Question:

190 lbs (me+bike) - 157 lbs (me)= ?

Answer:

A really HEAVY Bike

I've been calling around, doing the typical due dilligence for a new bike. Essentially, anything under 19 lbs would be great. So I wondered how much my current bike weighted. Man, I was surprised. And this weight is without my aerobars!!!! I'm looking forward to seeing my times on my new high speed, low-drag bike.

Here in East Tennessee one of the prettiest things around is the spectacular views when the leaves are changing colors. I love all of the undeveloped mountains in this area. Take a moment this weekend and plant a tree. As the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard said: "Plant a tree, only an optimist would do that"

It's a busy time of year at work so I haven't gotten much cycling in. However, I did enjoy a nice run in this morning.

I probably won't do this race next year, but at some point when I feel comfortable travelling for races, I would love to do the Pacific Crest Half Ironman. This is definitely one of the prettiest places I have ever seen for a race.

Calculate the Cost of Commuting

When I plugged my wife's numbers in (since I bike and my commuting costs is a big ZERO) I was surprised it wasn't higher. Still saving $40/month ($480/year) is a lot of money. And isn't it ironic than that is how much an Ironman entry fee is???

From IBIKE.ORG

More Than Forty Good Reasons For Bicycling

1. Bicycles Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Have Access To Motor Transport.
2. Bikes Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Qualify To Drive A Car.
3. Bicycles Increase Mobility For Those Who Can't Afford Motor Transport.
4. Bikes Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Want To Drive Motor Vehicles.
5. There Are 28 Miles Of Bike Trails In The City of Seattle.
6. Bicycling Is The Most Efficient Form Of Transportation Ever Invented.
7. You Get Exercise Form Bicycling
8. Save Travel Money By Biking
9. Reduce Stress
10. Biking Is Therapeutic For The Mind & Spirit
11. Cycling Is Therapeutic For The Body
12. Your Commute Will Be The Best Part Of Your Day Instead Of The Worst Part Of Your Day.
13. Cycling Improves Self-Esteem
14. Save On The Membership To A Health Club, Get Your Exercise Bicycling To Work
15. Cycling Is Low Impact On The Body
16. Cycling Is Low Impact On The Environment
17. Bicycling In Your Neighborhood Is A Great Way To Meet Your Neighbors
18. Camaraderie of Cyclists Makes It A Great Way To Meet A Nice Stranger With A Similar Interest
19. Bicyclist Can Ignore the Traffic Reports
20. Feel the Self-satisfaction Of Biking Past A Traffic Jam In The Bike Lane.
21. Predictable Commute Time
22. Easier Parking
23. Cheaper Parking
24. Leaving Your Car At Home Provide A Parking Space For Someone Less Fortunate
25. If You Are Lazy, Your Bicycle Provides Door-To-Door Transport (You Don't Have To Walk Across A Vast Parking Lot)
26. Reduce Demand For Parking Lots
27. Reduce Energy Consumption (see below)
28. Reduce Air Pollution -- Bicyclist Emit Few Gases
29. Reduce Water Pollution -- Bikes Don't Drip Brake Fluid, Anti-Freeze, Transmission Fluid, Etc.
30. Reduce Noise Pollution -- Even Without A Muffler Bikes Are Quiet
31. Reduces Road Wear -- Even If Cyclist Feel Like They Have The Weight Of The World On Their Shoulders.
32. A four mile bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
33. 40% Of All Trips In The U.S. Are Within Two Miles Of Home.
34. Prevent and protest the sanctioned murder of responsible citizens.
35. Bikes Small Profile Reduce Congestion
36. Motor Vehicle Emissions Cause More Than Half Of The Northwest's Air Pollution.
37. Reduce Need To Lay Additional Asphalt And Concrete
38. Easier to Vary Your Route By Bicycle
39. Bicycling Improves Cardio-Vascular Health
40. Better muscle tone, bone mass improvement, clearer skin
41. Healthier People Have Lower Health Care Expenses
42. New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of bicycle commuting.
43. The Exercise Increase Your Productivity At Work
44. Increased Bike Uses Generates Bike Facilities Which Increase Property Values
45. Bicycling Gives You More Fresh Air Than A Sauna And You Can Still Sweat And Clean Your Pores
46. Bike Commuting Is A License To Dress Weird And Still Feel Smug
47. Urban Cycling Keeps You Humble
48. Biking Is Virtually Life Long Activity
49. Bicycling Can Be Enjoyed In A Wide Variety Of Topography
50. Cycling Can Be Enjoyed In A Wide Variety Of Climates
51. Bicycles Are A Great Means To See The World
52. Bicycling is cool.
53. Biking Is Fun.

