PALM SPRINGS HALF MARATHON

Sometimes I think my personal athletic goals can get in the way of Gods will for my life.Today God reminded me that he can use my love for sports and  even my desire  to "win" something.

My wife Liz and I love to run the Palm Springs Half Marathon. This year we decided to to do the Husband and Wife relay. My thinking was that based on previous years times if we trained hard, we just might win the division. I'm usually happy just racing the clock but like any competitive person I really wanted to win this, or at the very least finish top three.

The race started and Liz was off running the first leg of the half marathon. I jogged to the relay point where Liz would pass me the baton anxious to check out our competition. I struck up a conversation with one of our competitors Charlie from Canada. He was a two time Ironman finisher like me and his wife was a triathlete as well like my wife. Hmmm. This could be interesting. My wife Liz came in ahead of his wife and I was off and running. With numerous relay teams it was hard tell where we stood but I was sure we were at least second. In this race you meet back up with your spouse and run the final leg together and cross the finish line together. We crushed our goal time of 1:45:59 and ran a 1:41:35! For me it was a break thru run that included a 7:18 mile. Post race Liz and I were feeling great about our effort and we were sure we finished top three.
As we waited for the results we saw Charlie and his wife Maureen and walked over to ask them about their race. The conversation was easy because all of us had so much in common. I don't remember how it came up but I started talking about ministry in Mexico. I told them how much Liz and I love serving in Mexico and spending time with the kids at Siempre orphanage. Maureen was listening intently and asking me questions. I told them both that they should join us for a day in the colonia and Siempre. "I would love that!" said Maureen. Then she whispered to me "Charlie needs that". We exchanged information and it looks like Charlie and Maureen may take their first trip to experience what life is like in the colonia with us in March. And the race? 

The "colonia" Baja California

As the results were posted I looked to see our placing...fourth. I would like to say I wasn't disappointed but I was. Liz and I both trained hard, ran very well and finished fourth?? I hid the disappointment from our new friends as we said goodbye certain to meet again. 

Afterwards I was reflecting on the race and meeting Charlie and Maureen. Maybe God in his infinite wisdom placed me at the right place, with the right circumstances so that a couple from Canada could have the experience of serving and connecting with the poor in Mexico. Awesome.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES!

This Saturday October 20th, 2012 I will be racing my wife Liz in my last triathlon of the year representing the Alzheimer’s Association. I have an anonymous donor who will match up to $500 in donations to the Alzheimer’s Association if you donate by 10/31/12. If I beat Liz this donor will match up to $750! That means if you donate $100, $200 will go to ending Alzheimer’s! 

Please help me take advantage of this opportunity and donate! Just click on the DONATE  button above.

The Bluewater Triathlon will be held in Parker Arizona with the swim taking place in the crystal clean Colorado River. A little different from the Hudson River in NYC. The race has a 1K Swim, 53K bike and an 8K run.

If your curious, the last time we raced an Olympic distance triathlon together Liz beat me by 36 seconds!

There's still time!

This is Liz again, and I’d like to help my awesome husband raise the rest of his funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. The race is over, but you still have time to make a tax-deductible donation to help out his team! His goal is $5000, and he has until FRIDAY 8/31 to raise the rest ($1838). To help him achieve this goal, I will be completing smaller components of the Ironman race myself – according to the donations! Now the toughest part of Ironman, for both of us, is the swim. I’ve been doing a little swimming lately, so I’m not totally out of shape. However, I will tell you that it’s tiring, and (let’s just be honest): BORING. Sorry if you’re a swimmer and you disagree, but I’d much rather be taking in some beautiful scenery on my bike! Ok, so now that you know that about me, here is my proposal. I will swim either in the pool at 24-Hour Fitness, which is a 25 meter lane (1 lap = 50 meters), or at Bayshore in Long Beach, which is the equivalent of a 1/2 mile lane (so out/back is 1mi, out/back twice is 2mi). The open water swim is a group workout on Wednesday mornings, and my running club is on Wednesday evenings, 3 hours after work, so the more donations, the higher possibility that I will be adding running & cycling to the menu! So here’s the breakdown. If x amount of money is raised by 8/31 (on the left), I will complete the workout (on the right):

$50    1mi swim (33 pool laps)

   This is fairly easy for me, and I’ve done it recently.

$100  1mi swim (33 pool laps): non-stop

   I usually rest at least every 5 laps!

$150  1mi open water swim

   I haven’t done this in about 6 years.

$250   2mi swim (66 pool laps)

   I’ve never done this distance!

$500   2mi swim (66 pool laps): non-stop

   It’s so tempting to rest at the side…

$750   2mi open water swim

   The longest open water swim I’ve done was 1.2mi, in a race.

$1000 2mi open water swim @6am

           5mi run @6:30pm

   I haven’t done a double workout in a while!

$1500 2mi open water swim @6am

           20mi bike @4:30pm

           5mi run @6:30pm

   I haven’t done all 3 sports in one day since March, let alone including my farthest swim ever!

$1838 Triathlon race simulation @Newport Dunes:

           2mi open water swim

           30mi bike

           8mi run

   No resting between workouts, trying to beat Greg’s Ironman transition times!

