After putting in some difficult months of training, the 70.3 race is finally complete.  The Augusta 70.3 Ironman race was uniquely different from anything I have ever done.  Even though I am a strong swimmer, I never really train in swimming more than 1500 yards at a time or even much over 2000 a workout.  I rarely ride my bike, in fact, I have only rode over 50 miles twice in my life before this race.   My running has been the lightest its been in two years.  With a family and a stressful, performance-based job, I could not afford to train hard-core for this.  I needed to train smart, and play to my strengths.  I knew running 13.1 miles was not an issue, even though my running fitness was off.  Having completed 3 marathon in last 2 years, I was mentally prepared for a long battle and up to the challenge.  My plan was to swim smooth and get into a rhythm, get some space, and get in the zone.  With a down river swim, and a wetsuit, this was easier than I thought.  I finished the swim in 25 minutes and got to the bike with time to spare.  The bike went by much faster than the 3 hours and 6 minutes it took me.  My goal was 3 hrs and 15 minutes.  Once I got comfortable on the bike, and saw the early down hills, I attacked.  At the halfway point, I was shocked to see I was on pace to be under 3 hours for the bike!!  I couldnt believe how fast this race was going for me to this point.  To my dismay, the course presented some reasonably strong hills on the latter half and a punishing head-wind that made the last 6-8 miles brutal.  Still, with a strong run, I could bust 5 hrs and 30 minutes with a low 1:50’s run.  Having a HM PR of 1:43, I thought this was doable.  My plan was to run around 1:52, but I knew after mile 3 that this would be tough.  The temps were at least 80 degrees and my feet hurt like hell!  My neck and back were sore from riding my bike so long in a aero position.  I was beginning to get dehydrated and I couldnt push it harder.  I slugged my way through a double-loop run and finished it in 2:03.  Certainly not a great time, but totally reasonable under the circumstances.  It was amazing just how many people I passed that were walking on the run.  I finished overall in 5:40:31, certainly better than the breaking 6 hour goal I set, but knowing I had a chance to break 5:30 bothered me.  I faltered on the run in my mind, even though it was brutally difficult.  I have a newfound respect for long distance triathletes that is hard to describe.  Running 13.1 miles on a cool day in late fall is no comparison to running it after you swim and bike for 3.5 hours in 83 degree heat.  I was sore for a good 5-6 days after the race.  The top of my mouth out of all things was sore for 3 days, that was brutal!!  I think it was from all the heavy breathing I had to do to get through it.  At any rate,  a 70.3 is no joke.  I would compare the latter half of the run to a late stage in a marathon.  It is tough as hell.  What a sport…I’d love to do a full ironman…but this would require more training.  I think to do that and have some level of success, you have to really decide in your life if you are willing to sacrifice to do it.

With just 10 days before I embark on my first half-ironman journey, I reflect back on what it took me to get to this stage in my fitness life.  2 years ago at this time I didnt even own a road bike.  I had a mountain bike that I didn’t ride.  I certainly didn’t swim, or hadn’t since maybe a few laps in college or swim team as a kid (like when I was 10).  I had kept a decent level of fitness with an occassional run, the one thing that kept me from being totally out of shape.  If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would do something like this, I would tell you that you were crazy.  In fact, 6 months ago I wasn’t even sure I could get into shape to do this.  I guess we”ll find out next weekend. 

