Blog going cold

Hi All:

Just wanted to let you know I am not going to continue this blog. It has been haphazard at best and I just don't have time to continue.

Thanks and have a great 2009!

John

2 x 12' Bike Intervals

What a great ride! Did I make the intervals???

Has anyone seen my bike intensity mojo?

1 x 15 and 1 x 10 on the bike. Cold!

2009 Ironman Training Begins TODAY! / Update

Well, I have been gone but now I am back! Here we go . . . . . .

11.29.08 - Saturday Bike, Baby!

Bike day! 1 x 12 minutes at 100+% output and 2 x 15 minutes at 85% output. Woh!

Happy Thanksgiving! 2 x 15 Minute @ 95% Output

Did I do it?

Wednesday 11.26.08 - 3 x 1.5 Mile Intervals

Knocked it out, baby!

Tuesday 11/25/08 - 2 x 20' Not Happening

Still trying to recover

Let's Try Video

Sunday Track Workout

Woke up to our damn cat meowing that he was hungry. 6:30 AM. GGGRRRRRRR! I almost drop kicked the little bugger. The one morning I can sleep in . . . . . . . . .

Went and did 3 x 1 mile repeats on the track this morning. Was a cool 50 degrees and breezy. After warm-up I did the first mile in Z3-4. I could tell I was tied. Legs were shaky. However, during the second repeat I seemed to wake up. The third repeat I was feeling strong again.

I hit all the Z targets and then did a cool down meander run back home. Nice to have a brand new synthetic track 1/4 mile from my home. I was happy I didn't cut the w/o short because I was tired like I was thinking about after the first repeat.

Came home and stretched a lot. Had breakfast and now trying to figure out if I should mow the lawn today. Maybe tomorrow. :-)

Monday is an off day.

Saturday Bike and Transition (T) Run

Endurance Nation Out-Season Plan for today was 1 hour bike with:

• Warm-up
• Master Set: 1 x 10 minutes at Wattage Zone 4-5 (hard)
• Easy: 5 minute recovery
• Master Set: 2 x 12 minutes (3 minute recovery in between) at Wattage Zone 3
• Cool Down

I NAILED the zones and had time to extend the ride. I ended up riding 2.5 hours with the averge watts at 85% of my FTP (Functional Threshold Power). I felt GREAT.

Jumped off and did a T run for 30 minutes at 8:29 pace (Run Zone 3). Felt great.

Positives: I am feeling stronger.
Negatives: Felt right hami tightening at end of run. Did not hydrate enough.

Here is a pic from Collier Canyon where I do most of my intervals. It is a quiet two-lane country road that ascends gradually (and not so gradually) for several miles.

Reset / Where The Hell Have I Been?

OK, time to reset everything. Been a busy month and time to get caught up. What have I been doing?

1- Ran San Francisco Half Marathon.
2 -Ran Rock N Roll San Jose Half Marathon.
3 -Ran Primo's Half Marathon.
4 -Ran Grape Stomp 5k and PR'd, again!
5 - Decided NOT to train and run the Carlsbad Marathon in January.
6 - Adding Wildflower Long-Course triathlon to 2009 season.
7 - Bought PowerTap SL 2.4 power meter for my bike.
8 - Joined Endurance Nation (EN) triathlon community.
9 - Started Endurance Nation Out-Season winter training program.

WOO! I guess it has been busy.

(Roberta Gonzales and me messing around before the start of the RNR Half.)

OK, So I am officially "officially" back into triathlon. The online community at Endurance Nation has me thinking differently about tri's, and I like it. Key concept is to get out there, git-r-done, and then get on with life. Serious focus on intensity training. No LSD (Long, slow distance) runs or bikes. All workouts are short, but high intensity. I feel it when I am done.

I will start posting my training every few days going forward. Doing it everyday was getting kinda cumbersome.

Reset complete. Now let's get going . . . . . .

(Cheryl and I smooching at RNR Half)

Bike Fitting - What A Difference

Well, since I have this new bike I figured it would be appropriate to get it fitted. I sent a note out to my club, Forward Motion Racing asking for a recommendation and the feedback was almost unanimous to call PK Cycling in Fairfax and talk to Christopher. So, I packed up my bike and made the 1+ hour drive across the bay.

