It's Just a Test (NOLA 70.3)

First and foremost I want to thank everyone who reads my blog.  With all the blogs out there. I'm humbled whenever anyone tells me they read my stuff. ( and some of you even tell me you like it)

Last year, I attempted to make my triathlon comeback at the end of the season with an off road triathlon in September. In the days leading up to the event the swim was cancelled due to cold temperatures and then the event was cancelled due to snow.  I moved on to the off season and set my sites to New Orleans 70.3 race.  I chose this race because it was early season.  Once May 1 rolls around I typically don't know what is on my schedule due to coaching, working the lake and kids activities so I wanted an early season focus race.

Without getting into a lot of detail I was doing great three weeks out from the race. After completing the Mile High Multisport training camp in Vegas, I was convinced I could go close to 5 hours on this course.  About 2.5 weeks before the race and just after returning from Vegas I woke up one morning with an ache just below my knee on the outside of my leg around the fibular head area.  It hurt to walk.  I started getting treatment and within a day or two my ITB flared..great. I completed a 60 mile bike two weeks out then put the bike away, no running either so I decided to swim, complete light weights and stretch.  During this time my body gave me no indications that it was healing and my confidence going into the race quickly evaporated.  I worked on positive self talk, wrote down all the sacrifices I had made since breaking my back in 2008 and repeatedly asked myself if I was willing to walk away from all this and not race. I told myself to not worry about what others thought as they truly had no idea what I have or am going through but my mind continued to torment me.  I developed a mantra "my mind will be stronger than my body" and I prayed. I prayed a lot.

Kathy and I have always said that racing is "just a test" to see how we handle adversity.  In the end, our body always responds positively and that any bumps in the road are just tests.  Kathy is much better at handling tests than I am. She has this unique way of just letting "stuff" roll off her back. At times I want to pinch her and see if there is someone inside her skin when "stuff" pops up.  So in the weeks leading up to the race I was anxious and nervous.  I started to question if I wanted to race. After all, I wanted a great come back race. I knew I could finish this distance. I had put in a lot of effort and my training results were positive. Considering I couldn't run a mile in March of 2011 I couldn't have been happier with my level of conditioning  Yet the tests kept coming.  My father was hospitalized in March and remains in the hospital to this day (in fact as I'm writing this report he is in surgery for a third time).  He sounded bad and my mother told me he looked bad.  I couldn't help but question if I was being selfish by racing when I should be back in Chicago helping my parents.  I had  already gone back in February for 10 days and my mom assured me there was noting I could do to help. It' just a test I kept telling myself.

Two days before the race we headed to the airport for what my wife tells me is a 7:20am flight. I remember discussing with her what time we wanted to arrive in New Orleans so we could test ride our bikes and drive the bike and run course. We arrived at the kiosk and "Can't check luggage 12 hours in advance" "WTF?"  She booked flights out in the evening not the morning.  We tried standby for two flights to no avail and went back home.  It's just a test!! We finally arrived in hotel room and to bed around 1 a.m.  We wake up the next morning, look outside, raining and driving winds which meant no checking out our bikes before the race. We headed to the athlete meeting and the swim is cancelled and replaced with a 2 mile run because the forecast calls for 20-40 mph winds. If I'm being honest here I'm telling you I seriously thought about bailing on the race. Injured, tired, mind on my parents, no swim (again) and a forecast of 20-40 mph winds!!  This isn't what I had in mind.  Then my son calls and says his girlfriend isn't feeling good, describes her symptoms and Kathy says you better get her to the ER ASAP. She ends up being admitted to the hospital.  We had the "it's just a test" conversation for the millionth time and head back to the hotel room where I took a bath to try and relax.  All along I'm asking myself what the downside is of not racing for me personally and how it would look as a coach who bails on a race. If an athlete were calling me right now what would I have told them to do? (I know it wasn't what I was thinking).

Later that day we decided we weren't sitting inside all day and went and explored New Orleans. The city was full of life. We saw some incredible street musicians and a few weddings parading through the streets with bands.  We eventually went out to dinner and had a long talk about our options for the next day.  The bottom line was that we would make a decision in the morning that was centered around safety and nothing else. If we woke up and it was gusting over 20 mph we wouldn't race. 

The following morning I slept through my alarm.  Kathy woke me up, told me she had already looked outside and almost went back to bed.  I looked outside and the trees were bending. I didn't say a word, I just started getting ready.  We both finished packing our gear and headed out the door. We went downstairs and outside and it was not only windy but freezing.  We got in the car and headed out to the race course.WE didn't talk a lot and didn't even play music in the car.

We arrived at the course, set up transition and put on every layer of clothing we had brought with us.  The flags were blowing pretty hard and it was cold but we waited until about 30 minutes before the race to make a final decision.We landed on we might as well race since we were here.  If at any time we deem the conditions to be too harsh we can stop racing.  There were a lot of empty slots in the transition area and a race official said a lot of people didn't even come back up their packets.

