Goin very well....

I am happy to report things are going very well. My new nutrition plan is shaping my life. I am able to have smaller meals more often without any hunger. I realize now that I was hungary all the time. Basically my body crying out for CHO. I dont have near the cravings and my brain feels slow and clear. I have never had that before. I am down 9 pounds (the 5 I gained and 4 pounds less) in the last 3 weeks. I am not any where near as hungary, I am in control of my body. I have not over eaten and I have consumed very little "cheap" carbs. I am performing a lot better too. I had a 14 miler last week (my longest run ever) without any problems. Had there not been a huge hill in there I wouldnt have walked. I averaged under 10 min/mile too. Very slow but consistent. I am enjoying that. Last week:
Monday-ran 3 miles
Tuesday-spin
Wednesday-shop
Thursday-5 miles
Saturday-14 miles

Monday-4 miles
Tuesday-spin + core
Wednesday (today)- 5 miles, with sore legs from spin and new kicks. The new Gel Kayano's in effect.
Thursday-shooting for 4 miler
Rest New years day
Saturday-16 miler....I am looking forward to it.

Happy New Year to all. I hope we race faster and healthier this year. QUOTE:

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
T.S. Eliot quotes

My first season as a triathlete down. 2010 is going to be a fitter, faster, building block year. I cant wait.

A good week...

This week has been a productive one. I have put my new nutrition plan in place and I am feeling very well. When I look around at ALL the complex carbs I used to eat I am mortified. As "healthy" as each one of them were, straight sugar all the time. SO crazy. I am noticing a few things. My blood sugar is not on a roller coaster, my taste is not super syrupy and seems more accurate, and when I exercise I feel more in control. Now the exercise more in control could be because I am going very slow. I am slowing my run down pace wise. I am shooting for 9:45 or 10:00. I am guessing that is slow enough to elicit more fat utilization than carbohydrate. Here is how my week went:

Monday-Recovery run of 3 miles followed by my "triathlete" weight lifting circuit and abs.
Tuesday-Rest
Wednesday-Training run of 3 miles
Thursday-Training run of 4 miles followed by abs and push-ups
Friday-Rest
Saturday-Long run of 12 miles. I am proud that my longest training run ever is not hard enough to make me sore. No fatigue, no pain, slow but I felt great minus the dehydration. I have run 7 halves and today was the longest I have run without a medal or race. Funny story: You know you are a runner in las vegas when.....a guy stops you in your tracks while you are running for directions to the GRAND CANYON. THE GRAND EFFING CANYON is 100 miles away. I also ran by Wayne Newton and Mike tysons house and for good measure a man riding a unicyle in the bike lane like it was a regular old bike ride. Whew running in Las Vegas is interesting.

The nutrition will require discipline. The weights and running require persistence. I feel my new goal of running a marathon becoming more and more doable. IF that is the case then so is IM. Today I watched yesterdays showing of IM Hawaii. Kona is such an amazing event. My life bucket list includes this race. Some day will I race on that stage? An age grouper for sure. Years away, I know...but possible?

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.”
Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens

This phoenix will continue to rise and how far will it go?

BAITER and Nutritional Paradigm Shift

My brother has a pet peeve. BAITING. People who attempt to lure others into a conversation by using leading comments or statements. I apologize for my baiting....=). I did not intend to do that. Here is my book review. I must start by saying the following is MY OPINION. I am not a nutritionist so I should not give anyone else any advice, I am simply sharing my paradigm shift with regard to my fitness. Oh and its gonna be a long post.

Another bonus to starting this blog is getting to read the experiences of other endurance athletes. I am well schooled in anatomy and physiology, especially exercise physiology but not as experienced with fitness as some of the bloggers I read about. This may not be new information to someone who naturally does this but from a former OVER eater and over eating horrible foods this is new. I am hoping this spawns questions and conversation we can all learn and grow from. So please do not hesitate to comment even if think this is baloney.

The book is called "METABOLIC EFFICIENCY TRAINING: Teaching the body to burn fat" by Bob Seebohar. He is an exercise physiologist/nutritionist/triathlete/coach/lecturer. He works with the Olympic triathlon team and is quite the endurance athlete himself. He has a lecture series (I have attended) and this brand new book. Here is his website: www.fuel4mance.com . He is a very personable guy and has answered my emails with questions.

OK...here it goes. Basically we use 2 types of macro nutrients for energy. FAT and Carbohydrates (CHo) or sugar. The energy derived from fat is better than the energy derived from CHo. However, the body will use CHo energy because it is easier to break down. We are always using both nutrients at the same time but the percentage of each nutrient depends on the intensity of exercise. The lower the intensity of exercise the more fat you use compared to CHo. The harder the intensity the more CHo you use. The stage (heavy training=more CHo used) in your competition year depends on the intensity of training. He refers to this as "periodization of nutrition." Basically its the same as exercise periodization but with how you eat. I am in the "preparatory cycle." The others are in order: competition cycle, taper, and transition cycle.

Here is the nutrition aspect. If your goal is to lose weight or burn more fat then training at a high intensity is not the system of energy of choice. He says "train to eat not eat to train." No cheap sources of energy. No pasta, no rice even if its healthy CHo as whole grains. Its too readily available and your body will choose that first. If there is none available then your body will have to choose fat for energy. THIS IS NOT A LOW CARB DIET. This is utilizing the nutrients in fruits and vegetable as your source of CHo. It is enough to be just fine, its smarter carbs. Basically if you think of your dinner plate it should be 60% lean protein with healthy fat. The other 40% fruits or vegetables.

The name of the game is controlling blood sugar. If there is no sugar or CHo placed into the system and you train at a low intensity then your body will choose more fat then CHo. NO GELS, GUs etc. your body needs to utilize fat and you will have better performance if you do use fat. If you train at high intensities then you need more CHo to sustain that activity. If you are metabolically INefficient then you will require more CHo. So you can nourish yourself into the corner by using too much sugar while you train. This time of year is perfect for building a cardiovascular base. Long low intensity training while eating accordingly. No carbs before or during and utilize the cleaner more energy rich FAT. TIMING and consistency will result in your body letting go of fat. Nutrient timing is a very new concept to me. You ever get done with a long ride or run and have the shakes? Not enough CHo, if you replenish with CHo your brain will trigger you to over eat. Instead if you have a protein to control blood sugar you will curb the jitters and you wont overeat. Small protein shake, nuts, or yogurt will do the job. Snacking the same way will keep your blood sugar low and in control. WHY THE PARADIGM SHIFT FOR ME?

Because I didn't necessarily correlate them together. I thought I ate so healthy. I must be eating healthy if I don't eat anything "bad." I did not eat any fast food and If I did it was the healthiest (subway) you can find. But almost every meal contained too much CHo and not enough protein. When I sought out nutritionist help I was finally instructed to lessen the CHo and up the protein. Then I experienced major cramping issues. My intensity of training was too high to support not enough CHo. Then I went back to eating more CHo even though they were very healthy. The result was good performance (for me) and NO WEIGHT LOST. DUH...I wasn't using the right system for energy!!! When I made the decision to get faster and perform better is the last time I lost any weight. When I dropped the 50 or so pounds I lost I was working at much lower intensities....hmmm wish I would have seen that earlier.

Your next question is how high or how low is your training supposed to be? Well you need to get a metabolic efficiency test to be 100% sure. The test will generate a heart rate that will correspond to the most efficient fat burning intensity and you should work at that intensity for a long time. As your season progresses you change your eating style ever so slightly to match the intensity you need to train at. If I had to name flaws I see in this book is that it is mostly anecdotal information. He is working on studying this using double blind, good studies but it does not see to be available at this time. He does list references that I will pull and see what else I can gather. I highly recommend this book to the frustrated endurance athlete who is not getting the results he or she is looking for. There is obviously a lot more in the book and he is the EXPERT so order his book from his site! I hope this is easy to read and helpful. If it isn't let me know and lets learn together!!! QUOTE:

“Sometimes I’m confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn’t obvious…”

Micheal Stipe

reflection....

As the "off-season" moves along so does my brain. Its actually what I am most famous for; an active brain. Todays run has produced some very interesting discoveries. Unfortunately I do not have all the information but my preliminary theory seem legit. I am in the midst of researching all of the weight loss literature. I have began reading a book called "Metabolic Efficiency Training." It is written by the nutritionist who trains the US Olympic triathletes. He is touring around giving a few lectures. When I finish the book I will review it and relate to my lack of weight loss. The early theory though seems very plausible. I will explain later. Here is how my week went:

Monday-Rest after Las Vegas half.

Tuesday-Pushed run to wed secondary to work and home responsibilities.

Wednesday-20 min run followed by new strength training program. I hope to build that up to twice a week. Holy crap I could hardly lift my arms. Funny how my muscle strength as been so poor.

Thursday-3 mile run. No watch, just run. Felt great.

Friday-Rest

Saturday-Pre christmas preparations or Rest.

Sunday-8 mile run in 1:20. Just a low intensity easy run and thats what I had planned. No fatigue no pain no nothing.

Physiological response to thinking and to pain is the same; and man is not given to hurting himself.

— Martin H. Fischer

Funny how physiologically speaking, you get what you pay for.

