Back in the saddle...

Literally! After spending most of yesterday sleeping, I feel much better today. Don't know that I've completely shaken my flu (still taking the extra Vitamin C), but by early this afternoon by body was saying "get up off your butt and do something". So, I went for a 15 mile ride. I probably could have ridden longer but I started too late and I got dark on me.

125 days and $921 to go!

Life is like riding a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you plan to stop pedaling.
-Claude Pepper

I've been downing lots of Vitamin C since Christmas morning. I think it's doing some good, but it's taking longer to shake this thing than I thought when I wrote this three days ago. What started as a head cold seems to have moved into my muscles. I just feel generally achy and a little tired. Maybe my body is trying to tell me to slow down a little. :-) Think I'll pass on the training for today. I'll keep popping the "C" though.

I was able to do a couple of runs on woodland paths when we visited my brother and sister in-law in Floyd's Knobs, Indiana, a couple of days before Christmas. I love running through the woods.

Since we returned home on Wednesday I have been able to ride my bicycle for 15 miles, 7 miles, and 15 miles on Thursday through Saturday. The temperature was in the 30s each day but a nice warm shower when I returned home thawed me out. :-)

My ride was cut short on Friday when I noticed that the bicycle chain appeared to slip slightly every few revolutions. I looked down and could see that it was badly in need of lubrication. So, instead of pushing it for 7-8 more miles I decided to return home to investigate. I discovered that one link was damaged to the point of almost falling off. If I had ridden much farther I would have broken the chain for sure. After playing around with a spare link and a chain tool for awhile and getting nowhere, I decided to go to the bike shop to see what they had. For $2 I bought something called a "master link". A simple repair using this link and I was back in business.

Happy New Year!

Vitamin C takes on the common cold

As I write this, I am chasing off the last vestiges of a cold I contracted on Christmas. I woke up with nasal congestion. That happens occasionally to me but it usually wears off in an hour or so. When this lasted more than a couple of hours I decided it was probably a cold. The first thing I do when I detect a cold coming on is reach for the Vitamin C. Yes, I know, this sounds more like a cliche than a remedy. But, I'm not talking about a few extra glasses of orange juice or the Vitamin C they sometimes put in throat lozenges. I'm talking about downing enough Vitamin C to saturate my system.

I normally take two 500mg tablets of "C" every morning as a maintenance dose. But, when I feel a cold coming on I up that to two 500mg tablets every couple of hours. So, instead of getting 1000mg per day I am saturating my body with 5000-10000mg (5-10 grams) of "C" per day. This is similar to the daily dose advocated by Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling. Maybe it is just the placebo effect, I don't entirely discount that possibility, but it surely seems to work for me.

Anyway, we spent Christmas morning at my mom's house. When we returned to my daughter's house I asked if she had any Vitamin C - figuring that she probably did. In the course of the evening, I downed probably 5-10 grams of "C". Didn't sleep particularly well that night since my head by that time was completely "clogged". But, yesterday, my head started to clear as I continued the high dose and today I am definitely on the mend. If the weather cooperates, I'll certainly go for a ride. That's my brother's cure for a cold: Just"ride" it off! :-)

Over the river and through the woods...

I love running trails. I had the perfect opportunity to do just that this past sunday and monday. My wife, one daughter, and I went to visit my wife's brother's family in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. They have a nice farm with several dozen acres of pasture, ponds, forest, hills, and of course, trails. So each morning, around 7:30AM, I went for a 40-45 minute run on a trail from the house around a large lake on their property and back. I had company on these runs, of the four legged, furry variety (dogs). "Q" and "Boomer" were only too happy to join me on each run.

Q, being the older of the two, runs at a pace that is closer to mine. But, his huffing, coughing, and hacking can get a little annoying at times. He means well, he just wants some company. In his effort to stay close, he has a habit of dodging right in front of me from time to time, so I have to watch that I don't accidentally trip over him while I am watching for loose rocks, slippery spots, and other things in the path that might send me sprawling. Despite my best effort, however, I did hit a slick spot of leaves the first day and bloodied my knee a little. The second day I hit a patch of ice but managed to break my fall with my hands to avoid hitting my tail bone on some sizeable rocks.

There are some impressive hills on this trail around the farm. Maybe I can find a similar route closer to home so I can better prepare for the Wildflower triathlon next May. Learning to love the hills! :-)

134 days and $1085 to go!

I was trying to introduce myself as America's woman champion, but I said the french word "Champignon," so I introduced myself as a mushroom.
-Nancy Neiman Baranet

What a beautiful day! The sky is clear, the roads are dry, as soon as the temperature reached 40 degrees, I stole a 15 mile ride on my bike. Winters in the "north country" are like that. It's sometimes hard to get out to run or bike. Open water swimming is certainly out of the question. This makes the occasional opportunities like today all the more wonderful. My friends in Florida would say to me that this is the perfect argument for moving to Florida. It's hard to refute them. But I'm afraid I would wilt in the heat the rest of the year. I do enjoy the cold weather - most of the time.

I did spend a good week in Florida, returning home yesterday evening. I was able to get in 3 runs of a little over an hour and 2 runs of a little under an hour. Temperatures in the morning were actually in the 50s and 60s which is a little cold in Florida, even for this time of the year. Had some success avoiding the leg cramps too.

We were in Florida for Mako's Christmas party on Sunday evening. Sunday morning my wife and I drove the 3 and a half hours to Key West, had lunch, and drove back to Ft. Lauderdale.

I found out that one of my new colleagues at Mako is a triathlete! He has been doing triathlons for about 2 years and has heard about "Team In Training". We spent some time sharing "war" stories about our training and racing. He has recently completed his first "Half Ironman". So, I will be looking to him for pointers as the race day nears. :-)

Merry Christmas!

Driving the Florida Keys

Sunday morning, my wife and I drove from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West (about 3 and a half hours), ate lunch in Key West, and drove back to Ft. Lauderdale. Seems a little crazy, but the drive down the Keys is really beautiful and not in the least boring. It's a great way to see southern Florida!

Resolving my leg cramps

I've gathered more evidence this week that the various massage methods work to relieve and prevent leg (particularly calf) cramps. It was a good week to test it out. I was in Florida for most of the week - home now - and was able to run each morning that I was down there. The weather is just about perfect with the morning temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Sunday morning I ran about an hour and 15 minutes. I felt two sharp "twinges" in my right calf on the lateral side. Shortening and slowing my stride each time was enough to allow me to continue to run. When I finished, I could feel a new trigger (tender) point near the site of the "twinges". Three times each day, I massaged both calves by sliding my thumbs from achilles tendon to knee 30 times each. I also concentrated on the new trigger point, putting just enough pressure on the point so that the pain subsided a little with the pressure. I can still feel the trigger point as I write this but the tenderness and swelling is definitely reduced from last Sunday.

Anyway, long story short, I was able to run for over an hour on Monday and Tuesday. I backed off a little on Wednesday and Thursday running about 45 minutes each day. But I finished Thursday's run with a pretty good kick. The great news is, I felt no further pain in either calf after Sunday's run. I am growing more and more convinced that massage will resolve these problems for me, allowing me to really enjoy the training runs again.

140 days and $1710 to go!