All I can say is that I found a guy who is the biggest bike geek in the world and who actually knows his stuff. I personally don't get all caught up in the hype over wheels, etc. because after reviewing the hard quantitative data (not hype) the upgrades most people make to their bike get almost no return on investment. I quizzed Chris and we agreed on every point. Very cool.

Anyhoo, Chris sat down and we chatted about my goals, previous experiences, etc. He then set-up my bike on the trainer and started taking serious measurements. Then he put me on the bike and took more measurements. As I expected, my assumptions about how I should be on my bike were totally wrong. I was too far back from the handlebars, legs were extending too far, etc. I guess trying to fit yourself on a bike is like try to self-diagnose an injury. It is always best to go see an expert as I am usually wrong. :-)

Chris explained the mechanics of body position and made how it all fit together make sense and that the seat was the center of my world. I actually thought it was too low, but it was actually too high. Once we got that all dialed in we tinkered with the handle/aerobar set-up and really fine tuned things. I was amazed at how much further I was forward on the bike. A 2" move forward made all the difference in the world.

I then went for a test ride and it was amazing. I was comfortable everywhere.

All I can say is that people should spend their money on this type of service before they spend money trying to shave grams off the bike. All the Forward Motion folks told me it would be a change in my biking and I have seen the light! I have drank the Kool-Aid.

Just for fun, here is a pic of an $8,000+ dollar prototype bike by Guru being tweaked by Chris. It is so light I could lift it with my pinkie. Literally. Amazing.

Thursday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3816
Calories Consumed: 2930
Calorie Balance: 886 Deficit


Break down of calories consumed:


Protein: 18% (135 grams)
Carbs: 63% (460 grams)
Total Fat: 19% (60 grams)

Gotta stay away from the McDonald's french fries. :-)

Thursday AM - 6.5 Mile Run

Had a nice 6.5 mile run this morning with Catherine and her friend. Pace was moderate to fast. We ran the Club Sport loop and I felt strong the whole way. Only area where I had issue was the last .4 miles up "Mount Bollinger" from Alcosta up to the club. It is pretty steep and I walked for a few moments a couple of times.

I did legs on Tuesday so my hamstrings were trashed before we started but were fine once we started running. However, a couple of hours after I was pretty comatose (tired) and my legs were sore. I am doing much better now.

Not sure, but I think I hadn't fully recovered from the bike and long run this past weekend. Definitely went too long last weekend.

Need to re-familiarize myself on methods to recover faster.

Wednesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 2835
Calories Consumed: 2716
Calorie Balance: 119 Deficit

Break down of calories consumed:

Protein: 24% (171 grams)
Carbs: 62% (433 grams)
Total Fat: 14% (42 grams)

Meeting With My Nutritionist! WOOHOO!

Met with my nutritionist, Anne Moselle of LifeStyleRX in Livermore this morning. I started working with her on June 2nd, 2008 with the sole purpose of shaving my body fat %. I had to inventory my eating for several days prior to our first meeting so she could see what I ate. At the first meeting she set-up a program for me that included the Body Bugg. Ever since that first day I have been laser focused on my diet (not being too strict) and it is paying off. Inputting all my foods everyday really helps me focus on what I am eating. I upload the info. from the Body Bugg to the BB web site and it tells me how many calories I have burned. I then input the foods I have eaten and then it spits out my Protein, Carb and Fat % for the day. That is how I get the numbers I post on this blog.

Anyhoo, after the Bod Pod test this morning here are the results of all my effort to date:

- A loss of 10.5 pounds of pure body fat (that's 2.5 lbs per month of fat loss)
- A gain of 1+ pounds of lean muscle (all the weight training)
- A body fat % drop of 3.7 %

I am stoked. I am down to 208 pounds and I am in the best physical shape I have ever been in. And this is BEFORE I start marathon and Ironman training.

My goal is to lose 15 more pounds of pure fat by my Ironman race in June 2009.

However, I have to say that this program is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am not restricted from anything I want to eat. The key is moderation. And the Type A guy that I am, moderation is not easy. :-)

More later.

