4 more weeks

SO, went back to the Dr. today and he re X-rayed my elbow and was able to confirm that I have a broken Ulna radial head. (elbow) He took off my cast and told me that it couldn't be in a better spot. Like that is possible, I am still in a sling when I got out but can take it off when at home "relaxing". He did understand my desire for fitness and training for this upcoming season and limited my workouts from the the mid=section down. With that I am now going to focus on building power on the bike and strengthening my core. This could be good b/c I will be able to get the base that I need on the bike and in another couple weeks I will be able to drowned myself in the pool. I will also need to stretch my arse off! The one thing that the DR. said was that i have to keep my elbow from getting tight. So I can work on flexibility all over. I have to go back on the 12th and get another X-ray. He wants to chart the progress and see how soon before I get into therapy. Well time to go hook up the trainer!

Definately bad luck

I had to go to the orthopedic yesterday thinking that I would be in and out. Well I was wrong. He told me I fractured my elbow and without hesitating put me in a cast from the top of my shoulder to my knuckles. This really bites. I keep trying to tell myself that it could be worse but I getting tired of hearing that. Now it is time for mental toughness. Deal with the issue at hand so it can be used to gain strength for the time when I need t0 DIG DEEP! Typing is hard so I am going t0 stop now!

Bad Luck? or not?

Well I think my string of bad luck has continued, Sat night while working for Christmas Parade in my hometown I was in a bike accident. It wasn't that bad at first, hurt but not that bad. Maybe I couldn't feel it because it was 20 degrees outside. Anyway, woke up the next day and my elbow was the size of a cantaloupe. My LT. highly recommended that I go get it check out. So i did. 3 hours later, the x-rays were inconclusive and was given the name of an orthopedist to see. Right now it is being treated as a broken elbow b/c of the swelling and results of the x-rays. Until I can get the swelling down, and new x-rays to determine the damage I will be in a sling.

The bummer of all this is that I was feeling fantastic. I had made it past the IRONMAN blues and just registered for a race. Was getting geared up for 2 weeks of good running to get my fitness up a little bit to get in the pool for Jan 5th. I also believe that the higher power has a way of telling you to slow down and relax. This might be his way. Hopefully I don't have to slow down too much!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Moving Along

Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas season is in full swing and tri training is getting ready to start a new phase. The past few weeks I have been strength training and things have been going well. I have actually lost 3 pounds since Nov 1 and still haven't hit the hard core base training yet. I had a great swim last week. I did a few 250's for time and they were all faster than my swim time at JCC. I have been working on technique and focusing on stretching out my stroke to minimize the amount of energy spent during this event come race time. Training for a 1/2 ironman is less stressful than an Ironman without a doubt. Maybe because I have been around this block before I am not sure...any event I am totally looking forward to finishing up the strength training over the next few weeks to put the goggles and start getting fit. One thing I learned is that swim fitness will carry over to bike and run fitness but bike and run fitness will never carry you through the water!

Time to go get the Christmas Tree. Jack and i have a busy day!

Gearing Up for long winter!

It has been a bit since I have been in the mindset of letting nature run its course. My last entry was a little open minded b/c of what was presented to me when I went for my annual physical. There are some things you can't control and nature has to take over. Now I have a clean bill of health and have continued my push for getting stronger for the upcoming season. I have decided to focus of the 70.3 distance as my "A" race distance for this year. With my son turning 2 on Monday I don't want to limit my ability to spend as much time as I can with him and Lynn. The training plans are still intense and by no means easy but you can complete them in much less time than training for the IRONMAN. With the big base and benefit of training for IRONMAN last year I can use that foundation to transfer over to my 70.3 training. Some of my close friends are going to be training with me so this will male the loneliness a bit better when I have to go run at 5am on a February morning.

I have my new bike thanks to FIT WERX2. My GURU CRONO looks better than I ever expected. I can't wait to get that on the open road. Swimming will pick up hard core in about 5 weeks. My strength training is going well. I can feel the benefits of my CrossFit workouts, Thanks to Vin Miserandino. All is coming together, just as nature had planned. Sometimes it is better to just roll with the punches and learn from life's lessons. I sure know I have!

Reality

There are things in this world that bring us back to reality. I think I am on my way back...there is a reason for everything and the Almighty Father has a plan for all of us. The thing that stinks is that you never see it coming. There is a reason why I did IRONMAN and there is a reason why I am a cop. The cop thing I have seen what can come if you have a heart and show sensitivity. There are other things that are deep inside that are real. Those are the things that will bring out your strength. It does not matter how much you can lift or far and fast you can run bike or swim but but how you drive yourself to finish what you set out to do. There is something out there that will bring everyone back to reality and it will happen when we least expect it. The most important thing I have learned form my training is... I can handle anything!

Here Comes Old Man Winter!

I was back in the pool the other night and the good things is that the coach there said I was making progress. I have been trying to change my swim technique so that I can stay at that same speed with using less energy. Therefore I can ride and run faster! That's the plan right? I got good feedback about the way my technique is improving. I know that old man winter will keep me in the pool and it will keep me honest with my workouts. My goal is to gain a little bit of speed. First of all I know that for me to gain a lot of speed I would have to loose a lot of "mass" as the coaches put it. That said, I my mass is my mass, I think I am as trim as I can get. The speed will come from good technique. I was told I swim like I bike. My arms are going at records speed but my body is going nowhere. I have long arms and I should use them to my advantage. With this the plan is to cover as much water(distance) as possible with the least amount of strokes. I knew that but I didn't know how to! Well, Coach Craig put it in plain English for me, reach as far as I can without rolling of the bed. After he demonstrated it, I knew where I needed to focus my strength in the swim. I still have a lot of work to do but I think it will pay off.

The other thing old man winter brings out is a good long run at a nice comfortable pace. With the cold weather here I won't be doing the hard sprint workouts that summer let me do. First, I don't have the time in the AM to warm up for it and Second, I am looking forward to a nice run and watching the sun rise. I went out the other morning and it was pitch black. I hit my turn around and for the last 3 miles I was staring at the pink haze the sun slapped on me as ocean just laid there! That is what the enjoyment of the off season will bring. The best thing about New England weather is that you can change your habits with the season. (Come March I'll be begging for the hot sun as I want to brake my 5K PR) Old man winter is on the way!

back in the pool

Last night I jumped back in the water after a 2 month vaction from wearing my goggles. It didn't start out so well. I felt like a rock. Craig Lewin took over the coaching duties and did a pretty good job. We did a lot of drills and man do I need work on my technique. I think that with a good amount of work I can become more efficient in the water. He had some good analogies and gave some good examples on how to fix my problems. One thing I have to remember is that it takes time to break bad habits. One hour and 2000 yards of drills made my body feel like a box of cement.

