It's been several weeks since I last posted, and a lot has gone on. I guess it's hard for me to know who is "in the loop" because of I don't know who only follows me on here, or also on Facebook. I don't know of either gives a complete picture.

The week after the marathon I felt great. A Wed. or Thursday 5 miler felt ok and I decided to make that weekend run 15 miles. I intentionally did not follow a specific route, and ended up doing around 18 miles. Well, I hadn't carried any fluid, so it was a little grueling, but it was cold so there wasn't terrible fluid loss. I had a bit of an ache in my right calf, which dissipated later in the day.

It went down hill the following week. Each successive run, my right knee started hurting. At first not until about 7 miles in, but eventually within the first 2 or 3 miles. I did a 15 miler on Friday (since I was traveling that weekend) and it was hurting within a mile. Me being me, I did the rest of the 15 miles.

Now I've been on a hiatus for nearly three weeks. For someone who loved and thrived off of 45-50 mile weeks, this was torture. The first week I supplemented with cycling and swimming. Both also cause my knee to ache, and I've stopped cycling now too (also because of the cold.).

I've been extremely fortunate though. I was a rower in college, and used to be quite familiar with the erg (the indoor rowing machines NO ONE ever uses, at least not correctly). For the past year, I've never done more than 250 meters; even for rowers an erg is the most boring exercise, and when I had no rowing oriented fitness goal, it seemed so pointless. However, erging has the upside of giving me no knee pain. So now I've been rowing several days a week to replace my running. I think I may actually being rowing more meters now than I did while at State. On the other days I've been swimming, where my yardage has also skyrocketed to support my exercise addiction. I've gone from doing a max of about 4000 yards in a session to a minimum of 5300 (to cover 3 miles).

I know at some point I'll need to go see a doctor. My biggest fear isn't having to take time off, but if whatever is wrong will require surgery.

It's tough to be away from something I love so much (running). I just try and comfort myself with the stories of people who may not even start running until in their 50s, or people who were 100 lbs overweight, or chronic chain smokers, who have been able to turn their lives around. I try to tell myself that if people can turn their lives around, I should be ok with a couple of weeks.

The best thing about going back to erging is that I'm able to do all kinds of mini-goals without the presumption of having my previous fitness. Such as that for that first hour piece, I had no goal 500 m split and just went with it. Obviously, as I've progressed, I have been lazy, but my tolerance for the boredom has increased as well.

More than meeting an ultimate time/distance goal, I love being consistent. This morning was a high point on that scale. For my hour piece, it was set to log 10 minute splits. For 50-40 min, 40-30, 30-20, 20-10, my meters were 2342, 2343, 2343, 2342. Meaning for I maintained the same pace for 40 minutes. For those unfamiliar with the sport, that's not half bad.

The Marathon

It's hard to write post-race and feel that it is completely satisfactory. So many things go into the preparation, strategy, and then all the little things that to you seem worthwhile, but probably mean diddly-squat to anyone else.

It was a great race from many aspects. It was well-organized (for it's size) and also a solid performance for myself.

To get it out of the way, I ran a 3:17:58 chip time (3:19:40 gun time. Gun time is when you cross the finish from when the gun goes off. Chip time is from when you cross the start) (results). This put me 14/100 in my age group. I was 47 overall out of 654 finishers. This was a BIG personal record. My previous (and only other marathon) was last year's Marine Corps Marathon at 3:49:22, making this a 31:24 improvement. Further stats: it is a 7:33.4 min/mile pace; it is also 6:59 min off the 3:10:59 Boston qualifying time, which would require :16 sec/mile faster pace to make.

Was I upset about not getting a Boston qualifier? Definitely not. For Marine Corps, I was somewhat naive coming off my training and had lofty expectations that led to rookie mistakes and a disappointing performance. I went out too fast and ended up burning out around mile 16. This year, I set some more realistic goals and then tried to execute. The beginning of the race was what I call a "restrained" pace where I primarily try to hold back a little to make sure I'm conserving energy. It was about mile 12 that I caught up with the 3:30 (8 min/mile) pace group. Most "negative-split" strategies have you go out slower the first half, so I knew I was pretty much on target. I knew I was picking up speed, but still held back till I had cleared the hillier sections leading into Umstead (~mi 15-16). In the next stage I kinda went somewhere between "letting go" and "running with a purpose." Essentially no longer holding back, but not yet willing to hit the grindstone. Mile 18 - 20 was solid pace building to take me into a "determined" and eventually "hard" finally 10k.

That hard final 10k is hard to describe. If you had asked me last year about, it would've been very daunting. But having come through the 20 mile point essentially unscathed, and I suppose with a little bit more mature outlook, I was both more fresh, and more determined to keep it strong. I almost wish there were more splits provided post-race so I could see how the pace was that last bit. I still don't know if I hit any "wall" but I know I was in that strange place of running on fumes but also mysterious reserves.

Soon I'll do another analysis of my training leading up to the race, this will be important to planning my future races.

Final comments:
-Race volunteers were great, if not sometimes hit-or-miss.
-Great to hear from an unexpected friend coming out by Gorman (thanks Gavin).
-Play it by ear, but if nature calls early in the race: answer. Comfort goes a long -way.
My deer slaying days are not out of sight (sighting along Ebenezer Church).
-As I've said before, and further realized: I am much more a runner than a triathlete. As much as I am ever determined to do an Ironman in 2012, I would give it up in a heartbeat to qualify for Boston.

On the NYC marathon(!!!). When I got home, NBC was re-broadcasting the race coverage:
-Man, I want to run that race.
-Being at a football/basketball/hockey game is exciting. Watching a football/basketball/hockey game is meh. Watching a minute and a half of Olympic swimming is cool, but still meh. But 2 1/2 hours of a marathon is MESMERIZING.
-Great wins by Gebrmariam (men, Kenya, 2:08:~~) and Kiplagat (women, Ethiopia, 2:28:30).
-I really want to run NYC.
-Regrets/better luck to my American male favorite, Dathan Rizenhein (8th, 2:12:33).
-Much praise to my American female favorite, Shalane Flanagan (2nd, 2:28:40, and in her DEBUT MARATHON).
-Man, I REALLY WANT to run this race.
-Also on Flanagan: she is quite fine! (as with 99.99999% of women distance runners)

Taper Week #1

Last week was the first week of tapering for City of Oaks. Not surprising, it was that much of a taper. My weekday mileage was pretty much what it has been, the mid-week bike ride was a little shorter, and the main difference being a shorter weekend long run. While I've discovered many benefits to having a self-built training plan, now is when the pitfalls of being able to vary that plan can arise. I'm doing my best to stick to it, but I know it'll be hard, especially now that the daily miles are beginning to go down.

Ever a glutton for punishment, I've begun searching for my next adventure. In the mid-distant future [i.e. 2011] I was primarily concerned with my next marathon, looking any time from February till May. However, it wasn't until my bike ride yesterday that I remembered 2011 is my year of the half-Ironman. With that in mind, I've already envisioned my 2011 A-list races: a marathon in the February/early, early March time frame; a May Half-Ironman (HIM); another HIM in September, followed by an October marathon. In just over the cusp into 2012, I still dream of running the Disney World Goofy Challenge: run the half marathon on Saturday and wash it down with the full marathon on Sunday. Oh, and the one race I am dead set on is the Krispy Kreme Challenge which has A-level priority, not for it's difficulty but it's ridiculous fun, enjoyment, and college-nostalgia.

It sounds like a full schedule, but for me, that's part of the challenge. For me, more than being able to complete a distance is being able to do it again. And again. That's why I've been intent on finding a quick follow up marathon to City of Oaks. I'm not sure what to call it: turnover, resiliency, bounce-back... Essentially I want to assess what a hard/long effort feels after just doing one. As I delve into longer and longer events, I want to develop a lasting endurance.

This matter is something I contemplate often. Do I want a perpetual level of training, or continue with some staggering periodization? How much can one sacrifice quality (speed, endurance) for quantity (/frequency)? If I try to do multiple marathons a year, do I risk missing a chance to qualify for Boston? Or do more races increase "maturity" and resiliency?

I think the secret revolves around expanding the baseline, part of what I wanted to accomplish this training period. While my long run build-up this year was fairly similar to the build-up for MCM, the big difference was the increase in my weekday mileage. Last year, the longest mid-week was 8 miles; this year it was 12. Preseason this year consisted of routine 8 milers, with a weekend 12-13. Does this year's training predict weekly 12 milers with weekend 15-17? I'd like to try, perhaps even up those weekend runs a little more. Besides wanting to be capable of frequent marathon racing, if I start to delve into ultras, I feel a high sustained baseline will be essential.

I think I've babbled enough. All I'll say now is that it's becoming obvious I am much more a runner than a triathlete. I am still lock-on to a 2012 Ironman, but still, running is my escape.

Endurance Fun

I love my runs. This is probably a good thing for someone training for marathons. But really, they are soooo enjoyable. And usually something interesting happens that I don't get to see or experience while driving or whatever.

This week/weekend culminated the peak of my training. With three weeks left, I will be going into the taper phase. In this phase, I'll gradually reduce my training volume to give my body adequate recovery for the effort require for the marathon. Tapering is always mentally challenging. After fine-tuning your body to work and work and work, it becomes very awkward to ease-up.

