A Code Geek's Tail

Late Fourth Post

2009-07-06T12:24:00.002-04:00

My representative in the House of Representatives, Chip Rogers, sent this in an email. I thought it was a good thing to share, and although I didn't ask for permission, I think Mr. Rogers would approve whole heartedly.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the fixty six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well death would be the cost if captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education.

They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes this year while enjoying Independence Day and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

2009-07-03T09:57:00.003-04:00

First things first!! Down to bidneth....

The winner of the $75.00 Saucony gift certificate from Onlineshoes.com is:

Lisa @ Chasin Bunnies!!

Congratulations, Lisa! I have sent your contact information to the marketing peeps at Online Shoes dot com. Let me know if you haven't heard from them by next week!

I am off to Mobile this weekend to visit with my mother. Now that I have no restaurant holding me back, I have no excuses to get home and see my family more often. Matthew and I will be packing it in this afternoon and making the short-ish drive. The down side is that Dee Dee has to work again and will not be making the trip with us. Boo!!

In order to stay on track, I packed Dee Dee, Matthew, and the bikes in the car and made the trip to the Silver Comet Trail yesterday evening for my one hour bike ride. I rode for 20 minutes with Dee Dee and Matthew, then wrapped up the final 40 minutes by myself. Even though the outside temperatures were in the high 80's, the Silver Comet is mostly shaded, and it was most enjoyable. Unlike riding in the morning, the clouds of bugs were out in full force. I quickly learned to keep my mouth closed and breath through my nose. Bugs don't really have a taste, but they are awkward going down :-)

I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July weekend!! Stay safe, and I'll see you on the flip side of the fireworks!!!

Wes

Woman Power!!

2009-06-30T14:39:00.019-04:00

An Iron Girl Atlanta 2009 Sherpa Report

For those of you who would like a shot at a $75.00 Saucony gift certificate from Online Shoes (www.onlineshoes.com), go to this post and leave me a story about the biggest affect your endurance sport has had on your life.

I realize the fewer entries the better, but I would like to ask my friends to spread the word on these final few days and lets get some more people into the drawing! If we don't get lots of participation, then the advertisers aren't going to keep doing these kinds of things!

***************************************

At last we knew, our intrepid sherpa had dropped Dee Dee off at work, went for a trail run, cooked gumbo, and loaded up the car with Dee Dee's bike and race gear. Talk about busy, busy! I really needed a nap, but I knew it was highly unlikely. I made it to Dee Dee's work on time, and even dodged a traffic accident to make it happen. She popped out of her store at 4 PM, right on time, and we were off to Lake Lanier Islands!

Unfortunately, said sherpa forgot to bring directions to Lake Lanier coming in from the west. I wasn't worried though. There are three roads that run south to north, and each one connects to the road that leads to Lake Lanier Islands. Eventually, we reached Peachtree Industrial Blvd and headed north. Part of the race course is on this road, and Dee Dee enjoyed pointing out the nuances.

We arrived at packet pick up just after 5 PM. Dee Dee grabbed her stuff and spent a little bit of time in the expo doing some shopping. I picked up some 2XU compression sleeves, and Dee Dee opted to wait till after the race to pick out her race prize. We left the expo and headed over to the transition area to drop off Dee Dee's bike. Before racking, I pumped up the tires and checked everything over. While Dee Dee was racking her bike, I drooled over the pros bike in the first rack. They had some sweet sweet rides. With Dee Dee's bike safely parked, we left for the hotel and got checked in, then hurried over to Cumming to meet Kevin and Cathy for dinner.

It's always good to have someone local pick out a hole in the wall eatery to dine in. They have the BEST FOOD! (and beer too, evidently... Ed.) I was very happy to find that they had La Rossa on the menu there, one of my favorite beers!

See how happy I am? :-) We had a lovely dinner! Cathy and Kevin are such fun to hang out with. The food was good. The beer was good. The conversation was flowing. It doesn't get much better than that. After dinner, it was back to the hotel and ready for bed! With a little help from the beer, I was soon snoring away, although we have no proof of that (other than Dee Dee's word).

Around 10 PM, Dee Dee got frustrated with the kids running up and down the hall ways slamming doors. After two calls to the front desk, she finally jerked the door open and yelled at the little hellians to keep it down. After 10 to 15 more minutes of hushed voices and doors slamming, it finally quieted down. I told Dee Dee not to worry. She would be fine for tomorrow's race if she got no sleep at all! As for myself, I felt like I had woken up from a nap and had quite a bit of trouble getting back to sleep, but eventually, I did.

The alarm clock went off at 4:15 PM, and we were up and at'em. Dee Dee's wave was scheduled to go off shortly after 7 AM, and we needed to be there on TIME. I wanted to pull into the parking lot at quarter to six, and that is exactly what we did. I didn't count on having to walk a half a mile to transition, but hey, that's the way it worked out. We pulled in right behind Kevin and Cathy and walked with them down the road.

At transition, the body markers were out in force, and we looked for Sarah. We found her quickly and she proceeded to mark Dee Dee and Cathy (and I got a hug!).

Ironman in Training!

Dee Dee and Cathy went inside transition to get set up, while Kevin and I went around the side of the fence to watch and take pictures.

Once Dee Dee had everything set up, it was time for the long walk down the beach.

Everybody gathered around the swim start, and it was amazing. Over nine hundred women were ready to get their tri on. While waiting for the race to start, I saw a familiar face pop up to the front of the line. It was none other than Missy from Tennessee! I had been keeping my eye out for her, but with ton's of chicas running around, I didn't have much hope. The bathing suit she was racing in certainly helped! LOL... I introduced Missy to Dee Dee and Cathy, and we all spent a few minutes chatting and keeping the nerves steady before the race start.

The professionals were there too: Mirinda Cafrae, Pip Taylor, Michellie Jones, Sam McGlone. It was truly amazing. Their body composition was to die for, hard core triathletes, indeed.

Pip Taylor returning from high fiving the front row of age groupers! Awesome!!

After a brief delay, the AFLAC duck counted down... three... two... one... AFLAC!! and they were off.

Cathy went off before Dee Dee, and once Dee Dee got under way, Kevin and I walked down the beach to the swim finish. About half way, we had three calls for help go off in the water, pretty much all at the same time. The life guards were on top of things and moved swiftly to assist the swimmers. Evidently, everything turned out just fine.

I managed to squeeze into a leeeetle space at the swim exit and waited for Dee Dee to come out of the water. Cathy had a really good swim. Kevin and I missed her entirely. It wasn't long before I saw Dee Dee make her way up the shore and snapped a good pic...

Dee Dee climbed the hill to transition. Kevin and I took off for the bike exit. We have a little experience with this race now. We knew what we had to do. I put the camera away and took out the video camera. I'll upload some video at a later date.

We watched rider after ride come down the hill out of transition. Again, we missed Cathy, but Dee Dee came out in short order. I barely had time to yell, "Go Dee Dee" before she went zooming by.

Then we waited. I figured it would take Dee Dee somewhere around an hour and fifteen minutes to do the ride, depending on how she was feeling. I was a tad bit surprised to finally see Dee Dee coming down the hill after an hour and a half.

She really didn't have time to train the way she would have liked, but she was out there getting it done, and I was so proud of her!! I got a little video of her coming back on the bike, and a good bit of her leaving the run exit. While Dee Dee was out on the run, Kevin and I positioned ourselves where we could see her coming back on the run, yet still beat her to the finish line.

Dee Dee was in good spirits on the way by, despite the rising heat. She even managed to smile. She was having a hell of a time with cramps, but was soldiering on like a true triathlete. I dashed back up the side walk and got some good video of Dee Dee coming through the finish. She raised her arms in triumph and crossed the finish line, a two-time Iron Girl finisher.

I hurried around the timing booth to grab Dee Dee at the finish line. She was having severe cramping and needed a few minutes to recover. Finally she felt like walking it out a little, and we wandered around the finish area. We ran into Marni and Katrine. Marni finished first in her age group, fifth overall amateur and eleventh overall female, including the pros. Katrine came in second in her age group behind Marni. Not a bad day for the girls from Florida et all!!!

We hung around a bit for the awards ceremony, then grabbed Dee Dee's bike and headed back to the car. On the way out, we ran into Missy again. She had a great race, finishing in the top 5%. We wished her a safe trip home before continuing our walk towards the car. Dee Dee ended up stopping just outside of transition and asked me to come back to pick her up. I walked back to the car. If I had been smart, I'd a rode her bike! LOL... Anways... I picked her up, took her home, helped her get her stuff out of the car and situated. It wasn't long before she was down for a nap. Me too :-)

Being a sherpa is hard work, but its fun, and I can't wait to do it again!

Wes

Red Top!!

2009-06-27T12:04:00.003-04:00

Onlineshoes.com and Saucony have teamed up to offer gift certificates to readers of A Code Geeks Tail! If you would like to enter for this free drawing, then go to the post before this one and leave a comment. If you want to enter and do not have a Google login, then shoot me an email! I am non-discremenating!

