tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-303136962024-03-07T22:38:28.172-05:00MURTHA'S TRIATHLON BLOGAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-65423938627296825572011-12-01T22:58:00.001-05:002011-12-02T00:01:21.669-05:00Halfway through the off-season Run Training BlockHello Everyone!<br />
<br />
I hope all of you have had a great week! Also I hope everyone's Thanksgiving holiday was amazing, for those of you who observe that holiday. I was pretty happy with my food intake for this holiday, and did not feel the need to complete two-a-day workouts or anything to get back down to pre-Turkey day weight.<br />
<br />
So I will confess. I made it all of a week before my body/mind felt the need to work out again. I know that you SAY you will take a few weeks off... and you SAY that you are going to blow off the whole off season after completing a late-year IM... However, that following Saturday (or Sunday, I will have to go back and look at my training log), an eerie thought crept into my brain.<br />
<br />
"<i>(voice in my head)Hey Andy! You know what would be a good idea</i>?"<br />
"No. What would be a good idea? Eating Zaxby's and watching football?"<br />
"<i>Wow. Good call on the Zaxby's, but not that is not what I was thinking.</i>"<br />
"OK then, what gives?"<br />
"<i>I feel like running today.</i>"<br />
"You what!?!? We just completed a 140.6 mile race not a week ago, and did an easy short recovery jog on Tuesday, and you want to RUN?!?!"<br />
"<i>Yup.</i>"<br />
........<br />
"OK then, lemme go find my shoes. We'll knock out 4 miles or so, but let's not get crazy."<br />
<br />
Awesomeness is what happened that day. Working out with no agenda. Running just for the hell of it. And then the next day, then the next, and the day after that. A few more days, and then I decided to take some days off. Not because I needed it, not because my legs needed recovery, but solely because I wanted to take the time off. I had a wedding to attend, we had our annual Friends-giving party at the house, I had to get some yard work done so that the entire yard did not look like one big leaf pile. It is the off-season, I can do as I please ;)<br />
<br />
Then Thanksgiving week I really got back into the swing of things. Short runs, a long run, tempo runs, intervals, the whole shebang. Got another 4 days in and then took a day off. Then I just finished up today with my next 4 days and tomorrow is gonna be a day off. I will still do something tomorrow (spin class, hot yoga, etc) but no agenda.<br />
<br />
The other day, I decided I had enough runs in the last couple of weeks that I was going to make this an official run training block. Look at me, trying to make my own training plan and stuff! The cool thing about it, is that there is no structure! You may think, training block with no structure? How is that possible. Well I have some goals, where I want my long runs to be, interval workouts, tempo goals, but I am not gonna push the envelope and say this needs to be done this day, in this way, at this time, for this effort. Looking at the next two weeks (approximately), I will get in another 12 days of running and 3 off days.<br />
<br />
After that, I am gonna taper back just a bit so I can start working in some bike work and I would like to plan to make either January or February a Bike Focused Training Block. Swimming I am gonna start back with next week and just make it two days a week for now, just so that I am doing it. Sure it is my worst discipline, but I feel as if I still have enough room to improve on the bike and the run to focus on that for now. Yes, yes, I am probably in some way just ignoring what really needs to be focused on, the swim, but this is my off-season, and I want to be happy and have fun! If that means skimping on the swim during the winter, then so be it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.weststride.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrdNzPZdml3E6vjAYOd_bj1Vbllyt1k5G5l8je4mM7YXwm2Lqy4S2nq6Smtev_-7qC0a3Ny6wBHdX71vrr7VCzjDtP3_sAdctt4Ae0Pg5M120S4KwxhWAPegPfID1JYfh4os/s320/header_main.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Back to running. Last night I went to <a href="http://www.weststride.com/">West Stride</a> and saw Wil. We had a pretty good conversation and he hooked me up with a few pairs of shoes. I want to take a moment out to thank Wil and Genie for everything they have done with regards to <a href="http://www.weststride.com/">West Stride</a>. I remember when that store opened, Genie was my bank customer at the time, and I was really excited for her. The store has done really well over the past few years and made a name for itself in the Atlanta area. I have made sure that I buy my shoes and most of my other running-specific accessories from them. If you live in the Atlanta area, you should definitely go visit them next time you are in need of a new pair of running shoes, apparel, or even want to head out on a group run.<br />
<br />
I know that there have been advances in technology and there are a few things that I would like to at least try on, but in the end, I have learned my lesson the hard way. "<i><b>Don't fix it if it ain't broke!</b></i>" So these are my TWO new pairs of shoes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ85s7kWnJ1we5CjBvnglW-zhUsUx-X98QAlz_ZStWqqKRwGGUif7BIDIkK-mBVsCya5Vh8LzhRp-fKDAA8Cpt6-h_O6CCjTG5YOHHVUiXpd7Db397creHIs20ShwDAKIml0Y/s1600/391930_10100861441695780_4915831_65377514_330176124_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ85s7kWnJ1we5CjBvnglW-zhUsUx-X98QAlz_ZStWqqKRwGGUif7BIDIkK-mBVsCya5Vh8LzhRp-fKDAA8Cpt6-h_O6CCjTG5YOHHVUiXpd7Db397creHIs20ShwDAKIml0Y/s320/391930_10100861441695780_4915831_65377514_330176124_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The pair on the left are the <a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/News---Events/All-ASICS-News/October-2011/GT-2170---New-for-Spring-2012/">Asics GT-2170's (2012 model)</a> and the pair on the right are going to be my winter pair of <a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/footwear/running-shoes/gt-2160-t104n-mens/">Asics GT-2160's (2011 model)</a> I began breaking in the 2160's today so I will most likely have a gear report for them in the next few weeks. I don't plan on wearing the 2170's right now, however, since they are the current year model and I know that some people may already own them, I will go ahead and break those in as well and try to get a report out on those by the beginning of the year.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/">Asics</a> needs to love me ;) My shoe review for them is one of the highest viewed posts on my blog ever, I would probably say top 5 if I go look at this point (saved my place to go look..........). Oh, it is by FAR the MOST VIEWED POST since Blogger began tracking stats a couple years ago. My blog has been around since 2006 and I think they began tracking stats around 2009-2010. And I am going to be posting 2 new shoe reviews for them within about a month! Asics, you need to get on it, I have been a loyal user since your GT-2120's in 2007, and my last shoe review is the MOST VIEWED POST on my blog! Lol :D<br />
<br />
For all you racers in the Southern Hemisphere, I am sure you are really amped about the race season being underway. I hope you have some really great races lined up, and I can't wait to hear about them.<br />
<br />
I have been getting caught up on blogs this week, but it is slow because I like to read about everyone, rather then focusing on a few people. No worries, I will get to everyone who is on my reading list.<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com11Atlanta, GA 30342, USA33.8856615 -84.369976733.832935 -84.4489407 33.938387999999996 -84.2910127tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-68977694522305700342011-11-27T20:53:00.001-05:002011-12-02T00:18:06.938-05:00Ford Ironman Florida 2011 Pictures!!!Hey Everyone!<br />
<br />
I hope all of you had a great Turkey Day, and for those of you who don't celebrate, I hope that you had a great weekend!<br />
<br />
I thought I would post my pictures from the event. There are a couple more that I am trying to get a hold of, but until then. This is what I got. Don't laugh too hard at the finisher photos! I mentioned what happened in part 3 of my race report at the finish line.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QMDYcwRaSpOSSmN7JgfvaWbZnAulOeLv1q3vkURpFCVFpysK-gLYDr_oUplKgn3PfRFgfjr7_ZbbLcgLUbW8IpDemPAqExU-rfSSNPV7ISwgCedVv6KFxyFhWsrmYbHSZiI/s1600/305780_10100468456541405_27400500_50948440_1876001912_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QMDYcwRaSpOSSmN7JgfvaWbZnAulOeLv1q3vkURpFCVFpysK-gLYDr_oUplKgn3PfRFgfjr7_ZbbLcgLUbW8IpDemPAqExU-rfSSNPV7ISwgCedVv6KFxyFhWsrmYbHSZiI/s320/305780_10100468456541405_27400500_50948440_1876001912_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhmyW9vQ7w21FM605WngNuHT-ZqqO8eFZ8bM43QIXVmscbFoslQCFmgkFBaXwqVFowWy154El7ps48g8-Ap7C7In8r4fwFb3wRZ4IcfB_12VDN40vC2RkDBUfjyeFc7OjjSw/s1600/300112_10100468456321845_27400500_50948436_1067734689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhmyW9vQ7w21FM605WngNuHT-ZqqO8eFZ8bM43QIXVmscbFoslQCFmgkFBaXwqVFowWy154El7ps48g8-Ap7C7In8r4fwFb3wRZ4IcfB_12VDN40vC2RkDBUfjyeFc7OjjSw/s320/300112_10100468456321845_27400500_50948436_1067734689_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Mike (left in both pics) and I on Thursday morning right after I arrived and took my stuff upstairs to the condo. Gotta get that open water swim practice in before the big race. Hopefully the water won't be that choppy on race day. There were a number of jellies about 250 yards out and the radio on the way in was saying that there were huge blooms of jellyfish not too far away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKadDmYloI_ks-mZwYjq6fIniOLcj7KGiBdEGLwgIdq_TnDEcNndYpJ5KQSBvuoZF_Ad0FKx_9YEh7qRiy9xmZ_Vg66pNVvPr1BwX0xytxBXWUamYIaVWPFVPC0Anbw_ONkn0/s1600/392094_10100468456062365_27400500_50948430_2043417715_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKadDmYloI_ks-mZwYjq6fIniOLcj7KGiBdEGLwgIdq_TnDEcNndYpJ5KQSBvuoZF_Ad0FKx_9YEh7qRiy9xmZ_Vg66pNVvPr1BwX0xytxBXWUamYIaVWPFVPC0Anbw_ONkn0/s320/392094_10100468456062365_27400500_50948430_2043417715_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mike and I on Friday morning for one last swim before race day. Water was not quite as bad on Friday compared to Thursday. Met a couple random participants on the way back to the condo and chatted with them about the race. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFrc400KifpmhAteXmknijxI_KJMsrthfi-1IsaU0fmSf8pKoSaqrse7nhtNGzlxL8RaPs_UGWWGqCaeE1pRDt7Xh1M-t3PfNnjNtRInim-iN6c1QgcUo9IkC0bB6hwlgBN4/s1600/307848_10150383776679941_743459940_8202214_131580357_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFrc400KifpmhAteXmknijxI_KJMsrthfi-1IsaU0fmSf8pKoSaqrse7nhtNGzlxL8RaPs_UGWWGqCaeE1pRDt7Xh1M-t3PfNnjNtRInim-iN6c1QgcUo9IkC0bB6hwlgBN4/s320/307848_10150383776679941_743459940_8202214_131580357_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Friday afternoon prior to the Blogger meetup with John, Wes, and I. Not a bad looking bunch of guys! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQDKCWToPUtvRfEgDSrpSS5ipL5NbZpkwgM2BAZ9lKol7WUxcG6_TxxPi21HiW3trZYIr8VOFj02F-cA44RfJzm-FQyJR6X2Q4asuzUahBHUOsGBmPR-dekHd-j5GwmN2FLU/s1600/385215_10150383776954941_743459940_8202215_633452708_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQDKCWToPUtvRfEgDSrpSS5ipL5NbZpkwgM2BAZ9lKol7WUxcG6_TxxPi21HiW3trZYIr8VOFj02F-cA44RfJzm-FQyJR6X2Q4asuzUahBHUOsGBmPR-dekHd-j5GwmN2FLU/s320/385215_10150383776954941_743459940_8202215_633452708_n.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARgEuTq7yOthIWPYfbnzlSbXki27DI_0uy9NupPiNKm80Iqti4s1crfN8zzK47VFqrKRaj07BGx0A9wOZUD8PqT-FqGkbq4CL5gim4XjXRQ7gTlJhthEORubPeiV3a4wrU4c/s1600/383059_10100825932825840_4915831_65198354_96998671_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARgEuTq7yOthIWPYfbnzlSbXki27DI_0uy9NupPiNKm80Iqti4s1crfN8zzK47VFqrKRaj07BGx0A9wOZUD8PqT-FqGkbq4CL5gim4XjXRQ7gTlJhthEORubPeiV3a4wrU4c/s320/383059_10100825932825840_4915831_65198354_96998671_n.jpg" width="310" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Wes took a couple photos of me sitting outside the main venue, the Boardwalk Beach Resort. Even with my Rev3 visor on, I was squinting so bad an ended up having to take some headache medicine in the afternoon when I got back to the condo. I think some of the WTC folk weren't too happy that I was sporting a competitor's series visor, but there is nothing like some healthy competition to make all the race series better for all athletes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTNrE7BZWYZ34T_CY555LE74KrlbAWzwAdv6v05FP9jiDVzhDJPvkY5AVQwDei1zp45cKrputPaZ6dCQgzJjvAROFdmZLWhBiFxIiu9KlkCpNao3sdjGusnbzduKtsV1tJdw/s1600/386747_302240003121607_100000068303829_1234102_750742076_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTNrE7BZWYZ34T_CY555LE74KrlbAWzwAdv6v05FP9jiDVzhDJPvkY5AVQwDei1zp45cKrputPaZ6dCQgzJjvAROFdmZLWhBiFxIiu9KlkCpNao3sdjGusnbzduKtsV1tJdw/s320/386747_302240003121607_100000068303829_1234102_750742076_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's the Blogger meetup for IMFL 2011!!! It was great to meet people that I already followed and followed me, and to meet new bloggers and friends who share in the same activity that I am passionate about. :) From left to right; (front) Matt and Heather. (rear) <a href="http://my140point6milejourney.blogspot.com/">Kristine</a>, <a href="http://caratunkgirl.blogspot.com/">Mandy</a>, <a href="http://codegeekstail.blogspot.com/">Wes</a>, <a href="http://cbkingrey.blogspot.com/">Colleen</a>, <a href="http://frayedlaces.blogspot.com/">Laura</a>, <a href="http://trainingsmoker.blogspot.com/">John</a>, ME, and Kristin.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatyCF8tswTLyt2IGNDo8XmIQOwIxVLhxgBqqVdvmZdqte_V81a_E-1KtP1Mp4zW1J8APbRN3pWmAjwXSlVUJYocIQ7ppbXiMkbWm7KgB-cpJU9kvLEgP5uDz6e_hj-xwc4xk/s1600/389205_10100468457075335_27400500_50948453_254813307_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatyCF8tswTLyt2IGNDo8XmIQOwIxVLhxgBqqVdvmZdqte_V81a_E-1KtP1Mp4zW1J8APbRN3pWmAjwXSlVUJYocIQ7ppbXiMkbWm7KgB-cpJU9kvLEgP5uDz6e_hj-xwc4xk/s320/389205_10100468457075335_27400500_50948453_254813307_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Race morning! Snagged a good picture of me headed into transition to drop off everything, get marked, and prep for the race. Two cups of coffee and some good sleep gets you a smile like that!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIKcxlTyhtbjkh1pe9dFn87fVHp5PZpVD113RrX2nf0emJa-F4K-NqQWQPWCUMqvrWcQUQtfN4mfYjZjsmp-gt14E0ewpcHx5ADTJ1I1n0oBXkqbdhLQiWaRkNq3fkJzOI-s/s1600/390825_10150383780714941_743459940_8202238_1417424183_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIKcxlTyhtbjkh1pe9dFn87fVHp5PZpVD113RrX2nf0emJa-F4K-NqQWQPWCUMqvrWcQUQtfN4mfYjZjsmp-gt14E0ewpcHx5ADTJ1I1n0oBXkqbdhLQiWaRkNq3fkJzOI-s/s320/390825_10150383780714941_743459940_8202238_1417424183_n.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVeJRGAVdjW3S4avXkD72Ij_AU8421P_CQmFRkdYDHH3YOkFKBPyyKNub3tWLAZY7PWKC1yiybHY8p1IGEV5C-nIKZQUAlC4ZlaKANKOyjiK59AP8v1aUuvkYUgPp6mH_HlY/s1600/391780_10150383780919941_743459940_8202240_1182620996_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVeJRGAVdjW3S4avXkD72Ij_AU8421P_CQmFRkdYDHH3YOkFKBPyyKNub3tWLAZY7PWKC1yiybHY8p1IGEV5C-nIKZQUAlC4ZlaKANKOyjiK59AP8v1aUuvkYUgPp6mH_HlY/s320/391780_10150383780919941_743459940_8202240_1182620996_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After hitting the head for a third time prior to the race, I donned my wetsuit and randomly run into Wes and Dee Dee who are there to watch the swim start, and were there to spectate the entire race. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4ww313J7RuKjKs5vmN72feXci1l1WBOpFWz4PRXqNo8XfcZujkvedM3RFi6W4lGwKOkRVMOle3oQWHQvmoCURmHmFTkdXSNg_WyNpt-QZPrJznMLYmS7S2MdOhezgTrIaWY/s1600/76834-372-010f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4ww313J7RuKjKs5vmN72feXci1l1WBOpFWz4PRXqNo8XfcZujkvedM3RFi6W4lGwKOkRVMOle3oQWHQvmoCURmHmFTkdXSNg_WyNpt-QZPrJznMLYmS7S2MdOhezgTrIaWY/s320/76834-372-010f.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquUz748XaTxLoOLzuRkQcd5pNdc-JXwHt5CbQIion9hbm6pp0NY8KDxX5ccObNsT6Pp0MBaTLKE5nyxVYRYx_9yNN3E4ebl9bQiwvdGKzDQYmN4ZB00LtMlMY7hj__RzAt3c/s1600/315734_10100464869519825_27400500_50915971_1588736815_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquUz748XaTxLoOLzuRkQcd5pNdc-JXwHt5CbQIion9hbm6pp0NY8KDxX5ccObNsT6Pp0MBaTLKE5nyxVYRYx_9yNN3E4ebl9bQiwvdGKzDQYmN4ZB00LtMlMY7hj__RzAt3c/s320/315734_10100464869519825_27400500_50915971_1588736815_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pvysq9us3BW4wUHO87JWu-bgDCmaWul10a81YU3OikaKqtw4cIUgwXgY8j03G1sc2aLs4C2RghN93wum8YmJxJ_JQ_x4akFoaUvcpDoEi5v8DNWrYm_Z5k158kuGKC2Vvmk/s1600/76834-976-012f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pvysq9us3BW4wUHO87JWu-bgDCmaWul10a81YU3OikaKqtw4cIUgwXgY8j03G1sc2aLs4C2RghN93wum8YmJxJ_JQ_x4akFoaUvcpDoEi5v8DNWrYm_Z5k158kuGKC2Vvmk/s320/76834-976-012f.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAb8tvkHVIdrzww2RYQCiypV9s75h7zN2FhmzR2rBSfSVCGrkqNT4IsL37l2gqeHnNPv36dGKeaimwAMx43zbEVy_DQ4QYlYB2tbYrLm-uXfF1Jb0kdrIs9_1CpbKkZTai0M/s1600/300450_10150383784804941_743459940_8202265_1842157151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAb8tvkHVIdrzww2RYQCiypV9s75h7zN2FhmzR2rBSfSVCGrkqNT4IsL37l2gqeHnNPv36dGKeaimwAMx43zbEVy_DQ4QYlYB2tbYrLm-uXfF1Jb0kdrIs9_1CpbKkZTai0M/s320/300450_10150383784804941_743459940_8202265_1842157151_n.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQi0t-EqJIqgeVbGmoIY3Kiiz0FJ_TfPKLsAsflrKEbZ6X7EHambM5KOXVqfarRFhDnVyaSXLtWqk9rywydwMhL5rQVTwGj6t33FR4xEoyCQloBLVLQm3V2qhN9dMBpZTlMH8/s1600/385966_10150383785134941_743459940_8202266_330310423_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQi0t-EqJIqgeVbGmoIY3Kiiz0FJ_TfPKLsAsflrKEbZ6X7EHambM5KOXVqfarRFhDnVyaSXLtWqk9rywydwMhL5rQVTwGj6t33FR4xEoyCQloBLVLQm3V2qhN9dMBpZTlMH8/s320/385966_10150383785134941_743459940_8202266_330310423_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Heading out of the water into T1. This is the theme of my entire day for my race pictures. Always behind someone or someone is in the way. Lol! Here are another couple photos of me heading out of the water as well. Wetsuit strippers were quick and nimble and I was out of the suit fast. Of course it helps when you volunteered as a wetsuit stripper the year before and know how it goes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYEttXJXBgvtZ4QHAoouR_F7vIvlL0MZ1ATVeW3t13TQQfvtGRK67N7MOkShDcHklguYHyad_Ifu_fLgZGao3h8VyQM5jw4p6hWEjHXAnI_csOEjIEtVHJB_xg_333RLy_mY/s1600/76834-730-002f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYEttXJXBgvtZ4QHAoouR_F7vIvlL0MZ1ATVeW3t13TQQfvtGRK67N7MOkShDcHklguYHyad_Ifu_fLgZGao3h8VyQM5jw4p6hWEjHXAnI_csOEjIEtVHJB_xg_333RLy_mY/s320/76834-730-002f.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwof6frQpcTzwYFF5_fN6uoU3N1hadd73KbyKi9CogvNNdDw1u4WG_DZSisUNUkJDgNcYT-IkIquTNFJA0QH6Z8-CMTWv5FThDMqmGANnbS1LmzEMD8ufYsMNTTJcof6_Dkk/s1600/381321_10100468458821835_27400500_50948488_936708498_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwof6frQpcTzwYFF5_fN6uoU3N1hadd73KbyKi9CogvNNdDw1u4WG_DZSisUNUkJDgNcYT-IkIquTNFJA0QH6Z8-CMTWv5FThDMqmGANnbS1LmzEMD8ufYsMNTTJcof6_Dkk/s320/381321_10100468458821835_27400500_50948488_936708498_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Headed out of T1 and just getting out on the bike. Melissa got the pic of me headed out and got my rear end heading out. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuRs9YXjxoj1V53vUPkwNECP4lxun4bU02TcbOkEjYqw5y7lxwiwnBsnIbN7Q4d5WSx2-Jw_voKkw1G6P2i_6JYf8yJoI9trxMrxhNtHszdrBxNi0NBE7LvedbU6BEPSA23c/s1600/76834-654-032f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuRs9YXjxoj1V53vUPkwNECP4lxun4bU02TcbOkEjYqw5y7lxwiwnBsnIbN7Q4d5WSx2-Jw_voKkw1G6P2i_6JYf8yJoI9trxMrxhNtHszdrBxNi0NBE7LvedbU6BEPSA23c/s320/76834-654-032f.