tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219701162024-03-23T14:23:49.342-04:00Triathlon Life!Summer 2016 will be my 13th triathlon season and I plan on racing Triathlons, Mountain Biking, and Trail Running.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-48032550905508998882011-03-15T15:07:00.001-04:002011-03-15T16:10:42.805-04:002010 Multisport racing review Back in late 2009 in decided 2010 was going to be a year of variety as far as competing in multi-sport. My first challenge was to "Tackle the Tower". I trained for about 2 months a couple times a week climbing as many stairs I could find including the 19 flights at Rhodes Tower at CSU. I even had two opportunities to practice run the "Tower" race. After the two practice runs I had an idea how to pace myself and what kind of time I could shoot for. My goal was to run sub 5 minutes to the top. The 38 flights of stairs at the Tower at Erieview was in early February. On race day I was amazed how many people showed up and how well the race went off considering we had a staggered start where each person was let off every 10 seconds. I made it to the top in 4:34 for 7th placed overall. It was a lung buster. I remember having the taste of blood in the back of my throat. Even though it's a fast lung busting race I think I'll do that race again in the future.<br />
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Next was my attempt of an Ultra-marathon 50K race set at the end of March. The race was on the trails of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in the Peninsula area. I didn't train specifically for this race by knocking off countless miles but rather I depended on my aerobic fitness and my previous experience as a pacer for a friend who runs the 100 mile Burning River Run. I've run with him for the past couple years during the night completing 35 to 40 miles. I also figured I've completed two Half Ironman Triathlons this past 2 years in a time of 5:07 and 6:30 and that I should be able to keep moving for that long during the ultra marathon. My goal was to complete it in five to five and a half hours. On the morning of the race the weather was cool with some cloud cover. The rains were expected to come late morning. I completed the first loop in around 2:40 but then the rains came. At times it poured and the trails were thick with mud. The conditions slowed me way down. I finished in 6 hours and 4 minutes. I enjoyed this kind of long running and would do it again but next time spend more time on the trails.<br />
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I wasn't about to give up the trails just yet so I entered the Xterra Trail Running Race Series. I signed up for 4 out of the 5 races. The races were in April, May, June, and August at various places in Ohio. At the end of the series the 4 best results of an individual determined who the Regional Champion was in each age group. I also signed up for the 331 NEO Power Mountain Bike Race Series. This also was 4 best out of 5 races to determine champions. The races were one in July, two in September, and one in October. In between trail running races and mountain bike racing I entered a Kayak Triathlon and 2 Sprint Triathlons. After triathlon season I signed up for the Ohio Outside Trail Running Series. Finally, I ran the Reindeer 5K in Lakewood to get an idea what kind of road race shape I'd be in after all the trail racing I did this year.<br />
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The results from the series and triathlons were spectacular. But I did pay a price. I twisted my left ankle very badly during my second Xterra race. It happened about a mile into a 4 mile race. I must have hit a hidden root just right and I heard a popping sound and knew I did some damage. I continued run-limping along to win my age group. I completed the Xterra series and won first place in the 50-54 age group regional. I qualified for Nationals in Bend, Oregon but did not go for it.<br />
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The mountain bike racing was so much fun. No serious mishaps while racing but during training I did have a couple spills that caused my right ankle and left shoulder some pain. I finished 3rd place in my age group for the overall series. Not bad for my first year mountain bike racing. Next year I will have a mountain bike that fits me and with front shocks that work. I should be faster, I hope.<br />
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The Kayak Triathlon was my first kayak racing. The park provided the kayak's for those of us who didn't own one. During the race it was pouring rain. I got out of the kayak 5th and managed to inch my way up in the bike and run to win the overall race. What a surprise. I won a pair of kayak paddles, now I need a boat to go with it.<br />
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The Ohio Outside Trail Series races were at Munroe Falls Park. The first one was October followed by November and December. I managed to win my age group for all 3 races. Even the first race I started dead last after everyone was off and running 5 minutes into the race. I was out on a potty pit-stop and didn't have a watch on me. I had fun coming up from the rear blasting by people. Some knew I started late and wished me good luck.<br />
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The last time I ran a 5K road race was the summer of 2008. My expectation was to win my age group and not worry about the time. I took first in my age with a time of 18:23. Not bad for no speed training or track intervals.<br />
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Life is good and I'm thankful for a great 2010.<br />
And I have to say, oh what fun it was to run, ride, and tri in a variety way.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-82605329288520868322010-12-17T10:44:00.000-05:002010-12-17T10:44:11.898-05:00To swim or not to during out season is the questionI recently came across this <a href="http://www.endurancenation.us/blog/2010/12/08/triathlon-coaching-psa-132-no-winter-swimming/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Endurance+Nation+Weekly+Update+12132010&utm_content=Endurance+Nation+Weekly+Update+12132010+Preview+CID_2e30531f575b6d0feaccfcebf27779af&utm_source=Email+marketing+software&utm_term=Read+the+full+article+here" target="blank">article</a> and posted it on some friends Facebook page and got some eye brows raised. It appeared I pricked some traditional triathlon athletes awareness so I thought I might share my two cents. I have been using my out season for the past 7 years to focus on my swimming technique, strength and confidence and I have to say I have improved in all these areas but my swim times haven't really come down like they have with my running or biking. I do plan on hitting the pool at least once a week but I will focus more on biking and running and when I'm not S.B.R. I will go outside the box (pool) and continue to build my aerobic capacity with snow shoeing, cross country skiing, mountain biking, stair climbing, ice skating, weight lifting and yoga just to name a few. Having fun doing these other activities won't bring my swim times down but I'll at least get a chance to enjoy other sports and when the pool goes back to long course in March I'll be ready to specifically train for my up coming triathlon race season.