But, alas, no beer for Ironpeople...

A good Thursday before ironman is complete! Now its time for dinner in the sun and sleep. Aaaah, life.

Ironman Thoughts

"There are mental demons we fight and mental angels that we all carry around; it’s how we deal with them that will determine if we can finish this thing called the Ironman, this thing called life."

~Mitch Thrower

Ironman Race Day Thoughts

Sitting at work. All I can think about is Ironman.

I am standing on the shore with a couple thousand other triathletes. It is quiet but for the sound of the waves, the voices over the loudspeakers, the helicopter and the demons screaming.

We stand together in solitude.

Strangely experiencing a mix of fear and curiosity.

Looking ahead to T1.

Not looking forward to the impending beating in the water by my fellow athletes.

Wonder where Jan is? I wish she were here with me now.



Sitting at my desk, 400 miles away on a beach filled with anticipation and adrenaline.

Go Team!

"The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more chances to learn and win."

~John W. Holt, Jr.

Team Moss had a good day, Saturday, at the Five Mile Lake Sprint Triathlon, in Federal Way, WA...

Brian Kirby had a fantastic pre-ironman tune-up race! In just his third triathlon ever, I believe, he went home with 3rd place in the Male 30-34 age group. Sweeeet!! Watching him fly into the park at the very end of the run was something. That big dude can really move! I dare you to get in his way!

The beautiful and amazing Jan Howard earned her first hardware by improving on her previous time on this course by 10 minutes, winning 3rd place in the Women 30-34 age group. This girl has worked RELENTLESSLY on her running especially, but on all parts of her racing and it is really paying off. Not only did she train right through this race, but the day before she came home from a week long trip to Atlanta, complete with booze and southern cooking. Indeed, her accomplishment is special. But most importantly, the part that means the most, is that she has figured out how to race the best way for her. She has taken the tools taught to her and figured out HER OWN WAY, and it is working. I am so ridiculously proud.

I managed to use the entire length of the 5K run to catch and pass someone and earn 5th overall and 1st in the Men 30-34 age group. It might have been 3rd or 4th overall if my timing chip had not stuck inside of my wetsuit after the swim to bike transition. Oh well. I felt really good all day and feel good today. I forgot how hard going fast is!!

Shawna Hengel, in her first triathlon EVER, flew around the course and earned 5th in Women 30-34. She looked waaaay too comfortable out there, and I fully expect her to experience exponential growth throughout this season! She has talent!


Now, as the unofficial coach of this rag-tag bunch of wanna-be trigeeks, I have to say I am damn proud. All in all, I would say that Team Moss had a spectacular showing.




And if the season stopped there, well, maybe I wouldn't be so nervous still. Today is Monday. This coming Sunday is IRONMAN. All I can really do now is rest, be smart, and stick to my pre-race plan. The water appears to be cooperating temperature-wise, and the training is behind me. That is really the best I can hope for. I will be blogging from race headquarters, the Motel 6 in Coeur D Alene. Woo hoo!!!

Ironperson #568

"I am not a number..."

~Number 6 (The Prisoner)


Bib Number: 568
MOSS --AARON --32 --M --30-34 --KENMORE --WA --USA --STUDENT

If you can not be in Coeur D'Alene in person to watch #568 do the Ironman shuffle, please feel free to watch him do it here:
IronmanLive.com

New title for the blog: Training and Complaining

"Sweat silently. Let's have no squawking about a little expenditure of energy."

~Martin H. Fischer

We should all take some time to help those a little less fortunate than us. For instance, whenever possible, after a forest fire, share your water bottle with adorable little critters most of us only read about in books or see on television.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I was loading a few things into the car for a trip to Goodwill, which occurred because I am cleaning out the garage in an effort to make room for two vehicles instead of just one. Incidentally that didn't happen. I closed the garage door, walking by the button and giving it a tap, and was walking to my car on the other side as the door is closing(I deftly step over the laser-beam sensor as the door closes--don't try this at home, kids). Lo-and-behold my canine companion Cappie followed suit. I don't know if it was dumb luck or if she knew, also, how to avoid the beam that stops the door from unleashing its squishing powers, but she squirted out into the driveway, obviously pleased with herself, before the door closed. She pranced to the car while I stood in utter disbelief.