I've been fairly content with this training season. I've stuck to my training plan well and learned a lot about my abilities, and learned to be flexible with changing schedules. My CNA class pushed me earlier and earlier in the morning to complete runs; I'm currently waking at 4:00 for 4:30 runs. The exception has been my Friday runs. I'm opening the pool at 5:30. I'd probably be fine with doing my run even earlier; however, it would mess with my eating habits a lot more, so instead I've done my runs after work. Despite being miserable with these midday runs, I've actually clocked some of my fastest runs. It's also given me a chance to have some mild "refresher courses" on running after already having a meal. Most marathon coaching suggest breakfast the morning before the race, but also suggest not doing anything new. For most of my runs, they are the first thing in the morning, but these Friday midday runs give me chance to see otherwise.

One great accomplishment this weekend was this morning ride where I hit 70.3 miles, certainly the farthest I've ever ridden. I was pleasantly surprised.

Yesterday was my peak long run at 22 miles. As stated above, I love my runs and this one was particularly enjoyable, with a couple of noteworthy instances. First was the SUV that called out to me asking for directions... to a bank... at 6:00am on a Saturday. Unfortunately for them I 1) was running and wasn't keen on slowing, 2) couldn't understand what bank she was looking for, and 3) didn't know where "center green" rd was. Supposedly she was on her way to work security? I also enjoyed my run through Umstead before dark. When first reaching the end of Harrison, the entrance is a bit intimidating with absolutely no illumination. However, either my eyes adjusted, or some starlight helped and I was able to navigate safely. The route markings in Umstead are notoriously (to me) difficult to understand regardless, let alone in darkness, but I some how ended up on my desired route.

This led me out Umstead and up Reedy Creek to Blue Ridge, which happens to be around miles 17-20 of the marathon. While earlier in my run than it will be in the marathon, I was glad to get a preview of this particular section of the course, where I was worried about the uphill nature of it. Obviously mile 18 will feel different than my mile 10 did yesterday, but I felt good having run it.

Lastly is the farm animals at the State Fair! My run took me by there around 7:00. I'm not sure if the fair was open or not; there were volunteers but I couldn't discern anybody else. Well, while running by a tent, which seemed to house some animals, all I could hear were these god-awful screams. I'm sure they were the crowds of animals, but I swear, I didn't know the difference between them and if kids were screaming on a roller coaster. Don't know whether it was scary or comical.

That's pretty much it. I also almost got to race in a relay at the Pinehurst Triathlon. Might have been fun, but seeing as I was gearing for my final long run, I must admit I'm glad the NCSU tri club could find someone else (who was probably faster than me anyways!).

Til next time...

20 mi #2

This weekend I completed my second 20 mile run. I finally took the opportunity to satisfy my nostalgia for NC State and drove over to complete my run. Many have heard me say this before: having 20 miles to run, instead of trying to choose only one of my old runs to do, I can combine several together for one great trip. I parked in the Varsity lot across from where I use to live (and start my runs). My journey took me through frat court towards my St. Mary's/Cameron Village loop, whizzing over to Dixie Trail for a stint down Wade and Oberlin. After a waltz down Hillsborough, I tackled Kaplan and a little Avent Ferry. A short climb in Centennial and Western to Boylan, back to Hillsborough to finish off on Morrill/Avent Ferry. In felt fast, but it must have just been the familiarity.

For some actual news, earlier this week I crashed on my bike. Out riding in the rain Wednesday afternoon, I swerved to avoid a collision with a truck that was turning left where I was turning right. My wheels slide out from under me and I took a fall. My hip ached pretty bad for the evening and next day (still does even now). I was terribly worried about how my running would be affected. However, everything seems to be ok. My two runs since (9 miles on Friday, and the 20 on Saturday) started out uneasy but both finished strong. I think at the moment, there is just some bruising and transient stiffness from swelling.

For a while I joked about being a bad omen on my exercise excursions. Now, I am becoming seriously concerned. Four times (five if you include my own crash), I have seen/learned about accidents close to where I've been running/biking. After my first 20 miles with a bit along Tryon, the news later reports of a hit-and-run along Tryon. The next week, a jog on Jenks Carpenter was followed by a motorcycle accident report. Also, last week a water main broke along Maynard (though this apparently happened before I passed by). Earlier in my ride last Wednesday (preceding my own crash), I witnessed a stopped car blatantly cross a red light at James Jackson, getting T-boned. Then I passed a car wreck on Hillsborough street in the later miles on this week's 20.

Last comments: For some reason I noticed the range of brands I sport. Sometimes I try to stick with product loyalty: my running shoes have been Brooks for many years. However, on my bike ride, I couldn't help but feel like a hodgepodge of labels. My bib and jersey were Hincapie. My socks were Craft. Leggings were Under Armor. Arm warmers were Pearl Izumi. Wind-vest was Nike. And gloves were Reebok.

I'll have a brief "recovery" week followed by a final 22 miles. Then it's time to taper.

Final Build up

It's been a little bit longer since my last update. There are always things I do/see that I think "I'd like to comment about that on my blog." But of course I ultimately forget. Hopefully writing will get the brain working and I'll remember things as I go.

Having completed the Nation's Triathlon, I am now building up for the City of Oaks Marathon here in Raleigh. My training schedule hasn't really changed all that much. I am still biking and swimming as before with the reasoning that looking ahead to 2011 when I plan to step up to the half-Ironman, the more base I have the better. I also am finally getting to a point where cycling can be enjoyable versus it being a necessary evil in triathlon.

After Nation's I have also begun some mild strength training. My initial plan was to incorporate a daily core (abdominal and lower back) exercise routine. However, with a modest assortment of lifting equipment (some barbell and weights with a bench), I got the impulse to throw in some short lifts. My entire routine only takes about 20-25 minutes, at least 10 of which are the core exercises, and nothing at all heavy. However, I figure something is better than nothing. Also, a nagging knee problem has dissipated tremendously since starting this program so I think there is some therapeutic value.

Two weeks ago I also began my Nursing Assistant class. As with starting back my job at the YMCA, it is a humbling experience to go from working towards a Ph.D. to taking a class you don't even need a high school diploma to take. But the subject matter is interesting and I think I'm realizing and reaffirming how much I prefer jobs that may not pay great, but may be more laborious. The class is very short (only 6 1/2 weeks) but goes three days a week for 8 hours. Once I'm done I hope to be able to work at one of the local hospitals and be in a position to discover a future career goal.

There isn't much more I can think about for this post. I guess a few briefs:

1) If biking while raining, wear protective eyewear NO MATTER WHAT. This morning I made this mistake since it was still dark out and sunglasses would be inappropriate. My eyes have been hurting most of the day and I'm sure there's some [temporary] damage.
2) When starting my weekend long run a deer jumped across the road RIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. And we don't live out in the boonies, this is a fairly long-established suburban neighborhood.
3) On the previous week's long run I 'got lost;' which is really to say I just didn't go the way I had originally planned. No biggie. However, I did discover the most blatant "themed" street names: the main road was 'Carousel' with side streets of 'Ferris Wheel,' 'Brass Rings,' and 'Candy Apple.'

Twenty miles coming up. Get excited.

Nations Triathlon

Another wonderful race day/weekend. I love this post-race athlete's high. I'll try and provide a good recap. It's always hard to do so; I want to be thorough but without overwhelming with details, some of which I may think are interesting, but wouldn't make since unless you were there.

The Nation's Triathlon was an Olympic distance, i.e. 1500m swim, 40 K (approximately 25 mile) bike, and then a 10 K (6.2 mile) run. Over 7000 people registered with 5300 picking up their packets which gave us, [the event] the WORLD RECORD FOR LARGEST INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE TRIATHLON (previously held by the 2006 Chicago Triathlon). So far this is the longest distance I have done, but the second one. In May I had done the Columbia Triathlon in Maryland as a member of Team in Training.

There are many interesting details surrounding the race: staying with my cousins (thanks Jenny!), the packet pickup and expo, the weather this morning, etc. It may be best to just stick to the race.

Like most, if not all, triathlons, the race begins in wave starts. First elite/open triathletes go off, and then racers go off based on their gender/age group. Sometimes they'll send the younger (and likely faster) ages first, but usually the older age groups go first since the younger people catch up and therefore minimize road closures. For me this meant being one of the last waves (30th out of 33 waves). This made the wait HORRIBLE. My wave started TWO HOURS after the official start of the race. Being soaked through from the rainy morning, it got very chilly. Swimming in the Potomac turned out to be a lot better than I expected. It was fairly calm, and for the most part I couldn't notice a significant current.

Both the bike and the run were unfairly flat. On the bike, my makeshift strategy was to push a decent pace, but let up later on to restore my legs a little bit for the run. But with such this course there was no need to. Unfortunately, I hate to stop twice to take care of nature (this is the second race this has happened, despite minimal/no pre-race hydration (???)), but I'm pretty sure my split was still faster than my Columbia split.

The run was awesome as well, while my need ached some, I set a reasonably quick pace and set a PR.

A big motivator was due to the nature of the wave starts and having most of the field start ahead of me. Of course a couple of my age group past me on the bike. However, the WHOLE time I was passing people. Sure they were the older age groups, as well as women racers. However, overtaking - and a lot of cases just BLOWING by - other competitors always helps you keep up a grueling pace. Twice on the run people asked (light-heartedly) for me to slow down. I think in both I then overheard them realize "oh, he's 23" (triathlons have you marked with your age on your calf).

