I got a few miles into it and was about to freeze to death. It’s one thing to be out in the cold, but when you start moving 15-20mph, it gets flippin cold. I cut it short at 10mins/3mi. I need to invest in some cold weather gear. Until then, I guess I’ll just stick to riding on the trainer (boooo).

So, it wasn't 13.5hrs, but it was more than usual…8.58hrs. Next week is Thanksgiving. It will probably be a shorter week of training. Not to mention that the Iron Bowl is Friday (lots of 12oz. curls). Yes, I will be there screaming my head off for our beloved Auburn Tigers to improve our bowl bid and ruin Bama’s chance of playing for a National Championship. War Eagle!!


Eric’s Quote of the Day: “Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything that you want to do. Don’t let worn out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself”
~John Bingham, “Tools and Rules,” Runners World

Week 5

Started out being a great training week…I made it to the pool on Wed and Thurs…My legs felt great on the bike and on the runs…and then the weekend rolled around which produced a sore throat, no energy, and house cleaning/organizing.

Monday
Workout 1: Recover Swim-skipped
Workout 2: Strength Training (I upped the wts by about 5-10%) 50mins

Tuesday
Workout 1: Run-S1 Interval run on treadmill 30mins 1.98miles
Workout 2: Bike-E1 Easy endurance ride on trainer 70mins 13.7miles

Wednesday
Workout 1: Masters Swim (HOORAY!) cut it short. No coach makes it hard to know what to do. 700meters 35mins
Worktout 2: Strength Training w/ core at home 55mins

Thursday
Workout 1: Bike-S1 Spin-ups on trainer 20mins
Workout 2: Run-E1 Easy endurance run at industrial park 45mins 3.26miles

Friday
Workout 1: Masters Swim. Still no coach. 950meters 45mins
Workout 2: Strength Training 30mins Cut this one short. I’m going to stop lifting on Fridays so that I can recover a little bit before my long runs and rides over the weekends.

Saturday
Sore throat and overall blahness kept me in bed. Had to work on straightening up the house for Lucas’ post-baptism party.

Sunday
Still a few last things to do for the party so no ride today. The whole day was great. The baptism was wonderful…Lucas was a happy baby…enjoyed visiting with all the family.

So, out of a planned 13.5hr training week, I managed to get in 6.33hrs. A lot of quality training, but I need to get those long rides and runs in to get my body use to that volume.

In other news…So has anyone else noticed that ticking clock to the right? It sure is getting close to my first off-season event. As of now, my race strategy will be to run 5 and walk 1 (maybe 2). I need to work on my nutrition while running the next couple of weeks. I finalized my IM Florida registration. I’ll share news as it becomes available to me. Weight Update…I’m starting to get close to where I was before Lucas was born. Sunday morning the numbers flashed at 246. Just a few more to go before 242. Hopefully by the marathon I can be close to 238.

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “let us strip off every weight that slows us down…and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.” ~Hebrews 12:1

Week 4 Training, IM watching, WWYDT

Training was ok this week. I’m still falling short of my weekly training time goals. This week was going to only be 11.5 hrs rather than the 13.5hrs because of traveling to PCB. I guess it was lack of motivation/determination. That has definitely changed as you will read next…

Monday
Workout 1-Masters Swim (skipped)
Workout 2-Strength Training Phase AA (60mins)

Tuesday
Workout 1-Run Intervals S1 (25mins)
Workout 2-Walked the jobsite. About 2 miles. Very hilly terrain. (45mins)

Wednesday
Workout 1-Masters Swim (Skipped)
Workout 2-Strength Training Phase AA (50mins)

Thursday
Workout 1-Run Intervals S1 (26mins)
Workout 2-skipped (Dad went to Emergency Room for his kidney stones. He’s been battling them for over a month now. They will be “going up to get them” (oowww) on Thursday so keep him in your prayers)

Total training time 296 mins-that’s right, only 4.93 hrs out of a planned 11.5. Sunday was supposed to have a long run or ride mixed in, but I was just too tired from the trip.

Friday
Travel Day

Saturday
So today we went over to Panama City Beach to watch the IM race. Wow is all I can say. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. So many people on the beach. Some looked scared, some looked excited, everyone look determined. All the spectators had signs, cameras, and t-shirts. You’d think we were on the campaign trail. You can read all you want about the swimming, but until you see just how far out that buoy is, you have no idea. The pros started about 10 mins ahead of the age groupers. There were about 40 of them. Then the remainig 2400 racers entered the water. All you could see were arms splashing and water. It looked like a brawl in a cartoon when it is just a big cloud of dust with hands and feet sticking out.

After watching the swim start we headed over to the bike mount area. These pro’s are crazy fast at getting on a bike. If I tried to do what they do what they do, Lucas will not have a younger sibling.


We headed back to Grayton for the afternoon. We got back to PCB about 800pm. We went straight to the finish line. It was awesome seeing all these people crossing the finish line. The smiles took over their faces. I can’t even imagine the feeling that they had.



On the way back to the shuttle drop-off, we walked up the run course a little so we could cheer everyone on. Seeing the lights and hearing the announcer has to give you so much motivation to dig deep and try to finish strong. If by some chance, any finisher reads this…Congratulation Ironman!!! You rock!

Sunday
MH, Lucas, and I got to the registration site around 645am. There were probably around 60 people ahead of me. We all sat and chatted. People from Atlanta and Chicago were right around me. Around 800 they started registering all the volunteers from the day before. Apparently every single person that volunteered registered. People were worried that we would get a spot. Then, around 1000, our line started to move.


Then I was at the threshold of the tent. The point of no return.


10 minutes later….it’s official. I’m going to be racing in IM Florida 2010!!!


I decided that I wanted to have a reminder about IM. A little bit of motivation everywhere I go. So I made up these little cards…

The WWYDT means “What Will You Do Today.” What will I do today to get ready for IM…It is going to serve as a reminder that I have training to do; that so many things are going to go into me finishing this race that I need to be sure to do what I need to do each and every day. I put one on our fridge, on my mirror at home, on my computer monitor at work, and on the dash of my car. I’d get a “livestrong” bracelet made if I could. I know it’s cheesy, but I don’t care. This is something that I want to accomplish. I’m determined to do it and give it my all. It’s not going to go ahead of God, family, & work, but it is up there. MH, you are the best for being so supportive over this past year. You are always there to push me and yelling “keep runnin!” I love you.


