Well, here we go!

Here we go... Years later and I'm finally back to my blog.  Well, what can I say?  So much has happened.  I've not had a drink of alcohol since September 12, 2013.  I got some crazy hair now!  I've gotten divorced, and met a beautiful women whom I've made my new bride, we recently celebrated our first anniversary together!  I've gotten my ears pierced and a tattoo.  I now live in Texas after moving from Hawai'i to Wisconsin and now here.  I haven't competed in a triathlon in almost four years.  I'm ready to get back at it.

 I currently Weigh 200lbs that's 40lbs over race weight.  Here are some before pictures:

I call these "Before" pictures because this is the start of a weight loss journey as well as a journey back to triathlon.  I know that the weight will naturally come off when I ramp up my training.  

I've gotten myself signed up for the Stonebridge Ranch 5K on Feb. 21st.  That gives me about eight weeks of training.  My goal is to complete it in under 21 minutes.  I'll be using the nikeplus app's coaching feature to help me meet that goal.  In addition to the running app, I'll be going for base building swims most mornings at 0500.  

In addition to the race training, I'm also headed to my second semester of college using my GI Bill. So I'll have a nice full plate coming into the spring.  My spring semester starts Jan. 20th.  

On the alcoholism front.  I met my new sponsor for the first time today.  He seems cool.  He and I think alike about the whole spiritual nature of AA "recovery" so I'm really looking forward to getting to know him better.  Apparently, I have to call him everyday.  He also wants me to read the big book.  So I ordered it on amazon, it should arrive sometime around the end of the month.  

Anywho.  Here's to hitting all of your goals in 2015!

What a week... What a weekend... WHEW!

So... this will be a three part post.  We'll start with the week's events, then move into Sunday's race report, and finally yesterday's monstrous hike.  So, bear with me, this might be a long one.

-Part I-
(the week)

The Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) change of command was on thursday.  So, all week, in addition to my regular work related duties I've had the pleasure of standing in formation as the company guide (that means I hold the company standard called a guidon) for a General's retirement ceremony.  For those that don't know what this means it was two and a half to three hours of standing at attention, marching, and executing various drill movements in the heat of the afternoon sun.  So, my plate was stacked high during the work week.  The ceremony was Thursday afternoon at 1600 so it was a late workday for me that night for sure.  Everybody was there, from foreign dignitaries to the commandant of the Marine Corps.  The Ceremony lasted a full 2 and a half hours.  To give you an idea of the scope of something like this when I was on my way back home I saw Marine scout snipers climbing down from the roof I'm sure they were there for security.  Also, there was a Marine company guide for another company that "fell out".  He literally ate pavement, face first, into the concrete!  OUCH!  There were times when I was afraid that would be me.

-Part II-
(The Race)

Well,  I had some friends over for dinner Saturday night.  I was just a little concerned that the very large meal of home made lasagna that I ate and the couple glasses of wine that I drank would negatively affect me.  Strangely enough, this was what I would call a "breakthrough" race.  I had no GI issues and I was able to maintain a nice pace the entire race.  I had kind of a strange breakfast, but based on what I had been experimenting with, I thought it would work.  I ate toast with blackberry jam and banana pineapple baby food.  Strange, I know, but whatever works right?  Only a couple of issues this race, funny enough they all had to do with the bathroom.  Just before the race I was in line for the port o' john and the gun sounded!  Oh CRAP!  well, I guess it's time to run.  Also, I made the mistake of drinking too much water too close to the start of the race.  So, I had to run off the course and pee... twice.  I imagine I will definitely be able to really pick up the pace on the next race.

