1. Marathon Training

Going great!  I have a huge group (35 or so), some capable group leaders with me, and we’re about to swing into week 4 of the training.  That group is great for me because it forces me to do the long slow miles that I have a hard time doing on my own.  When I run by myself I tend to push into race tempo, which is fine but I also need to make sure I get those long base miles to build my endurance for New York Marathon.  Just 62 days away!

In addition to running 3 days a week with my group, I tend to run 2 days on my own, plus I run to and from our Monday and Wednesday workouts so I add on an extra 4.5 miles on those days.  All told I’m getting about 30 miles a week right now, but starting to push that up towards 40 with some longer runs.

Additionally I’m biking at least once a week, trying to get back to swimming at least once a week, restarting Bikram Yoga on Thursdays and I started back to the gym last week.  Which brings me too…

2. Rumors That I May Be Crazy Are Probably True

Yes, I can confirm that I will probably be attempting the Ironman Western Australia 140.6 in December of 2010.  Yes, it’s a little crazy to think I would want to ride my bike for 112 miles and THEN run a marathon (oh, after swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean) but…yeah, I’m probably going to give it a go.

It’s supposed to be a flat, fast, course, great for folks who are attempting their first 140.6.  And Carrie and I have always wanted to go to Australia.  So…yeah, now you know what I’ll be doing for the next 15 months.

(And yes, to the friend who asked, if I finish a 140.6 I will get the M-Dot tattoo)

I don’t have any idea if he announces that race, but I’ll admit it would be a dream come true to hear Mike Reilly call me an Ironman when I crossed the finish line.

3. Wow, We Have A Nice View

Which brings me to the new house.  We’re settling in, finally have most (but not all) of the boxes unpacked.  We still sit on the lanai every evening for a bit and just enjoy some quality time together (see picture).  We’ve definitely warmed up to the kitchen, figured out where the best neighborhood Chinese restaurant is and have started to narrow down our choice from between a dozen different area grocery stores.

The one thing we HAVEN”T managed to do is catch a glimpse of the Hilton’s Friday Night fireworks.  In theory we should be able to see them.  We can see the Hilton pretty clearly from our lanai and we’re actually higher up than the top floors so we should be able to see a bit over the top of their buildings.

Unfortunately we keep seeming to miss the timing.  One night we stood out on the lanai, excitedly scanning the sky, at 7:45pm.  Nothing.  Another week we’d heard a tip they were at 8:15pm.  We waited.  Nothing.  Last week we waited again at 7:45pm and again nothing, but an hour later we were driving to a friend’s party and…there they were!  At 8:45pm!

So, if we can see them from the freeway, surely we can see them from our lanai. We just had to wait until 8:45pm!  This Friday night Carrie was at practice and I was in the living room.  I suddenly realized I was hearing the distinctive, though faint, “pop-pop-pop” of fireworks in the distance.  I scurried out onto the lanai and…they had stopped.  It was not even 8pm yet.

ARGH!  Next weekend we won’t get to see them (I’ll get to that in a moment) so I guess we have to wait two weeks for our next opportunity.

4. Kona, Here We Come

Next weekend we’ll be in Kona.  Carrie has a long paddling race to do and I’m going to bring Keira (my bike, if you didn’t know) and do some training rides on the Queen K.  We fly in on Friday night, we’ll check into the hotel, get dinner, go to her athlete’s meeting, then off to bed.  Saturday morning we’re up bright and early – she’ll be in the boat on the water with her crew and heading out in what is apparently one of the largest ocean canoe races in the world.  18 miles down the coast.  I’ll hop on Keira and ride down the coast and try to beat her boat to the finish line.  When she gets there, she’ll get into a car and ride back up to Kona, and I’ll ride the bike back again.

She gets the direct, but far wetter, route and goes 18 miles.  I’m on the roads, so I have to go about 22 miles.  Each way.  Good workout.

Saturday night apparently the paddlers, from all over the world, basically take over Kailua-Kona and every club and restaurant is rocking with partying paddlers.  That should be a blast!

Sunday morning I’m going to get up super early, put Keira in our Avis rental SUV and drive up to the Fairmont Orchid.  From there I’ll park the SUV and take Keira out for a ride on the Ironman 70.3 course.  Be good to see it again and, yet another good training ride.  Carrie has another race Sunday morning as well.  Sunday afternoon we’re planning to return to Hapuna Beach (scene of the Ironman 70.3 swim) for a short swim workout, then back to Kailua-Kona to enjoy some massages at one of the resorts!

