tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32067660416167900742024-03-13T15:12:47.447-05:00Just An Age GrouperJust Like 99% Of You Out TherePete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-30261132572513711732012-07-10T11:18:00.001-05:002012-07-10T11:18:40.383-05:00Racine 70.3 Race Number<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">-2075-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">That's my race number for my first 70.3. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I’m racing in the Ironman 70.3 Racine Race this Sunday.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">My first attempt at this distance.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I feel good leading up to this weekend.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I have a few regrets when it comes to the
training I did these last few months.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I
should have spent more time doing intervals on the run and bike.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">And I didn’t find the time to get a full 13.1
miles in on a run.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">My bride and I will
be dropping the kids off at my parent’s house on Friday on the way up to
Racine, WI.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">We’re staying up there with my
training partner (who is in much better shape than me).</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Right now the weather looks like it’s going
to cooperate for us, but you never know.</span><br />
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Goals:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Swim: 33:00<o:p></o:p></div>
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T1: 3:00<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bike: 2:45:00<o:p></o:p></div>
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T2: 2:00<o:p></o:p></div>
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Run: 1:45:00<o:p></o:p></div>
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The main goal is to take several steps back on the bike so I
can really try and enjoy my first 1/2IM experience. No one likes to be slogging through the run
and hating every minute of it. Nutrition
is the big unknown variable here. The
most time I have to train is 2hours on Saturdays, so I don’t get a lot of time
to simulate race conditions and practice nutrition plans when I know I’m going
to be out on the bike/run for at least 4.5 hours during the race. Taking a minimalist approach: drink Gatorade
& water when thirsty, down a couple EFS liquid shots during the bike, and
carry a couple Gus on the run.<o:p></o:p></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-81520147676115176912012-06-20T22:45:00.000-05:002012-06-20T22:45:32.729-05:00Status Update - 2 Races CompletedLet's see, the last time I posted I was just getting back into training. Here I am less then four weeks out from my first 70.3 and I'm still alive. I wish I had some kind of earth shattering reason why I've been so lazy about posting updates. I look back at why I started this blog and the whole purpose was to keep a record of my training highs/lows and thoughts regarding this passion of mine. Let's get to some updates (and I wish I would have completed some race reports for these):<br />
<br />
I raced in the <a href="http://bluffcreektri.com/" target="_blank">Bluff Creek Triathlon</a> on May 20th. This is my second attempt at the olympic distance at this location (they have a sprint that I did last year). Two years ago I was a month past our third child's birth, but I felt I was in the best shape of my life (at that time). Brutal bike course and a swim that is usually very cold this time of year. You can read about my previous attempt at this race <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2010/05/humbling-experience-bluff-creek_24.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This whole year I've been concentrating on Racine 70.3, so these other races I'm fitting between longer bikes and runs. Let's just say I ended up kicking this course instead of it kicking me like last time.<br />
<br />
<u>Highlights of the race:</u><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">8th OA out of water</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">My transitions are still very fast ever since going sockless. I still have a hard time getting the wetsuit off my </span><span style="background-color: white;">ankles</span><span style="background-color: white;"> and waste about 10sec messing around with it.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">1:16:06 vs 1:21:30 on the bike improvement from two years ago.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">44:47 vs 58:31 on the run improvement from two years ago. This is also a PR at this distance for me.</span></li>
</ul>
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I ended up 7th AG and 14th OA. The one regret I have is not pushing the bike just a hair harder. I always felt like I was holding back to save for the run. And looking at the results I found I finished 4secs behind 6th in AG! It was a tough age group that day. My time would have placed me 1st in the AG above (40-44) and 3rd in AG below (30-34).</div>
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I also raced in the Holiday Lake Triathlon on June 9th. This was a sprint that I ended up signing up for at the last minute. It's about 20miles from my parents house, so I packed the kids up and went to see Grandma & Grandpa. They watched the kids for me while I played a little selfish that day. Raced it with my Racine 70.3 training bud. He smoked the bike course that day with a 21.5avg on a very hilly bike. The 5k was around the lake and if any of you know what man-made lakes are like, you know what the hills are like around them (15%-19% grade). This was by far the hardest 5k run I have ever done. Only two athletes broke 20min on the run and they were Division 1 Collegiate runners in their previous life.</div>
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<u>Highlights of the race:</u>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>8th OA out of water.</li>
<li>That's it, no previous experience on this course.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I ended up 6th in my AG and 19th OA. It's here that I realized my bike strength is no where close to where I'd really like it to be at. It's here that I get passed by so many, and I just can't catch them on the run. It may have been that I wasn't really tapering for this race, but then again it was only a sprint. I'm not sure there really is much tapering that needs to be done.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAiz0kpGP8w/T-KT43uWCpI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/Lgm3DgdjyuU/s1600/457465_3434710506129_286122458_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAiz0kpGP8w/T-KT43uWCpI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/Lgm3DgdjyuU/s200/457465_3434710506129_286122458_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Cory (70.3 Training Bud) and I post-race</div>
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So where am I now: I really have two more weeks of hard training before I start to think about tapering or at least cutting back on the intensity. This weekend I have a 3hour brick planned at race pace. The following weekend I have a 4hour brick at race pace planned. The wife is taking weekend classes for her Master's Degree. That's really put a damper on my attempts at simulating race conditions with heat. All of my workouts have been starting at 5-5:30am. Kind of sucks, but I'm just going to have to remember to be very cautious with my pace on the bike and run if Racine ends up really hot (like last year).</div>
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I also haven't gotten a lot of time simulating race nutrition. I'm looking for some input from anyone out there. I'm a minimalist when it come to nutrition. My plan is a GU every 45min along with Lime Gatorade (about 20-30oz every hour). I'll be mixing in water depending on heat. In addition, taking salt tabs if it's above 80°f (I'm a very salty guy).</div>
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<br />Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-64802140181410572852012-04-16T11:32:00.000-05:002012-04-16T11:32:17.461-05:0070.3 Training & General UpdateIt's been a long time since my last post. I've been very busy at work and at home, not to mention this 1/2IM in July that I've been training for. Plus, I have a new addition to my racing tool set that I'm very excited about. Let's break this all down:<br />
<br />
Work:<br />
My division (Building Controls & Automation) has been crazy busy with projects. This is contrary to our other divisions which rely heavily on commercial construction. Similar to most cities, there's not many companies that are building new office space. What they are doing is renovating their existing. That's where I come in and design a completely new and updated building controls system. I describe building controls like the thermostat of your house. Except the difference is, a home thermostat controls 2000 sq feet for one family, our system needs to control 1,000,000 sq feet for thousands of people with different opinions of what is a comfortable temperature.<br />
<br />
Home:<br />
Along with a full time job, my wife has been taking classes to obtain her Masters in Education. This has required me to be full time DAD on weeknights and weekends. It's only about every other month that this happens, however with two elementary GIRLS and a toddler boy I am completely wiped at the end of the day.<br />
<br />
William will be turning two at the end of this month. He is so much different then the girls ever were. He has so much energy and runs everywhere! It is so hard to contain him in one location. Think of a 20lbs Jack Russell and multiply that by 10!<br />
<br />I'm very proud of our oldest who just celebrated her 1st Communion. I had my dad snap the picture below of Carrie and I along with Emily. I started to die laughing when I pulled it up on the computer this morning. I didn't realize our little Olivia (middle child) was trying to get into the picture also.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wsxjcncbtn0/T4wxvgw9TKI/AAAAAAAAAi8/Oo6bneMMxGQ/s1600/IMG_7087-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wsxjcncbtn0/T4wxvgw9TKI/AAAAAAAAAi8/Oo6bneMMxGQ/s200/IMG_7087-001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Training:<br />
I am pretty happy with my training. With the limited amount of free time I do have, I've been taking full advantage of it. I've also been listening to my body a lot closer. When it feels tired, I tend to take it easy or just have a day off. This has really helped get in better "quality" work outs.<br />
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<u>My current workouts are:</u><br />
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Mon - 1hr Interval Bike (Basement Trainer)</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
