tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27086749973523276912024-02-22T13:09:20.205-05:00Fueled By Beer"The only secret is that it is consistent, often monotonous, boring, hard work. And it's tiring."- CastellaChristian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-78713259397168569002012-10-12T08:37:00.002-04:002012-10-12T08:37:42.152-04:00Augusta 70.3
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironman Augusta 70.3 is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> tri of the season
and extremely important to my future in this sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enlisted Jim Christian as my coach and
buckled down on the training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately I had raced a bit too much in the early season and had
some nagging<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>foot pain that kept me from
running too fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I started the
focused approach in July I had 12 weeks to try to get myself under 4:20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A somewhat lofty goal considering I haven’t
had a good race since 2009. I know the Augusta course well and knew what I
could do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim is practically a free
for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to be the fastest
overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything sub 19:30 (yes, a very
fast swim) would have pleased me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
entered transition my watch was at 22:xx and I was feeling like I was behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a lot more in me for the swim and
should have used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was caught up for a
few seconds trying to get up the boat ramp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was extremely crowded because of the crappy wave starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out I swam a 19:58 which brought me a 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was beat by 2 pro’s by 1
second and 6 seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll take that as
a wash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran pretty hard through T1 to
try and get some blood in my legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
heart rate was screaming at the dismount line but, I was trying to make up those
2 minutes from the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The bike went pretty good. I was supposed to ride out
towards the Aiken barricade with a 24.5 avg but, I just couldn’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pushing and just couldn’t get above
23.5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very focused on getting my
nutrition in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the first aid
station at mile 17 I needed to have 200 calories of Gubrew and 200 ca Gu gel,
and 20 oz of water in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no problems
and was able to get my water refill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
knew the second half of the course was hillier and harder…so I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was blowing by people at a demoralizing
speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My legs felt like I was holding
off a cramp so I kept backing off but, it seemed like I was just moving
faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit 2 more bottles of water
and 400 calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got it all in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I came into T2 I felt like I was 3
minutes behind and was worried I pushed the bike but, I really held it when I
needed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on my feet at 2:50 with
a bike of 2:21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My expected bike was
2:20.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first mile of the felt like I was dragging my feet but,
I was still under 7:00 pretty easy. Knowing that my run endurance was lacking I
backed it off to 7:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, I haven’t
been under 1:50 since 2009 so 7:30s sounded fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At mile 3 I felt the same but, I began to
slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it was going to happen
I was just hoping it would have been at mile 11… I decided a while back that if
I could stay consistent on the run that it would have been a victory for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 3 years of awful racing I’m
basically starting over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So at mile 3 I
settled in to 8 min miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the end I was 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> out 400 and something and 83<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I executed perfectly with what
I had which was huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed my time
goal but, still hit a 4:32, an average time with room to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a good place to be in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means I still have THAT day in me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-74312779919635867472012-05-26T18:04:00.001-04:002012-05-26T18:04:29.288-04:00The Low Down...My last blog was basically a race summary. I'm not sure how I feel about taking the early season so easy. I'm really trying to hold off burnout. Yes, I still enjoy racing but, it real tough getting the consistent miles in. I am so busy at work and with life that I'm just flat out tired when it's time to train. So I've been having a little fun. I swim hard, run harder, and bike when I can. All that is coming to an end. July 1st I am focusing on an A race. I think I've hit that point in my tri life that careless hard work just doesn't win races anymore. It's time to take what I have and focus it on a goal. I can not organize my life in this manner so I decided to look into a coach. I talked to several people and had a lot of pro's and con's about each. What I really wanted is someone who understands that I am a swimmer first. I like to be in the water a lot. Rather than a day off I always feel better flopping around easy for 45 minutes in the pool. Plus it's hard for me to take direction from someone who can't beat me in the water. So I think I'm all set up with a good guy who basically rounds out many open points in my life right now. As of July 1 I am handing it all over. Augusta 70.3 is in September and I really want to do well. I think its going to be the make or break race. If I suck I will really start taking a hard look at what my future is in this sport. With all that said...I am so excited to train this next 4 months. I am back down in the low 160's, my Achilles is feeling good, and I have a huge F-ing base. I'm increasing my run miles a lot. Guess what, I don't have to take every run at 630 miles. I ran 58 miles this week all around the 8-830 mile range. Slow right??? I know but, I feel really good and it is in the mid 90s daily. Just getting strong. Hopefully I won't be writing a pity blog in 5 months...So stay tuned, I'm really going to try to blog twice a week from July to Sept. Can't wait!Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-60779079386691536552012-05-24T22:07:00.000-04:002012-05-26T17:43:35.736-04:00Starting off 2012 and TTT<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Triple T has come and gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s like I just woke up missing toenails one morning severely
dehydrated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have so much going on
right now that I completely missed it…sort of. About 6 weeks ago I decided to
reorganize my season and focus on one race in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Problem was that I had already signed up for
TriCharleston half, Langley pond oly, Triple T, Potomac River Swim, and
Morgantown half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that is squeezed
into 8 weeks which is not really conducive of a PR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I get a little older and pile on
competing priorities I really wasn’t aiming to be a top 5% guy anymore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All it takes is a crappy race to change one’s
mind though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Charleston I spoke
with Natalie and we decided that I’m going to hand the reigns to my training
off to someone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where does that put
me now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I will be walking into a 3
month training block under the guidance of a coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have a pretty massive base and will be
prepared to train hard in the southern heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These early races are more for fun than pursuing a win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a little hard for me but, it’s paying
off because I’m taking the time to execute a solid race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s my season summary so far:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">TriCharleston-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was my first perfectly flat half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hammered the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got off the bike in 2:22 and started a good
run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 4 miles in and still comfortable
at 6:40’s when I stepped off a curb to cross a road and cramped my
hamstring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standing there in the sun
stretching let the engine heat up and it was all over from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lousy 4:50 brought home an upsetting
finish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Langley Pond-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This race was 7 days after TriCharleston and I was 6 days
into an anti-inflammatory detox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got
up and took in 200 calories of green juice and went and raced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hammered the swim, I rode pretty good and actually
played a little strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m usually
playing keep away on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time
I let the #2 guy pass me and I dropped 3 bikes back and paced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off the bike running 6:20 and felt
great through 4 miles where I had the lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So far I had a total of 400 calories for the day and I began to feel
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dropped to 8 min miles and ended
with a 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> OA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No cramping!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Almighty Triple T- Here’s where this blog gets lengthy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The week leading up to TTT I had averaged 3.5-4 hrs of sleep
a night as I was trying to finish of some school work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
left Athens GA at 5am and headed north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ate light all day, mainly fruit and water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For lunch I had a baked potato and a kid’s
