It's Been a Good Run . . .

Off and on, off and on, off and on...that is exactly how I would explain my desire to race again. Mentally and I am on. Physically I am off. Rarely does it seem like the two are on the same page. I am gaining weight, I am feeling dull, and I am lazy. I don't like feeling this way. I can talk the good game, but right now there is no action behind any of my talk. I need to get back out and exercise. I want to train, but train to be healthy, not to PR.

This has been going on for awhile now. To long actually, which actually led me to an epiphany last night. And after thinking about it for awhile and then making a decision on it, I was at peace.

I am officially retiring from Triathlons.

Sounds weird to say that, and I am not saying I will never do another race, but it is very freeing. My workouts were beginning to be something I was not looking forward too, and if I did do them, then they were forced, and I was dreading them.  So therefore, it's over.

It has been a good run. Dating back to 2008 when I did my first indoor triathlon and got hooked. Back then, the goals were simple, just finish and see if I could do it. The indoor led to an Olympic race, where I thought I was going to drown. That led to an immediate drop back to the sprint races, which I did for a few years until I got the bug to go long. The bug led to a half marathon, and the half marathon led to a 70.3 race. IM Branson 70.3 which was a total bust. That led to a rematch with IM Branson and Nash Vegas 70.3. All this led to a marathon or two, which eventually ended with Ironman 140.6.

Here is a list of races I have done:

BRC Indoor Triathlon 2x
Memphis in May Olympic 6x
Dragonfly Sprint 3x
MightyMite Sprint 4x
Los Locos Duathlon 2x
Rebelman Sprint
CATS Sprint Triathlon
Showman SharpShooter Triathlon 3x
Germantown Half Marathon 2x
Ironman Branson 70.3 2x
St Jude Marathon 2x
Nash Vegas Half Triathlon
Redman Full Triathlon 140.6
Ragnar Relay (Chattanooga to Nashville) 2x
St Jude Half Marathon
Memphis in May Sprint

With training totals as I can best estimate:

Swim- 1, 221 miles
Bike- 7,693 miles
Run- 3,304 miles

So what's next you ask? Am I going to sit around and get fatter and always talk about the glory days?

Well, maybe.

Right now, I am really want to get in the weight room and see what I can do. Might be another cruise in my future. So the blog will still be around, but it won't just be triathlon related anymore, so keep coming back when ya can!!!

And Finally... JFORD is back

There has been a lot going on in the Ford World these past few weeks. We have sold our house and bought another one and are just waiting for all the papers to be signed and things inspected, appraised and everything else that goes into selling/buying a house. we will have a lot of junk to pack up, but hopefully this will be our chance to get rid of it, no need to carry it to a new house, only to crowd up that attic as well.

But, this is not a house moving blog, this is a triathlon blog, so let me tell what has been going on there.

I will say this, my last training plan was for 140.6, and I am loving the training plan for a sprint race. I had almost forgot how much fun this was! I love waking up and knowing I have a 600 yard swim ahead of me! That leaves me plenty of time to also get a 2-3 mile run before work! My longest ride has been 15 miles!  I love being able to train, and train hard and still be in bed by 10:30 PM!

The best thing is that I am on a solid 10 day streak of hitting all my workouts! Imagine that!

I think this is probably the smartest thing I could do, use this sprint as a way to build my base and then transition into the full distance afterwards. I know it would not be wise to jump into a 10 mile run that first week. It would probably frustrate me and make want to throw in the towel. So this has been a perfect way for me to ease back into the triathlon world.

It even has me thinking about course goals again. I know my Achilles heel is the run, but it is a 3 mile run, so I should be able to kill it. The weather has gotten nicer, which means saying bye-bye to the treadmill, and I am even seeing a few pounds drop off (Thankfully the Girl Scouts will be done selling cookies soon too!) All in all, I am satisfied with where I am right now, but I am looking to get faster.

What I am looking forward to in 2015...

So 2014 is basically over.

2015 is here...almost.

So what now?  Races? Goals? These are some questions I ask myself. And I can tell you that I have high hopes and I have plans to do great things, but that doesn't mean I will do them. I do not think I am going to do the whole new years resolutions thing, or set specific goals (like six pack abs) only to realize that I am not going to achieve them. So there will not be a 2015 Goals post on Daily Trainings this year.

Instead, I am going to tell what I am looking forward to in 2015. Here it goes...

In 2015, I am looking forward to getting back to running triathlons. At my last half marathon, as I stood in the corral waiting for it to start, I found myself openingly (did I invent a new word?) missing the start of the swim. I miss Stella too.

In 2015, I am looking forward to getting back in the pool. I cannot tell you the last time I swam. Not because it's a secret, but because it has been awhile since I got wet. I am hoping to jump into the water this week sometime. I am sure the 500 yd warm-up I used to will now be something to post on FB!

In 2015, I am looking forward to getting back into some tri shorts. (Tell me that is not weird) I mean I like running in running shorts, but something about the tri short that just seems right with me. I dunno, it's weird, I know.