If you find yourself on a trainer a lot, pick up one of the <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/">Sufferfest </a>videos! If you're being honest, it truely is a suffering! Mondays I typically do <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/details-downward-spiral/">Downward Spiral</a>.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Tue - 1hr Interval Swim</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Besides my typical WU, Drills, & CD, I usually do 10x100s on 2 with my 100s coming in at 1:20. I've improved my 500 TT by about 20sec from last year and finally broke 7min. Swimming has improved the most.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Wed - 1hr Threshold Bike (Basement Trainer)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Again, using the Sufferfest videos here. Normally it's <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/thehunted/">The Hunted</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I also try and get in a threshold run over lunch. Usually about 5 miles.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Thu - 1hr Long Swim</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Either do a 1mile TT, 1.2mile TT, or 3x500 on 8.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Fri - Long Bike (Z2-3)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here I just put a movie/TV show on and enjoy. Finally catching up on some Entourage, down to the last season. These bike rides are 2hr long and this week I'll be adding a 1mile run afterwards. This transition run will increase in distance as I get closer to July.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Sat - Long Run</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Put the headphones in and grind out 10miles. Usually the last couple miles are tough. I keep telling myself that as tough as it may feel during training, it will hurt that much more during the race. My goal is to condition my body for the pain and learn to ignore what my mind is telling me (start walking!)</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Sunday - REST</li>
</ul>
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Now to my new race tool:</div>
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I am now officially a triathlete. I just picked it up last week so I haven't been outside with it yet. It's a 2011 Felt B16. Later this week I'll be switching out the FSA crank with a SRAM Force Carbon Crank. Everything else is Ultegra. Next upgrade will be a wheel set. Any recommendations?</div>
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<br /></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-82268001929098180972012-01-19T16:18:00.000-06:002012-01-19T16:18:42.194-06:0070.3 Here I ComeJust a quick post here. Signed up for my first 1/2 Ironman about a week ago. For some time I've been debating on when to take the plunge into the distance. I've always known that in order to get a full IM under my belt before 40 I'll need to at least complete a 1/2. Sooo, this is the year.<br />
<br />
Myself along with a training buddy have signed up for Racine 70.3. We opted for a WTC 70.3 event so we can get the full experience out of the thing. The race is July 15th, right in the middle of the summer. Plenty of time to prepare and plenty of time to get some good road miles in on my bike. I'm truly looking forward to this race along with the Hy-Vee Triathlon for the 2012 year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdXp3GGtmQw/TxiWJyn7-3I/AAAAAAAAAho/76KfMdQUKUc/s1600/thumbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdXp3GGtmQw/TxiWJyn7-3I/AAAAAAAAAho/76KfMdQUKUc/s1600/thumbs.jpg" /></a></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-78662101214575365502011-10-27T19:58:00.000-05:002011-10-27T19:58:04.093-05:002011 Des Moines Half Marathon Race Report<div class="MsoNormal">Here I am almost 2-weeks from running the Des Moines Half and I’m finally getting to my race report. This is the second time I’ve ran this race and the second time I’ve ran 13.1 miles, ever. Weather turned out great (again) and I finished with a much better than expected time. Leading up to the race I had gotten some kind of bacterial infection so I wasn’t able to run much for two weeks and did not get any long runs in. Due to this I knew I wasn’t going to PR but was looking to enjoy the race and attempt at going sub 1:40. To my surprise I ended up with a 1:37:52 which averages to 7:29/mile, compare that to last year of 1:36:58. Less than a minute off my PR, I couldn’t believe it.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It started off at a very brisk 48°F outside that morning. I rode down with my brother and brother-in-law. Both of them were doing the marathon relay as they always do. I lined up between the 1:30 & 1:40 Pacers knowing that I would probably see a couple guys I usually run with over lunch. Sure enough they were all there. John was the only one of the group running the full marathon and he ended up running it in 3:09! I ended up racing with my TRI triathlon jersey which is a tank top. I wasn’t sure if it would be weather appropriate due to highs in the 50s, but I’m glad I did. I stayed cool the entire race which really helps keep my heart rate down.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Started off at a faster than normal pace (normal) and ran with John (super marathoner) for the first 3 miles. My legs felt very fresh, as they should due to a two week rest. I was just a little nervous about how my strength would hold up for the entire distance. Up to this point, the longest I have ran (since last year’s half marathon) was 10 miles, and that was only twice. I kept glancing down at my Garmin and I was consistently around the same pace as last year (7:20ish). So I started to think I would get close to a PR, but my mind always told me that I’m not strong enough for that. I also decided to wear my HR monitor (first time since Spring). I wanted to compare this year from last as I wore the monitor last year and the temperatures were almost exactly the same from a year ago. This makes for a perfect arrangement to compare year over year (almost all variables are constant)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was right around the half way mark that my legs started to show me signs of weakness. I could tell that I wouldn’t be able to keep the 7:20 pace up for the entire race. The course is extremely flat, probably the best half marathon course out there for PRs. The flat course helps so much with pacing, it makes for a race plan that can easily be predicted and executed. I took a Gu at mile marker 8 and only a few sips of water the entire race. I can do this because the weather was cool and it’s only about 90-100 minutes of exercise. This minimalist nutrition plan of mine has worked now for every race this year. Granted my races only last between 70-150min, but I feel I have this dialed in pretty good. I’m going to have to change this nutrition plan as I start looking at longer distances over the next few years.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coming down the last mile I didn’t fall apart like last year (or at least I didn’t feel it). There is a lot of spectators on the course, especially the last couple miles. It makes for a lot of encouragement that is needed those last couple miles. The last 1/4mile is the best, we come downtown through the Court Avenue area, the streets are just lined with people cheering. I turned up the speed as much as possible and finished with a big smile knowing that I out preformed my expectations. I finished 23<sup>rd</sup> /199 in my AG and 237 OA. Carrie brought the two girls down so I got a chance to hang out with the family as we watched the marathon runners coming across the finish. The Marathon record was broke with a time of 2:12:54!!! That’s a pace of 5:05/mile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here is my Garmin data from this year:<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cLZGC4jnzDk/Tqn7NpwwW7I/AAAAAAAAAgg/J1HQEuvnY3U/s1600/Race+Downtown+Des+Moines+10-16-2011%252C+Pace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cLZGC4jnzDk/Tqn7NpwwW7I/AAAAAAAAAgg/J1HQEuvnY3U/s320/Race+Downtown+Des+Moines+10-16-2011%252C+Pace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And here is the data from last year.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w6xhbAQHEG4/TL5UQM3WzII/AAAAAAAAAOA/tjNnuzpvBzo/s1600/Des+Moines+Half+Marathon+10-17-2010%252C+Pace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w6xhbAQHEG4/TL5UQM3WzII/AAAAAAAAAOA/tjNnuzpvBzo/s320/Des+Moines+Half+Marathon+10-17-2010%252C+Pace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And here is my HR overlay of both races (RED - 2011; BLUE - 2010)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gHookRJa34/Tqn7fVF3KpI/AAAAAAAAAgo/I-MTr35DiUM/s1600/Overlay+10-27-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gHookRJa34/Tqn7fVF3KpI/AAAAAAAAAgo/I-MTr35DiUM/s320/Overlay+10-27-2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My engineering background forces me to OVER ANALYZE this data, but I would like some more input from any of you that also love to analyze data. The weather was maybe a little cooler this year compared to last and I was about 3lbs lighter this year. I'm interested to know why my HR was 5bpm faster this year compared to last year. I'm obviously running right around my threshold HR in both years, but why is it higher this year, but the pace was slower? So again, anyone out there that self coaches or likes to look over data and analyze or is a HR expert I'd love to hear from you.</div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-49908138216272394932011-10-12T15:11:00.002-05:002011-10-12T15:11:57.599-05:00Sick Before Race<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coming up this weekend is my last race of the year. It’s the Des Moines Half Marathon. I signed up for this race a few months back
knowing that it would be pretty hard to ramp up my volume after the Hy-Vee
Triathlon in an attempt to beat last year’s
time. So the real purpose or goal of
this race was to force myself to continue running after my last triathlon and
to hope for the same or slightly slower time of last year. You see, last year my last triathlon was in August,
so that gave me over two months to train for my first half marathon. I <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2010/10/des-moines-12-marathon-race-report.html">blew my expectations away</a> with a 1:36:55 at
the race, but I was running 25-30 miles per week consistently (much more
running than what I’ve been doing this year).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to this year and Hy-Vee was rescheduled for September
4<sup>th</sup> which only gives me about 4 weeks to train for a half
marathon. I know my base was there, but in
order to get my speed to hold for an hour
and a half I really needed to do a lot of longer threshold & tempo runs. Training was going good up until two weeks
ago. I went for a 8 mile hilly run and
just fell apart after 2 miles. I have
ran those hills in the past with no problems so I knew something was up with my
body. At first I thought it was my body
telling me that I ramped up my mileage too fast. I was waking up in the mornings achy and
tired. By 4 in the afternoon I just
wanted to go to bed. I pushed on and
attempted to continue to train with all runs being completely miserable. I finally went into the doctor last week and
came out with no solutions except a prescription for Z-Pak. A day later and I could feel that my body
finally made a turn for the better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpMGpH6n2kQ/TpXy6iRHCuI/AAAAAAAAAdw/olOtaOnGhxI/s1600/bacteria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpMGpH6n2kQ/TpXy6iRHCuI/AAAAAAAAAdw/olOtaOnGhxI/s200/bacteria.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So for two of the four weeks available for me to train I had
some kind of bacterial infection. I also
ended up taking a full week off to make sure my body got fully better. Tomorrow will be my first run in over a
week. To make a long story short, I have
reevaluated my race goal after this past week.
