Saturday, December 26, 2009

25 Weeks Post ACL Reconstruction

An update on a recent Physical Therapy appointment I had:

ROM: Excellent.  Full range of motion.
Pylometrics:  Poor.

Pylometrics: a type of exercise using explosive movements to develop muscular power, esp. bounding, hopping, and jumping.

My hopping and jumping on the operative leg is only 30 to 50% of my good leg.  I really haven't been working on pylometrics.  Instead I've been so eager to get back to marathons and triathlons that I've pretty much ignored it.  I thought that running would be good enough.  WRONG!!!

I will need to incorporate this into my workouts.  Without adequate muscular strength in the hamstrings and buttocks, I will be putting more stress on the knee joint.  Although I have enough strength for "slow" marathon running and biking, I definitely do not have the strength for high impact sports such as basketball, football, soccer, skiing, etc...  I will have to put aside any plans of skiing or pick-up basketball until late 2010 or 2011.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Rose Bowl Bike and Run

A great Ironteam workout at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena yesterday.  We had a bike flat tire changing session followed by numerous loops around the Rose Bowl.  We probably biked for about 90 minutes.  Afterwards I ran one loop around the Rose Bowl about 3 miles.  My legs felt heavy and lethargic initially.  It got a little better as I continued on with my run. 

After the workout, our Team met at a pizza shop for a teammate's fundraiser.  Donations were collected at the door and 15% of our bill was donated to the LLS as well.  There was even a raffle held as well.  I won a couple water bottles.  We gathered around the big screen TVs and watched the 2009 Vineman Tri that many of my teammates and mentors participated in.  Then we watched the 2009 Kona Ironman World Championships.  It was quite emotional to see our honored Teammate Kyle miss the swim cutoff by 7 seconds.  His 2009 Ironman dreams ended there.  But he will be back next year!

By the time I got home later that afternoon, I was tired.  I watched some college football bowl games, had dinner, and went to bed.  Now is another 24 at the hospital.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

5 months Post ACL Reconstruction: Las Vegas Half and Big Bear Trekking in the Snow

I caught a cold over Thanksgiving.  This put a major damper on my Ironman training.  I even considered withdrawing from last weekend's Las Vegas Marathon.  Since I had committed to go to Vegas with a friend and I had volunteered for the Kids Run, I decided to go to Vegas.  I started feeling a little better by Friday, so I decided to run just the Half marathon.  The Kids Run on Saturday was COLD!!!  Standing around with Temp in 30's and 40's was no fun.  But I'm glad the Kids had fun with their run.  The joy and sense of accomplishment on their faces match those that I see among my fellow runners at the end of their Half and Full Marathons.  Unfortunately, standing in the cold, passing out goody bags and medals to the kids for 3 hours made me feel worse.  I was coughing more afterwards.

The next day the Half Marathon started at 6:15 from Mandalay Bay Hotel/ Casino.  I was in wave 18 or 19 with the 2:30 pace group, so we didn't cross the start line until about 6:40  Race morning was cold, temp in high 30's.  I wore a cashmere sweater for the first 3 miles.  I finally started warming up, and ran the remainder of the race in a long sleeve tech shirt and my new pair of 2XU compression tights that I bought at the Expo.  I had only brought my regular running shorts to Vegas, but the cold weather convinced me to splurge over 100 bucks on these 2XU tights.  I really enjoyed running in them. I felt that extra support for my knee ( I wore my knee brace as well).  And I ran faster than I had planned.  I finished in just under 2:15  Highlights of the race include running down LV Blvd/ the Strip with the lights and seeing the race on many of the big screens in front of the casinos, having a full cup of beer as we past a bar near downtown, joining the Half Marathoners instead of continuing with the Full Marathoners at the split around mile 10, the last mile lined with supporters, taking a photo with a Showgirl at the finish, and the PF Chang brunch at the finish.

Then it was a drive back to LA with my friend and when I arrived home I had to pack for a snowy week in Big Bear for my son's Outdoor Science School.  I was a cabin leader for a group of 8 boys.  We drove up on Monday in a snowstorm.  By the time we arrived, it was Blizzard conditions.  The snow came sideways into the face and eyes.  I wished I brought my ski goggles, snow pants, and snow boots.  Instead I had a ski jacket, jeans, and waterproof hiking boots.  Fortunately the rest of the week we had clear conditions.  During the day I went along with the kids trekking in the snow, as they learned about plant and animal life, ecology, and geology.  At night I especially enjoyed the night hike and star-gazing.  One night the kids had a dance and that was fun as well.  I even cross-dressed and wore a dress; the kids loved my outfit.  Managing a group of boys was pretty stressful because they were on the verge of getting into major trouble and it was a challenge to keep the boys from going at each other.  Maintaining discipline is tough.  I allowed a little horseplay as long as it didn't get out of hand.  The best news was that an incoming storm system forced us to leave a day early.  Otherwise we might have been stuck on the mountain through the weekend.  That allowed me a day of rest prior to my 24 hour shift today at the hospital.

My knee is doing fine.  I even ran in the snow during the week without my knee brace.  My LV pace of about 10 min-miles is good.  If I can run the full marathon at that pace in Arizona next month, I will be very happy.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Rock n Roll San Antonio: First Aid to Collapsed Runner



Well another marathon completed and only 4.5 months since my ACL reconstruction.  Race day was warm and humid.  Temp started at 65 and went up to mid 70's.  Humidity was 92%.  By mile 17 the humidity took its toll on me.  I was running with the 5 hr pace group until that point, but I had to slow down and take more walk breaks after mile 17.  Still I was on pace for probably a 5 hr 5min finish.  Then at mile 24, I saw a down runner and people calling for a doctor.  I ran over to the collapsed runner and immediately started to provide first aid.  There were 2 other runners with a medical background who had stopped to provide assistance.  It turns out one was also an Anesthesiologist like myself and the other a OB nurse.  Fortunately the collapsed runner had a pulse and was breathing.  Unfortunately there was a pool of blood on the asphalt surrounding his head.  Blood was coming out of his Left eardrum.  That's bad news.  I knew that he probably fractured his skull and possibly an intracranial bleed.  We checked his pupils and they appeared to be equal.  A bystander attempted to call family members while we waited for the paramedics.  I put the runner's jacket under his head and tried to tamponade the bleeding.  By this time the collapsed runner was starting to moan and was moving his extremities.  We tried to ask him questions, but he was not coherent.  I encouraged him to take deep breaths, stay still, and told him the ambulance was on its way.

It always seems to take forever the waiting...  Finally the paramedics arrived, we gave them our report of what happened. Then the three of us who had stopped to provide first aid continued our marathon.  I felt an adrenaline rush and ran the last 2 miles with renewed vigor.  As I approached the finish, the cheering crowds, the "Go Team" chants from the Team in Training coaches and supporters inspired me across the finish line.
I finished in 5hr 12m 57sec

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

4 Months Post ACL Reconstruction: A New Season

My rehab is coming along well. I am currently tapering for the Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon on November 15th. Last night I ran a 4 miler. I started out jogging, but by the end I was probably at a 8 min/mile pace. I don't want to push too hard too long, so for my upcoming marathon my goal is 5 hours.

The big news this week is that I went to my first official Ironteam function of the new season. I met many of my former teammates who are now mentors or captains. I also met some of my new Iron-teammates for this season. I felt like the old veteran on the team facing a new group of rookies. I tried to help out with giving them tips on fundraising since that is a big concern for many of them.

The other big news this week is that I decided to switch from Vineman to Ironman Louisville. I figure if I'm going 140.6 miles, I might as well do it at an official "Ironman" race. L'ville is on August 29, 2010. That means an extra month of training with the wonderful coaches and support staff on the Greater L.A. Ironteam. I know that with their support and the support of my family, friends, and co-workers I can do this. I will be an Ironman !!!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/louisir10/neomedic

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

16 Weeks After ACL Reconstruction: Nike Marathon Finisher


I did it! Less than 16 weeks after ACL Reconstruction and Meniscal Repair, I ran a marathon. Yes, 26.2 miles in 5:22:06 I walked/ jogged the first 12 miles or so with my sister, who was competing in her first half marathon. Then as the full and half marathon courses separated, I said goodbye to my sis and continued onwards for 14 more miles. It was a big psychological challenge. I had to rely on will-power, determination, and faith to overcome the physical and psychological obstacles I encountered during these long miles. Remembering "Team in Training", my supporters, family, friends, co-workers helped. I dedicated these last 14 miles to my niece, Lizzy, who died earlier this year. Her memory also helped me overcome the challenges I faced. I knew that what I had to endure on race day was temporary. Unlike those battling Leukemia, Lymphoma, and other cancers, my trials and tribulations would end after a few hours. The survivors and those currently battling cancer are the real Heroes!

I was sore for a day or two, but now I've recovered and I'm already looking forward to the Rock n Roll San Antonio marathon next month.

