13:41:06

I'm going to need a bit of time to recover and regroup from Ironman Texas yesterday, and when I do I will be posting a full race report. For now I will say that parts of my race went as planned and parts were better and worse than planned. However, planning an Ironman is a rather ambitious undertaking under the best of circumstances. In the end my day was filled with sweat and tears, joy and heartbreak, success and failure in so many ways. On this day there was more good than bad as I finished in 13:41:06. My thanks to those of you who supported me along the way!

Ironman Texas 2012 Preview

The clock is ticking down on the start of Ironman Texas 2012. It's currently under 12 hours and counting down....

Packet pickup went well for me. I got there early and for once there were no early lines. I was able to make a quick trip in to the Ironman store to grab a couple small items and then to grab my packet. One great extra this year was the transition backpack that come with registration.

Unfortunately, this proved to be a busy work week for me. Although I was able to take off a half day Thursday to help get ready. Friday was filled with about 4 hours of work related phone calls and a lot of headaches (arrgghhhh!!!!). However, I still got tires changed, spare tubes bought, transition bags packed and my bike + transition bags dropped off before the 3 p.m. deadline. (That's my Orbea in the center.)

After the dropoff, I got some pizza and salad for lunch and walked around the new finish area. It would have been hard to believe, but I think this year the finish is even more spectator friendly than last year!. One small slightly unhappy thing is that the last run is uphill, but I am pretty sure that won't matter at that point when adrenaline carries you through.

I also enjoyed a treat from a bake shop on that final run--a cookie in the Ironman logo!

As for me, I have done the training and feel real good about my preparation. Unfortunately these last 2 or 3 days have just been awful from a work point of view and I am at a stress high point in my life, though maybe that might work for me with tomorrow being a chance to focus only the task before me and nothing more.

For anyone interested in tracking me, I have two links for you.
First is the Ironman Texas website where they offer athlete tracking: ironmantexas,com has a results link with an athlete tracker at: http://www2.ironman.com/events/ironman/texas/?show=tracker&race=texas&year=2012#axzz1NNlKA7YV

Second is a tracking chip at http://track.myathletelive.com/vemap.aspx?name=194261  This could give you an idea where I am on the bike and run portions of the course.

Finally, there is the issue of finishing time. Last year I had some problems I fought through to a 16:35:49 finish. This year my first goal is to beat this time, but I also really want to beat it by a lot and hope to get under 14 hours. It will be a long day but I will give it all I have.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement, my friends!

5:09:43:38

5:09:43:38 until Ironman Texas, or so my countdown timer says as I began this post.

Thus far I feel good at where I am in my taper. I am feeling the basic aches and pains that often come during the taper, some of which may be real and some might not. Things seemed pretty good during my last long bike ride yesterday at least until the last half hour where I got a flat tire--my first in a few years!--and then noticed my brakes were slightly misaligned a few miles after that! Perhaps this was for the best, I now have recent practice at changing my tire and the bike store was able to tighten up my brakes and check over the bike as well. I figure I will take it on one last ride during the middle of the week just to make sure the tire is good.

Mentally, I'm also feeling pretty good. I know my training has been good, much better than last year--not to mention that I am one year better as an athlete than I was a year ago. I may not be setting any records (except maybe a personal record) this weekend but I am ready to go out and do my best and see what happens from there.

I don't typically worry about the things that are beyond my control, such as the weather. The forecast for the day is quite warm and humid (high of 80's and humidity in the upper 60's), so I will plan my day accordingly and go from there.

Later this week I will be posting my tracking information in case anyone is interested in trying to follow me on or after race day.

Just a little over 5 days left until Ironman Texas....

An Open Letter to My First-Time IM Friends

I did not write this.  It was sent to me, by a dear friend, before I did my first IM, and I've seen various versions circulating about the internet since that time. I’ve edited it for Ironman Texas and I wanted to share it with those of you who are about to do your first (or any number) as I prepare for my second.  It still gives me goosebumps when I read it. This event is not about some name brand.  It is about the training: the blood, sweat and tears and everything that goes into the process of preparing to be ready for starting and finishing 140.6 miles.