I had an amazing ride Saturday going up 2 mountains (Suck Creek and Signal) for a grand total of 60 miles! This was my first long ride and I felt pretty good through the whole thing. The only time when I was in serious pain is going up the second mountain, but I finally figured out it was because I had been on a bike for 3 hours.

I was planning on being hard-core and not getting off for the sag in the three-state, three-mountain race. But that plan is definitely over!

The entire ride was gorgeous and I had a great time riding with my training buddy Kevin (who was fully prepared for "at least 15 miles").

While I felt bad that he did a lot more than he bargained for, he could have left anytime. PLUS, we both know, and hopefully everyone else out there, that this is what training for an IRONMAN and completing an IRONMAN is all about. Knowing your limits, and then finding out that you didn't know your limits!

May the God who gives ENDURANCE and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15:5-6

A great Ironman story. Read it to the end!

PATIENCE AND PRAYER NEEDED...

Sorry, but the blog may get distorted over the next couple of days as I try to make a cool banner, instead of the normal blogger template stuff.

Please pray for me as in the next 24 hours I plan on doing a seriously long ride!

Yesterday was a great day. On my lunch break I made it down to the Tour de Georgia Health Expo, and got a ton of free goodies.

Then after the market closed, the pelaton came right by my office. Just in-time to inspire me for a long bike ride.

I did my usual Lookout Mountain loop, and then made my way to Suck Creek Mountain. When I started the pro riders from the Tour de Georgia were coming down and started cheering me on. This was really inspirational!

Attached are some pictures of Suck Creek. It was extremely beautiful, as the Tennessee River was on my left and once I started climbing there was nice stream and a couple of blue holes on my right, and this is on top of the majestic mountain views I had. Needless to say, after approximately 50 miles of cycling, I'm feeling it today.

Yesterday was a great day. On my lunch break I made it down to the Tour de Georgia Health Expo, and got a ton of free goodies.

Then after the market closed, the pelaton came right by my office. Just in-time to inspire me for a long bike ride.

I did my usual Lookout Mountain loop, and then made my way to Suck Creek Mountain. When I started the pro riders from the Tour de Georgia were coming down and started cheering me on. This was really inspirational!

Attached are some pictures of Suck Creek. It was extremely beautiful, as the Tennessee River was on my left and once I started climbing there was nice stream and a couple of blue holes on my right, and this is on top of the majestic mountain views I had. Needless to say, after approximately 50 miles of cycling, I'm feeling it today.

OK, here is the official list of potential Ironman's for 2008. Leave a comment or email me if anyone has any thoughts on the races. The best race calendar's can be found at trifind.com


Saturday August 11, 2007 ::: Harrison Mills, British Columbia, Canada: Bigfoot Full Iron Triathlon
Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles
Location: Harrison Mills, British Columbia, Canada
Phone: 1-800-343-4466
email: Bigfoot@Triathlons.net
Course Info: Flat, fast course great for your first ironman distance event.
Directions To Race: The site is located 60 miles East of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Harrison Mills. The closest city is Mission, B.C. about 15 miles.
2006 Results At: triathlons.net

Sunday, August 26, 2007 ::: Louisville, Kentucky: Ford Ironman Louisville
Swim 2.4 miles , Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles
Start Time: 7:00am
Location: Great Lawn, Waterfront Park
Phone: (727) 942-4767 x221
email: mella@ironman.com
Printable Entry Form at:
Price: $450.00
# Course Info: The swim takes place in the Ohio River
# The bike heads east out River Road and US 42 to LaGrange
# The run takes athletes through downtown Louisville to Iroquois Park. The race features a spectacular finish at Fourth Street Live.


