tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48875197401944265242024-02-06T23:30:35.760-08:00Swim Bike Run; where my thoughts hit the paperTri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-70105471656176810772010-12-14T20:27:00.000-08:002010-12-14T20:27:11.205-08:00The ugly beast rears it's head!So here I am looking 2011 square in the eye. This ugly beast has reared its head with a veracity that I didn’t expect. I now find myself back pedaling, wondering how to tackle this monster. How in the world do I conquer? The last two months since mission bay triathlon has been a roller coaster of emotion. Somehow I acquired, against my will, peroneal tendonitis. It was a sudden onset that still pops ups on runs occasionally. Thankfully I have a genius for a coach who after a few weeks of making me rest forced me to go receive some ART treatments. Originally I was going to head up north to University City Physical Therapy, but after talking to some friends of mine I decided to check out CRAC at Liberty Station with two sessions per week for three weeks he not only had me up and running but had me practically pain free. <br />
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Now that I am pain free and back to training fulltime I feel so much more like myself. During the two months of injury correction and the lowest volume of training that I have had in months I must admit I sank to a pretty low place. With every day that slipped by without the training that I knew that I needed for both my physical health as well as my mental health I began to doubt my ability to be successful in 2011. It is amazing how much having your body feeling strong and ready makes on your mental state. It isn’t often that I am not positive. I try to see the silver lining as much as possible but during this time I had the hardest time even making it to a workout. Knowing that I wasn’t able to perform in the manner that I knew that I should be able to was devastating.<br />
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But things have taken a turn for the better. As I said my leg is feeling so much better now. This past week I found out that my sponsor, Synergy Sports/Grey Cycling is going to continue to be my lead sponsor in 2011. I am very excited about this opportunity. The more that I work with Synergy/Grey and their product the more I feel like I am supporting a brand that truly makes quality products. Look for a review of the synergy Hybrid wetsuit in the near future. But that is neither here nor there. Synergy is a great company with amazing products that I know when tried you can’t help but fall in love with them.<br />
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Other exciting news I just purchased my first road bike today. She is a beautiful Trek Madone 5.2 full carbon bike. For those of you are bike geeks she came equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace STI shifters, Dura-Ace derailleurs with ceramic pulleys, an Ultegra compact crank with ceramic bottom bracket and Ultegra breaks. This beautiful bike fully decked out with my super heavy, bomb proof training wheels still weighs in at less than 18lbs. I am really looking forward to setting out for a ride with the Swami’s group one Saturday in the near future. I have been itching to test my legs against stronger riders and now I will have the chance. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC8t2cNndnoJO8IaQch8cuHsbGqWQ8rUUt7O4yUIYbpVUHCHI5yoYiTynlap5PKNZFatvT_Orpi7rwIJKSYVlXc-sSv-dJEfMGjUSTIZ1XVK5slSAxjmfjdS0hFG24g56Kfy5NniMJ6Y/s1600/DSCF0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC8t2cNndnoJO8IaQch8cuHsbGqWQ8rUUt7O4yUIYbpVUHCHI5yoYiTynlap5PKNZFatvT_Orpi7rwIJKSYVlXc-sSv-dJEfMGjUSTIZ1XVK5slSAxjmfjdS0hFG24g56Kfy5NniMJ6Y/s400/DSCF0234.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-55511608307079059302010-10-26T05:50:00.000-07:002010-10-26T05:50:16.114-07:002011 Race Schedule1/23/2011 Carlsbad Half Marathon<br />
2/13/2011 San Dieguito Half Marathon<br />
2/19/2011 Tritonman Triathlon<br />
3/27/2011 Superseal International Triathlon<br />
4/17/2011 New Orleans 70.3 Half Ironman*<br />
5/1/2011 Spring Sprint Triathlon<br />
6/12/2011 Boise 70.3 Half Ironman*<br />
6/28/2011 San Diego International Triathlon<br />
7/17/2011 Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman*<br />
9/11/2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship<br />
9/17/2011 San Diego Triathlon Classic<br />
10/2/2011 Mission Bay Sprint Triathlon<br />
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*Shots to qualify for the 70.3 World ChampionshipsTri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-12329233076061804082010-10-26T05:32:00.000-07:002010-10-26T05:32:22.551-07:002010 Is In The BagWell folks the 2010 race season is over now and it has been a hell of a year for me. When I really got into Triathlons last year never did I think that I, in any way, could be competitive, at all, in this sport. In my prior four years as a runner I had completed 5 marathons, 4 half marathons and 1 ultra marathon. Let me be honest here.... I sucked, I sucked really bad at distance running and I wasn't much better at 5k or 10ks either. Triathlon though is strangely different for me, I am not amazing at any of the three sports but in 2009 I found that in my first full season I was some how better than more than half the people out there. I thought, well if I can do this well and have no clue what I am doing that means when I learn something about swimming and biking I might have a chance of doing something.<br />
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That's when I found my amazing coach, Darcy Eaton. With her, in the last year and a half, I have raced more than 8 sprint triathlons, 2 Olympic distance triathlons, 1 half marathon, and 3 Half Ironman distance races and set MASSIVE personal records at all distance, and collected more than my fair share of hardware. I am 100% proud of my 2010 season and wouldn't change a thing.<br />
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Moving into the off season I am working with my bike sponsor, <a href="http://synergysport.com/categories.asp?catID=12">Synergy Sport and Grey Cycling</a>, to really help improve my bike times next year with a set of new road and tri bikes. I really need to get off my four year old heavy ass cervelo and on to something a little lighter and a little sleeker. I have also decided to start training a little smarter out on the roads. I am now a proud owner of a powertap wheelset and while I haven't had them to long I am very sure that they are going to make a huge difference in the 2011 season.<br />
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As I have talked about before, my run is my weakness and unfortunately I have been out with an injury the past three weeks but tomorrow I will try running again. I am nervous to say in the least. I would hate for my hopes of going to worlds next year to die in the off season. <br />
