Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas

Hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas

xmaseve2007

Love,
Tri Dummy and the Ferreira 5

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Brrrr!

I just clicked the link to the Lake CDA temperature and THANK GOD IMCdA isn't today because its 41 CHILLY degrees right now.

Hope everyone's enjoying winter!!!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Press Release - Ask A Pro

Presented By: Tri-GuyJ.Blogspot.Com

I am very pleased and excited to announce a new feature on Adventures of a Tri-Guy. I have been fortunate enough for the past 9 months to have the opportunity to swim and train with two of the top Xterra triathletes in the world. These two amazing athletes are willing to share their knowledge and let all of you ask the questions.

Candy Angle and Andrew Noble have been mainstays on the world Xterra scene since the turn of the millennium. Candy was the 2002 Xterra World Champion and has victories around the world, including a win at Xterra Brazil, countless podiums and finishing the season off with an impressive 5th at the Xterra World Championships in Maui.

Andrew Noble was the 1996 Duathlon World Champion, racing for Australia. Andy ranked 5th in the 2007 Overall US Pro-Series after finishing 3rd overall in 2006. In 2007, Andy placed 2nd at Xterra Alabama and took 3rd place at both Xterra Temecula and at the Xterra USA Championships.

Candy and Andy have teamed up to form CAAN Sports . They run swim clinics over the winter at the Weymouth Club in Weymouth, MA and running clinics year round. These are open to anyone interested, so please go to www.caansports.com to find out more information. Both of these athletes are sponsored by: Fuji Bicycles, Speedo, Powerbar, Sram, Aquaman Wetsuits, Saucony and Oakley.

Their scheduled blog appearances have yet to be finalized, but this is an open forum for all of you to "Ask A Pro" a question. Please email me at TriGuyJ@Gmail.com anytime and I will work with Candy and Andy to answer as many questions as we can. Whether it be about training, race-day strategy, nutrition, or anything else you can think of, this is the place ask.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing YOUR questions and the PRO'S answers!

Tri-Guy J

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Retraction on the T-shirts

Oops. Turns out Di has been talking with some of the other Sherpas about t-shirt ideas, and I stomped all over that with my last post. Sorry Di, and others working on the idea! Please continue to march on the supporter's gear, and keep in mind that T-shirt guy Jay has offered his help with them as well.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

CdA Kit

Well, we gots 28 weeks until the incredible gathering of athletes and sherpas at IMCdA'08. Bloggers alone, we have at least 22 racers, and at least 13 Bloggy sherpas; add to that family and friends who are not Bloggers, and we got ourselves one heck of a TEAM (a hearty welcome to Taconite Boy, who just went from "supporter" to "racer")!

TriGreyhound came up with an idea - a CdA Blogger Kit - and thought we should solicit ideas and opinions from the group. Great Idea.

Q1: Should we put together a Kit (shirts, shorts, t-shirts or sweaters for supporters...)?

Q2: Should we go with the Tri-Geek Dreams logo or a special version of it, or come up with a new logo/slogan?

Q3: Can we get some ideas for alternate designs - does someone have the skills in the group, or should we solicit Mr. IronWil or AJ for help?

Q4: Any ideas on where to buy?

As this idea is in it's INFANCY, please please please input your ideas and comments!

For example, it may be cool to have the KIT back to folks early enough to allow for further customizing for the individual racer.

I'm excited by this idea. I feel an allegiance to the folks in this community and a bond that will only get stronger in the coming 28 weeks as only sweat, pain and tears can do. But I also know that folks can get pretty particular about what they race in....

Friday, November 16, 2007

It's all about the bike

We all know that in Ironman, it's all about the bike.

Interesting...Coeur d'Alene's bike course is anywhere from 6,600 ft of climbing to 8,800 ft of climbing (and just as much descending) from the different sources I've come up with (Motionbased Garmin reads...funny how the same course can come up with such varying Garmin data...). It would be nice if it's "only" 6.6k, but lets just use 8,000 ft of climbing as our assumption.

Now, lets assume that there is just as much descending as there is climbing. So, if that were true, then for 56 miles you are climbing and 56 you are descending. 56 miles, climbing 8,000 ft makes the average slope 2.7%. I've used this power calculator to figure out what kind of watts are required for different speeds and different weights. Check it out:

Now I don't have a power meter, so what does this mean in numbers I can understand? Well, I did the calculations with weight and power on flat roads, so that I could use my speedometer to get a gauge of my watts - after all, most of my training is on flat roads. So that's the last number on the chart. As this winter progresses, and I get my bike mileage in, I can gauge my expectations at CdA based on flatland speeds and the weight I lose.

Take the Florida Challenge as an example - at the bottom of the chart. 2700 feet of elevation in 58 miles at 250 lbs at an average speed of 18.1 - the average slope was 1.76%, to do it, required 212 watts on average. It's fairly accurate, 'cause I know I can ride fairly hard on a flat course at 20.5 mph for 60 miles.

So, 2 things have to happen - of course...first I need to be able to push more watts, which I'll be able to do, but to save some for a marathon, I think staying in that 210 watt range will be appropriate. In training, however, I'd like to get my century rides up there in the 21 mph average speed range. Second, again obviously, I need to lose weight. Look at the difference between a 170lb person on the hilly course and a 230lb person. Pushing the same watts, the 170lb'er gets done with the bike an HOUR earlier. That's huge. 230lbs would be my minimum weight goal...220lbs would be "OMG" outstanding.

Does all this math sound logical to you "Watt Hounds" out there?

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Wedgie Checking In

Hi All...