In 2015, I am looking forward to doing my 1st sprint triathlon in 3 years. It's not that I have anything against that distance, its just that it hasn't really fit into my goals at the time. The Memphis in May Triathlon weekend always has a sprint on Saturday and an Olympic on Sunday. I have done this race the last 6 years or so, but I have never done the sprint. Well, that's about to change! I am really looking forward to this.

In 2015, I am looking forward to signing up for Redman 140.6 in September. As you know, I will be beating Brad D at this race, which is an added bonus, but I will also be going for a new PR, which will be equally as rewarding as beating Brad.

In 2015, I am looking forward to getting on a training schedule. I like having a plan. In many ways I think I am a better trainer than a racer. They say that the training is the hard part and the race is the reward. Whatever...

So those are a few of the things I am looking forward to in 2015. Notice they are all triathlon related, and that is because this is a triathlon based blog. I have other things in my personal life I am looking forward to, but that is something for me and my family. I will probably make mention of it throughout the year as I bang out words on the computer. I like blogging and expressing stuff in words. (beautiful statement right there huh?) So I hope to continue to keep Daily Trainings going, and I hope some people find it interesting, but I really hope everyone had a great 2014 and will have a better 2015.

2015

I see a lot of my racing buddies already mulling over the 2015 race schedule for themselves. Many are looking to run IM's and some are looking to Boston and some are spreading to other type of races. When I see this conversation get started, it only leads me to start thinking about what I am going to race in 2015. I already know I am doing Redman again, but what else am I going to do to help me do better at Redman?

One of the main reasons I want to do Redman a second time is due to the run. My run sucked. I did a 7+ hour marathon. I know I can do better than that, and without going into excuses of why I was a 7 hour plus marathoner like blisters or whatever, I want to beat it. I know that if I can somehow have a good run, I could be closer to the 14 hour mark instead of the almost 16 hour mark. So that has really played into my thought process of 2015.

Running

Running

Running

Guess what I am going to focus on? RUNNING!!!

So here is my proposed schedule, which has not been approved by my bride.

December- St Jude half
January- Winter Cross Country series 3K and 5K
February- Fort Smith Half and Winter Cross Country 10K
March- Germantown Half and Little Rock Half
May- Memphis in May Sprint Triathlon
July- Mighty Mite Triathlon
September- REDMAN

So I know what you may be thinking, that's a lot of halves in there and no marathon, I mean if you want a better marathon, shouldn't you run a marathon? And to your thinking I would say "meh".

I really do not like training for marathons. I also think that a strong start to the year of running will fit in nicely to the IM training I will start in May, right after Memphis in May. I will have to find the right plan or coach maybe, but I think it is totally doable and will have my running base further ahead than ever.

I know I can do better than 15:53 and I know it all depends on my run, so that is my focus!

And I wanna beat Brad

If ‘If’s and ‘Buts’ Were Candy and Nuts, We’d All be Triathletes!

I am sure you will soon realize by the proper grammar skills and correct spelling of all the words that I did not write this post. Today's post is from my bride, who is competing in her 1st triathlon on Saturday. Here are her thoughts as she prepares to race this Saturday at the Memphis in May Sprint Triathlon.


So I am finally putting to rest all of those “ifs” and “buts” that prevented me from taking the plunge into triathlons, as in, “if I had more time” or “but I’m not sure I could actually do it.” Now, I’m ready to attempt my first “real” triathlon, Memphis in May sprint, this Saturday. So how the heck did I end up here?

I can only assume( as I usually do) that this is actually all my husband’s fault. Watching him over the years competing in triathlons of all distances – sprint, Olympic, 70.3, and even an Ironman - it was probably inevitable that I would finally bite the proverbial bullet.

Around the time he got serious about triathlons again, we welcomed our third son. So there was no hurry for me to train for my own races. I was more than content to be the cheerleader, child wrangler, and masseuse. I especially enjoyed the venue at Memphis in May because there is a great pool right along the race course. Our 3 boys and I would watch the swim, cheer James on at transition, get in the pool while he was on the bike course, get out and cheer him on at the finish. It’s pretty spectator/kid-friendly.

Maybe I entertained the idea of being out there on the course myself. It did seem like such a rush to cross that finish line. I wondered if I had what it took to do one, but I wasn’t really a runner and the only biking I did was trudging around on my mountain bike with my youngest on front.

Run

But, about 4 years ago, I started running. I've never enjoyed running in any way except for the sprinting we did in 6^th grade for the Presidential fitness awards. That I could do. However, Memphis has an amazing running program for women every summer at Shelby Farms, one of my favorite places in Memphis. Hundreds of women participate and it’s broken down into nice categories based on experience. I started with a group of hopeful beginners and surprised myself by enjoying the freedom to head out on Monday nights starting in July and run with other women. I was hooked. I could actually run. I’ve been back every year since and keep moving up a level.

Bike

Then I asked for and received a road bike for Christmas. Before that, my biking had pretty much be limited to riding my youngest son on the front of my mountain bike and tootling around. Once I got my new road bike out on the Greenline and rode it, well, I felt a huge sense of freedom. 

