Before the mando time off, I enjoyed the “Jackson County Brevet” in north Georgia.  I signed up for the full century ride (100 miles) and felt confident that I could finish.  (I’ve been stretching my Saturday morning rides quite easily).  The morning started off with a later than expected start.  The event started just after 8 a.m., which was an hour later than we should have.  The heat was already climbing and the humidity was up there as well.  We had around 300 athletes with only a handful planning on doing the full century.  Once we got underway I was very careful to keep up with my water and caloric intake.  Last year I struggled with nutrition during events and I was determined not to have the same issue this year.

I planned to stick with the wife so that we could share the experience.  She’s picked up the sport and I have to admit she’s quite the cyclist.  After the first 14 miles (it went quick!) we enjoyed our first SAG stop.  Refill, eat and back on the bike.  The ride was rolling hills and pretty fast.  Karen started to fall back a little, mainly because there were some good downhills where my weight helped me pick up some serious speed.  I rolled into the 28 mile SAG feeling good, but I could tell it was getting pretty hot.  Karen was only about 2 minutes behind so we stood together waiting to fill up the water bottles.  I watched the other riders while waiting in line.  I was a little confused because most were going in one direction, while a few seemed to be making their own routes.  What I soon found out was that most of the riders were only doing the 60 mile route!

Karen and I pressed on.  The roads became very lonely and there were no houses… just abandoned chicken farms and rolling farmland.  I lost Karen at some point, which caused me a little concern.  We were on back roads and I would have no clue if someone stopped and grabbed her.  I saw only 1 other rider for the next 22 miles…. and it was HOT!.  I stopped at the end of “Where the F am I road” and waited.  After about 4 minutes I saw Karen headed towards me.  She looked strong, I was getting hotter standing on the black top.  We rode together for another 2 miles until we found the 50 mile SAG.  I was feeling it at this point.  I was not drinking enough water…. even though I was trying.  By mile 58 I was dehydrated and falling behind Karen.  No amount of gel packs, electrolyte tabs or sports drink would bring me back now…. I stopped sweating and felt nauseous.  Karen put me on the SAG vehicle and I rode the next 6 miles to the 65 mile SAG station.  The temp at this point was a cool 99 degrees… plus 10 or so at ride height over the rode surface.  Karen and I knew it was time to catch a ride back to the start finish… best decision of the day…

So.  lesson learned.  Get healthy, listen to your body, eat and hydrate better!  Of cousre, the next day I had another sore throat, sinus headaches and body aches.  Thats when I decided to see the doc.  Tonight was the first night back since then.  I hit the bike right after work (yes, hotter than hell) and managed to put in a very good bike workout.  I planned to do a 5k run afterwards, but then realized that I was risking a relapse.  I finishd the bike strong and decided to hold the run for tomorrow night.  At this point, I’m looking forward to the Wednesday night tri club workout.  I plan on doing all three (sprint distances) and then taking Thursday night off.  With a vacation coming up  I’m building a 20 hour training schedule that will include weights and ab’s.  I’ll post the workout here when I’m finished, just in case my grandmother wants to do some core training or swim/bike bricks.

First is my favorite… the Garmin 310XT.  I must admit, out of the box anyone can use the basic functionality.  Heartrate, time, distance, pace etc are pretty much easy to use.  The watch uses 2 main buttons, bascially start & stop, and reset & lap.  Of course you have the off/on and toggle buttons, but if you can manage the top buttons you get most of the basic watch functions.  With that said… to date I’ve managed to “Ski” a 10 k run this spring (in Atlanta!), I had a transition time of 25 minutes and I managed to lock myself out of the watch for about 5 minutes.  Ok, so this means that I didnt read the darn instructions… true.  But, thats what men do with everything.  Its taken me awhile, but I’ve pretty much figured out how to use all the features of the watch.  I even taught my son how to use the GPS navigation features so he could use the watch for a geo caching event he attended…. and to my surprise he found the cache’s faster than people with those big fat fancy GPS units with full maps!  So, a ringing endorsement is called for  as the Garmin has not dissappointed.  For anyone interested in a full function, waterproof and reliable watch, the 310XT ranks at the top.

