Getting back to training UPDATED!

For the past week I’ve been feeling like a big slug! This morning I went for a run… 10.3 miles in 1:21.11 that’s 7:52 pace… not bad for a slug!

Tomorrow I’m going for a 60-mile ride…

Update on the ride:

I got lost! This was only the second time I’ve taken this route and I got lost… again! My planned 60 mile ride turned out to be 51 miles but I averaged 19+ Mph so I’m happy with that.

Funny thing...

I was riding down a back road, not a single house for miles when I started to feel the urge to relieve myself. I pulled over to the side of the road and headed into the woods to take care of business. In the middle of taking care of business I noticed a little mosquito had landed on my leg, I brushed him away. This must have made him mad because he brought back friends… lots of them. The next thing I know I’m being swarmed by dozens of little biting mosquitoes. I started running for the road… I wasn’t finished yet! I managed to complete the task at hand, clip in my pedals and hit the road with only suffering a couple bites!

Lessons learned…
1. Don’t Pee in the woods during peak mosquito season.
2. I can run the Pee at the same time!Mosquito bites itch!

Back from Vacation

My vacation is over... the weather could have been better... a lot better... but we had a good time. I'll post some pictures...

I've been back for almost a week now and for some reason I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of training. It's not that I don't want to train, I'm just so tired all the time. I'm keeping up with the running, I just can't get myself up in the morning to go swimming.

This weekend I'll have to get my act together!

Question... Has anyone used the new tool for customizing your Blog template?

Going on Vacation!

It's time once again for our yearly vacation to Maine. We’re all packet and will be hitting the road bright and early in the morning. We will be spending the next two-weeks camping on a beautiful waterfront campsite. We have always enjoyed our time on the lake, boating, fishing and playing on the beach with our children. This will definitely be a much needed vacation for of us all.

I still plan on keeping up my training while I’m on vacation. I’m bringing my bike and planned some long bike routes… time for some more hill work! I have no excuse to skip my swim workouts, the lake that we camp on is beautiful.

Good luck to everyone doing the Patriot Half this weekend. I will be cheering you on from a distance... Have FUN! I’m looking forward to reading all your reports… if I can get an Internet connection in the woods!

Bye!

So what’s next?

Mooseman is over and my training is back in full swing. I currently have two more confirmed races scheduled to finish out the season.

My next race will be a sprint in August, The Bayside YMCA Triathlon in Barrington RI. This was my first triathlon last year. During that race I learned a lot about the sport and about myself. From that point on I was hooked on the sport of triathlon.

A few weeks after Bayside I have the Firmman Half Ironman in September. I had wanted to do Timberman, but it sold out before I could make up my mind… next year! I’m really looking forward to this race it will be my longest event.

I have this crazy plan to complete an Ironman in 2009.

2007 - This year the plan was to complete my first Half Marathon, International distance (see Mooseman below) then finish the season with a Half Ironman. I think I’m on my way to completing this years plan.

2008 - Next year… well next year is going to be fun. As you can probably guess my plan is to complete a full marathon and then fill the rest of the season with International and Half Ironman distance events… definitely Mooseman again!

2009 – This will be the year I hope to complete my first Ironman. I’m not sure which one yet, but I’m thinking Lake Placid!

There… No only have I said it out loud… but now it’s in writing!

Hey... Question... I have this 18 week Half Ironman training plan (Intermediate) that I got from trinewbies.com. I was wondering if anybody else out there used it or has something different. I like the program, but I have nothing to compare it to.

2007 Mooseman International Triathlon Report

The plan was to head up the NH early on Friday to check out the bike course, check-in at the cottage, pick up my packet and relax for the rest of the evening. Things didn’t exactly go as planned. We got a late start and didn’t get on the road until 3pm which caused us to run directly into Boston traffic that lasted until the New Hampshire tolls.




