Peter Vu's Ironman Blog - Vineman 7/31/10

Brian Morrison's (one of my teammates this past season) dad passed away earlier this week from myeloma cancer.  I can't say enough good words about Brian, who taught me how to bike better and offered encouraging words on numerous rides when I felt I had nothing more to give. His loss is my loss and our team's loss.

While training for an Ironman can be a very selfish goal, I was glad that I did it with Team In Training. Hopefully, someday, the money we raised will lead to a cure.

"Memento mori" - something that I learned in art history class and still resonates with me today.

I will surely be raising a glass to you sir, next Saturday.

This e-mail via Zen Habits on passion struck a chord today.

“You need to be exposed to many things,” she told me. “You should expose yourself even though you might not know if you’ll be interested.”

When you find something that catches your attention: follow-up; see if it sticks.

In other words, discovering passion requires a dedication to unstructured exploration. You have to leave large swathes of free time in your schedule (a technique I call underscheduling), and fill this time with the exploration of things that might be interesting. Of equal importance, when something catches your attention you must leverage your free time to aggressively follow up.

While I'm toiling away on my graduate school applications, work and volunteering, I'm also constantly thinking about what's next for me...

"What will you do after the Ironman?"

I will not check the glycemic index. Maybe try p90x. Read something hard like "Ulysses".

Yup. Yup. Yup.

Here's Rachel Chai's post-race description of me on the run.

Peter, sometimes smiling and sometimes so focused I thought the runner in front of him would catch fire

Rachel, those smiles were for you, Pikachu and the guy running in the Scottish kilt.

Do one thing that scares you every day. It's a hackneyed epigram, but sometimes the most pithy statements mean the most. 

Although most people say you should write your post-race report immediately after so that you can capture the details more vividly, I intentionally demurred with the hopes that I could take a step back and assess the overall scope of this journey. I must admit that two weeks later, it's still hard to encapsulate the effect of this event on my life, but I have had some flashes where I ask myself: did I really just do that? Not in an arrogant way, but more in a matter of fact manner. I may be suffering from PIDS (Post Ironman Depression Syndrome), but my "normal life" has commenced. Anyhow, please read below for my post-race report. As my veteran teammate Carlos Pineda so aptly prefaced in his post-race report last year, please "grab a seat, a refreshment, maybe some popcorn because this is bit of a lengthy post".

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Saturday, July 31, 2010. 3:30AM. (alarm sounding and phone ringing). The hotel gives us a courtesy wake-up call to make sure Dash, my teammate, and I are awake. It's Saturday morning, and we are up 3 hours before the start of our swim wave at 6:30AM. I fell asleep probably around 10PM the night before, receiving only 5.5 hours of sleep (Cheri, don't read this).  It does not sound terrible, but it might sound inadequate prior to an IRONMAN triathlon.

Actually, I am alert and focused on what needed to be done this morning to get me to the finish line. Dash and I have laid out all our gear and nutrition the night before, so we proceed to follow our coach-prepared routine for race morning.

Change into triathlon gear, apply sunscreen and body glide, make Quakers instant oatmeal, brew Starbucks Via medium strength coffee, eat, eat some more (banana), grab our chilled sports drinks (all 6 of them), triplecheck our transition bags, and head out the door while munching on a Clifbar.

There is so much stuff to carry in our 3 transition bags that I have to stop a couple times to readjust the bag's handles on my tired forearms. We meet up with the rest of the team in the Hilton hotel lobby. Everyone seems a bit more subdued than earlier in the week (we had arrived at the hotel on Wednesday evening in order to soak in the environment, register, and not have to worry about arriving late), an observation that probably resulted from people's focus on what they were going to do today. People are listening to their iPods, committing to some small talk or lounging around the lobby. The coaches herd us around 4:30AM and get us to our shuttles, which will drive us to the starting line about 20 minutes away.

It is still pitch black out, and Sonoma appears shapeless to me as I gaze out the bus window. In a few hours, I will be perusing its 140.6 miles of river, potholes, and hills. I try to not think about anything and just focus on the task at hand, not letting any negative thoughts enter my mind.

We make a left turn by the Safeway's, and we are instantly at the street leading to the start of swim in the Russian River. I drop off my run and bike special needs bags with the race-designated cars and make my way to the U-Haul truck, which holds our transported bikes. Upon receipt of my bike, I switch it to a lower gear so that after my swim I can climb up the hill without falling.

The swim to bike transition area is always a surreal sight to behold. Hundreds of bodies in rapid, clockwork motion - setting your bike on the transition rack, unpacking your wetsuit and biking essentials, and double-checking everything to make sure you are ready to go when the race starts. Put 3 mixed sports drinks on the bike and open the caps. Check. Put 2 Powerbars in the Bento Box - Banana Berry for the 1st hour because it tastes better and Caramel Cookie for the 2nd hour to switch it up. Check. Put helmet on the bike for faster transition time. Check. Put spray-on sunscreen in front of your transition area so you don't forget to spray it on after the swim and burn up out there. Check.


After setting up, I begin munching on another PowerBar and sipping on Gatorade (coaches want us to do this an hour before the race). I find a volunteer and have her write my number, #61, on my arm for easy identification from spectators, photographers and race officials. I also have her write "Patience" on my left forearm - a shout out to my former French teammate and previous year Vineman finisher, Marie Schneider, who provided me with some encouraging words the day before. The two words I want to remind myself throughout today when things get rough and painful are "patience" and "breathe".

After using the restroom, a pre-race must for all apparent reasons, I head back to the transition area to change into my wetsuit. Gametime is only 30 minutes away. Coach Brad zips me up and ties my wetsuit knot. I grab my grey swimming cap, which denotes which wave I will start in, and my black swimming goggles and head to the swim start. Because of my age, I am packed into the 34 and Under / Elite wave. Intimidating, but kind of cool nevertheless.


I walk over the swimming platform so that it will register my timing chip. Then, I take a short, warm-up swim for 15 yards in the river to prime the wetsuit - the river water immediately enters my wetsuit when I jump in and the wetsuit constricts. 6:25AM. A bit chilly, 50ish degrees. The water temperature is slightly warmer, perfect for the race. The swim start is an in-water start so we all are wading around in the river prior to the race. I see a couple TNT people (Louis Kwan and Robin Hall) and head towards them. 3 minutes away. Then it hits me.

I am about to do an IRONMAN swim - 2.4 miles. It's a surreal thought, but something I know I should be prepared for given all my training. I tell myself that no matter what happens, today "I am going to be an IRONMAN". Whatever it takes, I will get to that finish line. Swim, bike, run, walk, crawl...GET IT DONE. I remember Emily Conlon's thoughts on her IRONMAN race in Idaho a month before about the starting line.

