Laughing at the Water????

About two weeks ago I received in the mail a copy of “The Essential Triathlon Swimming” DVD by Kevin Koskella. Koskella is the founder of http://triswimcoach.comand was also an accomplished swimmer at the college level. Koskella also currently teaches Masters swims classes in California. So, with my upcoming 1st Half Ironman on the horizon, I figured I would check out the DVD and see if I also could “laugh at the Water” also.

Ask anyone who has done a triathlon and I guarantee they would say that the swim is the toughest portion on the race. The reason for this is simple. Humans were not made to swim (unless your last name is Phelps!) I know I struggled in the water and it took me a long time to figure it out without the help of a coach.

So I watched the video.

It was really a great video and I will tell you why. Koskella does an excellent job of explaining the whys of swimming and an even better job at showing you how to do drills. The first 20 minutes or so of the video are all about drills you can do in the pool. Drills for balance, drills for those of us that tend to slap the water and drills to work on how the hand enters the water. The best part is that you actually get to see how the drills are done from an above view and an underwater view. This to me made a huge difference. I have read about one armed swimming drills and swimming with your fists, but to actually see it really showed me what the technique was working on.

The rest of the video concentrates on workouts and OWS (open water swimming). Both of these things are hard to accomplish because when I started swimming a workout plan, I had no idea of what to do, how to design or how to read a swim plan! OWS is a different animal itself, and is very different than swimming in a pool and Koskella does a great job of describing the ins and outs of OWS.

So after watching the video, which really made me want to go out for an OWS, I went to my local pool and tried out a few of the drills he describes. I worked on the vertical kick (freaking hard), the fingertip drag (I am a water slapper), the corkscrew, the hip rotation drill and the sighting drills. All of these drills have already helped my swimming in the week I have been working on them. I am not sure that I am faster yet, but I know that I am becoming more balanced and efficient in the water. This has also helped me get better at bilateral breathing (I only breathe to my left for some reason), and the main reason for this is balance in the water. I have found out how very important it is to have balance.

I still have a lot of work to do in the pool, but now I have some specific drills to work on to help me become more efficient in the water and not come out of the water winded. I am attaching the links to Koskella’s website and how to get a copy of the DVD. Go check it out, it helped me and then we can all get together and laugh at the water!!


To purchase a copy of the Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD, click this link:
http://www.triswimcoach.com/
For more information and free stuff from Tri Swim Coach, click the following link: http://www.triswimcoachonline.com/

Christmas Wish...

If I had one wish that I could wish this holiday season, it would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.

If I had two wishes that I could wish for this holiday season, the first would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing in the spirit of harmony and peace, and the second would be for $30 million a month to be given to me, tax-free in a Swiss bank account.

You know, if I had three wishes that I could make this holiday season, first, of course, would be for all the children to get together and sing. The second would be for the $30 million every month to me and the third would be for all encompassing power over every living being thing in the entire universe.

And if I had four wishes that I could make this holiday season, first would be the crap about the kids, second would be for the $30 million, the third would be for all the power and the fourth would be to set aside one month each year for an extended 31-day orgasm, to be brought about slowly by Rosanna Arquette and that model Paulina somebody, I can't think of her name, of course my lovely wife could come, too. She's behind me 100% on this, I guarantee you.

Wait a minute, maybe that sex thing should be the first wish! So, if I made that the first wish, because, you know, it could all go boom tomorrow, and then what have you got? No, no... the kids singing would be great, that would be nice. No, no, who am I kidding! I mean, they’re not gonna be able to get all those kids together! I mean, the logistics of the thing is impossible! It's more trouble than it's worth! So, we reorganize: here we go. First, the sex - we go with that; second, the money. No! We go with the power second, then the money, and then the kids. Oh, wait, oh geez! I forgot about revenge against my enemies! Okay.. revenge against all my enemies, they should die like pigs in Hell! That would be the fourth wish! And of course, my fifth wish would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing in the spirit of peace and harmony. Thank you, everybody.

2010 Race Schedule

I have been working on getting my 2010 race schedule worked out. I am doing some "firsts" this year as far as longer distance races, and I am also doing some repeats. It should be a great year. Not everything on here is set in stone, but right now, here is the plan:

January- I will start getting back in the saddle and riding, nothing intense this month, but I will be looking to get some miles. I will also start working more on running speed for the upcoming 1/2 marathon. I want to hit my goal time. I also want to start working on a "better diet" I want to work on getting leaner, not sure how I will do that, but that may be for another post at another time.