Given the new format the 50+ males started approximately 15 minutes behind the pro's and the one para athlete. We were paired in twos and I was about 8 pairs back. Every 5 seconds we would take off.  Just before the start, Sister Madonna Buder showed up sporting a Boston 2012 shirt ( I would later see her out on the run course).  My goal for the initial two mile run was to use this as my warm up and that is exactly what I did.  I was wearing a jacket and this run helped me realize I was over dressed.  I ran 8:19's and transitioned into the bike.

My goal on the bike was to be smart and exercise caution until I got a good feel for the weather and how my legs would respond.  The wind was still blowing hard and there were some significant white caps on the water to my right as I headed out of town.  I sat up for the first few miles as the wind was pushing me around pretty good and I wasn't comfortable in my aero position.  I could still see the white caps blowing in the water and with the wind howling I chose to spin at a higher cadence and in the small ring until my legs felt good.   I had about 10 people go by me and I noticed they were all in the big ring but I stuck to my game plan. I was in my aero bars now but stuck to the small ring.  Around mile 10, I switched into the big ring and found a cadence which I felt comfortable I could hold.  I raced naked (no computer no garmin)today because given my over thinking the past few weeks I didn't want to over analyze any race day performance.  I always tell my clients to not judge the performance while the performance was happening so I continued to focus on maintaining a higher cadence, keep a clear mind and pick off people who were a head at a steady pace. I started to pick off the people who had passed me earlier and by mile 15 I was by myself for with the exception of a few who I could barely see up ahead.   My pre race morning nutrition was a little off since I over slept and wasn't 100% sure I was racing so I made sure I stepped up my calorie intake early on in the ride. I had brought enough calories for a 3 hour bike ride and finessed it all although I rode a 2:26.  (21.3 MPH)My bike nutrition was spot on as I had great energy the whole ride. I finally saw the pro's going the other way when I was around mile 20. I maintained a steady cadence and was looking forward to the turn around so I could see other cyclists since I continued to ride mostly by myself. I caught a few more folks just before the turn a round.  On the way back in, I saw Kathy and knew she was having a strong ride since she wasn't that far back.  I was passed by a few in younger waves but no one in my age group. On a TT start you never know where you are position wise so I kept riding my race.  I continued to ride alone with an occasional youngster blowing by. 

I entered into transition and saw a few guys from our rack running out. There didn't seem to be many bikes in our rack so I thought I might be racing well. As soon as I started running my legs let me know they weren't happy. Not having done an endurance event since 2004 I had no idea what I was in for on this run.  Not to mention I hadn't run except one time since returning from Vegas.  I focused on form and breathing and tried to get into a good rhythm.   The first mile came fairly quickly and I remember thinking that wasn't so bad.  The wind was in our face and around the 1.5 mile mark my inner thigh cramped.  I stopped and stretched and it played with me for about a half a mile.  A few weeks ago one of the athletes I coached (Susie Wargin from 9 news)  who qualified for Boston had posted she was dedicating each mile of her race to certain people who played a role in her getting to Boston.  I decided to borrow this concept and started dedicating the mile to people who had played a role in my comeback). I worked on maintaining good form although I was told later I didn't look so good.  In the first 3 miles I passed 3 guys in my age group.  Since I was running about 8:45 miles I was starting to get passed by some really fast age group runners and some pros who were on lap number two.  I saw Kathy coming the other way and told her to catch me so we could run together. I saw one of the athletes I coach who told me she wasn't feeling it today and I yelled back to "then find a way to feel it and race to the finish". (she eventually had the fastest run split in her age group and took 4th.)  Around mile 5 I latched on to a small group of guys who went buy who were holding a decent pace and had great form. I just sat on their shoulder to the next aid station.  I walk through every aid station to get my nutrition and hydration so I lost the group.  Around Mile 7 Kathy came by and asked me if I wanted her to run with me.  She had just been passed by a women in her age group and I told her "no go, get her" (she never caught her and took 2nd by 2 minutes). Miles 7-12 were not fun but I kept thinking the same things. Running for the person I had dedicated the mile to and maintaining my form.  I was passed by 4 guys in my age group in the last 4 miles but I thought to myself, I passed 3 and got passed by 4 so I only dropped one spot from where I came in (this actually turned out to be accurate as I was 13 off the bike and finished 14th  out of 59 in my age group.

I saw Kathy heading up the last climb before she made the turn from home and I proceeded around the last circle to make my way to the finishers shoot.  As I came around the corner I heard the announcer calling Kathy in.  The last little climb was brutal on my legs but I saw a guy in my age group ahead and caught and passed him although I later learned he was just starting loop number two.  As I made the turn for the finish line I felt someone come up on my shoulder and knew I didn't have anything left for a sprint the last 1/4 mile. Thankfully it was a younger age group female and I was relieved I could just cruise on to the finish. 