OK...OK...Its Official...

I am going to sparingly triathlon train and put my run to the test. I signed up for the LA marathon. The march to IM continues. My first marathon. Since I live and breath Dodgers it will be perfect to start @ Dodger stadium. I am already 6 or so weeks into the training so bring it. Quote:

“The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit.”

Rush Limbaugh

HA!

Las Vegas 1/2 marathon race report

The home race is a yearly ritual we run as a family. My wife and I decided to run this one neck and neck. My dad, my sister, and all my dear friends who affectionately refer to as "the run club" were all present this fine day. Here is how it went:

Pre-race:

The Inaugural Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon did not disappoint. The new race organizers ran a fine event. It was well organized even if there were twice the runners. The biggest race in terms of shear number I have been in and a lot of fun. The past has been a logistical nightmare as far as parking and such goes. So we decided to stay 1/2 a mile off the strip and definitely a locals prerogative to find great deal in a nice room. A great decision.

Race:

EFFING COLD for dry desert types. Cold wind. I stripped and ran just like everyone else. The race did a great job of controlling the slower runners and the corrals were well spaced out. There was a band every few miles and the new route allowed for out and back on the strip. Very cool. I would recommend this race to anyone. I didn't do any speed work or very many long runs since the 1/2 Iron but I got through just fine. I beat last years time by a few minutes. 2:13. Every body did well.

That will do It for races in 2009. What a year. 3 half marathons, 4 triathlons, and a few 5Ks thrown in there. The 2010 season is shaping up in my head. Not enough to formulate a plan yet. I do know that the focus in the last few weeks has been low. I am tweaking the weight lifting plan all the time and I miss riding my bike outside. I was thinking I would do all the same races as I did in 2009 but the LA marathon will interfere with that. Rage is about the same time. Right now my next A race is the LA marathon. I am officially on the clock with that. I will resume the weight lifting, running, weight loss plan to the best of my ability.

Quote:

"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it."

Douglas Macarthur

The will to fight is growing again.

A post just to get one in....

Ok I have not been great about blogging but I am kinda bored with it. I am getting my weight training in and my running in but it is slow and honestly I am not that proud of it. Yeah its miles under me and thats great. I ran a 5K on thanksgiving. I chased that turkey. I didnt kill it and I finished in 27:51. Abs and legs 2 X week. "Functional/stability" day. Shoulders/back too. I am getting stronger. I am running in the Las Vegas Rockn Roll 1/2 marathon. Again not my A race so I just want to have some fun and enjoy a good run. This year the route changed. All out and back on the strip. Im excited for that. The group I run with will be doing the race and my Dad and sister will be coming out. Should be great.

I would like to send a shout out to my friends running the CIM. They have been training for a few months to PR. All will be very fast and several hoping for BQ. Karl....dude...your a machine. You will kill it and your leg will be fine. Give it hell.

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”

Saint Augustine quotes

Rise and Rebirth have been swimming in my head lately. This resistance training is laying a good foundation for next tri season. Saint Augustine happens to be my patron saint. Just liked this quote by a guy I happen to like.

Offseason is weird

Yeah no long bike rides, no chlorine on my skin, and time for other things. Its weird. I miss getting ready for a race already. One thing I did learn in this my first week only running and lifting is how weak I am. When deciding on how much weight to use I decided to use my old very light weight. TOO HEAVY. I didn't think I was that weak. Gees, how did I function? Funny enough it seems like my body is thirsting for it. I feels good. I used to me Mr. Gym rat. I was very strong. Then I became obese and now trying to reverse all those poor habits. Here is how it went the last week:

Monday (last week)-Recovery run of 30 min and "core." Thanks for the new exercises everybody. I teach core exercises everyday and I thought may be the blog community could expand my knowledge base, and I was right. Thanks guys.

Tuesday-Spin class and "stability" day. Shoulders, back, hips, and balance.

Wednesday-Run 3 miles.

Thursday-Run 4 miles.

Friday-Legs, light and easy. Quads/Hamstrings/calves (gastroc and soleus)

Saturday-Off

Sunday-Run 11 miles. I felt good. I started out wanting to go 6-9 or so miles but ended up going 11 to prepare for the LV 1/2 in 2 weeks. Very minimal soreness. Got into a groove I haven't been in during a run in a long time. I was happy with it.

Monday (today)-core only. Worked late, got some core in.

I will be playing with the organization of the workout days as I go. Changing the long run to sunday interrupted the end of last week and beginning of this week. I am hoping for some consistency. Even with the holiday I plan on this week being consistent. The fun group of runners I run with will be doing a 5K on Thanksgiving. Should be fun. QUOTE:

“Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix”

Christina Baldwin

or

“It's best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes.”

Anne Baxter

I couldn't decide. I am thinking a lot about the phoenix lately.

1 week removed.....

Refreshing to not pine over what training am I doing today and how do I eat to match my training, and boy I should get some sleep for my training....training...training...training. I got a swim in, a run, and a long softball tournament in. I also stayed up a little late, ate a little unconscious, and got to "participate" with the softball team which they loved. Apparently I have a boring streak, lol. In this last week I was able to evaluate what I want to do next. I want to do the LA marathon. Yes I step up running and continue my progression. I am going to work my "offseason" like a triathlete. I am thinking I will race all the same races as this year and crush all the times. May be I will throw in a few more races too. Perhaps, IM St. George in 2011 may be in order. I still am in pursuit of dropping 20-30 pounds. So my goals are forming. I am going to take it month by month. Between now and the new year I want to get stronger and leaner. Core 2 X week, legs, chest, back, hips, and some stability work all around will be my strength focus. Oh and there is that running thing. 3-4 X week of running. I want to get back into a regimented training schedule. Strength, running, and occasional swim/bike because I miss them already.

In other news, this was news around the Vegas triathlon community a few days after the race. check this out. I raced on a world championship course. Pretty cool. My fellow triathletes, are there any core exercises you prefer? QUOTE:

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

SILVERMAN: My Race Report, and blog name change

In the days leading up to the race I felt like a high energy dog with no where to use all this pent up energy. I just knew any minute I was going to get into trouble with chewing on the couch or digging holes or something. I did not expect to sleep the night before but I did. I woke up with a sense of calm and confidence. However, since there are many details to consider as far as equipment and 2 transitions areas I was reluctant to let myself roll with that confidence. I get to the lake and I am greeted with very calm water, beautiful weather, and very well organized event. My plan was in action and I made the decision to let it all go and enjoy myself. Im ready. Lets do this.

SWIM

When I looked at the swim set up at the Lake I realized that the area between the buoys and the marina was very slim. That meant that if I am in the sprint to get through the bottleneck I may go out too fast and if I get lagged back then I might have a slow swim OR I could get into the mix. Buzzer goes off and I mixed it up baby. For triathlons that means the washing machine of arms, legs, water, and jockeying for position. I mixed it up. It was the first of my 4 races this year I had the confidence to stick my face in there and swim. I made people swim around me or through me. As i get through the bottle neck its a clear shot to the first buoy. I started to think as I swam my ass off. I thought about BoBs 3 words and I came up with my theme for the race. STRONG, MOXY, BELIEVE, (I added a 4th), and GRIND. I repeated it over and over. Its funny how that came to me and funny how those words dictated my behavior the rest of the day.

I like it when training translates to performance. The groove I find myself in occasionally came quite easy. I killed this swim. I was not afraid of anyone. I let myself go all out. I figured I would let it all hang out. When I sat down to discuss goals for the race, I decided that since I have routinely been around 50 min at this distance in training that I would set 45 min as my goal. The rest of the swim went very well. Sight, swim, and stick my face in there. I didnt "rest" like I have in other races and put my best foot forward. I exited the water ready for the bike. Im gonna have a good day.

1.2 mile swim in 44:09.

T1

My goal was to get nutrition, get a smidge of rest, and make sure that I have everything I need. The bike has been my hardest discipline to get up to par and I wanted to perform well. I had never been in a changing tent so I didnt know what to expect in there. I have never done an event like this so the entire day of nutrition would be a learning process. Out in 7:52, a little slower than I thought but for me this would not be a day of seconds and a few minutes.

Bike

I exit transition with the mindset of get to the run. Once I get to run I will make it just fine. There is a nice climb right out of transition so as I climb Im thinking boy I feel strong. My legs are fresh and I am going to get after it. This course if grueling. Many experienced triathletes around here questioned this as my first 1/2 iron. I wanted this one though. As I made it through my first checkpoint I am 15 minutes ahead. I take inventory and I feel great. I am climbing well and descending quickly. I am passing fitter looking people with much more elaborate bikes. The next checkpoint comes and I able to keep this pace. I look around and I realize that it is very hot. Id guess 80 degrees. Even though I am 30 miles in and feeling very strong will I be able to hold it? Then the cramping begins. Quads, hamstrings, and adductors slowly locking up. Uh oh. When I stand on the pedals they cramp. I dont have any climbing legs. The 3 sisters are OUT then. I didnt even attempt them. I felt so much better not even going there and it turned out to be a good race strategy. I ended up passing 4 guys that tried and failed to climb them. I didnt see them the rest of the day. Through 45 miles I am now a bit slow on my timeline. I dont have the high gear I need for speed, but I grind. I trained into this plan. Get off the river mountain loop trail in a position to grind it out. I have visualized this so many times that I am very relaxed knowing where I am going with this. STRONG. MOXY. BELEVE, GRIND. I am 15 min slower than I wanted to be at this time and I decide to take T2 very slow. Rest, cool off, let this sugar get to my legs. Regroup.