Tuesday Evening Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3340
Calories Consumed: 3274
Calorie Balance: 66 Deficit

Break down of calories consumed:

Protein: 39% (317 grams)
Carbs: 41% (340 grams)
Total Fat: 20% (73 grams)

Tuesday AM @ The Gym

Did a :20 swim to get a feel of lap swimming again in the pool. How b o r i n g. Wish I had time to water swim at Lake Del Valle. It is just too far to drive with my limited window of opportuntiy in the morning.

Followed the swim with :35 of core work.

Followed core work with :30 of legs. New routine to start building strength.

Was a good morning.

Monday - Day Off

Tired. 'Nuff said.

Sunday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 4226
Calories Consumed: 3382
Calorie Balance: 844 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 20% (171 grams)
Carbs: 64% (554 grams)
Total Fat: 16% (60 grams)

Sunday AM 10 Mile Run

After a serious ride to the summit of Mt. Diablo yesterday, I got up this morning and ran a HR Zone 2 10 mile run.

I could tell from the first minute my legs were tired from the ride yesterday. They weren't stiff. Just felt tired/fatigued. I kinda figured this was going to be the case. But I just went on.

I was fine for the first 7 miles and then I started fading. I was getting warm (it was 83 degrees when I got home) and I could see I was having a bit of cardiac drift. I stopped at a Starbucks at mile 8 and used the bathroom to cool down a bit and drink a bunch of water.

At about mile 8.5 I started feeling better and finished the last mile or so in good shape.

Burned ~ 1,700 calories on the run.

Got home and powered a Myoplex Deluxe Protein Shake and I added 8oz. of skim milk, a whole Fuji apple and a banana and tossed it all in the blender. Break down is:

Protein: 63 grams
Carbs: 90 grams
Fat: 5.5 grams

I will eat a good lunch in a few minutes.

Overall, I feel tired but good. For my first "big" weekend of tri training in a long time I am happy how I am doing after just two weeks of serious training.

But I went too much. I am going to throttle back a bit to not get injured. :-) Plus, I am starting MARATHON training. Tri training officially begins in January!

Oh well, call me "passionate" about endurance sport. :-)

Saturday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3515
Calories Consumed: 3398
Calorie Balance: 117 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 11% (107 grams)
Carbs: 65% (568 grams)
Total Fat: 24% (90 grams)

Went out for Mexican dinner and ate too many chips! :-)

Mt. Diablo Ride To Summit . . . What was I thinking?

First of all, I know what Coach Patricia will say to me. That is "what were you thinking!?" I know, I know, but it was "only" the summit. The one thing I should have realized (and I did but won't admit it) is that I have NOT ridden up the mountain for almost 2 years! In fact, I have done virtually ZERO road riding in the past 2 years. That I was on a new bike and maybe should make sure all my brake cables were adjusted before I descended 10 miles back down. That maybe I wasn't really ready at an endurance/physical level.

All I can say is "oh well." :-)

So I headed up on the new bike. I was interested to see how the climbing would be with compact cranks. I have ridden up Mt. Diablo dozens of times on my 53/39 and 27/12 set-up. So what would it be like with a 50/34 on the front? All I can say is that there was definitely a difference. I spun up (actually meandered up) to The Junction (~ 6 miles up) and felt great. Since I had not ridden anything like this for 20+ months I was quite happy with my progress. So I decided to go to the top. Heck, it was only 4.2 mile further. So I did.

Was fun to be out there and even gave a shout out to local pro triathlete Chris Lieto as he cruised by me while I was taking pictures (my Roberta Gonzales impersonation). I assume it was one of his last hammers up the mountain before Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in two weeks.

Anyhoo, I did overdo it. It was hot. I was tired this afternoon. But I did it!

Here are some pics from the ride:

A look out over the tri-valley.

Curry Point. ~ 1,500 feet.

There were a few folks at the junction.

If you looks closely you can make out Curry Point below.

Quick stop at the overlook. That is the San Francisco Bay over my right shoulder.

Done! Now it is 10 miles back down!

Friday Calorie Count/Day Off

Took the day off. Have a brick workout tomorrow (2 hr bike and :45 run) and then a 10 mile run on Sunday. This is my first "big" weekend. I should enjoy this as this will be a very light recovery weekend in a few months. :-)

Ate heavy on the carbs for this weekend, including a HUGE whole wheat pasta with veggies and chicken dinner! It tasted awesome!