I’m now looking at anything better than a 8min/mile average. A big difference compared to last year’s
7:20min/mile, but what more can I do when my longest run to date is 10 miles, which
was over two months ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The second thing of note is a change to my
blogger template. I decided to go with
Blogger’s new Dynamic Template. I
thought I needed another fresh look especially for my 3<sup>rd</sup> year of
blogging (<a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2009/10/just-getting-started.html">Oct 14<sup>th</sup> 2009 was my first post</a>) A big thanks to anyone who has kept up with me from the start. I know there are only a few of you, but thanks for taking the time to read my blog.</span>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-38986320538489010832011-09-09T10:35:00.000-05:002011-09-09T10:35:25.536-05:002011 Hy-Vee Triathlon Race ReportFirst thing that comes to my mind is, "What A Day!" This year the Hy-Vee Triathlon was held on my Birthday (the big 35), so who can argue with the fact that I was going to have a great day no matter what. The short of it: Terrific weather, terrific race, new PR for me by 5 min, and a refreshed passion for triathlons. Yes, because of such a busy summer for me and the overall little time spent training for races, I was beginning to loose interest. I am just too competitive to not put everything I can into my races.<br />
<br />
RACE MORNING:<br />
Woke up around 4am to a very cold morning. Water temps were 83F two days earlier so I still didn't think it would be wetsuit legal but took my Sleeveless Xterra along anyways. Ate a banana, wheat beagle w/peanut butter, yogert, and coffee. I also want to add that the previous two days' diet consisted of about 80-90% carbs; I felt that played some part into my overall race day nutrition. Got down to Grey's Lake around 4:45 to hear the race director announce that the race would be wetsuit legal. Yes the water temp dropped almost 10F in two days! Setup my transition area as normal except for the fact that my wife gave me a Happy Birthday Balloon (big) to tie next to my bike. I thought it was kind of corny, but WOW did it make a difference. This transition area was HUGE. At least 100yards long.<br />
<br />
SWIM:<br />
After the 5150 Champions started their race, us "Age Groupers" started. My wave was about an hour after the Championship started and we started in a time trial fashion with 6 racers starting every 10secs. This actually did a good job of breaking up the waves and allowed for a more "pure" swim race vs. the "fighting" race that usually happens in a mass start. I was surprised by how little contact I received throughout the entire race. I felt great the entire way and noticed I wasn't getting passed as I normally do. My sighting was dead on, looking up about every 2-3 stroke cycles. Only issue was with the sun getting in the way of sighting on the back stretch. My solution was sighting off the pontoon boat next to the turn buoy. I got out of the water and looked down at my watch; 25:27. Official swim and new PR: 25:34.<br />
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T1:<br />
I want to emphasize how large of a transition this was. Once I crossed the timing mat out of the water I had to run at least 100yards to the swim in, then back the other direction to the bike out. My bike was about 3/4 of the way down. I was so happy I tied the balloon to the rack, it lead me directly there. Stripped my wet suit off, went into my bike shoes (sock-less of course) peeled my swim cap off, glasses on, helmet clicked and I was off. T1 3:10<br />
<br />
BIKE:<br />
I thought this bike course was great. It had the perfect mixture of bike conditions, fast turns, hills (rollers and grinders), flats, & at most points nice views of Des Moines and surrounding area. I made the decision to hold back on the bike. I knew there were some decent hills all the way up to mile 20 so I really didn't know how my legs would do. I didn't get in a lot of saddle time this summer (avg of about 35mile/wk) so I knew I needed to take it easy if I wanted to PR my run. Most passing was by others, although I did some. I always enjoy passing those $4K-$6K TT bikes with my entry level Trek (deep down I'm just jealous of them). I ended up going through two GUs and two 20oz bottles of Gatorade during the bike, this is exactly what I was planning on doing. Turning back into the Grey's Lake Park I slipped my feet out of my shoes and peddled for some time with my feet on the outside. This makes for a much cleaner dismount from my bike. I looked down at my Garmin and was a little disappointed, but not surprised. Bike: 1:13:26.<br />
<br />
T2:<br />
Balloon again helped to located spot right away. Ran barefoot in the mud, threw my bike onto the rack, threw my helmet and glasses off, slipped on my Zoots, and grabbed my hat & belt. Couldn't have gone any better. T2 1:29.<br />
<br />
Run:<br />
As soon as I got out of transition, I knew I had my PR for the distance. My swim went great, bike was only 3min off my best, and my legs were feeling 100%. I just had to slow down and remind myself to run my race. Don't push too hard until the very end (knowing there was a monster hill 200 yards from finish line). I did not have my Garmin with me to keep pace, I was going purely off how I was feeling. I was feeling great until mile 2 when one of my running partners passed me. I attempted to stay with him, but started to feel some cramping in my quads. I backed it off and again reminded myself to run my own race. The rest of the race I was riding right on the line between cramped legs and just cruising along. At the half way point I checked my watch and saw I was maintaining about a 7:30pace. At this point I was almost all smiles. I was enjoying the run soo much. Then I started to think about my two girls waiting for me at the finish line. This made any and all pain just go away. The rest of the run I stayed my course and ground out the miles with a big smile on my face. The last hill was a bit tough, I passed three guys going up it then poured on my speed to finish on the beautiful blue carpet finish line (just like the Pros). Run 46:17.<br />
<br />
FINISH LINE:<br />
My parents were at the finish line waiting for me along with my two girls. One of my brothers made it down for the race also. This just put the cherry on top of a perfect birthday. My girls ran up to me and told me great job. They even asked if I won (so sweet). My parents (who came to every one of my football games) were there to support me just like they have my whole life. I am truly blessed with a wonderful family.<br />
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FINAL THOUGHTS:<br />
Sure enough this was a PR at this distance for me. Two years ago at the Big Creek Tri (flat course) I got 2:34:00; so I beat it by a huge 5mins. Considering the limited time I spend training I feel terrific with my finish time of 1:29:55. If I had the time I'd love to try and qualify for the 5150 championship, but I'm guessing I would need to workout more than 6 hours/wk for that. The numbers are as follows:<br />
1:29:55 final time<br />
20/100 AG<br />
97/663 Male<br />
109/997 OA<br />
9th fastest swim in AG<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pictures</span></div>
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Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-86122495090047802922011-08-30T07:25:00.000-05:002011-08-30T07:25:04.217-05:002011 Hy-Vee Triathlon<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Less than a week until the Hy-Vee Triathlon. This will be my second & last triathlon of the season. It has been an odd racing year for me: only two triathlons and one road race. It's been a very busy summer for us with the move at the beginning of the summer, a guys weekend trip in July, a bike ride across Iowa, and a toddler who has learned to walk EVERYWHERE. With William being our third (and last) you would think I'd remember how hard a toddler (who just learned to walk) is to watch and take care of. Either way, I'm really looking forward to the Hy-Vee Race.<br />
<br />
A little history on the Hy-Vee Triathlon: Started in '07 with a swim start at Grey's Lake, bike/run course downtown, and a finish in front of the State Capital. In '08 (my first triathlon) Grey's Lake was flooded out and at the last minute they pulled together the race and moved it to West Des Moines. The following two years they left the race in West Des Moines (less chance of flooding) for '09 & '10. This year WTC (World Triathlon Corporation) took over the race and it is now the 2011 5150 US Championship. There is actually three races going on (if I understand everything correctly): The 5150 U.S. Championship (must have placed in top 10 in a previous 5150 race to qualify); the Hy-Vee Triathlon (those of us normal mortals or AGE GROUPERS); and the 5150 U.S. Championship Elite Cup (Pros qualify by a points system or invitation only).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The really cool thing is that the Pros will be swimming in the Des Moins River, right in front of the Capital. I'm really looking forward to watching this race with the back drop they have setup, not to mention that Hy-Vee has always done a super job of spectator "neatness." I'm also really excited to watch the current Ironman World Champion, Chris <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">McCormack, race in this Olympic distance race. There is going to be a lot of top notch pros going for the first place prize of $151,500. Something else that will motivate the racers: each lap leader (two laps on swim, 4 laps on bike & run) will receive $5,150!</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">Myself, I’m ready to race. It’s been three months since my last triathlon and over a year since the last time I competed in an Olympic distance race. As far as tapering goes, I’ve just reduced my intensity levels. I’m only working out about 6 hours/week to begin with, so there’s not much “volume” for me to reduce. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a lot of anxiety for this race. I’ve set a big goal for a PR at this distance (2:34:00). What makes it tough is a new course that I’ve never raced on. The bike and hills are really going to determine if I PR or not. Two years ago (Big Creek Triathlon) is my fastest at this distance and that was a pretty flat course. Still, if I compare my workout times with race expectations I should be close. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">I've</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"> always believed that success starts with writing goals down, so here it is: Swim 27:30; T1 2:00, Bike 1:12:00, T2 1:00, Run 47:00. Just under 2:30:00, that’s the goal for Sunday!</span></span></span>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-69004697233434732732011-08-08T09:49:00.000-05:002011-08-08T09:49:26.578-05:00Swim the Bridge - Race Report<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">As you have noticed, just like a true age grouper I don’t have much time to train let alone post anything to this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did however have time to race this past weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the inaugural Swim the Bridge in Saylorville Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a swim only race and is literally only 15 miles from my front door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a 500m, 1.2mile, & 2.4mile race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As busy of a summer that my family life has had, I was very lucky to get some time to participate in the 1.2mile race (it also helps when the race is so close).