Caught on the Run!

End of Deployment and oh...Ironman Hawaii

2011-11-04T20:17:00.002-04:00

Here we go. The deployment is almost over. It has been 11 freakin' months. Yikes. I'm so close now that there is more light than tunnel. Much like every other thing I have written on this page, very little planning is going to happen and more of just a big run on sentence/thought on life.

I am really disappointed with myself in keeping up with my website for the past 11 months. I had really planned on making several posts per week with details of life, training, and coping with a spouse deployed overseas; but, here is a big revelation: removing a key figure in the family really increases the work load and stress load for the member not leaving. Even with me being the primary "mom" in this house, the Commander's leaving at least tripled my work load. The early stress of training for Texas solo, the "survivor's" guilt I was giving into with Teegan, and just the fact that I didn't want to sacrifice time with Teegan just to post some BS on a website all led to ...no posting.

I have ZERO male friends within an hour's drive of me. I live on a Marine Corps base. I'm not a one trick pony, but everyone knows that I'm Mr. Mom and THE "triathlete" because they always see me running or riding, but in social situations all they want to do is talk how they wish they could be Mr. Mom... then they turn their backs to talk about all the cool shit they get to blow up and destroy with all their male counterparts. Not so glamorous when you are vacuuming the fucking carpet for the 4th time this week and it's Tuesday is it???

I married my best friend. I've always known. There is a lot of stress in seeing her hurt being away from Teegan and I. It's a no shit job to always be smiling. My world could be spinning out of total control and me just about to freak the fuck out, but when skype rings and I answer... it's my job to smile and not let the facade break. It's hard to have no one to vent my frustrations of life. It probably doesn't help that I listen to all this lamenting lovesong bullshit music but there are so many times throughout the day that every thought I have is of her. I'm not always going to do the right thing or say the right things, but I'll always be around to give the support that she needs.

2011 was really to be the year that I prove to myself that I can kick some ass in Ironman. I was really on track early in the season showing some awesome training numbers and then... well??? Anyway, my racing season is over and there is always next year.

Ironman Hawaii: Race morning they had scales to pre weigh before the race as a comparison for medical post race. 227lbs. Holy Fuck Me! I got on another scale just in case... 227lbs. I guess the pre race dieting didn't work too well. Yikes Ryan this is going to hurt about 18 miles into the run. Good thing I knew that I wasn't or able to really put in a strong effort. I started the race with full intention to give 100% of what my 227lbs body was able to give. I had a goal of wanting to run a 3:15 marathon (that was before knowing what a fatty I had become). I had a IM Hawaii swim PR. I rode the bike easy and rather chatty; If anyone pulled along side and said anything I was ready and in the mood to talk. The run plan was simple: just run 7:25's x 26. I can do that any day of the week...except Saturday 10/8 :( but I was pretty close. I ran with my GPS this time and my actual running was 7:20's for the entire 26 but with stopping at aid stations to "ice" up slowed me down 20sec per mile. Next time I get 6 walks through the aid stations. I get to choose where I take those 6, but I only get 6! Total time for the day was 9:30. Awesome day. I won't be back to Hawaii until I'm over 40 because of moving to Italy so I really enjoyed the last 8 miles running taking in the terrain, scenery, and spectacle of the IM World Champs.

If all of my facebook friends (the real fb friends) could all live in the same town, it would be an awesome place to live!

I truly appreciate the life that I live!

It's unreal to me that in 3 months the Commander, Teegan, and I will be moving back to Naples, Italy and this 11 month deployment will just be a small bump in my life. I am so excited to go back to the place where I think that I truly believe that I started loving life; it didn't happen overnight, or maybe even while I was there but it all clicked. No matter what ever happens la famiglia e' prima... the family is first.

Now back to where this douchebaggery blog is intended...triathlon. 2012 is the new 2011. <--sarcasm. Anyway, Ryan is going under 9 hours in an Ironman in 2012. 55, 4:40, 3:15. I may as well just get that tattooed on my arm for Challenge Roth in July. What is it going to take to get me there besides losing 20 lbs of fat from my ass??? Meet my new coach Team TBB pro Scott DeFilippis. This is the man brave enough to work with a drama queen like me to get me sub 9...good luck Scott. Starting soon and really working my ass off in Italy I (and the Commander) are willing to get me to hit my goal.

I've never had a problem sleeping at night until about 11 months ago.

That's enough for now. Instead of making promises for the future of a set number, when life returns to normal so shall I. I really want to share my experiences of Italy...as well as a sub 9.

Ciao Amici, Ryan

We all work to get here... Ironman Hawaii

2011-10-07T18:13:00.004-04:00

It's that time of the year again where I open my cold black heart to the world and lament on my fears, dreams, wants, and needs. Welcome back! This year's is simple. 2011 was the most difficult year of my life! Period!! It will take many years for the pain and angst to wisp from my memory.

The first 6 months of living in Italy I (almost) totally hated. I was the average American douchebag. I respected me and my opionion and wanted everything now because I was owed everything...right? Anyway, eventually I became a better person, cherished those around me, and learned how and what is important in my life. I am a better person for having lived in Italy.

Ironman was to be a one time check the box challenge; Do the distance, get the shirt, and call it a day. Ironman has changed me in many ways too: confidence, desire, determination, patience, etc etc etc. Ironman has opened up a world that I would never have entered nor even imagined. I have made, found, and will make so many friends from participating in this wacked up event. The support, stories, and inspiration I get from all of you is part of the small bright light at the end of this year. So many people have extended so much support for the Commander, Teegan, and I since she has been gone. From my family... THANKS! I am a better person for committing to an "ironman" lifestyle.

I enjoy being alone. I think that's why I enjoy Ironman training is that there are plenty of alone times. Since the beginning of January I have been alone. Sure I have a 9 year old girl to keep me company, but I'm still alone. Life changed the second I became the sole person responsible for another human. I couldn't tag off some of the responsibilities for my own free time. Training became really early, really late, and really short. I didn't ride my bike outside for 4 months (with the exception of the race that I tried to take a turn at 28mph, didn't make it and hit the curb) for fear that I would be hit by a car and Teegan would not have any family to take her. I had to buy a commercial grade treadmill because I couldn't take Teegan out for 13 mile rides on her bike with a heat index over 100+ or make her ride 50 miles per week to match my running. I took many Saturdays and Sundays off from training to keep her from turning into the equivalent of a latchkey Ironman kid. But this alone thing has gone too far. It is easy to lose touch with how much comfort I get just by having the Commander in the same room; and with that... I don't think I like being alone anymore.

October is to be the Commander's last full month in the desert; I can count the number of weeks left on one hand :) and with that we are a family again and will begin our transition to move back to Italy at the turn of 2012. Since it's October that means that I am again back on the BIG island of Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship. I'm not sure how I managed to qualify with the volume of training that I was able to get, I am quite fortunate! I'm not nearly the athlete I have been in prior trips to the island... well actually I am more of the athlete. I'm pretty sure I'm right at the 100kg (220lbs) mark at the start of the cannon. Ironman makes a great rapid weight loss day... who needs those 10,000 calories anyway??? I'm here to beat myself. I have my goals and they are all centered on the run. I'm going with the mentality there is no such thing as a great bike ride with a poor run ---> fingers crossed I follow my own words of advice. I don't want to have any energy left in my body when I cross the finish line Saturday. Have no regrets!

We've all worked to get here someway... this was just mine

Aloha and Mahalo

Ironman Lake Placid... it happened

2011-08-07T21:35:00.016-04:00

She gets donuts and hot chocolate and I get water and powerbar gels???

How many hours until beer and vacation... that's up to me

Team White Hot's last IM on Continental US for at least the next 4 years

Snickers Bar from my special needs bag

It has been almost a month since IMLP... Perfect time to reflect???

It happened. Just another 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run day. Tough on the body. Tough on the mind. Strong for the soul.

This is a bit of an anticlimactic reflection on an event that for many would be a life box checking event, but for me it was a brief 15 days where my family was back together after a 7 month deployed separation with another 4 months looming just days away. I wanted to get through the day as efficient and pain free as possible to get back with the Commander and start our vacation. I swam, biked, and ran. There were points of elation (none on the bike), there was some struggling (only about 110 miles on the bike were hard), and a smooth run (comfortable for about 22 of the 26miles) to come in 20th overall (after the wetsuit wearers were removed from the results).

Now it's a month later, the Commander has been back to the Desert for 3 weeks, I've driven the equivalent of Miami to Seattle and back, planned and executed a 9 year old birthday party, currently shopping for back to school clothes, entertained said 9 year old, kept the dogs alive, and oh... am trying to train for a little race in Kona Hawaii in the middle of October.

Sorry if the report wasn't long, descriptive, detailed, or timely enough for your liking, but I've been a little busy.

The pics should give an idea of how the day went.

70.3 winner??? How about 74.1 Champion!

2011-07-16T07:56:00.004-04:00

It has been a full week since at raised my arms in VICTORY at the Louisville Cardinal Half Ironman... Yes Total Victory! But much more has been happening.

The Commander is still deployed and defending our freedom overseas, leaving me to be sole caregiver for Teegan (God help her). I'm trying my best to not create a triathlon equivalent "latch key" kid, so all of my training is indoors, early/late, and working around her heiness' 8 year old schedule... Yikes! However, I have taken to hiring a baby sitter once a week so I can get out and put in a 5 hour bike ride :)

This is a triathlon racing blog so let's get to it:

I did a sprint race where I did no course recon and went from second place to ninth when I missed a turn on the bike and went 1.2 miles too far -----> Know the course!

I raced a double super sprint race where the format was swim, run, bike, bike, run, swim. That was actually quite an awesome race where I was able to take home third place overall and the fastest bike split of the day. Awesome race! Kure Beach Super Sprint in Wilmington NC run by Set Up Events.

With Ironman Lake Placid looming and my endurance fitness in a generally sad state (waist line too) I packed up the kid and off to grandmother's house we went. I needed a big week of training to make my mind right. Almost 300 miles on the bike, 55 miles running, a couple miles of swimming and "what the hell," let's end this week with a half ironman and a 100 mile ride the next day.

Louisville Cardinal Half Ironman.

As I walk with a slight gimp from a sore foot and tight muscles to packet pick up, my day's challengers surely wrote me off as not being a rival as I must be injured. As I finish my warm up run and break out my swim bands, the locals start murmuring about me, a stranger in their town. A triathlon is about to break out! I have my weapons ready: Aquasphere googles, Trek racing bike, and K-Swiss K-ruuz racing flats.

BOOM! The race has broken out. Feet, Arms, Bodies, and water are assaulting every part of my body in an attempt to subdue me. I take the abuse for 200 meters and within 400 meters I am clear of the melee' in 2nd place. I am near to redline trying to hold the draft of the swimmer in front. I give myself 100 strokes to continue at this pace to see if he relents his fast pace so I can hang on his toes. 100 strokes pass and I slow down and quickly lose his draft. 27 minutes and I'm out of the water now hunting for first.

The bike course follows much of the same route as Ironman Louisville; I know this course VERY well. I also know that the last 30 miles of the course is much more difficult than it appears and can cost a lot of time lost to those that attack the early hills a little too hard. About 10 miles into the ride I see first place ahead. "Good, catch made!" I take on fluids, salt, and calories and regain composure. The next five miles are quite hilly and someone weighing 215 pounds does not make passes going uphill. I decide to soft pedal and close the gap between us but not make the pass until at the top of the two 5 and 8 minute climbs. Once at the top... Big Ring time and the pass is made. It is now me that is the hunted! The rest of the ride continues as planned. There are no time checks or out and back sections to see the damage I causing behind me so I just pedal hard. My 56 mile bike ride was a "wee" bit long at 58.8 miles, but since I'm a cyclist... who's complaining??? Bike time 56mile split was 2:20:xx, 58.8 mile time was 2:27:xx.

Rolling into transition to start the half marathon I calmly put on my socks, shoes, and fuelbelt. I also grabbed a 1L bottle of water to take along with me and forced it down in the first mile. This is a new run course and only the first mile and the last mile were flat. It was a hard, hot, and hilly run with lots of sun exposure. It was a two loop run course so again very little way of knowing where I was at in terms of time... running "scared." Again, much to my dislike this time, the run course was long. It turned out to be 14 miles in total. Run time overall was 1:36:10 for 14 miles. My garmin beeped at 13.1 miles at 1:29:xx which made me quite happy to run a sub 1:30 in the heat with those hills. The last mile of the run was an surreal feeling. I had turned up to this race for some high intensity training leading into Lake Placid and here I am winning the dang thing. I was jubilant! High 5'ing the crowd, whooping it up, and just taking in that moment of winning.

So here I am days away from heading north to Lake Placid NY and my thoughts are not on how to handle the bike course or run, but how excited I am to see my best friend and wife that will be home on her deployment R&R. My plans for this race are to not fight for a Kona slot (already got that) but to impress her with the size of my... quads!

See ya in LP

Fire your 6 shooters in the air cowboys because White Hot is headin' to Kona... again!

2011-05-24T15:18:00.010-04:00

So there I was in Texas when suddenly an Ironman erupted; I had no choice but to respond by swimming, biking, and running until the Ironman subsided some 140.6 miles later. There were 2.4 miles of swimming in The Woodlands warm but zero visibility lake with 2600 other contestants. I emerged from water some 58 minutes later feeling strong, clear headed, and ready to put a good Texas ass whoopin' on any of them little fellers that could out swim someone of my enormity.

With my head down and my power meter showing a smooth number of watts on the bike, those first 28 miles went smooth and quick. I was making easy work of the other age groupers and female pros heading toward a 26 mile run into destiny when the wilds of Texas decided to challenge my desire for Hawaiian success. Flat front tire coming right into an aid station stocked not only with cold water, but also young impressionable boy scouts dedicating a day to support me. I decided to withhold the use of the most time appropriate words of: MOTHER FUCKER ANOTHER FLAT FUCKING TIRE YOU'VE GOT TO FUCKING SHITTING ME... MOTHER FUCKER! With 3 minutes of controlled and relaxed motion to overcome the stress and fix the flat I stocked up with fresh cold water and was back to pushing watts to recover those lost 3 minutes to the Texas ethos. At 28mph on the flats and pushing a few more watts than would be smart for an event of this distance, I wanted my position at the pointy end of this fight back, Texas decided to again test my will to fight for victory, and also my bike handling skills by throwing one of it's local varmints in my track. Armed with razor teeth and a tenacity to fight to the death (armadillo carcass) I ran over some remnants of bone fragments containing one of the above mentioned razor sharp teeth. At speed the obstacle presented was too strong of a fighter for my front tire and commenced to cut a one inch gash into the sidewall of the tire, thereby fatally disabling the tire... and the rider's sprit! What does a cowboy in Texas do with a steed that has died on the prarie? I stayed with him hoping that by some chance of a miracle there was someway that I could revive him. Well I'll be a sum'bitch! A miracle makin' witch doctor on some fancy lookin' two wheeled contraption shows up and was able to revive my steed with a new front "shoe." Before the new tire and tube could be installed the witch doctor had to get a pair of pliers to remove the varmints razor sharp tooth now imbedded INTO the carbon fiber rim... yes the tooth cut through the rim strip and lodged itself INSIDE of the rim!!!

Trust me when I say that this fightin' cowboy nearly gave up and surrendered to the Ironman enemy. Sitting idle on the prarie with a dead horse while your fellow fighters go chargin past for 12 minutes is a hard demon to overcome. If'n this cowboy's little lady wasn't out in those Arab lands fightin' her own fight I may still be sittin' in that same prarie. Don't ever quit! But it wasn't to be, I knew the results wouldn't be what I wanted but the fight for Hawaii was still happening.

The next 90 minutes were a blur of panic and fear to make up as much time as I could all the while knowing that I am only hurting my chances of a killer run, but I just couldn't get myself under control. I lost my salt tabs in the ordeal and was forced to find ways to add sodium but was still wayyyyyy behind in electrolytes. Knowing I was behind on salt and that I was pedalling too hard my wits finally came around and I pulled the reins in chopped some power. The good ol' Heat and Humidity was starting to roll in too.

The closing miles of the pony show were fast and controlled. Official IM Split 4:58:33 Official Powertap split 4:42:43 (yes I sat on the side of the road for over 15 minutes... on a side note I am going to post my PT power data for the first time at a later point to show different stages of the ride, start, flat, too hard section, relaxed (pre cracking), controlled strong finish)
2 flats within 2 miles at mile 30 sucks! but makes a negative split possible even in strong headwinds.

Running for your life in the Texas heat and humidity becomes a balance of running from your enemies and the heat. The first 15 miles were good miles. I was doing the best that I could do to minimize heat accumulation but a rascal my size is tough to keep cool. Losing my salt on the bike and that "little" 90 minute interval was about to rear it's ugly head just like a big ol' Texas rattler. My body was cookin' and my muscles were burnin' but I was starting to get little twinges of something happening inside those powerful and rippling muscles :) I was feeling strong. My goal was to pick up the pace (heart rate) on the last lap. My legs were feeling strong, the heat was controlled, and I had stayed very controlled on the opening miles of this race. Mile 19 is a hill climb over the water. CRAMP! Every muscle in both legs flexed and vibrated with a vengeance like that rattlers tail. This cowboy was forced to hobble up and over the bridge. After they finally relaxed I was able to run again but with a very very very short and slow stride to minimize the cramping. At mile 21, two cowboys on the same journey trotted on past. I tried to respond. I had the strength and responded with them but sadly those pesky cramps won the battle and I had to let them fellers go into the horizon. Mile 24 was a repeat with two fellas running past but at that point my battle with cramps was about to be lost. It was all I could do to get one leg in front of the other without them locking up. The overall run was fairly successful though, I gained 4 spots overall in the run and was able to mozy out of Texas with my head held high (albeit hobbling), meeting new and inspirational friends, seeing old friends, a 4th place trophy, and a spot to the Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii! Run: 3:33:21

It was a great day!
Thanks and congrats to my Homestay Coach Liz
Congrats and well done to fellow Ironman finishers
Brian Brode Triboomer
Kendall the Greyhound
Rachel Little
Mike Thompson (read this story!)
Michael Simpson
Bob onehourironman Schuler
Jeff Dangle the Carrot

T. A. P. E. R!

2011-05-11T16:24:00.000-04:00

Ahh! The final "big" training day is in the books and it went quite well despite the sickness; 20 miles of "speed" on the track. Times were not where I had expected them when I wrote this session many weeks ago but I'm hoping that my 8 week ago fitness is still fast??? I'll find out in 10 days!

From this point on I still have a fairly long ride, a 90 minute run, and 3 x 1hr swims, but plenty of rest and easy living. The hardest part is cutting a huge amount of calories from my diet with the reduced training; I don't want to show up to TX a little tubby :) Manorexics don't overheat as easily as tubs of goo ----> Hungry is good!

The best news is that In n Out Burger just open yesterday in Dallas. I was going to make a side trip to Austin for some TX BBQ but now... SCREW THAT! I'm a Southern Californian that hasn't had a decent hamburger since I kicked ass in St. George Utah last year, and I have some serious cravings! I'm doin' the 10 x 10!!!

