Namaste

Taken literally, the word namaste means "I bow to you". In yoga, namaste is said to mean "The light within me honors the light within you," and is used as a salutation spoken by both the yoga instructor and yoga students.

I’ve been practicing yoga (practicing is a nice way of saying I’m really not all that good but I try) for a little over a year. In the off season I’ll practice two to three times a week. During the season I make every attempt to attend one class per week. As the training weeks progress and the durations increase, keeping the weekly goal is challenging. I’ve incorporated several yoga positions (called asanas) into my daily stretching routines, some of my favorites daily stretches are; cat-cow, downward facing dog, pigeon pose, standing forward bend, and lizard pose.

Honestly I never thought that I’d ever be practicing yoga. I was encouraged to try it by one of the studio cycle instructors at Lifetime Fitness (Sarah L). When I walked into my first class, I thought to myself, ok Sarah, I’ll give you six weeks. I was completely intimidated after my first class, I was one of two men in the class (over the last year or so I’ve learned that fitness classes at Lifetime are comprised of 90% women, except for studio cycle where the mix is more like 60/40) and I felt completely out of my element. I was about as flexible as a piece of peanut brittle, had absolutely no clue what any of the poses were or how they should be done, and was pretty sure that this yoga thing wasn’t going to be for me. But I committed to six-weeks so I was determined to stick it out. And I’m so glad I did, my flexibility has improved well beyond any of my expectations, along with core and upper body strength. Yoga can be quite the workout, it is completely up to you, you are in control, the instructor is their as a guide and a mentor.

Every instructor teaches differently; I feel extremely lucky to have had some excellent instructors over the past year. I enjoy the different approaches each brings but one thing they have all had in common is a genuine passion for their practices and the ability to encourage and challenge their students. For this I thank them and am grateful. Yoga is now part of my daily fitness routine and is becoming an integral part of who I am. I know yoga will play an important role in my overall fitness, be it swimming, running, cycling, or just daily life activities, and will help prevent injuries common to endurance sport training.

In class when we do tree pose the instructor commonly says “and you can be any kind of tree you would like” well, I think I’d like to be the tree in the photo above, a strong and sturdy tree, growing up out of the rocky soil, right on the edge of life. Defying gravity, in a way, I overlook the world around me, surrounded by such amazing beauty.

So with that I say to you… namaste …

Let the Head Games Begin

As week eleven (of the 36-week training plan) ends and twelve begins, my appreciation grows of just how much of a mental challenge this Ironman thing is.

On Saturday, I participated in a charity event at Lifetime Fitness. Augie’s Quest, a fundraiser for ALS, (“Lou Gehrig's Disease”), put on by the Lifetime Fitness Foundation. The Woodbury Lifetime had lots of activities as part of the event; a silent auction, cardio and core classes, and an endurance studio ride. I participated in the 4-hour endurance ride. Lifetime’s Group Fitness department lead the event with four instructors, one each hour, and a DJ. The instructors were great and the DJ was fun (a little loud at times, even for me) but was integral for survival during the four hour studio ride. This brings up a funny story. On Tuesday, earlier in the week, I rode my bike on the trainer in the basement (not brave enough to head outside quite yet). When I finished I came up for dinner, my daughter Alexandra asked, “So what did you see on your bike ride today, Dad?” With a the sweet sting of sarcasm in her voice. It makes a Dad so proud to see that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Anyway, during the endurance ride I got to practice my race-day nutrition strategy, magic beans, cliff bars, and water. There really isn’t any magic in those beans (Jelly Belly Sport Beans) but I like to think there is. As hour three progressed I developed a familiar pain in the ball of my feet, a pain, at times intensive enough to bring tears. I’ve tried a variety of things over the past couple of years (the Specialized Footbeds have helped the most) but the only thing that works is to stop, get off the bike, take off my shoes, and relax my feet. About 5 minutes does the trick, and then I’m ready to go again. I can only imagine at this point what that will be like come that Sunday in September. Oh yeah, and then, when I finally do finish the bike, a mere 26.2 mile run to massage my feet into submission. Oh Lord, what have I gotten myself into?