Iron Girl is HERE!!! The hottest chicas the south has to offer are congregating in Atlanta for this great event!! My friend Marni and her friend Katrine drove up from Jacksonville FL Friday to enjoy the festivities. Marni has been in the Atlanta area a few times since last year's Iron Girl, but life has intefered with my ability to visit with her. I left work early Friday to meet her and Katrine for dinner. I was NOT going to miss this opportunity!

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesday's at the Mall of Georgia, and I really enjoyed catching up with Marni and meeting Katrine. They are going to have an awesome race Sunday!

After dinner, I drove back to Canton and met Dee Dee for her dinner, and then it was home to bed! I was one tired puppy, and we are having a big day today! I got up early and drove Dee Dee to work. I have to pick her up at 4 o'clock and then dash over to Lake Lanier to beat packet pickup, which closes at 6 PM. She has to have her bike racked by 7 PM.

After dropping Dee Dee off, I headed back to Red Top Mountain to run in my new trail shoes. I don't know why they feel tight on my left foot when I put them on, but when I run, they are fine. I ran on packed gravel, covered with pine straw, and the shoes did just awesome. I didn't have to worry about slipping or my footing one single time. The soles absorbed the big rocks and the cushioning was awesome. I ran on this trail last time in Mizunos and I could really tell the difference. I {heart} them already!

Alrighty then... off to get ready to go!! I'm cooking some shrimp gumbo because one of the rug rats left the freezer open all night! Gah!! I'm going to charge up the batteries for the video camera and the regular camera too. I'll be back next week with some great pics!!

Wes

P.S. Go register for the free Saucony gift certificate by leaving a comment on the prior post!! or send me an email!

My Review: Saucony Progrid Xodus

2009-06-25T10:29:00.010-04:00

Saucony Gift Certificate Promotion

Saucony and Onlineshoes.com have teamed up to offer a web promotion to the blogging community. When I was contacted by the rep from Onlineshoes.com to participate, I declined. I, personally, have never worn Saucony and did not feel comfortable writing about the company's products. Not to be outdone, the rep offered ME a gift certificate so I could try out Saucony myself and write a review. Snap!! :-)

My first big decision was which product to field test. I already have three pairs of shoes I am rotating, each with about 100 miles. I did NOT want to get another pair of running shoes. They would fall apart long before I put 500 miles on them. I went to Onlineshoes.com and reviewed the Saucony products. I spend a lot of time, not only creating web sites, but using them as well. The first thing I look for in a web site is apperance, ease of use, and response times. The Onlineshoes.com site is very well designed. It didn't take long for the Progrid Xodus Trail Shoes to catch my eye, for a couple of reasons.

1. I did not have any trail shoes.

2. They were a Runner's World Editors Choice

I added the shoe in my size to the cart and proceeded to checkout. When I went to pay, there was no option under Pay Pal to use the gift certificate I had been given. In Onlineshoes.com's defense, I had been told to use a credit card, and by proceeding down this path, I was successfully able to order my shoes without any problems. It was a big bonus for me that Onlineshoes.com offers free shipping. I hit the submit button and proceeded to wait.

Just as advertised, seven to eight days later, UPS dropped the shoes off at my door. I couldn't wait to try them on. Having done my home work, I ordered the Xodus true to size. That would be ten and a half for me. The first thing I noticed when I put them on my feet is that the fit was just a little tight around the forefoot. With Onlineshoes.com generous return policy, this did not concern me at all. I decided to take them out for a spin, and it ended up not being a problem.

To get to the trails behind my neighborhood, I had to run about 0.3 miles in the street. The stiff Vibram soles felt, well, stiff. They are a lot sturdier than the soles I am used to. They are not heavy, however, weighing in at about the same weight as my road running shoes. Once I made it to the trails, the shoes really began to shine. The Vibran sole gripped the loose gravel trail securely as I ran up and down the hills. The shoe was very light on my feet, very comfortable. The padding was just right.

The upper part of the shoe is made out of three different materials. There is the leather, which provides all the support. There is the light fabric in the toe box and the tongue, then there is the "side netting" that allows the foot to cool and remain dry. It is very comfortable, and the non-slip shoe laces are a bonus. It's easy to see why this shoe won an Editor's Choice from Runner's World.

Over all, I really like the shoes. I have an hour or so trail run this weekend coming up, and I can't wait to take them out to Red Top Mountain and give them another go.

THE CONTEST

The moment you have all been waiting for :-)

For your chance to win a $75.00 gift certificate for a Saucony product at Onlineshoes.com, tell me in the comments to this point what was/is the greatest impact your endurance sport has had on your life, and why! On July 2, 2009, my lovely assistant will pick a winner from all eligible participants. If you live outside the continental United States, you are not eligible. Sawry!!!

Leave me some comment love. Go!!!

Wes

A Different Kind of Celebration

2009-06-22T13:14:00.007-04:00

A Callaway Gardens Super Sprint Race Report

I got up early Saturday morning to get my pre-race brick in. I was so proud :-) I drove to the gym, only to find out it was closed. I drove to the park, thinking I would swim in the lake, but the attendant wouldn't honor my state parking pass. Hell if I was gonna pay three bucks to swim in the lake. I drove back to the gym and got my swim on, an easy 600 meters with some sprints thrown in for good measure. For my bike, I rode down to Hobgood Park and back. I did a few pick ups and (always!) hills got the leg muscles firing. The run off consisted of 10 minutes of trails in the small park at the back of my neighborhood.

That's when the fun began....

It was time to head to Dothan to pick up the rug rat from Panama City. My father was meeting me there. Having not heard from him, I left the house at 11 AM. Everything was running smoothly until I hit construction traffic outside of Atlanta. Even with this small blip, I made good time. My dad called me when he was 39 miles from Dothan. My GPS said I was 41 miles away. Perfect timing! We pulled in the gas station a few minutes apart from each other, exchanged rug rats, hugs, and luggage, then it was back on the road again. The trip home was a little less hectic, but all in all, I was on the road for 7.5 hours.

When I arrived back in Atlanta, Dee Dee texted me to let me know that rooms were still available at the Hampton Inn in Lagrange. We've stayed there every time we've done Callaway. It fits the bill nicely. At the last minute, we decided to drive back down there that night so we could sleep a little extra in the morning. Tack another hour or so of driving after dinner, and I was mentally exhausted! Physically, I was feeling fine.

Dee Dee and I got to bed by 11 PM, and the alarm went off at 5:15 AM. We ate some banana bread for breakfast, got dressed, and hustled over to Callaway Gardens. We weren't able to pick up our race packets this year early. As a result, we weren't sure what to expect. Quite a few triathletes had arrived before us, but check-in went smoothly. Dee Dee and I headed over to transition and got a good spot on the racks for our bikes. By 7 AM, we were ready to go.

Every year people complain about there not being enough racks at this race, and every year, I see the same thing. The racks in transition are big enough for six bikes per rack. Most of them had 4 or 5 bikes per rack, because the new triathletes do not know how to set up their transition area. The little old lady next to me had a mini-base camp set up, next to her bike, underneath the rack! With about 45 minutes till race time, you have scores of participants wandering transition, looking for a place to rack their bikes, until they give up and use a tree or the medians in the parking lot. LOL... If there is one thing I would change about this race, that would be it. Have someone there to help the new guys organize their transition area.

Dee Dee and I spent a little bit of time talking to Kevin and Cathy. It had been quite a while since we had seen each other (South Caroline Half?). It was good. Cathy is doing Iron Girl next week with Dee Dee, so we'll get to see them back to back weekends. With a half an hour before race start, the four of us went down to the lake and swam the race course backwards as a warm up. The water was very warm (again), and it looked like they had added more buoys to the swim course, forcing the swimmers along the lake shore.

After the pre-race announcements, the waves got under way. The RD had reminded us to be nice to the new triathletes and not kick, punch, swim over, or otherwise traumatize them. I was in the second wave. I entered the water behind the first wave and waited for them to start. After the RD sounded the horn, I claimed a front row starting position, as far right as I could get. The RD said the buoys were in six feet of water, but I couldn't stand where the starting buoy was located. I treaded water for three minutes or so until the RD sounded the horn for our wave, and we were off.

Some guy had come up behind me and pushed the buoy off to the side. He started out a lot faster than I did, but I let him go. This swim course looks like an inverted U, with the bottom much longer than the sides. I sprinted some what to the first buoy, passing my friend on the right along the way. I expected to find the usual cluster of people trying to get around the buoy, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself all alone. I made the right turn and began the long swim down the back stretch.