Emily: "Once you make it the starting line, you have already won."

I remember the first day I signed up for this adventure, and how I thought I would never get here. Well, I'm here and in 2 minutes, I will have to start swimming. There's really no turning back. Lastly, I think about all the people who supported me along the way and especially the honorees: Kyle Garlet and Gordie Lat. If they can attempt to do an IRONMAN after surviving cancer and a heart transplant, there is nothing that I can complain about.


I forget to take 2 Endurolyte salt pills before my swim. First adversity of the day. I compartmentalize and toss that thought away.

3, 2, 1...and we're off. It's a mad frenzy. The speed demons in front and the age groupers (muoi) towards the back. I push off the rocks I am standing on and now I am horizontal, trying to find my stroke and space to swim in. Someone swims over me, people grab my feet unintentionally. We are like sardines in a barrel. More adversity - forget and move on. My heart is beating fast, but not overboard. I concentrate on gliding and making sure I have long arm strokes - just as the coaches have mentioned all season long. I try not to use my legs, kicking lightly, to save them for the bike and the run, and because I do not want to start cramping up through the swim - a disaster if it were to happen. Salt pills would have helped. I keep swimming (thanks Dyanna) and I pass under one bridge and then another, keeping the buoys on my left hand side the whole time. I am sighting pretty well and not swimming in a zig zag line as occurred in the Long Beach marina a few weeks ago. I cannot seem to fully extend my left arm, maybe because of the wetsuit or because my body is not warmed up yet. More adversity - patience and breathe, it will get easier later I remind myself. I see some people walking on the shallow parts of the river instead of swimming. I tell myself that I will NOT do that this early in the race. 0.6 miles in, I see the turnaround buoy and head back. 1/4 of this swim done. As I am swimming back, someone hits my goggles and dislodges the right side for a bit. I decide whether to stop and realign it or keep swimming in hopes that it will realign itself. I choose the latter. We swim all the way back to where we start the race - 1.2 miles and our first loop done. Now, we have to do it all over again.


By this time, my left shoulder has loosened up. I swim the next 0.6 miles at a measured pace, reminding myself that I have a strategy today "maintain on the swim, go slow on the bike, keep it steady on the run, and hammer the last 10K". If I try to crush the swim right now, I will probably pay for it on the bike and run. We make it to the turnaround point and I know that I am almost done. I am consciously aware of how my legs are moving as I try to continue kicking lightly. After passing under the bridges, I see the swim finish and hear the people cheering. I swim until my hand touches the solid, prickly gravel of the river and pop out of the water. I am done with an Ironman swim! I run over the swim finish mat around 1:38 (shaving more than 10 minutes from my half Ironman swim split time in April - a goal of mine) and slowly run to the swim/bike transition.  When I get there, there are wetsuit strippers, volunteers who help take off your wetsuit. One of them yells at me to sit down as she pulls off my wetsuit. I grab my inside-out wetsuit and look for my bike.


When I get to my transition area, I make sure to put my bike helmet on first so I do not get a penalty and then take my time putting the rest of the gear on. There is no point in rushing because saving a couple minutes in the span of a 13 to 14 hour day is trivial. I quickly spray on some sunscreen and then pack all my swimming gear into the transition bag to be returned to me later at the finish line. I roll my bike out of the transition area for about 300 feet and then mount at the mounting line. Thankfully, I was able to switch my bike gear to a lower gear because some people who did not had trouble getting up the initial hill. Thanks coaches!


For the first several miles, I get used to sitting in the saddle and start taking in my first bottle of nutrition. One of the main things about surviving through an IRONMAN is your nutrition. One sports drink every hour is the rule. If you miss one hour, you throw off your nutrition and do not get it back. The main goal is to drink consistently on the bike to set you up for the run later. I am also starting to take in 2 salt pills (loaded with Potassium and electrolytes) every hour now too to help with the heat.


At mile 5, we go down a hill and face a sharp turn, where you have to really slow down or you can fall. I have my arm warmers on today because it is still 50+ degrees out and biking down descents at 25+ mph can get quite chilly really fast.

There is one thing that had been bugging me for the past several weeks, and it is getting a flat tire or having a mechanical issue on the bike. You can control the swim and your run, but your bike and the Sonoma roads can have a mind of their own. I am so worried that an unexpected pothole could jeopardize my day. However, I remind myself on raceday to not focus on those silly thoughts, make sure you ride around the "sketchy" areas, and slow down going around hairpin turns. I am prepared and nothing is going to stop me. If I get a flat tire, I will change it. If my chain comes loose, I will get off my bike and readjust it. Those positive thoughts help restore my mental well-being and provide me with confidence throughout the day. Stay mentally tough.

I feel okay for the first 15-20 miles. I know that the initial stages will not feel fantastic because my body needs some time to warm up. Around mile 34, I stop to use the restroom instead of deciding to hold it. It does not sound like a big decision, but small decisions throughout the day can really benefit you. You have to take care of yourself out there, or you will pay later.

I settle in afterwards, maintaining a steady rhythm. A few faster bikers pass me here and there, but I keep my ego in check and try not to catch up as the coaches directed. That extra energy to catch the other bikers will kill you on the run. And the whole goal of my steady biking pace is to set me up for a strong run later.

By mile 40, I am waiting for the tough part of the bike course to start. A 1-2 mile patch of tough hills - deceptive and punishing if you are not patient. When I pass through Chalk Hill Road, the beginning of the hills, I am totally focused. I sit up erect in my saddle, with my hands resting on the top of my handlebars and try to find a nice rhythm as I push up the gradual hills. It is tough but I love it. I am reminded of some of the tougher bike rides we did this past season - Piuma, namely, which almost crushed my soul. I pass a few people, who will probably catch me later. Once you make it past the hills, it is a flat ride back to the start of your 2nd loop. 56 miles are in the bag.


Around mile 60, I see my bike special needs bag and pick up my extra 3 bottles of sports drink and toss away the ones on my bike. I get a chance to briefly scan through the quotes from supporters before heading out again. It helps me re-channel my energy. I grab a water bottle from one of the volunteers and douse myself. It feels amazing since it is starting to heat up.

The second loop starts out fine, but by miles 70-80, I'm starting to struggle. Physically, I'm doing okay but my mind just wants to get this bike portion done. This is where I am tested. More adversity. I continue to remind myself to stay patient and focus on what I need to do for the race. I make sure I continue drinking and staying cool. I also eat a Powerbar every other hour too, but I am not doing the best job of eating. I know I will have to go up Chalk Hill again and that's all I am thinking about - saving energy for the hills. If I increase my speed prior to that portion, I know I will suffer going up. After passing through Chalk Hill, I revert back to my relaxed mindset of taking it easy, breathing and reminding myself that hills are there to test what you really got inside. As I near the top of Chalk Hill or a "sustained up" (strange euphemism), I realize that I am almost finished with the toughest part of the IRONMAN bike.  Once I reach the summit, I am ecstatic. I cruise on in for the next 10 miles, finishing out my 112 miles in about 7 hours. Wow.

