The 2010 Ironman World Championships from Kona, Hawaii, will air for the first time on television on Saturday, December 18 on NBC from 4 - 6 pm EST. Make sure and watch and get inspired.

Ironman World Championships Race Report

Almost 2 weeks after Kona, I have some time to sit and reflect on my experience. I think this will be the last blog post on this site as all good things must come to an end and my journey to the Ironman World Championships is now complete. I am grateful that this diary will be on the internet for quite some time. I look forward to my daughters reading about it all and even myself when I need a reminder.

First of all racing on the hallowed grounds of the Hawaiian Ironman has been a dream of mine for the past 15 years. It was 15 years ago that I became a triathlete and I was soon captivated by the Ironman VHS tapes that my brother Mike had recorded from TV. The pros winning at the time were the biggest names in the sport and I admired them just like I had admired Michael Jordan just a few years earlier. In 1996 I graduated from high school and raced in my first triathlon and in the same year Belgian Luc Van Lierde was the first European winner of the race and set the course record of 8:04:08 that still stands currently and still has the fastest ever IM finish of 7:50:27 which he also set in 1996 at what was Ironman Germany.

As I slowly built up from sprint triathlons to Olympic then to half ironman races the reality of completing an Ironman race came to reality in 2000 when I finished Ironman Florida. I honestly picked Florida because I felt it was the flattest and therefore easiest course I could find. I finished in 11:34:14 with swim, bike and run times of 1:02, 5:42 and 4:39. I remember the sun went down pretty early in November and I ran lots of the marathon in the dark and it felt like a painful death march at times. Afterwards walking up and down stairs was dreadful but I was an Ironman and I got my M-dot tattoo on my arm.

Two years later I raced Ironman Wisconsin in Madison. For this race I had a coach and was preparing for this race very well. I was in graduate school at the time and had plans of getting married and moving this year as well. One very unfortunate thing that happened this year is that I suffered an appendicitis over Christmas and had to undergo surgery. This surgery really affected my fitness that year and I still regard it as the first step of me losing my abs! I was married in June and honeymooned into July then we moved to Las Cruces shortly thereafter and Wisconsin was the second weekend in September. Madison was such a beautiful place and I hope to someday go back to that part of the country with the family maybe for a race or maybe not. In 2002, it was Wisconsin's innagural year so we knew very little about the course and how difficult it actually was. I finished in 12:03:34 with swim, bike and run times of 1:03, 6:11 and 4:31. The race itself and Madison was a blast but I was disappointed in my result and the Ironman distance left a sour taste in my mouth.

Twice since 2002 I have signed up for an Ironman event and not made it to the starting line. Once I withdrew from Ironman Arizona because of the poor health my dad was in at the time and the need for me to be traveling between Las Cruces and Socorro. Then I withdrew from Ironman USA in New York because of other personal reasons that got in the way of this hobby. Emma was born in 2005, right around the both of these races and I was now working as a math teacher in Las Cruces.

From then to now I have wondered if I would ever train for and complete another Ironman race, let alone the World Championships. I put on additional weight from those days and another little girl had become part of our family last year. Add to that the fact that I started coaching varsity XC and track. I had always maintained enough fitness to race local triathlons every year since 1996 but an Ironman is so much more dedication in every sense: time, effort, money... Let's just say I had gotten "comfortable."

So thank goodness that the original Ironman founders decided to add a lottery for Hawaii because without that golden ticket I was lucky enough to get I would not have been motivated enough to race another Ironman again. I found out that I was a lottery recipient the day after my 33rd birthday, almost 6 months before race day in Kona. Fast forward through a lot of training over the summer that you have probably already read about on this blog and I made it to Kona 15 pounds lighter, healthy and as good of shape as I have ever been in.

Race week in Kona is so much fun. There are just so many fit people all out training, there is just so much to take in. My personal favorite is swimming at Dig Me Beach in the early mornings leading up to the race. Also, with a little encouraging, Emma and I participated in the underpants run on Thursday before the race. It was a fun way to experience everything about the Hawaii Ironman and have a good laugh while doing it.

Saturday came around quickly and surprisingly I wasn't very nervous at all. I really thought I would be but I was glad I wasn't because it was a whole lot easier that way. Breakfast was oatmeal, a banana and coffee. I got body marked, checked my bike and dropped off the special needs bag for the bike and everything was set to go. I walked over to where the family was along the sea wall and said my good byes before the long day officially started.

I lined up for the swim on the far left which I had heard was the least aggressive. I was a few rows back from the start line and I can honestly say that the swim was one of the most enjoyable swims I have ever had in a race of this size. Besides the water being amazingly warm and clear, I just sort of found my own spot for the entire swim. I swam pretty conservatively on the way out and made it to the turnaround in :31. Upon reaching the boat I realized that I was moving and because of that the day was sure to come to an end and it made me a little sad to be honest. I found a good pair of feet to follow on the return trip and I worked harder than I had on the way out but there might have been a current because I exited the swim in 1:05. Slower than my 2 previous IM swims but Hawaii is a non wetsuit swim so roughly pretty identi

cal. I was pleased with this time knowing that my swim training had dropped off some once school started.

Onto the bike and the plan was to stick to my nutrition plan and ride as if it were a training day and not get caught up in a "race." My nutrition plan was a drink of Powerbar Peform mixed with Carbo Pro every :15 and a salt pill and gel every :30. My goal was to be able to get off the bike feeling like I could and still wanted to run. I later read the the temps on the road reached to the triple digits during the race but I didn't really notice the heat or the humidity. What I did notice was wind! There was one section that I feared staying in my aerobars and because I didn't take my hands off the bars I let my nutrition go a little through this section during the out and the back portion of the bike. Momentum slowed for sure during these 2 sections. On the return along the Queen K Highway I started getting tired and the motivation dropped

some. This was to be expected. In a race this long there will be highs and there will be lows. Some advice I got before the race was to not let the highs be too high or the lows be too low. I did eventually pull it out and picked it up coming back into town. Final bike split was 5:53 and I averaged 19 miles per hour for the 112 miles. Like I planned that was a good "training day" speed and not really a race pace. And most importantly, like Forrest Gump, I felt like running.

My run transition took a little longer than expected as I waited a bit for my Garmin GPS watch to locate some satellites. As you would expect from technology it set up very quickly in all of the training I did in Kona leading up to the race but it seemed to take forever on race day. I think the biggest goal of the bike ride was to set myself up for a good run, nutrition included. For this reason I didn't have much of a plan for nutrition on the run. I was going to take the aid stations as they came. If I felt like something I grabbed it and if I didn't I continued running. Ice proved to be my most favorite. The first 10 miles of this course are in Kona and on Alii Drive so there are lots of fans cheering and it passes rather quickly. I was super happy to see that both Lindsey and Mike had rented bicycles in town and were pretty much going to be able to follow my entire run. All of this portion felt great and I ran comfortable 8:20 - 8:40 minute miles. Again, I wasn't trying to race anyone, just enjoy my experience and make sure I got to the line on my own 2 feet and with a smile.

The remaining 16 miles are on the Queen K Highway which we had just used for the bike ride. It was here that my stomach took a turn for the worst and I needed 4 stops at port a potties during the remaining miles. There is also one stretch of an out and back called the Natural Energy Lab and that was a tough section to get through. Similar to the bike I had some highs and some lows on the run and towards the end I was able to find my running legs and get through it. As the finish line drew closer and closer I wish I could say that I was full of emotions. My first Ironman I finished in Florida I couldn't help but let some tears of joy roll down but here in Hawaii they did not come. Not because I wasn't happy or sad, I think I just had come to the end of my journey and I was content. My run time was 4:15:39 or a pace of 9:45 minutes per mile. Although I had been on pace to attain my personal goal of finishing before the sunset, it did not happen with those unfortunate bathroom breaks. I finished the race in 11:27:31 which was 6:27 pm in the evening and the sun had set just a few minutes before.