So far so good. I was very pleased. I was starting to get out of breath and decided to hold my pace at that level. I started to pass through the slower swimmers from the prior wave. I saw some feet in front of me and latched on. I poked my head out of the water to sight and saw that my swimmer had a blue cap on. Doh!! He was from the first wave. I passed him. When I poked my head out of water to sight again, I saw nothing but clear water between me and the landing. I swam until my hands scrapped the bottom and climbed from the water to run. I went in a staight line to the lake shore, then ran across the ground and up the hill to transition. Up ahead, I saw one silver cap climbing the hill. I thought I was second out of the water in my age group. Later, I found out I was third. I measured the swim on G-maps, and it is 400 meters in the lake, then another 100 meters up the hill to transition. I crossed the timing mat in 7:23 or something like that, a slight improvement over last year.

Having taken the time to register some land marks, I went right to my bike. The transition area for this race is big. I put my helmet and race belt on, grabbed my bike, and headed for the exit. The RD had asked everyone to walk in transition, due to the large number of participants. I was fine with that, but it did not allow me to improve on my T1 time at all. I still came out the exit in about two minutes. I jumped on my bike and started coasting down the hill. No matter what I tried to do, I could not get my right foot into my shoe. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally crammed my foot in the shoe, did the same with my left foot, and started spinning. My chain was off. Holy crap! I had to stop my bike and put my chain back on. Finally, I got started. I actually entertained the idea of riding the entire course with my feet half way out of my shoes. Instead, I rode in pain.

The course hadn't changed, of course :-) I spun out of there as fast as I could. It wasn't any more crowded than last year, despite two hundred more registered athletes. I had to remind a few peeps to stay to the right when the could, but other than that, it was about the same. By mile four, my feet were hurting so bad, I had to slow down and pull the tongues of my shoes out. Relief! The pain was bearable enough to make it through the rest of the race. I pedaled hard and tried to maintain good aero form. I actually tried to enjoy the scenery a bit more this year. It IS a beautiful course. Unlike the past two years, this year, I actually got passed by four to six people, some of whom I knew were in my age group. It is hard to tell in this race since they do no body marking what so ever. This race is less competitive than your normal sprint.

I worked hard to not let anyone else pass me and finally I pulled into transition. I was able to get my feet out of my shoes before the dismount line and hopped off the bike with no problems at all. I crossed the timing mat into T2 in 23 minutes and some change, almost a minute slower than last year. I found my row in transition but had a hard time locating my spot. I was looking for my transition bag but just couldn't find it. It was actually further down from where I was looking. (Note to self: get landmarks from the otherside too!) Once I located my bag, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, and threw on my shoes. Unfortunately, my T2 time this year was actually slower, at least two full minutes. I was not happy with that.

The volunteer at the aide station handed me some water as I exited T2. He asked me to stay to the left to avoid the swimmers coming in off the lake. Yes! That's how many people there were. I was heading out onto my run as swimmers from the final waves were still coming in.

In order to meet my goal on the run, I pretty much had to haul bootay from the git go. This, more than any other place, is where I failed myself. I was not in my mind and heart on this day to do what I had to do to succeed. I gave it my all. I walked a few times, but without my heart rate monitor, I had no idea what level of effort I was giving. Shortly at the start of the run, I was passed by a guy with one leg. It was very inspiring. I tried to latch onto him for as long as I could, but eventually had to let him go. I passed the one mile marker with a sub-8 mile, but as I got closer and closer to the finish, I realized there wasn't much of a chance to break fifty minutes.

The enthusiasm of the crowd at the finish this year was amazing. I crossed the finish line in 51:08, and I'm sure the finishing photo will show both the pain and the disappointment. I had to find a bit of shade to catch my breath and control the urge to throw up.

Mister? Can I have your chip?

I reached down and removed the chip strap from my left ankle and handed it to the young man. I wandered down to the pavilion to get something to eat and drink. The race was playing over in my mind: the awesome swim, the craptastic swim to bike transition, the pain on the bike, and the gasping for air on the run. The cups for gatorade were so small, I decided to go and get an empty water bottle out of my transition bag. Dee Dee's bike was still out.

After retrieving the bottle, I went to the bike entrance and cheered her in. I walked back down to the finish line and up the short hill there to assume my usual after race position, cheering in the runners. My friend from work came in. Dee Dee followed shortly there after. We hung around for a few minutes chatting with Kevin and Cathy before making the short drive back to Woodstock. We took a long nap than made a most excellent Father's Day dinner. My family gifted me a really nice Livestrong running shirt that I can't wait to wear. All in all, I can't think of a more perfect way to spend Father's Day.

Per coach's orders, I am not reading too much into this race. I am not seeing any improvement, and my mind really wants to know if I am competitive or recreational. My body doesn't care. It's happy doing what ever its doing. This is only my second full year of triathlons. I have to believe that more and better is ahead of me, whether or not that includes better times or not.

Happy late Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Wes

** EDIT: I did come out of the water second in my age group. The first guy came out in 5:00. That seems awful fishy to me... but no worries.

Third Times a Charm

2009-06-18T12:17:00.005-04:00

This is pre-race week...

Tuesday, I had a 65 minute brick. I told coach that these workouts scare me. Well, not the workouts themselves, just what happens to me during the workouts. The brick called for intervals at race pace on the bike, then a build to race pace aftewards on the run.

Now, I don't mind shredding my thighs, et al... Brutus! I know that it makes me stronger. I just don't like to shred them before a race. You see, I have this mental thing I am still trying to get over from Ironman. Pain is bad. Pain will keep you from crossing the finish line.

In a sprint, not so much...

Oh, don't get my wrong. I did the workout exactly as prescribed. I mean, what's the point of having a coach if you aren't going to do exactly what he/she says? I might as well coach myself otherwise. I place my well deserved trust in Liz. When Liz sez jump, I sez, "How high?" I trust her to help me achieve my goals.

Blindness is also not one of my better qualities. I listen to my body. That's why I rode Bags on my 45 minute ride last night. Bags has three rings. I stayed in the little ring all night. I don't think I ever got above gear five. There's something special about spinning at 90+ RPM on Bags, going up ass-kicker, and barely going fast enough to stay up right.

Refreshing it was...

and then there was my swim this morning. Liz finally put together a workout for me that took the entire amount of estimated time. It's been kind of fun for me to always come in 10-15 minutes before the alloted time. I know. I know. It's only an estimate, but humor me. 1500 yards in the pool with some fast efforts. The kinks are worked out and my swim muscles are ready to go!!

Which leads us to... The Callaway Gardens Sprint Triathlon. Fifty minutes or so of more fun than one deserves to have in one place. The first year I did this, I was still cutting my teeth. The second year, I was training for Ironman. This year, it is an "A" race. I have trained specifically for this event.

Coach likes well thought out plans. I think she tolerated my response to her query when I said, "Go, Go, Go!!". LOL... But really. The plan, with a few adjustments, is exactly like two weekends ago. I will take fluids on the bike. I will work harder on the bike and run. I will have a consistent effort on the swim this year! I would rather have the same time but be consistent, then a better time and konk out half way like I did the last two years.

So, yes, Sunday... The return to my favorite race in an enviable location. It's going to hurt like hell, but like coach sez, when it starts hurting, work harder :-)

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Wes

Returning to the Scene

2009-06-15T12:56:00.006-04:00

Venture Out holds a special place in my heart. It is from the likes of this that childhood memories are created. My father is the adventurous sort. He had it in his head that he would buy a trailer and travel to camp grounds all over the country. He did too. Eventually, his wanderings led him to Panama City Beach and Venture Out.

Back in those days, it WAS a trailer park. You rented a site by the day. As the place became more and more popular, the owner of the property began to sell the lots. My father, in his wisdom, purchased two, one for himself, and one for his mother. I saw the check he wrote out for his mother's lot, and it was a steal, even in those days.

I spent many a summer growing up there, swimming, biking, fishing, crabbing, etc. This was where I developed my love for the water. As the years went by, more and more owners built small single story houses on the their lots. Today, you can find a few open sites, but not many.

Matthew and I left Atlanta around six PM Friday night to drive down and meet my father. The plan was to get him situated, then leave him there for the week. With Aerowyn on the bike rack, we made the drive down to Panama City Beach.

The last time I made this trip, I was coming to do Ironman. The route from Atlanta goes through Columbus, GA, then south through Eufala and Dothan. There, it picks up Hwy 231 south to Panama City. North of Lynn Haven, 231 intersects the bike route for Ironman Florida. Try as I might, I didn't recognize any of it. I wasn't even sure of where they met. I admit this irritates me a bit. I never can remember much of my race routes.

Arriving at Venture Out around 11 PM local time, we quickly bedded down for the night. I had a key workout in the morning, and I needed to get a good nights sleep. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, I slept well. The alarm went off at 7:30 AM, and I was on my bike by eight.

Venture Out is located next to St. Andrew's State Park, right on the marathon route for IM FL. I never even knew there was an Ironman in PCB until a year or so ago. LOL.... Heading out, I made a right down Thomas Drive and rode along the beach. I made my way past Broadway and quickly found myself on the IM FL bike route. This part of the race I remember. After a twenty minute warm up, I began my race pace intervals, the first to my turn around point, then two more on the way back.