I realized that she saw the current situation (I had the garage in such disarray, and was carrying a huge armful of crap) and thought I might be trying to run away, and that she had better get a move-on if she were going to keep an eye on me.

Then she got to go to Goodwill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My muscles and tired limbs are healing.

One of the very coolest things about training for an Ironman is that, unlike training for shorter races, you get to really taper. You get to, in a controlled fashion, dwindle your training volume down (while maintaining intensity of course) towards the race in an effort to rest and recover and sharpen towards race day.

Tapering for Ironman is great for two reasons (at least for me):
1) I am training much less distance and therefore training takes up a lot less time out of the day, and therefore I have much more time to do useful things--like clean bikes, organize the garage, and vacuum.

2) Since I have been training so damn much until now, I do not feel that overwhelming urge telling me I "should be running" or something. Nope. Nada. No training.

The unfortunate thing is that I am not too good at resting. I may not be training, but I am, as I mentioned, tearing apart the garage. That is not restful (and you would agree if you saw this in action). Therefore I do need to work on resting.

But the no training thing? I have that down.

The last ride. The bike is different, the speed is faster, but the partner is the same.

Insanity to the Nth--plus one.

“The thoughts written on the walls of madhouses by their inmates might be worth publicizing.”

~Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Pedaling upon the Burke-Gilman trail towards school. Legs burning. The whirring sound of my tires and the creaking of my old aluminum frame compete with my thoughts for the virtual stage. The microphone picks up nothing but static.

In the distance the sun rises, for the trillionth time I wonder?? Seeing the same rising sun as the first humans, I stop and wonder for a moment if this is something I should be taking more seriously. I wonder if I take everything too seriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the last four weeks I have ridden 4 centuries, run over 100 miles, swam over 20 miles, and eaten more than my body weight.

I rode the Urban Assault race as hard as I could, but we only came up with a 6th place finish. I really wanted that one.

The next weekend we went to Bellingham for the Ski to Sea race, which was on Sunday. I was doing the mountain bike leg--my first time. Its a 14.5 mile leg as hard as you can possibly ride. I rode it on Saturday this way, then ran a few miles around lake padden. The next morning I woke up and spent most of the day waiting for my turn. When I got the baton, I rode into a division win and 32nd overall out of 416. The next day, Monday, I set a PR for 110 miles on my tri bike and then ran 8 miles.

My body has, as my friend and triathlete mentor Jeremy Gerking put it best "...found the razor's edge, and stayed there..." for a month.

I have done workouts in consecutive weeks that have simulated the Ironman wipe-out experience so well, I almost felt as though I needed a month off after one of these monsters. But the next week I would show up, ready to roll. In the process I found new depths of strength and endurance, courage and tolerance for pain. All good things in the Ironman Triathletes weapon cache.

I have made it through another ridiculously hard training season. Ironman is now 15 days away and I am in full-on taper mode. It almost feels weird not to be sitting here already worried about my 112 mile ride with 3500 vertical feet of climbing followed by a 12 mile run... I almost feel like I am cheating. Until I think back to last weekend, when I did just that, and then I can't help but be a little sad that once again, its almost all over.

Except for one last thing. Ironman itself.

For all the training and fatigue and emotions--the race is still where it all is headed, it is still the focus. Don't lose that focus, not ever. The instant you do, you get swallowed up and spit out by Ironman.

I made my plan.
I am training my plan.
I can't wait to race it.

Until next time...

Castles Made of Sand

"I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes."

~Jimi Hendrix

How long have I been listening? The music of intimidation, the song of insecurity, the gospel of graduate school.

I have listened to the lectures and the speeches and the seminars.

I have listened to defenses and breathing capitalist info-mercials.

I have heard the gospel and the sermon, the prayer and the confession.