So next February I'm moving back to Napoli Italia. Huge F'ing :) And with this, I'll NOT be planning a trip to Hawaii after this October for many years, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up triathlon or Ironman racing. I am very excited to hit the Euro circuit of Ironman and more. How about a triathlon where the bike ride goes over the famed TDF Col Izoard in the Embrunman. Or how about the Alpe d'Huez triathlon? Ironman Lanzoratte, IM Switzerland, France... or how about this... a 16 mile ride to the foot of Mt. Vesuvius from my house? :)

Life is looking good!

I'm off to put my feet in the air and hang out with Teegan... Ciao!

If I'm not gonna win I'm takin' my bike and goin' home... almost

2011-05-09T20:36:00.004-04:00

It's been so long since I logged on I had to go find my password for blogger, holy shit has it been that long?

Since I last spewed forth upon the internet life has continued to move forward I see... It appears that the universe does not depend on my nonsensical ramblings to continue its infinitesimal expansion. <--- News to me!

I'm still living the high life :) while the Commander continues to explore the sands of Arabia (in camouflage and armed!). I imagine being a single parent and actually being single would be a little more exciting if I were indeed single... right? I mean, I'd be able to go out clubbing??? Be more involved in the social scene?? Have tons of casual sex with other single parents!! :) Instead I sleep alone, spend hours a week on Skype, can go 3 or more days without talking to another adult, and regularly run more miles per week than I drive. <----- Wouldn't change a thing if I had the choice.

The real story is me being a melodramatic bitch AGAIN! The past 6 weeks have not gone quite the way I would have liked for an Ironman build but I was ok with the progress I was making... until flooding, tornadoes, and the stomach flu hit. In one week of sickness, fatigue, and no training, I felt like I went backward 8 weeks. Power dropped. Run splits went up. Endurance dropped. Motivation waned. Then came the poor Ryan pity party. Once I was able to ride for more than an hour again my power and endurance were wayyyyyy ridiculously low! So low that I was ready to throw in the towel on IM Texas. I talked with the Commander and some other friends and they were all supportive and understanding but they all said I should go and use it as a really hard training day. My pity turned to bitchiness and with that came the whiny little Ryan, "I don't want to go fuck around in Texas with skin searing heat and humidity just to do it... If I can't win then I'm taking my ball and going home!" But things change, I was able to put in a decent week of training before starting a taper, and I can't turn down the opportunity to be at race speed. I'll be in Texas, but if a chick passes me on the bike I might just ride back to the car and start driving home :}

A Bucket List Item...Charcuterie?

2011-03-17T17:55:00.002-04:00

So the secret should be out by now...
Next March I'll be living about 8 miles Northeast of
Latitude: 40.821° N
Longitude: 14.426° E

:)

Onto the bucket list. I have a few. One of them being butchering my own whole hog and practicing the art of Charcuterie. I have great dreams of the glory of my own prosciutto, sausages, head cheese, ... Oh the excitement and possibilities. But sadly long distance triathlon racing doesn't mix with large amounts of pork eating. One day I'll give this racing up and I will delve into pork eating glory. I think my new favorite book is "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery"... well that and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Aurthur Lydiard has some very interesting ideas on approaching running. One of them is the Lydiard running week which is the 100 mile running week. Yup! 100 miles running. It just so happens that this is my largest running week in volume for my Ironman Texas build and my plan called for me getting "kinda" close to 100, so I thought F*^K IT! I'm doing it! I'm going 100 miles. It has been on the calender for almost 2 months with highlights reading don't be stupid to hit this, meaning don't hurt myself just to get to 100.

Today was really the marker whether I would go for it or not with a 50 mile ride followed with a 13.5 mile run. If the run was total misery and just too brutal then the week would be scrapped and tomorrow would be a long ride. Instead, I was tired but able to maintain a good pace. Sure, I couldn't accelerate or run downhill strong, but I never felt like I was in trouble. So for tomorrow I am going out 8.5 miles and then turnaround to make 17. Miles 14-17 are going to be at a hard pace and once I get back home I'll take the Commander's mini-beagle out for a 3 mile easy run to make 20. That will put me at 80 for the week.

Here's a little not so secret. Ice Baths. Sure I'm paying $3 for 30lbs of ice but I think it is worth every penny. 20 minutes sitting in ice and voila` OK not good as new but it sure does help recovery for tomorrow's run. **Men** Leave your shorts on while in the ice bath unless you want to see your penis completely suck itself up into your body cavity :) Yes I leave my shorts on because I have not interest in seeing myself resemble a 4 year old boy.

So far so good and I am 60 in with 40 to go over the next 3 days. 20 tomorrow. 13 Saturday. 7 Sunday for a total of 100... Yikes!

It's just not that important...those last .7miles

2011-03-14T18:15:00.005-04:00

I have had a couple of facebook comments today and one from the Commander, "How can you stop running at 25.5 miles? Why not just go .7 more and do a whole marathon?" She razzes me all the time that I'll ride 99.8 miles and stop. It drives her nuts that I don't go around the block to round it up to 100; although she is a bit OCD.

The pregame show: Ride 7 miles to the track. Lay my stuff out: 4 bottles of water, 1 fuel belt bottle of Rocket Fuel, A powergel, an apple, a small pack of pringles, extra shoes. I'm gonna be here awhile!

The Show: 40 x 800's @ 6 - 6:10 min/mile pace (3 -3:04 minutes) with a 1:15-1:25 200m recovery jog. 10,20,and 30 allowed extra recovery and calorie/water/rest/bathroom break.

The result:

Thoughts: Ouch! The last 5 miles hurt. Taking a longer recovery on 30 led to some cramping starting around 33 but I was able to push through by slowing down to a 6:20 -6:30 pace :) and focus of running from my core and using visualization of some great runners. I'm pretty impressed how much I was able to push through by just telling myself, "one more!" but I did take a more direct route home and made the ride "only" 5 miles.

It's been a pretty cool past 3 days. I set a new 5k (in a triathlon) PR by 2 seconds and I just nailed a huge run session that netted me almost a marathon on the track. Next month when I repeat this session (with less recovery) I'll be sure to get those .7 miles!

Another race... Done and Dusted!

2011-03-12T17:37:00.002-05:00

Wow! No soreness. No limping. No headaches, dehydration, extreme hunger, electrolyte imbalances, GI distress, sunburn, blurry vision, etc. etc. etc... Maybe sprint distance races are the way to go! Screw Ironman!

But, then again, there is no sitting at the finish line drinking beer pondering the enormity of pushing my body 140POINT6 miles for 9 hours either. <----Quandry?

Nah! I know who I am and what I need. Sprints are fun but my running needle is pegged at 5:55 minutes per mile. See how I worked in that I did set a new 5k pr in a triathlon with a 18:26 5k. But I was way out of my league with 3 ITU card holding pros at this race running 16 minute 5ks(plus the #4 ranked ITU under 21). Yowzers... that's what they said when they see that I swam and rode with them and then I couldn't get my F*&^ing foot out of my shoe at the entrance to t2 thereby giving up at least 2 seconds which could have put me in 5th. *** Note to self: ride your bike outside more than once every 8 weeks and practice the flying dismount***

So it was a great day. The swim was easy and I went faster than last year by 3 seconds per 100. The bike was alright. 25mph average without race wheels, but my first turn at speed was a hair raising experience since I don't handle many hard corners on my bike trainer. And the run, well, once I realized I was at max heart rate with 3 miles left (a 5k is 3.1miles...see the humor) I decided to not try any accelerations on anyone in front of me :)

This was a true training day and it was good to get out of the monotony of long distance crap and feel the pain of racing again. Starting Monday Ironman training resumes with a new level of pushing my body to the extreme!

7th overall is a good day.

Clue 3: °N

It's The First Race of The Year!

2011-03-09T07:25:00.004-05:00

Time to "shave and taper" right?

Well, not quite.

How about 250 miles on the bike, 45 miles running, and about 6 miles swimming to loosen things up before the race... sounds about right! This is not a priority race but I do have two objectives for Saturday: #1 Don't get lost in the pool again. #2 Run my 5k in the same or faster than last year's 18:28 (5:56 mile) even with 45 miles in my legs. I did have the fastest bike split last year but I am thinking since I haven't ridden outside in 2 months that may impede my bike handling skills, and I'll be using my powertap training wheel for data to set my training zones for the next two months leading into Ironman Texas.

Speaking of Ironman Texas, I guess I need to find lodging options... I suppose the host hotel is full???

Clue #2 .821

Here's a look into my life. This is the Commander's mini beagle, Torbjorn (I chose the name, she chose the dog) and this is her baying. So if your curious as to if a mini beagle has a mini bay... here's your answer.

Keep your yard maintenance tips to yourself... My lawn keepers start next week!

Special Statement

2011-03-03T17:47:00.006-05:00

The first race of the season is next weekend so I thought it might be a good time to get my race bike off the wall, put some new cables on it, and actually ride it. Yikes! Maybe I should have done that a little sooner than 9 days before the first race. It's a sprint so I'll only be on the bike for about 22 minutes but... I'm pretty sure I did the same thing last year???

Ironman Texas training is coming along quite nicely even without the Commander around. I looked at my training numbers from 30 days ago and there is a very nice progression indicating that this next race "might be my best yet." :)

**Special Statement**

I WILL NOT BE RACING THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN KAILUA KONA HAWAII 2012!!!!!!

I'll be busy. I will be exploring Ironman and Ironman distance racing elsewhere on the globe though.

Oh! I made the Commander some Macadamia Nut Brittle. It almost didn't make it to her because Teegan and I LOVED it. She said that it was even better than the stuff we get in Kona :) The best and the worst part... it is very easy to make...

Clue 1

40

Delusional Fears???

2011-02-27T19:32:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I know it is not like me to be all quite and shi.... But this is a big learning time for both Teegan and I. The Commander is all snuggled and nestled in her tent in the desert with camels and arabs and doing her war fighting, but Teegan and I are still here just doing our thing. We went through the period where we were overly nice to each other, polite, and caring. That transitioned into getting on each other's nerves by being all up each other's asses. Now... we're finding our groove. I'm getting the whole, "Reap what you sow" bullshit! I'm such an effective Man-Bitch that I have never asked Teegan to help with chores around the house. Now that 1/3 of the house is gone I'm wanting a little effort in household chores and I'm meeting resistance. Simple things like turning your jeans right side out before putting them in the laundry basket has me going over the deep end. Yes I know you don't have any clean laundry because you can't comply with the simple f*%king request to turn your clothes right side out... no turny right side out, no washy by daddy! I've done the laundry her whole life but I just snapped one day and now I expect her to comply after the first request!!! (she just rolls her eyes and has that look on her face like "shouldn't you be riding your bike or something?"

It's all good now!

I haven't ridden my bike outside since January 6th and I have a race coming up in 2 weeks.

What's the problem? Isn't the weather like mid 60's in coastal NC?

Why yes it is!

So what's the issue?

Well...

Ummm...

It's uhhhh...

here we go...

It's me!

I'm kind of... scared...

Wha....?????

Ok. Not scared but very leery of getting creamed by a car while out riding. All I have in NC is Teegan and all Teegan has here is me. How shitty would it be for Teegan to come home from school to an empty house with my laying in some ditch cause I just wanted to go out and ride my bike. I'm hesitant for her sake. I have my Road ID that I usually wear but it has Melissa's phone # and info on it but now that she is gone... It is just hard for me to justify being out riding a bike and taking that risk while I'm the only person Teegan has here. In the mean time I am kicking some serious ass on the trainer! To date I've made it to episode 22 of season 2 of lost. I've watched a few movies and repeated the same playlist on my ipod to near exhaustion.

Other than my delusional fears training is going AWESOME! I am putting in some good swim numbers and seeing some times approaching personal bests in training. Bike power numbers are getting bigger :) and I am running like I have never, ever, ever, run before!!! I am developing a personal relationship with my running track after a 20 mile session on the red rubber oval left me damn near unable to speak English or any other language for that fact.

Life is great! I'm excited about the upcoming race where my goal is to beat my 5k pr of (edit 18:28) (in a triathlon with the fastest bike split). I appreciate every opportunity that I am given. I am excited that we have our next set of orders... let's just say that I won't be signing up for any continental Ironmans ;) and I hope all of you are finding what you are looking for because I sure am!!!

Much sooner next time.

Here's a pic of the Commander leaving Bangor Maine bound for Camel Country. Thanks for the volunteers giving their time to thanks them for their sacrifices. Who knew I was a patriot?

Eat it! I've been busy!!

2011-02-05T19:44:00.004-05:00

One would think that I should be writing posts everyday because really, what else do I do? I have the same freakin' question! But the reality of single fathering whilst building for an Ironman leaves little extra energy and little extra motivation to put douchebaggery into words...alas, NOTHING! Oh! Don't forget to add in a midweek sickness with fever and respiratory infection into the mix!

Life is awesome! I'm sick. Dealing with 8 year old offspring with attitude. Wife is out wrestling camels or something and I've spent 14 hours riding a bicycle and have traveled less than 1/4 of an inch. <---- I'm on a trainer. In all seriousness (very rare moment for Ryan... he really must be sick because he is being nice, truthful, and referring to himself in the 3rd person) I have an extrodinary life and I appreciate every person and every moment that I have experienced. I miss my best friend and wife but I also feel excited for her to experience her calling in life... now I'm ready for mine... still waiting :)

I was familiar with Slowtwitch.com. I learned early on to steer clear. Slowtwitch = a bunch of slow assed idiots with fingers that are much faster and stronger than their triathlon abilities. Well guess what? With some extra free time to read... I ventured back onto slowtwitch and it hasn't changed a bit.

My ST thoughts:

A bunch of no talent punks thinking they all have what it takes to win... but surprisingly don't??? I've read through most of the Speed Concept Owner's Group and... they all think they are Chris Lieto! Umm Hello? It is easy to find the true you behind your handle and guess what??? None of you are within an hour of Lieto <----- Maybe it's the engine and not the bike? (gasp)

If you make a thread titled "Critique my position" You are a fucking moron! Get ready for 1000 replies from fat guys telling you: Your Seat is Too High or Your Aerobars are Not Low Enough.

There is a guy on there spouting off that he is going pro even though he has only raced 1 sprint distance race. Sure he won his AG! out of 2 in it. But all 5 of the 40+ women beat him along with a 70 year old male... I'm sure the 70y/o was a sandbagger though.

A bike fitter of Trisports (Tom Demerly) has nothing to do other than post on ST.

Jordan Rapp seems like a cool dude!

Sarcasm is funny!

I'm pretty sure my next bike (which I'm shopping for) will NOT be the Speed Concept based on my readings of ST

This past week was pretty fair in terms of training. Another week of purely trainer riding despite a day in the 70's (4 hours on the trainer with the flu... maybe not the best idea I've had but I got the work done). My track day was blown apart due to sickness but there was an appearance at the oval with 2 sub 6 minute miles along with some other speedy intervals. Swimming? Well there was some but my body just didn't want anything to do with hammering out some hard intervals.

Key Sessions:
20x 200's on 3 minutes <---supposed to be on 2:50 but my body needed the extra 10s
Track running: 400, 800, 1200, 1 mile, 1 mile, 1200, 800, 400, (key session was 2 x 1 mile sub 6, the final 800 sub 3 min, and the final 400 sub 1:25)
Bike: 60 x 1:00 min @ XXX watts (xxx watts = you're not getting my watt #'s) with 1:00 active recovery

Have a safe weekend and I will try to do my best for 3 posts this weeks

Since we last spoke

2011-01-29T18:12:00.002-05:00

It's an exciting Saturday night here in White Hotville. Pandora radio on in the background. Giggly eight year old girls watching Ramona and Beezus on the big screen tv in surround sound eating their dinner of corn dogs, tater tots, cinnamon and sugar toasted tortilla chips with fruit salsa, and raspberry and banana pink smoothies. Def Leppard rocks even with a one armed drummer! I'm sitting tired on 23 hours of training so far this week. I've taken 2 showers today, no swimming, and I still smell like chlorine. Today was the most domesticated day I've had in a long time: laundry, cleaning, dinner for the girls, washed both dogs, grocery shopping, and to fulfill my triathleteness, 3.5 hours on the bike trainer (in 2 different sessions) with high powered intervals.

This week's key sessions: 24x800's on the track running
10x400's sprinting the 300 and 10 x 50 on 40s max swimming
50 x 1 min max (almost max power) with 1 min recovery alternate sitting/standing cycling

I think I've gone the whole week without speaking to an adult???

Oh, and since we last spoke, my wife has left me for a dark and handsome man on a camel. Apparently a ghastly white, freckled, Irish dude on a bike doesn't do it for her...anymore. ;-)

Ironman Texas build in full effect!

My goodbye letter to my best freind...See you in 9 months

2011-01-23T11:03:00.004-05:00

Being where we live the significance of what you are about to do may not seem as heroic, but in our world very few people are willing to stand up and make a sacrifice of themselves for the benefit of others. You are leaving us to protect Americans from its aggressors. You are providing love and care to those giving their lives for Teegan and I. You are showing the impoverished, enslaved, and abused women of the world that women are strong and can hold positions of power and authority. We will miss every second that you are gone! Do your job safely. Think of us all the time. Make us proud.

Love,

Your Family

Speechless...for once

2011-01-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

On Sunday the Commander deploys to the Middle East. God Speed to my WIFE!

Time to spill the ... camel juice

2010-12-29T07:17:00.003-05:00

Training is going awesome and I'm staying injury free but this isn't about training...this time.

It's time to let the camel out of the bag and give the news so to speak.

Next month the US Navy is giving the Commander and extended sight seeing trip somewhere sandy, dry, and arab... with a slight musk of camel. To her, it's her duty and her job. But to me the drama queen... OMG WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH TEEGAN! :-)

Enough for now.

Have a safe New Year's Celebration

Track Tuesday for Ironman Texas

2010-12-15T20:10:00.002-05:00

So the video is goofball, but people like videos!

What to expect?

Well, a bunch of people looking at a video thinking, "I can run faster than that."

Ummm, so can I. But this is after 7 miles (starting 8th) at 5:50 - 6 minute miles, on the track, in the wind, and sweat freezing cold.

The workout was 16 x 800 meters run on 3:00 minutes with a 200 m jog @ 1:30 minute recovery... then BANG! Do it again. The wind presented an issue with even pacing. The first few were slower than expected because I wasn't making up the "lost" time running faster on the downwind leg of the track. I figured it out after #2 and had to change my stride to more of a hill climb during the headwind section. Either way it was cold, windy, and a very successful training run.