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My motivation is higher than ever though. This week I had the pleasure of seeing some of the most inspirational athletes in the world. The <a href="http://www.challengedathletes.org/">Challenged Athletes Foundation</a> is an amazing charity. Imagine you were living your life as the athlete that you are today, or even as the one that you have always dreamed of being. Imagine the joy you feel when you are out there doing your thing. Now think about how it would feel if you could no longer do it because it was ripped away from you because you were hit by a car driven by a drunk driver, born with defects, or your body just shut down on you. I don't know about you but just the thought of it destroys me. The desire to compete and be competitive is in all of us and the Challenged Athlete's Foundation helps the people who want to be be active in any sport do so and after hearing some amazing, inspiring stories I can't help but want to suffer to the limit that both my mind and body can handle.<br />
2011 is going to be a great year!Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-73344274412672672152010-09-21T09:05:00.001-07:002010-09-21T09:05:26.628-07:00A Journey of a 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Today I start a journey that I should have begun this year but it wasn't one of my goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today I begin the long path to Age Grouperdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been 200+lbs for as long as I remember, maybe even longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going in to high school I was six feet tall and right around 210lbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My football coach fell in love with me the moment he lay eyes on me and by my senior year with lots of weight training I was a top notch 250+lbs offensive lineman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had learned to love the gym, weights and the soreness I felt the days after hard workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This didn't change after high school either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I joined the military I kept lifting and kept gaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year before my service to this country ended I tipped the scales at a whopping 285lbs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No granted I was no tub of lard but I wasn't Ronnie Colman either.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Shortly thereafter I found endurance sports, forsake the cast iron love that I had once known and fell hard for a new mistress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then it has been a slow process coming back down in weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of my first year of running I was in the upper 230's and at the end of my first triathlon season I was in the 220's.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now with my second season of triathlon behind me I weigh in firmly in the mid teens.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">With my eye on Clearwater for 2011 this excess weight just will not do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fine for the 2010 season where my goal was to rule the Clydesdale Division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now though, every extra pound is precious energy that I need to either save or convert to forward motion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with that said it is time to take a hard look at the CRAP that I am eating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But down that doughnut, pick up the salad fork and with the help of friends and fellow triathletes drop a solid 5lbs per month for the next 5 months till my first "A" race of 2011, New Orleans 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first chance to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships.</span></div>Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-13387700342685836102010-09-15T07:19:00.000-07:002010-09-15T07:19:01.466-07:00The End of a Season.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So the end of the season is drawing near.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only two more races to go, the San Diego Triathlon Classic and the Mission Bay Sprint Triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with the season ending I guess it is time to reflect a little and ask myself, “Was this a successful Triathlon season?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished last year on a rough note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two days before my final race of the year I was in a bad cycling accident where I fractured my orbital bone and injured my hamstring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still raced and actually set a 5k PR that day but the damage was done in that accident and I still have nerve damage to prove it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Going into the 2010 season I had set out with two real goals in mind; to get on the podium as a Clydesdale and to shave a solid 30 minutes off my Half Ironman time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My off season training was solid thanks to the NCC Challenge put on by USAT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I logged more miles swimming, biking, and running in the off season than I ever had and I went into my first race of 2010 feeling pretty good about myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tritonman was a good test for my fitness and a great sounding board to see where I was compared to last year, since it was also my first race in 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finishing the race I knew my training was on track since I set a course PR of 10 minutes and placing 11<sup>th</sup> in my AG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">After Tritonman I moved into the meat and potatoes of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The season totaled two Half Ironman triathlons, two Olympic distance tri’s, six Sprints, and one Half Marathon, this of course doesn’t include all the amazing Tri Club of San Diego triathlons and aquathons that got thrown in just for shits and giggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So did I reach my goals for the year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I make it to the podium?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I shave a half hour off my HIM time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With two races to go I have accumulated a total of six podium finishes this year, four second place, and two third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for my Half Ironman time I destroyed my HIM PR by 45 minutes, and I even set a Half Marathon PR by ten minutes this year!