Training shorts…. for the past couple of years I have always worn loose fitting running shorts with a compression garment underneath which helped fight chafing.  This set up served me well for running and cross-training.  However, as I’ve moved into triathlon I needed to find something else, something that I could wear while I swim, bike and run.  After I purchased my bike last year I bought my first pair of “bike” shorts.  These are spandex type shorts that have an abundant amount of padding on the rear and around the crotch.  This padding is for comfort during the long bike rides.  Initially, I loved them.  But as I started swimming, biking and then running I began feeling like I was wearing a big diaper!  Still, it was better than just plain shorts and I felt that this was the only option.  Last Christmas I received a new pair of “Triathlon Shorts” made by a company named “Zoot”.  These shorts use a very comfortable chamois in the liner which serves as the padding.  I did a considerable amount of swimming in them, but it was not until the weather improved and I started biking and running that I realized that these are the best option for triathletes.  Tri shorts are sooooo comfortable, I wish I could wear them to work.

After using these shorts for the last couple of weeks I’ve determined that I am more comfortable on the bike using tri shorts than I am using bike shorts.  That is, until I go over 25 miles.  Last weekend I did a solo 36 mile ride with no stops.  By the end, my rear end was feeling pretty sore.  So, for those longer rides where a run is not on the other side I think that I need to stick with bike shorts.  I have a century this saturday, I’m wearing the big fat comfortable bike shorts.  I’ll need to look into the Augusta half ironman to see if the transition will allow me to change from bike shorts to tri shorts for the run… if not I’ll need to work in longer rides with the tri shorts and build some callus’ on my derriere.

If you don’t want to read the entire post, then stop at this paragraph knowing that I finished and put another check in the box.  If your interested in my long account of the entire event… read on!

I’ll have to tell you that I felt a little anxiety going into this event.  I’ve been traning those distances but for some reason I had this pit in my stomach for at least 48 hrs before the race.  Probably a little normal, but nonetheless it was uncomfortable.  I started to feel more calm when I was finally able to visit the field for packet pick up on Friday afternoon.  After receiving my race packet I walked through transistion to find my bike rack and also to get to the swim course.  I wanted to see the bouy’s.  Purposefully, I withheld my gaze as I approached the swim start area.  I did not want my mind to fill with a gradual image of the swim challenge, rather I wanted one all encompassing view from the onset.  There it was, 0.95 miles of swim course.  I found little comfort as I stood there and listened to the super-sprint competitors make statements such as “thats really far” or “thats crazy” as they oberserved the shorter 300 meter swim course.  Great, just what I needed.  Getting home I found that what helps me cope is the race prep.  I spent the next hour getting my gear ready, packing the van and running through the checklist about a half dozen times.  Went for a quick bike sprint which help settle me down a little, went to bed early and slept like a baby.

Race morning – Karen and I woke up well rested and ready to go.  The race is about 15 minutes away, so we didn’t leave the house until 6:15.  Karen raced in the super-sprint, so it was great having a companion to ride into town with.  Breakfast was a half a piece of bread with peanut butter and a power bar.  I really need to find a better pre-race breakfast, this is not it.  Once I got to the transistion area I started hydrating.  It took me 5 minutes to get through body marking and inspection and then after a quick transition setup  I found myself with a little extra time.  I was really surprised to see that my brother got up early to support Karen and I during our race.  This was a good distraction as I walked out to meet him and spent a little time in general conversation.  Comfort really came when I was able to use the bathroom…. most triathletes would agree that a good rest room visit before race start helps to calm the nerves.  However, while in the porta potty I heard an announcement that caused a little anxiety.  ”Racers, you have 3 minutes to leave the transistion area and line up for the swim start.”  That sucks.  I was 50 meters away from my gear, needed the wetsuit, goggles and swim cap.  No worries, I just grabbed my gear and got dressed in the start line, then proceeded to wait 30 minutes until it was my turn to start the swim portion of the race.