Calorie Count:

Calories Burned: 2975
Calories Consumed: 2971
Calorie Balance: 4 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 14% (108 grams)
Carbs: 75% (575 grams)
Total Fat: 11% (37 grams)

Thursday Workout and Calorie Count

Had a nice 20 mile bike this morning. Still trying to get a feel for the bike. I am about 95% comfortable, but being down in aero position after 20 months of not was harder than I expected. I am not sure of it because I am out of practice or I am not fitted correctly. I am thinking it is a bit of both.

I will be getting fitted in the next week or so. Just need to figure out where to go. I have several suggestions and will start making calls.

Thursday Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3206
Calories Consumed: 2858
Calorie Balance: 348 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 27% (195 grams)
Carbs: 55% (403 grams)
Total Fat: 18% (58 grams)

The large fries at McDonald's sure were good. But they killed my fat intake. Oh well, guess I should eat before I take my sons and his friends there. :-)

My bike is here, my bike is here!

OK, I FINALLY got my new bike via warranty replacement from Kestrel. They were going to just change out the frameset, but all they had were complete bikes available. It wasn't free, but Kestrel gave me a screaming deal for a complete bike. Below are the specs for my bike-geek friends.

But first the short and dirty:

I have a new 2008 Kestrel Talon SL full carbon bike with Profile Design full carbon aero set-up, Shimano Dura Ace shifters and derailleurs and Shimano Ultegra brakes and compact crankset. Frame set is just 2.2 lbs.

The Ice Grey crankset looks suh-weet with the frame color!

What I changed out from what was sent:

• Replaced the FSA carbon crankset for Shimano Ultegra compact crankset.
• Replaced Shimano 105 front dreaileur for Shimano Dura Ace deraileur.
• Replaced Cane Creek brakes with my Shimano Ultegra brakes from old bike.
• Replaced Profile Design T-2 Cobra carbon aerobars with my Profile Design Carbon Stryke aerobars from old bike.
• Replaced Continental super light tires with Michelin Pro Race tires.

Future changes:

• Replace wheels from Mavic Aksium wheelset to Mavic Ksyrium Elite
• Use old rear wheel and have Power Tap hub built into it.

Specs:

Frame Size: 57 cm
Color: Black/Weave
Frame Weight: 1.1kg (2.2 lbs)
Fork: EMS Pro 11/8
Handlebar: Profile Design Carbon Wing
Aerobar: Profile Design Carbon Stryke "r" bars
Stem: Profile Design H20 OS Aluminum
Headset: FSA Orbit X
Shifters: Dura Ace 10 Speed Bar End
Brake: Levers Profile Design Quick Stop Carbon
Front Derailer: Dura Ace 10 Speed Braze On
Rear Derailer: Dura Ace 10 Speed Short Cage
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Bottom Bracket
Crankset: Shimano Ultegra SL Compact Crankset (Ice Grey) 50/34
Brakes: Ultegra Brakes
Wheelset: Mavic Aksium
Tires: Michelin Pro Race
Seat Post: Kestrel Carbon Multi Position
Seat: Selle San Marco Ponza Lux

Wednesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3394
Calories Consumed: 2807
Calorie Balance: 587 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 29% (207 grams)
Carbs:65% (459 grams)
Total Fat: 6% (18 grams)

I think I am getting too low on my daily fat intake.

Wednesday PM Bike Ride

Got the new Kestrel Talon SL built up today. Spent the afternoon tweaking it to my specs. Went for a 20 mile easy ride tonight to make sure everything fit well and nothing would fall off. :-) I had the seat angle a little aggressive.

Gonna do a 1.5 hour bike followed by a 30 minute run tomorrow morning.

Here is a pic. I will take better pics and post them tomorrow.

Wednesday AM @ The Gym

Did pretty heavy arms this morning. Standing curls, concentration curls, cable kick backs and really heavy cable push downs. Then followed with :30 of core work.

Nice 1 hour workout.

Tuesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3029
Calories Consumed: 2697
Calorie Balance: 332 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 31% (215 grams)
Carbs: 59% (405 grams)
Total Fat: 10% (30 grams)

Tuesday AM @ The Gym

Did pretty heavy chest routine (flat, inclined decline and fly) with a killer flat bench drop set from 165# down to just the bar. Each set followed immediately by the next lighter weight. Each to fatigue. I LOVE drop sets. I was sweating profusely at the end.