The eventual goal (late Feb, early March) is 40 x 800's on 3 minutes. Yes that is 20 miles on the track <------ Insert gun shot noise there! This is more of a boring workout than an all out anaerobic session. The last few intervals the difficulty increases, but I am still not approaching "maxed out;" I left the track feeling like I could keep going at that pace for several more intervals. This is part of my master (part 3) plan to find my body's ideal training pattern. Part 1 was lot of long, long, distance training (good results). Part 2 was short - medium distance but faster more power training (good results but plateaued out to do burnout both physically and mentally (learned recovery is very, very, important.) Part 3 is in effect which is to get my body to a specific distance (and pace), hold it as a base until race taper, and as the race approaches add more race specific training at race pace/power... It works in my mind and on my planner. <--- The past has been start at point 0 and build, whereas now I am going to build, hold it, but add more power/speed onto the base. Huh?

Enjoy the video!

Forget P90x... This will wear you OUT

2010-12-13T07:28:00.001-05:00

In lieu of this week's track intervals

Thumbs to yourself... Double Dream Hands!

Time

2010-12-09T16:06:00.003-05:00

There are a few things in life that make me slow down and appreciate my life and for some reason Pachelbel's Canon is one of them (any guesses on the other ones?).

I had just nailed a good swim session and was feeling pumped and manly... well as manly as a tall goofy lookin' no upper body muscled man with no body hair can look standing wet and naked in a locker room with about 25 Marines just finishing a combat swimming course can feel. I stopped at the commissary to pick up a few things when Pachelbel's Canon Christmas Ensemble came across the sound system. I went from reading the list of preservatives in the jar of Mint Sauce with Egyptian Mint Leaves in my over-hyped Ironman Douchebag swagger (sarcasm??) to stopping. Reflecting. Smiling. I got all warm and fuzzy feeling which doesn't happen often.

So then I went and bought a bottle of Grappa and wished Teegan was old enough to have a few shots with me... Too bad, more for me!

Slow down every now and then and take time to tell the ones that you love... That you love them!

After this my next post really needs to be over the top douchebag!

The Familiar Flavor of Training

2010-11-29T19:13:00.006-05:00

For the first time since October 9th I have made my special 1000 calorie bottle of nuun, salt, and sugar in prep for tomorrow's training. I have missed that taste of a mildly flavored, salty, sugary syrup, my long runs and medium long rides have been fueled by powerbar gels. (the 1000 calories will last the entire week... not just 1 track session)

Trapped in my own LA LA Land whilst making my special brew I laughed to myself and wondered how many people in the world are like me? Not some over hyped douchebag stirring sugar into a pot ... but like ME? Curious? Lost? Focused? Searching? Willing?

I don't get my kicks from reality tv. I mean I have... I used to maybe. Something switched to where I got tired of seeing. I wanted to be the "do"er and not the watcher. I chose Ironman. Jeez! Now after 4 years I'm thinking maybe should have taken up foos ball or short course ping pong; something more compatible to my large frame. But my choice has been made and for the past 4 years, now I am the "do"er and I'm ready for my best year yet of Ironman racing.

Back to are others like me, I have to say Yes. I think we all asked that same question, "Can I do that?" We toed the line that first time not knowing what to expect. You can do the distances in training but on that game day things change. And when they do, or that wall hits and we get into that dark place... isn't that really where we wanted to be? Really! Who wants to suffer or hit the wall? No one? WE DO!! I DO!!! We know going in that the road is tough and we won't come through the other side pain free. That's why we are here! I'm haunted (drama queen) going into this year of training. I never got my "suffering" in Hawaii. I bitched out after that second flat and decided to call it quits. The second that thought entered my mind any chance of taking myself to that dark place that I needed to go ended... and so did the reason I got into Ironman in the first place; discovery. I still can't believe how close to quitting I came. Well, I actually quit but only went through the motions of the marathon without the "discovery" (really I mean suffering) part. So...

Part III of a new training system has begun. New workouts, new styles, new speeds, new focus, new suffering.

Congrats to all the recent Ironman finishers and to a friend Adam Puerta for finishing Ultraman Hawaii (and Ultraman Canada this year too).

This week's key training plans include:

40 x 50m on 50s in the pool

12 x 800's with 200 jog recovery on the track

35 x 1:00 power intervals with equal recovery

The intensity returns.

Gobble Gobble... 25 weeks until Ironman Texas

2010-11-24T06:51:00.005-05:00

It is tough to think Ironman training when I've been stuck in the kitchen for what seems like days just prepping for Thanksgiving. But Ironman waits for no turkey so training must continue... well... start and then continue.

I've decided that I don't like swimming!

When the pool temp is 72 degrees... or colder!

I walked onto the pool deck. The pool was EMPTY. I asked the lifeguard, "What's up... where is everybody?"

Pool is cold.

Like 70 degree cold but suspiciously the thermometer that is normally tied to the ladder was gone. I really wanted to do the dip the toe test, but was afraid that would send me over the edge of going home. I stood there trying to talk myself into it... talking... c'mon Ryan... Do your Job!!! I think I talked to the lifeguard more in those 5 minutes than I have in the year and a half I've swam there.

Jump!

Hit the water!

Scream like a little girl!

Off to the pool. I called and was informed the pool is back to 76. I'll find out soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wanna see my Sausage

2010-11-09T20:45:00.011-05:00

Wow! How many times have I said that to someone?

This is coming a week late. I got the crap knocked out of me by some little dude named Streptococcus bacteria who decided to take a vacation inside my body. Strep... meet Amoxicillin. Yikes! FYI- Strep Throat Sucks!!

Anyway, back to my sausage. I thought I would give a little insight into my world that doesn't include Ironman douchebaggery.

I'm a snooty domestic diva. I may not have bags full of money to burn but at different times of the year I have it's equivalent: Time. Having some free time allows me to experiment with a multitude of things that I enjoy, cooking being one of them. Examples: I make almost every meal we eat, I will see something on TV or magazine and make it just to see if it tastes as good as it looks, I refuse to buy bread until after 2012, and now... I grind my own meats!!!!!

First attempt is an Applewood smoked pork and jalapeno sausage wrapped in corn husks. Easy stuff.

Jalapenos, garlic, red bell peppers, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, allspice, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken stock, sugar

Combine above with 5 pounds of ground bone in (remove first) pork shoulder or butt

Roll into corn husks

Tie

Here comes the tricky part. I make my own indoor smoker using a roasting pan and rack. I line the entire pan with aluminum foil first to make easier clean up. Then cover the bottom of the pan with preferred smoking wood... no the leg of your coffee table will not suffice. Place the material to be smoked: ribs, brisket, lamb, goat, salmon, neighbor's cat, onto rack and seal the entire package up with more foil.

Preheat the oven and while that is happening, turn a stove top burner on high heat. When glowing red place the roasting pan on top of the burner for 3-4 minutes which creates the smoke. Place into the oven. Eevery hour repeat the stove top burner action for 3-4 minutes to make more smoke.

3 hours later @ 250 degrees

Meanwhile, remember how I said that I wouldn't buy bread until after 2012??? Well when I spouted off about that I forgot that I have an 8 year old kid that likes to make sandwiches... out of bread. DOH!!

Guess who went on the hunt to find out how to make the equivalent of a soft white WonderBread? Umm, yep... Me!

It took a couple (50 pounds) of flour until a good soft white sandwich bread passed her majesty's approval, and now no bread will be bought in THIS HOUSE. Vacations are an exception to the rule. Anyone needing a recipe just email me.

Back into it slowly for Ironman Texas

2010-11-08T14:37:00.003-05:00

The one week diet was a nice introduction back into training. The results from the 6 day calorie reduction was -------> 6lbs. More than weight loss though, it was more of a confirmation that it is ok to feel hungry and to start watching what I eat again.

It is official. I'm back in the saddle again. Biking/Running/Weights. Swimming starts next week and I'm not too excited about it. It has been nice not lugging my crap to the pool 4 -5 days a week, getting naked with strangers, swimming, and then getting naked with strangers again; feeling cold, smelling like chlorine, dry skin,...... "Shut up bitch and swim"

Everything starts slow. It's hard to believe just 6 weeks ago I was out running X miles at X pace and now I'm struggling to reach half the distance and slower. This year in my training plan I have highlighted to keep the early training easy and controlled. No INJURIES returning to running this year!!!!!!

Intensity is the key phrase this year's training plan. Train harder and smarter, while not necessarily longer. I got burned out in the middle of the summer and fell into the long distance training void that plagues the self coached athlete... I was focusing on the distance and not intensity, miles and miles and miles but no speed or big efforts. So this year I'm running a minimum of 4 focused runs per week: Track Session, Treadmill Hills (no hills nearby), Mile repeats and/or hard tempos, and a long run. It is on the books so it is happening!!!!!

My favorite training run (it took a while to learn to like it) from last season was 7 minute mile repeats. Every 7 minutes... a new mile starts. It behooved me to run fast so I could stop, even if just for 10 seconds. I made it up to 8x7min miles from the end of July to mid September. Today I did 3 and Yikes...that is going to leave a mark!

That was mine. What's yours? Favorite run workout or treadmill workout?

Awesome Job to all the IMFL Finishers... I loved your SHOW!

The single greatest one day test of endurance... The Ironman

2010-11-05T13:55:00.002-04:00

Ironman Florida is tomorrow. I've got Daddy Daycare Duties so I will most likely spend a large majority of the day watching online. Ironman Florida holds a very special place in my cold black heart. It was there, sitting on front beach road in Panama City Beach watching runners plod by in the cool darkness, that the draw of Ironman came to me. I trained for a year. I came off the bike in 5 hours. Made it to mile 5 of the marathon and then OH MY GOD MY ASS AND STOMACH ARE EXPLODING AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!

I know the exact spot the literal explosion happened; the following spring at the Gulf Coast Half I think I saw a pothole where my vomit hit the blacktop with extreme force. I made it to mile 5 in 40 minutes. My marathon split that day was 6:30:00. Yep! It took 5 hours and 50 minutes to go 21 miles. Squeezing my ass cheeks together to keep fecal matter from blowing out explosively really slowed me down ;-)

Why love IM Florida after a disastrous showing?

I was on track to finish my first Ironman in 10 hours or under. That would have been a success. But instead I failed, I finished but consider the race an EPIC FAIL. If I had succeeded at my first IM, I would have been done with the sport. Just another box checked off the list of life. Instead... Ironman has changed my life!

Good Luck and Have a safe day to all the racers!

P.S. Diet Day 4 is going great.

Day 3... is that GANACHE?

2010-11-04T14:48:00.004-04:00

Today's Grocery shopping list:

6 pints of Heavy Whipping Cream

32 oz of Bittersweet Chocolate

Raspberry Jam

2 pints of Raspberries

Ha!

"He Cracked!" you are saying with a small amount of glee. He couldn't handle the diet... he is weak..., "I knew it."

Relax haters. I didn't crack, quit, or even ponder it (ie: Hawaii). No. I promised a friend I would make a dessert for finishing the Marine Corp Marathon, so I'm holding my end of the deal with a Chocolate-Raspberry layered cake covered in a raspberry ganache topping. Mmmm!

How can I make such a decadent cake while on a diet? Easy. It's a job. If I were being paid to make the cake I wouldn't eat any of it... right? Usually though when I make something like this, another magically appears... opps I accidentally made another. (not this time though)

Today's key points for the diet success:

Protein. Lots of it. It helps to prolong the feeling of being satiated making it easier to reach the next "caloric intake" station <------ Tri Dork Speak for next meal. Another key point making this event a no-brainer exercise is having each meal pre planned (on paper) with a corresponding time. No thinking necessary!

Have a great day!

Diet Day 2

2010-11-03T14:58:00.004-04:00

Starting weight 225 POUNDS

I don't feel that big but DAMN that is a lot of weight to carry around... and run with!

I did great yesterday with about 1400 calories. Not a lot but then again... I'm not doing too much. Today is just a repeat of yesterday with just a different menu. I have a whole weeks worth of eating planned out on paper so if it isn't listed, I don't eat it. I also have each meal planned to a corresponding time that makes it easier to deal with any hunger issues I may incur. It is much easier in my mind to tell myself I can eat again in X hours than it is to just be hungry.

Just another phase of training!

I know it has only been two days but I really like my breakfast pancakes so I want to share the recipe. It has carbs, protein, and it is even a little sweet. It fueled me up enough for yesterday's 8 mile run and today's 45 mile bike ride. I can tell it has a lot of protein because I'm not finishing the training session and heading straight to the fridge for food... which may be why I'm 225lbs???

White Hot's Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

In a blender add:

1 egg + 3 egg whites

2 packets of splenda

1/2 cup of quaker oats

1/4 cup of pumpkin (canned)

1 tsp of vanilla

Puree

Pour into Med Heat nonstick ~ 3mins flip ~ 3mins EAT!

makes 2 pancakes

Recipe sharing is encouraged

22 Almonds for me...Fatty

2010-11-02T15:14:00.004-04:00

The other day in one of my post Ironman eating binges I started wondering what do I have to do to get faster for next season. Beer after beer, sandwich after sandwich, snack after snack it came to me... RUN FASTER!

See, it's easy. Just run faster.

Then I took my crumb covered hand and started flipping through my training log and it looks like the effort was put in but the run times just sort of plateaued. I was mostly trying to run faster but the times just weren't improving. Arghh, more jelly and nutella dripped in my training log.

In between donuts I was able to see an old section of my logbook that had a mystery column. I had to dust off old dust and cobwebs, it actually turned out to be powdered sugar and cotton candy, to revel my daily weight. I haven't logged my weight in quite a while. Since the build up to Utah. Hmmph, must not have been that important. I wonder how much I weigh now?

Find the scale. Dust it off too. HOLY MUTHA *#&@*#&#$&$&#(@&*(*(&$#(*@^^!*##(!&(#)#

That CAN'T be right!

So guess what? The scale wasn't broken and my big ass is on a diet. :-(

It has been planned since the build up to Hawaii. I just couldn't get below 200. I was 205 for Utah and then got a wee bit larger during the summer, and weighed in at a slim 215 for Hawaii.

I have my menu planned with exact meals and times to make the process easy. If it is not eating time... don't eat. See? Easy.

I have 22 almonds in a bowl waiting for 4:30pm to be eaten as my afternoon snack.

Ironman Texas training (phase 1 to get under 200 lbs) has begun!

****The PowerBar number for the $25 worth of coupons was (my goal weight) 190. Steve was the closest without going over the actual number. Steve, send me an email with your info and they will be in the mail.***

Ironman World Chamionship 2010: It's Over So Get on With It

2010-10-27T15:59:00.005-04:00

Was race morning a premonition?

In what may be a first, I went to Melissa and told her I was nervous!

What??

White Hot Nervous??

Say it can't be!

There are always pre-race jitters, but this was different. I thought the nervousness was coming from anticipation of the pain I was willing to put myself into on the path of reaching a 3:15 Ironman marathon; now I know it was a test of my flat fixing capabilities.

The race.

I'm glad it is over so I can get back to life... but I can't wait to start training again because I made a breakthrough late in the build up to Kona that really added some run speed and endurance. I'll be back stronger in 2011.

The real winner of the day was Melissa. Smacking me in the ass and telling me to "RUN BITCH" was the reality check that I needed to knock me out of my little pity party I was having for myself in celebration of 2 flat tires, and get on with the business of running to the finish of the IM World Champs. I can't believe how close I was to quitting; Hawaii is a course they pull you from, not one that you just walk off. That was a huge moment of weakness on my part.

I VOW TO NEVER QUIT (again)!

Although I didn't officially quit, I mentally quit the race at mile 80 on the Queen K Hwy. In hindsight... I should have regrouped, realized the "race" was over, but the racing wasn't. I really wanted a 3:15 run. I had it in me to run that fast in the heat so I should have made sure everything was "topped" up and prepped myself to race myself and get that time. But sadly I wanted to wimper and cry poor me... Next time! That is my biggest failure of the day not getting my 3:15.

My next endeavor is a winter marathon to get under 3 hours. I need the run speed training, I'm not getting younger, and I only have a short window that I can put that much focus on the run before the big cycling build to claim my Kona spot at IM Texas. Myrtle Beach in Feb??? Maybe something sooner or closer? Who knows? I'm back to running and cycling; pool sessions start soon. I NEED to slim down to under 200lbs!!! I can't lose weight while in big blocks of training so the weight loss needs to begin now before the stupid long training begins; weight loss during the holidays... no problem ;-)

In summary. I was prepped for an awesome race. I had unforeseen issues and didn't respond the way that I would have hoped to have responded. Normal Ryan says, "do what you need to and get back to your job" while racing Ryan says "Have a Melt Down and act like A Drama Queen." That was the most disappointing part of having two flat tires... not losing the race but losing the composure!

Tell me your weakest triathlon/marathon moment along with a number between 1 and 1000 and I'll send you $25 worth of Powerbar coupons. The number has already been preselected.

I raced the Ironman World Championship and didn't win the damned thing... and here's why. Part 2

2010-10-18T20:50:00.010-04:00

Let's see. Where did we leave off? Oh, that's right. White Hot crying on the Queen K Hwy like a whiney little Bitch... again!

This isn't superhero stuff. I'm not gathering the courage to run into a burning building. No. I'm a dude on a bike that got two flat tires. Get with it, pull your big boy speedo back up, fix your freakin' flat, get back on the bike and get back to Kona... Oh! And stop cryin' you big bitch!

The second flat wasn't the end of the world, end of the day, or end of the experience. It was the point however, in which my desire to push myself to the point of hurting ended. No "hurtbox" for me today :-(

The RACING IS OVER!

With my bike computer off <----- OFF! I just kept my head down and pedalled home. I took every water bottle that was offered at the aid stations (4). I slowed down and even said thanks to the volunteers.

After the 2nd flat... NOT HAPPY!!

Back in Kona I handed my bike off and walked through transition. Everyone, including the volunteers, were in a hurry except for me. I just walked, smiled, and said thanks. Inside the tent I sat, changed, and drank my 1 liter bottle of water... all part of the original plan.

Leaving transition.

How many training sessions have I visualized myself starting the marathon from this exact point... The Banyan Tree, Running uphill immediately on Palani Dr, Turning Right on Kuakini Hwy, The Crowds, The Noise! Here I am living my dream and... I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!!! I want OUT! I DON'T want to run a marathon today. My race is OVER and I am not Happy! I turned right on Kuakini and Stopped! I looked for Melissa and didn't see her. I walked back and looked down Palani and didn't see her. I just stood on the corner of Kuakini and Palani watching everyone cheering and watching people run past me not giving a shit!

At some point I started running with full intentions of walking off the course. I didn't come here to get a medal. I came here to race and if I'm not racing then screw it... I'm done! I was in turmoil with myself for a mile. In my mind I'm screaming at how weak I'm being. I'm not a quitter. Appreciate the opportunity to be HERE!!!! I was having a breakdown inside with thousands of people watching... and all they did was cheer.

I'm quitting---You can't quit---I'm quitting---you can't quit---I'm quitting---you can't quit.

That first mile was nothing but turmoil and confusion. Finally, I saw Melissa and Teegan on the sea wall in front of Lava Java and all the emotion comes out. I cried like a big ass baby on her shoulder telling her how my race is over. Boo Freakin' Hoo, I don't want to run, I don't want the pain, I don't want the heat, my bike split sucked, over and over and over.