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-89777652176853865332009-11-10T21:58:00.004-05:002009-12-17T13:30:40.132-05:00New York City Marathon 2009This year the New York City Marathon was the largest marathon field in the sport's history - 43,741 runners and 43,475 finishers (a 99.4% completion rate). And I am proud to say that I was one of the 43,475 finishers. Running New York is like No other race. The big apple puts on a mega marathon event, with the largest crowd support bar none. If this race wasn't a day's drive away and the amount of money spent for the race and hotel I would love to run it again. But, it sure was worth the experience.<br /><br />The race organizers and volunteers did an exceptional job in transporting us runners from the Ferry on Manhattan Island to Staten Island to be bused to the runners village where we waited around for a few hours before they called us to line up in our starting corrals.<br /><br />Running with so many people reminded me of my rock concert days at the stadium where we were packed against a pushing crowd, except the runners gave you more room to run. The start was an up hill over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. I hardly noticed it was an uphill because the excitement of all the runners took me up and over the bridge. The cheering crowds carried me through 15 miles at around a 6:40 pace but then all my little problems began to wear me down. I think traveling to a race and the logistics of getting to the start line played a big toll on my performance. I was told from other NYC marathon finishers not expect a personal best. I tried to ignore that and wanted a PB anyway. But then another little problem I've been nursing during my marathon training, my plantar fasciitis, began to complain. And no matter how much the crowds were cheering us runners on my focus was on finishing the race with what strength I had left and in 3:22:48 I was happy to be done. If I were to run New York again I might not have high hopes of running a fast race but I would try to just have all the fun I can get from the cheering crowds.<br /><br />I'm not giving up that sub 3 hour marathon goal just yet but I look forward to turning 50 in a few months and giving the marathon another go.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-37050390080371462962009-08-22T11:39:00.007-04:002009-08-25T10:56:56.243-04:00How I survived a 20 mile run.Twenty minutes before the start of the 8 am run I consumed 2 Endurolytes and 2 ounces of Perpetuem all washed down with water.<br /><br />My wife came on her bike to accompany me for the run. She had her CamelBack which was half filled with water the night before and placed in the freezer and in the morning I topped off the rest of the bladder with water.<br /><br />I wore my knee high compression socks. The result is I get NO calf or shin soreness after a long run.<br /><br />The miles flew by because we did a lot of chit chatting on various topics on life and family.<br /><br />To hone in on the perfect nutrition: I used two 24 ounce bottles of water (sip every 15 minutes), a 5 ounce flask filled with a pasty consistency of Perpetuem (sip an ounce every 20-25 minutes), 4 Endurolytes (take 2 tablets every hour) and I thoroughly enjoyed sips of ice cold water from my wifes CamelBack she had on her back.<br /><br />I thought the weather was perfect with cool temperatures and some overcast clouds.<br /><br />After the run (2:33:17) I had a bottle of Recoverite and a banana which were waiting for me in the car.<br /><br />Having great companionship and the right amount of fuel made for a perfect long run.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-61124413310584755152009-07-20T22:34:00.003-04:002009-07-20T23:14:27.983-04:00XTERRA O.N.E. Triathlon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyBcpeGUkKwy2J1GjaA6dxmbHM9xctEQjwRfy3Gc-9OMrZPxv71u3rnu-qp7q1qYcfGGTeM2D2IZJYkyJ9m4KNkbBxZBVfpcg4GqUjqty-eQIOBVutwDRMHvq04h_KHQlaL9d/s1600-h/Xterra1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360736591236798130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyBcpeGUkKwy2J1GjaA6dxmbHM9xctEQjwRfy3Gc-9OMrZPxv71u3rnu-qp7q1qYcfGGTeM2D2IZJYkyJ9m4KNkbBxZBVfpcg4GqUjqty-eQIOBVutwDRMHvq04h_KHQlaL9d/s320/Xterra1.jpg" /></a><br /><div>On my list of things to do this year was to do an xterra race. I can check that off as I have completed my first off road triathlon race this past Sunday July 19th.<br />I have to admit I haven't had much time and experience on the trails with the mountain bike but I did get a chance to ride the course the Thursday before the race. I am so glad I did. I was impressed with the group of riders who were there to ride with me. I probably would have done more damage to myself if I didn't have the experienced riders clue me in on how to handle some of the tricky parts of the trail. I did fall off a narrow serpentine bridge and smack my head into a tree, good thing I had my helmet on. That one ride helped me to ride faster and safer on race day.<br /><br />The triathlon race began with a 1/2 mile swim on a calm and warm lake. I wore my new xterra wetsuit and felt like I swam fast and smooth while controlling my breathing, staying on someones feet for the draft and managing good sighting.<br /><br />On the mountain bike I rode the serpentine bridge and escaped the smacking tree. My only problem was that I wasted too much time by letting tons of people who came up behind to pass me by getting to the side and off the bike. At least the passers were polite and appreciated my kindness. At one point I got off while ascending a hill and was unable to get back on my bike until I ran to the top. Next time, I'll ride and wait until I can move to the side without getting off the bike. I'll save tons of time. Another lesson I need to learn is to not apply the brakes as much. I think I rode the brakes too much, but that will come with more experience by riding the trails. I also will use a camelback for the bike portion too. I didn't enjoy drinking dirt that got caked on my water bottle and there just wasn't enough clear spots along the trail to safely drink.<br /><br />But the best part of the race was the run. The trail began with a very rocky section that was up hill and at times you had to walk because of the rugged trail. Once we went through that section the trail was smooth but with lots of rolling hills and switch backs.</div><br /><br />I had so much fun doing the off road triathlon that I am looking forward to more mountain biking riding and racing so that next year I can break 2 hours.<br /><br /><a href="http://champracing.org/files/XTERRATRI2.HTM" target="blank">Race Results</a>Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-59080013485901735812009-02-13T10:56:00.003-05:002009-02-13T15:43:01.956-05:00Post Mardi Gras MarathonMy recovery from the marathon has gone well. I took three days off following the race and then ran an easy 2 miler on the fourth day. My hamstrings and quads were a bit sore the first three days but by Thursday they felt fine and good enough to run the 2 miler.<br /><br />I finally got on the bike (using the trainer) six days after the race and I enjoyed a nice brick session of and easy 2 miler on the treadmill followed by a 30 minute spin on the bike.<br />I am looking forward to building back my biking strength and to improve my swim technique.<br /><br />If my running legs are fully recovered and strong by March 14th I'll run the St. Malachi 5 miler. I am already considering my spring and summer and fall racing season and look forward to sprint triathlons, my first Xterra race, an epic century ride, and a fall marathon.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-12892797773785253892009-02-04T12:56:00.005-05:002009-02-06T17:28:13.752-05:00Mardi Gras Marathon Race ResultsMy winter training for the Mardi Gras Marathon has paid off. The last 10 weeks of training was through the cold harsh winter in Cleveland. During those long hard runs I would tell myself that "this will make me tougher and more prepared for the marathon".