This will be my 5th triathlon, most of the ones I have done have been sprints (much shorter distances), but at a high rate of speed.  I have felt all along that given my long-distance running background that I would fare better in a longer distance race.  As I slowly come to a close on my key trainings for this particular race, I feel ready.  I don’t have unrealistic expectations, but I am hoping to race strong.  This will hopefully be a precursor of more races to come, and hopefully it will be a learning experience.  It’s the journey anyhow, right?  I can safely say I feel like I am in the best shape of my life, and only getting started.  It’s pretty cool…

Now that it is March, it is time to re-focus and get serious about fitness.  This is my favorite time of the year, for many reasons.  1) The weather is warm, the air fresh and fragrant with flowers, and the natural beauty of earth is returning to form.  The grass is beginning to green on the golf courses and the days are getting longer.  Only problem is I am ghost white with no sun and I have to shed my Winter bod.  We all go through this phase.  Not only have I lacked motivation, I have fought colds, sinus issues 3 diferent times this year, by far a record for someone who is rarely sick.  In fact, I am just now back to 90+ % after battling a damn cold for 2 weeks.  It is by far the worst cold I have dealt with in a long time.  It certainly feels great to have energy again and the desire is there to return to form. 

We all know how the economy is affecting our lives.  We are working harder, pinching pennies where we can, and having to sacrifice more.  I find myself now being more selective when I enter events based on price, proximity, etc.  I haven’t gone out on a limb to get new running shoes, I’m wearing out the ones I have.  I have lost sight of some of my goals, and they have taken a backseat.  Now that I am father, this is especially difficult.  Okay, so these are all excuses for my lack of motivation.  Time to get back to work, and get focused!!

I wonder if anyone else has completed both of these races back to back? The marine corp half in Jax, Fl. and then the real deal 26.2 in Washington DC. 2 good races to run if you get the chance. Well, the 1/2 in Jax was nothing more than part of my normal preparation for a marathon. I set a PR of 1:43, although I had plenty left in the tank. Breaking 1:40 I think is very doable down the road. Leading up to MCM (Marine Corp Marathon), I was in New Orleans the prior week for a sales meeting. It was difficult to focus as everything revolved around drinking as usual and I had to stay away from the party scene. I even got in a 4 miler on thursday in the rain as my last tune up run. New Orleans is not known for safe streets, lets just say that, so I was thankful I survived. It was actually a very neat run as a circled the french quarter a couple of times. The trip to DC was tough. I flew into Atlanta Friday night, harrowing lets say, the fog and clouds were just feet off the ground, and then I drove 5 hours to Florence, SC to stay the night. The rain followed and it took another 6 hours to DC the next day. The highlight was meeting Bart Yasso at the expo, that was pretty cool. I shook his hand and talked to him a few minutes. I had just read his book “My Life on the Run” and it helped me stay inspired to train for this race. By the time I got my race packet and got to my hotel, it was past 7 o’clock on sat night. Next time I am flying damnit! I took the metro to the race course the following morning, and it was chilly, in the low 40’s. This would be my 3rd marathon in less than 11 months. This time I was going to run with a ClifBar pace group and decided on the 340 team. I never did see the sign up booth, but I saw the team show up about 5 minutes before the gun went off. I shook Bill the pace leader’s hand and told him good luck, (probably what he should have been telling me).