So there it is! Which workout will I be doing? It’s up to you… Every contribution counts towards the total!

P.S. A huge thanks to all our friends & family who supported Greg’s race already, either financially or through prayer. He couldn’t have done it without you!

Race Ready

Liz here, reporting race details for Greg.

Betty Wakeling

It's the day before the race. Is he ready? Hopefully! He sure has prepared and worked hard for this. Like the last Ironman, this race will come with its own challenges. It already has. But with God's help, and inspiration from pictures of loved ones affected by Alzheimer's, he will make it to the finish line.

Irene Peterson

First things first though... There was a sewage spill up the river, and the race director has just reported that the water is clear for swimming. That is, unless the recent storms continue to morning and there is lightning. In that case, the race would be delayed for 30 minutes, and the swim cancelled if the lightning continues. That small detail aside, here is what you need to know for tomorrow:

• Greg's race # is 207.
• You can follow him on http://live.ironman.com, beginning at 6:30am EST (3:30am CA time). Or, you know, whenever you wake up.
• You can also follow him on the iPhone app "Iron Trac" - it costs $0.99 but I'm sure it's worth it if you're out and about (like me!) and want to check in on how Greg's doing.
• Greg's race will start somewhere between 7am and 7:30am EST, and these are his predicted times:
• SWIM: 1hr40min
• BIKE: 6hr35min
• RUN: 4hr48min12sec (11min/mile pace)
• TOTAL: 13hr35min (including transitions)



Greg with Delores Eaton

• Be sure to check for pictures and updates on my Facebook page, or Greg's - I'll tag him in anything I post. Friend either one of us, if you haven't already!

Mrs. Schelger

The logistics for the race are going to be quite tricky, as if just making it to the start line healthy and injury-free isn't hard enough in and of itself! Greg will join the others on a 4am ferry to the transition, drop off his last minute gear, then board a 6am ferry to the swim start. That's the end of the logistics for Greg, and as long as I can make it on the ferry to the finish line, and we can get on the ferry back to the hotel, we'll be all set!

MaryAlice Michelsen

Along the course, Greg will have posters and pictures to inspire him and remind him why he's racing. It's easy to lose track of this when you're pushing your body to the limit.

Uncle Ron

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We're looking forward to sharing the day with you!

Liz (& Greg)

TWO WEEKS OUT!

I apologize for not updating my blog sooner after my crash. The week following "the crash" was  was more difficult than I thought it would be. I struggled thru every workout but managed to complete them all with the exception of one swim I had to cut short mainly due to hip, neck and elbow pain. Two weeks later I would say I'm close to 100% and I had some great workouts this weekend. I can feel the strength and fitness of the months of preparation with each and every mile I swim, bike and run. It's so nice to head in to the weekend knowing that all of the hard work will be complete and now it's just a matter of tapering and looking forward to the excitement of race day in New York to see how this body will perform based on the months of training I've completed. I feel well prepared and I think I'm stronger than I was for my first Ironman in 2010. Once more I worked the hardest on my running because the early reports say that the IMNY run course may be one of the toughest. BTW my race number is 207.

Below is a post from Facebook that you may have already seen. It's so awesome to have a sense that God is a part of this Ironman journey.

Prepping my bike to be shipped to New York today. Somewhat disconcerting to give your bike to strangers who promise your bike will be ready for you in transition at the other side of the country on race day. Look closely and you will see loved ones I'm racing for riding with my bike.  So I take my bike to Edge Cyclesports where TriBike Transport will pick up my bike. I mentioned earlier that I'm dropping my bike off with strangers...well this very nice guy helps me and I share with him that I'm competing in IMNY for the Athletes To End Alzheimer's. He introduces himself as Hugh asks me about my verse 1Cor. 6:20 and what church I go to. I tell him and he says I know Eric Wakeling and George Wakeling! I look at him and say "then you know Betty and she's on my bike!" "Don't worry about your bike!"... I'm so glad God is in control.

CRASH REPORT!

Today I had a scheduled 72 mile ride and 5 mile run. I was feeling really good today. 60 miles in to my ride I was heading eastbound on Portola just before Jeffrey when I collided with a recreational cyclist who was slowing to turn right on to the bike trail. So frustrating because  it was totally my fault and could have been avoided if I had just looked up. I basically was hammering with my head down. I saw two riders in the distance but had gauged based on speed I wouldn't overtake them as quickly as I did. They both slowed down to just a few miles per hour. I looked up on impact. I was totally shocked. The rider I hit barely fell as he was only going a few miles per hour and heavier than me. I went flying as I was going 18-20 MPH. His damage thankfully, only one minor abrasion and his bike was totally fine. I hit my head, elbow, and hip. I was on the ground trying to understand what just happened. For a few seconds I saw my Ironman come to an end. They both wanted to help me up but I told them to just let me lay here for a moment while I assessed things. I finally got up and they helped me with my bike. Surprisingly the only damage was a wobble in my rear wheel. I apologized profusely for not paying attention and they were both very understanding. Of course I was the only one with a cracked helmet and bleeding. Every bike racer has crashed at some point so once I was certain I was good to go I got back on my bike to see how I really felt. My head was fine, my elbow and hip were hurting as well as my right knee. Although my right knee had no road rash I think I strained it as my right foot un-clipped from the pedal during the crash. I'm so thankful I was able to finish my final 12 miles including the climb to the end of Portola and even managed a slow three mile run.

