Season Opener...Week 14 Lake McBride Duathlon

Week 14 brought my season opener.  I hit training really hard Monday through Wednesday.  I had run 27 miles, biked 86 including intervals on Tuesday and the toughest 50 mile group ride I can remember.  We started the group ride with 45 in the "A" group and I was in the lead group of 5 at the finish but it took a HUGE effort and left my legs quivering on Thursday.  I had my biggest swim in a long time Tuesday at 4,600 yards with a main set I call "Goal 50's" where I swim 30x50 on 1:00 and have to hold under a goal time or take an extra minute rest before continuing.  I was alone which normally leads to slightly slower times for myself.  I wanted to hit all under 38 and was sure I'd have to take the extra minute a couple times through the set.  I started fast in 35...too fast.  I was still holding 36's through #15 but then slipped to 37.  With 10 to go I dug deep to avoid anything showing 38 and I was able to complete the set without having to take the extra minute.  I had my lowest weigh in since last July after the group ride when I saw 156 on the scale.  Thursday-Saturday was terrible.  I barely trained and did not fuel well...understatement.  Saturday night my legs were logs and I knew I needed to get a run in with some fast efforts to try to shake out the stiffness.  I set the alarm for 5:05 AM and hoped to be out the door heading for Lake McBride (near Solon, IA) by 5:30 on Sunday morning for a duathlon.  The duathlon is put on by Just go Faster race productions and has a nice incentive thrown in by Scheels.  They have 3 races as part of a series with points accumulated at each one.  The series winner gets $1,000.00. 

Sunday morning I awoke to a dream that someone made a big iHope donation...I won't say who...but obviously my mind was on trying to place well enough to make some money for this foundation I am passionately racing for this year.  Awarding 2 gifts to children this year and seeing how it can make a TREMENDOUS impact on their lives has me inspired to race well enough to make more money for the foundation so we can continue to change lives.  I shut the alarm off and had a quick breakfast and loaded the car.  I then had to grab my "mapquest" directions.  Yes, you saw that right.  A few weeks back I was thinking with my iPhone 5 I would never need mapquest again.  I even checked earlier in the week and Siri was able to find me directions to Lake McBride upon my request.  Unfortunately Friday was AIM (Adolescents in Motion) day at our school and my group went disc golfing in the morning.  I borrowed a disc from a student in our group and proceeded to throw the disc into Duck Creek on hole # 3 which parallels the creek.  I suck at this game.  I felt terrible for losing this kids disc so I said I would go into the creek and get it.  The problem was that I forgot my iPhone was in my pocket and Siri got "mad pissed" when I entered the water and decided never to work again.  I tried the rice trick and when I attempted to turn it on my poor phone gave one last breath and has been gone without a heartbeat ever since.  I am back to the LG Rumor Touch that I used from 2002-2007.  It's a pretty sweet phone...but I lost all my contacts.  Anyways...back to the race. 

Mapquest got me to the race site.  Due to lightning in the area the race got delayed about 25 minutes.  The duathlon consisted of a 2.5 mile run on trails, 18 mile bike ride, and 5k run again on trails. 
RUN 1- I always try to stay near the front on the first run but never want to go too fast on the first run in a duathlon.  I won't try to build a big lead on run 1, however I also don't want to get far behind either.  When the race started Jonathon Estabrook from Ankeny, IA took off.  I knew he was a great runner.  He was a former state champion in the 3200 in Iowa and still runs really well.  The lead grew to about 30 meters and it hovered there until about the mile mark when I was able catch him.  We ran together through the turnaround and then I gradually built up about a 20 second lead going into transition.  On my GPS watch my run pace was 5:45 and I had the course measured at just over 2.5 miles.  I was really happy with both transition time after seeing the results.  They better be good because next week I'm hosting a free transition clinic at 8:30 AM at Healthy Habits in Bettendorf, IA.  We have lots of sweet giveaways for the clinic so it would be great to get a good turnout. 

BIKE- I was really excited for the 18 mile bike ride.  I haven't done anything more than about 10 minutes of sustained hard riding at a time.  Although I have just started doing intervals on the bike after doing them all winter a year ago I feel like the weight lifting I've done has me strong for the bike.  It was not quite as strong as I hoped for.  Although the conditions were windy we had the wind at our back for half of the race and I was only able to average 24.1 mph.  I did not ride fast in the first mile through the park as I was pretty careful with wet roads.  Just after going through the town of Solon we turned west and a couple minutes later some guy turned onto the road and was ahead of me.  I was positive I had not gone the wrong way.  As I passed him I said, "I think you took a wrong turn somewhere" since he had come out of nowhere to grab  the lead.  He confirmed he had gone the wrong way.  At the turnaround of the bike I was hoping to have a couple minutes but I was only ahead of Jonathan by about 50 seconds.  I learned he is also very fast on his bike!  I pushed hard on the way back because I really was hoping to take the 2nd run easy so I can get a big week of training in.  I've learned the hard run after the bike is what puts the hurt on the legs and makes for a longer recovery.  My bike split was the fastest of the race. 