56 mile bike, 4:15:42

T2

Regroup. I am changing and I am considering my options as far as nutrition goes. What do I need? Water, gatorade, electrolytes, salt, and sugar. So this transition area took a lot longer than I wanted to. I thought if I rest now that will translate to turning these legs over to running legs. I was out in 8:19.

RUN

Just get to the run. Here I am on the run and now what. Im tired, crampy, hot and tired. Here I am on my most confident discipline and given my last race experience I can get through anything. This is nothing compared to that day. So I decided to enjoy it. Im gonna finish but in how long? Im not close to my goal time and it is an automatic PR, so enjoy it. There is not one flat surface on this whole course. Brutal. What was the worst part about it was that there were no spectators(except for MY people but I will get to them soon enough). I am slow for a 1/2er and the very fast full-ers were the only ones around. Translation, lonely. I ran as strong as I can, I showed some moxy and I didnt let the pain influence my experience, I believed that I belonged there, and I grinded out a very hilly course on a hot day after a lot activity. Was it slow? Yeah. I dont think I ran an entire mile without walking from start to finish. I would get about 1/2 to 3/4 a mile and start to cramp. The aid stations saved me. I would be good for a while then cramp. I spent the whole run in pain and cramping but I never quit. I have mentally visualized the silverman carpet now for a year. This was the first time on top of it. It was the culmenation of all my hard work. I earned it and I am proud I finished.

13.1 mile run: 2:55: 16.

Total: 8:11:17

WHAT CAN I DO BETTER?

Get fitter. Before that I need more strength. I am going to keep up the running and the time I spend on my fitness will not change (except for a little break). I will concentrate on strength building and running. 2010 will have some triathlons but it will have at least 1 marathon. May be multiple 1/2 Iron with a plan on Ironman in 2011? I dont know and I think it is too soon to decide. Faster 5K? faster sprint or olympic? I am proud of where I have come from but at the same time I am not content. I have some nutrition and health issues to work through since I did not lose a single NET pound in 2009. That influences my performance. I am not happy at the end of the age group/clydesdale list. May be a cycling coach? I need some training partners too. Long rides and long runs to run with.

THANK YOUS:

The volunteers were phenomenal. The race was well organized. The weather was awesome except that heat part. My friends and family literally lit up the race course. As far as I am concerned the support I received from them and having them in my corner is on par with my race. There was NO ONE out there except the "Gallaghers Groupies." The had a boom box, they sang, they danced, and they had many athletes comment how they changed the race for them too. They had a sign contest. They were flat out awesome. There is something to be said for them participating in my daily life and supporting me on a regular basis. Thank you guys, I could not ask for more support and I could not have finished with out you.

Karl (who you can get to from my list) is a huge source of support. He is always level headed and smart. His brain works so scientifically and is not as emotional as me. He helps me tremendously from a personal and performance standpoint. I would not have changed my life if it wasnt for his leadership. He is a model man, husband, father, physical therapist, and runner. We may just hook up for a relay some time.

My wife. She was the ring-leader for the groupies. She knew how much this meant to me and out did herself. She is my rock and my inspiration all year long. She put up with me when I made quirky decisions about fun vs training. She always supported me when I had to sacrifice. She had to sacrifice right along with me and she did it because she loves me. Every step of the way she has been there to encourage me and support me. I want her in my foxhole any day of the week. I know that I can count on her. I LOVE YOU honey. Quote:

"We live in deeds, not years: In thoughts not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heart throbs. He most lives Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

David Bailey

Whats important in life? Friends, family, and living life to the fullest. 1/2 Iron-CHECK.

Note: I am totally stealing Karls idea or he gave it to me....I have been thinking about changing it for a while. He just gave me the spark I needed.

100th post....taper too

Yes my 100th post. 1 week prior to my race. A few weeks ago I was questioning whether or not I love this longer distance type stuff and this weekend I am bored. In previous posts by my blogmates I chuckled at the thought of people blasting taper. I get it. I am a bit bored. I didnt even feel like I got anything done. Karl would say rest, take it easy, recover, the work is done, get ready for the desert. I can say that I am very nervous. Its not every day the thing you have been training for and secretly never thought you could do is upon you. My last open water swim and all I could think about was I cant wait for there to be 1000 other swimmers in this water with me. Sorry getting ahead of myself. Here is how the week went.

Monday-Rest

Tuesday-2 mile run in the wind and cold. Remember that weather talk last week? I jinxed it. The next week weather has been predicted and later I will fill you in on it. Softball too.

Wednesday-Had 25-30 mile bike planned but the weather had other plans. So I tossed in a spinerval workout of 30 min or so on the trainer. The last time I did this workout it was very difficult, this day I could have done it again.....EASY.

Thursday-3 mile run. Weather eased up some. Nice run.

Friday-Rest.

Saturday-15 mile bike/4 mile run brick. Went well. I resisted the urge to go faster, longer, and find a hill. Nice and easy. BOOOORING.

Sunday (today)- Long open swim. I woke up early and headed to the lake. 32 min swim. I am banking on the temperature being low next week so I thought I would get a cold swim in. Not that cold and water totally calm. Almost the best I have ever seen it. A joy to swim. I am anxious to see what the next weeks weather is going to be like. Lets check it.

Passing clouds. Pleasantly warm. 77°F....If that stands it will do. Who am I kidding...that would ROCK. I swam in feb out at the lake and I justified it by saying it would be good experience for silverman. I may not need it. Im ready already, lets do this. I am not sure what my posting schedule will be like but I will have one more session of each discipline and then show up race day ready to rock, rested, and well nourished. Expo friday/saturday turn some bags in and race sunday. Here is this posts quote I found it while shopping of all places.

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

anyone know where I got it?

big miles + gorgeous weather=Good weekend

Here in the good ole state of Nevada, more specifically Las Vegas the weather has been gorgeous. No wind, light breeze, and sunny. Start out the training with sleeves and finish slightly warm. Here is how things went since Wednesday.

Thursday-long swim, 2500 meters. 250 meter splits (5 laps) 5:46, 6:00, 6:03, 6:04, 6:10, 6:12, 6:06, 6:10, 6:13, and 6:24. 1:01:13 total.....Ave 6:07. Longer than the race distance, very comfortable with that pace and more consistent. Felt good.

Friday-rest

Saturday-Brick bike/run. 51.03 miles in 3:37, 9:48 T1, and run 7.14 miles in 1:24. Total 5:11:56. I never thought I would ride from my house to boulder city. I even took the long way home to make sure I found some hills to climb. I felt great on the bike. No back pain, no fatigue. T1 took a lot longer than I normally would have. The run got very hot. I felt strong and converted to running legs in a about 1.5 to 2 miles. My longest run after a ride that distance. I feel ready. I am anxious for it to be here.

Sunday (today)-Long run, 10 miles. I would have liked to go a little longer but the way the schedule has gone it wasn't in the cards. I will settle for a 68 miles this weekend. There are no time results as there were some technical difficulties. I was sore and tired but got them in.

Im ready, lets do this already. I have one more brick next weekend a swim and a bike. Hopefully the weather will stay consistent and mild. I have a low to moderate week and begin a slight taper. QUOTE:

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.

Yogi Berra

Just thought I would mix it up.

--SPECIAL--Midweek post

My first midweek post in a while and to what do i owe the pleasure? Today marks the one year anniversary of starting this blog. This diary of my training and my journey to become the best I can be. Here is last years post.

Since that post I have since significantly upgraded my bike. In fact the guy at the bike shop told me I started my training on a small heavy rock. Wow great description. I still have dreams of Kona but now I have a lot more of an idea of what it would take to get there. This year I did get to ride about 20-25 miles on Queen K. To qualify for Kona you have to complete an IM event and basically win your age group. I am training for a 1/2 iron distance and I am not sure if I even want to double the distance. The progression I have placed in front of myself before I think of an Ironman are (after the 1/2 iron distance): a 1/2 marathon completed in less than 2 hours and full marathon. Since the IM events sell out very soon after registration opens you have to plan a year in advance for one. I have some soul searching to do if that is something I want to do. The personal commitment to that is phenomenal. My wife says she is supportive of that but when it comes down to it will she really be in to it?

I laughed when I read the line "I completed my long swim of 500 m in 24 min or so." Now I can do 500 m in 10 minutes without batting an eye. In fact I have swam as my longest swim 2500 and it was open water too. WOW. Today I rode 30ish miles and I didnt track time. I felt awesome. I rode the "anthem loop." It is 3 very good climbs and 3 fast descents. 6 months ago I wouldnt have been able to climb it and today It was no problem. Crazy how far I have come in a year.