Now that I've showered, taken Ibuprofin and my wonderful wife has cleaned my wounds, I feel very fortunate. My elbow should be fine for swimming. I'm mostly concerned about my knee and hip. I have a scheduled 20 mile run tomorrow. My knee is actually hurting more than anything else now but I'm icing and keeping it elevated.

 This could have been a real disaster and it was all due to my foolishness of not watching the road in front of me. I'm so thankful that no one was hurt more seriously. Please pray that I will overcome these injuries quickly and they don't hinder my final weeks of race prep.

One more take away from this...ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

SILICON VALLEY LONG COURSE RACE REPORT

Three weeks before this race I received notice that the swim venue was changing due to water quality conditions at Almaden Park and the swim would be moved to Uvas Reservoir roughly 20 miles south of the original swim course. This would mean there would be two transitions for this event instead of the original plan for one. I’ve only done one other race with two transitions and it’s not my preference. It just adds to the stress because now you need to make sure you have exactly what you need for the bike and run at two separate locations. I was grateful though that the organizers cared enough about my health that they didn’t want me swimming in polluted water. Logistically two separate transitions are hard on the race promoter as well.

After a seven hour drive my wife Liz and I arrived at T1 to drop off my bike and scout out the new swim venue. It was interesting because we would actually swim around a long peninsula with a large hill. I can’t recall ever doing a swim where you cannot see the start or finish once you’re in the water. The other thing I noticed was that the water level seemed low and the distance from the point of exiting the swim to transition was maybe 200 meters on dirt and brush. It would not be pleasant for this tenderfoot. After the bike drop we drove half of the bike course towards T2 at Almaden Park and then to my cousins house in San Jose where we were warmly welcomed and treated like first class clients at the Ritz Carlton.

THE SWIM

No wonder I swim slow

I arrived a little later than I normally like to before a race and was still trying to sort out what I needed. This had more to do with two transitions than poor planning. Once I had everything set up it was time to get my wetsuit on and head towards the water. Unfortunately I was headed in the wrong direction. What I thought was the swim entry was actually the swim exit! We were swimming the opposite direction than what I had envisioned the day before. This may not seem like a big deal but when swimming is your weakness it’s very important for me to do visualization of what my swim looks like days before the race. I hurried down to the water and asked the race official how much time I had…”Ninety seconds!” he said. It was just enough time for me to get in the water and swim to the start line. At least the water was warm. The gun sounded and my swim was off. I started swimming and was actually staying with my group at first and then started to fade. I just didn’t feel strong during my swim like I did at Wildflower. I don’t know if it was being disoriented and rushed to get to the start but I just was not feeling like I had power in my stroke. It just didn’t feel like my day. I reached the boat ramp and for me there is nothing like getting your feet back on solid ground.

SWIM TIME: 49:58

WILDFLOWER LONG COURSE RACE REPORT

Race Headquarters

I decided to put this race on my calendar this year because of its reputation of being one of the toughest half iron distance races around. The U.S. Championship course will be much more difficult than Ironman Arizona and I wanted to compete in this race to get a feel for where I'm at in my training and where my weaknesses are. Some say the Wildflower long course is nearly as difficult as a full Ironman. The 56 mile bike has 5,345 feet of elevation gain and the 13.1 mile run has over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. In comparison the U.S. Ironman Championship course will have 3,900 feet of elevation gain in its 112 miles and 2,100 feet of elevation gain for its 26.2 mile run. As you can see the Wildflower course is not for someone who doesn't like hills.

 The carrot for this race was chasing my wife Liz's course time of 6:35:43. Looking at her splits I felt I could beat her swim and bike times. The key would be gaining enough of an advantage in those disciplines to beat her run time of 2:10:27 which I was fairly confident I could do based on my recent training.  
Before I get in to my race report let me tell you that the Wildflower Triathlon is a must attend event. The venue is beautiful, the race celebrating its 30th anniversary is very well organized. It totally lives up to its reputation as the Woodstock of triathlons with over 30,000 people attending, live music, excellent food vendors with reasonable prices, tri related sports vendors and even activities for children. Nearly everyone camps or brings an RV. Even some of the Pros have been known to sleep in a tent during the weekend. It's the perfect place for a beginner or serious triathlete to race and if you bring the entire family and they will all be guaranteed a good time. The only time you may be disappointed with is your finishing time if you under estimate the difficulty of this course.

THE SWIM 1.2 Miles

First off, let me tell you that Lake San Antonio has the best tasting water I've ever swam in...and did I mention warm? This is only my 9^th triathlon and only my second in the past 18 months. Although I’m more confident than I used to be, I still get butterflies. I told my wife Liz when I stop getting nervous about triathlons, that’s when I need to start doing something else. After setting up my transition I walked down to the boat ramp to prepare for my wave start. The lake was calm and peaceful with the exception of the athletes who had already started swimming.