Swim

And then, there is the swim. I’ve always been a decent swimmer. I was raised by a mother who body-surfed in the ocean when she was eight months pregnant with me. To teach us to swim, she let go of us in the water as toddlers. It was sink or swim, literally. My only concern is that I'm the type of swimmer who doesn't even like to share a lane. Swimming in the open water where it's inevitable to get bumped is going to freak me out a bit. 

I’m Guessing Stopping to Comb my Hair in Transition Would be Frowned on?

So the disciplines were coming together. Then came Valentine’s Day. My darling husband gave me a training plan as a gift. (Crazy, huh?)  And, I was actually excited about it. (Even crazier!) Being able to see in each little square what training I should do each day made me feel like I could give it a go.

The past few months of training have been interesting. I’ve learned that it’s true that we make time for what’s important to us. I’ve always been impressed by James’ ability to balance training and having an engaged family life. Since that often meant getting up at 5 in the morning while training for his 140.6, I could hardly complain about fitting in a 2-mile run.

That’s not to say I didn’t have to be creative. I do still have a 5-year-old at home. So on Mondays, a swim day, I would take Jesse to the Rec. Center with me. He'd go to the childcare while I did an hour of weight-training. Then, I’d swim my laps. After that I’d go get Jesse and we would splash around and swim for a bit. It was a three hour process, but I will never forget having that time with my son.

Other days, I’d wait until my older boys got home from school and then go do my run while they could watch Jesse. If I took Jesse with me on my runs, he’d ride his bike. Once it took us an hour and a half to do 2 miles! We did stop to play on the playground and throw rocks in the creek. Sometimes you have to adapt.

I’ve learned that training can be fun. It’s made me order my days differently trying to fit a specific workout in. For example, I happen to teach a college class at a community college right near our city’s greenline, a 7 mile paved trail. This semester, after I gave my final exam, I  celebrated by changing into my bike kit and hitting the greenline for a refreshing 11 mile ride. (Usually, I reward myself with something like a Gigi’s cupcake and running home to watch a DVRed Sherlock Holmes  before I have to pick my youngest  up from Mother’s Day Out.) Guess which one I now prefer.

I’ve also learned that training makes me feel like a badass, especially wearing my team’s kit. It may sound a little odd to already be part of a racing team when I haven’t proven myself. But, the team I am on is about much more than races. It’s about people, specifically being an encouragement to people with cancer. If you follow this blog, you’ve surely seen James post about Jessica Hambrick who with her husband, James, founded the team GI Jess’s Warriors for a Cause. Even though Jessica entered eternity a month ago, her spirit and her vision and her compassion will live on through this team. She was such an encouragement to so many triathletes and Christians and cancer fighters.

A few weeks ago, the team met at Jessica’s parents’ house to make a plan to go forward. It was there that I bought my Warriors tri top.  Putting it on for the first time made me feel like a triathlete. And wearing it to train as I see people watching me run or bike makes me feel so inspired to represent this team well. I feel like I belong.

And I vow to remember that when the doubt and worry creeps in. The “Can I do this?” “What was I thinking?”  “Can people tell I’m a newbie?” voices will be drowned out by the “Warrior Up” yell I know Jessica would give me. I will! 

What Have I Been up To???

Well, it has been about two weeks since I last posted on my blog, so I thought I would go all random on you guys and let you know what I have been doing these past two weeks! So what has kept me so busy?

Work- Work has been extremely busy as it always is with warmer temps. More people are out and more people wanna steal things, and with the added districts in Nashville, my days have been full.

Planks- I have been a planking fool lately. It is such a great core workout and I am really seeing some good results/ I hit a 5:05 plank the other day, my longest planking time yet, but I am not finished, I am shooting for 7 or 8, maybe 10 minutes before I am through!

I know, pretty awesome right? Think I can go 10 minutes????

Skiing- Yes, the family and I traveled to Snowmass, Colorado for a few days of skiing. The wife and I skied while my older boys tried their hands at snowboarding and even my little guy went to ski school. We had an awesome trip and some great weather, except for the drive to Snowmass. It is now one of my favorite places to go skiing!

My wife, Me and we think it is our oldest son on top of Long Shot, 12,000 ft up

Doctors- My end of the year with my benefits came up in April, so I had to go get everything checked out while I had already met my deductible! So I hit the regular doctor, the eye doctor and a new chiropractor. I am doing well physically, but I am going to see a new chiro guy and I am going to have to get some readers (glasses) for reading. (getting old I guess) things just aren't as crisp close up as they used to be. No picture here.

Training- have really done very much, and I am starting to figure out why. Usually I plan on doing an Olympic in May, but I just really have not been to excited about it, so that has hampered my training. The weekend of the Olympic, they also have a sprint race that my bride is doing, it will be her first triathlon, so I am really more excited to support her while she races than for me to actually race. If you have read this blog before, then you know I never want to just complete a race, I want to compete, but I feel like this Olympic would just be me completing it. I have nothing motivating me to run, so I am now leaning to not racing it at all. I still have my eyes set on a HIM in Sept (Goosepond Triathlon), then a half marathon in December (St Jude) and then I am going to prepare to kick Brad's butt at Redman 140.6 in 2015.

