Ironman Miami 70.3

Registration has closed for the half ironman event in Miami. The race is October 30th and it is already full. A Half Ironman is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run Do one after the other. I am hoping to finish my race in around 6 hours. Between now and then I will be doing a lot of training. I am going to continue doing the masters swim at the YMCA twice a week and continue working on my running. I am doing the 26.2 with Donna marathon in February and I am still training for that. We have 2 more long runs scheduled. a 23 and a 26 mile run. I will do these training runs in January and then start tapering for the marathon. I am doing the Tour de Cure bike ride in May as part of my bike training. It is amazing how much time and training goes into one of these races. For my marathon I have done about 400 miles worth of running. I will get in at least another 100 miles before the race. I need to work out a schedule for my training that covers 3 swim sessions, 3 bike sessions and, 3 running sessions. Some of these will be brick workouts. A brick is where you do a swim followed by a run or a bike followed by a run. Your legs feel like bricks the first 1/4 mile or so. You need to do a fairly quick transition to get the full benefit of this type of workout. I have a long way to go in my training. I may not be very fast but I know if I train properly I will be able to complete the race

New trick for counting

Tonight I went to Masters swim. Swimming involves lots of counting. Things like total yardage, Laps, Lengths, How often you breathe. Strokes per length. and sometimes some many strokes with each hand. We swim lots of laps, tonight we swam 160 lengths in a 25 yard pool. One of the exercises was 10x100. Each 100 yards is 4 lengths of the pool. So you count your lengths and then you rest 15 seconds between each set. Mike the guy I was sharing the lane with put his fins and paddles and float in a line at the end of the lane. After each set he would stack the items next to each other. After we swam 5 sets he started stacking the stuff the other way. It was quick and easy to keep track of how many sets we had swum. The simplest things work the best.

Hammer Head Christmas Party

Last night was the end of the year party for the Hammerheads Triathlon Club. The big thing at the meeting was how much money the club raised for charity, almost $30,000 The club announced the charities they will support for next year. There was a lot of people at the meeting. The club catered in Moe's for dinner. They also had the contest for the members of the years. They called each group up and announce the names and the crowd cheered to pick the winners. I was nominated for newbie of the year and didn't win but I still had fun. I got to talk to several people and just had a nice evening. This is a really good group of people.

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Speedwork in the neighborhood. We were hitting the pace I wanted during our run portions and then walking to recover. After we finished we did a 1 mile cool down run. We got rained on a bit tonight during our run but not enough to make it uncomfortable.

2010 Race schedule

I have been working on a race schedule for next year. This is what I have so far. There are a few conflicts with dates and a few missing dates but it is a start. I wanted to get this written down so I can start planning my training. I am currently training with the Galloway group for the 26.2 with Donna. This will be my first marathon. I wanted to do the marathon for 2 reasons first so I can say I did a marathon and second so I can build my running fitness. I enjoy doing Triathlons and the running portion is my worst of the three segments. By running as much as is required for the training it has helped my running.

2010 Race Schedule

February 21 26.2 with Donna (Marathon 26.2 miles)

March 13 Gate River Run 15k (9.3 miles)

March 20 Mud Run

April 10 Mandarin Biathlon (Kayak 5.78 miles, Run 3.9 miles)

May 15 BFAST #1 (Sprint Triathlon 400 yard swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)

May 22,23 Tour De Cure

June 12 BFAST #2 (Sprint Triathlon)

June 12 Run For the Pies 5k

June 19 Jax Sprint Series #1 (Sprint Triathlon)

July 10 BFAST #3 (Sprint Triathlon)

July 19 Jax Sprint Series #2 (Sprint Triathlon)

August 7 Jax Sprint Series #3 (Sprint Triathlon)

August 13,14 Tour De Pain (3 races in 24 hours; 5 mile, 5 k, 1 mile)

August 28 Summer Beaches Run (5 mile beach run)

August 29 Hot Triathlon (Olympic distance 1500 meter swim, 40 k bike, 10k Run)

October Race For the Cure 5k

October Pumpkin Run 5K

October 30 Ironman Miami 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run)

November 25 Outback Classic Distance (13.1 miles)

December 31 Vystar Gator bowl 5k

I am sure there will be some changes to this list as the year progresses

Masters swim

I went and did masters swim tonight at The Brooks YMCA. I really like their pool. It is a lap pool and it is only about 3.5 ft deep. Tonight we swam 4300 yards. I got confused and did something different on one of the sets and ended up swimming about 300 extra yards. I was looking over at the people in the next lane thinking they couldn't count. Having no clue it was me who couldn't read the workout off the board. At the end of the class we did a couple of relay races, we had 3 people in 2 lanes and swam a 100 yard relay. It was a lot of fun and each lane ended up winning a race. I am hoping this becomes a regular thing.

Outback Half Marathon

Thanksgiving weekend was a busy one for us. We got up early in the morning and participated in a Half marathon (13.1 Miles) It was Tami's first and my second. I set a new pr of 2:23:53 A 30 minute improvement over my last half I did back in February. I was really happy with my time and also how much I have improved. After finishing the race we walked home and covered another 3.8 miles. This got us our 17 miles we needed for our training. We are training for a full marathon next February 21, 2010. On Saturday we went and ran at the Jacksonville Running Company. I ran 6.83 miles. This morning Tami and I went and meet Darcy & Marilyn and went to a spinning class and then went and swam 1,000 yards in the pool.

We had my Family over for dinner on Thanksgiving and we also had my Mom come over for dinner tonight. Overall a great holiday filled with lots of training and family and friends.

Life is good!!!!

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Tonights run through the neighborhood with Tami and Andrew. I felt real good on the run. It was a little cool when we got started but it was a really comfortable temp. for running. We kept a pretty good pace and even threw in a few sprints. I had just came from masters swim class and I was feeling good. I am enjoying the running who knew that would ever happen.