I used all sorts of calculators including McMillan, Runner’s World, and my own brain to set a realistic goal. I had run a 343:33 on a fairly difficult course in Nashville in April, but my training was slightly off and the prior week wasn’t all that great for marathon running(New Orleans isn’t a fitness city). I really wanted to pursue a sub 330, but you have to be 1) Realistic and 2) Humble when you approach a marathon. The bottom line was 1) I wanted to finish the race (I didn’t drive 11 hours to pull a hamstring and bow out at mile 4).  2) I wanted to PR, and 3) I wanted to run a marathon the right way. Meaning, find the right pace, and stick to it the whole way. Don’t go hard early and hold on, which I did the first two times. I struck up a conversation with Anthony from N.J. who was running in the 340 group. He said he was coming off of a 3:41 effort in Philadelphia, but he did say his training was off. The gun went off and it was chaotic, there were corrals, but no one policed them and anyone could come and go. It was tight running, like the Peachtree road race. Anthony and I were talking and next thing we know, Bill the pace leader is almost a 100 yards ahead of us. My Garmin quickly said we were running a 730 pace or better, what the hell was Bill doing Anthony and I said? We had to trust the system and fought through the pack, winding our way through the group, to no avail. We were deeply behind, but could still see the baloons and vowed to attack when it opened up. It took literally to mile 6 to catch the group and then we lost him again. He would go in spurts it seemed, and if you weren’t paying attention, he was gone and you were bottled up again in the pack and could not catch up quickly. Finally at mile 9, Anthony and I were right on his heels. Amazingly, he was surrounded by a bunch of women, all over him to be exact. We hung close to him, but every 2 miles, we would lose ground. Why, was the pace to tough for us?? No! Every time we got to a water stop, it was like running with the bulls in Spain! Not that I’ve done it, but it was chaos. It was very tight, people criss-crossing in front of you. You try and grab some water or powerade and then you see Bill is gone again 30-40 yards ahead. Well, Anthony said he could not drink on the run, and he ran with bottles around his waist, but he was very polite and always slowed down to wait for me. Being the MCM, I said never leave a man behind! Well, we kept playing catch up and we hit the halfway point just behind the pace leader. He was a solid 2 minutes or more ahead, and I knew our pace was good. At mile 14, I could tell Anthony was starting to fatigue. I was pushing to get to the lead pack, and he was struggling to stay with me. At mile 15, he was right behind as I made a 730 pace push to get back into the pack as the crowd had started to thin some. About 2-3 minutes later, I looked back and he was nowhere in sight. I felt bad, leaving him behind, but I knew the pace was good and I had to maintain it. After I beat through the wall, miles 18-20, I was right with Bill. The once logjam of 40-50 runners hovering around him had dwindled down to 8-10. As we made our way through Crystal City, around mile 22, I was right next to him. We were what seemed like blowing by people. Our pace was the same, but everyone else was either walking or hanging on. I was fatigued, but felt strong. The last water stop was around mile 24, and this was my only mistake of the race. It was still somewhat crowded as I had to fight through walkers, people that went out too strong and were paying the penalty. Bill did not stop, and he was gone again, basically running solo. I shouldn’t have stopped there.  He had me by 40-50 yards again and it would be tough to catch him at this stage. At mile 25, my calves started cramping badly. One then the other, then both. I decided not to pursue him, but I would still break 340. My virtual partner on my Garmin was still 2 minutes ahead and I was still logging an 815-820 pace. It was amazing how many people I passed, walkers everywhere! Hey, I’ve been there, let me tell you, but not this time! Even with cramps, I could see the finish line and fought through the pain. The finish at the MCM, is a short double hill, maybe a few hundred yards at most, and it is fairly steep. It is to symbolize the Marines taking Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. The calves were not cool with this steep incline and I literally hobbled up the finish. When it flattened the last few hundred feet, I sprinted to the finish knowing I was seconds from breaking 340. I finished in 3:40:02. Bill, the pace leader, finished in 3:39:21. It was a proud moment. I even got interviewed by some dude from somewhere asking how the pace group experience went. I would say that less than 5 or 6 of us finished with the pace leader. The experience was great, I feel like I accomplished the goal, but I did not keep up with him. The cramps cost me. I did look online to see Anthony finished in 3:50, so I was glad to see that. He must have caught on with the 3:50 pace group. Throughout the race, I made a point to thank all the Marines and let them know that I was thankful for them and what they do. They look so young! Until the next marathon, possibly Jan 11 at Disney World in Orlando, I’ll let you know what my strategy is going in. I’ll also share in my upcoming blog my training coming into this race and what I think are the real keys to setting realistic goals and training properly, while having a life!  See you on the road!