Upon finishing I was walked over to the medical tent where they checked my weight and since I had only lost a total of 4lbs during the day I did not require an IV but I did lay down for a while with my feet elevated as I was feeling tingly in my extremities. When I finally got up and out of there I made 2 more bathroom visits then gathered my stuff and walked over with my family to a place where I could eat a hot dog and a shaved ice. Although I had thought I might be interested in showering and going back to the finish line for the midnight celebration i simply showered and went to bed, the days work was over and I could rest with my wife and daughters.

The next 2 days in Hawaii were fun and I was surprised how un-sore I was. I was able to play a little at the beach and enjoy some Hawaii time. Since arriving back in Socorro I think I have finally got caught up on rest and washing clothes and unpacking. Things are back to normal and I've even joined my XC kids on a couple of runs. I still don't know when or if I will do another Ironman again but I am already registered for a half Ironman in June so although I am taking some time off now it won't be too much longer until I am back at it, logging miles with a purpose and race in mind.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in this race and I know I couldn't have nor would I have wanted to do it without the love and support from my closest friends and family and the XC kids.

Thank you for being part of it all.

Awesome article in the local newspaper about "Ironman Montoya"

http://www.dchieftain.com/echieftain/echieftain.pdf

Here is a video I'd like to share that my XC kids made for me while I was in Hawaii. It was tough to watch with a dry eye, I love those kids!

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

I love pictures when both feet are caught off the ground. I ran a pretty consistent marathon despite stomach issues and several port a potty breaks. The miles flew by for the most part. Having Mike and Lindsey riding along from time to time on rented bikes helped a ton and allowed me to talk and get my mind off the marathon for a bit.

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

I think ice was my favorite commodity at the aid stations.

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Onto the marathon and feeling good at the aid stations!

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

This was at the very end of the bike. The smile is gone but only because I hadn't noticed Lindsey sitting there. The 112 miles were an adventure! At 2 points I was afraid to take a hand off the handlebar because I didn't want to get blown off my bike.

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

Early into the bike ride and smiling.

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Mike was awake though!

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Emma looks a little asleep and she probably was. The day is long for families as well as athletes.

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

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Looking tough with my race number freshly inked!

In about 13 hours from now I will be gun ho with 1800 other people in the washing machine that the ocean will become. Everybody in the condo traveled to some waterfalls this afternoon and left me alone to chill and get ready. I got my bike and transition bags checked in down on the pier and I made myself some chicken and pasta for dinner. It's been like a little calm before the storm. It's a beautiful sunset from the lanai.

As I relax here I need to reflect a little about the big dance tomorrow. The last 6 months have flown by just like this trip has. I can't wait for tomorrow to get here but I am also enjoying the journey too much to let it go. Although I have been training for this race for the last 6 months it has been a dream/goal for 15 years and it is amazing that it is real and its tomorrow. I feel very lucky to have gotten in and I feel extremely blessed by the support i have received along the way.

First and foremost I have to thank my wife, Lindsey. Without her love, support and understanding none of this could have been possible. Training for this has kept me gone for long periods of time every weekend and she never had an issue with any of it. Not only that but she was the only person there all of the time through good and bad times. She put up with a tired and sometimes grumpy husband. As far as equipment goes, triathlon is an expensive sport and let's just say Lindsey was very understanding. She is a really good mother to our 2 girls and I just want to say thank you and I appreciate you. I am looking forward to changing roles as you get ready for your first marathon in December. You'll do great and the girls and I are lucky to have you.

And my best buddy, Danny, I owe so much of this race and the last 6 months to him. Danny has been my coach through all of this and his experience has helped me be in the best shape I could be in right now. During the last 6 months I have lost about 15 pounds and have set several PR's this season and that's after 15 years of racing. I truly felt that those kind of days were behind me at this point. Most importantly Danny re-ignited my love of competition, training, and desire to always improve. I had gotten way too "comfortable" in a lot of ways in the last 8 years and if Ironman wouldn't have happened I would still be on that track to accepting "comfortable". Danny is a motivating person who is continually striving to be the best he can be in whatever he pursues and his attitude and outlook cant help but be infectious. Thank you for everything Danny, including being my bro.

My XC team, woot woot! I love these guys and am so proud of all of them. I can say with all honesty that I truly appreciate the fact that each of them run on our team. Our team seems like a family and I want them all to know that they motivate me more than I could ever motivate them. Tomorrow the run is 26 miles long and I have 26 kids on the team and I will dedicate one mile to each of them. I think they will help me get through the toughest of parts and I know they'll be supporting me online from Socorro. The theme for this years Ironman is ke alahele o ke koa, which means the way of the warrior. Our XC cheer is "we run LONG, we run HARD, 1, 2, 3, WARRIORS!"

My little girl, Emma. I'm notntrying to ignore Grace here but she is so little she will not remember this trip or experience. There will be others for her. But my Emma is plenty old enough to take it all in. She is one of the reasons I decided to create this blog so she could look back on it someday and read about it all. I want her to believe that she can do anything. I want her to be a healthy, happy, confident, and strong girl. If you know her, she is already very athletic and has such good coordination. She can do a one handed cartwheel perfectly and has been diving and swimming since she was 2. She ran the 1 mile underpants run with me yesterday too. She is just so awesome and my heart melts when I see her growing up. I look forward to seeing her tomorrow cheering me on and I look forward seeing her in high school tearing up the XC scene.

Last and in no way least is my big brother, Mike. Mike is the reason I started triathlon. He is the reason I played basketball. He is a teacher and so am I. We both drive suburbans and each have 2 kids. My point is the theme here is that I have always wanted to do, to be like, to immulate my big brother. Luckily he has always proven to be a good role model. I have been here to the Big Island twice to watch him become an Ironman and now he is here to support me. I have always wanted to make my brother proud. I even remember regretting showing him stuff I had because he would more than likely end up with it but I just could never resist trying to impress him. I actually beat him in a triathlon recently, something that has only happened twice in the last 15 years, and like when I was little I hoped he was impressed with the work I've put in. I know he knows the work I've put in because he has trained with me more than anyone getting ready for this. Sometimes at a cost to his races he would ride very long with me. It was so much nicer to have someone with me to talk to and push me. Thanks bro for being here now and always, I'll make you proud.

There are other people too like Robert, EP, Mathew, Ephraim, and Tony who I appreciate having as friends and supporters so thank you too.

"awards become corroded but friends gather no dust" - Jesse Owens

Aloha

Tick...tick...tick...

Time is going by way too quickly here on the Big Island. The race is within 24 hours and I think I was asked if I was nervous by just about everyone in the condo and a few text messages to boot. I have to admit the butterflies are waking up.

One thing I would like to let everyone know is that I will be wearing a GPS device all day that will allow you to track my progress online in real time with much better results than the standard ironman.com athlete tracker where splits do not appear until you cross a timing mat placed out on the course.

If you are using a computer, laptop, iPhone use this link www.trackmyathlete.com/vemap.aspx?name=038500

If you are using a blackberry or any non flash device use this link www.trackmyathlete.com/pda.aspx?name=038500

I will turn it on today and go for a practice run so it should even work later today so just try it out and make sure it's working and you understand it.

If you use this tracking service and have another window opened to ironman.com for live video on race day you will have the ultimate viewing option available.

