Forward....

It's little secret that I've not really "trained" since finishing Ironman CdA. We could attribute that to allllll sorts of things... but let's just leave it at, "I didn't feel like it", shall we? Ok. Good.

I haven't been COMPLETELY inactive. I've done quite a bit of yoga and core work plus a bit of running and a tidbit of swimming. I think I got on my bike once.... but I'm not entirely sure. Guess what's happened? No... I didn't turn into a fat lardo... I totally wasted away! Ok. That's a bit dramatic, but let me explain. I've always been a skinny bastard. I mean.... I've never been accused of being "chubby". Usually... if and when I'm not training, or if I'm training lightly... I'll weigh a comfy 162 to 165 lbs. That's probably still pretty light for a guy my height but its a weight that's healthy and strong. I weighed myself yesterday at the gym... and I'm a

WHOPPING 155 lbs... naked... dripping wet. That's NOT good. Basically what's happened is that all of the muscle I gained in my ass, shoulders, and chest during training has wasted away. Don't laugh... I know you're all going, "What ass... you never HAD an ass!". Well... I assure you... I did... and it was super cute. Anyway, I digress. So this is what happens to Rob when he doesn't train and is under a significant amount of stress.

What's the good news? The good news is that I'm heading into a new year with tons of potential!

Here's the thing... we all tell ourselves stories. In our own heads we carefully construct elaborate narratives about our lives going forward. More times than not, those stories aren't necessarily true. All you have is a general outline... and the story just happens as you move forward right? So you have a choice in the story you're telling yourself. Actually, you can choose to NOT tell yourself a story at all... you can choose to stay in the moment and let the story happen. WAY easier said than done. We're all kind of meticulous. We're planners. I'm not quite sure how it works... the whole "stay in the moment" thing... when you have all this stuff in front of you... that you have to think about... but you're not supposed to and if you spend too much time on what's ahead of you... then you miss what's in front of you... yeah... ok.... huh?what?

where was I? Oh! Yeah... stories. My story, going forward, has been F'ed up. I've grown tired of the story I've been telling myself for the last 2 years. It's old... tired... bogged down... tedious... pretty freakin sad, and to be blunt, bullshit. I'm changing that story.

2010 is going to be an interesting year. I've made tentative plans about training and racing. Base training has begun... as of yesterday... and I have the stiffness to prove it. I plan on going coach-less for a little while... rebuild my base on my own... then have the fine-tuning handled by a professional. Racing... I've got some ideas: Boise?, Vineman? (wait-listed), Calgary?, Lake Stevens? All or none of that might happen. I'll be taking a trip up to Coeur D'Alene and Canada to spectate and Wisconsin to spectate and very likely sign up to race in 2011... like I said, I have unfinished business with the full iron distance.

So there's my 2010 triathlon story outline! Pretty excited to get started! Rob does better while training.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole. Enjoy the rest of the holidays!

Breathe...

Evolution.

I looked up the actual definition of the word the other day. I kinda thought that I knew exactly what it meant... but it turns out that there are a number of definitions. I think I like this one the best tho:

"A motion incomplete in itself, but combining with coordinated motions to produce a single action."

What I like about this particular definition... is that it implies that there is no end... and its never alone. It takes OTHER motions to coordinate WITH it to produce something. In other words, you never stop evolving... and you don't do it by yourself! How great is THAT? I mean really... think about it. We all stagnate at times... it's inevitable... but while you may appear still on the outside... your brain can be chewing on something... working it out... mulling it over and over until you find a direction... and then? Zip... you're off... in motion... trying that heading out... seeing where it takes you... which is ultimately, onto the next thing... right? AND its always combined WITH something else... or someone else! It never stops. To some that might be unsettling. We're always trying to arrive somewhere. We have goals, destinations, decisions... but there's always the next step to take. Like a decision. "I have decided that I am going to do..." whatever. Well? Ok. Now what? See? The decision is NOT the endpoint... its the beginning. That is just SO cool.

Who's with me?

Thank you for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

I'm not...

... a particularly religious guy... but I came across this passage in the Bible during the funeral of a very dear friend's Dad today:

"... not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint..." Romans 5:3-5

Just a little food for thought.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

Halloweenie!

This is a "triathlon blog" right? Huh. That'sinteresting... anyway!

