Paul Asay

Hike 2012, the Results

2012-01-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

Night hike, version 3 results are in, and it was just aboutwhat we thought it would be, but with a strange twist this year. Eight of us participated including myyoungest son Jacob. We took off fromT.H. around 5:15, picked up Ethan in Bloomington and decided to have dinner atOpie Taylor’s. Nothing like some majormeat and potatoes before long hike, this was the place for that. By the time we left the restaurant thefreezing rain was making havoc of the streets. We found this out first hand when the suburban we were traveling startedsliding going down a hill outside Bloomington and toward Nashville. By the time we slowed down at the bottom of thehill at least 6 cars had just slide off that section of road and in dire needof a tow truck.

Made it nice and slow down to the gravel road where we turnoff to park. On with the boots, extrawarm stuff, backpacks, lights and the like as we headed up the hill for thereal adventure to begin. Wasn’t reallythat bad hiking up the steep hill considering the freezing rain/ice. Easier than hiking it in the snow like the lasttwo years. All was going to plan till wemade it to the large grove of pines where we have to make our own trail down tothe cabin. At some point in this part ofthe journey we realized the GPS Doug was using to guide us was locked up due tothe moisture. By the time that becameclear we got completely lost. Now in thedaytime you can just follow the top of the ridge and sort of figure it out, butin the pitch black and freezing rain, not so much. After proceeding in the general directionwith little success we came on a creek going down the hill we decided to follow. Well, 30 minutes of following the creek,getting even more wet we were thinking we could be at this all night and notknow where we are. About that time Islipped and started to fall face first into the creek, but thankfully caughtmyself before being totally submersed in the icy drink. Not before letting out an expletive for allto hear. Hey, I’m very human.

Not 10 minutes later we came on a nice cleared trail and 10minutes after that walked right to the back of the cabin. How that happened, I still don’t have aclue. Lesson learned:little trials like this when considered from a big perspective does good thingsfor the soul. Have a plan, stick together,keep your head and we will all be stronger for the experience. See James 1: 2-4

With lots of coffee, candy bars and a hot wood stove wedried out, but were way wired up so getting to bed for the night tookhours. Nevertheless we got up at 8 A.M. thenext morning, and thanks to Ron had a great breakfast feast. A bit later we went out for a nice dayhike. About noon we hiked out (followingthe ridge) and made it home around 4 PM. All in all a good experience with friends and one tradition I plan tocontinue.

So come January of next year on the coldest, and harshestday that winter can throw at us, we will be finding our way around the forestat night, seeking yet another adventure.

Night Hikes in January

2012-01-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

The last couple of January’s a small group of us have goneon a long night hike after work into a remote cabin in Brown County that DougMillers family owns. The last two yearswe went it has been the coldest and snowiest day of the winter. Tonight we head out for hike version 3 and theyare predicting an ice storm. In otherwords timing couldn’t be better.

You might ask why go for a long hike in January, at night, withno trail, freezing cold and ice and snow? Did I mention the cabin has no electricity, bathroom, or runningwater? Why not we say, you can only stayinside and watch Jeopardy so many times before going stir crazy. Have to make the best of what you got right?

Anyway, the company is good and we generally eat a lot eventhough we have to pack it in ourselves. When we first arrive the cabin is ice cold, but a wood stove once goingmakes for some great heat. By the time we wake up in the morning the cabin is cold again until someone volunteers to start the fire back up. Nothing like crawling in tight in your sleeping bag till the fire is warm and the breakfast is hot. Guess I should get up and help huh. Well, guess I will now that I shamed myself.

Making the best of life in Indiana …

Goal Setting 2012

2011-12-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Being a goal setter, I like to have a good idea what mygoals are for the upcoming year before it gets here. Specifically have in mind for triathlon thisyear to focus on 3 events, Rev3 Olympic distance race in Knoxville in May, Rev3½ Ironman distance Wisconsin Dells in August and Rev3 ½ Ironman distance inVenice Florida in October. They arefairly well spaced out which may be good is some respects, but does kind ofpreclude me from being in peak shape for one big event. I’ve also not completed two ½ Ironmandistances in the same year, so that will be a challenge. Just thinking about two of those will makefor maybe more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

I also have several non-triathlon specific goals, trying notto put everything in one basket. One ofmy highlights this year was going on two short-term mission trips, one toHaiti, and one to Berlin Germany. Those trips were just so rewarding. Just traveling in general this past year Iprobably went more places than I ever have in 1 year. Even better I didn’t have to travel alone forany of them. I’m blessed to have a greatfamily and group of friends that make life so rewarding. Have no idea what opportunities will be for2012, but I hope they can come close to how it worked out this year.

For triathlon specifically I’m really working toward a morelong-term goal of being about to race an Ironman 70.3 event in 5 hours flat bythe time I reach 55. This year Ifinished Ironman 70.3 Muncie in 5 hours 18 minutes. My goal for 2012 is 5:09 for that samedistance. Thinking that if I can cut 3minutes off my swim, bike and run time I’ll be right in the mix. Easier said than done, but I certainly thinkit’s possible. It really begins withhaving a good coach to keep the workouts focused toward your goal. I have that with Daniel Bretscher and itkeeps my focus really straightforward. Workingwith Daniel and the team is very motivating and accountable as well. Couple of minor changes I plan to make isfocusing on swimming smoother and with more volume. I also plan to do more group rides this yearthan I did last year. The J’s Bike teamis really focused and tight group and just tagging along with them should be areal benefit to me.

For missions work I really don’t have any preconceivednotions about what opportunities will present themselves. Last year I had the Haiti trip in mind, butdidn’t have a clue that I would be visiting Berlin. Have the idea in the back of my mind that Iwould like to lead a group to a mission we support that we have never visitedin the past. Maybe I’ll also get the chanceto revisit Haiti or Berlin again. Whicheverway it works out, I plan to be ready and available.

Team Berlin

2011-11-15T10:52:00.001-08:00

First and foremost this trip to Berlin has been about furthering the cause of Christ. It seems also though every mission trip has a built in education component. This one has been an education on war and peace.

After walking through the brandenburg gate, witnessing the memorial to the murdered Jews, standing over top of hitlers bunker, and the site of the book burning I came away with one conclusion. That is war is based almost completely on arrogance.

Thoughts like I/we are superior to you, I/we want to make a great name for ourselves, and if you do not abide with that decision we will use all forces at our disposal.

The sad fact is Berlin is full of beautiful cathedrals. Yet most of them were built as show places, not to further the cause of Christ.

However encouraging signs are also in evidence. Just behind our missionaries home exists a running and cycling trail on ground that just 20 years ago held the Berlin wall. Berlin in no way seems to cover up its brutal past. Lessons learned from it are evident for all to see.

If war is based on arrogance then peace must be based on humility. The thought that we can all get along with a reasonable amount of give and take. Freedom also seems a cornerstone of peace. Free to travel a path that once held the wall between east and west is the most encouraging sign I have witnessed to date.

Lake Lemon Triathlon, Round 3

2011-09-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Raced the Lake Lemon (Bloomington, Indiana) triathlon thispast weekend. This has been an annualevent for me the last three years since the race started. The race serves as a close to the season so Ilike racing it for a variety of reasons, but somewhat sad this is my last onefor the year.

Like years past I went down a day in advance with Greg Lucasand we did the race course setup. Setthe swim buoys for the course and the bike racks. Greg’s son Tyler is one of the Race Directorsso it’s a family affair. Tyler and hisfraternity at IU put this race on, and how many college fraternities couldmanage to run a non-profit triathlon, and keep it safe and organized? Probably not many, so I like helping themout.

Maybe the toughest part of the weekend was smelling the barbequethat was being held for the IU Swim Team while we were setting the swimcourse. We ate peanut butter sandwicheswhile the team feasted and played volleyball. We did our best to make up for it was a large Mother Bears pizza laterthat evening. Needless to say we didn’tleave much in the way of left overs.

Race morning the air temp was about 55 and the water temperaturearound high 60’s. Greg and I bothstarted the swim in wave two of three. The swim course is a ½ mile triangle around the lake. Gotoff to a great start then ended up swallowing a mouth full of lake water beforethe first turn buoy. Not sure how I didthat, but my mind wasn’t so keen on what I was doing for a while afterthat. Finally exited the swim and ranthe hill up to transition. Pulling thewetsuit off for the first time this year was a fiasco, but I finally got it andmade quick work on the bike transition.

The 16 mile bike ride was about like usual except that I hada college age companion on and off for the whole ride. He would pass me on the hills, and I wouldget by on the flats and down hills. Gotaround Greg a little ways before the half way turn around and just after passedteammate, and super swimmer Emily Oiler who started in wave 3, 2 minutes behindme. After the turn around I saw I wasn’t gettingmuch of a gap on them, which is bad news for me. The last 8 miles of the ride were okay, justtrying to stay with my college friend #81.

Hit transition 2 after the steep downhill bike finish andgot the bike racked, shoes and socks on (normally I skip the socks) and gotdown to the business of running 3.1 miles. My legs were still cold from the ride and didn’tfeel at all good. The first mile on therun is up the steep hill you just rode down. I got passed by a couple of people on this section including #81 whichdidn’t feel so great. Just before I got to the top of the hill RyanShanahan was flying past in the lead and I got to yell out to him as he headedin for the win. Made it to the top ofthe hill, and then ran down a steep hill to the turnaround at the half waypoint. Saw Greg just after the turnaroundmaybe 20 second behind me and Emily just a little ways passed him. I figured between me and Greg who ever got tothe top of the second steep hill would finish first in the 50+. I was listening for footsteps the whole wayto the top, but made it before I heard them. Cruised downhill to the finish and got some encouragement from Kim andRon Page who were then cheering on Ethan (who finished a solid 7^thoverall for the day). Felt surprisinglygood after the finish compare to how I felt trying to run the hills.

Turns out Greg was just 7 seconds behind me, and 3^rdplace in the 50+ Brian Fouts was just 7 seconds behind him. Warning sign for next year to say theleast. Emily ending up finishing firstfor the women and beat me by a minute. Ouch, a bit of humble pie to eat there aye. Great for her though, I was impressed.

Well it’s been a really good year for triathlon for me. I had some issues late in August and earlySeptember with my training health wise, but other than that I have nocomplaints. Not sure what next year willbring, but this is a great sport and I don’t want to quit anytime soon. Besides all that energy would just turn tomeanness. This is a much betteralternative …

The Cricket

2011-09-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

Had a cricket in the bathroom that drove us crazy
for two nights we looked for him tried and hazy

Last night at 5 AM I could take it no more
Walked in the bathroom and closed the door
Your mine Mr Cricket if I have to tear out the floor
I finally found him and now he is no more

Hiding under the towel I found him there
Popped him on the head, figured that was fair
for 2 nights of misery now all is square
another night of that cricket I couldn't bear

Journey out of Gehenna

2011-09-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Just read about a man in Haiti who is currently a student atMountain Top Missions with an interesting family history. His story is probably not a unique story, butan interesting one from a perspective of where you come from. In a school essay he described his mother asa "women of the night" from Cite Soleil before she died, and hisfather was a man of adultery. Havingbeen to Cite Soleil one can best describe it as a Hell on Earth. For those that don't believe a literally Hellexists have not been to this city outside of Port-au-Prince. First and foremost I would say that anyonewho made it from such a hard background to being a student at Mountain Top MissionsSchool is a blessed man.

His story should remind us all that one cannot control whereyou come from nor the DNA from which you exists. However, I believe that every man has beenblessed with the opportunity for a positive life of meaning, and ultimatelythrough Christ a place in a glorious future.

This also serves as a great reminder of the work in Haitithat provides an opportunity for an enriched future. All the government programs in the world willnever succeed in transforming a man’s life like those who serve the cause ofChrist by providing a complete transformation. You can provide a man with clean water, food, clothing and a roof overhis head, but can you provide him with eternal hope? Only Christ can do that. I'm not against governments and otherorganizations trying to help, I just know that limits exist among them.

It is not where you come from, who your parents were, or thenumbers in your bank account. Thecharacter of a man is based on his choices, what you choose to do in this life,and the preparations you make for the next.

Thankfully this man has found a future. We should do likewise.

Columbus Challenge Sprint Triathlon

2011-08-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

In my continuing quest to not sit still I participated I the16^th annual Columbus Challenge Sprint Triathlon this pastweekend. This is my second time I’veentered this event, but the last time was years ago. Had the company of Ethan Page so nice to havesomeone to talk to for the two hour trip over. About 5 am I headed out the door, picked up Ethan and off we went. Got there a bit late and the transition areawas really full near the front so we had to settle for a spot near the backcorner.

They switched the swim start to a time-trail, (one at a timestart) from a wave start so that actually turned out very well. Liked running into the water from the beachand no big group to deal with at the start. Just by signing up earlier than Ethan I started 74^th and hestarted 100^th. The swim is roughlya half mile triangle in Tipton Lake which is a very nice neighborhood. The only down side was the course was notmarked very well and navigation was a bit rough, but no big deal really. Didn’t have a very good swim, but got throughit and headed up the path to the first transition.

I remembered they have a nice long downhill on the start ofthe ride so that was fun to fly down that at full tilt. The bike course is 17.5 miles with a mix ofrolling hills and flats so all in all a nice course. Didn’t ride all that great early on, but gotit going much better on the second half of the course. Was looking to see if I could get a glimpse ofEthan, but he was a lot faster in the swim and had a good lead on me. Got up the last long hill and made it back totransition to start the run. Came intotransition just catching a girl in front of me at the dismount line and shefell on the timing mat just as we entered. Ouch! Thankfully she landed onthe rubber mat and not the pavement. I lookedup to see Ethan heading out for the run as I was headed to rack the bike. Manage to average 22.4 on the bike.

