Disney is awesome.  The Vibe, The Race, The Medal.  I finished the race 35 minutes faster than I did last time.

Armed with a new training regiment and better legs, I was ready for the race.  I was relaxed, confident and looking forward to  enjoying the race and camaraderie of 20,000 people running together.

Training:

My training for the race was vastly different from the first one.  I trained with less miles, but with more intensity and simplicity.  My training consisted of yoga 4-6 times a week for 45-60 minutes, then running 3 times a week.  2 days of 4-6 mile runs with higher intensity, and then a long 8-14 mile run on the weekend for distance.  I knew that if I could run 1/2 a marathon, the full 26.2 miles is just a matter of mental willpower.  It worked.

The Race:

The first 15 miles were on cruise control.  Easy and steady at an 11:30 pace.  At 5 mile intervals, I would refill with a 1/4 of a peanut butter sandwich and a chunk of a banana.   Over the past year of training I learned that my body responds better to “natural” foods instead of the energy gels.  For me the energy gels were just a bunch of sugar.  For long distances, a good old fashion peanut butter sandwich did the trick.  After mile 15, I paced my self with a 1/4 mile walk every mile up to mile 19.  Mile 19 is where I hit the wall and walked the entire mile.  I wasn’t dead, just had to push through the wall.  I got to mile 22 and the hips and quads seems to smooth out.  The muscles knew that there was an end in site.  Just like last time, there were lots of people cheering us on.  The cheer leaders really mean a lot to the motivation to finish.  The best sign some made up said “You can do it random person”

I got in site of the finish line and heard someone scream my last name.  I looked left and saw my wonderful wife and two daughters at the finish line.  It meant the world to me.  They really support me going out and doing these crazy things.  It makes a father proud seeing them cheer me on.

Whats next:

Training for the Half Ironman in Haines City.

Pictures:

Pre-race with my fluorescent green running gear.  I will be seen.

Tebowing

Somewhere near the end.

The medal.  Awesome.

1 Bike kid trailer that can hold up to 100 pounds.

2 35 pound sand bags

Throw the sandbags in the kid trailer, strap them in and start riding.  Small hills become huge mountains and it is a challenge to maintain speed.  I kept a moderate place of 12-14 mph.  I get very weird looks from people I pass.

After I did this for a month on every ride, I took the trailer off.  I have super legs now.  I have gained 1-2 lbs of muscle and it is all in my legs.   Next step is to add another 25 pounds and keep up the same pace.

Saturday was a great ride.  60 miles total with lots of hills.  My Endurance is increasing. As long as I stayed fueled with peanut butter sandwiches and Bartlet pears my energy is strong.  The ride sucked too.  Mosquitoes and road rash.

Good parts of the ride:

1. 60 miles with hills, averaging 17-19 mph.
2. Courteously blowing past a group of riders and leaving them in the dust.
3. Getting passed by two guys that were flying.

Bad Parts of the ride

1. My rear tire blew out.  Not to big of a repair except I stopped next to a mosquito infested ditch.  Any where there was open skin the damn mosquitoes were on it.  Little Bastards.
2. With 15 miles to go, I hit the pavement hard.  It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.  The helmet probably saved me from a concussion;  and the $6.00 Walmart  SafetyGlasses protected my green eyes well. I totaled 9 wounds across elbows, knees, face, hip and back.  And even my eye !!  I had bust a blood vessel in my eye.  Pretty cool wound I guess.

Things I learned:

1. Carry a travel size spray bottle of Mosquito repellent in the box. Damn Mosquitoes.
2. Push through the hills, If I think a hill is too high, I just think of the downhill run.
3. Always wear a helmet.  Mine Saved my ass on this ride.
4. I don’t have to buy the energy gels, just peanut butter and pears.

1. Handcent for txt messages.  Much better interface than the built it one.  Free.
2. Twitter app from twitter.  Not the third party apps.
3. WordPress from WordPress:  I take alot of pictures on my phone.  I can upload them to my blog and then edit the post.  I could almost do the whole blog on the phone.
4. Facebook, for friends
5. CardioTrainer:  Great for bikes.  Tracks distance, speed and works like a charm.
6. TextsFromLastNight:  For the laughs.

I am writing a couple apps myself.

To keep my core strong I do 400 push ups and 120 pull ups per week.  It is basic, but it works.  Plus I can do them when I travel.  After stretching and a little bit of light yoga, I do 100 military grade push ups and 30 pull-ups.  I started with the goal of 40 push ups a week.  At first it was difficult to get through 5 push ups.  But now I blow through them.  My pecs / boobs start to hurt at about 80 but I work through them.  It took me about 3-4 months to get up 400 a week.  Not to mention that my upper body, shoulders and abs are looking damn good.

There has been a definite increase in my core strength.  Ab / core strength is very important for overall training.  I have felt an increase in my core strength, especially running and up hill biking.   My posture is better too.  Here is a good article on how to do a proper push up.  Next month my goal is 500 push-ups per month.

So push on.

1. Allen wrenches
2. 2 extra tubes
3. Duct tape
4. Zip ties
5. Leatherman pliers
6. Mini socket set
7. Razor blade
8. Vasaline – For getting the tire back on the rim
9. Tube tool
10. Tire Patch Kit

I added chain repair kit to my bag of goodies.  Also I added a couple extra links and locking links.  And I am able to get all this stuff into 2 bags, one bento box and one sandle bag.  It may add a extra pound, but I would rather be prepared and have a little extra weight.

