WOW, What a week of Turn Around!

It is really hard to even think about where to begin on this post? I think in my best interest, I will start with my family!  A big THANK YOU to my wife Mary and my girls for putting up with all my training hours and time away from them.  I appreciate your patience!  Next, I will thank all my training groups, especially all my LIVE UNCOMMON teammates!  You are AWESOME, your words of wisdom and advice is much appreciated.  When my training doesn't give me the results I like, you are always there to let me know, I am on the right track.  Last week, I did not live up to my expectations, but you were there to let me know to train through it and get back at it.  I went from being pretty confident in my training, to a low that I had not expected and now with all your help, I am back with confidence, with the understanding I still have a lot of room to improve!

This past weekend, we traveled to Ogden, Iowa to compete in the Bluff Creek Triathlon.  Live Uncommon teammates Josiah Campbell, Aaron Mauer and Jeff Paul traveled on Saturday to prepare for the race.  We met close friend and training partner Brian Tritt up there as well.  For Josiah, Aaron and myself, this was going to be our first Tri!  Poor Jeff had to endure all of our newbie questions for the weekend.  It was an interesting ride up there to say the least, some drivers need to be examined.  We picked up our packets and went to Pizza Ranch for a good pre-race meal. It was pretty darn good.  Jeff may disagree with me, he can explain that!!!

I stuck to my new motto after last week, Expect Nothing, Gain Everything this past weekend.  I have come to the conclusion, I am training pretty well.  I have not had a past history of failing to train correctly.  I went into Sunday's race knowing, I have trained right, I know what I am capable of, therefore, I CAN do it!  I went with that and had fun.  My first triathlon was an awesome experience. I could not have laid it out any better.

THE SWIM- This was going to be the toughest challenge, just getting out of the water in a decent time. The start was new too, 50 people all running to get the best position possible.  I felt like a Salmon trying to swim up river. It was a bit hectic, but I remember some sound advice I been given the night before, Just keep swimming.  I stuck to my guns and just kept swimming!  Before long I was in the clear, not to many people around.  I was nice and relaxed and sighting was not a big problem.  I was surprised, the first time I truly sighted the turn, I was only about 30 yards away.  At that time I caught on to another swimming and drafted on his feet.  Just like that, I was out of the water.  In previous open water swim, I had a little trouble coming out of the water with a bit of dizziness, this time I had none!  I made it out of the water in 9:57 and was pleased with that.

T1 - This first transition went pretty smooth, considering the long run up the hill.  I didn't have to much trouble getting ready.  I had everything laid out pretty well.  Preparing certainly helps!

THE BIKE - The first part of the bike was a little hectic, trying to calm my heart rate down after the swim and just relaxing into the ride.   Everything was going well.  At about six and half miles, I had the unexpected happen.  I was transitioning from my upright position to  my aero bars.  A gust of wind hit me and blew my right onto the shoulder.  I had a started to panic a little, thinking my tires were going to pop.  As I tried to get back on the road....BAM, I was on my left side skidding across the pavement. Somehow when I came to a stop, I popped right back to my feet.  My right foot never unclipped. Everything seemed to be alright, with the exception of some road rash (pictures below). As I started to pedal, my chain had come about half off, but luckily my crank caught the chain, brought it back over the sprocket and I was off again. One funny thought I had after getting going...I could feel my left cheek and the burn.  I was thinking, I hope my pants are not ripped and my whole butt is not hanging out!  Funny the thoughts you have? Thankfully and luckily only a couple of people I had just passed came by.  I was able to pass them again.  At the turn around, I got a huge boost, the wind was at my back.  My mile pace picked up by over a minute.   I felt like I was just flying.  With about a mile left, my bike started to get a little loose on me.  I thought maybe my speed and the grooves in the road were causing this.  I made it back to the transition  and my time was about two minutes better than I thought.  I finished the 15 mile ride in 43.33.  After the race was over and I checked my bike out, my back tired was flat!  I must have punctured a small hole on my wreck.  I got LUCKY!!!  What is that saying...Got to be lucky to be good sometimes!

 My left leg, left cheek, left elbow!


THE RUN - The run started a little shaky, it took my legs a little bit to get going.  The first part of the run was slightly uphill.  Once I go to the flat, I had got my heart rate calmed and was moving pretty decent.  The entire course had a few more hills than expected but was not to bad.  I just settled into a nice rhythm and cruised in.  The run was much better than I thought it would be, I actually enjoyed the run.  I think I could push a little harder on that next time.  But this was a learning experience and I enjoyed every bit of it.  I finished the run in 22:18.

After seeing my finish time, I was pretty happy.  I finished with a time of 1:17.40.  I am not sure on my overall place, but this put me in first in the Sprint Clydesdale division.  I was very happy with my time, I was hoping I could finish under 1:30 so this is good. During the awards ceremony, the Live Uncommon team members of Josiah, Jeff, Aaron and myself lit up the awards stands!  Aaron won the Olympic Clydesdale, Josiah took 3rd in the Sprint Clydesdale, and Jeff won the overall Olympic Race.   What a great feeling coming out of the weekend with all these people who have worked their tails off  and earning their hardware.  Great job to you guys, way to finish!

I would be lying if I did not say I am pretty excited about the Quad City Tri...however, I have a lot more training to do.  I want to improve in a few areas.  Their are some differences in distance so again, I will go into the race not expecting much but having fun.

Some of the Live Uncommon member sporting some of their bling! (Sorry Jeff, they did not give him a medal, I did not get  a picture of him!)