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This was a US Masters sanctioned event, so wetsuit rules were slightly different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>78°F is the cutoff for wetsuits and a wetsuit swimmer is also placed into a different category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping the water temps would be low enough to use my wetsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body tends to “plow” through the water, especially as I get tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also a little bit of me wanting a safety net swimming out in the middle of a large lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had an extremely hot summer here in Iowa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race directors pointed out that the water temps were bouncing around 78°F the week prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The days leading up to the race were in the 80s and evening in the high 60s; so I was feeling confident about wetsuits driving to the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t you know it, I go to check in and 83°F is the posted temp, $hit! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just started to swim four years ago and swimming 1.2miles in a lake still builds a little anxiety, but what am I going to do. I did a mental adjustment and brushed it off my shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you have to roll with the punches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6KA0ffrPhh0/Tj_3VsyLR4I/AAAAAAAAAVg/1TusILhdL1w/s1600/swim-the-bridge-coursemap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6KA0ffrPhh0/Tj_3VsyLR4I/AAAAAAAAAVg/1TusILhdL1w/s320/swim-the-bridge-coursemap3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of the participants were racing the 1.2 or the 2.4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were only a handful that raced the 500meter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started the 1.2 & 2.4 together in the water, about 130 total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first 200m there was a little contact but not much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drafted behind a guy for about another 250m before I just couldn’t keep up anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought my sighting was dead on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m feeling more and more confident with my line in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My problem is my endurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My arms/shoulders get so cramped up that I really slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one reason why my workouts will consist of longer (500s & 750s) sets from now until my next triathlon (September 4<sup>th</sup>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel I’m pretty quick when it comes to sprinting but I lack the endurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the first 350meters I didn’t have another competitor around me for pretty much the rest of the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the first turn to go under the bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was kind of neat, looking up at this bridge while taking my breaths (the bridge was probably 5-6 stories up).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then made the next right turn to head back to the dock and the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The return route didn’t seem to have as many buoys as the swim out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe I went out to the left a little too far as I noticed more competitors bunched up to my right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this point sighting buoys were round and turn buoys were triangular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spotted a triangular one and gave it a little more effort thinking I had spotted the last turn buoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my “exhausted” disappointment I later spotted a second triangular buoy another 300meters straight ahead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That took a little wind out of me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I finally reached the last turn and poured it on (about 200meters).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost caught the two guys in front of me and at least got into their wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walked up the dock and crossed the timing mat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little strange to not run into transition and get on a bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was odd to be done after the swim and just walk around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t tell how I finished because the 2.4 swimmers were swimming with us, plus I didn’t have any age numbers on calves that I could see<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished in 39:52, I was a little disappointed with that thinking I could possibly swim a 35min 1.2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went up to the TV displays to see finish times and was surprised to see I got 1<sup>st</sup> in my age group and 7<sup>th</sup> overall (1<sup>st</sup> guy actually got 3<sup>rd</sup> OA so that bumped me up).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After talking to a few guys around the TV display they all agreed that the distance was probably longer than 1.2miles when they compare their times to other races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That made me feel a little better about my overall finish time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The best thing about this race is what a big confidence booster knowing that I can swim 1.2 without a wetsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This aligns so well with my Ironman visions and goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironman by 40 years old which means I need to complete a half IM in the next couple years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now have a great baseline to start from for my first step in that direction.<o:p></o:p></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-12769058455751582842011-07-25T19:45:00.000-05:002011-07-25T19:45:32.542-05:00Running Out Of TimeMan do I hate the fact that I've been so lazy with my blog. Since the move to the new house things have been CRAZY with a capital C.<br />
<br />
A few updates:<br />
Move went very well. We absolutely love our house and neighborhood. We have already had 5 times the number of families come up to our door and introduce themselves compared to our last neighborhood.<br />
<br />
My guys trip to the Ozarks was a lot of fun, but not really healthy for the body (if you know what I mean). Almost like spring break in college but a bunch of 34 year old guys aren't suppose to hit it that hard anymore. I think I'm finally recovered from the trip.<br />
<br />
William is getting big and is now a walking terror. He is so much fun right now and a very good baby.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Pdv_oruU4k/Ti4Miv1rZpI/AAAAAAAAATo/cT-kcbFfLvg/s1600/IMG_6455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Pdv_oruU4k/Ti4Miv1rZpI/AAAAAAAAATo/cT-kcbFfLvg/s200/IMG_6455.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I was already signed up for Big Creek Triathlon in August but realized that my buddies wedding is the same weekend. I have already contacted the race director and will be getting a rain check for next year's race. Still disappointed I won't be competing at Big Creek this year.<br />
<br />
Signed up for an open water race. <a href="http://swimthebridge.com/stb/">Loop The Lake</a> is a new race this year and I'm looking forward to the 1.2mile race. It will be a good indicator of where my swim is at even though I'm only putting in about 2 hours a week in the pool.<br />
<br />
That means Hy-Vee Triathlon is the only other Triathlon I will be doing this year. That date is September 4th (my birthday) and will be held in downtown Des Moines this year.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-2576660247019628002011-06-13T10:20:00.000-05:002011-06-13T10:20:43.019-05:00OBiTalk Product Review (Geek Alert!)<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">!Warning! This post will not contain anything regarding training, triathlons, or races. I'm just so excited I found a "geeky gadget" that is actually practical and useful to use. I'm talking about my new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307968712&sr=8-1">Obi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If you have been keeping up with me, you know that we are moving about 5 blocks north of our current address. Since we were blessed with William a year ago, we have been busting at the seams in this house and we needed another bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love the area and the school so we got very lucky and found the perfect house for us just up the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have always hated paying my monthly landline. We almost never used it, long distance was turned off on it, and the fees & taxes they charged on to the bill was really starting to piss me off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our move I wanted to find a way to drop our landline service. There are plenty of ways to do this, it's not a new idea and I know others have done it. A couple examples would be: Magic Jack or Vontage. Basically it's using your internet to place phone calls. I had Vontage at one time (Home Office); however the monthly fees are almost as much as my current phone bill. A couple of my buddies had purchased the Magic Jack and they rave about it. So I ordered one of their 30-day trial units.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Magic Jack was easy to set up and I was able to make/receive phone calls right away. It would cost me about $30/year for that service (cheap). However there were a few things I didn't like about it. First, my computer had to be on ALL THE TIME. This really bothered me, I hate using up the power and I hate the fans in the computer pulling in all that dust ALL THE TIME. Once I installed Magic Jack, it disabled any hibernation mode or sleep mode (which is what I use instead of turning the computer on/off all the time). But what really turned me off to Magic Jack was when I tried calling my parents (who live in a small town in Eastern Iowa). Come to find out that Magic Jack does not connect calls to everywhere: "Some <em><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;">restrictions in cost prohibitive areas</span></b></em> may apply." Directly from their F.A.Q. page. I had to find a new solution. Enter the OBiTalk.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I practically stumbled upon this on the web. I read some reviews and dug a little deeper. The selling point for me was when I read that the OBiTalk was built for integrating with your Google Voice account. If you don't know what that is, Google it and get it! I've had a Google Voice account since inception, but never really had a use for it except as a contact number for my Craigslist account.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">So I ordered the OBi100 from Amazon for $43. Setup an account on <a href="http://www.obitalk.com/">OBiTalk</a> and waited for the device to get here. A week later and I was opening up the package, plugging in the device to my router, plugging in my home phone to the device, and powered it up. It took about 10 more minutes of setup through their OBiTalk Web interface and I was making test calls to my home number, cell number, and wife's cell. And the fact that it is using my Google Voice number to call any number in the US for free is even better (except for the $43 hardware).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, because it plugs directly into my router, there is no need to keep the computer on all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, a person wouldn’t even need a computer to have an OBi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>Here is a list of some of the features of my new home phone system:</u><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Free calls – everywhere U.S.