Paul Asay

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 month

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 work

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 inter

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.

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

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 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

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 o

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 sol

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.

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.

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 ...

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 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

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

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 Han

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 n

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 experienc

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.