I like candy. No... scratch that... I LOVE me some candy... and guess WHAT? So do my kids! Halloween is right up there with Xmas in our family! Festivities, of course, began with the pumpkin patch at Johnson's Farm. Farmer Johnson has the craziest hay ride in the nation! There is no putt putting around with him. Basically, during this 20 minute excursion you haul ASS around the patch throwing gords and smaller pumpkins at scare crows that have been setup around the patch. SO fun! Halloween day was spent carving pumpkins, shuttling kids to soccer tournaments, a meal of "Bloody Mary Flank Steak" and vomit casserole, then, of course, trick or treating! It was a great day/night with the kids and Kathryn... but we missed Jack. Being 13 and all, he has started the inevitable process of finding his independence as a young teen. Yeah, (sob), he chose to forego trick or treating with the family to go to a Halloweenparty. We missed his presence but know that he had a grrrrrrrEAT time with his friends! Here's some pictures!

Master gutter!

Jack!

Duh punkins!

Sugar coma!

I didn't realize how TIGHT swim caps and wetsuits are until that night! Ugh!

In other, more fitness related news, I went up to Corvallis, Oregon last Sunday to race the Mac Forest 15k trail race. Not having truly, "trained", since IM CdA... I didn't have very high expectations other than to have some fun! This course is no joke. The elevation gain alone just about made me projectile vomit. Overall I ran well all things considered and ended up 37th out of 245 runners. Not bad but BOY did it hurt... in a good way! Check out the elevation map...

Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

Lonliness

I've always enjoyed being around me. Ya know what I mean? Seriously... I'm pretty good company.

I was thinking back on my Ironman training earlier this year. I can honestly say that I trained with others less-than 3 times. Seriously. That's kinda odd isn't it? I mean really... that's a LOT of hours to be by yourself. Towards the end... I was logging roughly 20 hours/week... completely solo. I've always seen this as a blessing. To be comfortable with one's self is a gift... isn't it?

Well? Maybe not. Maybe I'm completely full of shit. Here's the thing: While I may actually be comfortable being alone with my own thoughts, fears, demons, and joys... I also might only be THAT comfortable with all of them b/c I KNOW... beyond a doubt... that I have someone to come home to and share my experiences with. Maybe being comfortable while alone... is simply a function of having, (or needing), someone to share those thoughts and experiences with.

Huh. Interesting right?

Just a thought.

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Breathe...

p.s. High FIVE!

Here's the thing...

about football: The game itself, to a 6 year old boy, (at least MY 6 year old boy), is only as good as the soft pretzel, the "Sierra Mist", the donut, the Coke, the frozen lemonade, unshelled peanuts, AND the comfy stadium chair!

Let's just say that Tom had an outstanding time at the Oregon vs. Cal game last Saturday. I had a great time to... not because the Ducks stomped the CRAP outta Cal... but b/c I got to spend a little time with my little man... just us guys... doing supposed "guy things". Which is funny... b/c I'm MORE than willing to bet that the majority of women out there know more about football and stats and players than myself... which makes me wonder... is watching football REALLY a guy thing? Which brings me to yet ANOTHER question: Why the HELL go if you could truly give a crappolio about the sport!

Let's face it... despite what the picture in my last post might show... I'm a skinny bastard. Yeah... I know... GASP! But its TRUE! I've always been skinny! SHOCKING! I can remember being in middle school and looking in the full-length mirror and noticing that my "quads" were about as large and buff as my "biceps". I said to myself, "That ain't right." (Yes... I used "ain't" and was living in Oklahoma at the time), but there was literally nothing I could do about it. My point... this little skinny guy didn't pursue a career in football... and as a result... felt it a complete waste of time and energy watching something that held ZERO meaning to him. Therefore... I grew up knowing very little about the sport... nor caring about it. Don't get me wrong... if there was EVER a pick-up game in the neighborhood or even a game of "Smear the Queer", (how crude), I was right there slugging it out with the large-boned kids like Bigun and Ryan. As a matter of fact... I kinda liked throwing my wafer thin frame at those guys... ultimately injuring them with my bony

elbows! But WATCH a football game while sitting on the couch? On TV? Psssssh... hellz no! This has carried over into my adult life and really... the only football I'll watch is Duck football... and only from Autzen stadium. As a result... at corporate meetings for instance... I'm the handy-tard that stands there with the guys nodding his head, smiling, and pretending he understands what the hell the football-obsessed masses are talking about. I usually supplement the nodding and smiling with comments like, "Yeah." and, "Totally", and "Psshh! No kidding.". I don't really think it works... but it makes me feel better.