I had dedicated the last mile to myself to signify all the hard work I've put it since getting into a car accident in 2004 and a cycling accident in 2008. There were so many people who played a role in getting me to where I am today but I knew that the person who made the biggest difference was me. The attitude I put forth in working through being inactive for a number of years and the desire to get back to racing. If I didn't want this bad enough it would have never happened. I wasn't pleased how I handled the last two weeks. I put myself and my wife through a lot of worry for nothing. The body sends a lot of mixed signals just prior to a race. Funny how none of my "injuries" affected me on race day.  Once again.. "It's Just a Test".

Kathy had waited for me at the finishers shoot and we embraced. She told me she was proud of me and that meant a lot.  My finishing time was 4:44.   I figured with the cancelled swim and a shortened bike that if the wind hadn't played a factor in the bike leg I would have been close to my goal time. I ended up running a 1:58 which was only 10 minutes slower than my stand along half marathon time from February. 

We waited around for Kathy to get her award and then went home for a much needed shower and nap.  That evening we experienced the finer cuisine of the French District and then on to Bourbon street to experience some beverages, sites and music.   In the end, everything turned out just fine and once again we passed the test.

Technically I still haven't completed my comeback because I haven't completed a triathlon.  I will do that with an Xterra race in June and Sprint/Olympic distance races in Steamboat in July and August.  I am contemplating a local race at the end of May but I want to see how I recover first and how my next adventure goes in early May. 

Thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes before the event.  I apologize for thinking "I wish you would all just go away so I could race in complete anonymity".   (To my buddy Jeff who I actually told this to, I've already said I'm sorry but this time it is print. ) Next up is a 150 mile ride on the Mountain Bike from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah. No race, just a bike ride and hopefully no tests along the way!!

PEACE OUT

Day 6/7. almost there..

We started our 6th day of camp with a 3k swim at the multi generational pool in Henderson.  After the long day yesterday on the bike the swim was great active recovery.  After swim we had our final group breakfast then headed back out towards Lake Mead for our final ride together. 

The ride was rather uneventful on the way out but the pace picked up on the way home.  Several breakaways were chased down and the pace was upbeat considering we were nearing the end of the camp.  I can tell a number of people are nearing the end of their physical and mental capacity.  Early season big weeks of training like this provide a great base in which to build for the upcoming season.  Within the group we have people racing Galveston in 4 weeks, St. George in 6, Kansas 70.3, Eagleman and IMCDA.  I'm confident that everyone was stretched physically and mentally and learned a number of tips throughout the week.

Everyone went down to the Strip on Friday evening for dinner and saw a show. Several people left Saturday morning and a few of us went out for a 40 mile spin. The Leadman tri was going on and we went down to watch the end of the swim and the beginning of the bike.  With whitecaps in the lake and very heavy winds I was glad we didn't race today as I'm sure the racers are having a miserable day out there.  I know we were miserable riding the last 20 miles into a strong headwind.

Total miles for the week

9k swim
350 miles bike (plus I'll ride again tomorrow after everyone is gone)
16 run

This was my longest week of training since 2004.  After a succession of injuries including a broken back I couldn't be happier with the week.  I felt strong everyday with the exception of the last 20 miles today.  My body started to tell me "enough" today. My legs were tested this week and I'm happy to report they passed the test with flying colors.  I was proud of my clients Michelle, Kelley and Sydney who all rode very strong this week. Spending time with my clients teaches me how they respond to the pressures of a big training week.  I asked each of them to challenge themselves physically and mentally and from what I observed each of them accomplished that objective.

 With Galveston coming up in 4 weeks I'm happy with my level of fitness in the pool and on the bike.  I wish I had a few more long runs in me but I've done what I could.  tomorrow, Sydney and I will head home making a stop in St. George to preview the bike course.  I'm not looking forward to riding but it will give me 400 miles for the week and I always welcome the opportunity to do a little scouting of courses so I can provide the information to clients who will be racing their in the future.

For those of you interested we will do more camps in the future.   Please contact me at Pete@milehighmultisport.com for more information.

Day 5.. Century Ride Virgins No More..

Today marked the longest riding day of camp. The schedule called for 80-90 miles but a few folks talked about doing century rides.  The day called for people to pair off in ability levels and start within a 30 minute window prior to 9 a.m.  The weather forecast was absolutely perfect.. high around 75 and very little to no wind.  The group pulled out exactly at 9 and headed to Lake Mead.

Once in the park three groups formed.  Jessie Sund had agreed to run an aid station for us and would be 20 miles out on the Silverman bike Course which was 30 miles from our house.  The course we road today is used by several big races in the Lake Mead area..  Ironman 70.3.world championships, ITU long course W.C., Silverman, Leadman (which was being held this weekend) and Rage in the Sage to name a few.