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1i9Y8ROk-iXVFZa8_FqEH8pffpL6MzCcsjldtl_kYb4_zZ-IrfqMkV73iojJEUFq2DfaEzbi-ndA6ZzWWD99d3d_FqxuBm8DKJ6VPShBZPFuDMtLexx9jYMJcEYR3pM_Dmw/s1600/382301_10150383787684941_743459940_8202278_2058441447_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1i9Y8ROk-iXVFZa8_FqEH8pffpL6MzCcsjldtl_kYb4_zZ-IrfqMkV73iojJEUFq2DfaEzbi-ndA6ZzWWD99d3d_FqxuBm8DKJ6VPShBZPFuDMtLexx9jYMJcEYR3pM_Dmw/s320/382301_10150383787684941_743459940_8202278_2058441447_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Wes got a pic of me just after the turnaround (left) and then a pic of me headed on the way back in on the bike. The <a href="http://www.dermatone.com/">Dermatone </a>definitely helped me from getting burned out on the bike and the run!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjRCuZWjvN3kn5Js2zI8PuhTeTdbe_GQ0hCPqt9RSZsO8Eq1xj_F_SbOg5liKVHIsJ9evKmIj0bPFY-JrpNeiALQV_2gFC0ZaMvbLrafHF0APLPH7YwdCibF6OZIE5ij0iH0/s1600/76834-811-007f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjRCuZWjvN3kn5Js2zI8PuhTeTdbe_GQ0hCPqt9RSZsO8Eq1xj_F_SbOg5liKVHIsJ9evKmIj0bPFY-JrpNeiALQV_2gFC0ZaMvbLrafHF0APLPH7YwdCibF6OZIE5ij0iH0/s320/76834-811-007f.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dHWeZaaQ9-EzXjWhPdoa7TVDhEatO7-kClGNKCtl2deczM3Jx-Z0OzFFTzb49txTl-sxcyZ7NGslIb5Muav2PcfNjdjWkJbJscChL7GHT3Q8EqPAXyg7WTsYHEHjH_yIgEs/s1600/390620_10100468459071335_27400500_50948489_708316632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dHWeZaaQ9-EzXjWhPdoa7TVDhEatO7-kClGNKCtl2deczM3Jx-Z0OzFFTzb49txTl-sxcyZ7NGslIb5Muav2PcfNjdjWkJbJscChL7GHT3Q8EqPAXyg7WTsYHEHjH_yIgEs/s320/390620_10100468459071335_27400500_50948489_708316632_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Headed out from T2 feeling pretty good, and then Mel got a pic of me at mile marker #1, still feeling OK.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQsq4qKZBfInWsz9VQcnrlMYRqpP41DHom66jZZ7Zi3Vuosks8yX1NcIAXx0CfzwpO7fDjAxoE0VkA7dPsBPV04umxTL4FabmX7QJsWyUZBbuFJTtjpJBiBMcnT6QKeQH9Ms/s1600/300053_10150383798869941_743459940_8202311_428261137_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQsq4qKZBfInWsz9VQcnrlMYRqpP41DHom66jZZ7Zi3Vuosks8yX1NcIAXx0CfzwpO7fDjAxoE0VkA7dPsBPV04umxTL4FabmX7QJsWyUZBbuFJTtjpJBiBMcnT6QKeQH9Ms/s320/300053_10150383798869941_743459940_8202311_428261137_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Just after mile marker #3, the wheels were falling off with regards to my legs (at least no leg cramps this race!) and my stomach, but I still somehow kept a smile on my face. Mike caught up to me about a mile down the road.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF3bDHGAvpFYkuDHLowK2Mdq4RuuXifKAdW0pp1zW9q3rKkIUYAyoQah1KMQZTHZ6bCZQNzIx6Y8NXcuf5uP00U08mkv9Ujfzz1SWuimpuh_YG5-Ec06FG9NNLt7xpkAjt1g/s1600/381763_10100468460134205_27400500_50948497_1030362011_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF3bDHGAvpFYkuDHLowK2Mdq4RuuXifKAdW0pp1zW9q3rKkIUYAyoQah1KMQZTHZ6bCZQNzIx6Y8NXcuf5uP00U08mkv9Ujfzz1SWuimpuh_YG5-Ec06FG9NNLt7xpkAjt1g/s320/381763_10100468460134205_27400500_50948497_1030362011_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mike and I after we met up, finishing the first loop. The turnaround is at the back of the picture, one more lap to go! I was getting a pep talk from Mike's father who I am looking at standing out of the picture. <a href="http://www.tri-ptc.com/">Tri-PTC</a> was posted up just past mile one, which was only a couple hundred yards after the turnaround as well. I got to see <a href="http://www.aprilisawesome.com/">April </a>as well on the second lap back in as she was out there cheering people on! She had entered in Beach to Battleship Full the week before and she got 2nd place! Way to go April, and thanks for cheering us on!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtO63hScgaq-2H7sWgbcgolhatIN78PJBa-ZbCft88J_AMyZpEDOE_KNqdEsGJVcf-b5I9Zv_ShsBhyphenhyphenQNwWyaFUJQBUS_5gIRAVOutW85lJoUIIIW6L7Hl6aG7jnuYWozgUw/s1600/320651_10100468460578315_27400500_50948500_827675192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtO63hScgaq-2H7sWgbcgolhatIN78PJBa-ZbCft88J_AMyZpEDOE_KNqdEsGJVcf-b5I9Zv_ShsBhyphenhyphenQNwWyaFUJQBUS_5gIRAVOutW85lJoUIIIW6L7Hl6aG7jnuYWozgUw/s320/320651_10100468460578315_27400500_50948500_827675192_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Mike and I headed into the finisher's chute.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2w3j9oti26h0TTpujMYDYaX8Meenf8Oa-aedB8sl_E81FuTbTf_LDUJrhIfA9pl8MHy8slMc99EpY_TS4VGM29I3tAwJHVm3w9c_0hkKdGAAcEtA7I2zk6TgqcZ-IGmR_tc/s1600/76834-108-011f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2w3j9oti26h0TTpujMYDYaX8Meenf8Oa-aedB8sl_E81FuTbTf_LDUJrhIfA9pl8MHy8slMc99EpY_TS4VGM29I3tAwJHVm3w9c_0hkKdGAAcEtA7I2zk6TgqcZ-IGmR_tc/s320/76834-108-011f.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxsmnonv7Bnne0Er3tmCN-tpkctNw6sCHifGGPVEK20MnE6tZKqOETJMn4jQj8uGvU1BngsceAG5p0' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Andy Murtha, you are an IRONMAN (again)!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatABXpjVtekXrFJfu6f-Ri9YhJqwWwIfft8GX93nomF7DbgO3RuDQHc6Q9FbPuwyBY6EP8znmdw0ZaGeZkuv3QrA5aZpX1IrbJ5HsaMk8OCvZscxvKvaKjy2nG1a1HBkzFpA/s1600/76834-543-005f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatABXpjVtekXrFJfu6f-Ri9YhJqwWwIfft8GX93nomF7DbgO3RuDQHc6Q9FbPuwyBY6EP8znmdw0ZaGeZkuv3QrA5aZpX1IrbJ5HsaMk8OCvZscxvKvaKjy2nG1a1HBkzFpA/s320/76834-543-005f.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hVG3A5s6eUVCsippULuIrI24ixdKqC0cZGjNC-bSX4ccCecIDVfViepFIckY3A7U0SoEytPSbTW1o6aGLk1W6ycJU-kfjIB1wQNGkhED7eR7CqzHsrDKQyzbauL6wyGxEQo/s1600/320747_10100468460767935_27400500_50948501_1443794048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hVG3A5s6eUVCsippULuIrI24ixdKqC0cZGjNC-bSX4ccCecIDVfViepFIckY3A7U0SoEytPSbTW1o6aGLk1W6ycJU-kfjIB1wQNGkhED7eR7CqzHsrDKQyzbauL6wyGxEQo/s320/320747_10100468460767935_27400500_50948501_1443794048_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Post Race Finisher's photos!<br />
<br />
There were some other photos, however, these were the best that I have. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do. Have a great rest of your evening and weekend. Look forward to reading more of your stories, as well as composing more of my own.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-48870541550192791832011-11-13T14:36:00.001-05:002011-11-16T21:08:13.393-05:00Ford Ironman Florida, November 5, 2011 (Part 3)So here we are, into the last post for this race report. I will do another post after this one of just pictures from the weekend including the race. Let's get this party started.<br />
<br />
<b>The Run</b><br />
<br />
After coming off of the bike and out of T2 I felt good. The cramp in my left leg had started to go away, and I had definitely fueled up for the run between the last few miles on the bike and what I took in during T2. <b> </b>I was probably pushing somewhere between a 9:30-10:00/mile pace for close to the first mile. I was feeling pretty good.<br />
<br />
And then the wheels started to fall off...<br />
<br />
Between the last 30 minutes of the bike where I was cramming down the nutrition I did not evenly space out, the gel and the half PBJ in T2, the fact that I was taking something in every aid station (besides just water) for the first three miles, and that I had not had the amount of electrolytes I needed in the last hour and a half, my stomach and body started to shut down. Between miles 2 and 3, I was in walk/run mode, more walking than running. My stomach was doing back flips, and every time I got into jogging, I felt like I was going to get sick. Add to that my lack of training due to graduate school this last year (doing both of those at the same time = bad idea!) and I was also plain worn out.<br />
<br />
Needless to say this is where my mental game went south. I had already compartmentalized the entire day into pieces, and I was doing the same on the run. Out and back two times for the run = 4 segments. However only halfway through the first segment and the darkness started creeping into my brain.<br />
<br />
Looking back at all of the races I have ever finished, which are all of them (there was only one I have pulled out of due to injury, but that was before race day) I have never "<i>thought</i>" I would DNF a race. I have done races at all conventional distances. Some were great finishes, and some not so great. However, this was the first time I thought I would not finish. Mentally I was in a <u>BAD</u> place. I have never had anxiety issues in my life, and I have never been clinically depressed, but in the next few miles I think I went through all of these emotions and more. Deep, dark places that your mind normally never wanders and consciously you never want to end up in those places. I could not get my brain to grasp the fact that, despite all I have gone through the past 12 months, that it would be OK if I did not finish.<br />
<br />
Most people don't ever get to the start line... A little over 300 million Americans in the US and there will probably only be 61,000 people that will finish an Ironman in the 2012 race season (<u><i>.02% of the population</i></u>). <br />
<br />
Finally I get past mile marker number 3 with my sorry walk/jog routine and before I hit mile marker #4 I run into Wes and Dee Dee. I smiled for the camera when Dee Dee took her picture, however, I was a hot mess. Wes walked with me for about 100 yards to cheer me up and assess the situation. He told me to get some electrolytes in my body and stay away from everything else but water until my stomach felt better. I had some salt tablets in my Fuelbelt so I took a few when I got to mile marker #4 and stuck with just water until I got to mile marker #7.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I had about 1/2 hour on my buddy mike coming out of T2, and by the time I had passed through mile marker #4 he came up on my right side and exclaimed, "Man, you really look like hell! Wes was not kidding when I saw him." I chuckled for a minute and then explained the situation to him. Mike stated his legs were beginning to feel a bit worn down from the race and that he had no problem run/walking with me for the remainder of the race. I told him that I would oblige.<br />
<br />
For some reason this was a big mental break that I needed. I could talk to my buddy now during the race, so I had someone to get my mind off what was going on with me mentally and physically. After about mile 7, my stomach began feeling better. The 2nd leg of my run was a bit faster on average that the first leg on the way out. As we hit the turn around for the 3rd leg to go back out, we saw Melissa and Mike's father cheering us on from one of the restaurants on the course. About that time they decided to head back to the transition site to go pick up our bikes and gear. Special needs was at the turnaround as well, and Mike got out his long sleeve shirt to wear on the second lap.<br />
<br />
The weather was nice enough such that I had made a good choice not to wear long sleeves on the run, and only wear arm warmers on the bike. As we headed out for the 2nd loop, it began to get dark. We kept in our run/walk schedules, but we began walking a bit more than we were jogging at times. About mile 10 or so we turned on our headlamps since it had gotten dark. We also had reflective stickers on us so that we would not need any additional lighting to be seen during the race. I had begun taking in some additional nutrition besides water and Gatorade Perform at the aid stations. Some chicken broth here, bananas there, even some flat coke at a few aid stations. I finished my last salt tablet around mile 19 or so.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of funny signs out on the run as well. Honey Badger signs were the hot theme this year and they were hilarious. If you don't know what the Honey Badger is, here is a link to YouTube where it all began. There were also the traditional signs, such as "Your Feet must HURT from kicking so much ASS!," "Nude Cheerleaders next mile," "Pain is Temporary, Race results posted online are FOREVER," and my favorite "CHUCK NORRIS..... Not an Ironman."<br />
<br />
I ran through the motivational mile twice, and neither time did any of the special messages that anyone wrote down (including the one I wrote to myself) showed up. Kinda sad about that. On the way back, my legs were just really fatigued. The rest of my body felt good and mentally I even wanted to jog more than I was, however, my legs just were not having it. I saw April Burkey at the Tri-PTC tent on the way back in and yelled at her. I heard she had done really well at Beach2Battleship Triathlon the weekend before. Mike was going through the same motions. As we got closer to the finish we saw more and more people and the noise was getting louder and louder. People who had already finished the race and were headed back by us to go home for the night were cheering.<br />
<br />
Mike asked me as we got close to the finish line who was gonna finish first. I told him, this was his first Ironman, and he helped me mentally through the run, so he could pass through first. He deserved it. We made the left turn onto Thomas Drive and it was a half mile to go. We picked up the pace a little bit and as we got to the final leg of the finish line and our names were being called out, I motioned Mike forward and he passed over the finish line right before I did, but so close that we got the same finish time.<br />
<br />
Run Time - 6:15:56 (14:20/mi pace)<br />
Overall Time - 14:17:51<br />
<br />
Hooray! My second Ironman Complete! It was really funny at the finish line because when you go back and look at the pics, I should have either crossed the finish line at the exact same time as Mike, or I should have let him finish 5 seconds or more in front of me because he is kind of in my way for my finish line photos, LOL! The guy from the left has an OK shot of me, I am still kind of behind Mike, and the guy on the right does not even get me because I am all the way behind him. Oh well, lesson learned for the next time I do an Ironman ;)<br />
<br />
I went through the finisher chute and got my medal/hat/mylar blanket/water/etc. A girl named Emily helped me out through the finisher chute and I thanked her a few times. I guess there were a few people that did not finish well before me. Although my legs were tired, I felt good overall and so I though that she was being a little overbearing trying to help me with every little thing through the finisher chute. Melissa then took a photo of me with my finisher medal on, and then it was off to grab a slice of pizza and a Coke before grabbing my transition bag with Mike and heading back to the condo. Melissa rushed back to the condo after the finish because the Alabama/LSU football game was on, apparently that was more important than Mike finishing his very first Ironman. Crazy football fans... and Alabama lost anyways!<br />
<br />
Mike's father found us on the way back to the condo and told us that he would buy us some dinner from Pineapple Willy's and bring it to us in the condo. That was really nice of him I got in the shower when I got home for about 1/2 hour, watched Alabama lose the football game, and then ate my dinner that Mike's father got for us. I then doubled up on all my clothes fully expecting that I would being to lose body heat during the night. I think I went to bed around 11:30pm or so. After taking a few things out to the car so I would not have to do it in the morning.<br />
<br />
The next morning I got up early so that I could eat breakfast, finish packing the car, and get in line for my finisher's jacket. Sure it is $150, but I really regret not getting one the first time around when I finished IMCDA. So this was to make up for it. My hip hurt a bit after standing in line for so long, so it was nice to walk it out after standing in line for the jacket. I then picked up my photo package and we headed back to the condo. We left shortly afterwards to head back home because our checkout time was at 10AM... WTF is up with that???? <br />
<br />
So I can go off on a tanget for a minute... it really bugs me when I go to an out of town race for the weekend, and all the hotels are booked for the race, and the race is short enough where I am going to head home that afternoon, but I basically have to check out before I head to the race site on race morning. Now yes, I technically left the day after the race, but I had to be out by 10AM!!! I think that for races like that they should just give you a late checkout for the hell of it, and for shorter races, you should get a late checkout so you can shower real quick before you drive all the way back home. So annoying... I think in 2012 if I travel for races I will just stay an extra day so that I don't have to do early checkout.<br />
<br />
I think I am gonna put some perspective in my next post with the IM photos just because this post has gotten kinda long. I hope you have enjoyed it! I have enjoyed writing about it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-64724562585918027032011-11-11T10:32:00.001-05:002011-11-11T16:16:54.734-05:00Ford Ironman Florida, November 5 2011 (Part 2)Wha...? Where was I? Oh yea, this thing called Ironman, :D Let's get back to it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Bike</b><br />
<br />
After getting out of the transition area and heading down the chute, I mounted my bike and headed out on Thomas Dr. Wes and Dee Dee saw me heading out, as well as Melissa who got a couple of photographs of me. BTW, as far as photographs go, I am gonna do a post after this one of race photographs and comments below each one :)<br />
<br />
As I headed out on the bike, I kept reminding myself that I needed to take a dose of humility and make sure I did not overdo it on the bike. I am notorious for going out hard on the bike and then falling to pieces on the run because I cramp up or just lose steam. The wind was coming out of the NE, so the ride was going to be most favorable coming back in on the bike except for the last 6 miles finishing the bike. I settled in on the 6 miles out on the coastal highway until we headed north away from the coast. I had taken in a gel and half a PBJ before getting on the bike, so I was not keen on taking anything in for the first few miles other than water. Once we began heading north on Hwy 79 I noticed that the wind had not picked up a lot yet, and so my average on the way out was higher than I expected. People were not lying, this was going to be a draft fest. Better to take a dose of humility and let people pass, than to get clipped with a drafting or blocking penalty. <br />
<br />
The only other frustrating thing about races such as this, you get into your "zone" and then there are people in the way. I liken it to going to Six Flags or Disney World/Land. You get there, and you know what you want to do, you know what rides to get on, etc, but for some reason the people around you don't seem to have the same sense of urgency that you do. Unfortunately in an Ironman this is caused by different speeds, different gearing, different road conditions. You will get behind someone where you know that they are kind of in your way, but if you go around them, there is a chance they are just gonna pass you again, or you were almost going the same speed as them. This problem pretty much ended after I got to the halfway point of the race, but before then, it was a minor annoyance. I did pass some people on the way up 79. I think it was more my frustrations than anything, because I was pretty much happy with the speed I was going, I just did not want to have to slow down for anyone.<br />