The run is a 5k (3.1 miles) in the Tipton Lakesneighborhood, nice and flat with a couple of turns to make it one bigloop. Felt good out on the run, but nowhere nearEthan speed. He ended up running thesecond fastest split in 17:30. Mine wasmore like 22:14 or a 7:10 pace per mile. Finish the race feeling really good. If only every race I felt like that when it was all said and done. Ethan finished 7^th overall out of222 finishers on a standard road bike with no aero nothing. I was 20^th overall, and 3^rdin the 50 + age group.

Totally enjoyed the day and appreciated all the volunteerswho put the event together. It’s a fundraiser for Foundation for Youth which makes it all that much better. On the way home Ethan twisted my arm and westopped at the Nike and Adidas outlet store in Edinburgh. Man could drop a lot of money in places like that …

Ironman Muncie Race Recap

2011-07-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

The concept of racing at Ironman Muncie started in the Fallof 2010 when I heard that Ironman Corporation was buying out the MuncieEndurathon Half Ironman race. WithIronman coming to Indiana, and looking for a marquee event for 2011, this wasan obvious one. Not long after I talkedto my friend Greg Lucas, and next thing you know we are both making plans togo.

One of the best things that happened shortly afterwards wasgetting hooked up with Daniel Bretscher as my coach. He set me on a path to success that beganNovember 1^st and continued right up until race day.

Race day itself was a good experience until about an hourbefore the race after everything was setup and ready to go. Then the nervousness hit me. Thankfully my wife Sherrie was there, andmade the wait to the swim start much easier on me.

At the swim start I lined up fairly close to the front ofthe pack with Greg. Had the opportunity totalk with my fellow Bretscher Multisport teammate Ron Gierut, also in my agegroup, and an absolute ace at this. Just two of so many people who made this race memorable forme.

Not far into the swim I started battling my nerves a bit asthe group was in fairly tight, but after a couple of hundred yards it all camegood and I just cruised though it without too much trouble. At the swim exit I heard my mother in-lawJudy yell for me and I really appreciated the encouragement. Took a look at my watch and saw 45minutes for the 1.2 mile swim.

Off on the bike I played it nice and easy keeping in mindDaniels advice that this is a runner’s race, and don’t burn yourself out on thebike which is easy to do on a fast course like Muncie. That is basically the way it played out, eventhough I felt a bit flat considering how I usually feel on the bike, but it allworked out okay. I didn’t see Greg allday after the start, but caught up with him about mile 55 on the bike. We probably started the run within a minuteof each other. Found out afterwards ittook 2 hours 36 minutes (about 21.5 mph) for the 56 miles.

Saw Sherrie as soon as I left transition and headed out forthe run, and another source of encouragement that I appreciated. Legs felt good for the start of the run, sothe strategy was working out really well. Saw Daniel come in what turned out to be 5^th overall amongthe pros. He had a good day, and made anice paycheck for the race. Somewherebetween mile 4 and 5 I saw Ron in the lead of the Men’s 50-54 headed back tothe finish with Steve Maves and Mike Smith hot on his heels. Watching them play out the battle for the agegroup win was just awesome to watch. LaterI saw most of the other Bretscher Multisport Team along the run including Dana,Julie, Michael, and Billie. Just totallycool to say I was part of this first class group. I also saw Greg and his son Tyler on the runcourse and several others I knew. Greghad both of his sons Tyler, and Brandon racing, how cool is that for a familyexperience!

It would not be even close to correct if I didn’t mentionthe volunteers that worked the course. Iheard it was 1,200 of them to pull this race off. During the run especially I was so thankfulfor their tireless effort to get me ice, cold sponges, water, Powerbar Performdrink and cola. Every mile I grabbed oneor two of each to stay cool, hydrated and powered up. God bless every one of them for theirefforts.

The run went nice and smooth till about 10 + miles when thelegs tightened up really tight. Didn’toverheat or run out of energy, just got really tight the last few miles. Finally made it in to the home stretch andSherrie was there to capture the event on camera. My father in-law Paul was also there at thefinish. We walked together under a tentthat had a cool mist spray going and I probably set there for 30 minutes untilI felt like I could move again. Runsplit was 1 hour 51 minutes (8:30 pace) with a total time of 5 hours 18minutes.

All in all a great day, as well as a 6 minute personal bestfor the 70.3 distance. Really moreconsidering my last Ironman 70.3 was Augusta Georgia where the swim was so mucheasier. After the race we took a teampicture then headed to visit family in Indy. Nice visit and a really enjoyable double cheeseburger and fries to topit off before heading home for the day.

God is good. In aphone conversation with Greg later we agreed that anytime you can finish a racelike this in the 50 + age group, you are a blessed man …

Redhawk Rampage Sprint Triathlon

2011-07-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I raced the sprint triathlon at Eastern Illinois University called the Redhawk Rampage. Nice short tune up race for Ironman Muncie 70.3 this coming weekend. It was fairly small with 70 finishers, but well organized and a lot of fun. Saw a friend and teammate Andreas Mayer there and always fun to race with him. We are close on the swim and bike, but he has out run me for 20 + years, so we know one another rather well.

Started off with a 300 yard pool swim going 1 at a time with 15 to 20 seconds between swimmers. We sort of seeded ourselves among the 5 -6 minute swim times. We started in lane 1, and going under the lane lines after each 50 so you end up in the last lane when you are finished. Didn't focus well at all and had a slow swim. Out of the water you run down the long hall way on carpet then out the door to the transition area. Got through T1 in a decent time and hit the bike course feeling good.

The first few miles on the bike course is through some residential areas then you hit the country roads. Nice pavement so the speed was decent. About 2/3's of the way out you go down a monster hill, and back up the other side. Stayed in the saddle the whole way and just spun up it using a easy gear. A ways before the turn around I saw a guy who was in my age group going pretty fast. Good fuel for the fire so I really tried to focus on catching him before the run. Never did catch him, or even see him tell after the transition from bike to run. He was probably a minute ahead as I started running. Surprised me since I was ridding pretty fast.

Not very many people in front of me at this point on the run so I just ran a nice steady effort. Finally caught my fellow 50 year old at mile two. Cruised in for what turned out to be a 6th place overall for the day. Decent effort, fun course and felt pretty good at the finish. Looking at the results my run was a bit slow at 22:14, but I didn't push it too hard either. Finishing time was 1 hour 4 minutes for the 300 yard swim, 12.4 mile ride and 3.1 mile run.

The 50 year old turned out to be Oskar Vuskalns and we had a nice conversation afterwards. Nice race and really fun so I hope to be back next year.

Swimming at Half Moon Cay

2011-06-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the opportunity to take a cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines to Half Moon Cay, and Nassau Bahamas. While I’m in my key weeks of training for the Muncie Ironman 70.3 triathlon it wasn’t the best for training, but I did get to swim at the best location ever. If you get the opportunity to visit Half Moon Cay, bring your goggles and plan on a great swim. Can’t begin to tell you how beautiful this beach is. What really surprised me as how calm the water is and perfect for swimming.

The beach features a floating safety line with two sections; the longer one is well over a ¼ mile. Did and out and back swim next to the line to start, then as the crowd picked up I switched to the shorter section and did a few laps next to that line. The water is crystal clear turquoise that is just as beautiful as it gets.

Just before the cruise I was at my planned race weight of 137. I haven’t hit a scale yet, but I’m sure I gained a few pounds that I will have to work back off before July 9^th. I’m not a big eater, but the food is just so good and the service so awesome that I could turn in to one really easy on board. My compliments and thanks to the crew, and specifically Jonathan and Paul who were our waiters for the trip. I know they work really hard to show us a great time and they more than succeeded.

Be sure to put Half Moon Cay on your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.

Stone Mountain Training

2011-06-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

Having been to Stone Mountain, which is just outside Atlanta, I've watched cyclist fly by as I visited the park. This time is was my turn as I got to ride and run the paths around the park on the way to our Florida vacation. Had some time early on Friday June 10th to get in a 20 mile ride and 7 mile run around the park. Just a great place to ride and run. Plenty of hills, smooth roads and nice shade to enjoy the morning.

Using it as a quality session I pushed the pace hard on the bike till around the 20 mile mark my Ergopower shifter jammed in top gear. Well I planned to ride further, but no worries, I just put the bike back in the car, fetched my running shoes ran 7 miles instead of 5. Hills were a good challenge, and the shade on 90% of the course made it a lot easier than it would have otherwise been.

After heading back to the hotel I got sometime in the afternoon to check Google what the problem with the shifter might be. Found an article that said 99% of Campy Ergopower shifter jams are just the brake hood or the bar tape getting in the way. Sure enough I moved the brake hood cover back, centered it, and no more jam. Shared knowledge can be a great thing!

Next chance to run and ride outside will be Jekyll Island which should also be a great play ground for swim, bike, run junkies like me.

God is good!

Spirit of Jasper Duathlon. A.K.A. Plan B

2011-05-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I rolled out of bed early and headed down to Jasper Indiana for the Spirit of Jasper Duathlon. This was the weekend I had planned to race the Rev3 Knoxville Triathlon, but the North High School Senior Prom sort of got in the way. Jared is a senior this year and so his plans for the prom preempted my travel plans for the weekend. Well after a losing argument with Sherrie! Thankfully Rev3 rolled my entry to next year, so very appreciative of that.

My last trip to Jasper was probably as a college student, so needless to say it has been a long-time. I arrived in Jasper by 7 am, just as the transition area was opened. This was a first-time event, with a 5k and a duathlon which consisted of a 5k run, 15 mile bike, and another 5k run. The first three bikes in transition were all serious aero machines so I knew from the start the competition would be good. As soon as I got in line to register Nick Waninger, a friend and pro-triathlete showed, so the competition just got way tougher. A good friend Matt Bartsch who is a serious speedster was also racing which just goes to show this sport is never easy. The depth of talent in this sport never ceases to amaze me.

We started the race with the 5k runners and duathletes all together. The race turned out about a 50/50 split with about 66 in the 5k, and 70 in the duathlon. The initial 5k was rolling smooth pavement into town and back. Probably ran about a 7 minute pace or so, but didn’t wear a watch to check. Just a rough guess I would say among the duathletes I was in 14^th place or so. All things considered it was a good start and I didn’t push too hard. Years ago I would have run much faster, but when you hit 50, the run speed for me is without a doubt dropping.

Once out on the bike and a real quick transition I moved up steadily. Nice smooth roads, but a bit on the hilly side. Nothing wrong with that though, a nice fair course for everyone in compete in. They had a turnaround in the bike course, and it came right after a small downhill so I didn’t see it till I was going way to fast to make the turn. I locked up the brakes, slide around and headed back. I didn’t like losing the time, but no big deal really, just a nice adrenaline rush. The way back to transition was fairly uneventful with no one else to catch in site. Only excitement came on the last turn before transition when a minivan didn’t leave me any room to come by on the right. So riding like a kamikaze like I always do I squeezed in anyway so as not to lose any time. Minivans …

The second transition was really quick and I was out to repeat the last 5k. Legs felt fairly good, and I had enough lead from the guys behind to not worry too much about them passing me back on the run. Came in to the finish feeling good, and got 8^th overall. Nick and Matt had a good dual for first, but Nick is just way too fast for anyone to get to close to. Fun watching them both at the front.

Well it was hard missing an A race at Rev3, but Jared an Bailey did make a sharp couple for the pictures. Good looking kid, wonder where he gets it …

Thought for the Day

2011-05-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

This has been a stressful week as Race Director for the Terre Haute Triathlon in just two weeks. Not just sweating the details which is always the case, but also concerned that registration numbers are way down. Too much competition on the event schedule for a limited amount of triathletes seems to be the real issue. At least that’s how it seems to me anyway.

Today the weather was much better, sun was shining and I was able to run on my lunch hour today. I’ve been nursing a strained calf muscle, so my running has been limited. Somehow that really seemed to improve my mood. As I was thinking about the race, it is much more about the athletes that show up more than it is about numbers. The best thing we can do as a race team is build an event that really focuses on providing a safe and fair race giving the racers the best opportunity for success that we can.

Thinking on that I wrote the following on the Registration page for the race:

The Thunder in the Valley, Terre Haute Triathlon, has celebrated healthy lifestyles and the sport of Triathlon for 26 years. As a non-profit event, we charge low entry fees because we care about you and the sport, not about your money. Whatever profits are made from this event are 100% reinvested in healthy lifestyles for kids in Haiti. We strive to create a great atmosphere for accomplishment, both at the race and where else possible. We invite you to join our tradition.

Running the Presidio 10 San Francisco

2011-04-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Couple of months back my boss asked me if I would attend a conference in San Francisco and stay over a couple of days for a specific training class. Thought about it for like a millisecond and said yes. The only day that didn't feature the conference or class was Sunday April 17th so I took a look a what was going on that day. Turns out the Presidio 10 run was on tab that features running across the Golden Gate Bridge. Needless to say the only decision was to run the 10k or the 10 mile race, settled on the 10 mile (full effect) course.

Race day arrived and I got there early just to make sure I knew where I was going and to relax a bit before the start. It was maybe 50 and cloudy with a brisk breeze. However, the scenery is nothing short of amazing. The race started exactly on time and I line up just a bit back from the start. The first mile is lots of uphill running till a turn around. Running nice and smooth, trying to save it for later kind of thing. After the turn around we hit a trail that was the most scenic one I have ever laid eyes on. Made it hard to concentrate and not just stop and take it all in. Not too far down we run up some stairs and up to the Golden Gate Bridge. Running down one side toward Sausalito (Marin County).

Happened to just look up as I saw a red Ferrari Testarossa going across. Probably ran about a 1 mile and 1/4 before we hit the end of the bridge, did a left turn and down some stairs then under the bridge and back up stairs to the other side. We then ran the length of the bridge back toward San Francisco. Looking up again I saw another Ferrari Testarossa, must be a sign I need to buy one? Okay maybe not.