Riding along the beach was very nice. I ran this same route after IM FL 07 for my twenty mile training run. There is about 20 feet of elevation change over 10 miles. It made for one enjoyable ride.

During one of my rest intervals, I just about got clocked by some old klutz in a huge truck. There was nobody else on the road but me, and this guy wanted to go in the same direction as I did. I'm cruising along in the bike lane, and he pulls out in front of me, and crosses into the bike lane not 8 feet away!! Of course, I was prepared for just such a thing. I'm not stupid. Still, I had to slam on my brakes and control my sliding back tire to keep me out of the hard gravel to the right of the road. I yelled a few expletives at him of which I am not proud. He, his wife, and four grand kids went merrily on their way like nothing happened.

My heart rate monitor read 176.

After getting myself under control, the rest of the ride ended smoothly. I paused briefly at the trailer to drink some fluids and transition to my run. It is so humid in PCB this time of year. I did a short 25 minute run with some builds to race pace, and by the end, I was drenched in sweat. I thought for sure it must have been one hundred degrees, but in fact, it had't even reached ninety yet.

I spent the rest of the day entertaining the boyz (Matthew and his friend) and getting things organized for the week. My father came in that afternoon. I cooked dinner for us all and went grocery shopping for them for the rest of the week. I wanted to get up in the morning at a decent hour for my 45 minute Z1-Z2 run.

Again, I slept good. There's something just so relaxing about being in Panama City. I suited up and stepped out the door and into the sauna. If anything, it was more humid than the day before. I took off running down the marathon route, triggering memories of race day. I met my father here. This is the point where I passed Kelly twice, and she whooped it up with her crazy self. Further down, I lost the route and ended up lost in the neighborhoods by the lagoon. Eventually, I gave up and headed back to Venture Out. That, too, pissed me off a bit.

By the time I reached the trailer, the heat and humidity was almost unbearable. I ended up walking the last three minutes of my workout to cool down. All in all, I really enjoyed my return trip to Panama City Beach. I got to spend time with my father, my son, and relive some of the moments from Nov 1, 2008.

I'll be back, and next time, I'll be more prepared. There's so much more I want to see.

Wes

Recovering with Grace (on my face?)

2009-06-11T16:15:00.005-04:00

I don't know why... It just is...

This recovery has been hard, harder then I remember. I guess pain is temporary :-) Tuesday, I went for a swim in the lake with Dee Dee. We actually went up to Red Top and swam in complete freedom! It was awesome. She swam about 300 meters, and I got in my 1300 meters by swimming down to the cove and back.

No... I didn't venture across the cove by myself. I am not the brave, or stupid. My demeanor when swimming in OW for practice is completely different than swimming in a race. It is a bit frustrating.

After Matthew's soccer tryouts, Dee Dee and I went to the gym to run on the treadmill. I felt pretty good for the first 20 minutes, clipping along at an easy 10 minute pace. The last fifteen minutes, my body just gave out. I kept my heart rate in the prescribed range, but it was rough. I went home and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I felt punch drunk. Not sure what to make of that. I haven't had alcohol in at least the last 20 minutes or so.

Yesterday, I felt my legs coming back to me on my bike ride, and I had a great 2500 yard swim in the pool today. I'm starting to feel like my old self.

Sorry if this is kind of dry and boring! Ha!! Tomorrow night, I leave for sunny Panama City Beach. Look for me running and riding along Thomas Drive early in the morning. It should be a blast!

Everybody have a great weekend!

Wes

I Am Not Afraid

2009-06-07T09:14:00.006-04:00

A High Falls Sprint Triathlon Race Report

It might seem funny that I, an Ironman, a triathlon veteran now, would feel fear going into a sprint triathlon. It had been such a long time since I had raced. The thing that was really getting me though was that this would be my second wet suit/swim belt free race. It's a feeling I just might never get over.

but I do it anyways...

Friday night, I cleaned out my transition bag. I took out all the junk from Ironman Florida. There was an extra tire, 5 air canisters, two tubes of Body Glide, sunscreen, and my waist pouch. Just to be sure, I opened the waist pouch. Inside, I found two snacks of Fig Newtons still in their air proof baggies. I opted not to see if they were still fresh.

I thought about the race the next day and began to lay out what I needed. For the swim, a swim cap and goggles. For the bike, my tri suit, a helmet, and shoes. For the run, my hat and my Zoots. I couldn't believe how little there was. I felt like I was missing something. You don't need much for a sprint! To make sure, I checked what I had against a list in the back of one of my books. Yup! I had everything. My transition bag was noticeably lighter after I packed. To make me happy, I threw two towels and a change of clothes in there as well.

Sleep did not come easy Friday night. The boyz are night owls now that school is over, and they were Xboxing down the hall way. I had to ask Dee Dee to yell at them. I think I finally nodded off for good around 1 AM. The alarm went off at 4:30 AM. I hopped right out of bed and headed downstairs. I thought I would forgo the donuts this year for breakfast, and I tried oatmeal instead. Now, I like my oatmeal and all. When I make it at work, I eyeball the amount of water I put in it. Evidently, it comes out a little runny, and I like it that way. This morning, I measured it exactly. It was hot, and thick, and unappetizing, but I ate it anyways. I made myself some coffee to go, hit the bathroom, loaded the car and was out the door by 5 AM. I figured it would take 1.5 hours to get to High Falls State Park, south of Atlanta.

The drive down was peaceful. I come this way often for soccer tournaments. I arrived at the park at 6:20 AM. I drove past the main entrance to the park, over the falls, and made a left into the second parking area. The Ranger taking money for parking noticed the year pass I had purchased and let me through. Saved myself three bucks! I went right to my parking spot, unloaded the car, and made the trek back to the main area and transition. I propped Aerowyn up against a rail fence and made my way to body marking. A beautiful young lady, who would later sing the national anthem, wrote my numbers on my thighs, arms, and calf. She asked me:

Have you done a lot of these races?

I have done quite a few, I replied, but this is the first one in this series.

You seem very, very relaxed!, she said.

This made me smile. I WAS very relaxed.

I found my spot on the rack, which was unfortunately in the middle of the line. I did score an end position though. It took me all of five minutes to set up. I decided at the last minute to clip my bike shoes in the pedals. No flying start for me, but maybe a modified flying start :-) My transition area looked sparse with just a helmet, goggles, and swim cap lying there.

Then, I waited. I visited the port a potty two more times. You know Wes means business when he craps three times before a race! I went to look over the swim course. They changed it from a triangle to a square this year. It didn't look too bad.

At 7:15 AM, I went for a short run on the course. I did some pick ups to get the legs firing. I also wanted to test them a bit to see where they were from last weekend. The legs felt good. Not 100%, but real good. I walked back to my transition area and changed my Zoots for my swim cap and goggles. I went down to the water and stuck a toe in. Eight-one degrees felt good. I went for a quick swim out to the first 100 meter buoy. I did some 25 stroke max efforts to get the lungs stressed. I also wanted to get comfortable with the unknown depth of the water. I spent some time just floating, at peace with what was about to go down.

I made my way to the swim exit and climbed from the water. While I was walking to the back of the staging area, an old man came walking through the transition. When I say old, I mean really old. I looked at the back of his calf when he went by. There was an 88 written there. I decided at that point:

I am not afraid...

The national anthem was sung, the prayer given. The first wave of young bucks sprinkled with a few middle agers went off on schedule. It was time for my wave. I opted to seed myself to the right at the front of the pack. When the announcer said thirty seconds, another triathlete in a Blue Seventy speed suit joined me in the deep water. It seemed like that was the longest thirty seconds ever. The next thing I heard was "three seconds. go!", and we were off...

Over night, I had decided to change my swim strategy a bit and borrow some ideas from Ryan. I surged to the 100 meter buoy to give myself some open water. My friend in the speed suit was on my right shoulder. I know cause we bumped a few times. When I lifted my head to sight, I could see 8 to 9 yellow caps in front of me. WTH? I thought. These old guys are either fast or they are going to burn out soon. It's important to not get caught up with what everybody else was doing. I worked to find my rhythm. I began to breath hard. I did not want to get to the point where I felt like I couldn't breath, and thus, panic.

Three quarters of the way to the first swim buoy, I was comfortably uncomfortable. My nose tried to gunk up my oxygen intake a few times, but I fought it off. I passed a few yellow caps here, including my friend in the speed suit. As I neared the first turn buoy, I began to swim through the laggards from the previous wave. I cut the first buoy right on the mark and swam the seventy-five meters along the top of the box to the next turn buoy. I cut this buoy close too then swung out wide to find some open water. There were blue caps everywhere. I had to dodge a few doing breast stroke and cut between two that were swimming side by side. When I started the return route, I swam over the legs of one guy trying to get to the outside. I'm glad he didn't kick me. The water was churning with all the swimmers.