Kathy and I headed in a different direction than the main group and our plan was to pace line as much of the route as possible.  About 35 miles into our ride a guy pulled up along side me and asked me if we were doing the Leadman race this weekend.  Turns out it was a guy I had gone to High School with over 30 years ago and was in town from Boston to race this weekend.  It's a small world sometimes!!

We hit the aid station exactly where Jesse said he would be.  There was cold water, nutrition, sun screen and chamois cream.  Jesse said most of the group had come through and everyone reported they were have great days. Kathy and I saw the lead two riders coming back to the aid station.  We turned around at our designated point and soon ran into Bill who had stopped to wait for Michelle.  Bill and Sydney had lead the first group and had ridden pretty hard.  We preceded ahead and soon ran into Syd who had doubled back to find some company.  The pace picked up at that point and we were working harder than we had all day. We still had 20 miles to go and I began to wonder if I could hold  the pace to the end.  Thankfully the girls couldn't hold the pace and we settled into a reasonable pace until we got home. We went a total of  82 miles in 4:28.  Not bad for a hilly course and on tired legs.

The riders began trickling in and everyone was excited with how the day had turned out.  Most of us had ridden 200 hilly/windy miles in the past 4 days and started the day on tired legs.  Ride distances ranged from 70 and two campers did 100 miles with Alan riding his first century.  Connor did his longest ride ever. the mood at dinner was festive and you can tell there was a great sense of pride in what everyone had accomplished.

Tomorrow is the last official day of camp and will include a morning 3k swim followed by another 50 on the bike. Total miles for the week will be 330 miles on the bike, 9k in swimming and 10-15 miles of running.

Day 3... No more filters

As I reviewed our weekly schedule, Day 3 worried me the most.  Last night we had a great meal prepared by Allen and Michael.  Alcohol was consumed by some of the campers and you could see everyone starting to interact.  The filters in the group were starting to come down and it was great to see the interaction amongst the group.  With the filters coming down it lead to more questions this morning.  Why are we doing..........(insert any one of a number of questions here).   It always amazes me when you get a group together how certain individuals can't accept certain things as they are and go with the flow. This also marked day 3 of riding and some people were getting tired. With a rest day schedule for tomorrow I just wanted to get the miles in, have no crashes and head into the recovery day healthy and with everyone still talking to each other.

The morning started out with a run followed by breakfast. A few opted to go swim long course. We had a 10 o'clock departure time and a few folks were running a little late.  Very few clouds in the sky and no wind so we were excited to ride today. the plan called for 70 miles and only a few of us made it that far today.

The ride got off to a rough start with a few mechanical issues and some bitching in the group about the route and a few other things. It was five miles into the ride and I strongly considered taking a flyer off the front to be by myself. Then Kathy and I road on some freshly paved tar which wasn't marked.  Another stop.  Then my water bottle cage bolt came loose, another stop..more bitching... The route we were going to take was under construction and we took one wrong turn.  We eventually made our way out to Lake Mead and road most of the same route we did on the first day but it seemed like it took forever to get going and you could feel the tension in the group from the rough start. After we got going the group became more chatty and the camaraderie we experienced the first two days came back.

Kathy, Bill and I were off the front and pace lined it through the park.  The others were not far behind.  We stopped to regroup then rode a short but steep hill out of the park. On the way back Kathy jumped the group from the back and I followed.  I wanted to see who in the group would follow or if the group was content to just sit in today.  After a few pulls I looked back and saw a few chasing.   I told Kathy here they come and we continued to work hard to drop the chase group.  It was fun to ride like this with Kathy again.  Since my injury in 2008 we have ridden very little together and this reminded me of good ole times. Our breakaway was successful and we regrouped outside of the Las Vegas Bay harbor.  A few more photos and we decided to experminent with a few side roads to see if we could add some miles to our route. We ended up riding the Lake Las Vegas loop and had decided to do this hilly loop 3-4 times.  On Loop one Johns deralieur broke..another stop. We were 50 miles into the route and John was done for the day. Kathy took off to get the truck so she could pick him up. the rest of us decided that we weren't going to get our 70 miles in and headed back home logging 60 miles. Karen, Trish and Connor who had elected to ride together today becasue they were of similar paces made the 70 miles and let the rest of us know they made the goal and we didn't.

When we got home it was time to relax pool side, drink some beers and head into the recovery day.  Everyone is looking for to tomorrow which consists of an early morning swim (no masters, we will run our own group) and a 30 mile recovery ride.