 After last weekend, I was not sure where I stood with my training.  A week ago, I was down in the dumps having a little pity party for myself.  Actually the pity party was kind of the heeling process for me.  With the good people I have surrounded myself with, they helped pick up the pieces, got me fired back up.  I am very happy I made the choice to get back at it and so quickly!  I can't thank my friends and family enough.  I do know I CAN conquer fears and disappointments by getting out there and getting after it.  My first triathlon was a super experience for me.  Not just for my time or earning a medal (although it helps), but for the experience.  Many people out there trying to fit and make a difference in our world.  Not to mention spending the weekend with some good people.  I think I have rambled enough!

Get out their and see what you CAN do today, that you thought you couldn't do yesterday!

MIA on Blogging!

Sorry folks, I have been a way for a bit.  Seems like every time I built in some time to write, something else gets in the way, like life!  I have been meaning to write for the last five days and I have just not got it done.

My training has slowed down a bit in the biking and swimming areas.   I have kind of done this on purpose as I am trying to train more for the half marathon on May 12.  I am hoping the plan will work with out losing to much on my swim and bike.  My goal is to try and get two of each workouts built in each week along with my running.  So far, I slacked a little on those but, like I said life is a bit busy right now.  With Easter and both of my girls have birthdays coming, oh and work, things are crazy.  Olivia's birthday is on Easter and it is the golden one too!  So much planning is needed!

One of the things that has been on my mind a lot lately is the groups I have been running with.  First, I cant explain to you the value they have in my eyes.  About every other day, I so look forward to running, no matter how bad or good I feel, I always know they are there and will get me through the workout.  This morning was a prime example, I felt tired, my legs felt tired, my allergies were firing on all cylinders and I just did not have it.  Until I started and kept pushing because of the people I run with.  I ended on a 7:10 mile, mile 6.  I believe there were nine of us getting after it.  At one point it was silent, no one talking, which is really rare amongst this group, but you could hear every ones sneakers beating the pavement, working...all before 6 a.m.!  Incredible the amount of effort we put in.

Now, I know, I have talked about the running group before but I can't seem to get over the fact that there are this many GOOD people out there that are willing to get up at about any hour of the morning to run!  To RUN!  They are dedicated, they are athletes, they are moms, they are dads, they are professional, they are the CRAZY!  I will admit runs without them are very hard to deal with, which is something I am working on.  I have also talked about surrounding myself with good people because the results are, well, GOOD!  Some of the people drive a half hour to get to us, some push the limits to get to work on time, some do it because it is the only time they can, some just go because of the camaraderie.    For whatever reason, they get it done, early in the morning.  Good example, last weekend, we gathered at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and more at 6:00 a.m. and even more at 7:30.  I believe we ended with about 14 runners, that early on a Saturday morning!

One reason I wanted to reflect about this was to make sure you all know how important and what GREAT people I am privileged to workout with.  If you are not running with us, you should, YOU CAN!  You are missing out.  Some of these people have come so far in their running, it is amazing to watch.  YOU could be that person too.  Power in numbers!

I am super excited to continue my venture in running this summer.  I am not to worried about PR's, but I know they will come when I workout with this group, they are just that type of group.

For now, 6 B4 6, CRAZIES, thanks for all your push and helpful advice, you are the best.  If you are not part of it yet, come join us, you are missing out.  Till next time, YOU CAN get out there and achieve!

Biggest Accomplishment Yet & My Family

Well this week provided some interesting thoughts, accomplishments,  and some realities.  The thought process going through any training process is sometimes mind boggling.  You go through so many highs and lows it is hard to keep all of them real and not let them bog you down.  At one point you accomplish something you never thought you could and the next, reality smacks you right in the face and starts to get you down.  That is the hard part, getting back up after you get down.  I think if you truly want to achieve your goals, you have to find a way to overcome those lows and get back after it.

This week, I did not have the huge numbers in training, like over a 100 miles for the week.  However, I felt like I upped the intensity for three days getting in some good bike rides and runs.  Trying to account for the St. Patty's day race in there as well it made it a little harder to get the big numbers but I am ok with it.  I will get back to that this week!

Some of my big accomplishments for the week....I rode outside for the first time doing hills on Tuesday and felt pretty successful with that, the next night I was able to ride 40 miles and try pace riding.  Those were big for me mentally after training inside for the winter.  Secondly, I was able to swim a full two miles in one of my workouts in the pool.  That is the longest I had gone in the pool this year too.  Mentally, that was a challenge and I was able to really focus on form.  Thirdly, I was able to run some mile repeats.  I was able to record my two fastest miles ever, a 5:48 and 5:57.  I felt really good mentally and physically accomplishing these goals.  They were not necessarily goals I wrote down and set out to get but more like mile markers for me along my journey.  Then came reality!

The reality set in yesterday about a mile into my first 5k of the year.  I really set some high expectations into the run.  I am not sure why I did this, being the first of the year, but I did.  Probably because of my mile splits the other day.  I kind of set myself up for the failure here but I am not going to be disappointed in my effort.  I ran a 21:30, which is my second fastest 5k ever.  I now know that I need to get on the track a little more if I want to be 5k ready.  I have been training long distance to fast should not have really been it for me.  Although, I did have some awesome help yesterday in John O'Brien, our LIVE UNCOMMON Team Captain, and Katie Gaffney, my REVOLUTION Race Teammate trying to give me a push.  I appreciate that from them, I could not ask for better teammates!  Considering this is the first 5k of the year, I will get my goal of under 20 minutes, sometime in the future, I know I CAN!!!  I am going to take a little rest again today, as my hamstring is a tad tender this morning and I do not want to risk any injury to it.  I will enjoy my last day of break and let it heal!