I am also working with a running group at our church. There are about 50 new runners that I am leading through a devotion/running program to get them across the finish line of their first 5K. I love this, I mean I really get motivated from seeing them work for 12 weeks and then cross that finish line.

So What Do I want out of 2104?

That is a very good question actually and probably on that many of you have already answered, like back in January. Well, it is really a simple answer. It is a short list

I want to lean up and be in great shape.

I want to race Memphis in May under 2:40

I want to run the Goosepond Half Iron Distance under 5:45

I want to run the St Jude Marathon under 4:28 (hang with me, I will explain the time)

So let's break these points down, go alittle deeper.

Leaning up and being in great shape, well I am heading down that path. As you know (if you read this blog) I have been working with a trainer for the last 7 weeks. This morning we did an assessment and compared numbers to 7 weeks ago. I HAVE LOST ONE POUND, and i am cool with that because I have lost almost 1% body fat, so I have lost fat and gained lean muscle. My bicep strength is up and even my flexibility is better.  So I have decided to go another round.

My best time at the Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon is 2:47. I always get caught up in the run because it is the boringest, hottest, longest 6.2 miles of my life. I hate the run, but I know I must run well to hit my mark. My goal has always been to hit that 10K under an hour and I have yet to do that. This is the year.

Goosepond Half Iron distance under 5:45. My previous PR at the HIM distance is 6:09. I have always been on track to hit in the 5:40s but guess what? My run crashes on me, so that is my goal. I know that mentally it is doable!

St Jude Marathon in under 4:28. That's a weird number you might be saying and I agree, but here is why I say 4:28. Oprah ran a marathon in 4:29:15! OPRAH!!!! I read an article on Runner's world that listed celebrity marathon times. My PR of 5:01 beats Katie Holmes and barely losing to Eddie Izzard! Pitiful when you put it in perspective IMO. Here are some other celebs and there marathon times:

Al Gore                                               4:58:25

Shia LaBeouf                                       4:35:31

Sean Austin (RUDY)                            4:25:47

Will Ferrell                                            3:56:12

George W Bush                                    3:44:52

Al Gore probably manipulated the internet since he did invent it, and everyone knows that Rudy was off-sides in the movie so his time is probably not legit. Will Ferrell beat my time? Are you serious??? Man, this is motivation for me, I should be faster than these people, especially Oprah!

So that is what I will achieve in 2014!

Random Thoughts Once Again...

Nothing better than a random though post whee there is no relation to any of these posts, they are just thoughts, or maybe little rants I be thinking...

1. Kroger Cashier, please quit making conversations about the stuff I am buying. Yes, I like Black Cherry Kool-Aid and I am glad you like it also, but this does not bond us together, and while we are at it, Yes, I have a dog which really should not be a required question when ringing up my dog food.
2. Winter Olympics- Meh, already over it. I do not like sports that are subjective to another persons opinions, meaning a judges score, and figure skating???  Don't get me started, this is the only way I will watch FIGURE SKATING!!
3. The funk is here. I am in a running, swimming, biking funk. I don't want to do any of them.
4. The Lego movie is worth it, I took the family to see it this weekend and I really enjoyed it. Batman was hilarious! ("The hairy one was a dude!"  best line in it!)
5. I went to my 1st professional tennis tournament this week. My wife and I saw watched a doubles match and then a singles match. The doubles match went way to fast to watch the ball, so I am more of a singles match kind of guy. I did see Leyton Hewitt and Sam Querry play (I recognized those names). I do have a problem with going to a sporting event where you have to be quiet while they are playing, seems whack to me. I got shushed eating Skittles!
6. My wife is going to compete in her first sprint triathlon this spring. So, for Valentine's Day I gave her a training plan (along with some candy). I can't wait to see her finish this race! My wife's love language is spending time together, which we got to get away a lot this week, it was fun. So no, I did not just give her a training plan!
7. Cold weather, I am done with you. Memphis is not suppose to get as cold as it has gotten. I am ready for some heat!
8. For Valentine's Day, my wife made me a fruit pizza instead of getting me candy. It was delicious! It had pineapples, strawberry, kiwi, blueberries and bananas. She also got me a gift certificate for a massage, which I can't wait to cash in.
9. My next home project is going to be replacing garage doors. I am not taking on this project because I think new garage doors would look nice... Longer story involved.
10. I have to sign up for some races. I think this is my motivation problem and I need to get over it. I am forcing myself to go outside and run today, but I now I am one bad excuse away or one interesting event on the Olympics from not going! Figure skating is on, so looks like running it is!

OK, I feel a little better. Now please hope that after writing this I do follow through and go out running.

Don't Call It A Comeback...

On the Road Again...

This weekend was my last long workout before the Memphis in May Olympic triathlon  and if I am being honest, I was a little worried about my bike speeds. As you know, I have been doing a lot of work on the trainer this year for various reasons, so I was concerned about getting on the open road. I had reached out to several of my friends to ask their opinions on bike speed on the trainer vs. on the road, and most thought that if the trainer was used correctly, with the right amount of tension, then I could really see some gains on the bike. However, if I was simply using the trainer to spin my wheels and watch TV, then I might not make the gains I wanted. So yeah, I was curious and nervous.