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
-H.G. Wells

Brrr! It's cold. I'm generally not a fan of riding my bike when the temperature is below 30 degrees. But, these days I'm not so particular since the days of 60, 50, even 40 degree weather are gone for now. So, I braved the temperature this morning, since the roads are clear, for about 7 miles.

It's been a good week. I got two 45-50 minute runs in while I was in Florida earlier in the week. So far, no problems with calf cramps. I continue to massage my calves every day using either my thumbs or a massage stick. From a colleague, I found out there is a third technique called Myofascial Release, which I am going to try. So far, so good!

I went to a Team in Training bike clinic Wednesday evening and drooled over all the nice bikes. I'm thinking seriously about getting a second bike, one that is built for riding in triathlons. We'll see. At least I think I will stop by that store to have my road bike adjusted to fit me. See what difference that makes.

I'm still looking for a good place to swim laps, so I can try out some of the drills I am learning at the swimming clinics at Oberlin College. Maybe I will check out the Painesville YMCA.

Should I take the plunge?

This is scary. I'm seriously thinking about spending $1000 - $1500 on a triathlon bike. I have already been thinking about getting a second bicycle. Ever since I found myself grounded because I had to wait for a part to arrive, that has been on my mind. There is a bicycle shop in Cleveland, Bike Authority, which will custom build a triathlon bicycle in that price range to fit me. I can also have them adjust my trusty road bike to fit me, even though it seems to "fit" pretty well already. When I started riding my $75 garage sale special some 4 years ago I never thought I'd be talking like this. Am I hooked, or what! :-)

Myofascial release - cure for my calf cramps?

At first, I misunderstood. When my colleague was telling me about this I thought it was some kind of accupressure thing. Like, if you pinch your earlobe, your calf cramp would go away, or something... But no! It's "fascial", not "facial"; as in "fascia" not "face"!

Here is a quote from the link she gave me:

"Fascia is a dense connective tissue that surrounds muscle, bones and joints which provides support and protection to the body.

Occuring along the fascia are trigger points [there's that term again!]. Trigger points are areas that are extremely sensitive to palpation and feel like tough, dense knots along the muscle. Some research has theorized that trigger points can cause injuries over time because they are believed to break up the normal structure and operation of the fascia. What once was a uninterrupted fascia, now has knots and scar tissue disrupting the pathways.

Self Myofascial Release is designed to break up those knots and return the fascia to its proper state."

It's very similar to the "massage" therapy I have been reading a lot about lately. The main difference is that they use a foam roller instead of a "stick" or your thumbs for the massage. The techniques are slightly different but they all seem to be aimed at those "pesky" trigger points.

The good news is for about the past week I have been massaging my calves several times every day with either the "stick" or my thumbs. I ran yesterday and today when I was in Florida for about 45-50 minutes each day with absolutely no pain or cramping or even tightening of my calf muscles. Now I have a third massage technique to try and I am gaining confidence that I am on the right track to fix my calf problems for good. Thanks to my cousin and to my Mako colleague (both women, by the way) for steering me in what certainly seems to be the right direction.

Merry Christmas!

From my little brother (with the bike) and me (in the Santa outfit) :-)

146 days and $1920 to go!

I thought of that while riding my bike.
-Albert Einstein, on the theory of relativity

It's been an interesting week. Monday started my training week with 2 unexpected 5 mile training runs in the cold and snow. I had intended to take the day off but found myself with no car and a dentist appointment in 1 hour. What would you have done?

I am still trying to figure out if there is any merit to this idea of massaging muscles to prevent cramps while running. I am not ready to declare victory but I think I may be on to something. I bought this thing called "theStick". At $35 it's a little pricey for a plastic stick with handles, but if it works it will be well worth many times that price. I have been massaging my calf muscles all week with this thing. If it actually works I will let you know.

I did take Tuesday and Thursday off, doing only my yoga routine to stay loose. Cold weather bicycling is a wonderful thing as long as I don't go too far from base so that I can come back in when important parts of my body start to freeze. The best way to combat the cold is to wear layers of light clothes and something to break the wind around your torso and chest. I have found that my Mako Surgical scrub cap makes a great lining for my bicycle helmet.

Short (and sometimes slightly longer) cold weather rides completed my training for the week. Finding myself again without a car on Wednesday I biked the 4 miles to and from the bank to cash an expense check. Friday, I biked to my daughter's office to visit her on her lunch hour. Saturday I started on a 1 hour ride but flattened my rear tube about 10 minutes into the ride. I walked home, patched the tube and then went for my ride. One circuit on the path through the park convinced me that I didn't want to do that again. The combination of snow, ice, and wet board walks had me riding no faster than a walk. It's great training for maintaining your balance on a bike but it is very tiring. Happily, today I got out for a ride before the freezing rain started. It's raining now and I can see the icycles hanging on the branches of the tree outside my back window.

I'm heading for Florida tomorrow morning where I hear it's a little warmer.

Saturday night football

Last saturday evening my high school in Cincinnati, Xavier High School (I was in the class of '70), played the high school just around the corner from where I now live, Mentor High School, for the division 1 Ohio state championship. Recently, Xavier has turned into a high school football powerhouse to the extent that they are now nationally ranked. The game was televised on cable and I watched most of it. Xavier won 27-0. They are quite an impressive team. I am glad Xavier won but I was hoping Mentor would score at least once. At any rate it is impressive for any team to get into the state championship playoff game. Congratulations to all players and coaches at Xavier and Mentor.

Unexpected training runs

Life is full of surprises! My intention for today's training was to do my yoga routine in the morning, which I did; then rest for the remainder of the day. The weather is too cold and icy for bicycling and I was planning to take a break from the running. It didn't work out that way!

My wife and I have one car. That's by design, not by necessity. I work from home most of the time. When I travel to florida I use public transit to get to the airport. We really don't need two cars. Most of the time, one will suffice. With a little bit of planning we can always get to where we need to go. With a little bit of planning...

Today, I had a dental appointment. My wife was using the car. It occured to me about an hour before my appointment that I would need the car myself. So much for planning! No problem, I'll just call her cell phone. No answer! Now what! I'll take my bike. See above... "The weather is too cold and icy for bicycling". A quick check of mapquest shows that the dentist is about 5 miles away. Well, here I go! Into my running stuff, grab my wallet, out the door.

Despite the near freezing temperatures, I arrive at the dentist's office almost dripping wet from head to waist. So, I duck into the bathroom. No towels, so I stick my head under the hand dryer. Luckily it's not hot. I was reasonably dry by the time I saw the dentist so no harm there. My adventure (the run to his office) gave me a chance to ask (and get a pledge) for a nice donation. On the run home, it was hard to distinguish what on my face was numb from the novocaine and what was numb from the cold wind. The really good news is: My calves didn't cramp up on me. Still, I massaged them as soon as I got home.

153 days and $2170 to go!

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
T. S. Elliot

I spent the week in Florida testing my running limits. I am still struggling a little with tight calf muscles when I run, but I may be converging on a personal solution to these troubles. I suspect that my problems may be related to something called "Trigger Points" in muscles. I blogged about this yesterday.

So, it looks like the solution for me may be two-fold: 1) Daily massage of the affected muscles (my calves) to encourage blood flow and to break up the "Trigger Points" and 2) A 5 minute fast walking warmup to "let the run come to me" as the Kenyan runners put it.