<br />
About 10-15 miles into the course we went up and down one of the only hills on the entire ride, which was a bridge going over a waterway. The ONLY hill. If anyone tells you this course has hills, just laugh at them please :) This is Florida for crying out loud, there are no hills. Once we turned onto 20 East this was our first real taste of the wind that IMFL had to offer, since it was almost a headwind at this point. the elevation was up and down, but there were no hills, just the wind. There was slightly less of a problem with regards to traffic, but I was picking people off. The really good swimmers that were OK at the rest of the race. My back was acting up a bit, but there was no sense to come out of aero, would just make you more miserable, and work harder to get where I was going, which was the next turn. I got to mile marker 20 which was my first scheduled stop for aid. I threw away one of my water bottles, and took one of the 22oz disposable water bottles that they were giving away (Zephyrhills water for those of you who drink that brand). It also fits really well into XLabs Gorilla cages for those of you who have those cages. After I got the water on the fly, I stopped and took a gel, which lasted about 40 seconds and then was back on the bike in aero headed to Hwy 77, the next turn.<br />
<br />
Hwy 77 headed South for a few miles before we had to head back East on 388. I eventually hit mile marker 40 here, and stopped for another bottle of water and another gel. After this I went strictly on a gel an hour, and since my average speed was less than 20mph, I was taking one quicker than every 20 miles after that. Once we crossed over Rd2301, this was the part of the ride that I considered hell. The weather was good, still riding fast enough to where my arm warmers were needed, but the road was absolute shit. Cracks and chip seal everywhere, and bumps every bike length. For the next 10 miles it was going to be this, and half of this was also going to be into the wind. I was out of the saddle a good bit during this section. Sure I had a carbon frame to absorb some of the vibrations, but I could only handle so much. Before I got to the turn around and eventually the 60 mile marker to get another bottle of water, I stopped on the side of the road to pee. While not sexy, it saves time because I am not waiting in line at the porta-johns at the formal aid stations waiting to pee. That and I am not fast enough to need to pee while on the bike. Wes And Dee Dee headed out to the turnaround after we all went through T1, so when I got to the turnaround they were both there cheering me on. I had a smile on my face, however I let them know how I felt about that stretch of road I was on.<br />
<br />
After the turnaround I tried my best to get back in aero but I just could not do it. I got my water bottle at Marker 60 and I figured that I would keep doing what I was doing until I go to Blue Springs Rd, and get of this crap road. Once I got to Blue Springs Rd. I breathed a sigh of relief that the worst of the road issues were over. The wind was almost at our face again as we were all headed North for a short period of time. After Blue Springs Rd, we made a left back onto Hwy 20 on our way back to the finish. The wind was at our backs at this point which was great. There were periods where I was not pushing too much wattage, and I was north of 20mph consistently. Even though I only averaged 18.5 or so through the middle 1/3 of the course, I think that the crap road section and heading North on Blue Springs, and one other section I will talk about in a moment just held me back from averaging more. There were a few people in this section that I boomeranged with back and forth. I took another piss break before mile 80 so that I would not have to wait in line, took another gel, and then just cruised through mile 80 grabbing a water and headed on. <br />
<br />
I forgot to say that I did have other nutrition on the bike. I was hitting up a mix of Heed and Perpetum every 15 minutes from two bottles I had on the bike. There were 600 calories in each bottle, and then I had a gel for every hour plus one more in case, so I was going to be averaging just over 300 calories an hour. Around mile 90 I was going for a salt tablet in my bento box and not only did I miss the salt tablet, but my Ziploc bag will all the remaining salt tablets for the bike fell on the ground as I kept riding. Oh well... stuff happens and I had two salt tablets i was hitting in T2 anyways. I stopped on the side of the road to take one more piss, and then it was a right hand turn onto Steelfield Rd. just for a few miles so we could fit in 112. This was the third area that held down my average for the middle third. I had once again hit it too hard on the bike, but not as bad as I would have normally. Instead of the bad cramping, my legs were just fatigued. I was tired. and so I thought since I was getting closer to finishing the bike leg, I would just slow down on the Steelfield Rd section of the course. I am glad I did because I felt better for the remainder of the ride coming back in. <br />
<br />
Once we finally got back onto Front Beach Road, it was the 6 miles of headwind. Definitely slowed down the average of the last 1/3 of my bike. I mean there was no point in fighting it, and also I was about to run a marathon, so why blow your legs trying to go 17mph when you could go 14-15mph and save your legs. It was only 6 miles anyways. Quote of the day happened here. Some guy pulled up next to me and said, "Hey buddy, I have been staring at your ass for the last two hours, I think I know it better than your wife!" I am not married, but I told him thanks nonetheless and he headed on past me to the bike finish. Not to long later I was getting of my trusty steed and headed into T2.<br />
<br />
Overall Bike Time - 6:24:07<br />
Average Speed - 17.49mph<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>T2</b><br />
<br />
Thank goodness that I had a short T2 with regards to running in my bike shoes and picking up my transition bag. I was into the men's changing area quickly and moving along quite nice until I tried to put my left sock on. My left leg kept cramping up. I think this added about a minute thirty to my transition time. While 1:30 did not mean much in the whole scheme of my race, you know, you just don't want to have to spend any longer in transition than you absolutely need to, right?<br />
<br />
Another half of a PBJ and another gel, two salt caps and a swig of drink and I was off onto the run course for the last leg of the race.<br />
<br />
T2 Overall Time - 5:57<br />
<br />
Well this post has gotten really long for the bike, which I guess it should since the bike is usually the longest portion of the race for most people. On that note, I am going to extend it to a part three for the run and finish that I will post this weekend! Have a great weekend y'all!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-63358671761610717482011-11-09T20:16:00.001-05:002011-11-09T20:16:36.968-05:00Ford Ironman Florida, November 5, 2011 (Part 1)It's Tuesday night (<a href="http://www.ironmanflorida.com/">IMFL 2011</a> +3 days) and I have had a couple marathon work days, some recovery, cleanup, and reflection. Well, the wetsuit is still in the T1 bag from Saturday (eww). I am gonna wash it tomorrow afternoon. I promise. No I really promise, OK? It was a gift from someone, so I can't treat it like crap.<br />
<br />
So, I guess it is time to get down to the real meat of this post, correct? I think what I will cover is the pre-race through T-1 in my first post, and then I will post the bike through the finish on either Wednesday or Thursday. Well get your cup of Joe or your nightcap, depending on what time of day that you are reading this and let's get going!<br />
<br />
<br />
Pre - Race<br />
<br />
Most of the week leading up to the race I had been going to bed early and getting up early. In the past, and not just with long distance triathlons, I will tend to stay in my sleeping habits, and this results in 2-3 hours of sleep before a race. It has nothing to do with being nervous, however, it kind of messes with me in the mornings if I don't get a least 4-5 hours sleep before a race. As I have talked about before, my friend Mike conned me into doing this race the year before, and his wife and parents were in town to watch him compete in his first Ironman. Since I really had no family in town (except for <a href="http://www.codegeekstail.com/">Wes</a> and Dee Dee), I decided to have dinner with them prior to going to bed. We had the traditional pasta meal with salad and garlic toast (yum). I skipped the wine with dinner, which would not have been a problem, actually, I would have fallen asleep faster.<br />
<br />
After dinner, I worked on my two blog posts prior to this one, and then got everything ready to go for the next morning. Suit laid out, nutrition bottles, and bike nutrition packed, and got all of my swim stuff together. Rolled out and foam rolled my body before I went to bed as well. I had been doing this every night during the week as well. It helped A LOT. In bed by 10pm. Sweet, just like I had planned. I had set the alarm for 4:15am so that I would have time to wake up and get things going early before the race. For those of you who have not read some of my posts from earlier this year, I have had a curse for about the last 14 months regarding GI issues prior to a race...<br />
<br />
I think I woke up one time around 1:30am and went to the bathroom and got some water and was back in bed. 4:15 rolls around and I hit the snooze button, and get 10 minutes more rest. Then I jumped out of bed and got my routine started. First things first, COFFEE and FOOD! On Thursday morning I was fairly regular when shopping down in PCB for food for the weekend, I remembered that I had a fair bit of caffeine which I believe helped things along that morning. Tall cup of coffee, about an apple and a half worth of apple slices with peanut butter, a banana, Greek yogurt, glass of OJ and a Nature Valley fruit and nut bar. Oh and a few good luck gummi bears. Yes, I did that and they were Haibro as well. Afterwards I finished packing up my stuff, brushed my teeth and washed my face, put some Dermatone on my face and neck, and the put my suit on.<br />
<br />
After that I was in a holding pattern, packing up a few things that I was not going to need for the rest of the weekend. And then it finally hit me! Number One! Hooray! I was really excited. And then about 20 minutes later, Number Two! Friggin Sweet! I am so glad that I got that 800 pound gorilla off my back from the past 14 months. Around 5:30 Mike, Melissa and I headed towards transition at the Boardwalk Beach Resort to drop off our morning clothes bag, fill up the bikes with our nutrition, pump up the tires, and get to the start line.<br />
<br />
I got to talk to a few random athletes near my rack, one of which I helped pump up his tires with the "crack pipe" adapter, and then in turn he let me use his pump for my bike. All of the bustling, everyone in their own head thinking about the day ahead, checking and rechecking their bike setup, the rustling of the plastic bags coming off the seats and the handle bars, long lines at the porta johns, the noise of zippers everywhere from wetsuits being donned. As I was walking to drop off my morning clothes bag and put on my wetsuit, I even heard a couple loud booms. People's tubes exploding from being blown up too much or a pinched tube while it was being inflated. And then the cussing that followed. <br />
<br />
I got in line with about an hour to go, and I am glad I did, because it took me 25 minutes to get through the line. Good thing my wetsuit was partway on, kept me warm. Speaking of warm, the weather on race day was GREAT! Sunny skies all day long, and a high of 74, and it really did not start cooling down till about 9:00pm at night. At this point I was separated from Mike and Melissa as Mike had to go and drop off his special needs bags before the race began. I decided to head down to the beach and at least watch the pros begin before my day would. I saw Wes and Dee Dee near the swim corral and talked to them for a few minutes before I headed in with the group. Wes looked so amped to be there, even though he was not participating. It reminded me of the year prior where I was in the same position, and I remember the smile on my face prior to it all beginning.<br />
<br />
As I made my way into the corral, the pros, both male and female, were about to begin. I took a look at the water. The wind was out of the Northeast, so the water was like glass. No waves, and it was low tide to boot. Next thing I know, the gun goes off and they pros are at it. Shortly thereafter, the national anthem was sung by a couple people over the PA, and then there were about 5 minutes to go. Now I am in my head, by myself. 365 days ago I was standing just on the other side of the corral looking in, and now I am standing on the inside. Goggles... check. Swimcap on right... check. Visualizing the swim with my toes in the water. And then the gun goes off.<br />
<br />
<b>Swim</b><br />
<br />
The first 40 meters or so of the swim was actually wading into the water where it was deep enough to actually begin swimming. It was humorous because after about 50 meters of swimming we hit the sandbar and hand to stand up again and walk another 25 meters or so before it was deep enough to swim again. Ah yes the human washing machine that is the Ironman swim start. I am going to try to keep this section as positive as possible, because there are just some people who seem to be in it to win it during the swim, and so they will swim all over you regardless of your time, or if you pass them at some point down the road. <br />
<br />
Around 400 meters into the swim, I put my left hand into the water to pull, and what do I grab but a timing chip. Obviously someone did not put their timing chip under their wetsuit when preparing for the race. For some reason I felt the need to hold onto the chip for the remainder of the first lap so I could hand it in to someone. At least that way they would know whose chip it was. Not to long after this I got my goggles kicked off my face, thank goodness they at least stayed on my head, I had to stop and put them back on. Normally this would not be a problem if I was by myself in salt water with a wetsuit on, however, I had around 2000 of my best friends trying to swim past me. I got them back on and continued. As we got to the first turn bouy, we began to see the jellyfish. Most of them were sitting about 8-10 feet below the surface, although they knew something was going on. <br />
<br />
After making the crowded left turn, it was swimming directly into the sun for a couple hundred meters till we turned left again. Still hand the extra timing chip with me, and had already switched hands by that point while I was swimming. Jellyfish were still all around. We finally made the next crowded left turn to head back in to finish the first lap. The jellyfish started to thin out, and I saw a couple schools of fish swim by as I was headed back in. Since the sun had already started coming up over the horizon, I could see deeper that I could on the way out. I even saw a few stingrays on the ocean floor. Around halfway back into the beach my collar on the back of my neck began bothering me so I stopped for a brief second to adjust and then continue on. Eventually I hit the sandbar and then got back to shore to run over the timing mat and back into the water. <br />
<br />
I handed off the extra timing chip to a volunteer and quickly told them what happened as I started jogging away from them. Grabbed two cups of water before I got back in. Man fresh spring water never tasted so good when you have been swimming in water for 1.2 miles. As I dove back into the water there were a diagonal line of buoys that were taking us back out to the main buoys for the second lap. If this seems weird it is because they race director did not want us running the couple hundred yards back down the beach to where we started, so we just swam back over to the original line of buoys headed out. It was great because the water was headed away from shore in that same direction, so everyone was getting a quick swim back out where we needed to be.<br />
<br />
The second lap had thinned out, which was good, except that there were some horrible sighters, and for some reason, they are all men. Every person that was zig-zagging back and forth was a man. Could not figure that one out. There was a girl that was about 2 meters to my right and we were swimming at the same pace and kept the same distance from each other, and that seemed to also help us swim straight. As we got close to the initial turn buoy again, the jellyfish were still out there. This time though, they had sensed that the crowds had thinned out and started coming closer to the surface to see if they could make a meal out of us. Or at least sting the bejesus out of us. There were a couple that I literally had to dodge as I was swimming, I kinda felt like Neo from the Matrix movies, not only because I was making weird maneuvers, but also because I dodged all the jellyfish that were in my way. I made the final left turn and as I was heading back in, the jellyfish thinned out and eventually disappeared. <br />
<br />
I was occasionally looking at my watch and saw my time on the way back in and I did not think I was going to make it in under 1:20:00 so I stepped on the gas and negative split the last 500 meters of the swim. I was pretty impressed that I made it back in that fast, and that I also did not cramp up.<br />
<br />
Swim Time - 1:21:16<br />
<br />
<b>T1</b><br />
<br />
As I got out of the water I already had my wetsuit down to my hips, my goggles and swim cap were off, and I was jogging up the shore to the wetsuit strippers. Ah ha, now I am on the other end of the stick here. Not stripping, but getting stripped. <b> </b>Since I had figured out the technique of how to properly get stripped the year before, it came off very easily. And then I was back up and off in a hurry to try and get through T1. I got my bag fairly quickly, and then they corralled us into the ball room area, half for girls, half for guys. <br />
<br />
I feel that I am going to want to try to get faster on the swim, not only for time, but also to miss the crowd for T1. I spent probably 2-3 minutes just trying to find a place to stand so that I could do what I needed to do and get out of T1. I hit up some Gatorade I put in my bag so I would not have a saltwater mouth after the swim, and I also had half my PBJ. I opted for the arm warmers (good choice) and decided not to wear the gloves or the bike jersey (also good choice). <br />
<br />
Once again this year WTC has sucked it up and applied for waivers so that they were allowed to tell AG'ers that they could not put their bike shoes on their bikes in T1, but they could dismount and leave them on their bikes going into T2. That is so dumb. I think it is a liability issue for them. Here is the thing, people are not gonna do it unless they have practiced to do it and know they are not gonna fall over or anything. Add to that you can't really run on pavement with Speedplay cleats. And once again I had one of the worst rack positions, and this is based off the fact that I was running around in my bike shoes. Had I been in a triathlon where I transitioned at my bike and got to have my bike shoes on the bike before heading into T1, then I would have had a pretty good spot.<br />
<br />