Swim start

 It looked like the perfect morning on Lake San Antonio. After the wave started ahead of us we all had a chance to get in to the water for a quick swim before our start. The water was a comfortable 68 degrees and with the warm sun on a black wet suit it felt refreshing to get in to the lake. Back on the boat ramp we all waited for our wave start. As usual I hang toward the back of our group to stay out of the “real” swimmers way. The gun sounded and I casually stroll in to the water knowing I'm one of the slowest in the group. As I started my swim aiming for the first buoy of the rectangular course I was feeling calm and started my slow and steady stroke. At the first buoy I noticed that I was still with other swimmers in my wave and there were actually a number of people behind me. This is good! Right turn and I seemed to be sighting well as I swam a perfect line parallel to the shore. I was still getting hit and kicked occasionally by a few swimmers, another good sign that I'm at least hanging with others. Feeling more confident than ever during a swim I started pushing my pace and noticed I was catching stragglers from the wave in front. To me this was a great feeling and just boosted my confidence to swim harder. As I made my way around the final buoy I noticed I had taken a bad line and was now about 100 meters off line from what everyone else was swimming. In my haste to swim harder I sighted poorly. Lesson learned. I corrected and was in a nice groove when about 200 meters from the boat ramp my left calf cramped. Not bad but enough I had to stop, stretch it out and then swim timidly to the finish. I got out of the water looked at my watch and was so happy. I just had my fastest 1.2 mile swim and that was with a cramp and bad sighting.

Liz's Time: 54:19

Goal Time: 45:00

Actual Time: 44:01

WHY ANOTHER IRONMAN?

There is no doubt competing in an Ironman can be self serving. The months of dedication and commitment to training doesn't exactly make it an instant gratification kind of thing, but the structure you have to commit to with the goal of training up your body to complete this event can take it's toll on your family, job and social life if you're not careful. For me justification comes by making my Ironman about something bigger than just me. For 2012 that something is raising money for the Alzheimer's Association and dedicating this Ironman to my uncle Ron Clarke and others who suffer from this disease. And to all of the family and caregivers who need support, strength and patience assisting loved ones.

Uncle Ron. Christmas 2010

After Ironman Arizona I had no doubt that I would do another Ironman some day. It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. I just didn't plan for it to be in 2012. When WTC announced they would hold an inaugural Ironman U.S. Championship in New York City I had thoughts that it would be an amazing experience to race in New York but doing an Ironman in 2012 was just not something my wife and I planned on in 2012. A few months later I received an e-mail that the Ironman organization (WTC) was partnering with several charities and non profits for the Ironman U.S. Championship. One of the organizations was the Alzheimer's Association. I immediately thought of my uncle and how I could race for him. The Alzheimer's Association required that I submit an application to them telling them why I should be selected to race on their team, my experience in fundraising and my race resume. If selected I would be given an entry in to the race, coaching and clothing. I really didn't think I had a chance of being selected. Three weeks later I received an e-mail. I was sitting in Starbucks with my wife Liz..."Oh no...Ohh my gosh" What's wrong? she asked. I read the e-mail to her. "Congratulations, you've been selected to participate in the Ironman U.S. Championship with Athletes to End Alzheimer's team"

My requirement for being on the team is to raise $5,000.00 in support of the Alzheimer's Association. I know raising $5,000.00 seems like a daunting task but I'm trusting in God and feel led by Him to begin this new journey.
Please help those who are suffering by making a tax deductible contribution to the Alzheimer's Association. Just click on the button above.

Check back or subscribe to my blog and follow me on this Ironman journey that takes me to the Big Apple as I race for others battling Alzheimer's. 

UNDER CONTRUCTION! - A new look and a new journey.

It's been some time since I've posted on my blog. It's now under reconstruction as I start a new journey that takes me to New York City for the first time while raising money to fight the battle against a horrible disease called Alzheimer's. 

I didn't do a single triathlon in 2011. Not due to any health issues or the experience I had finishing my first Ironman, but because I was focused on another endurance event I participated in called Race Across America or RAAM.

Check back for updates on my next journey as I prepare for the Ironman U.S. Championship in New York with the goal of raising $5,000 for the Alzheimer's Association.

HOMES OF HOPE HOUSE BUILD

prov·i·dence - "The doctrine of divine providence, therefore had reference to that preservation, care and government which God exercises over all things He has created, in order that they may accomplish the ends for which they were created." ISBE

Alejandro, Aracelis, Hernan

 I can't help but look back to the night of October 11th 2008 in Kona Hawaii where the dream of doing an Ironman began and how it would all culminate in the building of a house for a wonderful family in Mexico this past weekend. When I started my  Ironman journey it was important to me that it wasn't just self serving or that this whole idea of becoming an "Ironman" didn't take precedence over family, ministry, or friends. I will never forget the words of my counselor/teacher Ron Davis, "Greg, what makes you think God can't use this Ironman for his glory?" As it turns out God did use it in the most amazing way. Thanks to the generous donations of my supporters I raised nearly $4,000.00 through the Janus Ironman Charity Challenge to build a home for a family that was so deserving. This family, Alejandro, Aracelis and their son Hernan operate an orphanage for over 30 children in Tijuana including 18 infants and toddlers three of which have special needs. This family lived at the orphanage which meant they had no time for themselves. They were so grateful to have a place of refuge where they can now re-energize themselves for the daily struggles of running an orphanage in Baja Mexico. This also frees up space so the orphanage can take in more children. It was such a privilege to build a home for this family who makes sacrifices daily to meet the basic needs of little ones who are were not seeing those needs being met. Some of these children have been abandoned by their mother or father, some are children born to a drug addicted mother, others have seen their father leave and the mother forced to finding work can no longer care for her child or children. It's all a bit overwhelming to hear from Aracelis about the struggles and anger that these children are trying to cope with and escape.

