here it comes....

stay tuned for photos of one sexy lady.....

i did ok i guess

i ran the 5k as planned but i didnt run as fast as i thought i could have. i stuck with the lead group of about 5 people until the first mile marker which i hit in 5:30. after that i started having trouble breathing and so i slowed my pace a lot. i definitely could have used my inhaler the last mile. but i finished 19th overall. im happy with that. i finished out my weekend with a 15 mile run with andy (my brother in law) and im still a tad sore. im looking forward to running 18 next weekend.

no blizzards in the forecast

i am running the melpomene 5k this saturday. its only a few miles from my house so i plan on biking over. the weather forecast says it will be in the 40's with a 40% chance of rain. awesome!

my non race report

too bad i didnt receive this email before i drove 175 miles! im a little disappointed that i didnt get to race.

I regretfully had to cancel the Tinman Triathlon today. After
consulting with my superiors and some experts in the triathlon field, we
came to the decision that we couldn't safely pull it off. If it had
been just rain we would've handled it. If it had been just snow, we
could've still done something, but with the amount of snow we're getting
combined with the high winds and the distance participants would've had
to travel we ruled on the side of caution.

The event is NOT postponed, it is canceled. Those of you who
preregistered, although you will not be getting a refund of your money,
we will be mailing your t-shirts to you.

For everyone who was signed up to volunteer, you'll also be getting your
t-shirts. Just stop by the office of student activities sometime next
week and pick it up.

Corey Phelps
Intramural, Recreation and Club Sport Coordinator
Tinman Triathlon Coordinator

holy crap what day is it?

im sure taht my lack of posts have caused me to lose the small handfull of readers that i ever had. i simply havent had any freaking time. i have been working 65 hours a week. trying to squeeze in training and spending time with my family has prooved just about impossible. so naturaly updating my blog gets pushed aside. im trying to get my life back to normal so that i can have regular updates again.

onto tri stuff!

i have my first triathlon of the year this weekend in morris mn. its the tinman triathlon in morris mn. the weather is supposed to be crappy so im realyl looking forward to it! i not looking to set any records. im using this race as a workout to dust out the cobwebs and get the taste of racing for the upcoming summer. the forecast for the weekend lists fridays high 34 with some snow. saturday, the day of the race, will have a high of 46 with rain showers. i hope the meteorologists at weather.com are wrong. i hope its colder and with freezing rain. i want an epic triathlon where half the participants wimp out. the worse it is the better my future races will feel. i will let you know how it goes.

randomness

steve tagged me a while back so now i need to list 7 random things about myself.

i hate cheating. i love being competitive and succeeding but only if its done fairly and with good sportsmanship. i dont mind losing as long as the competition is fair. i will even cheer for my opponents when they do well. but i will never ever cheat.

i eat gas-x before long runs. not because i fart when i run but because my stomach sometimes gets bloated. when that happens i wish i could fart then i wouldnt have to buy gas-x. ironic huh!

i cry. often. not from pain but from movies and the news. oh and watching the ironman on tv.

no one has ever loved anyone as much as i love my daughter. not ever.

people often think im gay. theres just something about me i guess. maybe if i didnt cry at movies like the notebook....

ive been vegan for more than 12 years.

on nearly every workout i imagine that im winning. its probably the only time i will.

buster martin kicks ass

yes my promised new update is on its way but i couldnt wait to post this news clip. at 101 buster martin spends his days kicking ass, drinking beer then kicking more ass. oh yeah he is also about to be the oldest person to EVER complete a marathon. and back in the day his "boys" were obviously great swimmers. did i mention that he kicks ass?watch buster

long time

its been nearly a month since my last post but im still here! i promise a new post in the very near future. here are some teasers in the meantime....how i ended up in the e.r. after a swim workout, my top secret project that has kept me holed away in my basement and how it will make me faster this year, 7 random facts abut myself, and last but definitely not least, how much my daughter kicked ass in her very first usatf track meet!!!! all that and more comming up on "my ambition". (yeah i stole your line david)