However, none of the above can even compare to the "Dad" high I had yesterday after the 5k and parade.  When I came home, my oldest daughter,  7 years old, came to me and said, "Dad, I want to run those races like you!"   For me that was my biggest accomplishment I could have had, my daughter wants to do things like I do, I AM setting a good example for her.  If you know Olivia, she does not want to do anything unless it is on her terms, no pushing that envelope at all.  Believe me, I have tried!  When she came to me she was serious and usually she means it when she says she wants to do something.  For example, when she wanted to join the Backwater Gamblers Ski team, she said "let's join" and that was that and she has been awesome at it.  I expect nothing less on this venture.  She was excited and we talked about it and she is going to run the Project Renewal Kids run on April 21st.  I am so excited to see her take this on.  Yesterday, she even ran about a mile loop around our house, I did it with her, pretty cool, for a dad!  Last night she wanted me to wake her up so she could run this morning. I did let her sleep in thinking this would not be the case in the morning. This morning when she came downstairs, she was ready to run!  Running shoes on, hair up in pony tail, ready to go!  She went out for 1/2 mile in 4:13.  So very proud of her.  If it lasts, which I think it will, she will be good.  If it doesn't last, at least I know she is thinking about being healthy and living that UNCOMMON life!  I will keep you posted on her progress!

Until next time, see what YOU CAN do!  Get out there and make it happen, nothing CAN hold you back if you BELIEVE YOU CAN!

Today...I CAN!

Spring break week for me usually means I am in Florida basking in the sun on a beach.  This year, we decided it was in our best interest to stay home and relax on spring break and spend our money on house updates this summer.  So that left me here to train and relax.  However, we did head to the Dells on Sunday and Monday and had a really nice time with the Conway's.  I also have to share a funny story at the Dell's.  After a good day at the water park, we went to the Moosejaw Restaurant.  As we were waiting for a table, I was holding my daughter.  I was wearing my Live Uncommon pullover and it has my name on it.  As I was standing there, I here the people at the table right behind where I was standing start reading off information that pertained to me.  Things like, where I worked, Live Uncommon Race team, Bettendorf Middle School.  I was like what, "did they take my wallet?, how did they know this about me?"  As I turned around, they did not say hi or hello.  Instead, I see the guy looking up the information on my shirt on his phone.  He must of thought that I was someone important with the Live Uncommon gear and my name on it.  Kind of freaked me out at one moment, knowing he got all that information, just from my shirt.  On the other hand I was proud to know that one more person knows what Live Uncommon is about and what I am about and what we stand for!  Kind of a fun story!


That leads me up to today.  I decided I would try and put some brutal miles/workout in this week since I was off work and especially since it is nice out!  Who needs Florida with this weather?  (ask me that again next December!)  Anyway, I feel like I have accomplished the killing myself part of working out.  Since Tuesday morning, I have put in almost 70 miles in biking, swimming and running.  Most importantly, I have accomplished some things I have not done before make this and "I CAN" week!  On Tuesday morning I set out on my first solo run for the first time this year.  I struggled mentally but did pretty well training wise, finishing 6 miles with a 7:44 pace.  I did get a swim in, the biggest yardage to date after my run and still felt pretty good.   On Tuesday, I also decided I was going to meet Jeff Paul and the Trek Store riders  for my first outdoor ride.  I was not sure what to expect on this ride.  I did know it would be an interval workout of some sort.  We ended up doing hill repeats on the bike.  It was a good ride for me.  I was able to push and stay up with the front group for the most part.  It was also good because I was able to ride amongst other riders, getting me used to having people around me while riding.  I felt really good after this ride.

After that ride, my sister was nice enough to grill some steaks out and enjoy a nice bonfire!  Nothing like a great meal after a healthy day of working out!.

I will admit, I slept in a little on Wednesday, knowing I was going to have a big day again.  I started in the pool on Wednesday.  I wanted to get a good quality pool swim in.  I was able to do this with my biggest swim yet.  I was able to rip off 3500 yards/2 miles.  I even did the dreaded 200's during this workout and was able to hold a 3:05 or under pace for all of them.  I really felt good, again, eclipsing some old marks for yardage.  Once again proving, I CAN do a lot of things given the time and courage to get out and do it! I also snuck a little lift in after this, and I will admit the quality of it was pretty low but did get in six lift.  Mostly because I wanted to get outside and enjoy the day.  However, I really did not get to get outside, but did get some much needed errands done.