The truth is... football is all about the person sitting right next to me. So I'll continue to buy season tickets just like I have for the past 8 years... and I'll cheer with the best of them... but the reality is... I'll spend more time watching Tom enjoy his treat of the moment... than watching the game... and it's worth every penny.

Breathe...

Off-Season?

Fat AND hairy! This was taken after a particularly excessive binge on pulled-pork. (hee hee... I said "pork").

It might be a bit early for most of you to be calling September "off-season"... but considering the fact that I've not raced since CdA... my "off-season" began early. Don't get me wrong... I'm still doing things... and stuff... but its extremely unstructured. I'm quite enjoying it actually. If I feel like running? I run. Biking? I bike. Swimming? I swim. It's that simple and it's actually quite fun. There are moments where I crave the structure... I crave the goals... but it passes. There will be time for that next year. Right now... I'm enjoying coaching Lila and Tom's soccer teams... "Flash FC" and "Ninja Ants" respectively... hangin with Jack and watching as he becomes a "real teenager"... and taking Aggie to the dog park as much as possible.

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole... and thank you for taking the time to read.

Breathe...

Fair Time!!!

Every year, during the 3rd week of August, Eugene welcomes the Lane County Fair! The fair is something that we've gone to EVERY year as a family for the last 12 years... we LOVE the fair!The fair is our opportunity to spend ridiculous amounts of money, eat "dirty" food, ride questionably safe, rickety rides, and observe the local, cultured clientele with varying numbers of teeth! Yeah. We fit right in. The only difference between yesterday's fair fest and previous year's was that our money... well... it didn't go as far as it did last year. 8 tickets of a single ride???? That's just crazy talk! Anyway... we still managed to have a fantastic time... so enjoy a few pics of the fam!

Looks FUN huh? It was!

Training continues at a subdued level... which fits in just perfectly. My schedule for next year is beginning to solidify... and I'm truly looking forward to hitting it pretty hard starting in Jan of 2010.

Thank you for taking the time to read! Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

Trying to...

keep it close to real.

Ya know... sometimes you just can't write from your heart... but you want to write anyway and you end up editing a whole bunch of CRAP. So here's the thing. This is my happy place. This is where I come to share my experiences in life as they relate to my chosen sport... and that is where it needs to stay. If you've noticed over the last year and a half... the quantity and, in my opinion, quality of my posts have faltered. Ya know... I love writing about what I learn of people, places, and things... as well as myself... while I'm out training and racing. SO... time to refocus!

Take today for example. Here I am trying to figure out how to train... while not really "training"! What the hell is THAT? I don't train to make myself healthy or pretty... I train so that I can race. I train so that I can peel the onion just one more layer. I train b/c I NEED TO! No really... I'm kind of messed up on a daily basis... but if I'm not training.... I'm REALLY messed up. So my quandary is... how do I stay focused if I'm not planning on racing for the remainder of the year? Answer? Next year. Right? I mean... I suppose I could drop all this knowledge my muscles have gained in the last 3 years of participating in this sport right? I could just start over early next year? Does that make ANY sense to anyone? I don't care what's going on in the rest of my life... I'm not starting over. SO... I'm focused on maintaining my base so that when I start into a new cycle early next year... I'll be ready to go. I will take about a month off from anything structured in either November or December... for "deep recovery" as Coach Liz calls it... but other than that... I'm just going to plug along and make it happen as close to 6 days a week as I can. Believe me... everyone will be happy about that.

So today I hit the pool and put in 2,600 meters of quality work. I'm really falling in love with my paddles and leg bands. When I pull with those things... I feel SUPER fast! I'm really enjoying the pool. Kind of like the "padpadpadpad" of my feet when I run... the outside world falls away with each stroke... its calm, fluid, rhythmic, strong, quietquietquietquiet. Ya know... its a common lesson in living meditation... only do exactly what you're doing in that moment. For instance... if you're doing the dishes... ONLY do the dishes. Don't think about what you're going to be doing the second you finish doing the dishes... just do the freakin dishes. So when I'm swimming, biking, or running... that's exactly what I do... I do the dishes. Uh. You know what I mean.