RUN 2- When I got off the bike I was a little worried because my lower back was tight the last 5 miles of the ride and that has ruined some runs for me in the past.  It was not an issue on the run.  Early in the run we went down a big hill and then up a different long hill.  I was getting really small cramps in my hamstrings and I knew if one of those small cramps turned into a big one I could be in trouble.  I decided to get into a good rhythm of about 6:00 pace and see where things were at the turnaround.  After the mile my legs felt good and I was running 5:45 pace.  After the turnaround I realized I was in the lead by about 2 minutes so I eased up and cruised in without doing any further damage to my legs.  My overall time was 1:18:26.  I ended up with the fastest 2nd run split as well by just a small amount over race runner-up Jonathan Estabrook.  I cooled down with he and Steven Davis from Iowa City and that was great to get a good chat in with those guys.  These multi-sport races are filled with awesome people.  The complete race results with splits can be found by clicking here. 

I was thrilled to find out that in addition to the race series payout the race also paid $150.00 to the winner so I would have something to bring home for iHope.  My parents are matching race winnings to the iHope Foundation so today's race funds over half of a gift.  I was thrilled by this.  It also leaves me in a tough position.  The next race in the series is on June 15th which happens to be the same day as my hometown triathlon, the QC Triathlon.  I won this race last year and love this race because so many locals are here and it's a close one for my family and friends to come watch.  I also know if I race at QC I'm giving up a chance to make a HUGE difference for iHope by going after the series win in the Scheels Duathlon series.  I'll have to do some thinking and praying for guidance on this decision.  It's been a couple slow weeks for iHope so I'm hoping my race winnings from the Lake McBride Duathlon can start a good week as we come close to the end of the first school year that iHope has been around.  If you would like to make a tax deductable contribution to iHope click here.  I would be honored by the support but more importantly some GREAT kid will feel the difference of your contribution. 

Although I was excited about winning the race I'm a long ways from where I hope to be in a couple months.  Neither my running or biking were close to where they were at this point a year ago.  I have a lot of work to do but I'm excited about how healthy I feel and know I will race my best when the bigger races roll around.  I've got a few weeks until my next race so I'll be putting in some good work over the next 2.5 weeks.  Thanks for reading.  DREAM BIG!!

Wrapping up the pre-season...Week 13

Week 13 was my final week of preparation for my first race this year.  Next weekend I'll be racing a duathlon that has a 2 mile run, 15 mile bike, and 5k run.  I'm excited to dust off my Zipp race wheels, test my fitness, and let loose on the bike for the first time this year.  This has been my shortest pre-season yet at only 13 weeks.  While last year I was entering my first races in tip-top shape this year I realize I am not but that is the way I wanted things to go this year.  My fitness is good but I'm not at a weight I want to be for peak races.  Week 13 was a really great one for me.  I ran 50 miles on 6 days of running, biked 180 miles on only 4 days of riding, and swam over 10,000 yards for the first time in 4 weeks with just 3 swims.  My swimming is by far the furthest behind but I knew with family life growing more busy as the kids are getting involved in activities of their own I wanted to wait until summer to start swimming a lot.  I have found in the past I can put in 3-4 weeks of heavy swim yardage (by my swim yardage standards 15,000-20,000 yards a week) and get very close to my best swim shape.  That will come when school is out.  I have begun to add more quality especially on the bike where 95% of my bike volume the first 12 weeks was just easy riding.  In my 4 rides this week I had hill intervals, a group ride that was very high effort and a lot of fun, and 10 minute repeat interval periods at sprint race effort where I ran 1.5 miles tempo after each, and a 73 mile long ride on Saturday battling 25+mph winds.  Saturday's ride was challenging just because of the winds and I was pleased to have Cassidy Moulton on it with me or I doubt I would have gone 73.  There were times I thought the wind gusts were going to blow me into the ditch.  Of my 6 days running I had one hard interval workout, 1 run where I ran 3x 1.5 miles tempo each after a 10 minute hard bike effort.  I averaged 5:55/5:46, and 5:31 mile pace for each 1.5 mile period and it never felt difficult.  Sunday I ran 13.5 miles which was my long for the year.  I still lifted weights twice and did all my other things like lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, jump rope, wall balls, and core work.  I even ate much more nutritiously.  I need to make that and sleep my biggest priorities from a training aspect now that I am entering race season. 