Day 2.. Lots of Estrogen around here

Day 2

Ten of us woke up at 5 am to join a local masters group lead by Frank  Lowrey who is the race director for Silverman, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and last years ITU long course championships. I've never swam outdoors at 5:30 in the morning when it was pitch black outside but the pool was lit up like a football field and once you hit the water you didn't know the distance.  We swam 3k in an hour and then headed home to eat.  Today was cold outside and we delayed our bike ride until 10 a.m.

Today's ride consisted of riding the ITU long course route.  We lasted 224 feet before the first call for a bike adjustment and 1.5 miles before the first call of "I'm over dressed can we stop".  After the initial stops the group stayed together for the first 15 miles then the group split up in three groups.  Team Estrogen was out in force today as the ladies were pushing the pace from the beginning of the ride.  Bill, who is training for Boston and ran 20 miles on Saturday showed no effects and was soon gone from the group.  Michelle, Gail, Kathy and Kelley gave chase and before long we were all spread out. We worked with a few of the athletes on proper gearing and cadence going up the climbs. The views were spectacular and you could see the strip in the far distance.  Long climbs gave way to steep windy descents.  At mile 30 we stopped to regroup and then pace lined back to the entrance of the park.

On the way home Kathy took us up the infamous 3 sisters. I'm not sure why they called them 3 sisters because it seemed like there were 8 "significant climbs".  The last climb consisted of three steep climbs with the last section at a 18% pitch.  Out of gears and out of breath we all stopped at the top. One camper summed the climb up best "that sucked".

I can't imagine what it would be to do these climbs at mile 60 of a race then have to get off and run the 18.6 miles like they did at ITU long course worlds. The rest of the ride was a recovery spin home.  Part of the group cut off the climbs at the end and we all rolled into the complex within minutes of each other.  The kitchen was packed post ride with campers making smoothies.  We ended up riding a little of 60 miles.

Day 3 will consist of an early morning run followed by a 70 mile run.

Vegas Tri Camp Day 1

Today marked the first day of the Mile High Multisport Vegas Tri Camp.  Thirteen campers with varying ability levels from throughout the United States are spending the week with Coaches Pete and Kathy Alfino.  We've rented a spacious house in Henderson, located about 8 miles from Lake Mead, blocks away from some running paths and close to several aquatic centers.

The day started with breakfast prepared by a couple of our campers, a brief meeting to go over house logistics riding rules and today's route/goals. I challenged each camper to do three things this week.
1. Learn from the coaches and other campers throughout the week. Ask questions, listen and observe. There is a lot of experience in the group and a lot to be learned.
2. Challenge yourself mentally and physically. Go beyond what think you are capable of doing.  But also pace yourself as it is a long week.
3. Get to know eveyone at the camp.  Don't just associate with the people you are familiar with.

Today's goal was a 50 mile easier ride so we can get the legs warmed up and make sure everyone's bikes were working properly. We had a side bet as to how far we would go before someone asked to stop to fix something.  The general consensus was we wouldn't make it ten miles. At 9.6 miles we stopped so Michael could make an adjustment to his seat post.

We road portions of the 70.3 World Championship course and the Rage in the Sage race. The Las Vegas tri Club was doing a simulated race and we found ourselves in the middle of their race at times. The group spread out fairly quickly and it was aparent the estrongen was taking over. The girls were all out front with the guys hanging back and conserving energy. It will be a long week and it will be interesting to see how everyone paces themselves.  As I rolled in at the end of the day I was thankful we had no crashes or other incidences. Then Kathy came out and told me we had someone fall but no serious injuries.

Our camps require everyone to help out. We purchase the food as part of the camp costs but teams of two prepare a meal each morning and evening. Everyone is on their own for lunch.  We have a number of vegetarians in the group.  Dinner consisted of Chicken for our meat lovers and a variety of different options for our Plant Based and Vegetarian eaters. At night we drove down to the Strip.

Tomorrow begins with a 5:30 a.m. outdoor masters swim practice followed by breakfast then a 60 mile ride on the long course ITU World Championship course.

Dedication

It seems every year I write about the topic of dedication, commitment or perseverance.  It is usually triggered after reviewing my clients logs and noticing a pattern between those who succeed in accomplishing their goals and those who can never seem to get "there".  Perhaps I'm different, but I've always thought that if I put money out there and set a goal, that the motivation naturally follows.  Everyone has different goals, talent levels, genetic make up but the effort to reach individual goals  isn't much different from the podium finishers to back of the packer.

During my initial interview with athletes we have a long conversation about triathlon goals in relation to life goals. This interview sets the tone for how I will monitor progress and the level of feedback provided.  You coach someone differently who tells you that sport is a hobby and balance is important in their life versus the person who tells you that "Kona" is the ultimate goal and they have time to train. After the initial meeting I watch closely to see if the actions of the athlete meet the goals and work ethics they have outlined for me during our introductory meeting.

What separates those who succeed and those who don't?  I found an article I wrote for Triathlon Life magazine in 2009.  In reading the article, there are  very few changes I would make today.  I've updated a few references and added a new section but the message remains the same.