After grabbing my bike, I was headed out on road for a few hours<br />
<br />
T1 Time - 10:36<br />
<br />
<br />
I am gonna stop here for now, and then have another post (maybe two) for the rest of the race. Just depends on how long the bike, run, and T2 portions of the story are. Till next post,<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-1673482130634122092011-11-04T20:28:00.004-05:002011-11-04T20:28:50.444-05:00Ford Ironman Florida 2011, Dedication SpeechThis is dedicated to the past 365 days of my life. The 5am workouts, lunch runs, evening workouts, track workouts with raceMates, time trials, reeking of chlorine every day, saddle sores, beat up legs, and bruised pride. The workouts in the rain, cold, the Georgia summers, snow, and ice. For the two a days and the races that helped lead up to this day.<br />
<br />
This is for all of my supporters. My family, friends, and training partners. For those bloggers that believed in me, and still do. This is also dedicated to all the pessimists, realists, and optimists. The people who think I am crazy, stupid, and insane. For all the people who I know AND and don't know that will be screaming their lungs out as I cross the finish line. The people who will be tracking me throughout the day. For all the late nights, social events, and weekends I skipped.<br />
<br />
Last of all, this races is dedicated to me. To my commitment, drive, persistence, perseverance, hopes, dreams, and aspirations. <br />
<br />
I. AM. IRONMAN.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-71203219100167599902011-11-04T20:21:00.004-05:002011-11-04T20:34:46.388-05:00Ford Ironman Florida 2011, Day 2Another successful pre-race day!<br />
<br />
I woke up twice last night, once at about 1:30am and once around 3:30am. I freaked out because there lights outside my window and I thought it was the sun coming up. It was not race morning, however, I did not want to sleep in too late. Got up at 6:30am and took a LONG shower, and stretched out. Time for another swim. This morning Mike opted not to swim, but that is his strong suit, so he is not as worried as I am. The water was more calm today than the day before, and I felt more comfortable, which was good. Hopefully by the time I hit the water tomorrow morning I will be very comfortable. Went about 50 yds further out than yesterday, so 500 yds. Met a few random people out in the water and we had a nice chat before swimming back in. Nice chat you say??? Well when you are in a wetsuit + salt water = pretty easy to chat.<br />
<br />
Afterwards, I came back upstairs, ate some food real quick, and then Mike and I got geared up for our bike ride. The plan was to ride from the condo to St. Andrews State Park and back, about 10 miles. Mike had his SRAM S60 in the front and disc cover in the back. He got dropped real quick. He was getting blown all over the road. So when we got back, he switched to his stock wheels and we went out for a short 15 minute ride, and he was much more comfortable and able to stay in aero the entire ride. The ride on the way out was awesome because it was a strong tailwind. I think we were pushing 90-100 watts and going almost 21 mph on the bike, but coming back we were probably 250 watts and only going 17 mph. Kinda ridiculous.<br />
<br />
Now that the bikes were tuned up and tested, we came back and packed our T1 and T2 bags. From the condo, we headed back down to the race site (which is only a quarter mile away = bi-winning) with the bikes and the bags. I would like to say something at this point. I love our condo that we are staying at, except for the elevators. I don't know how much they are raking in a year in profits, but they need to add one more elevator bank and then speed up the elevators they already have. When we went down to drop everything off, it took us 15 minutes just to get an elevator to go down. If we did not have all the stuff we would have taken the steps down.<br />
<br />
Lunchtime! Went to Liza's Kitchen. Great place to eat, good prices, BIG sandwiches and my last beer before the race (you can't say no to $2 Yuenglings!). Gotta get those carbs in. We also took the back route so that Melissa can drive between areas without getting stuck in race day traffic. They are all staking out at Hammerhead Fred's for the run.<br />
<br />
Came back to the venue so that I could finally buy some swag for the race. I only spent $60, I was pretty proud of myself. Gotta get that finisher jacket on Sunday morning. Met up with <a href="http://www.codegeekstail.com/">Wes </a>and Dee Dee at the venue, and they told me that they were meeting with a whole bunch of people from the blogger community. I met up with CJ, Mandy, <a href="http://cbkingrey.blogspot.com/">Colleen </a>and <a href="http://frayedlaces.blogspot.com/">Laura</a>, and some other people who are new to me in the blogging community (sorry I forgot your names!!!!) It was kind of like going on a blind date, because we all know each other from the blogging community, but most of us have not met in person. I am glad that we were all able to meet up. I did not get any of their phone numbers to meet up after the race, but if we see each other, great, and if not, I am sure we will hear about the post race festivities on everyone's blogs.<br />
<br />
I came back and started working on the Day 1 blog post and got the rest of my stuff ready for the race tomorrow before we started cooking dinner. I also packed because our checkout time is at 10am on Sunday morning = dumb. Melissa is going to try to call during the day tomorrow for an late checkout if that is possible. Mike's parents are in town to watch his Ironman and so they had dinner with us. His parents are pretty cool. Now I am sitting here composing this blog post and thinking about the next 24 hours of my life. It is not the race, but the journey to get here. Think about this like a wonderfully composed sentence with an exclamation point. Tomorrow is the exclamation point. The past year is the entire sentence. I can't believe that is my analogy, as I was horrible with grammar and literature in school.<br />
<br />
Ok off to stretch and then head to bed. Till tomorrow...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ironmanlive.com/">Ironman Live Tracking Site</a><br />
Race #973<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-7952584270418399742011-11-04T19:52:00.005-05:002011-11-04T19:52:56.372-05:00Ford Ironman Florida 2011, Day 1Well,<br />
<br />
After logging into my blogger account and seeing that I have had almost 1,000 unique visitors in the last month, and no posts since July 29th, 2011, I thought I better get to posting.<br />
<br />
Mike and Melissa came down on Wednesday as they had a bit more free time for the week. Earlier in the week, I decided that I would get in a habit of giving myself a curfew. I have a bad habit of not falling asleep till almost midnight on most nights, so I figured training myself to fall asleep earlier would help, so maybe I can get at least 5+ hours of sleep rather than maybe 3 hours like I normally do. I got to bed late Wednesday night before I left because I forgot to download the new iPhone iOs software and my computer is so old it took forever to get everything done. I think I was in bed by 10:45pm.<br />
<br />
I got up at 3:45am and after showering, packing (what was left), breakfast, coffee, and stretching, I was out of the house by 4:45am. It took longer than I thought to get there, but it was good news! Bevan and John from <a href="http://www.imtalk.me/">IMTalk</a> kept me company for the first 4 hours of my trip with days 6 and 7 of their Kona Super special. Yes I am a bit behind, but it was good listening nonetheless. Bevan, I was creasing myself about the bathroom thing at the end of the day 7 podcast while I was in the car, I thought I was gonna wreck. Let's just say that I was very regular and theoretically it happened before race time (I think it happened about 6:20am). Hooray! Hopefully, this will bode well for the rest of the trip while I am down here, keep the fingers crossed and pray for me.<br />
<br />
I rolled into town around 9:30am and Mike came down to help me bring everything upstairs. It's really funny, I am fairly light on packing every other trip I try to take, but when it comes to long distance triathlon races, I pack like I am going somewhere for a month! We needed to use one of those hotel carts and then I still had to hike the bike up to the hotel room. <br />
<br />
After dropping everything in the room, we turned around, grabbed the wetsuits, and went for a swim. Got BEAT up. The wind was really pushing the water and there were actually whitecaps in the bay on the way in, so I should have known I was in for it when I got in the Gulf. We swam for about 10 minutes or so, mostly just to get the fell of ocean swimming more than anything. There had been rumors of jellyfish during the week, and they did not disappoint. Although there were not may out there, we had some close encounters, and that is not what I wanted to deal with on my first day in town, not even here for an hour. Funny story, when we got back to the hotel room, I was cleaning up and I leaned forward and all the sudden I felt like I had a bloody nose out of both nostrils. Nope, it was sea water coming out of my nasal cavity, lol.<br />
<br />
Went to the race registration and sat in line for about 20 minutes. Didn't buy anything on Thursday, was so proud of myself. I really want a finisher's jacket this year, I am still pissed I never got one when I finished CDA in 2009. Speaking of which, I am still kinda fumed I never did that race report. I guess I could do that, I still remember that whole week pretty vividly.<br />
<br />
For lunch we went to The Back Porch at Pier Park. Pretty good, I had a Yellowfin Tuna sandwich with bacon and lettuce, it was pretty good. Too much food though, it came with two sides and we got a cup of soup with our lunch special. Pint of Blue Moon to wash it all down. For those of you who have been to a Dick's Last Resort, they are putting one in Pier Park in PCB, I think it is slated to be opened in February.<br />
<br />
I came back and took about an hour and a half nap. Woke up and had a snack, and then ran 2 miles before hitting up dinner. Went to Spinnaker's last night for dinner. It was pretty good. I came home in my food coma and hit the foam roller and stretched before reading in bed. I think I fell asleep around 10pm.<br />
<br />
As far as the day went, I was happy with it. Standard first day for Ironman Week, get your shit together, get a few small workouts in, and then focus on the rest of your day and chill. A year has almost past. It's been a heck of a year.<br />
<br />
Till tomorrow,<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-26419197897869071352011-07-29T14:05:00.002-05:002011-07-29T14:05:52.314-05:002011 (42nd) Peachtree Road Race - July 4th, 2011<strong>4th of July...</strong><br />
<br />
A day of remembrance for our nation's independence. A day commemorating the adoption of our nation's independence. And yet this is also a day where many people look to take a day or three out of their busy lives to live a little during the summer. Go anywhere in the USA on this day and you will happen upon fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies.<br />
<br />
However for a few of us, say 60,000, we decide to postpone the days activities and festivities a few more hours by participating in the world's largest 10K. <br />
<br />
I have been running off and on in this event since 1994. The last couple of years I have not been around in Atlanta, as I am usually spending time with Patsy and her family for the holiday. This year I was not interested in doing the race because I wanted to just have fun on the 4th. It is interesting to see how you fall into certain decisions based off of how things pan out in life, and furthermore how you look back on that experience. I had made plans out of town for the 4th of July yet again this year, and I was really happy about it. The last two years with graduate school and my job situation not constant, I really have been looking forward to times when I can have 3-4+ days off and NO responsibilities, other than to myself and my well being. About a week and a half prior to the holiday, plans suddenly changed and I was no longer going out of town. I was going to be sitting in Atlanta, while most of the people I would have made plans with were now doing other things. <br />
<br />
In search of a solution to this social and mental dilemma, I decided to head back inward to me and see what would make me happy, what I would enjoy doing. Next thing I knew, I had not one, but TWO Peachtree Road Race numbers in my possession. I kinda felt like a scalper. On one side of the cardboard it would have said, "I need a PRR number" and the other side said, "I have PRR numbers." :)<br />
<br />
A friend of mine from grad school had a friend who needed a number, so I sold it to her. Training had been picking up in the last month or so, but I had not been doing any speed work for shorter distances, and I just got over a foot injury. What to do? How about just do the race, and ENJOY it. Any of you who have been reading my posts over the last few years know, while in the end I always enjoy my athletic experiences, I don't always enjoy them while they are occurring. I needed to return to my roots, and find why I started doing this in the first place... because I enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pre - Race</strong><br />
<br />
This is about the best pre - race I have ever had! 4th of July was on a Monday this year, so between leaving work early Friday for the weekend and the 4th following the weekend, I tried just to enjoy life and have some fun. Got some workouts in over the weekend and met up with a few friends, nothing too crazy. Woke up at a decent hour Monday morning, as opposed to getting up at O'Dark Thirty. I only live about 3.5 miles away from the start line. Add to that my grad school parking deck is about 1/2 mile away from the start. And my wave did not start till 8:55am. I think at that point the ONLY downside was the temperature quickly rising. Got to the race site with about 30 min to go before my start wave began, and so I stretched out and got to my race corral. By that time, my wave was making its way to the start line. I was taking in all the scenery around me. Families running together, friends catching up with each other, the patriotic costumes, our nation's finest representing the different armed forces. The energy was amazing. The funk I had been in for the past week and a half seemed to melt away. As we approached the start line, the announcer started to fire up our wave, not that we needed much help, we were all pretty pumped already.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Race</strong><br />
<br />
All I was wanting to do was finish at a comfortable pace. The elevation is nearly all downhill for the first three miles until you arrive at the Colonial Homes Hill and Cardiac Hill. I really tried to hold back the crotchety old man issues with this being a race and not a fun run (something to do with the fact that being in the back of this race has lots more of the fun run/walk types :). Everything felt pretty good, legs got a bit tight on the final downhill to mile marker 3, but lengthened my stride and it seemed to help out. <br />
<br />
Then I hit what I would like to call "The Wall." This was a combination of a few things, 1)runners taking a break walking up the hills, 2) walkers still walking, and 3) having about 55,000 people ahead of me. I think between miles 3-5 I ran more from side to side across the 7 lanes of Peachtree St. than I did running forward! Saw some of my friends at the Fur Bus hangout (for those of you who don't know, Fur Bus is kinda like a limo transport company where you can get some swanky buses and use to them to transport you to events, and filled with alcohol.). The crowds this year the last mile were great. So much cheering and at 10th St., it was at least 8-10 people deep cheering, as if we were the parade procession through Atlanta. <br />
<br />
<strong>Time: 55:53</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Post Race</strong><br />
<br />
After the race I went looking for a couple of my friends at the Alphabet balloons, but could not find them. Turns out they turned to walking about halfway into the race due to the heat and so I actually finished before them. I headed back up into midtown to catch MARTA back up to Buckhead. I saw Mary at her new job (she is a masseuse). I was gonna hit her up for one of the free post race massages that they were giving out, but the problem was that I had finished so late in the morning, that they had already almost packed everything up and took it back into their building. Oh well, it was good to see her anyways :)<br />
<br />
<br />
As far as looking back on this holiday weekend of mine, things definitely did not turn out as I wanted to, or intended. However, I made the best of it and decided to make up for it by doing something that I enjoyed doing. And I am glad I did. They say in times like these you need to keep yourself preoccupied and busy. I disagree to some extent. While I think you should keep living your life to the best of your ability, you also need to focus on your experiences. Without that combination you may never know who you truly are or what you want out of life. Needless to say no matter what the reason for remembering this particular 4th of July over any other I have or will experience, it will be remembered. I hope all of you had a great and memorable 4th of July.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" t$="true" /></a></div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-3778145401185828512011-07-29T10:38:00.002-05:002011-07-29T10:38:48.039-05:00West Point Lake Triathlon (Olympic) - June 12, 2011Hi Everyone!<br />
<br />
More than a week later than I promised via my twitter feed, but better late than never! Try to just keep this to the race and I will follow up with some other general shenanigans (including IM training) after Thu (final exam in my Internal Accounting class).<br />
<br />
<strong>Pre Race</strong><br />
<br />
My Roommate Robbie decided he wanted to come and watch a triathlon for the first time, so I decided he could be my tri-sherpa for the weekend. Got everything packed and ready to go by about 9pm, and I was in bed by 10pm. I always have trouble sleeping when I go to bed early, but I know with the hour and a half drive, I was gonna need the sleep. Robbie decided he was going to go out to a show (he saw Lazerbeam Kitty, for any of you who know about that). <br />
<br />
I got up at 4am to get some breakfast and get everything loaded into the car. Robbie rolled in at 4:15am and I told him wheels were up in 15 minutes. He quickly changed his clothes and grabbed his book bag and was ready. I was packing the car and filling the cooler. We got out of there around 4:45 am for our Trek down to West Point. Still plenty of time, would probably have time for transition, run warm up and swim warm up. Got about 20 minutes down the road and had the "Oh S!@#" moment. There are some things that you tell yourself, "if I left it at home then I didn't really need it."<br />
<br />
A wallet with your ID and money is not one of those things.<br />
<br />