Raising the wall

The house build itself was nothing short of miraculous.Unlike previous years of rain, this year we had perfect build weather with sunny skies and temps. in the low 70's. We also had a very strong team with plenty of building experience. It didn't hurt having kids from the orphanage help with the painting! With God's grace we finished building the home by noon on Sunday. Amazing! I have to say that without a doubt this was the nicest house we have ever built.

If you want to build like an Ironman you've got to eat like one!

Hernan and Aracelis

Hernan and his amigos

Truss this!

To my generous sponsors, I want you to know that Alejandro and Aracelis are so deserving of your gift and they so appreciate what you have sacrificed for them. They are so loving, so caring and willing to give of themselves every day for the well being of the orphans. Through your support of this family you have helped indirectly to make the lives of each and every orphan that they care for just a little better.

You want it cut in centimeters?

Thank you for supporting my Ironman Homes of Hope quest and impacting the lives of so many in such a wonderful way. This wonderful journey and God's providence in all things has touched me so deeply and forever changed me...I hope you feel the same. To use the words of Aracelis and Alejandro, "Que Dios bendiga sus vida grandemente" "May God bless your life greatly"

The Team

New bedroom

Kids helping paint

Dining room table

I want to share some unedited video with all of you. These are two very powerful clips that you must watch. One is the dedication of the house with Aracelis and Alejandro thanking us. The other is an interview with Aracelis asking her about the orphanage. The last video was taken at the orphanage with the infants. Please watch and enjoy the videos below. 

IRONMAN RECOVERY

 "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."

It's hard to believe that four weeks have passed since I finished my first Ironman.

I wanted to document for anyone doing an Ironman what the recovery process looked like for me these past four weeks. This is probably a boring post unless you're considering an Ironman but I wanted to share my experience and hopefully help another "Ironman Rookie". Most of what I did was recommend by coaches and athletes with the exception of my morning after bike ride. While most recommend a swim or walking the day after an Ironman, for me an easy bike ride is the best recovery activity. I believe that because of my bike the morning after Ironman I had minimal stiffness during the 5 1/2 hour drive home. Oh and if you have compression socks or compression tights...use them! I recommend as do others with more experience than me that you resist beginning any hard training until at least three weeks after your Ironman finish.
BTW - If you are wondering why I haven't done any recovery swims...you haven't been reading my blog! :-)

Immediately after you cross the finish line and get your picture taken I strongly recommend the following:

1. Keep walking for 15 to 20 minutes. Don't sit down or lay down...unless you must. (If you have to lay down be sure to elevate your legs.)

After my finish line picture I did laps for 15 minutes around the food and massage tent to keep things from locking up I started feeling light headed like I might faint. I finally sat down for fear I would faint. My wife grabbed a coke for me and once I drank it I felt much better. I 'm sure my blood sugar was depleted. I saw countless people coming in after me exhibiting the same symptoms. Some were transported. For me the coke seemed to do the trick and brought me back to life.

2. After you have cooled down walking get some food and drink.

The cold coke I drank made me shiver uncontrollably even with my space blanket so next I grabbed cup after cup of hot chicken broth before I moved on to french fries, and then pizza.

3. Get your massage.

Don't pass up on your free message. This may be the most important part of your recovery. I felt a little embarrassed because I know I reeked horribly.

 WEEK 1

MONDAY The day after Ironman - After getting a solid eight hours of sleep I woke up this morning determined to get in my short recovery bike ride of maybe 10 miles. As soon as I stood up out of bed and tried to walk every muscle and tendon below my waist begin to seize. My wife gave me a worried look thinking I was going to fall over. I took a quick inventory, my achilles that had bothered me all thru training did not want to function. Both knees that I have had few problems with were stiff and sore. My right hip and IT band were sore and stiff. I somehow managed to hobble to the coffee maker knowing that a cup of coffee often cures all that ails. As long as I kept moving things seemed to get better. I manged to get in a nine mile bike at a 13 MPH pace. I felt pretty good except for the very sore knees when I stood on the pedals to start at an intersection.. I received some strange looks by other athletes as I was riding by them at our hotel. I'm sure they figured I DNF'd since that would be the only reason someone would be on their bike today. After a shower I put on my compression socks for the drive home. My wife drove the first half back to SoCal while I napped and then I felt so good I drove the second half home. We did stop twice to stretch and do some walking. My feeling is the bike did me good especially before the long drive. I was stiff but moving well all day.

TUESDAY - Today there is no doubt I've been hit with a severe cold including night sweats last night. I did walk 1.5 miles to keep loose and get some green tea. The walk felt good and I was moving almost normally with the exception of getting out of bed in the morning. I'm pounding down OJ and vitamins hoping to get better. It's obvious that this illness is a result of my depleted body. I've been thru this before after a Half Ironman.