fry at Wendy’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we hit Portsmouth I
had about 90 minutes before the first race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My nerves were a little high but, I had plenty of distractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One being Joe and Janet Edwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, being in Ohio was refreshing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soft grass, no stinging ants, the smell of
spring still in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However air
temps were in the mid 80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The super sprint was over before
it started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>22:30 flies by when you cram
3 disciplines in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
OA out of 400ish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned to camp
lightly sore and eased into the evening by cooking thick cut bacon over a
campfire and sharing stories over some swapped beers…Deep South Brewing and
Great Lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I hit a nice little
buzz I put my head back to see the trees lighting up with a little treat that I
didn’t know I missed until that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lightening bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off to bed we
went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was set up on a pretty
comfortable layout in the Edwards road lair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a solid hour of snoozing I began the process of fully awakening
every 45 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much for a good night’s
rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We made it down to Saturdays first olympic with plenty of
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was enjoying the crisp humid air
and the company of my old Ohio friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had a good swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took it
pretty easy because the last thing I wanted to do was suck in a mouthful of
that nasty organic black pond water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our lakes down south are all sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No muck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is muck maybe
you shouldn’t swim in it because you just entered the food chain in the middle…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, out on the bike course I started to
take on the hills of the Little Smokies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt good and I kept pace low to conserve for the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit a pretty solid run averaging around 7:05s
which is decent for an uphill trail lined with gravel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the rest of the day chilling with my
legs up trying to hydrate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temps
were climbing and I was getting worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The afternoon race is a changeup from the norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started with the bike which is a climb out
of the park and a nice drop into about 7 miles of flat road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt good from the start and hit that 7
mile out and back pushing close to 28 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the road started to point to the sky and I realized what I had
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dammit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just got off the plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I hit the top I decided to soft pedal the
last 7 miles in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I skipped the wetsuit
to save time on the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My legs felt a
little tight in the water and I was definitely holding off cramps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With close to 50m left I took a big Tarzan
breath and caught sun right in the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Under water I had a big sneeze…Immediately my left hamstring locked up,
I flipped over on my back to stretch out and my quad cramped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I flopped around in the water my calf
cramped and then my right hamstring went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t get it to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
looked at my watch and was at 19:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
fought the legs for an eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lifeguard
was eyeballing me and I started to think I wasn’t getting out of the water by
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dropped below the surface and
just relaxed everything for a few seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could hear arms slapping on the surface above me like ticking away
like the second hand on a clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
sitting there losing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about 10
seconds I could actually take a stroke, then two, and finally I was able to
coast into the swim finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked at
my watch and that little ordeal took 10 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>28:45. Geez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I jogged to my bike and bent over to put my shoes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we go again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quads cramped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 4 more minutes I was off running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paced the run at 7:30s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just happy I could run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finished in the 60s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Returned to camp, ate a pound of thick cut bacon and drank beers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once again I slept horribly. I was up every 30-40 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday morning came all too fast and the last
thing I wanted to do was race anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not even a half Ironman!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
actually considering bagging the race and staying back at camp to get drunk
with Joe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paced the pathetically short swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was out of T1 in 23:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first loop of the bike felt good but, I
kept it within reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second loop
was tougher but, I really backed it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Too much I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Split like a
3:10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got out on the run at 8 min pace
for the first 4 miles but, I was running low on calories and my feet were on
fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started chugging Infinit and
waited for the cramps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was slowed to
10 min miles then to 11…I was sucking badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hit the 6.5 mi turn around and my pace started to drop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I brought it back down to 8 min and never
cramped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was I learning how to control
myself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add nutrition, back off on the
bike?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried a lot out and some things
were working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 150 miles of racing
in 3 days I was pretty beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking
Ironman beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end I was 30
minutes slower than last year but, I knew that going in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This race was more about the people and the
weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never really felt
competitive, just homesick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes me appreciate things a
little more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-68642326108904155362012-01-02T14:17:00.001-05:002012-01-02T14:44:55.835-05:00I survived the New Year...Barely.Since Thanksgiving I gave into the temptation of xmas ales, chicken wings, late nights and poor recovery. My body wasn't punishing me like it should have been. I'm running well, biking often and swimming 12-15k a week. Now it's January and my foot hurts and I can barely rotate this right shoulder. Paybacks I suppose. Two weeks ago I said I wanted to enjhoy the rest of the year and draw in focus after the New Year. Hear we and here I go. I was considering a race schedule change. Instead of The Columbia marathon I may add TryCharleston Half in April. That is still up in the air. Back before Thanksgiving I did a 10 day detox and it worked great. I felt good and really think it made a difference in recovery and healing. The holidays got me off track a bit and now I want to go through the whole program. 28 days. Now if I were to pay for all the supplements it's like $250. That's a race fee to me so I'm not going that route. I am planning the stick to the program but, cut back on the amount of supplement. The first week allows for some meat. I'm just cutting it out all together. I actually feel better when I take in only small quantities of animal protein. The program also calls for "light walking for 30 minutes up to 3 days a week" Right. So I'll have to increase my calories or life will be tough. Day 1-7 it's basically no meat, no gluten, no artificial anything, no dairy, no corn, no oranges, no refined sugars (alcohol), no caffeine. Day 7-13 is really tough and that's where I'll need to food supplement. I'll post about that in a week.<br />
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So here's to a new year. Lean and fast.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-80473176798034433592011-12-23T08:53:00.000-05:002011-12-23T08:53:13.592-05:00December Training and 2012 Race schedSince the detox I've actually sped up quite a bit. I've signed up for several races and now that I look at my calendar I see that I may have done it again. I will have a huge opening season...<br />
<br />
Feb 26- Augusta Half Marathon<br />
March 04- Early bird sprint<br />
March 10- Columbia Marathon<br />
March 17- Columbia (or something) sprint <br />
April 21- Columbia Half iron............maybe.........This one is pending<br />
April 28- Langley pond Int.<br />
May 18-20- Triple T<br />
June 2- Potomac river swim<br />
June 24- Morgantown Half<br />
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I suspect I will be in great shape come June. I'm hitting it hard right now. About 10-13 hrs a week. Now, I know there are some people out there putting in like 15-20 in the middle of winter but, my season starts in 8 weeks and goes until November. On that, I just don't get the retarded workouts with no real advantages. I guess if it takes that much to be somewhat decent then go for it. I also vowed to not get sucked into "paying for speed" thing. I don't care how light, how aero, how coached, how much you pay....Bottom line, it's the effort, it's the flat out hard work that I will use to stomp your ass. The big difference this season is that I am taking that every 5th week is a rest week. I am a hypocrite I guess. I'm 10 days straight into my 6th week and I just bought a sufferfest video....ha. Not quite the same as buying powertaps and putting in century rides right now. <br />