She did want any loving Ironman wife would do... She kissed me, she hugged me, she said I rode 5:07 (shitty right??? :-) with 2 flats) quit crying, you're not quitting, then...

Pushed me away, smacked me in the ass, and said, "Go run BITCH!"

What hurts more??? She pushed me away or that she called me a bitch... while I was crying?

So I ran.

I didn't run fast.

I didn't run hard.

I just ran. No GPS. No Heart Rate Monitor. Just ran.

Every aid station I grabbed sponges, ice, and water. I had no desire to hurt and wasn't in any hurry... I just ran. About mile 5 is when the pity party ended. I passed a few people and got passed a few times but I wasn't racing. I was actually starting to enjoy the view... the spectacle of Ironman Hawaii. When I got back to Melissa I stopped and thanked her and kissed her for not letting me quit and gave Teegan a kiss and a high 5 for being there and being a cool kid. I went off running and said I'll see you in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Nothing happened between there and the turn around at the energy lab (mile 18). If I felt good I ran and when I got hot I slowed down. I took everything I could at the aid stations to keep the experience enjoyable and said Thank You to every volunteer I passed. The last 8 miles back to the finish line I ran 7:25's with no pain, effort, or discomfort.

Nothing beats the last mile to the finish. It is a wall of screaming and cowbell ringing people lining Ali'i Dr. Forget the flats. Forget the disappointment. Forget the race. The last mile of this day was in reflection of everyone's sacrifice to get me to this point and understanding how fortunate I was to be a participant. This was just another day in my AWESOME LIFE! I come off as a snobby dick sometimes ;-) but I am truly thankful for everyone in my life!

Swim 1:02.xx

T1 2:15

Bike 5:07.xx

T2 4:30

Run 3:25:20

Total 9:42.24

Goal Time:

Swim 1:01:00

Bike 4:45:00

Run 3:20:00

Total 9:15:00 (I was shooting for top 10 AG) <----- Next Year Even Faster!

Next Episode of I raced the Ironman World Championship and didn't win the damned thing Part 3... Reflections and Random Thoughts

I raced the Ironman World Championship and didn't win the damned thing... and here's why. Part 1

2010-10-18T19:15:00.016-04:00

Teegan and White Hot. She swam to the Coffee's of Hawaii boat and was awarded youngest (8) swimmer.

I had a fantastic swim.

I was nervous as hell... yes a first time... maybe an epiphany?

After last year's 2.4 mile,1 round MMA match, I learned where I don't want to line up for the start and and made quite sure not to be there. In fact, I was about as far left as one could be and still be considered entered into the race.

I made several recognizance swims prior to the start to try and determine how much time I will add by lining up soooo faaaaarrrr left, and figured about a minute. I'm good with adding a minute to my swim time if that means I can have some open water and not get a prostate exam and a reach around all at the same time... by different people at that.

No swim skin for me this year either. $300 for what a shave down will get you is not worth it in my book. Old Blue Seventy Point Zero 3... fast. New legal version... not so fast.

Anyway, the swim was great. I only ended up in the melee' a couple of times and was able to navigate my way clear. I even put on a surge to catch a small group I had been following for several hundred meters.

Then I started zig-zagging. I think I was maybe a little too complacent in my comfort because several times I found myself looking down at the coral and the fishies and forgot about the little race thing.

I came out of the water 1 minute slower than last year at 1:02 but was completely in control and had not been frazzled and forced into the red zone like the previous year.

A quick 2 minute transition of sunscreen and cycling top and I'm off on the bike.

The first 15 miles of the bike course is total congestion. EVERYBODY is fast in the water so there are tons of people out early on the bike. Last year I felt way freakin' behind because there were bikes everywhere. I went so hard the first 15 miles that I was tired at the point I should have started pushing.

2010: Don't push too hard too early. I was strong and steady and quickly making my way past the faster swimmers on the bike. I carried enough water for the first 25 miles so I could avoid the dangers of the first aid station at mile 15.

I had just cleared a huge group and caught 3 other men that were working hard and legal... we had our own draft marshall. Here comes the first aid station, everyone goes right to grab water while I go left to aviod the danger.

Green Flashes on the asphalt... SHIT!... means one thing... Glass!

FU&K! Just what I need is to run over glass. Just relax, you hit glass all the time and nothing happens. I pass the airport and start on the final climb, my race is getting ready to start. My HR is low, my legs feel great, there are some other fast cyclists around to help keep me focused... thumpa thumpa thumpa.

It took 5 miles but the glass made its way to the tube ------> Flat Tire! Mutha *&^% NOOOOO!

I pull over. Release the brakes. Release the quick release for the rim. Pull the wheel off and examine the tire for glass multiple times. Shit! Where is it? No point of fixing a flat without finding the source... right? I spent agonizing minutes on the side of the road listening to the "whoosh" of all those that I have passed, re pass me as I stand there. I find a small patch of small cuts in my brand new tire but can"t see the glass. I pull out the can of Vittoria fix a flat, shake it, and fill the tire. Immediately tire sealant starts to ooze through the gash in the tire where the fatal cut was made. Now I'm really nervous because I have never used this stuff and not sure it is going to work. I just kept the nozzle depressed onto the tire until... it went flat again or stopped oozing. Now I'm frustrated because I could change the tube faster than what I think this is taking. Eventually the tire stops oozing but it's not as firm as I would like it, so I sacrifice one of my two CO2 cartriges to top off the tire.

Tire fixed, total stopped time... 6:18

Back on the bike and pedalling nervously. Should I go "overly" hard and try to get my spot back and hold on... or stick to the plan???

I chose to stick to the plan and just ride smartly to Hawi(60mile) and set myself up for afterburner mode(80miles).

Look, here comes Chris Lieto and Maik Twelsik. Why are they riding their bikes leaning at a 45 degree angle? On the way to Hawi if you look to your left and the ocean is covered in white caps... hold on because the trade winds are howling! The last 5 miles of the ride up to Hawi were spent in my 44 x 21 gear @ around 12 mph. The winds were on :-)

Melissa and I had talked the night before how I want the winds to be absolutly howling. The windier... the better. I loved this. Every pass I made while grinding into the headwind made me stronger. I was giddy laughing at how much windier could it get... my race plan was coming together, of course with the exception of that little flat episode earlier.

I turned the corner at Hawi and was cruising 35mph on the flats with the now tailwind. Bombing downhill 10 miles with sidegusts blowing me from the center of the road almost to the shoulder. I had finally made it back to a strong spot of the race as I recognized some of the riders passed just before my flat. All was good???

Mile 80. The turn back onto the Queen K hwy. 32 miles left on the bike. My favorite launching point of the bike... the race never really begins until mile 80 of the bike, especially in Hawaii with those final 32 miles usually into a headwind. It was "go" time. I had prepped myself to stay in control up to here but now it was time to fly! It's going to hurt Ryan... but this is what you do... THIS IS HOW YOU TRAINED! Those first few hill were out of the saddle climbs. The carnage was happening around me. Those that went too hard were about to be passed by White Hot! Right at the top of Kawaihae there was a large group of supporters cheering loudly. But the cowbells and the screams were masking something. Something is not right! My bike feels...off! I make the right turn onto the Queen K Hwy and ...

There goes any possibility of the top 10

My race is OVER!!!!!

2nd flat tire!

I cried once again on the Queen K Hwy!

Part II coming but be warned. There is Crying into my wife's shoulder at the 1.5 mile mark of the marathon. White Hot is quitting the IM World Champs.

Where is this going?

2010-09-09T16:04:00.005-04:00

This blog.

A story of me? Or, what I want you to think of me?

It was my entry into the world of Ironman. I logged in and I read blog after blog and learned the personalities of the people writing about their lives living with Ironman. I experienced the successes and failures of total strangers that I would call friends from just reading their pages. I wanted that too... sort of?

I was just an "ordinary" person looking for an extraordinary journey. I was already married and with a child so it's not like I could just disappear for a year on a sailing trip through the Southern Ocean searching for something that is probably not even possible. Nope! Just "ordinary."

Then, a friend prompted me to go to Panama City and watch the Ironman... blah blah blah... and looky here it turns out that I have a knack for long distance triathlon racing and I am ranked one of the top age group athletes by USAT. <------ I wonder if they have the right Ryan Barnett? All American by the way :-)

So I thought about the writing with a touchy-feely type approach... and well... that's just not me. No I'm not fuckin' with you... I'm not a real touchy feely person unless your name is Teegan or Melissa. Plus, it's not in my personality to be whiney and harp on my failures; I'd rather talk about how great I am and how much ass I'm gonna' kick at my next event.

I went with the over-the-top, wierd, metrosexual, edging the border of man love(ism), role reversal stay at home "mom" where I make the breakfasts, lunches, dinners/ shopping/ cooking/ cleaning/ laundry/ classroom "mommy"/ play dates/ recipe exchanges/ Officers Wive's Club/ Volunteering/ Teaching/ and just in General... searching, type of writing.

I have been offered by many different companies to "test" and "review" their products and at the time that wasn't me either... although now I wish I would have accepted; so if your listening send me your stuff.

Where to now?

Melissa is blessed (not just because she has a servant...errrr... Man-Ho) in that she has always known what she wants to do/be, and she is living it. I on the other hand am her complete opposite. I'm the wanderer. Possibly unstable. Always searching. Always! I can't wait until the end just to see what I was going to do. I like to think I have tried it all... legal or otherwise. I was uneducated but now I am highly educated. I drank and smoke and now I barely do the latter. Drugs... can't remember. Highly traveled... still love that. Single with no commitments and now... well there's always the dream <------- Just kidding Melissa, you know I would be a vagrant without you!

Get on with this shit Ryan because you are skirting the edge of Touchy-feely... you freak bastard! With the exception of living my life with my two girls the only thing in my life that I have had this much focus, interest, desire, (enter any number of appropriate adjectives HERE) is .... Jeez! You could see TRIATHLON coming a mile away!

So with that I think I might have found a focus for this blog besides pics of me in an artificially stuffed, overly tight, bun hugging, white speedo... I will offer... for now... pointers and advice based on what I have learned and practiced; things I think work, nutrition tips, bike fitting advice, run tips etc... Eventually leading to a full fledged Coaching Service with the new site upcoming early next year.

How am I qualified? Ha! Well. That is a really good question.

I am a certified USA Swimming Coach.

I will be a certified USA Triathlon Coach starting next year.

I will be a certified (yet to be determined style) bike fitter.

I have every training session I have ever attempted logged.

I have a biochemistry background and I use this to understand the chemical and physiological demands of the body under stress (I have only sharted once in a race and that was my very first Ironman)

I have gone from slow to not slow using trial and error.

I want to learn EVERYTHING!

So that's it.

Triathlon has made a huge impact on my life. I love it. I love the lifestyle and mostly the people too (every aspect of life has it's douchebags). I love the challenge that it gives me against me; the feelings of accomplishment with each training session and race. And YES, I LOVE THE PEOPLE I HAVE MET IN TRIATHLON... which probably means you too.

For my first foray into this "new" world... (you can always send questions)

Push your cleats back and your Saddle is probably too low. (coming soon)

Train Safe!

Ryan

New Friends: K Swiss and Powerbar Team Elite

2010-08-12T10:49:00.008-04:00

What's the first thing you think of when I say triathlete?

Shaved legs

Self Obsessed

Poser

Poor bike handling skills

Squeaky chain

Swim / bike / run

Ironman

Chlorine

Gels

Caffeine

Yes those would be many of the correct answers. But how about the obsessive desire to pour liquids over our heads while running? Face it... if you are a triathlete you have poured something over your head running: water, RED gatorade, coke, if you have raced an Ironman recently Powerbar's Ironman Perform. I have even poured pretzels over my head at mile 25 of an Ironman thinking it was water.

After a few aid stations of pouring water over yourself, what happens?

Wet, Sloshing, Blister causing shoes!

Why doesn't a shoe company design a running shoe with our water dumping tendencies in mind... (foreshadowing)

They do!

K Swiss K-Ona's

10... Count them. 10 water channels on the bottom of the shoe to drain any excess liquids out. If you include the amount of air vents in the Flow Cool System and the light meshy material the shoe is made, they WILL NOT become sloshy and heavy in the later stages of the marathon.

I like these shoes enough to have completely made the change. Since May, these are my shoes and I will be racing in the FORD IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in a pair just like these.

K Swiss has become a huge sponsor of Ironman. They have designed a shoe with us in mind... and they offered me a spot on their K Fast Team (anyone else think it's funny a running shoe company wants me when I should really be sponsored by a bike maker -----> 3 top 10 (overall) bike splits in an Ironman and 2 fastest (overall) in Half Ironmans) anyway rant over. They have a huge line of running shoes to fit anyone's needs. Give them a shot.

Thanks K Swiss and I'll try to run a little faster.

Road Trip Result... Another Ironman... Crikey!

2010-08-11T07:22:00.005-04:00

Holy smokes! It has been a month??

Really?

So in case I haven't mentioned it... I am in training for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Kona Hawaii. Ha! <----- Who let the douche bag in?

More so, I'm really looking forward to my post Ironman vacation in Maui and my long ride (post ironman this should be fun) from sea level to the top of Haleakala at 10,000 ft. Hello! Large people + Altitude = suffering. Did I learn nothing from St. George Utah?

ROAD TRIP results.

Well, nobody wanted to join me on a 13 hour (one way) road trip from Camp Lejeune NC to Lake Placid NY. NOBODY! So I went by myself.

I spent the weekend with Coach Mary Eggers and her Train This Coaching and racing team. Just before arriving in Lake Placid (out in the middle of NOWHERE) I called Mary, well at least the number that she emailed me that actually included letters and symbols. Big surprise - any phone number that includes letters or randomly spaced shapes is probably not going to be functional. Thanks Mary! Imagine my surprise to pull into Lake Placid and who do I see running on the side of the road, Mary Eggers. I scold her about the phone number and she makes fun of me and my little rental car and the weekend of debauchery begins.

Saturday was a course recon day. Swim the lake, bike the course and ... bike the run course (I ran earlier in the day with the eventual woman's winner Amy Marsh).

Maik Twelsiek (Lake Placid winner and Team Commerzbank Pro) and I stood NAKED next to each other in a public bathroom. Oh? What? You want to know MORE? We even discussed length... that's right. How many FEET per meter. Yep! METER!!!! Meters actually. We casually chatted about Germany, beer, girls, Kona, the pressures of racing wearing #1, St. George Utah, altitude training, and just life in general. Very nice guy even if he did have "wandering eyes." Hey buddy, my eyes are up here! HA!

Stress free Ironman watching: Coffee and Half a Fresh Cinnamon Raisin Boule... now that's the way

I watched my first full Ironman from start to finish. Wow! Talk about energy at the start. I always in the race so I expect to be pumped but the amount of enthusiasm in the crowd was AWESOME! I made my way around with Mary and her posse to several points on the course (she runs a training camp for Lake Placid by the way) and then set up a tent on the run course and watched the carnage unfold.

Yes I was total Douche mode with my IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP shirt and compression socks...

It was a great experience. Meet new people, make new friends, check out the course, and .....

Sign up for Ironman Lake Placid 2011. Yikes again. So that makes Ironman Texas at the end of May and now another at the end of July. Add Hawaii cuz I'm going back and beating Lance! 3 Ironmans in 5 months. That should satisfy the craving.

Special Thanks to the Commander for allowing me weekend liberty to go play.

Next Week: Inside White Hot's Training for Hawaii

Road Trip! Planning for 2011...The best year YET!

2010-07-12T17:11:00.005-04:00

White Hot Triathlon World Domination was predicted by Nostradamus for 2011.

" In the year of twenty trailed by eleven; an enigma of size and strength will dominate the males of aged at the thirties end, in a tremendous WHITE HOT flash they shall battle amongst themselves to become the second."

Damn!

If that is not pressure to fulfill a predetermined destiny... I don't know what is.

With that...

An early season sprint distance race that I shall ride 45 miles to the start then ---> Swim/Bike/Run (very fast)

Ironman Texas

Ironman Lake Placid

Ironman World Championships

Beach 2 Battleship (half cuz I'll be done!!!)

The only thing standing between me and Ironman Lake Placid for 2011 is... a 14 hour road trip.

Anyone want to join??

Hello?

Is this thing on?

Anyone...

Echo...echo...echo...echo

What happens when you check your email? PowerBar Elite happens!

2010-07-01T07:40:00.004-04:00

So apparently one must check their email to find out that one was accepted to the PowerBar Elite Team... last October.

So there you have it... PowerBar Team Elite now has a 6'5 210 pound White Hot!

(Deep sigh)... I'm addicted.

2010-06-25T15:32:00.004-04:00

I haven't fully healed from IM St. George and yet here I go signing up for another Ironman event with the World Championships in Hawaii still looming.

I need help... or better yet, a sponsor.

Ironman Texas here I come.

Then just 2 months later I'll be racing Ironman Lake Placid. (Of course Hawaii after I qualify)

In Family News: Don't I just look freakin' ecstatic to have a new puppy in the family. <-------- "Great, I get to pick up shit for the next 15 years."

At least I got to name the little F*%$ing thing... Torbjorn!

Training and sharting stories will return next week.

Hoodwinked...not really but Damn!

2010-06-04T12:04:00.005-04:00

Insights of a White Hot conversation with Mrs. White Hawt

(Ryan) "I'm not making the decision, you know I don't want one but I don't have the right to deny you of something you want...it's your choice."

(Melissa) "I don't want to be selfish just because it's something I want, well Teegan too."

(Ryan) "Selfish? You have heard of the Ironman...right? I am the poster boy of selfishness. If you want it, get it, but don't expect me to say yes."

She is a Pocket Beagle. She will grow to be about 8 pounds fully grown and no more than 9 inches tall at the shoulder. She is 8 weeks old in this picture and only 2.5 pounds.

Once Melissa had that nurturing look in her eye, I knew she had made her decision. We have been away from Teegan for almost 2 weeks and she was seriously missing the hugs and mommy snuggles. In a last ditch effort to sway her decision, I claimed naming rights.

Say hello to Torbjorn (Norwegian for Thunder Bear...and my sporting idol)

So how was I hoodwinked? I'm a one and done type dude with kids. Actually, I thought we had agreed to no kids prior to me saying "I do" but...

So I told Melissa that I already picked out a name for the child if she gets pregnant again: Divorce Pending Barnett. Nice ring to it don't you think :-) Instead of testing the seriousness of my thoughts on more children, she's getting Torbjorn instead.

Have a great weekend and train safe...I'll be back on my bike Saturday afternoon in NC; only 126 days until the Ironman World Championship... but whose counting?

Am I in a Gay Bath House? Wait...I'm not Gay!

2010-06-02T09:33:00.010-04:00

I love me some homo-erotic humor, so these past two weeks spent in Rochester Mn have had me laughing a lot. I have been swimming at the Rochester Athletic Club everyday in an effort to regain fitness in preparation for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. I have swum early in the morning, (5 am), lunchtime, late afternoon, and in the evenings, and the results are all the same...

Men Love Exposing their JUNK to other men!