Now that marathon season is coming very quickly, I am ramping up my training.  Now, let me first say that I am not a mile hog.  I will peak at 25-30 miles a week in preparing for a marathon.  Any more and it is burnout time, or get fired time from work for spending too much time running.  I may get in the 30’s a couple of weeks, but I don’t really think it is necessary to run more than this.  I would like to qualify for Boston one day, and I will need to run more to be a serious threat to break 3:10, but right now, I am focusing on enjoying running and building my base for Ironman 70.3 next year.  I plan to compete in 2 70.3 events and I have been dedicating my extra time to building a swimming and cycling base.  I have completed 2 Triathlon sprints in the last month to get familiar with the events, the transitions areas, etc.  I have a lot of training to do to be competitive!  But I am endurance athlete, not a sprinter, and my focus is on the longer events.

Today was a big day in marathon training.  I tackled a challenging 15 mile run on a fairly hilly course that I am normally attack on my road bike.  It was much cooler today than it has been, and I handled it well averaging around 915 per mile.  I have to tackle an 18 miler, a fast half marathon, and a 20 miler to get prepared in the upcoming 6 weeks.  I am right on pace and thankful that I have had no injuries this year to speak of, and I feel very strong this time of year considering the heat and humidity we have faced.  I am not overly concerned about setting an aggressive goal for the next marathon event on Oct. 26 in Washington, D.C.  Ideally, I would like to challenge 3:30, and I am thinking of running with a pace group for the first time.  Mainly, I want to visit my grandfather’s grave at Arlington Cemetery and see all the sights and museums.  I am running this race to show my support and appreciation for the troops that protect our country everyday!

Some of you may have wondered where the “Masheen” was on Labor Day.   I know the 30-34 age group was excited to see I was absent, haha, yeah right!  Anyway, I was on our annual family beach vacation at Myrtle Beach, and anyone who remotely follows the weather would have noticed that Hanna went right over Myrtle Beach at 70 mph, just below hurricane strength.  The center actually made landfall just 20-30 miles to our North.  We recieved gusts of wind in the 50-60’s I would estimate and sustained winds in the 40-50 range.  The storm hit at its peak just after midnight, but it started to roll in that afternoon. At about 500 in the evening, I decided to tackle a beach run, no shoes, a true beach run for 4-5 miles.  The waves were crashing 6-8 feet in the background and squalls of rain were moving through.  Perfect conditions, I loved every minute of it!  My in-laws thought I was crazy, I live for stuff like this!  On the way out, I headed North along the beach into a strong headwind of 25-30 mph sustained with higher gusts.  I felt like I was running at a decent clip, I averaged just 10:48 the first 2 miles.  I couldn’t believe how much of an effect the wind had.  The sand began to kick up, my water bottle was past half empty, and I decided to head back as some dark looking potential funnel clounds approached offshore.  On the way back, it was tough to control my speed in the wet and sticky sand.  In some spots it was firm, others it was like stepping in putty.  I averaged 8:19 on mile 3 and was around 7:30 on mile 4 basically running with the same intensity that I had going out.  What a difference a head or tail wind makes!!  I can’t wait to attack the next storm when I have the opportunity!!

Okay, so I just turned 30 a couple of weeks ago, have a 9 week old son, the economy is on eggshells right now, its hot and training is getting tougher, the stresses of work, etc…..where do I go from here?  Well, I have always been a big believer in goal setting.  In fact, I have a spiral notebook that I must know where it is at all times.  I record everything I want to achieve in life in this book.  But, where do I put my focus now?  What goals do I set for the next 30 years, like Tim McGraw sang?  There are so many distractions we face daily, not to mention responsibilities we have, that it is difficult to find time for yourself and your goals.  As a new father, I am learning this.  My old selfish ways must be cast aside.  So now at 30, its time to step it up!  I have a good job, nice house, cars, all the rest…I’m a happy guy.  But I yearn for something more.  I am currently reading Dean Karnazes book Ultra Marathon Man.  He was 30 when he decided to start running again.  Maybe I am going trough a similar phase, looking for something more.  I’m not saying I’m going to do Badwater, but believing that anything is possible is what life is all about.