Friday, October 16, 2009

3.5 months Post ACL Reconstruction: Nike Marathon Weekend

It's finally here. Sunday will be the Nike Women's Marathon. When I signed up for the random drawing in March, I convinced my sister and her girlfriends to enter the draw with me and if chosen they would be running their first half or full marathon on Oct 18, 2009. Well, we got chosen. From that group, I know one girl had to withdraw due to medical issues. I was not sure that I would be participating so soon after ACL reconstruction.

But I used this as a target date, a goal to shoot for during my rehab. I trained hard to maintain my cardiovascular fitness by swimming, biking, and later the elliptical machine. When I could, I started walking from a couple miles at first to over 18 miles by mid September. When I got the go ahead to run a couple weeks ago, I started by jogging at 13 to 15 min/ mile pace. This week I ran at 8 to 12 min/ mile pace for over an hour on the treadmill. I have also been on the roads training, my last long run-walk 12 days ago was a 20 miler. I have been working on my hamstring curls to regain strength in my hammies. Although I'm no where near 100%, I am ready to at least walk a half marathon and if my leg holds up run or jog the remaining miles of the full marathon. My goal is to finish before the 6.5 hour marathon cutoff.

I will be flying out to SFO tomorrow and hit the Expo at Union Square. Then its home to the Eastbay and get together with my sister and my parents. Sunday morning I will walk the first 12 miles with my sister. At this point the Half marathoners will head for the finish, while the Full marathoners continue through Golden Gate Park and then out to Lake Merced, before returning for the finish along the Great Highway. If I can get to mile 12 in 3.5 hours, I hope to run the next 14 miles in under 3 hours.

Friday, October 2, 2009

3 months Post ACL surgery

Since my last post, I've formally enrolled for the 2010 Ironteam. I will be competing in the Wildflower Long Course Tri and the Full Vineman Ironman distance Tri. I will once again raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My fundraising website is set up and I've got my first few donations already. Thank-you to my donors. 75% of the funds I raised last season will also roll-over, so thanks again to my past donors. Please make a donation if you are able to. The LLS is a worthwhile organization that is making a real difference in the lives of people dealing with Leukemia and Lymphoma. This year I'm dedicating my Ironman training to my niece, Elizabeth who passed away earlier this year. She was only 16. I will swim, bike, and run in her memory.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/VineFIrn10/neomedic

My PT and rehab is coming along well. I've been doing a lot of walking and crosstraining on the elliptical and stationary bike. I walked 18 miles 2 weekends ago! Yesterday I saw my ortho doc who gave me the green light to start running again. My ortho doc wants me to start with treadmill. I hate treadmill. Too boring. So I've started with jogging along the dirt paths in P.V. The paths are level and provide a softer surface than asphalt or concrete. I also walk and jog with my Vibram 5 finger shoes. These shoes simulate barefoot running. They provide a layer of protection for the soles of the feet without all the heavy support and cushioning devices found in the typical running shoe. The idea is to develop one's own intrinsic foot muscles. I also have better proprioception and tactile sensation with the ground. This is especially important since I lost some of that after my ACL surgery.

Check out their website: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

I will be walking the Nike Half Marathon in SF in 2 weeks with my sister, Cindy. This will be her first half marathon. She will be joined by some of her girlfriends. I'm looking forward to seeing the big Team in Training contingent at the race. I will be wearing my Ironteam tri-top.

Then in mid November, I will be walk/ running the RnR San Antonio Marathon. By that time, I will be 4.5 months after my surgery. I will be walk/ jogging a 20 miler this Sunday as a training run. Prior to my 3 week taper period, I will get another 20 miler in after the Nike SF race.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Weeks 10 and 11 Post ACL Reconstruction

Well, lots of progress, with a few setbacks. PT is going well. My therapist helped me get that last few degrees of flexion. So for the first time since my injury in April, I can actually kneel down completely on my knees now. While standing, I can lift my leg back and put the heel to the butt. Extension is pretty close to my "normal", just a slight difference. My quads are strong and muscle tone is coming back. My calf is coming back. However my hamstrings are still pretty meager. I need to work on my lunges with the elastic band and perhaps more work on the elliptical targeting the hammies. My therapist also wants me to start working on agility and she has me jumping side to side, from one leg to the other and back.
In terms of marathon training. I did a 16 miler ( walk, fast-walk). That went fine. Then a few days later, I tweaked my knee going downhill ( walking) during a 7 miler. I have slight anterior knee pain. I've been resting the last couple days. Perhaps I'll spend more time on the elliptical and in the pool this week.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Weeks 8 and 9 post ACL Reconstruction

Wow, time flies when you're active. I'm back on the road again. I've been busy with work and working out, so I haven't had time to blog.
In week 8, I started swimming laps: 60 to 90 minutes per session. Initially my knee bothered me with kicking, so I concentrated on just pulling water with my arms. Now I'm incorporating a little more kicking, but I'm careful because the ACL graft is still in its most vulnerable state. I also added stair master to my regimen which also includes Versa-climber, elliptical, and stationary bike.

This past weekend, I officially started marathon training. I walked 6 miles on Saturday in 90 degree heat. Yesterday I walked 11 hilly miles in 3 hours in 80 degree heat. Its great to be on the road along my favorite routes. However going so slow was a little frustrating. I'm accustomed to covering 18 to 20 miles in 3 hours. My plan is to walk the Nike "Women's" Half Marathon in October and to Walk/ Jog the full marathon at RnR San Antonio in November.

In terms of PT, I'm now working on balance and strengthening my hips and gluts. I got full extension of my Right knee. However I can hyper-extend my Left "good" knee, and unable to do so with my Right knee. In terms of flexion, I can flex 140 degrees which is considered excellent. However I can flex even more with my good knee, so comparatively I still need to go a little further to recover all of my ROM ( range of motion). These last few degrees may be the difference between just running a marathon or completing an Ironman versus setting new PRs or qualifying for Boston.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

7 Weeks (almost) Post ACL Reconstruction

It was fun and inspiring to see my teammates at Carlos and Marie's Victory Party last Saturday. Everyone looked so good. I usually see my teammates all sweaty in their tri or cycling outfits. It was nice to see everyone all dressed up. The other interesting observation was that one really couldn't tell that these people had completed an Ironman Tri a few weeks earlier. The Ironteam looked like normal people and they blended in with the rest of the crowd at the club. People were so humble with their accomplishment. I was congratulating everyone and told them how they have inspired me for next year. I hope to see many of them again on next year's Ironteam ( which will start in a few months, November!)

Which reminds me, I talked with our Ironteam campaign manager, Rachel. She says that she'll have my fundraising website up by October. So get ready people... I need your support to make this happen: Vineman 2010!!! Again thanks to everyone who supported me this year, the funds I raised went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society and I will be credited with 75% of the funds I raised in 2009 to apply to 2010. Which means my fundraising goal for Vineman 2010 will be about $2500.

In terms of my rehab, I went to a shorter and less bulky knee brace. This makes walking and exercising much less cumbersome. I'm now riding the stationary bike at level 15 to 18, keeping my HR in 150-160's. I also started the elliptical and the "Versa-climber".

Thursday, August 13, 2009

6 Weeks Post ACL Surgery

Well today is 6 weeks post ACL Reconstruction. I've been busy at work the last 2 weeks, catching up on a lot of admin stuff. Taking care of patients with a leg brace and a crutch has been a challenge as well. Hopefully I didn't freak out my patients. Many asked what happened to me. "Well I tore my ACL skiing, then last month I had surgery..."

The good news is that week by week I'm getting stronger. I finally got rid of the crutch and now I'm concentrating on walking "normally". I still have the leg brace and its bulky. I hope I can get rid of it and go to something less cumbersome soon. I'm also riding the stationary bike for an hour, 5 days a week. The other 2 days, I'm usually too lazy to go to the gym. Life is certainly different than before my injury when I was working out twice a day: swimming, biking, running... Ah, the "Good Ol' Days".

I'm looking forward to attending my former Ironteammates: Carlos and French Marie's Victory Party this Saturday. I hope to see my friends Louis and Edmund there. After training with them for 5 months from Nov to March, then again intermittently from May to June, I feel like they're related to me like distant cousins or something like that.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

The Missing Vineman

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to become an Ironman at the Vineman Triathlon. Instead of swimming 2.4miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles, I spent the day riding a stationary bike for 1 hour and following my Ironteammates on the internet as they competed. It was a bittersweet day. I felt happy and proud of my teammates, but I was sad that I wasn't a part of this wonderful experience. I'm determined more than ever to compete next year at Vineman.