From the second I entered the locker room I was visually assaulted with an incredible amount of male nudity that would make Playgirl magazine blush. Holy Mother F*&^ing $hit!

Is this normal?

Granted this is the most exposure to a true health club that I have experienced; for the past 15 years I have used the FREE facilities supplied by the United States Navy/ Marine Corps. The RAC facilities are quite nice: Full sized indoor basketball and tennis courts, pools, indoor running tracks and an enormous gym. Also, the locker rooms provide free spray deodorants, shaving creams, colognes, lotions, hair spray, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash...plus an endless supply of towels. The military supplies only the building and workout equipment...saunas or hot tubs...forget about it! Most towels have to be signed in and out with an ID card.

Maybe the amenities are the key.

Free amenities = tons (and yes I meant to use the word tons...or tonnes) of exposed men. I lived on a US Navy ship for 4 years with 500 men and never saw this amount of blatant wang exposing.

C'mon Ryan... How much was there?

Right when I walked into the locker room I see a sign "Boys under the age of 16 are not allowed past this point" ummm, apparently the age of consent in MN must be 16?

Immediately I felt like the goofball walking down the nude beach fully clothed---> either they are a voyeur taking pics to sell online or they have a little unit. The first thing I felt I needed to do was drop everything, as in EVERYTHING to get the eyes off of me.

Several examples of overthetopness:

Mr. Grey Haired mullet blow drying his (upstairs) hair in a 5 panel panoramic mirror nude. Yes I saw him checking out his own ass and how many men blow freakin dry their hair.

Mr. Old Man towel dropper. Do you really need to drop your towel and bend all the way down 6 times to fully expose the back door?

Mr. You're the least pudgie of the group so you feel you can strut and pose your pudge stuff in the mirror. Umm, I think I see some semblance of an abdominal muscle under that layer of pudge...yea big boy, keep flexing it'll show up ----->Not!

Mr. Shaving your face with your junk LAYING on the counter top. Really? Would you put your junk on the vanity of your own house? It is really surprising that you are not married.

Mr. Walks right out of the toilet stall without washing hands...and naked. Thank god for soap, water, and shower shoes!

Mr. Group of old, older, and really old men shaving, brushing, and joking at the steam room, sauna, hot tub, showers, and then mirrored vanities... "Excuse me sirs, you know they make towels that you can use to not only dry yourselves, but actually attempt to cover up your well aged bratwursts."

Mr. well... I think your a Mr. but your extremely large afro of pubic hair is completely engulfing your...

I'll end the examples with Mr. Shaved back. Hey buddy, you do know that your ass resembles Harry from Harry and the Hendersons? If you are going to take the time to completely shave your back, go ahead and let the razor/clippers go a little further south and get your cheeks too...it looks more "natural" Ha!

So that's it. That's my homo erotic exposure of the past 2 weeks. I'm 35 years old but when I enter the locker room it is almost like I'm 13 again... carefree and hairless!

It's great that I qualified but now I have to train?

2010-05-24T13:50:00.007-04:00

It's hard to be a snarky and crass douchebag while sitting here, in the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn, perfectly healthy but surrounded by the sick. How lucky I am to be healthy enough to beat my body into the ground!!!!

I'm ready to get my ass off the so called couch.

Right after I was able to resume cognitive thinking after hitting the finish line in St. George Utah, (and I really do mean hitting the finish line) the furthest thing from my mind was triathlon...now it's back into the top 5. I miss my bike. I miss running more than 8 miles. I don't smell like chlorine. I'm not sore anywhere. The prerequisite "to-do" list is being completed. It's almost time!

My first change in training: Finis Zoomer swim fins.

Wow Ryan thanks for the great insight into the world of Ironman Age Group Domination! Boy! Fins are really going to bring me to the next level...right?

Maybe.

Look is it really worth it to spend all of those extra hours in the pool to knock 2 minutes off an Ironman swim time? Well, it appears that even .05 seconds counts over 140.6 miles.

I've been advised that I might need some work in my swimming and the best way to start is to activate the kick. Things are going to change in training this year and learning to kick is the first step. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

What about you...any changes this year?

Success through "failure"

2010-05-16T07:46:00.005-04:00

So what's this post about? Is it White Hot's secret to success? No. Is it a deep insight into White Hot's motivation? Maybe a little.

Yesterday I got a message from "Anonymous" I totally know you... anyway.

1st Ironman = Total Failure

2nd Ironman = Total Success

Every training session for my second Ironman focused, not on the failure of the first, but on the success that will come on the second. When it was smokin' hot outside and I was feeling like crap with 10 miles left to run the desire for success kept me pushing forward, not the fear of failure. This is way to deep for me!

**I'm going to make this quick**

Inspirations and Motivators for White Hot's Success and no I'm not a Man Lover

Nik W. Reads this blog. Fellow LargeHuman. He was the first to show me that big dudes can be fast. Very early in my triathlon life he was my motivator...I wanted to be as fast as Nik.

Kevin H ---> Ironman Kez. Also a LargeHuman. Also fast (until he took up bodybuilding...put the weights down Kez the chicks dig being able to see your ribs through your pecs) Again, Kevin was a motivator.

Then comes "Anonymous" I had hit sort of a plateau in training. My speed and strength had picked up and I was very happy with the results. Maybe I was becoming a bit stagnate in training. Fast forward to the Gulf Coast Half. I'm about 28 miles into the ride confident that I am the first place CLYDESDALE, when woomp woomp woomp (Zipp Sub 9 disc sound) comes flying past. Now granted I was cramping as I was literally punching my own calf (you can read that from my race report in the older posts) as he blew past. The thing that really hurt besides the big C on his calf to show me that I had just been passed ON THE BIKE, was I was coasting at 26 mph so he had to be riding at least 30mph...no BS! "Anonymous" put at least 10 minutes on me...ON THE BIKE! It is a good thing "Anonymous" doesn't know how to swim...Ha! or he would have beaten by more than the 2 minutes overall.

Replay that same situation 3 weeks later at the Rock n Rollman Half in Macon (Which I'm thinking of returning to win the whole damn thing) and you have the motivator that pushed me to success at Ironman Florida.

So imagine my surprise when at Ironman Louisville when I see my motivator on the marathon course. At this point I had no idea that I was in the top 20 overall. I was having quite a rough time when I look down the road and I see this hulking figure running towards me. Mirage? No that can't be him. I drop my shoulders and pick up my cadence...gotta look strong!

I point

I smile

and say..."Go Get it Gary!"

So to "Anonymous," Nik, and Kevin...Thanks for the Motivation!

p.s. This is not an offer of a date or any type of man love experience. I live in a world surrounded by women and sometimes I think they spike my coffee with estrogen and today may be one of those days.

A copy of the message that inspired this post ------>

Anonymous said...

White Hot, I am the Clydesdale that beat you at the Gulf Coast Half and Macon Half in '08. You are a beast and I think it is unreal how you have continued to improve. You crushed me in Ironman Florida in '08 and Ironman Louisville in '09. I am done with the long stuff for a while and I still piddle in triathlons during the summers. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you are hilarious and I can relate to most of what you are saying, especially being a larger athlete. I wish you the best in your continued journey to podium at KONA. Do it for all the Clydes that dream of doing it!

The Last...Magazine (subscription)

2010-05-13T19:33:00.007-04:00

I'm down to my last one.

There have been many: Latitudes and Attitudes, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, Running World, Cycling News, Inside Pro Cycling, Velo News, Bon Appetite, La Cucina Italiana, Gourmet...and many others I'm sure.

But there is one,

Just One,

That has lasted.

For at least 12 years now it has followed me around the globe to California, Florida, California, Italy, Florida, and now North Carolina. It will follow me to what will most likely be our next home: California, Washington state, Japan, or Guam. (Fingers crossed for Espana though)

It highlights my true and original passion...Yes! (Yikes) There was life before and will be life after Ironman.

I'm a sailor and not the Navy type. I tried that and never really conformed (surprising right?). Apparently it is really frowned upon, and illegal, to tell your immediate supervising officer to F' Off! ;-) Opps!

Anyway, I'm sitting here sick, sore, and tired. My body is still recovering from the thrashing I gave myself running downhill at St. George, which gives me some extra time to read through some of the past issues of Cruising World Magazine that I have been just too busy to read.

I still think back to the last time I tied up to the dock the day I sold my boat in San Diego before moving to Italy. My original plan was to find a French built boat, bring it back to Italy, live aboard for 2 years, build up the provisions, and sail it back home to the States when Melissa transferred. It seems my lovely wife squeezing a 10lb baby out of her birth canal put a HALT!!!! to my plans. Ha!

So today I got my final issue La Cucina Italiana. It used to be a great magazine, used to be! Now? Well. Cancelled!

I'm done with magazines...the exception being Cruising World of course. The day I cancel that subscription...is the day I untie the dock lines and sail beyond the horizon. With the family of course!

18 days until I officially register for the Ironman World Championships...but then whose counting.

Enjoy Life!!!

.05 seconds...

2010-05-05T12:09:00.012-04:00

Ironman St. George Utah...the perfect race...well, not quite.

Altitude

Hills

Altitude, and those .05 seconds.

But here's the scoop.

Pre race athlete check in: Near panic attack at the Ironman store. Why? Ego. Not mine...everyone staring me down just got the better of me. It was a strange feeling of, "I've just got to leave NOW!" So from that point on White Hot was in seclusion.

Swim: Cold! I started out on the inside front row. Sprinted for about 300M and stayed with the front group. About the 500M mark I was going WAY TOO HARD. I thought the pace would settle down at any second but it didn't. Tactical move #1 of the day...Let the pack go :-( Well guess what? There was a second pack of Douchebags about 40 seconds behind that was more than happy to pummel me.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME...I LET THE FRONT PACK GO AND NOW I'M GETTING MY ASS KICKED! <--------- Add bubble sound effects and underwater screaming and that will give you an idea of what I sounded like.

Sadly I was quickly dropped from that group too. I continued the next 2 miles swimming totally alone. I started passing those poor souls who went out too hard and had popped 50 minutes into a 10 hour day. Tactical decision #1 had worked out great. Out of the water in 57 minutes fully aware, strong, and ready to catch the swimmers.

Swim: 57:xx 11th AG

Bike: Hills, hills, and yes...hills. I knew coming into this race what to expect so I am not whining, "Oh this is so hard." In fact, the harder the better! This race is my first tactical race that I'm am going to make stick. No I'm not BSing you. Ride strong, stay aero in the wind, drink drink drink, don't ride too hard, and don't pop!

I gave myself the first hour to ride what I considered a little too hard to get away from the swimmers and get as far north before the winds (coming from the north) kick in. At mile 25 tactical decision #2...SLOW DOWN!!! What???? Me, slow down on the bike? Yikes, that was the toughest decision of the day. I literally sat up on the bike, shook my head "no," and up shifted 2 gears. White Hot was slowing down...on purpose!

That was the rest of the 85 miles on the bike. I had my computer set on %grade of the hill, speed, HR, and distance. When my HR rose above an incredibly low number that I had predetermined I FORCED myself to stop pedalling until it went below XXX bpm. Talk about pressure to perform on the run..."If you f'ing blow this, the decision to coast on the bike will HAUNT YOU forever!" <--------self bicycle talk

Bike: 5:23:xx 3rd AG (Max speed ----> 58MPH!!!)

It was pretty awesome to come around the corner on my bike and hear Mike Reilly, "Here comes our 3rd Age Grouper Ryan Barnett."

Run: I'm sorry if I made the bike course sound hard because I really want the marathon course to sound hard. I rode the course the day before on my bike and found a 10% incline and ...2 11% inclines. One of the 11% grades took me 1 full minute to walk up...crazy. Ha! Ridiculous!!

Did my decision to ease up on the bike course work? I come storming out of T2 feeling like a superstar. It is just me. Hundreds of millions of fans screaming White Hot Rocks! OK, maybe not that many but WOW! So what does one 6'5, 210 pound man dressed fully in White Lycra do in front of his screaming fans? WALK! The first half mile I'm getting myself situated and telling myself to find my running legs. Don't force it...they will come around. I look down at my GPS and SHIT I'M RUNNING 6:30's. So I do what I told myself before the race to do. Stop. Walk quickly. Lower my Heart rate. Force myself to SLOW again.

Can you see that this was a common theme for the day: Slow Down Ryan!

My plan was to run until mile 3, which happened to be at a quarter mile climb with an 11% incline, and walk up the hill...no matter what. Walking an Ironman when you are fully able to run is a HUGE ego check. But man, what a mental relief to know that I have trained to take walk breaks and that it is OK. You don't really lose that much time if you practice the walk/run method properly.

Umm...emergency 2 minute bathroom break coming up at mile 10.

Teenage aid station girl..., "Whew 974...you are looking AWESOME!!!"

Me: (Hiking my fuelbelt up above my stomach and tucking my shirt into it with a panicked look of Oh My God I am about to Crap Myself) "Thanks, but you might want to get out from between my and the toilet's door!"

2 minutes later I come running out pulling my shorts back up...Ha! Welcome to the Ironman girl!

At the halfway point Melissa tells me that I'm 3 minutes down from first and that there is someone running up through the field very quickly...um Thanks! So that is 3 minutes down...13 miles left...and I'm probably going to be passed again.

Not!

I went easy on the bike. I took walk breaks up the freakin' hill. I have trained myself for just this senario. I couldn't figure out the math but I knew enough to run faster. All of those stupid drills, strides, and intervals were about to payoff.

At the final turn I am at least 2 minutes up on anyone that looks like they are here to race. Good! I'm not getting passed! But crap I didn't see the first place man. Game on...it's run time. So with that I ran my way through the field. I would pick out someone running in the distance and make it my job to catch them.

Mile 24...Blurry

Mile 25...???

Mile 26...There he is...first place. The next .1 of a mile I'm working just to get to him.

Mile 26.1 I worked almost everything I have to catch him and just decide...don't stop now try to surprise him and GO! But apparently large men dressed fully in white are not that stealthy at mile 140.5 of an Ironman.

So here we go sprinting down the finishing chute. We both gave it our all...but I fell .05 seconds short of the line.

We had the exact same finishing time.

I hit the finishing line. No, I mean I really hit the finishing line. Lights Out! I came to in the medical tent with Melissa asking me if I know where I'm at...My response...Did I finish and did I do good?

Final thoughts. Awesome bike course! It is fair. It makes the runners work by not allowing them to sit in packs and go easy until the run. The altitude takes it's toll on those of us that live 6 feet above sea level. The hardest run course EVER! There is no flat running anywhere on this course. I was prepared to run hills but I was not prepared for the altitude. I came storming out of T2 with legs of Iron but my lungs were laboring the entire marathon. I was never able to get into a good breathing rhythm which I attribute to the 3000ft of altitude.

With that...EPIC DAY for team White Hot!

2 men.

140.6 miles of swimming/biking/running

.05 seconds

Unbelievable!

White Hot is Ironman World Championship bound...let the training begin...I have some unresolved issues in Kona!

White Hot is KONA Bound!

2010-05-02T17:42:00.002-04:00

140.6 miles of racing comes to a sprint finish with only .05 seconds different between first and 2nd.

2nd in AG
7th Amateur

Going to Kona

Ironman St. George Utah Race Week...Day 3

2010-04-28T20:46:00.003-04:00

Pictures as promised.

Ha!

I'm walking on the plane and the pilot says welcome aboard "White Hot!"

What????

Who knew blog readers fly 757's?

So Teegan and I hopped in the front seat and Voila'...yes I kept my hands off the button, but I did, "Hey, what's this button do?"

Today...45 minutes on the bike, 20 minutes stretching, and 4 hours in the car to Vegas.

Now I'm running a little late for my Anniversary dinner (no kids allowed!) ;-)

So tomorrow White Hot descends upon Saint George Utah for some training rides and swims and hopes the 60 mph gusts of winds here in Vegas blow far far away...quickly cuz riding in 60mph winds is no fun.

Adieu'

White Hot!

Ironman St. George Utah Race Week...Day 2

2010-04-27T13:11:00.003-04:00

Travel Day.

It is nice not having to travel with my race bike. There will be no struggling to carry it and a suitcase and a carry on and having to monitor Teegan rolling her suitcase around...nope, I'm incognito this trip.

So incognito that I've got nothing Ironman with or on with me...Yikes...NONE!!!

I am wearing compression socks but I am also wearing jeans. I don't want to be that douchebag in the airport sporting some bling from every race they have ever been attended.

Nope!

I'm going stealthy and staying calm.

Crap! Why did I look at the weather? I can't control it and everybody will have the same conditions so whyyyyyyyyyyyy did I look?

Wind...Lots and Lots of WIND is forecasted for race day. But there is a silver lining to the wind. The majority of climbing is switchbacks heading in an overall northern direction with the downhills all southerly. The wind is forecasted to be from the north (boo for headwinds uphill but at least they are switchbacks) but Yay for big ass tailwinds on the downhills, now whose the dumbass for having 54x11 gearing???

I'm shooting for 59mph at some point Saturday.

LA tonight...SoCal bike ride tomorrow...then Vegas to celebrate 13 years of wedded bliss with my Hawter side...Mrs. White Hot at CarneVino.

"Waiter! More water please." :-(

I am preordering a 10x10 and a double double and fries animal style from In-n-out Saturday night...Screw Kona...I'm racing to eat!

Ha and Aloha!

Ironman St. George Utah Race Week...Day 1

2010-04-26T12:01:00.004-04:00

Sorry folks nothing to see here. In fact I'm still sitting in the armpit errrrr.... small town of Jacksonville NC. Tomorrow is the day to Los Angeles...ahhhh back to civilization.

So what does one do on day 1 of race week? Nothing??? Au contraire, mon fraire!

Swim/Bike/Run/Core/Stretch. But just a little of each.

Today was swim 1500m. What? And it was easy at that. I bet the lifeguards were thinking I needed a bathroom break because I got out so soon.

Run: An easy 5 miles with some short power intervals thrown in.

Bike: Just an hour of easy spinning.

Core and stretching. Now that the taper is working my legs are tighter and a little more sore feeling than normal because my body is catching up and repairing the damage I've inflicted in the last 6 weeks.

Ahh sweet rest and let the packing frenzy begin.

I'll be back for day 2 tomorrow. Probably no pictures again...but Wednesday I should have some pics of White Hot traveling in his White Speedo through ATL's airport :-) Back off ladies--->this is my wife and it's our anniversary!

**Remember** There is nothing you can do to make yourself faster for race day this week, but you can surely blow it big time! Eat Smart...Train Smart...Be SAFE!

Race Faced by a dude wearing Girl's shorts

2010-04-25T17:39:00.004-04:00

So the snarkiness continues.

Now I'm not the most friendly and approachable douche bag in the triathlon/cycling world, but I do advocate cycling safety, rights, and motorist awareness. I don't run stop signs, red lights, and mostly don't do the rolling stop right turns. I always figure I don't want to be the reason someone in a car uses to justify mowing down or yelling at the next cyclist they see. Or if they see one run a light/sign/or commit a moving violation they will know that we all don't do that and hopefully show some tolerance and respect for our rights to be on the roads too.

