Pentathlon?

I'm kinda board with the traditional triathlon, swim, bike, run, big whoop. Its time to spice things up a bit, don't ya think...Well not really, but it is kinda an interesting story.

Welcome to the first (hopefully not annual) Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Pentathlon. Are you up for the challenge? Run 13.1 miles, Fly 8,044 miles (2 x 4022), volcanic ash dash, and Bike 100 miles. An explosive event that you will not soon forget!


First Leg - the Run - 13.1 Miles

On 10 April 2010, I participated in the Campwannarunamileormore 1/2 marathon, easy for me to say :p. The event was sponsored by Tri Fitness located in White Bear Lake, a great little Tri store run by good folk with everything the triathlete needs, plus some excellent bargains from time to time. The event was a fund raiser for Camp Odayin, a camp for kids with heart disease, a great cause. Turn out for the 1/2 marathon and 10k was very lite. Not sure why, it was a great day, a scenic run around Bald Eagle lake, and like I said, a Great cause! The CEO of Camp Odayin spoke before the race started and told a story about one of their campers, Woody. Woody was at camp with his family and was talking with his sister. She had commented to Woody that she wished she could come back for the summer. Woody kinda looked at his sister funny and said, you can't come during the summer, you don't have a special heart...read more.

The day did not produce a PR but I did get to run from the front for a change. Kind of an odd experience actually but fun.


Second Leg - the Flight - 4,022 Miles

On 10 April 2010, several hours after completing my 13.1 mile run around Bald Eagle Lake, I boarded Delta Flight DL40 bound for London. I was off on a week long business trip to Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, about 80-miles east of London . I sure wished I would of bought that pair of compression socks that were on sale @ Tri Fitness a few weeks back. I drank plenty of water, watched Avatar again, and did not sleep. Other then being uncomfortable for 8-1/2 hours, the flight was without incident and we landed in Great Britain just before noon on Sunday, 11 April. Beyond the obvious, work, I managed to get in several training runs throughout the English country side. There is absolutely no better way to get up close and personal then running through the narrow streets and winding single lane country roads of the English country side. The weather was beautiful for the 11 days, no ash clouds in site...I think the English just tell us that the weather there is bad to keep us out.

Third Leg - MN Masters, Short Course, State Meet @ the U of M

On 18 April 2010, I was scheduled to swim the 50 (yard) Free, 200 Free, and 1650 Free, but due to Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupting and closing down most of Europe's and all of the UK airways, I was not able to make it back for the event. So in lieu of swimming I went and visited Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. Hey it is not often that you get to use the old Volcano erupting excuse...


Fourth Leg - the Flight - 4,022 Miles

On 21 April, 2010, 5 days late, I boarded Delta flight DL41 for the trip back to MN. Ironically we flew pretty much right over the top of said volcano (which I didn't get to see). Again, no sleep, swollen calves, cramped quarters, but pretty uneventful.



Fifth Leg - the Bike - 100 Miles

On 25 April 2010, I participated in the 44th Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride. A 100 miles of wind and rain. Actually it was much better then last year's, sleet, rain, wind, and freezing temperatures. This year was warmer, with less rain, but at least as much wind. Amazing windage is all I can really say...truly amazing!

A big piece of Humble Pie to go please! Even though I knew going into the event that two or three out door rides was far from proper preparation for a century ride, I really thought I was in better condition then I was. I've been training on the bike since January, riding on the trainer and spin at the club. I've put in dozens of two+ hours rides and was feeling confident that I would see improvement on the bike over last year. This ride made it very obvious that if I have any real shot at getting anywhere near my goal time at Madison this year, I better start getting serious on the bike.

If your looking for a challenge, I strongly recommend this event. Unfortunately, this particular volcano only erupts every two hundred years. Sign up early; it fills up fast...and is a real BLAST!