Plans are forming for next year. I'm putting Ironman in my back pocket until 2011. I'll be focusing on short-course in the early season to develop a little more speed. After that I'll have a couple of key 70.3s lined up for late July through August with the ultimate goal of reaching Worlds again... not dislocating my shoulder... and actually being able to truly race it! VERY excited about having a general outline of a plan! Stay tuned... I'll hopefully be traveling for all of this... MN, CA, WA, IL... the list goes on... and I WILL expect free places to stay. Don't worry... I'm skinny and don't take up much space.

That's it for now! Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

Nothing Deep!

Holy CRAP! I just re-read yesterday's post! Heavy huh? Sorry about that. Sometimes you just don't know when its going to hit you... nor do you know exactly what's going to come out. Having said that... I apparently had the need to vent a bit and in the end... writing has helped me find a smidgen of clarity. I'm still not convinced that this was the appropriate forum to do it in... but screw it... its out there... and it is what it is.

ANYWHO! I'm on what one might call, a modified maintenance training regimen. I just made that up. Essentially... I do what I want when I feel like it. I swim, I bike, I run... for no particular reason other than the fact that I enjoy it.... AND... my head will freaking explode if I don't. Now, how long will THAT last? I have no clue... but it's working for me at the moment. Its no secret that working out for, "general health benefits", doesn't float my boat. I wish it did... it would probably simplify my life quite a bit... but its the competition that gets my juices flowing... that's just how I'm wired. SO... while I'm doing the "training"... my mind is racing with different ideas about how I'd like to structure next year's training and racing. LOTS of ideas swirling around in my head... ranging from full IM to 70.3 to focusing on AG nationals as a goal. The Lifetime Fitness series keeps popping into my head too... Mmm Hmm... yeah. I dunno... the possibilities are endless and its really fun for me to think about! Stay tuned...

Today was different. I just ran... empty headed. Had a good quality run! Hopped out of the car somewhere around Rice Valley, stripped down, threw on my shoes, and took off. It was roughly 82 degrees and sunny out... and it was just me... my breathing... and that sound. You know the one... "patpatpatpatpatpatpatpat".... your feet rhythmically tapping the hot asphalt. Nothing in my head... just the task at hand. I was running while I ran... that's all... and it was bliss.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

Managing...

change!

It's constant right? I mean really... the only thing that you can truly count on in this world is that things will continually adapt, adjust, convert, fluctuate, modulate, transfigure, transmute, vacillate, and metamorphose. (I think my favorite is "metamorphose").

Ok... so... change. You'd think that by the shear nature of its constancy we'd figure it out. You'd think that we'd accept it in its natural course and meet it with open arms. The problem is... not all change is good. Not all change is something that we believe is right. Not all change is right for you or for those around you. AND there are different opinions about what change is good and right and smart... which REALLY throws a hitch in the giddyup! Change is often-times REALLY FREAKIN HARD!!!! Which is why some people are so uncomfortable with it.

So? What do you do when you're met with unwanted change? What do you do when you really truly believe that a particular change is going to be devastating not only to yourself... but also to those that you love and hold closest. Welllllll.... according to that God guy and that Bible book... and a whole bunch of recovering alcoholics... you're supposed to say a prayer that goes a little something like this:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

POOF! ALL better! Really... what you're doing is giving it up right? The control that you think you have... you're giving it over to God and asking him to grant you acceptance, courage, and wisdom. Asking him to reveal his will... not yours... HIS. Man... I wish it were as easy as saying that little prayer. A very close and dear friend told me the other day that it will reveal itself... with time.

Well... how bout now? No? Now? Nuh uh. Apparently later is better. So I sit, and I fret, and I breathe, and I get angry, and I get sad, and I laugh, and I cry, and I just ride this ride that I'm on attempting to be true to myself. It'll be clear at some point... just not right now. What I do know is that down the road... I'll be able to look back and reflect and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have done everything that I could... and that I've handled my business with honor and integrity.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you're all healthy, happy, and whole.

Breathe...

Back at it...

but just a bit.