<br />
I let the detox diet/ nutrition slide a bit. I started to really miss candy, wings and beer. So much so that I wasn't happy. I'm enjoying the holidays in a responsible way but, come Jan 1 I am running through another detox cycle. I'm thinking of running it out 21 days with a "special" day in there for Natalies Birthday. I really want to run Augusta Half well. I think my 13.1 PR is 1:29:30. That's unacceptable. I need to finish my 70.3 in 1:26. I've been focusing there a bit. The legs are strong and I'm getting faster. Turns out that I can easily pace 6:20 off the bike (60 min tempo) for about 3 miles. It's odd, my perceived effort is low, and my HR is in the 140's for 3 miles then BAM! HR spikes to 185 and I'm cashed. It's likely a fuel/endurance thing but, I'm 10 miles short so that needs worked out. I also hit a hill at 3 miles and that doesn't help. My longer runs sit around 705s but, I'm mostly concentrating on form and I'll admit that after 10-12 miles I start to feel it. <br />
<br />
That sums up what's going on right now. I'm headed off for a quick spin. It's another 70 degree day and I like sitting on the trainer for now. I've never biked this much in the off season but, I'm shooting for a 2:16ish bike at Augusta 70.3 so I need to have these legs road ready in a month for when the temps warm up here. <br />Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-66871927056092515922011-11-14T18:18:00.001-05:002011-11-14T19:18:55.707-05:00Day 9 of 10So that's pretty much it. Day 7 and 8 were uneventful. Basically I just ate baked apples with cinnamon and saurkraut soup. By the end of the day Saturday my stomach was a mess! I made it through though. I got my interval bike in and my long run. I even felt good enough to get a 2 mi open water in Sunday afternoon. Natalie has decided she wants to detox now. I sent her over to the chiropractors office and pick up a kit for herself. While there she asked about some of the side effects that I had early on. The back ache and leg cramps mostly. I guess I went through it too fast. That's ok because I'm done...sort of. I decided to continue with Natalie. I am going to go through the program with her except I won't take the supplements. That being said I will obviously need something. I will make an adjustment and keep some extra fruit and veggies throughout. I may also keep beans as well. Even with some tough days I still enjoyed the experience. I've learned a lot about what I eat and how it effects me. For example, I did eat a scoop of homemade cookie dough. Now it's not really bad chemically but, it has sugar and butter in it. My stomach is bloated and I'm nauseous. I think it's the butter. I also watched a movie called Forks Over Knives. It's basically about meat killing us. NOW DON'T EXPECT ME TO SAY I'M GOING VEGGIETARD*. I'm not. There is a balance and I have to find it. According to the documentary it's 5-10% animal protein. So with a little math 1gr protein is 4 calories. 5% of a 2500 calorie intake is 125 calories of protein or 31 gr. I would like to think that is expanded to total calories because we aren't counting cholesterol or fats. So basically I'll try to shoot for <250 ca a day from an animal source. Why so drastic? Because I feel good. I'm running well, I'm healing well, I'm sleeping well, I'm crushing the bike and swim. The best part is that I'm losing weight but, not strength. HAHAHA it's only been a week. I could be so wrong. What's the worst that can happen? I eat a lot of veggies and fruit for a month. It's not like I'm suffering. <br />
<br />
Today's tally: 167lbs. lost 5 in a week. <br />
<br />
Back to basics. no meat, no dairy, no artificials, no alcohol. Everything else is game.<br />
<br />
*Def.- VEGGIETARD (n) one who does not eat meat and lets everyone know. Bacon Deficiency Syndrome (BDS) falsely allows a feeling of superiority. Symptoms also include anger for taking responsibility and desire to have what is not earned. syn. Mac owner. Occupier. unemployed<br />
<br />
Best definition ever! Makes me laugh.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-33195515599100009492011-11-11T20:18:00.001-05:002011-11-11T20:36:48.388-05:00Day 6- Got the hang of itDay 6 went well. I slept well, I ate well...as I could. I got the hang of the apple/broccoli diet. I've been cutting up apples and pouring apple sauce on them then sprinkling cinnamon on it. After 2 minutes in the microwave it's as good as pie filling and about 180 ca. So far today I took in about 1200 calories. I was able to get 30 minute spin warmup followed by a 5 mi run in a new pair of Brooks PureFlow. I was amazed that I was running so fast. I was easily running 6:30 though 3 miles. Not expected with the reduced intake. I followed it up with a 3700 yd TT swim workout where I dropped quite a bit of time on my 500, 300, and 100. So all in all it's going well. <br />
<br />
Day 6-168 lbs <br />
<br />
Diet remains the same for Saturday. Oh let me add that I went to lunch with Natalie and she order a big ass plate of bbq and I ordered a plate of raw greens with vinegar...Not nice.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-8293781285604051282011-11-10T20:07:00.001-05:002011-11-10T20:18:36.721-05:00Day WTF (5)Day five on the detox. It was going well after a good nights sleep. I started the day with an apple and the detox shake. I proceeded to eat an entire head of broccoli before noon. After 2 more shakes and 3 apples I was was having a lot of trouble not being hungry for flavor. I wasn't able to get my run in due to work priorities and once I got in the pool I was extremely tired. Then some fat moron hopped in and took up the entire lane and had no respect for real swimmers. So I got out after 2000 yds. When I arrived home I needed to have something different so I cheated a little. I skimmed the vegetable broth off the cabbage soup and mixed cauliflower, water, and sauerkraut into it. It was very good considering. I'm not sure how the next 2 days will go. I am having horrible cravings for candy, pizza, bacon, wings, bbq, cheese, steak, olives, butter, ice cream, Popsicles, icees, elephant ears, corn on the cob, fried pickles, french fries, Five Guys, ranch, dum dums, skittles, nerds, reeses, pepsi...This is only a few things I will dream about tonight. <br />
<br />
Today: 170.5 very hydrated. Food allowance for day 6-7 is apples, raw greens, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and pears. BlahChristian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-27679370559947216422011-11-09T20:20:00.000-05:002011-11-09T20:20:07.641-05:00Day 4Day 4 was much easier than I anticipated. I slept almost all night. I was only up for around 10 minutes. I got up at 4:25 for work. I had to make lunch so I started chopping up a mango which I ate half of. So good. These things are only $1 down here. I made another smoothie. Today required 2 scoops of the the detox powder. It is so awful. During the day I ate 3 apples, 2 bananas, 2 cups almond milk, veggie chili, 140 oz water, and cabbage soup. I am stuffing myself with the cabbage soup because it's really low cal and I want to run and swim tomorrow. Plus the next 3 days are the tough ones. I am no longer eliminating anything but, the list I have is only the foods I can eat. Oh....I forgot. I also ate about 40 hot chili's. This did come back to haunt me...I weighed in tonight and I'm not all that pleased and I look in the mirror and hate what I see. I may actually extend the detox diet 4 days. We'll see. I still have a light headache and my legs ache pretty bad but, I think I'm just used to it now. <br />
<br />
Here's the menu for days 5-7:<br />
broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, lettuce, apples, pears, and apple juice w/ no sugar added. BUT I get to eat as much as I want. That's sarcasm. <br />
<br />
My one big problem is I want to long run on Friday. I will let tomorrow be the judge. I got a kick ass pair of shoes so I can't wait to try them. My achilles is hurting pretty bad but, it's time to move forward so it needs to stop. I'm done dealing with it. <br />
<br />
Tomorrow should be interesting...<br />
<br />Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-58747340575685092542011-11-08T20:30:00.000-05:002011-11-08T21:27:15.104-05:00Day 3-detoxDay 3 actually began at 1:52am when I woke up to terrible lower back and leg pain. It was awful. However, when I got out of bed for work I was alert and wide awake. That lasted all day. As soon as I got to work I did a quick yahoo search on detox side effects and sure enough it seemed to fit. Something about toxins entering the blood stream and thickening blood and whatever. It hurts. I started today with a smoothie (blackberries, banana, almond milk, and 1 scoop detox powder) Throughout the day I had 3 apples, 2 bananas, a salad with red wine vinegar and 3 bowls of vegetarian chili. Yes 3 bowls because after a lunch run and a swim I needed it. The run was very painful. My legs ached with every step and I realized very quickly to drop the watch and enjoy the leaves. Day 4 brings some challenges. <br />
<br />
Here's what has been eliminated:<br />
1- meat, sugars, alcohol, artificial everything<br />
2- also removed dairy and egg<br />
3- eliminated wheat, rye, barley, corn<br />
<br />
Day 4- eliminate remaining grains, nuts and seeds. Wait to see what 5-7 is. <br />
<br />
I'm still at 171lbs but, I am way hydrated with over 200oz of water today to combat the leg pain.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-729349420594467002011-11-07T18:59:00.000-05:002011-11-07T18:59:34.538-05:00End of Day 2-DetoxoramaSo far so good I guess. On day 2 I had to eliminate dairy along with Day 1's stuff. The worst part so far is the caffeine withdrawal. Last night I was in a cold sweat, my eyes were red and watering, and I had a headache that rivaled some of my worst hangovers. I had to drink a cup of tea before bed because I wasn't going to be able to sleep. Today I had an almond milk/banana smoothie, 3 apples, 2 bananas, a small salad with vinegar and a rather large dinner of curried veggies and rice (4 servings). Tomorrow I lose bread and rice so I was kind of stocking up knowing that I want to run and swim Tuesday. I skipped my workouts today because of the headache. I'm taking the supplement they provided and I have to say that the shake actually tastes pretty shitty. Bacon won't even help it taste better. Hopefully I can shake this drowsiness but, it helps me realize how much crap I was taking in. Without the caffeine I have a feeling that I may get some rest. Fingers CX'd!<br />
<br />
So what's the tally?<br />
<br />
Day 1: 171.4 lbs<br />
No Meat<br />
No Sugar<br />
No Artificial sugar or colors or anything...<br />
No Alcohol<br />
<br />
Now:<br />
All of the above and<br />