So Sunday my workout called for a ride. I decided to break it up and get a brick session done. So my plan was to ride 10 miles on the trainer hard, then hop off, complete a transition and run a mile. then I would come back and ride another 5 miles hard, hop off and run a 1/2 mile, then I would take my bike off the trainer and hit the road.

And it was awesome!  A definite do again workout!

My run off the bike was great, I kept a 9:05 pace really easy, and I was faster on the second run ( I know it was shorter, but I felt great)

Once I got my bike on the road, I felt like I was flying. I was in the low 20's pretty fast and didn't seem to take a lot of effort to maintain it. This was a huge confidence boost for me. The trainer rides have average out to be around 16 mph. My ride (although only 20 minutes) average 18.9 according to my Timex, and that is with fairly busy streets. Thankfully MIM is a really flat course. We normally have a headwind going and a tailwind coming back, so I feel pretty good about where I am at today!

We Are That Guy/Girl...

This is a re/re/repost that I like to post prior to the start of every year. I think it is worth reading every now and again! It is always good for me to read before the season officially starts, which is soon for a lot of us. This is not something I wrote, but I came across it somewhere and I like it, so please, take the time to read it.

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.

Zoggs Winner!! And Tapering Thoughts

This morning I tallied up how many entries each person got and then numbered them 1 through whatever. I then went to the random number generator and had the computer come up with a number and the number that was matched to the list was deemed the winner! The computer spit out number 12 and that number matched:

Bradleyd3 from Texas!

I know Brad is fixin (ain't that the way they talk in Texas?) to run Ironman Texas in 12 days! Congrats Brad, and best of luck to you on the Ironman, I know you are ready and will have a great race!! Plus I will be able to know his time when I do mine, therefore giving me my time goal! LOL Thanks to Zoggs goggles and everyone who entered the drawing! 

As far as my next race, well it is 13 days away as of today. How do I feel about it? Uncertain.I feel like I know I will finish the race. I am not worried about the distance. I am not worried about the swim. I am just worried about my time. I really want to go sub 2:45 this year, and I think I can do it, but the unknown factor is my bike. True, I have logged over 40 hours riding my bike, or about 700 miles on it, but those have all been trainer rides. I am hoping that my bike speed will be faster once I am on the road, but part of me wonders. Does 90 minutes on the trainer really equal 90 minutes? Or does that equal more since I am constantly pedaling? Will it help me ride harder?  My goal time on the bike is 1:11 for 25 miles. In 2010, I did the bike in 1:18 2011, I did the mileage in 1:14, in 2012 I did it in 1:12:41, so a 1:11 or faster is in my future.

The real key to me having a good race will be the run. The 10K has to be under an hour. Simple as that. I have a goal of 56:30 for the 10K, which is achievable. I know I can go faster than 56 on a 10K, but after the swim and bike, this is will help me reach my goal. My wife put it in perspective for me when we were talking about this and she said to remember this is a warmup for Redman, your big race, so don't worry about the time. Which is good advice, but I want to always improve. the 1st time I ever did the MIM Tri, I finished at 3:56, and that was 4 years ago. Anything in the 2:40 range will be great, but sub 2:45 will be better!

27 New Goals and some Ramblings!

Saturday our new running group met. We had 34 people signed up and 27 people actually show up for the meeting. I admit, I was nervous. I am not a great speaker and I feel I am even worse when speaking in a church setting, but it went off well. One of the things I asked everyone to do was to list their goal for the course! I have to say that I had 27 different goals form these new runners. It was very inspiring. I had responses from "finish a 5K" to "get in better shape" to beat a "PR of 41 minutes". It was very inspiring to see people who were not runners, getting out and running. I am so looking forward to the next 12 weeks and watching them grow in this sport!!!

They have also inspired me to get up and run in the morning.

I am having my biggest month on the bike so far.

I went to Game 4 of the Grizzlies vs. Clippers on Sat with my oldest boys and some friends!  Lots of Fun!  Go Grizzlies!!!

20 days until my Olympic Tri, which I am hoping for sub 2:45, but not very confident.

I am also on a Hot Tamale kick!  Good stuff and fat free as well! (says so on the box)

I weighed in at 179 this morning!!!!

Coming up in a day or two, I am posting my review on Zoggs goggles and there will also be a giveaway of goggles!!!!

Daily Ramblings!

• I am very glad last week is over. After the Boston Tragedy, and the death of a neighbor, it was a long week.
• Very glad that LE got the bombers, thermal imaging from a helicopter???? That is movie type stuff
• My wife says I got a box waiting on me when I get home, don't want get anyone too excited, but there is a new giveaway coming soon!
• 2 weeks off due to sickness can really affect your endurance, I am finding out.
• This weekend, my wife and I and some friends made our way back to the Warrior Dash! It was much harder than I remembered from last year, and it has taken me longer to recover. I was wicked sore this morning.
• We stayed int he same hotel and the same hotel room as we did last year!  Weird!!
• I am not 25 anymore (this was just re-emphasized to me this morning)
• My Olympic race is less than 30 days away and I am not sure about getting that sub 2:45 anymore. This cough really hit me hard.
• We are starting a running group at our church this weekend. It's more of a couch to 5k group and I am excited to see who shows up!
• I did not do anything special for Earth Day, sue me
• I think the LA Clippers are the biggest whiners and floppers in the NBA!  Go Grizzlies!!!
• I am down 13 lbs since Christmas! I am right at 181 lbs, and I would like to be between 170-173 for Redman.
• Hard to believe school is out next month.