The sound of failure and survival over the years has begun to sound the same, the soul among these voices almost non-existent. Am I destined to become one of these? Will my ultimate comfort some day be the sound of my own voice like it is for those around me?

~~~~

It is the 18th week of Ironman training.
I am strong and getting quicker, but approaching each workout takes its own brand of strength and conviction. Each time I step to the edge of the pool, each time I snap into my pedals, each time I lace up the running shoes; determined, yet afraid. The rain, the cold, the wind-- yet again. Hours and hours. The fatigue of each pedal stroke to pass over yet another hill. The numbness in my toes and fingers. Again and again I push the limits of my willingness to perform at an unprecedented level (for me) in the hopes of... what was it again?

There is never enough sleep. Never enough time. Only more to do, more pushing and exerting. More thinking and planning. More organizing. More more and finally, more.

Eating, sleeping, working, training. I become Microsoft Outlook.

~~~~

This morning I took 5 minutes to watch my dog after her morning walk. She rolls over in her bed that is too small for her and glances at me, upside down, her paws flapping around the ends of her legs like rubber. Her lips are hanging back from her doggy gums to reveal her dirty canine incisors. She sneezes. Surprised even at herself, she whirls herself up and shakes vigorously, her tags and emblems rattling on her collar. She looks at me and blinks, head cocked over and ears perked up.
I look at her and smile and appreciate the simplicity of her life.

Toys are GOOD.

"Women are like cars: we all want a Ferrari, sometimes want a pickup truck, and end up with a station wagon."

~Tim Allen

My new toy. Its beautiful.

Potential Ride for April 11th

But our ride will leave from Kenmore and cut across Redmond instead of originating from Beacon Hill.

That should eliminate 5 miles or so. Heh.

Check out the "view elevation" option. Holy moly.

Moved to Speak.

“When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.”

~Rodney Dangerfield

Its the 13th week of The Plan (formerly known as training). I was set on the all great calendar of pain to swim 3000 this morning, not a very big deal considering I swam 3000 last week already. I have been feeling remarkably strong in the pool. This morning was no exception and I surfed my way to 2800 comfortable and finished with 3200 uncomfortable. I pushed myself hard the last 1000 and it was worth it to feel that emptiness afterward when I stand up on deck for the first time and wobble my way back to shower.

The left knee is holding up nicely since I gave it a mini break from running.

Note to self--

Unsupportive Running Shoes
+
Bad Bike Fit
+
Crazy-ass skiing
=
BAD KNEES.


This morning I came in and saw a man sweeping stuff out into the hallway from our lab corridor. The door was open wide and he had his big, wide, floor sweeper/duster PILED with crap from our floor. It was obscene how much crap he had swept up. He was a pleasant enough guy-- a big, older mexican guy--who moved for me so I could get past and to my desk.

I came around the corner to my desk and saw that he had piled my nasty, dirty cords and stuff from the floor up onto the surface of the desk. I felt a little miffed that he had forgotten to put them down (its gross that they were there, anyway, but I figure I would have rather just not known at that point) again when he was finished. I look around and saw that the floor was remarkably clean. There was virtually no dust around. I was in awe. He had only dusted/swept, and our lab floor looked better than I had seen it look in years. So I told him that.

He explained our normal cleaning lady (oops, Custodial Technician) had been hurt on the job and that is why we have had different people in here every morning. He thought that our floor "looks neglected" and he "doesn't want it to get any farther behind" so he was scrubbing it this morning.

I don't think I could thank him enough, or more profusely.

My perspective changed. I took the cords and opened one of the drawers where I keep the computer overnight. I left the drawer partway open and propped the cords up on it. I returned to my desk and realized how shortsighted I had been-- he was leaving those cords up there so he could continue mopping. Duh, Aaron. So Smawt.