No DairyChristian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-17669324446991227112011-11-06T11:52:00.000-05:002011-11-06T11:52:53.215-05:00Day 1...Here's where I am at now. After a tough season and some health issues I've come a long way in the last 6 weeks. After Ironman I started right down the same path. I took the "What went wrong" and turned it into "Just work harder". That had me sidelined pretty quick with some nasty Achilles and planter fascia issues. So instead of running I just drank beer ate wings and wallowed on the past. I came home from work one day and checked to see when swim team started for the kids. Sure enough it was the following week. I figured I'd just get them involved and do whatever. That's where it all starts. The same week I went to a Sports physiologist about my foot. He is certified in ASTYM and the work was so agonizing that the only thing I could do was swim it out. Well my kids swim from 530-645 3x a week and I figured I could hop in an open lane. I gave it a few tries and it turns out that I can get 3 swims in pretty easy. After 2 weeks I was running a little and swimming alot. After a month I'm down 11 lbs and feeling better. Now this is where I got stung by 2 fireants sitting by a bonfire. It took 2 weeks to get the fluid out and the sting areas still aren't healed. That gets us up to speed...<br />
<br />
It was recommended that I do a detox and try to flush all this crap out of my body that could theoryetically be causing a ton of my issues. Today is Day 1. It's a 10 day detox and I plan to do a daily update here. The first day is just a restrictive diet as follows:<br />
<br />
NO Refined sugars, Alcohol, HFCS, added sugars.<br />
NO Caffeine<br />
NO Artificial colorings or flavoring or sweeteners<br />
NO Flesh foods...meat. <br />
<br />
We will see how this goes considering I already have a bad caffeine withdrawal headache. The program also restricts activity. 30 min exercise 3x a week... That's not going to happen. <br />
<br />
Lastly, the good news. Signed up for the Potomac River Swim again. I am training for that and other open waters next summer. No Ironmans. Just random half irons. Natalie is now massaging full time and is working towards being the onsite therapist for all the local tri's. She also now works for the Chiropractic office that does my ASTYM. Since the kids are swimming and there is also a new kids tri team starting up my life is surrounded by this. The intensity and the focus I had in 2008 is back with more force. I let to many things get to me before. It's about focusing on what makes you happy and everything else just seems to fall into place.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-674998394789818792011-09-14T20:26:00.000-04:002011-09-14T20:26:19.363-04:00The Aftermath-A wordy description on how bad I sucked.I waited awhile to post this. It's been done for a few weeks and I am still heavy with emotion from this years waste. To make it worse nothing is going right for us. Every week something big happens that costs a lot money and time. I'm tired and I'm fucking frustrated. Here's my end of season thoughts on Placid:<br />
<br />
<br />
The race is over and I am very happy for that. This time around was much different than my first Ironman. I am not excited that I finished. I don't any special feelings towards the race. It's just sort of Blah. I don't know why I feel this way. I tried to get fired up and it never manifested. I do feel like I let a lot of people down and that really bothers me. I thought about my season up to now and I know what went wrong. I am going to be brutally honest and lay it all out here.<br />
<br />
1. Too much on my plate! (or too small of a plate)<br />
There is only so much one person can do. I tested that. There is also no shortage of people reminding me that I did this to myself. I like to be challenged and I thrive under adversity however, there is a breaking point. I made a big boy decision to pursue another aspect of myself. I enjoy being an Industrial Hygienist and I left Ohio for an unbelievable opportunity to better myself and my family. I have never been good in school and was always considered the dumb kid. I'm not that dumb I just don't care to be competitive on what I know. I'm better off being physically challenged. My point is this. I signed up for TTT, Morgantown, and IMLP last year. I moved to GA in Feb. We purchased a house in April. I began a big renovation on the house, got a barn ready, finished fencing a small pasture, built a new chicken coop, moved, unpacked, etc. On top off the moving I have this new job, 2 weddings (one in vegas), all while trying to maintain a consistent training schedule. The plate was too full. I had no time to recover from anything. What would happen is that I would just crash and have to take an unplanned rest day. A lot of the house work got to me, try crawling around on your knees for 8 hrs plus the added up an down to make trim cuts. When that's done go nail a key ride or run. It doesn't happen.<br />
<br />
2. Opinions and Expectations<br />
I had a good day at IMKY. I know I had a lot of room for improvement and I tried to start attacking that. Problem is that everyone around me started developing these expectations and opinions of everything I did. I could never win. I could never breath. Why aren't you at the pool, why aren't you out running, why did you drink last night, why aren't you training more. Well...Pools closed, it's raining, I'm stressed, I'm tired. I had some wonderful people reach out and take care of me this year and I am truly grateful and I feel horrible I couldn't pull it off.<br />
<br />
3. Swimming<br />
This is huge. I listened to some others people opinions. Swim less run more. I barely swam this year. No kidding, less than 25% of what I have done in the past. Here is my theory on that. I understand that swimming takes more time to get fast. I'm already fast but, swimming is so much more to me. It's 7 hrs a week that I have at 5am to recover. When I run or bike my mind wanders. When I swim I am always focused. Focused in everything. I physically recover in the pool while gaining cardio as well. It's my cornerstone and without my entire foundation crumbles. Next IM season I will base my week off of masters swimming.<br />
<br />
4. Too much other crap<br />
I let a lot of things cloud what I love about triathlon. If you let the tri culture and athlete into your head then everything becomes too mechanical. Measure this, weigh that. Who cares if your wheels are 14g lighter than mine. If you aren't out there busting your ass it doesn't matter. If you don't walk away from every workout thinking " Damn, I put it out there today". I'm proud I haven't been injured in 20 months. I shouldn't be. No overuse injuries because I never overused anything. I tried to let all this science dictate what I should be doing. People said "Don't swim, Run. You can't win in the water" BS I say. I may not have won but I sure stomped everyone. I doubt I will be buying into very much after this. I'm tired of the whole "buying performance". I was guilty. I served my time. I always did well with the minimum. I don't need a powertap, a computrainer, compression anything, oakleys, ten pairs of shoes...etc etc. <br />
<br />
5. Arrogance and Focus<br />
I had a great 2009. It came pretty easy too. I though I could continue with that. I was wrong. 2010 wasn't so great and this year sucked. I felt so guilty all year because I moved my family here and now I was never around. I'm sure they didn't really miss me but when anything went wrong I was sure reminded over and over. I lost all of my focus, there was so much shit going on in my life I couldn't handle it all. I tried and failed. Next time I will only take on what I can handle...actually I will only focus on the training. <br />
<br />
Where we headed:<br />
I have big plans for the next two years. My goals are simple. Train hard. Race harder. Leave nothing. A week after Placid I rode in a benefit for the local ballet. I rode hard with the front group and actually split the Augusta 70.3 course in a PR 56 mile time. Somewhere along the ride I was stung by something on the knee. I felt like I was choking and had a little heartburn. By the time we were done I was covered in hives and my face was swelling. I took 2 benedryl and 4 beers and felt better. I didn't think about it again until a few weeks later. I had been on a 3 day drinking binge and at 1am on a saturday I was stung by several fire ants on the foot. Within 90 minutes I was in the ER having an anaphylactic reaction. I was unconscious at this time. Turns out I now have an allergy. Unfortunately it's one that can kill me and almost did. I was pretty sure I was done when I was just too tired to breathe...This is the point where Natalie epipenned me. I think I saw her smile as she did so. I realized something in the following week. WTF am I doing? How could I let all this happen? I am taking until January 1st to figure some things out and just run. At that time I am starting back into a regular swim schedule and long ass events. No way am I letting an ant take me out. I imagine my day is going to come at full speed downhill or 10 miles out in the ocean during an out and back swim. I've wasted 2 years of my life being a pussy. I know I should be putting 100% into developing my kids athletic future...I'll find a way for both and soon enough we will do it together. As for the future, I want to race IMCDA in 2013. In 2012 I'll hit a few local oly's, TTT and Augusta. I'd love to throw REV3CP in there. That course is ridiculously fast. Pepper in some 50k's and maybe a 50 miler. Hopefully I can get out to the Potomac river next year too...That's it. Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-30624140045365368402011-07-26T19:43:00.001-04:002011-07-26T19:47:51.134-04:00The RaceThe night before I didn't sleep real well but, who does. I got up at 430a and took a warm shower and ate my normal pre-race food. Nutella, honey, and cranberries on an english muffin. I gathered my stuff and began my 1.5 mile walk into town. It was still dark so I had a great opportunity to enjoy my Ipod and coffee while preparing myself for the day. I checked my transition bag and let the water out. Apparently it had rained. No big deal. I found out it was a no wetsuit race. I was a little disappointed because I was looking forward to a an easy 53 min swim. Everything was in check with the bike so I went down to warm up a bit. <br />
<br />
This was a new type of swim start for me. I am not accustomed to the mass beating you get from a mass start. It was fine, I settled into a small group of about 6 of us. There was even a pretty fast chick that kept swimming up my feet. I was worried I would accidentally kick her in the boob. I found that thought a little bit funny considering the day I had in front of me. We came through the first lap in 27 something and I wasn't pushing it. About half way into the second loop my lower back and calves started to cramp. I wasn't expecting this at all. I was able get through it and after 56 min I was headed to T1. The long run up actually allowed my to shake off all the muscle tightness.<br />
<br />
T1 was fast and on my way out to the bike my Hammer pill case full of salt tabs fell out of my pocket. I stopped and picked most of them up and headed out. The first 10 miles of the bike I was relaxing and but, not having fun. My legs just felt dead. The decent into Keene sucked as well. I remember pushing hard downhill but, only going about 14 mph. The wind was fighting me and everyone else I could see. That decent gave me time to warm up and get into a comfortable rhythm. My timer beeped every 20 minutes and I took in 100ca and 9 oz. of water. Nutrition was on and I started to feel good. A lot of people told me to take it easy on the first loop. I didn't push the climbs but, I was rolling right by everyone. During the out and back I counted 36 people including pro's ahead of me. Not bad I was having a good day. Things were looking up. I came through town on loop one feeling fantastic and was ready to pick it up a little. I started to passing people down 73 into Keene then at mile 60 (after 5 minutes of picking it up) I got a really bad cramp on the inside of both legs. I had to stand and drop down below 20 mph to loosen up. Mile 75 came and I took a swig o HEED. I swallowed about half and I immediately rejected it through my nose and about half my stomach contents. I was really surprised. Why did this just happen? After that I couldn't even look at my gel without getting sick to my stomach. Within 20 minutes I slowed to around 15 mph. The cramping got worse and my day was no longer looking good. There was actually a point where I didn't think I could finish the bike.<br />