Eric’s Quote of the day: “WWYDT"~Me

Week 3 = Worst Training Week Ever

This week was not good. Work was extremely busy. It cut into just about all of my training time. Then by the time the weekend got here, I was so worn out, I didn’t feel like I could get in a run or ride. Poor motivation and mindset on my part. Oh well. As long as you learn from your experiences & mistakes right?

Monday
Workout #1 – Masters Swim (skipped)
Workout #2 – Strength Training (46mins)

Tuesday
Workout #1 – Intervals on Treadmill. Went ok. 26mins, 1.97 miles.
Workout #2 – Endurance Ride (Skipped)

Wednesday
Workout #1 – Masters Swim (skipped)
Workout #2 – Strength Training (50 mins)

Thursday
Workout #1 – Bike speed work (skipped)
Worktou #2 – Endurance Run. Crappiest run ever. My legs felt like poop. Cut it way short. 30mins 2.7 miles

Friday
Workout #1 – Masters Swim (skipped)
Workout #2 – Strength Training (skipped)

Saturday
A whole lot of nothing

Sunday
Even more nothing

So, out of a planned 13.5hr training week I sqeaked in 156mins...that is 2hrs 36mins. I'm going to have to adjust my overall training plan. I'll push starting my base period to 12/7. The month of November is going to all be Prep. I need to get in the habit of getting my butt out of bed early each day. This week should be pretty good. I've mapped out some good training to work around going back down to the beach this weekend. I won't be doing any training on Saturday so I dropped my hours down to 12.5. "Why are you going back down the beach, Eric" you may ask....Well, IM Florida is this weekend. I'm heading down to make it official and register for next years race. I'm a little nervous about it already and its 53 weeks out. I'll take some good pics and vids to post.

Til next week...

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “Believe you can and you are halfway there”~Theodore Roosevelt

Week 2 & a beach trip

Well, two weeks down now. I was on vacation this past week from Wednesday to Sunday. We went down with MH’s family to Grayton Beach, FL to celebrate Toni’s last chemo day! It has been a long road, and she has shown us all how to glorify God. Her attitude through it all has amazed me.

Somehow, I managed to get some workouts in this week…

Monday
Workout 1 – Master Swim – Skipped (I suck at getting up on Mondays)
Workout 2 - Phase AA Strength Training (50mins)

Tuesday
Workout 1 – Run S1 (intervals) – skipped too much work to do before I leave
Workout 2 – Bike E2 (endurance ride) – skipped too much work to do

Wednesday
Travel Day = no workouts

Thursday
Workout 1 – Quick and easy ride on 30-A (10 miles, 50mins)
Workout 2 – Transition Run – E1 (1.5 miles, 20mins)

Friday
Workout 1 – Endurance Run E1 – Ran to Watercolor and back. Beautiful outside. Ran 5mins/walked 2. Total distance of 5 miles; total time of 1:08

Saturday
Workout 1 – Endurance Run E1 – Ran through Seaside and back. Breezy and chilly out. Ran 5mins/walked 1-2mins. Total distance of 9.1 miles; total time of 1:58

Sunday
Workout 1 – Endurance Ride E2 – Rode 30-A to 98, 98 to the Publix road and then back down 30-A. It was cold again and the headwind sucked. Never became a tailwind. 98 is a little stressfull to ride on. This was my first time on a busy hwy. Total distance of 23.5 miles; total time of 1:41

So, out of a planned 13.5 hr training week, I was able to work in 6.78hrs. It’s not do or die just yet, but I’m about 53 weeks out from IM Florida. I need to get my butt in gear soon.

The weather didn’t cooperate too much while we were at the beach. The most gorgeous day turned out to be the day that I left…figures. Here is a pick of my little man at the beach

Here we are at JC's Off the Hook to cheer on our Auburn Tigers

Eric’s Quote of the Day: "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort" ~ Jesse Owens

Week 1 in the books

So for the past few months, I have been trying to plan out my training for the next year (385 days from today to be exact). Sometimes it is easy to get so caught up in the planning that you don't get in any solid training. You have to find a balance. Up until halfway through my time at Auburn, I was always more of a "I can wing it" type person...a "P" on the Myers Briggs scale. Then I started liking a little more order...I started becoming more of a "J" on the scale. I like filling out calendars and making lists. I like planning things out. I'm a big believer in the "5 P's" Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. The book I'm using is pretty awesome. It helps you break all your training down starting with the entire year and then breaking it down to the day. This past week was "Week 1" of my training plan. It calls for 13.5hrs or training during this prep period. Here is how it all went

Monday
Workout #1 - Master Swim
I planned for 30mins or swimming today as a recovery day to start off the week, but thanks to this awesome rainy weather we have had in Alabama recently, I didn't get to the pool
Workout #2 - Phase AA Strength Training 46mins
Strength training was pretty good. This phase focuses on high reps. Had a 5 minute warmup and cooldown on the treadmill. I did 3 sets of 25 of each exercise (Squats, Standing Pull Down, Leg Press, Seated Row, Leg Extensions, Chest Press). I need to be sure to work in some core on these days too.

Tuesday
Workout #1 - Interval Run (treadmill) 26mins
Got to work about 5Am today to hit the treadmill. Started with 5min warmup to get the HR up. Then would run (7.5min/mi) for 45 sec followed by 1:15 recovery run (12min/mi). Did this 8 times. Felt pretty good during and afterward. Might try and up the speed next week.
Workout #2 - I had an 80min bike ride planned for today, but MH had a party that night so I kept a fussy little Lucas.

Wednesday
Workout #1 - Master Swim
Stupid weather
Workout #2 - Phase AA Strength Training 45mins
5min warmup on the treadmill and then 3 sets of 25 (Squats, Standing Pull Downs, Leg Press, Seated Row, Leg Curls, Barbell Bench Press)

Thursday
Workout #1 - Bike Spin Ups 35mins
Got on the stationary bike at work in the AM. 5min warmup, Got to max cadence in 1min, held for 2mins, 1min recover, and then repeated. This was hard to do on the stationary bike. Nothing like being on a real bike. I'll probably start doing this on my trainer at home.
Workout #2 - Endurance Run 70mins
I headed out to the Industrial Park to get my run in today. Felt awesome outside. It was damp out, and rain was definitely in the area. I ended up running about 4 miles. Not my best run by any means, but at least I did get out there. Running makes me nervous. It is the easiest 1 of the big 3 to get injured doing. I'm going to start out slow and steady and work my way up.