At 5:00, I decided I would go ahead and go meet some bike riders over off of Ben Butterworth parkway for a ride.  I had been told it was a 40 miler, which scared me to start with but I figured I could handle it. There were two groups, an A and B.  I was a little late getting there due to a accident so I ended up with the B group which was a good thing.  I did all I could to hang with the B group.  We took off and headed west ( I think?).  We headed out into the country on some very isolated but good roads.  One guy in the group kind of took me under his wing when I had told him I was a newbie and that it was really my first long ride I have done outside.  As we talked he thought we maybe would only go 34 miles or so.  Well, to me mentally, I was thinking this is good.  But as we got going, I realized, it was going to be 40 miles.  It was a good thing or as John Byrnes would say, it was a "character builder".  As we rode we did some very close pace riding.  Wheels only about 6 inches from the guy in front.  The pace riding reminded me of Indian runs.  The last guy up to the front and block the wind for a bit, then the next guy moves in.  I was pretty happy as I kept up with these guys for the most part.  We were consistently riding over 20 mph as we trekked through the country side.  Finally we had made it back to the bike path on the river and that is where fatigue set in for me.  It was about mile 34, the wind kicked up in our face and I was struggling.  But, I knew I had to get back to my truck or walk and that was not on option. I pushed through the pain and made it back.  Funny thing was, I was at 39.27 miles when I got to my truck.  Nope, that was not enough, mentally, I had just worked my ass off and I was going to go 40 miles!  So,  I went past my truck enough and turned around to get my 40 in.  Just one of those silly things for me, no reason, just needed to see forty!  For the first ride outside, I went 40 miles and ended with and 19.1 mph pace.  Which I will take considering the wind was pretty strong last night.  Never thought I could do 40 miles, this early.  Once again, I CAN ride 40 miles and finish with the group.  This is a big hurdle for me, when I push myself, I CAN get things done!  I came home and hydrated up with a nice meal and water and sat with the family and enjoyed a peaceful bonfire, in MARCH!  Crazy!  As I knew today I was going to finish out my last of the tough days for working out.
Today, I set out to Meet Katie G., one of my Crazies Group runners.  I had decided since I was going to run a 5k, the CASI St. Patrick's Day Run, I was going to do some mile repeats, two to three of them.  We met at the Y at 7 and had plans of running to the Bettendorf High School and jumping on the track.  I was a little unsure how I would perform on this due to my long ride last night.  The warm up run to the high school was much needed to work some of the lead out of my legs, and my hamstrings were very tight.  Made it to the track and stretched a little more to make sure I did not pull anything.  We set out on the first mile and mentally, I was challenged here.  Took off at a good pace and I was not sure I could hold it.  Fortunately, I ran the fastest mile I have ever run today, 5:48.  Much to my surprise as I have had such a heavy load of training the last few days.  I was really stoked by this.  We walked a lap and jogged a lap in between and set out on the next mile.  This one was tough too.  We headed out fast and again, I was not sure I could hold.  I ended up with a 5:57 this time.  Two miles under 6:00, felt awesome.  I have never run a mile under 6:00 before, let alone two of them.  My fastest mile I can remember to this point was 6:34 last year.  I am pretty excited about that.  I still have a lot of training to do, as I really have not hit a track workout yet and I am much faster than last year at this point. You can see those miles below on lap 3 and 6.

Katie and I then finished up with another 3 miles or so back to the Y for a total of 7 miles.  Even the miles back were at a good pace.  Although, when I got to the Y, I was done and ready to stretch as I was tightening up.  We stretched a little bit and re-hydrated.  What a AWESOME way to start my day.  Doing two miles under 6:00, something I did not think I could ever do and I DID IT!

I finished out my morning with a swim in the pool.  My arms were exhausted this morning in the pool.  I decided that I should probably just drill this morning.  I did various sets, equaling up to 1600 yards after the run.  My arms loosened up by the end and I feel pretty good now.  I ended the swim with a nice relaxing hot tub soak.  That hit the spot!

As I am writing this, I still can't believe what a great start to the day this is.  Two awesome miles for me, a nice cool down swim.  Scrambled eggs, pineapple and coffee on the deck while soaking up some sun.  Maybe it is better that I am not in Florida, look at what I have accomplished this week.  What a great week of training I have had!

On to some rest now.  I have a soccer game tonight that I will play in but might scale it back a bit just to prevent injury!  From that point on, I will rest my body in preparation for the St. Patrick's Day 5K.  I am hoping for some good things from the race.  Not to mention this is the first race in the Revolution Race Series.  This will be the big event for the Live Uncommon Race Team.  Which leads me to my donation page.  If you have not donated, I would love to have your help in helping me accomplish my goal of $700.  You can get to my page with the link on my blog here or this address:  http://liveuncommon.org/default.aspx?function=displayparticipant&id=311&eid=4.

This week I have accomplished some small goals that will all help in my training for this summer.  I have many more to accomplish, but after this week, I know I CAN do anything I want and CAN accomplish things that used to be dreams.  Get after it and see what YOU CAN get done!

LIVE UNCOMMON - THE REVOLUTION RACE TEAM

You know me, always running. Well, in 2012, I’m running for a bigger purpose than my own fitness and even my own sense of accomplishment. This year I am running to change the World. Yep, that’s what I said – I am running to change the World.

I have joined my force with the LIVE UNCOMMON RevoLUtion Race Team and our team goal is to raise $100,000 for worthy Causes. They are:

CASI: Center for Active Seniors – Provides services that meet the needs of older adults and fosters respect, dignity and quality of life.
PROJECT RENEWAL - Providing a positive presence for the children and families in our low income neighborhood of Davenport, Iowa.
RACE FOR THE CURE - Susan G. Komen...Breast Cancer
MOONLIGHT CHASE - Helping support the Scott County Library, Eldridge Volunteer Fire department, Trees Forever, the Food pantry and more...
OUCH - Wound Reach Foundation, Wound Care, Research Education and Clinical Health.
QUAD CITIES MARATHON - Us & Too (Prostate Cancer Education & Support), Erika Kate (Children with heart disease)

Check them all out...they are very worthy and it would mean a lot to me if I can achieve my fund raising goal!!!

My personal goal is $700 and I have committed to doing my part. It would mean alot to me if you would help me help the many Causes which benefit from my personal and my Team’s collective effort this year.

