Two Brothers, One Mission

Vineman 70.3 Race Report

2009-07-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

July 19^th 2009

Friday July 17^th

Allison and I left DC early in the morning and landed in San Francisco around 9:30. After collecting luggage and picking up our rental car, we decided to have a nice lunch together. We drove into downtown San Fran and ended up at Fisherman’s Warf. After walking around a bit, we found a nice little restaurant overlooking the marina. Allison had a couple of glasses of wine and I stuck to water. We headed up to Santa Rosa around 1:00, finally getting to the hotel around 3:00. Clint, Susan and Jordan made it in around 4:30 and we met them at NorCal Cycling so that I could pick up my bike, which had been shipped 10 days earlier. The guys at NorCal did an awesome job and my machine was all setup and tuned, ready for race day.

After everyone got settled in, we found an awesome little Italian restaurant name Nonni’s. We did some carbo loading and even had a beer and glass of wine. After dinner Clint and I headed to the welcome reception and listened to the likes of Craig Alexander and Joanna Zeiger talk about their experiences. Very cool to hang out with the greats of the sport.

Saturday July 18^th

Breakfast early in the morning, and then Clint and I headed out for a 30 minute ride, followed by a 15 minute run just to get the body moving. I also wanted to make sure my bike was good to go, which it was. Again, the guys at NorCal did an awesome job. We then headed over to Windsor for registration, race meeting and expo. Expo was good, not great but still it was fun to walk around and visit the different vendors and pick up some last minute gear, like a visor (funny story comes later).

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging at the pool, followed by another carb loading dinner at a small pizza joint in Santa Rosa. Cool, casual joint which allowed Jordan to be Jordan and no one in the restaurant cared a bit. Early to bed, and ready for a 4:30 wake up call.

Sunday July 19^th, Race Day

Alarm went off at 4:30, however I had been up for 15minutes already. After a quick shower I began hydrating and trying to get some food in the system. I hate eating in the morning but knew it was a must. Bagel with peanut butter, and a Clif Bar. 5:15 bikes were loaded and we were off to the Russian River. Allison was a sweetheart and volunteered to get up and take us, so not to worry about getting a car at the end of the day. Guerneville is a very small town and parking was a little crazy, but we managed to find a spot relatively quickly and somewhat close to transition. I made my way into transition, got body marked and found a decent spot to setup my bike. As I am setting up, I realize that Craig Alexander (Ironman World Champion) is right behind me get setup. Pretty cool to be racing with world champions. After a visit to the portajohn I got my wetsuit on and headed to the swim start. It was race time.

At 6:55 my wave was called into the water. There were probably around 125 in my wave, not to bad but still a little crowded. I managed to get some decent warm up strokes in. Felt good and with the water temp at 75 it did not take much to get acclimated, especially since the air temp was 55. 7:03 and off we go, I positioned myself on the far side of the river and in the middle to back of the pack. I knew it was going to be along swim, so no need to fight it out at the front. Still, I got bumped around rather good for the first 5 minutes and then finally found some open water. I had been kicking hard and taking short strokes, but tried to relax and slow my kick down and lengthen my stroke. I was finding my rhythm. I had a nice stretch all the way to the first turn buoy, I looked up to sight and realized there were a bunch of guys waling the turn. The river could not have been more than three feet deep and so it was easy just to stand up. I felt like I was in a good rhythm so I just kept my head down and made it around the second turn buoy heading for home. The rest of the swim went well. I hit the beach at 38 minutes, right on schedule. Into T1, wetsuit off, helmet, sunglasses, bike shoes, race number and bike and off I went.