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Still, I am not sure how I feel about this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some things that let me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance I never took a first place finish as a Clydesdale, but on the other hand my times were good enough to put me in the top three at six races as a Clydesdale and would have placed me in the top ten as an age grouper on several occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot really complain there I suppose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a secondary goal I really wanted to hit the five hour mark at a Half Ironman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This chance was taken from me by a dam bursting at Tempe Town Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I achieved every goal that I set for myself this season and even went beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know why but that doesn’t feel as though I was successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people would say I am a crazy over achiever, PR’s left and right, podium finishes, and I even picked up an amazing sponsor in Synergy Sports and Gray Cycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I guess I am just going to say thank you to the triathlon gods and be thankful.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Looking to next year what do I want to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well my goals for this coming year are just as loft as last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I plan on leaving the world of Clydesdale and up the stakes as an age grouper, hoping to consistently place in the top ten in the 30-34 bracket and I am dedicating this season to qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I plan on doing this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well dropping a few pounds will be necessary; shaving another 45 minutes off my HIM PR is going to happen as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This off season I will be focusing on my run and really bringing it down, training more scientifically on the bike by using a power meter and staying consistent with my day to day training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I am an underdog in this sport, but I have been counted out before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been told that I would never be sponsored, and that I would never accomplish anything in this sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I have already proven the nay sayers wrong and I will continue to do so in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just watch me!</div>Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-62439464959657754652010-09-09T05:46:00.001-07:002010-09-09T05:46:29.903-07:00Thoughts on aging.What defines age? Webster says it is the length of existence from beginning to any given point. Thankfully this definition does not dictate the unit of measurement for said length. I am not one to often think about my age or how it affects me. But this morning I woke up to something very disturbing. Today was like no there day. I started it the same as always. I got up, took a leak, made coffee and oatmeal and checked my email. But as I scanned my email I looked down at my chest, which hasn’t been shaved in a while now, and noticed something very disturbing. Out of the hundreds, nay, possibly thousands of hairs or my chest I somehow notice the ONE hair that was not like the other. Horrified I tried ripping it out, to no avail. Losing my patience for this one hair I debated on trying to gnaw it off but quickly dismissed that as well. As a last ditch attempt I took a set of fingernail clippers to it. THE ONE GREY CHEST HAIR! God help meTri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-46009203229628012632010-09-05T18:09:00.000-07:002010-09-05T18:09:55.337-07:00The last monthThis last month has left me in a slump. My personal life was in turmoil, my training has dropped down because of school, and well…. There is school to deal with. Thankfully in the last couple of weeks a few things have changed that have left me able to focus more. My personal life has quieted down, I completed my first course at the University of Phoenix and I have picked up Synergy Sports/ Gray Cycling as a sponsor. For these three things I am very grateful! Let me say that I just recieved my first tri kit from them and I was plesantly surprised. The top fit great! It didn't ride up and in the water was very sleek. The tri shorts were amazing as well. Unbelievably comfortable on my long ride this weekend as well as my 8 mile run. I am really looking forward to trying out all their product, from tri clothes to carbon wheels!<br />
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Yesterday I went for my first 50+ mile long ride in months. Pallas and I ended up just over the 70 mile mark and it felt great. It was amazing just to be out there riding. Not trying to hang on to or pull the "A" group, not trying to hammer my body into a cycling machine. Just riding for the sake of riding because I love being on my bike in the middle of nowhere. The solitude and peace is something that a soul needs on occasion. <br />
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Today I had the best long run I have had since racing the RnR San Diego Half Marathon in June. It had seemed like I had seriously derailed some where despite having taken top three at every race since then. So today I set out on an 8 mile run that included 8x400 @ 10k pace. With my motivation lacking over the last couple months I went back to something that has always been able to put a spring in my step, watching the Ironman World Championships. Watch it I did, and motivation was found once again! Finally a little fire in my belly had been ignited. I had almost forgotten what it had felt like. I headed out the door and made my way to the water front. A beautiful day in San Diego isn't unusual and today was no different. After a 2 mile warm-up I hit the repeats making sure to stoke that fire that I had found in my belly today. Patting myself on the back for every victory this season has brought me. Finally after a strong finish the run was done, I was fresh and hungry, not just for food.<br />