SUMMARY OF IRONMAN
So without further adieu, to those of you heading to Ironman - to the IM-Virgins, the veterans, and everyone in-between...  Right now you've entered the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first IM, for others, a long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.  You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take months or more to erase. Long rides were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed by recovery naps that may have been longer than you slept for any given night during college.  You swam in the cold. You rode in the rain. You ran in the heat. You went out when others stayed home. You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.  You have survived the Darwinian progression that is Ironman training, and now the hardest days are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lays before you...and it will be a fast one.  Time that used to be filled with never-ending training will now be filling with silent muscles, taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately needs, your mind, cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.  It won't be pretty.  It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:  you are ready.  Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that there is too much that can go wrong.  You are ready.  Finishing an Ironman is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work, and belief that all the long runs in January, long rides in April, and long swims every $#%& week will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to the last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found the answer.  It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. It is not easy, but you can do it.  You are ready.  You will walk into the water with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl against your skin, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for, for so VERY long, is finally here.  You will tear up in your goggles. The helicopter will roar overhead. The splashing will surround you.  You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.  The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the final shoreline grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up to the edge and head for the ladder. You may have to wait for someone to get off that sucker before you, but you will get your turn. You’ll find your transition bag—don’t worry about the sea of bags the same color, someone is there to help you--and run off to prepare for the bike (don’t forget the sunscreen, pick a volunteer near the end!). You may not always realize just what is happening but you won't wipe the smile off your face for anything and you'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll be on the bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman. The site of a seemingly unlimited line of bikes before you and behind you is a site to behold. You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot—there’s shade in the tree cover at times. Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep moving. After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right? Your training got you this far—TRUST IT NOW! You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to slow down as you ride for what seems like hours, well it is for hours but you’ve practiced this many times in training. You reach Special Needs, maybe you’ll stop a bit to fuel up, and head out again.   By now it'll be hot and you'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not here, not today. You'll grind the false flats to the climbs. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for every inch of road. The occasion cheer will come back to you help you here and there. Let their energy push you. Let them see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter. Grind. Fight. Suffer. Persevere. You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns, tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll back - you'll see people running. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're almost back, with only the 26.2 mile run to go. You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here, you can run the damn bike into T2.  You'll roll into transition and volunteers will fight for your bike. You'll give it up and not look back. You'll have your transition bag handed to you, and into the tent you'll go. You'll change and load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman season – this is the one that counts.  You'll take that first step of a thousand...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a hot Saturday. High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.  That first mile will feel great. So will the second. By mile 3, you probably won't feel so good. That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the bike, and get down to your pace. You may see leaders passing you on their own way through. Some will look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't last. You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon….by remote control….blindfolded. Expect things to go wrong and then just deal with it. How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Just don't stop and don't EVER sit down. You'll make it through the first loop. You'll load up on special needs if you need. Some of what you packed will look good, some won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest, you’ll be back here again anyway. Keep moving and start looking for people you know and cheer for people you don't. You're headed forward, some of them won’t be. They want to be where you are, just like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people heading out faster than you earlier. Share some energy - you'll get it right back.  Run if you can. Walk if you have to. Just keep moving.  The miles will drag on. The brilliant sunshine will yawn. You'll be coming up to those aid stations fully alive with people, music, and chicken soup. Keep moving. You'll soon only have a mere lap to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it. You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be like when someone catches you...puts a medal over your head......all you have to do is get there.  You'll start to hear the call of the Waterway. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them, or just wave a bit—they’ll understand what you mean. They were there when you left on the bike, and when you came back, when you left on the run, and now when you've come back. You'll be running along the water for a while for the last time. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted, wiped out, barely able to run a “decent”pace (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself, "Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make them last as long as possible. You'll hit mile 25. Your Ironman will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it. You'll run. You'll find your legs. You won't know how, but you will run. You will feel like you’re flying at the end. The lights will grow brighter, brighter, and brighter. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be for keeps. Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the lights, between the fences, and into the night sun made just for you. Remember to take a moment to make this the finishing memory of a lifetime. They'll call your name. You'll keep running. You won’t feel the pain. The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only you. You'll cross the mat. The flash will go off, well actually many flashes were already going off. You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly be capable of nothing more.  Someone will catch you. You'll lean into them. It will suddenly hit you…

You are an Ironman.



Have a great day out there my friends! 
If you know anyone who might gain value from this, please feel free to share it.

The Journey

It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Seventeen weeks ago I began training for Ironman Texas, which is now less than 20 days away. In that time  I've covered just over 1,600 miles and I still have more than a few miles left to cover as I begin the 3 week taper period. Since I started this, I've run a half marathon, 2 marathons and a 50 mile trail race as I prepared for the Ironman race and this weekend I finished the process of preparation with a 16 mile run and a 94 mile bike ride.

Now I have a few weeks to refine my preparations and recover from the weariness that the training has brought upon me.

Ironman Texas is just 19 days away.....and I am looking even more forward to it with every passing day.

Wrapping Up

As I write this, Ironman Texas is just a few minutes more than 24 days away.

There are only a few more days of training before I begin my 3 week taper that will bridge the gap between previous 17 weeks of training and the race on May 19th. Yesterday's workouts included an early morning swim of 5000 yards, which felt so much harder than just being 1000 yards more than 4000 yards, and it also included a 4 mile track workout. The contrast of these two workouts was huge. This was my longest swimming workout and one of my shortest running workouts of my Ironman training this year.

There is no doubt that the cumulative effect of these last almost 4 months of training has left me tired and worn down. However I also completed these workouts with the unmistakeable feeling that my training program has done its job and gotten me to where I wanted to be.

I. Am. Ready.

Starting Out with CLIF--Unboxing the First Shipment

As I posted previously, I was recently selected to be a CLIF Ambassador for 2012. I applied through the ambassador program run through Active.com just before the deadline in late March and found out shortly thereafter that I was selected.

This week I received my first shipment for the program and it included what I needed to get started, plus some unexpected goodies as well. I took to the spare bedroom to find the space I needed to unpack the two packages I received.

First off I received 2 boxes of 150 mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Builder Bars (my favorite flavor) and 4 boxes of 100 mini CLIF Bars. This is less than 1/3 of what I have to distribute throughout the program (which runs through November 2012)  but should last me a while.

Next I found the program manual which details my obligations under the program and provides some useful suggestions in fulfilling those obligations.

One of the most important things that I was looking forward to receiving was my CLIF Bar shirt for wearing while fulfilling my official required appearances for CLIF. I guess I was looking forward to receiving this as making my involvement feel "real".

For now, this was all I was expecting to get. However, it appeared a few "extras" were also sent along!

Like almost any triathlete, I have plenty of water bottles around but that does prevent me from being happy to add more to my collection--something where CLIF was happy to help me indulge my collecting habit!

  Next they included a five foot long banner for advertising their product line. I can see where I can make good use of this.

Finally, they also included 6 pairs of athletic socks, which are just the kind I have been wearing recently, except these bear the CLIF name. I will be wearing some of these to train with in the next month and try to wear a pair (or two) during Ironman Texas next month.

Now it is up to me to start to fulfill my end of the agreement, something I am looking forward to doing. I am both happy to be selected by and involved with a program of this type and proud that I was chosen to represent products that I personally enjoy and in which I believe. In fact, I suppose I am already starting by way of this blog post.

Meanwhile, Ironman Texas comes closer with each day and will be here in just 28 days.....