My recovery from ACL surgery is coming along slowly. Due to my meniscus injury I was on crutches for the last month. The last few days I finally advanced to walking with only 1 crutch for support. I also finally started biking. The last couple days, I rode a stationary bike for an hour. Afterwards my knee is a little sore, but tolerable. The swelling in my knee is pretty much resolved. My knee is a little stiff in the mornings and I get a little tired at night. I'm looking forwards to walking normally in the near future. Running is still a few months away.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Week 1 ACL Reconstruction

I finally did it. I had surgery to repair my torn right ACL on July 2nd. I initially injured my knee 3 months ago on a ski trip to Calgary, Canada. That injury forced me to withdraw from the Wildflower Triathlon. I got better from the initial injury and started working out again, but my knee didn't feel entirely stable. So I decided to transfer to next year's Ironteam and proceeded with the surgery.
I got up at 3:30 AM had a cup of black coffee ( clear liquid), went through my pre-race routine (except for the eating part), and left the house at 4:30 AM with my wife and son. I decided to have the surgery at my previous hospital, where I knew the Ortho and Anesthesia docs well. This would also provide some privacy since everyone knows me at my current hospital from the security guards and janitors to the administrators, doctors, and nurses. There was a traffic accident, so we arrived at 5:45 AM. I registered and about 15 min later got called in to the Pre-op Holding room. I changed into a hospital gown, answered some more questions from the pre-op nurse, had an IV placed, and then waited for my friend who I selected to be my Anesthesiologist.
Soon my friend arrived and we discussed the anesthetic plan. I chose to have a continuous femoral nerve catheter placed which would provide me with numbing medicine ( local anesthesia) for about 48 hrs. I would also have a general anesthetic during the surgery, so I can sleep, wake-up and it would be all over.
Then the surgeon arrived and he examined my knee, went over my MRI and knee x-rays, and discussed the surgery. I chose to have a graft taken from my hamstring tendon to use as a replacement for my torn ACL. He reassured me with his expertise and caring bedside manner. He marked my right knee with his initials and then it was showtime.
My friend, the anesthesiologist, gave me an anxiolytic and I only briefly remember being in the OR, my leg twitching as they used an Ultrasound machine and nerve stimulator to place the catheter for the local anesthetic alongside my femoral nerve. He then placed a facemask over my face and had me breathe deeply as I went off to sleep.
The next thing I remember is being in the PACU ( recovery room). I had great nursing care. Saw my wife. Saw my surgeon. He discussed his findings. Apparently I had a meniscal tear, that wasn't present on the initial MRI. He repaired it during the surgery. He hopes that it will be successful, but if not, I may need another surgery for the meniscus. The ACL reconstruction went very well. Most likely I aggravated my meniscus after the initial ski accident, perhaps by returning to running too soon after the injury. If I was in my 20's, the surgeon said the meniscal repair would certainly be a success. However since I am 42, the body does not heal as effectively. I can only pray for healing and hopefully by keeping in shape all these years, my body will respond more like a 20 yo, than a 40 yo.
At home the nerve block provided about 36 hrs of relief, before the medicine in the pump ran out. I removed the catheter. I have been taking oral pain meds since with good relief. As the days go by the pain is more tolerable. I also have a cuff around the knee that attaches to an ice water machine. The machine pumps ice water to the cuff and is very effective in relieving pain and swelling around the knee. I try to keep my feet elevated either sitting or supine to minimize swelling. Swelling = pain!
So one week out of surgery, I'm getting around on crutches with a knee brace, and placing partial weight on my operated leg. I try to do ROM ( range of motion) exercises to prevent my knee from contractures. One problem is my Quads have shut down and I'm trying to wake them back up. I have a follow-up visit with Ortho tomorrow and my first PT ( physical therapy) appointment on Friday.
I have photos on my I-phone, at a later date I will place the photos on this blog.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Last Ironteam Workout

Last Saturday was my final Ironteam workout for this season. My ACL surgery is July 2nd. I will miss the camaraderie. I have serious fitness issues due to missing over 6 weeks of team workouts. I have attended a few select workouts that were less demanding. Last Saturday was one such workout. It consisted of a 4 hr + bike ride followed by a 2 hr run in Griffith Park. I spent more time on the bike 4.5 hrs to ride about 72 miles and then ran about 8 miles in an hour and 20 minutes.

I had trouble keeping pace with my faster teammates, but overall I had a pretty good ride. The run was slower than I would have liked. About 30 min into the run my knee started to ache a little, and by the end I was walking the last 15 minutes or so.

Coach Paul suggested that I postpone the surgery until after Vineman, given my progress with the recovery from my knee injury. I thought about it during my bike ride. I was by myself for most of the ride, so plenty of time to think.

Competing in Vineman would mean cramming the last 2 months worth of training that I missed, into the next month and still taper before race day. It would also mean most likely walking the entire marathon. Instead of shooting for a 13 or 14 hr Ironman, I would be looking at a 16 to 17 hr Ironman. Painful. I'm accustomed to finishing marathons in under 4 hours. It would turn a potential highlight of my life, into possibly the worst experience of my life.

No way. I'll have the surgery and come back a stronger swimmer and cyclist next year. My intial rehab the next 4 months would consist of swimming, cycling, and ellipitical machine. I also plan on working with weights to develop a stronger core which will help me become a stronger runner and triathlete. So even though my knee may never be 100% of my pre- ski accident condition, I'm going to do everything I can in rehab to become stronger all-around.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Barefoot 5K

I ran the Manhattan Beach 5k yesterday. It's a nice race on the sand. I have to say it's one of my favorite 5Ks. You get the hard core runners, the high school athletes, then the rest of us: Moms, Dads, kids, strollers. So while my Ironteammates rode down towards San Diego for a 100 mile bike ride, I ran my fastest 5K since my knee injury 2 months ago. I averaged 7:35 / mile. Not bad considering the fact that I'm facing reconstructive knee surgery in two and a half weeks. I even came in 10 th place in my division.
Now the bad news is that my right calf started hurting during the last mile. I sucked it up and finished the race, but I was unable to sprint to the finish like I usually do. It definitely wasn't cardiovascular. I felt that if it wasn't for my calf giving out, I probably could have shaved off another minute from my finish time of 23:31
So now I'm on call for 24 hrs at the hospital ( while my teammates are out running 20 miles today!) My calf is still sore and I'm walking with a slight gimp. I've got the Salon Pas applied to the calf today. My aches and pains probably can't compare to those of my teammates after this weekend. ( Bike 100 miles / Run 20 miles)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Barefoot Running Ironteam Style and LA River Ride

On Saturday I had a "fun" workout with the Ironteam. We were doing loops which consisted of a 14 mile ride in Brentwood ( Amalfi / Golf Course Loop) followed by a transition and then a 1 mile run on San Vicente. And then repeating the loop again and again and again...
Although I'm not in shape for a 80 miler, I figured I can do as many loops as possible and then stop when I'm "out of gas". So it was a great opportunity to see my Ironteammates and coaches again.
I knew about the loop bike course ahead of time, but didn't realize we were running right off the bike. I had assumed that we were just biking for 4 or 5 hours and then running for an hour afterwards like our typical brick workouts. So I didn't bring my running shoes!!! (I'm recovering from torn knee ligaments)
So on Saturday, I improvised. I finished the bike section of each loop, took off my bike gear, cycling shoes and socks, then took off barefoot!
Ahh the joy of barefoot running. It was like being a kid again. Fortunately San Vicente Blvd has a large grassy area in the middle dividing the opposing traffic. Running barefoot on grass was enjoyable. Unfortunately crossing the road and the occasional dirt sections were a little bit uncomfortable, especially the fourth time around.
Barefoot running strengthens the foot muscles and uses different muscle groups in the legs and hips such as the calves and hamstrings. It also helps improve coordination and balance. I'm not a stranger to barefoot running since I regularly participate in 5Ks, 2.5 milers, 4 milers, and even 5 mile races held on the beach. I even have a couple age group awards for a 2.5 mile race and a 5 mile race that I ran back to back the same morning last year at Hermosa Beach. In fact I have the Manhattan Beach 5K coming up this upcoming Saturday. Running barefoot on the beach with the waves crashing in is just plain old fashioned fun! I recommend it.
Well going back to the loops... I finished each of the first two loops in an hour ( bike + transition + run). By the third time up Amalfi (hilly), I was tired and had to slow down. ( 1hr 10 min). The fourth time through the loop ( 1hr 10min), the fun was fading fast and the monotony and fatigue was setting in. My legs were starting to ache during the uphill portions of the course. What's worse, the soles of my feet were also starting to hurt. On grass they were fine, but the asphalt / cement sections were starting to take their toll. So after a 4 hour 20 min workout, I called it quits. I stretched during my cool down, said my goodbyes to the coaches, and then headed home for a much needed shower and nap.
On Sunday I participated in the LA River Ride. They offered rides up to 100 miles. I participated in the Family Ride which was only 10 miles. I rode my comfort bike with the cushy seat, wide tires, and upright riding position. It was a relaxing way to recover from the strenuous workout the day before. Afterwards I attended a local carnival and street fair then watched an exciting Lakers game.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

The End of Ironman Training 2009

Breaking News: As much as I enjoyed working out with the Ironteam after my injury, I realized that I'm about 2 months behind in fitness compared to my teammates. My peak fitness was 8 weeks ago, the day before my ski injury when I ran 14 miles in under 2 hours at high altitude in Canada. I could confidently tackle hilly 65 mile bike rides. Now a 3 or 4 hour ride would be considered a major success, and my longest run after the injury was the 7 miler I jogged yesterday. As the Ironteam workouts now extend to 85 and 90 miles, I realized that I don't have the confidence to tackle these arduous workouts. It's also been tough to keep up with the swim sessions. Since I won't be competing in Vineman this year, family obligations are now a priority. Work is also a big priority now, since I will be taking a month off in July to recuperate from my ACL surgery. I need to finish up projects and administrative duties prior to my surgery.