Swim – “Go”, was the only word I heard from the race official as I approached the water.  Athletes were started 2 at a time every 5 seconds.  This helped to keep us from getting beat to death during the start.  As I entered the water and started swimming I quickly realized that I needed to swim in a defensive posture for about the first 50 meters.  I was treated to a few kicks from others even though we were all trying to be accomodating.  The distance started to click away.  I was at the 150 meter bouy before I knew it, only about 1400 more to go.  Sighting is the act of lifting one’s head just enough to see where you are going and align your body so as to keep as direct a course as possible.   I suck at sighting.  At one point I was 50 feet to the left of the swim “pack” and headed in a different direction.  I probably wasted 5 minutes of my swim just trying to get back on course.  After I made the final turn and was headed for the beach I realized that I was actually passing others!  This whole time I thought I was continually being passed.  You see, my race number was 484… which means I started in the back.  There were only about 10 people that started behind me so I really could not be passed by the hordes of swimmers that I encountered.  At the last bouy I looked up for a quick “sighting” and noticed that I was being enveloped by a sea of white hats.  Oh crap, it was the super-sprint competitors rounding the same buoy and headed to the finish.  I think I swam over a couple of people, I was a little pissed as these folks were not being accommodating to the other athletes finishing up a much longer swim.  Some were standing in chest deep water trying to walk to the beach.  No problem, just get out of the way.  Finally, I felt my hands hit the bottom of the lake as I reached shallow water.  My first attempt at standing and running into the transition (T1) was not pretty.  With a lack of blood in my legs I quickly fell exiting the water.  I should have known.  I was actually helped up by a race official as he checked to see if I was ok.  No problem… I was then able to run to my bike, quickly changed and started to jog through T1 to get to the bike start.  (36:55 was the offiial swim time)

Getting started on the bike was great.  In the “no passing” area I ingested a Gel pack (Hammer is my favorite brand), hydrated and reset my Garmin.  It was great to see my brother again as I left the bike area.  As I entered the “racing” zone the fangs started to come out.  There were so many super-sprinters on the course; it was motivating to have so many “targets” that I could set my sights on and pass.  Was I going out too fast?  Maybe… but I felt good and wanted to keep the pace up as long as possible.  At mile 1 I realized that I did not hit the “enter” button on my watch and therefore was not tracking my progress on my Garmin.  Damn.  To top it off, I didnt reset my bike computer until I was 0.6 miles into the course.  Oh well, the course was well marked and I’ve ridden it before… no biggie.  As I worked my way up the first big climb I noticed a familiar bike up ahead.  It was Karen.  How did I catch her?  As I gained on her I reached out and pinched her on the butt as I passed.  She claims she knew it was me but I bet she gets that all the time.  From there on out it was a grind.  The back side of the course has some serious climbs which take their toll, however, I love the other side as I get to speed down as a rapid pace.  My top speed on a down hill was 42 mph, which is scary on a bike.  Weighing 225 lbs helps to achieve that speed; on the flip side, 225 lbs sucks when trying to climb up those hills.  The last 5 miles of this course has several fast areas that you can use to make up some time.  I was still passing competitors, but started to feel some cramping in the legs.  I took a salt tab on the way in and felt good as I neared the finish.  Coming into T2 I again saw friendly faces.  It was great to again see my brother as well as my wife, son and his girlfriend – all cheering me on.  Time for a 6.2 mile run.  (1 hr, 27 min and 30 seconds for 26 miles)