Monday morning, we’re off to kayak and snorkel at Carrie’s favorite snorkel spot in the whole world.  Finally, hopefully not too sunburned, we’ll make our way back to Kona airport for our return flight home.  Ahhhh.

Thanks in advance to Gene for loaning me his bike box to get Keira over to Kona, by the way!  Looking ahead at my race schedule I’m thinking I may need to just buy one of those.

5. Direct Questions

Ran into a friend on my morning run today.  She asked me “So, are you going to marry Carrie?!”  Wow, that was unexpected. I smiled and said “Well, I hope to. Maybe I’d better propose fast before she realizes she can do better!”  :-)

6. It’s Almost Football Time!

As you may know, the San Diego Chargers are my team and I’ve been watching them, warily, this preseason.  We’re 1-2 but it’s just preseason.  Still…our pass rush is still noticeably absent (despite the return of Shawne Merriman) and there are some decisions to make before cut-down.

• Gartrell Johnson is a powerful runner, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a top gear and I’m not sure we have room for 6 running backs.
• Rivers and Volek look great.  Charlie Whitehurst…well, he’s struggled.
• Nice to see Cromartie get a pick this pre-season. Hope that marks his return to 2007 form.
• It’s a good thing Quentin Jammer is a good tackler because a lot of folks seem to catch the ball around him.
• The right-side of our offensive line still seems suspect. 

7. The Next Book

Well, it’s almost time.  The ABA tells me that my next book “The Lawyer’s Guide to Microsoft Word 2007” should be released in September. Of course, it’s a mere 6 months ahead of the release of Microsoft Office 2010…which is why I’m already working on the next book after that!

The Outlook book is available at Amazon.com and doing well.

8. Races

You may have noticed I didn’t do race reports on my last two big races.  Sorry about that, sometimes life takes too much time for blogging.

First I did the Seattle Rock-n-Roll Marathon on June 27.  A couple of good friends, Patricia and John, were contemplating their first marathon and I agreed that I’d come do it with them if they signed up.  They did, so I did.  A great run, and they really did terrific.  I enjoyed it and by the end of the day they were Marathoners!

I told Patricia that after she did it that she’d want to do more.  She didn’t believe me.  But she’s already looking ahead at future marathons they can do. :-)

On August 2nd I went to Chicago and ran the Chicago Rock-n-Roll Half-Marathon.  My “sister” Ashley and her husband Gabe came out to run that one too.  I managed a PR (Personal record) at the half-marathon distance, even though I think I could have run better.  Ashley and Gabe had a great finish too and afterwards we enjoyed the fruits of our labors with burgers at Ruby Tuesday.

9. Hau’oli La Hanau

Lastly…a quick “Happy Birthday” to my Dad, Morris.  Hopefully he’s celebrating in style!

-B-

 

So after a hectic spring and summer of travel I’ve finally gotten a break.  My travel this year so far has included FOUR trips to Chicago/Indianapolis, two trips to Seattle, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut…

…but now the almost unprecedented has occurred.  On September 4th I will have spent an entire month in my own state.  I can’t say my own island because September 4th will find Carrie and I in Kona where she’s doing a big paddling race.

After that I get another break from travel.  At least until mid-October, when I’m supposed to go to St. Maarten for an ABA TECHSHOW planning meeting.

And, finally, at the end of October I go to New York to run the New York Marathon – and hopefully accomplish the 3rd and final goal of my 2009 race season.

It’s nice to be home.

-B-

Yeah, I know…it’s been a while.  Anyhow…when last we left our hero he had just survived the swim and jogged (staggered) up the hill to T1 to get on his bike…

Bike

Did I mention this course is hilly?  Yeah, it is.  Right from the start you head out of T1 and up a hill just to get to the Queen K.  Onto the Queen K I’m feeling great.  Survived the swim, finally onto the bike!  Time for the second of the three challenges.  Now, I have to admit two things:

1.  The bike has always been my strongest segment.  I’ve been riding for more than 20 years, have finished a number of Century rides and am, honestly, built for the bike – very powerful legs.  I love to ride and I have a LOT of confidence in my bike segment.