Log book is full

Last year I started running with the Galloway group. One of the thing I got when I signed up was a log book to keep track of my running. Yesterday I filled in my last page. This is an exciting prospect as I have been working out seriously for the past year and by keeping a log I am able to go back and look at the results. The biggest thing is my 5k times October '08 my first 5k was the Rita run at the town center. It took me 39:05 to finish the course. Yesterday I did the Pumpkin run and my chip time was 28:35. In the last year I have gotten 10 minutes faster. Someone told me the next 10 minutes will be much harder. I had already decided that I would work on trying to break 25 minutes for my next goal. Speaking of goals I have already met all my goals for the year. I wanted to run 500 miles and bike 1,500 miles. I still have 2 months to see how far I can make it.

Today I get to start an new log book. Nothing but blank pages to keep me busy for the next year. It will be interesting to look back at this next book and continue the journey. Tami and I were talking the other day about posting a calendar of races and events that we would like to plan for the next year. So that will be fun planning that. It will also be helpful in planning our training. It is looking like it will be a good year.

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13/100 days running

Yesterday I was totaling my work outs from the previous week. I have reached my running goal for the year and it is only October. I broke 500 miles. I also am within 17 miles of my biking goal of 1500 miles. I came really close to getting out my bike and going for a ride. Today is my biking day so I was able to resist the urge. After dinner tonight the kids and I will go for a bike ride and get some of those miles in. Then I plan on dropping them off and riding some more.

100 days running update

I have gotten in all my runs with a few walks thrown in. Tonight I am going to go run with Andrew around the neighborhood. I will probably not do a separate post for that but I am going to run this evening.

6/100 days running

Tonight was the monthly Artwalk downtown. Samantha, Ethan and I walked around downtown for 2.5 hours. I estimate that we walked about 2.5 miles. not a very fast pace but we did put in some distance. And as you can see from the picture we walked over the Main Street Bridge. It was a little dark for the picture but we took it anyway. The Acosta bridge is in the background and the sun is setting. I love walking or running downtown along the river. Doing it with my family is even better.

5/100 days running

Yesterday I went to masters swim at the YMCA. We had a good workout and I was actually able to make it all the way through the workout before I ran out of time. We ended up swimming 4000 yards in the 1.5 hours of the class. So I was all done and went to hop out of the pool and got the worst leg cramp I have ever had. It was in my left calf muscle. I managed to work it out and stand and walk around a bit. But it surly hurts. In fact it is still hurting now. I went to the locker room and changed into my running stuff even put on my new shoes. Then I walked slowly out to treadmills. I did some stretching, then I did some more and finally decided I needed to go do my run. I set the tread mill for 2 miles and proceeded to run. It didn't hurt while I was running so that was good. I just kept to a nice easy pace and ran for the whole 2 miles. I am liking running each day. Saturday we are running 10.5 miles so running on Sunday might be a challenge.

Day 4 of 100 days dunning

Today Tami and I went out to the rail trail for a bike ride. We rode 25 miles out and back. It was a very nice morning. Cooler temps, Sunshine and no breeze. It made for a very nice ride. We even saw a deer run across the trail. We also saw a box turtle walking down the trail. After the ride we went for a short run. We did 2 miles, we ran at our own pace. I was able to do the 2 miles in 20:18. I felt good on my run. Especially after just riding.

I didn't post anything about the previous 2 days so just a short recap.

Day 2 Walked 1.25 miles at the Town center.

Day 3 ran with the Galloway group we did 6 miles down at the beach.

New Challenge

One of my goals for the year was to be in good enough shape physically to do any kind of activity. Tonight I was at the masters swim class talking to Chrissy who teaches the class. She was trying to get people to commit to running every day for the next 100 days. You have to run at least 1 mile every day. I decided to join her in this challenge. So for the next 100 days starting tomorrow (We are running the bridges 5.5 miles) I will run every day at a minimum of 1 mile. I will post my progress everyday as a separate post and we will see how it goes.

I am determined to get better running. I am trying to improve my times for my triathlons. Plus my next big race is a full marathon. Got to make it to the start line and there is a lot of training left to go for that.

It's all who you know

So a year ago I was just getting into running after years of coasting along physically. I weighed more than I had ever weighed in my life. I decided I need a change. My friend Laura told me about this group she was training with. They used the Galloway method of running. Basically you run a minute and walk a minute. It is supposed to be easier on your body. I decided to give it a try. My first time out we did 6 miles. I was struggling towards the end. Laura offered to go get the car and pick me up. No self respecting guy is going to go for that. So a year later I am training for a marathon. I have completed a half marathon done 4 triathlons and many 5k's and even a 15k race. It has been a very busy year. I have lost a lot of weight and feel much better. The thing that really makes that past year memorable is all the people I have meet. Monday evening I decided to go for a run in the neighborhood. Tami had already done her training run so I was on my own. I took the dog for the first 2 miles and then dropped him off and did my last 3 miles alone. Somewhere along the way I was thinking this was the first run in months that I had done by myself. I have met so many people training for races that I have had people to run, ride and swim with. I enjoyed my run but I was thinking about everyone who encouraged and inspired me along the way. I have also done my share of encouragement, so it goes both ways. I have a group of people I run the bridges with on Thursday evenings. I really enjoy doing this plus it is great exercise. So Saturday morning Tami and I will be out before the sun comes up to go for our training run.

The 26.2 Marathon with Donna is in February.

Dinner and flat tire

Tonight Tami and I decided to ride our bikes to dinner. We decided to go to Tijuana Flats. We rode at an nice easy pace because we didn't want to arrive at dinner all hot and sweaty. Since it was only 2 miles it only took us about 10 minutes. It was getting dark as we left the restaurant so we took a different route home. We rode through the neighborhoods and then had less then a mile on the sidewalk. Tami hit one of those utility box covers that was sunk down in the sidewalk and that was all it took. Since we were less then a 1/2 mile from home we got off and walked the bikes. It will be easier to change the tire in my workshop then on the side of the rode in the dark. Plus why do today what you can put off till tomorrow :-p Just kidding. But it will be easier to change the tire at home. Tami will be changing her own tire so she can learn how to do that.