Followed that up with 30 minutes of core with the trainer. I was hurting. Each week he gives me more challenging movements.

Nice 1 hour workout.

Monday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3212
Calories Consumed: 2386
Calorie Balance: 826 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 23% (140 grams)
Carbs: 61% (376 grams)
Total Fat: 16% (42 grams)

Monday - Day Off

Just tinkered with my son. No major activities.

Sunday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 4018
Calories Consumed: 3454
Calorie Balance: 564 Deficit

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 27% (234 grams)
Carbs: 58% (507 grams)
Total Fat: 15% (58 grams)

Sunday AM 8.15 Mile Run

Ran with the Nike training group this morning. Stated out with an easy pace group and at mile 3 simply took off. Had a strong run. My confidence is building. I could also tell during the run that my core is strong. Been hammering my core for a few months now so it is nice to feel the results.

I am supposed to be at 6 to 8 miles comfortably before I begin my "Official" training for the Carlsbad Marathon in January. My official training starts on Monday, October 13th.

Today:

Run 8.15 miles
Calories Burned on Run: ~ 1,100

Saturday Wrap-Up

Did mucho yard work today. Close to 4 hours worth. Then did some computer work.

This evening I was a bit antsy and decided to pull out the trainer and spin for 30 minutes. Felt good. First time I have used the CycleOps trainer Russ gave me. Worked great.

Saturday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3223
Calories Consumed: 3255
Calorie Balance: 22 SURPLUS

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 28% (232 grams)
Carbs: 58% (492 grams)
Total Fat: 14% (51 grams)

Friday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3255
Calories Consumed: 2515
Calorie Balance: 740 DEFICIT

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 34% (221 grams)
Carbs: 56% (357 grams)
Total Fat: 10% (28 grams)

Friday AM @ The Gym

Had personal best with arm curls today! Hammered my bi's and tri's for 30 minutes then did hardcore core workout with personal trainer. My core is sore. WOOHOO!

Thursday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3856
Calories Consumed: 3300
Calorie Balance: 556 DEFICIT

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 27% (224 grams)
Carbs: 58% (485 grams)
Total Fat: 15% (56 grams)

Thursday AM - 1 Hour Run

Ran from Club Sport San Ramon down Bollinger, left on Dougherty, left on Crow Canyon, left on Alcosta and the left up the Bollinger hill.

Nice rolling road and I felt great. Easy pace. 6.4 miles total.

Burned 920 calories. Had Cyto in my bottle and drank ~ 12 oz. on the run. Had Powerbar when done and then did a little core work. Hanging legs raises.

Finished with 24 oz. mix of 1/2 serving of Myoplex recovery shake, one serving of Casein Whey protein and one serving straight wehy protein in 24 oz bottle.

Wednesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3260
Calories Consumed: 2962
Calorie Balance: 308 DEFICIT

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 29%
Carbs: 61%
Total Fat: 10%

Wednesday AM @ The Gym

55 minutes total time including recovery between sets.

Did fairly heavy back routine: One arm rows, one arm pull downs, cable pull overs, horizontal pull ups. 4 x 10 of each.

Supersetted Bosu ball sit ups, lateral side crunches @ 90 degrees, and hanging leg raises in with back routine.

Feel good. But tired from core work yesterday.

Tuesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3301
Calories Consumed: 3937
Calorie Balance: 636 Surplus

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 22%
Carbs: 66%
Total Fat: 12%

Tuesday AM @ The Gym

45 minutes of non-stop core.

15 minutes of me solo doing hanging leg lifts, hanging side crunches and leg raises on the Bosu ball. Then 30 minute with personal trainer who shredded me on the floor doing core.

I feel GREAT!

Monday PM Calorie Count

Monday, September 15, 2008

Calories Burned: 3596

Calories Consumed: 2810

Calorie Balance: 786 DEFICIT

Break down from total calories:

Protein: 23%
Carbs: 59%
Total Fat: 18%

Note: Need to riase protein intake.

Monday AM Lifting @ The Gym

Did 35 minutes of straight heavy chest work. Flat, incline, decline and fly with 1 minute breaks bestween sets. 4 x 10 of everything. Then 25 minutes of core. There was nothing left in the tank when I was done.