<br /><br />So during those final miles of the marathon I really felt strong mentally and physically. And when I crossed the finish line I realized my legs are finally getting to the point of running through a whole marathon. This was my 7th marathon and the first time I didn't have to walk.<br /><br />On Race day we had temperatures in the low 50's and over cast clouds. It was a perfect morning for a race. I positioned myself near the front and found others around me shooting for the 3 hour mark. I wore a marathon pace wrist band and immediately had a crowd around me when the gun went off. I was the pace leader and enjoyed the camaraderie. We stayed together until the half way point where we looped back into town. The crowds were large and cheering which helped me run a 6:38 (fastest mile) and to drop all my new friends by mile 14. For most of the second half I was running alone. Most of the crowds were at or near the aid stations which was every 2 miles.<br /><br />The aid stations were in typical New Orleans fashion. A couple of them not only served us water and Gatorade but we also had the choice from a buffet of hot dogs, chips, and beer. The aid stations reminded my of the festive food choices along the Burning River 100 mile race without the beer. This was one fun race and the people down there do like to throw a party.<br /><br />Another interesting course highlight was Bourbon street. It was was freshly soaped and washed minutes before we ran down the street. And the all night party people standing out in front of the bars cheered us runners on.<br /><br />Overall this was by best marathon because of the good mental and physical shape I was in and the festive atmosphere the marathon had.<br /><br />Mile Splits:<br />1. 6:39<br />2. 6:43<br />3. 6:53<br />4. 6:58<br />5. 6:47<br />6. 6:53<br />7. 6:48<br />8. 6:47<br />9. 6:50<br />10. 6:48<br />11. 6:44<br />12. 6:45<br />13. 6:42<br />14. 6:38<br />15. 6:54<br />16. 6:52<br />17. 6:56<br />18. 7:04<br />19. 7:04<br />20. 7:04<br />21. 7:20<br />22. 7:18<br />23. 7:26<br />24. 7:33<br />25. 7:46<br />26.2 10:10<br />Total time 3:04:34 (Second fastest out of 7 marathons)Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-10542881337375775082009-01-26T13:55:00.003-05:002009-01-26T15:02:03.213-05:00Mardi Gras Marathon Week.This is the week where all my hard marathon training comes to fruition. The 7 days leading up to the race is all about REST. Rest means no new home projects, heavy lifting (like snow shoveling), staying up late, or any other strenuous activities that causes me to stress my body or mind.<br /><br />Monday will be either 3 easy miles or no workout. Tuesday calls for 4 x 400 repeats at 5K pace. Wednesday an easy 3 miler and travel day. Thursday and Friday is getting acclimated to the heat wave. Saturday is a 2 mile leg loosener. Sunday is race day.<br /><br />My nutrition plan for the week will be to cut all sweets including my favorite dark chocolates. To increase my carbs with more fruits, veggies and some pasta stuff. Otherwise, I won't try anything new in my diet including a detox cleansing.<br /><br />I will try a "news fast" but look for inspirational words and videos about running. I will remember to smile and have a good time from now and while running the race.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-2904624926328285302009-01-11T20:08:00.003-05:002009-01-11T21:15:15.656-05:00Taper Time!After 15 weeks of consistent marathon training I have made it to the final 3 weeks of taper training. Today's run was a 20 miler and that was followed by a 10 mile marathon pace run on Saturday. The run seemed especially hard today because of the 2 inch snow covered trails. My legs felt and feel like they ran 30 miles. But I'm sure running a hard 10 miler the day before didn't give my legs much recovery time. I think Hal Higdon did it that way for the Advanced II program on purpose to toughen the runners up. The totality of Hal's program gave me the confidence and physical shape I need to run a good marathon. I missed 2 workouts early in the program, shortened a 19 mile to 15 mile run, but ran a 22 miler instead of a 12 miler. The quantity of the runs is out of the way but the quality will continue up to race day. And my focus now is getting to the starting line well rested. Yoga is my choice of recovery to get me prepared mentally and physical for race day. If I can do a little every day I'll be happy.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-61238434519899599342008-12-23T14:24:00.005-05:002008-12-23T22:56:36.366-05:00Life HappeningsWell, I have to admit I haven't been inspired to keep my postings up to date. I'm not sure what it is that has kept me away from even reading my "blogs to read" buddies. My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mardi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gras</span> Marathon training is going well. I still have a job. A wonderful family. I haven't created any new enemies lately (I don't think). Maybe I've been distracted with the latest world situations and the scary times ahead. For some reason I don't have the feeling of security that we had/have in our country and for me to think of my little athletic endeavors is insignificant to the bigger picture. I'm hoping this is all just in my head and that my worries will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">disappear</span>. I should not let fear overcome my true blessings that I have today. I am so thankful for my health and strength. And the love I can share with my family and friends. I want to give myself more to those around me and to be a support to them.<br /><br />Life and Blessings for a new year.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-36704810479173805522008-10-01T14:18:00.005-04:002008-11-12T14:41:23.633-05:00Post triathlon Racing SeasonAfter my last and most difficult triathlon or endurance race ever, I was ready to toss my goggles, bike and running shoes out in the trash. I was totally spent on the sport of endurance and was ready do some other sport to keep me in physical shape.<br /><br />Well, I am glad to say I didn't toss anything away because after a week of resting and looking back I began a training program for the Mardi Gras Marathon on Februrary 1, 2009. I am using the <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/advanced2/advancedII.htm" target="blank">Hal Higdon's Advanced-II 18 week marathon training guide</a>. I am in week 7 and I have been able to maintain a consistent schedule and meet the paces in my training.<br /><br />According to the McMillanrunning.com web site my <a href="http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/cgi-bin/calculations.pl" target="blank">training paces</a> were calculated on my recent 5K in August. And if training goes well I should have a sub 3 hour marathon which will be a personal best.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-69979031164611318402008-09-15T10:26:00.007-04:002008-09-15T22:46:45.365-04:00Deer Creek Toyota Challenge - Winds from Ike!I'm exhausted mentally and physically! It took all my will power and physical strength to finish yesterdays gruelling race. This was the hardest triathlon race I've ever done. Even one of the top finishers said that. I'll blame it on the weather. The temperatures rose into the high 80's to low 90's. The sun brightly shining to fry any exposed skin. And then the winds were blowing. It seemed to grow stronger by the hour and we felt it.