February- Will again be more of a running/ biking base building base month with speed work mixed in on the runs. I plan on doing the Valentine's Day Run/Walk 10k. on February 13, 2010. This will actually be the first 10k race I will have ever done. I think right now i am looking at a sub 60 minute 10k. I really think this is an obtainable goal.

March- March 21, 2009 I am signed up to run the Germantown Half Marathon. Another first for me. I have not run a 1/2 marathon before but I am looking forward to this challenge. It is an important race for me because I am planning on doing a HIM in Sept and I do not want my first 13.2 mile run to be after a 56 mile bike! I am unsure as what my goal time is right now, I am thinking around 2:15, but I would love to hit 2 hours or lower.

April- April will be a "get into triathlon racing mode" month. Plenty of riding, plenty of running and swimming, There is a possibly of getting an OWS towards the end of April.

May- Normally,
I would be racing the Memphis in May Triathlon, but instead I will be on a cruise relaxing and working on my tan! This will be a tough month to keep up my fitness cause I hear they feed you anytime you want on the boat. I am looking forward to the cruise and might even get to swim in crystal clear waters!

June- June 12, I am planning on racing in the Dragonfly Triathlon in Mississippi. This is a favorite race of mine because it is family friendly. The kids love playing on the beach. I did not compete in 2009 due to a 20 year high school reunion, so I am looking to tackle this race again. In 2008, I completed the course in 2:00:48. I have been training for 2 years and have a new faster bike to race, so I am looking for improvements!

July- 2 races in July. The MightyMite Triathlon on July 17 and the Sharpshooter Triathlon on the 31st . I have done both of these races before and again I am looking for major improvements. In 2009 I made a 15 minute improvement at the MightyMite (1:19), so I am looking for a sub 1:15 on this race. In the Sharpshooter, I finished in 1:05 in 2009, so I definitely think I can go under 1 hour.

August- Training, recovery month.

September- This is where is it gets nasty. I am scheduled to race Ironman Branson 70.3 on Sept 19, 2010. This is will be my first HIM and I am really looking forward to it. It will be a huge challenge. I am hoping to race with some friends, which will make it an even cooler experience. My wife, kids, parents and sisters family all are planning on going to see me finish the race. Very exciting times!

October- RECOVER

November- build base running miles for the full marathon. Work on training for December race. I might run a Turkey Trot around Thanksgiving with the guys again.

December- Third time is a charm right? I plan on signing up in m plenty of time to run the Memphis Marathon. Another first for me. 26.2 miles.

All of these races are on my personal path to becoming an Ironman in 2011. It is a goal of mine and I have been following my plan to hit the Ironman stage when I turn 40. So there is my "plan". I also want to recruit more people to get out and race.

Are You That Guy?

That Guy. You know him. He can also be That Girl, and often is.

It is that guy (or girl) who you see at every race. He's at every one. Everywhere in the country.

He is always more tan than you are. He is usually a good bit thinner too. His calves have those mysterious vertical striations that define each individual muscle; as if to say, "I have spent hours training each individual muscle in each calf- each individual muscle fiber in fact."

He/she has triathlon clothing that is super cool that you've never seen before. You have no idea where it came from. If you were to ask him- if you mustered up the courage to approach him- you would get some vague answer like, "Ahh, well, I know Dave McGillicutty at Sweetass Trisports and he got these samples, prototypes really, that he….. blah, blah, blah…." And you just wanted to know where you could buy a pair of those cool trishorts he has. Maybe they would make your ass look like Michalangelo chiseled it too. Prolly not though.

So this guy (or girl): His bike is clean. It is also weird. It has parts you think you may have seen in a magazine and, is that what carbon fiber looks like? Half the stuff he has, no, all of it, is stuff you've either only seen in magazines or never even heard of.

He's wearing sunglasses. But he didn't buy them. They just kind of "got there". He drives a special car just for doing what he's doing now: Getting ready for a ride, a run, a swim workout or the triathlon you're at now. He has stickers all over it.