I have already incorporated the walking warmup into my routine and that seems to have helped. I am looking forward to seeing if the massage will prove to be the missing ingredient that will get me back on track. It's frustrating to me because on the longer runs on which I have to stop short it's always muscle cramps that limit the distance I am able to go. I want to get to the point of being able to do a 13-15 mile run once a week before the triathlon in May. That way I will feel confident of being able to "go the distance" on the run (the final leg of the triathlon).

Tuesday I ran for about an hour and 10 minutes. All runs were at probably about an 8 and a half minute per mile pace so I'll leave figuring the mileage for these runs as your homework assignment :-) Not wanting to push my luck, I backed off to a 30 minute run on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were 45 minutes and about an hour respectively. The good news is I felt strong through all the runs without the serious cramping that has "done me in" before. So I am optimistic that my plan for dealing with muscle cramps may work.

I got into the pool at Oberlin College this morning for some stroke drills. I'll have to say that the thinking about correct swimming form has certainly changed since I swam competitively as a young lad. I was taught to keep my shoulders and hips pretty much horizontal throughout the stroke and simply turn my head to breathe. The drills I did this morning concentrated on turning shoulders and hips vertical and practically staring at the ceiling with each breath. I am confident about completing the 1.2 mile swim at Wildflower but I am having so much fun learning about my stroke that I will certainly continue with this swimming clinic. Besides, it's hard for me to get regular pool time.

I'm gonna figure this out yet!

By now, I'm sure, I sound like a broken record. But this is really the biggest training issue I am dealing with right now. In fact, it is the biggest issue I have been dealing with since I started training about a year ago. This week I think I am starting to make some headway. Too soon to tell but I am definitely encouraged. The material my cousin sent me on Trigger Points in muscles seems to be particularly appropriate to my situation. A bit of googling to get some clarification of that concept turned up the following:

"Calf problems are usually due to micro-traumas that occur with every run. A typical muscle that is exercised multiple times a week is injured on the microscopic level with every workout. These micro-injuries require time to heal. As the muscle is used and the microtraumas occur, an inherit tightening or contracture takes place.
This is the body's attempt to protect the muscle to allow the necessary time for recovery. The downside of this built in protective mechanism is that there is a reduced blood flow to the muscle, this reduced blood flow furthers the contracture or tightening."

Sounds like a "Trigger Point" to me. Here is the suggested solution:

"Use your thumbs in applying an upward stroke to the calves, starting just above the Achilles up to the back of the knee. The key is to get into the calves with enough pressure to help relax the muscle and encourage blood flow into the muscle. The runner should apply 20-30 strokes on both calves."

This must be done with the calf muscle fully relaxed. Sitting on the floor with your back against the wall and your knees bent will keep the calf muscle loose. It is also important to do this massage multiple times a day to properly loosen the "Trigger Points".

Oh, and one more thing. I strongly suggest that if you have hairy legs like mine you use lots of lotion when you massage your calves. Otherwise, it can be quite painful :-)

160 days and $2,595 to go!

"During the hard training phase never be afraid to take a day off. If your legs are feeling unduly stiff and sore, rest; if you are at all sluggish, rest; in fact, if in doubt, rest."

Bruce Fordyce

Ok, I took it easy this week. What with the Thanksgiving turkey and the family all gathered together, it was really hard to get out for much training at all.

The week started well enough. I was able to ride up to 15 miles a day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. A flat rear tire cut short my Tuesday ride at about 10-12 miles. Wednesday evening we drove to Hocking Hills in Ohio and settled in to a cabin for the long weekend. My mom, aunt, sister, brother, sister-in-law, wife, and youngest daughter spent the whole time until Sunday morning in three cabins. As a special treat, our other 3 children with spouses, fiancee, and two grandchildren spent much of Friday and Saturday with us as well. These days, it's particularly special to actually have all 4 children in the same place at the same time - even if only for a short while.

I did bring my bicycle because my brother and I usually try to get in at least one ride over the holiday. This year we spent a little over 2 hours on Friday morning riding the hills in that part of the state. We visited Ash Cave and Conkle's Hollow riding a total of about 15 miles. I think that if I could spend a couple of weeks in Hocking Hills I could handle anything "Wildflower" might throw at me. We rode three of the most challenging hills I have faced on my bike. The middle one of which had my "quads" feeling like rock as I neared the top. I had to keep telling myself to "suck it up" and not jump off to walk the last rise.

It's been a good week. I'm looking forward to a week of running in Florida

Thanksgiving in the woods

On wednesday my wife and I will be heading south to Hocking Hills for our annual "Thanksgiving" celebration with my family. We rent cabins in a state park from wednesday until sunday and cook turkey in the cabins. We spend time with my mom, my aunt, my brother and sister, and as many of the children and grandchildren who can show. I'll take my bike since my brother and I will probably go for a ride one of the days. This Thanksgiving is tinged with sadness since it is the first one for which my dad, who died in January, will not be joining us. We will celebrate to honor this gracious gentleman whom I am proud to call my dad. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Yoga for regular guys (and gals)

A few years back, I was watching a morning show, "Fox and Friends". They interviewed a "tough-looking" Big-Time Wrestling guy named Diamond Dallas Page. Rather incongruously, he was talking about doing Yoga. It immediately caught my attention. Sometime later, I got a gift card for a book store. I forget which one. I was intrigued enough by that interview to use my gift card to buy his book, "Yoga for regular guys".

Well, to make a long story short, after several weeks of rather slowly and painfully trying to follow the prescribed workout. A big part of the pain was laying the book out on the floor and having to look at it every few seconds to figure out what to do next; or, stopping because I lost my place when the pages started flipping on me. After persevering for some time, I developed some "muscle memory" for the workout and was able to actually follow it without having to use the book all the time.

Now, it is a joy to follow the workout. It is based on an Americanized (power yoga) version of something called Ashtanga Yoga. All I know is that it works for me. Strength, flexibility, balance, it's all there. I even got my youngest daughter doing it. I gave her my book and got another copy for myself.

Tight calf muscle - some advice.

My cousin's son is a triathlon trainer. He heard about my struggles and offered this advice:

"Hey Louis good to hear you're doing so well with the tri's. yeah I think you hit about everything on the cramping problems. Bananas, fluids, etc... The only other things to consider would be massage maybe 1 min on each calf once to twice a day. And then also drinking fluids with Electrolytes. By drinking water and only water you don't refuel the glycogen you burn when you exercise. By exercising without electrolytes like gatorade or some other form after 60-75 min your body (calfs) start to cramp. After it happens once it starts to happen a lot sooner. It then gets to a point where you feel it during the day as well. One thing you can do when you exercise is to put icy hot or some other warming substance on your calfs before you exercise. This will not help any heeling but it will warm up your calfs and allow you to exercise a little more without any futher damage."

Much appreciated!

I also received this from another cousin of mine:

Picture a rubber band with a small section that has lost its elasticity, and instead has become hardened and rather brittle. That's what a trigger point [TP] is like: the muscle is tighter, stiffer, will often be weaker and yet very tense at the same time. A TP will be sore when you push on it, and you may feel a thick band that you can flick over with your fingers.