<br /><br />By the time the start of my half ironman race began the calm waters had turn quite choppy. The first lap of the .6 of a mile loop seem to go well but during the 2nd lap we were swimming against the choppy waves and when you would lift your head to spot the buoys you'd get smacked in the face with the lake. As I was nearing the last set of turn buoys I noticed one was missing. I made the last turn and had the waves bring me to the swim exit. Later I heard from someone that one of the turn buoys had blown away.<br /><br />I made it in and out of transition without messing around. For the bike portion we had 3 loops of an 18.65 mile route. The first loop I felt good and averaged 20 miles an hour. The 2nd loop was when I really noticed the winds picking up and that brought my average down to the 18's. The 3rd loop I had thoughts of not running the 13.1 miles. The winds were so strong that so much energy was exerted just to maintain a speed from getting blown off my bike. I heard someone did get blown off their bike.<br /><br />I'm not sure what motivated me to even attempt the run other than the realization that people were out running the 6.55 mile loop 2 times. I figured I'd take it one loop at a time and see if I could survive. The winds were the most vicious across the dam. Going out over the dam was OK because we had the winds to our backs but coming back the winds put a stop to many runners. Some of us had to lean into the winds or get knocked over. After a little over 5 hours of getting whipped around from the winds I was ready to call it a day at the turnaround point. I think the mental battle was telling me to finish the last loop no matter what. As long as people were still out there, male and female, young and old, I had to go on.<br /><br />I am happy to have finished and glad I didn't throw in the towel. I know if I'd quit I'd be kicking myself today. I didn't have any fueling problems or cramps but just over all exhaustion. A little rest and I'll be OK.<br /><br />This week I hope not to swim, bike, or run. I don't know what kind of exercises I want to do but if I do something it'll have to be easy and different from what I normally do.<br /><br />Some stats from the <a href="http://www.hfpracing.com/results/results.php?eventid=48&raceid=139" target="blank">Race Results</a>:<br />184 entered the race but only 144 finished.<br />I finished 74th overall - middle of the pack.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-19305996859004297722008-08-23T14:50:00.005-04:002008-08-23T20:07:14.252-04:00OROC 5K Run was a rockin' n rollin'A very good race for a very good cause! The night before the race as I lay in bed thinking how I haven't run much or had any quality runs lately and the scary feeling of how was I going to run 18 minutes for the 5K but then a thought came to me, "why don't I just run the race for the very reason the race was put on in the first place"?<br /><br />From the race ad, "<em>OROC is dedicated to creating an active community of hope and empowerment for those touched by ovarian cancer through awareness, education and early detection".</em> I said to myself, "this is a race that I will run strong and in support of those who were touched by ovarian cancer". After I said my little prayer for those touched by ovarian cancer and of thanks and appreciation my mind was at rest and I was out like a light.<br /><br />On race morning, down at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at the registration area I met a fellow co-worker, who was the one who told me about the race, and her son. They were volunteering for the race. We did some chit chatting and they wished me luck in the race.<br /><br />I thought the course would be and easy one to run but we had hills to run up and down, head winds coming off the lake, the bright sun shining in our face and heat and humidity, all to keep the pace under control. I was able to settle in my pace after the first mile and was able to hold my overall 5th place. Along the course we had a High School marching band, a man playing the bagpipe, and 3 or 4 Rock Bands to entertain the runners and walkers.<br /><br />The finish area was one big party area with food, giveaways, live music and dancing. At the awards ceremony I won first place in my age (45-49) finishing in the time of 17:44. They gave me a ribbon and a 50 dollar gift card for Dicks Sporting Goods. Yes!<br /><br />It's good to remember why we do the things we do and in particular how we are here for one another. This race reminded me of just that.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-34509525684784373232008-08-17T18:37:00.006-04:002008-08-17T20:31:15.635-04:00Roscoe Ramle the long route.I considered this organized biking event as my "epic weekend of biking". The event was a 2 day bike tour of a 110 or 150 mile route to choose from. I chose the 150 mile route because I planned on putting in good effort on both days as part of my training for my half <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ironman</span> triathlon in September. You couldn't ask for better weather. The sun shone both days with temperatures in the mid 70's.<br /><br />Saturdays ride started at Northwest High School, between Clinton and Canal Fulton. We made our way south to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Coshocton</span> and camped at Lake Park campgrounds. I saw more Amish buggies on the roads Saturday then I ever saw in one day. I got to race buggies up and down the hills of Amish country and even passed a few of them too. Some of the roads were pretty beat up from the wear and tear of those horse and buggies. Lunch was hosted by an Amish family farm and it was the best. They have been hosting lunch for a number of years for the Ramblers. We had garden fresh fruits and veggies, baked goodies, various cheeses and trail bologna and turkey ham sandwiches. Saturdays ride totals were 78.39 miles in 4:51:37. Max speed 40.1 mph and average speed was 16.1 mph. After the ride the only thing I needed more than a good meal was a neck and shoulder message. I got a good meal that was hosted by a church in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Coshocton</span> for all the riders but no message. After dinner I walked around downtown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Coshocton</span> and watched a live band play Elvis tributes. I could only take so much of, "I'm all shook up" and made my way back to my camp site. It was around 8:30 and I was ready to hit the hay.<br /><br />Sunday's ride started out in the fog. Although it wasn't too heavy and after 5 to 8 miles into the ride, with the sun shinning brighter, the fog lifted. I didn't see any buggies on the road on Sunday. And the roads were in much better condition than Saturday. Lunch was host by a church in Beach city. They had fresh fruits and veggies and baked goodies. I wasn't too crazy about my choice of hot dog, chili dog or sloppy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">joe's</span>. I was hungry and wanted/needed protein so I went with the sloppy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">joe</span>. Sundays ride totals were 77.30 miles in 4:49:39. Max speed 38.9mph and average speed was 16.0 mph. After the ride I ran 3 miles on the Canal Towpath in 21:50. Then I treated myself to a peaches and cream ice cream cone. On my way home I stopped at the store to buy a bag of ice. As soon as I came home I ripped open the bag and tossed the ice in the bath tub and filled the tub with cold water. I jumped right in and had my burning legs enjoy the cool refreshing feeling.<br /><br />Epic ride for the weekend was 155.69 miles on the roads of Amish country.