HHH100 - Hot, Hot, Hell!!!

Holy... Hot...Hades!!!!

Well, after triathlons, marathons, and child birth...this was the hardest event I have ever done! Really, before my ranting goes any further, it was a great experience - but I never expected the body strain due to dehydration that I had. After consuming over 350 ounces of liquid and over 30 Endurolyte pills, I still had muscle cramps starting at the 85 miler marker - all the way in. It was interesting managing your body when it wants to quit (because the cramping doesn't stop), and still trying to drive the pedals forward! I learned about my body in this race more than any other race I have ever done! After reviewing my situation, it became apparent that I did not start my fluid intake early enough - hence I was always trying to catch up to my body and that wasn't going to happen with temps approaching 110F on the blacktop! Enough complaining Weckinator....on with the review and some pictures!!!




David Stoncipher (Cycling God) and I arrived at 5:00am to get in the starting grid. This was a great move because we were about 50 yards from the start-line and only had a 7 minute delay between the start of the race and our actual crossing of the start line. We chilled for a couple for hours taking in the sites and crowd!







The mass of cyclist is really something to see. There were about 12,000 participates in this year's 25th anniversary race. It took some of the people up to 1 hour to cross the START line once the race began. It takes a long time to get that many people with bikes headed down the road.

The longest ride I had done prior to this rally was a 78 miler in Dallas. We did this in the morning when the temps were in the low 80's. I think if I EVER do this race again, I would change my training regime. You really need to do some long, long bike rides in the heat. I had no idea that I would fall so far behind in my hydration. The picture below is right after crossing the finish line - I have even gotten off my bike yet. It looks like I am happy and smiling (which I was), but really it was wincing from the muscle cramps in my legs!




But...all's well that ends well! David and I had a great dinner and a few beers to begin the rehydration process! I know a bunch of HHH100 riders from Dallas didn't make the cut off at Hell's Gate (60 miles into the race). They closed this due to the heat and wind conditions on the course - their reasoning was good, but a lot people were not happy. I got lucky...my first 50 miles went by quickly, but I pay for it in the last 10.

More pictures coming, once I get them developed - yes I took a disposable camera on the ride with me. Until then, I would rather remember this portion of the day!



Here is my time info...

Chip time 6 hours 40 minutes - place was 78 in age group (although LOTS of riders did not wear timing chips.) My Garmin registered 5 hours 40 minutes of true ride time (average 17.8 miles per hour). The difference between these two times is the time I spent at the rest stops during the race. I didn't stop at all within the first 50 miles, but then stopped at 50, 70, 80, 90 mile rest stops. All-in-all it was quite an experience!

River Cities - A blast!!!

River Cities was great this year - and even more impressive if you were there the night before. During our pizza party at the race site, a huge thunderstorm blew over the lake with 50mph winds. This absolutely destroyed the race site preparation and blew over every tent, table and speaker in sight! The PA system was completely destroyed and it is a miracle how the race director and volunteers worked through the night and got it ready for the 1,500 competitors the next morning.

The Dallas Athletes had a great turn out and once again proved to be the club which outshines everyone else! Danny, Tom, Edward, Kuay and crew did a great job setting up our tent and getting everything ready for us! Our pizza party - albeit a bit wet - was terrific.

All that I spoke with had a great race - Tom came close to beating Jim Lukanich - the CT group did great and once again I am sure Candy was close to the top in her age group! My success came in the form of beating Danny Jones by 20 seconds...hey, when you are as old as I am, you take very little chance to brag!

Mt race was so-so...my swim was terrible, my bike was pretty good and my run was slow...I need to change my training goals. I haven't improved at all over the summer and I need to refocus on my technique and L/T threshold training. Since I only have three races left this year (HHH100, Texas Man Triathlon, NYC Marathon) I am going to begin a long period of base training to improve these facets. All of this is in preparation of next year's full Ironman in Cour D'lene, Idaho! Oh well, enough about me...take a look at the pictures below...River Cities was fun!

Party First.....Train Later!

It's official...the $450 has been sent and Idaho is the scene of the upcoming medical emergency - I have officially entered my first full Iron Man Event. I am assuming that, the deposit is the easiest part of this whole deal. I even think my family will be there to cheer me on!!! I guess the official training starts in November - right when I finish my NYC marathon. For sure the swim is going to be the toughest part - but like they all say - it all comes down to the run!

Just got back from a little weekend fun at lake LBJ Houston - down by Horseshoe Bay. This is about 1 hour west of Austin. We had five families in a very large house (slept 36 people) and had a great time with the kids on the water! The picture also shows the adults had some fun as well. I'm on the far left looking fairly concerned about the amount of working out I will have to do to get rid of all the "adult beverages" I consumed....oh well...I consider this my kickoff party for my ironman.

So bring it on....(I may regret I just made that statement!)...I gotta go work out!

Dave Scott ... I apologize!!!