I feel like I should be doing stuff besides on the iPad so I better get moving. Bike check in is later today and I still need to go for a final little spin before that to make sure everything is good.

Thank you all for your support, I feel very blessed.

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

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Originally uploaded by Steven Montoya

Of course we had to get a hula skirt!

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Fresh coconut milk is not as good as it sounds.

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Emma made a sign for raceday at the Ironman village this morning

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They both talk... a lot

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Future Kona qualifier

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Bringing the scooter in the bike box was an excellent idea!

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Emma and I chillin on the sea wall

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I have the best mother in law EVER!

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At first Emma was a little scared of the fish. But was just fine in no time.

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Aloha!

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The Emmster and I at "Dig Me" beach

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October 3, 2010

I leave tomorrow for the Big Island and I have lots to do before I leave. Today I rode an hour and half with some tempo/race effort and bricked that with a :30 run also with tempo. I feel that I look in shape, especially when I see the veins in my legs and the abs I hadn't seen in a few years but to be honest I feel sluggish and achy. No need to panic, I know this is normal when you taper for a big race. It is by far not uncommon. I need to do some laundry, some packing, and some lesson planning for school. So next posts will be from Hawaii... ALOHA!

Day 165: 9/26/2010

Elephant Man Triathlon

I raced a triathlon yesterday at Elephant Butte Lake here in NM. The race distances were a mile swim, a 26.5 mile bike and a 6 mile run. I finished 11th overall and 2nd in my AG with a total time of 2:23:45. Two years ago in 2008 was the only other time I raced this triathlon and my finishing time then was 2:31:11... yes, I was 7:26 faster this year! I was faster in all 3 disciplines despite windy conditions at the lake yesterday. I was even able to cross the line before my big bro, Mike, who albeit did have an "off" day... I still beat you brother and that's twice in 15 years of racing together!

I am pretty happy considering this was in no way considered an "A" race for me. Friday in fact, was my last long run effort before Hawaii. I put in 17.5 miles in the heat of the day and I spent 12 straight hours on Saturday beginning at 4:00 am with kids traveling to and from a cross country meet. I honestly didn't know what to expect from myself. I just sort of did it once the race director said "go". I almost expected not to feel good but I never really felt bad.

Elephant Man is a tough race and has one of the best race director in NM. The AG awards were EMAN souvenir beer bottles and my medal was a bottle opener so how cool is that!? Afterwards we had fun at the lake with Mike and all of his camping toys and boat.

Day 163 9/24/2010

Last long effort before Kona finished. Feels good knowing that the work has been done and the "hay is in the barn." Ran 2:20 with the XC kids today after school. It was very cool of them to split up into 2 varsity groups that each ran 1:10 with me. I don't think I would have done as good without them... so THANKS! Total milage was 17.5 miles. I wore my Kona

Saucony's and drank the Powerbar Perform sports drink that will be on the course in Hawaii. So it's all systems go! Everything worked :D

Another thing I noticed today was how loose my fuel belt now fits. It carries 2 bottles behind my waist and it used to fit snug and now it bounces all around until I drink some from each bottle. I know I have lost weight and my clothes fit much better, like they used to but it was weird seeing how that belt is just too big for me now.

Also to note: Weight is down to 147 and 7.5% BF. Lean and mean. On the first day I started this blog I was 165 and 9% BF.

Day 158: 9/19/2010

BAM. I had a great workout today and I definitely GTWD. The ride was scheduled for 5 hours but when I got home I was so close to 100 miles I decided to ride a little further and get it accomplished. Total ride time was 5:20 and I got in 101 miles. I burned 6,400 calories for you calorie counting geeks. Big thanks to my brother, Mike, for coming down and helping me get through 4 hours of it.

When I got home I put on the running shoes and lost the shirt (suns out, guns out ;) and did a :30 transition run with :10 of tempo.

Everything felt great and I'm pumped.

19 more days till the big dance on the islands of aloha!

Day 155: 9/16/2010

I really need to go to bed and to sleep earlier. I should have swam this morning but it worked out anyway because of Homecoming week at our school that we didn't have practice after school so I swam then. I swam a 2500 then traded Lindsey for the kids so she could get her run in. When she got home I changed and left for a bike ride for 1:45 with :40 total of tempo. Now I'm home and she's gone to the Homecoming festivities! I will shower up and go meet the family here in a bit.

This week is going good in terms of me getting in my workouts as I haven't missed a single one. But I think I misplaced my mojo?! If anyone sees it please bring it home. I don't feel fast... Is this normal!?

Day 154: 9/15/2010

Wednesday is long run day so I started, as usual with the XC team and then continued. Today was another 2 hours and I wish I could say I blazed it but it was more like I went up in flames the last part. Sucks. At this point, does every workout need to be successful? Ideally I guess so but life isn't always ideal. I have no idea why but my legs feel sore and tired so i hope I'm not getting a cold. I don't feel like I am? Right now I'm in agony I have so much gas and stomach cramps but to be honest I don't know why. I had a good breakfast and a good lunch and I carried a water bottle with me all day. During my run I went through a package of sport beans and a gel plus 2 flasks of Gatorade with crab pro. I noticed on my swim yesterday that my feet were cramping also?

Any worthwhile suggestions?

Day 153: 9/14/2010

I wish I would have gotten up early and gotten in something but was just too tired from the late workout last night. Instead, I swam a 2500 after CC practice and then I ran 10 miles later this evening with :30 tempo pace. Good day of training but I know that I need to be swimming more frequently, I can feel the sloppiness.

Day 152: 9/13/2010

An hour and half trainer session in the late evening and watched 2004 Ironman Hawaii. This is the year that Sarah Reinertsen tried but failed to make the cut off, Norman won his first title while Peter Reid finished second and Nina Kraft was disqualified for blood doping.

Day 151: 9/12/2010

I played in a golf tournament today that took much longer than I expected. Not good when you have a 5 hour bike ride planned. I was able to ride for 3 hours outdoors and the rest were inside on the trainer. Not ideal but I felt I needed to do this.

Days 148 - 150

Home cross country meet and all my energy went to that.

Day 147: 9/8/2020

2 hour run today starting at 4 o'clock. I ran a little more than 14 miles. And it actually felt pretty good for the most part. I did make the mistake of stopping at a building at Tech to get some cold water from a fountain and re-fill my bottle and when I got started running again the legs weren't quite the same as before.

Still 2 hours is 2 freakin hours. It's a long time to be on your own two feet and running and I am proud of myself.

Day 146: 9/7/2010

Finally... A good day where I do all that I set out to do. This morning I was at the pool as it opened and swam a 2500, which is 500 more than I have been doing in the morning.

This evening after practice I set out on a 1:20 10 mile run with :30 of tempo in there. I ran :40 at 8:0X pace, then :30 at 7:2X pace then a cool down. I felt good and never felt like I couldn't handle it or that it was too hard or anything negative at all. In fact, I imagined running the last :30 of Kona and just pretending how that will feel or should I say how I would like for it to feel.

Good day of training and big thanks to Lindsey for making it OK that I be gone as soon as I get home from practice. That also means she is running on the treadmill tonight instead of outside... sorry love.

One thing I thought about during my run is how cool it is to be able to do workouts like this. I have done some things that I honestly didn't think I could do training-wise. And I just did them. I try not to let myself overthink my limitations and I just go out and do it. Sometimes I wish my CC team could do that instead of automatically thinking that a distance or a pace is too long or too fast. We were not born with a manual that tells us our limits, we set those for ourselves and unfortunately, most people handicap themselves right off the bat without ever trying. I assume we are too afraid of failure? Or ridicule? We might even be too scared of succeeding and what that might bring? I wish more kids were brave.