Again, overall a phenomenal race. Here are some time summaries:
Swim: 25:23 >1500m > Slightly slower than my Columbia time, but being in a river and sure to have SOME current, it's understandable.
Bike: 1:15:16 > 40k, 19.8 mph > Almost 10 min faster than Columbia. It was a flatter course, but I also had an extra pit stop (both had slick, post-rain roads)
Run: 40:52 > 10 k, 6:36 min/mile. Just over a minute faster, which can be pretty significant for a 10 k. I give credit to the flatter course. I'm really happy about this because it was below 42 minutes, which was a secondary goal, just below breaking 7:00 min miles.
Overall: 2:28:52
18/108 in my age group (top 18%)
412/2835 males (top 15%)
452/4392 finishers (top 11%)

Most surprising - for me - was my rank on the run. My bike and swim places didn't really stick out to me, but I was 156 on the run, which if it is out of 4392 finishers, puts me in the top 5 %! That % statistic isn't official, so don't hold me to it...

Now it's back to the grindstone. City of Oaks is Nov 7, just 8 weeks away.

Farmers Market indulgence

When I make dinner, I alternate on a weekly basis between making a salad and heating some frozen vegetables. This coming week was suppose to be frozen veggies, so when I went to the farmers market I was only planning on purchasing some peaches and some squash for lunch. However, there were too many good pickings to pass up, so it looks like it'll be another week of salads. Giving into temptations can't always be good. But hey, if that temptations is VEGETABLES, I suppose there are worst things.

Last week was brutal on my legs. I'm pretty sure after my 20 miles and subsequent miles that weekend, I edged into overtraining. And it hasn't helped that my right knee has been aching. My treatment isn't that great: ignoring it. However, I've slowly felt better later in the week and I think two days without running (these are cycling days) will show some improvement. The mileage is going to be backing down. For one, it's part of the normal build, build, recover cycle, and secondly, I'm beginning to taper for the Nation's Triathlon, which takes place September 12th in DC.

Some random comments, mostly about running:
Marathon elite, Deena Kastor just became pregnant with her first child. A congratulations. So much attention has been given towards Kate Goucher, a much longer runner, and I don't think anyone has really wondered about Kastor's family life. However, news reports that she is happy and excited.

Molly Huddle broke the US 5000m record on Thursday! I love seeing records broken.

Runner's World weekly dedicates a blog to brief news stories that hint at running. It also includes a countdown for various races, from 5ks to ultramarathons. I'd like to think it was my own request that got the City of Oaks Marathon added to this weeks countdown. Let's hope it stays! I slowly see my influence at Runner's World increasing, where previously I had posed a question to the Race Director of the utmost importance.

Today was my second bike ride where I saw a turtle in the street. Today it was way out in Chatham county. The encounter earlier this week was within a half mile of home, tempting me to pick up a new pet.

Brief peak

This weekend I have to go to Annapolis to drill. If I was still in Baltimore, I would've just woken up at the crack of dawn, pounded out the miles, and made the short drive. However, being back in Raleigh, a morning of departure would already require a 1:00am leaving, meaning a run would be started around 10:00 the night before! Some may say I'm hardcore... but not that much... not YET.

So I put in the 20 miles this morning, and will hopefully get the 8 miles in Sunday in Annapolis. It was overall a fun run. It was only about 2 years ago that I did my first run from my apartment in Raleigh to my parents house in Cary - at the time a brutal 10 miles. And now? You guessed it - now it was a round trip! Mercifully I didn't have to do it out and back, my least favorite type of route. I made my way along Tryon to Avent Ferry Rd, followed Varsity to Western, which as it mutated into Hillsborough and Chatham, took Maynard [with a short extension loop] to Kildaire and back home. Those unfamiliar with the particular roads, I essentially ran the periphery of Crossroads, the southern edge of NC State and southeast circumference of Cary.

I definitely got a confidence boost running along Avent Ferry. This road present some nasty hills (for their length). Maybe because I was at my long run pace, but I felt I took them well in stride and with ease. In the coming weeks I will definitely make my long runs mixtures of the shorter runs I use to do at State.

Saw two girls I used to row with. Shout out to Ida and Kellee!

I'm still frustrated with my hydration belt. Bottles popped out no less than 4 times in the first 2 miles!

17 miles

Ran 17(.41) miles this morning. Went from the house to Cary Parkway. Took Cary Pkwy to the end at Harrison, and meandered back home via Reedy Creek, Maynard, Chatham. Essentially a big loop about halfway around Cary and cutting across through downtown.

Nothing too eventful. I'm a little frustrated with my hydration belt (Nathan Sports Trail[something]). Bottles aren't really staying in place; they've been falling out, noticeable on down hills, usually at the beginning of the run when they're full, it's a bouncing issue. Just annoying to be running along and have to do some sidestepping to turn around and pick up the bottle. Once happened while crossing an intersection! (Luckily at 6:00am on Saturday there isn't any traffic). Right now I've just been taking water, but with 20 miles next week, I need to start thinking about fuel rather than just hydration.

Hills are different here than in Baltimore. I wouldn't say they're any harder or easier. However, it seemed like in Baltimore I'd get them either at the beginning or at the end of the run. Here they're pretty distributed along my routes.

Wednesday I rode-along as an observer with the Cary Area EMS. I've begun looking into health service professions, and EMT being one of them. It was an enlightening experience. I'm pretty sure I don't want to do it as a career, but perhaps some short-term work for the experience (life experience as well as professional). During the shift our truck only had two calls, both at nursing centers and ended up in transport to EMS for not-really-critical patients. The most interesting thing was discovering Gatorade in a can. I'd like to go again.

I love going to the farmers market; it always fascinates me. I love knowing something is in season when you see TONS of it EVERYWHERE. And then I love seeing a pretty common/standard produce and then a plethora of varieties. Case in point for this week: tomatoes, summer squash, and peaches are all in season and are all over the place. There are of course other produce, but those are probably my favorites because I'm familiar with them. Still seeing blueberries, but not as much as tomatoes and peaches. I'd always shy away okra when I was younger and more picky, any suggestions? Eggplants are what I've seen such a variety of. Not sure what the mainstream variety is called. However, I've seen ones that look like brussel sprouts (in color and shape); smaller, white ones, and smaller, elongated varieties.

Grad School

Sorry about the infrequent updates. BIG decision made recently. Here is a copy-and-paste of an email to my family:

Hey guys. This is something I've told to Mom and Dad, and David.
Rather than go through the whole, complete explanation several more
times, I'm just settling for an email.

I've decided to take a leave of absence from graduate school. There
are several reasons surrounding and leading up to this decision.

Most importantly, I have never been sure about what career field I
want to pursue. Chemistry seemed right because it was an area in which
I've excelled and thought I could offer a substantial contribution. At
Hopkins I went further into biochemistry because I thought it was the
best way to sort of work at the periphery of biomedical sciences
(pharmaceuticals, gene therapies, etc.). However, I've been at a lost
at specifically where I fit. That problem, I think, was foreshadowed
somewhat by my initial troubles picking a research group. My
predicament is a little more general though; I'm not sure if chemistry
is the right field for me. Or if it is, I'm not sure if research is
right for me.

I can see myself doing any number of things. In chemistry, I could do
research; at a basic technician level or get an advanced degree and
perform in a supervisory role. I could work for the Patent Office,
which would expose me to several different disciplines of chemistry
and science as a whole. There are other government jobs for chemist in
forensics, homeland security, defense agencies (or their contractors).
I know I wish people where as excited about science as I am, so
teaching has also crossed my mind. There are career fields outside of
chemistry; remember when I thought I wanted to go to OCS for the Coast
Guard? I think that was a interest in emergency response/management.
So I could see myself working for emergency management institutions
like FEMA, Corps of Engineers, Homeland Security/ Coast Guard, the Red
Cross, etc..

But how does this come back to my decision. Well, while in the lab, I
am often in the lab by 9:00am and don't leave until usually 8:00pm.
That's weekdays and frequently I am in the lab for 5 or 6 hours
between Saturday and Sunday as well. I'm not meaning to complain about
the work hours or the work load. It's totally worth it if it means
getting a Ph.D. However, without knowing what I want to do, how do I
know that I need a Ph.D.? Sure it's a Ph.D.; a BIG accomplishment. But
is it really that valuable if it isn't really a qualification for
whatever my career will be? I questioned how rationale it was to spend
50-60+ hours/week pursuing a goal that wasn't really the best goal for
me.

Over the next couple of days I will be cleaning up my work space in
the lab. I still have a little over a month left on my lease. So, I
will be staying in Baltimore for a little while and begin searching
for employment (I've been touching base with the university career
center). I'd like to stay put but if money forces me back home, then
that may be my only option. A lot of the areas I'll be looking at I
mentioned above. With the oil spill, there is the prospect of some
temporary active duty opportunities with the Coast Guard. In the long
term, I'm not sure whether I want to try to stay in the Mid-Atlantic
region, go somewhere new, or even return to NC. I'm also not
completely closing the door on additional or advanced education; more
may be necessary to give me the best chance of success in whatever
career turns out to be for me.

Sorry for the lengthy email and sudden decision.

Duran

New Shoes

Last week was a rough week. Many failed experiments are sapping my energy in the lab. I'm really hoping things start looking up soon.

A recommendation on electrolytes (thanks Delip!) pointed me towards Nuun. Knowing what to look for I picked up some sample tablets, as well as some from Nathan Sports, which makes a variety of running accessories (several hydration systems as well as reflective gear).

My plan was to try to save a little bit to purchase some clip-on aerobars. That is, until I looked at my training log and realized I was going to need some new running shoes. Also looking at my everyday sandals, I have worn through the sole and middle layer on my Birkenstocks (I mean, they're probably 5 years old!). I ordered some new sandals online, though not Birkenstocks. Cursed by my training, I couldn't help but look for something made for athletes. I ended up getting a pair of Crocs Prepair sandals. Like many cultural trends, I was a bit reluctant to jump on the Crocs bandwaggon, but what the heck, right?