Well...I owe Dave an apology...what a nice guy and how helpful he is. My first impression last year with Dave were all wrong! He is a very patient, understanding and knowledgeable guy who relates to accomplished as well as first time triathletes. I thought the clinic was terrific - and Tom can bring him back into Dallas for another one soon.

Latic Threshold training was probably the most beneficial part of my two days with Dave. Although, the swim clinic was extremely valuable as well! One of Dave's comments during his Q&A sessions was that "most normal" people do not push themselves hard enough during training. By using a "Borg Scale" of perceived exertion which places values from 6 - 20 (very easy to total exhaustion), we tend to think we are pushing the limit much sooner than we really are. Dave's main point is that we should be racing at a heart rate level 10 beats below out L/T threshold! That is much higher than my average workout or race, thus I have I need to get much more serious in my training efforts and goals. One of the main concepts I carried with me from his clinic was that I need to focus on each workout and set a goal for each one. It may be a little goal, but is it something to improve upon each and every time I "get sweaty!". If you are reading this blog and have the chance to attend another clinic of Dave's - please, please do yourself a favor and go! Don't let the price tag hold you back...he is an incredible teacher.

I am headed out of town this weekend for fun at lake LBJ Houston (Horseshoe Bay). I'll be doing some swimming in the lake and long runs...so until next week - keep pushing - but do it a little harder than you use to!

Peach Pedal, Disco, Fun!!!

Well, busy weekend....Saturday I did the Peach Pedal Bike Rally in Weatherford Texas - lots of fun. A few other members (Andy, Dan, Jeff, Greg) from Dallas Athletes came along and we had a great time. The course was terrific - hilly - and the volunteers were wonderful. If you have never done this rally it is a good one! The best part was the fresh peaches at every aid station!!!

Sunday was the Disco Triathlon - what a great race. The site at Lake Ray Roberts is the best race site I have been to. All three courses (swim, bike, run) were terrific! And Danny, Edward and the entire set up and volunteer crew did an unbelievable job! Tom looked great in his disco attire and my "introduction" as the Adult Film star has solidified my reputation...I needed that!

My performance was a little below my expectations, but I think the bike rally on Saturday had something to do with it (that's my story and I am sticking to it!). Didn't feel too bad yesterday - my rest day - so I must be getting acclimated to a higher work load. Thanks a good thing. I am starting a lifting program this week so I can keep the metabolism high and get my core a little stronger.

I appreciate all you who have left comments...thanks so much. As I get more educated on this "blogger thing" - these should get a little more entertaining...you know, stupid videos, great pictures, and more of my "ever mind numbing commentary!"

Here's to a great week of training...and trying to not let the heat win!

Slow on the updates...

Hey everybody...

Hope you had a great 4th of July - whatever you did. We here in Texas got rained out - but it was very nice to see something fall from the sky!

Been doing lots of workouts over the holiday - 50 mile bike ride, practice triathlon, White Rock lake run, track workouts...you get the drift! Too much sweating and not enough updating.

This weekend has two events for me - Peach Pedal Bike Rally, Weatherford Texas (62 miles on Saturday) and then the Disco Triathlon (Sprint) on Sunday. Both events should be lots of fun - but the bike rally will certainly effect my triathlon race.

I am looking forward to a training clinic coming later this month with Dave Scott (6 time Ironman Hawaii winner). I have met him before - a bit of an arrogant jerk, but full of great information!

I'll get another one out very soon...gotta run!

Wake up! - NYC 19 weeks out!

From last Sunday, the New York City Marathon is only 19 weeks away! I guess, in the middle of triathlon season, it's time to begin training for the NYC marathon. My goal if to have fun with this race - I think I am even going to carrier a camera while running! I have heard it is a fairly tough course, but most of the people run this for the event and fun - sounds like a plan to me!

Got this week started off to a great start for training...let's see if it keeps going!

Great Podcasts - Zen and the Art of Triathlons

Back from Chicago....great town!!! Love Michigan Avenue at night! Did some networking at the show so hopefully some job interviews are not too far off in the distant future! Didn't get much time to run however...so this week is a little light in the workout totals.

On the plane trip up and back however, I have been listening to "Zen and the Art of Triathlon" podcast! Brett and Emily (who run this as well as www.Triscoop.com) are great. They have a couple good coaches on their show who talk about everything triathlon - recovery, taking Advil or Tylenol before racing or after a long work out, ice baths, nutrition...very, very informative. If you are interested the web link is below under my links section.



Still searching for some workout motivation...I really need to lift weights and start pushing some bricks for the Disco coming up on July 9th. For some reason I can't get it in gear!!! The group thing is gone and left to my own devices, it ain't workin! I'll find it soon...just waiting for the gestation period to get over!

The Hotter Than Hell (HTH) training is starting - so I am sure the bike volume will pick up shortly. Suppose to do a 40 miler this weekend and 50 miler next weekend.