1 year running

Last year around this time I decided to start running. A year later I am still pretty slow but I enjoy it. I did the couch to half marathon program with the Galloway group. You run a minute and walk a minute. Having a the Half marathon with Donna gave the training a goal. Sharing a ride to the weekly training with Laura and Elaine made me have to go. There were several mornings when I just didn't want to get up but knowing someone was counting on you is a good motivator. I really have to thank Laura for getting me going. A year later I have done a half marathon(13.1 miles) The Gate River Run (9.3 miles) several 5k races and I have done 3 sprint triathlons and even an olympic distance triathlon. And now Tami and I are training for a full marathon in February. At the beginning of the year I decided to set some training goals Basically they were:

run 500 miles

ride 1500 miles (I had to up the bike miles)

I am doing really good on my goals I have done 440 mile running so far and 1400 miles on the bike. I count a spinning class as riding my bike 15 miles. This has been a really good year for my training. I have done more this year then ever before. I am already starting to plan some goals for next year but I am going to keep them to myself for a little while. I will post them after the beginning of the year but I will give a few hints. 26.2 with Donna in February and I want to do some more triathlons.

Crazy Squirrels

So yesterday I look out the window and spot this squirrel hanging from the tree out my front yard. I watch for a moment and realize it is eating the seeds off the end of the branch. I watch for a few minutes and then decide to go get my camera. I am expecting the squirrel to be gone when I get back. I was in luck because it was still hanging from the tree. I took a few pictures and went back to what I was doing. A minute later when I looked back it was gone. The branch was hanging back where it was supposed to. I am always amazed at how graceful squirrels can be. They seem comfortable hanging from a tree as they do flying through the air jumping from one tree to the next.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Marathon training week 7

I recently purchased the new Garmin 310xt. I have used it on 2 training runs. It tracks all kinds of data. The GPS measures distance. It also has a heart rate monitor. You can track your speed and distance and compare that to your heart rate. When you upload the data to the website you can review your training.

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Tami and I take a walk

So the other night Tami and I decide to take a nice stroll along the river. I am thinking we will walk 2 miles down around the fountain and back. Well, we get to the Main Street bridge and Tami asks if I want to walk over the bridge? Of course I say "Yes". So now we are going to walk down to Yates YMCA we just doubled the distance of our walk. We get down to the YMCA and Tami asks if I want to walk over the Acosta bridge, "I say sure no problem". We even threw in some running to make it interesting. The picture above is about 3 miles into our little walk. I used my iphone to take it. I like having the fountain in the background. We had to stand under a light so we would have enough light for the picture. Of course this makes us look terrible. But we were having a nice evening. The breeze was blowing the temperature was pleasant and the moon was rising. This is one of my favorite places in the city for taking a walk or even running. I think the money the city spent on the River walk was some of the best money they ever spent. So Tami and I ended up walking 4.5 miles

First Training Marathon training day

Tami and I started our 26.2 Marathon training with Donna this morning. The marathon benefits Breast Cancer research. I did the half marathon last year and was ready to step up to the full distance this year. Having Tami join me in the training is an added benefit. This morning we did 3 miles along the north bank of the St. Johns River. It was nice and cool and the breeze was blowing. It made for a very nice run. I started out in a 12 minute pace group and part way through decided to move up a group. I was able to chase down the 11 minute pace group and finish up with them. They had a pace more in line with what I was looking for.
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Sparks a Flying!

Making sparks. I had a customer bring me a bag full of old carbon steel tools he needed sharpened. Included were several scrapers. I urged him to make one of them a skew chisel. Carbon steel makes lots of sparks when you are grinding it. I had my daughter come out and take some pictures.

This is a close up of the sparks. The interesting thing is they cool off so fast they don't really hurt. If you have a steady stream like in the picture the heat builds up. Also since the tools are carbon steel you have to cool the tool frequently. Most of these tools are heat treated and the grinder can heat up the steel enough to cause you to lose the temper. You grind a bit then quench the steel in the some water.
I realized as I was typing this blog entry that I didn't have a before and after picture. Maybe next time. I was digging the pretty sparks .

Jax Tri series #2

Today was the second of the series of sprint triathlons. It was my 3rd triathlon and I wanted to break 1:30 for the race. I managed to set a new personal best time of 1:21:51 I had a good swim and I averaged 19.2 on the bike ride and then I ran a 36:55 for the 5k portion. My best time for a 5k is only 33:58 in the Run for the pies So I am really happy with my run time for this triathlon. The race had a new course which was nicer then the first one. Traffic played a part on the bike ride. There were many cars on the course. I passed several of them and had an interesting time going through one of the round-about's when a pickup truck stopped in front of me. I was already on the breaks trying to figure out what he was doing. It was never close but I was prepared to either stop or go around this truck. The run was on a sidewalk that was shaded and it made for an interesting time people had to be careful passing as there wasn't a lot of room and runners were going in both directions. I even ran past some people out for a walk that had no idea about the race going on. They sure looked surprised. I am getting better running and can do it for longer periods of time now. I am still not very fast but I am improving my endurance. The race consisted of a 1/4 mile ocean swim, 10 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run.

248  1:21:51.6   304  Emory McLaughlin                     Jacksonville, FL                                           Clyde   16     M 173   10:20.9  217   1:51     31:15.7 19.2  158   1:30     36:55.6 12:18  290                            

Sunday Morning bike ride

This morning I went and rode the rail trail. I covered all 30 miles of the trail. It was a very nice morning and it even felt a little cool when I first got started. Of course I warmed up right away and then the sun came out and warmed things right up. I am trying to use the aero bars on my bike every chance I get. I am happy with the set up of my bike and it seems pretty comfortable. I need to get used to being in the bent over position with my head lifted up so I can see ahead. I averaged 18.4 mph for the 30 miles I rode today. I am pretty happy with my speed but would like to build on that a little. I see some speed work in my future. I will keep you posted on that.

Sports clothing

Today I had the idea to take a picture of all my sports related clothing. Represented in the picture is Jiu-Jitsu, Cycling, Running, Swimming and Triathlons. I have been doing Jiu-Jitsu the longest of all. I have over 20 years invested in that. The Gi is the white jacket and pants on the bottom of the pile. I am a 3rd degree black belt in Kodenkan Jiu-Jitsu.

I also like to ride my bike(not pictured) but my helmet , cycle shorts and shoes that clip onto the pedals. I also wear gloves on my longer rides. Next on the pile is swim shorts(pictured on the far right) They look like the other shorts but they are just lycra shorts. They fit pretty tight and I could tell a difference the first time I wore them in the water. The yellow swim cap and goggles round out that ensemble.