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With my triathlon season ending in under one month I am looking towards next year. What will my season hold? Can I possibly qualify for Clearwater in 2011? I know that with consistency and dedication that it is possible. I may not be the favorite to get in but I am not the dark horse in this race either. Now I am off to look at race times, course profiles, how far slots have rolled down, temperatures and anything else that I can think of to find the perfect race or two that suits me and may just give me the chance to show that the underdog may not be the favorite but still has a shot for a "W".Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-78328483448616306642010-02-23T21:16:00.000-08:002010-02-23T21:27:19.400-08:00An amazing week in reviewWhat a crazy week. The madness began last Tuesday, this was a recovery week for me and so that meant it was time to test my fitness and Darcy didn’t let me down. On top of my first triathlon of the season being scheduled for this week Darcy was also nice enough to schedule two separate time trials for me; one a 60 minute running time trial and the other a 60 minute bike time trial. Each of these were comprised of a 15minute warm up followed by 30 minutes all out and a 15 minute cool down. <br />
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On Tuesday I was scheduled for my run TT, I was quietly optimistic about this time trial. The last four weeks of training has gone remarkably well I believe and because of that I believed that I could show some serious improvements. I know my fitness has only been getting better; I just wanted something to quantify my feelings. So that evening after work I headed out the door to see what I had in the tank and that tank was not full after having done a 95 mile ride as well as an eight mile run just two days before. My warm up reminded me of that. My calves were tight and didn’t want to loosen up and my legs were just a little heavy. By the time the meat of the TT began I knew that I would be able to go hard but I was no longer sure that I would see improvements like I had wanted to. Thirty minutes later, I averaged a 7:49 mile at a HR of 173, this as an improvement of 11 seconds per mile at a HR that was 8 BPM lower. I can say that I am very happy with that gaining 10 seconds per mile over a 30 minute run is huge especially with a HR that was much lower.<br />
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Thursday was my bike TT. After finally getting my new rear wheel, cassette and base bar installed on my bike this was my first chance to go hard and fast on my bike. It didn’t let me down, although I had a hard time getting my heart rate up I was able to fly out there. 30 minutes at 23+MPH and a HR of 157 isn’t too shabby at all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_-O3MYiwopJdHvquNyva319NGv2MUovCI6-RKmFWqbiBbqGeOgCH_WIW-G-M2TFipOn-7_4VWqsWV2cdpLEZ0wSIeaWCaAIkVucOrXxR7MNKUve4Xo5EFGjhIfR-XNNtzrHrskdIcYc/s1600-h/20149_316995262368_537207368_3475001_4430542_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_-O3MYiwopJdHvquNyva319NGv2MUovCI6-RKmFWqbiBbqGeOgCH_WIW-G-M2TFipOn-7_4VWqsWV2cdpLEZ0wSIeaWCaAIkVucOrXxR7MNKUve4Xo5EFGjhIfR-XNNtzrHrskdIcYc/s320/20149_316995262368_537207368_3475001_4430542_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
On Saturday was the Tritonman Triathlon, my first triathlon of the season. I was seriously nervous about it. While my training has been going so very well, there has been zero speed work thus far. Just some tempo runs and hard hilly runs, nothing that would truly work on improving my top end speed that I would need to do well in a sprint triathlon. I was also very worried about the weather. They were calling for rain or race morning and I was afraid that the race would become a duathlon, and since I am NOT a runner this would out me at a huge disadvantage. As it turns out it rained through out the night but except for one brief shower less than a half hour before the race it was a beautiful day. While I have seen what my splits are officially I can say with some certainty how I did. Lining up for the swim start was a little different this time around I was competing in an AG that was twice the size as normal. On a regular day I would have only had those men in the 30-34 age range to race against but today I had from 30-39, so I had twice the competition, this two had me worried but when the horn sounded and I ran into the water my body took over and I just went. The swim was fast, I know I could have pushed harder there, much harder. I felt as though I was creeping alone even though I am pretty sure I held my own out there. It just didn’t seem as though I was grabbing water. As I turned at the last buoy I kicked up a storm to try and get the blood flowing to my legs. Running out of the water into the mud covered transition area was not fun. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYIErGJI_5g-J1wz_r5v0LZ70SV0BN-uFkVF10_UAVbEdGMreuFYczL0E-REoWOYiT196AYFeBuDOAYkSrnJwiOBQsfb4q_Q84VhpDzqW6AOEr5bJWxQV_1Z9GzGGyUxCEFTAxl7p40k/s1600-h/P2191745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYIErGJI_5g-J1wz_r5v0LZ70SV0BN-uFkVF10_UAVbEdGMreuFYczL0E-REoWOYiT196AYFeBuDOAYkSrnJwiOBQsfb4q_Q84VhpDzqW6AOEr5bJWxQV_1Z9GzGGyUxCEFTAxl7p40k/s320/P2191745.JPG" /></a></div><br />
T1 felt like it took forever, I didn’t want to run out with my bike in bare feet because I didn’t want huge globs of mud inside my tri shoes while biking so I decided to put them on in T1 and run out with them already on my feet. This created its own problem; mud in my cleat which made it near impossible to clip on to the pedals. After a few moments I finally was cruising along on my bike, legs churning away, trying to get a feel for the bike portion of the race. The next thing I new I was flying, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28MPH has I flew around Fiesta Island. Talk about a rush. Never before had I been able to hold such high numbers. Of the more than 300 racers I was passed by so few that I could count them on one hand. After 3 laps I was sure that I had hunted down most of the people in my age group and left them well behind me.<br />
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I came speeding into transition to start my run and as I headed out I knew my run legs were with me that day. I was off like a bolt; the only thing on my mind was pushing hard enough that I felt like I was dying a little but knew that I wasn’t going to. I found the pace that made me uncomfortable and held on to it with all that I had, gritting my teeth often to shake out the burning feeling in my legs. My mantra for the day was “Mid sole foot strike straight below you. Good! Now recruit those glutes!” Every time I felt myself falter or slow that is what I would think about. About a mile and a half into the run the first person past me, a few moments later another, then a minute or so after that one more. It is hard being a bigger triathlete. It’s hard to know that you hammered out a great bike and these scrawny guys are going to run you down even when you are putting it on the line. DARN THOSE SCRAWNY GUYS! <br />
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So I hooked them and I tried to hold onto them as long as I could but I could see each one pull just a little further away as the minutes passed by. When all was said and done I finished this race in 1:06 a full ten minutes faster than last year, with what I believe was a 1:30 PR on the 5k run section of the race. Not a bad day.<br />
