..it is almost 3 months since I finished the Los Angeles Marathon.
This lame fitness hiatus brought to you by:
1) a post-marathon funk
2) a mini-medical detour due to a bad head bonk during my first trail run on April 9.
3) a persistent lack of motivation and bad diet
Back to square 1 .. I need to start up again tomorrow with training. My plan is to bike/spin and row. As for running, since I feel like I'm starting over, I am going to shift my focus to time, rather than miles, paces, heart rates, etc. The data geek in me will, sooner-or-later, start obsessing again over those stats and pretty graphs. But for now.. it's just too discouraging.
My plan for this weekend.. baby steps, just a few small achievable goals:
- Hit the road.. on my feet out there for 60 minutes.. run, jog, walk, skip.. it's all good.
- Get my diet under control. Tracking and portions.
- Volunteer (with my 7-yr old son) at the Special Olympics Summer Games in Long Beach, CA!!
Sorry I've been MIA on this blog..
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
2011 Race Calendar
Now that my 2011 LA Marathon is in the bag, what's next?
I've been a recovering lazy butt for 12 days now, and I have a 10K this Saturday!! Time for me to get some races down and get back on that horse.
Tentatively, here's what I have so far for this upcoming year.
4/2 Seal Beach 10K
http://sealbeachrun.com/
6/12 Redondo Beach Triathlon, Mini-Sprint, 400M/3mi/1mi
http://www.rbtriathlon.com/
6/18 Old Goat Hill Climb Trail Half-Marathon, 13.1mi
http://www.oldgoatrunners.com/old_goat_50_home_page_015.htm
*9/18 Long Beach Triathlon, Sprint 800M/11mi/3mi
http://www.pacificsportsllc.com/long-beach-tri-event-info/
9/25 Kaiser Permanente Thrive LA Triathlon,
Sprint 800M/14/1mi/3.1mi
http://www.latriathlon.com/general-info/
- or Olympic Relay... 24mi bike or 6.2mi run
10/9 Long Beach Marathon
http://runlongbeach.com/
*10/29 Fearless Races Triathlon,
Super-Sprint X2, 250M/5mi/2mi/250M/5mi/2mi
http://www.fearlessraces.com/races/1
11/27 San Dimas Turkey Triathlon, Sprint 800M/14mi/4.5mi
http://bit.ly/SanDimasTurkeyTRI
3/18/12 2012 LA Marathon
http://www.LAMarathon.com
I've been a recovering lazy butt for 12 days now, and I have a 10K this Saturday!! Time for me to get some races down and get back on that horse.
Tentatively, here's what I have so far for this upcoming year.
4/2 Seal Beach 10K
http://sealbeachrun.com/
6/12 Redondo Beach Triathlon, Mini-Sprint, 400M/3mi/1mi
http://www.rbtriathlon.com/
6/18 Old Goat Hill Climb Trail Half-Marathon, 13.1mi
http://www.oldgoatrunners.com/old_goat_50_home_page_015.htm
 |
| Ain't But One Hill! 2,400 Feet Elevation! |
(credit: @GWJones00 http://therunningfatguy.blogspot.com )
http://www.pacificsportsllc.com/long-beach-tri-event-info/
9/25 Kaiser Permanente Thrive LA Triathlon,
Sprint 800M/14/1mi/3.1mi
http://www.latriathlon.com/general-info/
- or Olympic Relay... 24mi bike or 6.2mi run
10/9 Long Beach Marathon
http://runlongbeach.com/
*10/29 Fearless Races Triathlon,
Super-Sprint X2, 250M/5mi/2mi/250M/5mi/2mi
http://www.fearlessraces.com/races/1
11/27 San Dimas Turkey Triathlon, Sprint 800M/14mi/4.5mi
http://bit.ly/SanDimasTurkeyTRI
3/18/12 2012 LA Marathon
http://www.LAMarathon.com
Thursday, March 31, 2011
RUNiversary! My First Year Running and Blogging
One year has passed since I started on this fitness journey, and this blog.
I just thought I would throw out a few thoughts and some stats..
My main reasons for undertaking this marathon quest were to, lose weight, improve my overall health and energy, prolong my life, and ultimately all so that I can be a better husband and father. As some may know, I had a major health scare a few years back, which involved some pretty scary emergency heart surgery. You can read more about that here: About Me (& My Heart)
I started walking right after the 2010 LA Marathon. In the weeks leading up to then, I had started trying to watch what I eat, and had lost a few pounds. But still, at that time, I was around 268lbs and felt pretty unhealthy.. lethargic, knee and hip pains as soon as I stood up from bed, very sedentary.
Juiced up with inspiration from the LA Marathon, and bloggers like @GWJones00, (http://therunningfatguy.blogspot.com/) I began.. slowly.
At first, it was pretty painful short walks around my neighborhood. I think my first "recorded" walk was only 2 miles, and it took me almost 45 minutes. I eventually progressed to walking the block, but trotting faster or jogging across the intersections, then resumed walking. It progressed from there. Unbelievably, 2 weeks ago, I was able to finish the 2011 LA Marathon. Pictorially, here's my year in a nutshell:
My first 2 mile walk in green is superimposed at the beginning of my recent 26.2mi LA Marathon run
I was not the best about consistently blogging or tracking my training and diet over the whole year. Still, I looked over my data on GarminConnect and DailyMile to gather some fun stats:
Miles of Training: 800 miles
Calories Burned: 100,000
Donuts Burned: 500
Half-Marathons: 2
Full Marathons: 1
Triathlons: 1
Weight Lost: 45 lbs
Blogs Started: 1
One year has gone by pretty quickly, and I am pretty satisfied with my progress. I still have some work to do, and my goals for the upcoming year include:
- lose some more weight. Would like to get down to 190Lbs
- improve my running. I've never been overly concerned about pace, and I still am not. I would; however, like to improve my running endurance and be able to run longer (even at slow pace) without taking so many walking breaks.
- eat better
- expand my running horizons, maybe incorporate some reasonable trail running, hiking, etc.
- learn to swim better, and start doing a few more Triathlons, work up to the Olympic Triathlon distances
- start my kids running, biking, swimming more
- blog more consistently.. this blog, Facebook, Twitter, they all definitely keep me accountable and motivated!
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" <geeks click here!>
Since I have acquired at least a few friends and followers over my first year, I guess this blog truly exists. I will try to blog more regularly, so I can "exist" more in 2012.
Thanks for listening!
-J
I just thought I would throw out a few thoughts and some stats..
My main reasons for undertaking this marathon quest were to, lose weight, improve my overall health and energy, prolong my life, and ultimately all so that I can be a better husband and father. As some may know, I had a major health scare a few years back, which involved some pretty scary emergency heart surgery. You can read more about that here: About Me (& My Heart)
I started walking right after the 2010 LA Marathon. In the weeks leading up to then, I had started trying to watch what I eat, and had lost a few pounds. But still, at that time, I was around 268lbs and felt pretty unhealthy.. lethargic, knee and hip pains as soon as I stood up from bed, very sedentary.
Juiced up with inspiration from the LA Marathon, and bloggers like @GWJones00, (http://therunningfatguy.blogspot.com/) I began.. slowly.