The kids handled the delays just fine, they watched DVD’s and played video games, but I was starting to stress a little. Packet pickup was from 5 to7 pm and it was looking like we would be cutting it close. We arrived at the Welling State Park at 6:30 and I picked up my packet as they were still setting up for the event. We took a quick look around the park and transition area then headed for the cottage.

After checking in and unloading the gear, we headed out to an Italian restaurant that we had passed on the ride in. Dinner was good but it was getting late and all I could think about was getting back to the cottage because I still needed to get my gear ready for the morning. As Kate got the kids ready for bed I started to go through my packet. I placed my number on my bike and my helmet and then noticed something. My number was 5172, but the numbers in the packet read 172. What happened to my 5, did I get the wrong packet. I checked my chip number and found that it was correct. Registration would be there in the morning so I figured I could double check it then. I took a shower set the alarm… two alarms… and went to bed at 11pm.

Race morning!



Kate’s watch alarm went off at 4:30 am. Thankfully we set two alarms because the cottage alarm never went off… actually I forgot to turn it on. I had some oatmeal and a cliff bar, I wasn’t feeling very hungry. As I double checked my gear and checked my tire pressure, Kate got the kids up and ready to go!

We arrived before 6am so we could get a good parking spot and walked over to the registration tent so I could confirm my numbers. The registration guy said that I wasn’t the only one asking that question and maybe they should let people know when the pick up their packets… good idea!



I grabbed my bike and transition bag and we headed to body marking. It’s funny… once you get body marked the excitement of the race really starts. I racked my bike, dropped my transition bag and we headed for the lake to check out the water. The water wasn’t as cold as I thought it was going to be. I felt like the last hour before the race was spent going form porta-potty to porta-potty.



It was now 7:30 and time to get ready for the race. I kissed my wife and kids goodbye and headed to the transition area to get ready. The transition area was jammed with people getting ready. I looked around for my fellow bloggers with no luck, it was way too crazy. It was funny listening to all the different conversations going on around me. There was a group of 4 or 5 guys talking about how they just decided to do the race on a drunken bet. They hadn’t even trained that much and were joking about who was going to pass out first. I put on my wetsuit and after the pre-race meeting headed to the swim start…It was time!

The Swim 30:15

As we all headed out to the swim start, with bagpipes in the background, all I could do was look out at the orange triangle buoy. The fog was still coming off the water which made that buoy look so far away. The next thing I heard was 4…3…2…1…GO! The first wave of blue caps took off. Then it was our turn the green caps to head to the start line. In my first triathlon I lined up as far left and back as I could, I didn’t want my first time to be rough! This time I wanted to be in the mix so I headed for the middle of the pack. The announcer gave us the countdown 5…4…3…2…1…GO!

We were off… there were feet and hand flying all over the place. I managed not to get kicked or punched as I started my swim. I was about four or five strokes into my swim when I came up to take my first breath. That’s when it happened, I tilted my head took a deep breath… nothing happened… there was no air! I put my head back in the water took another stroke so I wouldn’t get swum over and tried again with the same results… I wasn’t getting any air. I had no choice, stop swimming or stop breathing. Apparently my wetsuit was preventing me from taking a deep enough breath. I reached back and removed the Velcro flap around my neck but it wasn’t enough. I then grabbed my zipper lead and pulled it all the way down. I could breathe again, but now my group was gone. I started swimming as hard as I could trying to make up lost ground… or water. I got into a comfortable rhythm and started to feel better as I was moving up the pack. Soon with every breathe I could hear music… the finish was getting closer. As I exited the water I could see my family on the shore… that was so cool! They were yelling “You’re doing great!”




I headed up the path and decided to bypass the wetsuit strippers into T1. I was able to pull off my wetsuit on the run, I put on my helmet and shoes took a gel and headed to the bike start.