If you are looking for a chance to learn about triathlon transition mark your calendar for 8:30 AM on Saturday, May 25th at Healthy Habits bike shop in Bettendorf, IA.  I will be hosting a free clinic at the shop that morning.  I've done this 3 times in the past and have really enjoyed it.  Whether you are new to the sport or a veteran my hope is that you will leave with some new ideas for how to speed your way through T1 and T2 quicker than before.  The format is always pretty informal.  I have a list of topics I go over on how I approach transitions and a few other things about racing but I always welcome others to share their own ideas as well.  We will have samples of GU Energy products on hand for all clinic attendees as well as some givaways of triathlon gear.  The giveaways will be drawn from names of people who attend the clinic.  You will also be able to ask questions on anything you want to know triathlon related. 

This week was had our 8th local business sponsor my racing by making an iHope contribution.  Online Freight Services and local owner Kevin Wolfe along with his wife Monica made a VERY generous contribution.  Online Freight Services is a leading freight logistics provider specializing in moving freight across the country and around the world. Kevin is also extremely involved in giving back to the Make-a-Wish Foundation by organizing a local Walk for Wishes in Davenport with all proceeds benefiting the Make-a-Wish Foundation.  I feel very blessed by the support this foundation has received in the early stages.  We have been able to award 2 iHope gifts this year to AMAZING low-income students who display tremendous character and work ethic traits.  Our "Dream Big" goal is to endow this foundation so kids for eternity will be able to benefit from the foundation.  To make a tax deductible contribution click here.  Next week I'll post a race report from the season opener.  I can't wait!  DREAM BIG!

Ols'...2nd iHope Gift Awarded...Week 12

On Wednesday night I'm planning to scramble from the weekly Wednesday night group ride over to Davenport North High School for the Quad Cities Athlete of the Year and Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  My college coach, Paul Olsen is being inducted into the QC Sports Hall of Fame (long overdue) and I don't want to miss it.  Ols', as he is affectionately known by the thousands of athletes that have competed under his guidance, is certainly one of the top 5 most influential figures in my life.  Ols' began coaching at Augustana in the mid-1960's and is still leading the Vikings Cross Country and Track and Field teams nearly 50 years later.  Ols' earned his Ph.D from the University of Oregon in English.  He teaches English classes at Augustana even though he wouldn't need to if he didn't want to.  He loves teaching and his classes always are the first to fill up because he teaches like he coaches.  There are so many things in my daily life that would be very different if I had not had the complete and utter pleasure of running for him from the fall of 1999 when I tranferred to Augustana through the fall of 2002 when I ran my last collegiate race. I then had the privilage of serving as the assistant coach under Ols' during the 2004 and 2005 cross country seasons where he continued to teach me many valuable life lessons.  The following, in order only of what comes to my mind are things I learned from the greatest coach in the world. 

1.  The Journey is the Goal- When I first arrived on campus I assumed that journey must be to the national meet.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  This journey is life.  The goal is a successful journey through life and the teachings of Ols' allow that journey to be an awesome one. 

2.  Reckless, Aggressive, Enthusiastic, Intense- It was a motto of how we approached competition.  It had to be over 1,000 times I heard these phrases from Ols' in my time at Augustana.  Being fearless in racing and never being afraid to take a chance.  Ols' has so much history he has hundreds of inspiring stories of Augustana athletes and one that I remember was a 1500 meter runner Ols' said who was always afraid of dying at the end of a race so he never raced reckless enough in the middle of the metric mile.  Ols' told him one meet he didn't care if he stepped off the track at the bell lap...he wanted this guy to run gutsy in the middle of the race.  Ols' said the guy ran the first 1100 meters of the race on pace for a HUGE lifetime best and right at the bell lap the guy dove off the track.  Ols' was so proud of him for pushing the middle and the guy later said, "I could have kept going."  The next race he did keep going and he ran the huge lifetime best.  Lesson learned. 

3.  Enthusiasm- I've NEVER met someone with the enthusiam of Ols'.  Non-stop enthusiasm...if you know him you would swear he has never had a bad day.  He would get excited about anything...even if a race did not go well he would find something to be enthusiastic about.  His enthusiam is contageous and I'd like to think it rubbed off on me as a coach and as a teacher.  He once told me his enthusiasm is his greatest gift and I hope the same for myself. 

4.  Positive Thinking- Ols' found positives from every situation.  I ran on some of the worst teams Augustana has had in the past 30 years (which was still great by nearly any other team's standards) but he had us believing we were one of the best in the nation because of how positive he was.  He once told me about a study done by coaches of 3 different youth running teams.  One coach was very negative.  One was mostly positive but offered lots of constructive feedback.  The last was always positive no matter what.  He said the last coach would have kids fall while running and would say, "You got up faster than anyone I've ever seen" to put a positive spin on it.  After tracking the progress of the 3 different groups the negative coach's kids got worse, the positive coach who offered constructive feedback saw slight improvements, and the coach who was non-stop positive saw HUGE improvements." 