You know when he talks about "Hawaii" he isn't talking about the state as a vacation destination, but rather, an event that you've only seen on TV. He is either talking about getting into it, having already gotten in, or why his last race there wasn't as good as it should have been. It had something to do with some chemical in his body you've never heard of. "Too much polychondrotineospandoplasm in my maldochondriacts during the last ten miles of the run. I should have know better." Yeah, an obvious mistake for someone like that guy (girl). Another thing that guy knows that you don't. Polywhat in his maldowho?

So you get to the race and there is that guy. Setting up all his stuff in the transition area like he's done probably a thousand times before, or so it seems.

And that guy is the reason why so many people are afraid to give this sport (and many others) a try. Because you know you are not That Guy (or girl) and they will look at you and think "Oh, another novice athlete…." And maybe you are embarrassed by that. I know I have been.

That guy is experienced, dedicated, accomplished, fit, knowledgeable, well versed and respected in the sport. You are a beginner. So you are at the bottom of the food chain here. You may be the big woman or man at work and at home. But here you feel like the first day of kindergarten and you don't even know where the bathroom is but you have to go. It's been a long time since you felt like that.

And you'll feel embarrassed in front of that guy.

Consider this though: You are that guy. You are that girl. Don't understand? Let me explain.

On the hypothetical morning we're describing you got up early, loaded up whatever bike you have (the old mountain bike you've had since you were 16, that old ten speed from college, whatever), put the gear you scrapped together in your car and went to the race. You stood there in your sweats and registered, set up your transition area as best you could.

Welcome to the show my friend. You are walking the walk.

You made that monumental leap off the couch and into the realm of That Guy. And now you, to millions and millions and millions of people- you are That Guy.

The next time you go to work when the conversation comes up about what you did Sunday morning you will say, "Oh, ahh, well I did this little triathlon, my first one, I'm not really any good, I was nearly last…."

But to the people at work, and your family, and your friends, and everyone else not there on Sunday morning (and some that were…) you are That Guy. The guy who does those endurance races. Who works out all the time (even if you don't). Who eats right (even though you don't).

Pretty soon it will get around work, what you did Sunday morning, and someone will ask you, "Hey, ahh, have you ever done that one in Hawaii?"

And then you answer, "Oh, Hawaii, no, I'm not that good. I've never done Hawaii…" And to you now it is just "Hawaii". You are That Guy. To someone out there you are That Guy.

Everyone has That Guy. He's better, faster, smarter, luckier. The interesting thing about That Guy is, to someone- you are that guy. No matter who you are, there will be That Guy. Don't let him bother you. Do what you do. Remember, to someone, you are that guy.

Written by Tom Demerly.

Where are we running???

I feel like I am pretty lucky when it comes to places to run around my neighborhood. I have several routes that allow me to go either on short, medium or long runs. I even have several asphalt paths that I can run so I can running into traffic. This is really nice when I make the boys ride their bikes with me. I call them my pace cars. One rides in front, the other behind me. It is also nice to have the paths when I take Jesse in the jogging stroller. I think we got the jogging stroller out a little to early, but I am hoping this spring, Jess and I will be able to take some runs together.

So this post is going to be about my two favorite routes to run. One is what the family refers to as the "duck pond" and the other is simply known as the trail. My wife was able to take some really good pictures on the trail one beautiful afternoon, so you will see them mixed in this post.



The duck pond loop is approximately 3.2 mile run that starts at the house and runs through the neighborhood until you come to a man made lake. the lake itself is only about a .5 mile run around it, but it is often one of the more peaceful places. it is always a little cooler around the lake with the wind whipping off the water, but it is one of my favorite places to run, whether it is morning or evening. The ducks always flock to this lake and people are usually fishing or just walking around it.




The next place is simply called the trail. You can see from these pictures that it is a very cool place to run. It has only been opened for 18 months or so, but I was so thrilled when they built it. It is also about a 3.6 mile loop, but ti has alot of options that can stretch it out to 5 miler, and if you connect the duck pond loop, it can easily become a 8 mile run, all with zero traffic.




This trail seems to fly by once I actually get to it. It is very easy to get lost in thought and into that zone on this trail. If I go on a longer run, I know once I am back on the trail, it is gravy and before I know it, I am home.

