Christmas and Peanut M&M's

There is this woman standing behind me in line at the US Airways luggage counter yelling into her phone, "I will never fly US Airways again!"  I am assuming she was on the same flight as me, 5:00 AM  from Boston. Our connection was late, and none of our bags made the second flight. C'est la vie, my bike and two bags will make it eventually.  Considering I recently lost my battle with Fedex on a $4k claim with my TT bike, I realize there is no use in worrying.  I turn my attention back to what is really important in life: Peanut M&M's.  Why are they so freaking delicious and where can I get some?!  I search all of my pockets and come up empty, I was hoping that in my disoriented state at 3am as I made my way to the airport I would have picked up a pack.  Anyway, I made the decision that enough time had been wasted in the Palm Beach Airport listening to the noise of impatient people, so let me get you up to speed on our lives.

·      Carolyn graduated from college, officially, with a Mathematics degree.  Looking for a math teacher?

·      Work has been mayhem for me the past two months, and I officially hit Platinum on US Air which is no easy feat. With a minimum of 90 U.S. Air flights in one calendar year....good luck hitting Chairman.

·      I can say confidently that both of our biking abilities are light years ahead of where they were last year at this time. We recently did a solid Century (100 mile ride) with no issue.

·      Last week, I signed up for Battenkill --the toughest one-day bike race in the country! 

·      Carolyn was one of the lucky ones to get a number for the 115th Boston Marathon on April 18th.

·      We will be doing the Landry's Indoor Time Trial next month, which will give us a good litmus test on where we stand in our biking abilities.

Last Wednesday morning at 6:00 AM I open my eyes and they hurt, the sun was still sleeping, I should still be sleeping and certainly I should not have stayed out so late.  I reluctantly put on a few extra layers to keep out the cold.  As I jumped on the bike and began to pedal slowly out of my neighborhood, I saw my neighbor walking her dog in a full ski outfit....it was 55 degrees out.  Floridians, specifically south Floridians, live in a different world.  So it got me thinking, what in the hell was I doing out before the sun came up, riding a bike...alone no less.  Ten minutes went by and still nothing, there was no reason for me to be out there.  The roads were quiet, except for a few poor suckers on the way to work.  The lights were flashing red and yellow at the intersections, signaling me to ride faster towards the ocean.  I passed the bars I had been frequenting until wee hours of the night for the past 4 days straight, which were now empty.  I passed a few other riders on A1A with a slight nod or perhaps a half assed attempt at a wave. What brought them out that early? Perhaps Ironman?  Perhaps they were escaping from their hectic lives for the emptiness of the early morning roads? Perhaps they want to be better, better than the guy who slept in, better than the person they were yesterday.  

100 miles on a bike or 3 miles on your feet, everyone has their reasons for being on the road.  I'm out there to be 100 miles better than when I left my house, 3 miles farther away from the woman in line screaming into her phone to a person who is likely equally as annoying and one healthy step better.  Perhaps ask yourself: why do YOU take to the road? And if you don't, maybe you should.......

"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."

   

   

Who knew it would be THIS hard?

When I was 14, I remember my dad sitting me down in the living room one afternoon, he said "Son, don't be fooled this isn't going to be easy".  I am pretty confident he wasn't referring to juggling Ironman training with work and trying to have some resemblance of a social life.  


But I digress,  I am sorry, sorry for being away for 2 months.

"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission"

First an update, we are in week 2 of our 38 week training plan, so far its pretty simple, about 8 hours a week of full cardio, certainly about to ramp up.  This weekend we have a 90 miler on the nicest day of the month so far!


The past 2 months have been....well a bit of a mad house.
41 days on the road, 25 cities and nearly 37000 miles in the air and a few thousand by car.
That doesn't even include the first half of September when I started to track my travel, on the brightside I am only a few flights away from Platinum level, which is awesome. That being said we have had an incredible few months of really exciting places to work out and exciting races.  

Beast!