I also did pick up some new running shoes. The Brooks Addiction 8 has been my go-to shoe for the past 2 years, making these my fourth pair. In the back of my mind, I wonder what I'll do if I ever do serious trail running, since it seems trail shoes don't have the same breakdown into supination, normal, or overpronation gaits, at least not to the extent that road shoes do. Charm City Run had the new generation Addiction 9, but offered the older model for a discount. How could I refuse?

Hydration

With the pool open, I think I'm finally back in the swing of things. It felt good to get back in the water. Last semester I always seemed reluctant to go, but something about this semester clicked and I've begun to anticipate these workouts.

With summer here, the temperature as rocketed. I think this is the first time I've been serious about monitoring my fluid levels and hydration. With the heat and humidity, I've noticed a major increase in sweat. I've been taking in more fluids in the form of plain water. However, I'm now on a quest to find the best electrolyte replenishment.

Temporarily, products like Propel, or PoweradeZero are my go-tos; ideally I'm looking for JUST fluid and electrolyte replacement, not a carbohydrate sports drink. Currently, most electrolyte drinks are produced already prepared. I'd like to find these in the powdered form, but except for Propel, they seem scarce. Making my own is a possiblity; I experimented some with Hammer Nutrition's Endurolytes, electrolyte tablets by breaking the pill into water and adding some lemon juice. It was okay, but the tablets don't really dissolve. Any tips from seasoned veterans would be appreciated. This week I picked up some Propel (2 flavors), PoweradeZero, and SoBe vitamin water (brand VitaminWater doesn't have ANY Na+ or K+) to experiment with.

I also went on a group ride from TriSpeed, a triathlon retail store. It was OK, I think I would've been more relaxed going on a Sunday when I don't worry about getting into lab at a reasonable hour. I worry though about how I'm going to be able to increase my bike mileage base.

This morning's run was brutal. Partially because of the heat, and so I think I was dehydrated. I also ran out of cereal yesterday, which is my stalwart pre-exercise snack. I tried to make do with simple wheat germ, but I guess I didn't get the same amount of fuel that I usually do from the cereal.

Dreaded Druid Hills

Almost back in the swing of things. The gym finally opened up yesterday after a two week haitus at the end of the semester.

Last week I continued to creep my mileage back up to almost normalcy. Most notably, on Saturday I ran a 10k, the Dreaded Druid Hills 10k. As the name implies, it is riddled with sickening inclines. For Balitmoreans, it's like running the hill up Northern Pkwy from Falls Rd towards Roland. For N. Carolinians... don't really know, maybe up Lake Boone Trail? (heading away from Blue Ridge and past the Beltline)... and doing that 6 or 7 times over. Truly tough. I didn't really run it as a race, just another one of those local events I wanted to check off my list. But I must have done alright; placed 35th out of 413.

About a month away from cranking out the marathon training. I'm getting anxious.

Past week

Post-race week:

Tuesday: Northern Parkway loop, 8 mile run. There's a wicked hill ~ mile 5 that I missed while tapering.
Wednesday: Caves Rd loop, 35 mile bike. First mid-week ride that went over an hour, thanks to the increasing daylight.
Friday: Lake Rd 10 mile run. Though only for about 15 seconds, takes me by the famous Charm City Cakes.
Saturday: Cold Spring 10 mile run. Eh. nothing special
Sunday: New bike loop, 50 miles.

The new bike ride extended my long ride distance by about 10 miles. I went as far as I knew I should go, but not as far as I'd planned. Some mix up near the end of the ride and quite a bit of fatigue led me to end things a little earlier.

This week I'm continuing to try and re-ramp my mileage back to pre-taper. My tri/marathon training plan official starts July 12, and I'd like to be back at a base of about 35 miles/week. There's some wiggle room this week since I still might do the Dreaded Druid Hills 10k. A quote from the 2008 website: "This is NOT a PR course." I'm also anxious to get back in the pool. The gym was closed last week and will be closed again this week. One other newsworthy item: I should be expecting my RoadID tomorrow.

Happy Memorial Day everyone.

COLUMBIA TRIATHLON!!!

RACE!
Wow. What a weekend. What a race. It's in my nature, when looking back on things like this, to somewhat diminish the elation I felt. What exactly made this race so sweet, it's hard to say. But here's my little recap.

Saturday afternoon I drove down to Columbia to register, rack my bike, and check into my hotel. The hotel accomodations were provided by Team in Training which was nice. I suppose to have a roommate, but lucked out when his wife tagged along so they got their own. Pre-race bike racking is fairly common, but new to me. Nothing special about it, but I cover some parts with plastic bags in anticipation of the impending rain.

The race had an expo, which was a lot smaller than I expected. But of course, the only other race I've attended with an expo was the Marine Corps Marathon, which had over 30,000 runners (vs. only 2300 here). Still, I always enjoy these things because of the people watching, and the off-chance for free schwag. I also ended up getting a good deal on a gym/transition bag.

So the main event: THE RACE.
When it came to a race plan, as usually I didn't have anything particular set in stone except for the run. I didn't worry about the swimming because it's fairly innate, and I'm pretty decent at it. I didn't worry about the bike for the exact opposite: it's still not intuitive, and it's not my forte. What mattered to me was the run. I had a solid goal in mind. It's all strategy where I know how every move will affect me later, and it comes down to risk assessment: if I push it now, can I take the pain later?
So my swim strategy was to simply go at a decent pace, which was no problem; compared to the Nanticoke River, I was sliding on ice and easily broke through the swim wave ahead of me.
The bike strategy was developed en route. After a solid swim, the bike started quick and was fueled by adrenaline. I knew I was going a bit faster than I normally can and wanted to think ahead to the run. My plan ended up being to positive split. So I would push the first part of the bike leg, and then easy up later to let my legs recharge for the run. This seemed to be fine; in the later parts I could feel my legs aching and worried, but knew not much could be done at this point.
The run was simple: try to negative split, but push the pace; break 7:00min/mile. For me, negative splitting is not based on pace, but on perceived effort. Running a race like this is always a blur. But after a decent bike, and feeling great at the run start, I felt phenomenal and was cruising. I past many, many of the older age groups that had started earlier and probably got away a little on the bike. Passing was [and is] a great motivator. Also, the Team in Training presence helped a lot, from being encouraged by other teammates, and even a little boost from supporting those I encountered. I was hurting by the last couple of hills, but once we were back on the lake, I did my best to empty the tank for a good finish.

The final summary:
Swim: 23:35 >1500m, no more breakdown
T1: 2:40
Bike: 1:25:54 >41k, 17.8 mph
T2: 2:12
Run: 42:16 >10km, 6:49 min/mile
*BONUS: 5TH PLACE IN MY AGE GROUP

5th wasn't really a big deal initially. Most races do top three. However, it was a nice bonus to find about, just as I'm about to leave, that top five get awards. So I kind of clumsily mozy over to the award ceremony. I missed my part, and have to sneak around the sideline and try to be discrete.

My proud point is reaching my goal of sub-7:00 min/mile for the 10k. Now, as I've stated before, I've actually never done a 10k before. Sure I've done longer training runs and races, but never this distance. Previously, the closest was the Turkey Trot 8k, and I had yet to break 7:00 on that. But I was incredibly excited to learn I had reached this goal. It really boosts my confidence for getting closer to a Boston qualifier for a marathon.

Some short [hopefully] comments:
-The weather was rainy. It was steady almost right up to the start, but stopped and was really just wet for the ride and made transition a mud pit.
-Lucky for most people, I only saw one crash [post-occurence]. Of course, unlucky for that individual. I hope he/she is ok. Lots of flats during the race.
-Part of any race plan is how to deal with the unexpected. My relaxed bike plan fit the bill, when about halfway, I could feel a pending bladder need. It came down to making a pit stop or trying to wait out the rest of the race. My desire for a solid, comfortable run (comfortable from the bladder sense, not the exertion) and my relaxed bike plan reasoned a pit stop. I think this made a serious contribution to making my run work out as it did.

Final impressions: It was a great training cycle. I am so glad I was able to complete this with Team in Training. Overall, our group of 35 triathletes raised $120,000!!! This was a huge accomplishment and just made the race sweeter. I'm still up in the air about if/when I will join the team for another race. I would love to do this race again; we'll see how it fits into my future plans.

The one thing that always sticks in my mind is the question a fellow racer asked me: "So when's your next race?" which embodies the mindset I like of always having something in mind. In two weeks I'd like to do the Dreaded Druid Hills 10k, but I don't know how much dedicated training I'll give that. My next BIG races aren't until the fall. The Nations Triathlon, an Olympic distance in Washington, DC is September 13th. Then the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh is November 7th. My training plan starts second week of July. When does your's?

Race Week!

I'm down to the last few days before the Race! The day will start with a pretty early wake up, I think around 4:00? I know it won't be later than 5:00. The race will start with the pro/elite waves going off at 6:45. My swim wave won't start until 7:40. I submitted my estimated times as 0:26:00 swim/1:10:00 bike/0:42:00 run which is a collective race of 2:18:00 (hr:min:s). I think the swim time is probably pretty accurate, if not a little conservative. The other two, especially the bike, are pretty ambitious. For most of the times, I just scaled up my race times from Triangle Tri, which was a sprint. The distance is longer, which should slow me down, but I think I hoped my experience and fitness would have improved as well. The bike is definitely up in the air; I still consider myself a novice, so cycling is always a little unpredictable. The run time truly is a goal. I haven't calculated the exact base, but for a 10k (6.2 miles), that's a sub-7:00min/mile, which I have not done for a race of this length. In fact, I've never done a 10k. I've done half miles, miles, two miles, 5ks, 8ks, and then jumped to half marathon and marathon. My last 8k was almost a year and a half ago and was not sub-7:00. However, I am positive my fitness is better, and during brick workouts, my run off the bike is almost always faster than normal.