Did a quick turn around, however by the time we got back to the house and then back to where i had the not-so-glorious epiphany, another 40 minutes had passed. After a quick mental calculation, I did not know if I was gonna make it in time for transition. I was haulin' down I-85 and at least this time if I was to get pulled over, I had my driver's license on me. Thankfully there were none of Georgia's finest on the roads (too busy at the coffee shop getting ready for Sunday Church traffic I guess) so I got there with a few minutes to spare. Then I realized that the parking lot was about half a mile or more away from the transition area. Robbie was a great help for me and we got there with about 5 minutes to spare. If there was ever a category for fastest transition setup time, I would have had the award for this race. After that I headed over to the swim start and saw Wes and Richard there getting ready to hit it with me. AND....... We're off!<br />
<br />
<strong>Swim</strong><br />
<br />
Let's be brutally honest about this leg. Have not done much swimming this year. Prior to this race I had about a dozen swim workouts in the 6 weeks leading up to this race, and most of those workouts were; WU, 3x500 free, CD, and done. While I am technically covering the distance needed, I was not doing anything longer, I should have been doing AT LEAST 3 swims a week, since that is my weakest sport, and I should have had more variety in my workouts, such as negative splits and intervals. After the race I did speak with Wes regarding the swim. He puts his Garmin in his swim cap for a more accurate reading, and he said that the 1500M alert on his watch hit around the time we got to the last buoy. Also after looking at the swim times of all the participants in our age group, I was very surprised to see that there were not more sub 25 min finishes with the swim than there were (nothing under 27 minutes). Could have been a weak swim field. My hair is longer now, so my cap kept coming off, which kept moving my goggles around. Not necessarily gonna blame that on my poor swim time, but it sure as hell did not help.<br />
Time 37:27<br />
Pace 2:30<br />
AG Place 14/16<br />
<br />
<strong>T1</strong> <br />
<br />
Was pretty pleased with my time, I did waste a bit of time with getting a bit of nutrition in before leaving T1 because my sponsor's suit is a 2XU suit that does not have any pockets to hold anything. I had gels in my legs, but I had some Cliff Shot Bloks that I wanted to use in T1 and T2. Had a fairly clean transition.<br />
<br />
Time 1:09<br />
AG Place 7/16<br />
<br />
<strong>Bike</strong><br />
<br />
My first quarter mile/half mile was a bit of a rough start, and this was solely due to the fact that I was having a bit of a problem getting my shoes on. I put my shoes on my bike before the race so that I would not have to worry about that in transition. My new bike shoes this year are not really good for walking around in, and furthermore with the Speedplay cleat designed the way it is, trying to walk/jog/run on pavement is not a good idea :) Overall I felt like I had a pretty solid bike. There was not too much elevation on the course, but what elevation there is, I did not perform well on. Chalk that up to training for IMFL, where the only hill is a bridge so there is not really any point of training anywhere hilly. There were a few people that I went back and forth with throughout the bike leg, however, when I finally got to the last couple miles, they were mostly downhill so I kicked it in. Getting the shoes off pre-dismount was soooo much easier with a one strap.<br />
<br />
Time 1:17:53 (19.1mph)<br />
AG Place 10/16<br />
<br />
<strong>T2</strong> <br />
<br />
A bit slower than I would have liked. I was having a bit of trouble trying to get the rest of the Clif Shot Bloks down, so I did what I could and then just forged on out of T2. Also had an issue with my socks. I know, I know, I should be going sock less for any race Olympic and shorter, but I have not really trained sock less, and so I did not want to ruin my feet, not to mention I was still nursing my foot.<br />
<br />
Time 1:56<br />
AG Place 15/16<br />
<strong>Run</strong><br />
<br />
The theme for me here was "slow and steady survives the race." Overall the run was good. Not too much shade for the race, and it was sunny and HOT. Did get some sunscreen on prior to the race so that when I was on the run I would not get burnt. I did stop and walk a few times when I felt like my foot may not hold out. I have never DNF'ed a race, but I promised myself if there were any serious issues during the run I would quit. I saw Wes, Richard, and April on the run, and they all looked really strong. The net increase in elevation did a bit of a number on me in the last few miles, but I need to keep reminding myself that the race I am training for is Florida, not somewhere in the Colorado Rockies. Good finish and Robbie was there to get some photos of me as I approached the finish line.<br />
<br />
Time 1:02:36<br />
AG Place 16/16<br />
<br />
<strong>Finish!!!</strong><br />
<br />
Time 3:00:52<br />
AG Place 16/16<br />
<br />
A few seconds slower than Peachtree International Triathlon. I felt better on the run than I did at PIT, but I still did some walking because I did not want to re-injure my foot. The big test was how my foot was gonna feel the days following the event, and it held up great. Hopefully I will be injury free for the rest of the season (fingers crossed). It was great to get out there and just race. I also saw April Burkey out there, she passed by me on the way back in from the dam as I was headed out on the dam. Robbie had a good time watching his first triathlon and although I don't think he wants to attempt a triathlon, I think he will definitely tag along again.<br />
<br />
At the time I am finishing up this email, I have 7 weeks till I graduate with my Master's of Professional Accountancy at GSU. I have 11 weeks till I start my new job at Deloitte in Atlanta. And in 18 weeks and 6 days, I will be attempting my second Ironman in Florida. It's been one helluva a year. Both good times and bad have occurred in my personal and triathlon life, and hey that's life. Not that I have a particular clock or countdown for 2011, but I would consider this my halfway point of the season. Things never happen the way we plan, but in most cases, I am pleased where I am at.<br />
<br />
Keep it up everyone! We are halfway there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-71145145462837601322011-06-10T14:19:00.000-05:002011-06-10T14:19:44.380-05:00Leading up to Race Number Two this SeasonHi Everyone,<br />
<br />
Well, Sunday I will be racing alongside (more so behind) Wes at the Westpoint Lake Triathlon in LaGrange, GA (map). The past month has been kinda a bear. Sure school has gotten in the way, but we have talked down that path before. The real issue has been my left foot. I finally got out on it for a mile yesterday, and hit it pretty hard (7:33/mi) for the first time out again in a few weeks. I have only run 4 times since last race. After the 1 mile run I hit up the trainer for about 45 minutes. Tonight I am going to try to run again. I am most likely going to run at the gym for a mile after I get out of the pool. I will most likely only do a mile, maybe a mile and a half depending on how it feels.<br />
<br />
During lunch I am going to go pick up my race packet at Roswell Bicycles. I have not been to that store in some time. I usually go there only when I am not finding things at my usual bike stores, or if I happen to be in the area.<br />
<br />
(<em>Fast forward to Friday....)</em><br />
<br />
Funny how that happens when you get caught up with stuff and then a day goes by. Did some window shopping after picking up my race packet, but did not buy anything. Took my Internal Audit exam last night and I think I did very well on the exam. I should know the results of the exam by tomorrow. The race packet was kinda so so, except for the fact the bag was a reusable shopping bag rather than a mini zip cord backpack. I have about 15 of those now, I don't need anymore, thank you :) The only other really cool thing was the nutrition swag that came in the bag. 2 packets of Hammer Gel (and not Apple Cinnamon again), 1 mini Larabar, Cliff Shot Blocks, and something else. I don't even need to worry about nutrition for the race now :D <br />
<br />
Got a swim and a bike tonight. Do all 3 tomorrow (short, high intensity), and then race day Sunday! Looking forward to it! Hope all of you have a great weekend!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-80284551136957420072011-06-03T08:40:00.000-05:002011-06-03T08:40:39.092-05:00Two weeks down (or more likely behind), twenty-two more to goHappy Friday Everyone!<br />
<br />
Instead of spending the entire blog talking about what is happening in the tri world today, I am gonna just work on me today (actually something I try to do every day). I am about 50% done reading through all of your blogs and I have about another 4 hours till I have access to all my systems (month end close), I think I can get all this blogging stuff done by then. <br />
<br />
So after my last post, I was able to get in a few runs with no pain. All of these runs were 2.5 miles or less. I even had a few days spaced between each run (along with my regular swimming and cycling workouts). The third run that comes up, last Sunday morning, my foot decided to act up again. So it was two weeks off cold turkey with RICE and calf stretching, oh and rolling golf ball on the bottom of my foot. Then run, two days off, repeat, and third time is not a charm. I really need to go on the GA Multisport website to see what their transfer policy is. I really wanna do this race, but a 10K at then end of the race might not be the best thing for me. I have not run on the foot since Sunday, and the pain subsided faster since Sunday than the first round about three weeks ago. I am gonna go on a one mile run this evening on a track and see how it works out. The track also helps because the original injury run and the run this past Sunday I was literally at the turn around point when the pain started and so I had to head back walk/jogging from the furthest point away from my car. Depending on what the transfer policy is, and how my foot feels over the weekend, I will make my decision by Monday.<br />
<br />
As for my Ironman training, my program is in full swing. Two weeks down, and I am already behind. Reason #1, haven't really been able to run. That's ok, there are 22 weeks remaining before the race. Reason #2 is what really concerns me. School has been a bear this summer so far. Instead of having just a few exams in each class, we have projects, projects, projects. So something is due ALL of the time, EVERY week. There is one class where we don't even have exams. We have an hour long "quiz" each class and then 4 projects throughout the summer. Yes, yes, I put this upon myself, but why in the last semester that the program decided to throw exams out the window was beyond me. Oh well, will have to adapt. Anyways, the point of number two was that I have had to skip some key workouts to study. And as for Memorial Day weekend, well I am just writing that off as a 3 day weekend I needed away from everything. <br />
<br />
My solution for this came to me as I was reading <a href="http://www.curlysu.com/">Curly Su's</a> most recent post this morning. A number of years ago I had a pretty serious triathlon schedule and I was working two jobs at the time as well. I literally had my schedule planned down to the hour every day. Now that is not to say I followed it 100% of the time, but at times I did make changes and move things around in case I had other obligations to attend to, or just wanted to switch workouts around so I could fit other things into my schedule (personal time, hanging out with friends, etc) as well. So we are gonna head back out on that plan and see how it works out. Nothing set in stone, but unless there is something pressing, the rule will be, "follow the schedule!"<br />
<br />
Not too much else is going on right now. Going to tomorrow morning's class session rather than the afternoon because it is going to be beautiful this weekend, and I have been sleeping in again too much lately/going to bed too late at night, so I would rather do the morning session rather than chance sleeping in and then not getting out of class till 5pm. As for the rest of the weekend, it will be comprised of studying, training, and hanging out with a few friends :)<br />
<br />
Well let me get on to reading the rest of your blogs while I am rolling the golf ball on my messed up foot :S<br />
<br />
You guys/gals have a great weekend!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-6016314215814978852011-05-26T09:10:00.000-05:002011-05-26T09:10:01.028-05:00Filling Up the Tank for Another Journey<em>This post was supposed to go up last week, but didn't :) So here it is... Better late that never.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Update: Day 6</em><em> of (left) foot injury. Pain is starting to subside a bit, still hurts to wear shoes. Forgot to wear ankle brace last night to keep foot at 90 degree angle. Forgot to bring ice water botttle to work today. At least I remembered to bring my ibuprofen. Will put the bike on the trainer tonight and see how the foot feels on the bike. That does not mean I am gonna get out and do road riding again this weekend, but at least I can log some miles on the trainer in a controlled environment. Will start swimming again later this week as well.</em><br />
<br />
(enter picture of long road here)<br />
<br />
Well, I have one race in the books this year. Thank goodness :) Great to get the nervous excitement of the new season worked out of my system by toeing the line and competing. I have another race here in about three weeks, but I am unsure how it is going to play out due to my injury. I may very well need to see if I can transfer the entry to another one of GA Multisports Races (sorry Wes!!!), but I will make a decision at the end of next week. <br />
<br />
Tomorrow is a BIG DAY!!! 168 days/24 weeks till IMFL! Holy S#@! Snacks! Too close :D Today I will lock down the training plan I am going to use (I have been wavering between 2-3 plans, I just really need to man up and pull the trigger). Then it is all about execution for the next 24 weeks. I have had a lot to think about since last November. Mike and I headed down to Florida for a three day weekend to volunteer at IMFL, and get signed up for the race in 2011. I had even talked to my old training buddy James, and his plan is to volunteer in 2011 so he can race in 2012. I think he is on some sort of crazy 3 year plan where after 2012 he is gonna try to qualify for Worlds again in 2013. <br />
<br />
Anyways, of course Mike and I were riding a mental high when we got back from Panama City. Then reality set back in for me. I had set out on a journey earlier last year in completely changing my career and part of that was going back to school. Not only going back to school, but also a full time program while working full time and finishing within a year. Trying to keep up with a long distance relationship because my girlfriend is realizing her dreams by getting her PhD. All of you juggle similar tasks, and at the same time we are all trying to stay the course on this journey that is triathlon. Although I have been slammed with school this week, I have spent some time late in the evenings before I go to bed, contemplating the next leg of this journey, manifesting itself in the form of an Iron-Distance race.<br />
<br />
I have the plan, I have the resources, and more importantly, I have myself (intact). Time to pop in a good road trip track, and head on down the (IM) highway. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clevver.com/music/video/14259/rascal-flatts-life-is-a-highway.html">www.clevver.com/music/video/14259/rascal-flatts-life-is-a-highway.html</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-66949502718050562312011-05-17T10:44:00.000-05:002011-05-17T10:44:43.851-05:00More Pictures from P'tree Int'l TriathlonJust thought I would put these up until I am done with my next post. I am also gonna get the pictures from this race as well. I think there are a couple good ones in there. <br />
<br />
<br />
Dismounting and headed into T2<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVeVY8ivF7PkVcfunZ0uGAJbeYTk1erxrScvyJny5Yha0CbqrX_s6vkKoJ7xOnoLVrha0glE8pOlJwDPNEtiifRpLHAvqTTHHQeFOMcYtKVBJPQ9f8CCgHjLc1nUeXPd3spY/s1600/PIT+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVeVY8ivF7PkVcfunZ0uGAJbeYTk1erxrScvyJny5Yha0CbqrX_s6vkKoJ7xOnoLVrha0glE8pOlJwDPNEtiifRpLHAvqTTHHQeFOMcYtKVBJPQ9f8CCgHjLc1nUeXPd3spY/s320/PIT+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Could not get my suit off standing up because my left calf was cramping up too bad. FAIL<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XUT4l80Qxmo7ALDsAeeS16zrFMg19vjEB04ldJ0Hs4l51GaiIXa_Law1UbLg8pxcIOMiPe9g5psUA0myM2WO4vVKKS5u651KxP8OPH2H9ZpzzKWri2OP8WIghHRz1lg3lLE/s1600/PIT+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XUT4l80Qxmo7ALDsAeeS16zrFMg19vjEB04ldJ0Hs4l51GaiIXa_Law1UbLg8pxcIOMiPe9g5psUA0myM2WO4vVKKS5u651KxP8OPH2H9ZpzzKWri2OP8WIghHRz1lg3lLE/s320/PIT+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My feeble attemps to get said wetsuit off standing up, please see above pic for next step at failing to do this :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh48RGm5LZ_mcD0azIPHmtZzUOc-jZ7p-oIJjt5PyCfcol7f_gEiKc_ln8sKRJXR1l26YNqoFk8q4ZrM3-gE2iokJgJrb9WrqHYhVixi_7Ay05DnFk9nDxnoRZpY3ryqTvUA0/s1600/PIT+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh48RGm5LZ_mcD0azIPHmtZzUOc-jZ7p-oIJjt5PyCfcol7f_gEiKc_ln8sKRJXR1l26YNqoFk8q4ZrM3-gE2iokJgJrb9WrqHYhVixi_7Ay05DnFk9nDxnoRZpY3ryqTvUA0/s320/PIT+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another shot of me running into T2. Yes I wore my bike shoes off the bike. Tar and feather me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gJ5jW9hTMH8BLKo0esvtihTz0rFRkXgk1vqUe_AMG1ybHZCGbDC0W5yHP5DKuPH7quLo8i1VhGguWugtcUbMQZzkL6S-8wI-yEwBQhcZzDn2HvCyhutsbWtOolXp0-tMhTc/s1600/PIT+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gJ5jW9hTMH8BLKo0esvtihTz0rFRkXgk1vqUe_AMG1ybHZCGbDC0W5yHP5DKuPH7quLo8i1VhGguWugtcUbMQZzkL6S-8wI-yEwBQhcZzDn2HvCyhutsbWtOolXp0-tMhTc/s320/PIT+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Look I am smiling, and in a bit of pain, but I am smiling :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBCBRv5dFjLfCoivV1HXZvb5BUBHw-3u7g7K4mLl60rhbhi9H0eTBLGrzyr8e1e5bp_HHLeI1DO_1HGLA387D1T89gjT_lA0Oelkhhsi0CCHnH_Aru9Ye2b_gueX91EsWRvE/s1600/PIT+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBCBRv5dFjLfCoivV1HXZvb5BUBHw-3u7g7K4mLl60rhbhi9H0eTBLGrzyr8e1e5bp_HHLeI1DO_1HGLA387D1T89gjT_lA0Oelkhhsi0CCHnH_Aru9Ye2b_gueX91EsWRvE/s320/PIT+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Done!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-GOmiaqNfBnmhpUMoyzmQymBvJf63n24X1M9Kp4-_NUhs4LCOCWARYUCaqh7yk4DxUjP8XEUrym68fHUxPmuFqzGzU72EaZqbvTE8BIdWvKbQDTwrmXGaVK1LUM8z20N0Ys/s1600/PIT+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-GOmiaqNfBnmhpUMoyzmQymBvJf63n24X1M9Kp4-_NUhs4LCOCWARYUCaqh7yk4DxUjP8XEUrym68fHUxPmuFqzGzU72EaZqbvTE8BIdWvKbQDTwrmXGaVK1LUM8z20N0Ys/s320/PIT+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-35948183756822369302011-05-16T10:00:00.000-05:002011-05-16T10:00:20.205-05:002011 Peachtree International Triathlon - May 14th, 2011Hope y'all are having a great weekend.<br />
<br />
Well, first race of the year is in the books. Santa brought it yesterday. A bit more than I could chew :) However I did say I was gonna finish with a smile, and I did.<br />
<br />
I decided I would go down Saturday morning to Peachtree City as I did not want to waste two hours to get my packet. Went out with a couple people to hang out with some friends for the evening. I got in bed by 11:30 and needed to get up at 4:00am. Not a big deal since I have problems going to bed early the night before a race.<br />