Mister P. aka Wedgie here from NeopreneWedgie.com. I met some of you briefly at Wildflower this year with Kahuna and Iron Wil. Coeur d'Alene will be my first Ironman, and like many of you I am nervous and excited and terrified (and going bankrupt).

I spent a lot of time debating which Ironman I would attempt. Arizona is closest to Los Angeles where I live; Wisconsin has many people from the blogging community attending every year; I have friends and family near both Louisville and Lake Placid. But from some reason I felt Idaho calling to me. And after watching the coverage of this year's event on Versus a few months ago, I think I made the right choice. It looks absolutely beautiful

See you in June.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Forging Iron?

Yes. Forging Iron of Men and Women. That is what this upcoming challenge is about in June. Many of you already bear the distinction of being an IronMan. I am proud to count you as my friends. Both the "will be"s and the "are"s.
This journey is no longer just about becoming an IronMan and finding where the path will lead us. It is also about Forging Iron Friendships. Understand, I do not use the term "Friend" loosely. I know we all use it to describe even a casual acquaintance at times when relaying a story. But, in my heart, a casual acquaintance is not where I find my friendships. I find my friendships in Likes. What I mean by that is "Likes attract Likes". That doesn't mean we are only drawn to people exactly like us. We are not drawn only to the people who we find our mirror image in. The "likes", that draw us together are the core things we find to be important. Our values, our beliefs in what makes another person "good". Our abilities to find humor in the same things and sadness shared in other things. It's what makes us pull together.
We may have different spiritual beliefs, we may live in different cities or countries. We may walk such varied paths in our careers that others wonder "what could they possibly have in common?" What we have in common is drive. The drive to live our lives. The drive to give every day our best, even when some days our "best" is sorely lacking. What we have in common is the ability to extend our hand out in love and offer our heartfelt assistance to those in need. The genuine belief that our words of encouragement just might help someone through a rough spot in their lives. Our ability to rejoice in the victories, both big and small of those whom we visit. Maybe we visit every day, maybe we visit once a week, our schedules never allow us to predetermine that aspect of our friendships. The main thing is, we visit. We visit when we can and make the effort to do so. We care and we express that. That is friendship. Those are the sorts of friends I consider true. Those are the sorts of friends I consider real.
After being at IMFL this past week I realized (to quote Taconite Boy) We really do have fantastic "creepy Internet friends".
Bigun and I met Roman, Big Mike, Jwim, IronTriTim and DrDave in Chicago. This past weekend not only did we get to see IronTriTim again but we got to hug and share laughs and heartbreak with so many amazing people, my heart just wells over with the impact of it. IronJenny, Tac, TriMama, TriFeist and so many more. You all know who you are, please don't be hurt at my not mentioning all of you. I want you to know, I look forward to breaking bread with you all again, soon.
For those of us who will be at CdA - Be ready, many of us already know each other not only in TLoB but also IRL. I can't wait to continue forging these amazing friendships and to build new ones with all of you I haven't hugged, yet.
Di

Sunday, November 4, 2007

IM Website Info

Here is the bike course profile from the IM website.



Here is the run course profile from the same source.

IM CDA GARMIN GRAPH

Here you go: I went thru Shane's downloads and found the course info from his Garmin. The picture doesn't have all 112 miles, because it's 2 loops and I was trying to zoom in. I marked the 56mile mark on there. The Dark Green is Elevation & lighter Green is Grade

The Garmin shows

Accent 8796
Decent 8805

So, pretty much, what goes up... must come down :-)




Saturday, November 3, 2007

Coeur d'Alene Bike Course Pictures

Hello Ironman Coeur d'Alene Peeps. Here are some pics of the bike course. I'm sorry but I was not able to ride the total 56 miles =( The only part I did not ride was the run part of the course.
I hope what I do have gives you some idea of what the hills looked like. One thing I did notice is when you get over top of these hills you are not looking at another one right away. Very pretty ride. The roads are in awesome shape. I will post my garmin info as soon as I figure out how to get it on here.
"CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE THEM BETTER"

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Coeur d'Alene Bike Course Ride

Hello all you Ironman Coeur d'Alene Peeps!! I will be riding the bike course this weekend. I will also be taking pictures of the ride and other things that I think might be of interest. So if there is something you want a picture of let me know. Sorry for the short notice but it just came to me that I should share this with everyone. I know if it was me I would what at least some pictures of a course that I would not have the opportunity to see before my big race.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Arriving

It was shortly after that incident that Cassidy began noticing something very strange in his training: it was nearly impossible to make himself hurt. His ten miles in the morning left him only flushed and hungry; in the afternoon he thrashed himself through his distance run or interval workout and finished feeling somewhat itchy, as if something were up. This night he told Denton about this strange sensation of invulnerability. Cassidy admitted to being very puzzled.

But the Olympian just settled back against the porch step, sipped on his coffee and smiled warmly at the miler.

“How nice,” he said, “for you to have arrived right on time.”

The words above are an excerpt from Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr.

While I most definitely do not mean to equate my speed and/or fitness to that of this world class, albeit fictional character, I did reach this point on a number of occasions during last winter’s preparation for IM CDA 07.

And as my running begins to return and the other pieces start to fall in place, I hope for that same feeling during this upcoming winter as I prepare for IM CDA 08.

See you there.

Thank you for reading.

Monday, October 15, 2007

THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT




Hello All! I am so excited to be heading to C D'A for Ironman 2008! This one event is really the culmination of a couple life changing years for me.