Last week was the end of the semester and [pretty much (I have one more)] the end of classes. With Dr. Greenberg out of the country, I had the chance to go home for Thursday and part of Friday (I had to be back for my Coast Guard obligation). It was too short, but except for maybe more time with my parents, I think it was spent perfectly. I was able to catch up with everyone I NEEDED to catch up with and it really helped me out. It's still hard in Baltimore to find people who I can talk to about both problems and common interests, and I was absolutely able to get some of that while at home.

With only a few more days, this is the worst stage of any training regime: the taper. That is, the time when you reduce your training volume to start saving up energy. The whole time you feel antsy and awkward. It doesn't come naturally and the only taper I ever really followed was for the Marine Corps Marathon, which was planned out for me. Doing it on my own, and trying to do it right is harder. NOT tapering is pretty easy, but when you actually worry about balancing between storing energy and maintaining fitness, it's a little stressful. Furthermore, the reduction in training volume also affects caloric needs, and especially for myself, adjusting is hard.

The Thursday I was at home I needed to go for a swim and ended up going for the first time to the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC). A very nice facility, it made me think about the differences between gyms. I've been a member/user of several facilities; the NC State Carmichael Rec Center, Johns Hopkins Rec Center, the YMCA, and the Triangle Aquatic Center. Here is a brief summary of some amenities I've like and who has them.

Locker rooms, enough said: ALL
Rental lockers, being able to have a place to store clothes/equipment/whatever for a long period of time is extremely valuable if you don't like toting around EVERYTHING you need: ALL except only NC State was is free
Shower soap, seems simple enough, but goes back to minimizing the amount of essentials you must bring from home: ALL except TAC
Towel: NC State, YMCA
Workout clothes: ONLY NC STATE. It seems weird, but it works. Just like a towel, you can check it out for a whole semester and after using, you trade it in for a clean up (old one is washed). It saves a lot on laundry if you workout a whole lot. I only ever used a T-shirt though.

Some amenities that I've used, but don't think are totally necessary: Locker keys (so to have a locked locker without bringing a padlcok. I always have a padlock anyways so it doesn't really matter.). Student ID access: it's annoying to carry around all your keys and wallet and whatnot when working out; at State, this was nice to eliminate that hassle.

I think I should note, that while many gyms had several amenities, (including some not listed), State definitely takes the lead for having all of them. It truly was a very versatile gym with a lot of fringe benefits.

Next time should be a POST race summary!

Two weeks to go.

This past week was the last week of classes and next week is the exam period. I've only taken three classes this semester; Nucleic Acids, Advanced Mechanistic Chemistry, and Chemistry and Biology Interface. My exam for Nucleic Acids is a paper, but the other two are standard exams. My mom asked me the title of my paper, but I told her it as useless because it would make sense. However, here it is (I guess for Mother's Day?): DNA and Polymerase Structural Factors that Dictate Activity and Fidelity During Translesion Synthesis.

It'll be good to be done for a while and be able to final give my full attention to doing research. This semester has been rough, and the last couple of weeks it has been a struggle to stay focused and motivated. I do get a short break though. My research adviser is currently overseas at a conference and is gone for another week. Since my exams are complete on Wednesday, I went to discuss where to proceed with my experiments in his absence. He said that with it only being a few days, to just make sure I understand the literature and past work done. Though I am certainly not taking these instructions lightly, I plan on using those few days (Wednesday-Friday, I have to drill for the Coast Guard that weekend) to go to Raleigh. I hope that I can get everything accomplished that I want to while I'm there. That is primarily just getting to see a couple of people, but also a few... "administrative" type of obligations.

There are only two weeks remaining until the triathlon! I'm excited, nervous, anxious... It's been an interesting training period with a lot of learning. These next two weeks I think will be the hardest, what is known as the taper period. Tapering has never been my strong point and it is difficult to do it correctly. Last year for the Triangle Triathlon, I mildly toned down my workouts and lightened up on my weightlifting. For the marathon, I followed a taper schedule set out by my coach; however it was hard to judge its effectiveness. The week before the race I got wicked sick and struggle alot with getting through the week. Several times I'd wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Never knew if that was being physically ill, or some mind-body physiological wack-out.

Oddly enough, my mind is mainly looking beyond to my fall training period. I've already begun laying out an actual training schedule. So far the plan only has my runs scratched in; having a previous schedule and some good resources from Runner's World, that's been the easiest to fill. Now adding in some swimming and biking will be more difficult. Even now, I would say my focus has always been on my running, since swimming comes so naturally, and biking just kinda falls where it may. It'd be nice to lay out some disciplined and focused workouts that will be truly challenging. This fall I am having to workout a marathon training plan, with my second Olympic Triathlon, the Nations Tri in Washington, DC about two months earlier.

This past few days I have really been abusing my legs. My runs earlier in the week by themselves didn't seem to be too hard, and weren't out of the ordinary. Tuesday was an 8 miler before swimming, and Wednesday was a fartlek. I guess it might have been the new leg exercise I did Tuesday night. Whatever it was, Friday my legs felt ridiculous. I went out to do 11 miles and as soon as I started my quads were screaming. The last time they hurt that much was mile 16 onward for the marathon. Getting started involved this awkward shuffle where, while trying to overcome the ache and achieve some semblance of proper running form, you feel like you're doing some penguin walk. This ache somewhat subsided, but it was there for my run yesterday, as well as today. Luckily, I should be doing a light cycling which I hope helps workout some of the soreness. In some ways it should force me into taper mode.

What's interesting is that despite this ache, I maintained some pretty good pace. My Friday run was around 7:19. Yesterday was a little slower at 7:29, but decent given the circumstances. I have two reasons/theories for this phenomenon. First is because I've started lifting again. Definitely not as frequently as I have in years past, but it's something, and of course includes some leg exercises. These exercises (always leg press and then some maybe leg extensions/curls or calf raises) definitely leave me sore, but I think they have helped me toughen up and be able to push through aches better, rather than letting it get to me and slow me down. Secondly, I've been incorporating some negative splitting technique. Negative splitting is simply making the second half of your training faster than the first. So essentially taking it easy in the beginning leaves you more energy for the second part. Now, I don't use a GPS, so I don't meticulously check my paces. However, I definitely have started to hold myself back in the beginning of a run in order to later open up the pace. It seems to be doing something now. We'll see what happens come race day(s). I'd really like to see this help out my marathon.

That's it for the most part. Yesterday TnT had a mandatory open water swim practice. Everyone amusingly pointed out that give I just did a three mile open water swim last week, I probably didn't need the practice. It was still nice to go out. I think my wetsuit was better situated. Also, the water was wonderfully smooth compared to the chop of last week's race.

Apparently I won my age group at the swim. I say it's no big deal; there were only four people in my age group.

3 mile swim. Last week to donate.

This was an eventful weekend with this morning having completed a [first] three mile, open water swim. First, the rest week: It was fairly typical. If I remember correctly, the weather was dreary Monday morning, meaning I had to stick to the trainer. I was able to make it through ok; it seems cold weather isn't enough to keep me inside, but thinking of dealing with a wet bike usually does it. Wednesday, did my first quasi-tempo run. I'm at the point were I know I need to start incorporating some speed training into my runs. The higher stress is hard, but it helps. I've noticed that I can maintain quicker paces after I started lifting again. Also, instead of a short run followed by a longer one for Friday-Saturday. I did two moderate long runs (10 mi, then 12 mi) to continue to build endurance, without yet delving into the marathon training distances.

So, the swim was very much a learning experience. This swim was three miles, in the Nanticoke River off of the Chesapeake Bay. The course, after swimming past a jetty, made a triangular patter that we completed twice. Water temperature was around 68. There are also some tidal details, which I suppose are important, but I can't recall. exactly. I've only done open water swimming on two previous occasions, for the ~750-800 m of the Triangle Triathlon, both of which took place in pretty calm lakes, with water temperatures unknown, but easily above the wetsuit legal limit (78 degrees). So this was my first true test of open water swimming, and also the use of a wetsuit.

Either the wetsuit was too small, or it's naturally too tight for my comfort. I felt constricted in the shoulders the whole time. I think next time I'm given the option I'll lean towards a sleeveless wetsuit. The benefit of the full length is the extra warmth, but based on how my hands and feet felt, it wasn't too bad. More experimentation will be needed.

Two main factors when discussing water conditions are wind and current (and this really applies for all water activities; swimming, rowing, sailing, other boating...). For swimming, swimming with the current is good, against is bad, across it isn't ideal either. We were swimming in a triangular pattern, so we got a bit of everything. Wind primarily creates chop which is difficult to swim through. Furthermore, sighting, the process of looking up to check your course, is harder when swells obscure your line of sight.

All of those things primarily affect your general effort level, and ability to keep the straight line for the shortest race. At least for me, the chop and the current, and probably to some extent the wetsuit, really affected my ability to get the rhythm that I enjoy in the pool. Also, before getting done with the first loop, I began to get some cramping in my calves. At least twice per leg of the triangle, I had to stop kicking to wait for the cramp to subside. In the end I finished in 1:48.