5.  "I Believe"- Another one of Ols' favorite phrases.  This one was on the back of my team shirt the first year I was at Augustana.  It goes along with the above in that Ols' always believe in what we could do.  He created this mindset in us that made us believe anything was possible.  It still impacts me today.  I can still hear his voice yelling "I believe" while running in races. 

6.  "Say Yes"...another favorite phrase.  This one applies to any positive thought that enters the mind..."Should I pass this guy?", "Can I go faster?", "Should I try to go out with the leaders even though I've never beaten them before?", "Can I do this...or that?"...the answer is always "Yes".

7.  The power of the mind- Ols' always taught us how impactful the mindset is in shaping the outcome of any situation.  I remember this story well.  Before a big meet Ols' came into the team meeting and said, "Raise your hand if you've had a wet dream."  We all laughed but then soon realized there was something serious behind this.  The reality is that wet dreams do happen and he was making the point that in that situation it is the mind which causes a physical reaction.  How powerful is that?  Knowing that one's mind can impact a physical response made us realize the power that the mind can have in determining how well we perform, how well we handle any given situation in life. 

8.  Behind every action there is a reaction- When we didn't get all of our trash picked up at a meet Ols' asked us what we thought would happen to the trash...when we left towels in the training room he asked us what would happen to them...it made us realize that what we do leaves an impact.  When we leave something behind someone has to deal with that.  It taught us to be more responsible and respectful to the earth and our surroundings.  If often ask kids in my class that when I see gum in the urinal.  That gum doesn't just disappear.  Someone out there has to take care of it.  Behind every action there is a reaction. 

9.  "Pat's got a story"- We had a bus driver who we thought was a little strange.  She would say things that we made fun of in the back seats of the bus or when we stopped and got off.  Ols' knew this and when we were in the hotel room he said, "I don't know what Pat's story is but I know she has one.  You don't know her story.  You don't know what she has been through and dealt with in life so be careful making judgements without knowing the story."  Just because her story is far different than ours doesn't give us a right to treat her with any less compassion.  This has impacted me and helped me understand people with differences.  Great life lesson. 

10.  The Road Less Traveled- I've never had much of an appreciation for poetry.  I hated poetry in high school and college mostly because I never understood it.  My appreciation for one poem in particular could not be greater because Ols' taught us the mean.  The Road Less Traveled by Robert Frost was the poem.  Ols' would often recite this poem and tell us how eating nutritous foods in college was the road less traveled...getting up early for morning runs was the road less traveled, staying in on the weekends when most college students were out partying was the road less traveled...and that is what makes all the difference.  Frost writes about coming to a spot in the woods where the road diverged.  One was well worn...the path most people take.  One was overgrown.  In the poem he takes the one less traveled and knowing "How way leads on to way..." meaning how one things leads to another he doubts that he would ever come back.  That path less traveled makes all the difference.  I often think about this in my own life.  When deciding to resign from 3 sports while weighing 195 lbs. to go "all in" with a belief that I could become a professional triathlete while being married, having a full-time job, and having just had our first child...the road less traveled.  Now here I am 4 years later..."way leads on to way" and I'm so glad I have taken that path less traveled.  It has made all the difference. 

Thanks Ols' for everything you taught me.  Your impact has been felt by so many of the kids I teach and people I have met.  The same I'm sure can be said for thousands of other athletes you coached.  I learned more from you than I ever did in any classroom.  I'd say in college the impact you made on my life was greater than the impact of all my classes combined.  You taught me to believe that anything is possible and the journey is a great one.  What I learned from you is why I don't get afraid or nervous when I'm on the line at professional races with the best triathletes in the world.  Instead I embrace knowing that I've earned my place on the line with them. 

On Tuesday we were able to give our 2nd iHope gift of the year.  It was super inspring.  This gift was made possible by an anonymous donation to fund an entire iHope gift.  The student received an iPad and protective case.  The student's mom, grandma, and aunt all came to watch us give the gift.  The student had no idea and was more than a little surprised to see their family in our school conference room.  This student is a model of character for our school.  The student treats others with compassion and respect.  The student works tremendously hard.  When we gave the gift along with the letter the student was in tears and so were many of us in the room.  It was completely inspring and is exactly what we hope to be able to do more often as the iHope foundation grows.  The student gave us a thank-you card later in the week and described what the iHope gift meant and how it has been difficult being raised without a father-figure in their life.  The student mentioned the high goals they have for their own future and how they realize nothing will be handed to them...everything must be earned.  The student also said some day they are looking forward to being able to give back to iHope.  You can help us continue to grow the foundation by making a tax-deductible contribtion or just learn more about the iHope foundation by clicking here. 