Vast numbers of sport injuries have their origin in a TP in the muscle or fascia. This TP is very commonly the first sign of overload, and it leads to inflammation, then pain, then weakness, then joint and nerve dysfunction, and finally structural breakdown of tissues and a severe sports injury that can keep you out of action for weeks, months or even years, depending on how long you attempt to struggle on without treating the original TP.

A TP is thus an alarm bell - a first warning sign that things are not well within your biomechanical system. Often athletes, with their enhanced overall body sense, become aware of TPs before they are significant enough to cause actual pain, when the only complaint is 'tightness' or the joint or muscle doesn't 'feel right'.

Arguably, all sports people will develop TPs at some stage in their sporting career. TP’s can hamper performance and slow athletes down for a while, and they may blow out to cause a severe injury. They are a normal part of training and competing because bodies are biomechanically imperfect, and environments more random than we would like them to be.

To all intents and purposes, a TP is simply a thick knot in the muscle - a way the muscle reacts to being overloaded. In some ways a TP is the equivalent of a stress fracture in a bone. More specifically, a TP is a palpable, tender, nodal point of muscle or fascia. It may also be found in skin, where scar tissue is present, in old ligament injuries or, occasionally, in periosteum (the lining of bone). Under a microscope, TPs appear darker, straightened out and thicker, ranging in diameter from 1-4mm. If located in muscle, they cause it to form taut bands or become 'ropey'. A focal area of inflammation develops fairly early on and a collagen matrix forms; scar tissue is laid down to bridge the weak link, and can become quite thickened and tough, depending on how long it has been present.

The muscle in which a TP is found is weakened and shortened. The muscle - or the part containing the TP - is commonly in a state of involuntary tension, or increased 'tone'. The muscle is therefore unable to fully stretch OR contract, increasing its vulnerability to injury in face of further training overuse. In worst cases, a continuous muscle spasm will present around a very nasty and inflamed TP, resulting in severe cramping.

Painful cramping in the Gastrocnemius or Soleus muscles often has its origins in Trigger Points found either in these muscles or in: the Gluteus Minimus, Semitendinosus/Semimembranosus in the posterior thigh, or the Flexor Digitorum Longus, Tibialis Posterior, or Plantaris muscles in the lower leg. Runners commonly develop trigger points in these muscles, which, unrelieved, can then refer a wicked pain into muscles that are a long way from their actual origin.

Neuromuscular massage-therapists are trained to locate and treat such Trigger Points in their routine practice, restoring pain-free integrity and power to all affected muscles.

I appreciate all the words of advice and encouragement!

167 days and $2615 to go!

"True sport is always a duel, a duel with nature, with one's own fear, with one's own fatigue, a duel in which the body and the mind are strengthened."
Yevgeny Yevtushenko

I'm still trying to make sense of my tight calf muscle on what should be long easy runs these days. The week started with morning runs in Southern Florida where I spent monday through friday - at my company's home office. Interestingly enough, I found myself feeling a little cold starting out on at least two of those mornings. I never expect to feel cold in Florida. I always travel light on those weekly work jaunts and never plan on more than shorts and (maybe) a tee shirt - shoes, of course :-) - on those morning runs. My current (short) prescription for cramp-free running is: water, bananas, stretching, and a short walking warm-up before the run. It'll probably all change next week since I am still trying to figure this thing out.

I drove to Oberlin, Ohio this morning for the first of 8 monthly swimming clinics. It was a gorgeous 1 hour drive on an absolutely beautiful day. Someone said that Oberlin College is the oldest college in Ohio. Don't know if it's true or not, but Oberlin is a beautiful college town. As college towns, it ranks right up there with Oxford, Ohio in my book. So, I spent about an hour this morning doing mostly kicking exercises. I hate kicking exercises! Mostly because I have a lousy kick. Of course Rob, our instructor, is probably going to also show me what a lousy stroke I have as well. I can say that after a year of training, I do feel far more confident about the swimming than I did for my first triathlon in Philly. I am not concerned about finishing the 1.2 mile swim next May. So, I will spend some time learning to smooth my technique to make the swim portion more enjoyable. If Rob said it once he said it a hundred times today, "Swimming is technique". So, that is what we will be working on.

When I returned home, the sun was shining and the air was cool so I finished out my training day with an easy 15 miles on the bike.

Tight calf muscle... Again!

I'm in Florida this week. So, that means daily morning runs. The weather is just about ideal so the running is enjoyable. Except for... my right calf. This is something I struggle with pretty consistently when running. It prevents me from increasing my distance the way I would like to be ready for the 13.1 mile running leg of next year's half ironman. These are the factors that I believe will help to prevent muscle cramps:

1. Adequate hydration.
2. Trace minerals, particularly potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium.
3. Regular stretching of the vulnerable muscles.
4. Accomodation to longer runnning distances.
5. Adequate warmup before the run.

So, I'm drinking water before my run, eating bananas and drinking orange juice, doing regular yoga and concentrating as well on stretching both calves, and working on long slow distance runs. I think that what I need to do now is hold myself back a little before I start each run to make sure my calf muscles have warmed up and loosened. This is hard to do because when I walk out the door, I naturally break into a trot and gradually increase my speed.
On tuesday this week I ran about 5-6 miles finishing with a sore right calf. Bad start! Wednesday, I started with a quarter mile "brisk" walk so that I could feel my right calf stretching easily then finished with a slightly shorter 3-4 mile run. My right calf felt pretty good when I finished. A little sore, but not threatening to seize up on me. This morning again my run was preceeded by a quarter mile walking warm up and I completed 5-6 miles feeling very good, even had a little bit of a "kick" at the end. I'm not ready to claim victory over my muscle cramping problems but things are definitely looking up. And I will definitely be walking to begin my runs from now on. One way or another, I'll figure this out! :-)

175 days and $3695 to go!

Last year when I finished my first triathlon, my main concern during training was being able to finish the 0.9 mile swim. After all, the last time I had completed a "mile swim" was in boy scouts. I did it at Camp Friedlander outside Cincinnati, Ohio, in a 25 yard pool. About 70 lengths of the pool, all swum doing breast stroke which was my strongest stroke when I swam competitively. So, fast forward to last year, and here I am an "ageing fitness geek" wondering whether I can train to swim the faster "freestyle" for nearly a mile in open water with no walls to hang on to, if only for a moment, or push off of to give my muscles a short respite. Well, in the lead up to the triathlon in Philly I was able to get enough pool time, coaching, and encouragement to refine and smooth my freestyle stroke to be comfortable about finishing the swim portion of the event. In Philly I finished the swim in under a half hour. Yes, it was down stream but even though the current helped a little it wasn't very strong.
Next Sunday I will attend my first session of a swimming clinic which is geared
specifically to improving the swimming stroke of triathletes. Who knows, maybe I will even develop a decent kick. Although, I have heard that one strategy is to "save" your legs during the swim for the bicycle and run portions of the race. I'll be interested in hearing what our coach, who comes highly recommended, has to say.
What are my concerns for the wildflower triathlon? In a nutshell, leg cramps and hills. And I have 175 days to work that out. :-)

Contrasts

Florida this time of year is ideal for morning runs. Temperature in the 60s with low humidity is perfect for a comfortable run. I was able to cover about 5 miles on 3 of the four mornings. I cut back to 3.5 on wednesday because my right calf tightened up on me again. Back to stretching to try to loosen up my calf muscles. Guess there's no silver bullet for these tight muscles. It will have to be a combination of hydration, nutrition (bananas, etc.), stretching, and conditioning to rid myself of this scourge.
Returned home to Mentor yesterday evening to find the temperature in the 40s. This morning I went for a ride in several pairs of shorts, long sweats, a turtle neck, and a tee shirt. Winter gloves kept my hands from freezing in the stiff wind during the ride. I can (and did) comfortably cover 30 miles in one continuous effort. I'm charging the hills to ready myself for the wildflower course next year. A little sore at the end but had enough energy left to cut the grass - mostly leaves this time of year.
Heading back to florida this coming week for more of those great morning runs!