Me and Emily at Warrior Dash!

That is about all that is on my mind right now, thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Ramblings and Winner Announced!

Alright, the winner of the Sync Hydration Belt from Profile Design is...

Big Daddy Diesel!!!!!

Congrats BDD! If you will email me at memphis2309@yahoo.com, I will send you some information about sizing and colors for you to choose your belt! Also if you are not familiar with BBD's blog, check it out by clicking here: TRI DIESEL

Thanks to everyone that read and entered! Profile Design makes a lot of great products, so be sure and support them in all your racing needs!

Other Ramblings:
I am making another change to my workout schedule, getting to tough to work it all in, so I am doing away with my Friday rest day. I am moving a swim over to Friday. Overall, I do not think this will make to much of an impact on my recovery days due to the way everything is spaced out.

Wednesday on my run, I was able to consistently hit a cadence of 90 throughout my run in my Brooks Glycerin 10s. I have been working towards a cadence of 90, and felt good to hit it. The run felt good and effortless.

This morning I wore my Timex Global Trainer in the pool for the first time. I know it says it is waterproof, but there is always that doubt in my mind. So, I tried it and it worked great. My next step is to try it in my swim cap so I can use it to chart distances.

Sunday, I am running the Germantown Half Marathon. This will be the third time I have raced this event. I am not sure how I will do because my focus has been the Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon training plan and my longest run has been 9 miles. My PR is 1:57 and last year I hit 2:07, so anywhere between those times will be great!

The kids were on Spring Break this week and it really made training harder. Normally I am up, done with workouts and back to take them to school by 7:20. Without the time goal of 7:20, I thought, well I do not need to get up as early as normal since I do not have to be back! WRONG!!! Stick to the plan JFord! That is what this Spring Break taught me.

Overall training is going well. My core workouts are really paying off also. I can feel the benefit of the crunches while swimming specifically!

Thanks to the new followers of Daily Trainings! Glad to have you!

Next week, Daily Trainings will have another awesome giveaway! This is definitely one you will want to be entered in!

It's Not Like It Was 3 Years Ago...

If you had asked me if I was training right a few years ago, I probably would have said you betcha, "I am hitting all my mileage". I would have believed myself also, but now I know I have not been training like I should until about a year ago, and that is when I started seeing the most results.

Now, I have always followed a plan since I first started training for triathlon, and I thought I was doing it right. If my plan said for me to run 4 miles that day, then I would go run 4 miles. If I were to swim 1500 yards, then I swam 1500 yards and called it a day. I was basically going through the motions thinking I was getting a good workout in.I wasn't getting any faster or making any type of progress. The reason why never dawned on me until I took a good hard look at my training plans. I had nothing planned for interval work, recovery runs, speed work was not happening at all. I was simply running to get the miles completed. This was my mistake.

After really going through my 2010 numbers, it was shown to me that I was not training as much as I thought, and I certainly wasn't training as smart as I should have been. So I knew I needed to make a change in my planning. So I did. I started working on speed drills in all segments. I run three times a week. One run is speed work, meaning I really push the pace for a determined amount of time. Usually for somewhere around a 2 fast pace and a 1 minute recovery for an extended distance. My next run is more of a steady "race pace", but yet slower than a race. My third run is a recovery run and it is the slowest of them all. This has been working for me because I am on a PR streak!

I am only swimming twice a week now and it is simply labeled as a medium swim and a long swim. On my medium swims, I normally try to hit the Master's class. A good solid hour of drills and speed work and my second swim is normally what I call an endurance swim where I try to keep race pace for an extended distance.

My bike, well, so far this year it has been all trainer work. I know a lot of the pros use the trainer, and I can honestly say I feel I am getting the most of it as possible. When it warms up, I will be outside, but until then, it is a trainer ride for me. I am using my cadence sensor to establish my training than I am anything else. While I have m bike computer on my rear wheel, I am just not as confident that the speeds are correct. So I use it only as a "measurement", and rely on the cadence sensor. I have so much work to do on the bike to be ready, but I am not shying away from it.

One thing I can say is that it is taking some planning in order to follow a training plan. As you know, Monday and Wednesdays are my double up days, meaning I run and bike on those days, and it takes everything I have to get up early and get in the run. It is not as easy as I would like it, but I know when I hit that PR at my Olympic race, it will be sweet.

So tell me how your training has changed over the last two or three years? Anything significant?

P.S. I am still sticking strong to my crunches goal, only 6,000 more to go! I added a countdown over here so you can see. I WILL DO THEM ALL!

This Time is For Real! I Mean it!