We hit a nice downhill section around the 8 mile mark and made a turn back toward the bay and onto a hard packed trail along the coast till about the 9.5 mile mark. The first 8 went just dandy for me, had no idea of the pace since I forgot to bring a watch, but it felt fast for me. From there on it was more and more effort to maintain the pace. The last 1/2 mile was into a stiff breeze and my legs were just about trashed. Somehow I kept about the same pace and finished in 75 minutes, 38 seconds or about a 7:33 pace per mile.

Post race activities included pancakes, drinks, beer (none for me) and egg and sausage wraps. Some nice music and lots of stuff to see.

Felt really bless to have the opportunity and really happy with the time. If you make it to San Francisco, check out the views from the trail by the bridge, they are spectacular.

Hillsboro Roubaix Road Race

2011-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

58 Miles of Masters 50+ Road Racing

Highlights from Hillsboro

1. Ride 2 1/2 hours with Andy, Joe, Craig and Bradley and didn't get dropped once
(Too bad this was all in the car)

2. Make it to the start-line with 4 minutes to go and the sun was shining

3. At 2 minutes the race announcer asked if anyone had to pee

4. Guy next to me says we are all over 50, so we all have to pee

5. Race starts with a cat and mouse game. Ah the smell of hard braking on carbon wheels

6. Covering the first few accelerations, no sweat

7. Oops let a gap form in front, try to bridge, ah not quite, good effort though

8. Riding with the oldest rider in the field at age 62 for 40 miles and marveling at the power he has

9. Devouring a foot long Subway after the race.

10. Hanging out with my J's Bikes teammates for the day

Finished 28th out of 49, tough race, but very motivating

Happy Birthday Sandy

2011-03-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sandy is sometimes not only my big sister, but also like a second mom.

She is always been there for me when things get tough or go wrong.

Someone you can depend on wither close by or far removed.

When I was a just a little kid she was off to college. I remember her as a reader and I was left inspired. She would return home and stay for a while. She owned a Ford Torino and traveled in style. For me she always had a smile.

Before you know it she was off and married to Ron. I missed their wedding when my camping trip took too long. Not much time passed before they moved to Miami and were gone. But we got to visit them where it was sunny and warm.

After basic training who would think it but down to Miami I was sent along. They took me to the beach and let me tag along. My fiends missed their families, but I tried not to gloat. Mine lived just down the road and owned a ski boat.

Got orders for Germany and we parted again. Yet Sandy wrote me letters and remained my friend. A year passed before I got to visit with them. I planned to return to Miami after my years in the military. Yet when I got out I met Sherrie.

When college was over and I was looking to start a career, Ron and Sandy were there to arrest my fear. They offered a trip to Miami where a good job appeared.

Not only family, but instrumental in my career and friends.

When it was time to make hard decisions with my mom and dad she came by me again. Hard times for all of us, but her character runs far from thin. What’s next I cannot say, but I’m sure we will stay tight no matter what will come our way.

Cold, Windy, and a Chance of Dog

2011-03-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

The training schedule today called for a 40 mile ride. Took a look out the kitchen window to see the thermometer reading 38 degrees. Nice and windy as well with the flags flying straight from the northeast. It’s March and I not really looking forward to another long turbo trainer ride inside, so the choice is made. Dress warm and put a large scoop of electrolite/carbo powder in the water bottle and headed for the door.

Best way I could think to approach the ride was to head straight into the wind for the first 20 miles north east, so that would take me to the covered bridge with the waterfall running under it in the heart of Bridgeton. As soon as I got of the neighborhood and hit the wind, my thoughts of success already were running a bit low. Didn’t know if was really up for this, but I was determined to try.

Made it up to Rosedale and out some nice scenic roads before the first dog chase of the day began. Part of cycling in Indiana back roads is the inevitable meetings with dogs. They tend to raise them big here too. The first one was medium size and growling while I was headed straight into a head wind. No since trying to out run him so I just tailed in next to or behind him till he got tired of the game and headed for home. From there I made it out to Bridgeton fighting some stiff breezes. Took me roughly an hour and 23 minutes, and 16 miles per hour average.

The water was really high under the bridge and the waterfall was making some serious activity this time of year. Stopped just long enough to take a couple of pictures with my phone and headed back home. Thought about changing the route to avoid the dog, but I’m too stubborn to change and figured with the tailwind I would have the advantage. As I passed his home he was nowhere in site. Back into Rosedale at a much faster pace, then the county line road toward home. Just as I passed by some friends house out on a country road I met up with dog chase number 2. This one was with a German Shepard mix on my left and a Pit Bull looking dog on my right. I had a nice tailwind but had to keep the pace down since I had a nice sandy corner in the road just ahead. I hit the gas just around the corner just in time for dog number 3. Thankfully he went chasing dogs 1 and 2 and didn’t pay me any attention.

Made last stretch toward home and pulled in with 2 hours 26 minutes displaying on my Garmin watch. Hour and 3 minutes back so it was a lot faster and easier than the ride out. So goes another adventure cycling in the spring.

Triathlon and the World of Design

2011-03-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

I’ve been working on a side project for pro-triathlete, Daniel Bretscher designing his logo and uniform for the upcoming 2011 season. The logo has been ready for a while and this week we started on the uniform design. Initially we started with orange and white as the primary colors, but it ended up red, black and white somewhere in the design process. Somehow you never know what the end result will be starting out; you just sort of arrive there after trial and error.

It would make an interesting video clip to show all the designs and finally morph it into the final one. We probably did 20 before it was a go. Designing uniforms and logos was much like the process of designing a new website. You try it, alter it, and try something else till everyone gives it thumbs up.

We are working with Champion Systems http://champ-sys.com/index.php for the final product. It may get altered a bit by the time we are finished with the printing, but we should be really close.

Hopefully the whole Bretscher Multisport team will be sporting the new look by spring. With the coaching, talent and work ethic of this team, you will likely see it on several podiums around the U.S. this year. I’m anxious to see that myself.

All in all it has been a very fun project. Hopefully you like it …

Running with Team MTM in Haiti

2011-02-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Just returned Monday (Feb 21st) from Haiti as part of a medical mission trip with Doctor Mark and 12 others including my youngest son Jacob. The team all from Terre Haute visited Mountain Top Ministries located near the small mountain village of Gramothe just a few miles up from Petionville. Traveling from a Monday to a Monday we worked in a medical clinic across from the school on Tuesday through Friday. We were able to treat over 650 patients for those 4 days and had the experience of a lifetime. We were also able to do some sight-seeing on Saturday afternoon and church with the village on Sunday.

To keep my fitness up during these trips I try to walk the mountain each day instead of riding the truck or the 4 wheelers. This time I ran some of the downhill and flat sections, but it is so steep up the climb I don’t even attempt to run that part. Usually I get a heavy sweat going just walking up to the school and clinic.

I mentioned to Willem Charles who runs Mountain Top that maybe we could organize a run this year for the school kids, or at least the older ones. While we didn’t have a run on a large scale, we did end up with a race of select high school students on Saturday morning. I had the opportunity to meet 3 of the young men in the high school, Schneider, Mouse and Geom who are all outstanding students and leaders. We walked down the mountain together at the end of the school day for them, and clinic day for me on a couple of occasions. We had planned to race the mountain after school, but Schneider took a good fall practicing on the rocky run down to the creek, so no such luck. However, he recovered in a couple of days so the three came and got me on Saturday morning early and we raced from the mission house about 2 ½ miles down the road to the creek, across and up the mountain to the school and clinic.

The road is really rough for running with large rocks and plenty to dodge along the way. Then the creek which is dry now is all rock bed. The mountain itself is about 1 mile up with what I would guess is an average grade of 18% with steeper pitches at the top. I was able to hang with the group down and across the creek and then we hit the hard climb. I probably made it a ¼ mile up when Geom took off and left us in the dust. Geom looks like a typical elite marathon runner who has a pure gift for running. Schneider, Mouse and I had to walk at this point as fast as we could. About ½ way up Schneider and I was able to run maybe 100 meters before going back to a walk. We also ran the last 100 meters which is off the charts steep, but by then Geom had long finished.

After some good laughs and trash talking about the race the rest was over, and Schneider led us through a number of calisthenics and running drills at the school. Schneider is a born leader who ran a mean gym class. He obviously knew what he was doing, and the running drills were very similar to what Daniel Bretscher recommended for me. We also did a number of all out sprints on the basketball court before it was over. We then walked and down the hill and ran the creek bed and back up the hill to the mission house. We had a blast the whole time and it was just a super positive start to the day, even if they did run me into the ground.

We made plans to talk again at church the next day so I thought Sunday would just have a good hike in the afternoon. I'll save the hike story for another post. About 6:30 A.M. in the morning they were back at the gate and had recruited another friend for the morning workout. Up out of bed, running shoes on and back out I went. This time we ran up the steep hill to the main road and across. Thankfully no mountain to run, but we did find some good hills across the main road to run. We also did some uphill and downhill 100 meter sprints as part of the morning run. We then headed back to a soccer field where Schneider led us in gym class and running drills for a good 30 minutes before we ran back to the mission home.

We headed back to Indiana early Monday morning and I have to admit it was with plenty of reluctance that I left my new running team. The good news is we are sponsoring all three of these young men to the Terre Haute Triathlon later in May. Each will get a chance to leave their village for the first time and fly to the states for a week’s stay. Team MTM will get a chance to compete in the triathlon as part of a team doing the run.

Will be interesting to see just how well the Team MTM running club from the school takes off. Will this lead to something big that a lot of students want to be involved in, or a flash in the pan? With a bit of sponsorship and encouragement for the students, I tend to think it will be something big.

Mental Acuity & Triathlon

2011-02-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

I remember watching Ironman Hawaii not too many years ago when Natasha Badmann was rolling out of T1 (swim to bike transition) when she went out of her way to say “have a great day” to the volunteers just before crushing the competition and winning yet again. Just the way she had a smile on her face the whole day and was such an inspiration to everyone around her, I can still picture it. These days Chrissie Wellington has taken up the mantle in Hawaii and wherever else she goes to be very much like Natasha. Have to admit triathlon has brought out some of the most positive people on the planet. How exactly do you gain that sense and keep it has been on my mind of late.

This winter has been tough on everyone who lives remotely north, yet from a mental acuity standpoint this has been one of the best for me, if not the best I can remember. A number of days this winter I get up early to ride before work on the indoor trainer and get off feeling just super positive about the upcoming day. Makes we wonder just what factors have come in to play, and how do I keep this sharpness. Certainly some of this comes from my wife Sherrie and the kids, my great family, friends, my coach Daniel Bretscher and a number of others who contribute daily to my life. Taking classes at WGU and having my mentor Jill call me every week to be sure I’m staying on task could be a contributor. No doubt as a person of faith, having a focused life that revolves around living a life pleasing to Christ plays a major roll.

Somehow this support system, staying positive and getting mentally and physically fit all play a roll. Yet I wonder sometimes how to keep it all in proper balance so I don’t mess this up. Certainly my goal is to have a really good year in terms of competition, yet I also want to borrow a page of out Natasha’s book. Keeping that smile on my face and being an encouragement to others while going about my day. If somehow I can keep all that going, 2011 is going to be a year to remember.

Patton's Cave vs Cabin Fever

2011-01-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

On Friday the 21^st I set out on an adventure with Doug Miller, Matt Miller and JR Wilson to make the hike from the Charles C. Deam Wilderness area near Lake Monroe for Patton’s Cave. We set this trip up a week in advance having no idea that this would be the coldest day of the year at -4 degrees when we left Terre Haute.

We made a stop for big breakfast in Spencer that was satisfying, and then drove on to Bloomington. After parking in the Hoosier Forest we headed down the snow covered trail making fresh tracks in the snow down the trail. It looked on the map to be roughly 4 miles, but the cave itself if off the regular trail so no idea exactly how far it was. Just following the trail was a bit of a trick with roughly 5 inches of fresh snow. Yeah, it was cold, but after about a mile I was fairly comfortable. Going was slow but we were all suffering with cabin fever so it was good just to get out and take winter head on.

Made it up and down some hills, passed a creek crossing and then up several more hills before finding the side trail that leads toward the cave. Thankfully Doug had a GPS with coordinates for the cave so after we got headed in the wrong direction; we took an impromptu trail toward the coordinates. After hiking through the forest in the general direction we finally came upon where the cave was supposed to be. Bad news is we could find no cave. I used my iPhone to find a picture of the entrance, and knew we were certainly not seeing it. After looking around for a while we decided to give up and head back. Since we had long lost the trail we took a short cut down the creek to see if we could intersect our path back. Knowing the only human footprints were ours we figured we would not get too lost.

Thankfully we were had only gone a short way when I looked up and saw the entrance to the cave about half way up the hill facing the creek. Made the steep climb up and took a look inside the cave. At the opening it is wide enough to drive a car in for the first 25 yards or so. After that it takes a sharp turn into a smaller opening that was too dark to venture in to. Took some pictures then made our way down the path to the creek. From there we traversed back to where the trail intersected and headed back.

Round trip it was probably 5 hours’ worth of hiking. Considering the conditions it would have been much faster without all the snow, but we got it done. After piling back in the van we headed to Bloomington to enjoy a steak dinner and a warm dry spot at Longhorn Steakhouse.

With bellies full we headed to hike two which was from the edge of Brown County State Park to the Miller cabin. We started after dark with head lamps and flashlights. Sounds kind of crazy, but it is really awesome to hike under the stars and lights glowing on fresh snow. It was roughly 4 miles to the cabin with only part of it on a trail, and part through the woods in a general direction of the cabin. The cabin itself is very comfortable, but no electricity to heat it up in a hurry. A good fire in the wood burning stove got things nice a toasty about the time we decided to call it a night.

Bad news is no once the fire went out, it got really cold in there the next morning. I hunkered down in the sleeping bag till Doug was kind enough to get the fire back started. Good man that Doug. He was even better to us when he cooked massive pancakes with sausage for breakfast. Sitting around the fire with a full stomach is a man’s delight. Must say that was a highlight of the trip.