The Bike 1:22:25 19.8 mph



I was feeling pretty good on the bike until my right calf started cramping up. I’ve felt this before on training rides and a little electrolyte drink usually takes care of it. I have a bad habit of not drinking enough during workouts and I wanted this cramp gone before “Devils Hill”. I’ve been training on hills at home, but not hills like this. As I approached the little devil dancing on the side of the road I could see riders walking their bike up. I shifted down stood up and climbed that Devil! As I passed people crawling up the hill I thought to myself… I’m going to pay for that later! From then on the ride went well and I continued to pass and get passed by the same group of riders. On one downhill point I looked at my computer… 40mph! We even got stuck behind a pontoon boat going way to slow. I looked at the woman next to me and said… can we get a penalty for drafting a pontoon boat! I didn’t expect to see anyone from blog land during the bike, maybe on the run since it was an out and back, but not on the bike. As I approached one rider I took a double look… it was Jamie. We said hello and asked how it was going… then it was time to go. Soon the fun was over and it was time for the run.



The Run 50:58 pace 8:13

Leaving T2 my legs were feeling like I had lead shoes on. I had a gel in my shirt pocket but for some reason I never used it. I need to work on my fueling during longer races. I took water and Gatorade at every stop. I would dump the water on my head and the Gatorade down my chin. I think more made it into my shirt than into my mouth. The run course went along the lake for a few miles… it was beautiful.

Side note: As I was running along the lake I saw this guy taking pictures. He looked so familiar to me I had to look twice. It was a guy from work that I see at the gym all the time. He started waving at me and took my picture. He was there with his son who was in the race… small world!



The turn around point on the run was a cruel joke. My fellow athletes know what I’m talking about. There was a turnaround at the halfway point of the run. Volunteers were directing you to take this little side road. You turned the corner all happy thinking you just run around the corner, but No… you then head straight down this steep hill to hell turn around and head back up hill. Not very nice!
The rest of the run felt good, my legs were coming back and people were starting to say two more miles… one more mile your almost there! I could see the finish and tried to pick up the pace a little and finish strong. I was done… I finished my first international distance triathlon.



The 2007 Mooseman was complete! Final 2:49:10

2007 Mooseman Preliminary Report

It’s going to take me a couple days to get my thought together. I’ll post my full report with pictures then.

Place 217

Swim 30:15
I had a little technical difficulty in the beginning of the swim… more on that later.

Bike 1:22:25
Rate 19.8 mph
This was a challenging bike course.

Run 50:56
Pace 8:13
Enough with the hills already!

Final Time 2:49:10
35th in male 35-39 Division

It was an amazing weekend!

It's Time!

Well… The training is done, the gear is packed and I'm ready for Mooseman!

To everyone doing Mooseman… Good luck, be safe and see you up there!

Just remember... Have Fun!

Making a list...

Today I went for a 22-mile bike ride. I took it easy and didn’t push the hills as much as I wanted. Tomorrow I’ll swim 1000 in the morning and maybe run a few miles before lunch. I’m thinking about skipping the run, my right foot has been hurting me after my runs lately. After that… nothing until race day!

I'm starting to get my gear together for Mooseman on Saturday, this way if I’m missing something I'll have time to get it tomorrow or Friday morning at the latest.

Funny... before it was always "Mooseman on June 2nd" now it's just "Saturday".

I need to put a list together because I love to procrastinate about things like this and I always end up running around at the last minute.

The List
1. Confirm reservations for cottage
2. Wetsuit
3. Body Glide
4. Goggles
5. Ear plugs (I bring them but never use them)
6. Sunglasses
7. Bike (I still need to clean it)
8. Helmet, gloves and bike shoes
9. Water bottles
10. Repair bag (spare tubes, pump and tire wrench)
11. Tri shorts and shirt
12. Running shoes and socks
13. Hammer gels, Heed, Cliff bars
14. Transition stuff (Water and towels)
15. Directions to Mooseman!

Did I miss anything... probably!

The Countdown Begins...