That being said I always acknowledge other cyclists...even those strange breeds of humans I call recumbulators (mostly). Recumbants scare me. I see them coming from afar and all I can see is what appears to be an apparition of a person trying to swat gnats by kicking both feet in the air. Ha! So I am a traditional diamond frame bicycle elitist. I regularly see recumbulators on their long chain cycles sporting that nifty little flag, a back pack, and cups from fast food establishments still containing straws. Double Ha!! The only time my bicycle has had a cup with a straw was after a training ride in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championships, and that was a refreshing Jamba Juice that I took back to my condo for recovery. ELITIST!!! Triple Ha!

Focus Ryan...

A couple of weeks ago out on a training ride on one of the more popular sections of the rails to trails path through town I see another cyclist approaching. This is somewhat rare in my little dinky ass town...it's not like a real city or bike path where cyclists are a dime a dozen, so acknowledging each other would be the proper etiquette. I see him approaching, we will pass within 3 feet of each other. The path is flat and I have seen him approaching for at least a minute. I sit up. Make eye contact. He looks at me. I look at him. I raise a hand off the bar, give the dude "sup" head nod, and say "Hey".

Nothing!

Absolutely Nothing!

Being the not so subtle ass I can be, the first thing I can think of is yell, "DOUCHE BAG, I know you saw me."

He looks back like he can't believe someone responded to his obvious rude blow off of me. So I yell again, "You're wearing girls shorts!"

For real. They couldn't have been more than a 4" inseam. That means that he had WAY TOO MUCH THIGH showing for a man...not an uberly fit man at that.

The real question becomes, no not why I feel comfortable yelling douche bag to someone that "race faces" me, but how short is too short? I mean, on long summer rides I have been known to roll my shorts up a LITTLE to let the tan extend more than 6 inches above my knee. But 4" inseam cycling shorts. C'mon! Dude with a red Felt, red Jersey, and red Tires was wearing girl's shorts.

Anyway, I get crap for wearing white but at least they are men's shorts.

Ha!

The Snarkiness continues.

My Facebook Update for the Week: Positive Talk is Starting. What A Week ahead. Going to LA to see Friends, Family, and get my bike. My 13th Wedding Anniversary is this week. Melissa and I are having dinner at VinoCarne in Las Vegas...Alone ;-) Oh, and I'll be speeding through another Ironman fighting for my spot to Kona...Next Saturday---> It's going to be a Good Night!

Sub 9 Shape...Just not a Sub 9 Course

2010-04-24T19:58:00.006-04:00

Warning*** Bold Statement Coming

I'm in Sub 9 hour Ironman Shape!!!

57 minute swim

4:45 Bike

3:10 marathon

8:52:00 add in 5 minutes of transition time and I'm at the line in 8:57:00 Sub 9 hours EXCEPT...

***Just so we are clear...I'm not calling a sub 9 shot at IM St. George...maybe if it were Florida***

BIKE PROFILE

RUN PROFILE

Who knows??? This could turn out to be a fast course but I'm guessing not. It is a little difficult to anticipate expected times on a brand new course that includes such a challenging run. I'm thinking the bike should be right around the 5 hour(ish) time as long as the reported headwinds don't kick in on the long downhills. The run...well, I'm sharting myself a little right now just looking at the profile again.

Self Control on the bike??? Mile 14 of the marathon will answer that. Training has been hard. Training has been specific (read: I've learned how to run...hopefully) but I feel like I've grown and I'm up to the task.

I've been training my mind just as hard as my body. The breakdown I had in the Energy Lab in Hawaii was just as mental as physical. I had focused so much on how hot and tired I was feeling from mile 70 of the bike that it is a wonder I even started running. Now, well it's all ZEN dude. Just Relax...you'll come around. You'll feel better in just a few steps. Mantras, Mantras, Mantras. Powerful thoughts. Form Checks. Reality and acceptance of pain but understanding it will END!

See, it's the new me. If Weed were legal you could come on over, light up, and we could work through a race plan; since it's not...get your own.

Enough Bravado...

Now the nicer side...

Seriously! I'm not just fucking with you.

I get introspective and thankful right before an Ironman. So much goes into one of these evolutions. Personal and Family sacrifices. Money. Stress. Injury. Anticipation. Hope. Dedication...

An Ironman is Way Much More than just me. I tell Melissa and Teegan that I may be the muscle but they are the drive. Who else am I going to think about for 20 hour cycling weeks...ok I'm not thinking of them during Intervals, but they are always there. I wonder if Teegan knows that her dad is probably the only man that shaves his legs in her entire town? I wonder if I make Ironman and triathlon appealing to her...not that I'm doing it for her per se'. I feel guilty sometimes describing hard training sessions or aches and pains to a wife who is dealing with an injury that has sidelined her running ability for 2 years now. I wonder if my family really knows how grateful I am for the opportunity they give me? I wonder if my girls know that the reason I push and train so hard is not necessarily to beat the competition, but to show off for them?

White Hot is Back and Ready with his TEAM!

Without getting all sappy and showing the softer side (no not gay side...only in assless chaps) I appreciate all the opportunities and friends that Ironman has given me. The day after I signed up for my first Ironman, I went for a 3 mile run in double the time that I just set my 5k pr.

It never gets easier...you just get faster!

Thanks for being here

Ryan (White Hot)

White Hot! Where you Been?

2010-03-22T15:00:00.010-04:00

I am sorry dear friends. It seems that my creativity and propensity for bodily expulsion jokes greatly diminishes as the intensity of training increases. I didn't want to post solely on, "look how far I have gone and how much power I have been creating." I have 3 posts that have been half way completed, and then sadly...forgotten. But alas I am just days away from a much needed and deserved taper into Ironman St. George Utah; be forewarned the "crassness" will return.

So...Let's talk numbers. OK, not really. I've been getting emails about power numbers and training with power etc, but I'm always leery that it is just "competition" trying to gauge themselves to me. So if I ever gave you a number...Ha...I was LYING!!!

Really now, let's talk numbers. This is my final full hard training week. So what's on tap? 16000M swimming, 300miles cycling, and 60miles running. Yikes, Yikes, and double Yikes!. This has been previously approved by Melissa and Teegan as "Ryan's Week." The house will be mostly taken care of, there will be food provided to you both, and the laundry will be done. The rest, well good luck and see you soon; oh and don't look at me directly in the eyes.

For real I'm hurtin'. All 3 sports, everyday, for 9 days. Recovery is paramount, hence the DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING FROM RYAN UNTIL WEDNESDAY THE 21st!! If I'm on the couch and there are dishes in the sink and you make a comment about it...you better be ducking because my short fuse is sure to be lit. Nawww, that was expected but I've been good and very relaxed...exhausted but relaxed.

Last week was Mt. Training Camp. Why Moutains? Moutains make you strong! and Ironman St. George is a little hilly. OH MY GOD I SIGNED UP FOR THIS!!!!! and that is just the bike...LOOK AT THE FREAKING RUN COURSE!!!! So I went up Tellico Plains Tn and spent a week riding the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon. Ummm, 205 pounds of human on a bicycle for 100 miles with 12000 feet of climbing = OUCH! But, I learned how to climb without totally trashing myself :-)

A view from the top of the skyway at 5300 ft...yes that is 1 mile up.

In order to transform myself from flatlander (My house is 6 feet above sea level) to mountain climber, I had to make a few alterations to my bike.

1st. New 54 tooth chainring. Sure most would choose a compact crankset...but I'm not most. Plus, now with 54x11 gearing ratio, I won't be spinning out at 33mph during the 12 miles of decent on the Ironman course. So, 205 pounds + 54 x 11 gearing + 12 miles of net downhill = Fast

2nd. New 11 x 28 rear cassette because what dumbass would take a 54 tooth front chainring into the mountains...Ha! A 28 is a BIG rear cog but I can tell you that during some of my 8-10% climbs I was looking down at my cassette to make sure I was on the 28 hoping I wasn't cuz I needed something bigger.

3rd. K edge Chain Catcher. Awesome! It hooks to your front derailleur and keeps your chain from being thrown off during a shift to the small ring when still pushing big power. 1 week and over 30,000 ft of climbing and not one dropped chain!

4th. New Chain. Check yours because triathletes suck at bike maintenance and if you haven't changed yours within the last 3 months you need a new one. I change mine every 3 months!

5th. New Brake levers. I was having issues with corrosion and thought I would rather not have an issue bombing down the mountain. New brake pads too!

6th. New Headset...corrosion again.

7th. New emergency tool with a chain breaker...don't forget to include a chain pin into your saddle bags.

8th. Chamois Butt'r. Yes I would even put it on toast if I thought it would bring some relief to my extremely sore perineal region. HA!!

So there you go for bike upgrades and upkeep...Oh! For God's Sake clean and lubricate your F'ing chains!!! No wonder cyclists think tri people are just douches on bikes...(my impression of a roadie conversation) "Look Skyler...another triathlete with a tank top, arm warmers, and a squeaky chain going by staring at the ground...douchebags...learn to ride a bike!" :-)

***When you find a Great Bike Shop...pay the extra $$$ and support them. It pays back in the long run.***

And I'll leave you with some unauthorized papparazzi photos taken of White Hot training in the Mountains of Tn.

***Thanks to my awesome family for supporting me in my obsession known as Ironman***

***I don't get on my bike without my Road ID***

***Focused for Kona***

Fuun with Nuun... and a little race report.

2010-03-16T05:57:00.007-04:00

Holy $hizzle you would think that White Hot has fallen off of his race bike and disappeared from the Tri world.

Fear not fellow athletes for White Hot has just been full on training, busy with life, and doing his best to tend to, and support his family...all whilst wearing a tight fitting White Hot Speedo!!!

Training: Without going all technical and giving out power numbers and run splits let me just say that power is up, run splits down, core and strength work is paying off.

Now to the "fun" stuff.

I was fortunate to be selected for nuun's elite triathlon team which means...free product :-) <------ (big cheesy smile)

Nuun is a flavored electrolyte tablet that dissolves quickly in water to supply you with a flavored, zero calorie, electrolyte drink. It contains all of my favorite electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, vitamin c, calcium, and yes...magnesium. All of these electrolytes play a vital role in contracting and relaxing muscles. Ever had a cramp during an Ironman? Aside from dehydration it is likely that you were missing (or running low on) one of these necessary electrolytes.

While racing Ironman I have a note attached to my bike to remind me of my game and nutritional plans. One of those plans calls for 1 nuun tab every 30 miles of the bike...my "cramp buster." Trust me it is much easier to remember to take in 1 nuun tab every 30 miles than it is to fool around trying to count (and remember) how many salt tablets to take/have taken. At mile 90-100 I like to take in the Kona Cola because it has caffeine and gives me a little boost to push me to the run.

I have found that running and "nuuning" is a little more of a challenge. There simply is not enough time to wait for a tablet to dissolve while running through the aid stations...so, I pre dissolve 2 Tri-Berry nuun tabs into a fuel belt flask the night before. Then while out on the marathon course I take half a flask at the 10k and the rest at the half point. After the halfway point in an Ironman pretty much anything goes...water, gatorade, cola. Heck, if you held out a cup of urine I'd either drink it or pour it on myself at that point in the race.

So the Fuun with nuun comes in here.

Sugar and Salt. That is what the body needs, right? I have had ZERO luck taking in any type of protein in my energy drinks. To me, protein while racing = your own fecal matter slowly (or in my case that one time) explosively leaving your body at inopportune times -------> Ryan Sharted!!!!

With Sugar and Salt in mind I started making my own energy drinks to replace Infinit and gels on training days to reduce the amount of money per serving. Some long training days it is easy to blow (not literally anymore) $25 between Infinit and Gels. Now with my secret recipe I can cut your per serving costs to just a penny on the mile. Call Now 1900 WHITEHOT and for 3 easy payments of $19.95...it can be yours!!

Sorry, it was funny to me at the time.

I make a super concentrated calorie/electrolyte bottle that contains 1000 calories and a bunch of electrolytes. 1000 calories lasts me 2.5 hours of racing or 3 hours of training. I take a small "hit" (ahh I miss college) every 15 minutes racing or 20 minutes training, of 100 calories. (Yes I measured the size of the "hit" to ensure even distribution of the 100 calories) How do you make this super bottle you ask??? I'll tell you but be forewarned...you may be a little shocked to realize how much sugar it takes.

1 tsp = 15 calories.

1000 calories = 67 tsp

67 tsp = 1 1/3 cups of sugar...yikes!!!

**Secret Recipe**

1 1/3 cups Sugar

1 nuun tab (electrolytes and flavor)

1 1/3 cup water

Put above ingredients into a stove top pot on medium heat to fully dissolve the sugar. Once fully dissolved pour into bike bottle and fill with cold water to fully enjoy your 1000 calorie super bottle. For 300 calories per hour ingest about 1/4 cup every 20 minutes.

When I started making this at the end of last year a hidden benefit I found is the ability to change flavors on a bottle by bottle basis. Now on a five hour ride for example, (2 super bottles) I can make a bottle with Kona Cola and a bottle with Banananuun (tasty new flavor).

Yay nuun!!!

Any questions about nuun or nutrition I'll be happy to help.

Race Report...will this post ever end???

1st Race of the Year...Azalea Sprint in Wilmington NC

300M Pool Swim

10 Mile Bike

5K Run

The week leading up to the race was a normal Ironman training week with almost 300 miles cycling, 10,000 M swimming, and X miles running. This was not an A priority race, more of a test to see how fast I can run a 5k.

So I get freakin' lost in the pool...during the race. I studied the map and thought I understood the format for flip turning under the lane lines. Just before the start (I was the 9th person to start) I asked the starter just to ensure I was correct. He was wrong, I was right, but I listened to him and nearly collided with the people that started in both in front and behind me...sorry. I had to stop and watch the traffic flow to get back into the groove which allowed two people starting behind me to pass me...anyway...I got lost in a freakin' swimming pool.

Bike: :-)

Fastest Bike Split always feels good!

Anytime a bike is involved I want to go fast! My goal (and stated to Melissa before the race) was to post the fastest bike split of the day. SUCCESS!!!! I'm never going to run the little people down in a 5k, but maybe I can make them work harder on the bike than they want to knowing I'm off the front. Bike Avg 26.3mph.

Run:

Lots of sharp turns and a 180 degree turnaround and I still posted an 18:28 (5:56/mile) for a 5k PR. I was holding 3rd until mile 2 until ...Caught on the Run!

4th overall. I was racing in the Elite category so no prizes for me other than Fastest bike split and a 5k pr. I missed 3rd by 12 seconds. Had I been racing age group...I would have taken it by 2 minutes...yikes!

Now back to Ironman.

Dear Diary...

2010-02-21T09:59:00.003-05:00

Dear Diary,

I know it's been a while since my last entry, but my creativity has been stifled. Really, how interesting is it for my to write: "Today I rode/ran/swam...again?"

Rest assured that Ironman training is back into full effect. Swim times are improving. Bike power numbers are better than last year :-). And most importantly...running has progressed nicely.

I know I never told you Diary, but my appearance at Ironman St. George Utah was in doubt. I was (seriously) 1 week away from hitting the "no go" button due to injury. I thought this was the beginning of the end with a classic overuse injury to my achilles tendon. I smartly rested and treated the injury to prevent worsening of the situation, but all the while losing valuable training days leading up to the race.

So Diary I am sorry for the neglect. Please understand that this silence was part of my progression as an athlete and my normal immaturity involving body fluids and sounds will return with a vengeance...in fact I very nearly shat myself on a late night, cold, dark, fast, tempo run after eating (several) a handful of dried apricots. I was 5 seconds from disASSter. Thank goodness the tie on my running tights didn't knot up because the sphincter muscles were at full fatigue mode. I ran into the front door and luckily Teegan wasn't in the hallway because I would have steamrolled her in my race to the bathroom. Interestingly I now have heart rate data of me on the john...Red Zone to Resting HR in less than 1 minute!

New Mantra:

I WILL QUALIFY for Kona in Utah!

Happy Training and It's good to be back.

Back On Track...so to speak

2010-01-28T16:24:00.006-05:00

Ok. I made what is probably the most common mistake of the self coached athlete of going too hard too soon. The result...angry achilles, but weeks of (untimely) rest and ART have made things better and the acute symptoms of tendonitis are gone. So now I am in training where I should have been at when I injured myself...building my base with lots of miles on the bike and running LONG and SLOW. There is plenty of time to add hills and speed...dufus!

Working with my ART doctor seems to be helping my achilles from re-aggravating but is this a lifelong thing? The chiropractor thing is a little strange to me. Why do you want to crack my back? Can't we just work on the legs??? I'm leary of surgeons and Dr's too because they want to give steroid injections, motrin, or, "let's put a scope in there and take a look around." Nobody has any answers at the possible cause other than too much too soon but I think I might have an underlying cause.

Yes this is a pointless picture but c'mon how many picking your ass pics does one have?

Muscle tightness...as in some seriously tight ass leg muscles. There was a spot on my calf and one in my hamstring that hurt to touch, so we've (like I have a say in it) decided to work on flexibility and stretching multiple times a day (with the exception of my left achilles of course).

Anyway, with too much time on my hands it became a conspiracy to me and I wanted to open an X file about my achilles.

32,000 M is the pool has done me well?

With all of my training time spent in recovery, the other thing I obsessed over was my newfound love of homemade cinnamon rolls. I "practiced" multiple times playing with how little excess butter and sugar I could get away with and still get away with something I would consider decadent ;-) What I found??? Screw going low fat and and low sugar...if you are going to splurge GO ALL OUT!!!

Coming up Next...Somebody got something nice from nuun!!!

I want this...again!

2010-01-15T19:18:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the silence, but I'm back to full time training.

My Achilles is healed enough to put some bigger base miles on it running. Last week I rode my bike miles than I drove. My pillow smells like chlorine even though I'm showering 2x a day. I'm thirsty all the time and I need to stretch.

Ironman Utah awaits!

Weights, Cold, Hills, or a combination of all and Motivation vs Douchebaggery?

2010-01-14T12:49:00.008-05:00

I'm Down, I'm Down...Dear Sweet Jesus this must be the apocalypse because...I'm Down.

Alright, just relax drama queen...you're not totally down.

White Hot (yes he's using 3rd person) has an angry achilles but not to fear he is following a protocol which mandates rest. No running for 2 weeks and no cycling for 1 just to let everything settle down before the big build for Ironman Utah begins. He's being positive and using this time as core and swim block, think ripped and front pack swimmer.

Now where did this problem originate? Hmmm. White Hot had an ego. No, not the, he is the fastest baddest etc but more of an ideal of injury protection. Well the big fella allowed too much egg nog to creep into his obviously tiny brain and clog up any common sence that he may have had. Well Fuck!