I am serious this time. I have started mentoring a group on BeginnerTriathlete.com with Bradleyd3 from Brad's Ironman Journey. The group has been really cool and we have all levels of triathletes that have joined, so it will be great encouraging, answering questions and watching them hit their goals for the race season. So we decided as a group to have a group challenge for February. Several ideas were kicked around, but we came up with a core/ab challenge for February.

So what does that mean? It means that I (along with the others member of the group) will be selecting either a number of crunches we will commit do doing in the month of February, or we will commit to a certain numbers of minutes spent planking! Simple enough right? Well the hard part is coming up with that number or that time goal! So that is my struggle right now.

This idea came to me when my bride said her trainer challenged her to do 1000 crunches by their next session, which will be Monday. That works out to 250 crunches a day. That's a lot of crunches, but my bride can totally do it, so that has definitely influenced my choice between the two options.

Another blog I read always talks about doing core work. The author is a marathon runner, fast marathon runner that also does a huge focus on core work. I know that a strong core will really help me when I S/B/R. According to their blog, they do a ton of planking and crunches to strengthen their core and help them run better. So I have been really thinking over my goal for February in regards to the group, and based on the challenge my bride accepted, I think know I can get her to join me, so I really have some accountability going on up here! So with all that, I say this:

My goal is going to be 7,000 crunches in the month of February. That breaks out to 250 a day (which will have to be split up, I can't do all that in one session), or 1750 a week. My plan involves doing 250 in the morning and 250 in the evening, alternating every other day. I have no idea if this is doable or not, but in my head I am totally going to rock this. Regular crunches, side crunches, crunches with a stability ball will all count.

I am also going to photograph my before and after shots to see if I can see any difference! (and I better after 7,000 crunches!) So, I know what you are thinking, but to afraid to ask... I do not know if I will post them on the blog or not. Maybe is all I am ready to commit to at this time.

So throw the cokes out the window, start drinking tons of water, getting plenty of sleep, eating smartly and continuing on my training plan, and I "should" be ready by the time May gets here!

I Do Not Have A Catchy Title.

I have been feeling pretty lazy lately.

My grandfather passed away early last week and the family made a whirlwind trip to go to the funeral on Thursday and Friday. We drove over 700 miles in 2 days, and that time in the car does not include the hour we spent at a McDonalds in Atkins Arkansas trying to get the mini van swagger wagon started! So we spent about 12+ hours in the car.

My last good solid workout was Thursday before we left. I did a 1000 yd swim in 18 and change then I followed that up with a 4 miles run in under 35 minutes. (Then I sent a trash talking video text to Brad D at Brad's Ironman Journey, because he has been sending me mean video texts, so I had to fire back!!) Then I sat in the car for hours and hours it seemed. Sitting in a car seat for an extended period of time always stiffens my joints up! So I have not been to fired up about doing any training.

Even today at my teams basketball game (I am coaching my son's 12-13 year old team), I was wearing my Ironman Branson 70.3 shirt for some motivation. One of the refs called me over and started asking me questions about doing IM races. Usually that fires me up, but for some reason, I was still unmotivated. And I am down 5 pounds since Christmas! What gives??

Well, I don't drink, but other than that...

I finally told my bride that I know what I need to motivate me.I need to sign up for my Olympic race. I spend the money, then I know I will train harder. That's the way it works isn't it? Is that true motivation? I am not sure that is the thing that would motivate me, the spending of money, but more of a deadline. So, maybe when I am officially entered into the race, it will light a fire under my butt. Or maybe the driving wore on me more than I thought. I do have a 5K trail race tomorrow I am going to run, so maybe that race will get my juices flowing again. I just know it is way to early for me to be thinking of missing workouts already!!!

NOW WAIT JUST A SECOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE:

I wrote this post on Saturday night, and Sunday after church, I did run the Winter Off Road Series 5K at Stanky Creek. A nice little trail run that I hit a new PR!!!!  25:51 on the trails! I am so stoked about that, an 8:20 pace through the woods!!!!  That placed me 15/42 in my Age Group and 95/499 Overall. For the overall series, I am in 14/58 place in my age group! Funny how things work out, but I am over that pity party and ready to train!!!!!

Decisions, Decisions...

I am planning on starting my training for the Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon next week. I have a goal time of a sub 2:40 that I want to get and I know I am capable of hitting. Last year I finished in 2:47, so I really thin I can hit a sub 2:40. Unfortunately  the coaching thing is not going to work out for me after-all  so I have been looking at training plans for the Olympic distance. I have narrowed it down to 3 plans that I got off of www.beginertriathlete.com (a great site for a wealth of info on doing triathlons). So now it is only a matter of deciding which plan I want to follow cause they are significantly different in 2 of the 3 triathlon segments.

In all three plans, the running mileage stays approximately the same, within 10 miles of each of the plans. Swimming is where there is a noticeable difference, one is 37k, one is 72k and the third is 97k. Biking is also a huge difference when comparing these plans. 1,282 miles, 1,340 miles and 1,734 miles respectively.

I based each of these plans off the following criteria: 19 week plan, swim 1:50/100 (which I might be faster than that) Bike: 19-20 mph and run of 8:50-9 minute miles. The workouts were setup for a total of 8-10 workouts a week. So here is the breakdown:

MIM 2013 Plan:
S:1:50/100        2 swims a week       1 rest day
B: 19mph          3 bikes a week
R: 9/mile            3 runs a week
Total yardage swim: 37, 150 yards
Total mileage biked: 1,282.70 miles
Total mileage ran: 340 miles


MIM Middle Plan:
S:1:50/100         2 swims a week       1 rest day
B: 19 mph          3 bikes a week
R: 9/mile            3 runs a week
Total yardage swim: 72,150 yards
Total mileage biked: 1,340.90 miles
Total mileage ran: 350.70 miles


MIM Sub 2:40 Plan:
S:1:50/100         3 swims a week       0 rest day
B: 19 mph          4 bikes a week
R: 9/mile            4 runs a week
Total yardage swim: 95,950 yards
Total mileage biked: 1,734.70 miles
Total mileage ran: 350.70 miles


Now, here are my concerns: These plans are only for January through May. If I looked at my total mileage for 2012 in total, I would surpass my bike mileage. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to make sure I am not biting off more than I can chew since I have a family and a job that are pretty important to me. I also worry about not having any days offs with the SUB 2:40 plan. So how do I decide?




I think I have to look at each plan and see how it works out through the week. What will I be doing on Mondays, Tuesdays, etc... How does that fit into my schedule and how will that impact my family? Can I get it done in the mornings before the kids go to school? I know I will not make every workout listed, but which one of these plans is going to help me hit my goals. Plus, I will be training for IM after this race, which will be even more taxing and tougher!

So after writing it out and really thinking it over, I am going with the middle plan. To me, it makes the most sense and falls in line with my schedule and my capabilities. I also think this plan will help me reach that sub 2:40 goal for an Olympic distance race. In 2012, leading up to MIM I did the following miles/yards: Swim 66,830, biked 659 and ran 176. This plan will double my bike and running, which is where I need the most help. So here it what my plan will look like starting Jan 7, 2012.

Monday: run short and bike short
Tuesday: swim med (maybe a Master's class)
Wednesday: run med and bike med
Thursday: swim long (maybe Master's class)
Friday: Rest and Recover
Saturday: long run (may be leading a running group at church that morning)
Sunday: long bike

Putting this down on "paper" definitely helped me see which plan is best for me and helped me think through some aspects of each plan. I would highly suggest that you look through a plan and compare plans before you just pick one, not all plans a re the same!

Thanks for reading and Happy Training!

NEXT...

While I am still excited about my recent Olympic triathlon finishing time, I know it is time to build on that win. I call it a win because it was a bug deal for me. It was nice to have a plan for a race and to be able to hit those marks I set. This race also gave me alot of confidence and also help me get over that wall of actually being able to call myself a triathlete. I know my 2:47:58 time may not be a great time for some of you that read this blog, but it was huge for me. Huge because I know that the hours of work I out in paid off, and I really want to keep this ball rolling.

I did end up taking a few days off after the race, partly because I wanted too and partly because of my work schedule and switching to working overnights (it totally FUBAR'd my sleep schedule). So I had time to recover and I did alot more stretching during this time than I have before which should be a good thing. I also took off the time because I wanted to be ready to get back to s/b/r. I did not want it to be an "I have to get back to training", I wanted it to be an "I want to get back to training". I have already mapped out my HIM training plan, which started on Memorial Day, so basically I took a week off.

My HIM plan is coming off of BeginnerTriathlete.com once again. The Olympic plan did me well, so I stuck to what has been working. I designed the plan myself in a way, by putting in how many swims, runs and bike I wanted to do in a week and then entered in pace I can do and it spit out a plan for me. I wanted to do 2 swims, 3 bikes and 3 runs a week. I feel very confident in my swimming already and preferred to work on my bike and run more for this race and for the most part, I feel really good about this plan.

Monday         Tuesday         Wednesday      Thursday         Friday          Saturday            Sunday
Bike short      Swim long        Bike Med        Swim Med      REST          Bike long           Run Long
                      Run short                                Run Med

Now there is more to the plan than just swimming and riding, each day has a very precise workout that is broken down, I mean I am not just hopping on my bike and running, or jumping in the pool. I have moved my rest day from Sunday to Friday this plan so that I can get  the long run in, The longest run of the plan is 15 miles, and there is no way I can do that before work.

Another thing I have decided is that I want to do as many of these workouts before work, so that means I have to get up early, which will be good for this Memphis heat. That is going to be trickier though, since no one else at my house has to be up at any certain time, which could also benefit me!

If I hit every workout on this plan, I will swim 36 mile, bike 1,100 miles and run 316 miles in the next three months!!  Sounds crazy to me!  I know with vacation and life in general, I will miss some workouts, but I will hit all of them I can.

In my mind, I am already training for my Ironman in 2013, and this is the next step. I want to do well at this HIM in Sept. I have to beat my Branson 70.3 time of 7:35, and after my last Olympic time, I know I can crush it.

NEXT...