A Tribute to Mentors

It was sometime during the summer of 2006 when I was just beginning my endurance sport journey and was training for the 1/2-Iron distance Square Lake Triathlon when I became aware of the running group at work. It was neat how I was quickly taken under their wing and was provided with continual encouragement and advice (when requested).

I remember Gordy stopping by a couple of times a week asking how it was going and how I was feeling. I remember being excited to share my little achievements, like, 'I ran for 20-minutes today without stopping', or 'I ran a 5k @ a 10 min pace', or whatever.

I also remember sharing my aches and pains and being encouraged by the, 'oh that', you should try this...' response.

When I decided to run my first marathon, Grandma's 2007, it was back when you still had to fill out the paper form and send it in to register. I remember the group making sure I had the right info and was reminded to make sure to have it mailed right away. I remember the anxious discussions and wondering if I'd get in or not and how nervous I was once I did.

I remember the guidance I received on training plans, and once I settled on one, the pointers on what worked for them and what didn't. I was in awe of the knowledge they seemed to posses and the experience they had under their belt.

I remember being encouraged to make accommodations early and was happy that the group included me in their plans. The snow was still on the ground and running outside was just a distant dream when the reservations were made to stay at Spirit Mountain Campground, but I was excited nonetheless.

As race day approached and the last few long runs were being planned, I was grateful that the group worked together to plan the final 20-mile run about three weeks out from race morning. We ran the Cannon Valley trail that year from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, which happens to be almost exactly 20-miles. I remember that day and how nervous I was and remember the encouragement I received throughout the day and the reassurance that 'yes, you can do this'.

When race day finally did arrive, I remember how they knew exactly when and where we needed to meet to get on the bus, and where the best place to meet afterward would be and where the family should hang out to get the best opportunities to see the runners.

When the race was over and we were all completely spent, I was amazed by how they were genuinely excited about what I had achieved, and the interest they had for how the day went for me.

Over the past few years the group has changed and evolved, with new members being added and some being sidelined due to injury. New members are still encouraged and mentored and the wiry veterans are still providing encouragement and guidance. Even for some who have been sidelined due to longer term injury, they are always there to provide positive, reinforcing words, and a genuine interest in the activities of the group.

It is truly amazing to me in sports that are about individual competition and individual achievement how much TEAM spirit there is. You will not find another group of individuals so willing to share their experiences, their knowledge, a spare Co2 cartridge, or a hand in changing a flat. I've been blessed over the past few years and have had a variety of mentors in the sport and if I've learned anything from my mentors, I've learned that sharing your experiences with others, and encouraging others to obtain their goals is an integral part of the journey. I want to take this moment and thank those who have mentored me, it has been instrumental in what I have been able to personally achieve. Thank You!

2010 Road to Madison - All Aboard

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.

As with last year, the road I've chosen for us is much more interesting. It will take us nearly another 7-months and by the time we arrive at the starting line in Madison, we will have once again traveled a long but memorable road.

The fact is, to arrive in Madison prepared to finish this journey, we will swim 225-miles, bike 3,960-miles, and run another 935-miles just to get to the starting line.

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


The first stop this year is new! Campwannrunamileormore - 1/2 Marathon, sponsored by Tri fitness. Now that's a mouth full. Tri Fitness is a great little store in White Bear that caters to the endurance athlete. Stop in and tell them that Miles sent you! The race takes place at 8:00 AM on 10 April @ Bald Eagle Regional Park, in white Bear Township. I leave later that day. Off to the UK for business, hopefully the exercise will tire me out and help me sleep on the plane.


Next, The Minnesota Ironman Bicycle® Ride, now in its 44th year, is the longest running century bike ride in Minnesota. This year I've registered us for the 100-mile ride again. I don't think I'll ever forget last year's adventure...read more. The event this year is on Sunday, 25 April. I've been trying to talk a few others into joining me. It would be nice to have someone to draft. The ride takes place in Lakeville MN, and is the official start to the cycling season in the upper Midwest.