It all started at the beginning of 2006. One day my wife came home from a short run with her sister and said, "Hey honey, how about we run a half-marathon in the spring?" I just looked at her like she was absolutely crazy and replied, "No, but just how long is that?" You have to first understand that I had quit chewing tobacco the spring before and had only quit drinking about two months prior to this conversation. Lifestyle wise, a half-marathon sounded like taking a trip on a yellow submarine to the moon. But, I have to say, my wife and I started doing some short runs and I realized that I just MIGHT be able to make it 13.1. I like to think that this journey was all meant to be and written in the stars, since my first half-marathon and the event that started me on the road to my first Ironman, took place in no other than, Coeur D'Alene.

So, my wife and I ran our first half-marathons and I decided then and there that I wanted to do a full. That same fall I completed the Portland Marathon and again, wanted something more. It was at that point that I decided to start tri'ing. I jumped right in and completed a half-iron tri in Sun River, Oregon last June. Since then I have done a couple Oly's and another half-iron. I will be running the full marathon in Seattle over Thanksgiving weekend and am currently anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new baby - the 2008 Felt B2!

I am looking forward to hooking up with pals from the TriScoop gang in Coeur D'Alene this spring. I know that it will be an experience that will never be forgotten.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

IMCdA Locater

In case you know of anyone still looking for a place to stay, the house of Bigun, Di, Johnny Tri and Duane still have an opening for a couple to stay with us. It's a 4 bedroom and we just have 3 of the rooms occupied so far. Here is the link, http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/30667.html and please let me know if want some more info.

Bigun............................ Di
Johnny Tri
........................Duane
Momo ..................................Big J
Iron Jenny
........................Daniel
Tri-dogmom ....................Iron Shane...........................Scottie
Iron Eric ............................Tea
TShirtguyJ....................
Fe-Lady
Blink
....................................Yeti
Boomer
................................Neoprene Wedgie
Sweet Baboo (Outlaw Hideout)
Geek Girl (Outlaw Hideout)
SW Tri Girl (Outlaw Hideout)
Dread Pirate Rackham (Outlaw Hideout)
21'st Century Mom (Outlaw Hideout)

Train Hard!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Iron Eric to Become Real IRON

I have always been active throughout my life. I played little league baseball, pee wee football, and tae-kwon-do. I started getting serious around high school. I joined the track and cross country teams. By my sophomore year, I made varsity. I won my first 2-mile track event in cold rain/snow conditions. I joined the Marching Band and stuck with it for 4 years.


College came and went. I decided to train for a marathon my second year. I trained some, marched in the band, studied, and enjoyed college. I don't know where I found time to train?? Looking back, I would rate my training "fair". I had a few good long distance runs and some track workouts. I called myself a seasonal runner (Mar-Oct). I never ran during the cold season. I finished my marathon and couldn't nearly walk for a couple of days.


I ran another marathon in 2005. I joined a running club and trained better. I learned more about nutrition, training, sleeping, managing my time, etc. Long story short, I finished my marathon 50 minutes faster. I did the same marathon in 2006 and improved by a minute.


I started Triathlon in 2006. I decided that running 4-5 times per week was hard and too much. I wanted a new challenge and triathlon was it. I borrowed my aunt's bike and got swimming lessons from her. This was the first time I've been on a rode bike and swam laps in a pool. I was starting from scratch, except for running.


I have learned so much in the short time I have been doing the sport. I have read books/magazines, watched movies, taken classes, lessons and more. After I finished my first race, I was hooked. I did some research and bought my first bike. I eventually obtained more equipment, wetsuit (from ebay), race entries, and more. I think it's worth it!


I have done 2 half-ironmans, 1 sprint, 1 Olympic, 1 century ride, 3 winter duathlons in just 2 years. That is awesome.

My next adventure is my journey to Ironman! This will happen at Couer d'Alene in 2008. I am very excited. My wife plans on going with me. She is the best! My parents are still thinking about it, but I booked a hotel room for them just in case.


My blog is different then many of you. I post my workouts. I keep good track of what is what and my distances. Thanks to all who have stopped by and experienced triathlon with me!


Iron Eric
http://www.ironeric.blogspot.com/
"One full year of Happiness"

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Ironman USA on Verses Sunday

See the schedule on Verses:

You may have missed your chance to see last year's IMCdA, but you can still catch IMUSA:

Sunday, October 28, 20074:00PM - 5:00PM
IRONMAN TRIATHLON (TV-NR)Lake Placid, NY The all pro women's format showcases the top professional triathletes from around the world battling each other and the Adirondack Mountains at one of the toughest Ironman courses anywhere in the world.

Wednesday, October 31, 20073:30PM - 4:30PM
IRONMAN TRIATHLON (TV-NR)Lake Placid, NY The all pro women's format showcases the top professional triathletes from around the world battling each other and the Adirondack Mountains at one of the toughest Ironman courses anywhere in the world.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Big Bad Mo

Hey, all! I'm momo, or Big Bad Mo as my family affectionately likes to call me.

I am the wife of Big Jand mother to two pretty cool kids, Little J and Frankie. I'm not all that big or anywhere near bad, but the nickname seems to fit these days, you know with me being all Iron and all.

I am what you'd call an adult onset athlete. I didn't start when I was younger. In fact, as far back as I can remember, I actually hated running. I would do anything I could to get out of it. Throughout high school, I was a cheerleader, and in the small town in New Mexico where I lived, cheerleading was considered a PE credit, go figure.