Chain breaker / repair tool

Extra Links

I was looking through the pictures on my camera phone and found a picture of two cups of delicious chicken fat.

You actually get 2 clips that fit with the phone.  The full rugged one works great.

This is my favorite part of the case.  There is a removable lens cover that protects the 8mg camera.  The camera is great on the evo and the flap works well to protect the lens from dirt and scrapes.

The top clip that holds the phone in the holster locks.  This way if you bump into something the phone is not going to fall out.  With all the travel I do, this is a great feature for all the moving around I do.

This is the flaw.  On the flap for the power slot is too small for the plug.  You can still charge it, but you have to wiggle the case around the plug.

Its a good case.

Pre-Race

Relaxed,  I got a great parking spot and had plenty of time to setup and psych my self up.

Swim

For the swim I focused on not becoming winded and keeping a steady breast-stroke pace for the 1/4 mile in warm water.  I got kicked a couple times but did a good pace.

Bike

The transition was good, but I lost 30 seconds trying to get clipped in.  The exit of transition started immediately up hill and My aim was off.  But I got clipped in and headed up the hills.  My pace was steady, but I did not want to really push until the middle of the 10 mile distance.  I knew a good portion of the road course and where I could gain speed.  Once past the first two miles I pushed down the flats and got into a good cadence, with a smile on my face.  I love the bike.  They added hills to the route that I wasn’t expecting.  I didn’t try to muscle up them, but I need to do some more training on hills to be competitive next time.

Run

The path for the run was different with a hills in the beginning.  The first mile was fine, at a 9:40 pace.  But the second mile was hard.  It got very hot real quick, and I dehydrated.  I thought I had drank enough, but I did start to sweat a lot.  That was the brick wall.  The second mile was a run-walk combo which hurt y time.  The final mile was a jog and I finished in 1:29.

After Race

I met up with a couple people I know and socialized a little more.  Most importantly I got my t-Shirt.  I love my tri-shirts.

Things I Learned:

I need to start training during the day to get used to the heat.  I usually run at night.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate  I need to increase how much I drink during the bike phase and carry a bottle with me on the run.

I love doing Triathlons.

Next one in 30 days.   I am on target to do my iron man in October.

The heels of running shoes are made to take a good impact and absorb that shock before it enters the rest of your body.  But the more correct form is to land between the arch and the front of the foot. (I’m not a DR, just relaying my experience)  So on my next run I changed the way that I landed on my foot and took smaller steps.  Longer strides made my heels land first.  I needed to create more of a light stomping motion when I landed and use more muscle than heel.  It took a little to get the pace right, but the steps felt good with my feet and shoes.

I ran for 5.6 miles this way and I felt a difference.  Not a huge one, but I could definitely feel a difference.  My pace was steady and most importantly, no muscle or bone pain.  I have very very flat feet which I worry will prevent me from running as fast as I want to.  The “Light Stomp Running” I was doing seemed to work well and I felt no pain in my low low arches.  The next day, my muscles were a little sore, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I have an 8 mile run this weekend, and I will keep the same stomping going to see if it make a difference in my speed.

I am working to make my body do what it does naturally, with shoes.

Going faster this year:

After last year, I know what my base line times are.  This year, my ultimate goal is < 1 hour for the Sprint Triathlons.  With my new fancy Cannondale 9 and improved training, I am well on my way to getting there.

New Training; Make it simple:

1. Yoga and stretching everyday.  5 Basic exercises that cover the whole body and keep limber.
2. 120 push ups and 30 chin ups every other day.  Great overall strength exercises and simple to maintain. (My chest and abs look great too)
3. 100+ miles a week on the bike.  I get up at 4:00am and ride all the way to Clermonte and back twice a week.
4. 1 long distance run a week (2+ hours), with 2-3 interval sprint sessions (<1 hour).
5. Steps: Once a week I do 150 – 200 steps (Per Leg) on my 2 foot tall ottoman.  To hell with expensive gym equipment.

I know my body a lot better now; most importantly how not to hurt it.  The stretching is vital and it allows me to go faster.  Overall I am more relaxed about training and doing better this year.  Hell, I did a marathon this year, and now I want to go faster.

They are lettine people vote for the medals this year.  This is the one I like.

But its nothing like the first one I got:

Special thanks to Katy Widrick for the mention and inspriring me to get back blogging.

• 56 miles on the bike. Great weather. Plus I layed the hammer down and was passing people on hills. Just call me cantador jr. #
• I had forgotten how much I like running. A good 5.6 miles to night #

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I am faster than I was before.  Especially on the bike.  My legs seem to have gained strength.  My cardio isn’t the tops, but it is getting there.  Plus the weather is better now and I don’t have to wear a parka to go biking.  I did get some new bike shorts (Pearl Izumi select series)that make my ass feel much better.  Worth the 50.00.  They have great padding and rubber around the legs to keep them in place.  Very supportive too.

Raleigh Detour 21 inch (Large) for sale.
New Front Gears installed by Orange Cycle Works
Back Gears have 30 miles on them, installed by Orange Cycle Works
21 Gears for easy riding.
Big Comfortable Seat.
Handle grip gear changing.
Adjustable front shock.
Low Maintenance.

I have a new bike and need to sell this one.

View on Craig’s List: http://olink.me/6LpeHT

Please email if you have questions or would like to see the bike. Located in the Ocoee Area.