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJrs0ETHjB6zBFX4IIU7fRiMrcZQl4Xb_7zmZ7j-opdEt7t0q5Sxm9Klik-qiel88x5rtxnVflQypLS9G8tqBHySW623dEk7XBfD9nzGJK4Wm7HJGiPSozVr7r4qXKk_kx1qu/s1600-h/Roscoe+Ramble+2008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235639472653615666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJrs0ETHjB6zBFX4IIU7fRiMrcZQl4Xb_7zmZ7j-opdEt7t0q5Sxm9Klik-qiel88x5rtxnVflQypLS9G8tqBHySW623dEk7XBfD9nzGJK4Wm7HJGiPSozVr7r4qXKk_kx1qu/s400/Roscoe+Ramble+2008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is me on Saturday at the 68 mile point of the ride.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-91469165901139410432008-08-11T17:15:00.005-04:002008-08-11T22:29:51.384-04:00Greater Cleveland Triathlon debacleI am so mad that I don't even want to write about my experience of yesterdays triathlon. To get my thoughts together and to write about it is hard. But I'll do my best to put something down. Maybe I'll learn some lessons.<br /><br />I get to the race, park my car and get out my racing gear. I hear a volunteer shout, "you can keep your wet suit in the car because there will be no swimming today". He said something about the coast guard not setting up buoys, because the early morning thunderstorms brought in high waves (and probably high bacteria levels, which no one ever really mentions) and made for unsafe swimming. I could see the waves crashing on the beach and the high winds blowing sand all over -not to mention the skies looking like a storm would blow in any moment. I could understand the safety concerns and wasn't bother by the swim getting canceled. The volunteer said the swim would be changed to a 1.2 mile run and then the rest of the race would be the same distance you were signed up to do.<br /><br />I made it over to the registration area and asked for my race packet but the nice volunteer said, "didn't you read on line that there is NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION OR PACKET PICKUP"? My heart sank. I realized I couldn't convince her to give me my packet so I asked her where the race director was and she said "He's somewhere walking around". I found the race director and apologized for my oversight and asked if he could please help me. He told me to hang on while he resolved some other issues on hand. Eventually, he took me back to the registration table and somehow my packet envelope appeared. Thank you Mr. Race Director.<br /><br />As I look over the packet I noticed they had me in for the sprint distance triathlon. Oh, boy another glitch. The kind volunteer directed me over to the timing truck to have my timing chip registered for the correct distance that I had registered for online. I was supposed to be signed up for the Olympic distance triathlon (it's a 1500 meter Swim, 40 K Bike, and a 10 K Run). I got that fixed and I was on my way to get ready for the race.<br /><br />The duathlon form of the race suited me well since running is my specialty sport. The gun went off for us to start the run and sure enough I was up there in the lead with the young kids and with no other 45 or older runner around. I didn't have a watch on so I had no idea how fast I ran the 1.2 miles and I made it into T1 with a few other runners. I hopped on my bike and was off with the lead riders. It looked like we had a lead motorcycle to escort us on the course. I saw he had his flashing lights on and I was able to keep him in my sights until about 2.5 miles into the ride where he made a left hand turn at an intersection. A patrol officer was waving us bikers to make the turn. I wondered why we turned when the green arrows were clearly pointing us to go straight. Oh well, maybe something happened the last minute on the course and we had to ride the route backwards. After riding 4 miles we got stopped by a train. No problem. An official was there to record our wait time and would report it to the finish line. It didn't take long for us to figure something was wrong when no other riders were coming in our direction. Then the official tells us we are riding the course backwards and that we need to turn around. How could we turn around and restart our bike split? Some bikers turned around but I chose to continue with some others to ride the course backwards. As we continued on our way race officials told us to turn around because the patrol officers were not directing the traffic for us. What frustrations we felt. It was down to me and another guy who continued the course backwards. I don't know what happened to the rest of the riders. After getting stopped 3 or 4 times I was loosing interest in the race but continued to finish the bike portion of the race. I even considered dropping out and going home, but then I thought I'm out here why not just make the best out of the run. If anything I'd get a good workout for the day.<br /><br />I started the run feeling strong but with no motive to run fast. After about 2 miles into the run and passing all kinds of people, who were mostly in the sprint distance, I began to run faster. The second half of the run went well for me and I had a strong finish.<br /><br />In the end I had no heart to collect my 3rd place age group award. I went home feeling like I never want to participate in the Greater Cleveland Triathlon again. I'll see what I think a year from now.<br /><br />Lessons hopefully learned:<br />* thou shalt read ALL the race registration info.<br />* thou shalt not be led astray by lead motor vehicles (yes, I was also led astray in the Cleveland Rite Aid 10k in 2007)<br />* thou shalt not let negative emotions frustrate a race.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ncmultisports.com/results/2008-results/2008-olympic.html" target="blank">Race Results</a>Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-43573611859664754452008-08-04T10:25:00.006-04:002008-08-05T12:16:48.708-04:00Burning River 100 - PacerI don't know how they do it. And I don't know how I did it either. But those ultra runners are some amazing people. Those guys and gals are not only tough physically but tough mentally to keep their bodies moving to the finish. I had the joy of running 40.6 miles, in about ten and a half hours, as a pacer for my friend Dustin in the <a href="http://www.burningriver100.org/wp/" target="blank">Burning River 100 mile Endurance Run</a>.<br /><br />Before I met Dustin in the early evening on Saturday I was able to get in a morning bike ride of 36 miles through some of the areas the runners would be making their way through. The race began 5:00am and I was able to cheer some of the runners on at the 30 mile marker. It was exciting to watch them come by.<br /><br />In the afternoon I was a volunteer at the half way point of the race. We treated those runners like kings and queens providing food, drinks, and first aid. I would watch the runners come in to the aid station and look and listen to what the runner needed and or asked for. I would fill ball caps with ice for them to put on their heads, sponge off dirt and clean wounds from trail spills, and guide them in the direction for them to keep running.<br /><br />Some runners didn't waste much time. When the lead runner came in he was not only met by us but by his support team who provided him food, drink and supplements. He stuffed his mouth, with food falling out, he mumbled thanks and took off running.<br /><br />Third place runner who came to us was a women. I was amazed how strong she looked. She wanted to know how second place looked and I told her if she took care of herself she could catch him. She must have listened because she was second overall. Congratulations Connie!