Drank Myoplex shake and came home and had 6 egg (5 whites and 1 whole) veggie omelet and 2 pieces of wheat toast.

It All Begins Here

Here we go. The march to Ironman in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on June 21, 2009 all begins here. Today! Now!

This site is basically for my coach so she can keep an eye on my training without me having to flood her e-mail inbox. It is also for me so I can track my progress. I am no stranger to Ironman. I have done the full course before and have done many, many half Ironman distance races. But one thing I have learned is that no two training days are the same and no two race days are the same. Yes, I will have a Plan A. But I will also have a Plan B, C, etc.

The key for me is to NEVER, NEVER give up!

"It's not how many times you fall down that counts. It is how many times you get back up!"

• Iornman Coeur d'Alene 140.6 Triathlon in 285 days



• Wildflower Long Course 70.3 Triathlon in 236 days



• Ironman California 70.3 in 224 days



• Carlsbad Marathon in 138 days



• Primos Half Marathon in 40 days



• San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon in 29 days



• Pacific Grove Olympic Distance Triathlon - DONE!

On with the show.

Triathlon at Pacific Grove Race Report (Well, sorta)

I did the Olympic Distance event this past Saturday, September 13, 2008 in Monterey Bay, California.

Distance was 1.5k swim (.93 miles), 40k bike (24.8 miles) and 10k run (6.2miles).

Note that I have not trained at all for this race. I have not warn my wet suit in 20 months or so and I am riding a friends bike as mine is still being built up. There you have it.

Weather was perfect at 57 degrees at start line. Water was a balmy 60 degrees (warm for the Monterey Bay) and there was absolutely no wind. Cloud cover was high so the ground was nice and dry.

"Kelp Crawl"
Since I had not worn my wet suit in some 20 months, I did a pre-race swim about 15 minutes before my wave start. It was erie. I have done a few open water swims over the summer, but never needed my wet suit. Having it on now I felt constricted. I was definitely buoyant, but would have rather been sans suit. However, the water temp prevented that.


There was more kelp in the swim channel than I had ever seen. Several others made the same comment. Within the first 30 seconds after the gun went off I was "crawling" over several bunches of kelp. It was intermittent and it initially threw off my rhythm. I eventually got a flow going and I was simply dealing with the people swimming across my line. Don't people know how to sight!?


Anyhoo, it is a two loop swim and I, of course, made my turn to start my second loop just as the next swim wave was heading out. So, lucky me, I got to essentially do two wave starts. Luckily I am a confident swimmer so I, once again, climbed over the kelp as well as the backs of those swimmers who should know better.


On the bike . . .thank goodness

Once I fumbled my way through T1, I was out on the bike course. I LOVE this course. Literally on the Monterey coastline on a nicely paved two lane road. Very small rolling hills with nothing but tri-geeks out hammering in the morning light.


My bike frame broke so I am getting a new one. So today I was on my friends bike without aero bars. So I was simply spinning and enjoying the scenery. I am always amazed that I can simply be cruising in a race and all the $7,000+ bikes I pass. And then the guys with the circa 1989 Schwinn 10 speeds with tassel's on the ends come ripping by me. I am constantly convinced it is all about the rider and very little about the bike.


Anyhoo, I felt fine the whole 24.8 mailes and was chatting up everyone I came across. Most chatted back. Others just grunted. :-)

The Run - Gotta Love Oranges

I probably should have been better prepared, but I assumed it was a 2 loop run. About half way through the second loop it felt kinda short so I asked someone and they informed me it was 3 loops. DOH! No problem. I was running well.

The first of the 2 aid stations on the loops had orange wedges. I learned at Ironman California 70.3 in Oceanside a few years ago the power of the orange. I was melting about 6 miles into the 13.1 mile run and I ate an orange. I noticed a bump in my energy. At the next aid station I ate another orange and got the same bump. Needless to say, oranges saved me from a major bonk that day.

I wasn't bonking at this race, but the oranges gave me the same bump and I pushed myself on the run. I am not fast, but this day 6.2 miles was E A S Y. Considering that I have only run > 6 miles only four times in the past four months, I was moving.

I finished strong and had a great day.