So this is the end of my Ironteam training for this season. But I'll be back in 6 months for another Ironteam season. I will definitely miss the friends I made this season; my teammates, mentors, and coaches. I hope to drop in from time to time at the team workouts to encourage my teammates and hopefully draw inspiration from them as I face rehab.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

LA Marathon 5K

I was post-call Memorial Day, but that didn't stop me from participating in the LA Marathon events. I didn't get off my 24 hr shift until 6:30am, too late for the Bike Tour that started at 5am. My knee is not ready for the full marathon, and I'm probably not in marathon shape anyways. So I participated in the 5K. Despite the lack of sleep, I had fun. I had no time goal since I'm injured, but I tried to push myself as much as my knee could handle. I actually jogged! Yes, forwards running and not backwards running. The event was too crowded for backwards running.
The first half mile was packed with walkers, strollers, and even people marching with signs and banners. This is L.A. I saw people of all nationalities, the mentally disabled, the blind, the wheelchair participants, men, women, and children. The water stations were manned with enthusiastic volunteers. This was the best 5K water station I have ever seen. I guess they were set up also for the full marathon, since we ran on the same route as the first few miles of the full marathon.
I have run the LA Marathon the last 2 years. It was hard to miss it this year, but I guess even if I wasn't injured I would have had to skip it since our Ironteam coaches forbade the team from running in the marathon. I recommend the L.A. Marathon to any runners who enjoy the big city experience. The city comes out to support it. Crowds cheer you on as you run through the different ethnic neighborhoods of L.A. It's a great way to get a ground level view of this city and the people that make up this city.
Post-race I took a well deserved nap. Then after a late lunch, I had a short hilly bike ride in P.V. My 5K time was 39min and 14 sec. Not too bad considering I walked the first mile, and then jogged the rest. Better than the 55min 5K in P.V. 3 weeks ago.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mandeville Canyon Ride

It was nice to see the Ironteam again. I missed our last couple swim sessions and also our team 90 mile bike ride last Saturday. However yesterday was just like old times ( except for the 1 hour run). We had an easy "brick" workout which consisted of a 2 hour ride and a 1 hour run. The ride was up Mandeville Canyon Road. This road is steep and long, but what goes up must come down. The long descent was fun, fun, fun. My fitness level has gone down, but I was able to hang with the middle of the pack. Hopefully, I'll get my fitness back before my surgery. ( More on that later in a separate post.)
The run was a new experience. I've been mostly walking since my injury 6 weeks ago. ( R knee ACL and MCL tear). Now my knee feels pretty stable and pain free. Once in a while if I mis-step, I feel a slight wobble as if my tibia is misaligned. A couple weeks ago I started with a little backwards running on my toes. Yesterday, I started by walking. That was too boring, despite the nice scenery of Santa Monica, California. So I started short bursts of backwards running. That was fun and got my heartrate up and I was even sweating. Of course, with backwards running you have to keep your head turned around repeatedly to make sure you're not going to run into someone or something. You also have to endure some stares and the wiseguys shouting, "Lookout!" when there is nothing behind you. Oh well, this is Santa Monica, close to the craziness that is Venice Beach and "Muscle Beach" . So I don't think I was that unusual. I walk/ran an out and back to the Santa Monica Pier. On the return part, I was afraid I was taking too long and that my Ironteam would be waiting. So I started a slow jog forwards. This was my first jog since my injury. I shuffled my feet to minimize knee impact. My knees felt fine, but its hard running this slow. I felt like a 60 year old could beat me. ( No offence to the 60-yo age-groupers who probably could beat me even when I was healthy.)

Monday, May 11, 2009

Conejo Metric Century Ride

Saturday, I went on the longest bike ride yet of the season. I did the Cruisin the Conejo 2009 ride. I did the Metric Century/ 68 mile ride that offered moderate hills. They also had a challenging 62 miler over the Santa Monica Mountains, a 100 miler, and also shorter distance rides of about 30 miles. This was my first substantial ride since my ski accident a month ago. I was worried that I couldn't keep up with my Ironteammates who were basically on a recovery ride from last weekend's Wildflower Tri. I rode with the team to the first aid station, then on the next leg which provided some moderately steep hills, I decided to push myself. I went ahead of my group to the next aid station. I waited for them for about 15 minutes. As they were arriving at the station, I went ahead with the next leg of the ride. By the next station, I was about 20 minutes ahead. I again waited/ relaxed and when they arrived, I went on to the finish. I was already chowing down on the post-race food when my teammates arrived at the finish. I hope they're not upset. Many thought that I had cut the ride short due to my injury. Instead I used this ride to gauge my current fitness.
The highlight of the ride was riding through the strawberry fields, the fresh scent in the air, and the boy scouts who served at the aid stations. They even held your bike while you relaxed, refueled, and hit the port-a potty. The downside to the whole day was the drive back home. I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the 101 and the 405 for 2 hours!!!
Oh, I ran across a friend, Susan, from my running club, AREC in Long Beach. She is also a cyclist and rode the 68 miler. I enjoyed seeing her again and having post-race lunch with her. She informed me that her Mom is sick in the ICU at UCLA and was dedicating her ride to her Mom. Later I got an email that on Mother's Day ( yesterday), her Mom turned the corner and is now more awake and alert. Best wishes to Susan and her Mom. Let's send out our prayers and positive vibes to them. Thanks.

Monday, May 4, 2009

PV and OC Marathon

Instead of competing in my first half Ironman distance Triathlon, I spent the weekend at two local races. While my teammates traveled to Nor Cal and camped out at Lake San Antonio in the rain, I stayed in the comfort of my home in PV. ( But I missed them greatly...)
Last Spring, I completed back to back marathons in Washington DC and then Atlanta, Georgia. This time, since I'm still recovering from my ski injury, I walked the 5K at the PV Marathon/Half/ 5K event on Saturday and volunteered at the OC Marathon on Sunday. I usually run a 5K in 21 or 22 minutes. This time I took 55 minutes! Wow I don't know how people have the patience to walk a marathon. I'm not use to being this slow and I was itching to run, but I know my knee is not stable yet.
On Sunday, I got a chance to do something that I've always wanted to do, serve as a race volunteer. Usually I'm running in the race, but now with the injury, I could still be a part of the marathon as a volunteer. I brought the kids and we helped at the mile 19 / 20 water / powerade station. It was fun to hand out the water and to cheer on the runners as they hit the WALL. We got a lot of "Thank-you for being out here" from the runners. That certainly made us feel good about volunteering.
Later Sunday, I biked on the hills of PV for the first time since my injury. I'm not as strong as before and went slower, but I was able to climb the hills without any pain. I did feel some knee discomfort when I tried to pedal standing. I'm hoping that with improved conditioning, I should be back to my previous cycling form soon. I'm hopeful that I will be able to join my Ironteammates at next weekends cycling workout.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Big Sur Marathon

I just returned from my favorite Marathon of all time. And I've done quite a few. The Big Sur International Marathon. The race is well organized. The volunteers are great. The scenery is unbelievable. I feel like I'm in a dream world. I told my friends and colleagues that when I ran it in 2007 I was in a Zen like state for 26.2 miles. This year was different, but special as well.