                                                                WHAT IT TAKES

Being a multisport athlete requires dedication, perseverance, commitment and an attitude of doing WHAT EVER IT TAKES to accomplish ones goals, what ever they may be.  The athletes who reach their dreams are those that are consistent in the approach they bring to training and life.  It means making sacrifices that others aren’t willing to make.  It means preparing both physically and mentally.  It means taking a business like approach to reaching goals.

 As a coach, I see many different approaches to racing and training.  Obviously not everyone has the talent to be the first person across the line. Winning is defined by accomplishing what you set out to do, NOT being first.   The working parent who finishes an Ironman is more of a winner in my eyes than the pro who “wins” the race. 

In the late 80’s when I first started racing, the sport was filled with former jocks, the ex high school football player, volley ball player looking to fill a void in life.  The sport remains the same but the faces have changed.  It is now vogue to be a triathlete and more people than ever are participating in the sport.  USAT reports (2009) that 75,000 people are card carrying members.  The computer geek, the guy down the street who used to weigh 300 pounds and more women than ever now toe the line with the ex jocks. In 1992 when I completed my first Ironman I filled out an application and held on to it until February ( I didn’t have $175), today Ironman races fill within 15 minutes.  Ironman is becoming the marathon of the 80’s. Tri for the Cure, Danskins and your local sprint triathlons fill to capacity year after year.    

But I’m seeing a pattern of athletes who don’t understand “what it takes” to set goals and make the sacrifices both physically and mentally to attain what they set out to accomplish.   People who sign up for an Ironman but they have never done another multisport event.  People sign up for a sprint tri and don't go to the pool before the race.

I have a good friend who is infamous for saying “SHUT THE HECK UP AND RIDE!! QUIT TALKING ABOUT RIDING, QUIT TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO, QUIT TALKING AND PUT YOUR BOTTOM TO THE LEATHER AND RIDE!!”.  People just laugh at him, but as simplistic as the approach may seem, there is a lot of truth to what he says. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a plan and follow it.  It means that as athletes we need to stop talking about doing what it takes, and do the things necessary to achieve what you set out to accomplish.  The time to talk is after the gun goes off and before you cross the finish line.

I find that when I call athletes out for lack of commitment I get a lot of push back.  The goal remains the same but the commitment level doesn't live up to the pre season promise.   My wife is a three time Kona qualifier (podium finisher in 2010) and will enter her 30th year of racing in 2012.  Twenty years ago, she stepped on a broken beer bottle exiting the swim portion of a triathlon.  She was told she would never run again and spent six months in a cast. She has very little feeling in her right foot. People ask her all the time, how a working mother (she is a sales representative who travels a three state territory) of two teen age children does “it”.  We are often taken back by the question because we have done this for so long it has become natural.  The answer is a bit complicated but in short she/we “does what it takes to succeed”.  We follow some very simple guidelines.

• Manage Your Time:  Set up a training schedule which is realistic and manageable.  Don’t try to do 25 hours when realistically you have 15 open hours a week.
• Be Consistent:  Designate certain days and times to swim, bike, run and lift. 
• Be Creative: Drop the kids off at practice and go for a run as opposed to sitting in the stands talking to the other parents.  Wake up at 5 am and ride the trainer.  Hire a baby sitter and go for a ride.  Work out at lunch. Ride your bike to and from work.
• Work out in the morning:  Most busy people don’t have time after work. Become an early riser and get your workouts out of the way before your real job.
• Plan Ahead: Prepare meals in advance.  Review the weekly family/work activities in advance and then enter in your workouts. 
• Make exercise a priority: You don’t find time, you make it.  There is plenty of time in a week to get in 8-15 hours of exercise.  Do you really need to watch all that reality TV?
• Make it a priority to accomplish your goal. Don't let life distractions throw you off course. 

“That’s what it takes” has different meanings for different people.  Only you have the ability to look at a situation and truly know if you are capable of achieving your dreams. Your dream may be to finish the Danskin triathlon or complete an Ironman.  However, when you commit to your goal, do what ever it takes to succeed.  Sacrifice, determination, commitment, dedication, perseverance, attitude… “That’s what it takes”

My Time With Michel and Beyond

Dr. Michel Herskovitz is the owner of Performance Acupuncture and Lifestyle Medicine.  She is strong in her faith and very passionate about following a "Natural Hygiene Diet". Before we go any further, , I really don't care what you call this method of eating, I just care that you are open to realizing there is a different way than what you read and have been taught over the years.  Meat isn't the only source of getting protein.