Next comes running, I have a nice pair of running shoes and socks, the blue shorts and orange shirt are typical of what I would wear for a run. I also carry water with me when it is hot or I am going for a long run. In the upper right corner is a fuel belt. I can carry a water bottle and some nutrition in the small pocket. If it is hot and sunny I will wear a visor to help keep the sun off my face.

For Triathlons I like to wear my Tri suit. (Red and black on left) Triathlons involve swimming, biking and running in that order. It is nice to be able to wear the same outfit for all three events. It has a small pad in the but area to help make the seat a little softer. It is made of a fast drying material that is very stretchy. And it fits very tight so it helps reduce drag on the bike. There are 2 transitions in triathlons; swim to bike and bike to run. After exiting the water you pull of your swim cap and goggles while you are running up the beach. You run to the bike rack put on helmet and sunglasses and shoes grab your bike and off you go. After the ride I slip my feet out of my shoes on the bike and leave them clipped to the pedals. Run into the transition area put my bike on the rack, remove my helmet and put on my running shoes and visor and off I go.

Some other gear I wear or use while training

Heart rate monitor (watch and chest strap)

Ipod and earbuds (for tunes to listen to)

Race belt. (Race number clips to it)

Iphone with arm strap (for music while running)

Body glide to help prevent chafing

Now it is off to do some more laundry and hopefully the rain will pass through soon so I can go running this evening.

123456789

Yesterday while I was eating lunch they had a news story about the time and date.

12:34:59 7/8/09

So it was 123456789 It did happen twice yesterday. I am sure there are people who are into numbers that this was a big deal. For the rest of us it was just a cool deal.

On a mission

Today I did 20 miles on the bike. The first 3 I did with the kids, We rode at an easy pace to the butterfly garden. We parked the bikes and walked around a bit. Then we rode back to the house. I dropped the kids off and went and did 17 more miles. I was on a mission to peddle as hard and fast as possible. I finished in 42 and change. I can feel it in my legs now, but it was a nice day. I am trying to get faster on my bike and going out and peddling fast and hard seems to work. My next bike ride will be at the rail trail on Saturday. I am planning on riding at a slightly slower pace but for a longer period. Of course that will be followed by a run.

Hammer Jammer #3

Today was the third in the series of Hammer Jammers. These are triathlon training sessions put on by the Hammerhead Triathlon Club The training today consisted of a 30 minute ocean swim, 70 minute bike ride followed up with a 50 minute run(I decided to do 40 minutes). There had to be about 40 people out today for the training.

The ocean was nice this morning the surf was only about 2 feet and very easy to get out through. The swim was nice. We swam south for 15 minutes and then turned around and came back to the starting point. Then we ran up the beach to the transition area. Put on bike shoes and helmets and off on the bike. Rode 35 minutes south on A1A and turned around and headed back. It was already getting hot and there was a little breeze out of the west. There were lots of people out riding this morning. The cars for the most part give you room, which is very nice. After the ride was finished it was back to the transition area to change shoes drop off my bike and helmet, put on my hat and grab my water bottle and go for a run. The run was very hot and this is my worst of the 3 sports. I ran with Staci and Lesley from my training group so that was nice. We pushed each other to run, longer and faster then we would have done on our own. Before I knew it we were back at the finish.

Afterwards we went out for brunch at a place called Elizabeth's in Ponte Vedra. The food was very good and reasonably priced. We had a nice chat while we were eating. I hear they are planning some more Hammer Jammers so I will be checking the website for scheduling.

I felt pretty good after the training today. I rode a bit easier this week and it made the run easier.

Keep training

Another bridge another run

Today Tami, Elaine and I met downtown to run along the river. The course we chose took us along the river from the school board building over the Main Street Bridge, past the Jacksonville Landing, over the pedestrian bridge which crosses over the rail road tracks and down to the Fuller Warren Bridge. Then we turned around and retraced our steps. The Main Street bridge pictured above complete with fireworks at the top of the span is the 1 mile mark. We started our run at 6:30 pm this afternoon so it was still pretty hot.We ended up covering 5.5 miles. I checked the temperature at home at 8:30 pm and it was still 89 degrees. So that made for a pretty warm run. The only thing that saved us was there was a slight breeze blowing off the river. I really enjoy running the bridges as there isn't any traffic to deal with. I like the variety of surfaces we run on and I like running on the bridges. There are water fountains and rest rooms spread out along the course. There are always people to see. You get runners, walkers, cyclists, homeless people, business people, fishermen, and people out for romantic walks. It seems to be a good slice of people all along the course. Then to be running with friends makes it all good. Running has been wonderful for me I have meet lots of good people, visited many parts of the city and gotten in much better shape physically.(Thanks Laura for getting me running) I may run many other places but along the St Johns River with my friends is my favorite.

Walking on the beach

Tonight Tami and I drove to the beach and went to dinner and then we decided to go for a walk on the beach. The breeze was blowing onshore about 15 knots and the temps were down, it was quite pleasant. We enjoy walking on the beach as the sun is setting. Tonight the water was up very high so there wasn't much beach. We started at 16th Ave. South and walked down south down the beach. We walked down to the pilings in Ponte Vedra. I used the gps in my Iphone to map my location and put in 16th Avenue to find out we were 3.3 miles from the car. The tide had come up even further and we were walking in the soft sand and water the whole way back. So we ended up walking 6.6 mile this evening. It made for a very nice walk. Plenty of time to talk and just enjoy each others company. We do enjoy walking on the beach and just hanging out by the ocean.

Jax Tri series #1

Today was the Jax tri series it was very hot today. 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run. It was supposed to hit 100 degrees. The race went good. The ocean had a small swell to it nothing bad and very easy to get through. I passed some guy at one point who was doing the back stroke and he cut in front of me and proceeded to make a circle. When I looked back he was heading the wrong direction. The first transition went well I was on my bike pretty quick. The ride was nice I passed a lot of people on the ride and only had 3 people pass me, and I passed one of those back. The run is my worst of the 3 sports and today was no exception. I rode hard and paid for it at the beginning of the run. I had to take many walk breaks. There was very little breeze and the sun was out in full force. Many of the people I passed on the ride passed me back on the run. I expected this to happen but you still hate to see it. I am going to practice my running more. For me these races are more about the training and getting in shape then they are about race results. The race was 3 miles shorter on the bike then my first and I beat my time by almost 30 minutes. The ocean was also a lot calmer so my swim was faster as well. It is hard to compare the 2 races different courses and different conditions but I was happy with my results and will keep training and pushing myself a little harder each time. I will keep trying a I am in way better shape then this point last year.