On Training and Mental Toughness

I love training. I really do! This is actually a good thing and a bad thing. I have been told (and I firmly believe) that a large component of preparation for any endurance event is mental. Sure, the physical training must be there but finishing the race is as much a mental challenge as a physical challenge. The athlete, as part of the training, must develop a level of mental toughness to go past the physical discomfort of temperature, muscle fatigue, thirst, hunger. All of which are present in any endurance event.
This brings me back to my love of training. It's hard to love what you are doing when you are too cold or too hot or hungry or thirsty or sore or... You get the idea. I have a tendency to wait until the sun is out and the day is warm (but not too warm) so I can continue to enjoy my training. But, on race day, you can't wait until conditions are right. If it's too cold or hot or raining or whatever you can't wait, you have to just go. That's where the mental toughness you have trained for really makes the difference.
So, bicycling last saturday and sunday, I didn't bail when it started drizzling at 50 degrees. I stuck it out for about 30 miles on saturday and about 10 miles on sunday (only quitting on sunday when my rear tire went flat).

An amazing evening

Tuesday evening, "Team in Training" had a kickoff dinner and celebration for the spring season. Since I'm doing the Wildflower Triathlon with the "Team" I was invited. This is an amazing group of people. I saw two of my Philly Tri teammates at the event, one of whom is also planning to do Wildflower. I also sat with one of my Akron relay teammates who did the Chicago Triathlon with the "Team" this past summer and is planning to do the Cleveland Marathon this spring.
It is inspirational, to say the least, to get together with such a dedicated and wonderful group. Our team honoree for wildflower is a 7 year old cancer survivor who was diagnosed about 4 years ago with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). His cancer is currently in remission (thank God!) and his favorite TV personality is "SpongeBob SquarePants". Good choice! :-)
When I hear these stories, I always think of a slogan I saw on a t-shirt at the Philly Tri: "If you think training for a triathlon is tough, you should try chemotherapy."
Amen to that!

Of bicycle chains and other things... conclusion2

Well, it ain't over till it's over. I rode about 15 miles yesterday. Something wasn't right. The new chain was making a little too much noise. Kind of a low continuous clicking sound. I figured with the new equipment, the bike should be "whisper quiet". Well, I'm thinking maybe the derailleurs need adjusting. But, that really didn't make sense since the adjustment seemed fine before I replaced the chain and cassette. It was making more noise than before I replaced things. Could I have done that much damage with my "ham-handed" repair job? It's possible.
After the ride, I mounted the bike on my bike rack and gave the pedals a spin. Didn't seem to be the derailleurs, except the noise was coming from the vicinity of the rear wheel. I take a closer look and discover that I have mis-routed the chain through the rear derailleur and that instead of passing cleanly from one small sprocket to the next it is clanking across part of the housing.
Out comes the chain tool. Looking for the link with the pin I used to attach the chain in the first place. Found the link, wrestled with the chain and the chain tool a bit, disconnected, rerouted, and finally reconnected the chain. Voila! Now the bike is "whisper quiet". :-)

Of bicycle chains and other things... conclusion

A little over a week ago I replaced the chain on my bike. One thing lead to another and I have been without my bike since then. Until today! Hallelujah!
I picked up the replacement cassette from my local bike shop today and (using one of the funny looking tools my brother gave me for christmas) putting it back on the rear wheel was a cinch. It's really clean and shiny! :-) That lasted about 2 seconds since I immediately donned my helmet and hopped on the bike for a spin through the nearby park. I haven't done much since last friday because my calf is still a little too tight to run. I am counting on the bicycle to loosen it up before I go back to Florida next week - and return to the running.
What did I learn from this (mis)adventure? It's definitely a good idea to check the length of your bicycle chain periodically and replace it if it stretches too much - my brother says 1/8 inch in one foot, the guy at the bicycle shop says every 1,200 miles. I'll be checking the chain periodically from now on because replacing the chain really is "Easier than it looks". Also, it's a lot easier to find a chain than a cassette. Actually, I think I'll keep a spare - chain, that is. :-) Looking forward to tomorrow's ride!

I'm grounded! Aargh!!

I went to the bike store here in Mentor to pick up a cassette to replace the worn one I found when I replaced the chain. Silly me for thinking that they would have just the one I needed. They will have to order it. :-(
Had I thought, I could have ordered it last week when I was in Florida and didn't have the use of my bike. Had I only thought...
Anyway, the new cassette should probably be in by tuesday, thursday latest and I will be back in business. Until then, I can run and do yoga. Think I'll just do the yoga today to stay limber and give my pulled right calf a chance to heal a little. :-)

One surviving image...

Here is the one surviving image from my brother's camera that got trashed on our ride to the Pig Roast. The camera was destroyed when he ran into a dog. This shows us starting our ride from mom's house.

Of bicycle chains and other things...

I love riding my bike. I am not particularly fond of maintaining (i.e., working on) it. That's a bad combination. I bought my bike about a year and a half ago and have already replaced both wheels. That's "wear and tear"!
My daughter and son-in-law gave me a subscription to "Bicycling" Magazine for my birthday. A nice gift. The first two issues came in the mail recently. One of the issues had an article entitled "Easier than it looks". "Easier", I'm for that! It explained that there are three types of bicycle maintenance that are easy to do. One of these is replacing the chain. Well, I am still using the original chain so I figure it can't hurt to try replacing it. Maybe I'll start my real bicycle maintenance with that.
So, I removed the old chain and laid it out on the ground. I laid the new chain next to it to decide how long it should be. The first thing I noticed was that the links of the new chain were shorter than the links of the old chain. Now, links are a standard size, so the old chain had stretched in my year and a half of riding. In fact the old chain was a full link longer when I counted out the same number of links. This fact prompted a quick call to my brother's house. He was playing tennis at the time, so I had to wait an hour to discuss this disturbing development with him.
An hour later when I spoke to him he suggested that I make the new chain the same number of links as the old chain. So, that's what I did. But, he cautioned, if there is too much wear on the sprockets the chain may "skip" when I try to ride hard. "In that case you may have to replace the crankset and/or the freewheel cassette." Now, I don't know a crankset from a hole in the wall but I do know if the chain skips or slips, and it did! Darn!
Back on the phone with my brother. "What now?" I ask. "Like I said, you will have to replace the crankset or the cassette." Came his reply. He must have forseen this whole episode because last Christmas he had given me a box of strange looking tools. I broke open the box and, after removing the rear wheel, I found the tools I would need to remove the rear cassette. With the phone on "speaker" my brother was able to talk me through the process of removing the rear cassette which I immediately put into a ziplock back for save keeping.
I will be in Florida all this week, so there is no time to finish this before next weekend. Next saturday, I will go to the bike shop near my house to get a new cassette and try to finish this repair. All I have to say about the article which prompted this little misadventure is: "Easier than it looks" my A$$. Still smiling though :-)
To be continued...

