Double the fun.

How do I get myself into these things? Last week, I found myself in the middle of a race that had three stages. Normally, I love events that cover multiple days or multiple stages in one day. This particular event was one day containing three separate events. I feared I had bitten off more than I could chew. However, once I commit to something, I have to go through with it.

The first race was a bit of warm up, so there were not really any surprises. This type of racing is not my strong point, but I did fairly well. The course was easy and there were not that many competitors.

The second race was tough! I started to question my sanity towards the end of the race. The competition was a lot tougher than the first race. I got banged up a bit. There was a larger crowd and and a couple of newbies. They may have been newbies, but they were very aggressive. It almost seemed like they were angry about being at the event.

I was really nervous about the third event. I had done this event a few times, but never as part of stage race. I really wasn't sure if I was mentally or physically capable of finishing this race. The competitors were brutal. The skilled racers would take no mercy on the weak. They had no problem cutting you off or even running you down. There were allot of newbies in this race. They were much slower and were not aware of their surroundings. On several occasions I found myself slamming on my brakes or quickly steering left or right to avoid a crash. By the end of the race of was wiped out. I had no energy and had a hard time thinking straight. It was all I could do to drive home. Luckily, my wife is a strong racer. She helped me through all of the events. Blockbuster was easy, but the trip to Target and then the grocery store was brutal. I don't know how she does it. This kind of stuff makes a two Triathlon weekend look easy.

We had an awesome weekend at the Lake Degray Triathlon Festival. My wife was planning on getting Half Ironman redemption. I was going to brutalize myself with the double, Olympic Triathlon on Saturday and a Sprint on Sunday. Of course, all of our crazy friends would be there to share in the pain and glory.

As usual, the morning started with my normal anal retentive race mode. Truthfully, I was probably a bit more relaxed than normal. My wife's Half Ironman started an hour before my Olympic, so I would have ample time to prepare. I did enjoy dropping elbows on Brent to wake him up. He decided to stay with us and have his family come up for the sprint. Brent likes to wait until the last minute to arrive at the race. I took much pleasure in waking him up.

We stayed about three miles from the race, so it was a nice and short drive. Brent and I were able to get great transition spots. Since the Olympic started an hour after the Half, we were among the first handful of people to arrive on site. I helped my wife get ready and gave her a kiss for good luck. Brent and I setup our area and started our pre-race routines.

The weather was absolutely perfect! The rain just missed us and left cool temps behind. Last year it was over 100 degrees, the high for today was 85 and cloudy. Race time temps were at 68 degrees. It was warmer in the water than out of the water. That would make the swim nice but the bike a bit chilly for the first couple of miles.

I was very excited about this race. I love events than span over two days. It kind of feels like you get more for your money. This would be my first Olympic distance and I was looking forward to a longer bike ride. However, I was very concerned about my swim time. The swim for the Olympic is only 400 meters shorter than the half. This gave Brent a big advantage, he is a very good swimmer. We were betting our usual steak dinner on each race. I had now lost 28 pounds and was feeling very confident on the bike and run. I told Brent I would beat him, if I could limit the swim damage to three minutes or less. Judging by our past times, I estimated he could gain as much as 5 minutes on me coming out of the swim.

I had a plan for the swim. I was going to start on Brent's heels and possible grab his shorts on the way out. I was hoping to draft him as long as possible and limit his lead. We started the swim and I was on his heels. I took a few strokes and he started pulling away from me immediately. No way, this could not be happening this early in the race. I hammered down and he drifted further from my site. He left me like I was standing still. He might as well have been Michael Phelps. I was hoping to come out of the water in under forty minutes. I was certain Brent would below forty and somewhere close to thirty five. I knew I would need all of the time I could get, so I came out of the water running. I looked at the clock and almost cried. My time was a weak forty two minutes. Brent surely had at least a five minute lead on me.

I had a quick transition to the bike and dropped the hammer. I was very confident in my bike times. I was a good cyclist and had lost a lot of weight. This was a hilly course so it gave me an advantage. I turned onto the main highway and let it roll. I could tell early in the ride that I was going to have one of my best bike times ever. I used the rolling hills to gain momentum. I started passing people like they were standing still. I was constantly taking notice of my effort as to not waste all of my energy on the bike. I was a bit surprised at my speeds and the fact I wasn't killing myself. I easily gave my most consistent effort on the bike. It was a hilly course and I was able to maintain an average of over 20 mph. I had expected to catch Brent on the bike, but I never saw him. That was not good news for me. Brent was a solid runner, so I had my work cut out for me.

I had another good transition and sprinted onto the run course. The run course was a three mile out and back that starts with a nasty uphill. It has a couple of flat spots, but is mostly uphill for the entire three miles out. The run back was mostly down hill and fast. I finally saw Brent a few hundred yards past the turnaround. I was heading out and he was heading back. I estimated he was less than two minutes ahead of me. Unfortunately, that is allot of time to make up with three miles to go. I had my best run ever, but couldn't catch him. I knew it was close when I saw he was still breathing hard at the finish line. He had beaten me by about one minute and twenty seconds. I found out later he had taken over five minutes on me on the swim. I actually beat him on the bike and the run, but I could not make up the entire deficit. I was more happy with my performance than I was sad at the defeat. If you are going to get beat, it might as well be by one of your best friends.