<br />
T2 was a long discussion with myself. What am I going to do? Run? Quit? I was in so much pain and I couldn't stop the cramps or take in nutrition. It was only around 2pm. I could walk the marathon and still finish. I bought a Lake Placid coffee mug the day before and I didn't feel like returning it so it looks like I'm walking...I started running and immediately cramped my hamstrings. I was literally 10 yds out of T2. I was able to hold it off a bit and got through mile 1 in 7:10. I felt good but, my legs were not cooperating and the soles of my feet were on fire. I felt like I had a huge blister on my foot too. Then it started. I couldn't run more than a minute without a cramp. I started eating oranges but, they too were giving me a nasty side stitch. That pretty much sums up the run. I averaged 12:30's working as hard as I could. And that blister...well actually it was a piece of glass.<br />
<br />
I finally finished in 11:57. I never set a time goal for myself and I certainly earned the finish. I even ran the last 1/10th of a mile with a full calf and hamstring cramp. To sum it up, that race hurt a lot. It was only physical pain though. The pain I feel inside is much worse. Just plain disappointed in myself.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxKpHU1a8w1PgfcswFKY7xu0n4lIfrtqGWzTC0gasS9Y7tqeQDw425o1Ho_d9jvdgvscvi8h2FuwD41vfTVcEMvq_lYyvqXeR5UJz-Pt-QHcQv5J4Ub5HwxiZJBPAwQu5cejcFppeicDm/s1600/P1070733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxKpHU1a8w1PgfcswFKY7xu0n4lIfrtqGWzTC0gasS9Y7tqeQDw425o1Ho_d9jvdgvscvi8h2FuwD41vfTVcEMvq_lYyvqXeR5UJz-Pt-QHcQv5J4Ub5HwxiZJBPAwQu5cejcFppeicDm/s320/P1070733.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the right lower leg...</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-26128529878128697762011-07-26T11:34:00.000-04:002011-07-26T11:34:30.018-04:00Ironman Lake Placid- PreshowI have not blogged since January. Actually I have but, I never posted them. We just arrived home after a long ass drive home from New York. A wonderful slap in the face to an already bad weekend. Where do I start? How about where I left off in January. So much has happened in the last 6 months and every bit of it came into play while racing IMLP. If you are reading this I'm sure you are wondering why it went down the way it did. I had a long 5 hr walk on Sunday to mull it over. So here it goes...<br />
<br />
It was a Thursday afternoon I think when I got the call from HR at Savannah River Site offering me the next stage of my life. Training up to this point was going well. I was swimming and running a lot while peppering in a few trainer rides. I accepted the job down south and so began the whirlwind of uprooting my family and depleting every resource I had. Before I go on I need to make this very clear, I do not regret for one second my decision to move here. I love my job, my new house, and this heat. We have a horse barn and a small pasture. I couldn't ask for anything more. Well that being said, moving is hard. I came down by myself for a month in the beginning. That alone had it's own challenges. My swim routine was erased. The pool down here is not what the brochure said. Turns out they open at 6a (I leave for work at 5) and it's apparent that the local swim team rules that place from 3p-close. I tried swimming at the Y and that was an experience for a different blog! Basically I dropped down to 1-2 open water swims a week of no more than 2 miles. That's ok right? I can swim. On my worst day I'll still be one of the first ones out. I should just run more, 2 minutes lost in the swim is nothing compared to the 45 minutes I could gain on the run...Well that's wrong. And I'll come back to that. So now the family moves down and we buy a house. An awesome house that sat vacant or a year and had all original carpet from the 80's. With a severely allergenic son I decided to rip all the flooring out the day I got the keys. Made perfect logistical sense. If I wasn't training for an Ironman. Here is when things started to really get of track. I am now working 10 hrs a day, remodeling a home for 3 hrs a day, and training for 2 hrs a day. I discovered real quick that laying floors is the same as doing like 200 squats a night. I never recovered. I was putting in the miles but, I just wasn't hitting the key workouts. All endurance no speed. <br />
<br />
Now it's May. The week before Triple T I went to Vegas for a wedding. I literally drank for 3 days straight with less than 4 hrs of sleep. If you know me you know that when I'm off the wagon I am OFF the wagon! I rolled through TTT with a somewhat respectable showing. Now here's the catch. I came home and it took me almost 3 weeks to recover. All the while I'm working and fixing up the house. During this whole transition period I had real issues with sleep too. I was getting maybe 3 hrs a night of solid sleep. Hopefully that's over. (doubt it). Last note...I am still not swimming much. 1:12's were hard to maintain.<br />
<br />
On to June. I got a letter back from Tulane University. I was not accepted into their Masters program. I spoke with my boss, I needed to get my Masters and certification in Industrial Hygiene ASAP. The person I was hired to help is now now retiring in 2 weeks. There was only 2 of us in the facility. (By the way my job is to basically identify potential health hazards for people trying to mitigate nuclear waste from the cold war.) Life just got a little tougher. Mid June I went up to Morgantown to race another half. The race went OK but, I realized something about 6 miles into the run. I was tired. Something was wrong but, I figured I'd still pull it off. Maybe I forgot to mention that I still have a house in Ohio that I'm paying a mortgage on. I also didn't mention that it was broke into and all the copper pipe was ripped out. That's ok. I'm still training for an Ironman.<br />
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July 4th weekend I went like I was supposed to. Problem is that I was overcome by a little heat stress on My last long bike. I never really got to hold the pace I needed for 130 miles. I began my taper and was so relieved that I could finally relax that maybe I relaxed too much. I did the same plan I did in 2009 but, this time it didn't work. I never hit it. <br />
<br />
We decided to drive up to NY the Thursday before the race. On the way quite a bombshell was dropped. Our homeowners insurance was dropped in Ohio because we were not fully occupying the house. Now the mortgage company was going to penalize us 4x the amount we were paying per month. Note: My wife is not working yet. I know I did this to myself. Secondly, my realtor in Ohio has dropped the ball and told the person making an offer on our house how bad we needed to sell. Now they counter offer 7k less than their original offer. WTF. That sucks because we can't even afford to close on the house now. In the meantime my legs are sore and I gained 6 lbs since 4th of July. I wasn't feeling it. <br />
<br />
We arrive in Placid and I have one goal. Get registered and rest. Turned out I was on my feet until 3:30 pm on Saturday. Nobodies fault but, my own. I didn't plan my day properly. <br />
<br />
I know it looks like I am making excuses. I am not. The next blog will summarize the race. That 3rd blog will tie it all together and it will all make sense. I know what went wrong and now I have to admit it. I know my friends well and I know all the speculating that's going on. <br />
<br />
Race day....next blog. Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-39815746696791024032011-01-12T10:43:00.001-05:002011-01-12T10:47:05.140-05:00Another Brick In The WallI stand there sheepishly staring at the ground in front of a darkness, an unknown, a horrible place that every triathlete knows. Most talk about all the time they spend in there but, do they? Really? Entering is sometimes the hardest part. But, not really once you enter. It's not easy. I know how much I want to go in but, I know what's in store once I commit. It's worth it though. I need to be there. No choice unless I like losing. What hurts more? <br />
I commit to the first step, it's not so bad. Except a fear starts to well up inside. What if I don't make it in. What if I slip on the way? What if I go and quit? What does that say about me?<br />
40 minutes later and I haven't crossed over. I'm alone. Pushing myself towards a place of uncertainty. <br />
But, there's still something, someone calling me. It seems like I'm being pushed and pulled at the same time. I pick up the pace. I'm going to need the confisdence to make the jump. Damn, it hurts though. My ears are starting to ring a bit. Balls of sweat are flinging off my elbows, leaving small puddles where ever they land. Oddly, the tops of my feet feel warm and tingly but, my kneecaps feel cold. I'm thinking I'm ready. I'm looking for some hokey motivational quote or some type of inspiration. The hard part is coming, the harder part is staying. I'm envisioning one of those people who jump through fire or walk over hot coals. It's really nothing like that at all but, that's what I think. Not to much is clear right now. Everything is dark in my periferal. My vision is somewhat skewed. Leaving me just enough focus to not run into something. All I can hear is my own breathing and I feel my heart beating in my ears. Pretty hard too but, most of the pain is gone. Don't get me wrong this hurts, just not like it did a minute ago. Now the clock starts. This is when I can make a difference I think. I think.<br />
Did I make it? Who's talking to me? I know I am alone. I think I am. Who am I talking to?<br />
It's the sweetspot...the 30 seconds of freedom right before I enter the metaphoric pain cave. <br />
Pain Cave? Woodshack? Hurt Locker? Suffer Dungeon? I usually say I'm layin another brick building this shithouse. What is it? It's a place we go to make big gains. It's not the 5 minutes of a 150 bpm that most guys brag was their big bad ass day. It's getting there and staying there. Pushing that 170 bpm and not backing dow. Forcing yourself to handle it. Waiting for your body to control itself. Get ready for the long haul because I am certainly not giving in so the rest of my body needs to understand that. <br />
One of the toughest parts of training here is answering all those questions with a NO. <br />
This is the only place where I am my own company. It's a battle with my conscious saying "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself." No I am not. I am only making myself better but, I want to stop. I need to stop. If I stop I'm a pussy. If I stop I will not even be able to look at myself in the mirror.<br />
The pain is back. Everything burns. My lungs, my legs, my left ankle every third step, my right should every stroke. I'm pretty sure if I stop it may hurt more. I love it here. I hate it here. <br />
<br />
During my time in the "pain cave" I often make the most mornic things make sense. I can virually justify anything, especially if it means I can back off. However, this time I think I hit on something a bit. One of the songs tha meant so much to me for all the opposite reasons it does now was on my Ipod. I was hurting too much to focus on changing it. Pink Floyd performed Comfortably Numb. I applied it here. See if you agree...<br />