Another new event on the schedule this year is the Oakdale Duathlon sponsored by Vacation Sports. The event is to be held on Saturday, 15 May. Over the past few years I have done several of Randy's events. They are typically fun, low-key, safe events. I take advantage of the earlier bird registration so these events have been extremely economical. The race takes place in the Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The reserve is a beautiful 2165 acre square mile park with 80 percent of its acreage set aside for preservation and protection. This should be a great warm up for the first of my three A-Races which follow.


The first of my three A-Races for 2010, is the Buffalo Triathlon. The event takes place in Buffalo, MN, on 06 June. This race continues to be one of my favorites, the Buffalo Triathlon is an Olympic distance race, with the swim in Buffalo lake. Last year the weather was less then ideal. For a trip down memory lane click here to read more...

Sunday, 17 July,we'll be at Frank Murphy Park, on the Door County Peninsula, in Wisconsin for the 3rd rendition of the Door County half-iron Triathlon. This is my second A-Race of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed this race last year. 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.


The third and final A-Race of the year! The Ford Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon. To read about last years event click here.

It goes without out saying, this is REALLY not the destination. Just as in life, it's not really about the destination, it's the journey that matters. Over the past few years I have met some amazing people, have formed numerous new friendships. I'm always amazed when I speak to others who have taken to the endurance sport life style with the excitement and passion they have. We are all in different places along our paths. Some of us are training to do our first 5k or sprint triathlon, others are on their way to Boston or Kona, and still others, just trying to find time to get out for a walk a few times a week. No matter where you are on your path, its okay, just keep looking, planning, striving for the next destination, and enjoy the journey!






So pack your overnight bag and join me. I promise, no 100-bottles of beer on the wall or A-Z car games on this ride!

Metabolic Testing: VO2max Testing - What's Your Number?

A triathlete’s VO2max number can be a good basis for bragging rights in the endurance sports arena. If you know this number, which defines your maximum aerobic capacity, and it’s a good number, you can talk trash while hanging at the pool edge, chatting in spin class or stretching on the track.

But as a measurement that originated in the second century with Greek physicians blowing into sheep bladders, is the VO2max really that valuable?

I've had a VO2max test each of the past three seasons. This year I had the test performed on both a treadmill and an electrically-braked cycle ergometer. My reasoning for testing has been to establish my training zones and particularly my AT (Anaerobic Threshold).

My goal as a Triathlete is to continue to improve, and unlike the professional athlete, I have a limited amount of time to train so I need to make sure that I get the most out of every workout. To me, improving means being able to swim, bike, and run faster for a longer duration.

I've been lucky and over the past few years have had some very knowledgeable Group Fitness Instructors at Lifetime Fitness. I've also spent time reading and researching a variety of training methodologies for endurance athletes. I wish I can tell you that I have found some magic formula but I haven't.

What I have learned is that at some point when increasing intensity during exercise, your body switches from burning fat as the primary source of energy to burning primarily carbohydrates. This point is referred to as your AT or Anaerobic Threshold. Why is this important? Well, I'm glad you asked. The average human body can only store about 1500 to 2000 calories of carbohydrate where as it can store upwards of 30,000 calories of fat. Even the leanest of endurance athletes have a nearly limitless supply of fat calories.

AT is also the point at which you begin to notice marked fatigue, and this marks the beginning of the end. Your muscles will soon lose the ability to maintain that intensity and you will either have to slow down, to an intensity below your anaerobic threshold, or stop.

To achieve our overall goal to swim, bike, and run faster / longer we must train our bodies to work at ever increasing levels of intensity for longer periods of time below AT.

Therefore, accurately knowing your AT is pretty important to your training.

There are several methods of determining your AT. A very simple method for estimating the anaerobic threshold is to assume anaerobic threshold occurs at 85-90% maximum heart rate (220-age). Unfortunately heart rate varies greatly between individuals and even within the same individual so this is not a very reliable test.