So what have I done this year? I ran 3 1/2 marathons, including my PR of 2:04 (my first ever 1/2 was 2:30). Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, and Disneyland. I have completed 3 triathlons. 1 sprint and 2 olympics. Tritonman, Rage, and Las Vegas Triathlon. I am very close to my first 1/2 Iron distance in a few weeks. I have PR'd in 5K in 25:20 (I think.)

So what are future goals? I have been thinking a lot about this and I think my triathlon future depends on Silverman. It is the biggest race in NV and it is very challenging. I have thought about may be doing some speed work and going fast in some sprints. For my running goals I have signed up for the Rock n Roll Las Vegas 1/2 marathon. Hopefully my sub 2 hour performance. I considered using the running training for silverman as overlap for the Phoenix marathon but it was too much. I think I am going to take a break after silverman from swimming and cycling but continue to run and dovetail into a marathon program. My goal is now the LA Marathon in March. I dont think I can go without riding and swimming because they are a part of me now, but I also do not know where the training will go. QUOTE:

“Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more.”

Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

Yes I did do more.

2 more working weekends until the big race..

2 weeks in a row without a midweek entry. Last week was family time and this week was sick (oh and there was that dodger game too). Sorry but the training is going well. My last few weeks have been strange. I am putting in the time and effort and I am still a little ambivalent towards the training. It is long, slow, and hard. I was wondering too if somewhere in my mind I was expecting it to be easy. I have this way of gaining success and continuing to look up. Compare myself to people who are fitter and more experienced than me and checking my progress to how they perform. It is not fair to me to do that. I cannot help it I want to be the best I can be. Here is how my week went:

Monday-Rest
Tuesday-Easy run. 3 miles done before softball, then softball. Easy, no watch, just run.
Wednesday-I wanted to do something new. So the plan was a brick brick. I wanted to do 8 mile bike, 2 mile run X 2. I wanted to go as fast as I can on each with fast transitions. Work those quads very fast. My bike on the first leg was 32:48, T1 4:35, and run 17:35.....total 54:59. What was unfortunate was I used my stop watch instead of the Garmin. I had 3 or so lights to wait at and having the automatic timer stop would have showed how truly fast I was. The second trip through the workout didn't happen. As the night went on I felt my head getting gooped up, my throat getting sore, and I thought I was starting to run a fever. Umm I think I will stop here.
Thursday- I had 2500 meter swim planned. SICK.
Friday-Rest.
Saturday-Long bike. Feeling about 95% recovered i wondered if working long would be a bad idea. I actually felt better as the ride went on. Good idea. I went 60.24 miles in 4:10:49. I got off the bike 3 times to stretch my back. Good ole pressups. I still averaged 14.4 mph. Not that fast but I will take it. This is my longest ride to date. I wanted to go very long and I didn't want to ride those damn hills again. I rode somewhere different. My legs felt strong and fresh. No fatigue, no pain. My back never hurt like last week but did get stiff and tired. I guess the core strengthening is helping. I should do that more. Overall, I am very happy with my ride. Funny note: I burned approximately 4167 calories.
Sunday (today)-Long run. SCRATCH THAT. Long swim. SInce I skipped my swim on Thursday and as I analyzed the rest of my training I thought may be I need a long swim more than I need a long run. Including this race it will be 6th half marathon and the water temperature is definitely cold enough for a wet suit. How about if I go long in an open swim? I will say about 2300-2500 yards or so (it isn't exactly marked) in 56:25. My 2000 meter split was 45 min or so. No fatigue no soreness (except for wet suit burn on my neck). I felt great. I got into a rhythm and felt strong. I definitely felt like I could do a lot more after that swim. After yesterdays ride could I so more after that? hmmm it would have been tough. Very happy with my swim right now.

I feel ready. Can I do it all in 1 day? That is the ultimate question. I suppose that is triathlon at its core. All 3 back-to-back-back. I have swam longer than race distance, I have biked longer than race distance, and I have ran this run distance many many times. I have had some long bricks and i still have some longer ones too. My mind is active. Up until Wednesday night, I haven't been sleeping very well. I think about the race all the time. It is going to be a huge thing for me. I am curious to see what I feel during and after this race. QUOTE:

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.”
Antoine de Saint-French Pilot, Writer, and Author

I think this is what I am feeling lately....the stranger within me growing.....

Im thinking about that roller coaster....

and I am indifferent. I should be excited but for some reason I am not. I am definatly not seeking comments. This is a training diary and this is the place I put things that others do not get to hear. I have had a big week personally and training. Again training blog. Here is how my week went:

Monday rest
Tuesday-Longest swim to date. 2250 meters (45 laps) in 56:12. Here are my 250 meter splits. 5:48, 6:00, 6:18, 6:20, 6:14, 6:16, 6:16, 6:26, and 6:37. Ave 6:15. I am proud of this swim. I am getting better at my pacing and a pool isnt a great place to have that. I felt fine...no fatigue or trouble. As I get closer to the race the only swimming related issues are water temperature and wet suit. I have swam a lot this year in cold condition. I realize now how crazy I was to get in the water in Jan/Feb this year. At the end of the day I am prepared for the swim.
Wednesday-Easy 4 mile run. 37:52 ave 9:28.
Thursday-Hill repeats on the bike. 27.59 miles in 1:49. I went over the end of the race course and some neighboring hills. I attacked all of them. I got after these hills. I am climbing so much better. The last 10 miles of the race course are going to be rather easy. I used to struggle with these hills and now they are nothing compared to Northshore or the river mountain loop trail.
Friday-REST
Saturday-Longest brick to date. Bike/run. 42.33 mile bike followed by a 5 mile run. All bike miles were on the race course. That means hills, hills, and hills. I attacked and battled like I am going to have to come race day. I did not climd the sisters again. I thought about it during the bike and run but may be I should just walk them on race day anyway. Here I have tried these hills many many times and I am not able to climb them. 1 time on the first of the three I climbed it but I am not optimistic . If I am going to walk them anyway how about just save the legs and walk it from the beginning? It sure feels like chicken shit thing to do but I thought I would be climbing them by now. The Run was VERY hilly. Not race course but steeper hills than the race course. 5 easy miles to practice changing them biker legs for runner legs. Bike took 3:10 min followed by a run of 57:40. 4 hours 10 min total with slow transition. My legs were not that tired. Musculoskeletally speaking my lower back was the limiting factor. I need to hit some back/pelvic stability exercises hard this week.
Sunday (today)-Long run. I was looking for a run of approximately 1 hour 30 min to 1 hour 45 min and roughly 10 miles. Here is what I got. 1:46, 9.29 miles. VERY VERY steep hills, not one flat surface. i had many hills remind me of a race I did in Palos Verdes, CA. Gnarley. Grind it out. I am sore and tired. My calf is most sore. The north sister was included on my run today.

So why indifferent about a successful week of training? I am just sore and tired and this many miles are lonely. If I had a training partner and I didnt need to do both days back to back. May be I would be pumped. I believe that I am ready for the race and I am not sure if this distance is my max. It sure feels like it. I am doing things weekly that I never thought I would do and I am pounding things out but do I want to anymore? Im sure this is a temporary mind set but as I work my ass off I wondering what the hell am I doing to myself? How bad do I really want this? its cold, its long, im tired, Im sore, my knee and calf hurts....what am I doing to myself? To answer your question Hiedi Silverman Half Iron distance Nov 6, 2009.

2 more long weeks, then taper, then race and kick this races ass. then what? I am thinking about that a lot. What will I attempt after this race?

The drops of rain make a hole in the stone not by violence but by oft falling. ~Lucretius

I know that I am busting out of the old me one drop at time but the way i feel right now ....SUCKS

Mental Toughness Training continues....

Fridays workout was a long swim. Since I am most worried about the bike I have cut down the number of swims I get a week, Long swim in 50:02. Just shy of 2 min faster but not my fastest. Here are the 8 X 250 (2000) meter splits: 5:52, 5:57, 6:03, 6:15, 6:33, 6:38, 6:25, and 6:14. No real trouble. I started to get a little bored and less enthusiastic. Then I was able to pick it up. I am going to start picking up the distance on these long swims.
Saturday-Long run. 8 miles. in 1:18:56 an ave. of 9:50 on the Silverman course. Lovely hills. Actually just short of brutal hills. Here are my splits: 9:04 (downhill start), 9:54, 10:19 (350 foot elevation change about 9-10% grade), 9:46, 10:08, 10:36 on another hill, 9:25 down, and 9:40. I felt very strong. No walking at all. I usually do not do hills this well. I am pleased.

Sunday (today)-Long bike. I found out yesterday late that there will be a group of riders doing the entire Silverman course from start to finish sponsored by the Las Vegas Triathlon Club. I wanted 40 some miles today ended up with 31 in 2:48:09. Why so slow you might ask? 10.9 mph ave. to be exact....WIND. Not just any wind but the kind of wind that picks up houses and throws them about. Some reports say over 75 mph gusts. Through the canyons that lie near the lake that is very, very dangerous. Not only is it a 1176 elevation gain for this bike course there was those gusts. A HEADWIND. Absolutely brutal. My ride was slow, hard, and miserable and I am proud of it. I grinded that baby out today. I passed people on this stretch of road who had very nice aero tri bikes and apparently in better shape than me. Passed em. I also got my hooks in on them sisters. I climbed the first one. In case you don't remember the sisters are a cycling legend to local riders as a bitch to climb. 15, 16 and 19% grades respectively. Finally got the top of the first one earned the decent, the second one got 3/4 the way up and pooped out. It is longest of the three. The third one I got about 5/8s up. Then I grounded out the rest of a slight uphill that seems to keep going and going. GRIND IT, GRIND IT OUT. That was todays mantra. No cramping, no real pain except my back was sore. Also, on lakeshore drive I did reach my maximum speed on a bike at 36.9 mph.

