Something new...???

Momentum

I have struggled to keep "it" going..! One might ask.....What is "it"? well for triathletes "it" is the ability to continue to train.....day in day out! "it" for me is getting out of the bed in the early AM when I know everyone else in the whole world is sleeping a go jump in a cold swimming pool to bust my ass for the next 1:30 min. Or to strap on a pair of shoes and go out for a long run when I know its going to be 100 degrees before I'm done. Let's not even get into the cycling portion of things for this post...! :-) So to say the least I have had my fair share of troubles getting "it" going again after meeting my goal of finishing an Ironman! I just had the whole thing put into perspective for me today...! I never started training for one event....or ten for that matter! I started training for my reasons.....they are as personal as the everyone else I would assume....but for me it was not to try an conquer the hardest single day ultra endurance race in the world...It was to conquer life...! I want to be the best at a couple of things...the best HUSBAND, the best FATHER, the best FRIEND, the best EMPLOYEE, I can be! That's why I started this...! Period end of story...! Now I want to be the best Ironman athlete I can be...! I am going to start posting my workouts and let everyone in on my feelings...! Both good and bad...! Stay tune.!

Reflection of the Ironman Journey

           These are the results from nine months of training. Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas was an amazing event. As I reflect on the race and my training I see a number of things that I did right and several that I did wrong! Let me first say that “The Journey is the Reward” and I lived that saying the entire day. I feel blessed that I finished the race feeling well enough to “enjoy the moment”. As you may be able to tell from other post I have an amazing “tribe” I only hope they feel as I do that May 21^st was a complete success for our first year. I missed my goal time on the bike, run and overall but to finish was the overall goal……….and goal accomplished!

            Now for the particulars………Swim: 1:14:42, Bike: 6:21:14, Run: 6:29:55. As you can see I have a lot of work to do for IMTX 2012 to meet my new goals. I truly believe that people should set very lofty goals and then tell the world to help be held accountable for those goals. I have made it no secret that my goal is to be competitive in my age group. To do that I have to add both speed and stamina to all three disciplines. As you read these goals and my goal for overall time please keep in mind that I know that they are very lofty and at the far reaches of possible. “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” W. Clement Stone.

            The goals for next year…….Swim: 55 – 65 min, Bike: 5:00:00, Run: 3:30 – 4:00:00. Total goal time of ten hours! Now that I am accountable and have announced to the world my goals you will excuse me if I say good day and get out on with the training. Additionally, I have decided that I am going to change up my posting to this blog. This year I plan on using this forum as more of a journal than just “thought posting”. I will be making daily entries to the blog documenting both my thoughts and my daily training regime. I have had a number of friends ask me what I am doing, in terms of training, as they want to get into triathlons. I am NOT an expert only an “ironman” wanting to get better and help some people along the way if possible. See you on the road……!          P-Diddy

An Inspirational Champion

First off need to acknowledge Jessica D. for helping me setup this awesome site!!! It could not have been done without her.  Just a quick update on the training...Well, I'm still training. Not to bore y'all with all the details, but my body is straining to keep up with the mileage/hours, and the abuse - I'm handing it right now. I am really looking forward to the taper portion of this training session. It has been a long 5 months of training and I have made incredible strides in that time frame. (FYI....I have recorded each of my workouts with specific times from the first day all the way to race day and plan on posting that info to show how far I've come since day one!)

One quick story that I really have been wanting to pass on --- So, I was lucky enough to meet Chris Lieto, at a function put on by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine. For those of you not familiar with his name, Chris is a two time Ironman winner and a runner up for the World Championship. Chris is also the hands-down fastest guy in the bike portion every year in Hawaii and most of his other races! He is an absolutely incredible athlete and can hang with anyone anytime on the bike.  He is obviously an elite athlete. Having said all of that, what you don't know about Chris is that he is one of the nicest, most down to earth, respectful professional athletes I have ever meet.  Asked about how he prioritizes his life he said "Faith, Family, Job".  I think that there are a lot of members of the NFL, NBA, NHL that could take some lessons from this guy. A tip of the hat and a ton of respect Mr. Lieto!

It Takes a Tribe

Training mileage gives a person a significant amount of time to think. I mean, when you are staring at the bottom of the pool and watching the tile go by, and trying to breathe, what else is there to do but think. Or when you are out running for hours on end and your legs are burning you try and think of anything, other than how much your legs are starting to hurt. And let us not even get to the hours on the trainer pedaling to nowhere. I mention this to point out that this journey is not just about me……! This is about my “tribe”!!! I’ve often heard the analogy that it takes a “tribe” to raise a child. Well I propose that it takes a tribe to train for, and compete in a sporting endeavor such as this.

My “tribe” consists of a ton of people. First and foremost……..my family! Without their unending love and support I would never get close to completing this journey. Secondly, my coaches and training partners/friends. I have been truly blessed to meet some incredibly talented people along the way that are always eager to share their knowledge and help me in any way they can. I have received some wonderful coaching and learned some painful but valuable lessons along the way.

I realize now that when I cross that finish line it will not just be me crossing the line in an incredible accomplishment, it will be my “tribe” that crosses the finish line. Great -- I just added more pressure to myself to represent each of them is an honor and a responsibility. Such as in life……our actions do represent the individual, however, they represent the “tribe" that helped raise you, too.

“It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.”   --- Francis Bacon, Sr.  

Learning

Swim clinic...........! It is amazing the difference between "feel" and "real". Magnolia Masters Swim Group held a clinic yesterday morning! We had three different stations and had video taken of us at two of them. The review of the video was the best! Just when I thought I was making good progress in the water I learned that I need to adjust a whole new set of things.....hands here, head there, butt up, kick more, turn less......Hell it's amazing that I haven't drowned!!!! It is the little things that make you faster and more importantly more efficient. It was my first swim clinic ever and  was wonderful! I would absolutely do it again!

First Post

Welcome to IronmanTexasPat. This blog is my thoughts as I train to "compete" in the 2011 Ironman Texas. This blog is gonna be interesting to say the least. I have never even thought about sharing my thoughts publicly! I will find this, with all the work that goes into this "blogging", worthwhile if only one person gets something from it! With that.....Welcome and back to training~!