Short little climb straight out of T1, on to River Rd. Got a nice cadence going and holy ****, what’s going on, there is a strange noise coming from my front tire. Stop to check it out only to discover that a race number sticker from someone else had got caught between my front brake and tire creating an awful noise. Ripped it out and off again. First 5 miles felt good, got some fluid and a gel in my system. Sharp downhill turn on Sunset, followed by a short steep climb. Still doing okay. 2 miles later, race officials out on course slowing everyone down. What is going on? Come to find out a large tree had fallen across the bike course. Two guys down, did not look good. Had to get off the bike and walk under the tree. Back on and trying to find a rhythm. Struggled for the next 10 miles as the course was constantly going up then down, tough time getting the gearing right and cadence was a little off. Finally around mile 18, began to feel much better and settled in nicely. I kept a good feeding schedule, gel every 45 minutes with half a Clif bar in between. Did a great job keeping hydrated, alternating between PowerAde and water. Hit mile 30 and my bike start feel a little strange, looked around and realized my right aerobar was loose and was rotating more and more to the right, not good. Stopped, grabbed the Allen wrench and adjusted and tightened. Back in the saddle and good to go. Mile 38, holy **** heard a large clank on my back tire and metal hitting pavement, what has happened? Then a guy behind me yells “lost your CO2. Phew, no big deal. Still feeling good, but I know Chalk Hill is coming. Contrary to popular belief, this is no small hill. At mile 45 it felt like Alpe Due Huez. Decided to get into my small ring and just survive. Probably around ¾ mile climb with a few switchbacks. Got to the top and now I knew it was downhill to T2. Got into my big ring up front and cranked my cadence up to around 100 trying to flush the lactic acid out of my legs. Was feeling real good and excited to get out on the run. Hit T2 spending 3hrs 11 minutes on the bike and still on pace. Got running shoes on, visor on and a quick stop at the Portajohn and off I went. My legs felt surprising well, and I tried to find a good pace but not to fast.

Passed mile marker 1 and finally figured out, crap its like 95 degrees out. I felt like I was baking already. First aid station I grabbed some PowerAde and dumped a cup of water over my head. Feels good. Then it started, the hills came one after another after another. The sun got hotter and hotter. Legs still felt good, but my heart rate was way high. I began to run for 5 minutes, walk a minute. I started to feel much better. Was drinking and eating fruit at almost every aid station and dumping water and ice down my back to try and stay cool. The loop around La Crema winery provided a nice change of scenery and then it was back onto the hot asphalt. Around mile 9.5 I passed Clint heading out on the run. I was very excited to see him and yelled out “nice work, you did not crash this time”. Hopefully that made him smile. Mile 10-12 were a real struggle, calves starting to cramp a bit and heart rate was up above 170. I knew I need to cool down and get my heart rate down. So at the 12 mile aid station I grabbed a cup of ice and water and walked for about 5 minutes just trying to cool down. I hit the final turn and knew I was going to finish. People were lined up down the street and were all yelling words of encouragement. I garnered enough energy to find a good pace up to the high school, I made the left turn into the parking lot and started to hear the music. The adrenaline from knowing I was about to finish my first half ironman got the feet moving a little quicker. I entered the finish line chute and good see the end. A quick wave to Allison and Susan and under the finish arch. I did it! 6 hours 21 minutes.

Certainly not fast, but when you consider 18 months ago, I was new to the sport and weighing in at solid 225lbs I could not have been happier with my result.

After cooling down, more fluids and an awesome fruit smoothie we all waited for Clint to finish. I saw him enter the chute and I hopped the fence and ran the final 50 meters side by side with my brother. I owe most of this experience to him, he got me started and kept me motivated. Clint you made me who I am as a triathlete and one day I may even beat you.

We all ended the day with a great Mexican dinner and some much needed margheritas. Overall, a great weekend. Can’t wait to do it all over again.

Special Thanks:

Allison, Emma, Molly and Julia. You are supportive and allow me to get out and train as often as possible. I love you all very much.
Clint, you are responsible for the crazy triathlete I have become
Ryan, always offering words of encouragement and I can’t wait till you are home to see me race once.
Mom, for always keeping me in check by worrying enough for everyone.
Dad, what can I say? You gave me great genes, a drive that makes me push my body to the max and the motivation to run as I know how much you loved to run yourself.