The final leg, 6.2 mile run.  Leaving transition I felt fine, but the bike had taken its toll on my legs.  I just did not have the strong legs that I was used to.  They moved, I ran but just not as fast as I expected.  In the last couple of weeks I had made some good gains, turning in 8 minute miles in sessions of 3 to 4 mile distances.   Leaving T2, there was my cheering squad.  A few fist bumps and bam… I was on the course.  Mile 1 was a slow 10:30 pace.  Like I said, the legs were not there.  I continued this pace for most of the race (except the last mile).  I saw a lot of people on the course that looked like…. crap.  The heat was beginning to rise and the humidity was up in the 90 percentile.  The best athletes were already coming back in to finish… they looked strong.  One foot in front of the other, thats all I wanted to do.  Reaching the turn around I found a new pocket of motivation, I was now headed back!  Some how, some where, my internal song machine started belting out…. the chicken dance song.  Ugghh, I hat the song!  Not sure how, but I worked it out as I rounded mile 5.  Only 1.2 miles lift, 1/2 of that was up hill.  I picked up the pace for the last mile and started passing all those slow pokers that I’ve been watching for the last couple of miles.  The finish line is actually an uphill run, but the feeling of finishing carried me up the hill past my supporters and into the chute.  Strong finish.  (avg 10:324 mile for a 64:29 total time).

Feeling of accomplishment?  Yes.  But, I want more now.  I’m going to start pouring on the hours.  I need to be better at sighting in the water, and faster.  I need to loose 20lbs, this will help the bike and the run.  I need to hit longer distances in training.  Karen and I are planning on doing at least 2 and maybe 3 “centurys” this summer (100 mile bike rides).  I’m going to push the runs to 10 miles plus.  Its time to get ready for the half Ironman in Augusta.  Its time to eat better, add weights back to my training and build my endurance.  Its time.

Race minus 3 weeks – started to build on the bike and run. I was not swimming at all, mainly due to time constraints and my need to get my bike time in.  However, they always say “work your weakness” and I realized that I was not adhering to that valuable advice.  I hit almost 90 miles for the week in a series of bike sessions as well as bike & run bricks.  Still, the swim part is what has been nagging me for the past six months and I needed to do something about it (even though I swam in the pool all winter).  That wednesday night I went for a good long swim (cold!) but failed to time it and was still feeling that nervous energy during the balance of the week.  By the end of the week I had started running at lunch, just a quick 3 mile run, but it sure beats sitting on my butt in the office.  Plus it allows me to come home and relax after work (although Karen had me running with her in the evenings!).  That last bit may have contributed to my downfall starting in the next training week….

Race minus 2 weeks – Started out training on Monday with a good run at lunch.  While running, somehow my foot caught the edge of the path and to avoid twisting the ankle I just went with it and ran off the side for a couple of steps.  I remember telling myself “that could have been a bad injury”, however I felt fine.  Run times were still hovering just over a 9 minute mile, which is disappointing since I averaged a flat 9 min mile for the 10k run two weeks earlier.  It wasn’t until tuesday that I noticed that I had a little knee pain.  To describe it accurately, the pain is on the inside of the knee just to the left of the knee cap.  I need to look it up, but I think there might be a tendon there.  Its not a sharp pain and actually it feels like a bruise rather than a torn muscle/ligament etc.  Still, I felt like I should not run for a few days just to make sure I can still race.

Moving into Wednesday I had my sights set on doing the complete swim and seeing where my pace and time was at.  In the PIT there is a cut off at 60 minutes and then its over for you!  Last year I swam, floated, back stroked, porposed etc etc just to finish the 500 meter swim in 17 minutes.  Not a stellar performance but, given the fact that when I started I could not even swim 25 meters without the need for oxygen, I felt accomplished.  So, I arrived at Drake field (where the Tri club meets) and promptly put on my wetsuit and went down to the water.  I told several club members to tell my wife I’m not coming back until I swam all the way over to the “boat ramp” and back.  That total swim is just over 1 mile, which is roughly 3x further than I have ever swam in my life.  Keep in mind, there are no currents to assist and nothing but trees to sight from.  Coming back I really started to feel my stroke and understand all of what I read about the “glide” which results in going faster with less effort.  When I reached the finish I popped up out of the water and searched out a watch…. 42 minutes for 1.05 miles!  Now, thats not screaming fast but I’ll tell you that it was much faster than I thought.  No time to waste now, I ran to the van and changed just in time to start the bike phase of the evening.  I was determined to do the full bike course as well.  25.5 miles later I pulled into the parking lot in good shape and with a little left in the tank for a run.  However, I saved the knee and passed on the run for the evening.