Day 144: 9/5/2010

So a busted week ends with a busted ride... no surprise.

I had a very busy week between work, coaching and family. When those things get out of whack training goes out the window too. Yes, I am training and racing in the triathlon world championships but I am not a pro. I have a wife, 2 beautiful little girls, a job where I make a difference (I hope) and another side job where I do make a difference (cross country). Training is fun and very rewarding but lower on the list of priorities than these things.

I am not going to list the why's of why training went South but I am going to say that coach and I both decided that I am going to take another crack at this past week's training schedule again next week. Things are more under control and I am looking forward to doing it. I hadn't bonked or felt bad in a long time but today I did. I cannot stress enough how important consistency is.

The spirits aren't down, it's reality, and as a friend just reminded me, "the hay is in the barn already. The worst thing would be to burn it all down by doing too much or getting sick."

Thanks to Danny, Matt and Mike for the words of encouragement.

Day 138: 8/30/2010

What a long and busy day. Finally got around to working out and 9:00 pm. I rode the trainer for an hour and a half. I rode easy and just let the legs flush out the weekends junk. Nothing fancy, just consistent work.

Day 137: 8/29/2010

I feel crazy saying it but 5 hour bike rides are getting easier. I am going farther and faster than I did 3 weeks ago. It is now just a ride and not this monumental distance I made it out to be 3 weeks ago. Today I didn't even need any recovery, I just got home and started doing stuff and still haven't stopped. I just washed the car and I am going to clean my bike and do laundry...

Anyway, thanks to my buddy, EP, who rode 1:30 with me today. The company was nice while it lasted.

Overall, I had a great week and am proud that I did all those hours during school and while coaching too. August is shaping up to be my second best month of the year, only behind July but ahead of June. I feel good and am looking forward to finishing up the next 4 weeks.

Day 135: 8/27/2010

Alarm set for 5 am and was able to get out the door for a 1:30 run with :30 minutes worth of tempo in there. I felt surprisingly good and was able to hold sub 7:00 pace during those intervals consistently.

Waking up early does make for a long day though. We had our first cross country meet yesterday in Los Lunas. It was a scrimmage but nonetheless it was essentially a race. The team did well and I think our boys showed the most promise finishing in spots 5 - 9. They just need to move up but they do run together. Not surprisingly as we are only doing base milage still and have done only strides as anything fast.

When we got back to Socorro it was off to the football game. Emma and I went and enjoyed a burger and nachos for dinner. This morning I have slept in thanks to Linds. Now time to get the work done.

Day 134: 8/26/2010

Up early this morning for a swim and got to use my new goggles again, they are so bomb. It is so nice to see so clearly the entire time without any fog. If I could I would use a new pair of goggles like every week. I can never swim very much in the mornings so I did my usual 2000. I wasn't even very creative this morning as I did a 1000 swim and a 1000 pull.

After a busy day of school I coached cross country and was interviewed by the local newspaper for the Fall sports preview. They even interviewed 3 of my runners who are all very well deserving.

I planned on riding outside but I decided to let my Lindsey have her opportunity to run with her new friend and enjoy the nice evening. I jumped on the trainer at 8:30 and rode for an hour and a half and watched the 2005 Ironman Hawaii. It was an awesome year and very inspirational. I can't believe I will do that in about 6 weeks!

Day 133: 8/25/2010

Got the work done AND I feel good. No burnout this week like I've had the last 2 Wednesday's. I only had one workout scheduled for today, my long run. The workout called for an hour and 45 minutes at Z2 effort. I ran with the CC kids for the first quarter of it then it was all solo. I started at 4:00 so it was nice and warm and I ran a long out and back section on asphalt to try to mimic Kona the best I can. I felt pretty good the entire way and I tried to negative split by a little but the high school sits on a hill and every run from it ends with a good uphill finish. Total run was 1:47 and 13.2 miles.

Thanks Coach Danois!

Day 132: 8/24/2010

Early morning run for 1:15 with :30 tempo and a 2000 swim in the evening. I am looking forward to going to sleep early tonight... the exciting life of an IM triathlete.

One of the best things about today was I used a brand new pair of goggles that are more clear with only a slight tint to them. It was like swimming in HD!

Big run tomorrow.

Day 131: 8/23/2010

I feel good about this week although I am only looking at the next days schedule after I finish the day that I'm on. Today the plan was for 1:30 Zone 2 riding on the bike. Perfect. I didn't feel like waking up early since we got back from Cruces somewhat late and I stayed up getting ready for the week ahead. I was able to eat dinner with my family, finish washing clothes, put stuff away and jump on the trainer, albeit a little bit late, and rode for an hour and a half and watched the 2007 Ironman Hawaii on DVD. Time to take a shower and see what's on tap for tomorrow.

Day 130: 8/22/2010

I'm showered, I have eaten a Big Mac meal and drank a large coke and now I'm chillin' on the couch. I also rode 5 hours and did a transition run on the treadmill.

We got a late start this morning because Lindsey and Marlene got a late start on their long run. Mike and I got to riding at 8:45 and headed west of Las Cruces to the "balls of steel." The last time I did this difficult ride was 8 years ago when we were all training for Ironman Wisconsin. Did I mention this ride is tough? I'll post some pics when Mike gets around to emailing them. I'm happy to say that as hot as it was and as much climbing as we did, I felt pretty decent the entire time. It's nice to have that in the bank as I will no doubt think back on it when I'm roasting and getting wind blown on the Queen K on the big island in about 7 more weeks.

There was one Montoya missing from the ride though... Coach Danny was invited but I couldn't convince him 5 hours on a bike seat was a fun idea today.

Day 129: 8/21/2010

Pretty good day of training here in Cruces with Mike. We got around to riding around 11 this morning and rode for 2 muggy hours. For a while there Mike went a little crazy through the pecan farms and was hauling ass, probably 30+ mph. He was even growling I think lol.

After a nice little nap we made it to the pool with the family. I played with Grace until she wanted out then I swam a 2000. I kept waiting for the lifeguards to get everyone out as there was thunder and dark clouds but never any lightning I guess. The NMSU pool is so awesome, I love swimming there.

We had a great dinner thanks to Mike and his grilling abilities and now it's time to start thinking about the big ride tomorrow.

Day 129: 8/21/2010

It's been a while, I know. I have felt like a crackhead going through withdrawals the last few days. I think it was Thursday night and I was driving through town looking at Sonic and Taco Bell like it was my fix. I couldn't get cheesecake and ice cream out of my head. Motivation was low and the week fizzled into one of the worst few days I've had since March.

I decided to make a trip to Cruces to train with my bro for the weekend and get things back on track. We will be out on the bikes in a few and I will post later today about the day.

Hawaii is only 7 weeks away as of today.

Day 126: 8/18/2010

Alarm rang at 4:40 am and I started running by 5. Ran 1:35 total. Jumped on the trainer at 9:00 pm and rode an hour. I'm tired.

Day 125: 8/17/2010

Woke up and was running before 6:00 am. Ran an hour with 8 strides. Sunrise was really beautiful this morning.

Supposed to ride 1:30 and it never happened. We had pictures after school for CC so I had to pass out uniforms, warm ups, bags... Practice finished late because of it all. Lindsey ran, we ate dinner, Wal Mart, clean up, put away leftover equipment and get 4 bags ready for kids that weren't there, and its now 10:15 pm.

Day 124: 8/17/2010

Swim in the morning when the pool opened. Swam a 2000 then this evening I ran 1:20 with :25 tempo pace.

Day 123: 8/15/2010

Big day. 5 hour ride and :20 transition run finished by 1 o'clock in the afternoon. And I actually feel pretty good.