<br /><br />I stayed helping out until 4:45 and then drove home expecting to eat dinner and take a nap before I'd get the call that my runner would be ready for me at the 60.6 mile point. But his wife called me at 5:00pm to tell me Dustin was ahead of schedule and would be ready for me by 5:30. I had no time for dinner or nap so I grabbed my running gear and drove back to the course to meet Dustin by 5:41. He came in at the 60.6 mile mark in 31st place. His goal was to finish in 24 hours or better. My goal was to make sure he would break 24 hours. We ran either side by side or with me in front. The highlight of our conversations was family, church, and God. I would also try to speak words of encouragement at the right moments. He asked at one point if I was in pain and at that time I had no pain but just tired legs. I guess I wasn't thinking about my pain but was focused on bringing Dustin home to the finish. During an ultra run I don't think runners think too much about the distance but rather getting through to the next 4 to 6 mile aid station. It's refreshing to have helpful people feeding you and cheering you on.<br /><br />Dustin finished in 23:17. And went from 31st place at the 60 mile mark down to 20th place overall. Congratulations Dustin!<br /><br />I'm on the left ready to help the lead runner at the 50.6 mile mark.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidguS70V_lrBvPiVojrItG_Z37OQs0HhG5YCZA0mfAiNtuyb1pjXyCMgTzR11YL9GQjBq2UrdL1q46PG-PMRtZc49vPwe-PdGz-LHmDD2fUGvYAqXnXx4CDqCFW2ffs7MnI8nu/s1600-h/BurningRiver2008_020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231057196526236258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidguS70V_lrBvPiVojrItG_Z37OQs0HhG5YCZA0mfAiNtuyb1pjXyCMgTzR11YL9GQjBq2UrdL1q46PG-PMRtZc49vPwe-PdGz-LHmDD2fUGvYAqXnXx4CDqCFW2ffs7MnI8nu/s400/BurningRiver2008_020.jpg" border="0" /></a>Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-21550900868174484202008-07-13T16:11:00.005-04:002008-07-14T13:32:26.501-04:00Looking across the lake.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1U-yoZ2OanEaRcECmJ2BR4CTjm7kNZEnmnUOqQF1lurdImi9MJDiemrccUxIISSs_6DsYnu6gFlBvnB1YAbiW146UuKLm7sXQmxGKZYJPLcrTxVJKsU0pPh6hirTHpYVwmcY/s1600-h/S7301454.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222594978141933154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1U-yoZ2OanEaRcECmJ2BR4CTjm7kNZEnmnUOqQF1lurdImi9MJDiemrccUxIISSs_6DsYnu6gFlBvnB1YAbiW146UuKLm7sXQmxGKZYJPLcrTxVJKsU0pPh6hirTHpYVwmcY/s400/S7301454.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />What do you see when you look across a lake?<br />My wife and I were out on a morning bike ride around Deer Creek lake and we stopped by this grassy point over looking the lake and after awhile of enjoying the view I asked her what she saw out there. She said she was wondering what the land looked like before the lake was formed from the dam. She was trying to figure out what the land was before the flood. I on the other hand, was wondering how long it would take me to swim across that smooth lake. I was thinking about, my what a good workout I could get in on that beautiful lake. We laughed at our romantic ideas and got back on our bikes and continued our ride.<br /><br />Later that afternoon I was able to get a nice open water swim across the lake. The swim felt so good that I didn't want the swim to end.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-53738715302970808362008-07-02T17:38:00.004-04:002008-07-03T15:33:03.792-04:00Running is out of the question.It was a beautiful day and I felt good to be out running in the park, enjoying the scenery and sweating, but the run lasted for only 15 minutes. My bum knee cut my planned 30 minute run short. The knee got banged up from a little bike spill I had almost 2 weeks ago. I also found out today that my right wrist does have a broken carpal bone in it. I guess no serious training and racing is on the calendar for the month of July.<br /><br />I've been swimming everyday this week and that seems to be OK except when I push off the wall after a flip turn I get knee pain and when I try to pull myself out of the pool I get pain in my wrist. The pain isn't too bad, though.<br /><br />Biking is OK, but it takes me about 5 miles into the ride before my knee feels good. I just can't stand or climb hills too much.<br /><br />My training for this week has been a swim focus, where I swim every day and alternate hard and long day workouts. Next week will be a bike focus. I'm hoping to get back into running after next week.<br /><br />Saturday we leave for Deer Creek State Park for a week long of family reunion time. We are looking forward to having a relaxed fun time.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-36110762247545945222008-06-23T15:41:00.006-04:002008-06-23T21:32:21.857-04:00A Tri before a Ride.It has been a wonderful week of riding the back roads of Ohio with over 2500 other riders. Before the ride started last Sunday I did an Olympic distance triathlon out in Findlay, Ohio. My goal was to complete the race in 2:25:00 and I am happy to say I complete it in 2:21:23. I almost wished I didn't check the race <a href="http://www.hfpracing.com/results.php?eventid=52&raceid=148" target="blank">results</a> because of my seemingly poor swim results. I question if some people completed the required 2 laps of the 1500 meter swim. The guy who placed 40th did 1500 meters in 11:21? I doubt it. The overall race results seemed foggy too because the overall winner Martin Mason, who I enjoyed meeting after the race, was shocked to hear he got the overall win, even though, I passed him in the run with over 1 mile to the finish. Other than the 2 hour wait for the awards ceremony, for a dog tag for my 2nd place age group finish, I enjoyed a fast race on beautiful country roads.<br /><br />GOBA (Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure) was an adventure. To summarize in one sentence of my experience of camping and biking for the week would be: Meeting so many people from all over the country with a common interest in sharing the joy of riding the country roads of Ohio and having a freedom from our normal day to day life was a blessing experienced by us all.<br /><br />During the week we had 2 lay over days where we have optional riding routes or we could relax and enjoy the hosting town by sight seeing. Our first lay over day we spent at a water park. The second lay over day my family did another water park but I used a loaner bike from one of the bike vendors to get in a 42 mile ride in. The ride was a beautiful country hill buster and I pushed a hard effort while trying to hold off a guy that was drafting off me for a few miles. After about 10 miles I left him in the dust.<br /><br />And on the last day after 25 miles into the ride we hit a dirt rutted access road and my son & I did a spill while trying to avoid a deep rut. I banged my right knee and right wrist. My son got the wind knocked out of him and banged his right pinkie. Roadside emergency crew was there to help us within minutes. We brushed off the dirt and told them we were planing on eating at Bob Evan's and that at the next rest stop we'll check in with them. At the rest stop they cleaned our wounds and bandaged us. We rode another 25 miles to the finish.<br /><br />Total riding miles 260, plus the 42 miles I did on my own.<br /><br />These are just some of the pictures taken.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5Pkl9VqwrP0WyVLyocd0NC_B_0oaM_BdmPwtacx4BxeUofZL-RZFALuc2BlMbJtgrPzM2SNE2WGB6OdXGVRuw6ktqHj7tdn2WIGrzj3dn0TddyEtwqbf2fUygwMz1BauDtWG/s1600-h/GOBA+2008+061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215187971458929010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5Pkl9VqwrP0WyVLyocd0NC_B_0oaM_BdmPwtacx4BxeUofZL-RZFALuc2BlMbJtgrPzM2SNE2WGB6OdXGVRuw6ktqHj7tdn2WIGrzj3dn0TddyEtwqbf2fUygwMz1BauDtWG/s400/GOBA+2008+061.