Change Is In The Air

Happy Labor Day.

Sometimes as I run I see many people going about their lives and doing what ever it is they do. One thought comes to me once in a while:

Have you ever wondered about all the great people that you will never meet?

You know that there must be so many others in which you would really enjoy their company and have so much in common with. It's sort of a shame but also reality.

Enough for "thoughts."

Man, the season is winding down. I noticed the other day when I did an open water swim at Ohio St Beach that there were far fewer swimmers. Must be because the Chicago Triathlon is over. The only ones left are triathletes who still have an event.

One major one is next weekend: Ironman Wisconsin, Madison.

I have finally decided that I want to do my first full Ironman next year. We had a Chicag Tri Club meeting last Wednesday and the topic was choosing an Ironman event. One of the speakers was a guy who did 20 full Ironman events in 2009. He described the various characteristics of the events he completed.

One thought comes to mind: All Ironman events are hard. He mentioned one particularly difficult Ironman: Ironman Lanzarote. Supposed to be rediculously difficult. He said, "do it just once." Perhaps some day.

So, next Monday around noon I will be anxiously waiting at my computer fully signed up and ready to push the button.

The event I have chosen to participate in is: Ironman Wisconsin.

The speaker at our Tri Club meeting said this is one of the harder IM events. The bike course is particularly difficult. Hopefully I will get in.

Training for Branson 70.3 continues to go well. There is less that two weeks til the event so it's time to think about a mini taper. I'll have to look up how I handled taper for my first 1/2 IM.

Most of you know that along with triathlon training I am also getting ready for the Chicago Marathon. In that vein I went for an 8 miler on Saturday and decided that it would me a fast continuous run (FCR) or marathon pace run.

The weather was cool and crisp. What a difference this made. I was cruising along at a decent clip and felt great the whole way. It felt like, "I could breathe again." Taking in deep full cool breaths of fresh air really helps. I never got tired and my heart rate stayed exceptionally low for the effort with an average 136 beats per minute. Cool, in more ways than one.

Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:41 0:08:22 1 0 6 8:41 8:22 5:31 136 174 0 42
2 0:07:58 0:07:54 1 11 0 7:58 7:54 5:10 127 132 0 59
3 0:07:23 0:07:17 1 3 0 7:23 7:17 5:26 133 141 0 55
4 0:07:18 0:07:15 1 0 14 7:18 7:15 5:39 135 142 0 58
5 0:07:46 0:07:46 1 14 0 7:46 7:46 5:23 137 141 0 61
6 0:07:32 0:07:33 1 0 2 7:32 7:33 6:09 139 144 0 60
7 0:07:25 0:07:20 1 0 4 7:25 7:20 5:49 140 145 0 59
8 0:07:14 0:07:14 1 0 10 7:14 7:14 6:17 146 149 0 62
9 0:01:08 0:01:07 0.17 8 0 6:47 6:39 6:27 150 151 0 11
Summary 1:02:29 1:01:48 8.17 35 35 7:39 7:33 5:10 136 174 0 467


Yesterday I went all by my lonesome to Buffalo Grove to train on the hills on my bike. Hopefully this has prepared me for the Branson 70.3 bike leg which is in the Ozarks. I watched a video of the Ozark bike course and there were some serious long hill climbs. There also are some faster than crap downhill parts.

Hopefully with my Michigan and Buffalo Grove training I'll be able to do well.

The ride yesterday was 47 miles and it went well. The ride took 2:38:00. The major achievement was not getting lost. So, now perhaps I can lead a Chicago Tri Club group in that area.

At one point a deer, "buck" jumped out in front of me. Luckily I was not going fast. His antlers were only about 10 inches high. The funny part was he could not find his way off the road. He was running along side me. You could hear his hooves clapping the pavement. His traction was poor and he was sliding around. Finally he found an exit and I had a smile on my face.




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" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."

* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin