If I Did Not Know Any Better...

I know it has been awhile since I last blogged, and I have always had good intentions on maintaining this blog, but since this blog is about training for triathlons, and since there has been little to zero training going on, I really have had nothing to blog about. So I haven't blogged.

However...

• Last week I made a wish list of races I might be interested in doing in 2016. The main one I will always do, even if it is only for fun will be the Memphis in May Sprint triathlon in May, but as I was thinking about that race, other races caught my eye.
• I also signed me and wife up for a cross country winter race series that starts soon. It consists of a 3K, a 5K, and 8K and a 10K. Already registered.
• I did work up a training plan for the MIM sprint that I will start on Jan 4th. Since it is only a sprint race, it is totally doable in the mornings or afternoons and will allow me to stay in the weight room some.
• I did order new running shoes.
• I also found some old pictures of me racing that I actually liked and I want to look like I did back then...

Sharpshooter Triathlon

 



So if I did not know any better, I'd say I am on my way back!!!

Let's Get Caught Up...

Every time that I try to commit to blogging more, it seems that commitment has the opposite effect to my blogging! All though, in my defense, I have had a lot going on and I am going to share today! Here are the top things going on m=in my life and why I have not blogged in awhile.

1. We moved! My family moved to a new house in late April. We added a couple of bedrooms, a dining room, pantry and more space. We are loving it! It already feels like home to me, now if I can just get rid of all the boxes!
2. We got a new King size bed and I am loving it! It is so comfortable. I can't wait to go to bed at night to sleep!
3. We also got a new couch which is also very comfortable! See pics below.
4. My son Jared was in a school play and my wife was the "play mom", so they were out of pocket practicing everyday for awhile, so it was just me and my two boys most evenings. The play was excellent and of course my son did a great job!
5. Birthdays! In the past 2 weeks, my son Jared, my mom, my niece and my grandmother all had birthdays in April! Crazy huh?
6. NBA Playoffs are on!  I love the Playoffs! I only wish my Grizzlies could get past the Warriors!
7. Ceiling fans! I have been hanging ceiling fans in my house with the help of my new neighbor! I am not a handyman, so I have needed the extra knowledge to get this done.

So I have my first sprint triathlon in about 11 days from now. I am worried about how I will do. I have not been hitting my workouts like I should have and I have been blaming the move. Whether or not that is a legitimate excuse, it is what it is. I am still looking forward to the race and I know I will finish it, but after all is said and done, I am thankful to be able to race and I am going to have a great time!

The right way to use a couch

The Proper way to use a couch

I Asked Myself 3 Questions...

Last year at this time, I was only thinking about heading to Ironman. Everything revolved around Ironman. Right now though, I am having a hard time focusing on a sprint triathlon, and this has me confused.

Maybe it is normal to go through an "Ironman funk". Maybe I am a one timer, I am not sure. All I know is that even though I want to S/B/R, I am having a hard time training, or more like a hard time getting excited about training. I really thought that last weekend would jump start me!

The Memphis in May triathlon was last weekend. Normally I do the Olympic race, I have for 4 of the last 5 years. It is a great race and normally it is the one race to do around Memphis. Everyone is there, and it is a good measure of where you stand in the tri community here in Memphis IMO. I choose not to race, partly because my wife was doing her first sprint race and I wanted to be there to support her and make it here weekend since she has been to many of my races waiting at the finish line! And the other part was that I just could not get excited about training.

Is it normal after a 140.6 to have the mindset of not be able to get excited about a 3.1 mile run?

I really expected me to get back into "it" after MIM and being around the atmosphere and seeing my bride do so well in her first race but I am still fizzling. So I had to ask myself some questions to find out what's up!

Question 1: Do I still want to race?Answer: Yeah I do. I like racing, I love racing. I still have visions of me crossing the finish line, and I still want to get my second 140.6 under my belt!

Question 2: Is it a weight issue?Answer: I know I have put on weight, but it is muscle. I have been working with a trainer for the last 14 weeks. I know I gained 3 pounds of lean muscle and my bidt fat is at 14%. My core is stronger than ever, so it is not a question of being in shape.

Question 3: Why don't you sign up for a race? That is motivation right?
Answer: Yeah, I'm right. That is what I always tell people also. Sign up for a race, pay the money and then you will do it! So I am committing to doing the Mighty Mite Sprint Triathlon in July.

Maybe this is just a down year for me, a year for me to just be, and then to come back strong in 2015! I don't know. I know Goosepond HIM is definitely not a definite race anymore. More to come on this I am sure, but right now I need to get registered for Mighty Mite and go back and see what my old times are and see if I can beat that. I have no doubt in my mind that I can cover the distances now, because I have been training, but man, is it tough to get out there.