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Now this doesn’t end my amazing week. I was then honored by the Triathlon Club of San Diego. Most people who know me know that I work very hard at becoming a better triathlete so to be recognized by TCSD as the most improved male triathlete of 2009 was a huge thing for me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would win an award for my efforts nor did I think that anyone, other than my coach, had noticed how hard I had been working. I am very proud to have been chosen for it and it only motivates me to work harder…. But wait we still aren’t done….. It looks like I may have a sponsor too. More details to come with that one.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-34252447543199161392010-01-29T21:37:00.000-08:002010-01-29T21:40:24.882-08:00Tri Expo San DiegoToday I attended the first ever Triathlon Expo. To tell you the truth I was a little underwhelmed. San Diego is the birth place of Triathlon and when it was announced that the first ever Tri Expo was going to be held here in San Diego and put on by the Competitor Group (the same people that bring you the Rock n' Roll Marathon Series, Inside Triathlon Magazine and many other publications) I thought, 'Man this thing is going to be good!' But as I said, I was a bit let down. <br />
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It is being held at the Hilton Hotel at Mission Bay Park, no one can question what a great venue they choose beyond that though... The entire expo is held in one medium sized tent. With maybe a total of two or three dozen vendors, bike shops, and races present represent this great sport. Let me say right now, thank you for coming out, I am truly grateful. To competitor I say how could we have made this really special? I have gone to MANY marathon expos’ that were much larger, better advertised and really put out there to the endurance sport population. While the expo itself was a little bit of a let down the guest speakers were A-ok Chris Carmichael, Dean Karnazes, Jessi Stensland, and Matt Fitzgerald just to name a few, all brought a wealth of knowledge to the table making learning more about performance and the history of this sport enjoyable.<br />
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I guess what I am saying is if we really want our sport to grow don't we need to do more to put it out there? I heard nothing on the local news, I saw 6 billboards for a local gun show that is almost a month away but nothing for the triathlon expo and I saw no advertisement in anything other than competitor group magazines. Don’t you think that if we plan on attracting new athletes, of all ages and abilities that we should go looking for them and not make them guess where we are?Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-42554560888651050102009-11-27T21:11:00.000-08:002009-11-27T21:19:55.664-08:00Me? A photo shoot? I guess so!I a week or so ago I received an email from a friend of mine <a href="http://www.gymratzz.com/">Erin Reilly</a>. Erin is another amazing person to come out of Boonsboro, MD. After graduating high school she decided to get out of dodge and become a chef. She moved to New York City and began her schooling at the Culinary Institute of America. After finishing her schooling there she moved to the West Coast as a chef for several different celebrities. Some where along the way she found a passion for fitness and after several years as a chef she decided to change gears and move into a different profession. Today Erin is a fitness professional, teaching group classes, boot camps, one on one training, and owns her own fitness studio in Fredericksburg, VA. Oh, and when she isn't doing that she is fitness modeling. So, I digress. The other week I receive an email from Erin telling me that she had just gotten done talking to her good friend and favorite photographer <a href="http://www.wenmcnally.com/">Wen McNally</a>. I guess that some how I had come up in their conversation and Wen end up deciding that when she comes to San Diego in January that she would like to do a photo shoot with me. Kinda cool huh? Nope, I am not getting paid and no the picture will most likely never see the light of day but hey; it's going to be fun!Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-56980349506722694452009-11-13T18:19:00.000-08:002009-11-13T18:19:03.660-08:00How I Got My Groove BackSince my bike accident last month I have been fighting off numbness and pain in my face and a nagging hamstring injury. The facial pain has made deep breathing and breathing while swimming difficult and my hamstring injury all but side lined my running for a while. It has been mentally trying the last month. My coach has thankfully been the voice of reason for me when I have needed it the most; which is pretty much everyday that I train. I enjoy speed work while running and I love a good pool work out or open water swim; so not having them available to me was driving me crazy.<br />
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Two days after my accident I raced in the Mission Bay Triathlon in San Diego. This race was going to be THE "A" race for my season since I had decided that IMAZ was not a financially sound thing to do. When the accident happened I knew that my hopes of being on the podium had been shattered and that I might not be able to race at all. Thankfully I was able to make it to the race start with a slightly beat up, and in desperate need of a tune up, bike. I still had fresh road rash on my legs, a sore shoulder, painful orbital bone, and some serious numbness through out the left side of my face. To say in the least I was not in top form that day. I saw my competition in transition and I knew that I wouldn't be able to hang with them today. Today was going to be all about finishing. I went into the water and warmed up before my wave start, which just so happen to be the very last start of the day. This meant that I would be dodging people while swimming, biking and running. I will skip the messy details and move to the end where I place a modest 7th as a Clydesdale a full 6 minutes slower than I had originally planned. But 7th as a Clydesdale and 240ish overall out of 1500+ people isn't too bad after an accident.<br />
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After the race everything seemed to fall apart. I lost my stroke in the pool some where and I was really hoping that some one would find it and give it back. No matter how hard I tried or how much I pulled I had nothing to give. My times were slow; my stamina was gone, what happened to me? And then the weirdest thing happened. I started looking at my hands as they entered the water instead of looking down at the bottom of the pool. They seemed to slip seamlessly into the water; barely a bubble would race to the surface. Suddenly my pull felt strong and effortless and my 100m times dropped back to where they should have been. Can it be that something as simple as head position can make that big of a difference? It seems as though it can.<br />
