And So It Begins

The journey begins tomorrow.

Ok. Let's be clear. The journey really began some time ago. I guess it was when I signed up November 3, 2008 for Ironman Florida 2009. Or was it 3 1/2 years ago when I rode a stationary bike at the gym for the first time with the idea that I'd like to, some day, try the sport of triathlon? Of course, no one knew my plan at the time but me. I didn't want that crazy idea seeing the light of day....at that point. Three plus years and 12 triathlons later, the journey begins tomorrow.

Or did it start January 25, 2009 when I started a 16-week training plan for the Memphis in May Olympic distance race. I do MiM every year as kind of a kick-off to the season. I followed a plan this year not just for the race itself but to get my body prepared for the 'A' race training. And that journey begins tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts week 1 of 24 of my Ironman Florida 2009 training plan. I feel prepared. I feel ready. I feel excited and anxious at the same time. I want to do well. I plan to train hard and consistently.

As I look around my office there are signs of an endurance lifestyle that serve as both reminders and motivation....

...from the two wheels that carry me 112 miles...

...to the shoes that are under me for 26.2....

...to the nutrition that helps sustain my body to go the distance...

...and the reminder that hangs above my office door.

That's my dog Maggie. She doesn't really fit the story but there she was while I was taking pictures. So there's that.

Anyway, the journey begins tomorrow. I'll wake up a little after 5 a.m. and head to the pool for the first of many workouts on my way to becoming an Ironman x 2. I know how far my body has to take me...140.6 miles. Now I want to find out how fast it can take me there!

Sleep? What Sleep?

I'm lying in bed with the window open, the ceiling fan going round and round creating a nice breeze in the room. I love sleeping with the window open. My wife doesn't. Too much noise, she says. You do seem to hear every cricket chirp, car drive by and dog bark three blocks away. But, I still like it.

Anyway, I'm ready to doze off but I'm thinking about my swim workout at 5:30 the next morning: "long strokes", "elbows high", "swim in the tube", "got to improve my stroke", "feel the water", "I'm doing a ladder to 400 and back in my main set and a total of 2500"....okay, I'm not dozing off anymore. There's much work to be done. Too much work. Ironaman Florida is in November! 2.4 miles! Dang, why do I feel that knot in the pit of my stomach like it's pre-swim race morning? You know, everyone's standing around in their wetsuits, waiting, shifting from side-to-side. No one's saying a word but everyone has that "look" on their faces. It's a look of anxiety, fear and excitement all mixed together.

An Ironman race will do that to you. It takes on a life of its own. This one was birthed November 2, 2008, when I signed up for the 2009 race. It grows up fast, too fast. IM Florida 2009 is racing towards adolescence. After all, it is March. I'm in week 7 of my training plan for Memphis in May (an Olympic distance race in, of all places, Memphis. I know, strange). This is my training plan which will get me ready for "THE" training plan which will get me ready for "THE" race November 7, 2009. That training plan begins May 24th and by then IMFL '09 will be well into middle age! But, there's nothing wrong with that because so am I.

All that and I was just trying to doze off under the breeze and the sound of a dog barking in the distance. But there's no time for sleep even though my body craves it. IMFL '09 grows older by the day. There's much work to be done, a long way to go and a short time to get there.

Micsellaneous

It's been weeks since my last post.

Since then we've zipped past the holidays, which are now in the rear view mirror, we've started a new year, inaugurated a new President of the United States and I've started my training for the 2009 season.

Speaking of the 2009 season, I'm planning a big one. It's still a little up in the air but I've signed up and paid for two races so far. I'd like to do 4 total but I'm a little undecided on the other two.

Let's start with the two I'm signed up for: Memphis in May on May 17th and Ironman Florida on November 7th. The other two I'm thinking about are the Ozark Valley tri in NW Arkansas towards the end of June and I need to get in a half before Florida. My most likely options are the Redman half in Oklahoma City or the Prairieman half in the Dallas area. Both races are in early September which is perfect timing.

IM Florida is obviously my "A" race. But I'm not selling MiM short because I'd like to do well there....say a sub-2:20 with a stretch goal of sub-2:15 (it's Olympic distance). So my plan right now is to peak twice, MiM & IM Florida.

My training plan has begun for Memphis. It started this past week. I really should be starting this week but I'll be in Orlando on business which makes it difficult to swim and bike. So I started a week early and plan to run each morning in the land of Disney.

Training totals for the first week of my 16-week Olympic distance training plan: 5,000 yards of swimming, 3 hrs 25 minutes of bike time and 2:05 of running. My peak training week for IM Florida is 11,175 yards of swimming, 10 hours on the bike and 4:05 of running.

I can't wait.

Merry Christmas!

And Happy New Year!

It has been a year of tragedy, tears, laughter and joy. It has been a year filled with challenges and blessings.

I am very grateful to be blessed the way I am. I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends.

I am constantly humbled and in awe of what I have been entrusted with.