The week was a good one.  The highlight was placing 2nd in a 5k over the weekend and earning $200.00 that will go to the iHope Foundation.  Because my parents have generously agreed to match all my race winnings that nearly funds and entire iHope gift.  Jen placed 1st in the women's 5k amazingly about 6 hours after her sister's bachelorette party ended.   Sunday was my biggest day of training yet this year at just over 6 hours with a 90 mile ride followed by a 13 mile run.  Only 5 weeks until my first triathlon of the year.  As I seem to say every week I need to make it a point to get to race weight now.  I'm strong and surprised by how well I'm running at my current weight but it's time to reduce my body fat % down to something respectable.  Thanks for reading!  DREAM BIG!

More support for iHope...Week 11

Week 11 was a record breaking week for iHope.  Every day last week during the school week I received notices of contributions made to iHope which aims to provide technological gifts to low-income students who display tremendous traits of character and work ethic at my school.  The 5 straight days of contributions was a record.  The streak ended today but I'm optimistic about starting a new streak.  The week also saw a record high total of contributions of nearly $900.00 which has me DREAMING BIG that this is a foundation we can reach endowment level for which would require an account of $10,000.00.  I'm so inspired by the generosity of others and the realization that other people also realize how an iHope gift can potentially be life-changing for the students that receive them by building self-confidence and by giving them something to help them with academic success and achievement.  The week started with a very generous business iHope sponsorship from The Schebler Company.  CEO Jim Anderson leads a business in Bettendorf, Iowa that specializes in manufacturing with a history of fabricating high quality products.  They have five distinct branches including chimney systems, specialty fabrication, architectural metalcraft, heating and air, and food equipment.  Schebler does business all over the United States. 

Later in the week I received news of support from our 7th local business, Dentistry Unlimited.  I have been visiting Dr. Teagarden at Dentistry Unlimited for as long as I can remember, at least 25 years.  Dentistry Unlimited is located on Utica Ridge Road in Bettendorf, Iowa.  I was thrilled that they saw the good in iHope and contributed to the foundation.  You can see all the businesses that have contributed on the iHope business support page.  I'm hoping to add a few more before the season rolls around. 

In addition to adding support from The Schebler Company and Dentistry Unlimited iHope also received very generous contributions from Jon McGee and family, Janice and Tim Foley, Amber and Shaun Wishnevski, Josh and Beth Paul, Chad Beert and family, Joe and Caitlyn Sutherland, and the outstanding administrative support staff at Pleasant Valley Jr. High.  Our administrative support team asked for our staff to donate the money we collected to buy them gifts for administrative professionals day.  Amazing generosity!  I'm so thankful this foundation received support from all of these individuals.  It inspires me and motivates me to train harder so I can continue to build the foundation through my race winnings this upcoming season...which is only 6 weeks away. 

This week the iHope board is thrilled to give a student another gift.  We have purchased an iPad and protective case and selected a student who is an outstanding representative of iHope.  This student is a leader in our school of the kind of character we want to build and the student is also a tremendously hard working individual.  We hope this gift will help the student to realize that post-secondary education is not only a possiblity but something we believe can and will happen.  We hope this gift will help make that possible.  If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution and help us start a new streak and break the next record click here.  Every little bit helps.  THANKS!!

Week 11 was a designed recovery week after 3 weeks of higher mileage.  On Sunday I traveled with Jen to the Drake Relays on the Roads races in Des Moines, Iowa.  Hy-Vee put up a prize purse of $120,000 between three races, a 1/2 marathon, 10k, and 6k.  Jen was running the 10k which paid 5 deep.  5th place was $1,000.00.  She knew the race would be loaded and it was.  With a big contingent of really fast Africans and some top Americans Jen competed well and placed 8th in a new 10k PR of 36:40.  I ran the 10k with her after being registered for the 6k.  We were out really fast through the 5k in 17:35 trying to hold on to some of the top women.  She faded a bit in the last half of the race but held her spot firm.  My good college buddy and teammate Randy Bill was the top American finisher in the 1/2 marathon with a time of 1 hr. 10 minutes which placed him 17th.  My good buddy and training partner who has relocated to Des Moines, Adam Bohach finished the 1/2 marathon in 1 hr. 12 minutes.  I ran the 6k but just ran it easy after the long tempo 10k with Jen.  For the day I got in 14 miles.  Every race had a loaded field with international talent. 