This morning I went to the gym and did the 300 workout from crossfit. I have to say it went better than expected. My finish time was 19:04. After that i did a 150 workout twice from Crossfit. No total time, I just paced a 15 second rest between exercies. I plan on an easy ride on the trainer tomorrow and an 8 mile run of Sat or Sun. Right now I plan on swimming one to two days a week until Christmas then it's time to roll!

Sportsmanship

The Hawaii Ironman took place yesterday. Craig Alexander won the mens race and Chrisse Wellington won the womens. These people are absolutely physical specimes for what this sport requires of you. One of the most inspirational things I heard was that Rutger Beke (pro) came in 3rd. Last year at this race he finished 898th. He walked the marathon last year just so he could finish. Most pros quit when they don't have it. Some say they don't want the others to see the suffer or their sponors to see them like that b/c they could loose them. Beke walked, finished and said the out of respect for the people who can't race there, he wanted to finish. This year he goes out there and takes 3rd overall. Beke goes onto say that b/c of what he went through and when he saw how much the age-group athlete suffers and drives themself to finish he had built his mental toughness beyond his expectations. On another note, Chrissie Wellington blows a tire towards the end of the bike, her CO2 cartrigages don't work. The field is gaining fround on her, another PRO stops and helps. Chrissies gets through the bike and then runs the fastest marathon for a woman ever in KONA! There is a lot to be said for what these champs have shown us.

After following the race it is hard fro me to take a step back and rest. I just want to get out there and start gettting ready for next year already. It is inspiring to see the good competitors take over. the 2 previous winners were somewhat annoying and created stupid drama that took away from the race. Mark Allen and Dave Scott never got petty about who was winning and what they did. They just went out and trained like animals and raved ther hearts out. At the end of the day they showed admiration for what they both accomplished and enjoyed the motivation that they gave each other. I thought that what it was all about!

College Football Season

College football is in full swing and this is my second favorite time of year. The one bummer is that the it is dark and cold in the early AM now. I have been enjoying just getting to the gym a couple days a week and some easy running. I am waiting for my new GURU to be built at FIT WERX 2! I was there last week and saw the frame! I hope I can ride it as fast as it looks! I have been reflecting on this past season and have been looking at all the things that went well and the things that didn't go well. I know that it is going to be a quick winter even though the cold weather has a tendency to drag things along, we'll be right back in the early throws of making sure the race schedule is all set and what race will the "A" race and what are going to be for training purposes. Don't get me wrong, I am not wishing the months away just trying to be realistic in a real world approach. With a two year old son the days fly by. The has been a good time for me to gather energy and put into focus to carry me through the winter. I look forward too enjoying the Saturday's of college football and getting ready to build snowmen with Jack. Gotta love the off-season!

Rebuild the foundation

Now that fall is upon us the tri-season offically closed, on my schedule at least, I have gone back into the gym. I have been doing alot of the crossfit exercises and people are looking at me like I have ten heads. Whatever, I just want to rebuild the foundation that I broke down with the IRONMAN. I have put together my race season for next year and it is going to be with a 70.3 in the beginning of July and all the rest will be sprints. I really want to get specific on building speed. My fitness is still in check, I am still running for distance, 11.65 in 1:12. I will cut back as the weather gets cooler. I will focus on getting a good hard 8 miler in as my long runs as the winter begins. Come Thanksgiving my son will turn 2 and I will take a good 2 weeks of total recovery, yes nothing at all! Total rest!!!!(we'll see about that)

5 K's , sound good to me

This month has been very relaxing, I have found that I starting to feel the affects of an IRONMAN and it has made me take myseld of the shelf for a few races. I qualified for race in Vegas and turned it down. right choice b/c i don't think I could have dine a half in OCT. I ran my best 5K the other night at the LYNN Central Sqr. Road Race. 18;22. Not a bad way to wrap up the month of Sept. I hope to find a Half marathon in Oct or Nov. to end the year and recover right!

Labor Day

So here we are, labor day weekend and the summer is coming to a close. I did the last Nahant of the season on Thursday and i have to say it was one of my best races ever. I finished in pretty quick 33:50. I was shocked to see that I broke the 34 min mark. John Martin, beat me by about 6 or 7 secs again and Craig lewin broke the course record with a sub 32 min race. Man he was flying on the run. He had about a 40 sec lead starting the bike. Because the bike is only 5 miles I was only to cut that lead to about 15 secs. I averaged about 23 mph on the bike and broke 12 mins. The run was fast. I was trying to keep Craig within about 50 yards but as we kept going he was pulling away. I couldn't hold an all out sprint like him for 2.78 miles. I also knew that John would be coming in from behind. As usual john cought me around the bath house on the return to the TIDES lot. I tried to stay in his back pocket as long as could. I held on until we got to the final bend before the gate. Again a man that is just flat out faster than I am on the run. I will say I am proud of my race. I still have about 40 pounds on those guys. A few of the regulars were saying that was the fastest race in Nahant over the last 25 years.

The course record was held by a local tri pro; Janda Ricci-Munn but his client took care of that with a sub 32. (i think craig had a 31:30) That is FAST!

I am really tossing around doing another race. Maybe HULL. I have to decide fast and get the last bit of training in. Well I will let you know! Happy Labor Day!

The end of the Summer

Well, tonight is the last night for the Nahant Sprint Tri. This was the first tri that I have ever done. It is kind of place that reminds that this sport is all about having fun and enjoying the fact the people can get together and have a good time doing something they love. It is bitter sweet b/c the end of the summer is here. There are only a few local races over the next two weeks that are still available. This summer went by faster than my IRONMAN. I know that there are a few people who are getting ready for some big races in Sept and Oct, and as late as NOV. but the feel of labor day weekend just takes over and kids going back to school, dark mornings make it tough to swallow. I guess we all just need to take advantage of the warm weather and fit in as much as possible before we start our XMAS lists. Hope to see you out there tonight.