Day 122: 8/14/2010

It felt great to not have an alarm set this morning I can't lie. I made it to the pool by 1:20 in the afternoon and swam a 5000. I felt I needed a good long swim since I can't do much in the mornings before school. So I picked a workout from my waterproof workout book and went to town. I even freaked the lifeguards out a little I swam so long. I guess their not used to that around here.Swim time was 1:35.

Next workout was an hour and a half ride with 1/3 of that tempo. It was super hot out! 100 degrees when I left and 100 degrees when I got back at 6:30!

Big day tomorrow! Better start earlier than today.

Day 121: 8/13/2010

Bon appetit. For the last 3 days I have been eating a shit sandwich. Click on the link and read about what I mean.

I have struggled, plain and simple. I am tired and busy and no workouts have felt good. There are a lot of people who train for an Ironman with the same commitments I have but I always struggle with change. The change from summer to school year has been hard on me. I am looking forward to not setting an alarm tomorrow morning and having 2 days of good training.

Today I was at the pool when it opened and swam a 2000. After XC practice I set off on another 1:30 run. Right at the time I was starting my tempo portion a storm picked up and was blowing wind head on. My tempo didn't feel very tempo and I walked some. I bonked a good one and I think I know why... I have been skipping lunch. I know better too and I preach it to the XC kids all the time. It's not that I'm trying to lose weight or anything, I just have forgotten to pack a lunch. Last year I worked cafeteria duty and ate everyday for free but this year I decided not to so bringing a lunch from home is a necessity.

Total for the week so far is 9 hours and 20 minutes with 2 missed bike rides.

Day 120: 8/12/2010

Holy crap. The school year has hit me like a ton of bricks. Tonight my whole family was asleep by 8 so it's not just me.

I woke up and 5:40 and got to the pool when it opened at 6 am. I swam a 2000 and got home by 7 so I could help out while Lindsey gets ready. I had duty this morning so I had to get to school a little early. Not enough time.

Work all day. First XC practice after school which was hampered by a quick moving wind and dirt storm. Got home and ate a little then fell asleep right where I was sitting. Plate still in front of me not even finished. I woke up from the nap and did some email business and ran to the store for some groceries. Bam, it's 9. Clean up around the house and now I need to get to bed. No bike... again.

I seriously hope things get better because this schedule is making me burn the candle at both ends. I don't like it. Is this a case of HTFU? I'm not complaining here I just need a clone.

Day 119: 8/11/2010

So freakin busy with the first day back to school. I definitely have the blues that summer is over. I stayed up way too late getting ready and I got to school early to make sure everything was ready to go. First day and first impressions ya know. The first day says a lot about what kind of teacher you will be. In my hurry I forgot to bring a lunch and I don't have planning this year until the last period of the day. Needless to say I got home and was pretty hungry and it was 100 degrees out. I did manage a 1:30 run but simply did not have the time for my planned 1:30 ride. This evening I sat in front of the computer getting ready for tomorrows first day of official XC practice.

So coach, sorry no bike, I honestly had zero time today :( It will get better when I get into the swing of it again.

Day 118: 8/10/2010

I really should be asleep right now because I have a long run to get done in the morning but it is also the forst fay of school tomorrow and I am getting things done last minute. Anyway, besides a day full of meetings and blah blah blah I did work out twice. I ran an hour this morning with 8 strides and I swam a 2500 this evening. One cool thing about my swim was that I attempted and completed 10 x 100's leaving @ 1:30. It's a workout I used to do but haven't felt like it in a few years... honestly because I wasn't in shape for it. Now I am in shape for it and it was actually not that bad at all. Almost like a tempo swim.

Two days down this week and more to go. I have more than 5 hours in the bag already :)

Day 117: 8/9/2010

1:10 run this morning with :20 of that at tempo pace. Then a bike this evening for 2:00 with :30 of that tempo. Nothing fancy here, just work.

Today was my last day of summer. Tomorrow I have to report to work and we get kids on Wednesday. I have a feeling these next 2 months are gonna test me... daily.

Day 116: 8/8/2010

Back in the saddle and gettin' the work done. Rode 3 hours this morning with Mike and ran an hour this evening that included some strides on grass. Solid day.

Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon 2010

New PR and first time under an hour!

58:38

After racing this race for 15 consecutive years it feels really good to have gone faster at age 33 than I ever had before on the current version of the course. The only other time I have ever broken an hour on this course was in 2001 but that had the run first and the swim last, a format I am much better at than running last.

Days 109, 110, and 111 8/1 - 8/3/2010

After 3 days in beautiful Red River, NM I am now back home. I'm now dealing with the unpacking and cleaning and putting away. The only thing missing is my little Emmster who has stayed the week with my brother in Las Cruces. They should be here tonight or early tomorrow in time for this years Socorro Chili Harvest Triathlon! I can't believe I have raced every single one of these for the past 15 years. In fact, it was the very first triathlon I ever raced. It doesn't feel that long but it sure does sound like along time!

Back to the last 3 days in Red River... It's a beautiful place that sits in NM high country at 8,600 feet elevation. We left for RR on Sunday and stopped in Albuquerque for some trail running along the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. We had some snacks and played some fun games at a nearby park. Socorro took 15 kids and there were about 50 kids total from 4 different schools. So playing these games was a great way to get the kids to have fun together. After lunch in Santa Fe we made it to RR and got ready for run no. 2. This one is called the tour de RR and that is basically what it is. That evening I was able to give 2 talks to the campers about motivation and I was able to use some of my own experiences to help relate and hopefully inspire these kids to be the best they can be.

Monday morning is the traditional long run for those campers who wish to tackle the mountain. We run 5.4 miles to the top of a mountain and back down. The highest elevation according to my Garmin was 10, 338 feet. Having the Garmin is great in the fact that I can look up the file I have from last year and I was happy to see that I got to the top about 4 minutes faster this year compared to last. It felt easier and quicker so I am glad to see I am in better shape.

After a good lunch and nice nap I was able to get out for a mountain bike ride during the kids free time. I returned in just enough time to run the pre-race course with the kids when I finished. The race course is half single track and half road course that the kids race on the following day. There is even a very cold stream crossing!

On Tuesday morning we have the King and Queen of the Mountain run and I opted out of this one. I chose to drive out to the turnaround point and cheer the campers on. Socorro was well represented in the race as we had the 1st and 3rd female finishers and the 3rd male finisher. I think we did great considering we were by far the smallest school attending.

If there could be a bad part it was that our bus broke down in Questa, just 12 miles outside of RR on the way home. We were stranded there until a bus from Los Lunas could make the trip to pick us up. We made the best of it and now I am home and rested and ready to train my last days of summer away and race the hometown race this Saturday. I feel like the race this weekend will be a stage of my training complete. School (work) and cross country will be in full swing and I know I will be challenged to get in my own workouts. I have no idea how things will go but I will just need to figure it out as I go and take it one day at a time. Only 65 more days left before Kona!

Day 108: 7/31/2010

Back to work. I did a 4 hour ride with my bro Mike with rolling hills and intervals. I got in 76 miles in that time and felt pretty good but was definitely tired at the end ;) Best riding partner ever helped the hours and miles fly by.

A HUGE thanks to Lindsey who has for the last 3 weeks driven with the kids out to find me in the middle of nowhere to give me some words of encouragement and a cold coke :) Every time I spend some time out training I think of my family and how this training effects them too. I am rarely home when the kids or Lindsey wake up and I am very thankful I am supported in this journey to Ironman.

I may or may not be updating during the next few days as I will be in Red River, NM for our annual CC camp. Always a lot of fun and this time I am taking Lindsey and Grace along too. Lots of running scheduled for the kids and my bikes are going along too!