I can't say that I'm pleased with that time. In the pool, I can swim a 4000 in barely over an hour, easily. This swim was just another 1200. I guess I can "blame" some of it on not being comfortable with the wetsuit. Also, other swimmers confirmed that the water conditions were some of the worst they've seen. A friend on mine did the sprint triathlon, whose swim course doesn't even leave the jetty, and she thought the conditions were bad. Nonetheless, I was a little disappointed, but since I didn't really expect put much extra prep work (considering my long run, and incorporating a tempo run, it was really an anti-taper week), I should have had too high hopes.


Subway's Veggie Delite: I drove down last night and stayed with Mike, a triathlete I bet a few weeks ago when volunteering at a local 5k. Against my better judgement, being on the road, I had to eat on the road. Though I could've stopped along the way, I waited until I got to Salisbury to find dinner. I wanted to find something local, but given the hour (around 9:00), I just gave in and slipped into Subway. Not eating there in recent months, I settled on the veggie delite, something I've not had before, which is really just the bread and cheese with veggies. I asked for every veggie they had. Don't ask me why, but I truly loved that sandwich. I think it's the fact that you can get so many mouthFUL[L]s of food, AND is pretty good FOR you. I enjoyed it so much that after the race, when I needed lunch/recovery food, again from the road, I had another veggie delite; two in less that 24 hours.

Yesterday (Saturday), I attended a symposium on the "Frontiers of the Interface of Chemical Biology." Essentially, a few (surprisingly few, if you ask me) researchers in that overwhelming broad field came and had the typical research talks and poster sessions. Not as cool as I'd've hoped.

The triathlon is in two weeks. BUT THERE IS ONLY UNTIL FRIDAY TO DONATE! Please help out. Some donations haven't posted. I really ONLY NEED $540 left to reach my minimum!!!

Anniversary, 3 mile swim

This might be a short update. Nothing too exciting has happened of note this past week. Right now I'm just trying to keep going strong in this last month of build-up to the triathlon. It's hard to believe it's almost here (and that fundingraising deadline is TOO near!).

This weekend I have the Nanticoke River Swim. This is my first exclusive open water swim event. It will also be the farthest single, continuous swim I have done. However, I am not too worried. My longest swim so far has been about 4200 yds, approximately 1000 yds shy of being 3000. While I haven't gone that extra distance, I'm confident I've built up the experience and stamina to make it out alright. The interesting aspects of the race will be that it is my first swim in a wetsuit, and that the water temperature will be chilly (just below 70 degrees). However, I take that as a good preview for when I have to wear the wetsuit for the triathlon. I may perhaps practice a leisurely transition out of it.

Very importantly though, is that I have regrettable delayed "celebrating" my one year anniversary. That's right. On April 13, I celebrate one whole year of logging my runs! For a long time I hadn't been making note and so tracking my runs meant remembering the last run I had done. I really didn't have any way to compare times for the same route and therefore track my progress. I'm not sure how effectively I use the information stored in the training log, but it's always fun to see how I've been doing.

So of course, some statistics:
In that year I logged:
1,517.53 miles
in 11,547 min. 20 sec.
on 219 days
average speed: 7:36.6 minutes/mile
average distance per all days*: 4.16 miles
average distance per days I ran**: 6.93
average distance per week: 29.18
average distance per month: 126.46
* aka miles/365 days
** aka miles/219 days of running
There may be some skew-age of the numbers. For some routes, such as a bond park where calculating the distance was difficult, I logged the run, but effectively removed it summary data. However, for easy of calculation I didn't worry about if it was or wasn't factored in.

I certainly hope this next year will be even better!

Noteworthy thoughts:

You'd think government employees would be careful when driving government vehicles. Apparently not, as I witnessed one blatantly turn left of a red light. It was in the middle of the daytime too, near downtown. Good thing the police officer was just up the next block; dude got caught.

I am use to seeing large RVs trailering other things, such as a small car or maybe one of those pop-up campers. However, this was the first time I've seen one trailering an airplane. That's right, an airplane. The wings were folded and flush against the side, so it I didn't understand what it was immediately. But yep, an airplane was driven down the highway.

I hope this week goes well for everyone. I have another paper coming up, and I've been trying my hardest to stay focused and to be diligent. The semester is almost over, which means I'll get to start running experiments soon.

A WEEK AND A HALF LEFT TO DONATE. PLEASE HELP OUT

Boston Marathon Race Report

Nothing you can't find else where (Boston Athletic Association or Runner's World), but I'd like to give it anyways.

Past the top American male competitors, I don't know much about the pre-race field/expectations. Both Ryan Hall and Meb Keflizighi were competing and had clearly indicated their intentions to go for the win. Of the two, my own loyalties leaned toward Meb. My opinion of Ryan Hall is off-and-on. I can't deny he's a tremendous athlete, but I think his "success" is a little over-rated. He frequently makes bold claims about his performances, but never quite follows through. For New York, he intended to go for the win. Finished fourth, and Meb was the one who won to become the first American in over 20 years to win New York. Same thing happened last year at Boston where he finished third. At the Beijing Olympics, he was the American favorite. He finished behind Dathan Ritzenhein. Yet for some reason he is still considered the god-child for American marathoners. Again, I think just kind of over-rated. No American woman was really considered in mix for a Boston win this year.

Despite intentions to play it safe, Ryan Hall lead for most of the first half. Late surges by the eventual winner picked him off, and Meb faded a little bit later.

Top 5 for the Men:
1.Robert Cheruiyot - 2:05:52
2.Tekeste Kebede - 2:07:23
3.Deriba Merga - 2:08:39
4.Ryan Hall - 2:08:41
5.Meb Keflizighi - 2:09:26

First, Cheruiyot's 2:05:52 was a new course record! He beat the previous time by about a minute and a half. Ironically, that previous record was set in 2007 by another, different Robert Cheruiyot (who was a four-time Boston champion). Cheruiyot's time is 1:53 off the world record (2:03:59), and Boston is known as a hilly course. You heard this first from me: I wouldn't be surprised we have a preveiw of the next world recordholder. Ryan Hall is credited with setting a new American Boston course record. But I put that on par with other obscure, random sports statistics. He did beat Meb. However, I'll give Meb his credit for being only 10 seconds off his PR that he set in New York last year. I really was cheering for him, but pre-race he mentioned a lingering knee ache, so I didn't let my hopes get too high.

Top 5 for the Women:
1. Teyba Erkesso - 2:26:11
2. Tatyana Pushkareva - 2:26:14
3. Salina Kosgei - 2:28:35
4. Waynishet Girma - 2:28:36
5. Bruna Genovese - 2:29:12

I don't know much about the women's field. Without a strong American contender, much of the American running media let this fall by the wayside. I think the close finish between Erkesso and Pushkareva is something to be said though. Erkesso pushed the pace about halfway and at one point had nearly 2 minutes on the next chaser. But due to what seems like a sidestitch after a fluid station, Erkesso was slowly being gained on by Pushkareva. Despite the large gap, Pushkareva eventually twiddle that down to the small 3 second finish gap! I'm sure it was very climatic.

A big kudos out to my [former] coach, Daren Marceau, who achieved what so few of us have, or ever will, and qualified for Boston. Daren finished with a spectacular 3:37:22.

All this just hits me to the bone even more to fight for a Boston Qualifier. 3:10:00, when will we meet?

Long couple of Days. Ups and Downs

It's been a busy past two weeks since my last update. This past week I had a 15 page (minimum) paper, a homework problem set, and a presentation, all for one class. Then I also had an outline for another paper in a different class, and also had to grade lab reports for the organic chemistry lab I TA. It was a very stressful week. It was only Tuesday, and every time I heard the word nucleic acids or sugar or DNA or anything of the sort, I wanted to throw up and just disappear for a couple of weeks (months (years)).

I am so glad and thankful that I have the ability to exercise. I don't know what I would do without it. It's such a stress reliever by itself, and it's really the only thing that keeps me going. That just makes me think of when people find out how I train and ask "how do you do it." And really I just don't know how I could not.

Last weekend I had a couple of bike-to-run bricks. If I haven't mentioned it before, a brick workout is a combination of two or more of the disciplines (swim, bike, run) into a single workout. They're important preparation for a triathlon, because until you do one (either a triathlon or a brick), you won't be ready for the sensation that is changing from the swim to the bike, or [especially] from the bike to the run. One day was pretty easy; it was the morning I had Coast Guard duty, so the bike leg was particularly short (just 30 min on the trainer) and a 4 mile run. The next afternoon was great, with a decent 35 mile bike, followed by the same 4 mile run. What amazes me is that I seem to be significantly faster coming off the bike than if I started from a dead run. Of course, I'm just waiting to find the threshold where that is no longer true. I don't expect that when I do a half-Ironman, my half marathon off a 56 mile bike will be faster. (Of course, who knows...)

This week was suppose to be a recover week, and I did so to my mild extent, which given my school workload, it matched up nicely. I took the week off from lifting, which gave me time to do my grading. And Wednesday, due to a CBI speaker forum, I passed on attending the weekly TnT ride. This afternoon, I also decided not to brick after my bike ride. It was windy and chilly which made the ride kinda tough and miserable. This route was only the second time I've done this longer course, so I opted out of the run.

Yesterday was a very fun day. A couple of us (TnT people) went down to Salisbury, MD, a town (city?) on the Eastern Shore (you take the Bay Bridge to the big peninsula) to volunteer for a local 5k race. The TnT group out of that area has been putting on this and other fundraiser for a couple of years now to raise funds for TnT events (like Columbia, but also some of the 100 mi bike rides). By volunteering, they are able to throw some of their net our way.