About 1 PM we headed out for the hike back the 4 miles to the van, and then on home. All in the entire trip was one to remember and hopefully an annual winter breaker event.

Winter Time in Fowler Park

2011-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

Dusted off the mountain bike and took it for a ride in the snow yesterday in Fowler Park. Talked to my friend Nick at church on Sunday, and the ride was set about 3 minutes after walking in the door. The turbo trainer has been seeing way too much action the last couple of months with no outside riding. Even if the trails and roads were covered in snow and ice, it was great to get out.

We normally ride all the trails in the park, but limited by the snow we kept to the small trail and the road around the park. On lap two I it bit it when my back tire slide out in a slow corner. Not to be outdone, Nick did likewise on the road in a patch of glare ice. We both had a laugh and road on.

Need to make more of a habit of this. The bike handling skills on the trails at Fowler with the added comradery make it a gas.

What to do when you retire

2010-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not retiring anytime soon, but hopefully I will someday and even then I don't plan to sit and watch the daises grow. Had a short conversation with someone who plans to retire this month so I asked him if he had any big plans. The answer was a rather brief one and no big plan seemed forthcoming.

For a guy who can't sit still what would I try an accomplish during retirement? Had a thought on that subject last evening and came up with an idea. Pack a car full of hiking gear and head west. Visit the major national parks on the way until we get to Lone Pine California and cap it off with a hike up Mt Whitney. Head back via the more southernly route and hit the Grand Canyon on the way home. That should take a good two months and can easily be repeated each year with new as well as favorite sites.

One of my other thoughts on the subject is learning to sail. My one attempt at that in a little Sunfish sailboat was totally comical. That alone should take me months to learn, and plenty of opportunity to keep busy at it for a long time.

Of course you can't spend all of your time just for yourself so another good idea is spend some time volunteering with Samaritans Purse. Can't think of a better operation I would like to be involved with. The world is always in the need for a pick me up. Spent quality time in Haiti and elsewhere knowing that some good work goes a long way.

When asked my standard joke is to spend my retirement as a lifeguard on the beach. Not that they have many retired gentlemen picked for that job, but you have to admit it sounds appealing. My swim always needs work so if I don't get the job, I'll just hang around anyway.

Should you find yourself at the beach in 7 years or so and see an older skinny, but active guy as the lifeguard, you may just wonder, could that be Paul?

Most Creative Run Workout Award

2010-11-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

The award goes to coach and friend "Daniel Bretscher" for the most creative run workout I think I've ever done. On Black Friday after the Thanksgiving feast this year I skipped the mall and made my way to Hawthorn Park for my run workout. On tap was an 8 mile run, but not your standard long distance middle pace effort. The goal was a good warm up then a 2 minute effort at about 80% pace. Take note of where you are after the 2 minutes then jog back to the start and repeat it so that you go further within the same 2 minute time. Keep doing this until you can't go any further within the time limit. Then do your cool down so that you finish out the 8 miles.

Basically you are competing against yourself to run faster and more effeciently as long as you can. At the same time you get in both a long effort and plenty of speed. I did it all on a scene trail that made it go much faster. All in all a great workout. For more of these plus great cycling and swimming workouts, see http://www.bretschermultisport.com and hire Daniel.

Years ago I had the good fortune of a great run coach, Tom Burleson in the late 80's when I worked for a large bank that hired him to coach the team for the corporate challenge and the 500 Festival Half Marathon. I learned early on the benefit of having a coach for running. I went from a middle of the pack runner to running the Indy Half in 1 hour 21 minutes in just a few years. It was hard work, but as usual, hard work pays benefits.

A Higher Level

2010-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

For the month of November I'm being coached by Daniel Bretscher (www.bretschermultisport.com). I did some work on Daniel's website and he was offering a free month of coaching so I jumped on that. The workout schedule for the first week arrived a few days in advance. Daniel asked me my training volume, goals, times and the like so he built it around my answers. Thought that was very positive since I knew he didn't just pull out a workout and send it to me.

Since the 1st it has been about moving to a higher level. I'm also taking some college courses now via Western Governors University so my daily schedule is fairly full. To be honest I'm beginning to think that a full schedule leads to the desire for more success. Something about having all those goals and limited time to accomplish it makes you really want to achieve at the highest level. Today for instance starting as a 6 AM wake up, in the pool at 6:55 for my 2200 yards of swimming with 16 x 100 intervals. Got to work at 8 AM, skipped lunch and had the bike in the car with me for a ride after work. Got in 25 miles with 3 x 5 minute intervals and 3 x 3 minute intervals. Made it back to the car just in time from my weekly call from my mentor Jill at WGU. Nothing like getting that call and having something good to report. Made it home at 5:20 PM and finished the final draft of my English paper. Got it turned in before dinner then free time.

I have big plans for 2011, not unlike most years, but at this rate I should be fully prepared. Signed up for Ironman 70.3 Muncie in July. Couple of early Olympic distance races before that and then see how it all goes. One never knows what may be around the corner, but I'm trying hard to be ready for something good to come. We will see ...

Tenacity of Purpose, Modest Life, and Unfailing Courage

2010-10-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a link today about the Crazy Horse monument being carved in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I've heard of it, but not seen it in person, It did make me wonder, who was Crazy Horse? So of course they have an FAQ on the site that talks about him. What struck me was the following sentence:

Crazy Horse's tenacity of purpose, his modest life, his unfailing courage, and his tragic death set him apart and above the others.

While I can skip the "tragic death" thing, I'm most impressed with the tenacity, modesty and unfailing courage part.

Maybe a key here is to have a clear purpose in life otherwise it is hard to have a tenacity of purpose.

One other statement later one says he was a "role model of selfless dedication and service to others". Hard to do, but then they don't carve mountains for just anyone.

Red Dot on the Right Bus

2010-10-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

I raced the Lake Lemon Triathlon September 18th again this year just outside Bloomington, Indiana. This was the only race I repeated from last year and a decent chance to compare fitness from a year ago. Last year I held back on this course with an Ironman 70.3 the next weekend, but this year I had no reason to not give it my best shot.

Like last year, I went over a day early with Greg Lucas to setup the bike racks and swim course. It was a beautiful day to hang out at the park, and the setup went easy so we really enjoyed the day. After setting the buoys and making sure it was accurate via a Garmin GPS watch, we set back in the kayaks and just enjoyed the sun for a nice long time. Went for some good dinner at Nothing but Noodles and settled into a hotel for race morning.

Race day itself was near perfect weather. A bit cool in the morning, but warming up by mid-morning to a very comfortable temperature. Troy Charters was also racing so I knew it would be an interesting day since I had a feeling we would be finishing in very close proximity. The three of us started together in wave 2 of the swim. Once the wave starts, it is hard to tell who is who so I just tried to keep a long smooth stroke and not lose too much time. The swim is a triangle and I managed to navigate it nice and straight with not too much bumping around with other swimmers. Made it out of the water in a rather average time, but feeling very fresh and ready for the bike to begin.

My one mishap of the day happened crossing the timing mat into transition 1 (T1). I tried to make a hard left toward the rack my bike was parked at, and ended up slipping on the wet rubber mat and went down in rather a quick fashion. Someone yelled at me to get up, but adrenaline was so high that I was up before they finished saying it. I made haste to the bike and out of T1 in really quick fashion. Next order of business was to ride up a nice long steep hill right from the start. Add to the fact that Troy and Greg were already in front of me, my patience was growing thin. As soon as it leveled off, I set off in a high speed pursuit. It was probably 5 miles before I caught them and I was working 100% effort to do it. Close enough to want to hurl, and back off just a little would give you an idea what it was like. I made it passed Troy and gave a good yell at him which I knew would be like stirring a hornet’s nest. Just after Troy I caught up with Greg and repeated the same pattern. Next up was turn around at mile 8 for the hilly trip back.

The largest hill of the day is not too far on the way back to the lake and Troy was kind enough to pass me and let me know the hornet was indeed stirred. We passed each other back and forth for the next few miles till he must have settled in behind me till the transition 2. Back at the lake I made a quick dismount and ran the bike back to the rack, made the shoe switch in short order and headed out for the run. Legs felt decent which is good since the first big hill you have to ride up, you also have to run up. The one guy who came out of T2 with me dropped back a bit on the hill which was a good sign I was keeping at least a decent tempo. Not far passed the top of the hill you make a left and down a long steep hill to the half way/turn around point of the run. Just after the turnaround I saw Troy with a determined look on his face. Good for him, bad for me. About half way up the long uphill toward the finish Troy caught me so I tried staying on his heels for a while. That lasted for about 30 seconds and he started getting a gap on me. By the top he probably had 20 seconds and no catching him at that point. Ended up finished 22 seconds down on him, and we were 13th and 14th overall. Not bad out of 184. Also about the same time I finished in the previous year considering the swim was longer this year.

After the race the three of us chilled out at the park and just enjoyed the sunshine. We were joined by Ethan Page who hung out with us. Ethan is a sophomore at IU, and if he was racing we would have been another place back.

If you look at the results page you can watch a representation of the race with the three of us at all points of the course. At this link, the red dot is me, and the blue ones are Greg and Troy.

My pastor, Mark Tobey has a saying that sometimes you are in the right bus but not necessarily in the right seat. This is a nice way of saying you are not doing what God would have you do according to your gifts and talents. On this day I had the idea I picked the correct seat on the correct bus. At some point I believe everyone has to come to grips with the direction they are headed as a person with a wide angle lens. Triathlon is a particularly easy sport to be overcome with self. Some of this sport in the correct measure can be very good for you, but too much and you easily got lost in the perspective.

My hope is for all of us to find not only the right bus, but be sitting in the correct seat.

Ben Hur on Carbon Fiber

2010-08-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Now that the days are getting shorter I have to resort to riding in to work the short way. Instead of the 15 miles through the Heritage Trail, now it is straight down the emergency lane on highway 41. This completely changes my demeanor to cycling like an out of work Kamikaze Pilot. No more riding through the scenic tree lined quiet trail. Now it is full gas ride with the cars in time trial mode. Somehow I pass by Union Hospital just as some are leaving work and others heading in. I generally fly around the corner there like the first lap of a criterium race. Something a kin to Ben Hur riding his chariot around the Roman Coliseum. Instead of flying hooves its carbon fiber and aluminum in full tilt. Who needs coffee in the morning after these rides ...

The Spirit Wills

2010-08-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Spirit Wills
I came to race
Spirit, Mind and Body
Evansville is the place

Triathlon with my friends
We all like to race
Swim, bike and run we enjoy the pace
Put aside the fears and give them no space

The start arrives and in to the water we slide
To the first buoy swimmers on all sides
Elbows high and let it fly
Several buoys yet to get by

Run to T1 my bike awaits
Helmet on and out the gate
To ride fast there is no better fate
Spinning gears is a positive trait

Back in the park and out on the run
Lord provide me the strength to get this done
High fives from my friends on the course
Along with the volunteers they exhibit a powerful force

The finish line I finally see
This triathlon is to become a part of me
Like rings embedded with a tree
Each endeavor is within the very heart of me

Happy Birthday Jane

2010-08-15T00:11:00.001-07:00

My sister Jane is having her birthday today
She was always nice to me and had something positive to say
I came along on her 12th birthday
I guess I ruined her party that day
Her mother leaving for a hospital stay

My early memory’s go back to her wedding day
I was six or seven when Gary became part of the family to stay
I remember the cars they drove and the places they lived
They seemed so far away
Yet not so far we could make it in a few hours in the car

I remember going to their house for a week in the summer to play
Every night featured popcorn and conversation of the day
Sometimes out for a movie sometimes a quiet night
Oh yes, I remember that one particular night
Sometimes little brothers are a terrible sight

I always looked forward to those stays
Still visit Jane’s in much the same way
Now with my own kids we go there to play
Out to the beach or just sitting in the sun
I can’t think of to many things more fun

Jane I hope you enjoy your special day
Maybe out for a nice meal and playing cards with your friends
It’s great to know you have many of them
She has a sharp wit and a desire to win
And likely she will again and again

So keep a spare room for us to drop in
Your little brother will be back there again
I may be older and gray
But inside I am much the same way
Like to go to my big sister’s house to play

Love Paul

Alzheimer’s & Cardiac Index

2010-08-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting article yesterday printed in the USA Today about Alzheimer’s and it’s relation to Cardiac Index (the ability of your heart to pump blood). Basically speaking it was tying the lack of blood supply to the brain as a cause of the disease. Having both of my parents pass away with ALZ makes me keen to know what causes it, and how to prevent it. To read the article see:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-08-03-heartbrain03_ST_N.htm

My mother’s case was different than my father’s so I know it can be a vexing problem to find a solution to. However, in my father’s case the above problem seems very directly related. He had a heart attack, and later heart bypass surgery. He was not one for exercise in general, but he was never really overweight though. A couple of years before he passed away he had a brain scan that showed his brain was shrinking in size. Another symptom mentioned in the article.

Considering the combined facts of an aging population, lack of a solid cure for ALZ, and its projected growth rate this could lead to a bleak future for the elderly. Another factor is the population in general is becoming more sedentary with the advent of technology. Taking these factors together it makes it all the more important that we be keenly aware of the massive effect this disease can cause. Consider also the cost of long-term health care when you can no longer care for yourself. All of this combined point to the war we need to make on this disease. Maybe we need something a kin to the “Livestrong” campaign against cancer for ALZ. No matter your thoughts on Lance Armstrong, we need someone just like him to take on the leadership in this arena.

For now, healthy living in general and consistant activity both physical and mental seemed to be the best course of action. Personally speaking, ALZ is a disaster we would all do well to avoid in every way possible.

Goal 200/10,000

2010-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

With no running this week I thought I would see how much I can ride and swim. Riding into work today I came up on a guy coming out of the Heritage Apartments by the trail riding a rode bike with carbon tubulars. He had a full back pack and on was riding pretty quick. Don't see to many bike commuters riding a race setup like that.