As I trained this week I thought about one main topic. Homeostasis. That is maintain balance. Although I am happy with my training, I will not let it get too exciting. As for the last few challenging weeks I did not let get me down. Basically do not let the good times be too high or let the down times too low. I think the less experience you have, you ride that roller coaster. I want it to be flat. My best friends Karl and Andi did quite well at the Twin Cities Marathon today. Read Karls blog for details...love those guys! Now I must get back to dexter....I love that show. QUOTE:

Homeostatic fear shows up regardless of whether the change is good or bad, wise or foolhardy. The intensity of fear and resistance is related to the size and pace of the change, not to the quality (good, bad, wise, unwise) of the change.

Good changes...good changes

building back up...

Oh man it feels good to get some quality work in. I am looking forward to this weekend. No musculoskeletal issues to report for the first time in a month. Here is how the week went.

Monday-rest
Tuesday-Recovery run of 3 miles in 29:00 or so. Slow and easy pace, concentrated on form and having fun. Softball at night, no problems.
Wednesday-Bike/hills. I was shooting for 25 miles but it got very dark and very windy. I only got 19 in. POUNDED on some hills. I went back to the perfect hill and rode that baby 5 times, in a bigger gear than what is comfortable and progressively went a longer distance. I felt great.
Thursday (today)-Run. Had a strong 5 miles run tonight. Beautiful weather, around 78 degrees. I could have gone a lot longer. No pain, no fatigue, and lots of fun. My ipod even died mid run and I wasnt fazed. Been a long time since I have had a run worth posting mile splits so here they are: 9:26, 9:38, 9:24, 9:30, and 9:24. Avg pace of 9:29 in 47:25. Not my fastest or anything but feels like I getting back on the score board. The last 2 miles are up hill and I even attacked a bit. I tried not to go way too hard but I really wanted to. I am gonna ease into it.

Friday-long swim, saturday long run of 8 miles, and sunday a long ride of 40ish. I cant wait.

“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”

Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

aint that the truth....

Save the drama for your mama....

Im tired of the drama. I just want a goal for exercising with some logical outcomes. I cannot say i expected anything that happened today. Lets chalk it up to experience building. There arent many highlights but these are noteworthy, here we go:

awoke at 4:45 head out to the garage to load up the jeep. I decided to pump up my tires and promptly broke the stem in my tire. Bonehead does not have a spare. If I did I didnt have all day to change it. Note to self: Practice changing tire. Crashed Wal-mart-no intertubes there. Thankfully the race had some dudes out there changing tires.

Now wet suit or no wet suit for the swim? I went with the same wetsuit. BAD IDEA. It was incredible hot even by 7:10 and I was suffering some 500-750 meters in from the heat. Anyone ever swam with a wet suit half on? It defeats the aerodynamics of the situation. The cramping began ever so slightly during the swim.

I have done this bike course at least 10 times. Never have I walked it 3 times. My legs were so tired and crampy but I could not bring myself to quit. I wanted to, It was in my mouth, but I couldnt do it.

As I dismounted the bike I thought, "is this stupid?" I am very tired and crampy. After all it is approximately 110 degrees with NO SHADE, NO BREEZE. Straight up miserable. I am cramping all over the place, I am not proving to be any faster, What the ____ am I doing out here? And I am not sure if I can even run with this calf. Im gonna at least give it a go I say.

My run/walk plan is going according to plan. Very slow but getting it done. This trail run on rock and dirt is so hot. But NO CALF PAIN. In fact its the least of my worries. My quads are cramping with every step. My back, my shoulders, my quads, adductors, and abductors are all cramping. Did I mention its hot?

I finished. Slow, struggled A LOT. But finished. What did I learn? I can scrap, claw, and fight. I didnt cave in. I waaaaannted to so bad but I couldnt do it. Here is my chip? Not happening.

Where do I go from here? Pound the pavement. Train. Get ready for silverman.

“Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.”
Maurice Setter

It took a very hot, long run to find it but I did.

Can I do it?

Can i do it? Can I run? Am I going to be able to do this race? 2 weeks ago I was concerned about how much time I can take off and now I wondering if I can even do it. DNF I thought was not an option. Now I dont know what to think.

Monday-2000 meter swim. here are 250 meter splits. (5 laps.) 6:02, 6:06, 6:21, 6:27, 6:43, 6:33, 6:31, and 6:37. Ave 6:25. Total 51:25. My first long swim in a few weeks slow by about a minute or two. My calf felt great. No trouble.
Tuesday- Run 3-4 miles. Yeah didnt happen. I began the run wondering what was going down in my blog. I thought for the first 1/2 mile that the title would be "bodies are funny." Because one day pain and the next day felt great. HOWEVER, then 0.78 mile marker happened. Calf pain on. ITs funny because at 0.75 i looked at my watch and said HELL YEAH. I walked back. Just a small pull. Softball made it worse. We were short handed and I had to play.
Wednesday-Woke up in moderate calf pain. Since I know a thing or two about rehab on a pulled muscle I put myself to work. Can i bike with this? YES. 10.68 miles in 38 min or so. An average of 17 mph. I felt weird. It didnt feel like my legs. Sore from a leg workout and a week not on the bike felt weird. I was fast (for me) and pain free. I can do the bike.
Thursday (today)-I thought I would play it by ear. I worked my calf hard today. I am in training room mode. Can I get this athlete (me) back in the game? I challenged my calf and how I wake up will help me determine whether or not I can do this. I will work it again tomorrow and then rest on saturday. Hopefully I can run 6 miles. Can the swim/bike portion PR? Can I finish? Can I PR? I just going to keep swinging. QUOTE:

"We are like tea bags. We never know our own strength until we are in hot water." Sister Bousce

Its going to be a funny race report.

A break from TRI training

I write a training diary/blog but this post is lacking in the TRI department. I spent the last 6 days in Seattle (actually Federal Way and Kent, Washington). Last weekends melt down had lasting effects. I tried to run Sunday and pulled my calf. I couldn't run on Tuesday. I got through enough to play league softball since I wanted to know if I could play in my tournament. No lasting effects. I played in the USSSA Worlds. We went 2-2 and only beat ourselves. I played well. I was EXTREMELY sore L knee, L calf, and hips/back. I was able to get one swim in while I was there. I hoped for a run but I was very tired and sore. They have a beautiful path that I didn't get to run on. I am trying to pick it up this week. I have Las Vegas Triathlon Olympic distance race on Sunday as a tune-up. I hope my body can hang in there. Hopefully Thurdays post will have some better news. QUOTE:


Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down. ~Charles F. Kettering

I am going to keep on swinging.

nearly a good training weekend...

I say nearly because I was well on my way to a great brick on saturday. I got into trouble. It all started the night before. I couldn't sleep. It wasn't the night before a race or anything but GEES it sure felt like it. The goal was a 1/2 hour swim followed by 40 to 45 miles on the Silverman bike course including my attempt at the 3 sisters within the rest of the course. I was dreaming about the ride. I woke up fired up. I was going to give it all I had and see where I stood. I woke up and took my sweet time loading the jeep with all of the transition items I was going to need. Headed out to the lake about an hour later than I would like. My wife was cool to wait while I swim and offer words of encouragement while I transition to bike. I started on my bike and I felt very strong. As I went I felt my confidence growing on the bike. I reached a familiar landmark some 6 min ahead of where I usually am. I started to believe that this was the day that I climb the way I know I am capable of. Here I am about to reach the turnaround and I am starting to get hot, very hot. The highway around the lake began to look like something out of a cartoon when a character is alone in the desert. I swear I passed a cow skull. My legs felt good, my heart/lungs felt fine but my brain did not. I was getting very very tired and I was on my way to bonking. It was now 12ish and I couldn't believe how dumb I was to be out there in that heat. I was going to make it home. I pressed on. I got another 5 or so miles and I was starting to get scared. I was running out of water. I couldn't drink it fast enough it seemed. I called it quits around 31 miles and my wife rescued me. I was embarrassed and frustrated. I wanted to know where I stand. It was just way too hot. It was fast while it lasted and I know know what the path to bonking is like. I hope I dont get there again. I was miserable the rest of the day. I drank as much water as I could and I never felt like I cooled down.

This morning thought may be I could get an easy 6 miles of running in. NOPE. Still feeling the effects of yesterday. I went out for 6 and ended up with a 2 mile run and a 2 mile walk back. My legs were crampy. My L calf was real bad. As I type it feels considerable better. I dont have a lot of weekends left. Next week I am in Seattle. The following weekend I am tuning up at Las Vegas Triathlon with an olympic distance race. Then It will be October. Just riding this roller coaster. I am going to continue to do the best I can with what I have. Not sure how this next weeks training is going to go but I will give it a whirl. QUOTE:

Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.
Roger Von Oech

I dont really see this weekend as failure but a lesson in what NOT to do. Not to self: I live in a desert and it is still hot out there.