At first, it was pretty painful short walks around my neighborhood. I think my first "recorded" walk was only 2 miles, and it took me almost 45 minutes. I eventually progressed to walking the block, but trotting faster or jogging across the intersections, then resumed walking. It progressed from there. Unbelievably, 2 weeks ago, I was able to finish the 2011 LA Marathon. Pictorially, here's my year in a nutshell:
I was not the best about consistently blogging or tracking my training and diet over the whole year. Still, I looked over my data on GarminConnect and DailyMile to gather some fun stats:
Miles of Training: 800 miles
Calories Burned: 100,000
Donuts Burned: 500
Half-Marathons: 2
Full Marathons: 1
Triathlons: 1
Weight Lost: 45 lbs
Blogs Started: 1
| Resting HR | Blood Pressure | Beta-Blocker Dose | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-Feb | 76 | 136/76 | 400MG (Max!) | 268Lbs |
| 2011-Mar | 56 | 100/53 | 100MG | 223Lbs |
One year has gone by pretty quickly, and I am pretty satisfied with my progress. I still have some work to do, and my goals for the upcoming year include:
- lose some more weight. Would like to get down to 190Lbs
- improve my running. I've never been overly concerned about pace, and I still am not. I would; however, like to improve my running endurance and be able to run longer (even at slow pace) without taking so many walking breaks.
- eat better
- expand my running horizons, maybe incorporate some reasonable trail running, hiking, etc.
- learn to swim better, and start doing a few more Triathlons, work up to the Olympic Triathlon distances
- start my kids running, biking, swimming more
- blog more consistently.. this blog, Facebook, Twitter, they all definitely keep me accountable and motivated!
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" <geeks click here!>
Thanks for listening!
-J
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Running in the Rain: A Newbie Marathoner's 2011 LA Marathon Race Recap
So, 2 days ago a little over a week ago, I accomplished what I really was not sure I would be able to. One year ago, I was driving home from the 2010 LA Marathon with my awesome marathoner wife. At that time, I had never even jogged before. So inspired by her and the other marathon runners, I thought out loud, "wouldn't it be cool if we both ran LA next year?" haha, yeah right.. But she said, "yeah, let's do it!".. and Sunday, we did.
What a first marathon for me! So glad I finished. Torrential rain and wind and c-o-l-d-. I heard mention of hail, but I didn't notice any.
Here's my novice marathoner recap.
Not much to say about the expo.. we had all 3 kids in tow, so we pretty much wanted to get in and out as quick as possible. The expo did seem WAY bigger, better, and more organized than last year. I knew some Twitter peeps were around and talking of a tweet-up, but frankly.. I was pretty lost in my own head, and more worried about my wife's race. I wouldn't have been good company, so home early to carb-load with the family.
I stayed up a bit late getting all mine and my wife's gear ready.
Still woke before the alarm. After a fast drive to Santa Monica, we got on the shuttle. Unlike last year, this time, the shuttles were perfect! Excellent traffic flow, exit ramps for buses only. In no time, we were in Dodger stadium! That was pretty cool. Next thing, it was time for wife to go to her "B" Corral. I told her she belonged up there, and that she was better than all those runners. Quick kiss good luck, and she was off. I went back in to Dodger Stadium, and I found my coach, @SpeedySasquatch, (http://www.TeamSasquatch.com) there.
Race started great for me. I enjoyed the vibe at the back of the corrals. There were 2,780 SRLA (Students Run LA) runners. I liked this kids poster...
I did not really feel all that nervous for some reason, and just got my iPod going and stayed loose and relaxed. No rain yet, and I was thinking of ditching my long sleeve compression shirt my wife forced me to wear.
I scored some hospital gowns at work that were great for keeping us covered and warm, and dry. Lots of people wearing ponchos and garbage bags. It really did not feel that cold, and I was thinking of ditching all the extra clothes, and decided against looking for a garbage bag to wear. I figured I would remove the long-sleeve compression shirt once I'm "warmed-up". Like almost all her advice about running marathons, my wife was spot-on right about this, and I'm glad she made me wear it. The horn sounded and we were off. 90 seconds later, I felt the first fat juicy drops of rain land on my head. It was pretty much a non-stop rain and wind soak-fest after that. I just stayed positive and told myself how much fun this was going to be. Tried to focus on my run/walk strategy, and my hydration/fuel plan.
My only really long training run was several weeks before race day, and it ended with me bonking hard at 19.75mi, only 100yds from home. Determined to hydrate and fuel better this time, I drank at every station, and took GU Gel every 50min w/ 2 Endurolyte caps. I think I actually overhydrated. I had no way to judge sweating or losing salt. No gritty salt on my brow in a downpour! I ended up stopping to pee FOUR times during the race!!
Felt good almost the entire first 15 miles, probably wasted a tiny bit of time & energy shouting thanks and high-5'ing cheering fans.
As usual in a race like this, there was a cast of crazy characters. I didn't take too many pictures, but I did catch some video of this guy, running with a watermelon balanced on his head. Somebody needs to introduce him to the concept of a fuel belt and GU Gels!
Here is one of the few orange Mile Markers that wasn't knocked down by the rain and wind.
There were some awesome fans out there. My wife said that the fans, bands, and support was way down compared to last year, but the fans that were out there were amazing! I slowed to take a picture of this line of fans with umbrellas, cheering during one particularly harsh gusting downpour.
In addition to the plentiful waterstations and orange slices, I was amazed at the outpouring of kindness from the citizens of LA. People offered me garbage bag ponchos, (which I stupidly declined). There was a father and daughter on a corner with a case of Gatorade bottles and a large metal bowl of CANDY BARS! How terrific are these LA fans?
Everyone mentions the Taiko drummers and the Mile 4 hill.. they were pretty cool. But later, I was starting to feel my legs, running on an overpass (over the 101 maybe?). There was this ONE elderly lady standing alone in the rain, beating out a perfect rhythm on a pot with a kitchen spoon. That beat really got my legs pumping. I yelled thank you and waved to her, wish I had gotten a picture of her.
Mile 16, the water stations started looking kind of pathetic, and deteriorating. I started to worry about my water in the later miles. Refilled my 18oz Amphipod. At one point, strong winds/rain were blowing us sideways, and 3 road block horses went flying/skidding across our paths. The few runners around me, we looked at each other and just laughed. What an adventure!
Mile 18.. SoleRunner tent! Just awesome. I stopped for a few minutes to chat, to wolf down some of Mary's Famous Salted Potatoes, a Red Vine, and get my legs sprayed with Kool Fit. I also picked up SoleRunner buddy, Mary F. (http://www.therunninggreengirl.com) to run me to the finish. She was perfect.
Mile 20, saw Nadine E. at the Clif tent and she joined us for a bit.. always SOO positive and inspiring! The VA.. sucked. Part of the route flooded and we had to detour over the muddy grass "trail" for awhile. Right before the VA, I decided to ditch my wife's girly fuchsia knit gloves I had been wearing. Up to that point, I had been wringing the water out every time I GU'd. I started to think that the soaked gloves were weighing my arms down. I ditched them.. big mistake. My hands froze, and everything else soon followed. I even briefly thought of going back for them at one point. I started to struggle mightily here. I saw a few medic carts zip by, some with a few pale and very young-looking SRLA kids on gurneys.. sad. Last few miles, there were some runners that looked way worse than me, some that I thought might need an ambulance or help. Definitely lots of hypothermia and cramping legs out there. Sadly, I couldn't help because I was probably not much better. Finally, the turn onto Ocean. The wind was really howling and heavy rain was blowing sideways.
Supposedly, this was the worst weather in LA Marathon history. Here's a well-circulated YouTube video taken on somebody's phone, showing how fierce the winds and rain were!
I was really cold and getting slower now. The slower I ran/walked, the colder I got. At some point, I was probably just doing a dead man's shuffle. On Ocean, I sensed the end was near, and could barely see the orange speck that was the finish area. I picked up my feet some. Here a really brief video of me coming down the home stretch. Thanks Mary for taking the video and encouraging me!
So, 7 grueling hours later, after all that... what do I do? I totally missed the FINISH LINE of my first-ever marathon!