It was a long day; we had to leave at 5:15am to make the two-ish hour drive. I think we wanted to get there early enough to volunteer just for registration, but we got looped into to helping through out the event, but it only kept us until about 10:30. What I really enjoyed was being able to meet all the triathletes. Baltimore is not the most [tri]athletic area; I really only started meeting triathletes through TnT. At this race though, I got to network with some interesting people. They were also amazingly nice. For helping out at the starting line, a race director hooked us up with some free lock-laces (shoelaces you don't need to tie/untie, making transitions quicker). It turned out another guy is the race director of the open water swim I'm doing in two weeks. I talked to him about inexpensive places nearby to spend the night before the race. We had moved on in the conversation, but not even 10 minutes later, he offered to put me up for that night (other common TnT acquaintances were also going to be there). Really; nice people. Another fellow volunteer took some pictures. I'll see about getting them up here or on Facebook.

We got back late enough that I decided to pass on trying to get to the lab. All I needed to do was some reading, and I would've only ended up being there for 2 or 3 hours. Instead I finally got my oil changed and made a trip to Charm City Run another local running store. I'm still up in air about if I should invest my "loyalty" in one specific store: Falls Road Running Store, or Charm City Run? And if I do, which one?

By the way, I think I will end up doing the City of Oaks Marathon. No matter how I played with the numbers, CoOaks will be cheaper, and I'll have the advantage of knowing the course location, which I learning can make a huge difference.

Right now doing laundry and relaxing until swim. I need a new swimsuit soon.

After this week, I was dying for the chance to visit Raleigh. I still don't know if/when I'll be able to do that next.

Please be thinking of my aunt Becky. Last week, her husband, my uncle, passed away. A lot of my family is with her now, so I'm sure she's in good company.

Group Run, Gorgeous Weather

A little later than usual for my updates. I had a midterm in my Chemistry & Biology Interface course yesterday, so I tried to hammer down and focus on that. The exam went pretty well. It was bried and to the point. Though that alone doesn't make it a good thing, I prefer that to lengthy, drawn-out examinations.

Saturday, part of my run I met with a small group near Druid Hill Park. The owner of Falls Road Running Store has been publicizing a group run on Saturdays, and in my miniscule efforts to commune with fellow runners, decided to meet up. Much MUCH slower than my typical pace (eventually I HAD to breakaway for the final miles), but the conversation before and after was fun and exactly what I was looking for.

I am trying out some various strategies for improving my training. I come across two problems: 1) I am training for an Olympic distance Triathlon and possibly a half-marathon but I want to maintain a higher running mileage, and 2) just in general, I want to increase my cycling base and incorporate some triathlon-type/-specific weekend endurance workouts.

At the moment I am maintaing about a 30-35 mile week. I guess you could say I'm content with this mileage, but being me, I wouldn't mind increasing. I don't plan on running another marathon until the fall, but a bigger base can't hurt right? But with these shorter races now, is it really logical to put in 13, 15, 15+ mile long runs? I've decided it isn't. What I did (/am doing) was to essentially keep my long runs constant (at about 13 miles), and instead increase the distance of the Friday run. My goal is to hopefully be able to increase the power of those longer runs and letting the previous day fatigue partially carry over for some mental preparation for late-race fatigue.

For my second problem, I just need to start increasing my cycling base, while also focusing my workouts for triathlons. This weekend, I went on my longest [solo] ride (at least in a while/on purpose. Once last summer I went out for a ride that ended up going much longer than I wanted), but that was only at about 41 miles. While that may be ok for these Olympic Tri's, I can't help but think about next year when I want to start tackling half-Ironmans (which have a 56 mi bike leg). Along with this, there is a common concern among triathetes about weekend runs/rides: which one to do first? If you ride Sat., you are compromising the quality of a Sun. run. However, run Sat. and ride Sun. doesn't really develop and tris-specific bike-to-run type fitness.

The answer I came across was fairly simple: just alternate weeks. Now, that's a little easier said than done; often travel plans make biking difficult to get in. But in general, I think the strategy will work.

Of course my next strategy even counters that: With the Columbia Tri around the corner, it's going to be time to start increasing the brick workouts. Bricks are essential two- (or three-)-in-one workouts where after completing one discipline, you transition into another. I kind of do that Tuesdays when I go for a run and then hop in the pool. However, that isn't actual triathlon progression. So I think next weekend I'll switch my weekend foci towards bike-to-run bricks. Not sure how it will play out, but in reference to the above long run/bike issue above, my plan is to trade-off between a short, hard bike followed by a longer run, with a long-steady bike followed by a short quality run.

Some other thoughts:

My Sunday ride was gorgeous. The weather is getting so perfect. But with the highs in the 80s, I worried we went from the chilly 40s and 50s (perfect for running, but cold for cycling), and skipped the wonderful 70s to go straight for the steamy 80s. Best part of the ride was about 2 miles from home, when a SUV past by with two brown spaniel-like dogs, tongues out, peaking out the windows.

Spring is here and the flowers are blooming. It truly is great, and I'm not particular affected by pollen, so that doesn't bother me. However this morning I ran under a flowering tree, and after brushing a limb, almost swallowed/choked on a petal (not choked, but a forced hacking to keep from swallowing).

I'm indecisive about what fall marathon to compete in. For a while I had become set on the City of Oaks Marathon (Nov. 7) in Raleigh. It's fairly inexpensive, closer than my alternative, and lodging would be cheaper (unless mom and dad charge me rent?!). I would also have more time to transition from the Nations Tri (Sept 12, 8 weeks apart). However, I did have an eye on the Niagra Falls International Marathon (Oct. 24). It is a little bit more expensive, farther away, would have to get a hotel, and closer to Nations (6 weeks). But... well... it would be at Niagra Falls!

What do you think?

Nanticoke River Swim

Yesterday I finally registered for the Nanticoke River Swim. 3 mile swim, May 2.

Race Course Brick, Stadium Run, Ultramarthons

This weekend was great and afterwards I am feeling very motivated and invigorated.

Saturday I drove out to the race course to join TnT for a team ride. It started in the mid-30s and was EXTREMELY cold. And unfortunately I had decided against bringing my windbreaker, leaving me in just my coldgear baselayer. Out of maybe 20-25 people, most rode the Celebration Sprint Tri course, with about 7 or 8 of us riding the full Columbia Olympic Course. Afterwards, about five of us had a relaxed transition and ran an extended loop around the Centennial Lake. The bike ride was slightly shorter than I may have wanted, but it was my first bike-to-run brick workout for the season. Furthemore, I don't often get to do group rides and so being out with some fellow triathletes can really lift one's spirit. My legs were burning on the run, but the whole experience was exciting and enjoyable.

When I leave Baltimore to head home to Raleigh, the main road merging to I95 runs right by Camden Yards and M&T Stadium, the respective playing fields for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens. For my run on Sunday, I extended a previous route with a tour around these stadiums. For the moment, running in the shadow of these monumental structures does something for my mindset. I wouldn't call it calming or uplifting, but it was fun. My legs seemed to fatigue earlier, but for reasons given below, I made it at a pretty decent click (~ 7:15 miles).

Certainly adding to my motivation were two ultramarathoners (an ultramarathon is any event over 26.2 miles, typically distances 50mi, 100mi, and up); one professional and peripheral, the other personal. Daren, a friend on many levels (he's the father/father-in-law of two awesome friends who got married, and last fall he coached me for my inaugural marathon) ran the Umstead 100mi. If the website was more helpful, I'd give a more rousing report, but unofficial, I'll say he finished in a phenomenal time of 23:01 (that's HOURS:minutes). Even though, he's "retired" from coaching, Daren is always a crazy-athlete's hero.

Another was a very intriguing article in Runner's World (April '10 issue) about ultramarathoner Scott Jurek. A monster of an runner, Scott has dominated the world of ultramarathon. He's won the 100mi, 41,000 ft up and down, Western States Endurance Run seven years (1999-2005) in a row, been the only American to when the 153 mile Spartathlon, and the only person ever to - in the SAME YEAR (2005) - win Western States and two weeks later win the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley. But this article really focuses on his recent slump and personal tribulations. It's hardly an uplifting tale. However, it's great at deviling into his soul and throughout I saw a reflection of the same things I go through every day. It wasn't inspiring or motivating... but comforting to know that someone, ANYone - who cares if he's a renowned ultrarunner - has same problems as I do. You can read the article here The King of Pain.

Short Update

At yesterday's workout (a spin class) we were visited by our Honored Teammate. This is the cancer survivor who we are training in honor of, for those of us who may not have a personal connection/story. Very nice woman. And very coincidental. She's essential from here in Baltimore. However, her parents live in Cary! And since she was diagnosed, she's been living with them in Cary in order to receive treatment at UNC. So for those back home who wonder where the money actually goes, you don't have to look very far. By donating, you support treatment centers like UNC that help people who could even be your neighbor!

Just finished watching "Chariots of Fire." Basically a running movie that tells the story of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, a Jewish man studying at Cambridge, and a Scottish missionary, who compete against each other, but are teammates for Great Britain at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Has a very cheesy intro. If you ever watch contemporary comedies with that take a jab at dramatic running, it came from this... You should probably YouTube it to know what I mean.

Happy Birthday to my mom.