Plugging away....

Since the disneyland half marathon I have not needed any rest. My legs are not sore but lack the extra punch they most often times have. I am getting very comfortable with my new nutrition plan and I feel great. I am noticing that I am not hungry throughout the day. I am never jittery and my brain function seems to be in control. (when my blood sugar is low I am a bear). My training feels different with it. I am using virtually no sugar pre or during like I was. Really helping. Here is how my week went.

Tuesday-Recovery run, no watch, not timed. Felt a little overall fatigue but legs felt great. Softball practice went well too.
Wednesday-21 mile bike ride in 1:25. I rode the run course of the Silverman twice the second time not the flat easy parts. It will be somewhat hilly but the hills are in the middle. I will be running this course right after word since the biggest hill is only 2 miles away. Hmmmm hill repeats anyone? My legs felt stronger today. I am climbing a lot better. I am hoping for another date with the 3 sisters this weekend. See how my climbing is going.
Thursday (today)-6 mile easy run. I am happy to say that I had a great run tonight. Not because I felt good or anything because my brother ran the first 2 with me. He is beginning to change his lifestyle and get more fit. SInce he has moved in with me in 6 months he has lost 70 pounds. He is going to try a sprint distance triathlon in October called Pumkinman. I am so proud of him. i got my six in. Tomorrow easy swim. Saturday brick swim/bike, hoping for 45ish miles all on the race course. Sunday 6 or so mile. Its next week I go for 14 miles. Ohh and pictures are on the way from Disney...just give me some time. QUOTE:

Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.
Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog

feelin the heat?

What a difference a year makes....

YES YES what a difference a year makes. Its too bad that I dont have a post for last years race because I have grown leaps and bounds as a runner and person. For some reason I do not show up on official results of the race. I assure you I was there on the heals of my wife as we finished in about 2:15. It was a new course record for me, trumping last years time by 10 min. I cruised. I walked with her, I ran with her, I felt no fatigue or pain. Today i am sore but no more sore than any other long run. I looked around, I took pictures, I hung out with my wife. She struggled. She had a lot of trouble breathing and "pressure." She is the only person to ask a medic for a kleenex. Most runners just snot rocket. Not my wife until the medic had no kleenex. Funny.

I have to give it up to DIsney. The know how to run/organize a race. They start on time, they plan the corrals well, they have excellent volunteer support including local people, cheerleaders, marching bands, mariachis, and other groups. They also have a good course which included a route through California adventures, Disneyland, throughout the streets anaheim, around the Honda center (where the anaheim ducks play), and this year since the Angels are out of town a "victory lap" through Angel stadium, finally finishing back through Disneyland and Downtown Disney. It was awesome. Angel stadium was the best part since the whole stadium had cheerleaders, boy scouts, various other loud yellers so when you entered the stadium they were loud. The announcer said as many names as he could over the loud speaker and the jumbotron was in full effect. Awesome.

One thing brought to my attention was that no bloggers knew that I run with a big group. All in all, there are 9 runners in my group from Las Vegas and it is our second half marathon as a group. We have some creative people in our group who designed t-shirts that we all rock together. The girls had pink ones and guys wore black ones. They all had our "RUN CLUB" logos on the back. A turtle with a caption that reads "slow and steady wins the race." In the front we modified the fight club movie logo on a bar of soap to say run club. We get a lot of comments about them. We enjoy them. Special thanks to Chuck for hanging out and running a bit with us after his 1:31 time. Way to go chuck! Pictures to come.

So where does this fit in to my training? It means that the next chapter is purely getting ready for Silverman. Start a big block and get my overall mileage up. Lets do this.... quote:

“The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.”
Julius Erving quotes

Its fun to realize the growth.

last post before my date with MICKEY

Yes that is right I have a date with mickey this weekend, I am running the Dinseyland 1/2 marathon. My original plan was to strive for my fist sub 2 hour half but I may be hanging with my wife and taking some pictures. Just enjoy the race. So here is how my week went:

Monday-Long swim. I am in a recovery block so my long swim was 1500 meters. It was slow. I didnt feel like swimming. I got in the water and did it. 40:11.
Tuesday-Recovery run. 3 miles without a watch and right before softball practice. It went well.
Wednesday-Ride on some hills. I found a new hill to repeat on. I went a total of 21 miles in 1:25:34 . I felt the best I ever felt on the bike. The hill I climbed to start was 3 min faster than the last time I biked on it. It felt fresher and faster. My ave was slow at 14.7 but I took it easy as I could on the down and pounded the ups.
Thursday-Swim easy. I decided that I just wanted an easy swim. I did some weights and then swam for 20 min straight. Just get it done.

My next block is going to be big again. I have 2 big blocks planned and I am looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it because I am starting feel like an endurance athlete. I began this journey without any specific goals. I had let myself get very out of shape during physical therapy school. Then I starting getting winded with the littlest things. I decided I would walk. Walking turned into running and running started me on a journey to see how far I could go. Can I do a half-marathon? 10 years ago I would have said hell no. A year and a half ago I would have said may be. Then I did the Palos Verdes half. It was brutal. Not the intro to halfs you like. VERY VERY HIlly. Then we decided to try another one. Disney. While training for Disney I still didnt believe that I could do it. Then something funny happened. I was running last years disney and I got mile 10 or 11 and I was dying. I was cramping and I was tired and not having fun. I looked around and said to myself...you know what? I dont feel so bad and I started to push it, and I pushed it and I finished with confidence. I reached down deep and I found something inside me that said I can do this. As my brain drifted off I thought about pain and training and what that does to your brain. I have let my old soft ways rule my life, training, and my perception of what I am capable of. It was then that I decided I wasnt going to limit myself anymore. It was at Disney last year that I fully bought into my new lifestyle.

When I say new lifestyle I mean NEW. The life I live today is light years more healthy and active than I have ever lived. As I sit here reading IM race reports I am excited, encouraged, and jealous. What would I be doing now if I didnt have a few years of "break time." Would I be an IRONMAN now? My new lifestyle constantly evolves. I lost 50 pounds and then my weight just stuck. I havent lost any weight in 8 months. Until this last week. I had an excellent nutrition consultation (thanks MARNI) and have received some excellent information that has resulted in a 7 pound loss. You would think that given the training load that weight loss would come right with it. NOPE. Now I feel in control of my body for the first time in my life, All the baseball, football, basketball, running, cycling, and swimming I have ever done was limited by what i put into my body. If I grew up with these tools what would have gone different? I was never thin. I remember being embarrassed about husky jeans. I played lineman, I hit homeruns, I got rebounds....RUN? Thats for punishment. How much weight in the weight room can I push? How far can I hit the ball? Box me out? i dont think so. Triathlon? Ironman? THATS NOT ME. I CANT DO THAT. THATS FOR LITTLE DUDES. Stick to what I do....power. Here I am reading triathlon blogs and writing one myself. I am running my 5th half marathon and in the midst of training for a 1/2 iron distance triathlon. Im going to use this half marathon as a TRAINING RUN. What? 13.1 miles as a training run? Yes and I am going to train right through it and make a push to silverman. Im going places and as I sit here ranting I am proud of the distance I have traveled. I have a lot more to accomplish and each step of the way brings on more knowledge about how to go about this active life. I love it. My body and brain are the healthiest they have every been and I am just getting started. My next entry will be the happiest race report on earth. Thanks for the rant. QUOTE:

“A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul: a sick body is a prison”
Francis Bacon, Sr. quotes (English Lawyer and Philosopher. 1561-1626)

Boy it feels good to be free.

Change of plans....

This weekend did not bear a lot of triathlon fruit. I traveled to Salt Lake City for the southwest regional softball tournament and we got our butts kicked. Not a good tune-up for the western worlds in sept. Today ran an easy 6 miler. Just 6 since we are traveling to DisneyLand next week (weather/air quality permitting.) The change of plans is not running the race for me. My wife is trying desperately to recover from sinus surgery and is not training very well. She asked me today to stay with her and help her push. No biggy....we can take a bunch of fun pictures along the way and take our time. I guess vegas will have to be my run at a sub a 2 hour half. So may be I will get 2 bikes and 2 swims in this week.

Congrats to my bloggy friends who finished IMKentucky!

Just a normal week so far...

So this week as been pretty straight forward. Here is how it is going...