On the way back in, I found myself really getting out of breath. I opted to slow down a little bit. I kept drifting off to the right and really didn't want to add any extra yardage to the swim. I managed to pick up the pace and swam to the swim exit. My finger tips didn't quite touch bottom when I opted to stand. I was surprised to find myself in knee deep water. I ran out the swim exit, crossed over the timing mat, and pressed the button on my watch. 11:36 it read. I was not happy with that number. I had expected to come in under ten minutes. Later, I would learn that nobody in my age group came in under ten minutes, and I had the fifth best swim time. I opted not to dwell on this number and headed into transition.

Originally, I planned to hustle through transition. I was so out of breath, I decided to walk fast. I threw on my helmet and race belt, grabbed Aerowyn and ran to the exit. I crossed the timing mat in 1:05, my fastest transition ever. I hopped on Aerowyn and began pedaling out of the park. I had until the park entrance to get my shoes on before I hit the first hill. I got the right foot in OK, but I had a little trouble getting the left foot situated. I tackled the first hill without the straps being set. Once I reached the crest, I got the tongues situated and strapped those babies down.

My heart rate was still pretty high. I kept my cadence high and my gear in a medium range. The bike route was pretty simple. It had five turns and consisted of mostly gentle rolling hills. After five to ten minutes, my HR settled down and I turned up the pace, switching to the big ring on Aerowyn. I remember at the three mile marker noting the burn in my thighs and thinking I still had 10 more miles to go. This race was a huge learning experience for me, and I needed to take risks. During Ironman training, when ever I felt that burn, I backed off. I usually had 4-5 hours left to ride. This day, I embraced it. The goal was to see how much of this burn I could take, and for how long.

One of the most important things on this bike ride I noticed was that I was not getting passed like crazy. There were a few that passed me early on, but I held most off them off for a while. I got passed by three or four chicas late in the ride, and I even passed quite a few riders myself. This was a welcome change, and I fed off that.

The second half of the course had a lot of nice down hill, and I took advantage of that. I put Aerowyn in her biggest gear and just motored down the slopes. The volunteers warned us to slow down as we reached the left hand turn back into the park. You did not want to run through that turn and go over the cliff and into the falls. The geese down there would not have been happy. I made the turn safely and took my feet out, pedaling on top of my shoes the rest of the way to transition. I hopped off my bike, crossed the timing mat in 40:50, ran Aerowyn to my transition area, got her all racked up, then proceeded to change for my run. Helmet off. Race belt turned around. I had a little trouble getting my Zoots on, but mostly because I was tired and out of breath. T2 went so fast, I almost regretted not having more time rest! I crossed the the timing mat in 0:54, another PR :-)

Exiting the transition area, I grabbed a cup of water and walked to drink it. I had decided not to carry water on the bike because it was so short. I don't think I'll make this decision next time. I took off running fast. My HR was very high, and my lungs were burning. Around the four minute mark, I stopped to walk. This course was rolling as well. There really wasn't anything long and steep. Just rollers with a few short steep hills to get the HR up. I caught my breath and took off running again, still not quite comfortable. At the six minute mark, I felt my legs and lungs come back, and I settled into a rhythm. Finally, I thought. I can race this run.

I crossed the first mile marker in 8:36, and I was so happy. I thought I had ruined my run time with the walk break. I ran to the second aide station and grabbed a glass of water. It was up hill to the turn around and then back down hill to the aide station again. I crossed the second mile marker in 8:34. Again, I was happy. I thought I could negative split the run.

The last mile proved tough. There was one short steep hill that just sapped my strength. I walked up a good bit of it before taking off running again. One more short break before the third mile marker, and I poured it on for the finish. The crowd in the finisher's area was enthusiastic, and I really enjoyed the support they gave. I picked up speed, sprinting to the finish, and crossed the line in 1:27:01, with a third mile of 8:38 and 0.1 miles at 0:52 respectively (5K=26:40).

My stomach was a little upset at the end of the race. I wondered if I had given enough, whether or not I had more. I walked around for a few minutes drinking water, then headed over to the food and ate a banana, half a bagel, and some cookies. I hung around for a few minutes to cheer in some triathletes, before heading back to transition to gather my things. I changed my clothes, grabbed Aerowyn and began the short walk back to the car. As I neared the entrance to the park, I noticed the ambulance and fire truck in the middle of the road. The paramedics were attending to a triathlete that was on the ground. My first thoughts were this guy had gotten hit by a car. I asked the volunteer what had happened. He didn't see it, but evidently, the guy was coming down the hill to the park, lost control of his handle bars (he was on a hybrid), and flipped over the handle bars. I visibly winced and hoped he was alright.

As I made my way back to the interstate to head home, I saw up ahead the flashing lights of the motor cycle behind the last rider in the race. My eyes teared up as the 88 year old man came riding by on his bike. I thanked God for giving me the strength and health to enjoy this beautiful day.

Wes

It's That Time

2009-06-04T09:21:00.004-04:00

and has it been a long time coming...

I haven't raced since November 1, 2008, the day for which it will always be rememebered: I became Iron.

I haven't swam in a race without my wet suit since July 13, 2008. Yea, we won't go there. Thinking happy happy thoughts about this upcoming swim. Six hundred meters is... short.

I have a new racing motto for 2009: Breath Later!

Coach and I have crafted a well thought out race plan for the High Falls Sprint this Saturday. It sounds like this: go, go, go!! LOL... Basically, it boils down to this.

1. Swim like there is no bike afterwards

2. Bike like there is no run afterwards

3. Run like you stole something

After reffing soccer matches all weekend (3 games a day for 3 days), my legs were pretty tired last night on my run. I'm not sure what that means for this weekend, but I plan to give them some TLC for the next two days.

I am so excited for this race. It feels like the first time. Come Saturday, it's just me, my bike, and my shoes. I don't have any expectations. I am planning to donate a lung to the cause.

Race report to follow...

Wes

Like a Good Idea

2009-05-28T15:22:00.002-04:00

I still chuckle at the picture in my mind...

Myself, and four of my (best) triathlete friends were going for our first open water swim of the year in freezing arse cold water. We paused by the pier to regroup. Any excuse to get our burning faces out of the water was a good one. A crowd was up on the bank celebrating Easter I believe. Some of them made their way down onto the pier to laugh and point at the crazy-ass triathletes. One of the group said, while he adjusted his goggles:

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Such a simple, yet profound statement. I am giggling again. But you know what... Even if I knew the water was going to be that cold again, I would do it all over again. Crazy is as crazy does.

After my less than strenuous weekend, Monday, I got a wild hair up my boo-tay and decided I would pop the P90X Abb Ripper X video into the DVD player. We can do anything for 15 minutes, right? Truth is, I wanted to see how much core fitness I had lost/gained since graduating from P90X.

I surprised myself. Not only did I do every exercise, I did every exercise at their pace without stopping. I was as strong if not stronger as the day I graduated.

For the rest of this week, my core has been bitchin and complainin. It seemed like a good idea at the time. For those of you who are unsure, let me tell ya. You use your core for every facet of swim, bike and run. This, I know :-) My swim today reinforced this fact, as thought for sure my wee six pack would be feeling better. Did I mention I rocked my swim today? I came in at 1:25 on the 100's, 1:00 on the 75's, and 0:39 on the 50's. I was very, very happy with that!!

Jimmy and I are off to Columbus GA this weekend for the State Cup soccer tournament. Not only will I be getting to do some awesome games, I am also bringing my bike. The place we are staying is 1 block from the River Walk, a 14 mile trail that runs from Columbus to Fort Benning along the Chattahoochee River. It should be a grand adventure!

You guys/gals have a good weekend!!

Wes

I gotz Moments

2009-05-25T13:21:00.006-04:00

After my bout with the crank monster (post swim test), I sat down and did some deep thinking. I don't think deeply very often cause:

a. it hurts

b. I just don't bother to over analyze things too much. KISS...

Now, you know that to good catholic boyz, Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. With the exception of my computer skillz, I've spent a lifetime being really good at a lot of things, but great at nothing. I looked back on the past three years, and I felt that unfamiliar feeling in my chest as pride crept in.

I went to the local Barnes and Noble and got this month's issue of Runner's World. I read, with great interest, the article titled "Breath". What really caught my attention was the superb running efforts put forth by men who are much much older than me. Another article described how reasonable goals where achievable with the 3 D's (desire, dedication, discipline).

With much to chew on, I got off work Friday and headed over to Columns Drive for my brick workout. Coach had prescribed some intensity for me, on and off the bike. I warmed up for fifteen minutes, then did 5 x 20 seconds hard, 1:40 easy. That's when the fun really began. I started a build up to Zone 4 on the bike. The build lasted for fifteen minutes. I thought 5 minutes each in Zones 2, 3, and 4 was a good idea, and that's what I did. I embraced the burn and worked hard to stay in my zones. Later that night, I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple miles during this period above twenty miles per hour.

After the bike, I had a fifteen minute run off at race pace. I asked coach what "race pace" meant, and she said anything above IM pace {rolls eyes}. I quickly changed into my Zoots and went out fast. My heart rate quickly climbed into my aenorobic zone (170s) and stayed there. I finished up 1.85 miles in 15 minutes for 8:09 over all pace, 5 seconds off my 5K PR time.