WEDNESDAY - I'm feeling terrible today. Not because I did an Ironman three days ago but because of this cold virus. My body is actually feeling pretty good with free range of movement. I'm just tired. If it wasn't for being sick I would have done a very short easy ride today. Instead I went grocery shopping for 45 minutes and was exhausted.

THURSDAY - Can we cancel Thanksgiving? Total rest day today and thank God for my awesome cousin Eric and his wife Tammy who prepared most of the meal today.

FRIDAY - Finally feeling better. Walked 1.5 miles today with my daughter to get green tea. My body is wanting physical activity which is a good sign. The only thing bothering me is my calf that cramped on race day.

SATURDAY -  Did an easy small chain ring spin for 13 miles today. My right calf is still tight. and my legs were unusually tired for such an easy ride. Still fighting a cold. I'm not sure if my body is tired form the Ironman the cold or both.

WEEK 2

TUESDAY - Today I did my 18 mile bike training route that includes a 1.5 mile 5% percent grade. Even though I felt great I only averaged 15 MPH on a course that I usually average 18-19 MPH on. When I returned home I still had a tiredness that seemed incongruent with the workout I just did. This is typical at this stage of recovery from an Ironman.

SATURDAY - My wife and I did a 16 mile ride today with some speed...only because my wife likes to race me! For the first time I felt like I had some speed on the bike two weeks after Ironman. I actually felt energized after this ride like I normally would but I can feel my body is still not ready for a hard workout.

SUNDAY - Two weeks to the day after Ironman Arizona I did my first run. Many coaches say this is the earliest you should run after an Ironman and it should be easy and short. I originally planned on doing seven miles but decided to change my route to make it four miles and I'm glad I did. My legs felt great and I intentionally ran an easy pace (9:20 min. mi.) but after my "easy" run my legs felt tired the rest of the day.

WEEK 3

MON. - THURS. - I decided to take a no workout approach to these days. I'm mostly over the cold virus I've been battling and I'm feeling rested. I thought about doing a workout or two but it's cold and dark and I figure my body can use the rest to fully recover from the virus. Besides I'm enjoying the idea of relaxing at home at night without the pressure of trying to fit in a prescribed workout after work.

FRIDAY - Did my second Post Ironman run of four miles while staying below 75% of my MHR. I ran a 9:02 pace and felt great. I wanted to run faster but figured I would save energy for tomorrows bike.

SATURDAY - Today I did my first "race pace" group ride post Ironman of 41 miles. I was a little nervous to test my legs on this ride because it is known as a very fast and tough ride at times. During the flat sprint section of the ride I had a hard time staying on a wheel once it got to 30 MPH but  overall I rode surprisingly well. I couldn't stay with the leaders but I didn't get dropped either. I feel like I could resume normal training on the bike at this point.

SUNDAY - I did what was supposed to be an easy 4 mile run with my wife Liz but as it turned out the last two miles my HR was up to 85% as we ran a 8 minute mile.  When I told her my goal was to keep my HR below 75% she just smiled and said she was letting me set the pace...hmmm. This was the first time since IMAZ training  that I've worked out for three consecutive days. It was a hard run but I felt good with no pain of any kind.

WEEK 4

This should be the week that my body is fully recovered from Ironman. As you can see I've done very little as far as workouts go. Most of it is I just felt the need for rest but it's also the end of the year and the off season for bike racing as well as triathlons so I'm not really motivated to push myself.

MON. - WEDS. - No work out scheduled

THURSDAY - Today I did my 18 mile bike training route that includes a 1.5 mile 5% percent grade. After averaging 15MPH in week two I averaged 17 MPH this time. My legs are recovered and coming back.

 SUNDAY - It's been raining since Friday so no bike for me and I'm not motivated to get on the trainer so I did a 5 mile run in the rain. My legs felt good and although I can tell my fitness is down, I pushed the pace a little and ending up running the same pace as last Sunday with my wife at a lower HR. I felt no residual soreness or effects from Ironman Arizona and if it were spring time I would be going back in to full training mode.

IRONMAN ARIZONA (IMAZ) RACE REPORT - THE SWIM

"O My child, give Me your heart, for out of it issues life. My hand is upon you, and I will keep you in all places wherever you go. I am your God, and I am your Father, and I will care for you and provide for you according to all that you need. I will be at your side, ready to help you whenever you call on Me. I am not unmindful of your needs, and My concern is for you."

  
Thank you to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All things come from you. Thank you to all of my friends, family, and the church body for praying and supporting me. My wife Liz, you are such an incredible woman taking such good care of me and supporting me throughout this entire Ironman journey. I'm so blessed to have you. Thierry, your words of encouragement and excitement touched my heart.

PRE-RACE

My alarm woke me up from a deep sleep at 4:15AM. It was time to get out of bed and try to pour down as many calories as I could stand before race start. I would be burning around 1,100 calories in the swim alone (based on my swim time) so I needed to eat as much as possible in the morning knowing I will never be able to make up the calorie deficit during Ironman.

