Will this man ever blog again?

Becoming Ironman Part 1: Prologue

Kind of felt like I was making out with this guy by the end of it but it was pretty good. Is this LifeTime MPLS?

Face the Bike: Baby Steps

Alright team, my sprint triathlon training plan has always been swim and run whenever possible, and try to remember to bring my bike to the races. I'm excited to figure this bike business out but I need some guidance on where to start. Specifically, I'm looking for any input you have on trainers, clip on pedals/cycling shoes and aerobars.

Ironman TV Schedule

Dudes,

Here is a list of Ironmans that are going to be on Versus some time soon. Cool.

DATE TIME (EASTERN) RACE
9/16/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Arizona
9/19/07 4:30 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Arizona
10/7/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene
10/9/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene
10/28/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
10/31/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
11/18/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Louisville
11/21/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Louisville
12/2/07 5 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Wisconsin
12/5/07 3 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Wisconsin
12/16/07 4 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Florida
12/29/07 3 pm 2007 Ford Ironman Florida
12/23/07 4 pm 2007 St. Croix Ironman 70.3
12/26/07 4 pm 2007 St. Croix Ironman 70.3

Team Training Gear

Get yours today, I did...

Not exactly Gilbs in the 2001 Lifetime Olympic...

but close. I think we could use a reenactment for IMMOO! What do you say, Gilbs?

Have you guys seen the new route for the 10 mile?

They are going down 4th avenue to the river parkway, which is super steep down, and then you have the hill coming back up to the Franklin Ave Bridge. It will be tough!

Good deals on road bikes?

Here is a bike shop in NYC, the service is terrible but the selection and prices are good!

IMWI Recap

--This recap got a bit long for me but I thought the opening quote and following paragraph were solid. Chubby's has decided it is time for it to happen.--

"There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come." ~ Victor Hugo

(article author): As profound as it may seem otherwise, remember that's all it was - time for it to happen. We can't forever go in the direction of something without arriving, after all. I'm also neither so much stronger nor more courageous than any others out there who struggle to shed their fears and doubts and baggage and then simply begin fighting more efficiently in the endeavor of being free. I believed, people loved me, and that's all it was, really.

This was the article I was looking for

Are elite athletes just lucky genetic mutants?

Are elite athletes just lucky genetic mutants?


Some definitely are, but while Michael Phelps's giant wingspan and Ed Viesturs's monster VO2 max may seem freakish to an average athlete, their gifts would hardly qualify them for the X–Men. Like most other sports stars with genetic gifts, their physical advantages only register on the high end of normal. But every once in a while an athlete comes along whose extraordinary congenital assets are truly off the chart. Take the case of Finnish cross–country skier Eero Mäntyranta, who pocketed two gold medals at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics and discovered decades later that a mutation in his receptor for the hormone erythropoietin increased his number of oxygen–carrying red blood cells by at least 20 percent. But don't point—you're a mutant, too. Armand Marie Leroi, professor of evolutionary developmental biology at Imperial College London and author of 2003's Mutants, estimates that, on average, newly conceived human embryos have some 300 mutations, most of them detrimental, although to widely varying degrees. Writes Leroi, "Some of us are more mutant than others."

Crandall...

Please provide an update on the training for the Philly marathon. Will you be stopping in South Philly to pick up a cheese steak at Gino's? Will you run up the stairs like Rocky? Will you reenact Moustache Monday in dedication to your favorite Philly icon, Mike Schmidt? Please provide details.

I am back..

Overall thoughts on the blog so far.

1. I don't want to sound like a woman here, but why do I look like a linebacker every time I am on a bike? Geez, I weighed 175 pounds on game day, but that picture makes me look like I was 230.

2. Crandall's tri outfit is multi purpose, he can wear it on race day or to a NYC club, it is fantastic.

3. Cronz may have taken his "Remember to smile" advice too far with his picture.

4. Am I getting a new bike? Dunno. I am really not concerned with speed as much as being comfortable for a 7-8 hour trek. My aluminium frame beats me up pretty good after 4 hours, so that is why I am considering it. I definitely think it is doable on any of our bikes. Slim, Cronz and I were talking, and we think that you may need to go and get fitted on your bike again, your position seems off and appears pretty uncomfortable to the casual observer.

5. Am I getting a coach? Dunno. I need more structure out of a training plan than what I have had in the past. I tend to let fear of not finishing drive my training if I do it by myself, and end up doing endless long workouts that do nothing but increase overall stamina, and need the accountability aspect. If we all worked out together all the time, maybe I wouldn't need one. But with Fisch, dog, wife, house, and everything else, I can't go about this the way I have in the past. I need structure and to make sure that I get quality workouts in in a reasonable amount of time. I was going to meet with the guy in St Paul this week, but can't so I will be looking at the weekend or next week. Cronz may have already met with him, but from his post it sounds like he was dissapointed and or not what he was looking for.

Does it hurt that bad?

This Morning's Run

Gents - this was a stop on this morning's run in Tokyo, the Tsukji Fish Market. All I have to say is can a brother get some sushi?

Checklist: 20 Items for Faster Racing

I came across this list in a podcast this summer and I enjoyed it. Here's the print version.

Tips for blogging

Here is a blogging tip....
Use this fomula- HERE
To link your text to cool stuff.
please share as we learn more-

Do you think Cronin will Blog?

Anyone heard from Jack?

Self Coached, Self Delusional?

I like to think of myself as a do-it-yourselfer. When there's a project to do, I do it, right after my Dad shows me how.

My Dad doesn't do Triathlon.

So....what are people doing for training plans? I know some of us are considering coaches, local or online. Right now I'm leaning towards buying a customized online plan. (Ouch, try typing that phrase with a straight face knowing your marketing/ad buddies are reading it.) Anyway, plan on me looking to beg, borrow and steal your good workouts. I hate that feeling of wondering if you're doing things, "right."

Every once in a while I'll be in the pool doing a few laps and I'll look around and see kids on waterslides, and seniors doing water aerobics, and teenaged lifeguards flirting with each other, and who the hell knows what that guy is doing, and I just feel like Hunter Kemper's workouts probably aren't like this. Maybe, but probably not.

The Road Begins

I can't tell you how excited I am that we are doing this. Even more so that we are all doing it together. This will most likely be the crowning achievement in my athletic career. It will be great to share this experience with all of you. The road to IMWI starts now.

I know you all just got done with Timberman, but I'm pretty much starting all over right now. I ran about 4 miles on Tuesday, and 3 today, and it feels like someone hit me in the thighs with a sledge. Work it out. Work it out. I weigh 192 today. This will be fun to look back on when I am a well oiled ironman machine.

This is gonna be sweet.

Try here for reviews

Bike Review

Here is a 2007 review with prices from Outside Magazine

Bikes for IMWI

I'm looking for some good bike reviews? Jack any thoughts on bikes?

Video of IMWI

Here we go. Found this video on youtube!