All of the Mile Markers were these orange blow-up structures you run through. Coming up Ocean, I saw this rectangular orange structure in the rainy distance, and thought it was the Mile 26 Marker. I remember thinking, "don't stop now.. just get to that orange Mile 26 sign, and then, only 352 more yards to the finish line!" I must have been cold and delirious.. it took me a second to realize that I had already crossed the FINISH, and that I was DONE.
Here's a picture of me going sideways across the finish line. No finish line VICTORY, or fist-pumping, .. just me thinking that I'm navigating race traffic and that I still have another 0.2 miles to run. Ha... at least it's not a picture of me fiddling with my Garmin watch!
I think I finished strong. It seemed to be a long, wet, cold, shuffle from finish to medals to where? No warming tents, coffee, shuttles, barely any volunteers by that time. Tables were unattended, with full bags of bagels, and crates of water bottles.
I grabbed a few bags-o-bagels and snacks, and shuffled onward to get my AWESOME 2011 LA Marathon medal.
My super wife smoked this 2011 LA Marathon, hitting a new overall PR, beating her 2010 LA Marathon time by around 30 minutes, and coming up just 4 minutes short of Boston Qualifying.. in a freezing monsoon. I am SO proud of her! My finish time was considerably slower, but I completed my first marathon and felt pretty good at the end. I am really happy that honestly, at NO TIME, did I have any cramps or severe debilitating pains, or think that I had to ever quit or stop. That was amazing for me.
First marathons are always going to be memorable. For me, I am glad I did the 2011 LA Marathon as my first marathon, especially with these tough conditions. We definitely plan on this being a permanent event on our race calendar. I really have to thank some people who helped me this year, in no particular order..
- Sole Runners and Coach Steve Mackel for his awesome Chi-Running Workshop
- My DailyMile, Twitter, Facebook and Blog friends for all their encouragement and advice
- The LA Marathon organizers. Lots of really silly, petty criticisms on Facebook and Twitter just prove that you can not please all the people, all the time. I think overall, the marathon was very well run, given the scope, participants, the city, the point-to-point course, shuttles, Dodger Stadium, and finally, the weather. All things considered, it was all great! Great Job, see you next year!!
- The citizens of LA... awesome. That's it.
- Coach SpeedySasquatch, for taking on Mission Impossible. He broke down my derailed training plan SO late in the game. He got rid of my weekly 20+ mile long runs, in favor of a customized Hanson's Training Program, with more frequent medium to med-long runs throughout the week. While this freaked me out some, he kept me calm and uninjured. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to finish under these conditions without his help.
- My wife.. super-wife, super-marathoner.. thank you thank you thank you.. just for everything.
And finally, the icing on thecake, er.. cupcake.. my 26.2 miles running the LA Marathon also counted for another 26.2 virtual miles in the 2011 Cupcake Marathon! This virtual marathon is brought to you by Jason Bahamudi at Cook Train Eat Race. Good Luck Jason this weekend at Ironman California 70.3 !!!
I'll end with some happier LA Marathon photos of me.
What a first marathon for me! So glad I finished. Torrential rain and wind and c-o-l-d-. I heard mention of hail, but I didn't notice any.
Here's my novice marathoner recap.
I stayed up a bit late getting all mine and my wife's gear ready.
Still woke before the alarm. After a fast drive to Santa Monica, we got on the shuttle. Unlike last year, this time, the shuttles were perfect! Excellent traffic flow, exit ramps for buses only. In no time, we were in Dodger stadium! That was pretty cool. Next thing, it was time for wife to go to her "B" Corral. I told her she belonged up there, and that she was better than all those runners. Quick kiss good luck, and she was off. I went back in to Dodger Stadium, and I found my coach, @SpeedySasquatch, (http://www.TeamSasquatch.com) there.
Race started great for me. I enjoyed the vibe at the back of the corrals. There were 2,780 SRLA (Students Run LA) runners. I liked this kids poster...
I did not really feel all that nervous for some reason, and just got my iPod going and stayed loose and relaxed. No rain yet, and I was thinking of ditching my long sleeve compression shirt my wife forced me to wear.
I scored some hospital gowns at work that were great for keeping us covered and warm, and dry. Lots of people wearing ponchos and garbage bags. It really did not feel that cold, and I was thinking of ditching all the extra clothes, and decided against looking for a garbage bag to wear. I figured I would remove the long-sleeve compression shirt once I'm "warmed-up". Like almost all her advice about running marathons, my wife was spot-on right about this, and I'm glad she made me wear it. The horn sounded and we were off. 90 seconds later, I felt the first fat juicy drops of rain land on my head. It was pretty much a non-stop rain and wind soak-fest after that. I just stayed positive and told myself how much fun this was going to be. Tried to focus on my run/walk strategy, and my hydration/fuel plan.
My only really long training run was several weeks before race day, and it ended with me bonking hard at 19.75mi, only 100yds from home. Determined to hydrate and fuel better this time, I drank at every station, and took GU Gel every 50min w/ 2 Endurolyte caps. I think I actually overhydrated. I had no way to judge sweating or losing salt. No gritty salt on my brow in a downpour! I ended up stopping to pee FOUR times during the race!!
Felt good almost the entire first 15 miles, probably wasted a tiny bit of time & energy shouting thanks and high-5'ing cheering fans.
As usual in a race like this, there was a cast of crazy characters. I didn't take too many pictures, but I did catch some video of this guy, running with a watermelon balanced on his head. Somebody needs to introduce him to the concept of a fuel belt and GU Gels!
Here is one of the few orange Mile Markers that wasn't knocked down by the rain and wind.
There were some awesome fans out there. My wife said that the fans, bands, and support was way down compared to last year, but the fans that were out there were amazing! I slowed to take a picture of this line of fans with umbrellas, cheering during one particularly harsh gusting downpour.
In addition to the plentiful waterstations and orange slices, I was amazed at the outpouring of kindness from the citizens of LA. People offered me garbage bag ponchos, (which I stupidly declined). There was a father and daughter on a corner with a case of Gatorade bottles and a large metal bowl of CANDY BARS! How terrific are these LA fans?
Everyone mentions the Taiko drummers and the Mile 4 hill.. they were pretty cool. But later, I was starting to feel my legs, running on an overpass (over the 101 maybe?). There was this ONE elderly lady standing alone in the rain, beating out a perfect rhythm on a pot with a kitchen spoon. That beat really got my legs pumping. I yelled thank you and waved to her, wish I had gotten a picture of her.
Mile 16, the water stations started looking kind of pathetic, and deteriorating. I started to worry about my water in the later miles. Refilled my 18oz Amphipod. At one point, strong winds/rain were blowing us sideways, and 3 road block horses went flying/skidding across our paths. The few runners around me, we looked at each other and just laughed. What an adventure!
Mile 18.. SoleRunner tent! Just awesome. I stopped for a few minutes to chat, to wolf down some of Mary's Famous Salted Potatoes, a Red Vine, and get my legs sprayed with Kool Fit. I also picked up SoleRunner buddy, Mary F. (http://www.therunninggreengirl.com) to run me to the finish. She was perfect.
Mile 20, saw Nadine E. at the Clif tent and she joined us for a bit.. always SOO positive and inspiring! The VA.. sucked. Part of the route flooded and we had to detour over the muddy grass "trail" for awhile. Right before the VA, I decided to ditch my wife's girly fuchsia knit gloves I had been wearing. Up to that point, I had been wringing the water out every time I GU'd. I started to think that the soaked gloves were weighing my arms down. I ditched them.. big mistake. My hands froze, and everything else soon followed. I even briefly thought of going back for them at one point. I started to struggle mightily here. I saw a few medic carts zip by, some with a few pale and very young-looking SRLA kids on gurneys.. sad. Last few miles, there were some runners that looked way worse than me, some that I thought might need an ambulance or help. Definitely lots of hypothermia and cramping legs out there. Sadly, I couldn't help because I was probably not much better. Finally, the turn onto Ocean. The wind was really howling and heavy rain was blowing sideways.