 I have always struggled with wanting to do too much, wanting to try different things, and getting burned out, wanting to move on to the next adventure.  I’ll achieve a certain level of success, then its on to the next thing.  Some may see that as quitting, or maybe lack of interest, but its my personality.  I ran a 5:18 mile in high school in front of the track coach one day.  He wanted to put me on Varsity.  I ran the 300, first time ever, and was 3rd fastest in the school.  I never joined either team, wasn’t interested.  I taught myself to play guitar, but I lack the ambition to get to the next level.  It took me 16 years to break 70 in golf, yes I did it, but was shooting 75 at age 16.  Am I afraid of success?  Maybe, maybe not.  I think I am afraid of same, the same thing everyday.

But this running thing is different now.  After my first marathon, I was ready to improve.  After my second, I know it can be done.  As I begin preparation for my 3rd, this is for real.  As I write my new goals in my notebook, the adventure that awaits is sure to be a journey.  That’s what it is all about anyways, right?  Take things less seriously, enjoy the moment, do things for others, and settle for nothing but your best.  That is what I want to do the next 30 years

Okay, so a few weeks ago I got a little carried away with my “prestige” post. But now that I think about it, it was a classic case of foreshadowing. Yes folks, I broke 70 today, no I shattered 70. I shot 68 with 6 birdies, missing a 5 footer on # 6 and narrowly missing 3 birdie putts on the last 4 holes. And it was from the blue (mens) tees on my home course at Southern Hills Golf Club at Hawkinsville, Ga. with one my great friends as a witness. On day one of the US Open, this was really a dream come true. All the hard work, I have been playing golf for 16-17 years and just 3 weeks before I turn 30, I got it down. Wow! The funny thing is I have only played golf twice in 6 weeks, and they were both outings (scramble tournaments). I have been sleep deprived the last 3 weeks with the birth of my son, and today I swam 1300 yards and should have been fatigued. I did 2 hard speed workouts this week and was a little sore? Wow, I still don’t know how I did it. Truly something I have always dreamed of and was never sure I would ever accomplish it. For a runner, this is my Boston times 10. If you set a goal and you work hard towards that goal, it is possible. You can do it. Never give up and believe nothing but the fact that it can be done. This is living proof that great things can be accomplished !!!!

I had a strange childhood.  I had the “pleasure” of listening to Anthony Robbins tapes when I was like 13 years old.  Yeah, I know, pretty messed up.  What did I learn?  Well, one of the simplest concepts that has stuck with me until today and that has helped me handle a lot of situations is the concept of Pain vs Pleasure:  Tony says that every action we take in life is based on 2 things:  the desire to gain pleasure, or the desire to avoid pain.  Think about anything and tell me this is not the truth.  Everything we do revolves around these 2 basic principles.  So how does this relate to running and how has it affected me:  Well, as we all know, running can bring serious pain at times.  Running as hard as possible during a race, the pain of trying to keep your breath, the pain in your muscles and legs, the mental anguish late in a marathon..pain, pain.  And the pleasure, the pleasure of stopping, yes that would feel good at the time right?  Taking a drink of water when you are thirsty, yes pleasure..duhhh!  Okay, you get the point.

 But think about the overall big picture.  I ask myself sometimes, why do I do this, the intensity of hard training runs.  The pain of a wind-sucking 5k and the 3-4 hour mental and physical grind of a marathon.  There is no other thing like it I have experienced.  Words cannot describe it, it has to be experienced.  Unbeleiveable discomfort, pain, and absolute gut-wrenching fatigue and brutality.  Well, it is simple.  Take a marathon for example.  When you cross the finish and finally catch your breath, you begin to realize what you accomplished.  The pleasure of the feat is insurmountable, huge, legendary, so big that no level of pain can overtake it.  It is such a major accomplishment that so few ever achieve.  You realize that all the pain you put into it, months of training, injuries, sacrifices, and the grind of the race itself cannot overatke the pleasure you feel.  You have won!!  The pleasure barometer has defeated the pain scale. 