I moved some other things around and helped him by moving some waste containers while he mopped. Then he went to get a big scrubby pad and proceeded to hand scrub our floor. Amazing. This is amazing, I told him. It felt like Christmas. He laughed and we talked for a bit. I shared with him my history of employment, a significant percentage of which included scrubbing Golds Gym floors and bathrooms, and how much I appreciated just for myself seeing it be clean. My new amigo then went to get the big autoscrubber machine and is now scrubbing the heckfire out of our nasty floor.

It looks amazing. It smells clean. He takes pride in making it look nice just for the satisfaction of making it cleaner than it was when he got here. He isn't complaining about the time, the effort, or his lack of pay. He hasn't mentioned unions once. He hasn't stopped chatting with me or smiling or being polite.

I just sent his supervisor an email explaining how wonderful this man is.

He reminds me that regardless of what it is you do, you should take pride in it.

What is the Meaning of OW?

"Monday morning. Time to pay for your two days of debauchery, you hungover drones."

~Monty Burns

Today is really March 24th.

It is Tuesday, the first day of the 12th week of Ironman training V.2009.

Where am I, now?

Saturday we rode over 60 miles. It was moderately hilly and very cold in the morning. No rain, though, which is always a bonus. [I had just started to write about how kind the weather had been so far this year, but at that moment a virtual "shhhh" came from virtual Jan who reminds me not to tempt fate and jinx us.] Some rides its ridiculous how swift the punishment is when I mention something about the weather not being too bad. The words leave my mouth and not 3 minutes later we are swamped in rain, pelted with ice crystals or hunkering into our jackets from the snow... or some mixture of all three.

Saturday was a tough bike ride, but Jan really crushed it and forced me to step up my game a lot. Good girl. She mentioned something about making a point not to sandbag this ride, and she meant it. From the very beginning she held a torrid pace and I followed her for much of the ride. She pushed up the early hills so hard that not only was I not slowing down for her like normal, I was pushing myself to keep up. Did you read that? I WAS PUSHING MYSELF to keep up. My legs were still tired from my ski day, but that was not causing this. Not only was I impressed for her, I was astounded. I knew what she could do, but never really knew how to awaken the girly- dragon within. Well, it woke up. And now that the secret is out, I wonder how she will ride in the future?

I realized she might be pushing waaaay too hard, so I reminded her we had some hilly sections heading back home. She agreed but kept pushing. I smiled and followed dutifully. Very, very proud coach. If she can learn to run like this... women triathlete opponents watch yourselves. There is a sleeper in Kenmore.

She is the exact opposite of me. When I bought my bike, I was a red blur everywhere I went. You could smell the lactic acid eeking out of my pores, because everytime I sat on the bike it was all or nothing, burn-the-daylights-out-of-my-legs kind of ride. Didn't matter how far or short, how hilly or how flat, who I was with. GO GO GO, as fast as I can, as long as I can manage. Everyone always asked me, "Why do you always ride so fast?" Or, "Do you always train this fast?" I thought they were just jealous. Ha. Turns out they knew something.

And now I impart to Jan the value of a huge amount low intensity work, year after year, and how after a few years, at the same intensity, you go much faster. And its working. I just had to learn it for myself, first...

Sure enough the hills hit and we both conked out. We did make it, encouraging each other on. Hill after hill, we slogged it out, until the very final downhill stretch. And then, like a dope-slap, I was riding behind (like a lot of this ride) Jan when all of the sudden a really loud HIISSSSSSSSS emanated from her rear tire, and it sank in a slushy mess flat to the ground. Of course. OF COURSE.

I ranted and raved for a few moments and Jan (kindly) suggested we stop complaining and fix it. After acting childish for a few minutes and watching Jan struggle with the tire changing, I grew up and helped and we got it done and were on our way.

Then the reality of the situation hit me: I was changing a flat tire, getting grimy and dirty after a HARD 60 miles, with the woman I love more than anything. Together we did it all. How cool is my life? And how cool is the woman I get to share it with?