LTF Indoor Triathlon Race Report

The 2009 race season is officially under way! Yeah!

Well, I got up early this morning, (04:00, not really all that early for me). Had a banana, took a shower, used my newly purchased men's body shaver/trimmer...TMI...

I arrived early, it was a beautiful morning, sunny, -19c, a great day for a triathlon!
The water was rough, oh, not really but it makes for a better story...doesn't it?

I was in the first wave, it was a mass start, all ten of us. After the whistle blew I had to sprint and fight my way to the lead...okay Miles, enough, just tell the story already.

Really, this is a great way to start the season off. For me, having an event every four weeks or so keeps me motivated, keeps me focused, and eliminates the monotony that sometime comes with endurance training.

The LTF Indoor Triathlon is a timed event. A 10-minute swim, 30-minute studio cycle ride, followed up by 20-minutes on the tread mill. The transitions are fixed at 10-minutes for T1 and 5-minutes for T2. The event is scored based on how far you go in each discipline and is graded on a curve based on the number of participants. If there are 50 total entries, the person that swims the farthest in 10-minutes gets 50-points and so on.

My only goal was to improve over last year. I'm pretty happy with the results, I was +1 length in the pool, +1.2 miles on the bike, and +.13 miles on the run. I owe the improvement to the group fitness staff at LTF. In the winter, in Minnesota, you end up inside a lot. Endurance training inside can be a tough lonely road. The group fitness staff has been a lot of fun to work with and provide motivation you just cannot get training alone, thanks!

Some Days are Better then Others

Hey! It's 02:02 AM you need to get up and out of bed! WAKE UP! It's time to go and workout!

.....but I don't want to, I'm tired!

Like the video "Training Excuses" I too can come up with, oh, a few dozen or so, not so good, excuses on why I should just hit the snooze button and go back to bed.

Have no fear! Excuse Terminator is here!

Don't you wish it was that easy. Well, its not like someone has a gun to your head, do they?

There were 2207 people who started the Ironman Wisconsin race last year, and there were 2207 different reasons why each made the decision to start the Journey to Ironman.

For the 2200+ that signed up this year, they each have their reason. It is for those reasons that we get up early, or stay up late, or skip watching our favorite TV show, or get that run in at lunch time, or not hang out as late with the guys/gals on Friday night. And for most, we knew that the decision to start the journey had consequences and that it would require a complete commitment. Because without that level of dedication, the goal would not be met, our reason would be unjustified. For us, the mantra is evolving from, "I think I can", to "I can do this", to "I must do this". We know that this journey will push us to our limits, limits that have been self-imposed or imposed by others, and we will learn that there really are no limits to what can be achieved. It will be this lesson, above all others we learn along the way, that will redefine who we are, who we can be, and what we will accomplish.

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week February 7-14, 2009

I know it’s hard to believe that it is already February, but this Friday is February 6th and is also National “Go Red” Day For Women. Go Red is a national movement by the American Heart Association to raise awareness about the number 1 killer of women - Heart Disease. So get out your red this Friday and support a great cause! Visit goredforwomen.org for more information.

Not only is “Go Red” Day on February 6th, but all of February is dedicated to heart health as well. Heart Month just so happens to coincide with that holiday of the heart that we all “heart” so much…Valentines Day! So do something for yourself and the ones you love by learning how to be more heart healthy.

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week February 7-14, 2009

The Congenital Heart Information Network (C.H.I.N.) has an annual campaign to raise awareness about congenital (present at birth) heart defects. According to C.H.I.N., "Few people realize more babies are born with congenital heart defects – approximately 40,000 – than with spina bifida, Down syndrome and hearing loss. Yet, heart defects are sometimes overlooked and not routinely diagnosed in newborns." Many rare disorders present at birth also include heart defects (such as CHARGE syndrome), and sometimes the presence of a heart defect may be key to the diagnosis of a rare disorder.