I was surprised to find that the Wednesday after Ironman CdA I felt the itch to train. Not a big itch... but rather a little annoying one... like the kind you get under a cast... that you can't scratch. I had kind of expected to fall into the Post Ironman Pit of Dispair immediately after. I mean... isn't that what's supposed to happen? Aparently not for me... at least yet. I just think that my thoughts and energies are directed toward bigger issues... and as a result I passed right over that, "Oh my GOD! What do I do NOW?" phase. I have been relishing in not having a set schedule... not being gone for an eight hour training day... having enough energy in the evening so that when Tom says, "Hey DAD! Wanna jump on the trampoline with me?" I say, "You bet your ass I do!" (ok... not really... I just say "sure pal").

Having discussed it with Liz... she advised me that I should not being doing any "hard efforts" for at least a month following Ironman. Apparently the damage done is pretty deep and though you might feel like you're ready to go... you're simply not. Especially for an old guy like me. SO... I've been running a bit... not more than 30 min at a time... and I've swum a bit... no more than 2 miles at a time... and I've done one ride... roughly 1:45. All in all everything is firing perfectly.

I'm not entirely sure what the rest of my season is going to look like. To be honest... I'd like to race. I need those goals... they're what push me forward and there's a number of smaller, shorter, local races that I'm looking at. I've also begun to tentatively plan for next year... although its all pretty much up in the air at this point... which is both frustrating AND un-nerving for me... but... it is what it is.

Hope you all had a great weekend! If you did something truly special for someone other than yourself... big or little... take a moment and pat yourself on the back... it'll come back to you... I promise.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole!

Breathe...

Who wants a marshmellow???

How can I put this?

I'm not going to write a race report.

I have sat down countless times to write this "narrative". Every time I start... I get a couple of sentences in and I grind to a complete and utter halt... I just can't write about it. I feel like I'm trying to "create" a story... an experience. I feel like I'm making things up. The reality is... I don't remember a whole lot about the day. I remember bits and pieces:

• Standing at the swim start, closing my eyes, holding an invisible hand and smiling.
• Laughing with Earl in the changing tent about taint pain.
• Passing Marit on the bike... then getting passed by her later... all the while laughing and smiling.
• Seeing my best friend from high school on the run... and stopping to hug him and tell him I love him.
• Begging my stomach to come around so that I can run to my ability.
• Striking a pose at the finish... b/c Liz asked me to.

I remember moments... but I can't put the entire thing together. The bottom-line is this: I ran this race in ernest. I ran this race because I made a commitment a year ago and needed to see it through. I ran this race because I felt like this was one of the only things in my life that I had control over. I spent 6 months... January through June... training under conditions that should have folded me into the fetal position in the corner. There is no logical reason that I should have completed this race in the time I did other than out of the necessity to see the commitment through.

So here's the deal: I have unfinished business with Ironman. Don't get me wrong... I am thrilled that I was able to complete the race. I am ecstatic that I had the experience that I did. I feel so blessed that I'm healthy, and capable, and able to participate in this sport... but I am not done with this distance.

Stay tuned and...

Breathe...

THANK YOUS!!!!!

Anyone that's ever gotten involved in this sport knows that the amount of time, energy, and resources required can oftentimes be overwhelming. This is a choice that we make... based off of whatever need we may have. There is a desire in all of us... on whatever level to, compete... to push ourselves... to overcome obstacles and be challenged in a very specific way. I can only truly speak for myself... but before I found triathlon... I was lost for about 10 years. I just kind of floundered around out there... being a husband and father and employee as best as I knew how. You would think that that would be enough. Aren't we told that our greatest purpose in life is to be a good spouse, parent, friend, citizen, patriot, etc.? While all that may be true... for me personally there was always a gap... there was something missing and triathlon filled it. I remember being a very young boy and watching my dad work his ass off and thinking,"Where's the freakin ADVENTURE? There's GOT to be more to it than THIS.". That thought as a little guy has really dictated a lot of the paths that I've chosen... right or wrong. Here's the point... my family came with me on this triathlon thing... not really by choice... I just kinda started and there they were. There hasn't been a single moment where my family hasn't completely supported me in this sport. Does that mean that they never said, "God... 8 hours? I wish you didn't have to be gone all day." Hellz no! They're human. I didn't really WANT to be away from them for 8 hours on the weekends either! They might not fully understand it... but they recognize that this is part of what makes Rob/Husband/Daddy tick... and they love me for it... and in turn... I love them back... and ultimately... this sport, or rather the journey that navigates through this sport... makes ME a better human being

So... from the top to the bottom of my heart... thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my amazing family! Kathryn, Jack, Lila, Tom, and Aggie... I love you.