Sunday I ran 1:15:00, 75 minutes, for 8.2 miles. Mostly flat. Easy pace. Felt good, on tired legs and sore left knee from crazy skiing the previous week. The knee troubled me enough that I accommodated it in my running style, but its not so bad that I am concerned. The tension and pressure put on it from skiing is a very certain kind of force that threatens to pop the knee cap off outward. It happens when I maintain the position of my skis being under me in the thick and heavy snow that, when I hit it at high velocity, slows the skis down considerably and wants to pitch me forward. Think about breaking a small branch in your fingers. You hold the branch in your fingers with your thumbs oon the branch pointing towards each other in the middle. Using your index finges, press down and oppose that force with your thumbs by pressing up to bend the twig in between your thumbs. Now imagine a knee cap right where the bend is occurring. That was my knee cap.

Monday was a day off. A seemingly short and useless day off, especially at 9:30 PM when your phone rings and its the lab in which you work telling you to come in because a critical freezer has failed and no one else is available. Forget sleep, big dude.

Today I swam 3200 yards. I swam 200 warm up, 4 x 500, 4 x 250. I had my own lane the entire time, and swam my perfect pace. It was awesome. Its one of those feelings to finally get to swim the way you want. The importance of occasionally having to deal with throngs of people and altering your tempo, swim hard then fast then hard--its good. 2007 taught me a lot, one of the most important lessons being the difficulty of the swim. That is not your normal swim and you will NOT be just swimming your training swims out there, no way. All that is great but some days you just want to have your training plan, get in the pool, and mentally check out. You want auto-pilot to drag you up and down the lanes. You want to be in the moment feeling the water slosh between your arms and head, hear the sound of your breathing, the flow of the water over your back. You don't always want to be thinking the best way to get around the backstroking 90 year old, the kicking girl and the two chinese guys swimming sideways. Today was ideal.

And so training goes. And then there will be this big exciting race and then it will be over. Again. And beyond that, where this life goes, is anyone's guess. But for now, I relish the tired body and the thought of the hills and the rain. Even the flats. I know its a different perspective when you are out there, but really, what is better than exercising because you want to, in a clean, free, beautiful place, with a wonderful partner? Obviously I guess doing all that somewhere warm and comfortable, if you asked the Girl. For me, there is something so satisfying of checking another day off the calendar, knowing that as long as I do what is posted there, I will be 95% of the way to my goal on June 21st. And the rest, that uncontrollable 5% or so, I just have to hope my preparation is sufficient to handle whatever comes my way.

Morning becomes... a cold dark bus.

The morning becomes a cold, dark bus. I would rather be sleeping than making polite jokes with the other bus riders, but what choice do I really have?

Aaah. The quickimart!

Bike Ride Test Post

Its a good day. Two coffees, my girl and technology that allows me to blog from my phone...

Week...something.

"Dont go searchin' for a mermaid if ya don't know how ta swim."

~Great Big Sea

This morning it struck me: I sometimes feel like a Moose swimming across a lake.



Questions to ponder:

Are you ever really "ahead of schedule" in training?

How little training is too little?

If you wait long enough, does someone really do it for you?

Are hills more resistance training on a bike than cardiovascular training?

Can I average 19 mph and then run a 3:30?? Really????

What shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning??


Yes, its Tuesday, which means its the beginning of another week. Man, this is going by quickly, now... I feel terrific; the bike riding is "ahead of schedule" about a month and the swimming is in the same place. My running is kind of lagging only because I wasn't planning on ramping up the marathon training until March, which is now a week away. Gulp.

Can you be ahead of schedule? This is such a hard question. Just because I am stronger and able to do more this time around than I was in 2007, is it merely the fact that I am in much better shape overall and have done a greater number of triathlons and therefore training miles/hours in the time since IM 2007? Knowing that my physical state is not the same, should I adjust to match my current fitness level and abilities even though that deviates from the plan, or do I stick stalwart to my plan, which I admit seems a bit light for my lofty goal. Gulp again.

Can I average 19 mph over 112 miles? Yes, I feel this now.

Can I do it after that swim, and before the marathon, though?