Enjoying the fun stuff

Well I decided not to race this weekend. I raced at Nahant last thursday and posted my fastest time ever. 34:40. I was very pleased with that.. I was about 4 min slower last year. I was thinking about what I posted last time and kind of had a revelation if you will. I really don't need to train for anything. The fact that I am fit and healthy and can enjoy an early morning run bike or swim is somehting to be cherished. I don't regret what I said but I am glad I was able to think about it. Today I am going for a nice enjoyable run. I will gain fitness from it and love every minute of it. If I do another registered race this year than great. If not oh well. I know I will be ready to go when I need to.

Training for what?

I am still training like a mad man. I am having a hard time slowing down. I feel pretty good. My legs are getting tired but who's not right? I mean my fitness is through the roof right now and I think that I have been doing alright coaching myself. The problem is, I want to race but can't find the one I want. There is the Chicopee on SUN or the Ipswich on Friday night. I also have to see what Lynn would want to give up.

Anyway, It was great to get down to Marshfield last weekend. Cousins Craig and Joanne are in from chicago. They have the best kids too. The good thing is that my entire family, cousins, aunts uncles grandkids ect were all there. I have a really tight family. We only get to see each other a couple times a year but it is special when we do. I was a bit embarrassed too. They were all talking about the IRONMAN and my new job. It feels weird having the attention. Oh well.

Trianing wise, had a great bike today, 18 miles in 45 min and ran a 5 miler in 35. I'll take it!

back again

Yes it has been a while, Sorry. I have been at a new job and it is going well. Training is going pretty good too. I am having a hard time trying to keep a rythym though. I get on my bike andthat is all I want to do, the same with the run. The one problem is my ankle is a bit sore. I have been careful with it though I am looking forward to an easy week, My cousin is coming into town from CHICAGO! he and his family are hillarious and I will be cattching up with them all weekend. Getting up for a swim in the AM. Hopefully it will be good and then heading to Nahant for the tri. THis is one of the last ones of the summer. Man were did this one go!

catching up

Well life is much different without the training of IRONMAN. I must say, I am enjoying it. I feel like I am getting back to 100 %. My quads are still a little tight after some hard workouts. All in all I feel pretty good. I start a new job tomorrow so that has been the main focus for me the past couple of days. I think I am going to take it supper easy this week too. I had a really good 10k today. My time was about 10 seconds off my best time prior to LP. I am going to look into a couple of sprints before the season ends. I want to take advantage of my fitness while I can. Well that is about it for now, catch up with you later!

Sinking in?

I went out for a nice 50 min run today. I enjoyed every minute of it. Maybe b/c the sun is shinning. Anyway, it feels weird to go out and train without any race in the future that I had put my wholeself into. The ironman has not sunk in yet. I know that body is a little tired still but my head isn't there. I really need to direct myself to accepting the fact that I need to enjoy what I just accomplished. I think that when it does sink in it will hit me like a ton of bricks.

Off to the beach, no I am not goinig for an open water swim! Maybe tomorrow.

Got it Done!

Lake Placid has come to a close. We just returned from one of the most exciting trips of my life.

Here is a recap from last week. We arrived on Thursday before the race. It was already buzzing with athletes. My first thought was I am not ready. I was pretty happy with the way my body transformed but when i got to LP there were all these people with about zero % body fat who ran like gazelles and quads like lions. It was very intimidating to see what kind of athletes were out there. Non the less I put on my shoes and did my 20 min zone 2 run. It felt good. Friday I went down to the lake after a nasty thunderstorm and did another 20 min zone 2 workout with an easy swim. The water was perfect. The problem was that I was totally in a cloud. I saw a bunch of people and forgot all their names. Sorry Kim and Vic. I was a huge space cadet. I started to come back to reality on Saturday when I did my brick workout in the AM. I was setting the pace on the bike for Bjorn Anderson. Crazy. He is about 6'02" and rides a 52 cm Cervelo? I don't get it? anyway. after my awestruck bike I went out on a run, It was good b/c I saw a bunch of people and remembered their names!

Lynn Jack and I brought all my gear down on Sat afternoon and took some pictures and had a great time. The buzz in the air is incredible I was totally gearing up for this or was I? I knew I had put in the time distance and pain for this but will it really all come together at once? My family arrived in the afternoon, (parents and brother and sister-in-law) We had a fantastic diner and I even enjoyed a glass of wine. I was never really nervous but there was that fear that still lurked in the back of my mind that I might not finish.

July 20, 0400

I wake without an issue, my brother Brendan joins me. He was in rare form. Maybe delirious from lack of sleep. He was the funniest he has been in a long time! It was perfect b/c it kept me relaxed. I toasted my 14 th piece of toast and lathered butter on it and down it went. along with a cup of coffee. My mother actually got up too. She was grilling me with questions like Jane Pauley. It was kind funny b/c it felt like I was getting ready for a little league game or something. Well, breakfast was a success and all systems were working. Off the drop off special needs bag and check on my bike. On the way I got bodymarked, this poor 12 year old girl was video taped by my brother, the next documentarist, while I drop my pants as she writes on my legs. He even made her laugh too. Things were going smoothly. Bike was good, run stuff set, just had to put on my wetsuit. that was when it started, no not the nerves, the rain. My only wish was that they would not shorten the swim or anything. I wanted a real IRONAMAN DAMN IT! It finally broke. I gave my brother a hug and headed down to the water. 2300 people cramping into this lake? It was tight. I was trying to pick my spot. Probably should have thought of this sooner. I decided to give the fast guys the head start so I went to the back line of the beach and waded about chest high. The music was pumping and I was rocked ready to go. I could feel my toes sweating! The national was sung and then boom, the cannon went off and so did I. I was waiting to get pummeled in the water but it never really happened. I was moving up the pack very easily. I stayed to the right until just over half way to the turn buoy then I was going to work my way to the inside. Things were happening way to easily. My strokes felt long. Breathing was in control and I hit the turn buoy without any trouble. In fact, it felt like there was a current pulling me around it. I heard it before but didn't believe it. As I was working my way back to shore is when I felt the little balls hitting me in the head. YUP rain. I was determined to get to through the swim without being pulled out b/c of weather. I reached shore and went through the chip scan and out for lap 2. I cleared my goggles and dove back in. This time it was a bit more open and I was able to stick to the buoys a bit more. This time I was feeling the violence of the swim. One fine gentleman decided to try and crawl over my back until he got a swift kick in the stomach. I did mean it and I did feel bad but seriously dude, move around me and pick a lane. We aren't pros and if you are swimming with me the likely hood of you getting a slot to KONA is out the window! I pressed on and got out of the water in great shape time. 1:08:43