Just for fun I'm trying to get in 200 miles on the bike and 10,000 yards of swimming for the week. Maybe I'll make it maybe I won't, but worth a shot. Trying to keep the depression away from the thought of not being able to run for a good while.

Tough Month

2010-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

During an early run last week my soleus muscle (outside calf) started getting that familiar ache. I didn't run the rest of the week thinking it would be okay in a few days. Went for a run yesterday and had to cut it at 5 miles. By the end both were aching. Iced them down, but made it hard to even walk on them within an hour.

That puts me out of running for at least 3 weeks. About the same time as the Evansville Triathlon. Hopefully I can get through that. Guess I'll try to rehab them the best I can. July has been a bit tough on me this year.

Mind Versus Body 7/19/2010

2010-07-19T08:29:00.001-07:00

The Mind

Set the alarm clock for 5:50 AM
I'll be up and at it then
Go for an early run then later a swim

The Body

Alarms going off, and I need more rest
the Mind wants to put me to the test
I show him that this bed I like the best

The Mind

Come body lets get up and run
Will meet Joe and the others, it will be fun
If we get up early we can avoid the sun

The Body

Only 7 hours of sleep I need more
You worked me hard yesterday
and this bed I adore

The Compromise

30 minutes of sleep on that we can agree
I can still ride to work with some breakfast in me
then maybe tomorrow we will see ...

Twitter Feed

2010-07-14T14:01:00.001-07:00

21:33 @RickWarren totally agree #

Twitter Feed

2010-07-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

17:55 Tired legs today what would be a good cure? #

Twitter Feed

2010-06-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

20:06 Karate kid on tap for tonight. Back to the beach tomorrow #

Twitter Feed

2010-06-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

10:07 On the way to Bradenton beach for some sunshine and ocean time #

Life in Sun City

2010-06-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Spending my first week of vacation in Sun City Center Florida. My sister lives on a small lake so I got in a bit of open water swimming on a couple of occasions. Also, brought the road bike with me for a little cycling in the heat. Hit the pool here today for some standard swim work as well. Need to visit the beach a couple of times for some of my favorite running. Maybe catch a sunset at the same time. Enjoyed the sleeping in as well. I'll try to get some video up later this week.

Hoosierman Triathlon, a Touch of Purgatory

2010-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hoosierman came around again this year at Lake Monroe Bloomington area. Last year it was a sprint tri only. Just for more fun, race director Andre gave us the Olympic Distance option, or about twice the fun. Well … on paper that is.

Seeing how I’m focusing on Olympic distance racing this year, I opted for the longer one and lined up Sunday morning with my protégé Ethan Page. Ethan is 19, swims much better than I ever can, and runs like I used to in my prime. My only chance of hanging with Ethan was to build a big lead on the bike. More on that later.

Jacob decided to go with me, so we set off a little after 5 AM for Bloomington with a stop by the Pages house. Ethan, Ron and Ethan’s girlfriend also came which made a nice group for the day.

The race got delayed 45 minutes or so due to the crazy storm that came through the night before. No big deal except that it was going to be a hot steamy day, so later means hotter. I went in the last wave with the 45+ guys. Thankfully my friend John Sheldon was also racing the Olympic and just like last year I drafted off Johnny till we made it back to shore. This made for an easy swim especially with a wetsuit on as the water temp was 76.

Made the quick transition to the bike with a minor slowdown due to the wetsuit getting hung on my timing chip around my ankle. The bike course goes up some serious hills from the start, that part I knew from last year. What I didn’t know was the added distance on the course was an equal or more difficult section of relentless hills. Some steep enough you would look down for chalk marks like you see in the Tour de France urging on Lance. About 20 miles in I started praying for them to stop, but they continued to come till the very end. God’s way of saying I should have been in a church on Sunday knuckle head. This also felt like the entrance to Purgatory. Hot and all uphill with no Beatrice to guide me.

My thinking was if I could catch Ethan on the bike who started in the wave 6 minutes earlier maybe I could hold him off on the run with a minute a mile cushion. Well, I never caught him so that plan was shot. However, I did a good ride which turned out 6th fastest for the day. Not bad considering I don’t live with hills like this in my little homestead.

The run starts up a nice hill, goes into the woods on a narrow trail then up a particularly nasty hill. Started the run just fine, but by the half way point up the dirt trial hill my quadriceps started getting some cramps. Apparently too many hills on the bike and not enough water intake was taking its toll. It was nice and toasty hot out so I should have been more careful. Not at mile 1 I had to drop into a survival mode of running. I have been running better and expected something good, but was not to be today.

The run course was two laps so the second lap featured all walking up the dirt trail hill. Just before I made it back in the woods, two ladies watching the race said “hey you look good, how old are you”. Not sure if that was a compliment, or an acknowledgment of my advanced age trying to chase down young guys like Ethan?

Finally found the finish line in sight, after what seemed like an eternity on the run. After all the results were in I finished in 2 hours 27 minutes, 1st in the 50-54 age group. Looking at the final results I was 20th overall. Bike time was good in comparison, but swim and run were not so pretty. Ethan had the fastest run split for the day and ended up 7th overall.

Hopefully I’ll fare a bit better in a couple more Olympic distance events over the next couple of months. Hopefully I can avoid any more Purgatory on the way.

Rev3 Knoxville & the JumboTron

2010-05-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

Rev3 put on a good show at Knoxville Olympic Distance Triathlon May 9th (.9 mile swim, 25.8 mile ride, 6.2 mile run). I drove down Saturday and got there just before packet pickup and the transition area closed. Having visited the Worlds Fair way back when I immediately recognized the park downtown, very nice place. Liked having all the personalization like your name on your race number and your transition spot.

Race morning I stayed in the room till the last minute so as to not be cold hanging around for the start. Got my stuff set, put on the wetsuit and still had to wait a long time for the last wave to go. The swim was 400 meters or so back into the current in the Tennessee River, take a right turn around a large buoy then a straight shot to the dock at the end. All went smooth till the end where I tried to pull myself out of the water without any steps. A volunteer grabbed my arm and pulled me straight up onto the dock. It was like the hand of God reaching down. Needless to say, the volunteers were awesome!

Made the quick transition to the bike in a hurry and took off for what was one challenging course. Didn't preview it or anything so it was all on the job training so to speak. Not a mile into the course we were headed up a big hill when I saw Chris Lieto screaming down for the finish. Just after that my left contact folded up and eventually few out. For the next 24 twisting turning miles on the bike course I could only see well out of 1 eye. Nothing like blurry vision and flying downhill at 40+ MPH. Felt good, but not that quick on the serious climbs. Just before I made it back to transition they had a very confusing mix of runners headed both directions while the bikes sharing the road with them. I first thought I had made a wrong turn and ended up on the run course. However, they was just the way it was planned out. Didn't like that part at all.

The run went good from the start. Had no idea what pace I was running, but I tried to stay conservative thinking it would get into some serious hills. We never did which turned out to be a mistake on my part. The last mile had lots of curves so I had no idea who was in front of me. Coming into the finish at Worlds Fair Park I was taking in all the sights and watching the Jumbo Tron screen at the finish line. My other big mistake, for there right a the finish line I saw a guy looking like he was about to collapse. Turned out he finished 1.9 seconds in front of me and won my age group. I was second because I spent too much time looking for myself on the Jumbo Tron. What a numskull! Well you just have to laugh. Best thing was I felt great and could have easily run faster than the 7:30 pace I did. Likely now that I'm in my 50's how often will I be able to say that. God was good to me. Well I headed home in a big hurry for the 6 hour 30 minute drive to see my wife on Mother's Day. Made it back in time for the evening together which was well worth the effort. All in all, it was a quick trip but very fulfilling.

Twitter Feed

2010-05-10T14:01:00.001-07:00

13:36 Home from the whirlwind trip to Rev3 Knoxville. Loved the finish and thought it was a first class event. #

Twitter Feed

2010-05-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

21:34 In Knoxville for rev3. Should be an interesting day tomorrow #

Twitter Feed

2010-04-18T14:02:00.001-07:00

10:57 Double chocholate chip bagel to start the day off in chicago now that is a good start #

Twitter Feed

2010-04-15T14:02:00.001-07:00

19:56 In st louis to watch the cadnials play #

Life in the Swim Lane

2010-03-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

My experience with swimming didn’t really start till I was almost 30. These days however I’m starting to spend some quality time in the pool lane lines. I remember in high school when I was taking Advanced, Advanced PE, (yes that’s correct) we did a President’s Physical Fitness Test and I could do everything except for the swim. One lap of the pool and I was completely done. That didn’t change until a few months before I turned 30. With a stress fracture from too much running and a friend who was a former swimmer headed me to the pool for an introduction. My lap swimming experience began at the Sisters of St. Benedict pool in Beech Grove. How is that for a blessed start?

My swim stroke is still on the rough side, my kick is not good, and while I may claim a bit of natural cycling and running ability, I make zero claims for that in swimming. However, I have really begun to enjoy the swim time. Probably my most positive memory of swimming is completing a lap in the lake at a Hansford Mann’s home. With Jeff Tincher we would ride out to his house near Brazil, swim down the .7 mile lake, then back. From there we would ride back to Jeff’s house and sometimes a run afterward. From where the lake starts, you can’t see the end. Mighty intimidating the first time I did that.

This week the Forward Motion Tri Team started organized swim practices at the Arena pool at ISU. My normal routine of 1500 – 2000 yard swims was out the door, and the first practice was 3,000 yards. After practice I headed home, got something to eat and hit the couch for the evening. I was a tired puppy. Yesterday was a bit easier with 2,500 yards, but still left me with some aching shoulders. The atmosphere of the teams swim practice is now more like a high school swim team. Well, maybe not that hard, but getting closer. With the beautiful new pool at the SRC center here on campus and the team practices at the Arena Pool, I may become a swimmer yet. I might be 60 when I can say that, but better late than never.

Twitter Feed

2010-03-18T14:01:00.001-07:00

13:50 Sun was shinning bright today so a nice run in the park was the ticket. Spring, got to love it. #

Twitter Feed

2010-03-09T14:02:00.001-08:00

15:11 Should I race Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 on Sep 12 or Ironman 70.3 Branson Sept 19? What do you think? #

Twitter Feed

2010-03-07T14:02:00.001-08:00

17:42 New iPhone now to learn it #

Twitter Feed

2010-03-02T14:00:00.001-08:00

12:55 @chrislieto having spent a long winter on the trainer, I wish I had the option. However, I don't really like the rain so ... #

Twitter Feed

2010-02-05T14:01:00.001-08:00

14:30 An Evening with Andrew Young, story at paulasay.blogspot.com #

An evening with Andrew Young

2010-02-05T11:21:00.001-08:00

Had the opportunity to attend the talk last night by Civil Rights activist, former Mayor of Atlanta, Ambassador, close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King as well as a former member of Congress. This was part of the ISU Speaker Series, and free to the public. Ambassador Young started as a pastor of a church in Alabama in his early 20’s. That pastoral background was clearly evident throughout the night. He started by warming up to Indiana and some of the folks he has had good experiences with from this state. Good to relate to your audience from the start. He then began his pointed remarks in the terms that we really are in a crisis. He emphasized it we were not in just a political crisis, and an economic crisis, but also a moral crisis.

He mentioned in passing that the Deacons of his church reminded him from the beginning, you may have a northern education, but here in the South, we speak from the heart. No notes allowed in the pulpit. He seemed to speak to the crowd without notes on this occasion as well. Clearly he is very sharp and stated numerous names, dates and places from memory. I’m sure he has more stories to tell than he has time. Ambassador Young would be a good person to have a weekly discussion with if such were possible.

Dealing with politics he made an interesting point about finding common ground. Specifically talking about how Thomas Jefferson was absolutely correct about human rights and social reform (Democratic Stalwart), then mentioned that Alexander Hamilton was also absolutely correct about economics and a budget that worked (A Republican Stalwart). Clearly he was inferring from the beginning we had political issues. However, we need to focus on workable solutions to public problems without dividing into “Blue States” and “Red States”.

Using that same tone he talked about health care and related the expense involved in his first sons birth. He made a $50 down payment and received a $12 rebate. Later his son having insurance when he had a son still paid an exorbitant price of $9,000 after insurance did their part. Clearly he was inferring that the cost of health care has proceeded at a rate beyond what is sustainable.

Another fine quality I appreciate in Ambassador Young’s speech was his humility. He related a number of times with his struggle though college, his grasp of economics and the like. However, it was clear to me he was the kind of person who knew how to get things done and used his humility as a source of wisdom. That’s hard to describe, but evident throughout his talk.

Maybe what I found more motivating than anything else was his ability to see through to solutions and not just political positions. Education both academically and religiously/morally is a great background, but what you do with it is where the real test comes. If you want to change the world for the better, you need to apply that education and moral position to real world solutions. Therefore, let’s get busy about it.

While I am reminded yet again of the story of the Good Samaritan from a humanitarian position as well as an economic position he mentioned something else in that story I never considered. That we really want a world with it is safe to travel the Jericho Road. Inferring another message that non-violence and a moral society is the best society.

Twitter Feed

2010-01-18T14:02:00.001-08:00

11:54 Ran by 300 or so Mallard Ducks on the morning run, should have heard the squaking. #

Paul Vs Velotron (Velotron Wins)

2010-01-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

Got to experience a max heart rate test Sunday on a Velotron. The goal of the test on several cyclist here in town was to find your lactate threshold. Basically how hard you can work before going into the red zone where you can no longer maintain that pace. Now that we know that magic number you can base you training around it. For me that number is a heart rate of 155 to 160.

The test itself include an increasing incline effect until you reach you max heart rate while the machine is evaluating your oxygen uptake and co2 exhale. That part of the test told me my VO2 max was 51.2. I was told that number changes very little and it is basically tied to your God given ability. My max heart rate was 178.

