Try, TRI Again

Mixed emotions. That's what I have now that I've officially completed my second triathlon ever. I'm glad that it's over and proud that I did it, yet mildly disappointed that I didn't quite improve as drastically as I had hoped on my swimming. Part of me wonders how much better I could have done if I had committed to training sooner than I was able to. (Recall from my "Hectic Hiatus" that I had roughly four weeks of training that was sporadic at best due to work and personal travel.) As it stands, I really only committed four weeks to training leading up to it. Not bad, I suppose, considering I was legitimately dedicated to my training plan and diligently followed my Google calendar which told me how many minutes to swim, bike, or run in a given day.

On race day this past Sunday, I left the house at 5am geared up and ready to go. After making the easy drive from the city to O'Fallon, MO (about 50 minutes), I was pleasantly surprised to get a good spot in the transition area and pick-up my packet without issue. I was already thinking about my second breakfast (Cliff bar) by the time the official race started at 7am. Unfortunately, based on my projected swim time and the fact that it was a serpantine swim in an outdoor, inground pool (up the right side of the lane, back the right side of the lane, under the rope - repeat six times) my starting position was number 290. That's right, roughly 289 people began the race before me which meant that my start time was at 8:12am. Starting the race feeling late or behind was a psychological hurdle for me (as it was in my first tri), but I did my best to pass as many people as possible during the bike and run. It was also nice to have my parents there supporting me and cheering me on. They're awesome. :-)

Overall, the bike and run course had much steeper elevation changes (hills!) than I anticipated which slightly impaired my pace on both. However, considering that my overall time would have placed me in the top three finishers in at least two divisions (unfortunately not mine), I suppose I can't be too disappointed with my overall time. To further validate my performance, I decided to compare against the sprint triathlon I completed back in 2008. Here are the stats:

So I can at least say that I improved my swimming pace, which was part of the overall goal of my Operation 30 item. In fact, I'd like to think that if it had been an indoor swim that I might have even done better, as I would have had ceiling lines to spot and keep my line straight and gauge the end of the pool length. I'm also not too heart-broken over the fact that my pace on the bike wasn't as fast as in 2008 considering the differences in the course elevations. And while my run time was significantly slower than my normal 5K pace (8:00-ish min/miles), I can also chalk up a less than ideal pace to fatigued legs and hills, hills, and more hills.

As I type this I'm not sure if I'll be up for competing in a triathlon again, mostly considering the huge gap I have in my swimming. Duathlons - no sweat. I can bike and run for hours. But I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a good swimmer and no amount of backstroking or Jimmy DeShea YouTube videos will make me one, especially in four weeks. But I suppose I wouldn't rule out a more ambitious Olympic, Half-Ironman, or Ironman distance for an Operation 40 or Operation 50 list. One thing I can say for sure is that if I decide to "TRI again", then the degree to which I learn to swim will be significantly improved.

Regardless, I did it! Another item off the list:

16. Do another triathlon (and this time learn to swim) - check!

Hooray!

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The Road Ahead

Without much else of note, this week seemed like a good time to reflect on how things are going with my Operation 30 list. There are roughly nine months left until the big 3-0, and I've completed nine of the items on my list. That's 30% - not bad!

Of course, I should probably take a look at the other 21 items that I haven't done yet to really get an indication of how I'm doing. As I scan the list, I see that the remaining items are in an assorted state of affairs in terms of planning. There are some that are locked in (such as the triathlon and marathon that I'm signed up and actively training for), while there are others that are sort of "when I have time" items (like the t-shirt quilt and learn Photoshop), and others that are sort of scheduled but lacking in details (like tickets for the Nebraska game and a hotel room for the Kentucky Derby next year).

So with that in mind, here's my attempt to leverage my social community and solicit help, particularly for the "lacking in details" group. I need to get cracking on some of them! I'm hoping at least some of my wonderful blog-readers can point me in the right direction or at least get me a little more motivated on the following...

#4. Do an Adventure Race

I need to check into this one in more detail. Hopes are I might also be able to cross off #2 if I do this right.

#17. Stop Biting My Nails

I'm open to any tips, tricks, or psychological motivation tactics at this point. My only conclusion so far is that this is a nervous/fidgety habit that I have never been able to stop cold turkey, but could potentially redirect to a not so self-destructive activity.