Special Notes

Make sure you wear sunscreen, 6 hours outdoors ouch.
If you are almost bald, either wear a hat or put sunscreen on your head. I have a very distinctive line from my visor, right on my forehead. Looks funny. Oh well.

The Long Ride

2009-05-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

Monday was my first day off from work in sometime and Allison and I worked out a plan for the day that included my first real ride. To date I had gone maybe 30 miles max on the bike, as all I have done in the past are sprint and Olympic distance races. But now with a Half Ironman in my horizon it was time to step it up.

The training program Clint and I have been using is based on time and not mileage. However, for me I have always been a distance tracker and have a hard time basing my workouts on time. If the program call for a 45 minute run, I pick a 5 mile course. 9:00 minute miles, 9x5=45 bingo, there is my workout. Well, this weeks long ride called for 2:45 minutes in the saddle. After some simple calculations I decided it was time to ride to the "end of the trail."

To understand the "end of the trail" here is a brief history on the W&OD Trail: The 100-foot wide Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD) is one of the skinniest parks in the commonwealth of Virginia, but also one of the longest — 45 miles in length. The W&OD takes its name from the railroad whose trains ran along the right-of-way from 1859 until 1968. The entrepreneurs who founded the rail line dreamed of bringing coal and other riches from the Appalachians to the Port of Alexandria, but those dreams were never fully realized. Less than a decade after it was built, the railroad was almost destroyed during the Civil War.

After the war, the railroad was slowly rebuilt and then saw a series of changes of ownership and objectives. The heyday of the W&OD came early in the 20th Century, when it provided service three times daily from Alexandria to Falls Church, Leesburg and Purcellville, with stops at such hamlets as Dunn Loring, Hunter Station and Paeonian Springs.

When the W&OD ceased operations in 1968, the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO -- later Virginia Power, and now Dominion Power) bought the right-of-way for its electric power transmission lines. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority tried for years to acquire the use of the railroad right-of-way. Agreement was finally reached in 1977 for NVRPA to purchase the right-of-way in stages. The purchase was completed in 1982.

The first segment of the W&OD Trail was opened in 1974 within the City of Falls Church. This portion was built as the result of a special agreement with VEPCO under which the Regional Park Authority was allowed to judge whether a trail of this sort would prove to be popular. It did, and so, after the property was purchased, the trail was built in sections until its completion to Purcellville in 1988. Trail users today may enjoy 45 miles of asphalt trail and 32.5 miles of crushed stone and dirt bridle paths. In 1987, the W&OD was designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The closest spot on the trail to our house is at mile marker 24 almost dead smack in the middle. If I head toward DC, it becomes busy with people and lots of roads to cross. However, if I head west through Leesburg and out into the country there are very few people ever seen and hardly a road to cross. So, I headed out early Monday morning with the goal of making it to Purcellville and the end of the trail and then turning around and heading home. A total of 42 miles.

I am happy to say that I made it there and back and I now understand why people love to cycle. It was one of the most peaceful enjoyable 2 hrs and 34 minutes I could spend while absolutely wrecking my legs. After passing through the town of Leesburg, I spent a solid 2 miles climbing on a 3% grade to the highest point on the trail at Clarks Gap, and then cranked it up on the descent into the town of Purceville passing quaint farms and tiny towns like Paeonian Springs and Hamilton. The return to Clarks Gap took a toll on my legs as it was as much uphill as it was downhill on the way out. I nice recovery as you descend into Leesburg hitting speeds as high as 30mph and finally a good solid 10 miles back to Rt. 28 and the car. It was an awesome experience and an even better workout.