I texted coach on the way home, "I rock!" I thought she would get a kick out of that. Coach and I primarily converse through email. I have only talked to her twice on the phone, and never texted her. I blamed it on the fast twitch endorphins.

These types of memories are the moments I truly cherish. They remind me of why I do these things and why I do them to myself. The rest of my workouts this weekend have been a wash. I got run out of the pool half way through my workout Saturday, and Sunday I got rained out of my soccer matches, so no running for me. In the end, it doesn't really matter. Tomorrow, I'll be back out there, starting it all over again.

There are more moments to create.

Pf@#$! Swim Test

2009-05-20T09:52:00.003-04:00

If you are a coach, you are not allowed to read this. Move along, nothing to see here! :-)

Evidently, I am not out of the woods (Foliage de Whiny) yet...

or maybe, I just have a bad attitude.

Let's just get this out in the open. I HATE lactate threshold testing. Swim. Bike. Run. I HATE them all.

but I do them. because I have to. I do not SHIRK from the things I have to do. Ever.

Why do I hate them? because they are hard! and evidently, I have not decided yet whether or not I want to work that hard. hard = not fun.

Given the choice of hard = not fun and sitting on the couch eating a twinkie, my body chooses the twinkie! My mind chooses... the dayum twinkie too! but at least it knows and can override the body.

I went and did the Pf@#$! swim test. Sometimes, pre-conceived notions (emotions) can pre-determine the outcome. Not to worry though. I am smarter than that.

You know what else I hate? Going into a race or test not feeling 100% physically. Mentally not 100%, meh... I can HTFU mentally with a snap of the fingers. I really should not have done upper body strength training on Sunday.

Three hundred yards into the swim test, I was like, Dear GAWD!!

but I gave it my all. There were no other options to choose. Maybe my 17:11 time (11 seconds slower than last time) was pre-ordained by my mental weakness. I ain't buying into that cop out. I have to find the catalyst that spurs me onto that next level in my swimming.

Good news is, Dee Dee and I were able to join the gym 5 minutes from my house. No more 2 hour round trips to swim! Woot!

It is time to Sharpen the Saw...

and the next time Coach prescribes an LT or Swim Test for me, I'll do it... and I'll like it...

What theeeeee Hellllll?

2009-05-18T13:00:00.004-04:00

I am cantankerous. You can drop me an email and thank me for not dropping the f-bomb. I have a certain persona I am trying to uphold, not straying far from my true self. It is my time of the year. Get over it.

What has life been like at Chez Indomitable Spirit? In a word?

Wet...

It seems like everytime I go outside to do anything, I get wet. Go to the pool? Get wet. Go for a bike ride? Get wet. Hill repeats? Get wet. Jeeesh! I'm glad that the drought is pretty much over, but give it a rest will ya?

Saturday saw my long awaited return to the long ride at the Silver Comet Trail. Coach was practically apologizing for giving me a 1:45 minute endurance ride. Nothing above Zone 2, she sez... I love these kinds of rides, even when you get drenched half way through. It becomes a game. How hard can I push myself, yet stay within the bonds of her elfness? The answer was 32. I rode thirty-two miles, averaging 18.5 mph, drifting above Zone 2 very rarely. LOL... I don't even know if that's good or not. Meh!

After my ride, it was off to my son's camp and a State Cup play-in game I was signed up to ref. That's when the rain really began to come down. I got soaked again. The 13 yr old girls didn't seem to mind, but me? I was waterlogged!

Sunday, I was back at it, again... I dropped my son off at his game and went to referee a 16 yr old match. I hated missing my son's game, but I was doing a friend a favor. Lucky for me, they closed the fields due to the incessant down pour just before I blew the whistle. I ran, not walked, back to my son's game and enjoyed the show. He was playing on the club's fields (rather than county fields).

Since I didn't get my fix in on the pitch, I decided to conduct an Aerobic fitness test. I've read about this test a couple of times, and I was really wanting to try it out myself. The treadmill is a great place for this. I gradually built my heart rate up into the very bottom of my aerobic zone. I was a little surprised that it took me ten minutes to do so, even with the speed at 6.5 mph, but I guess that can't be a bad thing, right? I spent the next twenty minutes adjusting my speed up and down every so often to keep my heart rate in a tight 4 point spread ( 149-152 ). I succeeded for the most part. I ran 2.05 miles in twenty minutes on the treadmill, and 2.3 miles by my Forerunner. I tend to believe the Forerunner. Test done! Results noted....

and with that, I am toast. My legs are so tired. I did a little strength training yesterday, but mostly just upper body stuff. Coach sez this is a rest week coming. Rest week with Liz is kind of like your birthday. You are in for a surprise. Evidently, my surprise is another swim test. Oh boy. She did say I could cut anything I wanted to short and/or move stuff around.

Do you think she'd go for a 3x25 meter swim test? Nah, me either :-)

Friends in Strange Places

2009-05-13T09:23:00.005-04:00

With Dee Dee working sixty plus hour weeks, I find myself back in the not so unfamiliar role of Mr. Mom. My life revolves around work, training, my kid's soccer practices and games, and similar stuff. Every once in a while, I clean a small part of the house.

This past weekend, they were having a State sponsored soccer tournament at Lovejoy, GA. This is about an hour from my house, south of Atlanta. I ignored the first email. This tournament is for Classic 3 and Classic 4 teams that will not be going to State Cup. I figured there would be plenty of refs down south to handle the games. About mid week, I got another plantive email asking for more help. I checked my schedule and realized that I had all day Saturday to ref. I let the assignor know and was immediately rewarded with four games.

Early Saturday morning, I got up at 5:30, left by 6:15, and made the hour long drive to Lovejoy. My first and only boys match of the day was a U-14 game between a Classic 4 team from Blue Springs, GA, and a Classic 3 team from Carrolton, GA. Now, if you know anything about soccer, you know that 13 year old kids that play at this level spend most of the game trying to control their body as much as the ball. Their skills are still developing. The coaches are usually what we call "Daddy Coaches", and they don't know much about the game either. I am not belittling them. Soccer is an all inclusive sport, and we welcome those who want to play, participate in, and enjoy "The Beautiful Game".

The game started out pretty normal. There was the usual amount of clumsiness and fouls that I let go because it either did not affect the game or I just wasn't going to blow my whistle every two minutes and stop the game. I let the kids play, called what I needed to call, and ensured a fair match. A couple of the players from both teams identified themselves as players to watch by running their mouths at me and/or playing recklessly. By half time, the Carrolton team was up two to nothing. I expected a blow out.

Shortly after the start of the second half, the Blue Springs team came back and scored two quick goals. That was when things got intense. I had blown a foul against the attacking team in the defender's half of the field. During the ensuing free kick, one of the attacker's made a run at the ball before the kick. This is a no-no in soccer. You have to stay 10 yards away from the ball until the kick is taken. I know this, and I also know that at higher levels, I would give the player an instant yellow card for that behavior. At this level, not so much. If it doesn't affect play, I let it go and have a word with the player at the next available opportunity.

Right after the kick was taken, one of the Carrolton coaches on the side lines erupts.

He can't do that! That's an immediate yellow card!! You can't let him do that...

Lucky for me, unfortunately for the coach, play stopped shortly there after, close to the benches. I was a bit angry.

Do NOT YELL AT ME AGAIN! I said in a loud angry tone.

Do not do anything to distract these players and these parents from this game! If the behavior affects play, I will blow my whistle. If it does not, then be quiet and let the players play. It is not an automatic yellow card unless I say it is.

The minute the coach had my full attention, he looked like a deer in head lights. He said not a word. It is pretty common knowledge that the more inexperienced refs run Classic 3 and 4 level games and recreational soccer matches. I'm not sure what this coach thought was going to happen, but he bit off more than he could chew.

Five minutes later, I had to admonish the Carrolton head coach not to complain about calls and to give me a chance to blow my whistle. It makes me look bad to blow my whistle after they complain. One last admonishment not to talk to the other teams players, and the rest of the game proceeded smoothly. I ended up yellow carding one player from Carrolton for dissent, and one player from Blue Springs for a particulary nasty tackle.

The game ended with a Carrolton victory, as it should have. They were the better team. The Carrolton coach apologized for his staff being so excitable. I acknowledged his apology and said that I understood. I was used to that kind of excitement. The coach from the other team came to me three times and told me how that was the best reffed game of the season for them, even on their home fields. When the losing coach sings your praises, you know you did something right.

and with three more matches in the day, I got plenty of training in....

(More) Tidbits and Wesisms

2009-05-07T14:58:00.003-04:00

So, yea, I've been cadence training. It's been good. Really. From the moment I started I've learned a lot of things. Being the giving person that I am, I am going to share them with you, whether you want them or not.

The first day, I learned that the path to a heart attack is start cadence training while keeping the same stride length. Even though I thought I shortened my stride, I did not, and my heart rate shot up into cardiac arrest zone as a result. People who know these things say you will reach your optimal stride length once you get to a cadence of 90 per foot.

