Outward Bound update

NST, Alabama, check.

WFR, Yulee, FL, check.

Now @ Key Largo for the next month. Cell phone works. So does email.

Cheers,

Tony

Clear Skies

Friends, family and former strangers,

If the sudden and glaring lack of posts to this blog weren't obvious enough, my hopes to compete in my first iron-distance triathlon have been temporarily put on hold. With the main chunk of training approaching, a nagging knee injury cut my season short about a month ago. The previous few weeks have not been easy (physically or emotionally). The hardest part of all was the cloud of uncertainty that hung over my head, not knowing the extent of my injury.

Fortunately, the proverbial weather seems to be clearing as I was diagnosed today with tendonitis of the IT band and patella. With a bit of rest and a good dosage of physical therapy, I hope to be back to my running (and my sanity) soon.

As for Clermont, well, I have transferred my registration to the half-iron distance relay. I will do the swim and bike (somewhat leisurely, I suspect) and Amber, my much better half, will do the 13.1-mile run.

Despite my mishap, the fund raiser was an enormous success. Tomorrow I will mail $3,581 worth of checks to Outward Bound in the name of the Daniel Pemsler Scholarship fund. For all you non-math majors - such as myself - this is over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS above my goal of $2,500.

I had more than one conversation about sacking the event entirely. My training has all but come undone and motivation lacking to say the least. Yet now I see 3,581 reasons to get up there and participate, regardless of my original plans. So, with my ego hopefully in check, I will humbly submit myself for an afternoon of fun in the hills of Clermont and all the while I will be thinking about how lucky I am, about everyone who donated and/or supported me (however they could), about Outward Bound, and about the impact a positive influence such as my friend Daniel Pemsler still holds on me to this very day.

You have not only contributed to a wonderful cause, but helped bring me out of the abyss. Thank you all so much.

Tony

Fund Raiser Update

I'm not too sure how I ended up surrounding myself with such a truly wonderful group of people. I have had my ups and downs, lefts and rights, and the notion of having this kind of support defies any description.

In just a few short weeks, over $1,800 was donated to my campaign to raise funds for Daniel Pemsler's Memorial Scholarship with Outward Bound. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect and I found myself getting quite nervous about the effort. Yet with people like you guys behind me and the response so far, I know it is the right thing to do.

With one and a half months until d-day, the goal of $2,500 is undoubtedly obtainable. If you are reading this and haven't had a chance to participate, I urge you to send whatever you can. Any amount will help and I am appreciative of any and all efforts. Click on the link to the right for more info.

Thanks for your help keeping DP's spirit strong in our lives.

The Dark Artist 'Inevitability'

The mind tends to find interesting places to vacation when one is told to lie still for approximately 27 minutes. For someone attention disordered (ahem, undiagnosed) lying still for almost half of an hour is quite a challenge. Through several deep breaths I wandered away, reliving the amazing road trip Amber and I experienced last winter from Seattle to Miami.

I'm glad I drifted off, because I needed to get away from myself. Lying in the MRI tube, I realized how inevitability managed to paint everything around me in dark colors. Stressed, depressed and all sorts of other "essed". After six months of hard training, everything had come to a screeching halt because of a nagging pain in my left knee.

"My hands are numb."

"Everyone's hands go numb. The results will be available in two-to-three days."

The results were positive. Everything looks "normal" according to the doc. I asked if maybe they should have done a brain scan, but I was assured it was not necessary.

The diagnosis? some kind of strain or sprain. The remedy? No running for three weeks, no intensity on the bike.

And with that, the Great Floridian Triathlon suddenly turned into something other than a race. Without these critical weeks building run volume, I know that I will not be prepared to run well in Clermont.

At first, I had a hard time with this. Four months ago, I blasted through the Gator Half Iron to a 4:13 finish and felt invincible. I was favored to win the 25-29M group at the Key Biscayne Trilogy series and, after two of three races, sat 9th overall. Now I'm amid the most important phase of my build up to Clermont and I can't run.

I thought about our road trip. I thought about how much is out there and how lucky we were to catch just a glimpse of it. Then I thought about this fund raising effort for Outward Bound, and the incredible response so far. In the end, my race time is of little significance. It would be nice to race to my full potential but that is not the point. The ride, so to speak, is no longer the race itself.

Thinking back, I smile and realize it never really was.

Fund Raising Update, Clermont Biggie Quickie

DP Fund Update:

In just one short week, I received a couple of checks in addition to a few pledges. You guys are awesome. We're well on our way to raising enough dough to pay for (at least) one scholarship in DP's name. I will wait another week to post exactly where the campaign is at dollar-wise.

Clermont Quickie

Last weekend KC and I went up to Clermont for a "big day". You may be asking what exactly constitutes a "big day", in which case I applaud your curiosity because you knew I was going to explain it anyway.

After a good volume-oriented swim (200x1 warm up w/ easy drills, 500x4 w/ specific focus, 200x1 cool down) in the AM, we booked north just in time to catch the end of the Opening Ceremonies (capitalized for posterity) in Beijing. Watching that sort of thing with someone who has actually been in the Olympics (ahem, twice) made it even more interesting.

The morning kicked off with a visit to the NTC (National Training Center) for a swim. Going there may not have been a great idea because I am officially spoiled now and no longer want to swim at my crummy LA Fitness in the 'Ridge. Ever. But I guess I have to make due. Anyway, 45 minutes solid swim, about 2,000m all aerobic.

Along with a group of Miamians training for IM Wisconsin, I set off for a Tour de Clermont. After a lap around the lake, the ride turned into a climbfest of hill repeats. With KC running sag support, everything went smoothly until a few afternoon squalls moved in and pounded us pretty good.

Awarded at around this point of the ride was the Quote of the Day, which went to a gentleman named Tim who said, "Sometimes it rains during Ironman."

Simple, eloquent and truthful. Valiantly (or stupidly, depending on who you ask) we rode on.

All in all, I put in about 94 miles with over 6 hours in the saddle and LOTS of climbing. Probably the most one could get in the State of Florida without doing the same hill over and over and over again, like that friggin' Key Biscayne bridge.

The bike gear came off and running shoes and shorts went on, and I made an assault on hospital hill. This was more of a fitness test to see how my body would respond after a longer/harder bike workout, and I am happy to report that I felt freaking great. I charged up the hill and felt dominant in my pacing, that is until I ran through about six different walls of gnats. I'm not sure if they were out looking for cheap real estate deals or what, but there were a bazillion of them and I managed to run into every single one. KC said they are a good source of protein, and he may be right.

I figure the "big day" entailed around 8 hours of actual effort. Finishing the day strong put me in a great mood and I celebrated with a supreme slice of Sbarro's pizza - Ronald Reagan Turnpike style - on the way home. Hold the gnats.

Amber the Animal

This deserved its very own post.

Amber went 3:02 in her first-ever Olympic distance, which turned out to be a very challenging course. It was only her second race of the year, and she's been training well despite working 12-hour night shifts at Miami Children's Hospital. Now THAT is hardcore.

AND, she finished 3rd in the 25-29F. Bad ass. She is going to tear it up at MiamiMan!

The only way to race: Smiling.


Post race.

Pics courtesy of John "El Professor" Blazejack

Evidence of an Obsession, Exhibit D

Today's "commute" from work... a 12.8-mile run. Hey, it's way cheaper than driving!



Honk if you pass me (or if I pass YOU, har har).