Literally every penny counts, so please know that I appreciate whatever you can do!

By clicking on my Race Team badge, you will magically find yourself at my personal page.

Again, thank you very much and see you at the Races!

Many New people and a good week!

Been a few days since I have posted anything.  Kind of a nutty week at work being the end of the third quarter, which is hard to believe, and grades being due and the week before spring break!  Kids always seem to run the crazy the week before break as everyone is needing this break!  But, it is all behind me now and a week off will do the mind & body good!

I first have to start out with some things I was able to do at school that I normally do not get a chance to do.  We have a tremendous art teacher at school, Mr. D, that I will be fortunate enough to work with next year.  If you know me, I am intrigued by art and wish I was a lot better at it than I am but I still love it.  Anyway, he was gracious enough to send out an invite to come to his class for a "Zentangle" lesson.  I will have to say, I have not been that relaxed while at school in a very, very long time.  First, to get 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to be quiet, like pin drop quiet, for 42 minutes is nearly impossible.  But he did it.  We had some nice relaxing music and basically doodled, in an organized manner, for 42 minutes.  The best thing is that you don't have to be a good "artist" to do it either.  If you get a chance, just google "Zentangle" and it will give you a better idea of what we did.  I was so impressed, I went to talk to my wife after and encouraged her to go.  She did it too and really liked it as well.  You can see the outcome below.  I actually did a much bigger one the same day, but didn't take a picture of it.  Mine is on the left and my wife's is on the right.  Pretty fun once you get started!

I could not help myself with this either.  Aaron M. had a really cool wax museum project for his students.  There was some awesome projects that went on and really showcased some talent we have in our school.  One of the girls did a history on Barbie.  One of her future Barbie's was a Mr. Maurer Doll.  As you can see in the picture, this will probably be one of the biggest selling Barbie's of the future.  I about peed my pants when I saw this.  I think the scowl on the face makes it, probably because he is surrounded by HAIR!!  Good Stuff!  On to the training....

This week of training has been a good one for me.  My swimming has finally taken back some shape and I am feeling comfortable again. I am relaxing with my stroke and it seems to be pushing me in the right direction.  I swam with Aaron M. and he really pushed me in the water on Monday.  I swam some 100's with him and that really made me push myself and concentrate on form.  Aaron has really made some nice strides in swimming.  I am looking forward to some more swims with him as we continue to train for our summer events.  Wednesday's swim was a good one too.  I completed a ladder and I was able to keep my rest intervals consistent and my stroke consistent.  Friday, I decided I needed to do a timed 600 swim just to see where I was at.  I was pleasantly surprised with a 9:41.  I think I can really make some improvements on this time between now and my tri's.  I have a sort of renewed energy from a couple of weeks ago, especially about the swimming.  This is big for me as I am feeling comfortable with my training mentally and physically.

My biking for the week was on par.  I don't feel like I am making any huge gains on this but I am not hurting myself either.  I am just excited to have a break in the weather and get outside to see what I can do outdoors.  Ultimately, that will tell the tale of how my trainer rides have been helping.  At this point I have got in 54 miles on the bike this week and hoping to get one more in  before we leave in the morning for the Dells.  I am pretty sure I can do it, I am not getting up early to do it either!  I will keep plugging away at the bike and hopefully get outside soon to see what I really have been doing.

Running is still coming along pretty well for me. I still can't help to think that I would not be anywhere close to what I am doing right now without the groups I have been running with.  There is so much inspiration and energy within these groups.  For instance on Thursday, it was pretty windy in the morning and I really did not want to run.  As we got out, we had a large group and we navigated our way through Bettendorf trying to avoid the wind.  Next thing you know we had almost 7 miles done and ran one of the fastest miles we have run all year.  Then today we went for a ten mile run and had 7 of us.  I was not dreading the run as much as the course we were going to run. The actual course is really awesome, running along the river, crossing bridges (actually did not get to this morning because the arsenal bridge span was open).  Really a beautiful course in the morning with the sun rising.  The dreaded part is this hill on Middle Road in Davenport.  Going down is awesome, going up, not so much.  This thing is a conversation killer and lung burner.  But in the end, we did it and did it well!  And after we were able to pick up the pace to finish out a nice ten mile run.  After we were able to sit down at the local Starbuck's and enjoy some good conversation and coffee.  I am excited because right now my training pace is about at what my race pace was last year and I still have some really good training in front of me.  I am hoping to set some PR's this year.  I don't think I would be anywhere close to that if it was not for this FANTABULOUS group of runner's.  It was also nice to meet some people that we talk to with social media but have not met in person.  I am also excited to see more people get out as the nice weather start to roll in.

This week has been a good week of training.  However, I am going to try and push some limits this week as we are on spring break.  o I will have a little lore time to put in and get after it.  I plan on spending a little more time on the bike and in the pool.  Running may have to be on my own but I think I will be alright, although I think there will be a few crazies around for me to run with. I will take Monday off, maybe, depending on how the Dells trip goes.   I am looking forward to the week off, with some good training, some good rest and NO WORK!  To all of you leaving on Break, Have a BLAST!  To those staying around, if you want to train, shoot me an email or GOOD LUCK with it all.  YOU CAN get out and make the best of it!

Training Blahs!

I will start with yesterday.  I had an awesome run with the CRAZIES!  We had a great group of seven running.  We started at a really nice pace and picked it up along the way.  Towards the ends, I felt like I just needed to go.  I kind of felt bad leaving the group but I just needed to do it for myself.  I took off and had some really nice last miles, for me anyway.  For some reason I felt like I did not run well last week, but I put in 28 miles running and felt good.  One of those mysteries I will probably never know, but I was satisfied with my run and that is important to me mentally.  The group is really making strides in the running category and I am excited for some warm weather to come and see what we can really do.