It was hard, but only lasted a little over 10 minutes. The way it sounded my VO2 max was higher than most (the good), but I hit my limit in the shortest amount of time (the not so good). All in all it was a good experience with some friends also getting to share the same experience.

Twitter Feed

2010-01-07T14:02:00.001-08:00

09:07 Entry in for Rev3 Knoxville. Now do I run in the snow? #

Rev3 Knoxville Entry In

2010-01-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Paid my entry fee and made a hotel reservation for the Rev3 Olympic distance triathlon on May 9th. Figured it was as good a goal as any to start the new year with. Hope to figure in the top 5 in my age group. Something good to aim for any way. From a race technology standpoint it looks to be top notch. I can appreciate that.

Hopefully we can get a good group to attend from Indiana.

2010 Tentative Calendar

2009-12-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

My first shot at goals for 2010:

Jan 29th, ICTN Triathlon Camp, Tucson, AZ
May 9th, Rev 3 Triathlon, Knoxville, TN
May 22nd, Terre Haute Triathlon, (as race director)
June 13th, Hoosier Man Triathlon, Bloomington, IN
July 17th, Rain Ride, (Ride Across Indiana)
August 22nd, Race the Lake 90 Mile Road Race, Fond Du Lac, WI
September 19th, Ironman Branson, Branson MO
November 13th, Ironman 70.3 World Championships, Clearwater, FL (if I qualify)
otherwise Ironman 70.3 Miami (October 30th)

We will see how this goes ...

Thinking Medium

2009-12-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Several years ago when our pastor first came to our church he mentioned in a sermon about “thinking medium”. The concept was not to think of yourself more highly than you should, nor too low either. He summarized that in the term “think medium”. From then on I have thought about that a lot, and tend to agree with it more and more. Actually I find great comfort in the concept. I have some gifts and some accomplishments, but all in all, not that much. I also know for a fact that in many cases I am a miserable lot.

Well today I’m home sick which thankfully doesn’t happen very often, and I happened to listen to Chip Ingram on the radio this morning. I ended up checking out his website http://www.livingontheedge.org and also listened to his talk on R12. Low and behold, it basically validates the “think medium” concept in Romans 12:3-8. Nice to know the concept has real depth to it.

While thinking about goals for 2010, which I do a lot these days, I remind myself that the journey is more important than the goal itself. This sort of thinking in the proper perspective is most comforting. I would really like to accomplish a sub 5 hour 70.3 Ironman race. Maybe in doing so I could qualify for the 70.3 championship race in Clearwater Florida. If I make my goal or not, I will try to keep it in medium think.

Thought for the day while my nose is running faster than I can …

Twitter Feed

2009-11-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

09:42 Short story on my recent waterproof video camera purchase trying to improve my swim: paulasay.blogspot.com #

Sanyo Xacti Waterproof Video Camera, Friend or Foe?

2009-11-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a talk with a friend and professional triathlete Daniel Bretscher about helping me with my swim. He mentioned the first step might be to video tape my swim so he could take a look at it. From there maybe some individual lessons would be in order. He then mentioned someone else he was working with did this with a fairly inexpensive and waterproof video camera, specifically the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 model. With $165 and a week’s wait from Amazon.com my shiny new camera arrived in the mail.

On a Monday morning at the Student Rec Center I met Joe for a swim workout with the camera. After a brief warm up I videotaped him for a few minutes, then he did the same for me. I thought I was swimming fairly smooth, but I know my swim technique was not particularly good, but I thought it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t really do any lap swimming until I was 30 so no real swimming background to go from. I have to admit when I did swim in high school gym class I was terrible.

Well I returned to the office and later in the day when I had a few minutes I replayed the video just watching on the LCD screen from the camera itself. Here is where the foe part comes in. The long and short of it is my swim technique stinks. To be honest I woke up in the middle of the night just thinking how bad it was. It passed my mind that maybe I should give up swimming, but then I not much for giving up. I still have high hopes of competing at the top of my age group in the Ironman 70.3 series, so the next alternative is to use the camera to make my swim better no matter how long it takes.

As the camera itself goes, it seems to be a real bargain for a fairly moderate price. Hopefully we will become more friends in the future and less of a foe. One can only wonder if we videotaped our everyday life and played it back. How many times would we shake our head and wonder why we made so many mistakes. Even the things we think we are okay at might be exposed as something much less than desirable. Something to think about for the future …

Twitter Feed

2009-11-16T14:00:00.001-08:00

09:58 Colts Win! Went to bed at 11 PM after they were down 17 points. Big mistake. #

Twitter Feed

2009-11-11T14:00:00.001-08:00

08:34 Hard swim before work and no time for the hot tub. What was i thinking ... #

Twitter Feed

2009-11-03T14:02:00.001-08:00

09:37 Just back from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods college for a little work, what a nice place, sun shining, leaves turning, it's all good. #
10:51 Life is not Rocket Science or so I think paulasay.blogspot.com/ #

Life is not Rocket Science

2009-11-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Saw the headline today on the BBC that taking low dose aspirin is only good for those who have had heart attacks or stroke. Doesn’t seem to work as a preventative and might cause gastrointestinal bleeds. Guess I’ll ditch taking low dose aspirin, and stick with just the multi-vitamin and some anti-oxidants. At the end of the article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8338763.stm it says "The best way to reduce your risk of developing this disease is to avoid smoking, eat a diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruit and vegetables and take regular physical activity."

While contemplating this on my drive out to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, enjoying the sunshine and fall leaves, it just goes to show, life is not Rocket Science. So here are my top 10 ideas on how to enjoy the non Rocket Science life:

1. Have some faith that God exists and wants good things for you when all is said and done

2. Take a walk in the park on regular occasions no matter the weather and enjoy the serenity

3. Invest in some friendships by being a friend first

4. Take an adventure trip at least once a year, sometimes fun things like a cruise, and sometimes rough it things

5. Go on a mission trip to a third world county and invest some quality time with those less fortunate

6. Challenge you metal ever so often just to see what you’re made of

7. Find a positive group of people to hang around with. Those with a common goal of something inspiring

8. Read regularly and often books that inspire, instruct and grow you as a person

9. Make a commitment to learning truth, but be careful how you share it when you find it

10. Oh yeah, eat right, and exercise every day possible cause you know the good life is not Rocket Science

Twitter Feed

2009-10-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

15:42 Big problem at work turned out to be a little problem now solved! Whew, God is good!!! #

Twitter Feed

2009-10-23T14:03:00.001-07:00

11:42 Race Across the Sky was motivating, something to think about on the lunch time run #

Twitter Feed

2009-10-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

08:02 Movie night tonight, Race Across the Sky #

Deuces Rap:

2009-10-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Deuces Wild Duathlon think I've done six
you would think by now I would have my fix
yet one more chance to go out and do my tricks
last race of the year to get my kicks

Jack and Joel came as a team
Craig was there with his carbon fiber gleam
Brent on a team with a black machine
Adam and Andreas showed looking fast and lean

started with the run just like I was leaving the hood
running fast like we stole something but just cause we could
at the turn around I could see where I stood
Stan an Craig breathing down my neck I knew they would

on to the bike and time to throw it down
like a get away car I got out of town
then Stan passed and put me one down
what's up with that dog who said you could come around

at the turn around now 10 more miles
watch for my brothers and check'n out their style
they are my friends but now it's a trail
stay back from me now if just for awhile

back in the park and on the last run
watch Adam motor past for the win
Andreas gets second too fast for me again
ended up forth there at the end

not a young man and maybe I can't win
yet I think I can and maybe I'll try it again
come back next year Adam, Andreas and Stan
this brother ain't down yet baby just wait for 2010

Ironman Augusta 70.3 9/27/09

2009-10-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ironman is enticing and must be treated carefully
Too much too soon will leave you walking humbly
I witnessed its power and its complexity
Much yet to learn plenty left to see

Came to Augusta with high hopes and expectancy
How would I fair for 70.3
From the registration to the expo many athletes just like me
All wondering how strong they would be

Race day arrived I looked over the swim
Looks to be straight with current as my friend
Stayed in the car until it was time to go
Slide into the wetsuit and head for the show

Surrounded by 50 years olds waiting expectantly
Then in the Savannah River we are set free
Got a slow start then picked up speed
Swim straight Paul that is just what you need

Swim exit came soon and I was ready for the bike
Wetsuit was ripped and I found my ride
Bright red with Zipp wheels it had some pride
Now if its rider can hit his stride

Tail wind at the start it felt really good
Put it in the left lane and continue to pass
For 56 miles I take no prisoner but will it last
I have my weaknesses but here I am fast

Back at transition and now ready for part 3
Now for the run to see what is left within me
13 miles to go and I am feeling good
Yet the hard part was brewing and that I understood

4 miles in and all was good
Then it came out of a flash
Leg cramp hit was my hopes to be dashed
1 minute run then 1 minute walk it felt like I crashed

8 miles I not so patiently endured
Slow and painful that you can be assured
Yet give up I never would
Made it to the finish thankfully I could

Ironman is a test not just a race you see
What kind of metal is inside of me?
Will my character hold fast or fade in the fire?
Temper yourself and you will find your desire

Lake Lemon Triathlon 9/21/09

2009-09-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

Lake Lemon triathlon was this past Saturday. My good friend Greg Lucas who put on the Terre Haute Triathlon for years had his son Brandon serving as the race director. With that in mind I was the #2 person to sign-up and got to wear that number during the race. Kind of cool, but guess my number next year will be more like #15, but more on that to come.

It started for me on Friday morning when I made the trip over with Greg to help setup the course. I took care of the swim course and helped out with the transition area. Set the swim during the mid day, and used yellow buoys on the turns. A yellow buoy on the last turn worked out to be a bad decision. As the sun came up at the end of the long straight race morning it made seeing a yellow buoy really difficult. Live and learn, won’t do that again. Seemed just fine when I swam the course Friday afternoon …

Race morning I drove over with Mike Calawerts my Spinning class instructor and friend. Greg had a separate bike rack just for us that worked out nice. Even thought I went in the second swim wave, it got started so quick I missed lining up with John Sheldon who I planned to swim with. My swim would have gone a lot better following him than I did on my own. I did okay till about the middle of the course when I got into the back part of the first wave. From there I swam in a tight group too far to the right. Frustrating to swim off course, but I took a hard left and made it around the last buoy and headed back to shore.

The bike started well, but up a nice long hill. I caught an early glimpse of Greg about a minute or so up the road. After the long hill I got some speed up and finally caught him. Gave him a pat on the back as I went buy to spur us both on. We had a bit of tail wind so I wound it up pretty fast on the way out. My first race with the Zipp disc I picked up on eBay last month. At the 8 mile mark we did a quick turn and headed back to transition. The one big hill on the way back went just fine. I keep it in an easy gear and just kept the legs spinning. Saw a group of several riders up the road and got determined to pass them. Took a while but I got all of them I could see by the last downhill. Had a bit of that Lion on the prowl sort of thing going.

At the transition area I racked the bike and got the running shoes and headed out for the run with one other guy just in front. The big hill loomed large so I took it easy going up. At the top I saw Ryan Shannahan headed back for the finish. He had a big lead on #2 which was no surprise. Ryan can absolutely fly. The sport of triathlon is filled with many first class people like Ryan. From the top of the hill we made the left turn and down a much steeper hill all the way to the half way point. From there it was back up up up. I asked where the escalator was, but received no satisfactory answer. I actually made up some ground on the uphill even thought I was saving some energy. At the top we made the right, down the hill and to the finish. On the final turn I had a competitor pull alongside for the last 1/10 of a mile for a sprint to the finish. I started my sprint and got a bit ahead of him but shut it down not wanting to ruin my legs for Augusta 70.3 next week.

After the results were posted I ended up 15th out of 174 finishers. Good day, lots of fun, and plenty of friends to share the day with. What more can a man ask for. As I’m getting on the upside of 50 I’m really starting to appreciate having days like this. While I need to work more on my run and swim, I’m not sure I could enjoy a day much more even if I did significantly better. God has been good to me beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Next week is Ironman 70.3 race in Augusta and my biggest goal of the season. One can only hope it goes as well. Congrats to Brandon and his friends for putting on the event. Best of success to you in the future, I foresee good things ahead.

The Running Men

2009-08-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

90 or 9 doesn't matter if the weather is fine
You will see us running rain or shine
With Jeff and Joe I'll be in tow
Not as fast as we used to be, but we’re not slow
We may be 50 but we’re pretty fit
Have no time to lie around and sit

Ice and snow, yeah we will go
The postman has nothing on us
Whatever the days brings we don't make a fuss
Got miles to run and laps to swim
Some say we’re rather thin
That's because we are lean and mean and ready to win

Triathlons and marathons we have done our share
5k’s and 10k's with energy to spare
Don't look twice or we will be gone
Running fast and running long

Across trails, lakes and streams
All sorts of places in between
There we run and swim and ride
Evening or morning, low or high tide

Some say we will slow down or even quit
But we don't even think of it
For God has been good to us
He has given us the strength

Someday our time will come
Up in heaven we may still run
Across the clouds up in the sky
For even then we will be running
Faster and faster in the bye and bye

Ride Across Indiana (RAIN)

2009-07-20T07:28:00.001-07:00

RAIN was not something I was planning on this year, but when Chris Hancock of the ISU Foundation ask me if I wanted to ride with the group from ISU I said yes. Have to admit I was later rethinking that decision knowing what a hard effort it is to ride 160 miles straight. Even the last week I was thinking hard about it. However, come the morning of July 18th I showed up at ISU to join in the group of around 60 brave souls. We had a group picture taken about 6:20 am which included Dr Dan Bradley the University President and his wife. How many university presidents would take part in a ride like this, probably just the 1.