However, the real excitement of the day came that afternoon when Allison and I packed the kids in the car to head back to the trail. You see, there is someone else in the Buytenhuys family who is training for a race, and she had to get a workout in. Once back out at the trail I took care of Julia in the stroller with Molly riding her bike by my side, while Emma and Allison took off in front. Allison was running just as fast as a mother of four week old could run trying to keep up with Emma on her bike. If you are wondering what Allison is training for, well you have the wrong person. The one in training is Emma, she is getting ready for her first Duathlon on June 7th. A 200 yard run, 400 yard bike and 200 yard run. She rode her bike just over 2 miles with Allison running behind and so I think she will be ready. We are so proud of her and hope that her enthusiasm lasts till race day.

Tuesday was a day off from training and today it was a morning run with the family and 60 minutes on my trainer in the basement. Heading to the pool in the morning. Hope everyone is doing well, I know I am. Just a little tired.

Full Time

2009-05-06T19:45:00.001-07:00

Well, it's 10:50pm and I just got out of the shower. Sitting at the computer enjoying a bowl of Greek Yogurt with a touch of honey and a double espresso. Wow, you're thinking how is this guy ever going to get to sleep? The answer is easy, I had a full day and one measly double espresso has no chance of keeping this guy awake. I am often asked how I manage to get my training in, and to be honest I sometimes wonder myself. So, I thought I would give everyone a little insight into my day.

5:45am Julia is crying and Allison has gotten up with her all night, so after a little nudge from Allison I hop out of bed to check on her. I slide the pacifier into her mouth and all is quiet.

5:55am Out the door to the pool for a my swim workout. 1,900meters, felt good and a good start to the morning

7:15am Back home, whip up some scrambled eggs and toast for Emma, Molly and myself.

7:50am In the shower and out the door for work by 8:30

Today I taught 6 lessons and played 6 holes with one of my students

5:35pm Back home, cook up an awesome dinner. Steamed Jasmine rice, beef teriyaki and broccoli. A home run with everyone

7:00pm Upstairs, the girls hop in the shower while I give Julia a bottle. My awesome wife is downstairs doing the dishes. That's our deal, I cook she cleans. I love her, because I hate cleaning.

8:00pm Girls are in bed

8:30pm Hop on the bike downstairs for a 90 minute ride while watching the Caps. Bummer they lost, awesome game though.

10:15pm Back in the shower

10:30pm A bowl of yogurt, espresso and few words for my faithful followers.

THAT'S A GREAT DAY

I must admit, there is absolutely no way I could do it without the support of my wife. She gets up at night to feed Julia and runs the house like no body's business, while still working full time. I married extremely well.

So, my advice to anyone thinking of getting into this great obsession. Make sure you have the support of your family, it's the only way you can do it.

Now, I am off to bed. If the rain stops I will be out the door by 6am for a quick run before the house is awake. Hope everyone is well.

Got Swine?

2009-05-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

Well, less than a week in and I have missed a big workout and am sure to miss more this week. As if four days in Vegas was not going to be hard enough, I am also now sick as a dog. I have learned some valuable lessons in the past when it comes to pushing too hard when you are sick. The body is an amazing thing and right now it is telling me to take it easy even though I want to get in today's strength training and catch up on the missed ride and swim from yesterday more than anything.

Keep pushing! More later.

Geolocate this post.

Posted with LifeCast

Day 4 - Utterli

2009-04-30T07:43:00.001-07:00

Mobile post sent by malarchuck using Utterli. Replies. mp3

Today I Ran

2009-04-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a tough day! Anyone who is training, whether it is for a Ironman, half Ironman, marathon, a local 5K or more importantly just to be healthier individual will have tough days. However, I have come to discover that the tough days are the most rewarding.

Let me give you some background on me. You probably all know by now that I was a touch overweight(okay, 30lbs) and not in great shape(ran a 12 minute mile) at the beginning of 2008. What most don't know is that I was diagnosed in September of 2007 with Psoriatric Arthritis(PA), a disease very similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis. PA primarily attacks the SI joint in the lower back and the hip joints. It is also a Symmetrical Arthritis meaning it will appear on both the left and right side of my body. If I get inflammation in my wrist it would be in both wrists. Since losing all the excess weight and starting to exercise it has improved dramatically, but I still have those tough days. Usually, I know when it is coming. Things like not enough sleep, poor diet, change in weather and stress generally make it flare up.