A blustery day...

It's a gorgeous fall day! Just like yesterday. "Blustery", I love that word. So evocative of the kind of day it is. Beautiful blue sky, dramatic white and dark clouds with a hint of future rain, and shifting blowing winds. This has been one of my favorite words since I read "Winny the Pooh and the blustery day" many years ago. Riding on a day like today is pure joy, with a little struggle built in. Riding with a head wind is a bit of a struggle; riding with a tail wind is pure joy - a happy surprise. I had a wonderful ride this morning. Think I'll go for a walk with my daughter as well - enjoy the lovely, blustery weather.

A visit from Spiderman and SpongeBob

Yesterday, as I was working at my computer, I heard voices outside my door. Glancing into the hall, I saw a miniature Spiderman standing at the top of the steps. When I hailed him, he stole quietly down the steps and out of my sight. I approached the top of the steps with anticipation to find SpongeBob standing on the landing at the bottom of the steps.
My daughter had arrived from Cincinnati with our grandsons in tow. They were dressed in their Halloween finest to show off for grandma and grandpa. Thus begins a wonderful weekend visit with two daughters (the oldest and the youngest), son-in-law, and two grandsons. Oh, happy day! :-)

Earthquake! What???

Yesterday. I felt it. Didn't know what it was, but the house rumbled for about half a second. Here's the news...

FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio (AP) -- A mild earthquake offshore in Lake Erie shook Cleveland's northeast suburbs Wednesday afternoon but no immediate damage or injuries were reported.

The quake had a magnitude of 2.9, strong enough to feel like the rumble of a passing truck, according to the Lake County Emergency Management Agency.

The quake occurred about 4:04 p.m. and was centered in Lake Erie about 15 miles northwest of Fairport Harbor, the agency said.

The area between Cleveland and Erie, Pa., is an epicenter for earthquakes. Ohio has had seven quakes this year with a magnitude of 2.0 or greater, most of them in the region northeast of Cleveland.

I never new... First one I've experienced. Wierd!

Rainy, Misty Forest

Rain last evening and a slightly lower temperature this morning contributed to the morning fog. It is actually a very thin, sort of misty, fog. You can feel it when you ride down a short hill because the temperature drops a few degrees. Early morning, before the sun has fully risen, it makes for a rather dreamy atmosphere. The street lights sport halos and the far bend in the road becomes rather indistinct. I had planned to ride about 20 miles. I managed about 7.
Toward the end of the 7 miles I turned onto the gravel path through the woods just as the mist turned into a light rain. The first signal was the hissing sound the drops made as they careened through the leafy canopy above. I glanced at the lake and saw the dimpled surface and knew it was raining. The geese were in full throat. I'm sure they love this weather!
I enjoy the rain, I really do. The only problem is that the surface of the road and especially the boardwalks get slippery. Also, as I mentioned before the raindrops on my glasses impair my ability to see well enough to be safe. So, I packed it in after 7 miles. Still, the ride through the rainy, misty forest early in the morning was worth it!
Maybe I'll go out again for a short ride around noon. :-)

Fall is in the air!

Back home from florida, I immediately notice the cool temperatures that herald the arrival of fall on the "North Coast". Or, south coast of Lake Erie if you prefer. On the last two morning rides I have donned my long sweat pants and long sleeve turtle-neck pullover. The temperature is invigorating and, as long as the pavement is clear and dry, the ride is great! Got a puncture in my rear tire this morning about a mile from home. So, I completed the workout by running the mile alongside my bike and patching the tire when I returned home. I may take a short lunch-time ride just to round out my training for the day. It's all good. :-)

My brother's "two-fer"

Here are pictures of my brother's "two granddaughters in two days". First Kayla, born in Cleveland. Then Avery, born in Cincinnati. Congratulations! Grandpa!

Chasing grandchildren :-)

My brother now has two grandchildren - both girls - born thursday and friday. He got word that his daughter was going to deliver on thursday in Cleveland. So, as quickly as possible, he drove from Cincinnati to Cleveland to see his first grandchild born. He was too late for the birth but was able to spend time with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Then, on friday, the word came that his daughter-in-law was about to deliver... in Cincinnati. So, he and the new grandma high-tailed it south to see the birth of his second granddaughter. He arrived in time for this birth.
Mothers, fathers, granddaughters, grandfather, and grandmother are all doing fine. Congratulations to all! In only two days my brother has caught up to me in number of grandchildren. I'll be leading again in the spring when my next grandchild is born. :-)

Florida rain... again

I shouldn't be surprised. Although, generally, my morning runs down here have been "rain free". But, rain and florida go together like... well, like bacon and eggs. Anyway about 45 minutes into my morning run, just about the time I was thinking that it's getting awfully warm and my legs were starting to feel like lead - some mornings it's just like that - I started to feel a few sprinkles. Then I looked down the long, straight, flat road I was running and saw a billowing curtain of rain about a mile ahead. Thirty seconds later, it hit me, a pretty steady downpour. Refreshingly cool, it washed away all the sweat that had been building for the last 45 minutes. It was great! The only slight downside was that my glasses collected the drops, making it a little harder to see. I loved it anyway. I hardly even noticed the wave that hit me from the passing bus. The water collects quickly in the roads down here. No place for it to go.

Riding (for) the Pig!

Yesterday my brother and I rode our bikes the 55 or so miles from our mom's house in Cincinnati to my cousin's farm outside Milan Indiana where my brother's company held its annual pig roast. Yes, there is an actual pig and we do roast it. Mighty good eating too for an omnivore like me!
This is the third year my brother and I have bicycled to this event. We don't bicycle home though. Too dark by the time the roast is over. Anyway, the ride started out well. We headed for Cleves, Ohio. The temperature got into the 90's and I came prepared with one bottle of water on my bike frame and another two 1 liter bottles in my saddle bags. If I bring plenty of water and take a sip every few minutes, that seems to keep me well enough hydrated to avoid leg cramps.
Just outside of Cleves, my brother ran afoul of a country dog. The dog "jumped" us as we were pedalling by. He chased after me since I was in front and the closest target. When I pulled away, he doubled back toward my brother and stopped right in front of his bike. My brother tried to put on the brakes but couldn't avoid the dog and ran smack into him. Since the dog was acting pretty aggressively during the chase, my brother prepared for the worst. But I guess the dog got the worst of it because after the collision, he was no where to be found. My brother banged up his knee, elbow and hands but gamely got back on his bike and continued the ride.
We rode along the Ohio River for some distance and arrived at Aurora, Indiana in time for an annual festival and parade of some sort. Listening to the parade announcer, I couldn't help but think of the old Garrison Keillor show about the "News from Lake Woebegone". It was pretty funny stuff. Definitely small town.
My brother picked a great route through some beautiful Indiana farm country. We also found some pretty callenging hills. Shortly after we turned away from the river we turned onto a road called simply "Zion Hill". I'm thinking that sounds kind of ominous, to have a road named not "road" or "court" or "street" but "hill". Well, my lowest "granny" gear was almost not low enough to keep the wheels turning and the bike stable. I kid you not, it was the steepest hill I have ever tried to climb on a bike. Luckily, it was short and I didn't have to walk it. I just bore down on the pedals to keep the wheels turning.
The only place we got lost was in Dillsboro, Indiana. Dillsboro! Lost! There can't be more than half a dozen streets in all of Dillsboro, yet we were unable to find the one street out of that small number which included our route! After riding around and seeing absolutely all of Dillsboro we finally found our street and continued on to our destination.
We arrived at the pig roast after about 6 hours of riding and sight seeing. My cousin and his wife from California showed up at the roast. This was a very pleasant surprise. I think they had a great time and hope they will come next year as well. The party, as usual, was a lot of fun and the food was great!
I had hoped to publish some pictures with this post but my brother broke his camera when he hit that dog. :-(

Detours, Detours...