Today was a good workout as I pulled off the trifecta( according to Aaron M.) workout this morning.  Getting biking, swimming and lifting in all before 6:15 a.m.  I do not mind these workouts once I get going.
I jumped on the bike at 4 a.m., actually like 4:10 and rode at a high cadence for 15 miles.  I tried to keep the cadence over 100 rpm for the full time.  For the most of it, i was able, except the first couple miles of warm-ups.  High cadence is probably the least favorite of any bike workouts.  I am not really sure why, but it is.  Then, I quickly transitioned to my jammer and headed to the Y for a 1750 yards.  It was actually a good workout, I found a really good rhythm today.  I did 5 x 100 all under 1:30 and then 10 x 50 at 40 sec or below with 15 second rest intervals.  Overall I was really happy with the swim which adds to some confusion for me, which I will address later.  After swimming I hit the weights for a pretty tough weight workout too.  I was joined by Todd, Lisa, Curt and Jayme.  My chest will probably be sore tomorrow.  Here is the workout:
Group 1
3 x 15 Bench
3 x 10 Explosive Push Up
3 x 10 Burpee's

Group 2
3 x 10 Overhead Cable Chop
3 x 12 Reverse Swiss Ball Leg Ups
3 x 10 Straight Arm Pull Downs

Group 3
2 x 10 Box Jumps
2 x 10 Cable Rows
2 x 10 Weighted Sit Ups

Pretty good overall workout today.  I am looking forward to the run tomorrow as well.

Here is my mind set at this point in my training.  I really would like to get a triathlon in, just something I wanted to do.  However, I am finding that trying to squeeze all the different types of training in, is very hard on me, my family, and just finding time to relax.  I am signed up for the QC Tri and I will do it.  I have put way to much time in to not do it.  I am really liking the running at this point in time.  I may be at the "runners high" right now.  Maybe because I am seeing improvement, maybe because of the groups I run with.  Whatever the reason, I am really enjoying that, I always feel like I really accomplished something when I am done.
There is another Tri in May I may sign up for so there is something closer for me to train for instead of waiting till June.  Maybe that will bring that motivation back as well. I know I can do well in the tri, at least for me, I just need to get my mojo back.  Maybe once things settle down at work a little, it will come back.  Needless to say, work has been crazy this month.  So I ill quit whining, get back on the horse I rode in on, and start making things happen for the positive!  I know I CAN.  Here is to spring getting closer each day and the weather letting us get outside and enjoy it!

What an Awesome Training Day!

Been a while since I was able to blog two days in a row, but that is what a day off will do for you!  I set out on a long run this morning with Katie G.  We decided to head down to the river and run on the bike path and head over the Arsenal Bridge and Centennial Bridge for total of 12 miles.  This run turned into an unbelievable run.  As we were running, the sun was starting to rise.  We started with the wind in our face a bit, but not to bad.  As we crossed the Arsenal Bridge the sun was starting to peak over the horizon.  What a beautiful way to perk up the run.  A nice dark blue sky with the orangish-red sun starting to peak over the edge of the earth.  Today is one day I wish I would have had my phone with me as the morning provided some beautiful opportunities to take pictures of the most amazing things we have around us everyday, but don't always get to see.

We then trekked our way through downtown Rock Island, weird to see The District, dead!  Back over the Centennial Bridge we went.  Decided to head back to the bike path and into Davenport a little more before turning around.   On the way back, we were cruising along the river and there it was, the most majestic animal in America.  A beautiful Bald Eagle soaring along the river, only about 30 yards from us.  Hunting away with the sun beaming down on us.  It was awesome!   It gave me a shot of adrenaline, I felt I could run forever at that point.

Not to mention along the way, Katie and I had some great conversation as we always do.  Something about the morning.  I think it is more a longing for warm weather to get here.  The sun was warm on the way back, the Mississippi River was gleaming in the sun.  Everything was brilliant.  Then we were coming around the bend from Lindsay Park in Davenport, a rather shallow part of the river, and their was a log hanging out of the water.  Sitting on top, once again, a huge Bald Eagle, sitting there staring at us.  Almost giving us a nod of approval.  We were enjoying nature and its beauty.  Again this made me feel like I could run forever again.  It is nice to have those natural bursts of energy because of your surroundings.  Katie and I talked that some people may never get to see this, ever!  Not only did we get to see it, we were making ourselves healthier while doing!

The only bad part of the morning was my watch was dead so I am relying on Katie's watch.  We ended with 12 miles in 1:35.  This is by far the best time I have had for a run in a year.  This mild winter has really provided me with the ability to train hard.  I am about 3 months ahead of were I was at last year, if that makes any sense. Made me feel good about what I have been doing, especially with the heavy load I took on yesterday too.  Legs felt great.  I am looking forward to getting some speed work in soon as I think I will see even more change in my fitness when I get those in.

As the week is winding down, I am ending on a very positive note.  I have been able to take the challenge of a family member's death, try  to find peace with it, and ended it with some of the best training I have had in a long time.  Not to mention an very nice dinner with my beautiful wife last night (Kennedy was with us but fell asleep).  I was going to hit the bike tomorrow, but with this experience today, I am going to not push the envelope, give my body a day to rest, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.  I wish all of you a wonderful weekend and challenge you to get out and enjoy!