Friday
Workout #1 - Master Swim
You guessed it...didn't swim
Workout #2 - Phase AA Strength Training 46mins
Same routine, but replaced the Leg Curls with Calve Raises and the Barbell Bench with Dumbbell Bench

Saturday
Workout #1 - Endurance Run 2hrs10mins
It was pretty darn cold Saturday Morning. I hit the pavement about 6am. I carried a water bottle with half a G2 packet for nutrition. I need to rethink nutrition during the run. I should start taking in a few more calories during training so I can get used to it. My goal was 1hr50mins. I wasn't sure what route to take, so I just kinda started running. Like I said earlier, I'm nervous about running. I don't exactly have what you call a "runner's body." I started out running 4mins and walking 2mins. Then when I hit mile 4.5, I started running 4 and walking 1. I was able to handle this pretty good. I'll try and keep it up this week on my runs and speed up the running a bit more. Next weekend, I'll shoot for 5/2 split and then drop it to a 5/1 split halfway through. Byt hte time I hit the driveway, I had gone 9.25miles. This was the furthest I've run since I did the Mercedes Half Mary back in February. I felt great and continued to feel great (other than a little soreness in my knees).
Workout #2 - Bike Recovery
Skipped

Sunday
Skipped both workouts (tired from watching the Tigers fall to Kentucky....boooo)

So out of a planned 13.5hrs, I was only able to get in 6.63hrs. I'll just have to take what I can get for right now I guess. I'll be able to get into a better routine eventually.

Have a great week and happy training!

Eric's Quote of the Day: "Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure"~Don Wilder

One day..

One day, I will be able to drag myself to the pool in the AM to start the week off right.

One day, I will be accustomed to this new kind of tired that I've been for the past few weeks so I can do all my scheduled weekly training.

One day, I will get my nutrition back on track b/c it is waaayy too easy to gain back 8lbs.

One day, I will get my lazy arse in gear to start training for a season packed full of big events and lofty goals.

Shout out to two locals (I'm sure there are more, but these are the only two names I know), Justin Ladner & Jessica Jacobs, who are competing at the IM World Championships in Kona this weekend...give 'em hell.

Eric's Quote of the Day: "Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us." ~Thomas Paine

Wow...

Wow is all that can sum up the past 12 days of my life. I would like to introduce our new baby boy Lucas!

He is only 11 days old but has brought so much joy to his momma and me. I could hold him and watch him for hours. He has become a major reason for me to want to do all of this training. I want to get healthier and stay that way so I can watch him grow up and start his own family. I want to be able to show him that anything is possible…that dedication and hard work yield great rewards…and any other cliché that’s applicable

He started his first journey around the sun on Sept 3rd. He was healthy as could be and momma was doing great. Word was that we were going to be discharged Saturday afternoon (which worked out perfectly for watching my Auburn Tigers play WAR EAGLE!). Then Saturday morning, we had a little scare. His breathing rate was elevated which is a sign of a respiratory infection or fluid in the lungs (which could lead to an infection). After keeping a close eye on his breathing all day Saturday, it was decided that it would be best for him to get checked into the NICU for closer observation and blood work. Having to let our little boy go after just having him for a couple of days was by far the hardest thing I have ever endured. They kept reassuring us that it is very common for this to happen, especially with c-section babies. Nothing they could say made it any easier for us. They ended up putting in a feeding tube. The first time we got to see him was heartbreaking. There was our little man with wires attached and a tube coming out of him. The beeps of the monitors became as normal a noise as the clicking of a keyboard at work. We would go see him as often as we could. Each day his breathing would become more and more consistently normal. We were so proud of him! On Monday we received word that he would be moved to a regular crib and if things kept going well, we would get to stay with him in an overnight room and get to take him home on Wednesday. We were so happy and excited! Wednesday couldn’t get here quick enough.

Wednesday finally arrived and we got to take him home! It was so nice having my family all home! MH is a trooper and has now become my hero! She is wonderful. Here are a few pics of our little man ranging from his “birthday” through his time in the NICU, and finally at home. You can check out our family blog for more pics and stuff at http://ericheatheroneal.blogspot.com/

Here he is about 5 mins old

"Fearless and True" in the NICU with his AU Blanket

Chillin before we go to the Dr for a follow up visit

He liked his first day in a "onesy" and not a sleeper

Training
Well, I’m getting back down to business today. Only 89 days until my first full marathon; 244 days until HIM Florida; and 419 days until IM Florida. Time has started to fly by. For September, I’m going to focus on running, biking, and strength training. Once October rolls around, I’ll get back into my Masters Swim Group and work on everything. My first marathon in December will mostly consist of me running and walking. Hopefully a 5min run/ 1min walk rotation, but we will see. More training updates to come!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “No train...Dadgummit!”~my 3yr old nephew anytime he sees railroad tracks and no train

Upcoming Season

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks reading through Joe Friel’s The Triathlete’s Training Bible. The title pretty much sums it up. It provides a ton of details on how to self coach for triathlons. Using the methods from the book, I have plotted out my next season ending with IM Florida. It’s going to be an awesome year. Here is how things are going to pan out starting with Rocket City Marathon in December:

December: Rocket City Marathon (B)
January: First Light Marathon (B)
February: Mercedes Marathon (B)
March: BYE
April: Magic City Duathlon (C)
Music City Marathon (B)
May: IM 70.3 Florida (A)
June: Buster Britton (B)
July: Chattanooga Waterfront (B)
Wet Dog Triathlon (C)
August: Mountain Lakes (A)
September: IM 70.3 Augusta (B)
October: BYE
November: IM Florida (A)

The letters at the end of the event represent its priority. With “A” being the highest, these events are the focal point of my season. The “B” priority races are almost as important, but I won’t be tapering or recovering nearly as long (if at all) for these races. The few “C” priority races are those that will be just for fun. A few more might get added as the year progresses and event calendars are published.