Well, it wasn't like we were slacking off every day - we were like picking each other up, tumbling, practicing our cheers. That sure sounds like PE to me! So, when we moved to Korea my junior year, and I started school at the only high school for military kids there was in Taegu, imagine my horror when they told me that they couldn't accept my four semesters of cheerleading as my PE credit.

I was going to have to take PE. With all the freshman. Needless to say, I passed on that joy my junior year which left - you got it - me as a senior, taking PE with all the freshman. For the most part, it was ok, however one of the things we had to do was take the Presidential Physical Fitness test, which included running a timed mile.

I had never run a mile before. I was fairly certain I couldn't run a mile and I'm sure I even told this to the PE teacher. But, as luck would have it, they weren't buying it and I had to, along with all my freshmen friends, run the mile. It wasn't pretty. It was like 15 minutes. I'm not joking. Thank God it was under whatever the cut-off time was, though, and I didn't ever have to do it again.

So, when I say I hated running, I really, really did.

Fast forward, I'm married, I have a baby, I need to get back into shape quickly because I've just gone back to a very busy job, so I start running. In my mind, it was the fastest thing I could think of to do that would get me home in time to get the baby up, get ready for work and get going.

And suddenly, something happened. I didn't hate it anymore. Suddenly, the time to myself was like a gift. In our lives, we have so many things pulling us this way and that, but when I got out on the road to run, it was just MY time. I started to look forward to it. Running did great things for my body, but it did even better things for my mind.

And, in typical momo fashion, I decided that simply running was not enough, I had to run long. I had to run far. I had to run marathons. And when I'd done that a few times, I thought - what the heck, I'll learn to ride a bike and do some triathlons, that'd be a good challenge. And when I'd done a few triathlons, I thought I need to go farther. I need to go longer. I need to do Ironman. And so I did. And it was amazing, incredible, life changing. So I did another. And that one was even better. And now I'm going for my third.
Ironman has shown me things about myself that I never knew. It showed me that I am strong, that I am determined, that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. It has brought me friends and more friends and training partners who are incredible and who enrich my life each and every day. It has given me a confidence in my ability to tackle just about anything, and I hope your journey there does the same.

Saddle up, my friends, its going to be one helluva fun ride!!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Who Blink


Who is Blink?

I am a 38 year old husband and father of two girls who are eight and six. I do all distance tri's and have done a couple ultra-marathons. I am highly self motivated and see myself as more of a trainer than racer. When I make up a plan not much can make me deviate from it and I enjoy following the plan through, I like seeing the changes in body, mind and speed. When I do race, I race. I don't see the point in spending money to do a training day. While I do work hard at this sport, I don't take it so seriously that I can't have fun with it as well. If your not having fun then whats the point, right.

I got into triathlon five years ago due to a friends urging, before that I was running non competitively to lose weight. I don't think even my blog homies know that I was once of legal Clyde weight at 210 lbs. and a smoker who was affectionately dubbed "Chief Party Boy" because of my wild ways. After loosing forty pounds (and the smokes) and doing my first tri breast stroke through the swim, and riding a mountain bike I was hooked and haven't looked back since.

2007 has been a rebuilding year for me, I'm coming back from a back injury and feel strong. It's been a pretty good year and as I head into Coeur d'Alene, I'll be seeking redemption for a lackluster performance at IM Wisconsin in 2006. Look out!

I look forward to watching you guys as you prepare for Coeur d'Alene and wish you all the best in doing so. Thanks for letting me tag along with you.

Feel free to check me out at Trainingmakesmehungry.blogspot.com

Peace!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Baboo is in the Hizzouse!

Ok, after looking at this blog-roll for IMCdA I can see that many of you “know” me and I “know” many but a quick recap of who the heck I am and why I’m doing IMCdA is the order of the day so here goes.

I guess it was about three years ago now I was a 270 pound slug down from just over 300 pounds. I had been athletic as an adolescent…football, baseball, shot-put and discus mostly, and as a young adult, played Rugby for the Marine Corps. However, I was a fat kid…weighed 190 in the 6th grade and was NOT unusually tall just round, and between my bouts of athleticism I would blow up like a balloon. The worst it ever got was the 13 year hiatus I took from sprots after departing the Marine Corps and before entering into triathlon. During that time I just focused on education and a new career.

Anyway, I’m still not exactly a small man though I’m sure there are at least a couple Clydes on the group that would argue the point. Anyhow, I am a Clydesdale and am sitting at a Clyde legal 213 right now.

My first triathlon was a local sprint that I ran in 2005 placing 13th out of 26 clydes. I had such a fantastic time that I decided to come back for more. Most people who say that kind of end there as if they went off into the sunset and just lived in tri bliss ever after but I have to be honest with you, the next few tris I did kind of sucked. Not the events but my attitude.

I had many thoughts like, “What the hell am I doing out here!” and, “Nobody would care if I just walked off the course right now and quit” I remember thinking about how much I hated running and how hard the whole tri thing was…I mean it had been a long time since I had forced my body to do anything that required more endurance than sitting in a lazy boy for 8 hour study sessions.

Fortunately I was terrified of re-gaining my weight. Honestly, I hated the way I looked, I hated the way I felt and worst of all I was beginning to hate myself for letting my body get so far gone and for being to weak, lazy, whatever, to do anything about it so I just forged ahead and focused on trying to meet people as a hook to keep me involved in the tri community.

Boy did I meet people! I discovered some of the best people I have ever met in the sport of triathlon and the tri blogs have opened that up even further. I now consider myself a chronic triaholic.