no pain no gain

this commercial pretty much sums up what it takes to be an endurance athelete-a little triumph with lots of pain. the most painful thing in the commercial is seeing gail devers tripping over the hurdle. it was the 1992 olympics and had she stayed on her feet she would have taken home another gold medal. instead she slid across the line in 5th place. which reminds me, no matter how perfect a race is going something can always go wrong. and for me it definitely has. last year i raced a triathlon in buffalo, mn. the swim started awesome. i had a new wetsuit and i had the best start of my life. i managed to dive into the water in the front of everyone else in my wave. i was flying. by the time i hit the turn around bouy i had caught the wave that started ahead of me. i had to bring my head out of the water because the congestion of swimmers brought me to a stop. i quickly spotted an opening and just as i went for it i got kicked in the chest by another swimmer which caused me to swallow and inhale a huge amount of water. i was never able to regain any sort of rythm. not one to quit i got to my bike and took off. i wasnt happy and definitely wasnt feeling good. i threw up five times on the bike. i finshed the race but no where near where i expected to.

i use those memories of bad races, and there have been many, to push myself when i am in pain or not feeling well. "at least i dont feel as bad as.... i got through it then so i can get though this now even faster." without ever feeling pain in a race you will never know what it is like to do your best. and that feels damn good.

skippin workouts and saving lives

i only managed one workout this weekend and that sucks. the only redeeming thing about that is the reason i was unable to workout. i donated blood. once a year the red cross comes to my place of employment to draw blood donations and since i have blood i decided i should donate.

it was a pretty sweet deal. i got a 45 minute break and got to lounge around while answering questions about my sex history, drug use and travel destinations. it was like some goofy game of truth or dare and since i answered all the questions correctly they jabbed me with a large needle. that was the dare.

but it wasnt that bad, and i feel good knowing that my blood will hopefully save someones life. when i finished they gave me two cans of cranberry juce, two packages of shortbread cookies, one package of oreos and a box of raisins. after eating my snacks i went to lunch! i also learned that i have a higher than average amount of hemoglobin in my blood which i was excited to hear since i am an endurance athlete.

i skipped my workout friday since i had just lost a pint of blood but headed to the gym saturday with the idea that i would take it easy. i planned to spin for 45 minutes before heading to the pool for some quality time with my old friend, the black line. i hopped onto the bike and started off really easy. ridiculously easy. i was pedaling a whole 5 miles an hour and felt out of breath. i checked my heart rate after a few minutes and was astonished that it was at 155 bpm! thats what its normally at when im riding 20 mph. i broke out laughing at myself and decided it was time to stop. i chalked it up to my blood donation and instead of swimming laps in the big boy pool i headed for the kids pool to play with anastaisa. i usually do this after my workout but for saturday it was my workout.

on sunday my brother in law, andy, and i planned to run together. we mapped out a sweet route from his house to the ywca. 8 miles of paved trail that ends a block from the y where we could immediately immerse ourselves in the hot tub. we met in the parking lot, left my car there and drove his car back to his house.

on saturday it was 21 degrees f with light snow. perfect running weather. when we headed out the door on sunday it was -39 f with 20 mph winds. the trail was completely covered in snow and ice from saturdays snowfall. the longest andy had ever run was 6.5 miles 2 weeks ago so we decided to keep it at an 8 minute pace and not push too hard. it was also the first time he brought water on a run. (he was a wrestler in college and and is used to dehydrating himself to meet a certain weight class. not a good idea in endurance sports.) we werent 4 blocks from his house before my eyelids started freezing shut and by mile 2 i was feeling like shit. i figured i wasnt back up to 100% but was able to keep going since we were at an easy pace. having someone to talk to made the time fly by despite the cold bitter wind. we made it to the y in 1:05:20. a bit off our 1:04 goal but given the conditions and it being andys longest run of his life i was happy with our time. we snapped a quick photo with my phone before heading into the hot tub to thaw.

you can see the ice on my eyelashes and that isnt a fashionable earring on andys left ear. that is an icicle!

after a nice soak we headed home. i managed to stay indoors for the rest of the day.

running does a mind good.

its currently snowing outside my office window and i desperately want to go for a run. there is something about running that i find immensely therapeutic. regardless of whats going wrong in my day it can easily be fixed by lacing up my shoes and pounding out some miles. running fixes everything. and for some reason i love running in the snow and rain. the greatest run i ever ran was last summer while training for the marathon. it was a 20 miler in a light rain. i only passed two other runners the entire time but for those few seconds that we made eye contact and said hello we were best friends in the unexplainable way that only runners understand.