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xMAeS4Ppj4hNLIuMkMb16iak4C-_c1QrRSOiPvBVtt7uq9eL1qv_c4PlX2iJCVsvqklFWTodvXxoKAmT6lYi-YLRkn9L63QExMF4s2HYcwC1_esAY6oNOrcokEkQTKrQ6z-2/s1600-h/GOBA+2008+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215188533852495474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xMAeS4Ppj4hNLIuMkMb16iak4C-_c1QrRSOiPvBVtt7uq9eL1qv_c4PlX2iJCVsvqklFWTodvXxoKAmT6lYi-YLRkn9L63QExMF4s2HYcwC1_esAY6oNOrcokEkQTKrQ6z-2/s400/GOBA+2008+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBr9nK_1cJ-Nc4BeFeynV2iSrkPfPj31CWFyC1UD836fNalOMz2EbdXBr9AJhXyp9zE8zJGyGXuStTaM3iWnQCAOXuBC91E0yXjI0TdPvCUjZD8Kn0qpy7IV58HUPNKiy3V4p/s1600-h/GOBA+2008+129.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215192713399239970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBr9nK_1cJ-Nc4BeFeynV2iSrkPfPj31CWFyC1UD836fNalOMz2EbdXBr9AJhXyp9zE8zJGyGXuStTaM3iWnQCAOXuBC91E0yXjI0TdPvCUjZD8Kn0qpy7IV58HUPNKiy3V4p/s400/GOBA+2008+129.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qt5cXCT08mMAL8R2IOvfHz-AR5iGLj4yCxEV9PtuYix-GcVRrZGPtrjJ_yC1RDZLaBhIqhMWFmJcm8eGOQ2ptf1aSUwhAnReeysYTEUWDvEiQ9vM8_OfmXYPZ2MooaFwZ6hk/s1600-h/GOBA+2008+130.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215189234166306082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qt5cXCT08mMAL8R2IOvfHz-AR5iGLj4yCxEV9PtuYix-GcVRrZGPtrjJ_yC1RDZLaBhIqhMWFmJcm8eGOQ2ptf1aSUwhAnReeysYTEUWDvEiQ9vM8_OfmXYPZ2MooaFwZ6hk/s400/GOBA+2008+130.jpg" border="0" /></a>Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-61470484134885963322008-06-13T06:00:00.000-04:002008-06-13T10:46:32.934-04:00GOBA here we come.It's been a few months now that my wife, son and I have been focusing on getting ready for GOBA by riding our bikes as much as possible. We leave for GOBAville this Saturday afternoon. But before we set out on our adventure I'll do an Olympic triathlon in Findlay, Ohio Saturday morning. I think I'm more over whelmed with the thought of getting all things packed for the triathlon and GOBA today than our build up of biking for the trip or my training for the race.<br /><br />My wife was able to get in the required training of riding 350 miles to help ensure success in completing the week long event of riding over 200 miles. We also conquered the 1/2 mile 7% grade of Warner road hill. She's been putting off riding up that hill in fear of the pain and agony of defeat but she survived and now has more confidence she'll be able to enjoy GOBA. I also wanted to ride up the hill on the tandem with my son and we experienced it was easier than we feared. We're all physically and mentally ready for the challenge and look forward to a week long adventure of biking and camping.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-50770020324848356882008-05-31T11:13:00.003-04:002008-06-01T14:02:44.745-04:00Morgana Run 5K Race & the kettlebellWhat does winning a 5K race and a kettlebell workout have in common? They are both hard yet rewarding experiences to be had. I'll start with the kettlebell. I've heard of these "iron balls" in the past but thought they were too dangerous to mess with. But I recently listened to a certified trainer give a talk on the kettlebell and how the benefits through proper use can give great results from a strength and conditioning aspect. I did some youtude perusing and was impressed so I went to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought a 20lb kettlebell. I got home from the store and watched the video that came with the KB and did about 7 sets of the various exercises. I tried to take it slow and make sure I had proper form yet I still managed to put up a sweat and get my heart rate pumping. Two days later DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) set in on my shoulders and ham string muscles. Just what I needed in time for my local <a href="http://www.hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/slavic.asp" target="blank">5K race</a>. Not.<br /><br />The video displays a kettlebell swing. Watch Annie as she swings her way up from 16kg to 32kg. Very impressive.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4CAeO8OUkvs&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4CAeO8OUkvs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />I will use the DVD's that came with the kettlebell for a 3 month, 2 to 3 workouts per week, to see what kind of results I get.<br /><br />Back to the race. I chose this local race because it's a few miles down the street from my home. I think it's encouraging to see what the <a href="http://www.slavicvillage.org/" target="blank">Slavic Village Development</a> is doing to improve the community. The race was the 2nd annual event and I thought it was well organized including a hip band at the finish and pierogies, sausages and bananas for us to enjoy. I checked out last years results to find that the overall winner was in 18:32. I was pumped and knew I could smash that time.<br /><br />My race prep included a bowl of oatmeal with a squirt of Hammer gel and sips of HEED leading up to the race. I ran an easy 2 mile warm up, did some stretching, and 4 x 100 yard stride outs. I was ready to run.<br /><br />The bell went off and I immediately took lead and heard someones feet behind me for the first mile. The first mile was in 5:05. That was fast. I was then working hard to maintain an even pace for the rest of the race. No one ever came up behind me to push me even more into oxygen debt. Good thing, because I was spent, winning the overall race.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-29206699411662932942008-05-26T20:14:00.002-04:002008-05-29T10:13:21.299-04:00Backpacking Racoon Creek State Park, PA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPwRmI-xnZSOwWZr-By_0G1yIXs_5PBrrg_7qothYl_XFNv0zMbAjJR5t4tDENhQquT-Mt0-mzdj1qq8fWeZOpm2tbKFXbp09-FWKmywSpA7TKeEzuXabnXNSNiS9OrPC4K02/s1600-h/Backpacking+Racoon+Creek+State+Park,+PA+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205245435133275682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPwRmI-xnZSOwWZr-By_0G1yIXs_5PBrrg_7qothYl_XFNv0zMbAjJR5t4tDENhQquT-Mt0-mzdj1qq8fWeZOpm2tbKFXbp09-FWKmywSpA7TKeEzuXabnXNSNiS9OrPC4K02/s400/Backpacking+Racoon+Creek+State+Park,+PA+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, the joys of backpacking! But before I get into explaining how enjoyable backpacking was this past weekend for my family and I at Raccoon Creek State, PA, I have to speak of some of the preparations involved in getting ready for the trip.<br /><br />Planning begins with laying out a route that 10 year old boys can hike without feeling like a death march. There should be enough miles to hike in 2 days and still have plenty of time to stop, jump in the creeks, or swing on the vines. What "kid food" to buy and to bring that will feed their appetite. Make sure all hiking and camping equipment is in good shape. The kids have boots and a backpack. Make reservations for the camp site in early May. Pack clothes and equipment the night before and the food in the morning. The list goes on but after you survive the 2 hour drive in the car with silly boys punching each other and you set foot on the trail and soak in all the sights and sounds of nature you remember why we came out into the woods.<br /><br />Before we start to hike the boys find a stream and begin "fishing around" and get their shoes and pants wet. If that's what they want to do to have fun then they are free to be boys and explorer the great outdoors.<br /><br />We hiked 3 miles in about 2 hours the first day and 5.5 miles in 5 hours the second day. Backpackers typically hike 2 miles per hour which includes a 10 minute rest every 50 minutes but with little hikers there is no set pace. It's not about the hike but the experiences along the way that the boys love to enjoy.