Did someone say race?! I’m there! I have completed over 30 sprints in the past three years. Distances you ask? Well, in addition to the 30+ sprints I have completed 5 olympics, 4 half irons and 3 iron distance races. I still have one half iron and one iron left this season. Anything else, sure! Marathons, one ultra marathon, a couple ultra cycling events, duathlon and a random assortment of 5 and 10Ks and I think a half-mary thrown in there somewhere.

After a while I felt like I was all take, take, take from what has become my beloved tri community so I stepped up and took over as the head of my tri team, the New Mexico Outlaws, and I am a certified USAT referee. I do love this sport because, well, because it has given me my life back…a life that I thought I had lost and that I used to only hope I could one day catch a glimpse of again.

So, that’s me…the Sweet Baboo from Studies in Clydeology. (Pictured with the lovely GEEKGRL) and I am on for IMCdA! because...because...well, because I am an addict I guess...and of course to go head to head with the Bigun...Ok, to have the honor of racing with the Bigun and all you fine, fine, super fine tri bloggers and to experience the iron sherpa bliss that will be in attendance.

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: There will be several New Mexico Outlaws racing IMCdA including bloggers SW Tri Gal and the GEEKGRL (Athena’s Diaries) and we are hosting a tri-blogger partaay out at the house we have rented, which has 11 acres and sits right on lake Rose. Now the shindig will be low-key since many of us have come to race, or at least survive, IMCdA and it will probably take place Friday since most folks should be in town by then. That’s the whole plan so far, not time set, no further ideas. We figure it’s best to get input as the year progresses but I can tell you this, I will have my tandem kayak with me and we are right on a lake. SWEET.

Finally, BIG thanks to Momo for setting this crazy IMCdA community blog up in the first place!

Experienced Sherpa - IronJenny

I too, will be assisting Di with dutiful sherpa-ing. Not only can I ring a cowbell, like, with sass and even rhythm, but I can:

1) assist with packing special needs bags
2). rub tense shoulders
3). grease bike chains
4). apply sunscreen
5). remember all the essentials in case you forget them at check-in (Immodium, Pepto, Endurolytes come to mind first and foremost)
6). paint signs
7). run to the 24-hour grocery store if you decide that morning that you DO want a half a banana and a slice of turkey instead of that bagel with peanut butter
8). spare Garmin, heart rate monitor, any or all geek gadgets with batteries
9). spare wheels (oh, wait, DV's not doing CdA. Well, I'll have them anyway);-)
10). I am willing to wear a costume on the bike course. I know Nytro also wants to wear one. (tee-hee) :-)

I promise NOT to get too sauced from my lawnchair. Unless there's just simply too much peer pressure.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Introducing GeekGirl.


It won't do any good to make you guess who I am because I've already put it all out there and there's no secrets.

I'm 42, married to Sweet Baboo, who is also doing Ironman CDA, and I have three kids. My oldest son is in the military (23) and my daughter (19) lives in Dallas and is about to get married. The youngest one is a Junior in high school (16). I teach Algebra in my 8th year as a teacher, and I'm hoping to switch to school counseling in the next couple years.

I was one of those lucky people who was naturally skinny most of my life. Although I was an active kid, starting with my teen years I avoided any kind if exercise or anything stenuous. By the time I was in my 30's, the weight was getting harder to keep off. By 40, well, forget it - I was nearly 200 pounds. I'm 5'6"

I bought a book on how to run 2 years ago so that I could do my first triathlon. When I first started, I couldn't run more than 60 seconds. I thought I might be able to handle finishing one sprint. Since then, I've done a bunch of triathlons, including long course and olys, and a couple duathlons. I've just finished my first Ironman about a month ago, in Louisville.

I've lost about 35 pounds, but I've noticed also that I hardly ever get sick any more. I never thought I'd enjoy running, and I'm pretty slow at it, but it's my favorite event, and I look forward to my LSR's.
I've gone from fairly ordinary and respectable middle-class mom to tattooed triathlete who wears bandanas to cover her helmet hair.
My goal for Ironmand CDA is to finish under 17 hours, and have a good time!
...


Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Mystery Guest Numero Dos

Since we had so much fun with the first Mystery Guest, let's try another.

(oh, in case you missed it - Mrs. Bigun was numero uno!)

Hi CDA bloggers. Here is a little bit of information about me. The most exotic destination I have ever been to is Zimbabwe Africa. While there (one month), we went on a photo safari and visited Victoria falls, one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

I used to work underground (no, not the CIA or Mafia) but 9.6 miles under ground! I worked in tunnel construction and if you have ever driven through the east bound Eisenhower Tunnel, you have seen some of my handiwork.

I once climbed two fourteeners in one day.

Favorite drink - Spiced rum and Diet Coke; favorite beer: Killian's Red.

Favorite Movies: Forest Gump (In a Forest Gump tone, soon I will be able to say "And you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could ride like the wind blows. And from that day on wherever I went, I was riding!" also City Slickers, and Unforgiven.

Favorite band: Pink Floyd.

Favorite TV shows: CSI (original), LA Ink, and Deal or No Deal.

I love to train and once squatted 810 pounds for 5 reps (I used to be a furniture mover and carried heavy stuff up and down the stairs all day before I would go on my nightly run).

Favorite pastimes when not training:
Playing guitar (not very well), hunting, and being with my children.

So... Who Am I?

Hello All

Hi there. Thanks for inviting me to participate in the blog of CDA'ers. I feel privileged to be among such a great group. I've been trying to think of something good to post when I introduce myself but all I've got is old material. Below is a post from my blog that I wrote a few months back during half iron training. It sums up why I am here.