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Call Waiting<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Caller ID<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Call Screening<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Digital Voice Mail<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Voice mail is transcribed and emailed or texted to me<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Missed calls are emailed to me<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Do Not Disturb Option<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Call Forwarding (through the Google Voice Interface)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Call Bridging (using the OBi App I can place a call on my smart phone to my OBi and not use up any minutes on<span class="apple-converted-space"> my cell phone)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Access my phone system anywhere with internet access</span></span>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-44296079588311907412011-06-07T11:05:00.000-05:002011-06-07T11:05:41.353-05:00Dam to Dam 5K - Race Report<div class="MsoNormal">I have a little history with this race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2007 it was the first road race I competed in, additionally the beginning of a healthier lifestyle for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have competed in the race every year and have improved year over year, but the goal has always been to run a sub 20min.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year was close, but not quite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pace history has been: 7:37, 7:04, 7:03, 6:47, & this year was 6:34.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big year next year as it’s time to just kick this race in the a$$.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I do break the 20min mark, the plan is to start running the real Dam to Dam race; which is the 20K that starts at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Saylorville,+IA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=21.676889,82.441406&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Saylorville,+Polk,+Iowa&ll=41.70371,-93.677244&spn=0.030727,0.052314&t=h&z=15">Saylorville Lake Dam</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Started off just like any other Saturday morning (due to race start of 9:45).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got up, fed the three kids while I let my wife sleep in, and fixed myself a cup of coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I headed down to the race start alone, I didn’t expect Carrie to watch three young kids in downtown Des Moines with 15,000 other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The environment in downtown Des Moines during this race is always a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 20K runners are arriving and coming through the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vendors & Race support are set up everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the streets in the area are closed off, and it’s pretty cool to walk around and see so many runners in one place and not feel crowded.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The weather was warm and humid (75°F) but the sun was behind the clouds which kept things from getting too hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did wear my Garmin to keep track of my pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that I needed about a 6:25 avg to get my sub 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also knew that this year was not my year so I was really aiming for a 6:30avg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started up close to the start line about 3-4 people back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice flat course with only a couple moderate inclines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first mile pace beeped in at 6:20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when I confirmed I would not reach my main goal, but I still wanted to get the 6:30avg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was feeling ok, but could tell I was right on the threshold line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mile two I could feel myself forcing a small slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body was telling me that I would not be able to hold that pace to the finish.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During mile three and I was passed by a couple guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> They </span>were just in front of me so I held them in my sights until the last turn with 400m to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I poured it all on and passed both guys before coming across the finish line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t sure how I did at that time, I knew there were 20 or so that finished ahead of me, but I didn’t know how many were in my AG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the posted results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2<sup>nd</sup> in my AG out of 124 and 26<sup>th</sup> out of 2550 overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First place overall happened to be in my AG so I didn’t have a chance at that, his time was 15:45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a 5:04 pace, crazy!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I have a break from racing but not a break on things to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next race is Big Creek Olympic Distance Triathlon, August 14<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have over two month to prepare for this race and I’m going hard for a PR (2:34:00) and possibly sub 2:30:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of other thing are going on in between now and then and that’s why my next race is so far away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family is moving on the 24<sup>th</sup> of June, first weekend in July is a big family reunion in Kansas City, 2<sup>nd</sup> weekend in July is a bachelor party for my college roommate down in Lake of the Ozarks, and the last week in July is <a href="http://ragbrai.com/data/2011/">Ragbrai </a>(which will be a great bike training ride).<o:p></o:p></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-69784318196954148542011-06-05T11:03:00.001-05:002011-06-05T11:03:52.188-05:00First Podium Finish!<br>Quick post regarding my 5K road race yesterday. I did not get the sub 20min time that I have been shooting for, but I did finish 2nd in the 30-34 age group.<br /><br>My final time was 20:25, which is just over a 30sec improvement from last year. It looks like next year is the year to break the 20min mark. That has been a goal of mine for several years now.<br /><br>Race report to come later this week.<br />Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-87607828474272384532011-05-25T13:42:00.000-05:002011-05-25T13:42:08.139-05:00Bluff Creek Triathlon - Race Report<div class="MsoNormal">First race of the year, and a better performance than <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2010/05/humbling-experience-bluff-creek_24.html">a year ago</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.bluffcreektri.com/">Bluff Creek Triathlon</a> is a well organized race with a great course around Don Williams State Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good support, good food, and good people; everything you look for in a triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sprint would be perfect for a first timer if the water temps weren’t so cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year I opted in to doing the sprint distance vs. the olympic due to the limited training I was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weather was a slight factor (wind @ 20mph) but the clouds kept the sun from heating things up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end I did accomplish one goal of 5<sup>th</sup> in AG, but didn’t quite make the sub 1:20:00 I was aiming for.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Prior to Sunday I had taken Friday & Saturday completely off from any workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday morning I woke up and ate my typical oatmeal w/ fruit, made my coffee and Gatorade that I drank on the way up to the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t too concerned with fueling for this Sprint race as discussed <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2011/04/sprint-distance-fueling.html">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race was a 50min drive from home and race check-in opened at 6am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race website had posted the water temps at 54°f and wet suits were mandatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we did reach check-in the director announced that the water temp was up to a whopping 56°f and wet suits were not mandatory anymore (crazy!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2009/12/early-christmas-gift.html">Xterra sleeveless</a> and was still a little nervous about the water temps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As normal I set up my transition area and stood there visualizing my transitions for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do this for a couple reasons: A) a fast transition needs to be an instinct just like tying your shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the heat of the race (and especially after the swim), you will be slightly disoriented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to rely on your instincts in getting everything off, on, and out the chute without forgetting something. B) It helps me relax (yes, I get nervous) and confirms I haven’t forgotten anything.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Everyone takes a bus to the race start (other side of lake).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim is pretty much a straight path across the lake with one 90° turn toward the boat ramp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water was COLD!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked out into the lake prior to race start to acclimate my body to the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny how the wet suit works – I didn’t feel any cold temps until the water reached my chest (water found its way into my suit through my arms).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately my breathing goes into this gasping for air mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It literally takes your breath away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though just a day ago it was wet suit mandatory, I still saw some crazies w/o a wet suit.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was in the first wave (Male Sprint) which began at 8am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to the right of the group and walked out as far as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know why more people don’t do that, I ended up passing three guys around me just because I was walking/running in the water and they were already swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That put me in a great position with me out in front and no one around me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The super fast swimmers started off on the left and they grouped up and were out in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great thing about this swim is I didn’t get touched once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were about 120 athletes in our wave, I got out of the water with about 20 or so in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My arms started to cramp up due to the cold temps at the ½ way point, so I know I could have gone a little faster, but the arms just didn’t want to move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I got to the boat ramp there was an uphill run of about 200m until the timing mat and T1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I clocked in at 11:02.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I discussed earlier, T1 can be a little disorienting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cold water in ears, rotational movement, & exhausted from swimming combines to “Brain not working as normal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I strip my wet suit off (still need to work on this) and attempt to “pull” my swim cap off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I should know better by now, a swim cap does not come off by pulling at the top (try it some day after a swim).