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The other thing that I have been working on since my accident and now that I have been given the ok to run easy again is my running form. As with most runners when they first start out I was a heel striker. While I have never had any real injuries I have never felt as though I flowed over the ground. I always felt as though I was muscling through every single run. With the help of my coach that has begun to change and I feel now as though most of my propulsion is in the forward direction. This is a good thing, right? It’s another huge break through for me. I am really hoping once I can add speed work back into my running that I will see some real changes!<br />
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I am getting my groove back!Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-4538743950127299142009-11-11T17:14:00.000-08:002009-11-11T20:34:05.766-08:00A month in review.So its been just over a month since my last blog and a lot has happened. I wrecked back on Oct 1st and it hurt! I fractured my orbital, some how injured my hamstring, jacked up my bike and then had a crappy race two days later. But hey, what can I expect? Thankfully I am on the mend, the numbness in my face is almost gone, and my body is beginning to recover nicely, although I did just come down with a cold that has left me near horse. I have been going to physical therapy now for a couple weeks and I can't really tell if it is helping or not. I do know that my hamstring is feeling better.<br />
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My coach and I have decided that I shall forgo any running races during the off season to make sure that I heal up entirely instead of pushing now and paying for it later. I would much rather have a great 2010 race season than have one or two good off season marathon/half marathons. My 2010 season is starting to shape up looking like this.<br />
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Tritonman Feb 20th "C"<br />
Superfrog <strong>HIM</strong> Mar27th "B"<br />
La jolla Half Marathon Apr 10th "C"<br />
Wildflower <strong>HIM</strong> May 1st "B"<br />
San Diego International Oly June 27th "C"<br />
Vineman 70.3 <strong>HIM</strong> July 18th "A"<br />
Solana Beach Tri July 25th "C"<br />
AFC Half Marathon Aug 21st "B"<br />
Surf Town Sprint Tri Aug 22nd "C"<br />
Mission Bay Tri Oct 3rd "A"<br />
San Diego Triathlon Classic Oct 9th "C"<br />
Soma <strong>HIM</strong> Oct 24th "A"<br />
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It will be challenging but I think do able and I expect good races out of me this coming season so hold on to your seats!<br />
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I was forced to transfer jobs with in my company a few weeks back. I was dreading the day that this would happen but now that day has come and gone and I am actually rather happy where I am now. Working in the Lean/Six Sigma office as a green belt facilitator has given me an interesting view of how things can operate in a more effective and productive manner while eliminating what really isn't needed. Now instead of helping to eliminate waste in other peoples shop I have a shop of my own that I actually work in to see what I can do myself. Am I happy that I was forced to transfer? Looking back, yes I am. The guys I work with are great and the work that I do now is easy and stress free. Life is good.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-2534636890004348692009-10-02T18:23:00.000-07:002009-10-02T18:24:46.792-07:00CrashThe sort and sweet of it is this. I wrecked, HARD. My bike is ok but I am banged up. Racing on sunday..who knows.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-16235112391146271892009-10-02T14:47:00.000-07:002009-10-02T14:56:59.157-07:00Work Issues, Fiesta Island and Some Pre-Race JittersWell the last two weeks have been rather crazy both in my professional life as well as in triathlon. It seems as though my work as a process improvement facilitator is drawing to an unexpected end. I guess that is one of the joys of being a contractor to the military. The only difference that I have found so far is that fact that I could ‘quit’ if I wanted to. And I do, but I can’t. Why? Because in this economy I am happy to just have a job. Trust me I have been looking for a new place for myself, professionally but as I said, and I think we all know, times are tough. So what does this mean for me? Well originally it meant that I would be interviewing for a new and exciting job that included travel, working some nights and learning a new skill set. What does it mean now? It means that I am being forced by the company that I work for to accept a position that I absolutely do not want, and as a matter of fact, I had already turned down. Is the job horrible? No, but it’s doing the same work that I did while I was in the military and one of the main reason I moved on from the military was because I needed to find something new to do, to grow and learn. While taking this position I will do none of those things. After expressing these views to my boss he told me my two options. He says to me this is what I can do for you. “You can either take this position, do the best you can and move up there or you can find a new employer. I will give you a week to think about it.” I of course told him that there was no need, that I would take the position. That has left a very sour taste in my mouth towards him and the company that I work for. So, yes I am searching for a new employer. <br /><br />My life as a triathlete has been great, in comparison, the last two weeks. My training has been going so well except I am having difficulties with my swim. It seems that I only have one speed in the water. Slowish. Speed work is just very hard for me to get through right now. I don’t know it’s the combination of volume and intensity of my swims or maybe I am just not ready to be pushing as hard as my coach, Darcy, would like. In any case I have voiced my concerns to her and we will see what she comes up with to keep me moving forward.