For the more experienced athlete, a time trial of a 10km run or 30km cycle at or close to anaerobic threshold can be used to determine AT. By simulating a race in training and recording heart rate, the anaerobic threshold may be determined. Alternatively, exercising for 30 minutes at the fastest sustainable pace can be used. The key is to sustain a steady pace which is why this test is more suited to experienced athletes who can gauge how fast to set off. A heart rate monitor with split time facility is required to record heart rate at each 1-minute interval. Take the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes as the heart rate corresponding to anaerobic threshold.

The most accurate way to determine lactate threshold is via a graded exercise test in a laboratory setting (1). During the test the velocity or resistance on a treadmill, cycle ergometer or rowing ergometer is increased at regular intervals (i.e. every 1min, 3min or 4min) and blood samples are taken at each increment. Very often VO2 max, maximum heart rate and other physiological kinetics are measured during the same test (2).

Blood lactate is then plotted against each workload interval to give a lactate performance curve. Heart rate is also usually recorded at each interval often with a more accurate electrocardiogram as opposed to a standard heart rate monitor.

Once the lactate curve has been plotted, the anaerobic threshold can be determined. A sudden or sharp rise in the curve above base level is said to indicate the anaerobic threshold. However, from a practical perspective this sudden rise or inflection is often difficult to pinpoint

So the bottom line is that whichever method you chose will have some inherit flaws. Personally, my lab results have not corresponded to the data I've collected from race day and time-trails. In fact the lab results are significantly different and are of no practical use for training. For me, recording my heart rate during race conditions at near maximal efforts has produced the most reliable results. This race day data seems to correspond to what I perceive to be AT. Since my lab results have been suspect I'll continue to use a combination of time-trial and perceived exertion to determine my Anaerobic Threshold for training purposes.

References
1) McArdle WD, Katch FI and Katch VL. (2000) Essentials of Exercise Physiology: 2nd Edition Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
2) Maud PJ and Foster C (eds.). (1995) Physiological Assessment Of Human Fitness. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Good Intentions

Forgive me readers for it has been 4 months since my last post...

As I begin my fourth year of multi-sport endurance training and my 36 weeks of training for Ironman Wisconsin 2010 (yes I'm doing it again), I think I have officially recovered from Ironman Wisconsin 2009. The last sign of recovery (for you squeamish types; you might want to forgo the next couple of sentences) my pinky toenail has finally fallen off this past week and the new one is coming in nicely. During the bike leg of last years event I developed some fairly severe foot pain. I developed a quarter size blister in the center of the ball of my foot which expressed itself during the last 30 miles of the bike and throughout the run. I tried to over compensate on the run which resulted in running on the side of my foot and rubbing my pinky toe. It turned black right away after the race and I figured it would fall off. I never imagined it would take 4 plus months to run its course.

Anyways, its a new year, and many have begun the year with good intentions. You have all made your resolutions. Whether it be to improve your fitness and health, go back to school, or work on your relationships with family or with God, we all have started out with good intentions. I recently received a little snippet and wanted to share it with you. Maybe it may help you turn your good intentions into reality.

Learning To Prepare For The Best

John Leonard

As I write this in early January in Fort Lauderdale, the air temperature is a “balmy” 42 degrees….well, balmy if you’re from Green Bay, Wisconsin, maybe. Here in South Florida, that’s a cold wave. We swim outside, and the water temperature is 75 degrees…..the heaters can’t keep up when the air is this cold. The wind chill factor, according to Channel 7, is…well, we don’t want to know the wind chill with a nice brisk 20 mile an hour wind coming off the Everglades.

My phone rings at 5 AM and a small voice on the other end asks plaintively, “Do we really have swim practice, Coach John?” Yes, we really do.

WHY? Is the next question, which I wrestle with myself on the 15 minute drive to the pool….why put teenagers in the water on this cold and nasty morning when both they and I would prefer to stay snuggled in at home for another hour or hour and a half.