C.H.I.N. was launched in 1996 as an international non-profit organization that provides reliable information, support services and resources to families of children with congenital and acquired heart disease, adults with congenital heart defects, and the professionals who work with them.

CHD Awareness Week is an annual grassroots campaign that strives to inform the public about Congenital Heart Defects.

In addition to requesting and receiving proclamations from government officials, distributing informational brochures, lobbying efforts, and media interviews, local support groups, national organizations and congenital cardiology centers throughout the world participate by hosting special events and fund raising activities.

Be Involved. Do you believe that you can make a difference in this world? "I Believe"

Join me on my journey to Ironman and help raise awareness about Congenital Heart Defects. Through the Janus Charity Challenge and the Ford Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon, I hope to raise awareness and financial aid to help C.H.I.N. in its mission.

Make a Secure Donation Here

The Road to Madison

By car, from my door step to Madison, WI is 268-miles and takes just about 4-1/2 hours (dependent on the number of rest stops and breaks along the way). But what fun would that be? Anyone with a car, $25 for gas, and a half-day can do that.

The road I've chosen (for me and for anyone willing to travel along) is much more interesting. The road I've chosen will take nearly another 9-months and by the time we've arrived at the starting line in Madison, we will have traveled quite a long way (Figuratively and literally).

In Fact, we will have swum 225-miles, biked 3,960-miles, and run 935-miles, and that's just to get to the starting line. Once we arrive in Madison we hope to add to those totals another 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run. It's only then they we can say 'We've Arrived'!

Along the way I've planned a few stops, brief moments in time really, opportunities to pause and reflect on our progress. Oh I'm sure we'll have a few additional stops along the way but here is what I've planned so far.

Our first stop along the way will be in Woodbury, MN at the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon. This event takes place on Sunday March 01. I did this event last year for the first time. The swim is in the pool, you have time to change into dry clothes before the bike, which is on a studio cycle, followed by your best Gerbil interpretation on a tread mill.

Next, The Minnesota Ironman Bicycle® Ride, now in its 43rd year, is the longest running century bike ride in Minnesota. With routes of 100, 65 and 30 miles, this single day bike tour has something for every cyclist. The event is April 26, and I've chosen the 100-mile ride to get us started off right. The ride takes place in Lakeville MN, and is the start of the cycling season in the upper Midwest.


Then on May 09, we make a stop in New Prague, MN for a half-marathon. I've done this event the past two years. New Prague is small, quaint town. The water stations are manned by the towns residence and the runners vote on which water stop had the best theme, costumes, decorations, and spirit. The course has gently rolling hills through the surrounding country side and the weather this time of year is ideal for running.

Next stop, Buffalo, MN, June 07. So far, by far, (in my long and storied career) my favorite event, is the Buffalo Triathlon. The Olympic distance race starts with a swim in Buffalo lake. The water temp in early June has been brisk. The bike course has some rolling hills as well as some flat fast sections. The run is an out and back with the turn around in the town's cemetery. The event is well run and well attended. This will be my third Buffalo triathlon. Professional Triathlete, Chris Legh, from Australia, is the reigning champion and course record holder.

Next stop, Duluth, MN for the 33rd (my third) running of Grandma's Marathon. An enjoyable weekend regardless of the weather or the result. We are camping again at Spirit Mountain, and will have several friends running the race again this year. The event is Saturday, June 20 this year. The weather this time of year can be very unpredictable. Two years ago it was very steamy, last year, not quite as warm, but still sticky. The course runs from Two Harbors to Duluth along scenic highway 61. If it is warm again, let's hope that the wind cooperates and releases some of those refreshing breezes off lake Superior. USATF passed a ruling last year that grants race directors more freedom with the headphone rule. Rumor has it that Grandma's might have adopted the don't ask don't tell policy with iPods and headphones.