T1 was pretty cool. I saw my family as soon as I got out of the water. Wetsuit strippers were huge. I forgot that I decided to wear a Speedo under my wetsuit but was quickly reminded when I was a bit chilled running the 350 yard to the changing tent. I had a good laugh with myself. Quick change and off on the bike. It was pouring. I was wondering how I was going to handle the 9 mile downhill in Keene. I was drinking and eating and right on pace. Got to the first aid station, Jay Curry thanks for the help, and onto the hills. This thing was massive. As I started the descent I was lightly tapping my breaks. then I was in a full on squeeze. at 45 mph and cramping triceps I was praying that I would not crash. I finally hit the bottom and tuned towards Jay. That is when I started to get stomach pain. I was like a bad cramp. I was trying to figure out what the hell it was. Thankfully we were in a flat part of the course b/c I just sat in my aerobars and plugged along. Finally got to mile 56 and ready to turn back out . I got my special needs bag and started eating. I was hoping that was my problem. Come to think of it I drank 4 Gatorade endurance bottles and 2 gu's on the first loop. I think I over ate. The funny thing was, the harder I went the better I felt. so after another arm cramping descent I started to pick it up. I slowly started to feel better. At mile 91 I saw the scariest crash in my life. First I know that drafting goes on and I hate. There were about 10 guys that I came up on and couldn't really get around them. Finally I switched gears and stood up and took off past them. As soon as I got in front of them , a guy in the middle went down causing a chain reaction. All I heard was the sound of Carbon being broke and air taken from their lungs. Man was I lucky. I then focused on just getting back to town. I did, in 5:51:9. I averaged 19.1 mph spot on!

T2 was uneventful. A quick change and off I went. It never crossed my mind how many people were out there cheering us on! It was awesome. the start of the marathon was all downhill, I had my first mile at about 7:40. I am not sure b/c I didn't lap my watch until mile 1. oh well. From there I wanted to keep with my plan and cover as much ground as comfortably as possible before breaking down. I wasn't really sure how well I would run but I felt great! So I just ran and focused on good form and hydration. I think I hit the half way at about 1:50. At that point I was just waiting to blow up! But I didn't I kept chugging along. The fact that I saw my family so much was inspiring b/c I knew that they were waiting in the pouring rain for me to finish this damn thing. I kept running. I could feel IT start to tighten up. I decided to stop and stretch for 15 seconds at mile 18. It felt better and I held what I thought was a moderate pace until mile 20. There is when I started to do the math to see what I would have to do to break 11 hours. I figured I could put it all on the line for 6.2 miles and finish under 11 hours. That was when i took the right back onto route 73. Climbing the hills couldn't have come at a better time because I wanted to fight. I was filled with emotion and drive and I just wanted to finish. As I got through the hills I saw Pat Cononica, (thank you for the kind words, I hope I can accomplish as much as you have) running like a trooper! I am thinking this guys had blood clots in lugs from climbing one of the biggest mts in the world! hell he is going to eat this up! I finally made it back to main st and the to the turn just after the 25 mile marker and that is where I saw a good friend Woody Freese, He has done all 9 LP's and did finish his 10th. He gave great words of encouragement and a pat on the back as headed into the oval and he went out for his second loop. Then I saw my family, I stopped to give hugs and kisses. Then I went in for the moment I had been waiting for. At 5:56 PM Ghram Fraser said it first, "Kevin Reen, you are an IRONMAN".

Finish time 10:56:06
260/2334=overall
51/238= M 30-34

Thank you to my wonderful wife Lynn, my ironmate, I couldn't have any of this without you!!!

Packing

WoW I have been putting together everything I can think of for this race. Packing is the first event for IRONMAN! First. Thank You to FIT WERX2. the weels already look fast. I don't know if Iwill have a computer in LP. So I will update you all when I get back. Here goes nothing

The Final Countdown

Well today is exactly about the time my family will be praying for me to finish the marathon of the Ironman next weekend. Yes I am getting nervous right about now. I have so many things that are going through my head that I am not sure what end is up right now. I am starting to eat pasta religously and gatorade will be in my cereal. I know that I put the money in the bank and when I got for the cash advance on Sunday I will be richly rewarded. I confident that those who have supported my over the last 10 months will help carry me through it.

Last Thursday I did the Nahant race and was happy with my showing. I was out of the water first and felt very fast on the bike until I broke my spoke, I managed to ride a 13 minute course but I was pissed that I did the first 1.5 in 8:10. I was cruising, I knew that my bodt was carrying faster than it ever has before and then I realized I have to magnify what I was doing 10 fold. It put the Ironman into perpective. The weekend was nice. I finished both workouts in less time than i did my run last weekend! Taper is tough. Not only does it let your body recover but it builds your mental toughness and discipline. I need it!

So far so good

I have been trying to stick to my taper and best a I can. I think I am doing a decent job at it. I have done two one hour workouts and easy 1/2 hour run so far. Tonight I am going to do Nahant. I plan on letting the engine go almost full tilt. I want one last maximum effort before I finish up this taper and race LP. Man, in 10 days I will be toeing the line for the most grueling endurance event in the world! I'll take it!

12 Days of Christmas

I am here on a gorgeous 90 degree day. I love the heat. I am trying so hard not to put my sneakers and go for a run. My program calls for a Swim only for today, which is not bad because it will be great to go into the water and enjoy it. Tapering really is tough after such a long and demanding winter spring and early summer. These next 12 days are going to be like the 12 days of Christmas! I don't know what to do with myself. I know that my body is recovering from all the stuff I put it through so that I will be able to go and compete not just complete the IRONMAN. It is hard to believe that I am going to toe that line.

I have been talking with some friends and it sounds like there is going to be quite the contingent of North Shore Tri Team members up there. It will be nice to get their encouragement out on the course.

I am looking forward to a good moderate pace swim tonight. I have a one hour bike tomorrow and run on Thurs. I am a five year old waiting in line to get my picture taken with Santa right now!!!!! Man I can't wait.

Taper Time

Today was my last big ride. I am really ready for this day to come. One way or another I will get there. This was a tough weekend to do this training gig. This was the schedule, fire works Thursday night, easy brick friday, long run sat, family reunion, block party, Sun Long ride, then recovery at the beach.