Then there's Liz. If you've read this blog... you know who Liz is. For you first-timers... Liz has been, is, and will be my coach. Although, it could be argued that she's much more than that. She is my friend and confidant. She is my psychologist and drill instructor. She is... well... Liz is Liz. I have cursed her in the past... particularly during races. "That f'ing B**** did NOT prepare me for this!!!!" Yeah... remember that? I certainly do. The thing is... she DID prepare me for everything you could possibly think of. I'm not sure that I can say much more than that... sometimes the extent to which one is grateful... just can't be properly expressed.

Liz? Thank you SO much!

Hmmmm... there are so many people that I want to thank... but then everyone would get PISSED b/c I'm not getting to my race report. I DO have to thank Sally... thank you Sally... I love you!

Thank you for taking the time to read. Thank you for all the kind support and well-wishes. Thank you for coming with me. I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole. Stay tuned... the pole is clear... people like the loooooooong version.

Breathe...

In case you're wondering...

yeah... I finished! YAY me! YAY Rob! I'm finally back home and soaking up the family and readjusting to "normal" life. Don't worry... all of the boring, long-winded, details WILL be forthcoming... I just need a few more days for processing.

OH! I need your opinion... take the poll that I put up on the right! Basically... I need to know if you all want the long, drawn-out, multiple DAY version of my race report... or if you'd rather that I get to the point and cover it in one post... your vote COUNTS... so do it!

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole! Thanks for visiting and taking the time to read!

Breathe...

#1055

There's nothing left to do. Tonight I let go. Tomorrow... the only thing to do... is race... and that sounds like BLISS to me.

Thank you for your support and kind word of encouragement... I can't express how much they mean to me. See you after the race.

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

Breathe...

I'm Official!

Yup. All checked in and numbered and labeled etc. YAY me!

Woke up this morning to BEAUTIFUL weather! Crystal clear skies with a few puffy/fluffy clouds... you know the type of day... it smiles at you and you simply smile back! Erich, Aggie and I jumped out of the rack, grabbed some grub, and headed out to get our swim in. On the way... we bombarded our coach with random nonsequiturs via text. Yeah. Good times. Our goal was to ensure that we were at the forefront of her mind AND that she got absolutely NO work done. Mission accomplished.

We arrived at the Gatorade swim to find the wind whipping over the water and creating quite a bit of chaos. Seriously big swells. The good news is that the water temp was an incredibly comfortable 63 degrees! Yeah... seriously. I didn't even use a swim cap.... ME! The skinny candy-ass that can't stand the cold! We put in around 700 meters... total. Just to get a feel for the water. No significant issues and we held around an extremely comfortable pace both out and back... good stuff.

We hung out for a while and then it was time to check in. I ran into Carol! Have I told you about Carol? Well... CAROL is single-handedly responsible for getting me back in the pool after my shoulder dislocation! That girl is neato! She happens to be racing as well and I'm positive she's going to kill it! Anyways... check in went off without a hitch and here I am... holding my bag... my eyes all big... and I'm just giddy. I'm can't hardly contain myself... like I'm standing there at the timing chip checker inner thingy and I'm doin the "I Gotta Go Potty Dance"... and here's all these other people... and I'm like, "Jesus dude! This is freakin AWESOME! We're RACIN on Sunday WOO WHOO!!!", all smiley and rookie... and not in the least bit cool. Eh. I just can't help myself.

Fast forward... or I'll never get to bed! Drove the course, quick bike ride, quick run off the bike, dinner, Colleen and Stephanie showed up at the house and there ya have it!

So... me and my carb-filled belly are now heading to bed. Tomorrow's agenda consists of... sitting on my ass with my feet up! Yup. Exciting stuff. My sole job tomorrow is to rest, eat, pee, eat, rest... not necessarily in that order... but you get the idea. Bryan is showing up at the house tomorrow as is Stephanie's husband to complete the crew! Aggie will also have a playmate tomorrow! Colleen's puppy Piper is coming up and Aggie is beside herself with excitement!