Now, I KNOW why, but can I express it to my swimmers? Yes, I’ll try. Everyone, on the day after the high school state meet, vows that “next year” they will A) make a final, B) Make the meet C) win an event or D) write in your own goal here.

It’s easy to vow to do something the day after, when you are excited, full of the promise of life and get up and go. It’s a lot harder to REMEMBER what you wanted to do in early January when it’s 5 AM and cold outside. Then it’s a lot harder and a lot easier to rationalize, “it’s just one workout”.

The problem is, when teenagers begin to learn to rationalize, they get really good at it really fast, and pretty soon, the ACTION required to fulfill the commitments to those goals/dreams, falls prey to the rationalization. And after you rationalize the decision you want to make the first time, it’s so much easier to do it the next time, and the time after that, and pretty soon, the goal is just a dream, because you’re rationalizing yourself into thinking, “I’d like to do that if everything could be perfect for me, and it would never be cold in the morning, or no social events would ever conflict with practice, and time with my friends always went the way I want it to.“

But things never go perfectly. The ONLY thing you can successfully predict is that obstacles to your goal WILL come up, and little or nothing will go smoothly. And that consistency in preparation is the only way to raise the percentages of the chance you will reach your goal.

Read that again….”raise the percentages of the chance…” Not a guarantee. If it’s a good goal, there are no guarantees, EXCEPT that if you don’t prepare correctly, according to the plan, you won’t raise your chance of success, you’ll lower it.

So why go to practice at 5 AM in the cold? Because it’s part of the plan, and it raises your chance of success. But most of all, because you have told yourself that you will commit to doing it. And if you let yourself down, who won’t you let down? Prepare for a chance for success. And feel really good about doing that.

2009 Ford Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

It would be easy to fill this post with everything that did not go well for me yesterday, but I won't. There were too many good things and the number one goal of the day was accomplished, I Finished! And I heard Mike Reilly (the voice of Ironman) call my name as I crossed the finish line; Miles Burd from Cottage Grove, MN, "You are an Ironman"!

Pre-Race - The Parking Garage

Left the hotel without incident at 04:40 AM, I planned to park in the ramp I'd be using the last couple of days. It was right across the street from Monona Terrace near the bike staging area. The traffic was tough, as expected, me and 2400 of my fellow participants were all arriving for the long day ahead. I was about to turn into the garage when I saw the sign $4 advanced event parking. I did not even think about this. I left everything with Charlene. I had no money on me at all, and my heart rate quickly jumped into zone 4. I called Charlene (glad I had my phone) and told her the good news. Originally the support crew was not going to leave the hotel until 05:30. I pulled around the corner and there was an open parking spot on the street, right on the corner, and it was free. God was definitely watching over me this morning. I pulled in, thanked God, and immediately called Charlene back to cancel the emergency.

Pre-Race - Race Prep

There is a lot of prep for this race. You basically set up your transition areas on Saturday, the day before the race; your bike, swim to bike gear bag, and bike to run gear bag. When I dropped off my bike the volunteer helping me (great volunteers all weekend, thank you again!) said it would be a good idea to let air out of the tires and top them off in the morning. It was in the mid 80's Saturday and the bike staging area is all concrete. The last thing you need is a tire to expand and blow up. So in addition to bringing my special needs bags for the bike and run, I brought the pump and a gallon of water to fill my bottles. I used Hammer Perpetuim powder for nutrition and Gatorade G2 powder for electrolytes and had it in my bottles already. I just needed to add water, pump up my tires, and put the Garmin on the bike. I then visited my run gear bag to drop off the Garmin I borrowed from Ryan (thanks again Ryan), visited my bike gear bag and dropped off my cell phone which I planned to carry on the bike (just in case), dropped off my special needs bags (a couple of blocks away in front of the capital), and then, finally, dropped the pump and the rest of the water back at the van.