Keep on trucking everybody!

Tour d'Italy...i.e. "Hotter Than Hell" Preparation!

Yesterday, David Stoncipher and I rode the Tour d"Italy (Texas). It was a great ride if you like 58 miles of rain and crowds....the route is great and this would have been a lot of fun in dry weather. We did the 100K (62 miles for you Americans) and also saw Cathy Money and a few other Dallas Athlete friends!

There was a great turn out for this race...I would guess 800 - 1,000 cyclist! The volunteers were terrific and the rest stops well stocked. I would encourage anyone who wants a fun "country" ride to give this one a try next year.

David and I averaged 18.7 miles/hr and did the 62 miles in 3:24. Not too bad for the terrible conditions.

Off the Chicago to find a job. Will run this week along the lake front in Chi-Town -should be a great change of scenery from the Coppell loops - thank god!

Killer Website; Musing...Go Mavs!

Well...in order to entice anyone to read this, I need to keep it up to date...so here goes. Found this great website "Crossfit.com" - they provide a workout each day, which is a mixture of cardio, gymnastics, weights, and killer cross training. My favorite is one called "The Murph" - named after a marine in Iraq who did the following (all for time): 1 mile run, then 100 pullups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, the another 1 mile run - all in a 20 lb. bullet proof vest! take a little walk through this site and understand their philosophy - I think trying any of these would help any fitness level you want to be at. (Link provided below)

Not a great week last week, but picking it up this week. First time swimming in a few weeks - boy it doesn't take long for that fitness to fall off. This weekend I am doing the " Tour of Italy" (Texas - that is) with David Stonecipher - he'll kick my ass, but I here the T-Shirt is worth the race. It is 100k (62 miles) - should be lots of fun.

Gotta start kicking the marathon program for NYC into gear. Made my reservations, so now I am committed to this race. Tom Ryan says he is trying to buy his way in (he knows the race director)...that's great to see him getting back into racing instead of teaching all us newbies!

Mavs - game 4 tonight...hope the kick Shaq's butt! My girls are big into this - it's become family fun!

Headed to Chicago on Sunday - going to network the National Plastics Exhibition - in search of a new job. This has become the largest show that McCormick Place handles now - about 100,000 in attendance. I know lots of people from my old industry - so getting some interviews should not be a problem. I need to get going...my tan is about a great as it is going to be and I am caught up on every soap there is!!!

Until next post...Go Mavs!

Back in the Saddle...

So...I have been a complete bum since I finished my 1/2 Iron man in Florida. Starting to feel like the conditioning is going the other way. So to cure my problem, I have signed up to be one of the run leaders for the month of June - nothing like commitment to get you out of bed and on the road at 5:00am! And that "run-Nazi" coordinator (Kuay Sullivan) can sure make you feel like every step counts.

The training focus is now changing...a sprint triathlon is much more about speed that the 70.3 mile - 1/2 Iron man. So now I am trending toward L/T workouts to improve my lactose threshold - does this sound like I know what I am talking about? Please forgive my ignorance....I don't!

Another big focus for me over the remaining summer is to loose about 20 lbs before I compete in the New York Marathon in November. I know that NY is a tough race and you really run it for the fun and event of it all, but doing it 20 lbs. lighter would certainly make is that much easier on my body. My goal is 170 lbs and today I weight 188lbs. By curbing the carbs and adding more protein and weight lifting to my routine, I should be able to drop this weight by the end of September.


If I can figure the formatting out, I will be posting my upcoming races and total weekly & yearly mileage from my workouts on this blog (Curt or Todd - help?). Thanks to everyone who has sent me notes and comments - they mean a lot to me. I changed a setting that anyone can now leave comments - you do not have to be a registered blogger to give me your input. Keep 'em coming...as the old German proverb says - "We get too soon old and too late smart!".

"Hello World"

Well, I'm joining the world of Bloggers! Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?! Over the last 6 months or so, I have been following a number of good friends "blogs" and have been very impressed with their diligence, dedication, creativity and attempted humor! It is exciting to read their trial and tribulations concerning their life, training and racing.

So..."Hello World" (thanks Tiger - great line!). I'll do my best to keep this up and not plagerize too may of my fellow Dallas Athlete & friends information (God bless that "cut-n-paste" feature!).

I am sure this will improve over time, as I learn the tricks of the blogging world. If you have any suggestions...please, please leave a comment so I can make this as entertaining as possible.

To date I have competed only 2 triathlons - one sprint (Texas man - 9/05) and one Half Ironman (Gulf Coast 1/2 Ironman in Florida - 5/06). I have 3 more sprints this year and will also run the New York marathon on November 5th. I hope to update with more info as I get it collected and posted here.

So here I go...off to conquer the world of Endurance Athletics and maintain a healthy and energetic lifestyle. So check in once in awhile...but first I have to go rest - this breathing and typing is killing me!