<br /><br />Last Sunday I competed in the <a href="http://www.triclubsandiego.org/">Triathlon Club of San Diego's</a> monthly club race. Darcy and I had talked about me doing this a race as a tune up for my race this coming weekend, the <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/missiondf84.htm">Mission Bay Triathlon</a>, which will sadly be my final race of the season. So together, Darcy and I decided that while I would go out hard at the club race; I would not actually race it. That is always hard for me to hear as I am a little bit of an all or nothing kind of person when it comes to racing. There was a huge turn out for the race, which was awesome! When everyone lined up for the start it seemed as though the mass of triathletes must have numbered near two hundred. <br /><br />We were sent off on our way as the race started, without warming up any. It took a little while for me to find my stroke but by the 300m mark I felt things starting to come together, 9 strokes and then sight, 9 strokes and then sight. As I came out of the water I was pleased to see that I was towards the front of the mid pack. This isn’t unusual for me but since it took so long for me to get into a grove I thought that I may have been further behind. T1 was fast for me. I believe less than two minutes. I would be able to tell you much more accurately but I had forgotten to start my Garmin at the beginning of the race. So, at this point I decided to do the entire race with out it. I throw on my aero helmet and bike shoes and head out of T1. <br /><br />Five laps around the southern end of Fiesta Island; no problem! I start hammering away and then realized that the game plan was to go out hard but not all out. Giving my body a quick once over I decided to keep hammering away. I felt good, my legs were turning over quickly and I was pushing a big gear. The laps flew by and on occasion I would look down at my computer and I would see 22, 23 and some times even 26-27mph flash on the screen. I was moving! I came cruising into T2, already out of my bike shoes at the dismount line; I was off the bike running. After a short distance back to rack my bike, I slipped on my running shoes and grabbed my sunglasses and headed off on the four’ish mile run. <br /><br />Now if you know me you know that the run is not my strong suit and it wasn’t very long before I started seeing the people that I had passed on the bike slip by me on the run and start to fade into the distance. This feeling, I think, is one of the worst in triathlon. Knowing that you have a lead on a person or group of people and seeing it slip away is frustrating. All I could do is keep telling myself that I wasn’t racing, I was tuning! Keeping my turn over quick and my stride small I made my way around the two loops of the northern part of Fiesta Island. The minutes seemed to creep by, no music to distract me, no Garmin to tell me if I was on pace, all I could do was keep an I on the runners ahead of me and try and hold on to them with out pushing to hard. With about ½ a mile to go I decided I could no longer sit on my laurels. I needed to pick it up, so I decided that I would reel in the two of the three women that had passed me. After all I still had my manhood to defend. Right? And with less than a ¼ of a mile to go I pulled a head with no one close by a head or behind me. I cruised across the finish line in 1:24:12, a full 5+ minutes faster than the last time I had raced the same course back in March. Was I happy? Oh yes.<br /><br />This week has been full of pre race jitters. I really would like to race for a podium spot as a Clydesdale or an AG spot in the top 15. I got some good training in at the beginning of the week and now it’s all about keeping fresh for Sunday. After that it’s time to go into the off season (AKA. Get your run legs about you and race some half marathons and one marathon). So with me luck peep’s. I am going to need it.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-15460219032193479412009-09-21T12:59:00.000-07:002009-09-21T13:37:07.357-07:00Why I TriToday I was reading some old blogs from a fellow Tri Club of San Diego (TCSD) member <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amateurtrigirl.blogspot.com">Rachel</a>; when I came across one that talked about Speed vs. Fun on race day. She quoted Chris McCormack saying that if you didn’t line up on race day expecting to win then what other reason did you have to be there. Of course if you are familiar with Triathlon you will know that Macca is an amazing triathlete who has most of his life been a front of the pack type of person, and while I am sure that when he is racing Ironman distance races he must ask himself why he is out there, that he has never really had to ask himself that question pre-race as age groupers do.<br /><br />As an age group triathlete you get the pleasure of many things; like having to pay to enter races, or not getting a free bike, shoes or nutrition and having to come up with a reason to swim bike a run everyday with knowing that you may never see a podium let alone a dollar for winning a race. This got me wondering; why do I tri?<br /><br />For me triathlon is, of course, more than about winning. I am a Clydesdale, which means I weigh in at more than 200lbs. Many triathletes don’t even believe that there should be a Clydesdale category, let alone give them medals for finishing first among the “fat” people; many believe that there should only be the Elite and the Age Group racers and that those two groups alone level the playing field enough. If you aren’t fast enough, then you just aren’t fast enough, right? So for me, as a Clydesdale, I race to run down as many “normal” age groupers as I can. I want to show the world that some one over 200lbs can still be quick. But for me simply as a triathlete I race only to see how hard I can push and still survive. Yes, I want to know how I stack up against the world but more than that I want to know how I stack up against myself.<br /><br />I train seven days a week most weeks with one or two light days for recovery and I find that it is in training that I truly ask “Why am I out here?” It’s easy to pay your 80-525 dollars and step up to the water and dive in but it is the brave who know that the race starts well before the start of the race. So here is what I have found gets me up and moving over the last year. I keep training for the joy of it, I constantly am searching for the feeling that I get when I go out and put in a hard 6-10 mile run, just go with it, finishing, so strong and fresh, that it brings tears to my eyes. I train for the solitude; it has been in those moments when left alone in the middle of nowhere when I am at my lowest that I have been able to find how hard I am willing to climb to carry on. While many train for social aspect of triathlon and train solo for the opposite reason, I love the elusiveness that training on my own brings. The world has become so small that sometimes it is impossible to find a moment alone, even when you are in an empty room, so I walk out the door to find the quiet places in the world.<br /><br />Each and every triathlete must find their own reasons to train and race, I am sure that many are similar to mine, in the end though it doesn’t matter why we are out there but it is more important that we have all come together for the one reason we all share; the love for TriathlonTri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-4002332580321115482009-09-06T20:58:00.000-07:002009-09-08T06:19:14.161-07:00100 Things About Me (part one)So it has come to my attention, through some other very cool people, that there is a lot that you don't know about me yet. So here is the beginning of the 100 things you may not know about me.