The sprint the next day was very painful. My legs felt like they had been hit by a truck. I actually had some knee pain, so I took it easy on the run. It was an awesome weekend. I think we all had more fun at this two day event than any other event. This event will make the calendar every year.

My wife did awesome on her Half Ironman. She finished in under six and half hours to beat her goal. She looked awesome when she finished. One lady asked her how she stayed so cute during the entire race. While running, she looked like she was just out for a stroll.

My wife now has a 70.3 sticker on her car. I am very happy for her and a bit jealous. I felt so strong at the end of the Olympic, I wished I had done the Half. After a bit of "persuasion" from our good friend Jo, we have decided to do the Half Ironman in Austin, TX on October 5th. My wife's birthday is that weekend, so we will throw in a birthday celebration. I believe we are going to take the entire week off, after the event, and vacation in Austin. We have several friends going, so it should be a grand event.

I look forward to this event and will be training hard the next six weeks.

I want my sticker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baggy Clothes and Loose Socks

We are our biggest fan and our harshest critic. We need to believe in our self and reach our own standards and goals to be happy. We have to get to a certain point in the journey before we finally come to the realization that we are meeting our goals. Sometimes that point is well defined and sometimes it sneaks up on us.

I have developed and unexpected morning routine several times a week. The Jedi Master, David, persuaded me into attending a 5:30 AM workout a few weeks ago. To say I am not a morning person, is an understatement. I am the type of person that can sleep twelve hours if I forget to set my alarm clock. My wife is the direct opposite, she can't sleep past 6:00 AM to save her life.

I am now doing early morning workouts two to three times a week. I hate to admit it, but I really enjoy it. When you have friends that show up at 5:30 AM with smiling faces, it is hard not to come back. Besides, an early morning workout can do wonders for your body and your day. I am shocked at how good I feel throughout the day. The affect on my weight loss has been astounding.

My weight loss has become noticeable. Very few people noticed the weight loss when I had lost ten pounds. When I reached the fifteen pound loss, people started telling me they could see it in my face. As I neared the twenty pound point, people started to turn their head to take a second look to be sure it was me. I am now nearing the thirty pound mark, and the response from others has been nothing short of awe. Everywhere I go someones jaw drops as they come over to take a second look.

These responses are awesome, yet hard for me to fathom. I hear the compliments, yet I am skeptical. I watch the numbers on the scale decrease, yet I am skeptical. I see my body getting leaner in the mirror, yet I am skeptical. I buckle my belt, yet, holy Toledo, I have moved down four notches on my belt.

It was at that moment I realized I was really accomplishing what I set out to do. My clothes were falling off of me. I am down to my last buckle hole and I still can't keep my pants from falling down. I walk around the office all day doing my best Urkle impression. The only way I can keep them stable is by pulling them up to my chest. My shirts resemble a small parachute. What is the deal with my socks? I never thought losing weight would affect my socks. If I am not pulling up my pants I am pulling up my socks. I guess I need to get one of the sock garter things.

I have finally accepted that my weight loss is real and that I want to use my new powers for evil. I want to blow past people in the Triathlon and drop people on the hills at any chance I get. I want to ride in the heat and smile as my competitors suffer. These are the thoughts that athletes have on a daily basis. I believe I can finally call myself and athlete.

Last Sunday was the Arkansas Road Race Championship. It was rumoured to have two major climbs, which turned out to NOT be a rumour. As if that wasn't enough, the weather was predicted to be over 100 degrees with a heat index close to 110. Once again, the predictions did not disappoint.

Don't get me wrong, I don't currently have delusions of grandeur about winning or even placing in a cycling road race. However, I do have goals to accomplish and I do enjoy the races. The race held a number of challenges for me. I have done several races this year, since moving up a category, and have yet to finish one. By moving up a category, I doubled the distance I have to race. I usually get dropped about ten miles into the race and have to ride alone. I straggle past the finish line and call it a day with one lap. Hey, I am just an overweight guy out for a ride, what does it matter.

Well, it didn't matter until today. Today was different. I have lost twenty-six pounds and I am in great shape. I had always done well in the heat, so that didn't scare me. As usual, I got dropped in the first few miles. The first climb was tremendous. I had decided to pace myself and keep the pace I plan to do in the Olympic triathlon in two weeks. In hind site, I should have went harder up the first climb. I haven't quite figured out my new limits and recover ability. I am finding out I can put out a lot more effort and recover more quickly.

I came to the second lap starting point and continued on. I felt great and had no ideas of quitting. As I made my way up the climb, I noticed someone behind me. My good friend, Doc, started in a group five minutes behind my group. He caught me on the hill. I was very happy to have company. It would have been a lonely hot ride.

Doc and I slowed a bit on the last ten miles. It was getting hotter and we were running low on water. There was another big climb about three miles from the finish with a water stop at the top. We reached the top and grabbed two cold bottles of water. We dumped some on our head and gulped the rest as we headed toward the finish line. As we were nearing the finish line, I heard a weird noise. I ask Doc if he could see anything wrong with my bike. He laughed and pointed out the noise. Our tires were starting to melt and stick to the asphalt. I told Doc we needed to speed up before we burst into flames. If your tires are melting it is HOT!

We finished the race and found time to have a few laughs. It was a great race, with great friends and great accomplishments. If I have my way, I will never quit again. I love this weight loss stuff.