I went for a nice easy 25 mile ride on Monday morning. I road my usual loop through Padanaram Village through back roads of Dartmouth and Westport. I was heading up Elm Street towards the center of town when I noticed that there appeared to be a lot more people on the side of the road then usual. As I got closer to town the crowd got bigger, the road was now completely lined with people on both sides. This should have been a clue! As I road up the center of the street… no cars… people were waving and saying hello. I was starting to feel like I was riding in the Tour… only much slower! Now I know all these people didn’t come out to see me ride up the street… That’s when I saw two kids walking down the street towards me holding a sigh… Town of Dartmouth Memorial Day Parade. You would have thought the marching band music would have clued me in sooner!

My wetsuit finally came in this weekend from wetsuitrentals.com. I needed a full length wetsuit for Mooseman because I heard the water temperature will be about 60 degrees. When the wetsuit arrived I couldn’t wait to open it and try it on. I opened up the box, held up the wetsuit and said to my wife, there is no way I’m going to fit into this thing. I went online to check the sizing chart again… it’s the correct size! After some grunting and groaning I was able to get into it. I’ll need to pick up some body glide.

To everyone going to Mooseman this weekend… take it easy this week and be safe.

The countdown begins... I need to start thinking about packing!

Week in Review… Crash Avoidance!

Last week wasn’t great and this week is no better. Most of my department was at a training seminar last week so I had to pickup some extra projects. I was able to get the miles in, but not on my scheduled days. This meant that I had to double up some workouts in order to get them all done… I’m tired!

Next week is the start of my two week taper before Mooseman, I can’t wait! I’m going to run into a problem next week. I’ll be going for three days of training given by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board… Boring! This better not cut into my training again!

Enough about that…I almost went down on my bike… twice!

On Saturday I had my best 44 mile ride with an average speed of 18+. The weather was perfect, the birds were singing, the little baby farm animals were out in the pastures and my legs were feeling great. It was an awesome day… until I almost T-boned a car at 30 mph! It was entirely my fault… I must have been day dreaming about Mooseman. I was on a long winding stretch of road about 15 miles into my ride and I hadn’t seen a car all morning. I just crested a hill and was carrying about 16 mph when I started my descent… I was feeling great. I changed gears, got aero and pushed hard… 16...20...25...30...Woo hooo!

As I said this road is long and winding but then opens up at this weird intersection. Three different roads intersect with only one stop sign… my stop sign. As I came around the final bend heading for the intersection I could see in all directions that there were no cars coming… so I thought! As I approached the stop sign I thought to myself… should we stop… yes we should stop…I don’t see anybody… Oh shit! This car was flying up the road and he didn’t have a stop sign and I was going way to fast to stop. I braked as hard as I could while trying not to lock up my wheels… I was going to make it! That’s when my rear tire hit some sand and started sliding out for underneath me. Luckily I was able to keep control while in a sideways skid and stop within a few feet of the approaching car… that was close! I never even had time to clip out!

The second time (this all occurred on the same day) was fare less dramatic. I had just finished another climb and stopped at the top to check my directions. I clipped out of my right pedal as I always do and had my left at 9 o’clock ready to push off and start riding again. I was trying to decide, turn right and take back roads or turn left and go along the beach. I decided to turn left and ride along the beach. I pushed off with my right foot, but for some reason my left foot was already down and over I went. I was able to clip out of my pedal just in time to stop myself from falling completely over… that was close! I thought I heard some cows laughing!

Well… Mooseman is quickly approaching and I can’t wait. My training has been going well, I’ve put in some good miles and I’m injury free… for now! This will be my first Olympic distance triathlon so I’m not expecting to much… just have fun!

Totals from last week
Swim 4750
Bike 90 miles
Run 18 miles

Happy Belated Birthday to Me...

My birthday was last week… on Tuesday... no need to sent gifts! Unless you want too!

I’ve had the same Timex Ironman watch for about 17 years. My wife gave it to me for my birthday we were dating at the time… I loved that watch. In 17 years I’ve had to replace the batter only 3 times and the band about 7 times. They stopped making the replacement bands a few years ago so now the band is held together with sutures and surgical tape.

