Full Plate of Racing Next Year

With triathlon getting more and more popular, nowadays you have to register for races a full year in advance. This is especially true with Ironman distance races. There are only 5 licensed Ironman races in the US and they all sell out, some faster than others. I have finished 2 Ironman triathlons before in 2000 and 2002, so it's been a while. Next year I am registered for 2 Ironman races, the first one is Ironman Arizona in mid April and the other is Ironman USA in late July. Arizona is held in Tempe and USA is in Lake Placid, NY. My best buddy, Danny, is also doing both and my brother Mike is doing Arizona with us. Training will be tough but with partners it's a lot easier.

10 Year Reunioun


I had my high school 10 year reunioun this summer......yeah. I really didn't want to go but my mom was persistent. I figured it could at the very least be a date with Lindsey? If there had been a trophy for the hottest girl there, Lindsey would have walked away with it, no contest. As I look back on the last 10 years I am truly happy and proud of what I (we) have accomplished. I am even looking forward to the next 10 years but probably not another reunioun!

Emma

This summer has been great. I love seeing Emma grow and do new things almost everyday.

Mike overalls Tri-Raider Sprint Triathlon

While I did not get to go and do the half ironman, Mike still went and did the sprint race. This race was his first of 2006 and I don't think he really knew how he'd do. Turns out he beat everyone who showed up pretty soundly. Good job bro!

No Buffalo

No Buffalo Springs lake Triathlon for me after all. The week before I was training hard and building my confidence that I could have a good race. Then on Friday I felt a sickness coming on and by early Sunday morning I had to go to the emergency room because of the pain in both of my ears. Turns out a had a virus that settled in my ears causing both of my eardrums to tear (and leak...gross). I couldn't hear, I had a fever, I was dizzy, and it was not very fun. I pretty much laid on the couch for 5 days, watched TV and napped.
As I write this now it is about two weeks ago that all of this started and although both tears have healed, I still cannot hear all that great. It has gotton better over the last couple of days but not near 100% yet. I have a Dr appt later this week and we will see if this is going to heal up naturally or if surgery could be an option.
I have started training again and actually just finished an hour and a half run here in Socorro. No swimming yet as Dr's orders. Coming up there is a 7k uphill running race in Magdalena, NM next Sunday. I won this race two years ago and I think I can do it again, no reason why not.

Exiting the swim in 30 minutes.
It was hard finding a rythm running on a golf course.

Hawaii 2006

So we just got back from the Big Island where we were on business and vacation. The business was the Ford Ironman 70.3 Honu triathlon. The triathlon was a half Ironman distance event which consists of a 1.2 mile ocean swim, a 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. I ended up having a great swim, a good bike, and a tough run and finished in 5 hours and 8 minutes. Not my best but not my worst. I think it was a respectable time considering the course and my training preperation. More than anything I think I have caught that triathlon "excitement" that has been missing for quite some time. This is my 10th year of doing triathlons and I think I have been doing a lot of just going through the motions in my training for the past 5 years. I read a quote the other day that said, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." Makes a lot of sense and rings true. I have been training hard since I got home and I have another half ironman distance race on June 25th in Lubbock, Texas. I have done this race several times before and have never had a good race there......this year I think things will be different.