As you are all aware of his weight room shannanigans, no not the Wham! episode...the bench pressing episode. He's not the stud in the weight room like he is on the Ironman course...not even close. Pretty much the only machine that he felt he could put a hurting on the trained killing machines (US Marines) was the calf raise machine. Yes White Hot has calf muscles the size of softballs. They are supremely striated and vascular, the envy of any Ironman's eye. So maybe White Hot went a little too "gung ho" in front of the Marines who were pondering the size of his...lower body and the puniness of his upper body muscle mass while at the calf station. He may have even been heard yelling, " Don't just stand there Bitch...throw another plate on there and I'll lift that too!"

Error #1 ------> Weightroom

Next White Hot has been training in some extreme (for him) conditions. Yes he knows almost the entire US has been in a deep freeze, but for someone who thinks it's cold at 50 to go ride (and run) long with temperatures in the teens, that puts extra stresses on his body. During that entire 2-3 week period his body just felt "tight" so he should have been more diligent about massage and stretching.

Error #2 -------> Cold

Hills. White Hot is a flatlander. He current lives a whopping 6 feet above sea level. The highest point within 80 miles of White Hot is 17 feet...that may be Mt. Redneck??? While visiting in the sub 0 temp region of Cincinnati, White Hot went Hill Crazy. During his runs he attacked every hill in his path to make the most of his opportunity. Tight muscles from the cold and an exuberance to "attack" every hill in the greater Cincinnati area created the opportunity for injury.

Error #3 -------> Hills

In a muffled voice White Hot mentioned something about "trying" different shoes as a cost saving method. He currently runs in Newton Gravity (size 15 for anyone wishing to donate) as a cost of $175/pair. Yikes! He thought if he could run a "few" miles in a nice (read cheaper) pair of Nike Vomero that may potentially save enough money for an Ironman entry next year. GIANT GAME SHOW "YOU'RE WRONG" BUZZER!!!! Wrong Move White Hot!!!! You got hurt last time you tried big cushy running shoes what makes you think it won't happen again?

Error #4 -----> Just plain idiocy

In his latest press release White Hot says that he has learned from his mistakes; He has apoligized for his actions; He will take corrective measures to ensure the rest of the year runs smoothly. **Sidenote** His wife and daughter were seen just out of the camera view shaking their heads and rolling their eyes mouthing, " We've heard it all before."

Motivation Vs Douchebaggery

(Back to 1st person)

I think I do well trying to "blend" in during social situations. I don't want to be "that" guy who is always sporting Ironman this and Ironman that. I must admit that a vast majority of my shirts are race t-shirts or finisher shirts. Look, I'm a stay at home "mom" and I do laundry every freakin' day; I don't need a large wardrobe full of clothes. During the summer I wear khaki shorts and a t-shirt; winter is usually jeans and t-shirt with a jacket or "hoodie."

During my visit to Minnesota it was my first chance to wear my Ironman World Championship KSwiss jacket. It is sweet, thermal and windproof. But I forgot about my douchebag rule of not doubling up with Ironman stuff. You know the guy/girl at (any public venue) wearing the MDOT shirt with the hat. They probably also have on the socks and even maybe the backpack (of course the Tattoo). Warning Warning...Douchebag ahead!!! I packed poorly, so poorly in fact that I had to make an emergency shopping trip to avoid douchebaggery.

Melissa called me out as we were driving to the Mall of America, "Are you wearing two Ironman things??? Douchebag!"

Ouch!

Called out by your wife. Yowzers! If Teegan was there she probably would have called me a douchebag for doubling up as well. (I'm really hoping that word is not in her vocabulary...yet)

Sure I was wearing compression socks, but Ha! I had on jeans. That whole day I had to wear my jacket fully zipped as to not expose the Ironman paraphenelia under the jacket, or fully remove the jacket and roll it up inside out as to not expose the MDOT logo on the the jacket. I was the the double logo douchebag!!!!

So of course today during my 6000 meter swim (yes there was quality in there like 30 x 100 leaving on 1:25 neener freakin' neener to you too) I started wondering what is the most Ironman douchebag related thing I could do????

Recently Carolina John revealed to me that he shaved his legs. I told him the difference between a "roadie" and a "triathlete" is how high up their thigh they shave.

So I asked him, "CJ, how high up your thigh did you shave?"

"All the way!" he replied.

All the way as in ALLTHEWAY!!!! Like Pornstar all the way!!! Yikes!!!!

He confided in me that the only hair he has on his body, with the exception of neck up, is the scripted letters of CJ...shaved there. Yes THERE!!!!!!

Whoa there CJ... Ya' see what was funny with my last post is I put myself in a seemingly gay situation even though I'm TOTALLY NOT GAY.

Anyway, aside from CJ taking his blog a little too seriously and maybe even propositioning me, I thought of possibly the most douchebag thing ever!

How about Shaving the "region" into the MDOT logo and then going as far as dying it red???

Motivated or KING OF DOUCHEVILLE????

Awkward

2010-01-11T14:19:00.002-05:00

Yikes!

I can't believe I haven't posted yet this year...so to make it up I'll write about yet another awkwardly gay moment that I recently had at the gym.

I prefer to think that I am just rather unique and very comfortable with who I am and what I do. I am not currently: Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered/Cross-dresser/or into beastiality; nor am I actively looking to join any of those lifestyles.

Quick checklist of how I could be confused as a gay man.

Shave legs...yes

Wear excessively tight clothing in public...yes

Use excessive amounts of skin care moisturizing products...yes

Dramatic...yes

Notice men's legs over women's legs...yes

Have any song by the group Wham! on your Ipod...YES

***Warning Sirens Activated***

Sure, the last one that I checked "yes" would label anyone as extremely gay

So back to the story.

It's a Saturday afternoon at a Marine Corp base gym full of trained killing machines, a couple of Marine wives, and one tall, goofy, shaved legged freak with no upper body muscle mass in the workout room. One bench press station has a group of Marines benching enough to actually create a curve in the bar. Another group of Marines are curling more than I weigh. I don't see the chick that out bench pressed me, but I'm sure she is still laughing.

To see me in there working out with this group would draw you back to Sesame Street's, "One of these things is not like the other..." game where you have to choose what doesn't belong in the scene.

Focus Ryan...back to the awkward moment.

Oh yeah,

So I finish up my strength session and head into the locker room. I should mention that I'm heaving and sweaty. I make my way into the restrooms to the urinals. There are 8 of them on the wall with 4 occupied.

*sidenote* there is a sort of unwritten rule to not use the urinal right next to someone if there are multiple locations open...I don't know who made the rule but it's there.

I'm "jammin hard-core" to Drowning Pool's "Tear Away" and I am faced with the decision of which two people's space am I going to intrude.

Not the first...it may appear too aggressive.

Not the last...that would be like I'm trying to hide

I go for the middle. I make my way up to the urinal like I belong there...make it yours Ryan!!

It's the Marine Corp...they don't need privacy barriers.

I can feel the uncomfortableness from both sides now that I have encroached into their personal space...Hold strong Ryan, you belong here!!!

I'm ROCKIN'..."I....Don't Care 'bout anybody else but me....I...I...I...don't care about....." Drowning Pool is slowly fading into the next track. I know these guys can hear the sound ringing from my ear buds thinking "this dude is rockin' out to Drowning Pool, he must be a BADASS"

I'm breaking the tension, I'm fitting in," I think to myself. Maybe this is how the camaraderie begins. Maybe next time I come to the gym these guys will recognize me as the dude rockin' out to Drowning Pool and give me that head bob of...'sup dude!

I'm totally in. I'm not a Marine Killing Machine but I have broken into the inner sactum with this bonding session...until

"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go!" bursts from my ear buds with the power of a magic freakin' rainbow.

"You've Got to be Shittin' me!" I scream in my head. Of all of the effing songs I have in this piece of shit Ipod you've got to choose the gayest freakin' song in the world???

Four men with the strength to draw and quarter me with their bare hands, two of which I just invaded their personal space, slowly cast their eyes in my direction with the intense stare of Marine Hell Fire. I held strong and didn't acknowledge their presence but holy shit that was AWKWARD!!!

I guess I won't be getting the 'sup dude next time I see that group in the workout room. Just another day :-)

Running Intervals = Throwing Up in Your Mouth...And Swallowing It

2009-12-30T12:58:00.004-05:00

Are you supposed to push yourself to the point of vomiting?

Do I now have to consider what to eat prior to hard effort runs as a consideration of what it will taste like on the way back up?

Do bulimics think this way?

Well, interval Day 1 is in the books. 12 x 400M (1/4 mile) with 1 minute recoveries, 8 miles total with warm up / cool down.

Here is the scene:

Cold and lonely morning. Temperature is 26 but feels like 17.

"Suck it up Wuss...you'll warm up soon enough."

Skies clearing with light winds (for the area) of 8-10 mph.

My track: Running path paralleling the runway of MCAS New River

I have not run 400's in quite some time so I wasn't sure about the time I should be shooting for, I just knew that I have 12 to do so don't go all out on the first few...I'm learning!

#1. 1:25 which correlates to a 5:31/mile felt like a pace I could repeat 11 more times.

#2 1:23...Wow! I'm a superstar!!! Ha I'm delving into the world of the 5:20's which is way TOO fast.

The next 8 were all in the same 1:25 range but the effort to get there was much harder than I am used to running. I was being the good triathlete and not just going for speed but I was really focusing on good body position and running mechanics. All it takes is one poorly run interval at this power and speed to bring my 220lbs to an injury related halt.

This brings me to interval #11.

Things at this point were quite bleak in my mind... "I don't know if I have two more of those in me" I was telling myself at this point. " Two more, You've got two more!" I pushed myself.

With dread I watched as the resting interval neared it's end...56, 57, 58, (shit I've got to run again) 59, 1:00, 1:01, 1:02... GO!

I snuck in an extra 2 seconds of air :-)

Focus on forward lean. Drive with the hips. Think about foot placement...don't give away that speed with a heel strike. Pump the arms. Halfway!

1 minute in... time to accelerate.

At this point my lungs are burning and my legs are begging to slow but I increase the power for a strong finish. And with just 10 meters to go my body had reached it's breaking point and...

Here comes breakfast.

Mmmm, there is nothing like the sour taste of digestive acids mixed with coffee and granola to remind you of the effort. Without even thinking what to do, I hit my lap button and...Yikes...swallowed my own vomit. :-)

I guess I needed the calories.

Have a great New Years!!!

Nothing says my ass is going to be planted on a bicycle seat more than a set of freshly shaven legs

2009-12-28T14:06:00.003-05:00

Jeez, it has been 2 months since...?

A: I have had a haircut

B: I have shaved my legs

C: I have restricted what goes into my mouth (food wise you pervs)

D: I have truly focused on cycling

E: Dreamt of Hawaii

If you answered anything but E...you're correct!! Oh, add that I haven't shaved my face in a week also.

Ryan, have you given up? Are you in a slump? Is Ironman over???

Back it Up!!!!

Training is going great. I'm running hills (treadmill), speed sessions start next week, run intensities are increasing, power intervals on the bike, long rides begin again Saturday, and swimming...well I'm not drowning.

For weeks now I have noticed after getting out of the pool that water clings to the hair on my legs instead of just rolling right off, I actually prefer to imagine myself just emerging from the waters glistening like a Greek God...but that's a different story altogether.

Now for the past few weeks I have leg hair poking through my knee and leg warmers and running tights. Not really a big deal but my leg hair is blonde/golden (greek god thing again) and it is quite obvious and becomes a distraction to see the "golden" flash every pedal stroke. So it is time for my golden leg locks to go. Plus it is a training aid. How so you ask? I look at it this way...If you are going to walk around sporting freshly shaven legs, you'd better have the muscles to back them up. Shave Legs = Train Harder

Christmas in May

2009-12-11T11:09:00.007-05:00

Dear Santa,

I know that you are having a hard time deciding what to bring me, a stay at home "mom" and Ironman triathlete, for Christmas this year. Let's go through the typical items first.

The No Thank You List:

Dyson Vacuum: Too heavy for daily use following those tough swim sessions.

Dust Mop with and extension handle: I'm 6'5" tall and can reach every surface just fine.

A years supply of Brand X cleaning solution: I blend my own from concentrate

A shop Vac: I don't have a shop.

Ergonomic Garden Tools: I live on a Military Installation that maintains the yards and gardens...and provides the ultimate in Armed Security :-)

A lovely new living room set: We had custom made furniture built whilst living in Italy.

Washer/Dryer combo: Very Tempting! However, we are hoping to move overseas again soon and that lovely combo would sit idle for the duration of our stay because of the lack of electrical compatibility.

Bedroom furniture: I'm not in charge of decorating that part of the house.

Anything for the Kitchen: No Room!

Anything for a bicycle: If I wanted it...I'd already have it.

An IPhone or Blackberry: I am on the internet way TOO much already and I don't want to spend the extra $$$ for service.

See Santa, I really have everything I need and my life is quite complete...

Well, there is ONE thing.

Ya' see, I too am a big guy. I have used that as an excuse for 3 years now, but I'm taking that crutch away. I have avoided the "work" necessary with the excuse that I'm just too big.

Here's the deal Santa. I'm willing to do the work...all of the work. I'll go deeper and further than I ever have before.

I'm already changing...you can see that in my training!

I'm not just pandering to you either, really I'm not!

I want this...I NEED this!

Look! I don't even want it now.

In fact, I don't need it until May; that will give you the time to see that I'm putting in the effort to EARN it.

So Here You Go!

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year (delivered May 1st) I would like...

A 3 HOUR IRONMAN MARATHON!

There I said it...And IT CAN BE DONE!!!!

Hill Running, City Living, Medium Rare Carnivorous Overload, and ... American Girl????

2009-12-02T14:08:00.008-05:00

I'm a city person.

I love the crowds, diversity, and the plethora of choices that accompany the people.

I live in a small hillbilly/redneck town whose population fluctuates constantly with deploying Marines. Let's see...there is: 1 place to buy educational supplies. One Thai restaurant (they call it Thai food). Hey we do have an Outback Steakhouse, along with RoadHouse and Lonestar and one other. One Target but two Walmarts. A tractor supply store. A place that sells dead fish they claim to be sushi. An over abundance of "on the edge" of obesity police officers. A lot of locals who just stare. A dialect that resembles some english. At least 6 places to "upgrade" your rims to 28" spinners with custom paint jobs. A bike shop whose owner is pretty much a dick. A used car lot on every intersection. Same with pawn shops. More strip clubs than there are hawt chics to strip in (no kidding). Oh and let's not forget a flood (pun intended) of genetic anomalies visible during ANY visit to Wally World (there was a water quality/contamination issue with this area years ago...is it fixed??? That's why we have bottled water delivered to us from out of the area)

Anyway, you get the idea; I love cities but I live in the sticks.

ROAD TRIP!!!!

I would surely blow a Hamstring trying this move

We pack up and head out at any given opportunity. I don't care where we are going but get me outta here.

Glorious Picanha

So I am off to Atlanta for the weekend...the last weekend...before Ironman Utah training officially begins. Whilst in the lovely metropolis I will be engaging in some winter cycling apparel shopping. I am going to run the hills at Kennesaw Mountain. I am going to attempt to eat Teegan's body weight in glorious medium rare brazillian prepared beef at Fogo de Chao. I will high kick with the Christmas Rockettes, and I will...yes I will... GO TO AMERICAN GIRL!!!!!(high pitched girl squeal) and we get to stay in the American Girl Marriott Suite. Sweet! I don't really know what that entails but...I'm sure there will be a lot of pink stuff, which I am pretty much oblivious to by now.

I Loves me some American Girl. That sounds really creepy coming from a grown man :-) I have a history with American Girl. Last Christmas I went to Manhattan and visited their American Girl. As you can see...

I was ecstatic to be there and meet the Newest American Girl at the time Chrissa. We were very thrilled to meet each other. It turns out she reads Caught on the Run...Wow! A real American Girl reads my blog. She thought some things were a bit "childish;" I told her some of her things were a little over priced...but otherwise we got along just fine.

There is the plan. Shopping, eating, running, and some high kickin' chics with heels...Yowzers!!!

Next week...I go to Rochester Minnesota...in freakin' December.

"Why is that guy smiling?"

He's wearing heated underwear!

I didn't want to be the dick with a mask on at Thanksgiving...but I should have

2009-11-30T06:27:00.008-05:00

Monday December 7th, training for Ironman St. George Utah begins.

It's a new season, a new race, a new approach.

I'm Ready to Train Coach...Put me in!

I was DONE after Hawaii but forced myself out the door to prep for Beach 2 Battleship. The moment I got home from that I put my running shoes in the closet and I have not seen them since. I didn't miss them at all for the first 2 weeks. Last week I started to think that maybe I should go out for a "little" run just to keep the feeling, but I resisted. This week will be the true test.

I'm antsy...anxious...needy. I'm almost like the trailer park woman on COPS whose husband hits her every weekend but she keeps coming back for more, "I knows I needs ta gits away fer awhile, but I luvz him so much!" That was my relationship with running for the past 4 months.

The pains have faded but I need just a little more time to heal...hence this final week of true recovery.

Plus some Mother F*&ker at a group Thanksgiving Party gave me the FUC*ing H1N1 Flu.
HEY YOU STUPID FU*K! I DON'T CARE IF IT IS A PARTY, IF YOU ARE SICK...STAY THE FU*K HOME!!!!

The same goes for the grocery store. Yes I'm talking to the you lady I sprayed Lysol at while coughing your ass off in the coffee isle. I don't care if you gave me that shitty look...you got the message :-)

(Apparently I get a little full of hate during Holiday and cold and flu season)

So anyway...I spent the weekend locked inside my house with H1N1. It wasn't nearly what it was promised. In fact, the seasonal flu is much worse and lasts longer.

"I'm Ryan and I would much rather have the H1N1 "Swine" flu than the seasonal flu...so when you order the flu this year, make sure you ask specifically for H1N1 Brand brought to you by Swine Brothers." (just practicing endorsing products)

What did I learn from all of this???

I should have been the anti social, elitist, uber fit, triathlete that I so much try to portray and wore my anti-flu protective mask to this Thanksgiving Party.

Oh well, there is always next year...or the Christmas Party!

Yes I was out benched by a chick...but SHE'S a Marine

2009-11-25T18:00:00.008-05:00

I am a triathlete

I Swim

I Bike

I Run

Nowhere above do I claim to bench press or lift weights...because I don't. Well, I didn't. I do now but that's a different post.

The "new" training me includes strength training...Yes Wes I am training more than just my well chiseled glutes ;-) I stole Dave Scott's training plan. It covers all major muscle groups in various different lifts for different results.

Today's lifting was high repititions with a weight that would be managable for 3 sets of 15 reps for every major muscle group. I worked through the lat pulldown, leg extensions, leg curls, squats, lateral dumbell raises, calf raises, dumbell pullovers, lunges both forward and backward, bicep curls, tricep extentions, gluteal isolation, leg drives to replicate high knees, adductors and abductors, and finally...Bench Press. Yikes! Bench Press.

I look around the weight room...Beefy Testosterone Pumped Marines working in teams of 4-6 huddled around every bench press station loaded with my body weight or more. "Oh well! I guess I'll just go use dumbells."

Until...