<br /><br />1. I am Buddhist. It's a long story but yes. I firmly believe in Buddhism but I am pretty bad at it. I eat meat, and I kill things; bugs mostly (especially spiders).<br /><br />2. I bicycle every where I go. Well any where that I can't walk or run to.<br /><br />3. My diet never really changes. On any given day you could ask me if I had chicken, oatmeal and tuna and 99 out of 100 times I would say yes to all three.<br /><br />4. I love to swim in the ocean. If I don't do it at least once a week I feel like I have missed out on something.<br /><br />5. I served in the United States Navy for 9 years and loved every minute of it.<br /><br />6. I have been to more countries around the world than I have been states.<br /><br />7. I have two cats that I love to death, Sinatra and Critter. By the way... I hate cats.<br /><br />8. I may live in San Diego, but I hate being hot. I would rather freeze than break a sweat while relaxing. Good thing it doesn't often get about 75 at my apartment.<br /><br />9. I used to train in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">MMA</span>, but after I found endurance sports I was afraid to get hurt so I stopped doing it.<br /><br />10. At one point in my life I weighed in at 285lbs.<br /><br />11. I grew up in a very small town in Maryland but it was good country living.<br /><br />12. I don't have cable TV and I don't really miss it.<br /><br />13. I do have and love <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">netflix</span>!<br /><br />14. I will call you to see if you want to hang out but I will never invite myself over. I will never invite myself to anything. I believe that if you want me some where or want my company you will ask.<br /><br />15. Screaming kids drive me crazy. They make me never want to have sex again.<br /><br />16. I don't like making choices unless it's what bike course to ride or which run I want to do.<br /><br />17. I am a great cook but recently I have been eating a lot of microwave dinners<br /><br />18. I love washing clothes but hate to put them away.<br /><br />19. I drink 6 cups of coffee every morning.<br /><br />20. I rarely partake in adult beverages. I just don't find the appeal any more.<br /><br />21. I own more clothes to train in then I do to wear in normal life.<br /><br />22. I think my cats are insanely funny even if no one else does.<br /><br />23. I have no self control when it comes to food that is bad for me. Give me a large pizza or a half gallon of ice cream and I promise you it will be gone in less than one hour.<br /><br />24. Other than coffee, water is pretty much the only thing I drink.<br /><br />25. I used to be a manager at a popular night club, that is no more, here in San Diego. While I don't miss working until the wee hours of the morning, I do miss how social it was and how there were no politics.<br /><br />26. I love photography. I can look at photo's all day.<br /><br />27. I don't have a favorite color but I wear blue and black all the time.<br /><br />28. Every day I train I am still amazed that at one point in my life I thought that running a mile and a half was far, and that I now won't even put on running shoes for less than 4 miles (unless my coach tells me too)<br /><br />29. I have a Triathlon coach, while I know I will never be a pro I do want to be the best athlete I can become, and my coach is amazing.<br /><br />30. Until last year I didn't know how to swim, I knew how not to drown but not how to swim.<br /><br />31. Nap time is my favorite time of day!<br /><br />32. For some reason I don't name things. I have never named a car, or my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">tri</span> bike... or anything else that isn't alive.<br /><br />33. I am a cancer survivor but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">TNT'ers</span> annoy me. I think what they are doing is great but it annoys me.<br /><br />34. I think Ansel Adams is amazing.<br /><br />35. I have one sister and three nieces.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4887519740194426524.post-55045191566298916282009-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:002009-09-21T13:35:28.094-07:00An introduction to me.I have debated for some time if I was ever going to post a blog. I wasn’t sure if I would have anything to say and if I did have something to say to the world would I be able to write in a manner that would express what I wanted to say, the way I wanted to say it. Not to mention, of course, do I really want to put my thoughts, life and emotions on display for the world to see.<br /><br />At this point, since it’s obvious that I have decided that I would try this whole blogging thing, I should introduce myself and tell you a little about myself. For the purpose of this blog I’ll be going by Tri-Buddha. I am, among many other things, a triathlete. On most days I eat, sleep, and breathe triathlon. I am no professional, I have never won a race, or age group or even the larger than life Clydesdale category but I have come close. Maybe one day soon I will even get on the podium. I love the sport. It gives back to me just as much as I put into it. You may wonder what I get back from doing triathlons, after all it’s just a sport, right? This is true, triathlon is just a sport but it’s a sport in which I can crawl with in myself; not to hide but to explore. Triathlon allows me hours of time weekly that I can spend in self reflection which would normally be filled with the white noise of modern life.<br /><br />I am a Buddhist and have been for several years. I am Buddhist but far from a good one. I don’t go to temple or spend time in traditional meditation; long ride, runs and swims are my meditation. Often when I am in the pool I find myself swimming with my eyes closed with only the thought of my breath in my mind. Removing desire from my life, I have found, to be the hardest thing about Buddhism. I want to be happy. I want to be successful. These like any other desire cause me suffering and I deal with that everyday.<br /><br />I am a reclusive member of society. The older I get and the longer I am Buddhist the less I feel connected with society. I have friends, I go out for drinks and dates just like the rest of the world but I don’t crave the human interaction as much as most of the people that I know. I work as a Lean Facilitator which, if you know anything about Lean, is a very social job. All day everyday I am up in front of people, helping them figure out how to make their lives and jobs more efficient.<br /><br />And one other thing that I have never been. I have never been good at ending anything. Not relationships and certainly not this blog. So I will leave this now... how it is and come back again soon to tell you more about me.Tri Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265085762606571376noreply@blogger.com0