I rack my bike and start putting on my running shoes, spi-belt (to hold my Gu), and fuel belt. Again,  I am just taking my time here to not forget anything. We don't have access to this area once we start our run.

It's during the transition that I know I will be an IRONMAN today! My friend Carlos, who had done Vineman the year before, wrote in his post-race report that the best feeling you will have during your race is not necessarily when you cross the finish line but when you realize you will complete the race. For me, it was right before the marathon. I was nervous about the swim and the bike, my two weaker sports compared to the run. However, I knew that given my time on the swim and bike today, I could still walk most of the marathon and complete it under the official cutoff time. I also had no injuries up until this point. Nothing was going to stop me from finishing my race today. Run, walk, crawl...I was going to get there.

It's 3:30PM and about 80+ degrees out - warmer, but not unbearable. The run course is 3 loops and totals 26.2 miles (marathon). I take in a Gu right before the first loop, hoping the mixture of caffeine and electrolytes will do me well. Nope. I start feeling queasy about a couple miles in. I decide that I will do without Gu for the rest of the day and just take in food from the water stops.


Coaches trained us to take it easy coming out of bike because we still have to run 26.2 miles. I start off quite slow, but I ease my way into a steady pace. I make sure to hit up all the water stops, pouring water over my head and stuffing ice down my shirt to keep my core cool. Our bodies are like car radiators and once they overheat, it's hard to fix. I must look like a maniac coming through each water stop as I grab 2-3 water cups, toss them inelegantly and don't even pay attention to the words of the volunteers. Once in a while, I will pick up food at the water stops: bananas, pretzels, oranges, etc.

I keep telling myself to take it easy and save my energy so I can hammer the last 10K. The first loop is rough. My body usually doesn't warm up on the run until 8-10 miles in, and I know I just have to mentally get through this part. It's a crazy way of thinking that you can feel better after 120 miles, but these past 2 years have taught me about my body's limits, and I know that it's the mental battle NOT the physical one that you have to fight to complete an endurance race.


We have to run by the finish line at the end of every loop. It's a bit cruel, tempting the sufferers, but manageable. I also get to see my TNT supporters and Dash's girlfriend Traci, who is also cheering me on. By the second loop, I am starting to settle into a decent running pace. I'm still taking breaks at every water stop, and I am not doing intervals anymore. Whenever I get going, I just keep running until I hit a tough patch. I can feel my legs getting stiff, but luckily there's no onset of cramping. I am enjoying myself, but I do want to finish soon. General fatigue hits me, but I am not hitting a wall by any means. I finish the 2nd loop at a quicker pace than my first loop.


When I cross the 2nd time, I note that the clock says 12:07. I knew that I would finish, but I had a personal goal of finishing under 14 hours despite what coaches said about how you should not focus on time for your first IRONMAN. In order to accomplish this goal, I would have to run my fastest loop of all 3 on this loop. I don't know if I can do it because I am getting more tired by the minute.

I walk the first 0.25 miles of the 3rd loop. Then I take a deep breath and start to visualize myself crossing the finish line under 14 hours. This is the image I carry with me throughout my last loop. I devise a strategy of running strong when it's flat and downhill and walking the steep hills to save energy. This is the only way I am going to cross under 14 hours. After the first 0.25 miles, my mind is locked in and I just focus on what I have to do to GET IT DONE. I don't even hear the fans cheering and I look straight ahead, constantly determining the topography of the next 100-400 meters.
It's a lot harder to run now, and I can feel pain in my feet. My forearms are starting to cramp so I shake them out every few miles to stay loose. I search for landmarks (a tree, lightpost, manmade construction) ahead and challenge myself mentally to run to that point to prevent my inertia from wanting to stop and rest. I know that if I can do this, my body will at some point forget my pain and just keep moving. I run the first 4 miles at a great pace. When I reach the halfway point, it motivates me and I pick it up a bit. Water stops become my savior. Only 4+ miles more and I remind myself that 4+ miles are nothing. You've done this distance a million times. Push through this and end strong.

It's starting to get colder now and the sun will set in an hour. There are still a lot of people out on the course. I hope they finish, but I still remain focused on my own goal. These are a long 4 miles. After each mile, I tell myself that you ONLY have 3 more, 2 more, 1 more. As I hit Reiman Road, I see Carlos Pineda and Rich Leist. They are running TNT participants in. Rich is in his yellow Pikachu costume. It's a bizarre sight. I am sure most people running must think he's "so weird". Carlos and Rich jog next to me and let me know that you're "almost an IRONMAN". Although I am mentally and physically spent, Carlos and Rich calm me. Carlos jokes, "What will you be doing on Wednesday? Not biking. What will be doing next week? Sleeping in."

This journey is almost over. I started this 9 months ago, and everyday I have thought about this event. Dreamed about crossing this finish line and how it would feel. There were days when I thought I would never get here and there were days when I did not want to train anymore. All I had to do was run one more mile or 9-10 minutes. Hundreds of hours in the pool, thousands of miles biking and numerous miles of pounding pavement all translate into this one moment.

I am mentally and physically worn, but I will finish this last portion strong. I jog slowly with Carlos and Rich until we make a left turn at the corner. They leave me and I am all by myself to get to the finish line. I can see the crowds a few blocks away. I think back again to all I had to do to get here and those "tough moments", the honorees and all my supporters. Emotion overwhelms me, but I hold back. I am just happy. I am going to be an IRONMAN in a couple minutes. Wow.

2 blocks out and the crowds are around me cheering me on. I pick up my pace and head towards the transition area. As I hit the finish chute, I can see in the distance that the clock is 13:54. I am running my fastest lap of the marathon. I lift up my knees and sprint the last 100 meters as the announcer calls out my name. 25 meters to go and my left calf starts cramping up. I try to fight through it, but I cannot. I don't care though as I am so overjoyed with the moment. I slightly hobble over the finish line, and grab on to a rail on the left hand side. 13 hours and 55 minutes!!! I aim to strike a pose, but my left calf won't let me. It's okay because the photographer has me go back and retake my picture again.

Afterwards, I get my medal, take another picture and hug my finished teammates and coaches. They are like family to me because they believed in me and gave me the support I needed all season to reach this goal.


I go to the med tent area after to have some chicken broth and part of a hamburger. I really don't have an appetite, but I am starting to get cold. I meet up with Katy Tang, my high school friend, who was awesome enough to come out and support me. It is nice to see a familiar face out there on the course - I hope she had a good time.

