My Weekend..

Triston had prom.

On Friday I visited my alma mater
UCF for a baseball game.

It was a slow game but we won.

Saw an albino peacock at St Augustine, FL this weekend.

This one has a bit more color.

 

Clewie and I took a nap. 
He slept on my clothes.

Attended a crawfish boil and
ate a TON of crawfish.

I had a better day then the crawfish.

Translation Tuesday - Dedication

Dedication (noun)

Normal Definition
- Self-sacrificing devotion (Webster)

My Definition
- All three of the following examples I had the dedication (and humility) to suffer through this week.

Swimming for 30 minutes in the
over-chlorinated gym pool WITHOUT any goggles
because I accidentally left them at home.
BTW: I had no Visine either.
IMAGE SOURCE

Running for an hour in the Florida heat and then
forgetting your showering towel.
It's always fun drying yourself with cheap
paper towels after your shower.
People look at you real strange after you take
50% of the remaining paper towels to dry your
naked body.
IMAGE SOURCE

Cycling on the trainer for 1 hour in your dress shoes
because your forget your gym shoes at home.
This got some strange looks.

Clermont 70.3 Review

I am happy to report I survived the Clermont 70.3 but it was a tough race. 

The swim went great.  I kept checking to see if I was off course because there was never anyone around me.  No pushing, poking, bumping, etc.  Just a perfect open water swim. My swim was 7:37 minutes faster than last year.  I was very happy about that!!

The bike ride kicked my butt.  The hills were tough but the wind was tougher.  The wind started to kick up with 10-20 mph wind gusts.  I actually saw white caps on the small Clermont lake.  I went up Buckhill hill with the wind in my face.  It was really tough.  I had nothing left in the tank for the last 15 mile of the ride.  Just as a comparison I normally average around 19-20 mph on the bike.  This race I averaged 16.4 mph.  All in all I was 3:21 seconds faster than last year.

The run was hot and lonely.  This race only draws around 125-200 participates of varying levels of skill.  My skill level is normally middle of the pack and most others doing this race are "well above average."  There is also next to no crowd cheering you on.  So the run is a very lonely place. 

Being lonely on a 70.3 is a dangerous endeavor (especially when you are doing a race with very fast participates).  You start to thinking very negative thoughts.  Many times during the bike and run I thought to myself how bad I was doing and that I should really rethink this whole triathlon thing.  I know I am not the best athlete (I never have been).  Being pasted by people twice your age and/or weight starts you in a downward spiral.  Being a very tough race does not help matters.  I had to fight those demons in my mind.

My run this year was 18:41 minutes faster than last year.  Keep in mind last year the race temperatures were feels like 100-110F.  My friend's van read the outside temperature was 102F last year. 

Below are my race numbers from 2011 and 2012.  Normally my 70.3 race finish times are around 5:50 -6:10 but this race is tough!!  Also my transition times suck.  My German/Dutch/Polish heritage requires me to slather on a ton of suntan lotion or I will end up a well done lobster.  I would rather finish slower than to finish in pain!  I just accept it.

Year	2011	2012	Diff
Finish Time	7:16:23	6:43:55	0:32:28
Swim Time	43:14:00	35:37:00	7:37:00
Trans #1	5:53	6:03	-0:10
Bike Time	3:28:04	3:24:43	0:03:21
Bike Speed	16.1	16.4	0.3
Trans #2	8:38	5:37	3:01
Run Time	2:50:36	2:31:55	0:18:41
Run Pace	13:02	11:36	1:26

3:55 AM.  I honestly think its not the distance
that kills me the next day but the lack of sleep.
Physically I feel fine the next day after a 70.3
but I take several days to recover from the lack
of sleep.  I must be getting old. This was easy
during college.

The Bling!

Scary!! Be careful when and where you train

Double homicide: 2 bodies found burning along Cady Way Trail (Central Florida)

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-2-found-burning-on-cady-way-trail-20120415,0,7771088.story

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/crime/04152012_Firey_Double_Homicide

I have biked and ran past this area countless times over the years.  It is a scary area and needs to be cleaned up.  A ton of gang graffiti and homeless live in this area.  This is the same area people were getting mugged last year.  There was 1-2 girls that went missing years back also.

I will post about the Clermont 70.3 later in the week.  I'm to tired to type much today.

Clermont Bound - 70.3

I'm all packed and ready to go.

My how time flys. Last year (almost to the day) was my first 70.3. Now this will be my fifth half ironman.

While cleaning my bike today I found a potential disaster. My rear tire had some major damage to it. I must have received it during last weeks ride. I immediately rushed out to the bike store and luckily got there right before they closed and bought some new tires. Darn tires are expensive!! Nothing like riding the hill of Clermont in new tires that you have never ridden on before. Cross my fingers.

Weather will be partly cloudy, high around 87F, 10-20mph winds. (wind yuck!!)

I weighed myself on the scale yesterday. I am now 178lbs. That is 27lbs lighted than when I started this blog about 1.5 years ago. I was 168 when I entered college many moons ago. But back the the only running I did was to my car in the rain. I also did not bike, swim or weight train back then. Right I am in the best shape of my life.

Hope everyone reading is having a great weekend. Have a cold one for me tomorrow. Hopefully the hills of Clermont don't kick my butt.

Translation Tuesday - Tapering

Tapering (noun)

Normal Definition
According to Wikipedia tapering "refers to the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition. Tapering is customary in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. The tapering period frequently lasts as much as a week or more".

My Definition
No Exercise, No Beer/Coffee Make Mr Half TRIing Go Crazy!!

Lance has never done the Clermont 70.3

Image Source

It's called "The Intimidator" for a good reason. ITS HARD!!  So hard that you do not hear Lance signing up for this 70.3.  Last years temperatures were in the feels like of 100 - 100F.  Darn hot and humid.  It's bike route is nearly the same route as the "Horrible Hundred" race.  It tore me up last year.  It was the hardest of the 4 races I did last year.  And I have to do to it again in 7 days.

I'm a little scared.  Although you should be a little scared before a 70.3.  You have to "respect the distance."  It's not a full Ironman but at this distance a lot can go horribly wrong if you do not plan right and have a little luck.

My back is hurting really bad and my biking is no where near I want it to be.  My run should be great.  My swimming should be just okay but the bike I am worried about.  It has been hard finding time to get onto the bike. 

I have a few named hills out to get me this weekend.  Lets see if I can handle the old "SugarLoaf", "Buckhill" and "The Wall". 

The temperatures are suppose to be in the low 90s and I hope the wind is non-existent.

One thing is for sure.  I will see no Lance.  Wuss..

Oh, by the way, have you see this.  Show boating cost Lance 6th place by 1 hundredth of a second.  I like how the guy slaps Lance as he passes him.  Then, he completely IGNORES his daughter trying to give them a medal.  DAD!! DAD!! USA Today