We actually added 7 miles by riding from ISU to the state line for the start. I took it really easy and was trying to keep the positive thoughts flowing. I jumped into the line of 1,200 other cyclist near the front and waited the 10 minutes for the ride to start. The weather called for tail wind and near record low temps for July so God was especially good to us. They don't call this a race, but anytime you have a group start and a timed finish, it is a race.

Even thought I started near the front the first group got a good lead on me right from the gun. I had lots of second thoughts if I should stay with that group or catch the next one which I knew would be easier. I ended up riding Tom Newlin's wheel for about the first 10 miles until we eventually bridged up with the lead group. Talked to Troy Charters and Craig Reynolds as I got up there and waited to see how much the effort would be to stay in that group. Turned out to be too much too soon so I thought better of it and drifted back to wait for another one. Ended up hooking on with 5 others including Tom again. We rode together through Brazil and on a ways before the second big group swallowed us up. Must have been 80 or so in that group so I just stayed comfortably in the middle. I saw Joel Harbaugh and Doug Kinkade also from ISU in the group.

Stayed in the group until the second official stop at a school. Nature was calling loud and clear so I made the stop even thought I didn't want to leave the group. Joel and Doug also stopped for a similar reason so I hooked up with them and a few others as we headed out. Mary, Joel's wife was also there and I received a Gatorade refill which was really nice. This core group of guys was to grow to about a dozen or so and we stayed a tight group most of the day.

We all stopped for lunch and agreed to keep it to about 15 minutes before we took back off. At this point we were half way around Indy at the 91 mile mark. From there we worked a good pace line the rest of the way back to highway 40 and on again until the last official rest stop at mile 132. The 3 of us from the ISU group made a 5 minute stop with Mary again providing SAG support.

The last 28 miles was a bit on the painful side just from the long hours in the saddle. Amazing what all starts to hurt. Not only my rear end which goes without saying, but also my left hand, elbow and shoulder. My left knee was getting a bit tight on occasion as well. Despite the aches the 3 of us felt, we hung together at a reasonably good clip to the finish at Earlham College. A most welcome site at the 160 mile mark. As the 3 of us crossed the line we got an official finishing time of 7 hour and 55 minutes which including stops. Average speed not counting the stops was over 21. Saw Craig at the finish and the fast group from Terre Haute made it in 6 hours and 55 minutes, 23+ MPH for the day.

This was my 3rd time finishing the ride and also my fastest. My last full RAIN ride was 11 years previous. I was more fit for cycling then, but the weather that day was so much harder that you can't compare the two. All in all a good day, and really great to have the company of Joel and Doug and the SAG support from Mary. Go Trees!

Morning in the New Student Rec Center

2009-07-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

This is the first week that the new Student Recreation Center opened at ISU. It is just behind the library where I work and I park not 100 feet from the door. It has already started to change the way I approach the day for my triathlon training. For instance today I made it in at 7:15 am, hit the pool for an easy 1200 yards before work and an extra 5 minutes in the hot tub for a nice back massage. Got a nice hot shower and headed out at 7:57 am and made it to work on time at 8:00 am. The only thing that could have made the morning better was champagne and chocolate covered strawberries as I headed out the door. What a great start to the day.

I was thinking about taking the day off since tomorrow is the Ride Across Indiana, one long 162 mile ride. However, the water just looked to good to pass up so a nice easy swim was just the ticket.

Earlier in the week I met Ryan at the pool for a 6:30 am swim. With the awesome glass exterior just behind the pool we watched the day get light as we got in a good swim workout. Considering all the potential with the added hours, equipment and pleasant atmosphere, this will be manna from heaven, well almost anyway.

Watch out triathlon world, I think I'm about to get faster!

James A. Van Fleet State Trail Florida

2009-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

For the family vacation we did a fairly typical thing of going to Orlando Florida area for a week. We were staying at the Summer Bay Resort fairly close to Disney World. Brought my TT Bike since my road bike was in the shop. Not really any place to ride much at the resort I came across some promotional material about Central Florida. It mentioned several cycling trails the longest being the Van Fleet trail of 30 miles. Turns out in was easy to find just 15 miles or so away.

The trail is very well marked just off of I-4 west of Orlando in Polk City. Easy to find a place to park, and took off on a Friday morning. This is by far the longest ride I have done without a single bend in the road. It could have been laid out with a laser beam. It is also perfectly flat and only a few county roads to cross here and there. I rode 20 miles before getting a bit hot and decided to turn around and head back. Each mile is mark so not having a cycle computer was no problem. Since I had so little opportunity to ride, I was pushing the pace pretty hard. By the time I made it back (40 miles total) I did the ride in 1 hour 53 minutes. With little wind, no hills and no turns you can pretty much fly on this thing.

If you ever find yourself on vacation near Disney World and have a bike, this is the place to go.

Hoosierman Triathlon

2009-06-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 6th was the first Hoosierman Triathlon, in Bloomington and my first tri of the year. Had some friends racing as well so it was good to have the company. I met John Sheldon as I walked my bike into the transition area and parked next to him near the swim exit. We were both in the last wave to start so I told John to swim straight so I could draft in behind him. I was sort of kidding at the time, but sure enough I ended up on his heals during most of the swim and let him guide the way. The swim was around 500 meters in Lake Monroe and very comfortable in a wetsuit (69 degrees). At the swim exit I even had to ask John to help with the wetsuit zipper. Maybe I should have tipped him as my person assistant :-)

The first transition went really smooth and I was out on the bike and up the first major climb of the day pretty quick. It was a tough, but expected considering this is Bloomington. Most of the bike ride I felt really good and had the hammer down all the way. Only incident was a girl I was closing on quickly hit her brakes hard right in front of me as she was going through a busy intersection. I thought I was going to slide into her, but managed to skid to her right, and just missed going off in the grass. Almost came to a complete stop before I got it going again. I think I had the 12th fastest bike split, but would have been top 10 except for the incident. No harm really, just got my heart rate maxed out for a minute.

After transition 2 the run started back up the hill and then a surprise first mile of steep single track trail. Just like you would see at an Xterra event. Had to admit that I kind of liked it, but it was really a challenge I wasn't expecting. I saw Emily Oiler in the familiar Forward Motion team apparel on the trail. Took me a long time to make the catch, with her a lot better swimmer than I am. The last two miles are rather flat, and all in all a decent run.

I ended up 15th overall out of 187 and second in the 50-54 age group. Don't like getting beat by other 50 year olds, but if I could just swim faster. After the finish I was talking to the race official and friend Attila and John came over to announce to him he saw Satan on the first big hill of the bike course. Okay it was hard, but not that hard :-)

Thanks to Ryan Oiler for the pictures and the encouragement on the day. If Ryan would have raced I would have been 16th instead of 15th.

So I was riding in to work today ...

2009-06-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Made it about 4 miles toward work early this morning when my right pedal on my time trial race bike was getting really weird all of the sudden. I thought my cleat on the shoe was loose, so I made the turn toward my in-laws house to see if they had the tool to tighten the bolts. Well, I didn't make it too much further when it got nearly unrideable. I had to climb a good hill with one leg, and then at the top the whole pedal came off the crankset. Turned out the threads on the crankset where stripped out. Made the last couple of blocks turning with one leg only and holding the other leg out with the pedal attached to my shoe and nothing else.

So I ring the doorbell at my in-laws home and thankfully my mother in-law Judy answered. Really good for me, bad for her. Turns out her alarm clock didn't go off and she was supposed to be at work by the time I showed up. A quick call to my wife and help was on the way. She drove me home so that I could shower and drive in to work. Made it in about the normal time thankfully.

The bad news is the crankset (a carbon fiber one at that) is worthless. The bike is now at J's Bike Shop getting fitted to a nice used Campy Chorus crankset. Not your typical start to the day. A bit of an expensive one as well. Guess it could have happened during a race which would have left me walking back. Would have hated that ...

10 reasons I put myself through race directing

2009-06-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

This was my 7th year as Race Director of the Terre Haute Triathlon, and maybe one of the most rewarding. Every year I get to meet and spend time with some of the most positive and uplifting folks on planet Earth. Between the triathletes themselves, the volunteers, the pros and the families who come to support them, this is one of the best places to be in Indiana on race day. If I had to write a list of the top ten reasons I put myself through this it would be something like the following:

1. Triathletes are some of the most positive and encouraging people you can find to befriend and spend time with.
2. The spirit of volunteerism is off the charts and it is a wonder to work together with these folks.
3. Getting to spend quality time with Jamie Whitmore, Courtney Cardenas and Daniel Bretscher whom we helped sponsor this year. Each was gracious and added immensely to the race this year.
4. Watching Mike Smith 48, from Brownsburg, Indiana race so well and finish second in a super competitive field and knowing what a quality person he is.
5. Writing a check for the proceeds to Mountain Top Ministries School, and knowing it will be put to good use in a desperate land.
6. Helping at the swim exit and seeing the sense of accomplishment as they finished the swim.
7. The positive impact this race has on the Terre Haute community and the local businesses.
8. Feeling the energy at the finish line where emotions are running high along with the smiles, high fives and excitement in the air.
9. Keeping a tradition of excellence that the previous race directors established to put the race on the map.
10. Watching the race grow each year to the point we have more wanting to participate that we have space for.

In case you have not had the opportunity to participate or watch this event, I think you would be pleasantly surprised as the quality of the field and the dynamics this event has on the Terre Haute community. Hawthorn Park also makes for a nice venue and their staff work very hard to help make this event a success.

6 Months Out, Entry Form In

2009-04-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

While the tri season is still 6 weeks away, I finally sent my entry form in for two races. The key one being Ironman Augusta in late September. Amazing how much more real it seems after you paid your money and sealed the envelope. 6 months away, and considering the task it seems kind of short. More motivation for that second workout of the day for sure. I printed off the bike elevation map for the race and hung it up in my office for even more motivation. Always difficult to train for long climbs when you live in a mostly flat state.

Also signed up for another race in September, Lake Lemon tri which is new. Brandon Lucas is the race director and I'm friends with his dad Greg. Sounds like a fairly tough sprint. Hopefully a good final tune-up for Augusta.

Got a good ride in on Saturday up in Parke County which is my favorite route. Sunday it was raining cats and dogs, but I got myself out in it anyway for 5 mile or so run. Nothing like a hard run in a cold rain to remember come race day. When I think back to hard workouts it tends to give me confidence as I think of them during an event. Our collie dog Ninja ran with me for the first 1 1/2 miles then he stayed home for the rest of it. Maybe dog is smarter than man ...

The Great Fit Test

2009-03-23T10:25:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I had my first bike fit followed up a fitness test by Ryan Oiler of Forward Motion Athletics. The fit itself takes a bit of time to measure leg length discrepancies hip angles, flexibility and a host of other tests that play out later as you actually get on your bike. Come to find out I have a longer femur on my right side, but a lower hip on the left. The outcome of which is my legs end up the same length. Considering the amount of abuse I have put my body through and the 7 broken bones it is no wonder it is a bit off here and there.

The second part of the fit Ryan made a couple of big changes to the way my cleats are aligned on my cycling shoes. This was to set the angles correct with some shims as well as moving the cleats forward directly over where I should be producing the most power.

The third part involved setting the saddle height correctly considering my hip angles and leg length. The end result was moving my saddle up a couple of centimeters. The combination of all this should result in a more powerful position that is also aligned correctly. Considering all the time spend cycling, you could potentially be putting yourself at some risk of injury if your alignment is all wrong. Not to mention riding slower with the same amount of effort. Speed is good, especially if you don't have to work harder for it!

Speaking of working harder, after the fit, I took on the challenging part of the day which was a fitness test. This is on my own bike, and dialed in position. Basically this was a 10 mile time trail over a hilly course that featured 3 big grades. The first two are 6 percent grade up hill and the last one being 7 percent. If you ever drove over Mount Eagle near Chattanooga that is a 4 to 6 percent grade for comparison.

During the test you can shift gears all you want and you will need to plenty, but I had to stay tucked in the aero position the whole time. That was a real challenge not getting out of the saddle on such steep climbs. While riding you get a real time monitor of your heart rate, power output in watts, speed and pedal RPM. One thing I noticed is my heart rate is hard to get anywhere near the max. Wearing a heart monitor during a run test I know my max is about 179. I never went over 155 during the bike test. However, that didn't equate to effort level. I was giving it all I had for what I could hold for 10 miles.

The resulting numbers at the end should an average heart rate of 144 (max 155), average pedal rpm speed of 92 (max 120), average 214 watts oe power (max 320) and an average speed of 17.7 (max 31.7). The average speed sounds really slow, but considering the grades you had to ride and staying tucked the whole time, it is reasonable.

The good news is both my right and left legs produce the same amount of power. One is not stronger than the other. You also get a spin scan that shows how evenly (or not) that you apply power while the crankset is going around. You can see that I don't spin smoothly enough and need to work on the upstroke of my spin. Fairly common I'm sure, but you can see the real time difference as you focus on it. Amazing how much more effort at this point it is to spin evenly. Something to work on with 1 leg drills for sure.

The bad news is my lower back and hamstrings need a lot of stretching work to loosen up. Ryan gave me some specific exercises to try and make those work much more freely. He also printed out what specific heart rate zones to work on to improve my fitness. Something I really want to work on is intervals at sub threshold pace. Now I know exactly what that is on the bike.

All in all, it was a good experience, and well overdue. I'm motivated to really work on my spin and power output to test again as the triathlon season starts so that I can improve those numbers.

To infinity and beyond ...

Crazy Goal

2009-03-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

In March, long before the first race of the year it is easy to set some crazy goal and think you have some hope of making it. So my crazy goal for 2009 is the have the fastest big split in my age group at each of the races I have planned. Man needs something to keep the blood churning when it is still cold and a actually race is still months off.