Supposedly, this was the worst weather in LA Marathon history. Here's a well-circulated YouTube video taken on somebody's phone, showing how fierce the winds and rain were!
I was really cold and getting slower now. The slower I ran/walked, the colder I got. At some point, I was probably just doing a dead man's shuffle. On Ocean, I sensed the end was near, and could barely see the orange speck that was the finish area. I picked up my feet some. Here a really brief video of me coming down the home stretch. Thanks Mary for taking the video and encouraging me!
So, 7 grueling hours later, after all that... what do I do? I totally missed the FINISH LINE of my first-ever marathon!
All of the Mile Markers were these orange blow-up structures you run through. Coming up Ocean, I saw this rectangular orange structure in the rainy distance, and thought it was the Mile 26 Marker. I remember thinking, "don't stop now.. just get to that orange Mile 26 sign, and then, only 352 more yards to the finish line!" I must have been cold and delirious.. it took me a second to realize that I had already crossed the FINISH, and that I was DONE.
Here's a picture of me going sideways across the finish line. No finish line VICTORY, or fist-pumping, .. just me thinking that I'm navigating race traffic and that I still have another 0.2 miles to run. Ha... at least it's not a picture of me fiddling with my Garmin watch!
I think I finished strong. It seemed to be a long, wet, cold, shuffle from finish to medals to where? No warming tents, coffee, shuttles, barely any volunteers by that time. Tables were unattended, with full bags of bagels, and crates of water bottles.
I grabbed a few bags-o-bagels and snacks, and shuffled onward to get my AWESOME 2011 LA Marathon medal.
My super wife smoked this 2011 LA Marathon, hitting a new overall PR, beating her 2010 LA Marathon time by around 30 minutes, and coming up just 4 minutes short of Boston Qualifying.. in a freezing monsoon. I am SO proud of her! My finish time was considerably slower, but I completed my first marathon and felt pretty good at the end. I am really happy that honestly, at NO TIME, did I have any cramps or severe debilitating pains, or think that I had to ever quit or stop. That was amazing for me.
First marathons are always going to be memorable. For me, I am glad I did the 2011 LA Marathon as my first marathon, especially with these tough conditions. We definitely plan on this being a permanent event on our race calendar. I really have to thank some people who helped me this year, in no particular order..
- Sole Runners and Coach Steve Mackel for his awesome Chi-Running Workshop
- My DailyMile, Twitter, Facebook and Blog friends for all their encouragement and advice
- The LA Marathon organizers. Lots of really silly, petty criticisms on Facebook and Twitter just prove that you can not please all the people, all the time. I think overall, the marathon was very well run, given the scope, participants, the city, the point-to-point course, shuttles, Dodger Stadium, and finally, the weather. All things considered, it was all great! Great Job, see you next year!!
- The citizens of LA... awesome. That's it.
- Coach SpeedySasquatch, for taking on Mission Impossible. He broke down my derailed training plan SO late in the game. He got rid of my weekly 20+ mile long runs, in favor of a customized Hanson's Training Program, with more frequent medium to med-long runs throughout the week. While this freaked me out some, he kept me calm and uninjured. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to finish under these conditions without his help.
- My wife.. super-wife, super-marathoner.. thank you thank you thank you.. just for everything.
And finally, the icing on the
 |
| It's Like A Marathon, with a Cherry on Top! |
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Running Milestone.. Bloody Nipples
Awesome..
--
•Sent by non-secure wireless Android. Please excuse my brevity.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Refurbished Heart
5 years ago today..
Top: CT scan in ER, aorta splitting, ballooning out
Bottom: few months after open-heart surgery, Dacron (felt-like synthetic tube) replacing root of aorta
More here: About Me and my Heart
Always grateful, but especially today.. grateful to Sharp Memorial Hospital Cardiothoracic Surgery, my wife, my family, my friends, and to God. Thank you for my life.
More here: About Me and my Heart
Always grateful, but especially today.. grateful to Sharp Memorial Hospital Cardiothoracic Surgery, my wife, my family, my friends, and to God. Thank you for my life.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Riding the Fail Whale
My running (and in particular.. my training for the LA Marathon) is going about as well as my blogging.
First read this funny term on Glenn's blog post here: TheRunningFatGuy.
Glad to have found a picture that suits me.
First read this funny term on Glenn's blog post here: TheRunningFatGuy.
Glad to have found a picture that suits me.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
CIM!
a quick post for my wife.. just wanted to post a few pictures for her as she prepares for the California International Marathon on Sunday..
.. first 2 photos above are from The Sacramento Bee slideshow of the actual 27th Annual California International Marathon in 2009.
 |
| You are ready! |
 |
| Have Fun! |
 |
| Up next.. Tahoe! |
 |
| Love you! |
.. first 2 photos above are from The Sacramento Bee slideshow of the actual 27th Annual California International Marathon in 2009.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
LA Marathon Training and Recap of Jay's DIY Turkey Tri
I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday. Mine was great, with a terrific FIVE blessed days off with my family. But, the running suffered some..
I just started training for the 2011 LA Marathon, and I feel behind already!
It's been a frustrating few weeks with some pretty mediocre runs. My wife and I have been struggling with colds, and I have not had a decent long run since 16 days ago (8 miles).
Training this past Week:
Week Day Planned Actual
2 Tue 45-55min Zero
Thu 45-55min 1hr 45mins Total, 42min Run, 3.1mi
(10.4mi Turkey Tri recap below)
Fri Rest 45min, 3.1mi
Sat 1:40 1:12, 5.1mi
Skipping runs and babying this cold did not seem to help me much after 2 weeks, so I decided to go ahead and jump back into training. I had considered doing the San Dimas Turkey Triathlon this past weekend, but I was pretty certain I would not be up for a half-mile swim in the freezing cold. My co-worker told me about the Naples Island Canal Swim area. Enclosed ocean canal, buoyed marked swim area, calm water, .. perfect! I mapped out a little swim, and then decided to tack on a short bike and a short run.
Early on Thanksgiving morning, I drove to Long Beach. Parking the "Transition-Zone Minivan" in Naples, the temp read 44-degrees at 6:10AM. I decided to wait inside the heated van a bit for the sun, and to see if things would warm up. Nope.. when I jumped in the water around 6:50AM, it was a cozy 42-degrees and looked like this:
Running on the sand to the point where I would enter the water, the bottoms of my feet were aching on painful pins-n-needles from the wet ice-cold sand! Diving into the frigid water itself was not bad at all, until water creeped down the back of my wetsuit and settled in the small of my back, like a very cold squirmy fish. My face really did not like being in that icy cold water either.. so, more doggy-paddling. 467 meters, about a quarter-mile swim.
After a 6-minute Minivan T1, onto the bike course! Turns out, this was also the morning of the Long Beach Turkey Trot 5K/10K. That was interesting.. kind of like bowling for turkeys. Had to slam the brakes several times. Since I was clipped into my bike pedals, I almost tipped over twice. Catching yourself on a tipping bike while clipped in really burns those quads!! Finally, I had to get off the crowded beach path, and circled back along Ocean Blvd. Total ride: 11K
The run was along the same Belmont beach course. A short, slow, and easy 5K out-and-back run.
Best part of this Triathlon? I finished 1st Overall, and 1st in my Age Group!