She hinted around at the idea of replacing my old watch, the tape was starting to fall off! I mentioned that if I was going to replace my old Ironman watch, just a simple one would be fine. Well this year she bought me a new Timex Ironman Data Link System watch for my birthday.

This thing is amazing it’s like a little PDA on your wrist. It has a crap load of features, Chronograph (200 lap splits), Countdown Timer, Interval Timer, Synchro Timer (not sure what that is yet), Schedule, Alarm, Appointments, Occasions (so I can’t forget anymore important dates), Contacts, Notes and a bunch of customizable options. Hey… it even displays the time!

It came with software so you can set the thing up on your computer and download the data to the watch… so cool!

I’ll add pictures tonight!

Totals from last week
Swim 4750
Bike 95 miles (40 of them in the rain!)
Run 22 miles

Recovery Week Numbers

... but first a quick story.

I’ve been swimming at this pool for about three months now and I’m getting more comfortable there. I see the same people, for the most part, every week and everybody is courteous about entering a lane. They’re supposed to have six lanes open for lap swimming, but for some reason they always leave the first two lane lines out. I’m assuming that this is to accommodate the “leisure” lap swimmer.

I usually get to the pool early enough to get one of the good lanes, but last week I was forced to swim in one of the first three open lanes with no lane lines. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem except for the “Runner Guy”. This name will make more sense in a second. Runner guy is about 70 years old by my estimate. He sticks to the middle of the lane and just slowly goes up, down and sometimes across the lanes.

On this day his lane was the only lane available so I waited until I could make eye contact with him and signaled my intention to share his lane. I entered the lane and began my warm-up. At this point he was now at the far end of the lane and was heading back in my direction. I tried to keep as far left as I could in order to give him plenty of room. As I approached him I noticed that he was not going to move over, he just kept on course. As I swam around him I couldn’t help but laugh, he was wearing a flotation device around his waist and ankle weights. His little legs just kept running like a hamster on a wheel. All I could think about was one of those National Geographic programs where they use an underwater camera to film hippopotamus’ swimming across a river. He never did move over!

Last week was supposed to be a recovery week for me. I was scheduled to swim 2750, bike 45 and run 15. I missed my swim the previous week because the pool was closed, so I added a few yards each swim to try to make up for it.

Totals for last week
Swim: 3250
Bike: 47 miles
Run: 12 miles

This week starts the speed work and quality phase of my training plan… this should be fun!

Schedule for this week
Swim 6000 + optional easy 1000 (yah right!)
Bike 95 miles + optional easy 20 miles
Run 20 miles + 60 min. walk

Five more weeks until Mooseman!!!

Things are looking up!

Last week started out on the down side. I arrive at the pool 5:30am Monday morning only to find out that the pool was closed for renovations. The girl at the desk informed me that they had signs up all last week. I informed her that at 5:30 in the morning I’m lucky just to find the front door, forget the little sign at the desk. She handed me a swim schedule for the Franklin YMCA and said they would honor my membership. Now I’m already driving 45 min to get to this Y (it’s on my way to work) so another 15 minutes was pushing it a little.

The weather was also not cooperating, it rained most of the week which made riding a little tough… hence the low totals.

Totals
Swim: 0 (the pool was closed)
Bike: 53.8 miles
Run: 16

This weekend was awesome!

Saturday I headed out on a great 6 mile loop from my front door and was back in time get some much needed things done around the house.

Sunday was another great day. My training plan called for a 30 mile bike so I loaded up two bottles of fuel and headed out. I picked a new route that would head out to Horseneck Beach and loop back to the house. The weather was perfect, I must have passed three or four groups of riders… they were going the other direction. The route was hilly, but I was able to average 17.8 mph for 33.8 miles… I got a little lost!

When I got home, my wife and I loaded up the kids and the dogs and headed to the beach. We walked for a couple miles while the kids collected rocks and the dogs played in the water. We ended the day with ice cream… it doesn’t get much better!