Payton has started doing Crossfit for Kids and she loves it.  Tonight after going to Crossfit for Kids Payton said, "Nothing can keep me from doing Crossfit...not even a piece of cake!"  We got a good laugh out of that but are really proud of her for learning what hard work is.  Today I ran the gym class mile 4 different times with kids from our gym class.  In both of my prep periods I was able to run the mile with 2 different sections...they split into 2 groups since there is a huge mass of kids running the mile.  All four times I picked kids who had a goal time and helped them towards it.  Every kid I ran with surpassed their goal time...most of it has to do with them not understanding how to pace and how to push the 3rd lap.  I made them pace effectively and didn't let them ease up on lap 3.  The first student I ran with shaved 30 seconds off his PR and ran 5:35.  The next kid ran 7:04 with a goal of breaking 8:00.  In the next group the kid with a goal of running under 5:30 ran 5:27 and the last group a kid told me he wanted to run 6:30 and he went out in 84 which had me worried but I was able to coax him into sticking near the pace and he ran 5:54.  Running the gym class mile has become something I love doing.  It's great seeing these kids realize they are better than they thought.  I'm hoping to continue convincing myself of the same thing this year.  Thanks for reading!  DREAM BIG!!

People are good...week 10

On Monday I sent Jen a message and said I had set the DVR and was planning to ride the bike in the evening while watching the Boston Marathon so I asked to know nothing about it.  She said, "good luck getting home without hearing anything."  To my surprise the news I heard was not how I had hoped to hear about the race.  Instantly my thoughts were on how people could be so evil.  Why are there so many people who do mean things?  Thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the attacks.  Tuesday I was reminded that people are good...except a very small percentage of exceptions.  I received news on Tuesday of a person who made an anonymous donation to fund an entire iHope gift this school year!  I was so thrilled because I realize how this can be a life changing gift for a member of our community.  I truly believe that the gift on an iPad to a student who doesn't have a whole lot but works tremendously hard and treats others with the utmost amount of respect and humility can change their life in a positive way.  I believe that an iHope gift gives them more confidence.  When life can appear to be hopeless living in difficult circumstances an iHope gift can provide the recipient with a major dose of hope that there are people out there who believe in his/her abilities.  The confidence gained through this alone is invaluable.  The letter that accompanies the iHope gift is very important because it details why the student was selected.  It stresses how the way the student carries himself/herself has not gone by the wayside...that people see this and realize how important good character is. The mission of iHope is to provide low income students at Pleasant Valley Jr. High who display positive character traits and work habits with technological resources that will aid in academic achievement and success.  I have already begun to see with the recipient from 2 weeks ago how it can aid in academic achievement.  This recipient has a folder for every class on the iPad and uses it for class notes, assignments, and projects.  When I began this iHope Foundation I didn't know what kind of support it would receive.  While I have had the opportunity to get to know the students who receive iHope gifts and see how it affects them, people I call on to support the cause may never get to meet these individuals.  It's much tougher to give to a cause when you don't know the people benefitting from it.  I began this thinking it may end up being just me funding the iHope gifts through the start-up donation I made through money I was given from my grandma when she passed away and from my race winnings.  I was optimistic that a couple businesses would contribute through sponsoring me with an iHope donation and that some friends, followers of this blog, and family members would contribute as well but I didn't realize how much support it would receive.  The anonymous donation this week made me realize how great people are...how caring...how giving.  I've been asked what the goal amount is for iHope.  I would love to be able to provide gifts for the next 5 years or more for 2-3 students a year.  The biggest "dream goal" if you will would be to grow the foundation to where we could endow it with 1 gift a year.  To endow a $500.00 gift every year would require building the account to $10,000.00.  At that amount the interest alone could provide 1 gift every year.  To date iHope has received nearly $2,000.00 in contributions and I haven't even begun the race season.  I'm super excited that every penny I win will be matched by my parents to be contributed to iHope.  That motivates me to work harder, train smarter, and execute on race day so together we can potentially change a child's life for the better.  If you would like to help grow this foundation you can click here to make a tax deductible donation.  Nothing brightens my day more than getting an e-mail from our administration center notifying me of a donation received.  Any amount brings a smile to my face :)
My fitness is improving every week.  This was my 3rd week in a row running over 50 miles.  My total training has been low by my past year's standards but I keep thinking about how I want to race my best in August, September, and October so I know the longer I can wait to begin training like crazy the later I will peak.  I'm really excited by the improvements I've made on less training.  Saturday I planned to participate in two "give back" events supported by Live Uncommon.  They were both 5k races.  The first was to benefit Project Renewal, an after school house for youth in Davenport who don't have a positive place to go after school.  Project Renewal staff members help them with homework, keep them out of trouble, keep them active, and provide them with snacks.  The 2nd was the Autism Awareness 5k to benefit the Autism Society of Iowa.  My plan was to get 14 miles total with each 5k at a tempo effort.  I ran the Run for Renewal comfortably in 18:15.  When I got to the starting line of the Autism Awareness run I already had 10.5 miles in for the day but my competitive juices got flowing when I saw a bunch of kids from my class.  The race started and finished on the track at our high school at Pleasant Valley and I decided to test myself to see how hard I could push with the first run and miles on my legs.  I was shocked to run 16:02 for the 5k.  It was a great boost of confidence and made me realize despite being 12 lbs. heavier than this point a year ago and training less I am making big gains.  The biggest change is that I'm much stronger and my body is recovered well.  Last year after running hard my hamstring would hurt bad until Dr. Kaminski worked his ART magic on it.  This year I don't feel any soreness or tightness after hard efforts.  I'm excited for the races to begin over the next couple months.  Thanks for reading...and being great people who make positive differences in the world.  DREAM BIG!