#23. Do an Anonymous Pay it Forward

Short of paying for someone's meal in the drive-in behind me, I'm struggling to come up with a good one here.

#30. Learn Photoshop

In order to learn it, I think I need a project. Hmm...

Alright. (Phew! Strange - but it felt good to write that out.) Some work to do, but I'm optimistic that I'll figure out how to make all of the remaining 21 items a journey in their own right. After all, my Operation 30 list is an adventure that I chose, and I'm more than happy with the journey so far and what I'm sure will be a fun and challenging road ahead. Thirty schmirty - I got this!

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Back on Track!

A couple weeks in town has made all the difference in the world. I'm back on track with my training plan for the triathlon and marathon!

For the past few weeks the training plan I made in mid-June was more of a dream than reality through my various trips and traveling. Although I may have had the best of intentions in packing work-out clothes on my travels, I admittedly had only been making time to work-out once or twice a week. Which is something I only partially fault myself for...since making time to work-out fell on the priority list only to sleep, food, beer, and work. :-)

Anyway, getting back into my work-out routine the past two weeks has been great. Lots of running, biking, and yes, even swimming (which takes a lot of mental courage, since it is not something I'm good at or that in any way comes naturally to me). In fact, last Sunday was my first time swimming in over three years. After a few laps of choking on water during an awkward freestyle, I made a decision. Rather than making a half-hearted attempt to get comfortable breathing face down in the water (and probably getting frustrated that I couldn't go a single lap without choking), I'll spend my time training doing a stroke that I know I can breathe with and simply build up endurance that way. The solution: the backstroke!

I had another swim session this morning and am extremely happy with my decision. Doing the backstroke I'm able to focus on my technique and improving my stroke (with some online help from YouTube videos...) rather than my oxygen intake. And the best part is that I'm not getting frustrated but am actually improving. For the first time I'm actually getting a cardio work-out by swimming!

I may never be a strong swimmer, but at least I'm doing what I can to set myself up for success as best as possible for my pending triathlon. (It's in two weeks! Yikes!) Here's hoping that my fitness momentum keeps up!

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Side note...as of this post I am now a member of the Google + community and Twitter. Back on track and connected!

Also - no repaired laptop yet, so another week with weird formatting from a different computer.

Hectic Hiatus

Phew! What day is it? For the past few weeks that question has been more difficult to answer than usual, and for good reason. I had been posting updates roughly every week since January, but my recent hiatus has been hectic to say the least.

Since my last post on June 20th, I've officially spent time and toured around seven different cities and been out of town for 20 out of the last 28 days! (That's over 70% of the time!) It was a combination of work, personal, and Zeta travel. Lots of conferences and meetings, but also a lot of fun and great sight-seeing. Oh, and my brother got married in those same 28 days too. (Congratulations, Greg, and my new sister, Shayna!) Needless to say, the days that I spent at home in between were spent doing laundry and gearing up for the next trip. I was exhausted!

The good news is that I've rested up over the past week and am looking forward to enjoying some time at home for a while. My training plan is back in full effect and I'm actually looking forward to the triathlon and marathon.

At an attempt at an abbreviated re-cap, here's how I spent late June and early July...

Running along the James River in Richmond, Virginia:

Taking boat tours and enjoying great beers in scenic Belgium cities:

Exploring Seattle with Diane, Laura and Dave:

Yes, I did get one closer to my baseball stadium goal (#1 on the Operation 30 list). Safeco Field (#2 of 4) was great!

Sampling pints near Grand Central Station in NYC:

Reinvigorating my Zeta Spirit in Indianapolis at National Leadership Conference:

Overall, a hectic but great month. :-)

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PS - Weird formatting can be blamed on me using a different laptop for this post. My personal laptop was infected with a virus yesterday. I'll have to go back and fix formatting when the Geek Squad has finished bringing my good 'ole Dell back to life.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Although it pains me to admit it, in all of the Operation 30 travel and work madness I've sort of fallen off the fitness wagon. No big deal in the grand scheme of things as I'm clearly entertaining myself with fun activities, but the fact of the matter is that the Alligator Creek triathlon is only eight weeks away and the St. Louis Rock 'n Roll Marathon is 18 weeks out (phew! but still...). This time if I'm trying to do better on the swim and improve my time significantly in the marathon, then I needed to get going on building up my base and training! Thank goodness that's exactly what I was able to do while in Kansas City this past weekend. Relying on some Hal Higdon and veteran athlete expertise, I mapped out my plan in Excel and it is now officially documented in my Google calendar...