2. I had too much confidence in my bike segment. I was so sure I could do the 56 mile bike that I didn’t bother to train on the bike very much in the weeks and months leading up to the race.  I focused more on my swim and run.  That was a mistake.

All the way down to the first turn around and back I felt good.  Of course, that’s only a few miles down the road and not the hilliest bit of the course.  When I got to Kawaihae I still felt good, enjoying the fast swoop down that little coastal downhill.

Then reality set in.  About 17 miles up the 270 to the turnaround just short of Hawi.  “17 miles?” You say.  “That’s not very far!”  It’s not far.  Except that Kawaihae is basically at sea level and Hawi is about 1200 feet up. And it’s a rolling up.   Culminated by about 2 straight miles of climbing as you approach the turnaround.  Is it “Tour De France” tough?  No.  We’re not climbing the Alps here.  It’s survivable, but it is tough, especially for a 215 pound guy who has spent the last 8 years living (and training) on essentially flat Ewa Beach roads and has been overconfident in his cycling fitness.

During the climb I got to see the elite athletes on their way back down. American Pro Chris Lieto had a HUGE lead and was flying down the hill.

But I finally got to the turnaround, just drooling at the thought of powering back DOWN that hill we just slogged up.  And for the first couple of miles that’s exactly what happened. A fast power descent, spinning the biggest gear I have, down on the aerobars, watching the white lines just blur by.  But remember…these are rolling hills.  In what seemed like minutes the fast descent was back to a climb!  Then a short descent, then another climb!  The cruel truth is that the climbs take forever but the delightful down hills whizzed by seemingly in seconds.

By the time I got back down to Kawaihae, my legs were cooked.  I paused for a drink of cold water, then set off the last 7 miles or so to the Fairmont Orchid, where T2 was.

Aid Stations

Quick comment on aid stations.  If you’ve never done a race like this you might be wondering about aid stations on the bike. On the run they hand you little paper cups with stuff in it. On the bike…you get big bottles of water or Gatorade.

T2

I have to say, that service road into T2, the last mile or so, was a really welcome sight.  Knowing that the second challenge of the day was over and that I was into the final segment was a thrill.  I cruised into the transition area, dismounted Keira and went to my designated rack. One of the best parts of T2…Carrie was there!  Grinning at me, cheering and taking pictures.  Talking about boosting my spirits!

I finished the bike almost 45 minutes slower than I had hoped to, but at least I finished.

Bike gear stowed, a healthy drink or two from the aid stations, visor on I headed out onto the run.

Run

One thing that helped at this point was that I reminded myself that I was touring…not racing.  I was just here to experience it and finish, I didn’t really care what my finish time was (though, of course, I hoped to make it under the cutoff).  So I set off on the run at something of a leisurely pace; determined to enjoy it. Since the first bits of the run course were across the golf course grass, I decided it might be nice to run barefoot at first, carrying my shoes and socks.  It was a nice idea, but unfortunately after a few hundred yards the cool soft grass gave way to a concrete bike path. So…shoes on.

We’d been warned that the run course was hilly but actually I didn’t feel it really was. More at issue was that the run course was erratic.  Constant up/downs on the golf course, unexpected turns, lots of cross-country to it.  Not that much long, steady, running.

So I chugged along for mile after mile, mostly jogging, a little walking at the aid stations.  I didn’t feel bad, but I definitely didn’t have the legs for an aggressive half-marathon.  That was o.k., though because I was just touring.  I thanked every volunteer and tried to really enjoy the experience. I looked at the sky and the trees, marveled at the beauty of Kona.

However, around mile 9 I started to do the math and it began to look doubtful that I was going to make the cut-off time.  I rationalized that it was o.k. because cut-off or not, I was out there and I would cross the finish line, even if it meant crossing after everybody else had already packed up (and I knew I wasn’t last).  But on the other hand…I really did want to get an official finish.

So just before Mile 11 I started to pick up the pace.  By Mile 12 I knew I had a shot to make it.  That last mile may have been the fastest mile I ran all day.  I knew I was cutting it close and honestly I didn’t quite know if I’d make it until I actually saw that finisher’s chute…

Wow.  Toughest race I’ve ever done, but so rewarding.

Post-Race

Crossing the finish line I saw a bunch of my friends from BC Endurance and, of course, Carrie.  We had not-quite-enough food, swapped stories with friends like “Frayed Laces” (and her “Distraction”), Lori, William, Brian, Rick and many others.  It was really quite the celebration – lot of hungry, sore, sunburned, happy people.