Monday-1500 meter Intervals. 5 laps warm-up in 6:13....4 on at 4:21/4 off at 5:12, 4 on at 4:26/4 off at 5:35, 4 on at 5:02, then 5 cool down at 7:19. Total: 38:11. It is amazing how reliable our bodies are. I have worked up my ability to go real hard now for 4-5 min straight then actively recover quite well and then poop out. I am happy to say that I can swim for 40-60 min. A year ago i struggled even one full lap.
Tuesday-3 mile recovery run. I dont know how long or what my pace was. i just wanted to run. No numbers no stress. Best run id had in a while. Was it that or was it that I wore different shoes that didnt hurt my calves or hips? hmm...may be its time for new shoes. That evening had some batting practice with a bunch of people I hardly know but its a good tune-up for a big tournament this weekend traveling to salt lake city. We have already gained a berth to worlds but we have to play in this divisional tournament. Should be fun.
Wednesday- Wanted a fast bike ride. Got one. I wanted to know if I can ride to the loop at Anthem in about an hour. Not yet. But it wasnt because I wasnt fast enough its because its farther than I thought. I wanted to map it first but forgot. 1:10, 17.75 miles. Ave 16 mph. Now that I map it..I cut it short by 3 miles so I just should have finished it. Another day. The good news is that I was faster on some gnarley ups. YEAH..
Thursday-Mod 4 miles. I didnt look at splits but I ran 4 miles tonight. I just wanted to get em in....DID THAT.


I am happy to say that I am excited about a new style of eating for me. I took up trimarni on her nutrition consultation and I am excited about her suggestions. I have a blood sugar control problem that she has given me tools I havent been able to find. I hope they get me over this hump. I will take some measurements and baseline weight and check em in a month or so. She and so many bloggy friends are racing IM Kentucky this weekend and I wish them lots of luck. i will be thinking of them. I hope that I someday will get to the Ironman level of training. QUOTE:

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings. ~
Dave Weinbaum

A rich life for me hopefully is a new outlook on food....

All Day I Dream About S....

Spaghetti, Sex, Sports! No its Adidas....(if it was redheads blog shed say cue monster mix of RUN DMC's MY ADIDAS!). What it means is that as all these barriers fall so does the reign of Nike over me. It has been in the works for a while. It used to be that if someone saw me running they would have thought it was a Nike commercial. However, lately the nike brand has slowly sold themselves out and since they do not have a hold what so ever in the endurance world....they are losing me. Yesterday, I walked through the Nike outlet and found nothin..zip.zilch. My wife though suggested we hit up the Adidas store and I was beside myself. They had the coolest stuff in there. Good thing there was a monster sale. Why have I limited myself this whole time? It is a sign of things to come. NO MORE ARBITRARY BOUNDRIES. Here is how the weekend went.

Originally I was supposed to have an out of town softball tournament this weekend but it turns out its next week. I spent all of last week and the early part of this week moving things around so I can have Friday and Saturday off. So what should I do? I planned on doing 30-40 miles of the silverman course but I didnt. 30-45 mph winds and 60-70% rain kept me in bed. Plus I thought I havent slept in in over a month and I have 11 miles on Sunday...may be ill just rest. AND SHOP.

Sunday-Long run. My last long run before the Disneyland Half marathon. I hyped it up inside as a challenge to see where my running fitness is at. FAIL. i wanted to run in the 1:40-1:42 range...NOPE. How about 1:55 range. Yup 10:28 per mile. A lot slower than I wanted to be. My sub 2:00 goal is serious peril. QUOTE:

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. ~Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Charles Darwin

times they are a changin....

Coasting mode.....

I have had a good week and I feel like I am starting to coast. I am really enjoying my daily challenge. I am getting good rest and eating very well. Here is how it went this week:

Monday-easy recovery swim of 1000 meters (20 laps). 26:12. As I am swimming an easy pace I am simply wondering....what the hell am I getting out of this? I mean it is nice to shake the soreness out by getting in the water but is there a better idea? I decided that I would rework my plan and drop easy recovery swim day and add another bike day. After all the bike is my limiting discipline. So for every 10 days I will do 4 bike efforts, 2 swim efforts (long and interval), and 3 running efforts. The distance change of the Olympic distance swim and half iron swim is not very different.

Tuesday-Easy recovery run. 4 miles in 37 min. Decent pace easy-to-slightly moderate effort. No pain which is a good change.

Wednesday-Low mileage/hill repeats. 13.75 miles total. I rode 5 miles to the hill that was about 8% grade and roughly 0.46 miles from where the start was to where I turned around. Ok, 5 miles there 4 X up or on and 3 times down, after the 4th just headed home. Here are the splits:
1:10 on, reaching 23 mph/1:32 active recovery,
1:31 on, 24 mph/1:38 active recovery,
1:17 on, 21 mph/1:25 active recovery, and
1:37 on, at 22 mph. Finished with 5 miles home. Legs where tired but I got home in OK time. I might have gone for 1 more but it was getting dark and I didn't have my head light. It hasn't been dark here at that time. Must be getting to be fall...my favorite time of year.

Thursday (today)-Long swim. 2000 meters. As I started I decided to set my bar for this distance swim. My best friend Karl proposes that 6 weeks of interval training will demonstrate huge benefits. I am going to try that. I did 8 sets of continuous 250 meter increments (5 laps.) Here are the splits: 5:32, 5:48, 5:53, 5:53, 6:56, 6:25, 6:57, and 6:42. For a total of 50:09, ave 6:16. Remember a few weeks ago when I wondered how many sub 6 min/250 meters I could do? I did 2 then and today I did 4. But then today I pooped out. I just wanted to see how many I could do during a long swim. I definitely could pace that better so the second half is more consistent but I wanted to go out fast. While I was swimming I was thinking that in the beginning of the year 2000 meters would be more than my weekly total. Today I was able to swim that consecutive with no breaks and even go fast. Im happy with where my swim is at today.

One of these weeks I am going to give you some literature review. I have pulled a total of 5 articles/studies of different topics but just haven't sat down to read them. My man Karl (and clay too) put together a heckuva presentation on interval training and all the physiology that is involved. I pulled a few of those articles. QUOTE:

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

Dale Carnegie quotes (American lecturer, author, 1888-1955)

by the way I DO WORK was supposed to be funny....I cracked up....I GET BUSY

I LOVE THE WEEKEND

What I even love the most is living a lifestyle where your work week is your rest. The weekends are packed with training. I had a 72 1/2 mile weekend. I burned 5436 calories not including my Friday night swim. Fun stat. Here is how it went:

Friday: 800 meter swim. I didnt have anyone in the pool with me so I swam laps without touching the wall. Just like an open water swim except I swam in a tight circle. It was fun and I had some old folks who were sitting around watching and wondering.
Saturday: Long Bike. 46 miles in 1:50:01, ave speed of 16.2 mph. Reaching my maximum speed on a bike at 37.6 mph. It was rough. For the first 10 miles it was up hill and the wind was in my face. For about an hour all I heard was the wind. I went out of Las Vegas to the small town of Jean to their airport and back. Basically uphill there and downhill back. With the wind whistling it made it for a fun ride home. My legs were hard to warm up then once they realized I wasnt going to quit they shipped in and got to work. 1:51 there and 1 hour back. My legs need to get stronger to be faster going up. It was a lonely windy ride to nowhere but I got some work done
Sunday (today)-When my alarm went off I was confused. Why would I set my alarm so early? Oh yeah bike/run brick today. Boy did I want to continue sleeping. I didnt though. I did our nice 10 mile loop that we are running on our long runs twice. I didnt want any speed per Se, I just wanted to have biking legs in order to run through it. 20 mile bike in 1:21 with some ok climbs and a slow live T1 (7:33, I had to secure my bike and lock down the jeep). Then I ran 5.35 miles of the Silverman I will run in November. YES it is hilly and I ran those hills. Whew I am pooped. I was able to average 10:33 on those 5 miles including some walking on the 14% grade hill. My body felt good. I was fatigued without any pain, no limitations except cardiovascular/muscle, which is what I expect.

Next for the week: 1000 meter recovery swim tomorrow, 3 mile recovery run on Tuesday, hill repeats on Wednessday, long swim of 2000 meters on Thursday. QUOTE:

“There is no fatigue so wearisome as that which comes from lack of work”

Charles H. Spurgeon quotes (English preacher of 19th century 1834-1892)

Dont worry...I DO WORK

The 3 sisters-2, Ron-0

For those of you not around here the 3 sisters are 3 climbs on the river mountain loop trail (RMLT). A cycling/running/horseback riding/4wheeel etc trail. There is no river and it is close to a very very small mountain. When it is finished it will be 36 miles (I think) round trip. It is paved. The climbs are 15, 16, and 19% grades. OUCH. Actually ouch is a good word as I crashed on the first one for lack of forward motion (rest assured no one witnessed it to my knowledge). What I am excited about is that I didn't quit. I'm just not strong/fit enough yet. On my 1/2 iron distance race these hills will be in the last 1/3 of the bike leg. 3/4 quarters of the way up each climb is better than last time when I didnt even make it half way. My biggest fear is having to walk them during my race. That is straight up not acceptable. Here has been my week so far:

Monday-Rest...my wife had a very minor surgery (if there is such a thing)
Tuesday-recovery run of 3 miles
Wednesday-Hills. Total of 15:30 miles. I rode from my mother-in-laws house to the RMLT. Floundered on the hills but pounded it out. I gave it my all. Now that I look at my garmin screen there is a 23% under the grade section. This my second attempt at the 3 sisters and I am determined to beat em.
Thursday-Seeming feeling no ill effects from yesterdays "fun" I decided to go for a tempo run. That turned into a hill run. I met up with the Village Runner group and the course they run is hilly. My legs were pooped. 4 miles total. Very slow.