<br />
Hello?<br />
Is there anybody in there?<br />
Just nod if you can hear me.<br />
Is there anyone at home?<br />
Come on, now,<br />
I hear you're feeling down.<br />
Well I can ease your pain<br />
Get you on your feet again.<br />
Relax.<br />
I'll need some information first.<br />
<br />
Just the basic facts<br />
<br />
Can you show me where it hurts?<br />
There is no pain you are receding<br />
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.<br />
You are only coming through in waves.<br />
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.<br />
When I was a child I had a fever<br />
My hands felt just like two balloons.<br />
Now I've got that feeling once again<br />
I can't explain you would not understand<br />
This is not how I am.<br />
I have become comfortably numb.<br />
<br />
O. K.<br />
<br />
Just a little pin prick.<br />
There'll be no more aaaaaaaaah!<br />
But you may feel a little sick.<br />
Can you stand up?<br />
I do believe its working good.<br />
That'll keep you going through the show<br />
Come on it's time to go.<br />
<br />
There is no pain you are receding<br />
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.<br />
You are only coming through in waves.<br />
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.<br />
When I was a child <br />
I caught a fleeting glimpse<br />
Out of the corner of my eye<br />
I turned to look but it was gone<br />
I cannot put my finger on it now<br />
The child is grown, <br />
The dream is gone.<br />
I have become comfortably numb.<br />
<br />
<br />
Welcome to the balls of the winter training.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-17042392758644956862011-01-04T16:38:00.000-05:002011-01-04T16:38:26.668-05:00Now that that is over!Ok. Back to regular blogging. Now that 2010 is history I feel like I can turn a new page to something better. That last 12 months just sucked a fat one for me in terms of triathlon. Can’t blame anyone but myself. My workouts are picking up a bit. I’m now running more than ever without pain. Last year at this time swimming was a priority. I had some periodic cycling going on as recovery and the run was around 30 miles a week with a long run on the trails of about 22 miles in 3:40. Now I’m not doing that long run and my weekly total is closer to 40. Hills are my concentration. I feel that I am behind though. Many other people are training a lot more than me right now. I have a strong feeling that some mid season burnout may be thrown into their race plans. And what’s with everyone buying computrainers this year? Geez, I would kill for that disposable income. I guess it doesn’t really matter though. I’ve always fought the uphill battle and come out on top. I’ve thrown out the option of a coach this season. I had one for a short period of time last year and I was still making all the decisions and then I ended up with a torn calf. Peace out to that. I know me better than anyone. Now I guess it’s on to a proper diet and some alone time pounding concrete. It really helps that Natalie is running again. The wine and beer isn’t around to derail us. I guess a 430 wake up call does that. It’s one of those things and I’m glad she is part of it. She knows how much it sucks to be dead tired and then try to push a workout with a headache. That’s if you even get out of bed. So that’s one more thing I got in the bag. <br />
I am truly amazed how slow I have become in the pool. I am actually embarrassed about it. This morning I was struggling on 300’s on 1:10 100 pace. Last spring I was swimming 300’s on 3:03’s. I also wonder what will happen when I lose these 10lbs. I am running faster than I ever have and I’m pushing almost 180 lbs. Trust me, it’s not muscle. I think it’s mostly gummy bear…<br />
<br />
The resolutions are in place and so far so good. I didn’t choose just one, I went for it all. I’m a little miserable for it but, who cares. What doesn’t kill you right? <br />
<br />
No added salt<br />
No caffeine<br />
No gummy bears<br />
No chips<br />
No dips<br />
No pointless snacks<br />
No pre-swim snack<br />
No Fried food<br />
Low Bread<br />
Low Beer<br />
Low days off.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-79065599894980458852010-12-28T11:06:00.000-05:002010-12-28T11:06:08.614-05:00Quick follow upWell I didn’t want to blog again until I dropped below 166 lbs. Looks like that just isn’t possible right now. So rather than having to lose 10 I now need to lose 13. I know I have been really loving the xmas ales but it just doesn’t make sense. I really don’t want to dwell on it as there is so much other crap going on in my life. To focus on the point of this blog I won’t get into any of that.<br />
<br />
<br />
I’ve made several additions to the 2011 training year. The one big thing is biking. Yes, I am actually on the bike at least 4 hrs a week. I know to some that’s nothing but, for me it’s big. I am typically able to average 22-25 mph over from 40k’s to half irons. (IMKY was 21.97). I don’t have to work all that hard at it and have never biked before March. Hopefully the added effort will show some new gains. I’ve been running a bit as well. Beginning of December I saw that some people were running a lot of trails. Well I need to burn the calories so I hopped on the band wagon. Just starting to wonder if maybe I should have signed up for a January 50k because I’m trained for it. One big training goal is to get through these holidays! I hate taking days off and have had 3 in December. Problem was that they have all been in the last 8 days. The schedule of running all over the place and then celebrating something every 2 seconds is making it tough (hence the 13 lbs.). This winter so far I decided to cut out the swimming. As I approach Jan 1st I think I will knock that crap off. I really enjoy swimming; even a moderate day is still recovery to my legs. I will not be swimming the Potomac River in 2011 so I won’t need 35k weeks in Feb. and March. That will free up a ton of time. I still want 3-4 swims a week at a distance of 4k and one day at 6-8k. It’s just been real tough getting up in the morning. Blah. It’s the lack of sun I’m sure. <br />
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January 1st always seems to be that day to bring relentless focus back into my life. I’m looking forward to it. I have been thinking of a few resolutions. Here they go:<br />
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1. One cup of coffee a day. NO redbull. <br />
<br />
2. Cut back on the starchy whites. <br />
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3. More sleep! That means in bed reading or watching re-runs of teen mom by 10.<br />
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This all seems pretty easy to handle. Well, the caffeine thing is going to suck a fat one. Hopefully I ease right into my regimen of over training and exhaustion bliss.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-57657257710650046862010-09-23T16:55:00.000-04:002010-09-23T16:56:12.937-04:00Ask and You Shall RecieveSo I keep hearing “You need to blog”. Really? I don’t think I’m that interesting of a blogger. Actually I think I do it just to hear myself talk. I’m not even sure what I have done since my last blog. Maybe I just can’t remember. So here it goes, I’ll just throw it all out there. Here is how I am feeling and doing.<br /><br />I finished my 2010 season with great disappointment. I met none of my goals and I slipped deep into the ranks of the common age grouper. I received a letter from USAT 6 weeks ago congratulating me on All-American HM for 2009 with a ranking of 250 something. I was ashamed to see. I truly did not live up to it in 2010. I swam well but, I didn’t do anything special on the bike or run. I never really took hold of that fire I had my first 2 yrs in tri. You know, the obsessive Type A that sickens a non-triathlete to even be in my presence. I had gained 15 lbs, some muscle but mostly fat. I never lost it. My self image was poor. My performance showed it. Well that was 2010. I’ve packed up all my awards…I even blew some up as part of an 8 day bender I was on. I wanted all of it gone. I wanted to start over. I still keep the Rhode Island Medal above my bed. A reminder. <br /><br />In the past 6 weeks some really positive things have happened. I gave up on racing for awhile. I ran a lot, became marathon trained and was ready to PR at Akron Marathon. Being low on funds and little self conscience of my doughier image I decided to hang it up one morning and sleep it off. This is not a bad thing. I went back to everything that was bad for me in the past. Beer, chemicals, shitty food, no sleep, just plain out not caring. It didn’t take long for me realize that guy was gone. Sure, I’ll still get shitfaced on occasion and ride aero naked with a water bottle…well never mind. In the time I spent goofing off I began a relationship with Planet X bikes. Who says speed isn’t in the bike. Hell, I rode my Leader at 23mph average, I hopped on the Planet X and held over 30 on straight and upped my average to 26. Holy Crap!!! I furthered my good fortune by picking up a sponsorship from FLUID nutrition. This is great for me because they are great people over there and their product is strictly for recovery. With my tendency to over train this is perfect. One of my main selling points with this company was that when I asked if they could get involved in local MS fundraising stuff they were actually excited about it. This is something near and dear to a good friend of mine and I was happy I could pull some support for his cause. Oh, and the product is bad ass and works really well for me.<br /><br />What else???<br /><br />I’ve put my Ironman Lake Placid training plan together…mostly. I have the last 5 weeks and the first 8 weeks done. A 44 week training plan. WHAT???!!! 44 WEEKS? Ok, it’s like this…I am taking the first 8 weeks (currently my off season) to stabilize and reel in proper nutrition for the physical training season. Sure I’m still running, pretty hard at time. I mean, You don’t want to let your sports car rust in the garage right? Take it out and do some hole shots! Just don’t break it. I am doing a lot of research. I can’t afford a coach and my past Ironman training brought me a 10:09 so I had something right…but, what was it? I’m figuring that out right now and I’m learning a ridiculous amount of new stuff. For example, no mater how hard I train in the pool, the most it will get me is 7 minutes. If I don’t get in the pool until January I bet I still drop a 52 min swim. That may even be the plan.<br /><br />Now let me get all tri-dramatic. <br /><br />It’s back. I feel it. Every second of the day. Every minute of my sleep. I wake up thinking Placid. I go to bed thinking Placid. I catch Natalie changing I think…where the kids, lock the door. Hahaha. Then 2 minutes later I think Placid. I’ve warned everyone. I said when the fire gets burning it will be hotter and more intense than ever. Stand back or get burned…ug, gay. But I don’t care, 90% of the time it takes a short motivational quote to get my ass moving. That’s all. So Shake and Bake!!! My world is so stressful right now with other things in the happenings. Work, Life, Family. Whenever I hit rock bottom all I do is think placid. I’d rather fight the urge to go faster than fight myself to go at all. This is probably it for me so IT is going to count. <br /><br />See you in 10lbs.