This led me to the unalterable conclusion that I have been over striding. That is why I am a heel thumper. Although I have never been injured, I have never been light on my feet ever. More than one fellow runner, when they've had the pleasure of running with me, has noticed the pounding of my feet.

This leads us directly to tidbit number two... How does one become a midfoot striker? For me, it involved an a-ha moment. I conciously tried to have my feet land behind my center of gravity. Of course, this is impossible, but the result was extraordinary. I was mid-foot striking without any effort. I'm still having to practice. Often when my cadence falls back into the sluggish 80 times per foot range, my stride is too long. I am running sub-conciously now in the 86 per foot range, and that is near optimal for me.

Finally, y'all remember that pain I was having behind the ankle on my left foot. It healed up nicely during the off season, and I hadn't really noticed it before until yesterday. It is a direct result of kicking out my heel to unclip from my bike. Duh... I got to think about this one...

And that's it for this episode of Tidbits and Wesisms. I am accepting cash, checks, and homemade meals in payment. Till next time :-)

Wes

Crashed (but not burnt)

2009-05-04T12:47:00.003-04:00

It would seem that I have been burning the candle a bit at both ends...

It really started Wednesday. I had a 500 yard time trial on my schedule. Nope. Never had a 500 yard TT before. I checked. Wasn't sure what to expect. Especially, since, the warm up consisted of over 1000 yards of 25, 50, and 100 yard intervals at varying speeds.

I wasn't feeling overly zippy in the pool. I hit all of my times on the warm up, gave myself a couple of minutes to recover, and then I was off. As usual, the first coupla hundred yards felt strong. Incidently, that's about the time it starts to hurt!

For the next couple of minutes, it was more like, "I think I can. I think I can." and I felt like I was dragging. I turned it up for the last 100 yards, feeling the necessity of giving it my all. I touched that wall the final time feeling dizzy but glad to get it over with. Upon completing the cool down, I checked my time. 7:38, it said. That's seven seconds faster than my T-time times 5. Yikes! Perhaps I shoulda slowed down a bit?

That night, I picked up a U-14 girls game to referee. I love to run on the pitch, and I got in a good 70 minutes of soccer style action. This had me a little concerned about what to do for Friday's run. The workout called for 50 minutes of running with some pick ups. To make a long story short, my kids were all out for the night. I could not pass up the opportunity to run someplace different after work. I chose Kennesaw Mountain. Running on the rolling hills was definitely different, but I enjoyed a 10 minute per mile pace, even with tired legs.

Saturday, I was supposed to bike, but I was just too busy. My Saturday morning soccer game got rained out. I went home and did my strength session instead. That afternoon, I took my youngest to Covington for his match. I ended up spending over four hours in the car. I love traveling teams ;-)

Sunday morning, I got up and went for my ride. I really don't mind riding and reffing in the same day. I rode for about one hour and fifteen minutes and turned in 22 hilly miles. The rain let up long enough for me to ref a U-13 Elite match at 3:00 PM. Fortunately for me, the public soccer fields were closed and all my adult games were cancelled!

I went home and cooked dinner for my sweety, or should I say helped to cook dinner. I polished off a few beers that were left in the frig, and by 8 o'clock, I was passing out on the couch. Dee Dee disappeared for a few minutes. I hauled my carcass upstairs to bed and slept like a log for 11 hours.

I could use another one of those...

Wes

What Smells?

2009-05-01T12:17:00.003-04:00

I am lacking in recognition...

For many hours a day, I surf various forums. Some of them, I consistently use my "handle". Some of them, I use my real name. There are a few where anonymity is the norm, rather than the exception.

All I have to say is, "Where is my Troll Badge?" :-)

All the hard work I have put in. All the flaming. The witty sarcasm. This is hard work, and I deserve recognition.

More often then not, I find myself defending those truths which should be self evident. Imagine that, a troll in shining armor.

Take the nefarious Georgia Soccer Forum for instance. Along with anonymity comes a complete lack of self control and common sense. It is the favored medium for bashing all that is soccer in the State of Georgia, including the Corp of Referees. Most of the time, I just let this stuff go. Others, I dive in with both feet. The balance between insanity and common sense must be restored.

In fitness related new, my calorie tracking web site has a fitness forum, where often questions are asked about running and triathlon. I use my own name here. It is the prefered tactic to back up one's advice with studies and articles linked on the internet. It goes something like this.

Oh! Never ever run! My knees are ruined, and this article on the internet shows that running results in 1012% more injuries...

This is all fine and dandy. The people reading this stuff may actually even go read the article. Some will not. I, on the other hand, don't just read the article. I dissect it. What's wrong with this picture? First, the article was written in 1977. What did they know about running back then? (don't get me started). Second, they had the "subjects" run at 90-95% of max HR for every run. No wonder the poor bastards were dying.

At least most of the peeps on this forum are good natured. Flame wars are few and far between. It really is all about helping people lose weight and get fit. But sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder.

Is that smell me? The Troll? Or is it the B.S. I am having to tip toe around here?

You decide, and that's one of the beauties of the internet...

Pulling the Trigger

2009-04-27T12:21:00.006-04:00

First off, thank you to those of you that inquired about the web site work and offered suggestions. I should probably have noted that I am handling the majority of the construction, and what limited funds I have is going to be spread out over a four to five month period and primarily go to graphics work. Le sigh :-) I do appreciate you one and all...

Have you heard the old saying, "Trouble/bad luck comes in threes"? Friday was my last and least favorite fitness test for the beginning of the season. Yup, you guessed it: the dreaded run test. I really liked the idea of conducting this test in a controlled environment. I opted to get up early and get to work and do my test during lunch.

As lunch time approached, I found myself procrastinating at my desk. Well, I needed to wait until three hours after I last ate, AND I was not looking forward to the pain. With a sigh, I finally caved in and headed down to the basement gym. I beat the rush. There was nobody else there. I changed my clothes and climbed onto the treadmill.

A rerun of Desperate Housewives was on the TV...

My instructions were to warm up easy for ten minutes, then build to a moderate pace for ten minutes, reset the heart rate monitor, then game on...

About half way through my build, two women joined me, one on the treadmill next to me on the right, the other on the elliptical to my left. By the end, sweat was starting to pour from my body. I questioned the wisdom of doing this indoors. I reset the HRM and pressed the go button.

I started the treadmill at 8 mph on a 1% incline. I felt that this was a sustainable pace for me for twenty minutes. I was wrong :-) I held that pace for 8 minutes before my oxygen deprived mind requested, no demanded, that I slow down. WEAKNESS!! I reached up and lowered the speed by 0.2 mph.

This became a pattern over the next eight minutes. It worked out well. As I my body tired, my speed decreased but my heart rate stayed in a very tight pattern. I would learn later that my cadence averaged 89, nearly perfect. The two women left my side in the 15th minute. I'm sure they thought I was nuts. My face was red, breathing was labored. I looked like I could suffer a melt down at any particular moment. By now, I was counting down the seconds. I can do anything for five minutes. I can do anything for three minutes. I can... etc...

Nothing feels quite as good as pressing the stop button during lactate hell. I clutched the side rails and stood perfectly still as my heart rate dropped from 178 to 156 during my recovery minute. This drop indicates I need more aerobic work. I walked around the small gym cooling down. I evidently missed the memo on the twenty minute cool down jog. This is why I have a reputation an an absent minded professor! Even after showering, my core temperature was way too high. I sweated profusely for the next thirty minutes or so. This did not make me happy! Being a sweaty mess for the rest of the day was no fun!

My test results came back. My running heart rate zones did not change from last year, but I ran faster. My pace improved by almost twenty seconds per mile. I am getting there...

A special thank you to my beautimous wife who has supported me in registering for Ironman Augusta 70.3. How can you resist an inaugural Ironman event in your own state? I am really enjoying the fact that I can actually treat these races as "A" races instead of training races for Ironman.

Let the quest for a sub 6 half ironman begin!

I Need Skillz

2009-04-24T09:52:00.003-04:00

I am using my superior coding obfusication powers to create a professional website. Unfortunately, my graphics and creative skills are hard to, ummmm, comprehend. There to fore, I am in need of someone with excellent graphics skills to help me design and create this webite. I do not believe it will be a lot of work. The time line is gray and fuzzy, just the way I like it, and the pay is cold hard cash.

If you know of somebody and/or would like to pony up, leave me some comment love.

Wes

Put a Cork in It

2009-04-22T09:48:00.004-04:00

My poor, poor anal sphincter....

How's that for a segway? Hmmmm :-)

Saturday was the big bike test day. I woke up a wee bit hung over. Dee Dee and I were kidless Friday night and took advantage of it. It wasn't so much that I had a few cocktails. It was the fact that I had to get up early Saturday morning to take Matthew to his soccer game. Late night + a few drinks + an early wake up = less than optimal body state.