I was suppose to compete in the Wildflower Long Course Tri next weekend. So I planned a nice taper / break from Ironteam training by organizing a Relay team from work for the Big Sur Marathon. As my readers will know, I injured myself 2 weeks ago in a ski accident. I tore my MCL and ACL !!! in my right knee. Ouch!
So I wasn't sure I could still participate in the marathon relay. But thanks to the support of my teammates and their understanding, I walked the last part of the relay and crossed the finish line with another teammate, our hands held up in triumph. We completed the marathon in 4:27:19
This race was special because it was a team effort where my teammates had to carry my load, because of my injury. We had a wonderful team "carbo-loading" party the night before the race at a home in Pebble Beach. And of course the beautiful scenery combined with the cheering crowds makes this 2009 edition of Big Sur precious.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Hanging out with the Team

I joined the Ironteam at the last swim practice before Wildflower. It was nice to see everyone again. Its been hard being away the last couple weeks. After their swim practice, which was very entertaining to watch, we went over to Backstage Bar to relax and watch the end of the Lakers game.
Everyone on the team looked great. They are ready for Wildflower. I wish I could join them. However the bad news is that I do have an ACL tear. My options are to live without my ACL which would limit the type of activities that I could do from now on. No more skating, skiing, basketball, soccer, hiking or running on rough trails, basically nothing that would twist my knees. I can still swim, bike, and run in a straight line.
Option 2 is to go for Vineman without the surgery and then afterwards have the surgery. The downside is that I would be at risk of re-injuring the knee in a freak accident and possibly causing more damage. The fear of this happening might impair my performance in any future race or even training session.
Option 3 have the surgery now, go through rehab of perhaps 6 months, and come back in time to join next year's Ironteam. Coach Paul said the Ironteam will always be there, and he would have the surgery. My friend, Louis, advises me to go for the surgery, because I will have many more marathons and triathlons in my future.
Option 3 is sounding like the best choice. What do you think?

Friday, April 17, 2009

Ski Accident

The worst possible thing that could happen, happened. I went skiing in Calgary / Banff over the kids' spring break and hurt my Right knee. It happened on the last day in the late afternoon. I wanted to go on an intermediate run after spending the day on beginner slopes with the kids. I had gone down a couple intermediate runs on a previous day. However, it had been almost 13 years since my last ski trip. And I realize now, I am not as flexible or balanced as I was back then. Even in my younger days, I was never a good skier. So with the warm weather as the afternoon progressed the snow got more icy and slippery. I tried to come down slowly by going in S shapes down the slope. Then my right ski got caught in the hard icy snow and as I fell my ski boot would not release from the ski. I felt my R knee twist and "pop". I flipped and finally came to a stop. Fortunately the ski patrol came by and got me down with a sled. I went back to the hotel and rested and iced the knee. This happened on the same Saturday my Ironteammates were out on their 65 mile ride. I wish I was with them.
I returned to LA the next day, and even hobbled around and went to work on Monday. I got checked out at the hospital by my Ortho colleagues. I got my MRI and the news is not good.
I tore my MCL and possibly my ACL too. The MCL will heal in about a month, but if the ACL is involved I'm probably looking at surgery. The treatment now is rest, ice, compression, elevation, and Motrin. I will get reevaluated next week. My rehab will consist of swimming and biking, and elliptical machine, but no running. Wildflower is wiped out now, and Vineman is a question mark.
I talked to Arkady, coach Paul, and Rachel, our campaign manager. They all want me to get well and participate in the rest of Vineman training and hopefully I can swim, bike, and walk Vineman. Worse case scenario, I will transfer most of my funds raised and apply it to next year's Vineman.
It's hard adjusting to the transition from training so hard for Wildflower ( I completed the swim, bike, and run workouts in Canada at high altitude and even ran 14 miles in 2 hours the day before the accident) And now being on bedrest with my foot elevated and an ice pack on my knee!
I'm pretty depressed. I always took running for granted. It was so effortless, unless I was pushing 7 min/ miles. Now a fear I have is that I won't get back to my previous running form with a bum knee. I still dream of becoming an Ironman. I still dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon someday. Hopefully with the support of family, friends, coaches, and teammates, my dreams will still be realized one day.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Long Beach Swim / Bike / Run

A nice 5 hour workout yesterday in Long Beach. We had great weather, a bit chilly at first, but warmer later on. Our Ironteam started with an open water swim. We had drills where we run into the water, swim out to a buoy and back to shore. Run along the beach towards the next buoy, jump in the water and repeat the swim to this next buoy. This repeated itself several times, and finally we could just swim from the last buoy back to the first and then swim back to our transition zone. The swim was fine. The getting in and out of the water and running / walking on the beach was tough. I started to get light headed and winded from this. Going from supine swimming position to upright running position causes increased workload on the cardiovascular system. Repeating this over and over in a short period of time was definitely a strain on the system.
When the swim was over in about 30 minutes, I felt that I could swim for another 30 minutes.
The bike was fine. Pretty flat terrain although we did have a strong headwind going out. Compared to Wildflower, Mulholland, and Latigo this ride was rather boring.
After a 3 hour ride, it was back to transition and then off for a 1 hour run along the beach path. I felt strong and could easily run another hour or two.
After lunch and a nap, I went to work the night shift at the hospital. Despite the nap, I still felt tired. Oh well, I have a nice Spring Break coming up. I'm going up to Canada next week for skiing and I'll try to get the rest of my workouts in too.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Ironteam Wildflower Training Weekend

I spent the weekend in beautiful Lake San Antonio in Monterey County, about an hour from Paso Robles, CA. It was a 4.5 to 5 hour drive from LA. I drove up Friday morning with my Ironteammate Edmund. Having a carpool buddy makes the drive less monotonous and we talked about work, training, fundraising, and families. We had great weather with daytime temp in 70's and 40's at night. Food was OK as well. A group from our LA Ironteam cooked the meals as a fundraiser. $55 was well worth it. I appreciated not having to deal with the extra stress and headache of meal preparation and clean-up. The weekend was also a chance to talk to the other teammates and mentors. Just hanging out by the campfire in the afternoon and evenings was enjoyable.

We shared our campsite and training activities with a few other Team in Training groups from California. Some groups were training for the Wildflower Olympic distance race, and others for the Wildflower Long Course (Half-Ironman). We had groups from LA, Silicon Valley, Central Cali, Sacramento, and Monterey County. I believe the Silicon Valley group did the entire Long Course on Saturday. They were partying all night Saturday. That's where the ear plugs came in handy. Our LA Ironteam did the swim and 56 mile bike on Saturday. We ran 13.1 miles on Sunday.

Now to the specifics: the swim started early Saturday morning. There was a nice mist hanging over the Lake. It was a beautiful sight and I would have appreciated it more if I was in my hiking outfit. Instead I was stripped down bare-chested with just my tri shorts and trying to climb into my wetsuit. I remembered Body Glide this time and I applied it liberally. Some of my teammates forgot and suffered rubber burns on their neck afterwards. I learned my lesson. ( See my earlier post about rubber burns and other misadventures...)
Jumping into a cold lake was no fun. I was nervous, but not as nervous as I was with my first tri at the Desert Triathlon earlier this month. We had a warmup swim to the first buoy and back. I could feel my heart beating fast and my breathing pattern was rushed. I told myself to relax, but I still didn't feel entirely comfortable. Then after the warmup, it was a quick pep talk from the coaches and we were off. I swam a little bit aways from the other swimmers. I found my own rhythm and just followed the other swim caps ahead of me. It worked great. Before I knew it, I was at the first buoy, passed the second, and then the third. I pictured myself as a fish during the swim and concentrated on pulling water. The return to the pier was much quicker than the swim out. I only swallowed water towards the end as I was trying to avoid another group of swimmers swimming out from the pier. (They were from a different Team in Training group.)

The bike was a relief. Anything out of the water is a relief for me. I just settled into a rhythm. The coaches had scared me with their description of the Wildflower Long Course the evening before. It is a back-end loaded course. The race really begins after mile 41, with "Nasty Grade".
So during the first portion of the ride, I tried to save my legs. I didn't go all out, especially since this is a training weekend. I tried to remember the different sections of the course. Dealing with traffic on the roads was no fun, but at least on race day the roads will be closed. Some of the roads were very rough. My forearms were rattling. From about mile 20 to 30, I spent most of the time on my aero-bars. I finally started to get more comfortable with breathing in this position. I definitely picked up a couple mph in the aero position. I saw wildlife, including 3 vultures over a headless carcass of a boar. I saw some pretty orange wildflowers. We passed by several vineyards. Finally I hit "Nasty Grade". It was steep, very steep. I was going at 4 mph. I kept the legs churning. It kept going and going, but the words of encouragement that some of the coaches and mentors had written on the road with chalk inspired me to keep going. Coach Paul was riding down the hill and giving me words of encouragement as I was going uphill. ( I learned that he rode up and down Nasty Grade numerous times to support the team) At this point in the day it was getting hot. I had sweat pouring down my face. I ride with a Camel-bak and my fluids were getting low. I had 1 water bottle left on my bike. It was a great relief to get to the top and see the aid station. This was the only station I stopped at during the ride. I refilled my Camel-bak with water and that water tasted so good! That short 2 to 3 minute break gave me the energy to power through for another hour to complete the ride. I was happy with my 3 hr 53min time.