Also, Hawaii is only 10 weeks away at this point! Wow! And July ended up as my best month ever!! I biked 180 more miles than June and ran 20 more miles than June. I actually skipped a couple of swims here at the end and ended up a workout (3000 yards) short of my June total. Hour-wise I had 10 more hours total than June. Numbers can show improvement and build confidence and it is nice to see. I talked with Danny yesterday and I think now the real challenge starts as school starts now in August. Not only school but coaching too. I look forward to what these weeks will bring.

Day 106: 7/29/2010

No training today. Sucks but it just didn't work out. I had to leave Socorro really early to get to Albuquerque for the NM coaches clinic. After I spent some time with my mom and checked into our hotel which recently added an indoor waterpark. We played in the waterpark for 6 straight hours from 2:30 - 8:30. The kids had a blast as did we. I know I strayed from the training plan but I really had a great time playing with the family. Ironman is awesome but nothing beats those 6 hours I spent playing.

Day 105: 7/28/2010

Wednesday means long run day. Today I ran 1:45 on an out and back course. I even split the run perfectly and felt pretty good the entire time. I was pretty happy with it.

Long run days knock me on my a$$ so much more than anything else and after lunch I crashed for about 2 hours. I did make it to the pool and felt good but was swimming pretty slow according to my watch. I swam a 1500 and got out. I wasn't feeling it too much.

Overall a pretty good day that was the fourth day in a row of some pretty solid training. Luckily, things do lighten up some tomorrow but get back at it on Friday and Saturday. Currently I am a little over 9 hours for the week so about 3 hours a day average.

Day 104: 7/27/2010

What a day... 3 workouts and 4 hours total. I'm hungry but actually feel pretty good right now. First workout was an hour run with the CC team this morning. Second workout was a 2 hour bike ride with :50 total (2 x :25) of tempo riding and I ended the day with a 3000 yard swim. The swim didn't feel good, probably because the water was pretty warm, but I was still swimming some good splits.

I was also able to eclipse my June training totals today by about 3.5 hours. If you remember, June had been my best month ever. Now July is. Things are going really well right now but I have school looming in the close distance like a dark thunderstorm ready to spoil the fun. Errr.

Day 103: 7/26/2010

Today I had a good run. The Monday run is challenging but today was a big improvement from last week. I wouldn't say that I nailed it but I did good. The run is :30 WU then 4 x 5 minutes at 6:00 pace with only a 1 minute recovery, then a :10 CD. It's a tough workout.

Workout number 2 was an easy 1:45 bike ride. I chose to go up highway 60 which I rarely do. I guess I was just bored always going North or South. Highway 60 is a climb and I rode out for 1:15 and got back in :30. It definitely has the prettiest scenery but too much traffic, at last at that time of day.

So I started the week off with 2 hours and 50 minutes of training and I have a 4 hour day planned for Tuesday.

Day 102: 7/25/2010

What an awesome day to cap off an awesome week. I rode 4 hours under cloudy skies with some sprinkles here and there. I unfortunately got a flat at 3 hours and even more unfortunately had a spare tube that didn't hold air either so

I thought I was stranded. I called home and Lindsey was on her way but just as I started walking a local cyclist rolled up and gave me a tube! How cool was that?! I called Lindsey and canceled the help but she decided to head out anyway and bring me a cherry coke and say hi. I love seeing her and the kids when I'm out training, it makes me feel like a super hero. So I finished my 4 hour ride feeling great. I even negative split the second half by about 13 minutes.

Workout number 2 was a swim and at this point I only needed :45 to get to 20 hours for the week and since I got there with only about that much time left

before they closed... I made my goal of 20 hours!! First time ever I get to 20 hours!! And surprisingly I don't feel wasted and actually pretty good.

Now it's time to reward myself with some dinner at El Camino and I'm feeling like a chef special burger mmmmmm.

There is an open faced burger and fries underneath all that cheese and green chili, believe me ;)

Day 101: 7/24/2010

Slept in till about 8:30 today :) Didn't start training till around 11:30 today. Luckily, last nights monsoon rain left today cooler and cloud covered with almost no wind. Really a perfect day for training. I ran an hour with some intervals at the athletic field then took the kids swimming while Lindsey went out for her run.

I made it out on the bike around 5:30 and I rode 1:45 with :30 of tempo pace. It was a great time to ride and I even got a cool pic of the rainbow.

Tough day tomorrow that will test me and hopefully propels me to the best week of training volume wise I have ever had; Should be a tad more than 20 hours!

Day 100: 7/23/2010

Wow. My 100th day of training since finding out I am kona bound. Time sure has flown by... I suppose because I'm having so much fun!

This morning I had a tough tempo run workout. I was able to talk a couple CC kids into running the workout with me. The entire run was 1:10 with :30 being at tempo pace.

Then at lunch I swam a 2500.

Now I'm up in Albuquerque visiting my mom. Hopefully I will get a chance to run over to the new Trek superstore so I can see the new Speed Concept triathlon bike :)

Someday it will be mine... Someday....



But not the same year I'm going to Kona! Don't worry Lindsey! I just need about 8000 of my friends to donate a dollar each!

Day 99: 7/22/2010

Easy day today. Nothing very strenuous. I rode 1:30 in the morning with some intervals and I swam a 3000 this evening. I made it to over 10 hours for the week with todays effort.

Day 98: 7/21/2010

I nailed it today! Started the day off with a a very sweaty hour and 40 minute run. A couple CC boys joined me for the run and we even negative split it by a little. As soon as I got home I made a pitcher of smoothie and put that down pretty quickly. I laid around and relaxed and even watched the 2009 Ironman Hawaii DVD then convinced Emma to go with me to the pool because i still had not taken a shower and for whatever the idea of the pool was more enticing.

This afternoon Grace and I napped together for 3 hours! When Lindsey got home from her class at 6:00 I got ready for my ride and went out for 1:45 with some intervals. I can't believe how good I feel now knowing that I conquered the day. This was the day last week that had me intimidated and feeling like crap. I couldn't wait for it to come around again so I could have another crack at it.

I talked with my CC kids this morning and I let them know about goals and how sometimes along the way we fail, but it is only failure if we stop there and let that obstacle become bigger than us. The road to accomplishing something exceptional is not an easy path. If it were, the goal wouldn't be so extraordinary. Kids want to accomplish things and to be praised and I feel CC and triathlon and this Ironman I'm training for is good for all of that. I hope I can be a positive impact on their lives.

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."

Day 97: 7/20/2010

Plain old solid day. Run an hour with strides in the morning and 3500 yard swim in the evening. Although the water was about 85 degrees I felt surprisingly good in the pool. I think this had to do with my warm up where I did some 75's breathing every fourth stroke. This helps me relax and swim efficiently. Because of the warm water I didn't push too hard but I swam 6 x 250's where I descended 1 - 3 and again 4 - 6 with the faster sets coming in at 3:30. Not super fast but I felt nice and smooth and I had energy which is something I haven't had lately.

Tomorrow is a big day with a long run of 1:40 and a couple hour bike ride. I had a day like this scheduled last week and I wasn't able to get the bike finished. I did run 1:30 but never had the energy or motivation to get the bike even started. It was rainy and windy and it only helped me make excuses. It is raining again now but it should be clear tomorrow and the day means a lot to me.

Today I was thinking about how training for ironman has affected my life. I realized that I challenge myself daily. I am constantly sore and tired and I do my best to still get the work done. Most of the time I feel great but somedays I struggle and don't reach a small goal I had set for myself. I guess it goes to show that anything worth achieving requires hard work and determination. You cannot waver when you encounter adversity and you will encounter adversity. All these challenges make achieving a goal so much more rewarding.