My Big Training Hurdle Ahead... Trying to stay On-Track!
Here's my tweaked line-up for this upcoming week:
Mon: Rest
Tue: 55min Run
Wed: Spin 60, possibly bike to work
Thu: 2:00 Long Run
Fri: Spin 30, Row 30
December is travel month. This week, we go up to Sacramento, and then 3 days in Tahoe! Never been to Tahoe, but I hear that it's beautiful and plenty of snow. Looking forward to sledding with the wife and kids! I need to find some chains for the "Transition-Zone Minivan" tires. Oh yeah, right before Tahoe, my wife is going to go for a quick jog around Sacramento in a little race called the California International Marathon. With all the activities, driving, altitude, etc.. a successful 2-hour long run up in Tahoe seems unlikely. I need to squeeze it in before we leave.
Later in December, the bigger challenge will be keeping up with my training while in the freezing-cold of Chicago for about 9 days over Christmas. My training calls for a 2:40 long run around Christmas. Too many deterrents (snow, cold), distractions (kids, wife, food), and holiday cheer all add up to a big monkey wrench in my training plan. To take control and force myself to stay on track, I signed up to represent Illinois in Sam Felsenfeld's Operation Jack Satellite Marathon. So, while Sam is running his marathon near my home in sunny, warm, So Cal, I am going to be running in the freezing snow of Chicago? Supposed to be 6.1 miles, but we'll see if I can stretch it out to something close to a 2:40 run in the snow. I'm sketching out a Dec 24 run that finishes the last quarter mile on my high school track. That seems like it'd be a nostalgic and cool finish. I'll have to see how arctic conditions are on the ground, as the 12/24/2010 date approaches. Anyone care to join me? (..silence....)
Here's my tweaked Los Angeles Marathon training schedule. I'm trying to stick with Chi Running and the time-based Sole Runners program for this first marathon. My goals for my first marathon are to start the marathon with my awesome wife, enjoy the sights of LA, finish strong, and feel good about my run. Not too much to hope for, right?
Training Plan for the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon
I just started training for the 2011 LA Marathon, and I feel behind already!
It's been a frustrating few weeks with some pretty mediocre runs. My wife and I have been struggling with colds, and I have not had a decent long run since 16 days ago (8 miles).
Training this past Week:
Week Day Planned Actual
2 Tue 45-55min Zero
Thu 45-55min 1hr 45mins Total, 42min Run, 3.1mi
(10.4mi Turkey Tri recap below)
Fri Rest 45min, 3.1mi
Sat 1:40 1:12, 5.1mi
Skipping runs and babying this cold did not seem to help me much after 2 weeks, so I decided to go ahead and jump back into training. I had considered doing the San Dimas Turkey Triathlon this past weekend, but I was pretty certain I would not be up for a half-mile swim in the freezing cold. My co-worker told me about the Naples Island Canal Swim area. Enclosed ocean canal, buoyed marked swim area, calm water, .. perfect! I mapped out a little swim, and then decided to tack on a short bike and a short run.
Voila! Jay's Inaugural Do-It-Yourself Turkey Triathlon
Early on Thanksgiving morning, I drove to Long Beach. Parking the "Transition-Zone Minivan" in Naples, the temp read 44-degrees at 6:10AM. I decided to wait inside the heated van a bit for the sun, and to see if things would warm up. Nope.. when I jumped in the water around 6:50AM, it was a cozy 42-degrees and looked like this:
Running on the sand to the point where I would enter the water, the bottoms of my feet were aching on painful pins-n-needles from the wet ice-cold sand! Diving into the frigid water itself was not bad at all, until water creeped down the back of my wetsuit and settled in the small of my back, like a very cold squirmy fish. My face really did not like being in that icy cold water either.. so, more doggy-paddling. 467 meters, about a quarter-mile swim.
After a 6-minute Minivan T1, onto the bike course! Turns out, this was also the morning of the Long Beach Turkey Trot 5K/10K. That was interesting.. kind of like bowling for turkeys. Had to slam the brakes several times. Since I was clipped into my bike pedals, I almost tipped over twice. Catching yourself on a tipping bike while clipped in really burns those quads!! Finally, I had to get off the crowded beach path, and circled back along Ocean Blvd. Total ride: 11K
The run was along the same Belmont beach course. A short, slow, and easy 5K out-and-back run.
Best part of this Triathlon? I finished 1st Overall, and 1st in my Age Group!
Finally, can't have a Thanksgiving post without a picture of food!
My Big Training Hurdle Ahead... Trying to stay On-Track!
Here's my tweaked line-up for this upcoming week:
Mon: Rest
Tue: 55min Run
Wed: Spin 60, possibly bike to work
Thu: 2:00 Long Run
Fri: Spin 30, Row 30
December is travel month. This week, we go up to Sacramento, and then 3 days in Tahoe! Never been to Tahoe, but I hear that it's beautiful and plenty of snow. Looking forward to sledding with the wife and kids! I need to find some chains for the "Transition-Zone Minivan" tires. Oh yeah, right before Tahoe, my wife is going to go for a quick jog around Sacramento in a little race called the California International Marathon. With all the activities, driving, altitude, etc.. a successful 2-hour long run up in Tahoe seems unlikely. I need to squeeze it in before we leave.
Later in December, the bigger challenge will be keeping up with my training while in the freezing-cold of Chicago for about 9 days over Christmas. My training calls for a 2:40 long run around Christmas. Too many deterrents (snow, cold), distractions (kids, wife, food), and holiday cheer all add up to a big monkey wrench in my training plan. To take control and force myself to stay on track, I signed up to represent Illinois in Sam Felsenfeld's Operation Jack Satellite Marathon. So, while Sam is running his marathon near my home in sunny, warm, So Cal, I am going to be running in the freezing snow of Chicago? Supposed to be 6.1 miles, but we'll see if I can stretch it out to something close to a 2:40 run in the snow. I'm sketching out a Dec 24 run that finishes the last quarter mile on my high school track. That seems like it'd be a nostalgic and cool finish. I'll have to see how arctic conditions are on the ground, as the 12/24/2010 date approaches. Anyone care to join me? (..silence....)
Here's my tweaked Los Angeles Marathon training schedule. I'm trying to stick with Chi Running and the time-based Sole Runners program for this first marathon. My goals for my first marathon are to start the marathon with my awesome wife, enjoy the sights of LA, finish strong, and feel good about my run. Not too much to hope for, right?
Training Plan for the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon
What, if any, adjustments are you making in your training to handle travel, business, and the upcoming holidays?
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Eat This, Not That (Fat)
 |
| 650 Calories! Over 35% calories from FAT |
LA Times: San Francisco bans Happy Meals
The city's board of supervisors votes to forbid restaurants from giving away toys with meals that have high levels of calories, sugar and fat.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/02/business/la-fi-happy-meals-20101103
- no free toy if the Happy Meal is over 600 calories and over 35% of calories are from fat
CNN: Mayor vetoes San Francisco ban on Happy Meals with toys
In making the veto, the mayor (Gavin Newsom) released a new report on how a public-private partnership is combating childhood obesity and how San Francisco's more than 55,000 public school students are now eating fresher and healthier foods.
"Parents, not politicians, should decide what their children eat, especially when it comes to spending their own money," said Newsom. "Despite its good intentions, I cannot support this unwise and unprecedented governmental intrusion into parental responsibilities and private choices."
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-12/us/california.fast.food.ban_1_childhood-obesity-shape-up-san-francisco-food-desert?_s=PM:US
Here are my thoughts..