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It needs to be peeled off from one side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fought that for a while until I realized what I was doing and peeled it off the proper way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not own Tri bike shoes so I have always put my shoes on in T1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more socks for me anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After trying that last year, I’m hooked and save about 50secs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s equivalent to a 16sec faster pace for the 5K. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grab my glasses, helmet, bike, and head toward the exit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T1 time of 1:05.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bike route was a straight North/South out and back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wind at our backs on the way out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t downloaded my Garmin data yet, but I was probably averaging 30mph on the way out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was passed a few times by those uber cyclists, but I had a few guys in my sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew the wind was at my back and knew that it would be a battle getting back to the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming up to the turn around, I had a chance to see the faces on the lead guys, and that said it all (HEAD WIND).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I made the turn, the wind almost knocked me over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Downshift, downshift, downshift, sh$t no more gears!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a battle for the next 25mins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed in my aero position the entire time and even tried to get even lower to cut down on the wind resistance I was getting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About half way back I noticed I was mixed up in a small peloton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the guys even mentioned this fact as he was passing me for the 5<sup>th</sup> time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think it was on purpose, it was just the wind that beat up on the lead bike until he couldn’t take it anymore and had to drop back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same thing would happen to me, I could only keep at the front for a short time before dropping back because the wind was brutal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was so much passing/getting passed and it would happen so frequently that we basically grouped up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking the turn into the park there were about 10 of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Final bike time of 44:53 for the 15miles.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coming into T2 I had my feet already out of my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time I did not worry about grabbing my Garmin off the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I racked the bike threw my helmet down and slipped on my Zoot shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grabbed by hat and race belt and went for the exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was about 5-6 of those 10 that left T2 the same time I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T2 time of :51.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started the 5K slow and slowed it down even more as I could tell I was right on the edge of anaerobic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve noticed in my brick workouts that it’s better for me to slow way down at the beginning of the run until I find my grove, rather than push it hard and end up in the anaerobic zone for too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even stopped about 100 yards out to tighten my shoe laces and got passed by a few guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reminded myself to run my race and not worry about those guys right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll never forget the bright neon shoes that one of the racers was wearing as he passed me (same AG too!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were so bright I joked to him about turning them off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 1K into the run I finally felt a little more comfortable and increased my pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So did everyone else, because I wasn’t passing anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until the turn around that I started to pass a few guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The neon shoes were about 50 meters ahead of me for most of the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had him in my sights but my pace was not enough to catch him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until we hit the 3 mile mark that I decided to give it everything I had to try and pass him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember thinking “what if he is the fifth place person?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 100 yards left and I passed him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eye sight was going grey, lungs were burning, and I had the “going to throw up at the finish line” feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily for the volunteers taking the race chips off I did not throw up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Final run time of 22:52, with a final race time of 1:20:43.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After crossing the finish I wasn’t sure how I placed, but I did know that I didn’t make my sub 1:20:00 goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went and got some great post race food and went back to the finish line to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race directors put up a big screen LCD TV that scrolled the different divisions’ top 5 places (this was very cool). I was surprised to see that I had placed 5<sup>th</sup> in the 35-39AG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passing the neon shoes at the end was the difference.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next race is the Dam to Dam 5K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the first race I ever ran in (’07) and I’ve been doing it ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m attempting to go sub 20min this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel I’m almost there, but not quite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only 2 weeks away so not much more training I can do for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that race it will be time to start packing up our house and move on June 24<sup>th</sup>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole family is very excited about the move, the girls are especially excited to finally get their own rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next triathlon I have planned (and already signed up for) is Big Creek Tri (Olympic) which is August 14<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-18441224107544153842011-05-21T10:21:00.000-05:002011-05-21T10:21:11.286-05:00Sold!Great news, we have sold our house! At least the sale is pending. Soo happy to get this monkey off my back, and even better to get it done before the summer. Selling a house can be so stressful, I trust this is the last time that we will have to do this (only our 4th move in 11 years).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ngy0hQuKMRU/TdfW60uxY9I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/kdEplhJYU38/s1600/home-sold-sign-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ngy0hQuKMRU/TdfW60uxY9I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/kdEplhJYU38/s200/home-sold-sign-house.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We have already purchased a house and are planning on moving June 24th. We'll be moving only 5 blocks north, so a pretty easy move. Only thing is it still takes just as much time to pack/unpack vs us moving across the state. We love this area of town and love the elementary school (also happens to be the school that Carrie works at).<br />
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Bluff Creek Sprint Triathlon tomorrow morning, but I'm still beside myself in the fact that we finally have this house sold. It was only on the market 2 months, but with three kids under 7 years of age, every day was a battle to keep the house clean.<br />
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Next post will be my Bluff Creek Race Report!Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-23232973773542005272011-05-16T16:50:00.001-05:002011-05-17T13:57:05.780-05:00Preparing for Bluff Creek TriathlonLess then a week away till my first tri of the year. I'm scheduled for the Bluff Creek Tri (sprint) this weekend. Currently the water temps up there are recorded at 56°F!!!! That's f-ing cold. I'm kind of kicking myself for going cheap and getting the sleeveless wetsuit last year. My guess is the temps will probably be just above 60°F by the time the gun goes off. This week's weather is another week of sub normal temps.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I'm still really happy with my decision to go with the sprint distance vs. the olympic distance this year. Last year was a little <a href="http://justanagegrouper.blogspot.com/2010/05/humbling-experience-bluff-creek_24.html">brutal for me</a>, and it wouldn't have helped things this year with the fact that I've only been outside on my bike twice. 95% of my miles have been logged on a trainer and watching Lost/Chuck/or The Event. The BIG HILL of Bluff Creek (Des Moines River Valley) is only on the olympic distance bike course. The sprint is an "Iowa" rolling hills out and back.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This year I'll be in the 35-39 AG for the first time. Currently there are 20 males signed up in this age group. I'm not sure where I'm going to land at the finish line. I'd like to try for top 5 but it's really hard to gauge my fitness compared to last year. I've trained about half the amount of time, with almost no cycling on the roads. My swim and run are faster in my workouts, but not sure if that will translate into a race. Goal is sub 1:20:00. Weather (just like last year) will play a big role in me meeting my goal.</div>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-47719479242326252262011-05-03T20:45:00.000-05:002011-05-03T20:45:40.747-05:00High Trestle Bridge - Grand OpeningThe weather finally cooperated for us this past weekend! A little windy, but a lot of fun. We took a ride along the <a href="http://www.traillink.com/trail/high-trestle-trail-%28ankeny-to-woodward-recreation-trail%29.aspx">High Trestle Bridge</a> for the Grand Opening. This bridge is about 25miles from my front door and is also one of the largest pedestrian bridges in the world!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQBJp6gGcwo/TcCs2NHmFpI/AAAAAAAAAQA/SUwGB7aIu8w/s1600/High+Trestle+Bridge+Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQBJp6gGcwo/TcCs2NHmFpI/AAAAAAAAAQA/SUwGB7aIu8w/s640/High+Trestle+Bridge+Pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9zlBBXQ-UQ/TcCvtOMs6bI/AAAAAAAAAQM/5Yo2Dde6Nsg/s1600/IMAG0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9zlBBXQ-UQ/TcCvtOMs6bI/AAAAAAAAAQM/5Yo2Dde6Nsg/s320/IMAG0071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The views from the bridge were amazing. It's over 13 stories over the Des Moines River. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FGK4Vky0IE0/TcCu7vjgQpI/AAAAAAAAAQI/-iGJSjnis9M/s1600/IMAG0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FGK4Vky0IE0/TcCu7vjgQpI/AAAAAAAAAQI/-iGJSjnis9M/s320/IMAG0070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Along the way we stopped at a local watering hole:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGOeaPRDRDc/TcCuDkjwyDI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Bwm4TW4gjvc/s1600/IMAG0064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGOeaPRDRDc/TcCuDkjwyDI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Bwm4TW4gjvc/s320/IMAG0064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A BIG thank you to the owners of this bar. They weren't open yet (read signs) however they still opened up their deck and a couple coolers for the local bike crowd that needed to stop by. Perfect location for a stop (notice I was standing on the bike trail when I took this shot).Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-48227626744390884212011-04-22T09:39:00.000-05:002011-04-22T09:39:10.716-05:00Sprint Distance FuelingMy first race of the season is only 30 days away. I’m starting to get a little more excited for the race. Not the same enthusiasm I had a year ago, but still looking forward to the race. I’m not putting the same effort into training this year. Much more relaxed and flexible. I haven’t done a Saturday workout in months. Compared to a year ago, I’m not doing a lot of intervals, a lot of long runs, and not the focused attention to the race. This year I’m really just looking forward to see how this “relaxed” training schedule effects my race times. Looking at my training log and times, I can’t help but be a little optimistic.<br />