Next, Lake Nokomis Park, Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, July 18. This time as a spectator. Alexandra and several of her SEMS team mates will do the Miracles of Mitch, Miracle Kids Triathlon. The event is a fund raiser for kids with cancer and their families. The theme is 'Kids Racing for Kids Who Can’t'. Alexandra and her team mate Jake did the race last year. I was very proud of what these kids accomplished! There were 300+ kids ages 7 - 17, racing for an amazing cause.

Sunday, July 19, less then 24-hours later, we'll be at Frank Murphy Park, on the Door County Peninsula, in Wisconsin for the Door County half-iron Triathlon. This challenging Half Iron course begins with a 1.2 mile swim in the clear waters of Horseshoe Bay. The 56 mile bike route travels along Door County's scenic backroads, through the main retail district in Sturgeon Bay, along the shipping channel, out and back on a wooded back road and gradually ascends 200 feet up the famed Door County Bluff before returning to Murphy Park. The 13.1 mile run course takes participants north to the Egg Harbor Dock, up Harbor Heights Road, through the village of Egg Harbor, up the infamous Bluff Pass Road (200 foot climb in 1/2 mile), and through the stacked stone fences of Horseshoe Bay Golf Course before a downhill descent to the finish line.

Then on August 09, a stop in Cleveland, OH, for the 2009 Greater Cleveland Triathlon. This is an International distance race with a 3/4-mile swim in Lake Erie, a 23-mile moderately hilly bike course, and a 10k out and back run. I did the race last year, the swim was cancelled due to rough water conditions so the event ended up being my first Duathlon. The bike course was challenging, there is one hill on the course that I still have nightmares about. The hill is not long, just scary steep!

Our last scheduled stop, Sunday, August 16, prior to turning east again towards Madison, will be the 28th running of the Woodbury, MN half Marathon (also known as the Woodbury Country Mile). This will be my third visit to this unique course. The run takes place primarily on recreational paths throughout the community. It winds around four local lakes, is moderately hilly, and narrow.





So pack your tooth brush and join me. I promise it will not be just another boring car ride!

Ode to Humility

As week two of my 36 week training plan comes to an end, I think maybe it's time for me to come down off my high horse.

I do most of my training by myself, not because I want to, it is just how it works out. It is amazing, when in a vacuum, how easy it is to talk yourself up onto that horse.

This, more than anything else, is why, for me, it is important to have events throughout the year to bring me back to earth. Watch out for that first step; it's a doozy!

I got to swim at the U of M Aquatic Center this weekend. What an absolutely wonderful place to swim! The pool is very fast (well, for at least some people it is).

It was the USMS MN (US Masters Swimming, MN) Icebreaker SCY (Short Course Yards) swim meet, which was very well attended this year. I swam six events; 50-yard Fly, Back, Breast, and Free, 100 IM, and the 1000 Free. Let's just say that I could come up with a few (not so good) excuses for why this was not my best effort. Like, my focus has not been in the pool, that I was swimming tired (no taper), I had three back to back to back events...and so on. But I think it's time to pull on my big boy pants and be humbled a little. Maybe I'm not quite at the top of my game just yet and maybe a good dose of reality is just what I need at this point.

I've just about finalized my 2009 race season. Good thing, I think I'll a need a few more reality checks over the next 34-weeks. In my next post I will layout the 2009 season (the road to Madison).

Coming Soon...I will be rolling out a new website. My goal is to have the site up and operational by the end of February. The site will attempt to bring together all components of this journey to Ironman. My goal with the site is to provide interesting and motivating content in the areas of swimming, cycling, running, and nutrition. The site will also strive to keep its visitors informed about C.H.I.N., the beneficiary to this Ironman journey and additional ways that you can join in and participate. Stay tuned for more information.