Ok... off to bed! Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you're all happy healthy and whole and....

Breathe...

We Have Arrived!!!

Uh huh. Its real. I'm here. WOW!

Ok... so Aggie and I piled into the car and started our drive up to Coeur D'Alene at 9 am this morning. We hooked up with Erich in Mosier, OR (which is actually where my wedding was held... at a little bed n breakfast... in a cherry orchard... with 200 of our closest friends... wine and beer were consumed in massive quantities... boy was THAT a long time ago!). You guys know Erich right? He's a young dork... but we love him. Anywho. The remainder of the drive was spent listening to music and podcasts, talking with a close friend that is ALMOST as excited as I am about the race... mmm hmmm... and sending random obnoxious texts to my beloved Coach Liz!

We arrived at our rental house around 6 ish and unloaded our copious amounts of crap. After that we cruised down to the race site, (about a mile away), found some grub, walked the race site, dipped our feet in the water, and went to the G store! See? Exciting huh? Aren't you GLAD to hear all of this?

I'm a little giddy at the moment. Difficult to contain myself actually. Its been SUCH a long road for me... and now I'm here... I'm really here. WHEW! Man. Robby tired. Robby need sleepy. Robby might need medicine to go sleepy.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole! If you're racing this weekend too... no matter what the distance... dig in... get ready... oooooooohhhhhh yeah.

Stay tuned ok? More tomorrow!

Breathe...

6 Days out...

and I'm still here!  Sorry I've been so absent.  To tell the truth... I've been completely uninspired to write... anything.  Or at least anything that's worthy of putting in a post.  Sometimes... certain things are best kept to oneself... or a very select few individuals.  No offense... but you wouldn't want the boring details anyway.

Where's my head?  I'm calm.  I'm quiet.  I'm ready.  

There's more... but that's it for now.  I'll be doing a post a day running up to the race... stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!  I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.  If you get the chance... make a dance mix on your iPod... then dance your fanny off in the kitchen.

Breathe...

Building....

toward my peak!

Ok... so its been a while since I've written... and it hasn't been from lack of trying!  Two weeks ago I was in FL at a national meeting.  These are bitter-sweet events b/c while its great to go someplace warm and sunny... perhaps get a few 15 minute breaks on the beach with a friend or two... the rest of it is spent trapped in meeting rooms and "learning" things and stuff.  Late nights usually... which are GREAT considering some of the company... but really take it out of you over the course of a week.  Training continued with everything but the bike and I was able to get in some good work!

Immediately following that week of bliss (no joke Sarry), I flew to St. Louis to meet my family and attend my youngest niece's First Communion.  I can't tell ya how much I miss my sister, her husband and my 4 nieces and nephews!  Every time I visit... it always makes me want to move to be closer to them.  SO much fun and craziness!  While I was there I also got in a 5000 yd swim and a 2.5 hour run.

I'm now into the last week of a pretty hefty build.  Last week ended with a 6.75 hour ride followed by a 30 min run off the bike.  Here's what I have to say about that: FUN!  I covered WELL over the iron distance on the bike and came off the bike running my ironman marathon pace with legs that felt pretty darn close to funky funky fresssssssshhhhhh.  Yeah.  Seriously.  I had no idea what to expect and was REALLY pleased!  

Another build week and I'm launching into rest.  I feel stronger than I've ever felt!  BIG weekend... 2.75 hour run, 4800 yd swim, 6 hour ride followed by 50 min run off the bike.... so THIS is what Ironman training is like?!  Niiiiiiiiice.

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.  Thanks for taking the time to read!

Breathe..

p.s.  Enjoy some pics from St. Louis!

Nephew Sam, me, and nephew Jake!

My niece Sophie, Lila, and me!

Me and Lilly (the first communion girl!)

Look at my "little" girl!!!  WOW!

Do ya think....

they're yellow enough???  Yeah.  These are my new racing flats!  Supah fast lookin huh?!!! However... I don't think I'm racing CdA in these... cuz I just bought some Zoot Ultra TT 2.0's!  Talk about flashy!  Geesh!

Run test yesterday.  Guess what?  I'm fit.  My coach told me so... and there ya have it.  

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole. Thanks for taking the time to visit!

Breathe...

Recovery Week!

Hi.  My name is Rob and I'm in a recovery week.  