Well, I have a 2 week old, we are in the process of being bought out at work, it's spring and so the weather is hot one day and cold the next so you can imagine how my body feels. But, the alarm went off at 5:45 this morning waking me for a 45 minute level 2 run. It took every ounce of energy I had just to get out the door, but it had to be done. I ran the first mile at just over a 10 min pace and everything hurt. But, as I got further and further into the run I began to feel better and better. I kicked it up the last hill and made a sprint for the driveway to finish just over 4 miles at an average 9:35 pace and my average heart rate was around 140. A perfectly executed workout and more importantly a workout that gave me great satisfaction. It once again made me realize it is the tough days that make you successful, if it was easy we would all be doing it with greater frequency. So once again I am reminded of a quote that I once read from a professional triathlete:

"If you ran without sacrifice, congratulations you just jogged.
Running hurts, it always has. It teaches us that good things do not come easy. It teaches us that we are capable of more than we think. It teaches us that hard work will be rewarded and laziness will be punished. Don't expect to learn those life lessons from jogging. Next time you suffer on the roads, suffer proudly.
You just RAN."

"TODAY I RAN"

Heart Rate Zones

2009-04-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

My run this morning confirmed what I already knew - the heart rate zones that are the focus of the training plan for Vineman are completely out of whack for me. With that knowledge in hand, I went out and did some research and came across a great site and in-depth article on heart rate training zones. The site actually includes a calculator that can also be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet. I pulled it down, input the numbers (which include resting heart rate (RHR) as well as max) and this is what it spit out:

I immediately went back into Training Peaks and my Garmin Training Center and started to update each zone. What was most interesting was that I actually hit "Restore Defaults" in Training Center and, based on my max and RHR values, it spit out almost exactly the same numbers as the spreadsheet. Nothing quite like good validation. Now I can go and run without feeling like I need to run at a ridiculously slow pace to maintain what were ridiculously low heart rate zones.

Day 2 - Bike/Swim Summary

2009-04-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

*Heart rate zones on the bike are mess but fixed moving forward.

Up early today - will try to get used to 5:30AM starts even if I never do make it into a pool at that time. Quiet in the house and a nice opportunity to ease into the day and set off at 6AM. Great swim at lunch and some very solid 100 times towards the end of the workout. More later!

Day 1 - Day Off?

2009-04-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

My 45 minute Core Performance workout today counts as a day off. This is a great program that can be fully customized to meet the requirements of just about anybody at any level. Prehab, Prep, Strength and Regeneration. Check it out!

Folds of Honor Marathon Program

2009-04-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

When I began participating in endurance events, I felt that it was important to complete each event for more than just myself and so, I made a committment to raise money for causes that were close to me. In 2008 I participated in the Athletes for a Cure Program, the same program that Clint is supporting this year. It was near and dear to my heart since my father in-law, a close family friend and one of my students each had to fight this terrible disease. Fortunately, each one of them fought their hearts out and won the battle.

In 2009 I am fortunate to be involved in a program that is just as important. I have become a member of the Folds of Honor Marathon Program. The Folds of Honor Foundation Marathon program aims to build on the efforts of Patriot Golf Day, a nationwide campaign jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association that benefits the Folds of Honor Foundation. Conducted annually over Labor Day weekend, Patriot Golf Day produced funds of more than $1.1 million in its inaugural fundraising campaign in 2007. Last year, approximately $2 million was raised through the participation of more than 3,800 golf facilities supporting the Folds of Honor Foundation. to generate additional funds for this cause. Folds of Honor has partnered with PGA Professionals around the country to create The Folds of Honor Foundation Marathon program. The mission of the program is to have a minimum of one representative from all PGA Sections and the National office fundraise for and run in the Marine Corps Marathon, with all monies benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation, along with Section Charitable Foundations.