Finally, I could relax. I planned on meeting Charlene, Alexandra, Christopher, and my Mom before heading down to the swim start. As I was walking over to the pre-agreed meeting place I ran into Coach T. Thousands of people around and I run into someone I know (amazing). Teresa and Tina were volunteering today (again thank you volunteers!). I think I saw these two at least a half dozen times throughout the day cheering me on. Thank you! So after chatting with coach T for a bit I met up with the familyand got my final kisses and hugs in (thank you family for all the support. I'm grateful you were here with me and have put up with me over the last year, especially you Charlene!). Then I headed down to the swim start.

The Swim - 2.4 miles

The swim start at Madison is a deep water mass start. So at about 06:25 the pros got in the water. At 06:30 the age groupers started filing in and I was one of the first. The course at Madison is a large rectangle, the long sides of the rectangle are 1/2 mile long and the short sides are 0.1 miles long. You swim the course counter-clockwise and do two loops. The course is a few hundred yards from the shoreline. The starting line runs from the shore to the corner of the course. Swimmers can start anywhere from the shoreline to the corner buoy and behind. There is a water ski jump about 1/3rd of the way between the shore and the corner buoy, right on the start line, and this is where I planned to start. It meant swimming an extra 1/8 of a mile down the first side but I was willing to give up the couple of extra minutes if it meant less traffic.

The venue for the start is amazing. Monona Terrace has spectating areas on four levels. Behind Monona Terrace are several high rise hotels with viewing, and with the capital building in the backdrop, it is an amazing sight.

The morning was perfect, the water was calm, the sun was just coming up; truly beautiful. The water was a little warm, 75F, but manageable even in a wetsuit. The pros started at 06:50 to the sound of a cannon and the age groupers at 07:00. After the singing of the National Anthem we were off. I quickly found open water and swam pretty much unabated until the first turn. After that corner I decided to stay wide, which again added a little extra distance but avoided the extra traffic.

T1 Swim to Bike Transition

After getting out of the water volunteers guided you to the wetsuit strippers where two more volunteers pulled your suit off for you. Gotta love those volunteers. Then you run up the parking garage helix to the fourth level of the Monona Terrace parking garage. The helix is filled with cheering spectators. You then run into a conference room where more volunteers hand you your swim to bike gear bag. From there into the Men's changing room (another big conference room). Volunteers are there to help you, if you ask. When leaving the convention center out to the bike staging area some more volunteers slather you with sunscreen lotion.

The Bike - 112 miles

The ride starts with a spin down the opposing helix of the parking garage before heading out of town. The Ironman bike course is a lollipop shaped course. You ride the stick 14 miles from T1 and then ride a 42 mile loop, which you do twice before returning down the stick back to transition T2.

There are 87 turns on the bike course and I'd guess less than a few miles of flat sections. The course is continually rising and falling. There are not many huge hills up or down but there are few significant ascends and descends. You cannot put it in cruise control physically or mentally anywhere on this course. And by the way, the hills seem much bigger the second time around.

There are three fairly significant climbs that start about 10 miles outside of the city of Verona, which would be at about mile 40 and 80 overall. The climbs were lined with spectators, men in cheerleading outfits and bikinis, a woman dressed like a Harem girl, and plenty of other characters. It was a lot of fun to have the crowd cheering as you slowly ascended. It was just as much fun on the second loop as the first but the slow ascent was much slower. With 8 miles left there is one last significant climb and then from there pretty much down hill back into town.

With Monona Terrace in sight I was more than ready to stable my steady steed for the day.

T2 Bike to Run

Much like T1 the bike to run transition is in Monona Terrace. You run in and are handed your bag before entering the changing room. The volunteers provided me with some water and assistance with my gear. I changed and left the building for the run course were I was met with more sunscreen volunteers who lathered me up again.

The Run- 26.2 miles

The Madison run course is a two loop affair. The run course is relatively flat. There is one significant hill (Observation Hill) on the University of Wisconsin campus. This hill is at about mile 6 and 19 respectively. Which, by the way, is a beautiful campus, very impressive.