I took a few days off after that training night, but felt like I should have done something on Sunday.  The wife was out of town so I was stuck with the kids for most of the day.  If I were truely motivated I would have gone when she came home in the afternoon.  However, since i had about 3 hours of sleep from the night before (and the night before that), the fact that I had not seen my wife in 3.5 days and the fact that it was mothers day I decided to pass on riding Sunday night.

Race week minus 1 – Started the work week with a run during lunch.  The knee was a little sore during the first couple hundred feet but felt fine for most of the run.  I was surprised how fresh I felt during the run, those extra days off really make a difference.  I pushed the run, averaging around an 8:20 mile for the 3 mile course.  To top it off, my heart rate recovered much quicker than normal.  After getting back to the office, and much to my fear, my knee started to feel sore again.  So, this week is going to be light in terms of distance running.  I’m confident that I’ll be ok on Saturday but I want to make sure that I don’t over stress the joint just before the race.  My plan now is to do the swim on Wednesday night (1.05 mile course) and then stick with the 13 mile sprint course for the bike.  Provided that my knee feels good I’m going to do a short 2 mile transition run just to get the legs used to the transition.  Then I’ll take Thursday and Friday off (yoga on Thursday) and then I should be fresh for the tri on Saturday.

So now, the race planning stress begins.  What do I eat race morning… did I pack all of my gear, what time do I need to be there?  I need to stop, think about the experience and have fun.  My wife is running her first ever event that day and I look forward to seeing her at the finish line.  In the short term I don’t have any other events planned for June or July but am looking for a couple of sprint races (and possibly one or two olympic distance races).  Karen and I are planning on doing 2 century rides (100 mile bike rides) and I will probably do 1 extra as she is pretty adamant about not doing the Roswell ride due to the extreme hills ( I bet I can get her to ride it!).  See you on the other side!

1.  Nutrition.  I’m stepping up the nutrition regimen.  I’ve been too worried about weight, I’m a big guy but the weight loss will come.  I was not having a good breakfast, fast lunch and then nominal dinner.  Whats worse is that dinner was not coming until late if I was training at night.  Ran a 10k race on empty last week, got sick the next day.  I think that the lack of nutrition is contributing to my poor immune system.

2.  Supplements.  I’ve picked up a few new supplements.  First off, I’m starting back to taking my multivitamin in the morning.  This doesnt overcome my nutritional shortage, but it will give me the proper mineral intake.  Also, I’m starting to take a new post training supplerment.  At the recommendation of a friend of mine I’m starting to use “Recover – Ease”.  This supplement comes highly recommended for post training use.  Normal training (run  or bike only) then take 2, hard training, take 4.  This stuff is designed to accelerate tissue repair and improve your immune functions.  Several of my friends swear by it.  I’ll try anything at this point to keep from getting sick again.  My first race is in 3 weeks and I cannot afford to be down again.

Tomorrow is swim day.  I don’t have much time in the evening (business dinner) so I’ll run to the lake after work and do a mile swim, shower and then off to meet the team for dinner.  I’m moving into build week 1 of a 2 week cycle and have a goal of completing 100 miles on the bike, 15 miles running and 4500 meters of swimming.  Week two will push all of those goals by at least 25%.  Then back down to a lighter week before the May 15th triathlon.

Our group averaged around 15 mph, but thats with frequent stops to recoil the long train of riders so we stick together.  The new pedals are just as good as the old, a little more effort to release from the pedal but otherwise they worked as pedals should.  My only complaint would be that the pedal does not spin as easy when released causing the pedal to be slightly out of position for easy clip in when you need to get going.  Not really a serious issue, just something that needs to be planned for.  I did learn something new however, something that has caused me to change my “stop” strategy.  Usually, when I stop at a light or intersection I only unclip one foot.  Well, as I stood there waiting for the group to catch up during our ride, my bike decided to move position (i wansn’t paying attention) and bang, over I went right in front of everyone.  Pretty painfull actually since my left food was still locked into the pedal which held my leg in place, causing a good amount of pain.  I could not get unclipped (damn new pedals) and the result was me laying on the ground looking like a contortionist (sp?) until I was able to overcome the pain and twist out of the pedal.  A little embarassed and sore, but OK for the most part.  It was a little conforting when later another rider fell over while stopped at a stop sign… misery loves company.