When I started planning out my training, I needed to identify my biggest limiters. Running is by far my worst discipline of the three. That being the case, I decided to push myself and get a lot of running volume during my off season. First up is the Rocket City Marathon on December 12th. This is the first of three races in the 3-N-3 Challenge. The 3-N-3 Challenge is a race where you run all three marathons in the state of Alabama in three months. If you end up completing all 3 races, you get some sweet swag and bragging rights. Although I will be training for the marathons, I won’t be focusing primarily on running. I think a lot can be said for triathlon training as it pertains to overall fitness and weight loss. I’ll be adding a few more runs into my training than I will be doing after Mercedes, but I’ll still be working hard at building a solid base in the water and on the bike.

The first thing I did when I started thinking about this upcoming season was set goals. They are “up there.” It will take a lot of focus and training to reach them.

1. Finish IM Florida (in less than 13 hrs)
2. Finish IM 70.3 Florida in less than 6.5 hrs
3. Finish Mt. Lakes Tri run in less than 23 mins

Everywhere I’ve read, people say not to shoot for a specific time to complete an IM. There are just too many variables that are out of your control. Ideally I want to hit the sub-13hr mark, but will I be upset if it takes me 16 hrs to finish? Nope, as long as I cross that last timing mat still married, smiling, under my own strength, employed, and not poor I will be thrilled. I read that goal in Triathlete magazine and had to steal it. This next year is going to be a blast!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” ~Michelangelo (the artist not Ninja Turtle)

'09 Tri Season - Lessons Learned

Well, my first year as a triathlete is in the books. Simply put, I had a blast. I met a bunch of awesome people, learned a lot about the sport, and learned a lot about myself. The following is a quick look back at my races this year and a brief account of what I learned.

2/15 First Race – Mercedes Half Mary (13.1mi run…ok, jog & walk) Goal Under 3hrs – Actual 2hrs 43mins

First lesson in a repeating course of sticking to training. I started out pretty strong and then started to feel fatigued as I passed the 6-7 mile mark. Felt the “runner’s high” and loved it. While running still sucks, I enjoy it when I’m done. This was the first and only time this year that I could barely stand to walk the following days due to the pain in my feet & ankles. Definitely need to be sure to stretch well before and after the race.

4/18 1st Multisport Event – Magic City Duathlon (3.1mi run/12mi bike/2mi run) Goal 1hr 30mins – Actual 1hr 40mins

Lesson 2 of the course “The Importance of Training”. I felt good going into this race. I had ridden a good bit around the Hoover Freshman Center. I started off waayy too fast on the first run…ended up walking some (or most)…getting very fatigued on the bike…and flailing around in the home stretch. I wasn’t too sore after this event. Crossing the finish line was a feeling that I would never forget and that will never get old.

5/25 First Triathlon – GJCC Memorial Day Triathlon (200m swim, 8.5mi bike, 2mi run) Goal 1hr 00mins – Actual 1hr 12mins

This was my first “competition” swim. I was pretty nervous about the whole event. The swim went great. The bike was fun until I came upon the only climb on the course. To this day, that climb seems like it went straight up a mountain. This led to my next lesson learned…work on biking up hills. Even though I didn’t feel like I had done great, crossing the finish line still rocked. The tri bug had latched on.

6/13 - Buster Britton Triathlon (400yd swim, 13.5mi bike, 3mi run) Goal 1hr 30mins – Actual 1hr 44 mins

After finally beating my “nemesis” on a training ride with my cohort Jeff the weekend prior to the event, I felt pretty good going into this race. I did ok on the swim, and I managed to do ok on the bike despite the wet roads. This race made me realize how important running is. I am not a fan of running, but this is something that I still need to get over. To push myself, I’m going to run a few marathons next season (more on next season later).

7/12 – Chattanooga Waterfront (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) Goal 3hrs 40mins – Actual 4hrs 11mins

This was the longest race of the season. I was a wreck worrying about this race. The distance of the bike didn’t bother me too much, but then add on the hills to the 26 miles and WOW. I felt great during and after the swim. I regret stopping a couple of times on the bike and not pushing harder on the run, but hey, I finished. I have to admit that crossing this finish mat was the greatest feeling all year. I was a little “emotional” at the end of it. A year ago if someone would have told me that I would be completing an Olympic distance triathlon, I would have laughed my butt off. I never thought I would be able to accomplish this. I learned more about myself this race than any other. It would have been so easy to call it quits on the bike and get a ride back to the transition area. Instead, I dug in and finished it…the finish wasn’t pretty, but at least it was a finish. Ever since that race, I feel like I can do anything. (Sorry for the Velveeta moment)

7/18 – Wet Dog Triathlon (400m swim, 15k bike, 5k run)

Goal 1hr 18mins – Actual 1hr 20mins

This was probably the most fun race out of all of them. It isn’t nearly as organized as the rest of my races. The venue was pretty close and the course rocked. It was super flat and fast. This was a fun one just to go do. I learned two things today…the first is that trail running rocks even if you do get tripped by a rogue vine and second, that running with a GPS watch that tracks your pace and distance is the way to go…I must have one.

8/8 Final Tri of the Season – Mt. Lakes Triathlon (600yd swim, 16.2mi bike, 3mi run) Goal 1hr 40mins – Actual 2hrs 00mins

This was a cool race. Other than the swim being the worst of the year for me, this one rocked. The bike and run are pretty flat. The run is along a paved path that runs next to the lake. I regret not having trained harder since Chatty for this one. I really feel like I could have torn this one up. Something that I have a bad habit of doing on the bike is trying to “save” my legs for the run. In a sprint like this, there is no need to hold anything back. You just have to go all out and know that your training has prepared you to endure. This race will be one of my top priority races next year.

When I look back on all of my races, it is easy to be a little disappointed for not meeting/beating any of my goals except for the ½ mary. Then I remind myself that this is my first season and I’m not exactly the well tuned triathlete I plan to be next year. Soon I’ll plot out my course for this next year which will culminate with IM Florida. Real quick I want to say thanks to all of my family and friends for their support this past year. MH, I love you to death. You will never know how much I appreciate your support and understanding during this journey. 18 days....holy crap!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” ~ Booker T. Washington

Mt. Lakes Race Report

Well, another race is in the books. I didn’t meet my goal of 1:40. You can definitely tell a difference when you stay off training for a while. I did ride some between Wet Dog and Mt. Lakes, but that is about it. Team-Magic definitely knows how to put on a great event. Some people complain about the wait time. I’m not really sure what they expect when you have 900+ people all trying to compete. MH and I drove up to Guntersville Friday evening to pickup my packet and get checked into the hotel in Albertville. At the hotel, we just watched TV (two of our favorite shows, Monk & Psych, had their season premieres).

