Paul Asay

I'm in my last couple of weeks of training for Ironman Steelhead 70.3 which also happens to be the most difficult part of the journey.  Saying your prepping for an Ironman may sound like high level stuff, but most of it is downright distasteful.  Here are the 10 worst: 1.   The smell of running shoes after a long run on dirt trails on a humid day 2.   Getting back in your car to drive home after the above run 3.        The touch of a sticky bike with Gatorade and sweat all over it 4.        Eating warm gel packets from the back pocket of a sticky cycling jersey, or worse your running shorts 5.        Dumping your gym bag contents from a hot run you did on your lunch hour 2 days ago 6.        Sweat dripping off the guy cycling in front of you which lands all over you 7.        That big hairy guy in t...

Like last year I went with a team of 28 from our church to Camp of the Woods Ontario Canada for a week of work/retreat, but in truth all camps are about just one thing.  The purported goal of the trip is to help prepare the camp for the first group of teens starting the week after we left.  To be honest, I love camp, and particularly this one.  Pick any kind of camp you want and you will find they exist to refocus your efforts on something specific without all the distractions.  Camp of the Woods is 40 miles from anything, 1000 miles from home with no phones, computers or TV.  What it does have is a huge lake, great food, hiking trails, canoes and plenty of comfortable space for just plain focus.   Oh yeah, and the occasional bear or moose. What is the focus of Camp of the Woods?  The answer is pure and simple, to model Christ.  The theme for camp this year is “Your Life Story”.  Inspired by hero’s, what about your life speaks of o...

Race morning I’m driving in to Hawthorn Park at 6:00 AM being one of the first ones on site.  Not playing race director for the first time in 10 years so I decided to help work packet pickup for a while before it all gets going.  Nice chance to catch up with so many friends I have doing the race.  About 7:30 I walk back over to transition, get everything set and hang-out with Troy Charters and Forward Motion teammates till it is time to head to the swim start. Have a seat next to my mother in-law Judy at the beach house, and try to keep the nerves down for a few more minutes.  Decide to jump in and swim around the first buoy just to get the feel of the water and headed back for the beach start.  With the two at a time start I figured I would slot myself in around the mid pack.  Line myself up with another guy to the left and waited our turn.  My father in-law Paul is at the timing mat waving us to the start line.  Off we go and I run into th...

Flying home from California I had the good fortune to see one of my favorite scenes play out.  On a cloudy morning we taxied out at 6 AM and make the turn for takeoff.  Engines at full thrust we lifted above the runway, over the Pacific Ocean aiming straight for the clouds. Several minutes pass as we finally make the entrance to the thick gray.  As I watched through the window it seems as if we are not moving at all yet the pitch of the plane reminds everyone aboard of the altitude being gained.  Then as we pierced through the clouds I caught the rays of beautiful sunlight streaming into view.  Nothing but bright light with the endless cotton rolls below.  Rarely do I see such a stunning sight. This view reminds me of a journey spoken of in several books I've read, a couple very recently of those who had "Near Death Experiences".  The authors speak of leaving earth behind, traveling into a bright, warm loving light and entering a Heaven...

Saturday April 20th I pack the car with my Kestrel race bike. Grab cycling shoes, helmet and head toward Marshall Illinois for the Spring Break Biathlon. It's a small 3 mile run, 15 mile bike race that is very low key, but when the competition shows up it gets downright difficult. This just the second year of the event features several of my friends and teammates. Caleb Towles a very faster runner/cyclist (and swimmer) is at the top of the charts. Followed by Stan Strohm whom I've raced against for years and is about my same age. Then Tony Williams who eats Ironman for breakfast is ready and waiting. Doug Rees a cycling specialist is also there with his young son as a team. All of these guys I really like, but anytime we can get an inch on one another in competition you can bet we will. Lots of friendly talk between all of us, then i do a short warmup with Caleb on this crisp (read cold) sunny morning. When we get called to the line it gets a bit more focused, we w...

Talked to a friend doing her first triathlon and what few tips I could offer in a few minutes at the side of the pool yesterday.  Thinking about it a bit more here is my top 10 tips for a sprint triathlon: 1       Relax in the swim and just enjoy it.  If it’s a pool swim or a wetsuit swim you have nothing to worry about.  In a pool if you get tight just stop for a second, stand up or grab the lane line.  In an open water swim with a wetsuit just stop and let the suit hold you up and float.  Biggest problem with the swim is just getting overly worked up about it.  By the way, get a wetsuit made specifically for triathlon that fits you.  Worth their weight in gold they are. 2       Practice transitions several times before the race.  The key to good transition from swim to bike and bike to run is simplicity.  Do as little as possible with an absolute minimum of equipment.  Run from the swim...

This year the Forward Motion Athletics triathlon team is being sponsored by the Indiana State University Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation Clinic.  We have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times already this year.  The first visit to the clinic was focused on using foam rollers and specific exercises to reduce and repair overuse injuries.   Very worthwhile visit and they also spent some time with each of us in testing for strengths and weaknesses.  Needless to say I have a few weaknesses they gave me some tips on improving. The second visit was a bit more interesting, especially for me.  The first part was to introduce resistance band exercises and show us how to use them.  We also did some knee and back strengthening work.  Now the fun part began.  After the clinic they asked if anyone needed some specific work, and they were offering to do some Graston Technique on us if we wanted to.  I’ve read and heard a fai...