Big training day

Yesterday I went to the training with the Striders group. We rode for 1:20 and covered 20 miles, then we ran for 30 minutes I covered almost 3 miles. After that I did the ALS ride with the Hammerheads. It was a 23 mile ride for charity. The first ride went well except for the head wind. On the way back on of the girls had a flat tire so we stopped to help her change it. The mosquitos were so bad we couldn't get the thing changed quick enough. We got back under way and finished the ride. On the run it was starting to get hot. I had to take some walk breaks. After running I put my bike stuff back on, Helmet, and shoes and went to join the Hammerheads. Just as we were getting started one of the girls had a flat tire. I was helping her fix it and we turned around and the group had left us. We got it changed and 3 of us rode together. The wind had picked up a little more plus I was tired from the earlier activity. I considered turning back but stuck with it. It was a nice ride and the course was different then I had been on before so it was interesting. At the finish they had lunch waiting for us. I had a very good pulled pork sandwich and some pasta salad. Then I got to talk to some people in the club. It made for a very nice morning. And I was home before noon. So I rode my bike 43 miles and ran for 3 miles. It was a very good training day

Hammer Jammer #2

Today the Hammerheads put on the Hammer Jammer triathlon training. I did this with my training group from the Florida Striders.  We got there early and set up all our gear like we would on race day. Then we walked over to the ocean. We swam South for 10 minutes and turned around and swam back. The current was with us and I made it back in a little over 7 minutes. The ocean was much nicer today. I was about waist deep when I was through the surf. Still need to practice swimming in the ocean but today was much nicer then during the BFast Triathlon a few weeks ago. I ran up the beach to the transition area put on my shoes, helmet and glasses and rode for 30 minutes South on A1A. I turned around and rode back to the transition area. The ride was nice the temperature was not bad and there were a few clouds so the ride was comfortable.  The Tour de Cure was going on today so we did the return trip with some of those guys and girls. It was nice seeing so many people out riding. I covered 18 miles on the bike today. After dropping my bike off at the transition and changing shoes it was off to run. We ran North on A1A which is shaded. I ran all the way to the turn around point 20 minutes and then took a 1 minute walk break and started running again. I took a few walk breaks on the return trip. I covered 4.4 miles on the run today so I was happy with that. I felt good after the run. I was happy with how well I did, I am getting stronger.  It still impresses my how fast most of these people are. 

I checked the addresses of my turn around points on the bike and the run to determine my distances. Then I came home and put the addresses into google maps and looked up the driving directions to get the distances.  I am still getting used to my aero bars I put on my bike and need to make some adjustments but I like these and they are pretty comfy. My next triathlon is in 3 weeks so lots of training to do. 

You get lemons make lemonade

So the rains finally came. We had a bit of a rain storm this afternoon. It was raining very hard. And it wasn't very long before the backyard was flooded. I swear we got like an inch of rain in 30 minutes.

It wasn't long after that Samantha was asking if we could put the canoe in the backyard. Ethan was soon asking as well. So after changing into my bathingsuit and getting the camera. Here we are in the backyard. We aren't wearing life jackets since the water was less then 6 inches deep I figured we could risk it. 

The kids sure had a good time. I even got into the act and we moved the canoe to some deeper water. Ethan and I are by the swing set having fun. 

Weather Day

Today the weather finally seems to be co-operating. After last week of 7 days of rain, and getting like a foot of it. We are ready for some better weather. This morning the kids and I took the dog for a morning walk around the neighborhood. We walked our mile and the kids even ran the last bit home. After getting the kids going on their school work I went out and cut the grass. It wasn't as bad as it could have been but it sure looks better when it is cut. I think we are in the pattern of afternoon or early evening thunder showers. Hopefully I will be able to get my swim in later today. 

Memorial Day 5k

This morning I drove down to Green Cove Springs for a 5k race. I have been taking a running class with the Florida Striders. Today was the final exam. The weather was beautiful. The sun came out and there was a slight breeze. The temperature was upper 70's so it was comfortable. My goal for the race was to run the whole 3.1 miles. I have been doing the run 1 minute / walk 1 minute. So this morning I was determined to run the whole distance. I was able to complete the race without walking. I even picked up the pace for the last 1/10 of a mile. I finished officially in 35:44. Unofficially it took me 33 seconds to cross the starting line from the time the gun went off. So my time was a bit better. This was a new PR for me and I was happy. The race course was nice and it had a loop in it so we got to see the leaders pass by. I am always amazed at how fast some people can run. I saw several people from my triathlon training group. They all did well in the race and finished ahead of me. But I am happy to finish how I did since I have only been running since last September. I am getting stronger and I am getting faster. 

30 miles on the bike

Today I woke up before dawn and actually heard birds chirping outside. For the past week it has rained every day. All my training was inside. Today I was supposed to go for a bike ride with some of the people I train with. When I went to bed Friday night it was raining so it wasn't looking good. Saturday morning was different. I got up and drove to the rail trail and we went for a ride. We covered 30 miles in about 2 hours. Very nice ride the weather was nice. It was getting darker on the way back but it looked like we might make it. We got loaded up and went to get some breakfast and the rains returned. On the drive home it rained harder then I had seen it rain in quite a while. It finally stopped this afternoon and it looks like the rains may have passed. 

Masters swim

So last night I went to masters swim at the "Y" I swam more then I had swum in a really long time. The workout was tough. I can feel it in my shoulders and arms today. I made it almost through the workout in the 1.5 hours I was in the pool. I swam about 3,300 yards. I enjoyed it and will be going back. I am trying to get better at this triathlon training. The swimming will help me be stronger when I get out of the water. The group I am training with is doing an ocean swim Sunday with the Hammerheads. Hopefully the water won't be too rough. I would like to get some more practice swimming in the ocean. 