Liz had me round out a three week build on Sunday with a 6 hour ride and a 40 min run off the bike.  EXTREMELY early morning start to make sure I got back home for important things such as Skate World and soccer games!  I about froze my skinny white ass off out there for the first hour and a half!  BUT... the sun came out and my effort increased... so everything thawed just fine. Two GREAT things happened during this workout... I worked my race pace based off of wattage for 4 of the 6 hours of the ride... AND... I flew off the bike with what seemed like fresh legs, crushing my proposed IM pace... I had to dial it back 30 seconds/mile after the first mile!   Turns out... I might be adjusting my marathon goal a bit.  Oh yes.  I'm happy.

Enjoying some recovery.  Eating a ton.  Enjoying the break from the rain.  Two tests this week... one run... one bike.  If I don't throw up in my mouth at least once during each test... I will be extremely disappointed.  This is it.  This is my last, (I think), test to fine-tune what I'll be doing in my first full Iron distance race... its time to go... go... fucking GO!

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.  Thank you for reading!

Breathe...

A Little Success!

It occurred to me that my whine dial has been turned up... and then it broke off... and then I fixed it and was able to turn it down... if only a tad. Anyway my point being that I haven't taken the time to write about how WELL my training is going. Or maybe I have and I just don't remember. Anywho.  I'm exiting the third week of a three week build.  I have absolutely NAILED 90% of my workouts.  (This is where I get some sort of smarty-pants comment from my wise coach to keep my ego in check).  My perception is my own reality... so neener neener.  Where was I?  Oh yeah... things are going REALLY well.

The picture above is of a section of Lorane Highway.  It's rolling to flat and wide open... which means ALL of the elements meet you and oftentimes kick you right in the nuts!  But that's real right?  That's what its like.  You can't shelter yourself in training b/c there aint no shelter in the race.  Right?  Am I right?  Uh huh.  I am... just ask me!  Anyway... there are also mile markers on this road which makes it perfect for figuring out things like saaaaaaaay, your Ironman marathon pace?  Yup!  Last Monday I had my longest run of the season thus far and it went down like this:

1 hour warm up.  Just plodding along in zone 1.  During that first hour the weather kicked me in the nuts numerous times... but I felt so relaxed... so calm.  Quick stop at my car to throw on my new racing flats... they're BRIGHT OBNOXIOUS YELLOW!!!!  I put those things on and took off heading into the wind.  The next thing I know I'm ticking off miles well below my proposed IM pace and barely tapping into mid zone 2.  Yeah... I KNOW!  Isn't that cool!  I felt like a complete rockstar!!!  I did that for the next 45 minutes and then dropped the hammer and went into zone 3 for the next 20 min which would be crazy fast for me in a marathon at my ripe old age!  Then cooled down in low zone 2 for the next 10 min.  IT WAS SO FUN!  

Here's the thing... every time I have a workout like this... it opens my eyes to possibilities.  It also reminds me: I love the struggle and the fight and the tears and the pain and the dejection... but I ALSO love these small samplings of success.

Here's to possibilities.  

Thank you for taking the time to read.  I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

High 5 Sistah Girlfriend!

Breathe...

Happy Sugar-Coma Day!!!!

Yeah.  It's alllllllll about Jesus.  Such an ODD holiday isn't it?  Talk about Hallmark running away with something!  GEESH!

Quick training update!  Since my epiphany the other day... I've been enjoying the suffering immensely.  The last week of training culminated in a 5.5 hour ride with a 40 min run off the bike yesterday. Built into that ride was 2.5 hours of race-paced efforts and I covered more mileage that I ever have before.  Liz keeps telling me that this is ALL new territory for me... and I'm loving the new challenges!  I'm pleased to say that coming off the bike... my run was solid.  It took me less than a half mile to find my stride and tick off the remaining miles at my race pace.  Surprised and very happy about that!

Currently enjoying a rest day with the family... which, of course, includes pornographic amounts of sweets, coloring eggs, decorating cookies, and general delicious debauchery.

Thanks for taking the time to read!  Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole!  Training for me continues to build for another week before entering a recovery week.  Yip Yip YEHAW!

Enjoy some pictures of the festivities and....

Breathe...

Jack catching up on some comics while waiting for the perfect tint.

I got the one egg that exploded!

That's my boy TOM!