Not so good - Week in Review

Last week started out great, my swimming was getting better and I was looking forward to putting in some big mileage on the weekend. Unfortunately, after my swim on Thursday I started to feel like I was coming down with a cold. I was hoping it was just a headache and would pass, but it didn’t. As the day went on it started getting worst and eventually settled in my chest. I ended up not running that night and I had to skip my weekend long bike and run. What a crappy way to end the week.

Totals
Swim: 3250
Bike: 35 miles
Run: 5

On the bright side I was able to book a nice cottage for Mooseman!

I hope this week is better!

The week in review

My training went well last week, it was great to get back into the pool. I'm starting to work in more swim and bike time into my workouts. My next event is quickly approaching and I need to pick it up.

Totals
Swim: 2500
Bike: 45 miles
Run: 10.5 (missed one day)

Thursday I met up with my friend Manny and a group of guys for a 20 mile ride. I was a little nervous at first to be riding with an experienced group, but I did well. I usually train alone so I stuck to the back at first so I wouldn’t take anybody out. It didn’t take long to start feeling comfortable riding with them, they are a great group of guys. I started getting a cramp in my left calf at about mile 8. I would finally get it worked out and then it would move to the other calf...frustrating! I was wondering if it was the 1000 yard swim from that morning.

I went for a 4 mile run with my son on Sunday. We went to the park so he could follow me on his bike. We had a good time and I told him we should make it a regular thing. He should have no trouble keeping up on my longer runs… just watch out for the goose Bren!

Very Busy Weekend

Saturday

I entered my family in the The SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon II on March 24th, 25th. I thought this would be a great way to introduce my children to the sport I enjoy so much. It was snowing here in Massachusetts last weekend so we had to postpone it until this weekend.

We loaded up the bikes Staurday morning and headed to the beach. The beach has a large closed parking lot that was perfect for the race. We setup some cones in a .25-mile circle with a transition area close to the car. We headed to the water for the swim start, but the kids decided to skip the swim due to the fact the there was no lifeguard on duty. Safety first!



Everybody lined up at the start for five loops of the bike course. Brennen and Kaitlyn started out strong, but everybody caught up at the end. The kids need to work on their transition times!





We headed out on the run, five more loops. This is where the field started to open up and everybody was giving it all they had.



The finish was very close with Cullen edging out mommy in the end for the win!



I think Cullen summed it up best “This was the best-est day ever!”



Sunday

I ran the Officer Thomas Giunta Memorial 5K



I finished 103 out of 753 finishers. My official time 22:35

Race Report - New Bedford Half Marathon

I got up on race morning and looked out the window... it looked cloudy and windy! I checked the temperature...32 degrees! This was going to be fun!

We headed to Kate's parents house to drop off our two youngest children. It was going to be to cold for them to stand around waiting for the start. The route went right past her parent’s street and they would be able to see me there. We headed down to the start at about 10:30 and we met up with a friend who was also running. We tried to warm up a little before they announced runners to the start. They corralled all 1816 of us into the starting area, everyone was jumping up and down trying to keep warm while the Miss.New Bedford sang the National Anthem and the Mayor said a few words about our fine city! Let go already I’m getting cold again! A quick wave and we were off!



The pace was a little quicker than I had planned for. I was thinking 9 minute miles would be a good start for me. They had pace counters at every mile, so when I reached the first mile and heard 7:58, 7:59…8:00 I thought crap…I better slow down. Mile two and three was about the same… 16:03, 24:00. I was trying to slow it down a little, but running in such a large pack carries you along. Then I hit the first of two hills. The first major hill on Hathaway road was the only hill that I was a little worried about. It was long with a significant grade and I hadn’t fully warmed up yet. The top of the hill was mile 4…32:20! It must have been the pack of runners that carried me up that hill.

The next 6 or 7 miles were relatively flat and I was able to get into a comfortable pace… thankfully. My whole family was waiting for me at mile 6, it was great to see them all standing there cheering me on.