<br />
Jumped out of bed when the alarm went off and headed for the kitchen. Apple slices, banana, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt with strawberries was what I had for breakfast. Put on my new 2XU suit that <a href="http://www.dermatone.com/">Dermantone Labs</a> put together for me! Fits really well and it worked out great during the race. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-FO1wF_kDgQn38-dwr-zjDypjI3zxku2kYdlf8YE1nsd8YT8W-NYCRNNFlUFS8gOtygn-M6n_dHcq4hh7RP8BvcaroDpxOhWRu7NpMwdhsIR-BD3AGSwIiFu8LSJxA3yK-A/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-FO1wF_kDgQn38-dwr-zjDypjI3zxku2kYdlf8YE1nsd8YT8W-NYCRNNFlUFS8gOtygn-M6n_dHcq4hh7RP8BvcaroDpxOhWRu7NpMwdhsIR-BD3AGSwIiFu8LSJxA3yK-A/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eY81lYDV8ioMDy5TXbmlU5PVweUbKTcqrHGsKMyEY9RG_EW20rB3iZ4cUFTQxf7XoTwUuZq3n_R7EsWk9FNRaZI_msKJfOZTgL6NU4sx1VKZuDg3w8gg8dBYoXYnmTG6Szw/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eY81lYDV8ioMDy5TXbmlU5PVweUbKTcqrHGsKMyEY9RG_EW20rB3iZ4cUFTQxf7XoTwUuZq3n_R7EsWk9FNRaZI_msKJfOZTgL6NU4sx1VKZuDg3w8gg8dBYoXYnmTG6Szw/s320/photo2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Threw everything in the car (except the bike pump) and headed down to the race. It was a good thing that i brought both my bike helmet and my aero helmet because Tommy had forgotten his helmet. Went and got my race packet. Yay! Another water bottle, shirt and socks :) Got all the numbers on and got everything in transition. Can I say that I LOVED my rack spot this year? My race number was 48 and I was about 30 yards from the bike exit and re-entry. Sweet!!!! No having to run with my bike all the way through transition. Hung out with Tommy for a few minutes before we needed to get in line at the swim.<br />
<br />
<b>Swim</b><br />
<br />
Left a lot to be desired. Need to get more open water swims in this year, and preferably a few more in my wetsuit before it gets too much more hot. Most likely the water conditions will be too warm for West Point Lake Triathlon on June 12th. Felt good for the first half of the swim, and I was sighting really well, which is strange for me, since I sometimes lack in that area. Began to fade though in the latter half of the swim. Think it is a combination of the OWS environment (no stops/turnarounds/interval breaks) and swimming in the wetsuit. Either way, combine that with tired and you get my final swim time. I will say though, there were three times where I upped the intensity and those catch pads on the forearms work really well. I could actually feel as if my arms were anchored better in the water which allowed me to move faster. Traffic got a little heavy at then end of the swim because the super sprint athletes joined up with the rest of us at the end of the swim.<br />
<br />
35:04 (1.4mph) - 22/42 in AG<br />
<br />
<b>T1</b><br />
<br />
Kind of disoriented after getting out of the water and so I was not running as fast as I would have liked through transition. Lost my swim goggles somewhere in transition, and I just broke them in a few weeks ago :( Oh well, someone else's gain, I will just get some new ones. Thanks Mitchel for the idea of leaving them in my wetsuit sleeve saying they would stay in there ;) Only other issue, which actually drove up my transition time, was the fact that my left calf kept cramping up so I ended up having to sit down to take my wetsuit off.<br />
<br />
2:31 - 28/42 in AG<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoExiSAzBtOnhyphenhyphenH1pSGkIsdQxm6ofY215hbFe2XppLT2iWSgmRArzqFxL8aUvyh-fQSa91hq13mXGlnz3pxzeNeUHzs00-x7X8MMUetZI-fyVc-a29aNzDjQiVdbSEMNz4yI/s1600/Ptree+Intl+Tri+05-14-2011+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoExiSAzBtOnhyphenhyphenH1pSGkIsdQxm6ofY215hbFe2XppLT2iWSgmRArzqFxL8aUvyh-fQSa91hq13mXGlnz3pxzeNeUHzs00-x7X8MMUetZI-fyVc-a29aNzDjQiVdbSEMNz4yI/s320/Ptree+Intl+Tri+05-14-2011+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Bike</b><br />
<br />
Did not average as high of a speed as I wanted to, but I was pleased with my performance on the flats and some of the rollers. There were a number of race marshals out there and they got quite a few people on penalties after looking at the final results. I decided since I needed to save some for the run, that if I could not convincingly pass someone and keep moving ahead of them, that I would hang back until I either had an opportunity to move up in the field or not. <b> </b>Using the new bike and aero helmet seemed to work out well. Big snag on the way back in around mile 16-17. Biggest hill (not that there were any that big) on the ride and I go to downshift into the small chainring. Chain comes off. So I have to get off of the bike on the hill and put the chain back on. Took a min and about that time there were a slew of cars that were coming by (open course) that had been trying to get around some of the other riders. By the time it was all said and one I wasted about two minutes with that. Tried punching it on the way back in, since after hitting that hill, it was a net decline in elevation back to transition.<br />
<b></b><br />
1:17:36 (19.3 mph) - 28/42 in AG<br />
<br />
<b>Transition 2</b><br />
<br />
Pretty Standard. Did not try to get off of my bike leaving my bike shoes on it, as I had not practiced that yet this year. However, being so close to the bike re-entry it was not a problem running in the bike shoes in the grass back to my rack position. <br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>1:34 - 22/42 in AG<br />
<br />
<b>Run</b><br />
<br />
Not my best run. Took about a mile to get going, and then I kept cramping up throughout the run. I had to do some walking to make the cramps subside. Finally was able to get some fuel in on the latter half of the run and it helped to dissipate the cramps in my legs. Also had a GI issue for the first half of the run, and thank goodness there was a porta-john at the halfway point of the run. Unfortunately since I was in a one piece it was a little harder than normal. Chalk up about 2-3 minutes of time lost due to that. <b> </b>Was able to finish the last two miles fairly strong despite the results of the first two thirds of the race. And like I said, I finished with a smile.<br />
<br />
1:03:39 (10:16 pace) - 40/42 in AG<br />
<br />
<b>Finish: 3:00:22, 32/42 in AG, 293/438 overall</b><br />
<br />
Tommy did great for his first ever race. He was in the Clydesdale division and ended up getting 4th in his division in his first race. Congratulations to him. I hope he keeps it up.<br />
<br />
Would like to thank <a href="http://kimsblog.multisportperformance.com/">Kim Bramblett</a> for putting on a great race for the weekend (as usual). And a big thanks to my sponsor <a href="http://www.dermatone.com/">Dermatone</a> for all of their support. Everyone who I gave product out to was greatly appreciated, and had lots of questions on where to get it from. And thank you Beth for coming out to cheer me on and take pictures of the event! I will have some more pictures to post for you guys once I get them from her, and also get my pics from the picture company that worked the race.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-89116461624915346842011-05-12T08:23:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:34:14.496-05:00Race Week - Some Thoughts...Hey Everyone!<br />
<br />
I feel like a friggin five year old on Christmas week. This is my seventh season competing in triathlons, and if I was to pick the top 5 moments that I have enjoyed over the past six seasons, I would say that this week would have to rank up there as number two or three. I know, weird, right? I would have to say number one would be finishing my first Ironman in 2009, followed up by completing my first triathlon in 2005. And then I guess my excitement about this week would come in at number three. Why?<br />
<br />
I feel that I have had a "Renissance Movement" with regards to triathlon. While I have had some fairly structured years (2007 and 2009) and I have had some great memories with friends, family, and the sport, I have been in a tri funk since my Ironman. I guess I am a person who likes to try new things all of the time, and in doing so, I hit what I thought to be the peak of triathlon. I finished an Ironman and thought to myself, "what's next?" <br />
<br />
Life also tends to get in the way, but I have learned now that it only gets in the way if you let it. During this off season, I have had an awakening of sorts. I remembered all the good times I have had in this sport, all of the great relationships I have developed, all of the stories I have told and listened to. I am not sweating the small stuff, missing an occasional workout due to school, etc. I am taking more time to enjoy life in general. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to do this! It is such a refreshing feeling, that I am ready and raring to go this year. <br />
<br />
I have no idea what is gonna happen on Saturday. I know what I would like to ideally happen, and I know what realistically should happen. But I am not gonna worry about it. I am just gonna get up, like I do every day now... Bust my tail, enjoy it, and be me :)<br />
<br />
My Christmas is Saturday, and under the tree is gonna be a glorious 1.5K swim, 42K bike, and a 10K run. And for those of you who might be there and see me cross the finish line, if you see a big smile on my face as I "hit the tape," just think back to this post and you will know why.<br />
<br />
Bring it Santa, I am ready ;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-87795435080628319052011-05-06T07:50:00.000-05:002011-05-06T07:50:23.516-05:00Murtha's Tri - Minicamp! April 23-26, 2011Ok, so it definately was not as cool as the title sounded. There was no destination camp (other than driving to where I was training) and I was the only one participating in said mini-camp. But I had a blast nonetheless!<br />
<br />
Classes ended on April 21st, and do not start up again till May 3rd. Also I have not had a vacation/staycation/etc since 2009, and I needed to have a few days off. I don't have the Garmin on me right now, but here's the gist on how it went down.<br />
<br />
Friday: After work I went for a 5 mile run (a couple laps) around Chastain Park. Good way to start off the weekend, and for some reason the run felt particularly good. Probably something to do with the fact that I did not have to work for the next four days.<br />
<br />
Saturday: Met up with Mike at the Silver Comet Trail for a 2 hour ride. This was the first time he had taken his new bike (Trek Speed Concept 7.0) out for a spin. I'll admit, for a bike that I kinda shunned in choosing my Cervelo, it is a pretty nice ride, and I am jealous of the rear bike box. That's ok, I am still really happy with my ride :) The first two miles we were just puttering along to get our legs warmed up. Because of finals that week, I had not been able to get all of my workouts in. I really tried to keep it at MAX HR between 150-160, but I kept trying to be a speed demon and had to keep putting myself in check. I have been focusing more on these Oly-distance races, but here pretty soon I am gonna need to put a lock down on my agression with HRM alerts on my Garmin so that I am not killing it on the bike. I think we did about 35 miles or so on the bike. Went home and then went to the Nook for dinner/drinks in Atlanta. For those of you who are in the ATL area, it is on 14th and Piedmont right across from the park. Patio is wonderful. And if you love tater tots (and I think this group does) you are gonna be wonderfully suprised by the various selections of dishes called "Totchos." Just google them and pull up their menu, you will wanna go ASAP.<br />
<br />
Sunday: Got up and did 1900 M total at LA Fitness, 1500M being my main set comprised of 3x500 with the 2nd 500 using a pull bouy. Wears my arms out for the last set, but I do it on purpose because at some point in the longer distance events I will be swimming with tired arms. I finished in under 30 minutes which I am happy with, I just wanna get my time down closer to 25 min for 1500 M. In the afternoon I headed over to Chastain Park and belted out a few laps around the park totalling a bit over 5 miles.<br />
<br />
Monday: The first big day of two. I did all three sports on Monday, however, there were no brick workouts. Hit the pool in the morning and belted out 1800 as my main set, comprised of 3 x 600 with the 2nd set using a pull bouy. Again, arms are worn out, but they are getting a workout, so I am fine with that. Run came next early in the afternoon (Atlanta Memorial Park), and then followed it up a few hours later with a Monday night group ride (Atlanta Cycling - Vinings Recovery Ride).<br />
<br />
Tuesday: Last Day! Woke up a bit late (last night was Monday Funday at my house, lots of drinking and such). Swim was a straight 1500M swim. It turned out to be somewhere in the 28min and change range. I already had the bike on the car and the shoes in the back and headed over to columns drive to do my brick workout. I was short on time so I only did 15 miles on the bike, and averaged about 20 mph. There was a nasty headwind headed back to the parking lot on every lap, and it felt like I was working twice as hard just to get 18-19mph average on the way back in each lap. Fortuantely because of this I belted out 22-23mph average on the way out each lap, with the tailwind on the way out. After this I quickly racked the bike and put my shoes on and went for a 4 mile run. After adding in a hypothetical 1:20 for each transition, I can project out around a 2:37-2:40 expected time. We shall see if that actually happens :)<br />
<br />
Post Brick I had a scheduled massage for an hour. Man, that was just what the doctor ordered. I think I am gonna need to start scheduling those for post race and post high volume blocks of training. Was almost late to the massage, but made it nonetheless. I am convinced if I had not gotten that massage, my legs would had been wrecked for the next few days following. Instead there was only mild soreness on Wednesday, and no soreness after that!<br />
<br />
I feel since then that I have absorbed the training really well, and now I just need to keep up the intensity. It was really fun to have some time off of work and school, and just focus on triathlon for a change. I hope I can do it again sometime later this season.<br />
<br />
I hope all of your training endavours are going well! Have a good weekend!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-9082352340139982872011-05-04T10:45:00.000-05:002011-05-04T10:45:54.122-05:00Ironman Wedding (Grooms) CakeI do have some other posts I am working on right now, however, I wanted to get these pictures up for you to take a gander at and maybe comment on. Mike got married this last weekend to his wonderful wife Melissa and this was his groom's cake at the wedding. He is off for two weeks and it will be on like Donkey Kong for his IMFL training!!! For those of you who don't already know, Mike and I are doing IMFL together this November. Here you go!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32IQUMC9L67y-_JTr103IxXaI33auUgA6OxegIS0xEs02lxYHmtLni9CoKPIADVWsPRiJwKdQkGosjSKM7S7g-X1P_iueXDKvM8pc4xZfl_J0lFz6nv50pSMyzskP7Af95Z0/s1600/IMCake+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32IQUMC9L67y-_JTr103IxXaI33auUgA6OxegIS0xEs02lxYHmtLni9CoKPIADVWsPRiJwKdQkGosjSKM7S7g-X1P_iueXDKvM8pc4xZfl_J0lFz6nv50pSMyzskP7Af95Z0/s320/IMCake+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLJWsGXCHMFjHC-gODYODTMtLjg0Tgn2pIqvyz73uzvTwkAcJUx908NhXtmhA7-qBukdBw1IVqsqEy7Vtp6lXRrXXHqUwIuasTS-zQWZC_DTnPnpPfZtIFXgEt6wgdQEqKHc/s1600/IMCake+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLJWsGXCHMFjHC-gODYODTMtLjg0Tgn2pIqvyz73uzvTwkAcJUx908NhXtmhA7-qBukdBw1IVqsqEy7Vtp6lXRrXXHqUwIuasTS-zQWZC_DTnPnpPfZtIFXgEt6wgdQEqKHc/s320/IMCake+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh11fGY8zTt_tGed4G6CSZ9zvABiJMGOtOOQXH-XCWRavwrTAmjvb6CAx0QiYgpDf_UfHh0wDYyCWzej6ZBnZlvEv2xD9UpbSToNshHQSxngGN8W9iZWz_H4Me7l7CWRRduQ/s1600/IMCake+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh11fGY8zTt_tGed4G6CSZ9zvABiJMGOtOOQXH-XCWRavwrTAmjvb6CAx0QiYgpDf_UfHh0wDYyCWzej6ZBnZlvEv2xD9UpbSToNshHQSxngGN8W9iZWz_H4Me7l7CWRRduQ/s320/IMCake+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I hope he has not jinxed himself! I don't know what the filling was (strawberry or raspberry) but it was delicious!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-91223895742244522602011-04-24T20:39:00.000-05:002011-04-24T20:39:41.920-05:00Respite, Respite!!!Where the heck have I been?!?!?<br />
<br />
Good question! I just finished my last final exam this past Thursday. And I am happy to announce I did not make anything less than a 91 on any final I took this semester (I actually made a 99 on my Advanced Accounting final). Best case scenario this semester, A+, 2 A's, and a B+. Worst case scenario 3 A's and a B+. Not to shabby I will take it! Especially since the beginning of the semester was less than par with my first couple of exams. As of Friday I have 10 days without classes, and I rewarded myself with a 4 day weekend from work! So I have dubbed this weekend, "Murtha's Mini Camp." I will post updates either beginning tonight or tomorrow. Got in one workout on Saturday (did too little in the workout dept, and too much in the drinking/socializing dept), and two workouts today. <br />
<br />
I have less than three weeks left till Peachtree International Triathlon, and I am gonna sign up here for West Point Lake Triathlon in the next week or so. I have nothing dubbed for mid June through September as that is going to be billed as my build phases. My half-iron distance race is not till the first week of October, which will kick off my taper for IMFL. <br />
<br />
The bike injury is pretty much healed, I am switching from Neosporin to Mederma on my wounds since they are technically healed, now to get the scarring to go down. I also am trying to complete a 10 pound loss in 30 days. The kicker is that I am not using a scale. I know that sounds silly, but I look at it in a Brett Sutton way (except it is weight loss instead of training). If I just focus on the things that I need to be doing rather than looking at the scale every day, then the results will take care of themselves. And if I don't lose the weight by race time, I will at least have lost some, and I still have much more time to go before I get to IMFL. So no biggie, but it will be a plus if it does happen :)<br />
<br />
How have you guys been doing? I have not really had any time to read any blogs or post any race results and stuff that has been going on in the tri world. I also have another big announcement that I will post sometime this week. <br />
<br />
Lastly, my birthday was on April 11th. I was working on a post prior to my birthday and it was composed of things that I wanted to accomplish before my birthday next year. It is past my birthday, but these things still apply, so I am going to post them anyways, and then probably have a permalink at the top of my blog to track my progress over the next year. Once again, they would be great to achieve, but if not, no biggie :)<br />
<br />
Things I want to accomplish in the next 12 months (or that should be completed within the next 12 months)<br />
<br />
-Graduate with my Master's of Professional Accountancy (should happen in August barring any major issues)<br />
-Obtain my CPA certification (Yay! Another round of exams that will be the hardest of my life :)<br />
-Either move to the accounting department at my current firm or move to a public accounting firm.<br />
