Day 14: 4/28/2010

It was supposed to be really windy today according to the forecasts so I had an early alarm set so I could get up and get my run finished in the calm and crisp morning air. It can be a little tough getting out of a comfortable bed but once I am out the door and moving it feels great and I even got 2 congratulations on Kona from joggers I passed. Being up early is like a select club of people dedicated to being fit. Plus, Socorro seems so much nicer in the morning?

workout number 2 was a 3000 yard swim after track practice. I got there a little late so I had to swim a straight 2000 right away to ensure I got the yardage in before it closed. This was the fourth time I have swum with my swimman and I have to honestly say it has only been perfect the first time :( Today I tried putting some neosporin on the ear buds to help with the seal and I pretty much only heard from one side the entire swim. Annoying. It has a 30 day return policy so it better hurry up and start cooperating or it's adios. I think I'll try the smaller earbuds that it came with and hopefully that will help.

Day 13: 4/27/2010

I was looking forward to my ride all day but when the time to get on and go came, I DID NOT want to go. My stomach had some pain, my legs and feet were tired, and what was a beautiful morning and early afternoon turned into a strong and steady wind. It honestly took some motivation to get me out the door today but I am very proud that I did it. I rode 1:50 alone. And with this ride I have already surpassed my best month from last year (June) in terms of total bike time and distance.

As my bro, Danny has said, "Hello fitness, nice to see you again. Stay a while."

Day 12: 4/26/ 2010

Another 3 workout day. These aren't epic, I'm just getting in the habit of doing stuff and making that a priority. Thanks to Lindsey, who has been great about training. It's not easy having your hands full with the kids and keeping them occupied and engaged, which she does. No watching a DVD with her in charge. Also, I've been pretty darn tired lately when evening rolls around and I'm out of the house before anyone wakes up. Training for Ironman is a selfish sport because of all the time it takes. I couldn't do this without your support Linds... and the training hasn't even really started yet. Thanks for the opportunity.

Back to training: 1.) :30 run in the morning with Robert, 2.) :30 run after school with the track kids (it's taper time for them), and 3.) 3000 swim.

Day 11: 4/25/2010

3 workouts today: 1. 7 AM run with the boys for an hour; 2. 3100 swim for an hour in the afternoon; and 3. 1:44 bike ride solo in the evening.

I'm tired but I feel good. April is looking to be a good month for me training-wise. Show Low will be the first triathlon of the season and it's only 6 weeks away.

Day 10: 4/24/2010

The last 2 days were nothing to brag about so I won't. We had awful weather on Thursday with cold, rain, wind and hail. Yesterday we had our home track meet and it was just cold and windy.

Today is warmer but still windy. I waited for the mail to be delivered before I headed to the pool because I knew my birthday present from my wife was on its way. She got me a swimman waterproof mp3 player. I charged it enough to get me through a workout and I have to say it was nice to have some music to listen to. I didn't swim any faster but my 3200 yard workout did go by very quickly. Simply said, it was cool to listen to music.

When I got home my good friend EP was already waiting for me at my house with his bike and the 2 of us headed out for a bike. It was windy and no fun on the way out but really easy on the way home. We rode 26 miles together. Now I'm gonna eat some dinner and get ready for prom. I am a chaperone and I was originally planning on taking Lindsey with me but with Grace being sick and the lack of babysitters (because of prom) I am taking Emma! I'm looking forward to it and hopefully some better weather tomorrow.

Day 7: 4/21/2010

Today sucked... actually it blew. It blew at 28 mph from the South all afternoon and evening. Today was one of those days where it just doesn't go your way or at least the way you would have preferred it. I was awake early, very early, but fell back asleep and had a much harder time waking up the second time. No morning workout.

I brought running clothes to school like I always do but the kids had a tough workout on the track that I knew I had to manage with a clock so I ended up standing there making sure kids were hitting pace and not resting too much between intervals. Wind was blowing at 28 mph and to be honest I wasn't very jealous of them at all. No after-school workout.

I thought I'd jump on the treadmill when I got home but I met Lindsey and the kids at Emma's school for an Earth Day celebration and we had already asked my mom to watch the kids at 7 so we could go to a movie. No evening workout.

The best part of my day was sitting at the movie and enjoying being there and not worrying about anything. I could take a breathe. I enjoyed snuggling my wife. Now we're home and I am in need of washing some clothes and picking up all the junk laying around the house.

To end on a positive... plane tickets and car rental are done. Good deal too!

Day 6: 4/20/2010

Ran with the kids after school for about 4.5 miles, did 6x200 meter strides with them and met EP for a ride. We rode a little farther than last week in about the same amount of time. This week we rode South to the Birdwatchers RV park on Highway 1. Total training time today was 2 hours and 10 minutes not including the strides. Distance for the bike was 28.5 miles.

Day 5: 4/19/2010

Today SHS had a make up track meet in T or C. Because of the late drive home from Cruces I wasn't very successful at getting out of bed this morning and getting something done. I really didn't want to not do anything so I packed some running clothes at the last minute. We got to T or C with quite a bit of time before the first running event started to I changed and headed out to some dirt roads for a run. It was an easy :30 and I'm really proud that I did it. I could have easily sat around and talked smack with the kids but instead I got a workout in. Nothing epic but it's the habit and priority thing I am proud of.

On another note, I had my first athlete qualify for the state track championships today. She qualified in the 1600 and ran an 11 second PR. Qualifying is a 5:54 and she ran a 5:48. Also, one of my boys had a goal of breaking 11 in the 3200 and he did just that with a 10:45, a PR by 24 seconds. I really enjoy being a part of their achievements and helping them become better runners. I hope I am an influence on them as much as they are on me.

Day 4: 4/18/2010

After a big breakfast and some lounging around Mike and I got out the door and on our bikes. We rode to the towers. I felt good the entire time and we had a good 55 mile ride. Today was the first ride I have done on my triathlon bike since last season. Before this it has all been on the road bike (yes, there is a difference). When we finished I was pretty tired and pretty hungry.

Day 3: 4/17/2010

Today is my niece's birthday party and we are in Cruces to celebrate. The weather is rainy so Mike and I headed over to the pool and swam a 4000. Main set was 15x200's. The NMSU pools are awesome!

Day 2: 4/16/2010

Today we have a track meet in Deming, NM, a 2:15 drive from Socorro. Lindsey is taking the afternoon off and we are getting the kids out of school so we can all go down together and head over to Cruces for the weekend. I know today is not a great day for any training so I made sure to wake up early and meet Robert for a morning run of :30. A little bit is better than nada sometimes.

Day 1: 4/15/2010

Today is tax day for many and Kona lottery results for others. This day falls the day after my birthday and for many years I hoped to see my name on the participant list for the Hawaii Ironman. Well today was that day when I saw my name on the list! When I first looked I thought I was imagining it. But as I reloaded the page a few times my name was still there and soon after that I received a confirmation email that I had indeed been selected to the 2010 Triathlon World Championships. I am so pumped, I have dreamt about this race for 15 years now and my opportunity is now 6 months away.

Today I woke up early and ran :30 at 6AM, I ran with the track distance kids after school for another :30 and I did my first outdoor swim of 1500 yards in :30.

Today I am 33 years old, weigh 165 lbs and have 9% body fat.