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-91084228987522001552010-08-24T16:49:00.001-04:002010-08-24T16:49:42.559-04:00Just a little updateI let this season settle into a close. Man, it sure went fast. Seems like just the other day Frank and I were on our 8 hour B-day training adventure (that was January). I’ve eased myself into a Fall off season that permits a little excess indulgance but, also keeps some events on the calendar. I would really like to do 1 or 2 marathons soon. I have some base from the summer that I could role over. I know I won’t PR but, that’s not really what I’m interested in. I want a race atmosphere with some hills. I want to bike hard the day before. I want this marathon to hurt. Two weeks later, I’ll do it again. After that I’ll take 7 days off of running and chill a bit. Then it’s time to start building that base. Ironman Lake Placid. Yep, that’s the big show for me in 2011. 100% focus. Eat, Sleep, Breathe IMLP. My wife is a massage therapist so I have the luxury of pushing it a bit harder more often. She will fix it. I know I can bump running mile 20% 3 weeks in a row, she’ll fix it. I did not have fun getting dusted this summer. I did not like the feeling that I never really achieved the level of fitness I wanted. A lot of other things were acomplished though. My kids started BMX and are doing well. My daughter got a pony and is working that whole thing well. Natalie finished school and is just waiting for State Boards. And some other stuff I’ll just keep to myself for now.<br /><br />Big things for 2011. I am really excited to have an Ironman on my plate. 2010 was just not a challenge, and I trained that way and I paid for it. The 2 year plan is tough. One year down and in most aspects I’m ahead of where I wanted to be. Number 1. My move to full carbon with a set of race wheels. That’s huge. I’m dropping from 24 lbs down to below 19. 5 lbs I don’t have to lose off the belly. Number 2. I have joined forces with a great nutrition sponsor that will help in all aspects of recovery. Hell, I’m well known for “overdoing it” so this will help in monstorus ways. <br /><br />Lot’s of exciting adventures for 2011. Can’t wait to share them.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-12897766808992019092010-08-07T10:19:00.000-04:002010-08-07T10:21:34.850-04:00Thanks.Individual sports. I have always said this is way to define yourself as an athlete. It’s up to you and only you. In a team sport all you need is one all star to carry a bunch of losers to the end. Or vice versa, a bunch of losers can mask the true shine of one great athlete. In an individual sport there are no excuses. You are responsible for your own fate. Countless mornings I mash the alarm clock and hop out of bed. 4:17 am and I hear the same life mantra day in and day out. The first few steps out bed, knees clicking, ankles popping. I can hear the coffee pot brewing. Usually my cat walks me downstairs and sits on the counter as sleepily bumble through my routine. She says good morning with every pass. I head out the door with my swim bag, run, bag, bike gear, coffee, and oversized lunch, the stick, and whatever work I bring home. That is the start to a typical day. It’s all on me to get up and go. Sometimes I roll over, and I pay for that. Looking at some results this year, it shows. I was responsible for the. So to my point. That was a little look at what I do. However, my individual sport relies on a lot more than me. To be successful I rely on a network that usually gets overlooked.<br /><br />The ones that take the hit the worst. Natalie and the kids. This woman shuffles 3 children out of the house every morning by herself. Some evenings she’s on her own while I’m at the track, on the hills, or at a team meeting. She’s the true endurance athlete putting up with this crap for 4 years now. My children get a lot of good nights over the phone. Then I drag them out of bed at 5 am on the weekends to make it some event. There’s the backbone to what I do. Without their continuing tolerance I wouldn’t be top 10% in everything I do.<br /><br />My “sponsor” support. The group that takes the financial hit. My parents. Without them I wouldn’t be on competitive equipment or even have fresh rubber under me. Their support at my events gives me comfort that most athletes don’t get. Usually seen with them are my brother and his girlfriend. Talk about having nothing to gain from my racing yet they still show up and support me. For that I am grateful.<br /><br />So maybe my sport isn’t so individual. I am lucky to have all these people in my life. I know I don’t thank them enough. That’s hard for me as it requires emotion. I don’t know how to handle my own feelings so it’s hard for me to deal with all that. Maybe one day I’ll figure myself out but, for now…I want everyone to recognize that I really don’t do this all myself. To those who are always there, Thank you. It means more than know.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-64421999454445478422010-07-30T15:07:00.000-04:002010-07-30T15:08:26.951-04:00Just an update.I haven’t posted in a few weeks because I’ve been a bit busy righting some some wrongs. After Rhode Island I skipped my recovery and went right back to training. I put on some hard bike miles. I hit the hills several times. I lost 6 lbs and all my clothes are loose. I did 2 sweat loss estimates and it seems as though I lose about 38 an hour in 88 degree weather during race intensity. From the research I did an efficient body can take in up 33oz per hour leaving me with a deficit if 5oz. If I do the math right I would hit a critical heat stress point in about 90 minutes. Well bike and run together is almost 4 hours…See my issue? So that’s why I cut a little weight. I have a strong mental plan in my head for next weekend. I will have my nutrition planned and this time I will run with my own stuff. The following days will be dialed way back. Nothing over an hour except for a brick on Sunday. M-F will be short and tempo.<br /> Sunday I can toe that line knowing I’m ready. Seconds before the gun goes off my mind clears, I hear nothing . It is almost like a free fall. My body’s version of a cntrl/alt/del. The gun will crack and I will be in motion. All at once the silence will be filled with sounds of racing. Water gurgling, breathing, wheels humming, wind zipping through my helmet. Who knows what the next couple of hours will hold but, to me it doesn’t matter. Trust in myself backed by the knowing of proper preparation will surely reward me with success. No matter how it’s defined. <br /><br />That’s what it is all about.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-42281468050750739352010-07-13T16:32:00.001-04:002010-07-13T16:36:07.450-04:00Makes sense now.So what did I do wrong? I thought for 2 long hours as I fought off cramping and an overwhelming desire to just quit. <br /><br />1. <strong> Undertrained.</strong><br />I just didn’t get out on the bike enough. I was hoping that my swim fitness would carry me through. I was wrong. <br />2. <strong> Nutrition</strong><br />In the month leading up to the race I ate and drank freely. It caught up to me when I couldn’t control my body temp. Wrap an engine in insulation then redline it. It won’t run for long. I didn’t eat well in the week leading up to the race and I skipped a meal the day before. That just doesn’t work. To top it off I gave race day nutrition no thought. During Ironman I had it nailed. All it took was 15 minutes of planning.<br />3. <strong> Hydration</strong><br />Probably the nail in the coffin. I hydrated all week then on Saturday I let it go a little. I walked into this race on half a tank and paid for it. If I stayed hydrated and kept up on the salt tabs I would have likely finished the run around 1:35. <br />4. <strong> Focus<br /></strong>I had none. Haven’t been able to focus on training since Ironman was done. I have forced a lot of workouts, cut a lot short, and skipped more than I want to admit. I had no focus because I thought 70.3 wasn’t a challenge anymore. Hell, I did 3 and an Olympic in a month in 2008. <br />5. <strong> Arrogance</strong><br />This is the one that is the hardest to admit but, I have to. I know it. Everyone knows it. I thought I was better than I am today. I’m not saying that I’m not good, I’m just saying that if you put the time in you don’t get the reward. What’s it worth to you? I didn’t even take the time to double check my bike. I spent the entire 56 miles in the big ring and cramped hard for it. <br />6. <strong>Life.</strong><br />Sounds bad, but I let life get in the way. I let stress at work curb my workouts. I didn’t even try to make up a workout when I got delayed at home. That would never happen in the past. <br />7. <strong>Calling my shots</strong>.<br />To me this is one of the biggest offenders. It pretty much takes everything and wraps it up into one big faux pas. I told family and friends where I was going to be and when. My shots are not unrealistic. I just pissed off the Spirit of Triathlon by thinking I was the one in control. I was afraid that everyone would miss me going by. It happened in IMKY and it made for a lonely day. Well, not my problem anymore. You’ll see me when I’m done. All day Sunday I would look at my watch and as soon as I got a little off time it began a downward spiral which inevitably ended in pain. <br />So there you have it. I know where I went wrong. In all reality it’s about time. I’ve set a new PR in every single race I’ve run in the last 4 yrs. I was feeling invincible. I’ll say this. No matter how bad it hurt or how bad the cramping was. It sucked that my blisters were ripping open on my feet. It sucked that I puked out my nose and that’s all I could smell. When I ran that last 400 to the finish and I was feeling this ball in my throat my thought was here comes more puke. It was different though. This was the worst pain I have ever felt. It was the realization that I had failed. I let it happen. I wasn’t strong enough to stop it. I let everyone down. I could imagine my parents sitting by the athlete tracker in disappointment. I could see my wife and kids standing there thinking what a waste. I posted a link on Facebook to track me. Everyone could be sitting there watching me crumble. That there was my hardest day of triathlon. <br />Today my race T sits folded on my dresser. It will stay there until I deserve it. It’s only a t-shirt but, I don’t care. I shouldn’t wear something I didn’t earn. I gave my hat to my 6 yr old. He deserved it just for being there. The finisher medal hangs right above my bed. The next time I go to roll over to sleep a little more I will know it’s there and it will serve as a reminder of how that day felt. I have a race poster at home. It is going up in place of my IMKY poster. I will print my splits out and hang it there in the hall. Every time I pass it I will feel that sinking in my chest. I am an athlete like everyone else. I am not special, I am no better than the guy who always says “I was training for a sprint but, I got injured”. There is no what if’s today. There is only what happened. I WAS in 3rd until I blew up. That means nothing. <br />The next step. Simple. Never forget what has happened. Man, has this put things into focus for me. This isn’t tough. There’s only trained and untrained. What am I going to say after my next race? Do you know how fast I’ll go? Me neither. I won’t even speculate. Train hard. Train smart. Show up on race day knowing that you did everything you could to get here. Be grateful that you have these abilities and give thanks before the gun goes off. I guarantee a good day.