I am also humbled and in awe of the Rock of my salvation.

I hope blessings rain down on you and your family for the rest of this year and throughout 2009!

It's A Wrap!

Ya know, through it all, memories were created and isn't that what you're trying to do on a vacation? Without question there will be memories from this ski trip. As a matter of fact, it might be one of the most memorable.

Friday was a big day filled with shopping, skiing and plenty of food. Will seems to be a natural with skis on...he made three runs on one of the junior slopes and didn't fall once! I wish I could say the same thing.

Lilly Kate finished strong as well. After being a little frustrated early she became very determined, and when LK's determined, look out! She really got the hang of the slow-plow and the turn and stop. She was thrilled and therefore, so was I!

Ashley made three runs as well, fell only once. I made 8 runs on the day, three in the morning and 5 Friday afternoon/evening. Yes, night skiing. I did my first blue, the Spring Dipper. It was all fun-and-games early as I stayed on my skis. But at the end it was long and steep to the bottom. I bit it twice! Very humbling, but fun. And pretty exhausting.

After the 8th and final run of the day it was off to the shower and then pizza.

In the end, despite the multiple trips to resort medical clinic, the oxygen level below that of the Marlboro Man, Will's multiple deposits in the white-bowl-of-truth and an I.V. to get him back up to par, it really was a fun trip. We spent time together (a lot of it in the car! - we drove all the way back Saturday), we laughed together and in the end created a lot of memories.

Now, call Hallmark!

Final Day Redemption

This vacation was down big mid-way through the 4th quarter with little chance to come back. But after a quick touchdown we tried the onside kick....AND RECOVERED!

Last night Will was still a little out of it so he and I stayed home. But the rest of the clan went out to eat with the entire group. That was a big first down...and they go out of bounds to stop the clock without using one of our two times-out!

This morning, Alex went back to the doc to check his blood oxygen level. And as the shirt suggests, yes, he does have oxygen again.

He measured 96...out of the woods and a far cry from the 67 he measured Wednesday morning. The doc even said he could ski today if he wanted....he didn't want. He said he didn't want to feel bad again. I can't say that I blame him.

Will is much better today as well...

...looks like he just saw a ghost...but it appears to have been a funny one....

...a nice 18-yard reception down the middle of the field. A first down and we burn a time-out.

I made three runs down Schoolmarm...fell only once. The third time down I deviated from the normal route and went down Dercum's Dash which is a little higher up the mountain and much steeper than the normal end to the 'Marm'. I tried the Dash a couple of days earlier and fell three times. This morning I didn't fall at all...

...another first down and we're in the redzone....there's under a minute to play and we have one time out...

...this afternoon I'm going to try my first blue...tick, tick, tick...the clock is winding down. Will this vacation come out a winner? Only time will tell...tick, tick, tick!

I have high hopes!

Wally World

At least Keystone was OPEN...

...and there was snow on the ground.

But there are a lot of similarities between this vaca and every vaca Chevy Chase has ever been on.

It's probably not good when you have a standing reservation at the resort medical clinic and they welcome you as if you were Norm at Cheers.

What was thought to be a cold which developed into possible bronchitis was actually High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) for Alex. As it turns out his blood oxygen level was lower than that of a smoker with emphysema. I told him to lay off the Camel non-filters. He's going back to the clinic for the third day in a row to get checked again. He's been on oxygen since Wednesday. He hasn't skied since Tuesday.

Will threw up 7 times Wednesday night into Thursday morning. He went to the same clinic and ultimately was put on an I.V. because he was dehydrated and spent the better part of 4 hours there trying to get him back up to speed. He had fever the rest of the day and stayed in bed.

Poor Will thought his mother and I were laughing at him while he was paying homage to the porcelain god...no doubt it was poor timing, but at that point it was uncontrollable.

Hey, at least I didn't brandish a gun running wildly throughout the resort or we didn't drag a dog on it's leash from the back of our van for hours along the highway and I certainly haven't unleashed a profanity laced tirade in front of our entire group of family and friends.

Now if the distant relatives pull up in a Winnebago....I'm out!

Ski School

My last post was headlined "-4!!!", which pales in comparison to what the temperature was as we headed for ski school early Monday morning. Yeah, I know it's kind of blurry, but it does read -18! -18 degrees. I don't think I've ever been in -18 degree temperatures before...if I have, I don't remember it.

It sounds crazy but once we got outside it didn't really feel that cold. Our instructor had us moving alot so maybe that was it.

The kids had their own instructor. Alex, Ashley and I were in a group of 7. We learned the basics and took baby steps. The biggest obstacle was learning how to get on and off the ski lift! We all mastered it on the second go around. Both of our instructors were great, very patient and encouraging...two key ingredients to being a good instructor.

After class was over our instructor, Bert, was kind enough to take us on our first green run. It was a two-mile run and I gotta tell ya, a little intimidating. Hey, I don't mind saying it. We made it down and felt good.

Day one in the books.