October 2004 Archives

Underscoring the Packers getting to .500 today was the Presidential election implications. Unless you live under a rock, you know that for past 17 elections, the outcome of the Redskin's last home game before the election determines the election winner. Redskins lose: challenger wins. Well the Redskins lost and everyone is now saying Kerry will be the winner. But, as I watched, I noticed how the ebb and flow of the game could mimic Tuesday.

In this race report from IM Hawaii, the last paragraph sums up the feeling that's been nagging me for the past three years to commit to completing the Ironman.

"After vowing to never do another Ironman again.....well, there's those last 400 meters down Alii Drive. There is simply nothing like it. And whether I get lucky enough again or good enough at some point to race here again, there will be other Ironman races. That much I know."

I don't think I'll ever get to Kona, so I can't compare, but the finishing stretch in Madison has got to be one of the best around. Just thinking about finishing is giving me goose bumps.

There are two important tests for me this week. I took the first this morning, along with several 'quizzes.' The quiz results were immediate; resting heart rate is 56 bpm, blood pressure is 90/50. Both are improved as a direct result of working out. The real test will reveal just how much the cholesterol has come down on the diet. I think it's dropped. Kris thinks it's gone up because of all the eggs we eat. For what it's worth, it dropped 30 points (190 to 160) by switching from frozen/microwave meals to real meals when we married.

The second test is the Professional Engineering Licensing Exam Friday. Eight hours of engineering fun. I get to solve problems I didn't really understand five years ago. I missed passing the spring version by three points, and that was without studying. My study habits improved slightly this fall, but probably not to the level I should be at. Not only is there a bonus when I pass, but the stigma of having to answer how many times it took to pass. Within two is respected, the third time is accepted, but after four or more attempts, serious questions are raised. Let's hope the second time is the charm for me.

Two weeks ago, I had mentally planned to baptize myself on the Ironman bike course. I only needed the weather to cooperate. After yesterday's morning rain and high of 73°F, today started swimmingly with a brisk 50°F morning. The only wild card was the 1 AM bedtime & drinks from last night. I awoke to the alarm in good spirits and eager to get going. I made it to Cross Plains by 9:40 AM, right on time. By the time I got the bike unloaded and myself geared up, I was on my way at 9:50. I followed the course clockwise, heading out Bourbon Road and County P.

I felt good. The bike, as always, was riding smooth. I would soon come to a hill dubbed the "highest 'Degree' of difficulty" on the official Ironman map. It was definitely tough, but I had no idea what I was in for. You see, I started at what is really Miles 40 & 80 (because of the loop). I was hitting the hardest hill only 5 miles into my ride with fresh legs. Most climb it at Miles 45 & 85, where it is probably mind & leg numbing. I've read stories of athletes walking their bikes up it during the race. There were black marks covering the controversial motivational paint, which triggered my imagination of all the supporters lining the road, cheering the bikers up the hill. The thoughts got me up the hill and sent chills down my arms. I can't wait until next September.

The crisp morning grew into a glorious fall day, with spectacular red and orange leaves lining the country roads and bluffs. I realized why the message boards refer to the Ironman Wisconsin as IMOO, as in the bovine sound, "Mooo." All the roads wind through the fertile Wisconsin farmlands, many of them dairy farms. One of the ride's highlights featured such a cow. I noticed one on the side of the road ahead, but couldn't tell if it was behind a fence or not. When it darted out into the road, I figured out the answer real quick. Instead of staying on the opposite side and letting me pass, it skirted out into the middle and immediately began to trot down the middle of the road. I slowed my pace to follow it, waiting for it to move out of the way. The narrow road didn't really leave enough room to comfortably pass. As it trotted, it kept looking back at me. She kept glaring back at me with a look of "Why are you making me run? Can't you see I'm a cow? I don't run. I chew grass." After those glances, I slowed considerably and allowed her to quickly amble along. She finally found a driveway to pull into, just as a slow vehicle would, and quickly turned the her eyes on me to make sure I wouldn't make her run anymore.