Denver was incredible, we did some of the most epic downhill mountain biking in the country. Followed by an incredible trail run to overlook the entire city of Golden. 

•  Carolyn took top honors at the Boston Sprint Triathlon,  Second place, just getting edged out by a real beast, see caption of MTB shot, explains everything. 
• We both set PR's at the Syracuse Half-Iron at the end of Sept.  Carolyn was able to add a nice little trophy to the cabinet, 4th place in her age group WOOT!
• My arrival itself was a miracle.  3 days, 8 flights, 700 miles in a car and 9 cumulative hours of sleep I made it to Syracuse just 4 hours before our alarm went off to get up for the race. 
• 67.3 miles later I ran out of juice leaving me with 2 miles to walk and 1 mile of the most grueling walk/run/jog of my life.
• If you have not heard the story, I would love to tell you, its a blast.
• At the finish line of Syracuse I promised myself I would never ever put myself in that position again.......see Jacksonville.

My little brother Gavin is a real beast, picture me but add a bit more muscle, wider shoulders, the ability to grow facial hair, chest hair and roll some dice and there you have it.  He gives me a call and says, "So...I was thinking of rolling some dice and doing an Olympic distance race Oct. 17th"  In about 10 minutes I had re-organized my flights, hotels and rental cars so I would make it there just in time to show the little bro how its done.  


     Oct. 16th, 3:00pm CST:   I am on the road going about 100MPH towards O'Hare airport, en route from Milwaukee.  Fortunately AVIS gave me an SUV that doesn't go any faster, I checked trust me.  No time for road rage or flashing the old gentleman in a 1989 Chevy Caprice going 60 in the fast lane, I will pass on the right.  I HAVE to make this flight.  40 miles left and the gas light has been on for about 10 minute....We will make it.  I forgot to mention I am on the phone with Fed Ex who has been absolutely no help in locating my brand new Specialized S-Works Transition.  Its the Ferrari of Triathlon bikes.  

"Mr. Anderson I can understand why you would be upset that we cannot find your package, but  I'm sorry there is nothing we can do until Monday morning when our facilities open"    

Ok...Well I don't have a bike, shoes, helmet, goggles or a suit.  Doesn't matter I HAVE to make this flight.  The gas light is literally telling me to pull over or I will be finishing the trip to the airport by foot.  Rubbish I know better than that.
     4:00CST:  YES! I made it to the airport, I don't care that my flight is scheduled to take off in 10 min, I am at a dead sprint to the ticket counter "I am here, Tell me I am not too late"..."I'm sorry, the doors have closed" she says....thank goodness she said sorry, I feel so much better.  
     5:00PM CST  Time for triage, Gavin is working on getting me a set up to borrow for the race, I get on a 7pm flight and I will arrive in Jacksonville at 10:30 PM, rental car thanks me for giving her gas.
     7:00PM CST  Lift Off!....The moment the plane takes off the runway is always exciting for a brief second you wonder how something so large, so heavy can be lifted so gently.  No matter how many flights I have been on, I am still amazed.  Unfortunately I am NOT on this flight.  Just 15 mins prior to lift off there I am standing, alone in the B terminal of O'Hare, void any and all feelings.  How could it be possible that they left with out me, a moment of zen with Kevin McCallister.  "I'm sorry sir there is no record of you on this flight"
     7:15pm CST  After talking with the woman at United for about 10 min. Explaining that I do not need to be apologized to, all I need is another flight to Florida, or in this case, as close to Florida as I can get.  
     10:30pm EST.  Touch Down!!! Charleston SC, not exactly Florida, but will have to do.  I stock up: Coffee, Redbull, Diet Coke and enough Beef Jerky to make a vegan cry tears of soy milk.  I throw on the recovery tights (thanks Carolyn!)  
     2:45AM EST  400 miles, enough caffeine to make four loco seem like lemonade I have made it.  I certainly would not be able to pass a field sobriety test due to the amount of stimulants I have in my body, but I am alive.  As I crank the heat full blast to make the car/my bed warm enough for the next two hours.  Oh I forgot to mention that by "I made it" I mean i have arrived at the race site, which will be home sweet home til the rest of the team arrives in two hours for the race.