While I can't say I was ever a huge fan of the A-team (mostly due to timing and the fact that it was popular before I had even reached kindergarten), I have to agree with Colonel on his favorite catch phrase, "I love it when a plan comes together". That's exactly how I feel now that I have this huge piece completed.

Luckily, this isn't my first rodeo so I know what will help to motivate me to stick with my training schedule:

1) New gear - namely work-out clothes and tennis shoes, and possibly a new bicycle
2) New tunes - significant iPod updating will happen this week
3) Visual reminders - print-outs of my training calendar and inspirational quotes will be posted in strategic locations
4) Friend support - people holding me accountable by asking me how training is going and being understanding when I likely won't have "just one more" or be out late when I have a long run the next morning

The trick this time is going to be learning to balance everything I've chosen to consume my life at the moment while still hopefully having time for sleep. (Not off to a good start if this post is any indication. As always, it's a post-midnight update.)

No time to over-analyze things, which is good. I've committed to it. I have a plan. Now it's time to make it happen!

Troo Roo

Holy craziness - it's been a busy month! I just got back from another whirlwind trip involving some other Operation 30 items. This time the theme was music, and I got to experience a lot of it...

#10. See Dispatch in concert - check!

Anyone heard of Dispatch? Or some of their good songs...The General? Outloud? Elias? Passerby? Well, if you haven't, you should look them up. I didn't start listening to them until after they had broken up in 2002, but once I did they quickly become one of my music staples. Therefore, when I heard there was a reunion tour for Dispatch this year, I jumped right on the pre-sale bandwagon.

Luckily my brother, Alex, shares my interest in Dispatch and was easily convinced to be my partner in crime for their Chicago concert. So we took Megabus from St. Louis to Chicago last week and made it happen. It was his first time to Chicago so we took a quick walk on The Magnificent Mile and ate dinner at Harry Caray's on Navy Pier before heading to the concert at Millennium Park. Although the view from the lawn was somewhat lacking (and there were no screens to compensate), it was a pretty cool venue! No complaints at all on the set list either. I heard every song I was hoping to sing along to. I wish I had more time to see them again on their tour, but I'm hopeful their reunion tours will continue and I'll have other opportunities in the future.


Alex and me at the concert


Sweet panoramic view from our spot on the lawn

After Dispatch in Chicago, it was immediately off to my next adventure. My brother and I parted ways as he headed back to St. Louis and I headed to Nashville, Tennessee. Why, do you ask? To BONNAROO, of course!

#9. Rock out at a music festival - check!

This one has been a long time coming. I've wanted to go to Bonnaroo for quite some time now and have some friends who have gone regularly. So when I added #9 to my list, I was 90% positive it would be Bonnaroo. Plus, it was the 10th annual. How could I miss it?

So after a somewhat rag tag ride from the Nashville airport to Manchester, Tennessee, I met up with my friends who had driven there early that morning in our rented RV, "The Chateau". It wasn't really until the next morning that I got to fully explore the extreme set-up that is Bonnaroo....700 acres of multi-stage musical fun with 80,000 people for four days. Awesome, right?? RIGHT!


Arch at the main entrance and the flair at the What Stage (not to be confused with Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent, or The Other Tent)

I learned (thanks to Wikipedia) that Bonnaroo officially means "a really good time". And that it was, for sure. I could go into detail on the specifics, but instead I'll post my top ten 2011 Bonnaroo highlights below. Note, I'm specifically leaving out the $7 showers and hour-plus of wait-time for those of us that are more concerned about hygiene. :-)