5:55am- Arrived at Race Site. I was the first on my rack to arrive, so I got one of the ends so I could have just a little extra room. I got my tattoos for the day and walked down to the water to check things out.
6:30am- Went back to the car to see how MH was doing. She decided to come on down to the race area. We went to the water. I swam about 300m to warm up and to make sure I still knew how to swim. I got out and stretched. Then the waiting game began.
7:45am- The first racers are off. These dudes can book it I the water. It was awesome watching these collegiate athletes compete.
8:25am- I’m diving into the water. My swim coach was one of the volunteers this weekend. She was the “marker” in the water at the point where you can start diving. She gave me a quick “Go get ‘em” and I gracefully immersed myself into the water (hoping you pick up on the sarcasm right about now). I didn’t feel too great about this swim. I did manage to pass a couple of people for a change, and my sighting was a lot better, but I just didn’t feel very efficient out there. My swim time was 16:39 which put me at 25/26 in my division. I lost a lot of time b/c I started doing the breaststroke a little and I kept looking up in the last 50-75 meters wondering when I was going to be close enough to the shore to start walking.

Swim Video



T1+Bike
T1 was OK…4:15. I’ve got to get quicker in transition. It is just too easy to lose valuable time walking/jogging to your gear, getting everything on, walking your bike to the mount line, mounting your bike and then heading off. The bike was a fun ride. No major climbs. I probably could have stayed aero the entire time. I passed a good bit of people out there. I got a little slow towards the end of the ride when you lose the tree cover. The last 2 miles went across the causeway where my dad used to take me fishing when I was little. It was pretty cool seeing all that again. With about 1 mile to go, I managed to reach down and get my feet out of my shoes to help speed up my T2 time. I wish I would’ve waited a bit longer, b/c pedaling with my feet hanging over the toe of my shoes made it difficult to get any power behind my pedaling. Overall, the bike took me 55:46 with an avg rate of 17.2mph which ranked me at 14/26 only b/c there were several folks who didn’t cross a timing mat so they don’t have a bike rate, but hey, I’ll take it.

Bike Video

T2+Run
T2 was ok. There was little bit of a traffic jam at the dismount line. I got to my rack and got ready for the run in 2:10. I really want to get this down to around 1:15 by next year. Only one word can really sum up the run…crappy. I couldn’t keep a decent pace running. I walked waayyy more than I should’ve or wanted to. I dug down and started kicking pretty good the last qtr mile or so at around 6:36 pace. The run was nice b/c it was on a paved path that ran next to the lake. The run ended up taking me 42:07 at an avg pace of 14:22 which put me dead last in my division for the run…or walk depending on how you want to look at it.

Finish Video


Here we are 2hrs and 55 secs later crossing the finish line. I ended up finishing 24/26 in my division so at least I wasn’t dead last. It was a great day, and I definitely had a good time. I’ll be there next year to “own” that race.

I’ll wrap up the season and start looking ahead in my next post.

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “You might want to check your socks, because I’m about to knock’em off.” ~ Shawn Spencer, Psych

Race Week- Mt. Lakes (Guntersville)

I’ll get better about posting one day. I haven’t had too much time for training since Wet Dog. Work has been a little hectic, and trying to get the house ready for Lucas has swallowed up the rest of my time. I’ve gotten a few runs and rides in though. Swimming has been non-existent. I’m still going to go all out at Mt. Lakes though. It is supposed to be a flat and fast course. It looks very similar to the Wet Dog but just a little longer on the swim and bike. I always get nervous during race week. For some reason, I have been waiting until then to choose my goal finish time. I always second guess myself…am I sandbagging…am I being too ambitious…can I really do it in that time? Well, I’m shooting for under 1hr40. The ideal scenario would be like this...

Swim (600yd) in 11mins

T1 in 3 mins
Bike (16.2mi) in 54mins (this is might be tricky, but it would just be a little faster than my avg speed at Wet Dog)


T2 in 2 mins (I need to be sure I slip my feet out of my shoes about ¼ mile from the dismount line)
Run (3mi) in 31mins (I’ll be running faster than I’ve run before. I just need to stay focused and be sure I take in a gel with about 6-7 miles to go on the bike)
I'll try and see if I can find a run course map to post on here.


It looks like it is going to be hot on Saturday with a 30% chance of rain as of today. I’ll try and post again before Saturday. If not, have a great week!


Eric’s Quote of the Day: “There is no ‘Y’ in running. Believe in the run.” ~Nike

Well...

I haven't done much training since The Wet Dog.  I made it to masters this past Wed and tried to go for a long ride on Saturday (tried being the key word), but that's about it.  The group ride was going to leave from Lakeshore and head out towards Trussville then out to Leeds and back around to Lakeshore.  The whole trip was just under 50 miles.  The pace was a bit faster than what I could manage that morning.  I ended up dropping out of the pack and heading back to the car around 7 or 8 miles into the trip. I got in a pretty solid 15 mile ride but regret not digging in and riding the 50 miles.

Yesterday the re-aired the Ironman National Championships in Kona.  Wow.  The focus and desire that these athletes have is amazing.  The main focus was on the contenders, but the showed a bunch of age groupers as well.  Watching the show helped me to realize how far I have to go to get ready for IM Florida next year.  I'm looking forward to an awesome adventure and hope you stay along for the ride.

Quick shout out to my friends Courtney who finished IM Lake Placid today with a total time of 12:42:09 and Julie who placed second overall female in the Music City Sprint Tri in Nashville. You two rock!

Eric's Quote of the Day: "There are two things in this world that I can't stand...people who are intolerable of other people's cultures and the Dutch."~Nigel Powers in Austin Powers 3

Wet Dog Triathlon

So, I think I have found one of my favorite sprint races. This course is short, flat, & fast. I was a little timid throughout most of the race. I held back some on the swim and bike. As I was finishing up my last mile of the run, I was a little upset for not pushing myself harder earlier in the race. At least now I know how to handle this race next year.