Day 96: 7/19/2010

Day started by running with CC group this morning. When the team finished their run, a couple boys and myself continued on for the "real" workout. The goal was 4x5 minutes of 6 minute pace and although I hung on a little longer than the boys did I did not make it through all 4. The recovery was just 1 minute and I struggled keeping pace. This is a difficult workout the day after a long ride and week of training but I look forward to trying again next week. Total time for the run was 1 hour.

I got out the door at 1:30 this afternoon for my ride and it was hot! I rode an easy 1.5 hours. The crazy thing was I saw a guy out running wearing sweats, a hoodie and a beanie and the temperature was around 105 degrees at the time!

So I started the week pretty solid with 2.5 hours of training.

"Motivation is what gets you started but habit is what keeps you going."

Day 95: 7/18/2010

Long ride of 3.5 hours and a 2000 yard swim. My bike wasn't feeling to good at around the middle point but perked up on the return. I rode 62 miles which isn't nearly as far as I went last Sunday with Mike but then again we had 2 people working together and it was a net downhill ride.

My total for the week is 17 hours and 20 minutes. 5 runs totaling 41.5 miles, 4 bike rides totaling 150 miles and 4 swims totaling 11000 yards. I did miss one bike ride this week due to being tired and the weather not cooperating. The next 3 weeks of training will be a big push before school starts. I should be at approximately 20

hours each of the next 3 weeks. I have never trained so much in my life and I am looking forward to the challenge of the next 3 weeks. It will be really tough, physically and mentally.

Day 94: 7/17/2010

It was nice to sort of sleep in today, or at least not have to leave the house when everyone is still sound asleep. Lindsey took advantage and hot her own run in of 1 hour (Good job love). I started my training today at almost 9 AM! I rode with my buddy, Robert, for 1:50 with :30 of that tempo riding.

I had a lunch at the famous Owl Bar and put on 6 pounds from after my ride! Spent the afternoon watching The Book of Eli which was a pretty cool movie.

At 5:30 PM I got out the door for an hour run with strides. Now time to recover for tomorrow's long ride, I'm looking forward to it and to losing that 6 pounds!

Day 93: 7/16/2010

Hour run this AM with the CC kids, half of the run was tempo. Then 3000 swim at lunch. This puts me at 10.5 hours so far this week. Now off to Albuquerque to visit my mom in the rehab hospital where she is recovering from hip replacement.

Day 92: 7/15/2010

Biked in the morning for 1:30 with half of that being intervals. Swam a 3000 at lunch. Spent the afternoon at the pool with the family. Spent the evening playing ultimate frisbee with the CC team. A good day for sure.

Day 91: 7/14/2010

Training and life kind of caught up to me today. I ran 1:30 in the morning and although the run felt fine getting out of bed was a struggle. I felt like a zombie. I couldn't wait for the afternoon so I could take a nap. It worked out perfectly since Lindsey and Emma had haircut appointments and Grace was ready for her nap. When I woke up the weather was bad enough to discourage my planned ride. I waited but the wind didn't stop and the dark thunderstorms stayed threatening in the distance. Plus, I had some things I needed to take care of that had been ignored and we also needed to go to the grocery store.

I still clung to some hope that I would ride the trainer at this point. I even rented a movie to help the time go by faster. But when I got home, it was perfect family time. Instead of riding I played with the girls and did a few more chores around the house. I even fixed the wood fence that has been broken for a few months now!

Anyways I am up this morning, still tired, but am dressed for an early ride. Although I feel bad for missing that ride yesterday, I must say I think I needed the break.

day 90: 7/13/2010

I am still getting used to being tired, hungry and sore pretty much all of the time. Although I didn't feel fresh, I had a "bread and butter" training day. By that, I mean I just got in some training without any flare. I woke early and ran an hour with some strides at the end and I swam a 3000 at lunch. I wanted to finish training by the afternoon so we could all go to the lake for some fun in the sun! We met Mike and Danny with each of their respective families and we had a very good time boating, jet skiing, swimming and cooking out. We didn't leave the lake until around 10:30 PM so I know Wednesday morning was going to hurt.

Day 89: 7/12/2010

In all honesty I wasn't looking forward to either workout today. I knew I was tired from the effort on Sunday. I could still feel where my saddle had been for 3 and a half hours the day before. What I did learn is that the mind can be pretty powerful in determining what you do and how you do it. If you don't want to do something you can come up with a whole lot of excuses why you shouldn't but if you can just take that leap and get started things aren't as difficult as you imagined.

I started the run a half hour before CC practice so I could finish with the kids. The workout was 1 hour running with 4 x 4 minutes at 6 minute pace. I was actually surprised how good I felt on the first interval but by the fourth I was pretty toasted.

Next workout was an easy 1:30 on the bike. Again, I wasn't looking forward to it and my legs did complain a little at the start but in no time I was feeling good and glad I did it.

Day 87 and 88: 7/10 - 7/11/2010

What an awesome weekend! It is nice to have my family back in town and to hear my kids, pet my dog and hug my wife, nothing is better.

I swear there was no wind this weekend, almost dead still both days and today was overcast. Great training weather. Yesterday I slept in as much as I could then headed over to the store for fresh milk and doughnuts for the family. I pretty much spent the morning just hanging out with the family. I made it to the pool by 2 and swam a 3000. Later I rode 1:45 with :30 of tempo riding.

Today was the Magdalena to Kelly 7k. It is entirely uphill and climbs 1000 feet in that short amount of distance. For the second time in my life I was able to make it first to the top, bettering my last years 2nd place finish time by exactly 3 minutes! Race time was 28:20. I convinced 7 cross country runners to show up and Lindsey and Marlene did a great job finishing as well. Mike was there to cheer and support and we both hadour bikes waiting in the vehicles. After a pancake breakfast we headed out for a long ride. From Magdalena, we rode West to the VLA then back to Mag and back to Socorro. That trip was 66 miles finished in 3 hours! Fast! Mike called that a day but I pressed on for another half hour and 9 miles to make my ride 3:30 and 75 miles.

Total for the week (only 6 days) was 16.75 hours. I swam, rode, and ran 4 times each.

I had a really good weekend for many reasons and I hope you did too. thanks for checking in.

Day 86: 7/9/2010

Again I'm done in the early afternoon :) This morning I ran a warm up solo before practice then met the kids and soon started :20 of tempo running. Total run time was 1 hour with warm up and cool down. The run felt good and I have noticed my tempo pace come down from around 7 minute miles to 6:40 minute miles average.

Then a 3000 in the pool at lunch. I have 2 books that I choose workouts from and the one I happen to pick today was a good one. It had some dps (distance per stroke) sets and some 3-4-5- breathing sets (breathing every 3rd stroke, then every 4th...).

Total for the day was 2 hours and total for the week is 9:55. That is a real good total time considering I took Monday off.

This weekend does have a nice long ride scheduled and a 7k run race up a mountain. Lots to look forward too!

Day 85: 7/8/2010

Yep it's 1:30 in the afternoon and I'm done working out for the day. Rode this morning for 1:30 with a couple of :15 intervals. The weather was overcast and drizzly throughout and it was awesome and refreshing but now I have a dirty bike.

Swam an hour at lunch and got in a 3000. I was hoping the water would be cooler with the rains and all but they sure do a god job keeping it at 82 degrees.

Total for the day is 2:30 and total for the week is 7:55. Legs feel a little tired after 2 close bike rides but things are good.