We wait for all the teammates to finish the race.


Gordie Lat, cancer survivor, comes in an hour after me; it's simply amazing how strong he was out there on the course.


Truly an inspiration to train and be part of the team with him. Some people miss the official cutoff times, but they still complete the 140.6 miles - they are IRONMEN in my mind. Joy and Eurie didn't finish today. Joy was fighting the lingering effects of a strep throat for the first 30 miles of the course. It's amazing that she even started the race, but she attempted it. Eurie had a tough day. We all have tough days, and today just happened to be one of those days. Nothing to be ashamed about. To say you are even doing an Ironman is something to be proud of. By 11:45PM (17 hours after the start of the race), we are all back at the finish line. We get on the shuttles and head back to the hotel for our much deserved rest.

On July 31, 2010, I did an Ironman. I did it. I did the impossible.

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For the past 2 years, I have been doing one thing that scares me every day.  From running a panting 3 miles in January 2009 to completing my first marathon in San Diego in May 2009. All 26.2 miles of it; yes, darn that Greek (good ol' Pheidippides) and his fabled run. To my 2nd marathon in January 2010 on the flat, non cactus-laden and repetitive course of Arizona where I thought I was getting the hang of this endurance "thing".  In my attempt to challenge myself further (or "get tricked by others" who I won't mention here because I know they are reading), I added swimming, which I thought I had no business doing, and bicycling, which sounded benign initially but proved to be a major challenge eventually, to the mix. And it finally led me to the Vineman Ironman Triathlon on July 31, 2010.

One of my favorite writers/bloggers, Ta-Nehisi Coates, wrote that often "the most rewarding journeys are a tough, solitary affair with a lot of sacrifices". I believed that at the beginning of the season, but as time passed I realized that what made this experience special was not my individual battles, but that I was able to share such a wonderful time in my life with an amazing group of people.

I have kept in my e-mail inbox a message that I would see every morning. The subject header is "Ironman - Why?" and the body of the email consists of a couple quotes that have resonated loudly to me throughout this whole experience:

Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Carlos Pineda's teammate Sharon:

I’d like to repeat something here that another one of my teammates, Sharon, wrote so eloquently in her blog. I think she summed it up best. “Let me say that I am no more athletic, special or talented than you. I made a decision and I set my mind to it. I was focused and determined to meet this goal and complete it. We all have different goals in life. Mine just happened to be swimming, biking and running to complete an Ironman”. I am not suggesting here that all of you sign up for an Ironman and that it will solve all your problems. But I would encourage you all to go out there and tackle whatever “Ironman” in life you have been chasing, and maybe have been a little scared to chase. Maybe it’s that dream job you want, or that business you want to start or that book you’ve been meaning to write. Whatever it is…it doesn’t matter. DO IT! Don’t doubt yourself. You will be surprised what you can accomplish if you just set your goals and GO FOR IT!

I don't think I can write more eloquently than those two quotations. However, I wanted to say a few more things and leave you with a couple more quotes.

The only thing standing between you and achieving what you thought was impossible is yourself. If you can challenge yourself to test your limits and take that risk, I guarantee you that it will be rewarding. You will not always succeed, but you will discover how much character you have. There really are no limits.  I realized that after doing an IRONMAN. I realized that I could also be a kid again, flying and soaring without any adult problems to worry over. And ultimately, I was living. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." T.S. Eliot

"You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis 

There is nothing like your first _________. Please fill in the blank for yourself.

Thanks for reading and letting me share this experience with you. It was truly one of the best days of my life!

I'm feeling great now, five days after my IRONMAN (detailed post to come). No more soreness or tightness. No walking down stairs gingerly with the use of a handrail. No more deliberate angling of body parts to produce the most painless ease of motion while getting out of a car, getting into a car, putting clothes on, showering, etc.

Thanks to the coaches for the regimented training and recovery they provided us this season. They trained us well to recover from long workouts (even 14 hour ones).

I'm still on cloud nine this week. The time spent not training has been seamlessly shifted to "normal life" activities. So this is what it feels like to have a weekday night only worrying about work and school? Wait, I don't need to check Workoutlog to figure out what I need to do tomorrow? Today is Thursday, but I don't have to head to the swimming pool after work. I'm settling back into normal life, a strange frontier I abandoned only 2 years ago, but that's okay.

We'll see how long this "normal life" lasts. All I know is that I can eat Haagen Daaz Pineapple Coconut on a Tuesday Night or have a Pale Ale with spirited co-workers on a Thursday evening.

I wouldn't mind doing a short swim or bike session though to flush out the lactic acid.

Goodnight...tomorrow, I will do an Ironman.

BTW - Weather up in Sonoma looks perfect for racing so far. I'm probably jinxing myself - 100 degrees would be painful. See here.

Gordie has been getting a lot of love on this blog lately, but deservedly so. Read his latest post that he sent today and thank you again for your support and donations to this cause!

Gordie's Email:

As I walk out of the door each day, I've been tapping that sign taped to my door that reads VINEMAN that's written in orange, kinda chicken-scratch-like...(yup, I got balls...LOL).  I say good-bye to my wife and kids and head to my car on my way to work thinking about everything that's gotten me to this point.  Waves of gratitude hit me as I think of the countless number of people (many who don't even know me) that have contributed funds to our fundraising accounts for us to do this Ironman, for us to train, and for ME to LIVE...

In a world without these types of people, without their families and friends, and without their kind-hearted donations, I should be DEAD.  The monies donated have funded research that has literally saved my life!  But instead of death, I prepare myself for the most challenging physical event that most people wouldn't even consider doing, an Ironman - 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running...all in one day...all within 17 hours...all while living with CANCER.

It's not a fate that I wanted or even asked for.  But it's a fate I'm willing to accept, especially at this moment in time, knowing that the HOPE for a little more time has been given to me.  YOU are a big part of that hope, for the future of me and for millions of other cancer patients...

So "when" I cross the Finish Line (Coach - note the positive mental attitude), I hope you know that the VICTORY will not only be MINE.  It will be YOURS, YOUR DONORS', TNT'S, LLS', and EVERYONE who's ever contributed time or money to this cause!!! 

Thank you, IronTeam!  You are the BEST!!!!

Honored to be your Teammate,

Gordie

Last coached pool workout tonight and then I'm off to SF tomorrow morning.

Week of the race - constantly sipping on a sports drink (surprisingly, my drink of choice has been tons of Gatorade). I let go of the HFCS worries. Stay hydrated.

We have a sendoff dinner for Vineman participants tonight in Marina Del Rey. I know the coaches are going to roast me, but not sure how yet.