Breakfast consisted of:

1 Bowl of oatmeal 260

1 toasted wheat bagel 280

1 bowl of cottage cheese with blueberries mixed in. 275

1 bottle of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem. 270 (to drink during the drive to the race and in transition)

We left our Hotel at 5:30AM and had zero traffic or parking problems which was a relief. I just had to drop off my special needs bags and put on my wetsuit. (My bike and  other gear was dropped off Saturday)

I arrived at transition to find my front tire flat sending me in to a little panic. Fortunately the race support crew from Landis Cyclery fixed it in 5 minutes and I was good to go.

THE SWIM

 The longest swim I had ever done in training was 1.5 miles so I really did not know what to expect. Race morning water temperature was 60 degrees.  I had talked to so many people and read so many blogs about suggested ways to start the IMAZ swim that it was now 30 minutes from race start and I still was not sure what I was going to do. IMAZ is a deep water start meaning you have to swim 100 yards to the start line and tread water until the cannon goes of at 7AM. Some told me wait as long as possible to get in the water otherwise you will freeze and waste energy before the race starts. Others said swim to the start early and sit on the bank of the lake, out of the water until the start. Others still said stay as far away from the bank as you can, its too crowded and you will swim a longer distance. If you've been reading my blog you know I hate the swim and struggle with it, especially in cold water. After a short prayer I put on my neoprene cap, my goggles and then my swim cap (to hold my goggles on if I get hit.). I decided to go in the water at 6:50AM that would give me 10 minutes to swim easy to the start and find a place to tread water. I figured 10 minutes wouldn't hurt me.

At 6:45 I started slowly to the dock with hundreds of other athletes. I've never seen so many grown ups walk to the edge of the water like little kids and just stare, not willing to jump in. I was one. Finally a guy with a bull horn yells "Your going to miss your start! If you don't start jumping in I'm going to start pushing you in!" He looked like a man of his word so I jumped in. It hit me...the cold...I couldn't put my face in the water and swim normal because I was still

trying to catch my breath so I back stroked and clumsily thrashed my arms looking for a place to start. To my surprise I found it. A nice green kayak to hold on to. I was now positioned less than halfway back in the pack and toward the center of the lake. I had a good line to swim and I was resting my legs. Perfect! It also gave me a chance to take off my wool socks I wore in to the lake to keep my feet warm. With one minute to start, the Kayak had to go and I miraculously found a 12 foot open space of water with no one in it. The cannon fired  and my swim started! I received some great advice from a veteran the day before the race. "Your going to be so amped up! When the race starts, swim slow, and then when you've done 2,000 meters swim even slower!" I started a nice easy pace and got hit and kicked while I hit and kicked others. After 500 meters it seemed calm and I was moving forward in the wake of nearly 2,300 swimmers. I was used to the water at this point and experienced none of the panic I've had in previous races. I developed a nice steady pace. The turn was a little further past the Rural Road bridge than I thought which surprised me. It started getting congested again as swimmers aimed for the turn buoy. I got hit a few times and decided to take a wider turn to avoid people. I turned left again and started swimming back toward the Mill street bridges, glanced at my watch again and saw that with only a few hundred meters to go I was on pace to beat my goal time, something I've never done before in a triathlon. I pushed my pace and when I did my right calf cramped severely. I was in agony and could not swim. I flipped on my back and tried to back stroke while I stretched my leg out. It finally felt better and I was able to swim to the stairs to get pulled out of the water. As I stood up on the stairs the cramp hit me again and I had to just stand there and stretch it out. Finally I walked up the stairs and over the timing mat. My swim was officially over.

GOAL TIME 1:44:00

ACTUAL TIME 1:38:39

I walked up to a wetsuit stripper and he had my suit down past my waste in no time. I sat on the ground and as he pulled my suit off of my legs my right calf  cramped again. He tried to help me up but I could not move. Another volunteer came over and asked me where the cramp was and started kneading and massaging my calf to work it out. I'm not sure how much time elapsed but after some time I told him that I thought I could stand now. They both helped me up and I limped gingerly to get my bike bag. Despite my cramp it was an amazing swim for me and I felt strong and confident the entire time.

1Peter 5:7 - Thanks Pastor Matt Davis for the mini sermon you e-mailed to me.

IRONMAN ARIZONA (IMAZ) RACE REPORT - THE BIKE

With my calf issues coming out of the water I was already running behind in my Transition 1 time. On top of that my bike was mysteriously missing from the bike rack! Looking at this video it's pretty hilarious what happened but not so funny at the time. The race support staff call out your number on a bull horn to the bike transition crew. Then a crew member gets your bike and meets you at the transition bike exit. The problem in my case is I did not run down the middle aisle to get my bike from the volunteer, I turned right when I entered transition and ran down the outer perimeter to where my bike was racked. Who knew someone was getting my bike for me?? This video says it all.