Pre-Race
I woke up about 400 Saturday morning and ate some cheerios and pop tarts I acquired at the service station down the road from my hotel in the little oasis known as Decatur. I watched some TV for about an hour. Then I got all my gear loaded up and headed to the race site. Body marking started at 545 and the transition area was first come first serve. I got a spot on the outside of the area. In hindsight, I should have gotten a spot right in the middle. That would have shaved some off of my transition times. Around 630 everyone headed down to the water. It was an out and back swim (400m). I did a warm up swim of about 200m and then stretched on the beach. There were over 500 racers there (up from 300 racers last year) which was awesome b/c all the proceeds of the race went to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program up there.
Swim
The first 100 swimmers went by quickly, but then the next 100 seemed to take forever. I was 216. The called my number and I ran on into the water and dove out as hard as I could to try and catch a few people in front of me. I passed maybe two people before several passed me. I was relaxed and just kept focusing on my stroke and breathing. I actually managed to swim in a relatively straight line this race. I made the turn at the bouey and started towards the exit. About halfway there, one racer was signaling the rescue boats for assistance, me and another racer slowed and went his way to check on him. He was having trouble catching his breath. The boat started to make its way over and the dude calmed down. The other racer said he had him and told me to go on. I finished the swim hard with a time of 9:09 which put me at 20/30 in my age group (25-29). My estimated swim time for registration was 9 mins so I wasn’t too far off.

T1
Since I was able to hit the right buttons on my watch this race, I have transition times. The race results lump T1, Bike, and T2 into one time and rate. The run to the transition area was probably the shortest so far this season. I pulled on my jersey, race belt, helmet, glasses, gloves, and shoes; grabbed my bike off the rack; and headed to the bike start (T1 = 4:16. I really need to get better at T1).

Bike
I mounted my bike and started getting situated on the saddle as I passed the first couple of people within the first ½ mile. I have to say, I love my aerobars. It is nice to be able to lean over and give your arms a rest. It will still take some practice staying well balanced when on the bars, but it will definitely be worth it. About mile 2, I saw some flashing lights from an ambulance. Some dude had run his bike up over the curb and wrapped it around a sign post. He was just laid out in the grass. The medics didn’t seem too concerned with him. I hope that he wasn’t hurt too bad, but how in the crap do you do that? Short of a car running you off the road, you just have to try to wreck like that. Another couple of miles, another couple of people passed. I was feeling pretty good on the bike. Just before the turnaround, the freight train passed. Not a locomotive, but a string of about 6 racers drafting (illegal) and flying by everyone. I felt like I was caught on the outside without a drafting partner at Talladega. I made the turnaround and headed back to the transition area. About ½ a mile out, I reached down and slipped my feet out of my shoes. I have always wanted to try it, but never felt confident enough to do it in a race. This is definitely the way to go! By my watch, my bike time was 30:23 with a rate of 17.50mph and a max speed of 23.7mph. The race results have me at a total time for T1, Bike & T2 of 36:56, a bike rate of 15.1 which was good enough for 25/30.

T2
I stopped my bike, jumped off and ran it back to the rack. It is SO much easier to run barefoot than in bike cleats. I slipped on my running shoes and dropped my bike gear. I grabbed Jeff’s GPS watch and took off on the run (T2 = 2:06).

Run
Having my pace right there on my wrist is awesome. I felt pretty good on the run. I actually passed a couple of runners. Granted, some of them were older people running/walking in a group (aka family). So what if they were in khaki shorts and didn’t have timing chips or race bibs and they were walking behind a kid on a Spiderman bike with training wheels. But seriously, I did pass a couple of actual racers which made me feel pretty good. Then about mile 1 it happened. A vine reached out from the side of the trail and snagged my foot….wham…down goes Frazier! My first official bust during a race…sweet. The people behind me slowed to see if I was OK. I got up, brushed off the dirt and rocks from my knees and started back on the trail. I made the turn and ran back on the park service road. With about ¾ of a mile to go, I picked up the pace. The closer I got to the finish, the faster I started kicking. I crossed the finish line with a runtime of 34:43 (avg pace of 11:12 my best race run yet) which put me 27/30 for the run in my division. My total time for the race was 1:20:47 and a ranking of 26/30. I didn’t meet my 1:15 goal, but I was happy with my time.

Now, I just have one tri left on my schedule for this year, Mt. Lakes. From what I’ve heard, the terrain is very similar to the Wet Dog but just a little longer. Seventeen days until race day. I haven’t settled on a goal time yet but will soon. I’ll be back later with training updates.

Eric’s Quote of the Day: (If you know the actual line and/or who said it, let me know. I’m not sure which Olympian said it, but I’ll paraphrase…) “I’m not here to start the race. I here to finish it”

Race Week

No major training this week to speak of. I had a few things planned, but everything else got in the way. Really wish I would have done some light workouts to keep everything loose but oh well. UPDATE Only 7 weeks until Lucas is here…that’s 49 days…holy crap!

I’m heading up to Decatur today after work today for the Wet Dog Triathlon. It is a short and fast Sprint (400m swim/15km bike/3mi run). I’m hoping to get an easy ride in once I get up there. I’m not sure of the course layout, so I don’t have any maps to put up here for this race. I will be cruisin solo this weekend b/c MH has to work so my race report will be missing video and action shots. I’m pumped about this race. I’m shooting to finish in under 1hr15mins. It seems like that is a pretty average time in my division going by last year’s results. I’m afraid it will all boil down to the run which is my weakest area.
Have a great weekend!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “Follow your dreams…just not that one where you go to work naked” ~Unknown

My First Oly

No real training to report since the race. I did get my aero bars fitted yesterday which I’m pretty pumped about. I am so happy that I decided to go ahead and do the Chattanooga Waterfront Tri. I wavered back and forth everyday for a couple of weeks following Buster Britton. Everything about the race intimidated me. The distances, the terrain, the expected turnout all made me want to go and not want to go. Well, I got up there around 1230 (Eastern) on Saturday and made my way to the registration tent to get my packet. The size of the staging area and transition area were huge compared to all my races so far.