Sunday morning run: Again a beautiful mist hung over the lake. It was a bit chilly at the start, but once I started running my body started to heat up. The run course was mostly off road on dirt trails through rolling terrain. There was a steep grade early in the run. Many people walked it, but I just kept chugging along. I live in a hilly area, so I've trained for hills. I enjoyed the run the most. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery. On the bike it's difficult to do that, since you're looking at the road ahead and watching out for traffic. There were no mile markers, so it was hard to pace myself. I just treated this as a training run and went by feel. I wanted to run faster than easy long run pace, but not at race pace. I tried to run a negative split, but I didn't know where the halfway mark was. I think I did pick up the pace towards the end. I finished in 1 hr 45 min for 12 miles; this included one restroom break and 1 waterstop to refill my water bottle at an aid station. ( I started my stopwatch after the first mile, which was a warmup mile with the entire team.)

I skipped the optional swim session after the run. I had to pack my camping gear, load the car, take a quick shower, and head back to LA. All in all, an action-packed weekend.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Mulholland Hwy 60 mile ride

We had an intense 60 miler from Calabasas, over the Santa Monica Mountains National Rec Area, down to PCH in Malibu, and back over the mountains to Calabasas. I was told by my mentor that we climbed over 6000 feet. I covered this mountain terrain in a respectable 4.5 hours. The ride was challenging, but fun. The sense of accomplishment at the end of the ride made all the pain worth while.
The only downside was nearly getting clipped by a crazy motorcyclist early in the ride. Our Ironteam was riding in a pack. Early in the ride we were still bunched up. As we started going up a slight incline, I tried to pass a small group ( about 3 across). Our group was taking up the entire lane, and I passed to their left, but still on our side of the double yellow line separating from oncoming traffic. I can usually hear cars from behind, but this motorcyclist zoomed past from behind on the other side of the double yellow, but close enough to me so that I could feel the breeze go by. That sure woke me up. Needless to say my coaches were constantly reminding me to stay on the side of the road the rest of the ride.
Today I'm working a 24 hr shift at the hospital, so I'll get my 1hr 45 min run and swim session in tomorrow.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Latigo Canyon Ride, Malibu, CA

Yesterday was a fun workout. We had our biggest climb to date: Latigo Canyon in Malibu. This is a 2000 ft climb over 9 miles of switchbacks. Never too steep, but steady uphill. It makes for a nice hour to hour and 15 min climb. The reward is panoramic vistas, the feeling of accomplishment at the peak, and then the thrill of riding downhill at high speed. Going downhill was fun, mixed with a hint of danger. Tackling these curves at high speeds required hands on the brakes, and good balance between rider and bicycle. At one point, I approached a turn too fast and had to hit the brakes hard or else risk going over the edge of the road. That would not have been pretty. I made it safely back to the car and it was time for the run.

We ran up to the beautiful campus of Pepperdine University. Wow what a place to go to school. I would have had a hard time concentrating on my studies if I went there. How can you lock yourself away all day in a library when the beautiful ocean and grand trails and roads await? Well for a Saturday, the campus was remarkably quiet. Either the students were still sleeping in, or else they were out and about in the great outdoors. I did run into some students, probably Greek frats and sororities, running some kind of obstacle course set up in a field.
The highlight of my run was running with a couple of my Iron teammates on the Pepperdine track. We had a beautiful view of ocean and hills. We ran a mile and it turns out it was a 7 min mile. Not bad considering I wasn't running for time and was just enjoying the view.

Afterwards we got free 15 min massages from LA Sports Massage. They promote sports massage as therapy to-- Enhanced athletic performance - Fewer injuries - Restored flexibility and range of motion - Faster recovery from injury - Removal of lactic acid buildup. I felt good, but could have used a longer, perhaps 60 to 90 min, massage.

I can't wait to see what comes next in our training. Our Wildflower Training Weekend is coming up in just 2 weeks.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Desert Tri Race Report

After a few days to digest what happened over the weekend, I'm finally ready to post my race report.

Saturday: Ironteam 4 hour bike ride from Malibu ( Pepperdine) to Camarillo and back. 64 miles. 1:45 to Camarillo and 2:15 back to Pepperdine. ( Strong headwind)
Off to La Quinta to pick up race packet, followed by Ironteam swim at the lake ( site of Desert Tri).
A team dinner followed by return to motel to set up and prepare for next day's race.
Poor sleep.

Sunday: Time change = 1 less hour of sleep. Dress in Tri outfit, warm clothes, load car with bags and bike. Arrive at park shortly after 6am. Head over to transition area to set up. I talked to the triathlete next to me and explained that I was about to compete in my first Tri. He was very helpful and gave me some tips and pointers. After setting up, it was time to line up for the restroom. Afterwards I returned to the beach to watch the start of the Sprint Triathlon which started at 7am. At 7:30, I returned to transition zone and got into my wetsuit. In the excitement, I got my R leg in correctly, but I stuck my L leg into the L arm slot. My new acquaintance helped me pull my leg out of the arm slot. It wasn't easy! After getting the wetsuit on, I headed over to the beach to meet coach Paul and my teammates.
At 8am the first wave started for the International Distance Tri. I waited for the last wave. Finally the time came: the start of the swim.

Swim- 40:57
I started off fine and tried to draft off the swimmers in front. Initially it worked, but I made the mistake of going out too fast. A few hundred yards into the swim, I started to feel short of breath and my heart was beating like a jack-rabbit. I looked around and saw some swimmers heading for the shore. Oh Oh. Negative thoughts crept in. Perhaps I'm not ready. I still have a long way to go. I don't want to drown ( probably impossible with a wetsuit). In hindsight, I was probably having a panic attack. I waved down a lifeguard on a surfboard and grabbed hold of the board. I explained that I needed to catch my breath. After a minute, I felt good enough to continue. I told myself if I quit now, I'll spend the rest of the morning ( the next several hours) regretting it and getting bored while waiting for my teammates.

Where is the buoy? The rising sun was in the same direction as the first buoy. This meant I couldn't see it. Being a novice to open water swimming, this really bothered me. I had no other swimmers to follow since I was in the back of the last wave. I saw a few swimmers around, but they seemed to be disoriented, too. I swam to another surfboard and paused to get my bearings. I asked the lifeguard, where is the buoy? After getting re-oriented, I continued on. I rounded the buoy and then saw the second buoy off in the distance. It seemed a long ways away. I was thinking, "Wow this 0.75 mile swim is long. How am I ever going to swim 2.4 miles during the Ironman Tri?" ) That was a little discouraging, but at this point I could not give up even though the thought crept in "I hope I'm not the last one out of the water".

Zig-Zag Swimming. I would swim a little, sight, and realize I was now looking at the buoy from a different angle. I tried to correct, but was having difficulty. I paused at another surfboard to regroup then continued. A little while later, I went to another guard to assess what was happening. He mentioned that I'm left arm dominant and I pull more with the left arm, causing me to drift left. Great! Now I tried to aim right, in order to hopefully go straight for the buoy. Eventually I reached the second buoy. By this time I'm tired! I must have already swam a mile with my zig-zagging. I rest at another surfboard, then made the final push to shore.
I was thinking, "Get me out of the water, please! I can't wait for the bike and the run." (After the race, I asked coach if I was the last one out of the water. He reassured me that there were a couple people behind me. Whew!)

T1- 4:39
Trouble getting my legs out after I got the wetsuit down to my knees. It seemed like it took forever. Maybe it was hypoxia. I was still feeling light-headed from the swim. At least I remembered the helmet and sunglasses. I took a drink from my water bottle.

Bike- 1:18:52
The first lap I was so far behind, I didn't see any riders at first. I thought I was lost. Then came the lead riders lapping me as they came by for their second lap. They were on their fancy aerodynamic Tri bikes with the special Aero wheels! They went by so fast! I want those wheels! I was riding upright during most of the first lap and my legs and butt felt tired from the 4 hour ride the day before. Since most of my riding had been in hilly areas and in areas with lots of traffic, I have not used my aero bars very much. I decided to give it a try during the race and I started to bike faster. I also took in some nutrition in the form of Powerbar Gel Blasts. I also noticed there were no port-a-potties on the bike course. My bladder was getting full.
The second lap I went much faster in the aero position. As I passed other riders one by one, I started to get my confidence back. Before long the ride was over.

T2- perhaps about 2 min
I changed quickly into my running shoes and put on my cap. I had finished my 1 water bottle on the bike, so I took a drink from my 2nd bottle at my transition zone. I also grabbed another packet of gel blasts.