Hope ya enjoyed my little tour and thanks to the wife for the awesome pics!

Dec 09, 2010

As I write this, it is 11:30 PM and I am about to go to bed. I was watching the weather awhile ago. I am debating on my morning run tomorrow. The weatherman said the low would be 22 degrees. I know I just lost a few of you, because who is their right mind would willingly go running in 22 degree weather?

Well, I guess I would, or I am planning to do it at least. I know I could easily be talked out of it also. I mean why put myself through that cold weather hitting me straight upside the face in the morning. I know I will never be on the podium or win a big race. I know there will be zero sponsors knocking down my door. I know I will be a back of the FOP as usual. My PR's are only for me, so it really doesn't matter if I finish a minute faster or a second faster in the big picture does it? My next schedules race is not until March (Germantown Half Marathon). So why do it?

Well, here is the deal. I look at these types of runs as mental toughness runs. I know my big races will be as tough mentally as they are physically. Mental toughness runs can happen anywhere and have happened on even the simplest of training runs. They are just something you have to push through. They are something that when you get finished, you know you conquered something and it is a piece of training that you can draw off of when you are hurting and tired.

So tomorrow, after the kids get to school, and I come home to change, I am going out running, God willing. I have already punked out this week on my running because it was raining and cold. (I can handle cold and I can handle rain, but never going to go out in both, no arguments). I had such a good month in November (60+ miles) that I would hate to have a major drop off of mileage. So my plan is 4 miles or so in the morning, we'll see what happens!

P.S. Please, no comments about how I could run on the treadmill AKA The dreadmill! We all know it is not the same.

ETA 12/10/09: I did get up and run this morning. 23 degrees. I managed to get in 3.2 miles...

True, but Weird story

Today while I was at working at Target, I was shopping the electronics area for a new camcorder. The one I am currently is so outdated, that it still uses those little videotapes and they are getting hard to find. So, when the boss man called and saids to go out and find a new camera. I did not hesitate!

So I am on the floor checking out a camera, playing with the 60x optical zoom and just seeing how it fits in my hand when I hear a guy say something to me:

Guy: You work bblah blah?? (I look at him)
Me: Huh?
Guy You work ouuuu???
Me: What?

So at this point I am thinking this guy thinks I work here, but I can't figure out how he would know this. I am in plain clothes, not Target colors. There is no way he could have picked me out, I do not have my Target ID out or anything, yet I assumed he was asking where something was in the store.

Guy: Do you workout??
Me: Uhhhh, Yeah

Ok, this was weird and alittle freaky. The guy was now engaged in a conversation with me that I did not want to be a part of.

Guy: I wanted to invite you... (Me: OMG, What?) to enjoy a free month at the local health club.
Me: Oh. (pause) No Thanks
Guy: You sure, a free month
Me: Nope, I swim at BRC and I run and ride on the streets, no need for a club.
Guy: Ok, man, you just looked fit and like you took care of yourself...
Me: Thanks??

End of conversation. Now looking back at this event, I have drawn one conclusion. This guy has a sucky job. I would never walk up to another dude, I did not know and say "Hey buddy, you look pretty fit, how about a free month at my gym?" I think it would have been just as awkward had it been a lady that approached me. So I have to hand it to him, he is committed to his job. I think I will stick to catching bad guys!

Say it Ain't So Joe!

The other day I got back in the pool, with my mind set on doing a steady 2000 yard swim. I got to the pool, changed in the locker room and then walked put and picked a lane. I out my stuff down, fixed my goggles, stretched my arms and gave a few head nods to the regulars at the pool. In the lane next to me was a guy that is normally there swimming when I go, I am not sure I ever got his name, so let's call him Joe. Joe is a decent swimmer and I think Joe is swimming due to a leg injury from running (none of this really matters to the point of this).

Usually I wait until Joe is about 25 yards (one length of the pool) before I start and I give myself 20 laps to catch Joe. I use Joe as my rabbit so to speak. Joe is fairly fast so it makes me work pretty hard to catch Joe. Makes for a good workout.

Monday, I was expecting the same result and waited for Joe to get to the end of the lane and I jumped in, swimming like I normally do, expecting to inch up on Joe and eventually pass him. I got 10 laps into my swim and noticed, I was not making any progress on Joe like I usually do. It appeared that maybe I was becoming the rabbit now, because Joe was about to catch me this day!