N-E-R-V-O-U-S, but excited.

Okay, friends and family...this is going to be an interesting post. Don't worry, I'll give you more details in-person or directly, but coaches wanted us participants to relay a message to our close ones:

Coaches: We love you for supporting us, but don't bother us until we cross the finish line. We only have one week to go, and on raceday, it's just another "day at the office" for us participants. This is a BUSINESS trip and NOT a vacation trip UNTIL we cross the finish line.

Coach Rad: you will feel more nervous this week than possibly anytime during your life.

Coaches: you don't need anymore distractions. Get the work done on raceday and then celebrate with your friends and family.

Deal, people?

Training: we had an open water swim in Long Beach this past Saturday followed by a 45-minute run. I need to work on sighting more in the water because I really don't want to be swimming 2.75 miles when I only have to swim 2.4 miles. On Sunday, I got about 3,000 yards in the pool at Santa Monica Swim Center - 3 x 1000 yards off of 1 minute rest. Not a crazy workout but just enough to get the shoulder muscles tired.

Craziness

By this time next week, I'll be an ______ hopefully. (wow - I would have never thought that I could have even come close to this point a few years ago. I remember my unhealthy marathon sitting sessions in NYC when I was in the office 24/7.)

On Racing

I was talking to Carlos "the Beast" Castrejon today after our last weekend workout, and he made some interesting points about racing.

Let me say initially that I don't consider swimming, running or biking as something everyone should be doing by any means. It's something that I just happened to stumble upon and has brought me great joy, friendships and experiences over the past couple years. Life's great discoveries don't always happen by plan but sometimes through sheer trial and error.

Back to racing. The great thing about endurance sports, which not too many activities offer, is this element of instant self-awareness and self-reflection. You have one and only one goal at the beginning of the day-to finish the race. How you get there is your choice. At some point during the swim, bike or run, you are going to be tested. Someone might hit you in the face as you're swimming. You might get a flat tire going over a pothole. You might suffer painful cramps on the run.

Pain or adversity is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

It's these critical moments that truly define you. How you react to these challenges will translate into the type of race you will have. If you start to let negative thoughts enter your mind and feel self-pity, those actions will carry over into the rest of your day. If you can overcome these moments and recognize that they don't last, you will have completed the majority of the race-the mental part. I like to remind myself when I hit these crucial junctures that a) intense version - so and so had a heart transplant and is also competing in the same race so suck it up b) the hills or tough patches of road are there to test how strong you are and what goes up will usually come down c) stay focused, breathe, focus on form, and remind yourself how awesome it is that you're doing a half-marathon/marathon/triathlon on such a beautiful day. There's no one right way to deal with these obstacles, but you have to discover your own solution.

At the end of the day, you aren't really competing against other people out on the course. Just yourself. That's why when you see the finish line, it's a speechless, life-affirming feeling because you will know what you had to do to get there. It's not a profound thought sequence. Quite simple actually as all you're doing is pushing yourself to your limits and hopefully redefining them. The best part is that you get to play an active role and you might realize that there are no limits. I'm hoping to get to that point this Saturday.

Holler 

I also want to give a shout out to my friend Carlie Chiu, who finished her first half-marathon this past weekend up in San Francisco. I'm so proud of her. She trained by herself (very impressive) and GOT IT DONE.

Gordie, one of our honored teammates (cancer survivor) and fellow Ironman trainee, loves to send us a quote of the week every so often. This week's quote was spot on. Check out below:

Gordie's Quote of the Week:

I'll give you a hint. Flat Vegas In December. Beating Sarah Palin's time. Getting my diet in check.

If all these factors come together, I think I can get it done. A great way to top off an amazing year so far!

Probably shouldn't get ahead of myself though.

Still tapering. It's funny how my body feels so anxious to work out.

I swam 2.4 miles in the Westwood pool today in 1 hour and 28 minutes. Since I'm a slow swimmer, I really can't complain. To think, I could barely swim 100 yards 9 months ago...

I'm a 2nd half athlete - slow in the first half and strong in the second half. Let's see if I can trim some more time off of that in the next couple weeks.

Taper - by the way, we are officially in taper mode now. We completed our longest workout this past Saturday: an 8 hour session (80 miles of biking and 3 hours of running). We trained up in Westlake - 2 40 mile loops on the bike and then a couple loops of running. I didn't have the best day initially as I fell coming around a turn and received some scrapes on my right side (they still sting!). I also rolled my tires and flatted both of them right before a 3 mile hill climb on Mulholland Highway. Now, that's adversity. I was mentally shaken up since I was having a good ride up until then. I didn't feel like running, but I started to run and felt better. By mile 10 of the run, I was able to compartmentalize all my negative thoughts about that day and just focus on completing my run at a good pace.

At the end of the day, it's how you deal with all the bad things that happen on the course that really proves how much character you have. I would have never had known what I could deal with if I had a perfect training session. People talk about having a good training day when you smoke the course. I disagree. It's when things go wrong, and you have to look inside you and ask whether you can channel your energy to focus on the task at hand. Those are the best training days.

Anyhow, no more long weekend sessions...just shorter SPRINT sessions (that's the Ironteam for you). We still have long swims though.

Almost there, almost there...

See, Team in Training is more than purple jerseys. We are more than the “Go Team!” cheer. We are more than a group of individuals who gather each Saturday or Sunday to log our miles, share our frustrations of the week’s workload, complain about chafing, rejoice in conquering extreme distances, and cheers over giant plates of eggs, bacon and toast.

Eight season has taught me that we are greater than the drug, Gleevec; we are greater than the over $1 billion raised to fight cancer; we are greater than the 13.1 or 26.2 miles that stare us down on race day. We are all these things and more. We are a collective of individuals who, through our fundraising and through or dedication to walk and run down the miles before us, can actually make a difference. We change lives – others' lives and our own.

Emily just finished her first Ironman triathlon in Couer D'Alene, Idaho. She trained all by herself for the event - a herculean feat even by many Ironmen standards. She is just an amazing individual all around!

Read the rest of her brilliant post about why you should join Team in Training below.
An Open Letter To Those Considering Team In Training

I just swam 2.4 miles in the pool today - my longest distance ever! I couldn't swim properly nine months ago. What limits?

Believe in yourself...hells to the yea!