It looks like more rain today so I will do my run inside tonight at the "Y" on the treadmill. I will be taking my Ipod so I have something to listen to. At least I am getting my training in this week.

First Triathlon

Yesterday was my first triathlon. The ocean was pretty rough so it made for a challenging swim. I had a tough swim but the hard part was getting out of the water and then having to run up the beach to the transition area.  The bike ride was next it was a 13 mile ride the hardest part was the bridge over the inter-coastal. The bridge was pretty steep. Going uphill was pretty slow. Going down the other side was very fast. I even passed some people going downhill. 

At the end of the ride we then had a 3.1 mile run. My legs felt pretty heavy running for about the first 1/2 mile and then they felt a bit better. The run seemed long. I am a pretty slow runner so I had some people pass me. That was ok since I was racing to push my self and see how I do. I did pretty well in the race. I learned alot about my self and also completing in a triathlons.
The race was a challenge. I need to swim more in the ocean and need to practice running after the swim. I am still working on my goal of being a better runner. My next triathlon is in June so I have more training to do and I have a better idea of what to expect. 

Swim Clinic

Tonight Tami and I attended a swim clinic at the brooks YMCA. It was hosted by the Hammerheads Triathlon club. They brought in a coach who worked with us. There was 7 of us in the water. I learned a good bit and was really happy I went. I want to go swim tomorrow so I can practice some of what I learned. The more I learn however the more I want to learn. I still have a long way to go. I haven't worked on my flip turns since I can't do those in the ocean. The other thing I try is not to push off the wall very much. I am trying to get my whole 25 yards in. I do need to spend more time swimming. Just keep going as much as possible. 

Samantha First Triathlon

These are a few pictures of Samantha's First Triathlon. Samantha was jumping into the pool to start her race. No diving was allowed. Samantha swam a good race. She was in the senior division and had to swim 200 yards.

After the swim she ran to the transition area to get ready for the bike ride. She got all here stuff and then off to the bike course.
This was her second lap to make a total of 6 miles on the bike. They had people out on the course standing  and also riding bikes making sure the kids did ok. 
After the bike was dropped off in the transition area it was off to the run. Samantha had to run 1 mile. This was at the end of her run with about 300 feet to go. 
She did a great job completing the course. The weather had warmed up by the time of Samantha's start so the heat was an issue. She did great and finished strong. We were very proud of her for completing the race. And she is ready to do another triathlon soon. Now to pick one out and start training. 

This is a few pictures from Ethan's first triathlon. He wasn't too excited to get started but once he got going he did great. This first picture is of him about to start the swim. The mat he is standing on starts the timer he is wearing a chip on his ankle that they track. Once across the mat his time started. Ethan did good on the swim he swam 100 yards.

In the next picture he is running from the pool to the transition area to put on shoes, helmet and grab his bike. 
The junior division did a 3 mile loop. Ethan was just about done with the bike ride. Then it was back into the transition area to drop off his bike and go out for the run.
This is Ethan coming into the finish area. He still looked good and finished in a good time. The run was 1/2 mile long. 
The race finishes when you cross the line there was another mat at the end. All the kids got medals after finishing. Ethan had a really good time and said he wanted to do another triathlon soon. After getting up at 5am to get ready and go to the race Ethan came home and took a nap. That is something that doesn't happen very often. We are very proud of Ethan for completing the race. It is something he trained for and we were very happy that he had a good time and an enjoyable experience. 

Thursday evening run

So I use map my run on my Iphone to keep track of my running. So Tami and I were running last night and I go to check the distance and we have done 5.86 miles... at a 5:32 pace (I wish) The course we are running is only 5.56 mile long and we were less then half way. So I know something is wrong. So I canceled the program and we continued our run. It was a very nice evening, the breeze was blowing and the sun was setting. The temp was 79. Warm but not too bad. Tami and I had an enjoyable run. This morning I was checking the map to see what went wrong and It has us starting downtown and making a beeline towards the school board building where we actually started. This explains the distance and fast pace. 

Woodturning Apr29th

My latest project. This a Camphor vase that I am working on. It is about 10 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. I am just about done working on this, it has been hollowed out and sanded. I have just started applying finish to it. I like to apply a few coats of finish to protect the piece. I still have to finish parting it off the lathe and then clean up the bottom. Then I will sand an apply several coats of finish and finally burn my name into the bottom. Other then the grain it has a knot in the side. I was happy that it stayed in I was thinking it might pop out while I was turning the inside. The oil from this wood has a really strong smell. I enjoy the smell while I am working with this wood. Plus this wood turns and sands well. The shavings from this ended up as mulch around the bushes in my front yard. It helps keep the bugs away from the bushes and we never have to buy mulch. I will post another picture of this piece when it is completely finished. Plus I will post it on my website.

Triathlon Training

I am taking a triathlon training class. Last night I went to the first meeting. It is put on by the Strider's Running Club. The class last night was very organized I was very impressed. They had all the information and had the coaches and gave a really good talk about what to expect. The meeting was held at About Bicycles in Orange park. They pulled out all the stops to make us welcome. We got our training program for April. I started my training today. I took a spinning class with Tami. Of course she was on call checking about he conflicker virus. So she was a little distracted during the training.  We get to train together a couple of times a week. So this is cool. Tomorrow is Art walk the kids and I are going to be there selling out stuff (Wood turning, Candles and Soap). So I am going to miss the first run clinic. I will be back there next week and shouldn't miss too many of the training days. I will make sure to get in some training. 

Stay tuned for more training details. The adventure continues. 

Out in my studio

Yesterday, I decided to go out and work in my studio. I selected a piece of wood from the pile. Then I proceeded to start shaping the outside of it. It is a piece of spalted Maple. The color and grain of this wood is very nice. Today I am planing on hollowing out this piece. I made quite the pile of shavings while shaping the outside of this piece and rest assured they will be put to good use. I place all my shavings under the bushes to use as mulch. I always have different colors of mulch under the bushes around the house. When I am turning a lot I will even make enough shavings for the neighbor to use for mulch around his yard. When I cut off the corners of a blank I throw them on his firewood pile and he burns that to help warm his house. Of course I make sure to check when he finds wood to see if there is anything I want to turn so it all works out for the best. He never buys wood he just finds it on the side of the road from where people put it out for yard trash. We are saving it from the land fill. I will post another picture of this piece when it is finished.