The average McD Happy Meal is 650 calories, over half the recommended daily allowance for a toddler. Holy smokes, why would you buy your kid that (often)?! Why not just mandate eliminating all soda and french fries? I suspect this alone would bring it under the 600/35 line. And also, add non-fried choices (grilled chicken strips versus McNuggets). Outside of California, the nanny state, there currently is no legislation like this. Yet already, there are SO many more healthy choices available now compared to just a few years ago. Why? Consumers are demanding it.
Examining the rare fossilized remnant fry or nugget littering my minivan booster seats and floors, you don't need to be Miami CSI to figure out that I occasionally support my local McD Drive-Thru, from time to time. For the most part, I order apple slices, instead of french fries.. and milk, juice, or water. Never soda. If my kids ask for junk.. most times, this is how I deal with it:
"You eat what I buy you."
(at home, it's "You eat what Mommy makes you")
What happened to "personal responsibility"? Plus, this is just another useless symbolic gesture. To think this will have ANY impact on childhood obesity is just stupid. Are parents are so feeble-minded to be swayed by this symbolic gesture? If so, then what additional symbolic gesture can we implement to get parents to get their fat kids off the Nintendo DS, Wii, TV, and outside playing, moving, exercising, .. truly being fit?
If we are going to move towards legislating or dictating peoples "personal responsibility" and really wish to affect peoples behavior, then at least do something truly effective. Hit'em where it counts. Money. Have the courage to say out loud. "You smoking, or you being fat, is unacceptable to yourself and to society".. and it costs us (society) in terms of healthcare dollars spent caring for your irresponsible behavior. Therefore, we are going to implement a prohibitively high "sin" tax on those cigarettes, soda, and high-fat meals. Show me a pol who says this out loud, and I would at least applaud their honesty and courage.. and support his/her (short) career.
Ok.. that is all for today. Have to go hit up the Drive-Thru.. I hear the McRib is back.
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| Hey, there are veggies in there! |
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A little Thursday Inspiration
The kids are all off from school today for Veteran's Day. As luck would have it, both me and my wife had easy morning work schedules today. A rare day that I could just have a relaxing breakfast with both the wife and kids. I don't remember the last time I had so much fun just watching cartoons with the kids. Too bad I couldn't call off sick and "waste" the whole day with the kids. A happy morning...
"The days are long, but the years are short" - Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project
This video is on YouTube and also here: http://www.theyearsareshort.com/
For more on Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project, click here:
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/about.html
I found this video on the running blog, Shut Up and Run.
Please consider visiting and following.
Happy Veteran's Day!
Thank you to all who have served or continue to serve our great country.
.
"The days are long, but the years are short" - Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project
This video is on YouTube and also here: http://www.theyearsareshort.com/
For more on Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project, click here:
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/about.html
I found this video on the running blog, Shut Up and Run.
Please consider visiting and following.
Happy Veteran's Day!
Thank you to all who have served or continue to serve our great country.
.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Motivation! STAT!
Halloween sucks.
Can I just say that?
I don't even like sweets or chocolate that much.
The only thing that sucks more than Halloween is the week that I've had after Halloween..
Work-outs: Zero
"Fun-Size" Snickers Treats: about a dozen, but who's counting?
I was going to put off the scale for another week or month or so, but it's been awhile and I felt I needed this kick in the ass.
Sh*t.. what's wrong with me this week? Is it the upcoming Daylight Savings Time? It is pitch black outside at 7:00AM now (but that shouldn't stop me from biking or rowing in my garage.. so that excuse is 99.9% lame).
Anyone else having trouble with motivation lately?
Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, right when you need it most, you get an inspirational tweet. I slept in and didn't work out this AM, but I did read Sam's latest entry on his awesome Operation Jack blog. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. In brief, in the days of his youth, Sam was thrown into a pool (bullies? he doesn't really say..) and broke his neck. Luckily, he not only survived and recovered, but thrived! Now, he has a wonderful family with a middle child named "Jack". Jack has autism, and Sam's cause has been to run 61 Marathons this year (with his healed broken neck), in honor of his son Jack and to raise awareness and money for the cause of autism (Train4Autism). Ok, what was my lame excuse for not running yesterday, and again this morning? I can't remember now.
That was a nice little shot of motivation in the butt.. but clearly not enough to fully revive this sleeping giant.
I need to snap out of it, STAT! (as they say in my field..)
Here's what I did today to grab the bull by the horns:
(1) called a few patients in early, so I can hopefully get out early to run. Worked through my lunch to squeeze them in.
(2) RSVP'd for the Sole Runners mid-week run.. TONIGHT. Yes!
(3) During my working lunch I also printed out and penciled in an 18-week training plan. Thanks Glenn (TheRunningFatGuy) who steered me to Hal Higdon's Marathon training plans and website.
What else... there was one other thing I did.. what was it? hmm...
oh yeah..
this...
(4)
Can I just say that?
I don't even like sweets or chocolate that much.
The only thing that sucks more than Halloween is the week that I've had after Halloween..
Work-outs: Zero
"Fun-Size" Snickers Treats: about a dozen, but who's counting?
I was going to put off the scale for another week or month or so, but it's been awhile and I felt I needed this kick in the ass.
 |
| my nemesis this week.. +1.6lbs |
Sh*t.. what's wrong with me this week? Is it the upcoming Daylight Savings Time? It is pitch black outside at 7:00AM now (but that shouldn't stop me from biking or rowing in my garage.. so that excuse is 99.9% lame).
Anyone else having trouble with motivation lately?
Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, right when you need it most, you get an inspirational tweet. I slept in and didn't work out this AM, but I did read Sam's latest entry on his awesome Operation Jack blog. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. In brief, in the days of his youth, Sam was thrown into a pool (bullies? he doesn't really say..) and broke his neck. Luckily, he not only survived and recovered, but thrived! Now, he has a wonderful family with a middle child named "Jack". Jack has autism, and Sam's cause has been to run 61 Marathons this year (with his healed broken neck), in honor of his son Jack and to raise awareness and money for the cause of autism (Train4Autism). Ok, what was my lame excuse for not running yesterday, and again this morning? I can't remember now.
That was a nice little shot of motivation in the butt.. but clearly not enough to fully revive this sleeping giant.
I need to snap out of it, STAT! (as they say in my field..)
Here's what I did today to grab the bull by the horns:
(1) called a few patients in early, so I can hopefully get out early to run. Worked through my lunch to squeeze them in.
(2) RSVP'd for the Sole Runners mid-week run.. TONIGHT. Yes!
(3) During my working lunch I also printed out and penciled in an 18-week training plan. Thanks Glenn (TheRunningFatGuy) who steered me to Hal Higdon's Marathon training plans and website.
What else... there was one other thing I did.. what was it? hmm...
oh yeah..
this...
(4)
 |
| oh Sh*t.. my first marathon (I hope) |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Fearless Triathlon: The Good, the Mud, & the Ugly
The Good: the entire race, staff, volunteers, Fearless Races organization & communication
the Mud: plenty
& the Ugly: my performance... last or close to last. Seriously. I think I finished around 1:09
I've read race reports where people talk about wanting "redemption" or "pay-back". Now I understand. I was totally unprepared, mentally, physically.. and logistically.. for my first triathlon. But, it still ended up being such an awesome fun day! I'm hoping I can look back on this blog entry a year from now, and just be really embarrassed and laugh my ass off at my triathlon debut.
I started off on the wrong foot by getting a really late start. Stayed up late, woke up late. No time to eat, just grab coffee and go! I started driving down to San Diego at 4:45AM.. yes, stupid. (I'm in L.A.). Fueled by extra-strong coffee and panic, I was driving that minivan.. just-a-wee-bit-over the speed limit, and pulled into the Fiesta Island parking mud pit at 6:40AM.