The run was good. The fastest I ever covered 22 miles. I did it in 2:50:08. I was getting tired towards the end. My knees were a little tight and man was it muggy! I think I sweat out a good 5 lbs. The ride was a different story. Tough getting up. I was tired. Got out on the road and met up with Marty and Vin. We went out at a good easy pace. 18 mph for a good 2 hour ride. We stopped somewhere in Georgetown to get this muffin that Vin was talking about, It was good and I enjoyed it until we got to Salem. That mixed with Gatorade... I threw it up everywhere. The good thing was that I had a clean stomach and only 1:10 to go. They guys went there way and I was able to ride on to finish up for the day. The way they were riding, they could do the Ironman too.

Well, It is time for me to let my body recover. I have been going since October. Back then I started talking with local pro Janda Ricci-Munn. I really wanted to work with but I had to prioritize my finances. He gave me some really good tips and laid out my base training. It was alot of running back then. Something I was not used to. It was in Late December when I took a fall on the ice while running on the Charles River. At the time I thought nothing of it. But as the week went on my hip really started to bother me. I got nervous and worried if I did some major damage. After seeking out some advice and help from local athletes I was able to pinpoint that I bruised my pirioformis. After a lot of swimming and stretching, Vin Miserandino helped evaluate my muscle balance and training regimen. He introduced Cross Fit to me and I slowly started to put the injury behind me. Come spring time I was down about 10 pounds and was getting more fit than ever.

Through this time I vented more than I should have to my wife Lynn. I learned that this "race" is something that can make a person go crazy. She helped teach me that is going to be an event that should be enjoyed to the fullest. Instead of being so worried about injuries and time I should just appreciate the fact that my body will be able to carry me through this. The training will take care of itself. Yes, I know I have to put in the long days and deal with stiff knees and sore backs but I am supposed b/c this is Ironman DAMN IT! There is a reason why it is so hard and don't take anything for granted! thanks again!

Now Taper Time, lets see how well I stick to this!

Happy 4th of July!

Holy Cow! This summer is flying by! I don't know if it is b/c I am training for the Ironman or that I have a 19 month old son who is growing before my eyes. Probably both. Training has been going well. Today was short brick. 45 min bike 15 min run. Earlier in the week I finished up the Masters Swim at BU. That was huge. I think I got in such good shape because all I did in January and February was swim my but off there. There were some really good people who also helped me. A man named "Rip" who swims about 1:10 for 100 yards pulled me into his lane on quiet days to teach me how to draft and realize I can go faster than I thought.

Looking at my program it is crazy to see how many hours I will cut back within the next week. Lynn will be psyched. She will get her husband back. This holiday weekend I have a 5 hour ride on Sat and 3 hour run on Sun. I remember back in October I didn't accumulate that much time on the bike in a week! Man, Human body is amazing and I appreciate everything that I have been blessed with. I know I won't win the race but, damn I love knowing that I am going to be able to do it! Whatever my time is, it is. I just want to see Lynn and Jack and my family right there at the end!

This is a great country! To realize what we have is astonishing. The Constitution, the Revolutionary War, I love history and to imagine what the men of those times were training for will far out weigh any race that I will every compete in. To every house on my street showing the flag like a badge makes me proud. Happy Birthday America! God Bless the USA!

Halifax National Championships

I just received an email today that I qualified for the Halifax National Championships in Las Vegas Nevada. It is a half-ironman distance race. I did not see this coming! I feel pretty good about it but I don't know if I can afford to make the trip out there. It would be nice considering I have never been to Vegas. I got a couple days to stew it over. I'll get update you on training tomorrow.

Cohasset Tri

Congrats to a good friend and fantastic age grouper Vin Miserandino. He was the 5th amateur and took 1st in his age group and 30th overall. This race had the likes of Olympic athlete Jarrod Shoemaker and pro Janda Ricci-Munn. Great Job Vin!

One more to go!

Well, I did my long run and ride again this weekend but this time I had to do my run on Saturday and my ride on Sunday. I'll tell ya, I know I am a creature of structure habit but this is rediculous. I was truly amazed how much of a psychological burden switching the days affected me. I got up yesterday at 0430 and readied myself for a nice 2 hour run. I was prepared to start out at my goal marathon pace and after 3-4 miles speed it up and work on pushing myself. That worked out fine but the entire time I was running it felt like a Sunday morning to me. I mean what the heck! The good thing about the run was A) I now know what shorts I am wearing on the run. thank you Garneau! B) I now know that I can were race shoes for more that 15 miles! Thank you ZOOT! I strolled back to my house in 1:52:13 having covered 15.10 miles. I felt great the entire time. I was a little bit sluggish but was were I wanted to be about 40 minutes into it. All in all I thought it was a good day.

Sunday I went out for another long ride. Up again at 0430 and out the door. Today was crappy. I felt like I was in a car wash for the first 2.5 hours. I went up 127 to Front Beach in Rockport and turned around. I detoured to Long Beach in Rockport on the way back. I spent many summers there with one of best friends Will Morrison. Man those days were fun. When I was a kid I would have never even considered riding my bike from the beach house there to front beach nevermind from Swampscott to Front Beach! I was glad I went by because I was in a major rut and felt like I couldn't get out of it. Seeing my bud's old beach house was sad only because we don't go there anymore but man did it put a smile on my face.

once back on 127 I started to pick up steam and brought my avg speed back up to 20.2 mph. I felt like I was doing ok and moving pretty well. Today's goal was again to focus on raising my race pace and see how string my legs are. I decided to take 133 into Ipswich and then go 1A back home from there. I hit another wall as I left Essex and got to Ipswich. I was on my way home finally in Beverly looking at my clock saying this day is going to be worthless because I won't come close to what I wanted for time or distance. Then I saw a great friend, Marty Mis! aka FitWerx2 extraordiniare. he convinced me to join him as he was heading back to 133 and loop around Ipswich then home. I thought for a quick second, I was just there and hated every minute of it b/c the road kicked my ass. Then I said "forget that" I am going back with Marty and punch it in the face. We did just that. Marty and I rode through there and clipped the miles away like a couple of prize fighters. The weather had cleared a bit and I was drier than when I started. At 4:27:38 seconds I rolled into my driveway at 89.92 miles. I was psyched because what started out as a "crappy" day turned into one of the most challenging days yet. Not only did I get a little bit stronger I think I got a little bit tougher!

That was the 2nd of my big 3 weekend set. I have one more to go. A 5 hour ride and 3 hour run. This is going to be a prize fight!