iHope Gift Awarded...Week 9

The highlight of week 9 for me was being able to award our first iHope gift.  iHope was created to seek out students in our community that go to my school who have outstanding work habits and character traits but have not had everything handed to them.  We have an iHope board that nominates students and then we check academic and behavior history before seeking input from other teachers.  We had an outstanding student that met all the criteria and had outstanding referrals from teachers in our building.  With funds from iHope we were able to present this student with an iPad, a protective case, an iBook gift card, and a letter detailing why the student was selected and encouraging him/her to one day "pay it forward" when the opportunity presented itself.  I called the student's single father the evening before presenting the gift and he was so excited!  He called me the next morning and asked if he could come out for the gift presentation so he could take pictures because he wanted it to be a moment that was "never forgotten".  It was an awesome feeling knowing that my grandma's initial donation combined with donations from local businesses and individuals could make such an extreme impact for this student.  You could see the excitement on the student's face and he/she has already set up folders for each class and begun using the iPad for taking notes and completing school work and projects.  We would love to be able to do this once or twice a year for many years to come but that is contingent on raising funds.  The primary fund raising will be dependent on how well I race this summer.  I want no more than to race well so we can continue making this potential life-changing gift for more students who do everything right but have many doors closed.  My parents have pledged to match whatever race winnings I earn for iHope.  I'm also hoping friends, followers, and even people I don't know realize the impact this kind of gift can make on these outstanding children and help contribute to iHope.  You can make a tax deductible donation to iHope by clicking here.  We appreciate any support you can give. 
Week 9 was a great week of running for me but also a recovery week overall.  I have been dealing with a sinus infection for about 10 days and it has made me very tired.  I opted for extra sleep over biking late into the night on a few different occasions.  I was able to run 52 miles and am feeling more fit every week.  Yesterday on my run I had stuff coming out of my nose that made "Hawkeye" gold look white.  I'm hoping that as I get this stuff out of my system I begin to feel less tired.  I think the infection is coming to an end.  I ran a 5k in Geneseo on Sunday to benefit the Geneseo school district.  I enjoy doing races that support non-profit organizations and this was one on the Live Uncommon race circuit for 2013.  I won the race but the time wasn't extremely fast.  I ran 16:58 and although the time was slow I was excited because the conditions were not great for fast running.  It was 20 degrees warmer than our days have been recently and the wind was blowing out of control which made for a tough run being that it was almost entirely a cross wind.  I was more excited when seeing some of the other guys who do local races were nearly 1 minute slower than they have raced 5k's in the past month.  I can feel myself getting more fit each week which is the goal right now.  I need to make a big push to get to race weight over the next 6 weeks.  I'm still about 10 lbs. off and that should help my running.  I've learned that when I'm tired I have a much more difficult time controlling sugar cravings.  I'm still at least 5 weeks from racing a triathlon and maybe as much as 8 weeks away.  I'm being careful not to overdue things too quickly this year like I did a year ago.  I feel like I'm on schedule to race my best later this year.  I'm still adding strength as opposed to losing it like I did last year when I got really lean.  My weights on the leg lifts are higher than they have been in the 4 years I've been doing this.  Thanks for reading!  DREAM BIG!