Back to the Grindstone

Last week was the university's official spring break. As a graduate student this means almost next to nothing. It really means a break from going to classes and the "opportunity" to get quality labwork done. During this week I worked mainly on a protein expression experiment. So what does that involve? Well, all (or almost all) proteins created these days come from using bacterial cells to create a whole lot of your protein. I had previously grown some E. coli cells containing a plasmid (stretch of DNA) that could be "tricked" into creating a whole lot of my protein. While growing the cells, and causing the protein production is relatively quick, separating this one protein from all the cellular material takes a few days.

Also, on Thursday of that week, we (members of our research group) attended an annual "Baltimore Area Repair Symposium." In Baltimore, there are several research facilities that study how organisms repair damaged DNA; Johns Hopkins (our group as well as several at the med school and school of public health), NIH-NIA (National Institute of Health-National Institute of Aging), Univ. of Maryland - Baltimore County, and a few just outside of Baltimore. The day consisted of about 20 researchers giving short, 15 minute summaries of the current research/results they are undertaking. During breaks, peripheral rooms contained posters made by graduate students that further highlighted areas of research. There was a longer, keynote address, by a research from my neck of the woods, Dr. Tom Kunkel, who is based in Research Triangle Park, but has professorships at Duke and UNC. The first part of the day was very interesting, probably because it was much more chemistry-based relavent to my own research. The second half seemed to focus so much on specific, esoteric proteins, that I was bored to death.

My training last week was tapered somewhat. The accidental 16 miler from the previous weekend had taken it out of me, and it was time to recover. Of course, the only real tapering I did was not swim, and not lift. My running mileage was pretty much where it's been. Only thing was that my early morning Saturday running (before heading to Annapolis for Coast Guard training) was extremely difficult, probably ghosts from the previous week.

But this week I'm back in the pool and back in the weight room. I'm planning to play around with my weekend long workouts to help keep things interesting and to help pick up the intensity.

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING.

Long Run Lamentations, Visitaion Weekend, Warm Weather

Overall, this was a decent overall training week. Most of the week, I was keeping up fairly well. I struggled to get starting with my weight-lifting sessions; while I got through them, I decided I'll probably take next week off from that.

This has also been visitation weekend for prospective graduate students for the Chemistry department. Many of you are probably unfamiliar with the process, so I'll give you the basics. Once you are except into a graduate program, the situation changes from you trying to get in, to the school trying to get you to come. To this end, departments will bring you to their schools and spend the weekend familiarizing you with their program in order to recruit you. Note, in order to "recruit," you are primarily given overviews of the research the faculty is undertaking. On Friday, there is a poster session, where current graduates illustrate and explain the areas of research of their professor. Then on Saturday (today), the prospectives meet with specific faculty members where they get a more in depth summary of their projects. Right now, they are likely at the Aquarium at the Inner Harbor for a nice meal, followed by some time on the town. Most will be traveling tomorrow.

My past two days of running have been quite interesting. The good news is, the temperature has been perfect for my runs. In the upper 40s, I did not need to wear any "coldgear" (slang for the warmer, moisture-wicking technical fabric for cold temperatures); temperature-wise, I was comfortable in shorts, shirt, and gloves which I found I need sooner than I need layering on my arms.

The bad news was the wind and the rain. Yesterday I stayed somewhat dry (ok, so I got wet, but my shoes did not get soaked, which some how means I decide it's dry). But this morning I probably only got half a mile before I was soaked and my shoes were heavy. The wind was brutal as well; I swear at one point I was running in place.

The weather probably did not help my other frustrations this morning. Originally, today was to be a bike ride with the Team in Training (TnT) group, which got canceled because of the weather, so I decided to do my long run I had planned for yesterday. Planning on approximately 13 miles, and some what unmotivated to do an older route, I briefly planned out a new route - and not just running the same roads in a new way; I would be heading down the eastern side of the city near the med school campus.

Well, so after getting started, I realized I was a little bit more worn out that I had thought, and at about two miles decided I would cut off a little extension I had planned, meaning my run would only be about 10 miles top. However, things did not go as planned. Having run "far enough" I turned back after having just past the hospital (only reaching the edge of the school itself). Instead of exactly retracing my route, I took some roads that I "knew" would cross more familiar roads that I could use to zigzag my way back home.

Bad idea.

Explaining the details here would probably only be confusing, and would do justice to the situation. Needless to say I had multiple cutbacks, did a loop which probably added about a mile, was going south when I wanted to go north, etc. All this while soaked and wind-blown. Oh, yeah, and I needed to get to the lab.

Distance-wise, it did not turn out as an easy day. In summary, I originally planned on 13. Then decided to cutback to about 10. My actual mileage? 16.5.

I should admit, I seeing a new side to Baltimore. My main road to the med campus was Eastern Ave, which runs through/along some neighborhoods (Fells Point, Greektown, Highlandtown to name a few) that looked to have some great places to eat.

Some closing comments:
It was a productive day in the lab where I used E. coli cells to express a DNA polymerase protein. I read two very interesting research articles, and also took an NMR spectrum of one of my nucleotides. My advisor complimented me on both my diligence in reading the literature and on the quality of my spectrum.

Despite 50+ weather, there is still some snow. Mainly from mammoth-sized piles.

For meals next week, I plan on eating Irish-style for St. Patty's Day.

Johns Hopkins has buildings all over the place. JHU's website list four "campuses" in Baltimore, but I have also past my two buildings/campuses not otherwise mentioned.

Motivating Bike Ride

This weekend was my first long ride after being stuck on the trainer most of the winter. Last week (or so), I was up early for a session on the trainer. But after about 10 minutes, I had finally had enough. I hopped off, donned some layers and gloves, and took my bike to the streets. Since then I had done mainly short rides; both because of time restrictions and to give myself a chance to get back into it.

On Sunday I finally went out for a good trek, about 35 miles, which took me just over 2 hrs. It was on a route I did a couple of times when I was getting use to cycling around the region and by myself. With mild to decent weather, the ride felt great and really helped my self-esteem. I can't be sure, but I might have even been faster than I was in the fall.

Nevertheless, as my first long(-ish) ride, my legs were pooped for swimming last night. Luckily that was primarily drills. Ditto for my short ride this morning - I passed on an interval set at Druid Hills Lake for a easy, standard hour ride up Falls Rd to Joppa Rd.

I mentioned time restrictions, and as sidebar, it seems to be my biggest limiter for the bike. If you don't know, I am all about morning workouts. Having a goal of being at the lab/school by 8:45, it necessitates getting up early for my run/bike/swim. Well, I don't get too anxious about running in the dark; 95% of my routes have a sidewalk, and if they don't, I'm sure to be wearing a reflective vest. While I do so as well for the bike, I a little more of size hazard on the bike, and going faster makes the reactionary zone a bit smaller. So for now, my rides are limited by when I feel safest heading out, and when I need to be back in in time to get ready for school.

This week should be pretty typical. Wednesday night instead of spinning, TnT is having a tire changing clinic; may or may not go. I've unfortunately had plenty experience with changing flats. But this weekend, we're having our first on-the-road ride, and I am debating whether to add-on with a ride out to the meeting place (it's about 20 miles away).

Please keep the donations coming! I'm still a little short of my recommitment minimum, and FAR from my final goal!

Long Weekend

My Tuesday workouts consist two main workouts. In the morning I go for a run, followed by a quick pool workout. I've been consistent with an eight miler run, followed by about 2500 yds in the pool. That's all I have time for, and it usually consist of 4x500 alternating pulling and kicking, followed by a 500 swim.

I always come into to these workouts feeling some what worn out from the weekend. Considering I hit 40 miles last week - the upper uppper end of my typical mileage - I would've expect to be tired even more so. Nevertheless, I always feel invigorated after getting about half a mile into my run. I'm not sure how things will play out in the long run; it's hard to tell if I'm within my boundaries and not overtraining.

First Blog

This is my first attempt at a serious blog. I am going to try to provide updates on my life and training as I prepare for various events. My upcoming event, and main motivator for setting up this blog is the Columbia Triathlon, here in Maryland. I joined the charity group Team in Training for this event, mainly because I wanted to include some type of purpose to my racing. Team in Training uses events like these (triathlons, marathons, century bike rides, etc.) as the platform to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while providing structure training for aspiring athletes.

Those who are know me best, know that I am not new to training/athletics. I rowed for three years for the NC State Rowing Club, three of the best years of my life. I have to credit it for fostering my desire to get fit and healthy. During my time at State and since, my race resume includes a half marathon in November '08, a metric century ride July '09, the Triangle [sprint] Triathlon July '08 and '09, the Marine Corps Marathon October '09, and three completions of the Krispy Kreme Challenge ('06, '07, '09). I've only complete two triathlons, but since graduating from NC State in the spring of 2009, my weekly workouts consistently incorporate swimming, biking, and running. My "plan" is to complete and Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) in the year 2012. To this end, I have complete one year of sprint triathlons. This year will consist of Olympic Triathlons (Columbia, and I have registered for the Nations Triathlon in Washington, D.C. in September). Next year, I plan to advance to the half-Ironman, and the following year complete the Ironman.

Of course, I don't expect those to be my sole races. To complement/supplement those goals, I plan to continue to compete in marathons (and halfs), cycling events, and open water swims. I still haven't found a half marathon that fits my schedule, but I have found a three miles swim in April, and I am looking ahead to the City of Oaks Marathon in my hometown of Raleigh, NC.

I will aspire to update this blog weekly, if not more frequently. Hopefully it will encourage readers to support me in my Team in Training endevour (notice I can't spell). I HAVE UNTIL MARCH 19TH TO RAISE $675! And then I have until a week before the Columbia Triathlon (May 17th) to raise $2700. Please consider supporting me, and good luck in all your own challenges.