Running Downtown#3

This picture was taken about 4 miles into our run. Below there is a link to some more pictures.

Tonight was another run along the river and over the bridges. This is my very favorite place to run. The bridges make it challenging the course along the river is scenic and there is usually a breeze blowing. Tonight I ran with Tami and Laura. The riverwalk wasn't too crowded with bikes or people. It took us a little over an hour to complete the course. It was our first run back since doing the River Run last week. We are planning on running on Saturday. So stay tuned. I will post some pictures of that run. We did take pictures and I posted them on my Facebook page.    

Keeping busy

March 18th 

Today was a another busy day. Home schooling the kids. Samantha has finished one of her courses already I have to keep Ethan honest and check all of his work. He likes to do 2 pages of math and then put his book away. I have to check to make sure he does all 3 pages. I went to a spinning class today I actually sent a twitter message before class from on the bike. The class was good and I am glad I was able to go. We then went down and visited the Warwick's and saw the puppies. Then off to meet my Mom for dinner and then to teach a woodturning lesson. When I got home I went back down to the Warwick's to see if I could help with their drain. Unfortunately I was unable to get it cleared. They will have to call a professional in the morning. After getting everyone in bed I was able to watch a movie and then blog about the day. I am planning a canoeing trip to the Wacissa River this weekend so I will be able to update my other blog for the first time in a while.

The picture was taken while I was driving home from my lesson. It was right before sunset. And is just a picture from inside the car. Taken with my iPhone

Woodturning

Today I went out in my studio and did some work after the kids finished school. I made this Camphor vase. It is about 12 inches tall and probably 5 inches in diameter. It only has one coat of finish on it so far but the piece is starting to look great. I was thinking about carving on it but I am starting to have second thoughts about that. I will have to think about it for a while. I have another vase that is a much plainer wood that I will definitely do some carving on, This one may have to wait. 

Shuttle Launch

Tonight I was driving home from dinner and looked over and saw the space shuttle launching. In the picture you can see the contrail that it left in the sky. I could actually see the shuttle and the solid rocket boosters separating. They were speck of light but I could tell what they were. It is amazing how fast that thing moves. I will have to watch the news tonight to watch the thing taking off from the launch pad. I have been down further south to watch it launch and it is a very impressive thing. You can feel the ground shake. The power is very hard to explain. I thought the picture came out fairly good. I took it with my iPhone while I was driving. The hood of the car is visible in the bottom of the photo. 

Gate River Run 2009

Today was the Gate River Run. I averaged a 12:30 pace for the course so I am pretty happy with that. The course was nice and we ran over the Main street and also The Hart Bridge. They call the Hart bridge the Green mile. It definitely lived up to its name. You reach this point 7.5 miles into the race. Fortunately I have been running the bridges downtown for the last 2 months so it really helped. I wanted to take it easy the rest of the day but the kids wanted to go for a bike ride. 

Teaching turning

Tonight I had a pen turning class at Woodcraft in Jacksonville. I ended up with 3 students. We were just getting started. I was explaining the parts of the lathe and I was about to mount the blanks on the mandrel before turning. The class went well and all the students made good pens. I do enjoy teaching, I like helping people learn new skills.

Running Downtown#2

February 10th

This afternoon I ran with Tami, Laura & Renee. We did the bridges and the River walk. I am enjoying this running thing(Who Knew) and I am in much better shape then I was last year. I have even ran more then 100 miles so far this year. I am keeping a log book and totaling it up each week. I was stunned when I broke 100 miles. My goal is 500 miles for the year plus 1000 miles on my bike/spinning. I have done 250 miles riding this year so far. It is shaping up to be a good year. I will keep you posted on my progress.  The picture was taken on the river walk not to far from the statue of the sailor. My friend Laura took this picture and made me pose like that:-)

Warm one

Tonight we ( Me, Tami, Laura and Renee) went for our weekly training run. This will be the last one before the Gate River Run (9.3 miles). We did a 3 1/2 mile run over the bridges and through downtown. It was a very nice evening and since the time change it was daylight for the whole run. It was also 80 degrees the only thing that saved us was the sea breeze was blowing. I have to say I am really enjoying this whole running thing. I have met some good people I have gotten in much better shape and I am liking running. 

Thursday evening run.

Last night I went for a run with Tami, Laura and Renee. We started from the school board building at 6pm and we covered the 5.3 miles in 69 minutes. We ran over 2 bridges and the pedestrian bridge that goes over the railroad tracks. It was a very nice evening the temperature was in the low 60's while we ran. There was a bit of a breeze blowing, I was cool for the first couple of minutes and then warmed right up. It is very good to run with friends. The great thing is everyone is at about the same pace. Our next scheduled run is Saturday morning, we are going to do almost the same course but add in an extra mile. 

Fifty-one

February 27th

Tonight was the Thank you party for the volunteers foe the Marathon and Half Marathon with Donna. That's Donna in between Tami and I. She is a really nice person who is herself a Breast Cancer survivor. She has done an awful lot for raising money for finding a cure for Breast Cancer. The race was a first class event. The way they treated the volunteers is first rate as well. Tami volunteered to help and came home with all kinds of shirts and stuff. She had a great time at the race. Then she was invited to this party tonight. They were passing out more stuff and dinner was included. They had a band and Donna came and thanked everyone. It was a really nice evening.  I just have to say I am really impressed with how well the event was run before, during and after the event. I am definitely doing this again.

Today Laura called and asked me if I wanted to go run the bridges, the short version. I was on the verge of slacking off so I jumped at the chance. Having someone else making you responsible really helps keep you on track. I met her at her new office this evening and we did a 3.6 mile loop. It took us over 2 of the bridges and along the river. It made for a nice run. We had perfect weather. Clear skies, slight breeze and the setting sun and then running along the river. What more can you ask for. I am still doing the run/walk but we run 1:30 minute and the walk 1 minute. The only bad thing was more then half way into the run I looked down to check my heart rate monitor and I had forgotten to start it. I like to keep track of my calories burned so I can get an idea of how hard 

Fifty

February 19th

Tonight I taught an advanced pen turning class at Woodcraft. I really enjoy teaching there. Not only do I like teaching, but it is a nice place to teach classes. They have all the equipment needed and the classroom is nice as well. Tonight I had 3 students, all of them had previous turning experience so we were able to cover some of the stuff in detail. Everyone made some nice pens. I will post a picture of my pen tomorrow after I assemble it. I did cut some grooves into it and glued some of the colored sawdust into it. Tonight's picture was taken with my iphone. 