i also find that i am in awe of how fast elite runners can breeze through a race but i am not that inspired by them. i draw the most inspiration from the overweight and out of shape runners i pass who are drenched with sweat and panting as if their next breath will be their last. but as slow as they may be....they are running. and that kicks ass.

its official....im a nerd!

i went to see a pneumologist and confirmed what i have long suspected. i have asthma. more specifically i have exercised induced asthma. ive had a few asthma attacks since last summer during really intense periods of my workouts. steady state efforts dont usually bother me if im running or biking at a descent pace but once i suddenly increase the effort then my body starts trying to turn itself out through my lungs. it never happens when i swim and the dr feels this is because of the higher humidity near the water.

the annoying thing is that my legs can always take me faster than my lungs will allow. i rarely have to slow down because my legs are tired or burn from lactic acid buildup. i can run 6 minute miles before my lungs start to give me problems but once i start dipping into the 5 minute range i can no longer breathe. but im hoping that will change now that i have some medical help.

my visit o the doctor was interesting. after all the usual conversations detailing history and bla bla bla we got started on some tests. first they measured my lung capacity. "wow thats really good" was what the nurse said. "you must be in good shape." (i guess my training is doing some good!) then i was subjected to a horrendous torture. the allergy scratch test. when it comes to pain im about the best there is at ignoring it. i once nearly cut off my thumb and didnt blink. but when it comes to being poked, my body just goes nuts. i dont know why but touching me with the tip of your finger or something small and i get furious! i know its irrational but it really is a physical and not mental reaction. so the nurse has me lay down so she can write on my back numbers 1-46. with the tip of a pen! oh the horror! it took all my super powers to let her do it without jumping up and freaking out on her. but she finally finished, and then had to go back and poke me some more! 46 more times! holy shit there has to be something in the geneva convention about this inhumane treatment! but i made it through still alive and even snapped an akward photo in the mirror while waiting for the results to develop.

turns out the only thing im allergic to is dust mites. number 3. that means i was unnecessarily poked 86 times!

but in the end we did learn that allergies werent to blame for the asthma. after more investigation it turns out that i have bronchospasms brought on by exertional gastroesophageal acid reflux. basically i get heartburn and it triggers my asthma. i was given a prescription for two inhalers! advair, pro air and prilosec! im super excited to see how they work for me even if i do look like a nerd carrying around my cartload of medications. can i now run faster without leaving behind coughed up bits of my lungs? will i be able to run better than my 5:30 mile? can i run 5:00? i really hope this breathes new life into my fitness. ill keep you posted.

half marathon

this past weekend i ran the securian frozen half marathon in saint paul. my preparation started friday evening by making my feet look pretty. you see i had an ugly toenail. it was black and blue and unsightly so anastasia(my daughter) painted it purple for good luck. take a look at the photos.

before


making it pretty



much better!

on saturday morning the lovely carly got up a little early and made me oatmeal for breakfast! thats the best race support there is! after eating my fill we headed off to the race. i got my race number and we started hunting for a super secret indoor bathroom. we were given some information by an informant who works in the building but when we got there it was locked. damn we wold have to use the outdoor port a pottys with all the other racers. while waiting in line i saw steve of steve in a speedo fame and had a quick chat. we ended up lining up together at the start of the race but once we started he took off like we were running a 5k instead of a half marathon. my goal was to use this race as a training run and not try for a pr. i had a 1:45 goal which is a 8 min pace. once i hit the 2 mile mark in 15 minutes i realized i was running faster than i wanted to and slowed my pace. i made a point as i always do to high five the kids who come out to cheer and hold out their hands but im not sure who likes that more, them or me. shortly before the turnaround i saw steve on his way back and we shouted to eachother but due to his speed and the doppler effect all i heard was eeeewwwwooooowwww. after i hit the halfway point and started my way back it started snowing which was amazing. i love running in the snow. i wished it had snowed harder but i will take what i can get. the second half was harder than the first because it was more uphill. as i neared the finish line i heard my name being yelled from both sides of the course which made me feel like a rock star. as i neared the end of the race i saw my family and friends standing at the finish so i was able to high five my daughter as i crossed the line.