So tell me all you Ironman finishers, did you have a "funk" afterwards? And if so, how do you shake it??

Giveaway Winner and 2012 Race Schedule!!!!

Thanks to everyone that participated in the Daily Trainings giveaway, and thank you to all the new followers! Please don't leave just cause the giveaway is over.I appreciate you all and now it is time to announce the winner of the signed copy of "See Dane Run"  The winner is Elaine from ratherbeswimming!  Elaine as soon as I can, I will get your signed copy of the book in mail! Special thanks to Dane Rauschenberg (author) for signing and letting me give away a copy of his book! I hope to do more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!

I have really been doing alot of thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2012. I really had thought that 2012 would be my year for my first full IM, but after my embrassing marathon time , I feel I am not ready for an Ironman. Soooooo, I plan on focusing on the longer distance races and then we will look at 2013. So here is my 2012 tentative schedule!

• January and February- The Memphis Runner's Cross Country Series- This is a series of races that consists of the following distances. A 3k, 5k, 8k, and a 10k. They are all trail runs and this series is just waiting to tear up my ankles a lot of fun. I always have problems working in all the races, so that is a goal in itself! Toughen up Ford! It will be a good introduction into the race season
• March- I have two races scheduled. The first is the Fight for Life 5K. I am doing this race because I am the "Wellness Captain" at work and I am using this race to get as many of my co workers to get off their butts and get to running participate in this worthy cause about childhood obesity.! (I will have a separate post about this soon).  In mid March, I am doing the Germantown Half Marathon. This will be the second time I have done this race, so I am looking forward to see if I can beat my PR! The last time I ran this, we had the worst weather conditions, raining and very cold, that it made it miserable, but made it a great story to tell.
• April- One race I am very excited about is the WARRIOR DASH!!!  My wife and I, along with several friends from work and church are going to run this race, it is going to be painful epic. 3+ miles of running and obstacles, how can that not be fun? My wife may not talk to me for a few days after this! We do get a cool Viking hat when we finish, so that will be awesome!  Yes, I will post pictures of the hat!
• May- The Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon. This is one of my must do races in Memphis. Last year I would have gotten a new PR, but the course was long by about a half mile. It rained the entire bike and run, so my shoes and socks were left out in the middle of the rain and they were drenched by the time I got to T2. Cue excuse #1 My feet got so blistered! Ouch!  Ahhh, sweet memories! I am really hoping that my marathon training will carry over and help me with my running this year! The bike and run course are flat, so it is time for me to speed it up a bit. The swim is also the flattest swim course ever!
• June and July- There are normally two races I do in these months but I am really leaning towards them being "just maybe" races. I am not excited about doing them as much in the past. I have found that I do like the longer distance races better, so I might not even have any triathlons these two months. I did say this schedule was tentative, because I know once people start talking about them, I will want to race. I am such a sucker!
• August- This is one of my favorite races, The Sharpshooter. It is a super Sprint Triathlon. 400 yd swim, 11 mile bike and 2 mile run. I have been trying and failing to finish this race under an hour for two years, and this is going to be my year. Red line time baby!
• September- Ironman Augusta 70.3!!  Screw those Branson hills! I am excited about this. I hear about the fast swim times and everything and I get excited. Even though I love the swim segments, I can't wait to post a 20 minute 1.2 mile swim! I think this course will give me a better evaluation of where I am at, unlike a Branson bike course from hell!
• October, November and December- I will slip into marathon mode again. The St Jude Marathon. I think this year I am going to be a St Jude Hero and try to raise money for the hospital, so I will be hitting up anyone that reads this blog for a donation.I know I have to beat my 6 hour PR in 2012, and that is part of the reason I want to do this race again!

So that is my tentative plan for 2012. I know things will change as I have not gotten it approved my the wife yet, but it looks like a good year. A good mix of runs and tri's. My ultimate goal is to still become an Ironman, so all this is going to work into that plan. I have several posts that will be coming out soon, including a product review, my take on how bad I am at setting time goals for myself, weight controls, that I really hope 2012 is a good year for Daily Trainings! So, please keep reading and Thanks for reading!

Thursday Night

Well folks, it is Thursday night, May 15. All my hard work and training will come to a point very soon. Tomorrow I will go and pick up my race packet. I finished my last workouts yesterday, I have been swimming in my wetsuit all week. The water temp has been measures at a crisp 69 degrees. My bike tires are aired up just right. I am fit. I am determined. I will.

I may not post until after the race. So say a prayer on Sunday morning for ol Memphis!!