T1 GOAL TIME 10:00

T1 ACTUAL TIME 14:58

Now  that I have my bike, it's off to do my favorite part of a triathlon. As I headed out on Beeline HWY to do my first of three 37 mile loops I noticed three things, 1. My calf was still bothering me, 2. My stomach did not feel great, and 3. There were going to be challenging weather conditions. These are common things that can  happen during an Ironman. You can plan and train for this grueling event but all of the planning and training doesn't help you for race day unknowns. On the first half of my first loop I was averaging 18.7 MPH and trying to keep my effort steady and under control. I was on target at this early point in the race. I reached the turnaround and the ride back to Tempe is a slight downhill so I was confident now in my bike time. As I rode back towards Tempe the winds, rain and even occasional hail started. But the toughest part was the wind. As I fought the wind on the way back I saw my average speed slipping downward. After one loop my average speed was 17.2 and I knew unless the weather changed my bike time goal and my sub 13 hour Ironman was out the window. The second loop was  worse with gusts up to 25 MPH and no place to hide. I saw numerous racers drafting which is not allowed in Ironman races. One of them had an Ironman tattoo. "You call yourself an Ironman sucking wheel?!" As bad as I wanted to suck wheel myself I was not going to taint my first Ironman. At least my stomach was feeling better and my calf was not seizing up on me. My wife was volunteering at one of the bike aid stations so I pulled in to say hi and use the potty.

 

At this point in the race I knew I couldn't make my bike goal time and I have to admit I was a little mentally defeated. I had a great swim and now the part of the race I enjoy the most was not fun. The unrelenting wind was just beating me down. If you ask most bike racers or triathletes if they prefer wind or hills, most will say hills. They have a beginning and an end. The wind just keeps coming at you. I had to keep pushing on and oddly enough I was looking forward to the run. My biggest concern now...how would my calf react to the run?

I want to thank the IMAZ volunteers at the bike aid stations. It was cold, windy and rainy and they always were pleasant helpful and had a smile. Amazing!

GOAL BIKE TIME 6:20:00

ACTUAL BIKE TIME 6:54:34

IRONMAN ARIZONA (IMAZ) RACE REPORT - THE RUN

The bike course was so brutal I was happy to get back to transition and begin my run. At this point I wasn't too concerned about my transition time. I wanted to make sure that my feet were fully prepared. This meant putting Body Glide between every toe and on every inch of my foot before putting on my compression socks. This would be my first marathon and I didn't want to take any chances of developing blisters or hot spots on my feet. I left transition and started the final leg of my Ironman journey. The IMAZ run course is also three loops which makes it spectator friendly. It's so awesome to be running and have hundreds of people cheering for you and ringing cow bells. Fired up from the cheering and happy to be off of my wind battered bike I started my run feeling great. A woman caught me and saying "great pace" and we started running together. I  looked at my GPS and the first four miles were all sub 10 minute miles including a 9:19 and a 9:36. I know nothing about running marathons, but my wife who runs them regularly has always cautioned me about running to fast at the beginning. With my goal pace being 10:29 minute miles I decided to let my new running friend go and slow down my pace. I was feeling great and God had answered my prayer..."please Lord,don't let my calf be a problem on the run."

Things were going well as you can see by this video and I thought if I cant meet my bike goal, I can meet my run goal! I really wanted to run a sub 5 hour marathon on my first attempt at a marathon. At 10 miles in to the run I was on track towards my goal time of 4:35:00.

 

Then as I reached the 13 mile mark, the longest distance I've actually raced before, my mile splits started slipping. I still felt pretty good but I was slowing and I was having a hard time keeping my pace up and I was losing motivation to keep my pace up. That's were the mind games start. "I'm not meeting my overall time so I will just slow down" or "Even if I walk the rest of the way I would still cross the finish line before the cutoff" You can see in this series of videos how my run was gradually coming apart at the seams.

At mile 20 I had now hit the wall. I was now running over 12 minute miles. I tried drinking coke, had a GU with double caffeine but nothing helped me to run faster. I never walk during runs except to take on water at an aid station. I walk just long enough (10 - 12 feet) to drink my cup and then keep running. At this point I was walking as I got to the aid station, drinking my cup, and then walking until the very last trash can to throw my cup away and then start running again. I kept justifying this as a way I could still meet my personal standards of never walking on a run except to take on water.

This is where you really begin to understand what it takes to become an Ironman. I began to think about all of the people who had so generously given to Homes of Hope and all of the prayers of supporters, friends, and family and I was asking God during this most difficult time..."Lord please hear their prayers and give me strength to finish" Then I heard an announcer at one of the run aid stations say "If you want to finish under 14 hours you better keep running!" I managed to pick up my pace and started calculating the distance and miles splits and realized if I picked it up I could finish under 14 hours and I could still do a sub 5 hour marathon! I kept praying and focusing and as I reached mile 25 I knew I could do this. I went from a 13:29 mile at mile 23 to a 10:26 mile at mile 26. I want to thank all of you who were praying for me those final miles. I could not have finished strong without you!

As I finished my last lap and turned left to run my final meters I started to think about what my finish would look like and how I would react. I've had many visions of it in training. I wanted to be sure I honored God as I crossed the line and often thought I would drop to my knees after crossing the line. As I reached the final stretch and saw the grandstands with hundreds of people cheering I was overcome with joy and wanted to share my joy with every person who was witnessing my finish. As I crossed the line I pointed to the sky and was just so thankful that our loving and merciful God had allowed me to take this journey and finish it as strong as I did.
GOAL RUN TIME 4:35:00
ACTUAL RUN TIME 4:56:57
OVERALL TIME 13:57:51