Here's where the first leg of my quadrathon began. Ran to transition to find a place for my bike and duffel bag. No luck, packed, so left my bike and bag against a fence. Ran to registration table to pick-up my packet. Had to pay an extra $10 cash for race day packet pick-up. For what? Hmm.. seemed hard to justify.. but oh well. Race staff/volunteers were plentiful, and super friendly. Nice empty registration table.
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| Transition Area, pretty packed! |
No race report is complete without mention of porta-potties. So, here's my contribution.
For an Inaugural event, there were lots of athletes, including several CAF challenged athletes.
Two-time Ironman Champ, and the current 2010 Ironman Champion, Chris "Macca" McCormack was there to greet us and send us off.
Here's where my demise really begins.
(1) No time to set-up a transition towel. (also, no space). So, I was going to transition out of my duffel bag.
(2) Still no fuel. My sleeve of Clif Shot Bloks was safely tucked inside my race jersey back pockets, inside my duffel bag. At this point, I'm just running on adrenaline and caffeine.
(3) I threw any delusions of a respectable race performance out the window, and decided to just have fun, get the feel of my first triathlon, transitions, enjoy the costumes, etc. My original plan was to not use my Garmin or camera during the race itself. But, at this point I figured, "what-the-heck?!" why not try out some nifty gadgets? I'm a gadget and data geek, so I love trying things out.
(4) I grabbed my orange FR swim cap, goggles, Garmin, and my water/shock/dust-proof Fuji FinePix XP10 camera, and a bottle of water and ran to the shore.
Score: Fuel = zero, Hydration = 24oz coffee + 16oz water
SWIM: 250M
13:20
The race director was pretty funny, and efficient. Good instructions (see video), and kept things casual, not-too-serious. I was reassured seeing that I was not the only newbie. A few had never worn a wetsuit and were doing their first-ever open swim! This would be only my 3rd time, and I inadvertently left my water-wings at home. The weather was overcast and cool, with a steady drizzle of rain. I waded into the water to get acclimated.
The athlete's packet describes the swim as an "enchanted cove". I thought it was kind of cold, murky, and not-so-enchanted. For some reason, my legs already felt heavy, and my breathing felt tight. Someone suggested I partially unzip the back of my wetsuit to help my breathing, but I declined.
I took out my camera and took a few test pics and video. The camera worked fine. It has a handy neoprene pouch and lanyard, so it was easy to bring along for the swim. (I'll do a quick review of the camera later, if anyone is interested). Pacing along the shore, I thought I recognized marathoner & aspiring Tri-studette, @MoniKool, (blog) but since everyone was in neoprene and orange caps, I wasn't sure. Besides, I thought she'd be doing the full double-loop tri. Turns out that it was her, and she rocked out her first Triathlon at the Fearless mini-Sprint, finishing at or near the top! Congrats!
Here's a short clip of the swim start.
GARMIN SWIM
For those wondering how I swam with my Garmin, there's an excellent how-to guide on DC Rainmaker's blog. Briefly, I use the Garmin Forerunner 305 with the quick-connect kit on my bike and/or wrist strap. I had the 305 unit by itself, inside a snack-sized zip-lock bag. I lay it down in proper orientation inside my swim cap, and I bend and put my head into the cap. Then I can adjust the unit on the top-back of my head (where a ponytail would come off, if I had a ponytail). Takes some practice feeling for the buttons, and knowing the sequence of button pushes. The 305 has an AUTO MultiSport Mode, which is for Triathlons. Press START/STOP and run into the water. Going into and out of T1, you push LAP. It will automatically mark T1 and switch to BIKE mode. Then push LAP into and out of T2. It switches to RUN mode. At the finish, you push LAP (not START/STOP), and you get this little victory music and it automatically ends your race. It stores all your data as THREE separate events (Other, Bike, Run), and you can view your Transition times on the watch. Works great.. too bad I was too flustered this race day. I got it all set-up on my noggin correctly, but I forgot to switch it from RUN mode to AUTO MultiSport mode.. so it recorded my whole triathlon as one big RUN, with lap markers. Actually, the data turned out kind of cool, as one big mapped race. I did not realize my error, until the very end when I was deprived of my tiny little victory serenade from my Garmin 305 watch. Bummer..
Major kudos and thanks to the race organizers for having swim buddies. I felt much better having someone to swim alongside me. As expected, I struggled mightily with the swim. On the final leg, I must have looked like I was on the verge of quitting. My swim buddy swam about 30 yards ahead of me and asked me how tall I was. Wha?? I told him, and he shouts back, "ok, so you're taller than me. I'm standing up right now. Just swim to here, and you are DONE!!" OK! time to finish strong and at least look like I know how to swim. I reached the sand. This time, I didn't do my beached whale imitation. I knew I'd have a long sh*tty transition, so I could rest then. Once I unzipped my wetsuit down to my waist, WOW, what a relief! I felt like I could breathe again, and dashed up the sand to transition. I wonder if I would have done better if I zipped down my wetsuit like that guy suggested.
TRANSITION 1: went bad. I think about SEVEN minutes!
I had to dig everything out of my duffel bag. Rain, oh how I love the rain. (sarcasm). The rain was really coming down now, and everything looked like this:
Grabbed my bike and ran out of T1. Jersey still had the sleeve of Clif Shot Bloks. Figured I'll eat on the road (nope).
Score: Fuel = zero, Hydration = 8oz water + 1 gallon murky enchanted cove water
BIKE: 5 MILES:
21:50
The rain is coming down, and at this point, I had an important decision to make. I seriously considered stopping. I felt great. Not sore or too tired.. obviously I had not over-exerted myself in the enchanted cove. But, with my mechanical aortic heart valve and being on a blood-thinner, Coumadin, I am very concerned about biking (or even running) in the rain. The roads were wet and muddy everywhere. There is a fair bit of discussion and controversy about cyclists on coumadin, and much of the recommendations seem to suggest AGAINST biking while on coumadin. The risk is cycling and crashing, leading to bleeding inside the skull that can compress the brain, or worse. But, there are also many competitive cyclists that are on coumadin that argue you are just as likely to get hit by a car while driving or walking in a parking lot, or fall down on the sidewalk.. when you are NOT wearing a bike helmet, and also bleed into your brain. Good point.. and there were no cars on this road course. Back when I first got my bike, I did promise my wife I'd be careful and not bike in the rain or at night, or bike too aggressively. But, I paid my $80 registration (+$10), drove a minivan like a maniac down here (without wearing a bike helmet), and that Fearless Tri medal looks SOOO nice, and.. my wife was busy working in LA... Hmm... I decided to just take it slow. My time sucked already anyways, right?
( click ~> mechanical heart valve & why I'm on Coumadin )
The bike segment ended up being pretty exhilarating and fun. Took it easy and kept my eyes on the wet muddy road. Lots of road and tri bikes zipping by me, rooster-tailing water and mud behind them. My knuckles were white gripping the bars, and I did not want to take my hands off to reach back and grab food. Glanced down at my water bottle.. empty. SH*T! You know the score.
The bike course was a double-loop around the south island. I read the map last night, and knew it was a double-loop. Big signs, well-marked split with race volunteer sitting there, but still, I somehow missed the split and went right instead of left and almost rode into transition. Screeech.. stop, turn around, and bike back to the split and went left for the second loop. I started feeling more comfortable and relaxed on the bike. Loosened my death grip, and probably picked up some speed on the second loop. Felt great! The course went along the water, including the enchanted cove where athletes were doing their 2nd swim. Pretty cool to see from the bike! This time, at the finish, I noticed the same guy at the split waving people either right or left. What was he doing before? Maybe taking a break? I took the split right, dismount, and trot into transition.