I’m going to take today off and pick up with a run/swim tomorrow.  I need to start pushing the swim in terms of distance.  I feel that my run, bike and cardio is in line but that the swim needs the most help right now.  More P90x is in my future as well, I need more core workouts and also need to start trimming off some weight.  All this will be a little easier if I get rid of ten pounds.

Last week I ran a couple of 6 milers in the morning.  Lately I’ve felt that running 3 miles is like cheating, its just too easy and barely gets a sweat outta me.  So, for that reason I felt like a challenge, and on Tuesday I decided that I was going for a long run.  I laid down the gauntlet and decided that I was going to run an even 10 miles.  So, 94 minutes later I finished my ten mile run.  I did not feel bad during the run, but after I went downhill fast.  Mainly because I did not “fuel” my body properly before doing the run.  I drank no water during the run either.  So, about an hour after my run I felt exteremly tired and had to retire to bed early.  This proves that I must fuel up prior to the triathlons and to continue to fuel my body during the race.  The day after I was fine, knees were a little sore but otherwise I was good to go.

I took off 2 days after the run and am now preparing for a 40 mile bike ride tomorrow morning.  I just got my bike back from the tune up and feel motivated to ride.  I had to order new pedals (gave my old ones to my wife, see below).  I did some research and finally decided to buy the new Shimano 105 pedals and cleats.  I’ll be sure to update you all on their performance after tomorrows ride.  I dont expect anything different from my old Look Keo’s. 

One last note before I retire to bed.  Last weekend my wife got an early birthday present.  She’s been riding long distance rides using her Trek 7.3 fx and was ready for something more fitting to a road course.  After much discussion and discovery we decided to ride up to Chattanooga last weekend and look at a Madone.  I ended up buying her a Trek Madone 4.5 Triple.  The triple has the granny gears which I think she could use on the hilly rides we have here locally.  I must say that this bike fits her like a glove.  I’ll be sure to have her update us all on her likes/dislikes after she has had some time to get used to the bike.

Kicked off Monday with a bang.  Now, some of you may say that I’m still pushing too hard too early.  Your probably right.  But I woke up yesterday, energized by my wife’s motivation to work out, and did a quick 5k on the treadmill before work.  Then, during lunch I went for a swim at the pool.  I took it easy in the pool and worked on drills and did a little speedwork.  By the end of the day I felt that I had put in an honest days workout for a change.  Today was another swim lesson from Denise.  Denise (Sturman) is the swim coach for a local gym in the Peachtree City area.  I met her through another tri buddy and found that she is one of the best instructors I’ve had.  Not only is she a swimmer, but she has helped many triathletes achieve noticeable improvements.  Denise has a unique insight on triathlete swim training as her husband has competed at Kona several times.

Today’s lesson really focused around effeciency and stroke technique.  I’m really feeling like I’m gliding now rather than powering my way through the water.  I think this will be the last “personal” lesson as I’m going to start attending her clinics on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  I’m looking forward to the workout even though I’ll be the slowest swimmer in the pool.  She pushes us to do 2000 meters in the hour.  I’ll need oxygen by the end for sure.

I plan on continuing the workouts this week, focused on running and swimming Wed and Thur with a long run and swim this weekend.  Who knows, maybe a bike ride on Sunday?  I’ll be picking up my wife’s new Madone on saturday, so I’m sure that she’s going to push me to go for a ride so she can get a good feel for the new bike.  Next week the Peachtree City Tri club starts the Wednesday night meetings again, something to look forward to!