I had taken off about 2 weeks of swimming to focus on my running, so instead of the morning swims, I was out running. I can tell the gains I made running made my swim falter a bit and I could tell. I know Joe most likely has been at the pool every morning that I was not at the pool. I don't like that Joe got faster or that I lost that much in 10 days, so here is what I am going to do about it.

1. The entire month of Dec, I am swimming 3 times a week.

2. I am doing drills 90 % of my swim time.

3. I will once again catch that rabbit!

Here is tomorrow's swim workout:

4 x 50 1:10

5 x 100 2:10

2 x 200 4:10

Kick 1x 200

Pull 1 x 200

Swim 800

Grand Total of 2100 yards (1.2 miles)

November Totals

If you recall, I stated that I wanted to hit 60 miles running in November. I also was scheduled to do a race on Thanksgiving (read previous post). well, I am happy to report that I hit my goal of 60 miles. I really had to maintain a strict schedule and go on some runs that I really did not want to go on, but I did it. 18 more miles running and I surpass last years total in running! Here are my monthly totals:

November's totals:
Bike: 1h 33m 19s - 27.8 Mi
Run: 9h 20m 05s - 60.36 Mi
Swim: 2h 29m 46s - 4.2 Mi

2009 totals
Bike: 41h 55m 55s - 804.79 Mi
Run: 49h 39m 23s - 332.07 Mi
Swim: 44h 42m 32s - 80.27 Mi

Turkey Trot and Turkey Day 2009

I had signed up for the Turkey Trot 4 Miler a few days ago. We were going to be in town on Thanksgiving Day and it sounded like a fun race to do, so the wife was cool with it and I signed up. A few of my friends also signed up for the race, and that always makes it more fun.

(Daniel, Stef, Allen, Lanny, John, me, and Russ)

This race was not anything like I expected though. I thought there would be a few hundred people racing and there ended up being over 2,000 runners in this race. The race was held at Shelby Farms, and pretty much consisted of a loop around the park. The only problem was that the path was only about 5 feet wide at most places, and when you have that many people it is tough to maneuver around them.

(Start of the race, and tons of runners)

The race was suppose to start at 9:00 AM. So my wife (and chief photographer), father in law and I all got to the Farms at about 8:15 or so, and we froze our tails off. I went to hit the porta-potty ( I hate those things) and then wanted to stretch out a little bit before the race. After getting my timing chip, I ran into the gang and we all got ready to race. The elite "faster runners" were suppose to head out 1 minute earlier than the rest of us slackers, but there were so many people there, I could not really tell if they got off early or not. We all started morphing into one huge mob when they sounded the one minute till start warning, so I kissed my wife and she went off to take more pictures.

It took me about 20 seconds to hit the mat once the race started. There were to many walkers and strollers in the front of the line. If you ain't racing, then move it to the back brother! I had in the back of my mind that I was just going to make it a nice easy run since there were so many folks in the way, but once I hit the mat, I saw myself weaving through the people, trying to find some space. I got over to the far left and for the first 1.5 miles, my run was in the grass next to the path. We had all started in a group, but that quickly got disbanded due to all the people. Here are some action shots.

Me flashing the "horns" as I ran

Allen running (Ironman Branson 70.3 co-racer?)

Tigger and Eeyore, Is Eeyore making eyes at the wife?

At the finish line, dude in black shirt is all business

The race went surprisingly well, when it was all said and done. I finished in 32:24, which is an average of 8:06/mile. John and Daniel both beat me, but I wasn't to bothered by that, I was very happy with my time. This is the first "run race" I have done in a long time, meaning that it was only a run. No bike or swim attached to it, so I was unsure of how I would do. I was 46/105 in my AG and 405/1582 Overall.

After the race, I found my wife and we talked about the race and saw some of the group finish, but we got separated from them and did not get to see all of them, so we had to make the cell phone call. We needed to get home, because Emily (wifey) was cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, and since I had already run, I can eat all I want. Look at the spread she made, and this is only about 1/4 of it!

So, Thanksgiving 2009, was a great day. I had a wonderful meal with my wife and 3 boys and my in-laws. We all spoke about things we were thankful for, then we ate, and we ate! It was a good day.