tranisition pics

I got checked in…number 185…and headed to grab something lite for lunch. Afterwards, I decided to drive the bike course so I would know what I was in for….wow. I went from a little nervous to down right petrified. MapMyRide did not do these hills justice. They seemed to climb forever. I tried to stay focused and plot out a strategy, but all I could think was how long those climbs were. I decided I needed to go get checked into the hotel before I talked myself into heading back home. After a little bit of confusion at the hotel, I got to my room and started to try to unwind. A couple of hours went by and I got a phone call from Heather saying she was almost to the airport. Sidebar: My wife rocks. She decided she was going to rent a car after her grandparents’ party and head up to Chattanooga. Originally she was going to surprise me, but in the end she told me her plans on Friday. I was thrilled to have her up there! Love you babe. I headed to the airport to pick her up and we headed back to the hotel to grab some dinner. Dinner was ok. We got back to the room and I started freaking out a little bit. I organized all of my gear, lubed my bike chain, and tried to get some rest.
RaceDay
4:00- I got out of bed and tried to eat a little. No microwave in the room, so I was forced to get by on a couple of Clif Bars for breakfast. I showered and got ready. My stomach was in knots. To quote my dad, you couldn’t have driven a pin up my @ss with a ball pin hammer I was so nervous. Throwing up crossed my mind several times.
5:45- I rolled my bike downstairs and mounted up to ride to the race site. My nerves calmed a little bit once I started riding but came back just as quickly as I rolled down the street to the hoards of people. I got my body marked and went to set up my transition area. The wind was blowing and the talk around the bikes was that there was a pretty good chance of rain that morning….crap. I put my cleats and shoes upside down to try and keep them dry if it did happen to rain. I grabbed my Gatorade and a banana and just walked around. I tried to calm down and focus as I headed to the busses that would take us up to the swim start area about a mile up the road.
6:40- The bus drops us off at the UT Chattanooga Rowing Center. There is a football practice field where all the traithletes are waiting to start the race. Some were running around. Others were in groups talking while the rest of us decided to be by ourselves. A calm started to come over me while we were here. I couldn’t wait to get in the water. I decided ealier that I would head out towards the buoys to swim rather than stay close to shore. My original intention was to get out of everyone’s way, but I started to think about it more and realized that the current would be moving swifter away from the rocky shores…in my best Mr. Burns voice “excellent.”
7:45 We are finally all lined up and ready to go. The first two waves are already in the water. We start to walk down the gangplank and onto the dock. I sat on the edge and scooted into the water. You had to swim about 50 feet down to the end of the dock before you could start going all out. I heard “185, go” and started swimming.
The Swim
I got to the outside and felt great. I had some good separation between me and the folks behind me. Next thing I knew, I was heading under the first bridge, which is pretty creepy actually. I did break down and breast stroke for a few minutes along the course, but I never really got just drained while swimming. The second and third bridges passed overhead and I started to angle my way towards the shore. I looked behind me and just saw what seemed like a hundred sets of hands and feet flailing around and splashing. I turned back ahead and sprinted the final 50m to the exit. There was a small platform that workers would help pull you to so you could walk up the steps out of the water and then run (ok, I walked) up the amphitheater steps to the transition area. My swim time was 33:14 which put me 33/35 in my division.


I got to my spot and started putting everything on. The only thing I didn’t do was turn on Jeff’s GPS watch for the run…dohh! It takes a few minutes to align with satellites so I wanted to go ahead and get it on well before I needed to use it on the run. I trotted my bike over to the exit and started off on my journey.
The Bike
After feeling so good after the swim, I knew that I was going to be able to handle the bike. You go about 1.5 miles and go up an on-ramp to get on the highway. Some people complained about it, but come on, how often do you get to ride in a closed lane of a highway? Then about mile 2.5 you hit the first climb. I find a comfortable gear and go to town. I watched my cadence and as soon as it dropped below 80, I dropped into the next gear. The next thing I knew, I was over the top and starting my first decent. Hell yeah, this isn’t going to be bad at all” I thought. “How about them apples, b!tch” came out too, but the hills would have the last laugh. The next climb was a little brutal. Not extremely steep, just long. I had to stop for a minute so I could catch my breath and refocus. I saddled back up and didn’t stop until the turnaround and mile 13.1 so I could snag some water b/c I was afraid I didn’t have enough for the return trip. The return trip was a lot easier. The final big climb was another drainer, but I managed to grind my way to the top. I crossed back over the river and then off the interstate. I rounded the corner and started trying to spin in some high gears to get my legs ready for the run. I heard my MH hollering and shouted back an I love you too! . Apparently, I didn’t step on the timing mat with my left leg, so the official results don’t have a time down for me. The best that I can figure is that I had a bike time of 1:49:48 at a rate of 14.3mph which put me somewhere around 31/35 for my division.



I get to my spot in tranisition, and some A-hole has his bike in my spot, so I had to slide his bike over and then mount mine and drop my gear so I can throw on my running shoes and be off for the final 6.2 miles of the day.
The Run
The run wasn’t good even by my standards. I couldn’t get in a comfortable rhythm. The first 1.5 miles was all uphill. The rain then started to fall which made it very comfortable for the first 4 miles but after that, my feet felt like they were sliding around in my shoes just a bit too much. Once I hit the turnaround, I forced myself to run just a bit more. I passed tons of people who were on the out part of the run. It definitely made me feel better seeing a good bit of people behind me. I went down the steps and knew that I only had 1 more mile until I was done with my first Oly. I decided to man up and run that last mile. It was rough. I was going at a pretty good clip. The crowds of spectators had started lining the last ¼ of a mile of the run to cheer on the last of the runners. It was awesome having so many strangers cheer for you. I see MH and just smile. I started kicking just a bit more and the next thing I hear is my name over the speakers. My run time was 1:39:59 which put me at 35/35 in my division. My overall time was 4:11:48. I was a bit disappointed in my time, but hey, I did it! I can’t believe I finished. It was hard to hold back the tears. If anyone had told me this time last year that I was going to be doing an Olympic distance tri this summer, I would have called them crazy. But here I am with the finisher socks to prove it. Yeah, that’s right, they gave us socks as we crossed the finish line to go along with our shirts. Jealous?


Overall, I had a blast. I see why so many people love this race and do it year after year. It is already on my schedule as an “A” priority race. I feel like the biggest benefit of doing this race is that now, all the other Sprint distances won’t seem bad at all. This year has been an awesome learning experience for me. I know that I can finish up these last two races and then start focusing on IM Florida. Thanks again for everyone’s support. I couldn’t do it without you!

Eric’s Clip of the day: (I decided to start throwing a few of my youtube faves in the mix)

Wow, race weekend already?!?!

So, I took this week very easy. I didn’t do anything on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I just ran a quick 5k at Veteran’s park. Thursday was another easy day of no training. Today is probably going to be the same, but I am planning on doing some light stretching this afternoon. Tonight or early tomorrow, I’ll clean my bike up and take an easy ride in the AM before I leave. Now, onto the race….