I have been slacking on my information giving post during the week. Lack of time and a clear topic to research. I have been listening to podcasts on itunes on triathlon. They are awesome. Free too. There is a runners podcast as well. My rest of week will look like this....tomorrow short swim, sat long ride 45 miles or so. Sunday brick of biking about 20 miles followed by 6-8 mile run. QUOTE:

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

yeah I will be back you 3 beotches! (HA)

Ahh on track....

Isn't the endurance world such a roller coaster? Good runs, bad rides, etc.? Today I am on the up swing of that coaster after a 37 mile weekend. Here it goes:

Saturday-The brick I was looking forward to since I haven't done one in a long time. Long swim and moderate ride. I decided to do a TT of the course I will be racing on in a month or so as a tune-up for the Silverman half. Today's session ended up being 1600 meters and 26 mile bike. 2/3 (actually the swim was 100 meters longer than the race but who is counting)of an Olympic distance tri and I was faster. If this was workout compared to the race I did a few months ago RAGE both the swim and the bike were 6 min faster EACH. Longer swim, faster times, and I even had enough left in the tank on the last big climb to sprint to the top. YEAH, IM GOOD WITH THAT. I have not trained like this before and the type of program I am playing with is not common, I didn't know where I as at. Now I'm cool with it. The next question is (and chuck is asking too), how will the long run go the following day?
Sunday-Id say it went a lot better. We ran the same course as last week in reverse. Which means it was a lot more hilly than I thought it was going to be. I didn't have any post tib signs or symptoms until the 8-9th mile or so and it was only slight. 10 miles in approx 1:40 some 12 min faster than last weeks 10 miler with less pain. 9:48ish pace. I had to "detour" to handle some "bidness" (as redhead would say) and I didn't get my watch back on line for about 0.6 miles or so and its too bad because that 0.6 was fast. Pain is a funny thing. I wasn't ever tired today and with no pain I wasn't looking for an excuse to stop. Funny how pain controls that. Feels like my running may be getting on track. So whats on tap for the rest of the week? Here is a tentative plan....Monday-recovery swim, Tuesday-recovery run, Wednesday-off, Thursday-hill repeats (my first attempt at the 3 sisters), not sure about Friday.

Just a note to people finding my blog as I read and connect to yours. I am really enjoying reading all of your blogs and I am impressed with the journeys you all are on to get fitter, healthier, etc. I think it is a really cool thing to hear about runners, triathletes, and nutritionists etc. I am learning from each and every one of you and even some laughing too! quote....

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

Lance Armstrong

This week is going to plan so far...

My tendonitis problem seems to be resolving as I was able to run tonight with the least amount of pain in weeks. We will see what the morning brings. Here is my week so far:

Monday: 750 meter recovery swim. I LOVE recovery swims after a long run. I can feel the soreness disappear. I ditched the time so It is not available.

Tuesday: Recovery ride. 15 miles on my 15 mile loop. A bit slow but boy is getting easy. 1:01. Softball at night.

Wednesday: Swam 1750 with intervals. 3 lap stroke drill, 5 laps warm-up 6:03, 3 laps on/3 laps off X 3 on and 2 off. Times are 3:13, 4:11, 3:17, 4:30, 3:23, and cool down at 7:05 5 laps. 1 min faster than the last time I did this. Recovered faster and was tighter on my speed.

Thursday: Here is where it gets good. I havent been very fast for me on the long runs and I thought it was because I didnt get my speed work in. With running difficult should I do a speed workout? I ran 2 miles in the am and it felt good enough to continue but I thought if I push it may be a bad idea. The rest of the day it felt good, so I attempted to another run this evening. It went well. The 2 this morning in 9:22 pace, the 3 this evening 9:20 but the second mile was a 8:50. I havent gone that fast in a while. It felt great. We will know in the am whether or not it was a good idea. Rest day tomorrow, big brick on Saturday, 1250 swim open at the lake and 25 miles on the LV TRI course, which happens to be the same as RAGE. I want to use this Olympic distance tri as a tune-up for the half Ironman. Then 10 miles hopefully on Sunday. Can I shave 20-30 min off this Olympic distance race from April 18, 2009?


One-half of life is luck; the other half is discipline - and that’s the important half, for without discipline you wouldn’t know what to do with luck.

Carl Zuckmeyer

Getting back to reality....

Yeah back to work tomorrow. It was very nice to decompress. I am a person who over analyzes things and was indeed in need for some aloha. I hope to incorporate aloha into everything. So far so good. The trick will be allow some aloha to flow throughout the clinic. I have a block review for todays entry so here it goes.

Block 2:
Grade B. Although there was some incredible venues for training the results are not that impressive. Here are the totals for the second block of 10 days:
swimming: 4740 meters
Running: 26 miles with one day of intervals
Biking: 35 miles. Low total but had to change everything around to get Kona in. I am going to have 2 long rides in the next block because of the switch.

The Last few days since I came back look like this:
Friday-4 mile run with avg 9:24 pace
Saturday-played in a softball tournament
Today-Ran 10 miles with some pain. I think my flip-flop use was high and I had trouble with posterior tibialis on the R. A muscle in charge of protecting the arch of your foot but the belly is in the calf. After a few ice baths its back to pain-free with normal walking but I wont run until Wednesday. I am quite slow these days. My running is down. I think sub 2 hour half at disneyland is going to be out. We will see. Swim-good, bike-better but still slow, and run is slow.

Im looking to be more consistent this block. I think I need some leg strength work. I am doing really well with the push up challenge. I can feel and see results already. I am also happy to report that my body circumference measurements are all down. Thats good. I just need them down faster =).

On another note I noticed in the program from the Ironman 2009 there was 30 physical therapists from around the world that competed. I like that. Its hard trying to be a good example. Here is this posts quote:

A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever. - Mary Lou Retton

I hope I never forget my ride in Kona

Surf Nipple Vs. Runners Nipple/EPIC training

WOW....A whole week in the 50th state of our union...HAWAII. (they love that fact btw.) IT WAS EPIC. What a great time. I met some family of dear friends, saw some breathtaking sights, and got some EXTREME mental imagery as far as training goes. Since this is a training blog I will concentrate on the training. Here is how it went down:
Thursday (7/23/09)-travel day
Friday (7/24/09)-Long swim not timed or measured but it is approximately 2000 meters. It was done at Waimea Bay beach park. It is where they have the big wave contests in the winter. Today it is a virtual pond. Breathtaking. Easy to train there.
Saturday (7/25/09)-Long day at the beach. Surfed for the first time and even got up. GO ME. Ive got the nipple carnage to prove it. I also got a surf board burn and even a sun burn on top of that. I have had runners nipple and its got nothin on surfers nipple. Sorry no pics of that. I kayaked, body boarded, and swam. Surfing is one awesome shoulder and core activity.
Sunday (7/26/09)-Long run. OK this is the type of run that sets it all off. 9 miles from turtle bay past sunset beach all on the Northshore. Here is a picture of the sunset @ sunset beach where I ran. It was slow and I stopped a bunch to take it all in and because of the humidity. Here in Vegas it is hot but dry there, not so much.




Monday (7/27/09)-Travel day. Went to Kailau-Kona on the big island. This is the holy grail among triathletes. I rented a bike. I rented a much nicer bike then I would ever buy for tuesdays long ride along queen K.
Tuesday (7/28/09)-Long Bike. I was hoping for 40 miles. What I got was way more than that. As absolutely gorgeous as it was it was difficult. May be that why they do it there. Its hot, hilly, muggy, desolate, rainy, windy, and cold. Huh? Here is the map:
The red is what I rode. The pink is the rest. The bottom-most or southern tip of the pink is where the swim start is, where the transition area is(T1 and T2), and where the finish is. I didnt ride that part. I rode 30 miles at the northern tip (the red) from Hapuna Bay to the city of Hawi where the turnaround is. As you go north you gain over 700 feet and the climate is remarkably different. Hot/muggy to cold and windy. The terrain changes from hot volcanic rock to grass land. Boy my legs felt it. Up and up and up. Then when I turned around it felt still up. And yes the wind DOES go in your face in both directions (I thought that was overdramatic by ABC's part but its true). Here are some other pics:

While in Kona there was also a bunch of IRONMAN gear. I couldnt help myself. Here is a pic of all the gear I got:
from the number on a clock here is what everything is: 1 o'clock=cycling jersey of LONO the Hawaiian god of war. Plumerias all around...very cool cycling jersey. 5 o'clock new cylcing sunglasses. Super cool. 7 o'clock cheapy IM t shirt to train in. 9 o'clock official ironman program. 10 o'clock a hat to run in IM-style. Middle middle is a post card I will use as a reminder of this weekend at work.

Right outside the swim start on illi'i drive there is a shop. The owner of the shop is a finisher of multiple IM. His name is also Ron and a really cool guy. His buddy made this statue. It is a huge replica of the original IM trophy. It sits outside the shop. Here is me with it.

I usually end with a quote but today I am not going to. Rather I am going to end with a definition. Although I have made life long memories this last week, what I take away most is an idea of what living with aloha is about. (sorry I cant figure out how to remove the underline)

“These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii. Aloha is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. Aloha is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. Aloha means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. “

http://www.volcanogallery.com/alohaspirit.htm