Saturday, October 20, 2007 ::: Clermont, Florida: 17th Annual Great Floridian Triathlon
Full Iron Distance ::: Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles
Start Time: 7:30 am
Location: Clermont Waterfront Park
Phone: (352) 394-1320
email: eventinfo@triamerica.com
Register On-Line At: GreatFloridian.com
# Course Info: Ironman distance triathlon The 2.4 mile swim takes place in Lake Minneola. The projected water temperature should be in the upper 70's.
# The gently rolling bike course travels along the scenic country roads of Lake County.
# The run course features a flat out and back section along the South Lake Trail followed by three laps around Lake Minneola.
More: The Great Floridian Triathlon is Florida's original ultra distance triathlon and is the nation's largest independent ultra-distance triathlon. Weekend activities also include the 23rd Annual Florida Challenge long course triathlon and the Great Floridian Festival of Fitness and Sports.
Directions To Race: Clermont is located just 20 minutes west of Orlando at the intersection of US 27 and SR 50 and is less than 30 minutes from all major Central Florida Tourist Attractions.
2006 Results At: sommersports.com

Thanks for the advice Eddie!!!

Big Day in cycling with the Tour de Georgia passing by my office all day!

I planned to tackle two mountains for the first time after work, even though there are a lot of cycling activities that would be fun to go to. Who knows, maybe I can do both.

Also, I was in the bike shop yesterday complaining about my back hurting, so they made two quick adjustments that took all of 30 seconds (that would have taken me about 30 minutes). Then I told them I was training for 3 State, 3 Mountain and asked for any training advice?

They said, heck there's pro-cyclist Eddie Hilger, just ask him.

Eddie was very nice and very helpful. The basic thing he recommended for me was a heart rate monitor to make sure I'm pushing myself the entire time.

CONGRATS! To Howard Curtis "Ducky"

Although I have no clue who you are, according to the elevators in the Krystal Building, and according to the Ironman Arizona Results Page YOU Qualified for KONA!!!

OVERALL PLACE TOTAL TIME LAST NAME FIRST NAME RACE DIVISION DIVISION PLACE

44 09:55:13 CURTIS HOWARD M35-39 10/426

Friday I got another ego blow. I went cycling with a coleague and he was a lot faster than me. However, he was on a $10k litespeed! He took me up a harder route of Lookout Mountain than I usually do, and it was extremely rewarding. Here are some of the views we had.

10 Ways to Stay Motivated from Ironman.com

1. Make sure your exercise plan has a purpose (i.e., to run a 5k, train for a triathlon or hike an 8,000-foot peak). Once you have a detailed training plan to follow you'll be much more likely to follow through with a regular routine, and your fitness will improve much more rapidly.

2. Talk to people! Telling friends, family and coworkers about your goal to follow through on a plan of action will hold you accountable to it. Without going overboard, mention your goal in conversation at least once a day to stay focused and keep your training on track.

3.Keep a training log. Whether you follow through with your complete workout that day or not, record your activity for the day as well as how you felt while doing it, how much sleep you had the night before, what you ate prior, etc. This is a great way to track outside factors that may be affecting your performance, and it will also help you to feel like you've really accomplished something that day

4. Make an early investment. If your goal involves something that requires an entry fee or registration, sign up early! Signing that check and choosing your T-shirt size is like signing a written agreement to follow through. When training gets tough you can tell yourself, "The check has cleared—there's no backing out now!"