I am trying to weigh the value of hills versus all out distance. Jan and I rode nothing but crazy hills last year and it wasn't the distance I am used to cranking in, but man, I was really strong on the bike. So, this year we are kind of doing a mix. I can not believe, every time we go out, how good we are feeling. Sure, we have not increased our speed consciously yet, but we are getting faster anyway. And, we are approximately 1 month ahead of my planned mileage and I am considering staying that month ahead and working on some speed during my longer rides in May. Wow, can I last that long? My poor body.

My poor wife.

Now, try to LOOK like you're having fun...

"After all, what is your host's purpose in having a party? Surely not for you to enjoy yourself; if that were their sole purpose, they'd have simply sent champagne and women over to your place by taxi."

~P.J. O'Rourke

Holy crap, I started writing this on the 8th? What is today, the 20th??

Oops.

When I started writing this, I believe it was the 5th week of training...the end of the 4th week. Today I write near the end of the 6th. And wow, its amazing how things roll on. With or without you, everything keeps ticking on by.

The 4th week was hard, the 5th week harder. The 5th week included a 3 hour ride around Whatcom and Skagit counties, South and East of Bellingham. The ride was difficult but fun, and the next day Jan showed off her excellent new running form on the trail between Fairhaven and downtown Bellingham in the sun. It was a terrific Valentines Weekend with terrific training to boot. It was a good end to a good week of training, and a much needed change of scenery.

Not to mention some REALLY amazing food. Holy shit.

The 6th week has been different, because I thought I was getting sick early on after taking Tuesday to go skiing all day. Wednesday I woke up feeling pretty bad, swam anyway, and by the end of the day was really feeling awful. When standing in the pool you get chills and feel kind of dizzy--thats not a good sign that you are on top of your game. Wednesday night I took it easy and also took Loratadine, a generic, Costco form of Claritin, and hoped for the best. Thursday I was pleasantly surprised to wake up feeling good again--whether from the drugs or the Vitamin C I was pounding all day Wednesday (to the tune of about 6 grams over 12 hours) I do not know. What I do know is that I am suspicious of my yearly February allergies, lurking at just the wrong time. In 2007 I dont remember the allergies, but we were religious about taking Claritin (the original form of Loratidine) so maybe I didn't know when I had them. Maybe I just forgot.

At any rate, its Friday now of the 6th week of training, and I had the best swim yet of 2009. It was perfect. The pool was empty enough that Jan and I were 2 of 4 in our lane and 3 of the 4 total swimming at a reasonably quick pace for me. One guy was swimming slowly enough that I could pass him without adjusting my effort--all in all, I was able to swim 3 x 500 and 2 x 250 followed by a set of 200, 2 x 100, 4 x 50 and a 200 cool down. Grand total yardage for the day: 2800. Not too shabby for 45 minutes of swimming in February.

Tomorrow is the Pharmaceutics Department ski trip, which I am attending. Not that I plan on being social, screw that. This last Tuesday Brian and I dodged school for the day, and it was THE best day of skiing I have ever had out of the probably 8 total outings I have had in my life; now I am looking forward to getting a little extra in tomorrow. Afterward the whole gaggle (approximately 20 pharmaceutics/med chem students) are ending up at our house, and so it will be interesting to see where all of these people sit... better clean off some extra chairs...

I have to figure out what my weekend training schedule is going to be, because I normally bike on Saturday and run on Sunday-- but Saturday is skiing, so I don't know yet how to adjust. Maybe a brick on Sunday. I think that may be it. Let's see what the girl thinks.

June 21st is so close. Its almost March already.

Marathon training is about to begin in earnest. Its a huge difference completing a casual 17 mph 112 mile bike ride and then a 4:15 marathon versus pushing the bike pace to average 19 mph over that same 112 miles and then plunging headlong into a 3:30 marathon. My fastest marathon ever is 3:24, but that WAS with terrible and less than minimal training. My point is that the times may not look so different but the effort required is HUGE, and I have got to experience these tempos in training soon.

And my stomach excitedly knots up. I love this shit.