Today I took my first ever (we’re talking lifetime here) swim lesson.  I learned a great deal in 30 minutes today.  Now, lately I’ve been swimming decent distances for a non-swimmer (1500 meters, 250 sets etc), but I was informed today that I’m doing it all wrong.  What I have failed to realize until now is that swimming is 80% technique, 5% relaxation and 15% effort.  A little confusing if you think about it.  ”If I relax I’ll go faster?”.  The coach showed me that moving through the water  is not difficult if I understand how to relax, which will impart a certain amount of natural bouyancy.  So, I’ve now learned 5 new drills, some easy and some hard.  I looked funny doing the “chicken stroke”, which is no more that a drill where your hand is held in your armpit and then your stroke consists of your elbows moving 2x their normal sped to keep you moving.  This looks funny but helps to keep your elbow on top.  This drill graduates into the wrist drill, then finger drill (just dragging them across the water) and finally the full stroke.  The drill I’m going to love to hate, even though it has already taught me so much, is the 3/10 (or 10/10) drill.  This is where you swim on your side, one arm down the side and the other out in front of you and you basically just kick and manage your bouancy.  After 10 kicks you rotate your shoulders, add 3 strokes, and do the other side.  This is a great drill and is teaching me the proper body position and method on how to roll, breath and get a proper stretch (very important) while being efficient.

Enough about my swim lesson for now (I’ll update you guys again after next weeks lesson).  I plan on going to the pool a minimum of 5 days per week from here on out, 2 days for drills, 2 days of speed work and one long ass swim.  I need to be doing 2000 meters in an hour by 7:30 am May 15th.  No excuses.  To that end, I’ll be working out 2x per day from here on out.  The Tri club is starting up their Wednesday night sessions after March 14th and I’ll be sure to be in those rides.

One final note. Last weekend I attended the ‘See-Me 2010′ expo in Atlanta with my buddy Marcus.  Not quite what I expected in terms of an “Expo” but was not disappointing either.  I learned of some great events being hosted locally here and will be posting some of them in my blog as I decide whether to participate  or not.  My favorite local (Atlanta) triathlete store was in the house (all 3 sports) as well as my local Tri club (Tri Peachtree City Triathlon Club).  Triathlete.fm was on location as well.  These guys (Scott and JD!) seemed to be having the most fun of all, doing interviews with local pro’s, bike shops, triclubs and even speaking with lowely beginner triathletes like myself.  I’d highly recommend checking out Scott and JD’s podcasts as they are doing a great job of bringing the sport of Triathlon into the mainstream by providing professionals in the sport a platform to promote and educate.

In the last week and 1/2 I’ve definitely struggled with my workouts. Getting a cold that has now turned into a serious sinus infection is hindering my progress.  I stepped back into things yesterday with a good solid workout on the legs.  I feel that a good leg workout is a good way to get the legs ready for the cycling season.  I’m not talking squats and leg press machines, I’m talking some serious leg exercises.  Wall squats and lunges are two of the best ways to work the main muscle groups that will be challenged during a bike race.  Don’t forget about the calf’s, those need to be developed as well.  Group that type of workout with another body part (arms or back) and you have one solid workout.

I’ll try and get to the doc tomorrow as my nasal drainage is now green and freely flowing (weird).  My 17 yr old son actually had to turn and look away at one point because he said it “grossed him out”.  Weakness!  I wanted to get back into the pool today, even though I felt like I had a fever along with the nasal congestion.  However, I think someone upstairs was sending me a message as someone held a last minute “emergency meeting” right at the time I was supposed to be in the pool.  Then my buddy came back early to report that the heater in the pool broke and they closed the pool for the day.  All signs that I was not supposed to get in the pool today.

At this point I’ll get some rest tonight, attend an offsite meeting tomorrow, work to get in to see a Dr in the afternoon and then try and return to the pool on Thursday.  If the heater is still down I’ll do a run in the afternoon and maybe get rid of some of this congestion.  I’m looking forward to warmer weather so I can get outdoors and start some serious training.  Maybe then I can start to scrub some of this weight.