Today was probably the worst and one of the best training days I had on the team. We were supposed to do a 6 hour brick this Saturday morning-60 mile bike and 12 mile run. However, I never finished my bike ride because I got 3 (yes, 3) flat tires on my ride today. I ran over something 18 miles into the bike and it screwed up my tire. Alex Chin came over to give me a hand with my first flat. After getting it fixed, I was a little mentally shaken up because I was having a strong ride up until then (19 mph pace). I forced myself to just not think about it and just make it to the 30 mile or halfway point. On my way back at mile 32, I got my second flat on the same front tire. This time, Andie and Ale stopped to help me out - giving me a spare tube and CO2 cartridges. Linda, who was SAG for today, and Efren also drove by to lend a hand. They showed me that my tread had a hole on it, so pumping up the tube might not help. We gave it a shot, but after biking 200 feet, I heard a "whoooosh"! Not cool. My tire was officially jacked. Linda eventually came over to pick me up and drive me back to our team stop at Ocean and San Vicente. I tried to not focus on what just had happened, telling myself that it was out of my control, but it bugged me that I couldn't get my full workout in. I still had to run 12 miles (2 loops of Amalfi), which I wasn't entirely excited for either. On my first loop, I was mentally going through the motions, taking more breaks than I usually do and dreading the long hills. I just wanted to be done already. Sometimes, when you push yourself to the limits, it can have negative consequences. It can be very hard on you, and you start doubting yourself and what you can accomplish.

Upon finishing my first loop, I just took a mental timeout. I reminded myself why I was training and how easy I have it. I'm training for an Ironman. An I-R-O-N-M-A-N. It's not supposed to be easy. All this adversity that I was facing today was what makes the Ironman so special; if you can conquer yourself, you can do anything! You are your worst enemy. You can do this, you just have to believe you can. The flat tires, tiring hills, extended pain, self-doubt, 90 degree temperatures are good training for me. You have no one else to rely on but yourself out there on the course and you just have to GET IT DONE...no excuses. There's a great Ironman motivation video on Youtube. It basically says that at the end of the day, you will know how you dealt with adversity out there on the course and you will remember it all your life.

Why do I have it easy? Because I'm not battling cancer like some of my honorees. I don't have any crazy injuries like some ppl on the team (i.e., stress fractures). I can afford to fundraise. I have the time to train for an Ironman. Most people say it's too hard to train for an Ironman. I am grateful to have this opportunity. It's a luxury. Yes, I have had to make a lot of sacrifices, but you only live once and sometimes you have to try the impossible - isn't that what makes life so amazing? Never complain. I'm not some amazing athlete. I'm a fairly normal person, but I set my heart on this goal and I believed I could do this. 

So here I am. Second loop - I sucked it up. I kept a good pace going up the hills, helped out a teammate and had a decent run down San Vicente. 12 miles in a couple hours - not amazing, but I'll take it.

I didn't do the full workout today, but I had a great workout. I battled myself, and I chose not to let my negativity get the better of me. It's the same with life, right?

Go Ironteam! (My teammates saved me on the bike today - they're awesome and wonderful people!)

I also got a 10 minute sports massage after. It was not a massage, but 10 minutes of pure pain..."Mike" just hammered my muscles and twisted/pressed in places I didn't know existed. As Efren usually says, "that sh$@ hurt". Indeed.

I think I bruised or pulled a muscle in my rib section this past weekend. I swam today with a slight piercing pain all throughout the workout. Can't stop. Won't Stop. As the coaches say, injuries are inevitable during this tough part of the training. You just have to pull through and deal with it.

Training is hitting hard now. We're out of recovery mode and preparing for the full Ironman!!! On Saturday, the team did a 3 hour bike ride (Latigo + PCH). Today, I did a 9 mile run followed by an almost 2-mile swim. Trying to work out the kinks in my swim form:

• Glide and extension to pull
• Side to side pelvic turns
• Bringing my non-extending hand to skim the top of the water upon return instead of using my full arm

Those are only three things to work on, but it takes a lot of practice just to get it right. I really do not know if 2 months will be enough, but I hope to at least get incrementally better. Currently, I'm quite exhausted when I finish my swim. Advanced swimmers, on the other hand, are so efficient in the water that they don't expend that much energy. Work, work, work! They say that once you get to the point where you've mastered the stroke, you don't lose it. I'm really aiming for that right now, but I know that it won't come easy.

Anyhow, I thought I would share some simple phrases that I have really rung true throughout all my training:

• To go fast, you have to go slow first. Learn the form slowly, or you will waste energy trying to go fast. Go slow on the first part of the run, so that you will have energy later.
• No one can do this race for you, you have to do it. Your coaches can't race for you. To get there, you have to want it. Really want it. Badly. You have to hold yourself accountable and train responsibly. It's the same with anything hard (and potentially worthwhile) in life.
• You are your biggest enemy. The race is not you against the other competitors. It's you against yourself. How will you react when adversity hits you? How will you deal with the inevitable pain? How will you find the will to move forward when it's unbearably hot and you're tired and sore? At those moments, you just have to dig deep, believe in yourself and deal with it. Get it done!

Training ramps up this week! Plus, next weekend - wow. Sat: 5 hour bike ride Sun: 15 mile run followed by a 1.5 mile swim.

If you ever feel the need to complain about anything in life, please watch this. He's a huge inspiration to me, and I was stunned when I saw him swimming in my same lane a week ago.

Kyle Garlett, Novartis - March 2010 from Kyle Garlett on Vimeo.

We tried this new swimming drill tonight at the coaches' swim session. I like to call it "that drill".

Get a spare bicycle tube and cut a quarter of it off. Tie that quarter into a circle. Put it around your ankles and then try to swim 4 x 100 with 20 seconds rest. Make sure a lifeguard is around.

Thanks coaches!

From the Article: "What Makes Chrissie Wellington So Good?"

Flash back to the summer of 2008—the 2007 Ford Ironman World Champion, Chris McCormack, is having a knock-down, drag-out, one-on-one battle with Eneko Llanos of Spain in Frankfurt, Germany, at Ironman Europe. During the week leading into the race, McCormack and Wellington had become friends. “We spent some time talking and she’s such a positive person,” remembers McCormack. The run course in Frankfurt loops around and at one point the men ran past the lead women. “When I ran by Chrissie,” McCormack continues, “she started running with me and cheering ‘Way to go Chris, you are running GREAT! Who’s in second?’ I could barely breathe and I yelled back, ‘Llanos… he’s right behind me.’ So now she’s cheering for both of us and continuing to stay with both Eneko and me. Everyone knew Chrissie was a special talent, but after she ran with us for the better part of the next mile, I realized just how special.”

How special? She won the first Ironman she attempted—Ironman Korea in 2007—and she has yet to lose any Ironman-distance event. That’s three times in a row in Kona, two times in Australia and two times in Germany. In Kona this past October, she broke Paula Newby-Fraser’s 17-year-old course record and went 8:54:02. At the Quelle Challenge in Roth, Germany, she took nearly 14 minutes off the existing course record and went 8:31:59, the fastest time ever for a woman at an Ironman-distance race.