-Part III-
(Mt Olympus)

I wish I had all the photos already, but I will post them as soon as I get them emailed from my friends.  We started the day at 0330 with the hopes of scaling the Haiku stairs or stairway to heaven.  We left the house at 0430 to arrive at the entrance to the "off limits" area at 0500.  After wandering around the the network of utility roads and being generally lost for an hour and a half we found the actual trail head only to be turned away by the security guard.  Well, at least we know where to go for next time.  My crew of friends was already in hiking clothes and only slightly deterred by our early morning fiasco.  So, we stopped by Safeway for some more provisions (to include a bottle of Chardonay!) and regrouped at Ray's house.  After googling the most intense hike on Oahu we set out for "Mount Olympus" or The upper Wa'ahila ridge trail.  Wow, a full five hours of hiking later we reached the beautiful summit.  Where we unpacked the picnic that Ray and I hauled up the mountain in our assault packs and ate sandwiches and drank our wine.  We relaxed at the top for about an hour and a half.  Then we started our joyous descent!

And today, a much needed rest day.

Tantalus? Sure! Why not?

Yesterday afternoon I started a dialogue, via text message, with my new riding buddy Geoff.  It went along the lines of:

Me:  Still on for that ride tomorrow
Geoff:  Sure, where do you want to go?
Me:  Well, I wanted to ride north, but should probably hit some hills.  Lets ride through kailua and towards Hawaii Kai.
Geoff:  F*ck it!  Let's ride Tantalus.
Me:  Ok, but how are we getting out there?  I can't do a 4.5 hour ride tomorrow.  I don't want to sabotage my key run on sunday.
Geoff:  C'mon dude, f*ck it!  Just do it!
Me:  I'll call you when I get off work.  I really wanna ride Tantalus!

After explaining to Geoff that I am in marathon training now, but would be glad to meet him in town and ride tantalus he agreed to the compromise.

So after a 0500 wake up, a baby food breakfast (Yummy bananas, apples, and pears) I loaded everything in the car and took off.  I got to the agreed Safeway parking lot and I headed over to that national chain coffee place that will remain nameless to grab a drink loaded with caffeine and sugar (it happened to be a cinnamon soy latte no cream.  Didn't want any dairy to mess me up).  Geoff and I enjoyed our coffee and then started our ride.

I really enjoyed my climb!  We warmed up for a measly 20 minutes, so needless to say the first 20 minutes of the climb were a bit forced.  But after I got going, I toasted Geoff.  Not that it was a race.  Not at all.  I just like to maintain a certain cadence.  It felt good at that speed any slower and I would've been working harder at each pedal stroke.  It was nice to maintain some momentum.  In retrospect, maybe i should've saved some for the way back up the second time.  Maybe it was the caffeine, maybe it was sheer excitement who knows.

What's that look on my face? PAIN.  sheer suffering. masochistic cyclist pain at its finest.  This shot was taken 1/2 up the back side after our initial decent.  I made the call to take a few breaks on the way up the second time to take some photos.  You only ride Tantalus your first time once (well I guess twice in my case. lol)  not to mention I was exhausted from the effort of the initial climb and didn't really want to do it again.  I'm glad I did.  

The descent was an all out blast!  Sharp hairpin turns and everything.  

Par for the course I had my one obligatory close call.  A truck with an oversized tool box thing where his bed should have been got within inches of my shoulder.  He actually went to pass me, and I guess he didn't realize how fast I was going.  Because as soon as I was in his blind spot, he began to move back over to the right.  Forcing me to the curb.  I began shouting some "colorful" language and BONUS his window was down AND he just happened to be stopped at a red light.  I had to resist the urge to climb through his window and begin to pummel him.  But by the time my friend and I were done with him he was definitely shaken.  Score! one more driver cautious around cyclist.  

Geoff and I had post ride Crepes and some wonderful organic nectar with ingredients like:  organic strawberries, organic lemon, and I can't even remember what else the server listed but it was PERFECT!

I am looking forward to my run tomorrow.  

swimming, it's supposed to hurt too.

Let me just start this one with a familiar phrase. "Damn that workout really hurt!"