10) Hardee's grub and AB brews...the Chateau was hooked up!
9) Glow Sticks and Girl Talk...No better way to spend 2:30am-4:00am on a Saturday
8) Paint Cans at The Chateau...great conversation starters for unsuspecting passersby the RV
7) People watching...nuff said
6) The 40ft high "Big Ass Water Slide"...a good way to cool off in Centeroo
5) Frank, our RV rat mascot
4) What Stage...where My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, and The Black Keys played
3) Eminem...someone I probably would never see in concert otherwise, but what a show!
2) Which Stage...where Ray Lamontagne, Mumford & Sons, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Amos Lee played
1) My awesome friends who made the entire experience a ton of fun


Some hightlights: Ray Lamontagne, Mumford & Sons, and Eminem


The Roo Crew: Diane, Lugge, me, Ortbals, Amy, Jackman, Lindsey, and Shelley

Two great experiences on the Operation 30 list complete. Good stuff!

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I Want to Ride My Bicycle...

11. Go on a winery bike ride...check!

That's right, another week and another item checked off the list. In a way I feel as if I'm celebrating my 30th birthday for a year straight, which is pretty awesome! Just yesterday was the long awaited winery bike ride. After polling the crew and picking a date earlier this year, we were locked and loaded for June 4th - a bicycle ride along the Missouri River on the Katy Trail to the wineries in Augusta, Missouri.

We met at the Page Bridge Missouri River Crossing at a commuter lot by mile marker 42.8 on the Katy Trail at 9:45am. Darnell, Hille, Lugge and I geared up and were on the trail by 10:00am. It was the beginning of a pretty scorching day temperature-wise in St. Louis. The high was 98 degrees F! Thank goodness for the shade along the trail, the steady breeze in Augusta and the refreshing cooling effect of riding a bike 15mph.


Geared up and ready, then hit the trail!

After biking what turned out to be two hours and 25-27 miles, we arrived at our destination in Augusta at noon. First stop was the Augusta Winery which was just up the hill as we got in town. It didn't take long before the group was sampling wine in order to pick a bottle and then on our way to the outdoor garden which had a nice view of the landscape. I was so excited to have other (non-biking) friends meet us there. Soon-to-be parents, Jessica and Tim, came out and so did the always dependable Meena. They even had snacks, which was excellent thinking and very much appreciated after our journey!


First stop - Augusta Winery

Through the grapevine (get it?!) we heard that Steve Ewing was playing at Mount Pleasant Winery at 1pm that day, and as luck would have it that was exactly the time at the moment. As many of us were tried and true Urge fans back in the day and have been known to see Steve Ewing play regularly at his monthly Tin Can shows, we had to check it out. A quick Google map search showed that our hike would be a whole 157 ft away (ha!) so we packed up and re-located to Mount Pleasant for some Steve Ewing jams.

As usual, Steve's music was spectacular, and it was extremely hard to leave. But we had another 25+ mile bike ride ahead of us and had to fuel up (and buzz down) with more than just wine for the road.


My buddy, Steve

So it was on to the last stop in Augusta which was the Augusta Brewing Company. We grabbed some lunch and pitchers of their Blond and Hefeweizen. Overall, a pretty nice tour of Augusta, Missouri and an extremely scenic and fun-filled afternoon.


Last stop before the journey back - Augusta Brewing Company

I don't recall exactly what time we rolled out for the journey back (4-ish?), which is a good indication of my mental state at the time. About seven miles back on the trail we stopped at the biker bar in Defiance for a couple of beers and some Ray LaMontagne on the digital jukebox. At that point, I think we were all dreading the remaining 20-ish mile journey back. That, or we just wanted to extend the good times a little longer. Or, likely a combination of the two...


Biker Bar in Defiance

But - we made it back! Although it was the first time I've busted my bike out all year and I was nervous about my 28mm road bike tires lasting without busting, we did it! Albeit, we were all probably a little tired and a lot dehydrated at the end, it was a good time had by all.


Some highlights along the route

It was also agreed that 50+ miles was too long of a bike journey to include a winery stop. Riding four hours plus is nothing on RAGBRAI or at the MS150, but when there's some concentrated drinking going on (particularly in the middle of a hot St. Louis day), it seems the key is moderation...on the riding, that is.

Next time (and there will be a next time), we'll make the ride shorter and likely start from Weldon Springs. Oh, and I'll also remember to bring the music. :-)

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