If the goal of recruiting fifty runners throughout the Sections is met, the Folds of Honor Foundation and the various Section Foundations would be able to split a net minimum of $100,000.

Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of those military service members who have been disabled or died as a result of their service. With the help of the money generated from Patriot Golf Day, in 2008, Folds of Honor was able to award almost 200 scholarships to these deserving families.

While the premier race for the Folds of Honor Marathon Program is the Marine Corps Marathon I will be dedicating each and every endurance race this year, including Vineman 70.3 to the brave men and women who fight for our freedom on a daily basis. I invite you to visit the Folds of Honor Marathon Program Website and hope that you can support this great cause.

Folds of Honor Marathon Program

Athletes for a Cure

2009-04-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I can count on one hand the number of times that I have trained with someone else other than my wife over the past four-plus years. I joined a local triathlon club and have been promising to go to meetings for three years. I would really suck at any type of recovery program.

"Hi, my names Clint. I don't want to be here, don't like groups and am not telling you anything!"

The opportunities are many, the desire to train as part of a group just does not exist within me. I feel bad for the lady that conducts the Masters swim training at my club. She stares almost longingly at me every Tuesday and Thursday wondering when I might finally approach her and ask which lane to join. She stopped asking quite a while back but still stares, a glimmer of hope in her eye that is shattered as I slip into my own lane, put my head down and kick off the wall. I promise to get better at this but my schedule is my schedule and it changes constantly. One of the things I love most about what I do is that it is for me, does not depend on anyone else and I am in complete control over whether or not I hit the snooze bar or get out of bed at 5:30AM.

At some point though (it happens with everything)it has to become about more than just "me". So, with that little bit of background, I wanted to share with you just how important my membership in the fraternity that is Athletes for a Cure is to me. I joined earlier this year with a goal of raising $3,500 before Vineman. I joined not because someone asked me to, or because I needed a group to train with or any level of additional motivation. I have always been pretty good at pushing myself. Faster not older! I did it because I wanted to make a difference. I did it because of stories like the one below and others that have touched me even more deeply. I am certain that everyone goes through stages in their lives where your own mortality is pushed in front of you for consideration on an all too frequent basis. At 38 I consider myself somewhat lucky in this regard but man, the past year has been tough. Cancer sucks! Thank you to all those that have already contributed. If this is new to you and you have not see an e-mail from me, please take a look at the video below and help in any way you can.

I thank you, Susan thanks you, Jake (12) thanks you, Willow (9) thanks you and Jordan (16 months) thanks you. Together we can find a cure. Please click on this link to my personal donation page.

About Athletes for a Cure

Athletes for a Cure, a program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, is a fundraising and awareness program to assist individual athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Every dollar raised from the program goes directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

The online program provides athletes with multiple tools to create a home in the racing and fundraising community. Registered participants can upload photos, personal stories and race information on their own page; set donation goals; send emails to their friends and family through the "Friends Asking Friends" network; and watch as their donations climb.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research. The PCF has a single, yet urgent goal: to find better treatments and a cure for recurrent prostate cancer. The PCF pursues its mission by reaching out to individuals, corporations and others to harness society’s resources – financial and human – to fight this deadly disease.

Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $370 million and provided funding to more than 1,500 researchers at nearly 200 institutions worldwide. The PCF has been a pioneer in the grant making process, simplifying paperwork for grantees, leaving more time for researchers to conduct needed scientific research. The PCF also advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more governmental resources, resulting in a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.

For more information about the PCF, visit www.pcf.org.

Malarchuck

2009-04-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would go ahead and follow Sheldon's post with a brief introduction and some early musings on how I got here and where I expect to go over the next twelve weeks. Possibly the best starting point is to share with you that the first day of the twelve week training plan for Vineman 70.3 (a half-ironman distance triathlon - 1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike & 13.1 Mile Run) is a "day-off". What this tells you is that no matter whether you completed your one year racing anniversary today or are heading into you fifth year of training and competing, no one shows up tomorrow for their "day-off" not having already put in some serious mileage.