Forty-nine

February 18th 

Today was just a regular day. I spent most of it homeschooling the kids and doing housework. Miles and I went for a walk around the neighborhood this evening. Not much else to report. I did make some really good green beans with dinner tonight. I used fresh beans and cooked them in the microwave to kind of steam them, then they went into a pan with some olive oil and seasoning and a bit of water to steam them a bit more. They were very good and they all got eaten. 

This picture was taken with my iphone.

forty-eight

This is most of the group I usually run with. There are a few others but they weren't there for the picture. That's me in the blue. I had a nice run on Sunday and again want to thank everyone I ran with. I hope to put in many more miles with each of you.

Forty-seven

February 16th

Tonight I went over to Dan Long's house and turned some pens for the troops. These pens are being turned and then sent to our troops serving overseas. Tonight Dan and I made 10 pens. I had a good time over at Dan's and the evening was even for a good cause. I just had the thought that the last 2 days worth of events were both helping others. (Cool) 

Forty-six

February 15th

Breast Cancer Half Marathon

I ran in my first half marathon 13.1 miles. My goal was to do it in under 3 hours. My time was 2:54:05 . I was very excited to do this. The whole race was quite an experience. The race was lined with people cheering us on. I ran with the same people I had been training with for the last several months so that was nice. I am holding my race number and also my medal for finishing. The best part was the people I have trained with. I have joined the Hammerhead Triathlon Club. They say "Pain is temporary; Pride is forever;Race Hard! I am sore today but I am proud of how I did. I am already training for the rest of the season , and thinking about future races. 

Forty-five

February 14

Happy Valentines day Today Tami and I went to the running expo for the 26.2 with Donna to support Breast Cancer Research. They had all things pink  there. I picked up my race packet and met some of the people from my running group. We then went to dinner and then we went and bought Tami one of those small notebook computers (A pink One) 

Forty-four

February 13

This picture was taken with my iphone. Ethan took this picture sitting in the back seat of the car tonight. It was taken through the tinted windows. I think I was shaking my head because I saw him taking pictures in the car and "I was thinking it is too dark none of those are going to come out" It isn't the greatest quality but I was impressed they even came out.

Forty-three

February 12th

Today I rode my bike to the bank. It is just a short way only about a mile each way. It didn't take very long and the weather was very nice. I enjoy Florida weather when it is like this. I was out riding in the sunshine just enjoying the day. I may go for a short bike ride tomorrow. The other thing is any errands I can do by bike save gas. Plus I can count them as training rides.  Now I have to ride 20 miles each week to meet my goal for the year. 

Forty-two

February 11th

Just another day at home today. School with the kids and some house work. Tami made it home for being out of town. We are always happy to have her back with us. We didn't go anywhere today. In fact I only went outside a few times today. The sad thing is it was such a nice day. Well, maybe tomorrow I will spend some time outside. I am trying to find other backgrounds to use in my pictures. This was taken with my iphone.

Forty-one

February 10

Today was a normal day for us school, errands and such. I also went for a training run with Laura. We did 3 miles. It took us about 36 minutes so it was slightly faster then normal. The afternoon I was feeling good about my run and then I saw Laura's son run by. He is very fast he does 3 miles in under 20 minutes. I have to keep telling myself he is young and has been running much longer then I have. The weather was very nice today it started out cool and warmed up into the 70's. It is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. This is just a picture I took in the kitchen with my iphone. Tami is out of town tonight and we are looking forward to her return tomorrow. 

Forty

February 9th 

Tonight I went to show my blog to someone and Blogger had removed it as a suspected spam blog. Boy, was I surprised. They had a link to go through to prove it wasn't and then they said they would have someone look at the blog in question. So it only took a few hours to have my blog restored and now I am back with my picture of the day. Samantha took this picture today while we were driving to dinner. It was taken on my iphone. The phone has a built in GPS and I was able to look in the info field and see exactly where we were when the picture was taken. If you look closely in my sunglasses you can see Samantha's reflection when she took the picture. I was also able to go out for a short bike ride today after the kids finished school. I rode 9.33 miles in 33 minutes  that averages out to 17 miles per hour. I am happy with that speed since it was windy and I stopped at the house to take off one of my shirts. I also attended the woodturning meeting tonight and was able to talk to several people and see what they have been up to. 

Saturday Group run Brdges

This is Saturdays Run. This was our last group training run before the Half Marathon with Donna next Saturday.

Thirty-nine

February 8th

Today I got to teach a bowl turning class at Woodcraft. I ended up with 5 students. I had a truck driver from Texas show up at the last minute and a Preacher from Atlanta the other 3 students were local. It was a good group. Everyone did well and all went home with bowls. Tonight after dinner Miles and I went for a walk in the neighborhood. We only did 2 miles as my leg was sore from yesterday. I have been struggling with my hamstring a bit and after running 7 miles yesterday it was a bit sore. I am trying to save myself for the race on Saturday. The kids watched Chitty Chitty bang bang tonight. I haven't seen this movie in quite a while. It is still pretty good:-)

Thirty-eight

February 7th

7,7,7 This morning I went running at 7 am on the 7th of February and we did 7 miles. The running was good this morning. We ran the bridges and down into San Marco. It was kind of cool but we all warmed up pretty quickly. Next weekend we have the half marathon. It will be good to wrap up all the training and do the race. I will miss seeing all the people I have been training with for the last several months. Some of us are going to do the Gate River Run so we will continue training. Then I am going to start training for the triathlons. I have joined a group to train for that as well. We rode down to the Warwicks to see the puppies they are fostering for the Humane Society. I am putting my bike away for the evening. I have a system for hanging it up out of the way. It works very well and I can walk under it with out any problems.