5. Find training partners. Having others to train and exercise with will not only help hold you accountable to your plan, it will make following the plan much more fun. Group trips to the coffee house or your favorite breakfast restaurant post-workout are a great motivator to get you up early on those Saturday mornings.

6. View this as YOUR time. Avoid looking at workouts as another item to check off the list, and instead view them as time that's reserved just for you. Also, look at your active time as something that makes the rest of your day run more efficiently and that keeps you clear-headed.

7. Make an appointment with a sports nutritionist. Simply being active is only one part of the equation. By making healthy changes with regard to nutrition as well as fitness you'll be more likely to adopt "whole" lifestyle changes that will lead to ultimate success.

8. Involve the family. Family time is scarce to begin with, and when you add exercise into the mix it can sometimes be a limiting factor. Make a "date" with your spouse to go for a brisk walk once or twice a week, do a run or go hiking or kayaking. One idea is to arrange a weekly Friday night date night that begins with some type of sport and ends with dinner out. And, if you have kids, involve them in other ways. Nice long walks with your kids gives you quality time (i.e., time outside shuttling them to their practices and friends' houses) to relate to each other, and bike rides around your neighborhood are fun for the whole family.

9. Commit to learning. In addition to subscribing to Her Sports to stay informed and motivated, at least twice a year buy a book that will teach you more about the scientific aspects of being healthy and fit. Knowing the "whys" behind what you're doing will help you to make lasting changes that will enhance your health.

10. Reward yourself! While fitness is a huge reward in itself, there's nothing wrong with giving yourself an added incentive for finishing that 10k, conquering a new mountain or finally learning to surf. Whether it's indulging in your favorite treat or allowing yourself to buy that new pair of shoes you've been eyeing, little rewards work!

I'm just now finishing up my recovery from the marathon. I ran 13 miles on Saturday and ran 6 this morning at a VERY slow pace!

In the mean time, I was checking out Stanford Business School's Cool Product Expo, and knew I would find something worth blogging about.

Optibike - this is the coolest commuter bike I have ever seen!

I will keep saving my money for a nicer road bike though.

Well, I got just what I deserved for complaining about the cold on Wednesday. Instead of it being cold, I just had to bike INTO 30 mph wind. I almost lost it several times.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070408/ap_on_fe_st/brazil_amazon_swimmer_7

After 3,272 miles of exhaustion, sunburn, delirium and piranhas, a 52-year-old Slovenian successfully completed a swim down the Amazon River Saturday that could set a world record for distance — something he's already done three times before.

Check out the slideshow!

What is going on with the weather? Whatever it is, it is not fitting in with my normal run-to-bike transition in the Spring.

According to weatherimages.com, 35 mph winds (the highest speed I got up to this morning) combined with 35 degree temperature, produces a wind chill factor of 21 degrees, and my bare fingers can attest to this!

I couldn't find my winter gloves this morning, so of course they were at my office, where I didn't need them!

Have I done it? Have I started to transform the culture of my fellow Tennesseans?

From Chattanoogan.com:

Outdoor Chattanooga Warns Drivers of Bicyclists
posted April 3, 2007

As gasoline prices go back up, drivers and bicyclists using Hamilton County streets must remember two very important things: bicycles are a form of transportation and the people who ride them are operators of vehicles. They are recognized as such by the laws of Tennessee.

Road bicyclists are afforded the same rights and privileges as the drivers of motorized vehicles. They are also required to follow the same traffic laws, e.g traffic lights and stop signs. Tennessee code states:
(a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter and chapter 10.

Tennessee State law also requires that bicyclists ride as far right on the road as is “practicable,” which means as far to the right as the bicyclist considers feasible without endangering his or her safety.

a) (1) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following situations:
(A) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
(B) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; or
(C) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge. For purposes of this section, "substandard width lane" means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

For their own safety, road bicyclists should wear brightly colored clothing and always wear a helmet. However, they are not required to wear a helmet unless they are under the age of 16. Bicyclists are required to use head lights and rear reflectors if they ride after dark, and they should always signal their intentions clearly in traffic.