After the game, I hemmed and hawed over whether or not to put off the test until Sunday morning. By lunch time, I was feeling downright chipper. I ate, waited the requisite two hours and then prepped my bike for the test.

Last two times I took this test, I went to Columns Drive by the Hooch (its a river). This time, I wanted to see how it would go on the trainer. I started out by warming up for 10 minutes or so, then did a few spin ups to get the legs ready for racing. After the spin ups, I did a slow build up to race pace. Yes, this testing stuff is serious! Once the build up was over, I reset my heart rate monitor and I was off...

I thought I did a good job of being consistent. Last year, when I did this, I did not push myself hard enough. We found out at Callaway that my zones were way to low. I kind of knew what to push for and push I did. There was only one problem. At the end of Ironman training, it became apparent that I was getting too strong for my trainer. I had to put my bike into the hardest gear and really spin (~100 rpm) to get my heart rate going.

Squiggly line on top is cadence.

Bottom line is heart rate

I actually surprised myself with how well it went. I was sweating up a storm, but I was able to maintain a very solid pace. My max HR ended up being 163 (I think), and my average was 159. This is five points lower than last year and more realistic, I believe. The drop off at the end is my recovery rate. In one minute, my HR dropped 20 points. Evidently, this is a sign that my aerobic engine needs work (I already knew this!)

Sunday, the rain held off long enough for me to ref my first youth soccer match in a long, long time. I ran the pitch hard and gave them my best game. I came home long enough to eat split pea soup and pea salad (pea, pea, pea!) before heading back out for my adult games. After running the center on two adult matches, I was exhausted. I am definitely counting reffing as one of my runs for the week this year. I came home, ate red beans and rice, drank three beers and went to bed.

The next day, Monday, I woke up not feeling so well. Evidently, the combination of pea soup, red beans, and beer did not bode well for my recovery after the weekend. I spent the next 36 hours off and on in the bathroom. It was so bad, I ended up skipping my swim workout for Tuesday! I don't believe I've ever missed a workout due to not feeling well. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Good news is starting around lunch yesterday, I felt better. Today, I have a brick at lunch. I'm going to ride and run by the Hooch near work. Today is a ten on the Melish meter (know what that is?). It's gonna be a beautiful day...

Our Anthem

2009-04-17T11:41:00.003-04:00

I am not a Hannah Montana fan. I do like Miley Cyrus though. This song is for all my peeps out there training hard and struggling to achieve break throughs and new distances. This one's for you.

An Anthem for The Back of the Pack

* and if this doesn't apply to you, that too, is cool...

Chillaxin: Triathlete Edition

2009-04-15T11:49:00.004-04:00

There are those amongst us, and you know who you are, who has signed up for early season triathlons. Even in the south (way south!), these triathlons are wet suit legal this time of year. This brings a few brave souls to the Beginner Triathlete forum in search of open water swims.

I am an intrepid soul...

My first race, as of right now, is not until the end of June. Water should be plenty warm by then to get in multiple open water swims. Do I let this stop me? Of course not! If there's an open water swim in my vicintiy, I am there.

Multiple calls to the lake line kept the forum up to date on conditions. The water temp stayed at 58 degrees pretty much all week. I tried to remember my first open water swim at this time last year. It wasn't bad. LOL... How soon they forget. Back then, I was still relatively new at this tri stuff, and open water swimming made me skairt.

I pushed my Friday swim to Saturday. I got up early and went to Dallas Landing in Acworth. The gates were closed, and the sign said that the City of Acworth had taken over administration of the site. This did not bode well for our little excursion. I parked the car back by main street and went out for my fifty minute run. For forty-five minutes, I practiced high cadence and low heart rate. It's not easy doing an "easy" run with a cadence of 180 steps per minute. I followed the route of the Acworth Women's Triathlon for a bit, and I enjoyed running along the lake. I arrived back at my car with five minutes to spare and shot back down to Dallas Landing.

There were three cars waiting when I arrived, and I followed a fourth in. That made five of us all together. The gates were still not open. We hung around a bit to discuss our options and waited for any late arrivals. There were none. I volunteered to lead the group to Red Top Mountain the back way. Off we went in a group and arrived at the lake in no time.

The lake was at full pool. There were a few fishing boats in the cove. One of the triathletes remarked on this, and my response was: "It's a big lake. They can go someplace else!" Yea, I'm nice like that ;-) Boats weren't brave enough to venture far into the cove during the drought. The water receeded far enough to where the bottom was like walking in a mud pen. With the lake at full pool, the bottom was actually very firm and nice, but the water was freezing.

Gingerly, I walked out into the lake, muttering a few choice curse words. A fine film of pollen floated on top of the lake, broken here and there by floating sticks and pine cones. I gasped as cold water seeped into the back of my suit. My core warmed up pretty quickly, but my hands and feet were freezing. I encourage the others to get moving. Action would certrainly warm the body. When I put my face into the water, my reward was instant pain. The area where my goggles touched my face felt blistering! I tried everything, water polo stroke, side stroke, etc. I made it about 400 meters before having to stop and catch my breath.

The group reformed and set off down the cove again. We stopped to regroup again at the pier. This was a real treat as there was some kind of Easter event going on. A crowd made its way down onto the pier to gawk at the crazy swimmers. One of the triathletes said, "Yea, this seemed like such a good idea at the time!" The good news was that the water was actually a tad bit warmer out in the cove. I learned this at Florida as well. The less water circulating underneath, the more cold the water absorbs from the air.

The group made its way out of the cove and across the inlet. Swimming was becoming easier now. My face no longer felt on fire and I could actually breath. The distance to the white rocks on the other side is just about 650 meters. We rested for about five minutes before turning back. This was a bad idea as it allowed our faces to get warm again. The minute we started swimming, the pain entered round two!

Still, the return trip was much easier and fluid. We only paused briefly for everybody to regroup and catch their breath. I think we made the entire 1500 meter trip in about 40 minutes, which isn't too shabby for freezing cold water.

As we dried off and changed out of our wet suits, the squeals and yells of excited children could be heard in the background. The parking lot was chock full of cars. Evidently, we had just beat the crowd. Over all, I had a great time swimming, despite the cold. I am hoping that my enthusiasm for open water will carry over from last year, and this irrational fear of swimming will be behind me.

Here's to keeping our fingers crossed. The signs are good. I am ready to go again :-)

Amongst Friends

2009-04-14T14:30:00.003-04:00

When I first started blogging, over two years ago now I think, I truly felt out of place. I was mostly a quiet soul (and probably still am a little) with very little desire to express myself to other people. It was fun connecting with like minded people. I sensed (more in my imagination) who amongst them were "old school" and who, like me, was new to this blogging business.

I'm not sure how I found Brooke. It might have been through Runner Susan, or maybe Juls, or even Run for Chocolate. My vivid image of Brooke is of her backside as she climbed those stairs for what seemed like years :-) She finally changed her profile pic and we got to see her front side. LOL... As with so many of my bloggy peeps, we managed to strike up a lasting friendship.

Brooke let me know through facebook that she was passing through Atlanta with her family on her way to a romantic vacation. She wanted to know if Dee Dee and I wanted to meet up for dinner. Did I? I always jump at the chance to meet up with my friends, virtual or otherwise. I almost let time get away from me. With just a few short days until their arrival, I managed to make arrangements to meet Brooke and her family at the Houston's restaurant by Lenox Mall. This was just about half way between us.

Dee Dee was upstairs getting ready to go when those nasty thunderstorms, tornados and all, began to make their way into Georgia. Even though it was a bit early, I grabbed Matthew (who graced us with his presence) and Dee Dee and got the hell out of there. Evidently, Canton is officially a tornado magnet. This is just a little too close for comfort. Lucky for us, south was away from the storms.

We got to the restaurant a little early and scored a place at the bar to hold down the fort until Brooke and Ken arrived with the girls. I was in a festive mood, opting to drink gin and tonic while we waited. Having not drank any alcohol for a while, I can tell ya. My liver is OUT OF SHAPE. I was buzz buzz buzzing by the time they arrived. I managed to take control and hopefully not make a total fool out of myself until we got a table. I know pretty much how eating out is in Atlanta, and I felt bad for the girls and Matthew that we were eating so late.

The conversation and dinner was wonderful. Matthew enjoyed talking with Ken about helicopters and the Marine corp. We shared stories about running, blogging, and serving our country. The girls were so adorable and well behaved. Brooke might beg to differ :-) It was exactly like most of my blogger meet ups, like long lost friends getting together again. As dinner wound down, we declined desert, paid our bill, and got up to leave.

I had these images in my mind from times long past. When I was in the Army, seargents and officers were older men, gruff and stern. You really did your best to go unnoticed when you were in their presence. I wasn't sure what to expect with Ken. Certainly, he and I had not communicated as much as Brooke and I had. In the foyer of the restaurant, I gave Brooke one of my patented Georgia bear hugs. I tried to hide my surprise when Ken pulled me into a hug like we were best friends.

That is an honor I will not soon forget...