Let me just say that I can't wait to meet you all and get to know you better. It is much better to travel down this path with other people, rather than all alone. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and think I have gone crazy but then I remind myself, this distance is not to be feared.

This summer was my second tri season. I have done a handful of oly's, one sprint, and one half ironman. This will be my first attempt at this distance.

(Sorry this is so lengthy)

Why I train...

I think it is time to revisit the reason/reasons that I train. When the hours get long and the fatigue sets in it's always a good idea to have the reasons why you train fresh in your brain. With that being said, I have come to one conclusion, you must have ONE reason why you train. Why you ask?...well because when you are out there and it's hot and you're tired you're brain starts to work against you, pulling out an entire list of motivating factors is difficult at best. I often find myself asking the million dollar question...WHY AM I DOING THIS?

I started training in 2003 (for marathons). Seems like such a long time ago, but more importantly I look back at the person I used to be and training has changed me...for good. The obvious changed took hold fast, I became aware of my body, everything from food to exercise and how my body responded. But the biggest change that took place was far more subtle and took me longer to realize how big of an effect it has had on my life. In fact, I was sitting at breakfast the other morning with a friend lecturing on her bad 'thought patterns' when I realized I have not thought about this aspect of training in quite some time. That aspect is the power of your mind and your thought on training and everyday life.

During my first marathon training I realized how much my thought patterns directly affected my runs. I became very conscience of the big and little thoughts that came into my head. I have always been a very positive person, I don't get down on myself and have the ability to pick myself up quickly after I fall. But subconsciously I realized my little mind could be quite negative. I know in training it is an art to turn the brain off and keep on moving despite what it tells you. But this was a new concept to me. I began staying positive on all workouts and turning off my mind when it decided that it wanted to be negative. This concept also seeped into my everyday life, and this is where I saw the biggest change. My attitude and demeanor changed, I was better able to cope with everyday hurdles. I know this sounds like some 'self help' book, but being able to shut out off my mind from the negative commentary it is capable of, has made me a better person and a better athlete. I am almost positive that without this 'Power of thought and mind' realization I could never make it through triathlon training. Thank god for the internal mute button I have found.

Why I train...

1. Because I can -there are a million people out there that simply cannot handle the world of training. I feel good knowing I am of the small percentage that can.
2. When I train I feel invincible. All the cares and worries of the world fade away when I tie up my running shoes, click into my pedals, or dive into the pool.
3. It makes me feel alive.
4. Keeps me disciplined
5. I can eat a lot more :)
6. I can handle stress better.
7. I sleep better.
8. I look good in padded bike shorts (okay this one is a joke and maybe the one reason I would stop doing triathlons)
9. It gives me purpose.
10. Keeps me in good shape.
11. I can push my body to places I never thought possible.
12. I get cute T-shirts at the races.
13. Being an athlete and training is who I am.
14. It brings me peace.
15. Everyday is a new adventure.
16. It gives me the ability to climb mountains, run for hours and swim yard after yard.

No words can truly explain how much I love sweat, pain and hard work. Being a triathlete is who I am. It is an overall commitment to health and happiness. I may not love every minute of training and I may get frustrated but it is ultimately what I love. I can't imagine life without it, triathlon is more to me than a sport it is a way of life.

"Anything is possible with the only limits in life being the ones you put on yourself. Life is believing in yourself to achieve your greatest potential and ultimate destiny.” Daniel Clout

Monday, September 17, 2007

About Me Tri Style

My name is Tea, and I'm tri-aholic.

WOW. That was so cleansing.

Last year was my first year doing Tri's. But, well, I had this unfortunate accident involving a staircase and concrete floor which left me with a broken heel. That happened last March. I was unable to run again until this spring, and I was only able to run distances within the past two months or so of this year.

I continued doing tri's once my cast came off, but I had to limp through the run. If you think sprints are fast races, you've never been to one of mine where I'm pulling off a 1:00 5k. I'm pretty sure Mr. Tea was very thankful when the off season came.

Since that time, I've completed alot of sprints, an oly, one back to back, and (this past weekend), my first 70.3.

Oh, I should probably mention this: I come from a running background. I ran track in HS and ran on a college scholarship for my incredible speed in the 10 mile race. Ok, actually, I was the only one who could run 10 miles, and the school needed a prescence in that race. I've always been a non-competitive swimmer growing up near the ocean, and I've always done bike tours. I just don't know why it took me so long to put them all together.

I never thought I could do an IM race. I'd read race reports and think, "well yeah, that's THEM not me." Then, one morning right before the CDA registration opened, I thought, "I can do that."

For the longest time, I felt like I was "faking" my way through triathlons. Over the past two month, I have really grown in my mental toughness and confidence. Even Mr. Tea commented this past weekend, that I've learned to push past certain pain thresholds now. I know I'm good at the swim; my run is ok and getting better; my bike sucks. Now, I have to take all that info and raise it up a few more levels in order to be ready for CDA.

Let's not forget the family unit: Mr. Tea, Jman, and AK. They are my Sherpa's/Photogs. Everytime I toe the line, I feel like a professional triathlete with my own band of groupies.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Spokane Al I Am

As you may have guessed I reside in Spokane, WA which is a bit over one half hour from Coeur d’Alene, ID, the scene of the upcoming IM CDA 08.

Last year I trained very hard and had signed up for IM CDA 07 and then managed to trip and fall in the first mile of my first race in May 2007. I damaged my left hamstring fairly significantly and as a result have not yet healed sufficiently to be able to run even a single step. I am optimistic that things are coming along (albeit slowly) and have once again signed up for IM CDA 08. I am also looking forward to my very first tri-blogger meet up.