We headed down Rockdale Avenue towards Rodney French Boulevard, along the beaches. This is where the wind really started to pick up. Gusts of wind would come and push you sideways, you had to just put your head down and push through it. I had a guy that kept using me to block the wind for him, I would move to the side to let him pass and he would follow…it was funny!

Did I mention I forgot my IPod… well I did and I definitely could have used a little distraction at this point. The crowds of cheering people were gone, most likely the cold was keeping them away. I was now approaching the 12 mile marker, the breaking point, the final big hill! This mammoth hill had reduced many runners to a slow walk while others could only manage to crawl in a desperate effort to complete their own personal journey… just kidding It wasn’t that bad!

The streets were lined with people again cheering you up the final hill. Runners who had finished already were on the way back “to rub it in”… I mean to give us support. Just one mile to go to the finish, you can do it! The music was getting louder now and I could hear the announcer reading off names as they crossed the finish line. I rounded the final corner and saw the finish. I could see my wife and son waiting at the finish… they were smiling! After I crossed the finish, volunteers where waiting to take my chip and pass out finishers metals… My first one!

My official time was 1:49:11.

I did learn a few things during this race.

1. I “can” handle a faster pace on race day.
2. Water running down your neck while trying to drink at a water stop in 32 degree weather is cold!
3. Puffy yellow jackets in the wind acts like a sail. (Not in a good way)
4. When you feel the urge to P before a race…do it! It doesn’t go away!
5. Have more confidence in my abilities.

Mooseman Here I Come!

Pre-Race Report: New Bedford Half Marathon

It was cold, it was windy!

I finished 862 to of 1816 finishers. My official time was 1:49:11.

Full Race report to follow... with pictures thanks Kate!

New Bedford Half Marathon just days away!

I completed my last long run (13 miles) before the New Bedford Half Marathon on Sunday the 18th. I ran about half the actual course and then headed to the park to finish some loops. I wanted to run along the water and hit some of the hills so I would know what to expect on race day. It felt great and my knee did fine, but I could have used another water stop. I hate running with anything in my hands so I parked my car on the route so I could stop about half way and take in some water and a gel. It was a warm day about 47 degrees and the park was full of walkers and kids on bikes. I had to run in the street most of the time, but it was great to just be outside on a nice day.
For the rest of this week I plan on taking it easy. I have a few short 3-4 mile runs planned and two rest days before Sunday’s race.

Wish me luck!

2007 Schedule

I have my 2007 schedule finally worked out... for now!

30th Annual New Bedford Half Marathon

The SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon II

Mooseman International Distance

Bridgton Four On The Fourth

Bayside YMCA Sprint Triathlon

Firmman Half Ironman

My first race this year is the New Bedford Half Marathon on March 18th. This will be my first half marathon and I can't wait to do it. My training has been going well, except for a chest cold last week that had me coughing up techno-colored sludge. I'm back on rack with my training now.

I entered my family in the The SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon II on March 24th, 25th. I thought this would be a great way to introduce my children to the sport I enjoy so much. When I completed my first triathlon last year two of my three children were there to cheer me on and see me cross the finish line. I was so happy to be able to share that experience with them. When I finished, my son turned to me and said “That was awesome, when can I do that!

I was looking for a race to test myself with early in the season. I know I wasn't going to be ready for a half ironman this early, so I thought I would try a quarter distance. I entered the Mooseman International Distance on June 2.

My wife and I take the kids on vacation in Maine for two weeks in July. We have done this now for the past 15 years. Wow... that's a long time! Last year was the first time I noticed that the town we stay in has a local road race, The Bridgton Four On The Fourth. I'll enter this year!

The Bayside YMCA Triathlon was my first triathlon last year. I had an awesome time and it was a great event. My wife was unable to make it so I wanted to do it again so she could be there. The Bayside YMCA Triathlon will be in August

I wanted to end my season with a big race... big for me. I entered the Firmman Half Ironman in September. This will be my longest distance race, nervous about being ready for it. If I find a good training plan and stick to it, I'll be fine. It's all about having fun right!

Wish my luck!