Ok now we dive in! I was afraid of today's workout as soon as I read it. It included a hellish interval of 3x(200@4:00, 100@2:00) at the end. I wasn't even sure if I could pull this off. The things that were going through my head while i was doing this interval were a lot of self affirming phrases like "you can do this" "don't quit now" "you're your own enemy". Something I read in the comments section of Regina's latest blog really helped me. It was a quote reminding me why I chose, so willingly, to punish myself. It's because it's SUPPOSED to be hard! It wouldn't be any fun if it weren't.

As I was doing the first part of this workout I was thinking to myself. "Man you really shouldn't have swam so fast last week. Now Michelle knows what you've got." But I did my best to force that negative attitude out of my head and "embrace" the workout. I always seem to do the best when I look the challenge in the face and don't back down.

Turns out. I had it in me! I look back at it and see it as a favor really. Michelle set a goal for me that I probably wouldn't have set for myself knowing that it would be uncomfortable. And it was. VERY uncomfortable. There were a few times that I layed hunched over the wall almost ready to vomit from sheer effort. I didn't want to start the next interval after I finished the one before it but I didn't give myself that option. "You can do this. You HAVE to do this". I'd say, this is probably the hardest I have ever swam in my life! I guess I have many more workouts like this to look forward to.

"Tag the World" never again.

Ok, race report first.  Then we can complain.

Naturally we'll start with the swim.  It was a "wet start" meaning, of course, we started in the water.  This is where all the little clues started that these event "coordinators" didn't seem to have it together.  But, i thought nothing of it.  Clue #1 the swimmers were instructed to swim beyond the point where the reef started, meaning at the start of the race there were actually swimmers standing on the reef.  Clue #2 the race start was signified by the waving of a flag.  This wouldn't normally be so bad except that the sun was behind said flag waver making him impossible to see from the water.  I digress, finally we got started.  I immediately realized that the water was too shallow for me to get an effective pull.  I was scraping my hands along the rocks.  I tried adjusting my heading to get me into deeper water, but didn't actually get into a good groove until about 200m later when I decided to head towards the beach looking for deeper waters. Once I actually got on a good course, pretty close to the turn around i might add, I felt pretty fast.  I came out of the water in about 12 minutes.  Considering the course, and all the little detours I'm happy with that.  Especially since my shoulders and back were actually burning by the time I exited the water.

Now the run.  Lets back up a bit.  To Clue #3, the part where the coordinators are briefing the course.  The morning of the race THIS is when they decide to tell us it is a XC course!  Great.  Good thing I did that beach run on Friday, so I'm ready for the soft ground...  So back to the race.  I blast out of the water to my transition towel, throw on my socks and shoes, grab my hat, race number, and shirt.  Then i start getting dressed while I'm running (I'll never do that again).  It was kind of a mess, something i hadn't practiced but it turned out alright I guess.  I had to keep reminding myself to push harder.  Pass that guy, pass that guy too, don't let that guy pass you!  Then, something truly amazing happened.  I crossed the marker for lap two and one of the volunteers called out my race number and told my I was in 8th place!  8th place!?  No way can I slow down now!  I gotta get top 5!  I keep passing people (turned out in the end that most of them were 5k guys I was lapping!).  Keep my head high I am breathing like a freight train (that's right Michelle I was THAT guy:)).  I manage to keep pushing it all the way out to the end passing one other 10k'er and getting passed by another 10k'er to end up in what I guess to be 8th overall (still awaiting confirmation).