Well, my favorite route is being dug up! Looks like they are replacing the sewage line along one of the nicest stretches. It's a long straight-away heading right for Lake Erie. It's flat and if I have a trailing wind, I can really fly! But, it's one narrow lane now and if they are filling dump trucks there is no easy way around even on a bicycle. So, I have to use the back roads for now or take my chances with the dump trucks. What's the moral? Stay flexible and keep smilin' ;-)

Run the Bird! Continued...

Two additional things I wanted to mention about the Akron Triathlon:
1) The race was, in my opinion, extremely well organized. A case in point is the support for the relays. Imagine needing to bus at least a couple of hundred people out to a remote site in the middle of the race. Then making sure each individual "connects" with the appropriate team member, running the previous leg, to be able to "pass the baton" (in this case bracelet) and continue the relay. In addition, imagine that many of the people standing around for up to two hours waiting have not met and maybe haven't even seen their relay team member before. Also, imagine trying to keep these couple of hundred people from wandering in front of the racers who are passing by in increasing numbers just a couple of yards away. Keeping runners orderly is a lot like herding cats! Not that runners aren't great people, they just tend to be very individualistic. Finally, multiply this by 4 sites and you have a small sense of the nightmare of logistics and organization facing the race organizers. Race organizers, I salute you!
2) The support among the people of Akron for the race was nothing short of amazing. On my leg, I passed many impromptu aid stations set up in people's front yards. Some playing inspirational music (the theme from "Rocky" certainly comes to mind) on their "boom boxes". Several public places had bands playing. All very encouraging especially when you are grinding out the last few miles.

Did I mention it was all a very wonderful experience? It most definitely was!

Run the Bird!

Cute, huh? I saw that on a t-shirt today at the Akron Marathon sponsored by, who else, Road Runner high speed internet. Hence the name. I really wanted to get the t-shirt but I already have many t-shirts with cute stuff written on them. Besides, I got a very nice blue long sleeve shirt with my packet. So, at least the event is covered by apparel! :-) Here's the link: http://www.akronmarathon.org/
My day started at 3AM. Got up and took a shower. Had a breakfast of bacon and an omlet and headed to Akron at about 4AM. Met up with the rest of the relay team around 5AM and headed into Akron to get ready for the race. The race started at 7AM but since I was running the last leg I didn't have to do anything at the start but watch and cheer.
About an hour later we took a bus to the relay point at mile 18.6. Here is where the final 7.6 mile leg of the relay starts. We arrived at the relay point in time to see the marathon leaders pass that point in the race. Over the next two hours or so while we waited for our 4th leg runners the number of runners passing that point in the race became larger and larger.
Finally, I was just about to make one final trip to the port-a-potty when I heard the race number of our team called. So, I toward the hand-off point and grabbed the bracelet to start the final leg of our relay - still needing to go to the bathroom. Happily, it wasn't too far along that I was able to take a bathroom break at one of the many stops proveded along the course.
Well, I was able to complete the 7.6 mile final leg in just over an hour - an 8 minute pace for that distance. Our relay finished in a respectable 4 hours and 5 minutes. Everyone seemed to enjoy the race which was very well organized. I will certainly consider doing it again next year. I'm feeling pretty well as I write this. A little bit sore, and very tired but I had not problems with leg cramps and felt very strong during the race.
Bottom line. I had a great time with a great group of "Team in Training" people. We had two relay teams and they are the nicest people you will meet anywhere!

Florida rain

It's raining in Florida, pretty much all day, and especially in the morning. I am in Florida for the week on business. Since I don't have a bicycle down here this is always a good time to switch to running. I run early in the morning (6AM) to avoid the Florida heat. But, this time the air is thick with humidity and it's raining pretty much all the time.
Yesterday morning, I left the hotel in a downpour. Turned back immediately to leave my glasses in my room. I see well enough without my glasses and definitely better than through glasses that are dripping with rainwater. The run was an adventure. Many times I was "dancing" through puddles that were almost knee deep. Well, actually, they were just above my ankles. It only seemed deeper. But, that's deep enough. There is really no place for the water to go in southern Florida since it is so flat. The frogs were singing in the many small lakes that quickly formed. They clearly love this weather. The noise was sometimes deafening!
It is actually quite pleasant to run in the rain. Even if it is not raining, I always return to the hotel completely soaked - in sweat! It's really nicer to be soaked in rainwater instead. Also, much cooler. Anyway, I did enjoy the run.
This morning, it was only drizzling and I shortened my run since my achilles tendon felt a little tight from yesterday. Had to dodge the rain drops coming across the street to the office. That's all for now. Still having fun!

Saturday Fun!

My brother, Jim, his friend James (in the front), James' friend Jesse, and me (in the back) posed for this picture at my mom's house in Cincinnati before we headed to Oxford, Ohio - about 30 miles away. Our adventure began at about 8AM on saturday. James was chuckling about the backpacks on Jim's and my bikes, until, that is my brother used the tools he was carrying to tighten James' handle bar and I furnished water from the spare bottle I was carrying when the day got really hot. All in good fun! I like to be at least reasonably prepared, and the extra weight is good training on the hills. I'm gonna have to learn to love those hills!
So, we were off! The morning was cool, for a little while at least. After a several mile downhill at the start of the ride, we reached the Little Miami River. We spent the rest of the ride gradually climbing back up out of the valley to return to my brother's house which is not far from my mom's. The country around Cincinnati is lovely. It's very dry right now. Cincinnati is badly in need of several good, soaking rains since they are down about 12 inches from their normal rainfall. After 2-3 hours we stopped at the Cappucino Depot in Millville. Jim started talking to someone who was enjoying the coffee with his wife and daughter. After a short conversation, he discovered that our sister had gone to grade school with this man's brother. Small world!
I got a frozen cappucino and a pound of freshly roasted Ethiopian Yigracheffe. I'm not even going to try to pronounce that! The label says: "One of the world's most distinctive coffees. A fruity winey taste with rich soft toned acidity and light to medium body." I really don't know about that, but I do like the taste. After that short stop, we were on our way to Oxford, and Miami University.
"Uptown" in Oxford, High Street (which IS actually higher than the surrounding area), we found a little sandwich shop to get some lunch. After lunch I had a little snack of "nuts and berries". Trail mix and water are my primary sustenance on these day long rides.
It was a long (about 7 hours) and rather hot day, so I spent much of it, riding or not, continuously sipping water or downing diet pops when we stopped. While riding, I try not to let my mouth get dry. That seems to be a good strategy for staying hydrated since I finished the ride feeling very fresh. No trouble with leg cramps and I felt as fresh climbing the hills as I did when I started.
We finally made it to downtown Hamilton, Ohio a little while after lunch. I realized that even though I lived in Cincinnati for just over 40 years I had never been to downtown Hamilton, at least not that I can remember. It's a nice area and they were setting up for a small concert or carnival so we stopped and got some pop.
Jesse, who had not ridden much for the last month, was starting to drag a little. I could tell he wasn't looking forward to getting back on the bike. A few more miles down the road, he called a friend of his to pick him up and take him and his bike home, or as my brother put it: "He called for an extraction." :-) Well, the way I see it, he covered nearly 50 miles that day. And, my hat's off to anyone who can put forth that effort!
A few more relatively easy hills put us back level with my brother's house and we cruised on in. We got a picture of the 3 amigos to mark the occasion. I can't think of a better way to spend a saturday!