Some unique features of the course include a trip inside Camp Randall Stadium (home of the Wisconsin Badgers) where you run around the football field on the turf; pretty cool. There is an area I named 'Inspiration Mile'. Janus, one of the race sponsors, has a tent set up at the expo where family and friends can make signs. All these signs are placed along the path, this is at about mile 8 and 21. This was very cool.

There were a lot of spectators along the course and saw family and friends several times on the two loops. Aid stations were set up at almost every mile. The aid stations were very well- manned and well- stocked. Every aid station had sponges, water, Gatorade, fruit, pretzels, and potato chips. Some had energy bars and gu. During the second loop, chicken broth was available at most aid stations.

Finishing the last couple of miles or so in the dark with the State capital lit up coming up State Street is something I'll remember for a long time. The finishing shoot was at least a 1/4 mile long and lined with cheering spectators. There was a grandstand at the finish line packed with more cheering spectators and with the 'Voice of Ironman' Mike Reilly announcing every finisher's name overpowering it all. This was all visually and audibly amazing, quite the spectacle, and very welcome after a very long day.

Post-Race Thoughts

There are a lot thoughts bouncing around this head of mine today, the day after. Kind of feels like a bad hangover where you're trying to remember what exactly happened the night before.

But one consistent thought is; I finished and that was really my only goal yesterday, but I know I can perform at a higher level than what this day produced. This thought should not surprise any triathlete, runner, swimmer, or any other person on the planet that is looking to continuously improve themselves. But what I've learned over the past year or so is that training for an Ironman is a big commitment, and even though you try not to have it affect the other things going on in your life it does.

Your support system has to be strong, your commitment to training has to be unwavering, but most importantly you must work and focus on maintaining a balance between work, family, and training.

For now it is time for some R&R. I need some time to sit back and take it all in, to evaluate this past year, and then to plan what is next. So stayed tuned to find what happens next on this journey.

Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles, brag for the rest of you life!

Let the Count Down Begin

As I start writing this post there are but a mere 5 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes until the cannon sounds and the calm waters of Lake Monona start to churn, and the 2500 athletes become a human smoothie maker of sorts...sounds like fun...

This morning I started my final week of preparations. It's a taper week, obviously, and I had a mere 30 minute run today. My legs are feeling springy and had to hold back a bit. It was an amazing, beautiful morning for a run and 30 minutes seems oh so short!

I'm trying not to think too much about the actual race. There is plenty-O enough anxiety there but trying to push it out of my thoughts for now. For some reason the swim start has been keeping me up some nights. Can't imagine why...

Had the bike in for a once over this past week. Had a new rear tire mounted and purchased a new rear cassette. Kinda late in the game for a major change on the bike but based on my trial ride in Madison a couple of weeks ago a lower gear seams like a wise choice. I had the 11/23 cassette changed out for a 12/27. I must ride smart and focus on spinning up even the steepest climbs while staying in the saddle. I will heed the advice I've gathered combined with the first hand experience I've gained and will go into the bike with the strategy of JRA (just ride along). I will ignore the Ricky Racers that I will be surrounded by and ride like I have a marathon to run a little later in the day. Oh yeah, I do have a marathon to run!

I have not been able to avoid the weather watching activity which typically supplies very little useful information. But early indicators are for temps in the low 50's at the start with a high in the upper 60's, mostly cloudy conditions, and a 30/40 % chance of rain. My strategy for the weather; be prepared for anything and remember that the weather will be the same for everyone!

Just a couple of logistical items:

If your bored next Sunday, and tired of watching the Browns beat up on the Vikings and their "Cash for Clunkers" Quarterback!, check out live athlete tracking @ http://ironman.com/


It's not too late! If you would like to make a charitable donation to C.H.I.N - Congenital Heart Information Network, the charity I've partnered with, please proceed using the following link.
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/wi09/imwhatim