In that regard, I hope to improve both my time-trial position and my specific training on the bike to be more time-trial focused. Of course that means more long interval training of the uncomfortable sort. As they say, pain is just weakness leaving the body. Or something like that :-)

The Dreaded Soleus Muscle

2009-02-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Training for the 1/2 marathon coming up in May, I had a repeat of the dreaded Soleus muscle attack. I've had this happen a few times in the last 4 years or so. Sometimes out of the blue, and sometimes I feel it coming on by stiff calf muscles. This time it was totally out of the blue. Likely the really cold day (about 10 degrees) and maybe some dehydration contributed to the injury. Of course I was 1 1/2 miles from the car when it happened which resulted in a cold walk back.

For now I've taken off 2 weeks of running and using some deep tissue massage to hopefully repair it quickly. It feels fine now, and in a few days I'll start running very moderately again. I guess the good news is my swim is getting a lot more attention. If you have seen me swim, you know that is a good thing. Besides, the water jet in the pool makes for a nice soleus massage.

Was really looking forward to running with the training group for the 1/2 marathon. That is the worst part of it for the short-term. If you have any wonderful tips on solving this soleus thing, please send them my way ...

2009 Race Schedule

2008-12-28T11:05:00.001-08:00

Looking at the USA Triathlon MidEast Region, and the MERCRS schedule as well as a couple of other races I wanted to do, I'm thinking about the following races for 09:

5/02/09 Indianapolis Half Marathon
5/16/09 Pokagon State Park Triathlon Angola, IN or
Memphis in May
5/30/09 Terre Haute Triathlon (just to work, not race)
6/13/09 Celina Challenge Half Marathon Trail Run Perry County
6/20/09 Indiana Sprint Triathlon #1 Indianapolis, IN
7/25/09 XTERRA DINO Versailles New Castle, IN
8/15/09 MERCRS Championship Maysville, KY
9/27/09 Ironman 70.3 Augusta Augusta, GA

Four of these races I've done before, with the other four all new to me. Of course that depends on staying health and breathing, neither of which is assured for anyone.

One thing for sure is I need to run better at longer distances than I have the last few years. I rarely run over 8 miles at a time, so my long runs really need to improve. To that extent I've signed up for the Train in Terre Haute program for the Indy half marathon.

Probably the chief reason for many of these races is to do them with friends. It is always more fun the bigger group you get to go and share the experience with.

Time will tell if this works out, but I'm feeling good at the moment and thinking positive.

Godspeed in 2009 for you racers out there ...

Interview with Steve Pyle

2008-11-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

Rather than just walking away from the USAT Nationals and deciding to race in just my own backyard, I thought it would be both motivating and educational to ask some questions of those individuals who had such outstanding performances. I certainly had nothing to lose and only to gain by the information. Nothing like starting at the top, so I sent off a few questions to age group winner Steve Pyle from Boulder Colorado. Steve was quick to respond, and his answers were well worth reading by the age grouper community. Here is my questions and what Steve had to say:

> Can you tell us just a bit about yourself, including what got you started in multisport, and a few highlights of your racing career?

I began as a bike racer and competed in about 1,000 races between 1974 and 1990. I’ve raced for several corporate sponsors as well as the US National Team internationally. Retired from bike racing and started running when I was 30, then began racing duathlon. Taught myself to swim at age 39 so I could race triathlon (I never learned to swim when I was young). I have won Age Group Nationals in cycling, duathlon, and triathlon. At the Triathlon World Championship I have finished second twice. Have also finished second and third at the Duathlon World Championship with many other top 10 finishes.

> Were you influenced by someone specifically within your family or community?

No, I just like the process of training and racing. No one else in my family is an athlete. My drive is entirely internally derived. I like being fit at 50. Many mistake me for someone much younger.

> Can you provide a few keys to holding a motivation level required to be a top age group triathlete?

The vast majority of athletes participating are age groupers so it's just a hobby. They participate for a variety of reasons, and there must be a sense of satisfaction to do the work to be competitive. Motivation must come from within. Athletes who do it for other reasons don't last long in the sport.

> Having been a successful coach as well as a athlete yourself, what do you see as the biggest factor an athlete needs to overcome for top performance?

An athlete must enjoy the training and be consistent over the long-term to find out what they can do. They must have some competitive energy and drive to participate in organized events (some are better suited to training for fitness and should pass on racing; nothing wrong with that). Every athlete has a different level of genetic talent they must work with. So the only valid measure of success is comparing the 'old' you to the 'new' you, not comparing your performance to others who may be more 'genetically talented' or started endurance sports at a younger age.

> Do you have a favorite workout and race?

I like all workouts, but my staple workouts are bike rides. The sensation of going fast under my own power is fun. I can cover lots of ground and check out the scenery far from home.

> Anything else you would like to add to help age group triathletes to be at their personal best?

I coach many athletes with lots of energy for training, but that tend to get in a rut. They do the same workouts at same speeds and eventually plateau for race day performance. I get them to try different approaches to training. Common training flaws are running too fast, riding too slow, and not putting in enough pool time to find out what they can do...

Deuces Wild Duathlon of Distinction

2008-11-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Started running with Craig what a feeling. Better go fast or with
trouble I'll be dealing. Go fast in T1 and get a gap, without it my
race will end with a bad rap.

Kept thinking to myself I'm being chased by men of distinction, better
go fast or I'll be passed and head in to extinction. Have Bob to the
front of me, and Craig to the rear, better forget the pain and find
another gear. Oh the pain in my legs is starting to sear, but Craig is
coming better click down on the shifters and forget the fear. Maybe a
flat tire will ease my pain, I'm afraid my energy level is starting to
drain. Got that hunted feeling, men of distinction are chasing me and
with trouble I'll soon be dealing.

Get in quick to T2 out on the run with my new running shoes. Go quick
Paul or you will soon be passed, Craig is coming and of him you don't
want to be passed. See Bob to the front of me and Craig to the rear, we
are all lost I fear. Turn around and head back from the run, Adam is
passing like he is just having fun. We fall in line without missing a
beat, no one here would even consider being a cheat.

With men of distinction I enjoyed the run, can't wait for the next
one.

Deuces Wild Duathlon, 2 mile run, 20 mile ride, 2 mile run.
November 1st, 2008. 3rd place.

Damiano Cunego and Drug Free Cycling

2008-10-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Versus channel for covering the Giro di Lombardia which as a viewer looks like an amazing place to hold a cycling event. One of the first things I noticed was Damiano Cunego's "Drug Free" tattoo he was sporting. As the defending champion, as well as a very interesting rider, I was glad to see him win for the 3rd time.

What makes me wonder is when cyclist do long tours and never seem to have a bad day. Damiano seems to have suffered his share of bad days, which makes him seem much more real to me. With the seeming endless parade of cyclists getting caught using EPO or some related drugs, it is most refreshing to see someone race clean and do well. Another rider who I think is also refreshing is Christian Vande Velde along with his team Slipstream riders.

Greg Lemond talked a lot about just who is playing fair and who he thinks isn't, and of course he has to speculate to some degree. While he has been given lots of ridicule for his stance, he has been proven right much more than wrong. I'll probably be a cycling fan till the day I am no more on this earth. However, being a cycling fan is sort of like being a Cubs fan. Surely it will be all cleaned up and successful next year? One can only hope. However, in the mean time, I'll be favoring guys like "the little prince" Damiano Cunego to win.

Race for the Cure & the Corvette

2008-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

I participated this past Saturday in the Race for the Cure 5k at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. First 5k I’ve competed in for a long time, and it was fun. No grueling 2 plus hour race, no transitions, no bike, no swim, it was nice and simple. Turned out to be just about a perfect day and I always enjoy the campus of Saint Mary’s. I ran the first mile with a friend of mine’s 12 year old son Peter Davis. I’ve ridden with his father Bill for more years than I can remember, and rarely ever can stay on his wheel. It was no wonder Peter was a chip off the block, so despite being 12, he did a nice job of setting the pace. I didn’t check the first mile split but it was somewhere around 6:20 or so. Passed the two mile split in 13 minutes flat. Final finishing time as 20 minutes 16 seconds.

Fun to see friends out there I had run with, or had known for a long time. This will give me a nice goal this fall and winter to break 20 minutes again, so I can at least say I can still break 20 minutes in my 50’s. Back when I turned 40 I ran a 5k on my birthday and ran something around 18:30. Not likely to get that back, but who can say. In my mid 30’s my PR was 17:17. A solid minute faster per mile than I’m running now.

Probably the most interesting site my eyes laid on for the day was two ladies getting ready to driving home after the event. I noticed on the license plate they had the Breast Cancer survivor plate, and they were wearing the pink shirts of survivors. They were also driving a white corvette convertible that was just downright sharp. Reminded me of Ecclesiastes 11:8-9

However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.

Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

So as long as it doesn’t cause you to sin, run like the wind and drive that Corvette baby!

USAT Age Group Nationals

2008-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Age Group National Championships did I come. Portland Oregon, sounded like fun. September 20th I thought it never would come. A spot on Team USA was at stake. If the top 16 you could make. Slim chance I knew. But 2 hours a day I did train. Out in the sun or even in the rain. Yet for the prize I did strain.

Started the day before with a trip to Hagg Lake. Wow what big hills did in my eyes take. Olympians Matt Reid and Hunter Kemper did I see. Just back from Beijing, glad they are not racing against me.

From the dock on race morning I did start. 1500 meters of swimming did I do. Most my peers were way before me, but I tried not to lose heart. Around the yellow buoys and back I went. Then up the big hill did I run. To the transition where my bike did await. Only out of one eye could I see. My contact had messed up on me, all that I could see was burry, blurry indeed.

Peeled my wetsuit and on to the bike. In low gear and up a big hill then suddenly felt sick. Oh don't toss my cookies as that would be ick.

Finally got going after a couple of miles. Flying down to the turn around at top speed. Felt like a thoroughbred in need of sheer speed. Out of only one eye could I see, hope no one runs into me.

Back in low gear and climb up the massive hill. Oh Indiana how I miss thee.

Near the start of the second lap I had a mishap. Hit a big bump which made my aero bars break with a thump. No more riding in that aero tuck. Man this ride is just all messed up. Had the aerodynamics of a Mack truck.

Made it back to transition to start the run. The bike rack was full, now I know the rest will be even less fun. My 40 kilometers of cycling was at least all done. Obviously my best shot had been fired from my gun, yet it was far, far from a home run. Tried to start fast now out on the run, yet my legs felt like they weighted a half ton.

Three hills up and over did I pass. Finally near the turn around two in their 50's did I pass, not looking any too fast. They also had run out of gas. Darn these hills they kicked my …

Three hills back to the finish I ran. Of the big hills I am no fan.

With the finish line in sight I did see another in his 50's struggling like me. Passed him with no mercy in a sprint. Event though my legs were well past spent.

Heard my name called as I finished across the line. Man did that take a long time.

No trip to Australia for me. West Terre Haute is about all I will see. Team USA will have to wait. Maybe more years than it took me before my first date.

Cannon Beach my have been the highlight of this trip. Eating Pecan Pie with chocolate chip. Now that was a good trip. Nothing like drowning your sorrows in pie. Here is mud in your eye.

Next years nationals will be in Alabama. Guess I could load up the truck and head down from Indiana. Then again maybe I'll just skip that trip, and just make my own Pecan Pie with chocolate chip.

The Benediction:

Oh that God may find pleasure in all that you do
May He see the mercy that you seek to do
That we find the comfort in His mighty hand
Though troubles before us and trials to the end

Taper Week

2008-09-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

With just 5 more days to go before my big goal race of the year, I have to admit I’m feeling good and excited about the USAT Age Group Nationals. My diet has been better than it has ever been, my swimming is reasonable (for a very average swimmer) and my cycling feels decent. Still have some concerns about my run speed, and my lower back which tends to tighten up while riding in the aero position on the time trail bike. With the bike course having 2 laps, the second one may get downright uncomfortable in the lower back area. The bike and run course also have more hills than anything I’ve race so far this year. I may not have prepared as well as I should for the hills.

With that said, I do feel good about my training and prep, particularly the last several weeks, and just feeling really good gives me confidence. A number of factors go into the results of any race, but maybe more so on this one. Considering the quality of field, the tougher course, and a location I’ve never been to before, one can race well, but the end results doesn’t look so good compared to the competition. However, you race the best you can, and let the chips fall where they may.

It is hard not to think about what I could have done better in my training and where my weaknesses are this week. However, this is the best I have felt since early in the year before the bike meets dog at full speed accident, and the flu. Have a feeling once you turn 50, you’re not going to have that many long stretches where everything feels good, and no setbacks come your way. Maybe I have set a model for myself during my 50’s, and hopefully I can keep it going for a long ride …

Time to pack the bike, and get my plane tickets ready, here goes!

Powerbar Diet

2008-08-26T13:13:00.001-07:00

I've never been much of a "Diet" person seeing that I can still shop in the "boys" department at a number of stores, but I have paid more attention to it this year. Specifically my breakfast and lunch has been fairly constant all summer, so I thought I might make mention of it.

Just to state the facts, I currently weight about 136 pounds on a 5' 9" frame. My weight in the winter generally goes up to about 146 or so. Since early July I was down to 140 and now a bit thinner. I feel race ready any time I drop below 138.

Most of this I attribute to my lunch time routine of running or swimming and then having two Power Bars and water for lunch. Occasionally I'll do something different, but that is the standard fare. Most mornings I heat up two frozen waffles with peanut butter and syrup along with water. About 3 days a week I ride in to work (about 6 miles) then ride home the long way (about 15 miles). If I don't ride in, I try to ride later in the day after work, or occasionally swim instead. That usually gets me in two workouts a day during the week. For weekends I tend to do a long ride (35 or so) on Saturday, and a swim or run on Sunday.

Most evenings I eat a good size dinner and then something like a protein shake before going to bed at night. I'm not the most nutritionally adept, but for now this seems to work really well. I'm surprised you don't see books out on a Powerbar diet. Seems like a logical way to lose weight yet be healthy. From a weight point of view it certainly has me down to my race ready weight. As for competitive fitness, we will find that out in just a few weeks ...

Godspeed