     7:00AM  EST  As the rest of the field stood there doing their normal routine of stretching and equipment checks, I was merely holding on to reality, I didn't stretch or even touch the water.  My legs hurt from sitting on a plane and then in a car for the last 10 hours straight.  I was coming down from the high of Caffeine and Jerky, my eyes were pulsing to the rhythm of the waves.  I really had not had any real food in what seemed like days and there was a real possibility of death in the near future for me. 
     10am EST  Well I didn't die, infact, I came in third.  I am not sure that even makes sense.  I stood at the finish line and if you had asked me to recall the last 2 hours I am not sure I could have.  So...there's that...In the words of FDR below, amen! 

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith

Processing fees are hilarious

Undoubtedly everyone comes across processing fees.  I, for one, find them hilarious.  Lets take Ticket Master for example, they sell tickets to concerts, sporting events, pretty much any event that allows online ticket purchases, essentially they have a monopoly on the ticket market.  


As an example of a typical markup, a ticket to see Britney Spears in 2004 cost $56. In addition to this, Ticketmaster levied fees of $4.10 (processing charge), $3.50 (facility charge) and $9 (convenience charge), a total of $16.60, almost 30% of the ticket's original price.  I would expect a markup of that percentage at a retail store, Ralph Lauren, Landry's (our local bike shop) but an online property, where do they get the balls to charge 30%.  How much overhead could they have?


and this is why its hilarious....


I received an email today with the title below:



Dear Smith,
Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Ford Ironman Lake Placid!!!

5 minutes ago I hit a little button on Active.com 
"click here for something awesome"
So I did and instantly I feel like this picture then I realize I am sweating, my eyes are dilated and i am overcome with a feeling of concern that I can only explain as...what. did. I. just. do....



Fortunately the feeling of concern was only momentary due to the message at the end of the email.
---->P.S We also wanted to tell you about a Processing fee $115.00...Love, Active.com

.....Hilarious...

Today is the last Saturday until Thanksgiving I will be in Boston.  I start a 10 week event run, so I decided to make the best of it. 

10am - Whitney and I met Sam Rosenhotlz and Mike Shinall for a great 50 mile loop out to Concord Ma.  Meet Sam (pictured below)  He is a beast and will crush you with his bike.

Needless to say we were not riding easy.  Mike and I desperately tried hold off his sprints for the 8 town lines we passed and were unsuccessful in all of our attempts.

Carolyn did a great 15 miler (running) yesterday, followed by a group swim when I got home from work. 



Earl was a bust and bowling should be an Olympic sport.

So I guess its official...Ironman LP 2011 HERE WE COME!!!

Moving Day in Boston...and the training?

It was moving day this week — Boston’s annual rite of mass upheaval, when thousands move in and out of apartments — The Temp. is about 95 degrees with not as much as a breeze. Thankfully neither Carolyn nor I will be moving. This week in Boston, U-Haul posts the most profitable week in any market in the entire country. That is an astounding fact.

This is a Shake Weight, I won it at work this week. (insert witty comment about how this is hands down the most hilarious product on the market, and the fact that this is the female version) Check back later to see my slimmer trimmer arms!

But I digress... Ironman

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you".

I will not pretend to be an expert in anything other than giving it my best, with the sincerest efforts on being the most prepared possible for an Iron distance race I will start at the beginning. I won't forget my past as a competitive swimmer, or the thousands of miles I have put on my bike or the hours spent running around the Charles over the years. I will however open my eyes and mind to the reality that I really have no idea what lies ahead. I am going to read everything there is to read about training, recovery and nutrition. I will make sure to do this right and to the best of my ability.....and I will make sure to have fun while doing it. (refer to IM 3-time champ Chrissie Wellington)

Great news! I did my first track workout yesterday at 6am! I am not a runner I will never claim to be a runner so this is a very exciting moment for me! Carolyn, Whitney and I ran to the track which is about 1 mile to the house. ( I will be using the blog to track improvement and times over the next year)

We did 4x800m HARD with 400m recovery inbetween.