-Take a real damn vacation! I go back and think about it, and I have not taken a "real vacation" since probably 2007. This means no holiday, family, triathlon weekends, 3/4 day weekend, etc. I mean a whole week somewhere, preferably outside of the country!!!!<br />
-Complete Rev3 Anderson Half<br />
-Complete Ironman Florida and kick the crap out of my IMCDA '09 time (should not be hard since there are no hills!)<br />
-Be in a position to begin hitting top 10 or better in my AG at smaller races, qualify for AG Nationals in 2012, and be in a position to possibly qualify for Kona/Lake Las Vegas in either 2012/13.<br />
-Meet new tri friends and blogging buddies :)<br />
-Have fun and enjoy life!!! The most important one of all :D<br />
<br />
I hope all of you enjoyed your Easter weekend regardless of your religious affiliations!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-38068038833347021782011-03-27T13:15:00.000-05:002011-03-27T13:15:23.319-05:00MIA (damn school) and my first bike injury!!!Spring has sprung!<br />
<br />
Definitely working on this at the 11th hour (literally), however on a beautiful day like this, why would one want to blogging when they could be enjoying the beautiful weather outside? My thoughts exactly!<br />
<br />
School really kicked my butt this weekend. I have this new twitter feed for my blog, and on some of my first few tweets, I was referencing AccountingMan 2011 (part 1). That ended on Thursday. I think I got a B on the exam. Not exactly what I was looking for, but there are lots of opportunities to make up for it the rest of this semester. My training was kinda lax this week because of it. I will make up for it this weekend. Part two of AccountingMan 2011 is this coming Tuesday. Yes I should be studying tonight, however, how would I get my blog post in??? Update: I have since had the exam on Tuesday and it sucked. I made a 100 on my project that was due on Thursday, and spent most of the day yesterday inside in class. At least the weather was not nice, so I don't feel too bad!<br />
<br />
Publix Georgia Half Marathon!!!<br />
<br />
I finished in 1:57:36<br />
<br />
More to come on that in an official race report. Roughly 3 min off my PR finish. So not bad considering my entire month of January was botched because of illness.<br />
<br />
<br />
Prepping for Peachtree International Triathlon (and if you wanna podium at an event.... super sprint).<br />
<br />
Got a little under 50 days till my first triathlon of the year. Little behind on my training, but at this point I will be able to finish the race. However, my hopes of making top third for AG Nationals is flying out the window fast. The problem is school. Damn other priorities in life!!! I am excited that it is coming to and end and I will have an advanced degree that I can actually use. Training throughout he summer is gonna be a bit sketchy with school, however I think I will definitely going to get the volume in. It is just not gonna look pretty!<br />
<br />
By the way if you are near the Atlanta area and want to get a podium finish potentially for your AG, you should come the weekend of the Peachtree International Triathlon and compete in their other race the Super Sprint. It is shorter than a sprint distance race, and with all of the focus on the Oly Distance this year in conjunction with the SE Regional Champs, I don't think there will be many people bellying up to the line for the Super Sprint, save maybe newbies, and other triathletes that have the same idea as me. <br />
<br />
<br />
EBay auctions for Christchurch <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The auctions from the IMTalk podcast have ended, and I think they broke over $15000 USD to raise money for the victims of Christchurch. They had memorabilia donated by pros, and major race companies donated entries to bid on for the event (a couple of them were the Hood to Coast relay and the Norseman). Thank you to any of you who may have participated in the bidding. And even if you did not win anything, if you still want to donate, any donations made this week to the IMTalk podcast will go to the earthquake victims in New Zealand, rather than their usual goal which is to send Bevin and John to Kona for great coverage of the World Championships.<br />
<br />
And that reminds me, after this week, they will be back to their regular donations towards their trip to Kona. They basically show up and do tons of Kona coverage throughout the whole week including the race and get interview with pros and various other folks while they are there. Last year's coverage was amazing, and if you are looking for something fun, different and informative (and not NBC/WTC coverage related) these are the guys to listen to. I get an extra check in April, so I will be sending my first of many donations to help get Bevin and John to Kona so that this year's coverage can be even better than last year! <br />
<br />
Did not feel like reporting on them, however, Ironman Singapore 70.3 and Ironman San Juan 70.3. If you want to check out some race results and stuff, check out Slowtwitch or Xtri as Ironman.com seems to have already threaded them out of their news cycle. 70.3 Oceanside is this coming weekend and should be a pretty good turnout for the pro field this year. With the new points series for pros this year, you see more and more pros getting out there trying to scoop up points earlier in the season. Opposed to prior seasons, where a pro/top AG'er had to show up and qualify and then they were off to Kona or Clearwater/Lake Las Vegas (70.3 Champs). <br />
<br />
<br />
Are any of you Catholic? If so, what did you give up for lent? (for those of you who aren't are you playing the game also?) I decided this year to change my focus for lent back onto myself and my health. So the two things which I have decided to do is to not drink and also to not eat Zaxby's. For those of you who don't know what Zaxby's is, you can Google it. It is a fast casual food chain that specializes in chicken fingers and various other chicken related items. I normally would eat there once a week. A regular chicken finger plate with an extra Zaxby's sauce and an unsweet tea is over 1500 calories (I believe). While I can burn that off no problem, that is not the most healthy thing for me to be eating, especially once a week. As for the alcohol, I think it is good for me to purge and no have any for a while. I don't need it, and who knows, maybe I will finally be a cheap drunk when it is all said and done. <br />
<br />
How are you modifying your training for race season beginning and the transition to springtime??? Let me know! And you guys have a great rest of your weekend!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-53715207471960533552011-03-18T10:57:00.001-05:002011-03-18T12:51:17.160-05:00TIMEX SWEEPSTAKES!!! Win free stuff including reimbursed race entries!<span id="goog_1980073864"></span><br />
<div style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_1980073862"></span><span id="goog_1980073867"></span><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1980073872"></span><img alt="Timex Sports" class="img" height="320" id="profile_pic" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/162079_101416801784_661645_n.jpg" width="106" /><span id="goog_1980073873"></span><span id="goog_1980073868"></span></a><span id="goog_1980073863"></span></div><span id="goog_1980073865"></span><br />
Happy Friday Everyone!<br />
<br />
I got a notice about this and I thought, why not post this so everyone I know has a chance to win free stuff! <br />
<br />
I like Timex stuff and I actually own a Timex Race Watch/HRM, which I usually use for solo runs and swimming laps in the pool. Plus one of my favorite pros, Keegan Williams is on team Timex so I am all about supporting him in any way I can!<br />
<br />
There are only 13 days left to win big in Timex's March Sweepstakes, offering a $1,000 race and training package. The Grand Prize includes all your 2011 race entry fees up to $620, the latest GPS watch and a Headsweats® Race Hat. Five runner-ups will receive Timex's latest heart rate monitor, which has a unique ergonomic fit for comfort and readability. Finalists (30) will received Timex-branded Headsweats® Race Hats.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is the link for the contest: <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/timexsweeps/contests/101209?wfrefid=455721c6f470">http://apps.facebook.com/timexsweeps/contests/101209?wfrefid=455721c6f470</a><br />
<br />
The sweepstakes ends March 31,2011!!! So if you want to win FREE stuff, get on this!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-34927177461575709852011-03-15T21:04:00.002-05:002011-03-15T22:00:19.072-05:00My 2011 Race Season is Finally Here!Hi Everyone,<br />
<br />
I hope everyone had a great weekend! The weather here in Atlanta was great, and evidenced by the numerous people out and about trying to escape the cabin fever that was this past winter. I did just over 10 miles on Saturday for my last long run before the Publix Georgia Half Marathon this coming weekend, and then on Sunday I did a bit over 26 miles on the new bike (Silver Comet Trail). I need to figure out a way to get my RunningAhead Training Log to post to my Facebook page. Anyone know how to do that? I am gonna eventually have my training log on one of the static page links at the top of my blog. Speaking of which.... I guess you guys/gals have seen my new blog static pages that I have started :) Still slower than I would have liked, but that is also due to grad school (stupid grad school!!!!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jMhKXWvAJoo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The "About Me" page has the <em>ABC's of me</em> listed, so if you want to jump on that bandwagon just click on the link and read (there is also a Fresh Prince of Bel Air reference at the top of the page).</div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7uXabN2xPHYP17_k4SvX5rUxzWU-sXUvADT65mCpeHrtWPwQ6uXfxFYbFtGgY6obdm3LmKIwZuAX_wuTEOKBfXKIcx3jI5HpR6N1CCLZThrgC4NMNYZTUw1JapS4s5OkyOg/s1600/Publix%252520Georgia%252520Marathon%252520Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7uXabN2xPHYP17_k4SvX5rUxzWU-sXUvADT65mCpeHrtWPwQ6uXfxFYbFtGgY6obdm3LmKIwZuAX_wuTEOKBfXKIcx3jI5HpR6N1CCLZThrgC4NMNYZTUw1JapS4s5OkyOg/s320/Publix%252520Georgia%252520Marathon%252520Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Speaking of the Publix Georgia Half Marathon, Wes giving a lot of smack talk, at least is backing it up by kickin my ass this weekend ;) Here's to your PR buddy! Also my friend Tommy will be in the event as well, as he graciously has taken his sister's race number since she will not be able to participate in the event this year. Kinda want to drive the course again to see where all the elevation changes are. I might do that on Saturday when the traffic is not bad. Actually, now that I am looking at the course map online, I might not need to. I know where all the elevation gains are at. <br />
<br />
So I have to take my girlfriend into the shop (most likely tomorrow) for her new ride tune up. Of course all wrench heads will tell you after you get that new bike that after you ride it some, the cables will loosen/tighten, etc and you will need to bring it in one more time to make sure that it gets really dialed in to where it needs to be. Well that happened to me over the weekend. at 1/2 way through the ride, I could no longer go into the large chain ring. Not only that, but when I stopped and physically moved it up to the new chain ring, it moved itself back down as to say, "nope, have fun with this one all the way home." As for the rear cassette, I am having shifting issues through the middle of the cassette, which should just be an adjustment issue. The other problem is about 4 miles from home, I see that the reverse bolt that holds everything together up front (crank arms, bottom bracket, chainrings, etc) is about to come completely out. Also I screwed it in, but not tight enough because that is the one where you need to use a torque wrench, and I don't have a torque wrench. No good. Otherwise the ride was nice :)<br />
<br />
The only other thing that I wanted to bring up was a USAT provision that I thought was a rule. Kinda peeved about it. Here is the skinny!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjVSvIwiFm07gt3AdVy5mOxd4Io8EJvv8S0fakA-4fRkJsmjQJ6krRV1EJSz3y1hAHqytnWD-StykJfzfcc64cbqDNEUNo_YH6KvVmI8F6qUtoleQBc528qyd-fXAIif5M74/s1600/USA+Triathlon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjVSvIwiFm07gt3AdVy5mOxd4Io8EJvv8S0fakA-4fRkJsmjQJ6krRV1EJSz3y1hAHqytnWD-StykJfzfcc64cbqDNEUNo_YH6KvVmI8F6qUtoleQBc528qyd-fXAIif5M74/s1600/USA+Triathlon.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There was a race I participated in last season (I will have to go back and check my notes) where I was trying to put in some fast times, especially in transition, so I decided that I would go back to the old school clipping your shoes onto your bike and setting that up for a fast T1. I got there early and got everything set up, and left to use the restroom. I heard my number getting called over the loudspeaker, and I went to my transition rack with a USAT referee there. He stated that AG'ers were not allowed to have their shoes clipped in during T1. I politely told him that I have actually read the rules and I do not remember this being listed anywhere. He replied that this was the rule and if I did not comply I would be penalized for it. At this point we have about 20 min till transition closes, and even though there was time, I was kinda pissed. I have now done this about 6 times and I have never had that problem before. So I fixed everything and then went on with my race. For the rest of the season I repeated this process so as not to get in trouble. <br />
<br />
Recently I heard on the IMTalk podcast that john was talking about fast transitions and that a person had emailed in from the states that USAT does not allow AG'ers to put on shoes on their bikes for T1. This got the blood boiling again, and so I actually went and read the rules yesterday. Went through every damn page. Guess what was NOT there! <span style="color: red;"><strong>ANY RULE PREVENTING AG'ers PUTTING SHOES ON THEIR BIKE FOR T1! </strong></span><span style="color: black;">So I go onto the Facebook page of USATriathlon yesterday, and ask this question. Their response...</span><br />
<br />
<span data-jsid="text">"Hi Andy: this actually has never been a rule. In USAT-sanctioned events (unless the RD files for an exemption) you are allowed to attach your shoes to your bike if you wish."</span><br />
<br />
<span data-jsid="text">I have asked a number of triathletes in the past, and there is an increasing number that say they have encountered this at races. So either there are a lot more RD's filing exemptions, or the RD's are not wanting the risk of injury to an average AG'er trying to execute a mount and ride with their shoes on their bike. So they just tell them they are not allowed to do it. That is my guess. And please note that I am not knocking the USAT, I just think that if there is OR is not a policy in place, that the officials need to adhere to that policy and if there are exemptions filed, then they need to have make that known in the race packet, pre-race meeting, and/or announcements before the race while people are in transition. That's all I want, adherence and transparency.</span><br />
<br />
USAT has gotten back to me before I finished this post and told me that the Commissioner of Officials will allow people to inquire about specific races to see if that race has any exemptions filed for it. I thought that was very helpful to know! Thanks USAT (more specifically whomever is in charge of their Facebook page)!!!<br />
<br />
Have a good week, I will speak to y'all on Friday!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-32338200983763395792011-03-12T14:13:00.002-05:002011-03-12T20:47:02.401-05:00The (Belated) Friday Review... March 11, 2011I hope all of you are having a great weekend so far! <br />
<br />
I was busy as hell yesterday! Hence the post today. Also is was my first schedule day off from training in over 10 days, so that was pretty cool as well. I think my legs really needed it. Also I am liking doing the post right now because I am outside on the porch doing this in the shade when it is sunny and 65 degrees with a light breeze. Friggin beautiful right after putting in a 2K swim at <a href="http://www.lafitness.com/">LA Fitness</a>. After I finish this post, drill through the new issue of <a href="http://triathlon.competitor.com/">Triathlete Magazine,</a> it will be time to put in a 9-10 mile slow run. My last long run before the <a href="http://www.georgiamarathon.com/">Publix Georgia Half Marathon</a> next Sunday! Here are some race numbers that you can use to check some results after the race<br />
<br />
My Number: 8668<br />
Wes' Number: 10229<br />
<br />
If any of you locals are going to be participating in the race, please post your number in the comments section so that we know you are racing, and so we can all track each other's progress to the first of many successful finishes this year!<br />
<br />
So.... What in the heck happened this week??? I first had to go back and look at last week's post to make sure that I did not dupe anything.<br />
<br />
<br />
- Keegan posted his race report for IMNZ (in two parts), so if you are interested in that just click on the <a href="http://keeganwilliams.blogspot.com/">link</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeyt8gpZmPV4XejaDOqn2EVYsYVQ3OX9pHH8ZdedaR-aB0CneW0pJoGr442dZ_lC5oOrTXF26itlFzOLjfhyphenhyphenV9HloIheTN_R4G75QRk-SPqhgeHlO3fHvxGZw1g3CPsTAvu4/s1600/keegan2011IMNZfinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeyt8gpZmPV4XejaDOqn2EVYsYVQ3OX9pHH8ZdedaR-aB0CneW0pJoGr442dZ_lC5oOrTXF26itlFzOLjfhyphenhyphenV9HloIheTN_R4G75QRk-SPqhgeHlO3fHvxGZw1g3CPsTAvu4/s1600/keegan2011IMNZfinish.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
- Triathlete Magazine got some pics from Kona after the Tsunami hit Hawaii yesterday morning. Albeit I am sure the pier already looks different because it is cleaned up from the race, however, the pics make it look completely different. Also they took some photos where they shot for this year's swimsuit edition, and most of that was underwater as well. Here is the <a href="http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/03/news/images-of-kailua-kona-tsunami-damage_23141">link</a> to the slide show.<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://www.everymantri.com/everyman_triathlon/2011/03/video-sally-meyerhoff-takes-first-place-at-the-2010-xterra-trail-run-world-championship-half-maratho.html#more">Sally Meyerhoff</a> (From Everyman Triathlon): You may have heard of her if you are more into the running part of our sport. She was a 2 time Arizona State Big School cross country champion, won the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Marathon in January and took first place at the 2011 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship Half Marathon recently. This week she was on a bike ride and ran a stop sign. Truck hit her. She was killed instantly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this great athlete.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A-SluppcToq05d8y2ur52DkP0i82mUneciDb4PaNbPYUvRzlKB4LDkpmjDawPzn4WbItPk-WfF5yc9exbG9hW4xwWSb18xarb2aqTgIZI4mLhPTqP7fEVLjMUhz4KH1aGck/s1600/Sally-Meyerhoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A-SluppcToq05d8y2ur52DkP0i82mUneciDb4PaNbPYUvRzlKB4LDkpmjDawPzn4WbItPk-WfF5yc9exbG9hW4xwWSb18xarb2aqTgIZI4mLhPTqP7fEVLjMUhz4KH1aGck/s1600/Sally-Meyerhoff.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