 As I continue to race and train, I realize that many others have not been so fortunate.  They decide to do a marathon and then retire from running.  I hear this all too often.  I recently had a friend that did this.  He ran a half-marathon, he grinded through it out in over 3 hours to the finish.  He said that was it not for him.  In his case, the pain was too much.  It outweighed the pleasure he associated with the achievement and the experience.   Another co-worker said he ran a marathon several years back, and never ran again.  He had some sort of pain with his leg when he attempted to run again and that was the end of it.  Again, too much pain associated with the activity, the pleasure was gone.  Why??  Last but not least, my father ran his one marathon.  He weighed 176 when he accomplished this feat.  Add 100+ pounds and that is where he is at today.  Lots of alcohol, red meat, and the like will do that.  He is facing potential diabetes at 56.  He walks, I’m not sure he can run anymore at this stage.  Okay, Tony we need your help buddy!!

 Well, one of my favorite quotes from all time and again from Tony Robbins is “the past does not equal the future”.  So true in anything in life.  This is such a strong statement.  Just because you failed a hundered times, does not mean the next time is a failure.  I am in sales and use this all the time.  Just because I had a bad 5 k time recently doesnt mean the next race will be the same.  New race, new day, the past does not equal the future. 

I just hope I can maintain these thoughts as long as possible.  My desire to gain pleasure from running is everytime I look in the mirror.  I see who I want to be.  I can understand the late Ryan Shay.  He was willing to except any pain associated with running to excel, even if that meant his life.  Sometimes we just don’t know how much we can take.  I often think of Ryan sometimes when I run, you have to admire someone with that much heart.  I hope this spreads to those who are fighting the pain demons.  As Lance Armstrong has said recently in some of his magazine advertisements  

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

This may end up being the lamest post ever in the history of blogdom, but it is something that crosses my mind from time to time so I thought I would write about it. Prestige - “reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes”. Now, how does this relate to running. Well, first I have to discuss my golf game. I have been playing golf since I was around 13 years old. It has been a seasonal disease that I have been unable to shake. I am currently a 5.2 GSGA index, once a 2.4, but never better. Okay, so I can play a little golf, right? Well, I have never broke 70. I have shot 71, 72 at least 3-4 times, 73 recently, etc.., but never in the 60’s. This has been a goal of mine for a long time, but it is one of those sacred things in life that I cannot bring myself to do, unless it means something, hence the whole prestige thing. I refuse to play an easy course, easy front tees, or any other shortcut to just shoot a low round. Ridiculous, I know! I feel that I will break 70, but it has to be for real, on a real course, from the mens tees or the tips, with witnesses, etc. On the other hand, I want to break 70 now. I know I have the game, but I can’t get by this whole prestige thing.

And now I find myself setting ridiculous running goals, like breaking 3:11 and qualifying for The Boston Marathon. Absurd! But, my thoughts of prestige are already starting to enter. Should I bang for a fast course, a Steamtown, a St. George Utah, a downhill course or one that is marked shorter!! Yes, they are out there my friend, and I am getting sucked in!! Just break 3:11 man, who cares enters a thought. Dude, is running 26.2 ever easy? Are you kidding me? And like shooting 68 is real easy, right!! Damn this prestige garbage, I am playing the red tees this week at somewhere like Bowden and I am destroying the course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am running the fastest possible marathon I can find, I have already found a list on the internet. California International, here I come baby!! Over 26% of the runners qualified for Boston last year, over 1,200 people!! St. George, 1,280 runners, 26%. Okay, I am in. When you reach the starting line in Boston, does it really matter? You are at the the pinnacle of athletism for everyday people. How many people can honestly say they have done this? Probably .001% of Americans, maybe. I will check back after I demolish Bowden from the red tees……………………….