FIrst Nahant

I really feel like the summer is here now. I did first Nahant sprint tri of the season last night. Because of training I have not been able to get to many of them. Even thought it is so short it really kicks your but. I finished it in 35:23. The ocean swim wasn't bad. The water was a little chilly but I warmed right up. The bike went quick but my legs were definitely at max effort! The run was pretty good too. There is nothing like opening up you engine and letting out the fumes.

In the am I swam masters at BU. It was good workout. We did a 600 warm up with 200 kick and 200 pull. Then we hit 16x100's broken up into 4 sets. There was a woman in my lane who helped push me. Of course she wanted me to lead so I had to set the pace and watch the clock. It was good though because we held honest rest time. the last 4x100's we held 1:30's. I was pretty happy with that. Consider that 8 weeks ago I was doing 1:45's. Today is a rest day and I really will rest. Going to take Jack and my dog Belle for a nice walk. My weekend is a little backwards b/c I have to work on Sat. so I will run early Sat AM and get my ride in on Sunday. I'll tell you all about it later!

Feeling It

This is the first time I can honestly feel like I am getting stronger. Monday was a day off for me and I tried to take advantage of doing nothing but that didn't really happen. I did a short Cross Fit session and stretched a bit. I hit the pool last night and felt pretty strong. The water was freaking HOT!!! I swear I was in the Caribbean without the salt. I think my stroke is starting to come around too. I was actually pulling the way I am supposed to and could feel every bit of it.

Today I did a hard 1:15 on the bike and it felt like I symmetrical with pedal stroke and body position. I had a great rhythm and was pumping away like crazy. I felt so good that I could a smile creep up on like I was back in the fourth grade and Sister Christina was yelling at me for something I did wrong. Things were going so well that it didn't even bother me when I got a flat. Just changed it and moved on. I was telling myself that this could happen on race day!

Tonight I am going out for a run, 1 hour. I am just going to enjoy the warm weather and try to let that smirk take over again. I love this weather. If I didn't love my extended family so much I would grab Lynn and Jack and move to San Diego or something.

Well back to pound and grind. Today is one of those days I don't want to end!

Long Weekend #1 over

well, I think this past weekend was a success in the training department. Sat June 21 was my 5th wedding anniversary! God Bless my wife, she is fantastic!!! Thank you Lynn!

Vin and Marty Mes met at my house ready to ride at 0530. We took off and headed to Wenham to meet Dean. Marty, up and coming age grouper and Dean, Pro Triathlete and TT specialist are the Fit Werx2 "gurus". Vin is Marty's brother and a great age grouper also. We enjoyed an easy warm up and then we let Dean take over. After about an hour Marty had to head back so he could open the shop. I wish I had to open a shop because Dean killed us! We went up to N. Andover then into Boxford and every other town on the North Shore. We were doing intervals at speeds that I would not race sprints at! It is weird to your speed is faster than the posted limit for cars. We did that for about an hour. When we returned to Dean's house Vin and I were 2:30 hours into a 4:30 hour ride. We left Dean and fueled up and went back to 133 in Ipswich and headed for Gloucester. This was when i focused on my Ironman race pace. It was a good opportunity for me to see how I could ride in later mileage with tired legs. I was pretty happy with my output. Vin and I got back to my house in 4:31:15 with 89.30 miles. I was going to ride around the block to get the 90 miles but all in all I was happy.

Sunday was planned for a long run, 2 hours and15 mins. I went out in the afternoon to try and add some heat to the run. I was being chased by thunder clouds and I was moving pretty well. No issues with the legs, calves were a tad tight but nothing to worry about, they loosened up. I was at about mile 15 when I started to melt. The heat was tough and I was out of water, I had Gatorade but who wants to dump that on his head. I was running by a golf course that will not be named, and saw there was a cooler, checked it out and there were bottles of ice cold water. I helped myself and cooled off. It made all the difference in the world. I was able to continue on and get to good spot where I was happy with my run. I finished off at 2:12;30 and covered just under 18 miles. I was hot. Legs were sore and tired at the end but I think I had two quality days of good training. This last week was pretty solid. I put in 14.5 hours of good training. I know I will enjoy the off day today. Refuel today and get mentally prepared for the upcoming week. God, there is only 27 days left!!!!

Big Weekend

I am getting ready for the first of 3 big weekends comming up. Got 4.5 hour ride on Sat and 2.5 hour run on Sun. Things are looking pretty good. I don;t feel too bad. I had a great weight and run yesterday and the day before was a good swim and bike. I was pushing a 46 pound MTN bike around Boston for 1:45 mins. It was a workout. As for Sat, my friend Vin is going to come out with me for the ride. It is good because those long days get dull and if you are by yourself you fall into a rut and not work to were you need to be. I think we will go up to rockport and then cruise through Ipswich and back. Two loops should give us about 80-90 miles. we'll see were the day goes.

The run will be wet, the problem is I can't find shorts that don't ripp my skin at the 2 hour mark. I guess that is part of pain in training for an Ironman. Oh Well I'll tell you how it goes!

Back At It

Well I am back from a long weekend of training and fun. I had a wedding down on Fisher's Island NY. What a place. On the the 12th I was able to sneak out of the house early before we packed the car and headed down to the island. My brother and I went out for 1:30 ride. I turned 31 today It was pretty good. We clipped through the north shore and worked some good intervals and focused on good form.
After all that is what is going to help the most. Holding good form and exerting the least amount of energy and covering the most amount of distance at race specific speed. It is coming along well.

At the Island we had a couple of late nights which was ok because my son was at my mother in laws being spoiled rotten for the weekend. Lucky for Lynn and I we weren't up for 0630 roll call hosted by Jack. Come to find out "Goldie" hypnotized Jack and he slept in himself all weekend making her life easier too. (he calls Grammy, Goldie because he can't say Grammy!) I was able to get two quality runs in the weekend. The weather was muggy and hot so I took advantage of the afternoon heat on Friday and got a good tempo run in followed by a good 20 min body workout. The Tempo run was 50 mins and I did some timed intervals. hold about 3 min clips at 5k pace and then recovered for 1 min. I felt like a broken lawn chair but I was happy I stuck to the workout and finished it. All this was after a pathetic effort of 18 holes on one of the country's top 50 golf courses. Oh well, a bad golf score and decent workout on a gorgeous island that reminds you of a non-commercialized Nantucket! I'll take it.