- 2nd Annual Abu Dhabi Triathlon: This is a 3K/200K/20K event and has drawn a pro crowd second only to Kona (that I am aware of :) only in its second year. This year's hot and windy course laid a smack down on the pros over the unique distances of this event. Here are the results of the race:<br />
<br />
<b>Top 5 men finishers</b><br />
1. Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 6:43:14<br />
2. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 6:43:31<br />
3. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 6:43:42<br />
4. Raynard Tissink (RSA) 6:43:47<br />
5. Sylvain Sudrie (FRA) 6:45:49<br />
<br />
<b>Top 5 women finishers</b><br />
1. Julie Dibens (GBR) 7:14:23<br />
2. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 7:19:45<br />
3. Catriona Morrison (GBR) 7:31:12<br />
4. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 7:32:09<br />
5. Angela Naeth (CAN) 7:32:34<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeVZ3BTF26vbi7GnpwTgRnFjNT04AXH-xtQGmAUT7FU_8u2ElA1v32pYCoO21zoAKcSxMQgvAUkvq6OWV3i25qQQVxMof6bL852k-UFUVNQvcZrQGjakZQwdQFaPTb6jk-y0/s1600/2011AbuDhabiTri.ashx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeVZ3BTF26vbi7GnpwTgRnFjNT04AXH-xtQGmAUT7FU_8u2ElA1v32pYCoO21zoAKcSxMQgvAUkvq6OWV3i25qQQVxMof6bL852k-UFUVNQvcZrQGjakZQwdQFaPTb6jk-y0/s320/2011AbuDhabiTri.ashx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
If you want more results or information about this race, click <a href="http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
- EBay auction targeting the triathlon community for the Christchurch New Zealand earthquake relief: Bevin and John from the <a href="http://www.imtalk.me/">IMTalk podcast</a> (click on the link if you have not heard of them before, they are great!!!) put together some KICK ASS auctions where all the proceeds will go to the victims of Christchurch Earthquake. They are on EBay, and you can see the items by clicking on the picture below. As of last night, John said that for some reason EBay took down the auctions (maybe EBay thought it was fraudulent or something, but they are working to get these auctions back up and running. They will expire sometime this week. Some of the items include...<br />
<ul><li>Chrissie Wellington’s Record Breaking Shoes from Ironman Arizona</li>
<li>Craig Alexander’s race suit along with a #1 Race number (bike) from the 2010 World Championships</li>
<li>Bevan Docherty’s Jacket from the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and a Beijing Olympics singlet</li>
<li>NZ champion women’s package</li>
<li>Sam Warriner’s Helmet Rudy Project Helmet from Ironman NZ last weekend</li>
<li>Andrea Hewitt’s ITU race kit</li>
<li>Gina Crawford’s race kit from her win at Ironman Wisconsin</li>
</ul>And much, much more!!!<br />
<br />
PLEASE KEEP CHECKING BACK WITH THE LINK TILL THEY GET THE AUCTIONS BACK UP! IF YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK JUST "LIKE" IMTALK AND YOU WILL GET A STATUS ON THEIR PAGE AS TO WHEN THE AUCTIONS WILL BE BACK UP.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/imtalkpodcast/m.html?_nkw&_armrs=1&_from&_ipg&_trksid=p3686" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9qoGNJq9tbATyl1_fdHtp2RCnU4YNLMHeN_8WLAF39dyV3TRw_MzWwmb9J_66spKjxG8WlrKfFmfHY8nGMEEzwmsKFFbluPUS2lSp0TbWFrNIGp3eiKbl13D8SdYGszTldE/s400/IMTALK+Auction.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />
<br />
As for my training and such, I am finishing up week 4 of my Olympic-Distance specific tri training. I have been eyeballing the Westpoint Lake Triathlon in mid June. that is about a month apart from Peachtree International Triathlon. That block of training will ramp up the distance a bit while still keeping the intensity that I want for oly-distance events. After that I don't have anything planned until the fall, where I will have gotten my mileage up to Half Iron/Iron Distance levels. Mid August - Mid September will be my biggest block of training because not only will be right around the time I peak my training, but I also will be done with graduate school in August. This will allow me some more time for training.<br />
<br />
I hope all of you have a great rest of your weekend. Now off to do some Triathlete Magazine reading for half and hour and then it is time to bang out some more miles! C-ya!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-4603525106868601742011-03-10T14:57:00.000-05:002011-03-10T14:57:26.906-05:00Asics GT 2150 Shoe Review!!!(Please note I was not paid, the shoes were not given to me and I did not receive any other form of compensation for this product. This just happens to be the brand of shoes that I have been using the last few years.)<br />
<br />
Now that we have the disclaimers out of the way.... <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:D</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkyMZnAKoM0leKroICA9GoRV_A12jFwvw3010veYQ954JpBLfckUF7I3s0zHpMFRhimIcZndqKfeGyhKeWxyAqei5cPy72cAZb7ZVeNuOLMpmJwN4jHAObtWSouwSWO3bEa0/s1600/shoes_asics_2150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkyMZnAKoM0leKroICA9GoRV_A12jFwvw3010veYQ954JpBLfckUF7I3s0zHpMFRhimIcZndqKfeGyhKeWxyAqei5cPy72cAZb7ZVeNuOLMpmJwN4jHAObtWSouwSWO3bEa0/s320/shoes_asics_2150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I can't wait to get this pair more dirty!!! Too white!!!<br />
<br />
This is the next evolution for 2010 in the Asics GT 21XX series. A little background (quickly)... I wore New Balance through high school and college and they worked great. And then, I tried to "fix the wheel, that was not broken." Big Mistake!!! I then proceeded to go through 3 brands before I got to Asics, and I started with the GT-2130's. They were great! I have since stuck with them every year, and I always purchase them through a local running shoe store called <a href="http://www.weststride.com/">Weststride</a>. When I worked for the bank Genie (the owner) and her husband Todd were bank customers of mine. Great people! If you work/live in the Atlanta area you should definitely check them out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.weststride.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZExyurpW8LPrR_60Mv5pmvW3qxWg0IdTaLaaQOi_EFweclHBP5ApSJuGe54Zl1r26FG3NH0JF5kMlhunLTkMXEQOfIMXqvtG6o9ISZaUPrsw0-UHsVR-340o0jmpAWPpX_k/s320/West-Stride+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left">As far as an official stance on the shoe and its properties, this is what Asics has to say about them.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><em>"One of the world's most popular running shoes just keeps getting better. Providing excellent stability, the ASICS GT-2150 road-running shoes work to keep feet comfortable mile after mile, be it training or ticking off another marathon. Lightweight, flexible synthetic textile and polyester mesh uppers offer maximum breathability and comfort. Wicking polyester linings absorb excess moisture and dry fast. ComforDry™ footbeds provide additional cushioning and manage moisture for a cool, dry comfort. Personalized Heel Fit (PHF®) memory-foam-lined collars mold to each foot for amazing comfort. Solyte® 55 midsoles use medium-density proprietary material to enhance cushioning and stability. Proprietary Solyte midsoles are also exceptionally lightweight with excellent rebound for easy running. Forefoot and hindfoot GEL® silicone-based cushioning inserts absorb excess shock in all directions for great stability. Impact Guidance System (IGS®) helps slow pronation for an optimal gait and natural foot movement from heel strike through toe-off. DuoMax® dual-density medial posts provide pronation control for moderate overpronators. Space Trusstic® system delivers stability and arch support while maintaining appropriate flex. High-performance blown rubber outsoles provide superb traction and feel. DuraSponge® forefoot outsole material provides cushioning and traction while AHAR® abrasion-resistant heels enhance durability at the heelstrike area. 3M Scotchlite® reflective accents enhance visibility in low light. GT-2150 road-running shoes proudly carry the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association." </em></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">These shoes favor runners that have a pronation range from neutral-over to severe pronation. I am more of a neutral runner, but the comfort and width (especially in the toebox area) are great. I usually need shoes that are wider through the middle of the foot, and that support a slightly higher arch than normal. The Asics GT-21XX series definitely fits the bill with my needs and I will continue to buy/use them as long as this series keeps doing what it is doing right, and does not drastically change anything. The GT-2160's have come out for 2011, but I am the kind of guy who is always looking for deals and has no problems buying remaining inventory from last year's line if they are on sale/clearance. And for those of you who like to put more than 300-500 miles on a shoe, I still have my GT-2130's to hang out in and I am still using my GT-2140's occasionally to run/play in (I feel like they still have a few miles left in them). I think this will be the first year in a number of years where I will go through a minimum of two pairs in a year, so depending on inventories at the shoe store, I may get the new 2160's.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">If you are interested I would check with your local running shoe store to see if they have any in stock for sale/clearance (2010 model) or go online. And most importantly...</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">MAKE SURE THE SHOE YOU CHOOSE FITS YOU!!! </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Don't go randomly out buying a brand and wonder why your feet, legs, back, etc, hurt. Or why you always seem to get blisters after you have put hundreds of miles on a shoe that should be well broken in. I am sure there are other reasons I am missing as well. Get fitted for your running shoes, and your body/feet will thank you!</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">(<strong>NOTE</strong>: Asics, if you are reading, I am gonna need some new shoes in about 3-4 months, I wouldn't mind having a new pair of GT-2160's in red ;)</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Thanks for reading the review! Now... What is your favorite running shoe?</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30313696.post-53045615749804507652011-03-04T14:01:00.000-05:002011-03-04T14:01:42.343-05:00The Friday Review!!! March 4th, 2011Good Morning Everyone! Happy Friday!<br />
<br />
I hope everyone had a good week this week! I think the weather was nice for most of us, and with spring rearing its two heads (lovely weather and allergy season for all of you that suffer), I think the 2011 triathlon season is in order :) I was up late last night on the phone, so I skipped my swim workout this morning (again), but never fear! I put everything in the car so when I head home, I can stop by LA Fitness and get some laps in before the weekend. Now onto some good (and unfortunately bad) stuff that has/is going on this week.<br />
<br />
<strong>Brazil Critical Mass Incident (news from <a href="http://www.everymantri.com/">Everyman Triathlon</a>)</strong><br />
<br />
We will start with the bad news first. Last weekend, there was a critical mass ride going on in Brazil this past weekend. Apparently there was a motorist in a WV that had been following the group for a number of minutes and wanted to pass through the cycling group that was going in the same direction as him. The driver got more and more irate as he could not pass the hundreds of riders filling up the street. Finally he decided to run a red light and DRIVE THROUGH THE ENTIRE CRITICAL MASS GROUP!<br />
<br />
25 people were injured, 30 bikes were totalled. More than 11 of those people went to the hospital, and two were seriously injured. The driver of the car sped off and fled the scene. He did not return home, and furthermore abandoned his car. I don't know if he turned himself in, or if someone found him, but the police apprehended him the middle of the week. Here are the links of what transpired via video.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL3g4vPK30">Brazil Critical Mass Incident</a><br />
(you will have to sign in as a user for this video it has been flagged with footage that may be considered inappropriate for some viewers)<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Ironman New Zealand/Earthquake/Scammers/!</strong><br />
<br />
Kind of like Jimmy Buffett's famous line, "<em>It's five o'clock somewhere,</em>" It is always summer somewhere in the world. And it seems to be coming towards the end of the tri season in the southern hemisphere (kind of our September in the Northern Hemisphere). Ironman New Zealand is race number 2 of 4 down under (not counting Brazil because it is much closer to the Equator) and there are some big names showing up for the event. Cameron Brown will be attempting to <strong><u><a href="http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=7158&CAT=25&xref=xx">WIN THIS EVENT FOR THE 10th TIME</a></u></strong>. I mean, he has already won the damn thing 9 times, I don't know if I would show up if I was trying to compete ;) "<em>What Cameron is competing again this year, well damn it, I guess I am not winning..."</em> Under the new points system that the WTC instituted for 2011 and going forward, some pros are lined up at the event trying to get a head start on the 2011 season. While Macca and Rinny need to just show up and participate in an Iron-distance event this year, the rest of the pro field has their work cut our for them. I attempted to get a pro-athlete list before the race (which begins at 12:00pm EST TODAY!!!) I will have some sort of results posted for you guys over the weekend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQBwTc2ZO2qm8mqrByk2gmhaaShaVNN-X4_8Orzsj2kI41UJuZcIxnS_gVbCyrrDTwfV7JTkGJGFqBqqm0Qi3hB7PehWU5VbbsFMfVT3icHNHjumpayi3Rr4C01el9bXDrMg/s1600/christchurch_earthquake_damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQBwTc2ZO2qm8mqrByk2gmhaaShaVNN-X4_8Orzsj2kI41UJuZcIxnS_gVbCyrrDTwfV7JTkGJGFqBqqm0Qi3hB7PehWU5VbbsFMfVT3icHNHjumpayi3Rr4C01el9bXDrMg/s320/christchurch_earthquake_damage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Most of you by now have heard about the horrific earthquake that occurred on February 22nd in Christchurch, New Zealand. Some of these survivors of the event are participating in this weekend's Ironman in about an hour and a half. After going through months of training and prepping for this race, their lives have been upturned with something that is beyond their control to handle. However, they are coping, picking up the pieces, moving forward, and finding a way to compete in the event this weekend. The WTC will be issuing special race numbers to them for the event, and hopefully there will be some extra cheering from the crowds when they complete the race this year.<br />
<br />
GO KEEGAN!!!<br />
<a href="http://live.ironmanlive.com/Event/Kelloggs_Nutri-Grain_Ironman_New_Zealand">Race Coverage for Ironman New Zealand</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4693602/Christchurch-earthquake-how-to-help">Where to donate to assist the people of Christchurch</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Tri Season Beginning in GA! (news via <a href="http://georgiatriathlete.blogspot.com/">Georgia Triathlete</a>)</strong><br />
<br />
SEE ME 2011 has come and gone and now our first triathlon in GA of the season (outdoors) in Savannah. I am so happy about this. For those of you who read and don't compete, you can maybe liken this to college football fans. They pretty much mourn not being able to do anything from mid January through August, and then are so excited when fall comes. Same goes here. I think the race is kinda pricey myself, but I am sure there will be a field there nonetheless. <br />
<br />
<strong>New Bike!</strong><br />
<br />
So I have kinda been holding out on you guys and gals. Well, Wes knew, but I was trying to keep it quiet till the first race of the season. Then my training buddy had to go out and get a Trek 7.0 Speed Concept. So I could not keep it quiet any longer. Yes I did honestly get my parts for my bike (pictures are in my older posts) and those are going on the Roadie on Sunday. However, this year will be my 7th season in the sport, so I decided to treat myself. Here she is!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYKNyammijeoS8_lWf5FYexV3y2LC3JtxSoseq5H8Cq5EQMZPSPq_2WiHNHDkzlzm8V0EMsY5BfhUIWWhX8FuaTLHeGNSeFpABpXcHHP0aM7QV081GCDEvHs2cjV7bwWvqhw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYKNyammijeoS8_lWf5FYexV3y2LC3JtxSoseq5H8Cq5EQMZPSPq_2WiHNHDkzlzm8V0EMsY5BfhUIWWhX8FuaTLHeGNSeFpABpXcHHP0aM7QV081GCDEvHs2cjV7bwWvqhw/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPliU6sF_ZABrJNOw0GMXqg3juuNbmb2q7hcseFvqPWFZajspVz70JWkjZD3kK_6zfNn1kr-n5d_Dme65Yl9hdfrqbGUXJnUX-oSTsHyi72O8GgynQBqCK_vyJ8IyJFjumDE/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPliU6sF_ZABrJNOw0GMXqg3juuNbmb2q7hcseFvqPWFZajspVz70JWkjZD3kK_6zfNn1kr-n5d_Dme65Yl9hdfrqbGUXJnUX-oSTsHyi72O8GgynQBqCK_vyJ8IyJFjumDE/s320/photo2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div align="center"><strong><em>Ain't she a beaut?</em></strong></div><div align="center">I still need to name her... any ideas???</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Training and Misc (e.g. What in the heck I have been up to!) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I am about 25% of the way done with my static pages for my blog. I just read the fine print on how I am gonna get this Charity fundraiser thing to work. I think it will be a bit tricky, however I think I can pull it off. I am proud of myself, I have worked out every day this week without fail, and when I hit up my swim this afternoon, 5 days in a row! Plus I have riding plans with some of my friends over the weekend, including during the rain. Gotta do it! Only other thing that is planned is the Sham Rock Fest in Atlanta for St. Patrick's Day on Saturday. Oh and Studying. Advanced accounting is such a bear right now. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSI0AXHP_vqiz7fbL8lFnMxNMQqwg8n-pIBN9G160LS6J6hZkdt8VO5xUPlv8oUDbjNd2dj08i3G6D9r5FAMJuswakKVjRc-z5zd5JSFgPaKcQ5q6h3UcaQNX-jHf1DOYxbg/s1600/Publix+GA+Marathon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSI0AXHP_vqiz7fbL8lFnMxNMQqwg8n-pIBN9G160LS6J6hZkdt8VO5xUPlv8oUDbjNd2dj08i3G6D9r5FAMJuswakKVjRc-z5zd5JSFgPaKcQ5q6h3UcaQNX-jHf1DOYxbg/s1600/Publix+GA+Marathon.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRC3gf6jt3dSneew48-kCVkZhL5FHEYJyJUVLM21BTMH97-M8ypqlMzbvUYUUar2P__6FyYuJzbAuEK1LwIMDz37NNxOJt0Yey7oB9dW88fok2p5Uo74gFoPtffc5tm0ILxE/s1600/half+marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRC3gf6jt3dSneew48-kCVkZhL5FHEYJyJUVLM21BTMH97-M8ypqlMzbvUYUUar2P__6FyYuJzbAuEK1LwIMDz37NNxOJt0Yey7oB9dW88fok2p5Uo74gFoPtffc5tm0ILxE/s1600/half+marathon.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Bib # 8668</strong></span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Probably butchering this phrase, but it looks like a numerical palindrome :) 15 days and change. I am ready. To finish that is. I just want to be able to cover the distance running. I don't care what my time is, although I would love to finish sub two hours. We shall see.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope all of you have a great weekend!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKm3KGQATCHODACXZXYPy3m8feotHQ93ikjeiTtD2GILmjxjON0vRujbk3wPkhgzVGk3I7bEGk_Qp384-nCFoQJ1yq5XvPgCTGnPuSs_84zNHLYCk_tqZXIDK-LUYzQNPv8s/s1600/murtha+sig+lower.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373200551519838456noreply@blogger.com3