Enjoy these pics from Avia Wildflower Half-Ironman 5/1/2010. One word to sum it up: mindblowing. Vineman, next stop.

 From Triathlete Europe's website:

It’s late in the race, your form is starting to fall apart and there’s no spring left in your stride. Your legs are battered and depleted, and you are struggling just to put one foot in front of the other as you accept the fact that your stride will continue to disintegrate all the way to the finish line. It’s an ugly end to a period of preparation that had you feeling like you were firing on all cylinders heading into your goal race.

This collapse comes as a bit of a surprise. You’ve been feeling strong during long runs and your workouts have gone so well that you can roll out of bed and run race pace all the way to the office. You covered all your bases in training—or thought you did, anyway. What went wrong?
While you made the efforts to hone your speed, improve your efficiency and nail down your nutrition in the weeks leading up to race day, there’s a good chance you never turned on the power switch at any point of your last training cycle. While a lot of triathletes will log months of mega-mileage and run workouts until the world stops turning, none of it will matter if you don’t have the strength in your stride to prevent your legs from fading into failure before you reach the finish line on race day.

Here are three simple drills recommended by a few top athletes and coaches that will help improve your stride power and prevent your form from falling apart next season.

Hill Training:

These aren’t hill repeats—this is running-specific strength work. Think of it as weightlifting without the weights. A set of short hill sprints on a steep grade—six to 10 maximum-intensity efforts of 10 seconds on a roughly 8-percent incline—forces you to focus on form, and also strengthens your stabilizers and gets your glutes firing much more effectively than squatting a barbell ever will.

“All of your fast-twitch fibers get recruited during the short sprints,” says Dennis Barker, head coach of Team USA Minnesota elite running group. “It helps your overall leg strength and improves your running economy.”

Recovery is key here. Even though the sprints are short, the recovery between them shouldn’t be. Take your time between the efforts; one to two minutes is ideal.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a coach today who doesn’t employ some variation of this workout in his training programs. I’ve used short hill sprints with my own athletes as an alternative means of working on power and mechanics early in the training cycle rather than having them hit the weight room or perform plyometrics. The results speak for themselves: Form doesn’t fade as quickly, finishing speed increases, overall lower-leg strength is improved and perhaps most importantly, instances of injury decrease.

Read about the other two drills here.

Check out this trailer for "Chasing Legends" courtesy of Coach Paul:

#1: Left Cross

A motorist fails to see a cyclist and makes a left turn--it accounts for almost half of all bike-car crashes, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC).
AVOID IT: If you see a car turning into your path, turn right into the lane with the vehicle. "Don't creep into the intersection at red lights to get a head start," says Laura Sandt, program specialist for the PBIC. 

See all five here. 

I organized a group of 11 people (Tony, Mark, Rachel, Erin, Bobby, Allan, Dave, Hammer, Terry, Rich) from the Ironteam to go biking and swimming this morning. Lots of fun, very chill - 2.5 Amalfi loops or about 20 miles in 1.5 hours. One of the most fun things in the world is riding with a group of friends on a beautiful morning - everyone should try it! After, I hit up Santa Monica Swim Center for 1,500 yards in the pool. It's been getting crowded there because of the sunny weather...sigh. I had a comfortable swim and worked on my barrel movement for the most part. I want to work on my glide and lifting my head out of the water to breathe next.

A few of us then went to this new place that Matt's girlfriend, Christine, suggested called Bite Bar and Bakery on the Westside...it was awesome. The steak sandwich and free cookie samples were dope. That place is going to blow up this year, no doubt and it just opened in March 2010. You heard it here first, and if you know me, you know how keen my food sense is. Also, shout out to Kiyokiwa in Beverly Hills where I had an amazing omakase dinner on Sat. night. The chef is truly one of the best unknown sushi chefs in LA right now. Crazy to think that LA is the food capital of the U.S. right now for all those foodies in the know.

Wildlflower this upcoming weekend. I'm stoked...for all 70.3 miles of it. It's gametime now. Nutrition (carbo-loading), training and sleep preparation in full effect tomorrow.

Only 45 minute run this morning with the team out by Santa Monica, then got a coaches lecture about upcoming race weekend. Tomorrow, 1.5 hr "cupcake" ride and then some poolwork. Love me the taper weeks!

Also, Arkady and Rachel are trying to convince me to train for Boston Marathon after Ironman. WTF. I just want to take a break from training. Arkady says we as athletes "never" take seasons off. I told him I will "never" run a marathon in 3:10 or below. He said "never" say "never". You know how the story goes.

I also picked up my bike today from Performance. I made sure to get a professional tune up before race weekend. $140 for their professional tune-up deal (includes 2 free tune ups, 2 drive chain cleaning, 4 flat tire changes and unlimited 50% off future services) = sweet deal. For those of you who are looking to save money and get into biking/triathlons, Performance Bike is the way to go. With their chain store purchasing power, you can get awesome deals on many general bike needs. They don't sell Cervelo or Orbea bikes, but they sell great starter bikes. Okay, enough promotion for a few months. However, if anyone is ever interested in getting into triathlons and wants to know about what to buy, let me know.

Performance Bike Video by MC Spandex

 
We have a daily training log that our coaches post online. This is today's:

TAPER! Sweetness! Not uncommon to feel really tired or even get sick during taper. Your body has been working hard, and now you take away the stimulus, and things creep up. Vit C, lots of rest.

I LOVE REST. So do bears.

but in shorter chunks since I'm too busy.

Training has been going well and we have our Half-Ironman (Avia Wildflower Triathlon) at the end of April. It's not my official race, but I am stoked to do it. 70.3 miles = 1.2 mile run + 56 mile bike + 13.1 mile run. Very hard course with lots of hills and usually hot temperatures.

Starting to love my team more and more everyday. Today, I had the best workout/post-workout meal ever. Louis set up a 2 hour run and then eat for about 7-8 of us (REDS = Run, Eat Dim Sum) in Monterey Park at my favorite dim sum place. Elite Restaurant. Sooo goood. I did have to drive out there at 7am though.

Need to keep fundraising...a few months away, but have to get on that soon.

Stay focused. Stay disciplined. Have fun!

Here's some Ironman Inspiration:



Sorry for the lack of posting, but here's a quick update of training for the past few weeks. 