As I explained in my previous post, we began the week by unplugging and water fasting for three days. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I read books, sat in the sun and took short walks.  During this time Michel had me read some books by Herbert Shelton.  A lot of what Shelton writes is over my head but the key points surrounded food combining.  In short, a lot of the foods that we combine do not do well in our stomach thereby causing us to not feel well. I highly recommend a simple read called Green For Life by Boutenko or you watch the movie Fork Over Knives to get a simple introduction on moving toward a plant based diet. You can also reach out to Michel as she does provide consulting services.  

Michel switched me to a plant based diet and taught me how to shop for what I would need. There were a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, no meat and nothing in a can or bottle.  I came off the fast and Michel started teaching me how to prepare some simple meals. Organic salad with lots of vegetables but no dressing, bok chot, cucumbers and fresh made carrot juice and an assortment of different smoothies all made naturally.  I was surprised how good the food tasted "naked" and astonished that I wasn't waking up hungry in the middle of the night like I always had.

What is a plant based diet?  I can tell you what is not. It's not Vegan and it's not vegetarian.   Plant based diet meant eating nothing processed and nothing that was cooked. If you think about it for a second, that is a lot of what I was eating before and what you are probably eating now.  In Michel's approach you paid close attention to foods you combined together so the nutrients would be absorbed into your system with no side effects.  If you think about it for a second, that is a lot of what I was eating before and what you are probably eating now. Before you ask where I get my protein, there is plenty of protein in leafy greens, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Do the research and you will note meat is not the only way to get your protein.   You have to eat a lot of them but they are there and as you will soon find out, you get plenty of everything you need to feel energetic.  Sometimes we believe by reading the research, other times we believe by experimenting or observing and drawing conclusions.  My wife soon joined me on this diet. Although she had just placed 3rd in the wolrd at the Ironman World Championships she liked what she saw in the new me.  I wasn't back to racing and I was still skeptical that endurance athletes could follow this diet and succeed.  In short, she raced three times last season.  First in her age group at Kansas 70.3 (won by 26 minutes and had her fastest run split ever at age 50), 4th at 70.3 world championships and 2nd at long course ITU worlds.   She dropped 11 lbs from her Ironman race weight and still performed at a world class level. That should put to bed any questions about if you can perform well on this diet.

The biggest learning I had from my week with Michel was how much sodium is in the food we eat and "think" is healthy.  A simple rule of thumb is that if the sodium count per serving is greater than the calories per serving there is too much sodium.  The ratio should be 1:1.  Use this rule of thumb and I guarantee you that 80% of what you currently eat will be eliminated.   This article isn't intended to be an overview of the plant based diet.  I will tell you that for 40 days I did not drink any alcohol and ate only foods which were not cooked or processed.  I went from 182 lbs to 150lbs in less than three months and I hover between 151 and 154 a year later. Have I fallen off the wagon on occasion? No when it comes to eating read meat and chicken. Yes when it comes to pizza and occasionally a bowl of pasta or fish.  I don't beat myself up when I go to the dark side on occasion.  My body does that for me.....

We eat a lot of salads with no dressing and drink a lot of smoothies which contain bananas, organic blueberries or cherries and leafy greens. I'm immune to all the jokes my friends throw at me.  I've found that when people don't know what to say they make jokes. They don't mean harm they just don't understand. I was recently asked if I miss "real" food.  Initially I did and on occasion when my kids cook something that smells good I think I miss the taste of those foods.  There have been times when I've traveled and had limited options on the road and have allowed myself to eat a vegetarian burrito, pizza or vegetable soup.  The food tastes good but I can quickly tell that my energy level drops and I don't think as clearly as I did before.  I'm astute enough to realize that I can easily get caught in the trap of eating how I did before.  By most peoples standards I was eating "healthy".  However, I knew my energy levels were low, I had no desire to exercise, my body ached, I couldn't sleep at night despite taking sleeping pills and I was generally at a loss for who I was or where I was going.  Post diet change, I have clear direction, I'm thinking clearer, I have the energy to exercise and will be racing in 2012.  I'm pleasantly surprised that my times are not far off from when I was at my training peak in 2004 (when I last raced endurance events) and I'm anxious to see how my body and mind respond to the training.  Another HUGE benefit of this diet is that because I'm not putting all the chemical byproducts that come with eating meat and processed foods I have less inflammation in my body. I can go out and run 10 miles and have little to no residual pain the next day.  Recovery is vastly improved which allows me to have quality workouts.

The pictures below are before and after. They were taken 1 year apart, one in 2010 and the other in 2011.  In the first photo I weight about 180 lbs.(note the roundness in my cheeks)  In the second photo I weighed 151 lbs.