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I did come across a great article on Active.com. The title was, “Race Day Nutrition for Sprint & Olympic Distance Triathlons.” The bottom line is that most people have about 2 hours worth of “fuel” to burn. So with Sprint/Olympic distance triathlons “Less is More.”<br />
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Your body burns fat for fuel, however to burn that fat we need carbohydrates. This is where the statement “carb loading” comes from. Carbs come from two places: Glycogen stored in the muscles and liver along with food/sugars eaten during exercise. As I stated before, we have about 2 hours worth of glycogen stored in our body for the race. A sprint distance typically takes anywhere from 1-1.5 hours to complete. So really we do not need additional food/sugars (carbohydrates) in our stomachs during the short race. Our body will have enough stored glycogen to use during the entire race. Any food/sugars that do enter our body divert some resources (blood, oxygen, energy) to assist in processing that food.<br />
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The article then goes into a great nutrition plan for pre-race and during the race. If you want to read the entire article, it’s <a href="http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Race-Day-Nutrition-for-Sprint-and-Olympic-Distance-Triathlons.htm">HERE</a>.<br />
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How does this change my nutrition plan:<br />
1) Usually I ate a decent breakfast a few hours before the race, this year I’m going to wake up a couple hours earlier to eat that breakfast (600-800 calories) and then go back to sleep. This is to assure that my stomach will be practically empty pre-race.<br />
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2) I typically take one gel at the start of the bike (sprint distance), this year I’m not going to use a gel. Only water (Gatorade if it’s hot) in my aero bottle during the bike.<br />
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3) The run I typically just drink half a cup of water or so at each station (this has always been dictated by weather). If it’s really hot/humid like last year, I’ll be taking in more fluids, but if it’s cool and shady, I’ll probably not need the water for the run.<br />
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Just talking about this race is now building up a little more excitement. I wish I has the time to train for the Olympic distance this year, but I’m happy I don’t have the stress to get the volume in. This whole “house on the market” thing is enough stress for me. One reason why this race season is going to be a short one.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-83174172408287972942011-04-05T10:11:00.000-05:002011-04-05T10:11:59.820-05:00Current Workout ScheduleAs I mentioned before, this is the first year I am not following a workout plan from Matt Fitzgerald’s Week-to-Week book. I have nothing but great reviews for his book, especially for someone who is just getting started in this sport. However, with this being my fourth year, I feel pretty comfortable setting up my own workouts, especially with my first race being a sprint. Currently I’m 7 weeks out from the Bluff Creek Triathlon. My weeks are going to look something like this:<br />
<br />
Mon Swim – Intervals (10x100 or 5x200)<br />
Tues Spin Class followed by 1-2 mile transition run<br />
Wed Swim – Long Sets (2 or 3 x500)<br />
Thurs At home trainer, Z3 for 1-1.5 hours<br />
Friday 6-7 mile run Z3<br />
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Saturday mornings are reserved for a possible bike/run brick once the weather warms up outside. I would also like to get downtown over lunch on Wednesdays to run with the “Noon Krusers” run group that I met this past fall.<br />
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Looking at my schedule for the summer, I realized that I’m only planning on three triathlons total (1-spint, 2-oly). This is also the year that I want to break the 20min 5K barrier. I hope to break that PR at the Dam to Dam road race on June 4th. Last year was a 21min, so I need to knock off 1 min or about 26secs/mile. This just means a lot of hills, and a lot of ear bleeding intervals… sounds like fun.<br />
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I feel great about my race weight already. A year ago I was about 168-170lbs and got down to about 163lbs for the first race. Currently I’m at 162lbs and I’m not really doing anything to limit calorie intake. Once I make that conscience decision I’m sure I can lose another 2-3lbs. But that’s the hardest part – deciding to give up those Friday morning donuts, or the DQ blizzards, or the chocolate molten brownie from Chili’s! The general rule of thumb for weight & pace is 2secs per mile per pound.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-45406499243452010492011-04-01T15:42:00.000-05:002011-04-01T15:42:42.594-05:00A Clean & Growing Boy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWKFwd753uU/TZY3cPX87aI/AAAAAAAAAP8/037qr0gAVJ4/s1600/Washing+Will.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWKFwd753uU/TZY3cPX87aI/AAAAAAAAAP8/037qr0gAVJ4/s200/Washing+Will.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As you can see we have a growing boy in this family (also clean now that I’ve ran him through the washer). The end of this month (27th) William will be turning 1. It’s hard to believe it has been a year already. I can still remember last year this time; wondering how I’m going to balance a third child in my life with the rest of the family, work, and training for triathlons. Well it worked out just fine. Some small adjustments & some skipped workouts, but overall it didn’t change much.<br />
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I credit two things: my forgiving wife and early morning workouts. I’m not like some out there who can put in 10-20 hours a week to train. I’m lucky if I get 6-7hours. I wish I could figure out a way to get more hours in, but right now bed times around 10pm to wake up at 4:45 is just right for me. I could run more over lunch (which I will do when it warms up outside), however I find myself not as motivated this year.<br />
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I can’t figure it out. I’m going into my fourth year of swim/bike/run and I just don’t have the passion I did the prior three years. The daily workouts are still there. Pushing through hard interval sets or grinding out longer sets still isn’t a problem for me. It’s just the obsession with tracking every min and every workout is gone. Along with the obsession of strictly following a training plan (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Triathlete-Magazines-Essential-Week-Training/dp/0446696765/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_9">Matt Fitzgerald’s Week-to-Week Book</a>). The excitement of looking forward at my next race (currently <a href="http://www.bluffcreektri.com/">Bluff Creek Triathlon</a>) is not where it used to be either.<br />
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I don’t want to come across negative, I still love the sport and the enjoyment it brings to me. I just feel like I’m kind of just going through the motions. Currently I only have four races planned out for this year, two sprints & two olympics and I don’t plan on adding anymore at this time. There are several other things that will be taking up some time this summer: Family Reunion in Kansas City, Bachelor Party for my college roommate down in <a href="http://www.partycovelakeozarkmo.com/">Lake of the Ozarks</a> (yes, that’s the boat we rented), <a href="http://ragbrai.com/">Ragbrai</a>, and if we don’t sell our house before the summer that’s when we’ll be moving.<br />
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Yes, our house is currently on the market. And let me tell you, there is no market, at least in this part of the country. We’ll be lucky if we sell the house for the same price we bought it for. Getting our house market ready has consumed my life for the past two months, that’s really why I’ve been MIA for so long. This is kind of how my life works… I find an obsession that pretty much consumes my life and thoughts until I find something else to obsess over. Before the house, it was triathlons and training. Just ask my bride, there is no one better who can attest to this terrible vice of mine.<br />
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So if you or someone you know would like to move to <a href="http://www.ankenyiowa.gov/Index.aspx?page=1">Ankeny, Iowa</a>, please send them my way.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-47896789883863520212011-02-19T15:54:00.000-06:002011-02-19T15:54:49.746-06:00Why So Lazy?I have been asking myself that for the last two months. This has nothing to do with family or training or work and has everything to do with this blog I started a little more then a year ago. I started it with the intention of keeping a good record of my training experiences as a full time dad who caught the triathlon bug. Here I am with my second post since Thanksgiving!<br />
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Lazy with the family: not at all. This year with the girls at 7 & 5 we have them signed up for too much after school things. Religious eduction, Dance, Gymnastics, Soccer, & Swim Lessons. This town I live in puts a lot of pressure on parents to get their kids involved early (I know I'm at fault for accepting that pressure). That's why we do this to ourselves. I know we don't have to, but don't we all want the best for our kids? We don't put any pressure on them, the pressure really comes with the parents trying to juggle logistics and family time. William (the big little man) is still not crawling with his knees, just army crawling. He keeps this family young and has been a true blessing in this household.<br />
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Lazy with training: not at all. I signed up for the Triathlon Training Class at the local Y. It started in Jan. and will be ending in mid March. I haven't seen any improvement except for my social life. That's not the fault of the instructors (who are terrific). I believe going into this class I was getting to a point in my swimming that really couldn't be be improved upon unless I increased my volume from the tiny 120min of swimming I do a week. My speed (sprint) is definitely there and have no issues smacking down a 1:10 100. But going above and beyond that really hurts (sounds really familiar to my track & field days). I do have one bad habit in my pull that I need to work on (elbows need to be higher). The plan is to get a lot of volume in after this class is over. With this class & the additional running over lunch I'm averaging about 6-8 hours per week of training. This is similar to my normal race training schedule.<br />