Of course, after the race, the first question is “How was your race?”  The second question is….”Are you going to do it again next year?”  After the race I was pretty non-committal about coming back to do it again.  By the following day, however, I was sure that I wanted to come back and beat this year’s time.  Who knows, maybe someday I’ll get to hear Mike Reilly call me an Ironman.

This and That

• Biggest lesson learned: More bike training.  And, more to the point, more bike training on HILLS.  I’m am totally convinced that if you want to have a great 70.3 race you need to train hard on the bike. Yes, I know that Crowie, a great runner, came off the bike 7 minutes down and still won. BUT…if you’re not ready to bike, you’re going to burn WAY too much energy on the bike and you’re not going to have a great run if you cook your legs on the bike.  Next year I’ll put a lot more time into my bike training, look to come off the bike at least 30 minutes faster AND with a lot less effort.  If I can accomplish that then it will roll down to my run because I’ll have more energy in my legs for a better run.
• I really learned the value of having a great support system this year too. Patricia, Jana, Maureen, Brian and many others sent words of encouragement.  And I think I can say without exaggeration that if Carrie hadn’t been there I might not have been able to do it at all.  She’s truly amaZing and I love her.
• The week after finishing I started using Joe Friel’s “Triathlete’s Training Diary” to track and manage my training.  It’s really helping, I can’t recommend that enough.  Not only does it help me track my progress, visualize my race schedule, keep track of my nutrition and workouts but it really motivates me. When you’re adding up your training for the week it’s embarrassing to write zeroes so you really do want to get out there and put the work in.
• Right now I’m focused on running, preparing for New York Marathon, but as soon as that’s done you can bet I’ll be on the bike HARD for at least two months.

-B-

A little post to catch up on some random things…

Home Sweet Home

For those who haven’t heard, Carrie and I moved in together at the beginning of July.  We have an amazing house with an incredible view.  Every night we sit together on the lanai, look our at our view and marvel that we actually live here.

Officially it’s a 2-bedroom, but really it’s a 3 bedroom plus a den.  The den is my office and shares the amazing view with the lanai.  And yes, we do have a guest room.

From the “Are You Really Surprised?” Department…

“Rapper C-Murder has been convicted of second-degree murder for the 2002 shooting of a teenage fan in Louisiana, at his second trial in the killing.”

Of course “C-Murder” has been in jail since May, after pleading no content to two counts of ATTEMPTED murder in a separate incident.

The sad thing is that sales of his albums will probably go through the roof as a result of this.

RUN FORREST RUN!

Last Sunday I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon in…wait for it…Chicago.  Good but not great race for me, I went out a little faster than I should have and paid for it in the later miles.  All’s well that ends well though and I ended up with a new PR (Personal Record) which was my goal.  My cousin Ashley and her husband Gabe came out and ran it too and they did great!

Tropical Sneeze Felicia

For maybe the first time in the 13 years I’ve lived in Hawaii a hurricane from the eastern Pacific has actually reached Hawaii (in some form) rather than just petering out in the Pacific.  Felicia, officially a “Tropical Depression” now, is dropping a little rain on Maui even as I type.  Later tonight it promises to bring Oahu some rain and wind, though not quite the fearsome storm it had been predicted to be.  Still…we’ll double-check the windows and secure the patio furniture this evening.

Goin’ Back to Kona

Carrie and I booked our tickets to go to Kona Labor Day weekend.  She has a paddling race there with her club and I’m going to be her head cheerleader.  Long as we’re in Kona I’m going to take Keira (my bike) with us and see if I can get in a ride or two on the Queen K.

Twitter

IF you really care what I have to say about running, swimming, biking, racing, triathlon, fitness and such you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hitriguy.  I’ll try to say something interesting from time to time.

-B-

We interrupt this long period of no blog entries (yes, I will eventually post the second part of the Kona Race Report) to mention a special event…

…it was one year ago today that Carrie and I were introduced.  (Thanks Adam!)

It started innocently enough, a mutual acquaintance introducing us through Facebook.  We started e-mailing each other and, eventually, I got smart enough to ask her out to lunch.  She said yes and we’ve been more or less inseparable ever since.

I’d say it’s turned out pretty well.  :-)

-B-