Weekends!

Got cool plans for the next three saturdays. Tomorrow, my brother and I are planning to bicycle around 60 miles from Cincinnati to Oxford, Ohio (home of Miami University) and back. Along the way, we will be stopping in Millville at my favorite coffee shop, the Cappucino Depot. Millville is also the birthplace of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first baseball commissioner. Of course, whenever I go riding with my brother, we always get lost midway through the ride. So a 60 mile ride will probably turn into 65 or 70 miles.
All in a day's ride. :-)
Next saturday, I will anchor a 5 person marathon relay in Akron. This last leg will be about a 7.6 mile run. I think its mainly a group of Team in Training alumni. My kind of people. :-) I'll have to get up around 3:30AM to meet them at 5AM near Akron since the race starts at 7AM.
The saturday after that, I will be back in Cincinnati for Aramac's annual pig roast. I'm hoping to get together again with my brother to bicycle the 60-70 miles from his house to the location of the roast. Great way to build up an appetite for the dinner.
It's gonna be a great few weekends!

A favorite quote...

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In other words: "Move it or loose it!" I am continually amazed at what we can train ourselves to do!

Fall is coming!

I love these cool mornings. It's a great time to hop on my bike and ride for an hour or two. Monday morning was a bit cold - about 44 degrees. But this morning was better at around 55. I have a nice 7-8 mile loop that I can repeat as many times as I feel like. Yesterday and today I completed the loop twice, riding for about an hour each day. Part of the loop is on trails through Veteran's Park which is very close to my house. Deer, ducks, the ever present Canada geese, and even a few swans are always hanging out in the park as I ride through. Great way to start any day. Can't wait for daylight savings to go away so I can start my ride a little earlier. :-)

My First Triathlon

I completed my first Triathlon - thus earning the right to call myself a "triathlete" - on 6/24/07. I joined an organization called "Team In Training", which is a fund-raising group for the "Leukemia and Lymphoma Society". It was an amazing experience! I am definitely hooked! Here are my thoughts from the day of the race.

Thoughts and Results from the Triathlon

Woke up sunday morning (6/24) around 4:30AM ready to roll...

At 5:15AM we ride our bikes the 3 miles to the transition area to set up our gear (bikes, shoes, shorts, water, etc.) for the two race transitions - swim to bike and bike to run.

Still waiting to hear whether the water temperature is low enough to wear my wetsuit. The wetsuit has become sort of a security blanket for me - something I will have to fix. I have the feeling that the swim will not go well if I don't wear the wetsuit. I am scheduled to start in the second wave, at 7AM. Finally the question about the wetsuit is answered. I am so happy to hear over the loud speaker that the water temperature is 76 degrees F and the race is "wetsuit legal". At 78 degrees the race is "wetsuit optional" and I will have to ditch mine or start in the last wave (around 8AM) which I will NOT do.

I am in the water at about 3 minutes to 7, lining up with the buoy and treading water until the start. The water feels good and I am confident (I have my security blanket :-). At 7AM on the dot we start swimming. Sometime during the swim, I apparently jammed my thumb. It started feeling a little weird and I guess I got kicked in the thumb or something. Lots of kicking but it is really not as bad as I thought it would be. Finally, rounding the final buoy and heading for the beach.

When I hit the beach my legs are a little unsteady but I am able to find my bike pretty easily. It takes about 5 minutes for me to get the wetsuit off and my glasses, helmet, gloves, shoes, shirt, and shorts on.

I am running my bike over the grass headed for the road. When I hit the road I am feeling strong and smooth on the bike. There is plenty of room and the other riders generally are pretty courteous. Keep right except to pass. Pass quickly on the left and move back to the right. Everyone seems to follow these rules pretty well. We all have our age written on our right calf so I can see the ages of everyone who passes me. 25, no surprise; 30 something, still young and strong. the professionals just have a "P" written on their calf and you can easily hear the different sound their multi-thousand dollar bikes make. Then it happens, I get passed by a guy with "66" written on his right calf! Hey, hold on there! Too late, he's already gone. :-)

I'm moving fast on the bike - even on the hills and feeling strong. Wondering how much I should save for the run. The people on the side-lines are great! I get a lot of "Go Team!" cheers. This is for anyone wearing a "Team In Training" jersey - which I am. Seems like everyone is rooting for me. Cool!

Two loops on the bike and I am pulling back into the transition area, walking my bike to my spot. I can already tell it will be payback time on the run. The swim and ride went too easily. The run will "kick my butt"! I'm jogging out on wobbly legs and wondering how long I can hold of the leg cramps.

I glance at my watch and see that it is about 9AM. If I can do a sub 1 hour 10K I have a chance to beat 3 hours for the triathlon. I'm am psyched to try that since I was hoping to beat 3 hours and 30 minutes. Now the strategy is to try to run around 10 minute miles - maybe a little less - but not much faster since I don't want to cramp up and have to walk. If I have to walk, I can kiss a sub 3 hour finish goodbye. The run WAS a real struggle for me but I only started to feel a little stiffness in about the last mile and it was my left hamstring and achilles tendon - not the calf. Go figure!

When I started to hear the cheering at the finish and one of the volunteers said "less than a minute to go" I knew I was in good shape. As I crossed the finish line I saw 3:01 on the clock. Since the clock started with the first wave, which started 5 minutes before my wave, I knew my (stretch) goal of finishing under 3 hours had been achieved...

Here are my official results:

Overall Rank 827 of 1544

Class Rank 12 of 31

Swim 0:32:36

Swim Rank 929

Transition 1 0:05:24

Bike 1:23:03

Bike Rank 910

MPH 17.9

Transition 2 0:02:23

Run 0:52:52

Run Rank 688

Pace 0:08:31

Final 2:56:20

I did NOT make up these numbers!

You can check them out yourself on the Philly Tri website:

http://phillytri.com/results.html

Click on 2007 "Triathlon Results"

Select "2007 Philly Olympic Individual results" and click "Search"

Enter "Bib number" 163 - that's me - and see my results.