Saturday, the 14th Flag Day! I skipped the golf at the hay harbor club and decided to sleep in a bit and get ready for my 2:15 trek across Fisher's. It was hazy and humid and man I was sweating before I put my socks on. My brother joined me for the first hour. We had a good chat and run. We always push each even when we say that we are going to stick to a plan. He pealed off because of his commitment to the wedding. He was in and I was just a guest. I got to keep going. It was a good run and i was just below my marathon pace. Felt pretty good with all things considered. (night life is hard to slow down at a place like this) We had a blast at the weeding, dancing, good food great family and lots of laughs.

My program called for a Sunday and Monday off days. One ok but two? I am already itching to get on my bike or go for swim. I know I could use the recovery, what am I going to do when this is over?

Saturday I

Recovery Week?

I don't what is going on with me. Either allergies or a full blown head cold. I think it is that fact that I had to shovel the pollen out of my driveway today! Holy Cow! Monday was a good day, i woke feeling pretty refreshed and not sore form Sunday's race. I did a weight workout and that helped loosen up the muscles a bit. Yesterday was another good day. The morning was spent at the Mass State Police Academy. I am an assistant fitness instructor there. Nothing like motivational push ups and an early morning double time! It was a nice 4 miler that helped me get back in to a good recovery week. In the afternoon I did a quick 25 miler. I was feeling really good. I then went to masters swim at Salem State. It was a killer. we did about 3200 yrds but man they were fast. It felt good though. I know that I need to really work on my technique. My entry is a little off and when I get tired I start to shorten my stroke. I need to work on that so the 2.4 swim can go a little quicker.

Got back in the pool again this morning. As I was walking to the deck I having a fight with myself about getting or not getting in. I got in. I was psyched when I got out because it was a good workout. We did 3200 again I was moving well. Still have some tech work to do but all in all I was happy.

Lynn and I are heading to FIsher's Island NY for a friends wedding this weekend. Going to bring the running shoes and the wetsuit. I would like to try and get an open water swim there. we'll see how it goes. I put in some big numbers and i think I made good progress the past few weeks. This week I think I am going to enjoy the good weather and get some quality runs in. That's it for now. Catch you this weekend.

MOOSEMAN

What a day! The temp was an unofficial 95 degrees. The sun was hot. I have to preface that I was not too sure how I was going to do today. I didn't feel that i was ready for an all out push at the 1/2 ironman distance but I proved myself wrong. I finished today's race in 4:53:34. I was more than pleased. I must first thank some friends who gave me place to crash last night and fed me a great plate of pasta and chicken. Greg and Sarah and everyone else thanks for the hospitality.


Race morning went as planned up and out the door at with all systems go. Everything was feeling pretty good. Got my gear in check and lined up my stuff. I think I debated 10 minutes on which shoes to wear for the run. I was tossing up the new Zoot and the Mizuno percision. Both treated me well on long runs so I was torn. finally picked the Zoot got on my wetsuit and off to the swim start. 0730 the gun goes off I so do I. the swim was uneventful. Grabbed onto a few sets of feet and drafted as much as I could. I thought I was harder than I remember, maybe b/c it was my first open water swim of the year. The water temp was just about right. 65. That is good for living in New England. I hit the final turn buoy and kind of put it in another gear. out of the water in 31:00.

Funny thing happened. I got a massive cramp in my hamstring when I was getting out of the water. Never happened to me before but what are you going to do. Got on the bike and started to chug Gatorade. I figured either get it all in snd try to save the race of get bloated and deal with the consequences. I also popped electrolyte tabs every 45 mins. that helped too. I had a pretty solid bike. rolled through the course with an avg of 20.6 mph. time 2:43:00.

The run was off to a pretty good start. I got off the bike ready to go. I went out at about 8:00 miles for the first four. I felt pretty good. At the second turnaround I decided to open it up a bit and pick the pace. I felt good and this was a big training test for me today. I realized breaking 5 hours was possible so I that was my new goal. I ran the last 7 miles in 51 minutes bringing my total to 1:35. I finished feeling strong, my legs where a little crampy that last mile but it was to be expected.

I was more that pleased with my race today and know that this will help put me where I need to be for Lake Placid.

OUCH!

Today in Boston it is 63 and misty. Sunday in Bristol NH it is going to be 93, hazy hot and humid. If this wasn't New England than I would be scared. Wait I am, the MOOSEMAN is going to be one of the biggest tests for me yet. I have done 1/2 Ironman in the past and can say that I have done well. I reached the podium in all three of them. But this one is going to be different. This one will require the utmost discipline b/c of the heat and humidity. For me to try and hold back and "pace" the day is going to be a challenge in itself. This is also the first time I will not race as a Clydesdale. I am currently 193.6 pounds. Down 14 form the last tri I did on '07. That is a significant drop. I hope that it works in my favor, especially with the heat coming.

Today has already been a bust. I went to BU masters this AM up at 4:55 out the door at 5:20. in the pool at 5:55. I swam my 500 yard WU to get tapped on the head and told the pool has to be closed b/c of chlorine issues. (I thought who cares, I won't tell anyone if you don't!) So out of the pool and now I trying to put together clothes to get some type of workout in . Well, I went up to the gym in the PD and banged out a 35 min workout. I got a sweat but it wasn't what I wanted. Also the Nahant Tri tonight, that ain't gonna happen b/c my wife has to work late b/c of a fire drill at work. Maybe I don;t need the open water swim. I will try to sneak into the lake on Sat afternoon when I pick up my race packet just to remember how to put on my wetsuit.

I understand the difference between IRONMAN race pace and 1/2 IRONMAN race pace. I know I have put in the miles and weights and the training. I just hope my nutrition plan will hold my body for what I going to ask it to do. My hip has been getting tight again so maybe the heat will help loosen it up? Maybe? I just need to remember that there is always someone bigger, faster and stronger. Why freak out over it. I will go home tonight and play with Jack, have dinner with my wife. Jump on the trainer and ride for an easy 45 min. Make sure the bike is ready to go for race day. Have a couple of beers and watch the 1st quarter of the Celtics.

Hopefully the pool will be open tomorrow and I can log few more yards before game day.

Getting There

Swam last night at the Masters swim for NSTT. (North Shore Tri Team) at Salem State. I missed my swims at BU monday so I figured I would give it a go there. I have swam there in the past and they always push us pretty hard. Things got off to a great start! no lane line not that big of a deal. I think it actually helps because of the wake . kind of like open water swimming. The problem was that the water was cloudy. I waked this poor guy in the head. I mean crushed him. He was probably in his lat 50's and weighed as much as my leg. I felt terrible but, you gotta look down and follow the painted lines! they're there for a reason right?
As far as the workout went I was pretty happy. We did some longer sets, one of at the end was 12x100's. I held a solid pace for my last six and was pretty much in control. The 65 mins covered 3700 yards. I got out feeling like I had a good tank left. I think I getting to where i need to be.
Tomorrow starts the Nahant Tri. I will be there for the only reason to get my bones chilled in the frozen Atlantic. Then bring the Mooseman!