The swim (1500m, that’s just short of a mile for you non-metric folks) Goal: 33mins
I’m not too nervous about the swim. It is a long way, but you can stop and take a break whenever you feel like it. I’m planning on getting in the water and moving as far outside as I can so I won’t get knocked around by all the other triathletes. The big plus is the current. Since there has been so much rain up in TN, the current should be fairly swift (knock on wood).

Swim course


The bike (42km = 26.1mi) Goal: 1hr40mins
I’m nervous about this leg, but definitely not as nervous as I was last week before my 37 mile ride. I know I can do the distance, and even tackle most of the hills, but it looks like there are a couple of long grinds on the course that will take a lot out of me. Most of my nutrition will be on this leg. I’m planning on downing a couple of Hammer Gel’s and maybe a Clif Bar to get ready for the run. From what I’ve heard, the bike course is like riding down 280. We will have the entire inside lane. That means we will be buzzing down these hills at 40 mph with 18 wheelers flying by on the right…I’m expecting it to be pretty intense.

Bike Course


The run (10km = 6.21mi) Goal: 1hr18mins
The run ought to be interesting. Just one big hill (right at the end) and the rest is flat as a pancake. You have to go up some steps to a pedestrian bridge which I imagine will be tough on the quads. My buddy Jeff is lending me his GPS watch for the race. This way, I can do a better job of monitoring my pace throughout the run portion (Thanks Dude!). Side note: Keep Jeff and his group in your prayers this next week. They will be traveling to Juarez, Mexico to build houses. Pray for a safe journey, stay, & return. I’m going to try something new during the race. I’m going to run for 4-5 mins then walk 1 min. This should help me keep my HR under control a good bit better and help me to save a little bit of energy to crank out that last ½ mile.

Run Course


Quick weigh in report: Down to 242.5. Pretty happy with that considering no major training this week.

I’ll be sure to post my race report on Monday. No videos this time though…I’ll be the loner, the renegade, the rebel triathlete this trip. Have a great weekend!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “A ship in the harbor is safe. But that’s not what ships are built for.” ~Anonymous

A little bit of training...

Thursday 7/2
No training today. I just wasn’t up for it.

Friday 7/3
I felt “guilty” for not doing anything Thursday, so I head up to Oak Mt. for a swim and ride. I swam for about 10-20 minutes just back and forth at the “beach” area. I tried to focus on my form and using my body to swim not just my arms (which I have a tendency to do). Then I jumped on my bike and road up the Mountain and back out to the main entrance and back to my car. It took about right at an hour to do. I felt pretty good after the ride…that is until I get a phone call form Hoover Toyota. Turns out I not only need a new AC clutch but also a new compressor (compressor = $$). I talked with the guy for a bit and let him know my “disappointment” that this couldn’t have been discovered last week when I took my car into their shop. I thought about it a bit and talked it over with Heather. We decided just to get rid of the 4Runner and go ahead and get something else. We were planning on getting something new towards the end of the year anyways. So the rest of Friday was spent cleaning up the 4Runner; going to CarMax and Driversway; and finding a great deal on a 2008 GMC Acadia. It is more of a crossover than an SUV. Not as small as a crossover but not as big as a Yukon…here is a pic



Saturday 7/4
No real training today unless you call loading up on pork products training (I like to think of it that way)

Sunday 7/5
I finally made it out for a training ride with Vulcan Triathletes. There were 6 of us heading out that morning. I was pretty nervous. We were going to go about 36-40 miles; my longest ride to date was 20 miles out at the industrial park. We left from the Brownell Travel building on Lakeshore and headed through Mt. Brook neighborhoods to Eastwood Mall area. Then we jumped onto Hwy 78 and rode out to the Bass Pro Shops (that’s right, Bass Pro Shops). Then we cut back on Rex Lake Road which changes into Sicard Hollow road all the way to Cahaba Heights. We then cut over and rode up Overton Road (b!tch of a hill). At the top of Overton, we cut back to the right and maneuvered our way over to Brookwood Road; turned between the golf courses; and road down Mt. Brook Parkway back to Brownell Travel. The overall trip was about 37 miles and took 2hrs27minutes. I was pumped after the ride. Chatty doesn’t look so scary anymore….ok, maybe it still does.

Monday 7/6
Recovery Day

Eric’s Quote of the Day: (an exert from Napoleon Dynamite)
Unlce Rico: “Back in ‘82, I use to be able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile”
Kip: “Are you serious?”

Uncle Rico: “I’m dead serious.”

New Race added to list!

Well, the weekend was OK. No ride on Saturday b/c I needed to take my bike to the shop. The chain was still jumping around on the rear gears. I did swim up at Oak Mt. with Jeff for a little while Saturday morning.

Sunday 6/28
I got in a pretty good run before church. I went 4.67 miles in right at an hour. I really don’t have the speed on the run that I would like to have. I need to be better about getting my runs in and quit finding excuses not to run. I should be running further distances by now.

Monday 6/29
Recovery Day

Tuesday 6/30
PM Bike
There is a stretch at Oak Mt. that is uphill and about a mile long. I rode up and then back down several times. Then I did the 20sec sprints (at 5k pace). Hills will wear a brother out!
Overall: avg HR 157; Peak HR 181; Min HR 98
Bike: Time 35mins; Dist 10.2 (forgot to look at avg and max speeds)
Sprints: 5 total
Wednesday 7/1
AM Swim
WU: 300m
Pulls: 300 on 6mins
250 on 4.5mins
125 on 3.5mins
75 on 2mins
Main Set: (4)50 easy/medium
(4)50 medium/fast

Total 1450m
I left to take the 4Runner to the shop so my AC can get fixed. One of these days, I swear I’ll be able to stay for the entire workout!

So, I decided to add another race to my calendar. The Wet Dog Triathlon is up in Decatur on July 18th. I’ve heard it is a very fun sprint distance (400m/15k/5k) tri. My buddy Kevin from the GJCC race might be doing it too. It is the weekend after Chattanooga. This way, I won’t be able to put off saddling back up after a race like I normally do. It should be a fun little day trip up there. After that, I’ll just have a couple of weeks until my first tri season’s culmination at Mt. Lakes.

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “You know what’s so bad about real life, Sssteven…there’s no danger music. Dududu DEDEDEDeDEde..” Chip Douglas (Jim Carrey) in The Cable Guy