1. 3:15

2. 3:10

3. 3:07

4. 2:53

1 mile cool down back to the house. Went to work, did some shake weight with the guys at work for a break from the grind, then had an awesome Trainer and Top Chef work out with the girls when I got home. Check out the action below! For now we brace for Earl, register for the race tonight and a solid 60 mile with Sam Rosenholtz tomorrow morning!

It's so damn hot...milk was a BAD choice!

This whole week has been like living on the face of the sun. Highs in the upper 90's and a humidity rate near 100% has made living (not to mention TRAINING), an absolute nightmare. This morning, we woke up at 6am and hit the track for some half-mile repeats. By 7am we were already breathless and sweating like human sprinklers. Hopefully hurricane Earl will bring some cooler temps our way.

After a morning of running errands, Smith and I went shopping for REAL clothes. Not bike parts, not tri shorts, not wetsuits or running shoes, just normal, everyday, non-athletic clothing. It was pretty exciting to see myself in something that reminded me that I am still a girl. Afterwards, I even got my haircut, too! The hairdresser was disappointed with how much chlorine was in my hair (sorry, that's not going to change anytime soon!).

The long walk to the T station was like running an entire marathon, and when I finally walked inside, I was greeted with the smell of sour milk that some homeless person had spilled all over himself and the inside of the station. All I could think of was Ron Burgundy in his darkest moments.

So, I finally made it home and will soon be hopping on the trainer for an hour or two to round out the day. I've got to work on my biking because I just learned that if I train hard, there is definitely a possibility of qualifying for Kona! More on this later...

Sorry that I am a terrible writer, but hopefully you will all continue to read our blog. I might even get better with practice.

In the beginning there was an idea.....IRONMAN

"With great sacrifice comes great reward"

After competing in numerous triathlons, marathons, and other races over the past few years, we have decided to take the ultimate challenge…to conquer the IRONMAN.
For anyone who does not know, an Ironman is unlike any other race in the world. It is a test to find out what you are made of, to find out how far you can push your limits.
2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking followed by a full marathon 26.2 miles one painful step at a time for a total of 140.6 miles.
Rewind to July of this year, we did our first half-Ironman race in Providence Ri. Under prepared and overconfident I entered the race with the highest of expectations, fast forward 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles on the bike and 6 miles into a 13.1 mile run I was beat. Every bone in my body hurt and I realize I am barely halfway through the run. Carolyn blew by my with about 3 miles left. Reality check: had she not flatted 3.5 hours earlier during the bike, she would have beat me. Needless to say we both finished in pain, disappointed in our finish, looking to eat everything in sight and looking at each other thinking "when is the next one?"
Redemption will come in the form of Half-Ironman Syracuse later this month. This then spurred the next step: a month ago we started to seriously look into races all over the country and chose Lake Placid Ironman, which will take place in July 2011. We chose this race in particular for a few reasons:
1. We can drive to it. (flying after a long race is extremely painful, refer to Disney Marathon 2010)
2. In all of the Ironman series races it is by far the best swim. (more to come on this later)
3. Our great friends the Withington's will be racing for the 2nd year in 2011. (Neil set a course record in the 60-64 yr old females this year!)
All great things, unfortunately there are about 2000 other gluttons for pain that decided on this before we did. This leaves us in a wonderful position to raise money for the Ironman foundation. In order to enter this competition of extreme endurance, we need to raise $2300 for the Ironman Foundation, which helps put on these events, and makes sure the athletes are well taken care of and contributes to the communities in which these events take place.
We invite you to donate as much or as little as you choose. Every dollar is one stroke, one pedal, one step closer to our journey to becoming and Ironman and Iron(wo)man.!