Run- perhaps about 50 min
The first steps felt a little awkward, but eventually I got my running legs back. I was glad to see alot of runners on the course although some of them were on their 2nd lap while I was on my 1st lap of the run course. I jumped into a Port-a-pottie and relieved my bladder. Now I was ready to run. I tried to make up for lost time. I passed quite a few of my teammates. As I finished the first lap and saw the people crossing the finish line, I was envious. They were finishing sub 2 hr 30 min. I kept running and ran past my friend Louis. He was surprised to see me coming from behind. He thought I would be far ahead. I told him I really struggled through the swim. He motivated me by saying that another teammate Carlos was up ahead. If I beat him, Louis said he will buy me lunch. Soon I saw Carlos up in the distance. I slowly gained on him, and managed to pass him at the water station. I cranked up my pace and started running at my 10K pace. I passed quite a few more people including my new acquaintance, the one who set up next to me and helped me get my leg out of the wetsuit armhole. I was really surprised to see him. I thought he would have finished much earlier. I saw the finish line ahead and sprinted across the finish. I was filled with a feeling of relief and accomplishment. I DID IT !!! I celebrated with my Iron-Teammates and coaches. Thanks to them, I've managed to come this far in 4 months.

Full Course- 2:56:46

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

My First Triathlon: Desert International Distance Tri 3.8.09

Go Ironteam







You can do this!

We did it.

The joy of victory.




Get me out of the water, please. I'm not a fish.















International Triathlon - 3/4 mile swim, 24 mile bike, 6 mile run.


Full Course
Time:
2:56:46.010
Overall Rank:
461
Male Rank:
336
Male 40-44 Rank: 45



Checkpoint Time
Swim Finish
0:40:57.070
Bike Start
0:45:36.310
Bike Finish
2:04:29.150
Finish
2:56:46.010
Swim
Time:
0:40:57.070
Pace (Min/Mi):
54:36
Overall Rank:
555
Male Rank:
381
Male 40-44 Rank:
53
T1
Time:
0:04:39.240
Overall Rank:
463
Male Rank:
325
Male 40-44 Rank:
42
Bike
Time:
1:18:52.840
Pace (MPH):
18.26
Overall Rank:
418
Male Rank:
311
Male 40-44 Rank: 44


Stay tuned for the complete race report, coming soon.






Thursday, March 5, 2009

Cramps, Rubber burn, and other misadventures

Last Saturday we had our first open water swim in Long Beach ( Alamitos bay). The water was cold, but once I started swimming I actually felt warm in my wetsuit. The water was green and I couldn't really see anything. Perhaps thats a good thing. We practice getting in and out of the water. I could feel my heart beating really fast. Coach said thats a normal reaction to swimming in the cold water. Initially I was hitting peoples feet and bumping into the other swimmers. That threw me off my own rhythm. It was hard to concentrate on my stroke. My form deteriorated. By the end I was just trying to get to shore and finish ASAP.

After the swim we had a nice 3.5 hr bike ride from Long Beach to past Laguna Beach and back. I traveled almost 60 miles. Then we finished off the workout with a 30 min run on the beach.
Tuesday during the coached swim workout at the pool, I got a severe case of muscle cramps. I was fine during the warmup and the speed drills. But when we started to practice drafting by swimming in a line of swimmers, both my calves went into spasm mode. I got out stretched and when I attempted to join the next drill, the cramps came back. The weird thing is that I was getting cramps in my back / shoulder muscles too. I thought I was hydrated, so perhaps its electrolytes?

The next day I checked my lab results at the hospital. Good news: labs were normal. Bad news: my calves were still sore and I still don't know what caused the cramps. Perhaps it was tension combined with too aggressive pushoff from the wall during the drills.

Today I had a nice 2 hr bike ride in PV and San Pedro. Then I went for another open water swim in Alamitos bay. The swim went pretty well but... I forgot to lubricate. I now have a painful rubber burn on my neck from the wetsuit. Ouch!!! I also gulped down some salty ocean water. The salt didn't bother me so much, but today I saw how dirty / slimy the water appeared. I had a slightly upset stomach when I got home. I hope I don't get sick.

This weekend is going to be busy. Saturday is a 4 hr team bike ride. Then I'm heading out to Palm Springs for my first triathlon: Desert Tri on Sunday. I will be competing in the international distance: 0.75 mile swim; 24 mile bike; 6 mile run. I'm nervous about the swim, but I've covered that distance during today's open water swim, and I've covered twice that distance in the pool. Hopefully I'm ready, and no more cramps or rubber burns!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

OR and OB

This week's been busy at the hospital. I was on 24 Tuesday, and now on another 24 hrs today (Thursday). The hospital is getting busy. Alot of babies which means more epidurals and C-sections. In the OR, we have alot of add-on emergency cases, several more to go tonight. There is also alot of patients in the ICU and we've had a few Codes. In this economy, I can't complain too much about having a lot of work. Helps pay the bills and my triathlon expenses.
The downside to more hours at work, is less time for training and recovery. I missed my coached swim sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. I'll swim on my own tomorrow. Saturday will be my first open water swim. I can't wait.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Family stuff

Sometimes family stuff comes first. We had an unexpected family crisis which we are dealing with right now. I've been good about completing most of my workouts on my own. However I do miss the team workouts.
After a busy Saturday dealing with family matters, I finally did the brick workout Sat evening, which the rest of the team did earlier Sat morning. I rode my trainer for 2 hours, transitioned, and completed a 1 hr run. My knees are a little sore this morning, perhaps too much downhill running last night. Later today I plan to swim 1.5K
The fundraising is going well. I reached 80% of my goal, with 5 months still left to go. Hopefully I'll be done before May, so I can concentrate on training during those last couple months. I'm still waiting for some of my friends who pledged to donate, but haven't pulled out the checkbook yet.

Monday, February 16, 2009

PV Bike and Run Weekend

Our Ironteam had a nice 3.5 hr bike ride in PV on Saturday. The weather was dry, although the roads were still a little wet. A slight breeze, but nothing too strong. I covered 56 miles and my legs were fine. My butt was a little sore though.
On Sunday, I ran the hills of PV and covered 10 miles. It was a nice, cool, beautiful morning. I felt great after the run, then BOOM!!! Bad news was waiting for me at the door.
We had a family emergency which I'm busy dealing with. I am not at liberty to discuss it on a Blog at this time. Perhaps later, after a little time has passed, I will discuss it.
The bottomline is that LIFE is precious... Live every moment as if it could be the last...

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Hail to the Chief

Busy week at work. In addition to two 24 hr shifts this week, I am also the acting chief of the department at the hospital while the chief is on vacation for the next couple weeks. I just started as Assistant Chief last month. So I'm still learning on the job. I have to attend and sometimes lead administrative meetings, chief's meetings, departmental meetings, and various other committee meetings. I have to deal with issues that arise within the department and deal with complaints from other departments. To top it off our scheduler is on vacation for the next couple weeks, and I've got people asking to make major changes to the schedule.
Trying to squeeze in Ironman training to this workload is tough. I've been good with getting in the cycling and the running. However, I have not made it to the pool yet this week and I have a coached session tomorrow night. Perhaps I'll get in some drills tomorrow morning after my 24 hr shift. I hope my swimming is not too bad, or too slow.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

A Rainy Weekend

I missed the Ironteam swim session Thursday because of the rain. Rain means traffic accidents and traffic jams in L.A. I didn't want to be stuck for 1 to 2 hours on the 405 freeway. So I decided to swim Friday after work. That didn't go very well. The pool was crowded, meaning sharing lanes with multiple people per lane. I also felt lethargic and my swimming was BAD. I swam 1000 yards and that was it.
Saturday was our scheduled 3 hour Ironteam bike ride. Again because of the rain, the bike ride was cancelled. The Ironteam met over in Santa Monica and we had a 90 minute run. The run went much better. Initially the skies were overcast, but dry. We tackled a long steep hill, then a gradual ascent. Finally it was a gradual downhill. During this time it started raining again. I enjoy running in the rain. I started to run at my half marathon pace. I felt like a kid again.
As children, we loved playing in the rain. ( At least I did.) Getting your clothes wet and soggy, covered in mud was FUN. Playing football in the rain was fun, as long as you keep moving. And the warm shower, and hot chocolate afterwards was divine.
The run was effortless. My breathing was rhythmic. The moisture on my face and my lips was refreshing. The cold air was exhilarating and sharpened the senses. My run reminded me of all those times I played in the rain as a child. Try it sometime, you will see what I mean.
This morning my swim workout 15 X 100 went pretty well. It got me energized for my 24 hour shift at the hospital today. I will try to get my 3 hour bike ride in tomorrow if the roads dry up.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

6 minute miles

I had a nice dual workout yesterday morning before work. I was at the gym and swam the advance Ironteam swim set which consisted of 400 X 4
My fastest 400 was 8 minutes during my third set, so I think I'm slowly improving. I coasted through the fourth set, as I was preparing for part 2 of my workout: the run.
I toweled off my tri suit, put on my running shoes, put away the goggles and swim cap, grabbed a new electrolyte drink bottle and headed over to the treadmill.
After a 20 minute warmup, to get adjusted to the upright position again after my swim session, I started the speed portion of the workout. This consisted of three 8 minute speed segments with a 3 minute jog in between.
I started with 9 min miles...8 min miles...7.5 min miles....7..... and finally to 6 min miles!
Wow, I don't remember running 6 min miles even when I was 20 years younger.
Not bad for an old fart.
Maybe there is something to this Ironman training.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Surf City, USA