MOOSEWEEK

This past weekend we celebrated my godson Brady's 1st birthday. We had a great time and the kids had a blast. My son jack is still catching up on sleep.
Training wise good and bad. The bad was that I didn't get my ride in on Sat. I had to settle with a 45 min TT on the trainer. I don't consider that a workout when you are training for IRONMAN but nothing can be done now. Sun we get back from CT and I go out for a long run. the temp was about 85 and the sun was beaming. I took off and felt good. What race pace. I was using the new Garmin 405 and it said I was trotting at a 7:40. I was planning on a 16 miler and was hoping for an 8:15. Ten miles into it was around the 1:15 mark. So I decided to punish myself for slacking on Saturday's ride and finished the 16 in 1hour 58 min. I last wrote that my run route was 16.45 well it was 15.45 so when I actually ran the 16 in 1:58 I was psyched.

This week I am trying to stay moderate so I can have a good race at Mooseman. The 1/2 will let me know what I really have to do. I see these other blogs with all these people being coached and how much volume they have. I am getting a bit nervous and hope that the program i have is going to work.

better get my ass in gear!

8 weeks left

I have eight weeks to go until IMLP. I was pretty pleased with my weekend training sessions. I did a crossfit workout on Monday to loosen up a little bit. Today I was back in the pool and it felt like i took a month off. Regardless, getting in the pool will never hurt.

Yesterday we had a few friends over and celebrated Memorial Day. It was nice, all te kids running around and haveing fun. I can't believe that my son, Jack, is 18 months already and he absolutely had a blast. He was playing with his wiffle bat and was laughing for about two hours straight. Seeing a little kid laugh is the best.

Well, back at this week, gonna push the intensity up a bit and do my best to enjoy these last two months.

Getting the Hang of this long stuff!

So I had a long run scheduled for yesterday. I was curious to see how I would feel after a long ride the day before. I wanted to run for 2 hours non-stop. I was really thinking of a specific distance but was thinking a 15 miler would be perfect.

I headed out and felt a bit sore when I started. I was thinking that I would have been better off running a brick instead. Nevertheless when I started moving I felt good. The sunrise was gorgeous. I love this early stuff(espescialy the warm days). I was holding a good pace. My goal race pace for the IM marathon is 8:15-8:30's . I was running around an 8:10 for my first 4 miles. I began to hit some hills and thought it was time to hold back and just enjoy the ride. My transponder for my watch died so I really lost track of my miles at around mile 8. It was probably a good thing b/c I could just chug along and roll. I finished my run loop in 1:57:32 and looked up my trip on map my run. 16.45. I was happy and felt strong. Memorial Day is recovery day.

Thank You to all the troops and servicemen. We don't say it enough!

Killed It

I went out early today. Left the house at 0530. I have been enjoying this part of training because I get to beat all the traffic and have the ability to clear my head. Today I had a 31/2 hour ride planned. I have not hit this mark yet this year. I was a little apprehensive so I wanted to head out on my own and see where my mental toughness was. I know this a huge part of training and this would be a way for me to to judge myself. There is no tougher critic than you.

I went up to cape ann. I went the same route I did with Vin last weekend. It took us 1:30 to get to the cape ann cafe in Rockport. There was some afternoon traffic and we dealt with some bike issues but we held a good pace and I was happy. Up and back in 2:54. We had a negative split on the return. Not bad.

Today I got there in 1:20. I was feeling great! I had passed a few weekend warriors (like myself) and got some cold looks. But whatever. My heart rate was right on and speed and cadence were better than expected. I got back to my neck of the woods in 2:40. I managed to hold just over my IM pace for 2:40 on a rolling course. I continued through to Marblehead and then to Nahant and then back home. Total ride time 3:38 Total dist. 77.67. I felt great rolling into home and look forward to my 2 hour run in the am. I'll let you know how the legs feel at 0500.

Recovery Week

SO I went to Fit Werx 2 today to pick up some stuff. Marty and Dean ,two good friends of mine own the shop. Dean is racing as a pro this year and Marty is an up and comer in the age-group. Dean was asking me about training for LP and was curious how I was feeling. He was more than encouraging about my race last weekend at the JCC. He has always told me that loosing 1 lb. is about 2 seconds off your mile split on a run. So loosing about 10 lbs could bring you from a 6:30 to around a 6:10. It was funny to hear him say that it crazy to see someone my size run 6:01 for a 3 mile run course after the bike and swim. I must say that I was surprised myself. This week my legs have felt very heavy and knees kind of sore. I just hope that I am training the right way so I can hang on for the Ironman. All I want is one. Just one healthy, happy and incredible day where I can accomplish a goal without regret. Well, just 58 more days to go. I plan on dropping anther 5 lbs. I will take free speed any day of the week!!!

thanks for pep talk Dean

JCC

Well today was the fist race of the year for me. The JCC sprint TRI. I have done this one now for that past few years. It is a little crazy but it's local and a lot of my friends compete. I am training for LP this year and was not too sure how my speed fitness would be. I have been fighting some injuries and feel like I have been a slug since Feb.

I had a kick ass race today. Second overall and cut 5 minutes off last years time. I was faster than the guy who won't last year. He also cut 5 mins off his time form last year. He is good friend and probably made me go as fast as did b/c I had this crazy notion that I could keep up with him. The one thing I forgot was that he is probably the best TT cyclist in New England. Yeah he blew me away.

I was happy with what I accomplished and I know can start to really focus on going long! 11 weeks until Lake Placid whether I am ready or not.

here we go!

This is my first time putting something up on-line, I am not sure how well I will do at this, if anyone else has advice.

My story goes...I am police officer who lives in Ma. and started racing in triathlons 8 years ago. I was a Clyde until this year. I am training for the Ironman at Lake Placid. My wife thinks I am nuts but why not right? I have a son who is 17 months old. What a trip he is!!! My wife, Lynn and I couldn't be happier with John. (aka Jack)

I just started b/c every time I research equipment or training ect. It brings me back to here. Blogs. I figure if I can vent or get a little advice why not? Well time to get back to the grind.