<br /><br />Our campsite had Adirondack Shelters for us to sleep in, rest rooms near by, a well water pump and a bear bag pole. By the pole was a sign explaining how important it is in not "entertaining" the bears with food left in the campsite but to use the pole to string up your food and to get it out of reach from the critters. I had them read the sign so that they can learn some "best camp practices". I think it may have put some scary thoughts in their heads as the sun went down and it was time to go to sleep. We had to speak reassuring words that bears are shy and are not looking to bother us. Besides we cleaned up camp and left no trace of food for bears or critters to find.<br /><br />We all slept fine.<br /><br />Yes, there is a lot to get ready for a backpacking trip but where else can boys throw knives, wade in a creek digging up cray fish, swing on vines, and build fires? And that's why we'll be out in the woods again.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-81210657989163291742008-05-21T20:19:00.002-04:002008-05-22T12:04:52.497-04:00Tandem Practice Ride<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1_kv1j3tFuwpkqvIuzgcGN60MqaxhgViVVC1bPp6o6_VYyVSrnSjQAaxOy7gcHkuD3GflNK_IziPJ-libWvt3ZZhHC6I0gqCysvUIGTVxh0EuKtE4LTlSY9E06KiqgQpUTUg/s1600-h/Tandem+practice+ride+056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202991432707406866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1_kv1j3tFuwpkqvIuzgcGN60MqaxhgViVVC1bPp6o6_VYyVSrnSjQAaxOy7gcHkuD3GflNK_IziPJ-libWvt3ZZhHC6I0gqCysvUIGTVxh0EuKtE4LTlSY9E06KiqgQpUTUg/s400/Tandem+practice+ride+056.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><a href="http://www.goba.com/" target="blank">GOBA</a> is a week long camping and biking adventure in the Ohio area. And my family and I signed up to ride it this year on June 14th, with a group of 11 other riders. I rode GOBA back in 2004 with about 12 other friends and I had a great time. I had hoped to one day do GOBA again and to ride it with my wife and son. But, in order to do the average 50 mile daily ride I had to find a way for them to survive without too much discomfort. First, we had to do something about getting a decent bike for my wife. She would not be able to ride her mountain bike for the trip so we began to shop around for a road bike. We found one at our <a href="http://www.bikeauthority.com/" target="blank">local bike shop</a> where she was fitted nicely onto a women's specific <a href="http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/08/cusa/model-8RWA7T.html" target="blank">Cannondale bike</a>. She has taken the bike out for a couple spins around the neighborhood and park and appreciates the comfort factor being so much better compared to the men's mountain bike that she rode with.<br /><br />The next challenge for me was to borrow a tandem bike from a friend and begin practice riding it with my 10 year son. I had to buy extender cranks for him to reach the pedals. I adjusted the seat all the way down and positioned the handle bars so that he felt comfortable on the bike.<br /><br />We have been riding the tandem for about 2 weeks now and we are loving it every time we go out. Our longest ride was 2 hours this past Saturday (before Sunday's Cleveland 10K race). We are working on building up to 4 hours of riding up and down hills. We hope to accomplish that by the first weekend in June. This should give us all the confidence we need in order to survive a week long of biking.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-76172396370273925572008-05-18T11:54:00.005-04:002008-05-18T22:32:51.660-04:00Cleveland 10KThis year we had no wrong turns on the 10K course. All went well for my long awaited 10K race. I could complain about pulling a muscle in my chest yesterday when I twisted and turned my body while lifting my tandem bike out of the trunk. But then, if it's not one thing it's another on race day. We still did our family long bike ride of 21 miles. The pain was noticeable every time I would turn my head and torso to look behind. And if I took deep breaths I could feel the pain. I was hoping a good soak in Epsom salt bath and good nights sleep would help ease some pain, which it did.<br /><br />Race morning was a cool 55 degrees and some light rain at the start. The first mile went by fast and easy with a time of 5:40. I was happy with that time. I then focused on maintaining a steady strong pace while getting hit from winds in all directions. The last mile I ran with Scott S. which helped me to finish strong otherwise, I may have fallen apart with no one to push me.<br /><br />One of the best things about running this big race is the crowd support along the course. And I would have to give the best cheering award to <a href="http://runwithelizabeth.blogspot.com/" target="blank">E</a> and <a href="http://solarsquirrel.com/blog/">Solar Squirrel</a> from our <a href="http://www.southeastrunningclub.org/" target="blank">Running Club</a>. They really put on a great cheering performance. They spotted me way before I even could see them. I could hear them but didn't see where they were until I came closer to them. Thanks gals, your cheering took me through to the next mile.<br /><br />After the race I ate a banana, Stony Farm yogurt and then put on some warm dry clothes. I made my way to the marathon course and met <a href="http://subthreemarathon.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Brian</a>. We had agreed that I would help bring him in the last 4 miles of his marathon race. I did my best to speak words of encouragement along the way. We had a good time.<br /><br /><a href="http://live.activeresult.com/index.adp?id=29&bib=9251" target="blank">Link to 10K Results</a> for a 22nd overall finish.Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21970116.post-11425997017831625782008-05-06T14:37:00.007-04:002008-05-08T19:25:18.188-04:00The Sunny Side of Training.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUPh9jFfsGvejZwh4_rdoZIt0Gw8AeOkIJST9GHzUGYTzHx3vSY66YyXwPpWG1w-1Jga29IsPjS3V1GzFgWfbKzdBJ39nPTxuCHzFbhLg1I4iyzCriqb5lhyphenhyphensIj2x8LHUTZKB/s1600-h/Taylor+Visit+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197372568744993282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUPh9jFfsGvejZwh4_rdoZIt0Gw8AeOkIJST9GHzUGYTzHx3vSY66YyXwPpWG1w-1Jga29IsPjS3V1GzFgWfbKzdBJ39nPTxuCHzFbhLg1I4iyzCriqb5lhyphenhyphensIj2x8LHUTZKB/s400/Taylor+Visit+029.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My training for the May 18, Cleveland 10K is going well. Last week we visited our daughter in sunny Florida. She recently had a baby girl and we got to spend time with her and her family. During our visit we spent a day at Epcot, went to the beach a couple of times, and hugged and kissed the baby the rest of the time.<br /><br />I did my runs in the mornings when the temps were in the mid 80's and humidty at 80 percent. A 6 mile mid tempo run in 38:26 (6:24 pace) was bearable but the 8 mile long tempo in 53:19 (6:40 pace) was a cooker. I needed to drink some water after 40 minutes sooo bad. I was tempted to plop myself into one of the many ponds I ran by but after seeing 2 alligators already that morning I realized you don't go swimming in just any pond you see in Florida.<br /><br />Today's track workout was a good indicator for me to prove the kind of shape I am in for a good 10K race. The main set was 3 X 1 mile (at 5:38 pace) with only 1 minute rest between. And if we have 80+ temps with high humidity on race morning I hope my mind and body remembers the tough run I did in Florida. </div>Papa Louiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063282125373869332noreply@blogger.com4