Great Route and a Cup of Joe!

Needed to alter my normal running routine this weekend due to leaving town tomorrow.  Katie G and I decided to get it done early on Saturday morning.  I was not expecting such a cold run.  These mild temps lately have spoiled me.  It was 11 degrees out with a 17mph wind.  Wind in the face proved to be pretty darn cold!  However, both of us dressed for the occasion and made our way out into the cold.  We decided to run a route that we had not run before.  We met at Satrbuck's on Middle Rd and decided to head to Davenport.  Little did we know we would hit two bridges and three cities along this route.  I will probably say this was the coolest running route I have been on in a while, maybe it was because it was out of the ordinary or just because we crossed bridges?  I do know one thing, this will be an awesome summer route. We took off through McClellan Heights on Middle Rd.  down through the East Village of Davenport to hit the bike path on the river.  That took us to the Rock Island Arsenal Bridge. We headed over that and along the bike path in Rock Island along the river and through the RI District over to the Centennial Bridge and back to downtown Davenport.  Running through downtown Davenport was pretty awesome in the early morning hours.  Not to much movement but was nice to actually see how nice this place could be.  We continued on the back to the bike path and back through the East Village and then we met our match...The Middle Rd. Hill, Holy Batman, the sucker is huge!  I am glad we were towards the end because, I am not sure I could have handled much more, it is steep, long and took my heart rate to the max.  It is good to incorporate those type of hills but that might be the biggest beast I have run in a while!  I think it is mental too, about halfway up it turns and you think that is it, but NO WAY!  Again, there will always be always be struggles in whatever you do.  Positive thinking CAN take you a long way. I CAN say that I have conquered that hill and it will get better every time I do!  We ended our run at Starbuck's on purpose so we could get a nice cup of warm coffee.  And it was just that, a nice warm place to sit and enjoy some good conversation and coffee.  This was the quickest pace I have run double digits in a while so it did feel good to push our pace a little this morning.

Along the run we had some good conversation, as always.  One thing stuck out in my head about this conversation we had was about individuals and relationships.  It is funny how we all seem to go through life and we put our lives on pedestals.  No matter if it is work, individual goals, relationships, we seem to think we are standing out there alone.  I am not talking pedestals like we are the best but pedestals that we are the only ones that experience the things we do or situations we encounter.  For example, in a relationship that we are the only ones that have communication problems with our spouses or at work that we are the only ones feeling like we are swamped or while exercising that we are the only ones struggling to accomplish a goal of some sort.  In reality, I think we all experience some sort of set backs when we try and put ourselves out on a limb or pedestal and think we are the only ones going through it. We are all humans and experience different things in life, but when it comes down to it, we all have a lot of similarities too.  Communication is imperative to any situation we may encounter.  I think that is one thing I love about the groups I workout with is because a lot of those frustrations come out and it helps.  It also makes me think about other communications I need to have and how much more important those are and the need for them to take place to make life a better place.  Amazing the thought processes that you encounter at 5 a.m. in the morning and how much they make sense.  Good thoughts to start a weekend!  I CAN make better use of my communication skills and make life and the situations I encounter better.

Have a great weekend, what CAN YOU make out of the situations you encounter?

Week in Review...Long!

For whatever reason, this has been a long and trying week for me, probably why there has not been a post all week.  Overall, I would say it is not a bad week, just a tough mentally challenging week.  I had some pretty positive things happen. Pretty successful week as far as working out and making some things happen a little quicker than I thought I could.

First off on Tuesday of this week I had the best run I have had since last year in May.  I set out on my normal run with the CRAZIES at 5 a.m.  Actually a larger group than normal; I was joined by Katie, Jane, Phil, Nick and Aaron.  We got into the run at a pretty normal pace for us and we took a little different route to make it a little longer.  For some reason the last mile and a half, the pace rocketed up.  At first I thought it was the wind and after chatting with Katie about it, nope, it was us.  Finished the last full mile at 7:22 pace then the last .66 at 6:50 pace.  For me that is flying.  For the 6.6 miles, it was an average overall pace of 8:04.  I have not ran like than since last year when I did the half marathon.  As I look back on it, I am running way ahead of schedule and think I may be able to do some amazing things with my half marathon this year.  So I am looking forward to that!
On Thursday we had a nice light run in the morning.  I am glad it was nice and easy because my legs were still a little heavy from  biking and the Tuesday run.  Jane and Katie and I had some really good conversation.  Kind of interesting running with women sometimes to get their thoughts and perspectives on things that men really do not talk about while running.  I have great respect for these two ladies so I do the smart thing and take it all in and agree;)  I was glad for the light run because I also had a soccer game Thursday night and we only had one sub, I ended up playing the entire 40 minute game.  My legs were tired and my hip strained a little so Friday was going to be a rest day!  At least for my legs, I ended up lifting upper body and it was good just to get that in and rest my lower body.

My other training is going well.  I really have liked the weight training I have integrated into the workouts as well.  I am feeling stronger and starting to see results.  My biking is picking up too as my legs are feeling stronger.  I need o get back to the pool but I think I am going to get one more week of good lifting in before I hit the water more.  I think I have plenty of time for that so I am not to worried about that.

This morning I finished up my week of running with a 19 mile run and all done before 7:30 a.m. or at least very close to that.  I felt pretty darn good this morning all things considered.  Again the Leadville group is an amazing group of people to run with.  I honestly believe I would not be running where I am at right now if it was not for their inspiration.  We were able to finish our last mile in under 8 minutes which is a huge progression for me. Last time I was struggling to even make it back to the house, this time I was pushing it back.  This felt really good mentally and physically.  My hamstrings are the only thing feeling the affects right now, otherwise I feel great.