Another great moment came in Mount Horeb, nearing the completion of the ride. My legs and back were growing considerably sore, and the noon-high sun was warming me beyond my layered clothes. I stopped at a Kwik Trip to take off some layers, rest, and eat my last granola bar. I noticed a guy drive by, totally checking out my bike. He parked and said hello as he went into the store, mentioning that he had been out already this morning. I was still there when he came out, and he asked how I like my bike. What followed was an impromptu friendly conversation that is only possible because I started exercising. He said that he didn't really get into the triathlon thing, but was a big gear head, logging 4,000 miles on his bike each year. (4,000! Some people don't even put that on their cars!) We chatted about the Ironman and bike gear and he left to take his gallon of milk home. He finished by letting me know there were only a few hills left and most of it was downhill. I was excited to be done.

I arrived back at my car two and a half hours I left it, 40.5 miles and way too many hills later. I was drained. This course is way harder than I thought. I stretched out my legs, and felt the burn as I sat down. On my way out of town, I decided to treat myself to a Culver's custard. As I placed and waited for my order, my legs decided to cramp up. I could barely stand, leaning against the counter and danced around to keep moving. The custard could not be served fast enough. I got my dish and found the nearest seat to stretch and massage out my legs. I must have looked really ugly, dancing and wincing in pain while waiting for the custard. My legs have stayed sore throughout the day, and will most likely be sore for the rest of the week. It's that bad. No wonder why Lance has a personal masseuse.

As I alluded to earlier, I've been hiding in the wings of some message boards amassing tips, and reading the trials, tribulations, and successes of others. The community is supportive, friendly, and open to all ideas with great enthusiasm for triathlons. A neat feature is that several people post diaries of their events and often offer advice and tips for those of us that aren't quite there yet. I use each as a source of competition tips, like what should go in transition bags, what, when and where to eat. But mostly I use them as a source of inspiration. One such report is John's Blue Devil Ironman race in North Carolina. Just awesome.

Although I'm down 26 pounds on the diet, there's still plenty left to train for, as today was a huge eye-opener. It was good to get it out in the open now, rather than next summer. I know where I stand and how much I need to go. I've got a tentative list of events to compete in over the next year, including the Alumni Meet in December, Crazylegs in April, MadCity Half marathon in Memorial Day, and a half-ironman in late July. I'll be programming those into my training schedule and use them as indicators as the training progresses. It's going to be a great year.

In weight loss, milestones have always related to the number of pounds lost. The most common question I hear is "How much weight have you lost?" Losing weight is relative. The pounds I've lost wouldn't make a dent in a 400-lb. person, but could be catastrophic for anyone less than 125 pounds. Besides that, muscle is starting to replace the fat and everyone knows that muscle weighs more than fat. I like to measure my weight loss in the smaller things, like pant size, shirt size, and notches on the belt.

So, in that vane, I've dropped two sizes in my pants, a size in shirts, and two notches on the belt. I can bend over to tie my shoes, rather than bringing my feet up to my waist. I'm starting to see my upper body restore its triangle shape, formed by broad shoulders and the lack of a spare tire. New, smaller pants bought a month ago are now too big. I am confident, not self-conscious, walking to the pool in my suit. Those milestones & mindsets make more of a difference than what a scale measures. (But, since you still ask, I've lost 24 pounds since day one.)

Overall, I'm tired, but I'm well on the way to set myself up for some serious training. For the next few months leading up to the Alumni Meet in December, I'll be swimming three times a week (M,W,F), and running twice (T,R) and biking after work when ever possible. I plan on biking the Ironman route (at least the loop portion) at least once, if not twice (not in the same ride), before it snows. Winter training will include time on the stationary bike trainer (Thanks Nelson!), more swimming and track/treadmill running.

A huge congratulations goes out to my cousin Kevin. He completed the Chicago Marathon in 3:55:, crushing Oprah's and P. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Sean Combs times. I got to see him fly by the 9 mile mark, running strong. It's impressive to see that he maintained his 9-minute mile pace through the entire race, finishing at 8:58/mile.

The coolest part was that his timing chip not only kept track of his time, but every time he passed a checkpoint, the system sent out a text message to three phone numbers that he picked. The message included his name, location and time. Talk about making it easy to cheer!

Congrats Kevin! Awesome job!

Update: Some pictures of Kevin from the run.