Week 8...BCA Update

Week 8 was another one in which I could feel the progress coming along nicely.  I trained for 22 hours total swimming 12,500 yards, biking 181 miles, and running 50 miles.  I had my longest single day in all three disciplines.  On Thursday my swim workout totaled 5,400 yards which was my biggest swim workout yet this year.  My longest run of the year was Saturday at 85 minutes or 12 miles, and my longest bike ride this year was in beautiful weather on Sunday when I felt very strong riding 60 miles.  In fact, this week I had my first two outdoor rides of the year and didn't know how I would feel after spending a lot of time on the trainer without doing much intensity so far.  Wednesday night was the group ride and I felt really comfortable back in the group even when we got going really fast.  I often have people ask me what they should be doing to get faster with running.  Most runners just run.  They run about the same pace every time and often run the same distances as well.  What works for me isn't necessarily what will work for everyone but I can quickly tell my fitness improves if I can get 3 key running sessions in each week.  Unless something is out of the ordinary I run 6 or 7 days a week.  Most weeks so far have been 6 days but as I increase the mileage I'll run 7 days a week.  The 3 runs that are most key for me are intervals, tempo, and long run.  Once a week I try to get intervals that change in distance by the week.  This week my interval session was 12x 90 seconds hard with 60 seconds easy after each one.  I did it on the roads.  I enjoy getting to the track but have done so less often over the past year.  Getting intervals on the roads is simple.  It can be done anywhere and I don't have to worry about pace.  I just run hard for X amount of time and recover for X amount of time and then repeat however many times I set out.  Last week my interval session was 7x3 minutes hard with 2 minute recoveries.  The week before it was 5x4 minutes hard with 2 minute recovery.  The tempo run is about the only run I actually prefer to do on the treadmill because it is easily controlled.  The treadmill takes out variables like hills, wind, weather...etc.  I like to run my tempo runs progressively meaning each mile is faster.  In my first tempo run of the year on week 2 I did 1x2 miles at tempo.  I then did 2x1.5 miles tempo the next week, 1x3 miles tempo the week after, 2x2...etc.  I gradually build the total tempo distance up and will get up to 8-10 miles for my tempo work.  I aim to increase the speed slightly each mile and always run the last mile at about 10k effort.  This week was 4 miles tempo and it felt great.  I went 5:59, 5:54, 5:46, 5:34 for the miles.  I know from how much easier this is feeling I am getting fitter each week.  The 3rd key running workout is a long run.  I started the year with a long run of 50 minutes.  I typically increase 5 minutes every 2 weeks.  This week was my first at 85 minutes.  The 85 minutes now is easier than the first 50 minute long run.  I'm searching for a race in late May at this point so I have at least 6 weeks until I race a triathlon.  The first one I'm signed up for right now is June 8.  I am also racing on June 9th. 
This week I had my 2nd body composition analysis done at Kaminski Pain and Performance Care this year.  A Body Composition Analysis is a good way to track your fitness gains and overall health.  They are running a special right now of 3 Body Composition Analysis session for $50.00.  You can pick how far apart you want to get the tests.  Most people don't chance much in a short period of time so they recommend every few months.  Because I am training a lot my body can change fast so I will keep getting the test every month or so.  My first one was a month ago.  I was slightly disappointed to have my body fat % only drop from 16.3% to 15.4%.  I weighed 9 lbs. less...163 vs. 172 and was hoping the majority of that weight loss was fat.  As it turned out most of the weight loss was due to fluid loss.  I went from 47.3 liters of total body fluid down to 44.9 liters.  My pounds of fat only went from 28 down to 25.1.  I shouldn't be too disappointed because progress is progress.  I had 2 great weeks after my last test but then fell off the wagon and started getting sugar cravings like crazy.  I have learned most often these come when I'm not getting enough sleep.  Sleep is the most difficult thing for me to keep a handle on while balancing a full-time job, 2 children, wife, training...etc.  When I'm tired I have learned I'm less motivated to train and I make poor nutritional choices.  When I'm well rested I am very disciplined with my nutrition and I have a desire to train all the time.  Probably the biggest downer of the BCA was that my Basal Metabolic Rate (amount of calories burned each day without moving) went down considerably from 1,916 to 1,762.  That is due I'm sure to cutting back calories in my effort to get to race weight.  I learned awhile back that people who reduce food intake cause the body's metabolic rate to drop because the body is less sure about when the next meal will come and it learns to hang onto the calories longer.  This explains why so many people go on crash diets where they drastically reduce calorie intake to lose weight but then over time the weight comes back on because their body begins conserving the calories and the metabolism slows way down.  I'll continue tracking this next time.  I'm sure there are factors to the test that throw things off a bit.  For example, yesterday I had a big training day and I was not feeling very good today.  I think recent training may have some impact on the test results so if I wanted the most accurate results I would have to keep all variables the same every time I was tested. 
I was really excited this week to find out that Green Buick GMC joined on as a supporter of iHope by making a contribution.  We are going to make an iHope award in the next couple weeks.  It has been great getting support for this cause from local businesses.  I'm still searching for more local businesses that want to help out.  I have laid out contribution amounts to get a business logo on my jersey, sticker on race helmet, logo on blog...etc.  I'm thrilled about all the support of iHope.  My mom and dad also informed me they are going to match whatever race winnings I accumulate this year for iHope.  That is TREMENDOUS!!  I couldn't ask for a better sponsorship than that.  Every paycheck I earn at races is now doubled for the iHope Foundation.  If you would like to help this foundation and support our cause to provide low-income students who display outstanding character and work ethic traits you may make a tax deductible donation by clicking the link on my home page.  Every dollar makes a difference.  Thanks and DREAM BIG!!