I see an open bench. I hurried over and laid my towel down thereby claiming the equipment as mine. I'm already warmed from the earlier sets so I get right into loading up the bar.

Although my legs are hairier than they have been in years, they are pumped...Every striated muscle and vein made their way to the surface to show these Muscle Bound Marines what years of 300 mile cycling weeks can do for you.

I'm sure there was another souls there looking to work into their routines on the bench press but were so in awe of the sculptedness of my legs that they must have been too intimidated to come ask to share the equipment, "If his legs are like that I'm sure that he is going to load the bar up with..."

135 pounds!

Back it up!

That's right!!! 135 pounds of Iron Baby. Hell, I didn't even need to be spotted. Not like those "wimpy" Marines over there bench pressing...hang on I have to do math...3 x 45 plates on each side plus the bar, plus some smaller ones ..... (yes it was over 300lbs...yowzer!)

See, those guys need "help" to lift their weight...not me.

So there I am finishing my first set of 15, all alone. (Damn! That is a little heavier than I remembered).

"You mind if I work in with you?" asked the Marine.

"No problem, I've only got 2 more sets left." I told the Marine.

So the Marine proceeds with their first set of what appeared to be about 10 reps. I work back through my next set of 15. I got to tell you, those last 2 were pretty hard to get up and still hold good form.

The Marine adds 2 x 10 lb plates to the bar and does their next set of 10 reps @ 155 lbs. Too much for me so I take one 10 lb plate off while the Marine takes the other to get the stack back to 135 lbs.

I finished my final set of 15. The last 3...well, they were a "bit" of a struggle. There was a brief moment that I thought I might not be able to get this bar all the way up. But not to fear, I finished strong. I grabbed my towel and was about to make my way over to start my core workout and I turned around and asked the Marine...

"You want the 10's back on?"

"Sure, could you add two tens." SHE said. 175lbs...Yikes!!!

23 weeks

2009-11-24T17:20:00.007-05:00

Here I am...7 weeks post Ironman World Championships, 2 weeks post THE DAY I LED A HALF IRONMAN FROM START TO FINISH, and 23 weeks from my next qualifier for the Ironman World Championships 2010.

Sure it's snarky to say that I'm going to rule the world, but to do so I'd better be willing to do the work required to earn it.

I've taken some time and come up with a list of what I think that I'm doing / done wrong in the past in terms of Ironman training. I am an endurance machine. Even in the midst of a totally melting down...I'm still running (ok plodding), but it is raw endurance. I have ZERO explosiveness in the water, bike, or on the run (sharting does not count as explosiveness although it was quite explosive at times). I just didn't do the speedwork it takes to move to the next level. I DIDN'T DO THE SPEEDWORK!!! Sorry, that was just me yelling at myself.

I pretty much followed the same training plan from Ironman Florida for Ironman Louisville and got almost the same results. I felt much stronger in Louisville than in Fl but I mark that down to just an extra year of training and endurance. (yes Louisville is harder than Fl)

Anyway, it is planning time. That is what I'm doing. I'm digging deep into training manuals/internet/running guides and cutting and pasting a plan for me (coaches feel free to create a detailed 20 week training plan and don't forget that I'm just a poor veteran married to an Active Duty Naval Officer so it would be very patriotic to make this very affordable). This year brings change. Saturdays are OFF days. I have a wife and child who for some reason enjoy my company so no more 5 plus hour Saturday rides.

This brings me to...fresh legs long run Sunday Mornings!!! I was the king of the Sunday morning 15+ miler averaging 7:40's. Guess what my run splits were in my last 3 ironmans??? Yes, right around the 7:40's. What does this mean? I was stuck at running 7:40's. Why did I think that I would magically start ripping off 7's just because I was racing? IF YOU CAN'T DO IT IN TRAINING YOU CAN DO IT ON RACE DAY...Fuc*ing Duhhhh!!!

So the biggest change so far...Free Saturdays (Yeah!) Fresh legs for my Sunday morning FAST long / medium long runs that are at a pace I know I am capable of racing.

That brings me to...track work :-(

In order to run fast you must run fast??? What the hell did I just say? If I want my body to learn to run faster...I've got to run faster? Again...WTF? That means 400's and 800's on "my track" (spray painted marks around my neighborhood).

After Ironman Louisville (28th overall finish by the way) <------ What a dick move (oh look how cool I am Mr. 28th overall) I saw the error in my ways when I had the energy to speed up but my body didn't know how to run faster than 7:40's. Even in my rough 4 miles from miles 21-25 I was still running 7:50's. In between Louisville and Hawaii I added in mile repeats to try and get a fire going under my ass. I didn't want to change anything too much for fear of an injury but I started seeing a significant drop in my training runs...too bad that didn't show up in Hawaii. <------- See I justified the dickiness with some humility.

So change #1 is a total and drastic change to the way that I approach running. I know I can run 26 miles coming off of the bike. Now let's train to do it faster! I'm going to train as a true runner: incorporating weekly speed sessions, tempos, fartleks (not shartleks). Each run will have a purpose besides just going out and running X miles at around X pace. Plus Ironman Utah is extremely hilly and I live in possibly the flattest spot in the US...so yes at least 1 session a week doing hill intervals on the treadmill.

Oh, and I've already started weekly gym sessions. Right now I'm getting my body used to incorporating weight training but it will eventually taper down to 2 sessions per week to maintain and 4 x weekly core and stability training. I apparently have weak glutes...ladies are free to check :-) but you will find them rock hard!

Enough for now

2009...What a 3 years.

2009-11-22T07:14:00.007-05:00

5th place overall half Ironman

28th place overall at Ironman Louisville

Blown to pieces at Ironman World Championships

3rd place overall at Beach 2 Battleship

After the experiences I have had during the 2009 triathlon season it is almost unbelievable to think that just three years ago, triathlon was not a part of my life. I was searching. I knew I needed something in my life to change but having a wife and daughter made that six month trek through the Australian Outback a little irresponsible. So there I was an ADD, Hyperactive, Turrets suffering(I had the uncontrollable urge to use the word Fuc* in every conceivable way), extremely bored and displaced Southern Californian living in the South (cue banjo music). I was a mountain biker living four hours away from the nearest hill to ride down, tired of the local 5 miles of sandy single track donkey trails (yes they weren't even horse trails), and just generally pissed off at the "man" for keeping me down.

Anyway, I started riding my road bike all over the Pensacola area. It started off with a goal of riding 20 miles a day. Then it turned into riding 20 miles a day and 40 on Saturday. I was really digging cycling, this whole time I thought cyclists were douchebags with their tight shorts and flamboyant "shirts" and there I was turning into one of them. Of course I filled my lycra shorts more than most of the other cyclists in town...jeez you perverts, that was not a dick joke. I'm talking about I had extra junk in my trunk...fat...I was carrying at least 30 more pounds than I am now...Yikes. I made a good friend at Bikes Plus Pensacola...Robbie Mott. I was in his shop ALL THE TIME. I'm sure when he saw me he was, "Aww FUC* here comes that douchebag Ryan AGAIN" But he always gave me great advice.

October 2006 was my first century ride. Can we say HIT THE WALL. That was the my first big boy introduction to cramping, bonking, and Hey Dickhead...you might want something besides water for 100 miles...Opps! The challenge was on. I needed to find something to challenge myself again. Robbie told me about Ironman Florida happening just down the road in Panama City. Ironman?

The next Saturday I told Melissa, "Let's go to Panama City and watch this Ironman thing."

"What is it?" she said.

"I'm not sure...Robbie was telling me about it."

"Oh great!" she said. (already getting sick of my bike shop stuff) :-)

So there I was, Panama City Beach: Ironman Florida. I didn't do enough of my homework to know the distances except the 112 miles on the bike. I was in AWE! The longer I stood there the more I got hooked. I was surprised to see every body type out there. I saw plenty of "me's" doing the distance. I HAD TO DO THIS! I had to find out what is making these people push themselves to the finish line.

I told Melissa I want to do this next year.

"Ok, go find out what you need to do." (I don't know if her eyes could have rolled up anymore than they did like...sure Ryan...you are going to do this next year...Tankass!)

And the rest is history.

From that cool November day, my life has changed. I found Ironman.

Coming up: Next year's training plans, racing season, and details on how I will take over the World!!!

The Day I Led the Race...

2009-11-08T17:06:00.021-05:00

There is no way that I will ever forget the day that I LED the race from START TO FINISH!!!!

You read that right...

I LED THE RACE FROM START TO FINISH!!!

Booo-freakin-YA!!!

Melissa and I both totally played this race as super low priority; how can this year be topped...I qualified and went to the Ironman World Championships, that's kind of a big deal so ending the year with "only a half" in a town I visit at least every other week just seemed anti-climatic. I didn't even pack for the race until about 3pm the day before. My normal self prepared night before the race meal(which I would eat around 5pm) this time consisted of a McDonald's cheeseburger and small extra salty fries at almost 8pm. I may have been the last bike to enter the transition before it closed for the night.

Swim: Yes I remember Hawaii, and I will NOT be pummeled again! I'm sorry who ever you were but you learned a valuable lesson why not to GRAB another swimmer's shoulder and start to pull them down when the horn sounds.

Maybe the other racers didn't read all the details about the course but today we will be racing 1900 meters, not 200. From the horn the sprint was ON. I dug deep and held my ground for the fast feet. 100 Meters out and I am at full power but thinking surely they can't keep this pace up. 150 Meters out and I am feeling the burn. 200 meters out and Bang!!! Ryan is leading the race! The leader popped and just in time; I was close to red lining and was giving myself 50 more strokes at max effort and if they don't slow...I will. At around my 3rd stroke the leader cracked and it was now me leading with a bunch of guppies slapping at my feet. Then I started thinking, "should I lead this thing for them, or slow down and let someone else do the work, or make them hurt?" Come on...you know the answer...I still had 47 of my self alloted 50 strokes at max effort left, so I used them.

Strokes 1-10 I notice that the 2 guys that were on each side of me are now fighting for my draft.

Strokes 10-20 No more slapping at my feet (In Phil Ligget's words, the elastic is stretching)

Strokes 20-30 I look as best I could behind me and see the gap and make sure to sight forward. What's the point of creating a gap if you are going the wrong way?

Strokes 30-50 The elastic has snapped and Ryan is on the breakaway and not to be caught.

At the end of the swim I pull myself out and look back as I run down the dock and I don't see anyone. I skip the wetsuit strippers and opt to keep mine on to keep me warm for as long as possible.

I learned a trick once that if you put your goggles inside of your cap and as you pull your arm out of your wetsuit you let go of your cap and they stay inside of the sleeve. Well it didn't work. So if Blue Seventy has an extra pair that they are willing to donate as a replacement, I will forward my address :-)

How big was my lead out of the water? Long enough to run the 1/4 mile to transition, grab my bike and almost make it to the bike out before the next swimmer rounded the corner. Outta sight...outta mind to all except 1.

Nobody behind

I pass Teegan and Melissa at about mile 3...IN THE LEAD!!! and I wonder if they relize what I'm doing. I feel proud for them because this whole thing I do is so selfish, but it is about so much more that just me. I want for them to know that the sacrifices that they make are significant for me. I know that they know and I could feel their power in each pedal stroke. I read from a friend, "that it takes guts and sometimes – being stupid at the right time or just GOING FOR IT – in order to win and to do well. "

Well, I've got the stupid part down...so here we go!

No easing up today...there are no more races after this...either blow up big or keep pedalling hard. By mile 10 I start catching some of the full distance racers and I use them as the rabbit knowing that at some point in the day I'll become the rabbit.

Nobody in front

Around mile 30 the half distance racers turn off to complete an out and back and this is where some of the cluster FU*% of the bike course begins. Nothing like coming to a complete stop at an intersection so the oncoming cars can pass...during a Fu*%ing race. Hello Mrs. Police officer and volunteer could you please stop the traffic so I can race please...I don't care if you continue smoking in the intersection...thx.

At the turn around the race support crew had to jump out of their car to tell me this was infact the turn around and that they will put the cone in the road for the next person to come past. I start my stopwatch.

Police escort for the first 7 miles for the leader

4 minutes. I was 4 minutes out of the turn around until the next half racer passes, so I am 8 minutes up. Sweet. That just adds fuel to the fire to pedal harder. The final 16 mile are tough. Headwinds pick up and the efforts of the first 40 miles are starting to show. All I can think about is staying aero and keep pushing a big gear, no coasting and no resting allowed. The last 3 miles I am escorted by a state trooper. I feel big time! I have an escort in a race. I smile and push harder. The final mile. Uphill over a causeway and the trooper pulls away. Uphill I grind refusing to shift off of my big ring...take the burn you puss! 2 minutes left TAKE THE BURN! I make a left and as I go to pass through the intersection at nearly 30 MPH I see two cars at speed approaching the intersection while the full staff (at least 10) of police officers and volunteers stand blissfully unaware that I'm coming and about to be creamed by not 1, but 2 cars at highway speed. Thank you Shimano DuraAce brakes for your superior braking power by stopping my 220 pounds in about 3 car lengths, and allowing the 2 cars at 50mph to pass through the intersection just feet from my head...YIKES!!!!

I hit the transition and guess what...nobody knew I was there. I handed my bike to somebody standing next to a rack and started yelling where are the bags (that they delivered race morning from the swim start), let's just say that there was nearly an athlete tantrum. What a total cluster FU*% of an ordeal.

Finally John, Wilmington's DA and apparently the most well informed volunteer in transition led me to the bags, and informed me that he just finished riding the run course and will be LEADING me... I apparently passed him riding to the transition area and they didn't expect the first rider for another 10 minutes :-) good and bad for me because I am losing valuable time in transition.

For the first time ever, ever, ever I am the leader of a race and I have the escort on the bike with the "Leading Runner" sign to prove it. (I even have the sign now)

You are reading that right...First Runner!

The first 2 miles are tough crossing two causeway bridges over the river leading into downtown Wilmington. The bike's efforts are really being felt. I had made it to the first mile of the run before the next cyclist passed...Huge lead but now I'm the RABBIT! Stay calm and don't run too hard, 13 miles is still a long way.

Mile 2 -4 are what triathlon dreams are made of. Here I am all 6'5", 220lbs, "running" just at or under 7 minute miles leading a race with an escort...though downtown!!!!!!

I know Melissa and Teegan would be at mile 3 waiting to see if I held on. As I approach I can see the excitement their eyes of seeing me in the lead. I wish there could have been a pause button where I could just stop and cherish those feelings of that moment with them. Unbelievable is truly how I felt!

The crowds thinned and the pain increased with each step away from the downtown. It became a game of Mind Vs. Body. I am now the rabbit. Do I sprint all out and get as far out as I can before being caught, or hold steady and see if the lead sticks, or slow down and just wait to respond once I'm caught? Who knows??? I've never been in this position before. I had already made my "stupid" shot once on the bike and chose not to overuse it, so I chose to hold strong where I'm at and see what happens after the turn around at the halfway point.

At the turn around heading back towards the finish I start my watch. 4 Minutes Again until the next runners, yes I said runners running side by side pushing each other that much harder to catch their prey...ME. So I had 8 minutes up with 6 miles to run. If I run 7 minutes/ mile they have to run 5:40's. That was IF I can hold 7's. Umm, hello Ryan, yeah I hate to remind you...YOU ARE NOT A RUNNER!!! Worse news! The 3rd runner past looks like he was doing my track sprints. I knew if anyone was going to catch me...it would be him. Moustache guy becomes the "lion" (or cheetah in this case) and I was the bumbling wart hog just counting my steps until I'm devoured.

Push with whatever is left because RYAN...There is no tomorrow. Accept the pain! Accept the pain!! ACCEPT THE PAIN!!!

Finishing Chute...I survived the hunt

1 mile left and I still have the "Lead Runner" escort. I look behind me for the first time...NOBODY. My gap on the bike stuck and I am going to be the first person across the line. Me! I did it. I made my choice to go too hard on the bike and it worked. I entered the finishing chute and the first thing I see are my two girls screaming wildly. They know this is a runner's game where the cyclists rarely win...but not today...WE had done it! I was the first finisher of the Beach 2 Battleship triathlon!!!!!

Now the wait begins to see how I finish overall. Moustache guy is the next finisher and started in an earlier wave so I know he has to be first overall, (plus he ran a 1:18:00 half, yowzers!) All I wanted at this point was to go wash the salt off and get out of my Sugoi tri suit because it was giving me serious wedgie problems...maybe they should add a tall size please.

At 3:00pm the awards ceremony starts and I haven't looked at the times yet. I have no idea how I did. I see Missy sweating bullets acting all coy and nervous even though she knows she dominated the F 35-39 with a 1st place win, "Gee I hope I did OK even though I knocked all those other bitches out of the water" she says as she is walking up to the podium for her 1st place trophy. Wow! Someone with a bigger ego than mine ;-)

Here we go...Men Overall...

1st place is ...............not me

2nd place is...............all I hear is 21 year old.......nope not me

3rd place from Jacksonville NC, 35 year old Ryan Barnett with a time of........

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. I DID IT...I MADE THE OVERALL PODIUM!!!!!!!!!

3rd Place OVERALL!!!

Original Teak wood trophy from Battleship's deck

Swim 24:55 *includes T1 time

Bike: 2:16:17 24.65 MPH *Fastest Bike Split*

T2: 3 minutes 11 seconds

Run: 1:36:17 **I had the course at 13.6 miles which put me at 7:02 pace overall, but race says 7:20/mile

Total Time: 4:20:29

3rd Place Overall (podium)

1st Male 35-39

6th Fastest Swim

Umm, well...7th fastest run (work in project)

and yes I'll say it again, "with a split of 2:16:17 and a speed of 24.65 MPH...Fastest bike split of the day"

The FINAL race...of 2009

2009-11-06T06:13:00.003-05:00

So this isn't the year in review where I comment on how remarkable I was in 2009; let's face it, I have almost 2 more full months to be that much more remarkable (and I am still reeling from my Hawaiian beat down). This is just a reminder that I have one more race until I take the month of December OFF from organized training in preparation to take myself to the next level in 2010.

First I would like to thank Jeremy Davis with SetUp Events for allowing me to change from the full Iron distance race to the half. A half Ironman. Melissa and I were both saying that after how awesome this year has been it is almost anti-climatic to end the year with a half...Ha! only a half. Perspective I guess.

Plans for the race? Finish so I can start drinking the lovely 12 beers I have waiting at the finish. Eat 1/3 of my body weight in medium rare beef at Ruth's Chris steakhouse the night after the race. Party with some creepy internet friends (bloggers), and streak downtown Wilmington NC sometime around 10pm.

The race itself: Sure I'm having some issues with my performance (or lack thereof) in Hawaii, so one would expect that I go flying out of the gate at B2B...right? Let's just say that Madame Pele's sting still has me reeling a little, but you can be sure that I will be pushing a big gear on the bike; I really want to end the year with a DYN-O-MITE run, and no the explosion won't be coming from the rear...smartasses!

Potential Bloggers to meet:

DreadPirate

Strong thoughts for those at Ironman Florida (my first and favorite IM) and everyone in B2B...HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!