TRANSITION 2: better, but still pulling sh*t out of my duffel bag. Around 3 minutes.
At this point, I didn't care about fuel anymore. Besides, my hands were full with my camera and a water bottle.
Score: Fuel = zero, Hydration = 16oz water
RUN: 2 MILES
23:00
The run was fine. The course was a single loop around the north island.. flat as a pancake, and blissfully short. The rain seemed to have slowed and the sky was lightening up. Shoes were soaked and heavy. My pace sucked, but at this point, I was more interested in the costumes. Lots of great costumed runners out there! Football player carrying football, Mad-hatter, some ghouls, fairies, superheroes, Gumby, etc. (see the short video clip below)
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| Fearless Gumby! |
FINISH LINE!
Since this was a smaller event, the race director announce all the athletes' names as they ran down the finish chute. That was a nice touch.
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| It's all about the hardware! A great looking medal |
They gave out special awards for Best Costumes.
For the Men, the best costume went to this obviously very secure and self-confident bumble bee..
The Women's best costume went to this lady. I don't know if it was just a costume or if she's really getting married. Either way.. congrats!
FOOD is FUEL, finally! Plenty of bananas, oranges, donuts, brownies, and muffins. And, they also had Halloween candy, of course. At this point I finally decided to pick up my pace.. nom, nom..
SWAG - I couldn't make it to the expo. Maybe I would've scored more freebies there? But on race morning, not much there.. a nice reusable Fearless race bag. The race shirt was a very comfy cotton blend t-shirt with a very cool design. Fit and felt nice. I liked it a lot, especially right after the race since it was the only thing I had that was DRY.
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| race shirt in mirror shot! |
I'll end with this rough, short video clip I threw together of random spots during the race, including me getting dropped-like-a-bad-habit by a superhero and a beauty pageant queen.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Video: What Makes a Triathlete
My alarm is going off in 4hrs, 49minutes! Then, I'm off to San Diego for my first Triathlon, a mini-Sprint. Pretty excited, which explains why instead of sleeping, I'm up watching YouTube Transition videos and blogging. Ok.. this will be me tomorrow. Ha.. not.
Thanks Jason Bahamundi for this inspiring and motivating video.
Man, I have a L-O-N-G- way to go!!
Life Of An Aspiring Triathlete: Inspiration and Motivation Friday - 10/22/2010
>> check out 1:00 and 1:45 marks.. awesome!
Ok.. time for bed. My next post should be my recap of the Fearless Races Inaugural Triathlon.
.
Thanks Jason Bahamundi for this inspiring and motivating video.
Man, I have a L-O-N-G- way to go!!
Life Of An Aspiring Triathlete: Inspiration and Motivation Friday - 10/22/2010
>> check out 1:00 and 1:45 marks.. awesome!
Ok.. time for bed. My next post should be my recap of the Fearless Races Inaugural Triathlon.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Heart Damage and Marathon Running
As a doc who underwent major open heart surgery in 2006, and is now trying to lose weight and get healthy by training to run the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon, and do Triathlons .. this article was very interesting to me!
For those that are not familiar with my cardiac escapades, you can peruse more here: About Me (& my heart)
In brief, Canadian researchers looked at twenty runners (70% were men), and ran a battery of tests before, immediately after, and several months after, the Quebec Marathon (that's 42.195 Km for us metrically-challenged Yanks). Testing included VO2max and cardiac MRI. They found temporary changes immediately after the race, including edema and inflammation. From this, they suggest possible cardiac damage, possibly from transient decreases in blood flow to the cardiac muscle itself. This was felt to be most evident in the less-fit runners, and also exacerbated by dehydration. All seems to make sense to me. None of these 20 runners died or had any events during the marathon. And, all the cardiac changes resolved and reverted back to normal baseline several months after surgery. The study speculates that this temporary heart damage might explain sudden deaths during marathons, or like the recent death of Fran Crippen during a 10K open water swim competition. While Mr. Crippen was clearly fit and in peak cardiac condition, it sounds like the conditions of the race were arduous, hot, and he was indeed dehydrated.
Here are a few quotes from the article, followed by my quick thoughts.
Yes, I can believe that. But, I think it is actually a seven fold transient increase in risk, during exercise. (like the death of swimmer, Fran Crippen) On the other hand, the profound 2-3 fold decrease in cardiovascular risk is permanent, every day for the remainder of your life.
Driving the same route in Los Angeles, the risks of dying might be about equal.
My take home message from this article is that I am aware of the risk. As I've mentioned in my "About Me (& my heart)" page, I know that there is a very small chance that something bad might happen during the few hours that I am running, biking, swimming, or racing. But, I am fairly certain that something equally bad (or worse) will happen someday, while sitting on the couch, being fat and sluggish. I'll go with the lifetime 2-3-fold decrease in my cardiovascular risk, looking better, feeling great, being energetic, playing with my kids, etc.
In the meantime, I always keep a mindful eye on training smartly, safely and being prudent. I will also look into the VO2max parameter, as I am unfamiliar with that. And, be a little more cognizant of avoiding dehydration. When I run, I'm liberal with my walking breaks. Primarily, I am interested in finishing the distance, not hitting a blistering pace or PR.
I know what's at stake, and I don't plan on going anywhere soon. What do you think about this article?
For those that are not familiar with my cardiac escapades, you can peruse more here: About Me (& my heart)
In brief, Canadian researchers looked at twenty runners (70% were men), and ran a battery of tests before, immediately after, and several months after, the Quebec Marathon (that's 42.195 Km for us metrically-challenged Yanks). Testing included VO2max and cardiac MRI. They found temporary changes immediately after the race, including edema and inflammation. From this, they suggest possible cardiac damage, possibly from transient decreases in blood flow to the cardiac muscle itself. This was felt to be most evident in the less-fit runners, and also exacerbated by dehydration. All seems to make sense to me. None of these 20 runners died or had any events during the marathon. And, all the cardiac changes resolved and reverted back to normal baseline several months after surgery. The study speculates that this temporary heart damage might explain sudden deaths during marathons, or like the recent death of Fran Crippen during a 10K open water swim competition. While Mr. Crippen was clearly fit and in peak cardiac condition, it sounds like the conditions of the race were arduous, hot, and he was indeed dehydrated.
Here are a few quotes from the article, followed by my quick thoughts.
"We know that regular exercise reduces cardiovascular risk by a factor of two or three in the long run, but while we're doing vigorous exercise such as marathon running, our cardiac risk increases by seven,"
"One 2007 study, published in the British Medical Journal, looked at 30 years of marathon data and put the risk of dying at 0.8 per 100,000 runners. According to the researchers on that study, running a marathon is half as risky as driving the same route on a normal day."
Driving the same route in Los Angeles, the risks of dying might be about equal.
My take home message from this article is that I am aware of the risk. As I've mentioned in my "About Me (& my heart)" page, I know that there is a very small chance that something bad might happen during the few hours that I am running, biking, swimming, or racing. But, I am fairly certain that something equally bad (or worse) will happen someday, while sitting on the couch, being fat and sluggish. I'll go with the lifetime 2-3-fold decrease in my cardiovascular risk, looking better, feeling great, being energetic, playing with my kids, etc.
In the meantime, I always keep a mindful eye on training smartly, safely and being prudent. I will also look into the VO2max parameter, as I am unfamiliar with that. And, be a little more cognizant of avoiding dehydration. When I run, I'm liberal with my walking breaks. Primarily, I am interested in finishing the distance, not hitting a blistering pace or PR.
I know what's at stake, and I don't plan on going anywhere soon. What do you think about this article?
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