This all started for me on Super Bowl Sunday in 2005 when I posted a very solid 31:00 minute flat 5K, breaking the magic 10:00 minute mile pace barrier by a single second. The pictures are ugly (I ran with a jacket tied around my waist), the time was pathetic, but the journey had begun. I completed my first triathlon later that year in Laguna Beach and managed to complete the 5K that day (after the swim and bike) in 27:33. Progress! More importantly, I had discovered a real passion for the sport of triathlon. At the time I shared my brother's distaste for running, today... I can't live without it. I love my long swims in the pool and can't wait for warmer weather (and warmer ocean temperatures) and even longer swims in the open water. I have truly become one with my bike and wish that I could take it with me on business trips as easily as I can my running shoes and speedo (yes speedo) and goggles. It is a lifestyle and it has been fully embraced. Some of the body hair barriers have not yet fallen and I will probably never swim Masters at 5:30AM, but short of that, it is a huge part of my life and I hopefully will be pushing for a qualifying spot in Kona at 70.

I too have to thank the people around me for the support that they provide. My wife Susan is my biggest fan and has been joined on the course by our dog, Hunter and recently our 16 month old daughter, Jordan. My Dad has watched me finish a number of triathlons and provides a huge amount of support and inspiration along with my Grandmother who has pulled up a lawn chair roadside on more than one occasion. My Mom, as you can tell from Sheldon's post is our rock. I have however unfortunately provided her with the dubious honor of joining me in the emergency room at the Nations Triathlon last year after crashing on the bike course and breaking my collarbone. I'm not sure that she will make it back to a triathlon anytime soon believing that I crashed because she was there. Susan will not ever miss another one believing that I crashed because she wasn't there. I'm hoping for no more crashes and seeing them all at the finish line.

This has gone on for long enough. More on goals and thoughts about the next twelve weeks later. I will also post other notes and links on inspiration along the way. For regular updates and more information on what is going on around me you can also follow me on Twitter.

Faster not older! Thanks!

The Beginning

2009-04-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday evening and tomorrow marks the first day of our twelve week training program, which is supposed to prepare us to get across the finish line at Vineman 70.3. I raced in a small local sprint this morning. This race was important to me as it was my first ever triathlon this time last year. Needless to say, a year of hard training and 35 less pounds makes for a faster me.

Last year I swam 300 meters, biked 18 miles and ran 2 miles in just over 1hr 30min, a year later a knocked that time down to just under 1hr 15min. Things are looking good. I improved my bike MPH average from 16.1 to 20.7 and my run Mile/min average from8:47 to 7:37. I may be a Kenyan afterall.

I am very grateful to a lot of people in my life, who have supported my transformation. Most importantly my wife, Allison and my beautiful daughters Emma, Molly and Julia. Also, my mom who is the best support person from a distance. She worries and gets nervous enough for a small army. My brother Ryan who is an inspiration to all of us for being as crazy as he is. One day he will channel some of his will power and determination to join us for one race. I have to thank Clint more than anyone else because he got me into this mess. I am a new person and life is better because of him. I feel good, I look good and the sport of triathlon has added something very special to my life. I could not have done it without him, but if he thinks I am going to let him beat me, he is crazy. I could not end this paragraph without thanking my dad. "I hate running", but I know how much my dad loved it and so every step I take I think of him and how much he would still love to be running today. Dad, I promise we will cross the finish line at Marine Corps together even if we have to speed walk the 26.2. I will run Marine Corps for a long time to come and will continue to do my long runs on the C&O Canal because it just does not get any better.

I will post my trials and tribulations of my twelve weeks of training and hope that you can enjoy following Clint and I to the finish line. Sonoma better make sure all the barrels are full because I am going to drink some serious wine when I am done.