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I also had the chance to hook my bike up to a Computrainer this past month. Wow, that is so cool (especially for a numbers geek like me). Keeps track of HR, Speed, POWER. Power is what I'm always trying to improve on my bike. It was so cool to ride the Coeur D'Alene course (only 26 miles of it) and watch my wattage output in real-time, plus get an average at the end. I hit it pretty hard on that 26miles and considered it a TT. I averaged 216watts, but can't remember avg speed (somewhere just north of 20). It was a terrific experience and a great way to look at where I stand with my current bike condition (second time on my bike since Sept.). This is all thanks to the great Triathlon club I'm in, <a href="http://triracers.com/">TRI of Iowa</a>.<br />
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Lazy with work: I think definitely not. Just finished one project and had to get all documentation, drawings, and specifications cleaned up and out the door. Then I get another big project that has taken many late nights to finish up, and I'm still not completely done. And after this I roll right into closing up another project that's been outstanding since Dec. Don't get me wrong, I love being busy at work (especially in the construction industry), but when it starts to take away from my family time that's when it bugs me. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel and think normal hours will soon be coming.<br />
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So there you have it, all my lazy work that I've been putting in. Everything except for this blog, which I need to make a conscious decision to keep up more, especially with my training schedule about to begin in March. I'm sooo excited to see and feel some warmer weather.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-13256526471188814072011-01-22T11:14:00.000-06:002011-01-22T11:14:48.188-06:00Back At ItIt's been a long time since my last post... 3 months to be exact. I could give the normal excuses that life throws at you, but that's too easy of an excuse. To be perfectly honest, it's been laziness. Have I been busy with three kids, a demanding job, a wife I adore, and working out? YES! But really, how much time does it take to update my blog and catch up with some of you out there?<br />
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Some quick posts regarding the past three months:<br />
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-Still swimming & running with a little bike (get to that later).<br />
- Got three of my wisdom teeth pulled in Dec. with a nasty post-recovery that included dry socket.<br />
-Christmas with the family was wonderful. Every year I feel the kids get way to much, but it's hard not to spoil them.<br />
-William (now 9mths old) is army crawling everywhere. I think he is too big yet (95 percentile) to be strong enough to crawl using his knees. I'm fine with this because I secretly think it's helping him build some great lats for swimming!<br />
-I have been running outside more this winter (compared to prior years). Only running about 7-10 miles/wk but my pace is definitely faster than a year ago. I really feel that the training I did for the DSM 1/2 marathon really helped my run.<br />
-I joined a triathlon class at the local YMCA. It's a 10wk program with coached swimming, spin class (that's where my biking has come from), and a group run. Although not much of a group shows up to run at 5:30am... in the winter... in Iowa.<br />
-Frustration with swimming - the class has been doing some time trials to record improvements. I started the class with a 1:10 100yd, and last week it was down to 1:12. My 500 TT has slowed down too. Not sure if it's because of a small shoulder injury I can't get rid of, or because I've reduced my swim volume a lot.<br />
-Frustration with swimming (again) - the coached swimming is great, but they've pointed out a bad habit that will be really hard for me to get rid of. During my catch phase my shoulder rotates slightly and is pulling me above the water just a bit (not doing a great job of "reaching around the barrel"). This is a small issue, but hard habit to break.<br />
-Usually I have my race year planned out by now, but this year I haven't really thought about it. If I think about it right now - Bluff Creek Oly, Dam to Dam 5K, Iowa Games Sprint, Big Creek Oly, Hy-Vee Oly, Des Moines Marathon.<br />
-This year I'm going to concentrate more on volume. This will be hard as in the past I normally have only 6-7 hours in a week to workout. It's going to require a little more balance in my daily routine and more running over my lunch time.<br />
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I'd like to say that I'm going to get back on the wagon and post once/wk, but I just don't think that's going to happen. I'd be more realistic in saying 1-2 times/mth, so that's my goal.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-45886594457682060142010-11-24T08:07:00.000-06:002010-11-24T08:07:19.883-06:00Thankful For...Happy Thanksgiving to eveyone, I don't think people say that enough so be sure to tell the next person you see. I also don't think people step back enough to thing about what they are thankful for (me included). So here is my attempt:<br />
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Thankful for...<br />
- My wonderful family<br />
- The joy my kids bring be every day<br />
- My parents (who taught me soo much)<br />
- A great job<br />
- The good health of everyone close to me<br />
- Finding this wonderful sport of Triathlon<br />
- The new friends I now have through this blog (but have never met)Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-85567655153563717362010-11-16T15:37:00.000-06:002010-11-16T15:37:20.994-06:00My 4x9 - Not To Be Mistaken For IntervalsI recently began to follow a fellow blogger/triathlete at <a href="http://www.baha703ironman.com/">Life Of An Aspiring Triathlete</a>. Jason has a great story and a great attitude on life; check out his blog if you get a chance. He recently did a <a href="http://www.baha703ironman.com/2010/11/my-4x9-peak-into-mindlife-of-jason.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OceansideCa703IronmanTraining+%28Oceanside%2C+CA+70.3+Ironman+Training%29">4x9</a> which I thought was a great and informational post to find out more about him. So I'd like to do the same.<br />
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He also had the great idea of having everyone post a link to their own 4x9 under his comments. Same rules apply here: if you post a comment under mine, include a link to your 4x9. I always enjoy reading more info on everyone out there that stumbles on this little blog of mine.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Jobs I've Had In My Life:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Lifeguard</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">City Pool Manager</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Sales Engineer for Industrial Air Compressors</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Building Controls Project Engineer</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Movies I Can Watch Over & Over</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Dark Knight</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Goonies</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Dazed and Confused</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Places I Have Lived</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Belle Plaine, IA</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Atlanta, GA</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Stockbridge, GA</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Ankeny, IA</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four TV Programs I Love To Watch</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Office</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Biggest Loser</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">So You Think You Can Dance (I know, pathetic)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Amazing Race</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Places I've Been On Holiday</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Family</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Family</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Family</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Family (we have never been away from family on any Holiday)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Websites I Visit Daily</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Blogger</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Woot</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Cyclone Football</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">The Weather Channel</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Of My Favorite Foods</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Pizza</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Banana Cream Pie</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Donut</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Clif Bar</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Things On My Bucket List</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Finish An Ironman</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Jump Out Of A Plane</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Take My Wife to NYC</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Vacation in Rome</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Somewhere warmer like AZ</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Disney World w/the kids</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">At The Movies w/wife</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- </span><span style="font-size: small;">Riding a bike somewhere warmer like AZ </span>Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206766041616790074.post-56429776880929812952010-11-11T08:20:00.000-06:002010-11-11T08:20:00.338-06:00Under The WeatherWe just had some kind of bug go through our house. It started Saturday with Olivia getting sick to the stomach. It was about 8:00 and the girls had just laid down for bed. I had just gotten home from the ISU vs Nebraska game and went up stairs to tell the girls good night. About 10 secs after I left their room Olivia was running out towards the bathroom toilet. The unfortunate thing is she didn't make it in time. Actually, she didn't even make it out of her bed and of course she left a trail all the way from her bed to the bathroom (not my most favorite thing to clean up).<br />
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Then on Sunday, our 6mth old got sick in his crib. Luckily that was it for him, plus he didn't have a fever. Fevers in little kids have always worried me, especially if they are too young to tell you what actually hurts them. The whole family just took it easy all day knowing the the rest of us would be getting it also.<br />
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Monday night into Tuesday my wife got REALLY sick. She ended up taking the day off on Tuesday. I woke up Tuesday morning for my swim workout not feeling the best. I could tell the bug was in me just waiting to take control of my body. I did get a good swim in and will start swimming with the Triathlon training class on Tuesday mornings. We did a 100yard time trail to see where our speed was at. I posted my best 100 to date with a 1:11. Prior to that it was 1:16, but I think it helped with the fact that it was a race against others vs. just me timing myself.<br />
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Anyway, sure enough by the end of the work day my temp was up to 102.5F and I was up in bed at 6pm trying to rest with a cold sweat. Boy, what a nights rest can do to a body. I woke up on Wednesday feeling 100% better. I was happy I didn't eat anything all day on Tuesday, because I probably would have gotten sick to the stomach later that night also.<br />
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So the family is all back to normal except for William our youngest. He's having problems laying down contently and has a pretty good cough. It may be his first ear infection. Not sure, but that's why I'm about to take him to the doctor this morning. Aaugh, the life of a family man.Pete32http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345622492154973142noreply@blogger.com2