This spring and summer, Hamilton County drivers will see more and more bicyclists take to the roads, not only for recreation but also for transportation. Many of these bicyclists will be children and teenagers. It is important for both bicyclists and drivers to take responsibility for everyone’s safety.

Visit http://kba.tripod.com/tncode.htm to see the Tennessee Code for bicycles and excerpts from the Tennessee State Drivers Manual on sharing the road safely with bicycles.

As for my sub-4:00 marathon, wondering what happened with the clock. Here was the response from the race director:

not a problem with the time machine, a problem with setting the
clock. It was set incorrectly.

I apologize for the confusion.

Mac

This is seriously painful to watch, but for every inspirational video out there, I need to remind myself of the reality of an ironman, and this is one of the biggest reality checks there is:

WARNING WARNING WARNING

What I am about to tell you is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!!!!

I just found this absolute best way to map your routes to get mileage and elevation change! You can even put in pace times!!!!

Here it is! http://www.sanoodi.com/

"Only those who dare, truly live" Ruth P. Freedman

Yea, yea...another inspirational quote on the blog, by somebody we don't know, right? WRONG!

This quote was posted on Felix Wong's web-site. So who is he and why should I care? Because at age 30 he quit his software engineering job in Silicon Valley (a Stanford grad) and retired! And now all he does is marathons, centuries, and other outdoor activities, or whatever he wants to - HE'S RETIRED!!!!!

At the Knoxville Marathon's Expo, I stumbled upon Team 413

I would love to do something like this for all endurance athletes (not just runners). Their web-site is pretty neat, hopefully it will be inspiring to all of you.

As for other news, the soreness is pretty much gone now, so back to training it is...

"Identify your personal limits and then push past them. Then set new barriers, and repeat the process, again and again and again." - Nicole Haislett

Two Really Cool Links:

A book about the Portland Marathon. No really, this isn't a book to Amazon.com or something to buy the book. THIS IS THE BOOK!

The most inspirational team in multi-sport! Check out the comment section!

Alright, it's over and time to blog about the Knoxville Marathon.

It was a great race and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was tough keeping a slow pace the first 13 miles due to the significant number of half-marathoners and relay racers, but kept the discipline, crossing the half mark at 2:02. I prayed from mile 13-20, that I wouldn't "Hit the Wall" and that definitely worked. The other contributing factor was the rolling hills. I felt sorry for the people that were "dropping like flies" on the uphill, but I was extremely thankful for running up Signal Mountain. Not only did this give me confidence I needed, but it also gave me the strength.

Everyone that knows me knows, I am very enamoured with the idea of running a negative split, so I was very happy at the end when I did it. I was in complete control after mile 20. Actually, from mile 19-end, NO ONE passed me! I think a lot of my friends have trouble visualizing this, but with hundreds of great runners out there, I was feeling great.

Knoxville was a very cool city to run through. Mile 17 takes the cake though, with the neighborhood grilling out and giving out free hot dogs and Bloody Mary's, and anything else you wanted to drink!

No, I didn't have one, but I was definately laughing. At 9:00 on a Sunday morning, these people might not have been drunk, but they were definately "feeling good."

The last half-mile was completely downhill into Neyland Stadium. I was flying! Two race volunteers actually stepped in front of me to slow me down because they thought I was going too fast on the rainy streets. Then an old man, busted HARD, right before entering the field. So I step onto the field, and the sign reads: 3:59:53. I immediately started sprinting! And according to the sign on the field I finished at 4:00:05. I was like sweet, a sub-4:00 marathon (note I was about 30 yards behind the
start line, with the gun sounded at the start. Then on marathonguide.com, they have me finishing at 4:01:02 and a 4:00:48 chip time. Something technology wise got majorely jacked up!

Maybe wife is right, and I need to start running with a watch (what a novel idea). O well, it was very fun, and the ice cold wind, and pouring down rain gives me additional bragging rights.