In that I live so close to Coeur d’Alene, I would like to extend an invitation to provide whatever help and assistance I can to all of you are who traveling from the hinterlands to this great part of the USA. If you need a ride to/from the airport, information or questions answered, please let me know. Please use me as a resource.

I look forward to meeting each of you.

Thank you for reading.

Col de Mt Spokane II

Climbing up the side of even medium sized mountains is tough, hard work. And then when the Big Guy throws in some blustery weather you have the makings of a genuine leg toasting morning.

Once again several of us headed up Mt. Spokane this past Sunday in the hopes of finding a smooth cadence, a strenuous training ride and climbing nirvana.

If you recall from a previous post discussing my previous climb, Mt. Spokane is located on the eastern side of the state of Washington, rises almost 5,900 feet above the city of Spokane and provides about 10 miles of solid vertical gains.

For me personally the smooth cadence and the nirvana I hoped to find were missing in action. I did, however, get a strenuous ride in. And I had the opportunity to fight some tough winds, both on the ascent and the descent.

The 44 mile ride wore out my legs pretty good, and provided another good mental test. As our team coach, Scott, told me as he passed me (he had stopped earlier in the ride for a couple of minutes) this is a great way to toughen up the mental muscles and gives one something to remember later when facing a difficult spot during a race or a training ride.

So I am hoping that both the mental and physical benefits from climbing up the side of Mt. Spokane stick around for awhile. It all adds up towards IM CDA 08.

Thank you for reading.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Sherpa times 2

Thanks to the people who set this up. It rocks. I would like to introduce my wife J-Wim and myself bigmike. We will be on Di Taylors teamSherpa for IMCdA.
After spending our whole adult lives overweight..I mean OVERWEIGHT, we finally got it figured out and lost a combined 350 pounds through diet and exercise in 2006. That is not a typo.
Running, Swimming and Biking saved our lives. We will celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary next weekend. (I'm taking my wife to do a 10K on our anniversary). We have 2 boys 17 1/2 and 15.
This was our first year of triathlon. We completed a sprint distance and joined a local tri team. We have done a lot of run focus up to this point and just did our first half marathon. We have 2 half IM distance tri's lined up for next year along with a couple duathlons and a couple other triathlons and are planning IMWI 09 (if we can get in..it sold out in 23 minutes after it went up on active.com this year).

We went and watched IMWI last weekend and learned a lot. We can not wait to meet up with all of you great people and give you all the support and encouragement you need to complete your journey. We feel privileged to be included.

Yo Yo Yo

WOW,

Look at these crazy group of bloggers signed up for Ironman Coeur D'Alene, its like a convention of something.

To keep this going, here is a little bit about me:

I am 27 years old and I live just across the river from Boston in Somerville, MA. I married my favorite person in the world just over 4 months ago and we have a great little llife living in our one bedroom apartment. Career-wise, I am a dealer of custom apparel and promotional items. If you have been to an airport, I guarantee you have seen my company's stuff and I absolutely love what I do and have a fantastic work situation where I get to hang out with some of my best friends (my boss was actually a groomsman).

As for my athletic background, I have always been active and had done some sort of organized sport from age 6 through college. Whether it be baseball and soccer when I was little, to the years I played tennis and volleyball in middle and high school to playing rugby in college I love sports. I started running marathons a year after college and after 3 seasons, 5 marathons and countless other races, I realized that I missed all the time I got to spend on my bike. I had been a roadie since I was 13 and had done multiple bike tours and even raced for one summer and picking up triathlon seemed like an obvious move. I found a swim coach and now after I finished my second season in triathlon, I have 2 half-ironmans under my belt and Ironman Coeur D'Alene is my first Ironman distance.

So, that is a little bit about me. Oh yeah, one other thing, I am heading off on my honeymoon later today. The T-Shirt Guy Clan (all 2 of us) are heading over the pond for 12 days in Scotland...but after that, it will be 9 months of IM training...so stay tuned to both this site and my blog: tshirtguyj.blogspot.com

Talk to you all soon,

T-Guy J

Friday, September 14, 2007

Introducing myself..

I am known as SWTrigal or Ironmaiden (team nickname). I am signed up for IMCDA 2008 (gulp). I did IMFL in 2004, the year i turned 50. I SWORE I would never do another one, was pretty burnt out for a year after all the training. Now this year I am back with enthusiasm for the sport again and lot so changes in my life have occurred. My husband and i are taking some time off work so have been able to train without the distractions of a job and it is definitely easier in some ways to train. Am looking forward to following/comparing notes with all you that are doing the race. I think completing IM was one of my biggest accomplishments and I draw on that energy of pushing myself often (I can do that-after all I did an Ironman!). My race season this year has consisted of many sprints, a couple of Olympics, one half IM (Buffalo Springs). i am ending my year with Soma half IM, my husband's first half..
Happy training!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Mystery Guest Numero Uno

Well, it seems to me that the 20 (currently, hopefully more) of us are going to be spending the next ten months or so together, and I thought it might be a good idea for us to get to know one another a little better. Actually, I think my training partners, tri-dogmom and ironshane, know WAY too much about me already, but I guess that's what you get for spending hours upon hours with people.

I thought a little game might be fun... A little game of... Who Am I?

So, in an effort to keep this fun and light, if you'd like to play - please send me a list of a few random things about you and I'll post them periodically.

If you think this is a stupid idea, feel free to let me know that too - I can take it. Honestly. ;-)


Let's see...