Now... on to the fun part:

Ok, so by now I probably should have expected something like this. Considering all the clues, including an aid station in the last 25 feet of the race.  Who puts an aid station in the chute?  Let me get you in "the moment"  I crossed the finish line and look up for my time... What?!  no clock?  Ok, they are keeping time by hand.  No biggie.  I walk over to the table and ask the timers "hey do you guys have the finishing time for #37?"  probably shouldn't have bothered.  They were crazy busy and told me to just wait till the end.  Understandable.  So i wait.... and wait... and after a raffle (consisting of competitors playing "rock paper scissors" to win sized raffle prizes) and a singing performance.  Almost an hour had passed and they were finally ready to announce the results.  They begin announcing overall results for 5k.  Then age group results for 5k, then more age group results for 5k.  Then we ask if they have the results for the 10k... that's when it happened... the coordinators gave us the deer in the headlights look.  Oh no.  So, after waiting around for over an hour and a half and much arguing and bickering over who was 5k, who was relay, and who was 10k.  The 10k results were declared.

This whole ordeal wouldn't have really bothered me too much other than the fact that the competitors were promised excellent prizes for 1st-3rd place overall and age group.  What prize did I walk home with you ask?  Bragging rights, and a slip of paper declaring me "third".  No metal, no time on the paper, no age group, just the distances, the race name, and the word "THIRD".  Ugh!  If any of you are considering this race next year.  I strongly urge you to not participate.  Although this is a worthy cause, if you wish to donate $60 to tag the world, just write them a check and save yourself the stress.

sorry about the tirade guys.

Track workout!

for about the last week or so I have been DYEING to run fast.  I don't mean like a two minute interval, or a little fartlek run..  I mean FAST!!  I finally got my chance yesterday at the track and boy did it feel good.  I am starting to really enjoy this relationship I am fostering with the local track.  It's nice to go somewhere and just leave everything you've got on that red dirt that so many other runners have sweated, cried, bled, vomited, and pushed there all into.  Something about the track is quite inspiring actually.  And you can always tell the people that are there to really RUN the ones that warm up by doing "high knees" and then leave a dust trail behind them when they sprint.  Oh yeah, this is a culture i could get used to. Running.

I was pretty proud of my times considering how long it has been since i've consistently done any speed work.  I worked on 600s this week.  Did two 3x600s the first set i did my 600s in around 2:45 and my second set around 2:25.  I'm always proud of myself when i give just a little more on my second set.  Just like today at the pool.

Today's swim was a bit intimidating to me.  I started with a 1,000m timed negative split.  This wouldn't seem intimidating to most serious triathletes but it is the furthest I have swum without resting on a wall since my return to the sport.  So, I was not looking forward to this.  Turns out I did quite well, in my own humble opinion.  Was able to complete the 1k swim in 20:12.  then i had three more timed events two 200m sprints of which the second was to be faster (3:42 and 3:31) i was very satisfied that i was able to complete another negative split effort on this one.  Finally finishing it out with a timed 400m that i was able to complete in 7:41 I am not sure how I should feel about that time but generally I like to keep a good attitude about my workouts so I'd say I'm pleased with it.

Oh... and i haven't mentioned "Company PT".  Yesterday it came as a bit of a surprise to me when my "Gunny" told me that we would be meeting up at 0530 for a company run.  He made sure to reinforce the importance of being hydrated (that's always a sign of a difficult run).  This morning we ran for almost 7.5 miles of which an entire mile was on the beach.  I'm sure all of you are aware of the difficulty of running on sand.  So needless to say, today was a tough day.

A great start to the weekend!

The Ironman bug... It's catching!

It started with a phone call. Just a crazy idea, maybe I'll ask my buddy Eli if he wants to run IMCDA with me. Seeing as how the only event he's ever competed in that i know of is the Honolulu Century Ride. Knowing that, I figured it was a bit of a long shot. Eli is the guy that did the century ride with me with only 3 months notice.

Well, i left him a message a few days ago. I heard from him today. He actually wants to do it! I can't beleive it! This crazy bastard wants to do it! This is gonna be great. He seems just as excited about it as I am. I really had a great time training with him for the century ride. He is an old high school friend of mine and he is just as masochistic as me. Hopefully he is able to register for it before it sells out. That would be a great familiar face to have at the race and a great friend to spend the week with in Coeur d'Alene Idaho.