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-11737300709568515632010-07-12T22:17:00.002-04:002010-07-12T23:35:21.684-04:00That was tough...Never, Never, NEVER ever ever call your shots in triathlon. I've said it a hundred times. Just don't do it. It's a sure fire way to wreck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">you're</span> day. So what did I do? I called a completely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">reasonable</span> time and and missed it by almost an hour. Yes, an HOUR! Yes I did an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ironman</span>. I did it well. And somewhere along the way I thought I knew it all and I was above the simple rules of endurance racing. The following is going nail down everything I did wrong. I had 2 long hours to think about it as I was being humbled by this great sport.<br /><br />Lets go back early April. I am at my weekly track workout pushing harder than I should. I knew this but, I'm invincible. I'm an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ironman</span>. Suddenly with less than 40 meters before my cool down it felt like I got shot in the calf. With that torn muscle I began down a path that eventually lead to this very second. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">rehabed</span> my calf quickly and got right back to running. I kept my issues to myself and was running faster than I ever had before. I began to tell myself that I was so strong that not even a torn muscle was going hold me back. I began taking a day off at least once a week. In the past I took one day every 21 days or at the start of my rest weeks. Once positively negative aspect was that I was swimming more than ever. 25k on my easy weeks. My 100 splits were well below a minute and I was swimming 5:10's for a hard 500 a couple times a week. I was spending a lot of time in the pool. Too much. This time would be better spent on the bike. But hell, I'm an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ironman</span> right. <br /><br />Race weight last year was 162. This season I am 172. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">That's</span> 10 lbs I shouldn't be carrying. It's not like I eat like crap. I just love candy and beer. <br /><br />So here I was 5 weeks out from Rhode Island. I took a solid 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">nd</span> at he Potomac River Swim, I took 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">nd</span> at Clays park, I was just about to take 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">nd</span> at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">munroe</span> falls. I walked into both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">tri's</span> just wore out. Not really from training but, from staying up late and drinking at bachelor parties and weddings. I've been really stressed at work and a few beers at night would help me relax. Still, I'm an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Ironman</span> and kicking ass this year.<br /><br />I made a promise to my wife that I wouldn't do an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Ironman</span> this year so that she could finish school. Well I seemed to lose myself as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Iwas</span> having a lot of trouble stepping back. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Every time</span> I would go out for a long training I would feel really guilty not being at home. Instead of looking for a balance I just hated myself and cut 9/10 workouts short. My longest bike in the last 2 months was 55 miles after the Potomac. So that explains the massive leg cramps on the bike.<br /><br />Looking at the week leading into the race. This is where I made so many mistakes. 9 days out from race day I stopped to say goodbye to my aunt at Wing Warehouse. Well, I opened the flood gates. I had a few beers there and then grabbed a 12 on the way home. I drank them all that night. I know why too. I knew I was unprepared for RI. I needed and excuse and was looking for a way out. I was taking terrible risks on the bike while training, I was running sub-6 as much as I could. I just couldn't get hurt . I was too rested. <br /><br />Now there's all the mental crap. Let me break down the rest of the week. I went into Friday with the weight of the world on my shoulders. I know, Big troubles huh? I do have a lot of other stuff going on right now besides <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">tri</span>. That was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">definitely</span> taking from my focus. We got at 430 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">friday</span> morning and sat in the car for 12 hours. When I got into town my legs were cinder blocks. I tossed and turned all night too. I new it was coming. Saturday I got up early <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">and</span> went to the expo and like a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">pit bull</span> I sized up every athlete to a point I had to leave. I proceeded to spend the entire day on my feet and even skip lunch. Don't worry, I made up for the missed calories with fatty cheese bread and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">gummybears</span>. <br /><br />Race day. I get to start. I am warmed up but not really at all. There are so many things that I usually go over a 1000 times before a race. I never <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">really</span> checked my bike. Is my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">aero</span> helmet snug? I didn't even plan my nutrition. I talked about it because i know everything. Hell, I'm an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Ironman</span>. I listen to nobody. I have 700-900 calories sitting on my bike and 20 oz H2O. I didn't know how to use it. The swim was off and I flat out crushed it. My heart rate hit 145 maybe once. 1st out of the water 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">th</span> overall. I'm on the bike. I started to push early. Last years splits were up over 24 and I wanted to beat that. 21mph was with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">everything</span> I had. There was a mild headwind, just enough to piss you you off. I was passing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">pro's</span> and although my average was low I was holding on. One problem. I wasn't eating right and...I was stuck in the big ring. I used a set of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Bontrager</span> for this race and the gearing was a little different too. I didn't get passed until mile 48. It only happened because my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">gracilis</span> was cramping. Both sides. Possibly because I'm not fit well. Oh, and I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">under trained</span> on the bike. I came into transition and I'm not kidding when I say only 15 bikes were there. It took me 2:40 to ride 56 miles. 25 minutes more than I planned. The bike course was a challenge. I was off and running. My legs felt good but my mouth was dry. I knew I needed water. I took a total of 60 oz on the bike. That's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">a lot</span> so this felt odd. Mile 1 was 6:50. I went out long and easy and felt great. I then turned a corner and standing in front of me was a wall. I ran the first half and began cramping in my right hamstring. I split mile 2 in 7:15. Miles 3 and 4 were 7:20's. That there was the end of my race. The next 9 miles was hell. I walked every aid station and drank 2-3 cups of water.<br /><br />Hell. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">With</span> every step I fought off cramps. My feet were on fire, blisters were forming and breaking. I think my teeth were sweating. My thermostat was way red. I stopped sweating and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">I was</span> covered in goosebumps. I couldn't cool down. Go figure, fat boy was retaining heat. I had nothing except 2 hours to think of everything i did wrong. To aid in my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">penance</span> I couldn't breathe. My back ad chest began to cramp. I was starting to throw up my water. I was getting dizzy. 50 yr old woman were running me down and I am staggering through aid stations...I was shivering but on fire. This was the worst day of my triathlon life.<br /><br />I will write what i learned later this week.Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708674997352327691.post-57191642545585094982010-07-01T10:42:00.000-04:002010-07-01T10:43:40.752-04:00Just whining.Another week of training done. Last week I hit it pretty hard. I’m not doing the long stuff I did for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ironman</span> but, I’m getting out there with some hard efforts. I think I’m afraid to train too much because I don’t want to piss anyone off. If I sign up for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ironman</span> Lake Placid in 10 days I will be solely focused on that race for 13 months. This is a challenge that scares me. That’s awesome…I think. <br />Lately I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ve</span> been running well, biking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ok</span>, and swimming better than everyone. I can’t figure out why. Sunday I races the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Summitri</span> in Munroe Falls. I went into the day dead dog tired. I ran 16 tempo the day day before and hit the bike real hard the 4 days prior. I got off the bike running 6:10-6:20 comfortably. That’s fast for me. I usually run 6:50’s on a sprint. The only thing I can think of is that this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-injury fitness. Yesterday I got out to ride some hills. I went down to the valley for 90 minutes and climbed almost 3000 feet. Not very much I know. Some people without jobs or responsibilities do this in a half hour everyday. So what. I ran a bit after and returned home close to 9:45p. This morning my alarm goes off at 4:10a and I must have reset it or turned it off. I got out of bed at 6a and I was pissed. Immediate <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">justification</span> wheels started turning. Then I hear “this seems to be happening a lot lately”. Well I don’t know. Lately, I drink then go faster. I skip a workout and go faster. Where’s my punishment for cutting back? I think that question will be answered next Sunday in Rhode Island when I hit the wall 50 miles into the bike. Or maybe not. I do put many 3-5 hour training days in. The bottom line here is this. When I sign up for a 2011 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ironman</span> I will do everything to make sure that I am 120% ready to toe that line. I’m sure that’s good for a few midnight <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">MF</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ings</span>. <br />Next up. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">BMX</span> racing with my boys. This is going to be great. We have Sarah swimming somewhat almost sort of with a little structure. She has a meet tonight. That will be cool. Can’t wait to see what kind of talent she has in the water. The boys are starting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">bmx</span> this weekend and I see talent in both of them already. It’s tough raising star athletes…Christian or "Rod Berry"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03689509095535835311noreply@blogger.com0