Here are a few things you might not know about me (not me, me, but someone on the right sidebar...)

I lived in Africa for three years.

I'm a former vegetarian. (insert momo comment here... i'm not sure if the vegetarianism was before africa or because of africa - most likely the latter, personally i'd be a little worried about eating meat in africa...)

I can now eat my weight in sushi. But wait, probably not good because just about anyone who eats sushi will say that.

I met my significant other rock climbing.

I worked as a personal trainer for three years and I had a cat that lived 23 years.

So... who do you think I am?

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

iF yOU wANT tO sHERPA yOU HAVE tO dO iT rIGHT...

Okay, I was reading a fellow Blogger's comment on the maiden post for this blog. Now, I am not going to single anyone out here. Yet...but the comment goes something like this...
I am doing a set of 6 oz curls with a fab cabernet tonight to freshen up my sherpa duties.Di, no slacking. I want a full report when you get in one of these grueling workouts.Also, I was at Lowe's earlier getting sign-making supplies for IM WI, so I'm working on these skills too...Man, I am such an overachiever...;-)
You see folks, fellow Bloggers, I am sharpening my Sherpa skills daily. I have already started preparing for next June. Yes, to insure that all of our competing athletes feel the back up we Sherpas are intent on providing I bought a cooler. "A cooler?" (you ask sideways to the person beside you). Yes. A cooler. Now, this isn't just ANY cooler. This will be an IRONMAN cooler. For when we lift that lid the morning after you cross that finish line, it will shine ever so brightly upon all who are near. Inside this cooler will be The Nector of The Sherpas. Bloody Marys. I make the meanest, baddest, most kick ass Bloody Mary you will ever know. No Bloody Mary will ever be the same after these. So. Prepare yourself to be ruined. Prepare yourself for REFRESHMENT.
How's that for being an overachiever? ;)
ps. IronJenny - I will be having a grueling workout tomorrow night with the girls. I'll post appropriately. lol

Housing for Next June?

I know I had a list of where to look for lodging sent by Momo but I've lost it, so if anyone has info on that, I'd appreciate it. I am also looking for anyone who may want to share a room (I do not snore) or house to defray costs. Also, I will be driving there from Denver so carpoolers would be welcome too!

Thanks!

More on the Bike Course

Love those profiles Bigun!

I really liked the '07 CDA bike course. My only other IM is '06 Wisconsin, so anything that wasn't wet was going to make me happy. :) The hills go on and on and on, but none of them are horribly steep. Do hill training and you'll be fine. I actually felt like the WI course and the CDA course were very similar, except that WI had 3 really steep climbs stuck in the middle. It's a beautiful ride with lots of support.

I agree with Momo about the wind. That downhill is deceptive and not nearly the break it appears to be. The wind sure pushed me up it, though. That part I liked!

Shane

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Follow up to Bike Profile

These are Motion-based elevation graphs taken from competitors from the IMKY'07 race and the IMCdA'07 race (the new course). The total elevation gain is very similar - about 6,500 feet. These graphs are great in that the elevation scale is identical (each tick is 25 feet) and the distance is the same as well.

IMKY Bike Course Elevation:












IMCdA Bike Course Elevation:



The main difference I see is that in IMKY you have three 200' climbs in the first 25 miles or so. After that it looks like rollers...relentless, but rollers, with a great finish - that last 25 miles looks predominantly downhill.

CdA drops you off the 500 foot climb over 10 miles (that's a long climb...) for another chance to do it all over again - and it just looks like the climbs are a bit more pointy - longer and steeper. Granted, there are just as many downhills as up, so perhaps there is more chance to rest compared to IMKY. The ending of CdA is a nice downhill of about 15 miles.

Not having ridden either, I'd say that although the elevation change is almost identical, they are two very different, hard courses. Not that I'd take one over the other, and I'll bet that if you tackled one, you sure could feel good about tackling the other! What am I saying - I did take one over the other - I'm stuck with CdA!!!!!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Bike course comparison graphs.

Hi there, I'm GeekGirl, and IM CDA will be my 2nd Ironman. I'm hoping to do it just a bit faster than I did Kentucky (DFL) and more comfortably. No, scratch that. I want to just finish it more comfortably. The bike at Kentucky was BRUTAL and I'm not just being melodramatic. I live in the Albuquerque area, and my coach is the Jimmy, and he writes me weekly training plans, phones me at last once a week as well as after every race, and meets with me and his other clients weekly for track/interval workouts that he calls "turbo bricks"

A few people are doing it with me: my Sweet Baboo, of course, and SW Tri Gal, and a few others; some other friends are going as sherpas. We're staying at a cabin near the lake where the swim will be held and will be making this SW Tri Gal found out about this by searching online for cabins that can be rented near the race venue. We're renting the cabin for a week and have already sent our deposit.

So, well, the good news: I've had two people who were at Kentucky tell me that the new bike course at IM-CDA is not as hard as Kentucky (whew!) it definitely has some rollers but it appears to be pretty doable. http://www.nasports.com/compare/comparebike.php
As for the run course, it's clearly a two-loop course with lots of rollers. I actually like this because at least I won't be wearing out one set of muscles on the run. http://www.nasports.com/compare/comparerun.php

...

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Welcome!

I noticed that the IMMOO group put together a blog to keep track of the race this coming weekend. I thought it was a great idea and since we have ten months still before CDA - perhaps we could make use of a blog ourselves!

Feel free to invite anyone to author that is participating (racing or race support). This could be a good place to discuss the race, travel, stay plans, etc.

Hugs,
momo