Day 84: 7/7/2010

Started off at 5:45 so I could get in :45 of running before XC practice. Then, I met the kids and put in another :35 for a 10 mile total run.

I had stayed up late watching a movie and I was dragging all morning so I was looking forward to the afternoon so I could take a nap. The weather was windy and drizzly anyways. The weather finally did clear up but not with enough time for my ride so I had no choice but to ride my trainer in the living room. I rode for 1:45 with some :15 intervals. By the time I was finished, my clothes, bike, aerobar pads, everything was soaked with sweat!

Total for the day was 3:05 and total for the week is 5:25.

Day 83: 7/6/2010

Back to work and I am looking forward to a solid month of July. Now with XC started I am faced with making everything workout smoothly. I need to get my workouts in and the kids need to get their workouts in and I need to be there to guide them. This morning started off with a run at 6:00 AM and I met the kids at 6:30 and I finished the remainder of my workout with them. Total run time was 1 hour.

2nd workout was a swim during lunch. The pool felt so good today as it was cooler than usual so I took advantage and swam a 4000. The main set consisted of a 200, 400, 600, 400, 200 pyramid and I couldn't figure out why I swam so slow in Tucson. I am a faster swimmer than that but for whatever reason I didn't swim as hard as I should have. I realize this is a re-occurring theme with me and racing; only going comfortably hard. At some point along the way I lost my mental capacity to go hard from start to finish and actually race. I am desperately trying to get that ability back.

On another note, I weighed myself this morning and I was at 158.5 lbs and body fat % of 9. Getting leaner and meaner!

With the day off yesterday, weekly total is 2 hours and 20 minutes all from today.

Day 79, 80, 81 and 82: 7/2 - 7/5/2010

Happy Fourth of July weekend!

On Friday I was up really early as the plan was to get in an hour bike before XC practice at 6:30 am. I was exactly half way through the ride and getting ready to start some intervals when I crossed some railroad tracks and my crankarm fell off! In 15 years of riding this has never happened to me before. My left shoe was still attached to the pedal, which was attached to the crankarm, but the crankarm wasn't attached to my bike! It sucked but I suppose it could have been worse and I could have crashed or injured myself. On Friday we also left for Las Cruces to make the drive to Tucson a little shorter.

Saturday consisted of driving, checking into the race and hotel.

The Tucson Firecracker Triathlon was on Sunday. The race consisted of a 750 LC meter swim, a 12 mile - 3 loop bike course, and a 3 mile run. I finished the race 7th overall and 1st in the 30-34 age group. I was really happy with my bike but my swim didn't show up and my triathlon run is still awol. I swear I can run during training! All in all I was happy with my race and it was really fun to be finished in an hour! My bro, Mike, placed second overall. We'll see if he does the third race of the series as the final race in Tucson is the same day as the Hawaii Ironman. Hmm... Tucson or Kona, Kona or Tucson????

Today is Monday and we're still in Tucson and getting ready to make the trip back to Socorro. No training today but I'll get back on schedule tomorrow. July is the start of the "real" IM training as the clock is ticking fast and October 9th isn't too far off. It'll be here before I know it and that scares me because I know it's true.

Day 78: 7/1/2010

July 1st means the start of the XC season for SHS. I made it to the morning practice and I made their run be my warm up and I let the captains lead the post-workout stretches and strides while I continued on and put in some intervals on a ditchbank. I had a good run workout and was surprised to see my Garmin measuring the intervals at 6 minute pace. It felt good though, I just wish I could have had a better run at BSLT (Errrrr). Total run time was 1 hour.

The afternoon was spent in Albuquerque visiting my mom who just had a hip replacement yesterday. We left to just get back in time for swim team pictures and Lindsey was able to make it to the evening XC practice so she could get her run in. I played mom and had the kids and even made dinner! Unfortunately, no 2nd workout which was supposed to have been an hour and a half bike ride (which could still happen on the trainer).

Day 77: 6/30/2010

The last day of June; Time is flying by! I finished off the month with an hour run in the morning and an hour swim in the evening. With that last effort, I was able to have a 60 hour month, the best monthly effort I have EVER had. During the month of June I swam 43350 yards or 24.6 miles, biked nearly 500 miles, and ran 135 miles. I accomplished these distances with 17 swims, 16 bike rides and 20 runs, also the highest number of workouts I have ever done in a month in each discipline. Everythingabout this month was great minus my run at BSLT and who knows, maybe all this training had something to do with it. But this month did more good than harm as my main goal at BSLT was to finish and validate my slot. The ultimate goal is Kona.

Day 76: 6/29/2010

Back to training. I woke up still feeling stiff and I think I would have stayed feeling that way as long as I let myself. Instead, I met my brother, Mike, for a 3550 yard swim during lunch and again at 5:00 for an hour and a half bike ride through the farms North of Socorro. Total for the day ended up being 3 hours.

Day 73, 74 and 75: 6/26 - 28/2010

Saturday was spent driving to Lubbock and getting checked in and ready to race. Mike and I were joined by our good friend, Robert Gonzales, who offered to be our caddy for the weekend.

No training on Saturday.

Sunday was raceday and it started early at 3:30 AM. We drove down to the race site from the hotel and were able to get there early and without incident. Race start was scheduled for 6:40 AM. The water was warm and probably too warm for a wetsuit but the race organizers seem to find the right time of day (or night) and best place to measure the temp as to avoid the 76 degree cutoff temperature. The entire swim was very uncongested and I felt like I swam a pretty straight line the whole time. I was able to remind myself to still swim hard and not relax too much despite wearing a wetsuit. I was rewarded with a swim time of 27:38, an improvement of exactly 7 minutes over the 1.2 mile course compared to last year. I know I am in better swim shape than I was last year but 7 minutes is a little bit ridiculous so my guess is that the swim was marked a little short. Still, I did improve more significantly compared to other people I know who raced last year and this year. Either way, I am happy with my swim.

On to the bike and my plan was to ride the first half at tempo pace, or in other words, comfortably hard. Then be able to pick it up for the last half of the ride. We were blessed with overcast skies and wind, that for the most part, did not affect much of the ride until the last 10 miles. I did exactly what my plan was for nutrition but for whatever reason I felt a cramp waiting to happen the entire ride on my right calf. I even broke into my salt tablets at mile 12 of the bike. I usually only use those in case of emergency. Regardless, I had a good ride on a course that has remained unchanged for years. My bike time was 2:35 for the 56 mile course, a 10 minute improvement from last year. That time is an average of 21.6 mph. I am very happy with my bike split because 10 minutes is big and there is no saying the course was short or anything else. I rode the entire course pretty comfortably and never felt like I was hammering.

During the ride, I was thinking that I couldn't wait to get off the bike and show off my new running abilities. Also, at this point of the race I was 17 minutes ahead of my PR from last year. Things were going great but for whatever reason my run never materialized. I felt uncomfortable and could never get my feet off the ground and running. People were just going by one after another. I don't think I passed one person the entire run. My planned run of 1:44 turned into an ugly 2:11. It really does all come down to the run. What's the point of making these big improvement on the swim and bike to turn around and give it all back and then some on the run. I truly don't know why it happened and I'm sure there could be several reasons and depending on your point of view you may even have your own. To be honest, I don't want to hear them and I don't want to lower my standards and say that 2 out of 3 improvements is great or whatever. I really wanted a better outcome at this race and it didn't happen and I am disappointed. What I am going to do now is get back to some consistent hard work. I believe in it and I know it works. I am racing again this weekend in a sprint triathlon in Tucson but then it's going to be some long, hard weeks of training for Kona.

Monday was a day off from training to let my body recover a little bit. Tomorrow I'll be back at it again.