On the run this morning we had some great conversation and even so good we missed our turn and had to run a little further on the first loop, but all is good because this group is AWESOME!  One of the conversations this morning was about who you surround yourself with is what you CAN be.  I feel very fortunate, I have surrounded myself with all sorts of people and I feel pretty blessed to be a part of this group and call them friends.  This morning it was John, Curtis, Rick, Katie and Mike.  Being part of this groups really has opened my eyes to what I CAN accomplish.  John has talked to me lately about completing a marathon.  After today, I believe I CAN complete one now.  I probably have always been able, but now I know I CAN.  I am going to search for one so I can take the drive I have and make it reality.  Through church, the gym, running, work and other things I do, I have put myself in a ring of friends that I believe make me more powerful to myself than I ever thought or believed I could be.  Each week my belief in myself is getting stronger and my belief in the people around me are more powerful.  Surround yourself with good, and good will prevail.  I know I have talked about it before, but each week I train with the guys that are doing Leadville or my morning CRAZIES, I see the work in progress and am amazed at what a difference a few people getting together, to better themselves, can do for one's power to believe in themselves.

Also, thanks to John for giving us a little inspiration.  He gave us all a "Dig Deep" wristband to help motivate in our workouts.  See the picture, it has the Leadville logos on it as well.  This will help in those times of mental weakness to know, I CAN DIG DEEP and persevere!
With that in mind, I need to get a move on to the day.  Today is going to be more powerful than yesterday because I CAN believe in myself in what I CAN accomplish.  Have a GREAT and Positive weekend!

Week of Change & Feeling Good!

This was a very busy week for me at work and trying to introduce a change in my workout.  I had four basketball games to supervise, a soccer game at 10:20 at night, I worked an extra job on Wednesday.  I think I can successfully say that I was able to complete both and feel good about myself.  I finished the week off with a 15.7 mile run this morning and now I am sitting by the fire with a cup of coffee and couldn't feel better!  Life is Good!

Last week I decided I would get some more weight training into my workouts and I was able to complete these with some consistency this week.  Thankfully during the week, I had another group that really wanted to lift too.  So Todd C., Lisa R., Curt S., and myself all got in some serious core workouts.  I can feel my abs still today, which is a good thing, they are a little sore.  I am in hopes to continue this type of regimen next week.  And hopefully this will provide me with some sort of base that I will be able to continue as I train to complete the triathlon.

On the running side of my training, I really feel like I have made some strides in the right directions. I am way above and beyond where I was at last year at this time.  Again, and I am sure people get tired of hearing it, but the groups I run with provide me with such support and accountability is so AWESOME. They are always there and make running enjoyable.  On both, Tuesday and Thursday, we were able to really run some nice six to seven mile runs.  Tuesdays run started very slow and non-conversational and ended with a 7:32 mile on mile six.  Thursdays pace started out pretty fast and stayed that way and most of all my heart rate was in the target, that is key for me.

My biking probably suffered the most this week.  I was able to get in a great hill workout on Monday on the stationary bike, which I don't really like but it is a good workout.  Wednesday, i was able to get a spinervals workout in before heading to the Y to get my weights in.  I decided to take Friday off of the bike due to a busy week and big run I knew I had today.  I had a soccer game on Wednesday night at 10:20 which tends to throw a loop in the training schedule.  My legs were just tired and I did not feel as hydrated as I should have been so I decided rest was best.  Which I have more to talk about rest in a bit....
Today I joined the Leadville runners again and we had a huge group of SEVEN this morning.  John, Rick, Aaron, Curtis, Katie, Ben,  and myself set out at 5:30 to get our miles in.  I really felt like I had a good run this morning, I was able to pick it up at end the and push a little.  We completed 15.7 miles in 2:26.  I believe this was Curtis's longest distance and again, I think the group (especially John and Rick) are so supportive that completion is inevitable with them.  Great job to Curtis, I know the feeling!  The wind was a little chilly this morning , otherwise a really nice morning once the sun came up.  It was kind of a refreshing feeling and seeing the warm sun.  I can't wait till spring!  Again, a great job to the group this morning, Awesome run!

As I mentioned before, rest is best.  I have talked in my blog about how much running and working out with groups are such a benefit to you, and make you feel accountable.  Also, some of the friendships you create are pretty powerful.  My friend Aaron, had some knee issues (see his post) this week and was feeling pretty bad.  One thing to understand is that Aaron is very competitive and when he sets goals, watch out.  As he was willing to continue working, ignoring his knee injury.  I felt like I needed to say rest it, even though I was a little hesitant.  I did not want to say the wrong thing and it is always easier to tell someone else to rest, rather than doing it yourself. I did relay my message and I think he took it to heart.  I was worried what he would think and then I was able to read his post about it.  It made me think a lot about the people I am surrounding myself while training and how important it really is.  Not that I am some savior or anything.  Sometimes you need that outside help to say "it is okay",   to make yourself feel alright about certain situations.  After a couple of days of rest Aaron was able to rejoin us today and had a good run.  Good Luck to him in the Indoor Tri-Melon tomorrow in Muscatine.

On to some rest for the day and enjoy those around me, mostly my family this weekend!  Sorry, I kind of rambled on again today but it had been a few days since I had blogged.  What CAN you accomplish this weekend?