• CLIMBING: Latigo. Mulholland. Piuma or Calabasas Lollipop.  These are 3 cycle rides that we have done the past few weeks. They are strictly climbing and crazy intense. The last one, Piuma, we did this past Saturday was straight up ridiculous - 4 hours of climbing. Let me say that this ride was by far the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. EVER. Harder than my marathons. We biked 2 loops of 28 miles each (56 total), and I almost wanted to cry after the first loop. And this is coming from someone who finished early compared with the rest of the team. After completing this workout, I felt that I could do almost anything...like whoa!
• Lance Armstrong also trains up on the Calabasas roads too.
• Did I also mention that I had to swim 2400 yards the next day and run 12 miles? Training is heating up...geez.
• Swimming = still looking to improve. May pay for a videotape lesson to improve my form. However, coaches tell me me that I'll be fine right now for the Ironman swim...aiya, self-critiques are vile things.
• Btw, Ironteam's idea of a recovery week = sprints...basically, no recovery weeks. Ouch.
• Like my man Carlos says, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop!"
• Oh man...I have cravings for In-n-Out now because I train so much. I don't feel too guilty since I burn so many calories during the week. Probably will cut back as May/June/July approaches and training cranks up a notch.
• I bought a scale and weighed myself ...around the 150-155 mark. Just insane because that is how much I weighed Senior Year of HS/Entering Freshman Year. For all you dieters, cut out your sugars and processed food. I've basically lost over 20 pounds since the height of my self-indulgence (i-banking in NYC).
• Wildflower Half-Ironman coming up in a month - wow, fast! We have a training simulation weekend in two weeks...can't wait.

Ironman legend Dave Scott talks about swim technique.

 “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Proverb

You have a dream. Right?

Everyone does. Maybe it’s buried, but it’s there. You probably have a rainbow assortment. Your life is made up of choices. Why not choose your dreams?

One of life’s persistent realities is that you can do anything you want, but you can’t do everything, and clearly, you can’t do everything at once. Focusing on one dream at a time makes success—completion—viable. Feeling bad, burned out and failing are not your goals. Defend against these hazards by taking on just one project at a time.

Even if you are the king of plate spinners planning and preparing will get you to your noble goal in less time, with less stress. Taking on too much guaranties neglected friends, disrupted sleep, missed deadlines. You know that frenetic feeling, and you know it’s not sustainable.

Imagine your dream as an entree. Picture something that will nurture, strengthen, and energize you. How are you going to eat that alluring plate of food? Slowly, savoring every bite, or quickly, without really tasting and enjoying the experience? With your hands or with chopsticks? Chopsticks are the epicure’s brakes, handily encouraging small bites.

Small bites is your new motto as you progress towards your dream. Whether you write a book, learn to paint, rekindle your love of photography, or get more familiar with Creative Suite, start by listing what it will take to get from here to there—that big place you want to be—using the smallest steps possible.

Read more here.

The Ironman training is already well underway, and I am having a great time with my teammates, the coaches and just the overall experience. In participating in what feels sometimes like a larger-than-life event, an individual can circumvent self-imposed limits or societal norms for what an average person can do (trust me, I'm not a "freak of nature" - Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington currently hold those honors in this crazy sport). But this is also a sport that can humble the most gifted and mentally resilient of people.

For this post, I just want to touch on this notion of humility-in its many forms. Training. Life. 

Our team trains usually 5-6 days a week. We generally split the three different activities up evenly throughout the week. When it comes to biking and running, I tend to feel golden. I have ran a couple marathons in the past 1.5 years, and that experience has definitely provided me with the proverbial "edge" when I hop off the bike and transition into my run. On the bike, I started off slow, learning how to pedal, switch gears, avoid cars, etc. Treacherous hills have dotted that learning curve as well, but for the most part, I was tackling this newfound sport with steadily measurable progress, just as a musician jumps from playing chords to scales and then eventually to simple songs. However, this sport is not won by majority vote: best 2 out of 3 does not cut it. Triathlons test your mettle because they require unanimous consent--completing all 3 stages, and for some people, muoi, swimming may be the most important stage.  If you don't complete the swimming, you can't finish the bike or the run.

Swimming is my weakest event right now. It is also my favorite challenge, and at the end of the day what may define my character. Coming into training, I really had no swimming background and the thought of swimming 2.4 miles let alone 1.2 miles was laughable. I really had terrible form when I first started (you know when Coach calls you out at one of the first practices in front of the whole class for the "wrong" form during a drill). Just like any novice who seeks to master his field, you listen to the experts, follow their advice and practice, practice, practice. Some days you hop out of the pool and instantaneously yell "Hulk Smash" because you crushed the swim--maybe improved your stroke incrementally but most importantly did not stagnate and progressed. Other days you labor through your 1500 or 1600 yard swim with bewildered angst, deciding how much you will have to save over the next month or two to afford Olympic trained and videotaped coaching critiques. Thankfully, that balance has swung favorably to the positive in the past few weeks. Case in point, Desert Tri and my first true open water swim. Panic could have settled in when I realized there was no wall to push off after the first 25 yards or black line to dictate the shortest distance between me and Mr. Green Buoy, but it didn't. I also had some issues breathing, but I pulled through. Still, I thought I had a slow swim by the end.

Why fixate over swimming when it seems like you are making progress? Because despite what the results may indicate, sometimes you internally do not feel that way and impatience is a rotten creature that can pester you if left untamed.

Here, is where I want to introduce this idea of humility. If you understand that you are not going to win the Kona Triathlon Championship or Vineman,  for that matter, then you realize that you are not the best triathlete out there on the course.  When you see other teammates lapping you in the pool, you are obviously not the fastest swimmer in your lane. However, when you see Gordie Lat, one of your honored teammates and cancer battler, training in a slower lane than you, you know that you do not have to be the best triathlete out there in the pool or ocean. Improving in your training is a laudable goal, but merely participating so that you can raise money to fight cancer and allow someone else to train is really the race worth finishing.

I remember the week after Desert Tri, I received a Facebook message from Gordie saying "What's up, superhero?". A bit nonplussed, I responded dryly that I was no superhero, and just a finisher at Desert Tri. Gordie responded back, "You are a superhero because you're out there saving my life!". To say the least, that unexpected appreciative comment made my day. My week. Maybe my season.

So, I will continue to battle in the water and try to improve. And some days, I will probably go home and Google "swim videotape sessions Los Angeles." I will NOT forget though how lucky I am. Reminding myself to stay humble because you cannot always be the best, but you can work hard and give it all you got.

If you want to know about real superheroes, read the story below about Hunter, who passed away earlier this week. Thanks Sara for sharing.


The Death of A Superhero

Here are some pics from my first triathlon in Palm Springs this past weekend. It was international distance - 3/4 mile swim, 24 mile bike and 6 mile run. Completed in 2 hours and 40 minutes and under less than favorable weather conditions - pouring rain and cold temperatures. Such a crazy, intense, out of this world experience.

I am now a triathlete.

If you asked me two years ago if I could ever do a triathlon, I would have surely said NO. But the longer I live, the more I realize that the only limits that there are in life are self-imposed.

Next up: Half-Ironman Triathlon. Go Team!