definitely the best way to end any race. i ended up crossing the line in 1:45:55 on the race clock but my chip time was 1:45:22. i was happy with the run and my knee didnt hurt at all afterwards. must have been because of my lucky toe.

later that night we attended a rockin party at steve and pharmies house. thanks guys!


here are the official results.

mapping your runs/swims

there is a great tool i use that is available on the usatf website. i use if before heading out for most of my runs. its a mapping program that allows you to plot exactly where you want to run and it will tell you your mileage and elevation changes as well. it takes the guesswork out of your workouts. no more driving your route to see how far you ran!

for instance if i want to go on one of my usual routes before work, i start from downtown st paul and merge onto 35e going south to kansas city then i turn up towards chicago before circling back home again. to save time i cut across countless fields and yards. but you can see from the map that i cover about 1080 miles. (im trying to build my base) i really love the days when i have a running parter because then we can use the carpool lanes when available.



it couldnt be easier to use. start by entering the zip code of the area where you want to run then zoom in on the map and start clicking points you want to run to. it will give you distances across fields, down trails, through yards and everywhere else you may want to go. there are options to view your route as a satellite image if you prefer to see landmarks or trails that arent visible on the map.

as a super bonus i use it to measure my open water swims. ploting distances between beaches lets me know exactly what i swam and its much better than counting laps at the y! here is an example of a workout i may do after work. its an out and back swim just shy of 850 miles. as you can see i swim from duluth up towards thunder bay and then along the us/canada border until i hit sault ste marie in nothern michigan. once i hit the shipping lanes i can usually find a cargo ship to draft off of. and as an added bonus there is a water fountain right near the shore where i can take a quick drink before heading back.


now if i was to do that at the pool that would be about 29,920 laps. i cant keep track of that. my brain gets tired just thinking about it!

if you dont have the time to do one of these proper workouts then you can just as easily use the usatf map to plot your run through your neighborhood and chart your swim at a local lake. i hope you will take advantage of this useful tool when planing your next workout.

Dear Jeremy:,

Congratulations! You are officially registered for the 32nd annual Grandma's Marathon on June 21, 2008. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Duluth, and providing you with a world-class race.

its official! i am running grandmas marathon this summer with my brother in law andy. first off i want to thank andy for staying up till midnight to sign us both up and letting me get my much needed beauty sleep. (on a side note he may need it more than i do but he has to forgo sleep to take care of my 6 month old niece. he can sleep in a few more months.) now i owe him 79 bucks!

it will be my second marathon and andys first. i am really excited to have someone to run with the entire race. i just hope we dont get separated like my friend jenn and i did at twin cities. we somehow got seperated at the first water stop and never saw each other again. i am also looking forward to hanging out in nudie bars a lot training together. its going to be a great start to the summer!

.

andys goal: break 4 hours
my goal: make andy run 3:30

i have a weak butt!

i went to see dr chicanowski an orthopedist at a sports medecine facility this morning because ive been experiencing some knee pain after my runs lately. noting too serious and it doesnt hurt while im running but after i stop and the next day. i smartly remembered to wear some underwear to my appointment because i knew i would be taking my pants off. turns out i didnt need to since they gave me some designer paper shorts to wear. i got all kinds of x rays and then waited around for the doctor. after i got bored snooping through the bandage drawer i laid down for some quality cell phone poker. i managed to win a few hundred thousand before dr chicanowski came in. (maybe i should quit my job and head to vegas) she made me point to where it hurts, stand in funny positions and squat awkwardly. then i laid face down on the table so she could "feel for muscle imbalances" and started pawing at my butt with both hands. at this point she officially became dr chica-wah-wah. when she finished she showed me my x rays and told me her diagnosis: my gluteus maximus muscles are weak and arent firing they way they should. now anyone who lives with me would tell you that my glutes fire all too often but who are they to argue with the good dr? she referred me to a physical therapist who specializes with runners to tell me how to work out my ass. hopefully it wont be too long before i will have sir mix a lot singing jeremy got back!

oh yeah this is my actual x-ray!

i can do this

welcome to my new blog. it will detail my athletic struggles leading up to my attempt to become an ironman in madison wi on 9/7/2008. the ironman has been one of my life goals since i first heard about it sometime in the 90's. funny that im only just getting around to it.

i cant wait!