I often tell Michel she saved my life. We keep in touch and she is sincerely moved and touched by my transformation.  People come in and out of our lives for a reason.  I hadn't been in touch with Michel for over 10 years but as I sought answers to my problem I felt a strange urge to reach out to her for help.  It required me to put life on hold and make a significant change to a way I had lived for 48 years.  How honest are you being with your current situation? Where is your energy level as opposed to where it was 10 years ago? Are you gaining weight although you are still exercising? Does your body ache? How is your mental clarity?  The answer is not I'm getting old and these things are going to happen. The answer may be as close to what you put in your body? Do some research and see what chemicals and additives YOU put in your body every day.  Just remember there is no silver bullet in a pill that makes you feel better.  Take control of your health by selectively putting food in your system which makes you feel good in the long term. Let go of what you have been taught for years and search alternative manners in which you can restore your enthusiasm for life.

Another Comeback ???

    I know I'm long over due on updating my blog,  but as I wrote in my last published post in 2008,  it was never my intent to write about being injured and create  a pity party.  In fact, within months of my last post, I was back on my bike when another cyclist, who was descending a hill in front of me, made a u -turn and I struck him going about 25-30 mph and flipped over my handle bars. 

I have no idea if I will write anything that anyone will read or if anyone will follow me. but I have a lot to share regarding what has happened to me the past 4 years and what is going on now in my life. I'm healed and have started racing again but the path back to health was long and filled with many detours.

My injuries were numerous with the most severe being a compression fracture of the back at T-11/T12.  I spent the better part of the past 3.5 years in various states of despair, feeling sorry for myself, hurting and generally doing very little athletically. It was one of the worst phases of my life. I felt lost with which direction life was taking me.  I didn't know if I should fight through the pain and forge ahead or find a new direction.. At one point I had convinced myself I would just start hiking. After all it was just walking and I could still do that.   It would keep me in relatively good shape and  I could see some great places in the state of Colorado. I never acted on this impulse.

During this period of being out of commission I vowed to be  a supportive husband and father,  growing Mile High Multisport and catching  up on chores around the house that had been neglected during my triathlon years.  I took the kids to swim, golf, hockey, guitar... you name it. If they wanted to go somewhere the answer was always yes.  Kathy continued racing and I'm glad she did.  In 2010, on her 50th birthday. she took 3rd in the world at the Ironman World Championship (http://www.milehighmultisport.com/category/training-tips/race/).  I was proud of my role in supporting her and the victory was all of ours as we really worked well as a family during this journey. But something was still missing from my life but I couldn't put my finger on it. I was getting through each day but I wasn't fulfilled in the least bit with anything I was doing except work which was going very well. Perhaps Gods plan for me was to be supportive and live vicariously though my clients?

I continued to see different Doctors and therapists in an attempt to make a return to being active. On occasion I would feel better, attempt to run 1/2 a mile  only to have the same aching feeling in my body.  My back throbbed, my head ached and I knew something wasn't right.  I saw acupuncturists, massage therapists, physical therapist etc.  My pill box rivaled that of my grandmothers in her 80's. I got to the point where I was photocopying the sheet which contained all my medicines so it made filling out medical questionnaires easier.

At the end of 2010, I started to feeling pains in my stomach and my throat hurt.  I was convinced I was dying of cancer. The number of aches and pains throughout my body was increasing. I asked myself what was the purpose of all the medications and herbs I was taking if I continually felt worse. I made the decision to see two Dr.s I had been treating with.  One suggested I take more medicine and the other questioned why I was taking some of medicines prescribed.  A full blood panel was ordered which came back clear with the exception of a very high Iron count.  I took a special blood test and was sent to a specialist who told me that everything was fine.  During that meeting, he questioned why I was taking some of the medicines I was prescribed.  So now, besides myself, I had two Dr.'s asking why I was on certain medicines.  I knew immediately what I would do and as soon as I got home I threw away everything with the exception of my sleeping pills.  I felt better, but I still wasn't "living life" so my mind continued to search for what was my next course of action would be in my quest to be happy.

 I turned to an old friend whom I hadn't spoken to in years. We had reacquainted via face book.  Michel Herskovitz, Performance Acupuncture and Lifestyle Medicine ) is an Oriental Medicine Dr. out of Las Vegas, Nevada.  When I last saw Michel she was on this crazy "Raw Food Diet" and quite honestly I thought she was out of her mind. Something inside of me said to reach out to Michel and before I knew it, I was on my way to spend 10 days with her at her residence which doubles as a retreat for people like me who are searching for a better way. What happened over the next 10 days changed my life.  When I arrived she confiscated my electronics. There was no tv in her house and I knew immediately I was just unplugged from my normal day to day living. When I went to visit Michelle I couldn't run 1 mile without experiencing pain. I wasn't cycling and I could swim 2000 but with no intensity.   Since then, I've completed a half marathon (one year to the day after I left her retreat) and am signed up for various triathlons throughout the summer, including a 70.3 race in April.  I'm happy to report that I am feeling a lot better than I have in years and take no medications, herbs, supplements at all!! Not a single thing!  In my next blog, I will report more on what Michel did with me that changed my life.....