Wow, what a Super weekend. I started with a 2 hour bike ride on the Hills of PV ( my home course) with my Iron Team on Saturday. I just rode my bike down Hawthorne to join my team. It was a brick workout. So I rode my bike up Hawthorne ( 2 miles with an 8% grade) to drop off the bike at home. Then I ran back down Hawthorne and joined my teammates for the rest of the 1 hour run. After a snack of Bare Naked cereal and my recovery drink, it was back uphill to go home. Total mileage 33 miles bike, 8 miles run.
Sunday I ran the Surf City Half Marathon. Perfect weather, overcast and cool in the beginning, warmer at the end, but not too hot. Great crowd. I spent most of my run chatting it up with other runners, especially the cute ones. I met a couple ladies with Team in Training. They were very impressed with my Ironman goal. I met a couple cuties from Snail's Pace. They liked my socks. I was wearing knee high compression socks. First time. I liked them. I think they helped prevent my calves from fatigue and cramps. My calves had bothered me during the Rock n Roll Arizona marathon two weeks ago. This time my legs held up despite the hilly workout the day before. I met quite a few runners from my running club in Long Beach: AREC ( A Running Experience Club) I hooked up with them afterwards at the Beer Tent. I met a guy with a Kaiser Thrive jersey on, so I chatted with him for a couple miles about Kaiser and Health Connect ( electronic medical record). Finally for the final 5 miles, I picked up the pace to try to finish under 2 hours. I finished in 1:57, not bad considering I stopped several times, ran back and forth to catch up with different groups of friends, and basically ran the race at my easy long run pace. Perhaps this Ironman training is helping me with my overall fitness and improving my speed / ability to run faster with less perceived effort.
Afterwards the buddies I ran with ( at least for the first few miles) and I had a nice Dim Sum lunch. Later at home, I enjoyed the Super Bowl. I even got on my trainer and put in a 45 min workout! The exciting conclusion to the Super Bowl was a nice ending to my action packed weekend.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

A Better Swim

I had a coached swim workout last night. It went much better than my last coached swim 2 weeks ago. (Unfortunately I missed last week's coached session because of last minute changes at work due to a colleague's sick call.) I was a little worried that my swimming will s**k again because I hadn't spent as much time in the pool last week. I actually kept up with my ironteammates in the medium speed lane, at least until I started to fatigue about half hour into the workout. I concentrated on "gliding" and trying to cover more distance per stroke. I also worked on pulling more water per stroke. And I kept my head down. My speed definitely improved.
Towards the end my calves started to cramp up. I had to get out of the pool and stretch for a couple minutes before resuming the swim. Coach stressed the importance of hydration. He recommended that I massage / work out the tension in the calves when I get home.
Today, I'm planning on tackling the hills of PV again for a 90 min ride. I can't wait to get off work and jump on my bike.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Hills of PV

This weekend I took my bike out for my longest ride to date.
Saturday was a scheduled group ride, which was cancelled due to rain and wet roads. I was ready to ride and it was only a light rain in PV. So I ended up taking a quick 1 hour ride, followed by a 90 min run. The run felt good and I'm pretty much recovered from my marathon the week before.
Sunday, an Ironteammate and I went out on a 3 hour ride through the "hills" of PV. Some portions had an 8% grade, but going downhill at 40 mph is an adrenaline rush and makes the uphill portions worthwhile. We covered 48 miles through hilly terrain. Not bad. My legs felt great, but my butt was sore. I don't know how my butt will survive being in the saddle for another 3 to 4 hours on race day.
Unfortunately, I never made it to the pool this weekend. I'll try to go out today after work. Running and Cycling are my strong points, and I can go out anytime for a run or bike workout. Swimming is another matter. It takes that extra effort to get to the pool. If any readers have advice for me on the swim workouts, I would like to hear them. How does one get motivated for swimming? How do you stay interested during those endless drills and repeated laps? I don't get the runner's high or the adrenaline rush I get with cycling. Usually its trying to avoid taking in too much pool water and trying to keep a mental note of what lap I'm on. Real boring stuff.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Post Marathon Recovery

It's back to Ironteam training. I swam and biked on Monday. My legs were sore, and I had a hard time walking. On Tuesday, I ran and also swam. My run was at easy long run pace; my legs were still sore and I could not go faster even if I wanted to. Swimming felt good, and I'm getting a little faster. 1 km in a little over 22 minutes. I still have a long ways to go in terms of being a more efficient swimmer. Wednesday, I biked for 90 minutes, keeping a cadence of 90 rpm. Again the bike felt good. My legs are starting to return to normal. Today, I'm working an unplanned 24 hr shift at the hospital, covering for a sick colleague. So I'll try to get my scheduled Thursday workout in tomorrow. ( run and swim) I have a 3 hour bike ride with my Ironteam scheduled for Saturday. That should be fun.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon

     Oops, I did it again.  I snuck down to Arizona and ran another marathon on Sunday.  It's the Maniac in me.  I had signed up for the marathon prior to signing up for the Ironteam.  I thought about cutting back and just running the half, but since I was going to Arizona anyways ( air ticket and hotel reservations already made), I wanted to knock off another state from my list of 50 States.  I still have a long ways to go to complete the 50 states, but I'm still relatively "young".  
This will be my last marathon until after the Ironman in August.  
Now for the race report.  It was a cool morning, perfect for running.  Over 30,000 people ( full + half).  Alot of purple shirts and "Go Team!"  I wore my Team in Training cap with my red running top.  I felt inspired by the other runners, but especially the "Team".  Many had the names of their honored teammates.  Some had pictures attached to their purple running shirts. This reminded me of my honored teammates for the Ironman.  More of this later, at the end of the race.
     I felt good and ran slightly ahead of my pace group for the first half, but then my knees started to hurt.  Soon that was followed by sore legs, especially my calves and hamstrings.  My legs felt very heavy like I had 10 lb weights attached to each of them.  My pace slowed.  I thought about stopping, but since the half and full ran different routes, I was stuck in the middle of "nowhere" ( I think I was in Scottsdale at this point.)  I even came across an elite runner that was walking.  I did not want to risk an injury that would disrupt my Ironteam training.  Yet, I have never quit a race before and did not want this to be my first DNF.  So I stopped at the medical tent, took a salt packet and had 2 Tylenols.  Then I was off again.  I was determined to finish.
     The miles rolled by and I figured I could even walk the last 6 miles if needed.  I started to feel better as I ran.  The 10 lb weights were off my legs.  I could actually maintain my "marathon" pace again.  I focused on my breathing, and recited my mantras.  I repeated the names of my family and my honored teammate.  The last mile I remembered a co-worker that died last month from cancer. I remembered what a gentleman he was.  How kind, helpful, professional, and sincere he was.  The cancer took him quite suddenly.  One day he was at work, the next at the hospital, then the ICU, then he was dead!  I realized how precious this gift called life really is, and how lucky we are to be able to run through life with joy and love,  effort and determination, a little pain and great rewards.  
     With tears welling up, I sprinted the last mile and finished the marathon on Angels' Wings. The pain I experienced earlier in the race was now replaced by serenity.  A sense of fulfillment engulfed me.  I believe this experience will help me deal with the pain and mental obstacles that I will encounter during the Ironman Triathlon.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

My Swimming S**KS

No, I don't wear socks when I'm swimming. That's what my coach said about my swim session yesterday. He said it in a nice way, so I guess its OK. Basically, I'm still struggling with the swim. My head is up too high. I tend to struggle through the water. Coach told me that with my long torso, I should be a good swimmer. I just need to glide. Hopefully I will learn to glide soon. Right now it feels like I'm increasing the number of strokes to try to keep up with my teammates in the lane. This approach is not working. I'm still getting lapped. We had two 10 min swim sessions last night. I managed to cover only 400 yards in that time. I'm pretty sure my lane mates covered 500+ since I got lapped by them twice.
My only consolation is that I will improve between now and August 1st ( Vineman Ironman Distance Triathlon), and even if I give up 30 minutes to them on the swim, I can easily make that up during the 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. The run is my strongest element, and I'm also pretty strong on the bike especially in the hills. So I'll keep chugging along, and hopefully not chug down too much pool water.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Windy Brick Workout

Wow. Today we had a 3 hour bike ride at Westlake Village again. This time, in addition to the hills, we had to deal with a strong headwind. The weather advisory warned of wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph. I don't know how strong the gusts were, but I was nearly blown into the opposite traffic lane while coming downhill at 41 mph. That was more thrills than I ever want to experience again. I saw on the evening news that a semi was blown over by wind gusts of 80 mph!!!
After the ride, we had a quick 20 min run. Again the legs were a little heavy and sluggish at first, but I found my running legs after 5 minutes. One of the mentors warned me not to run too fast too quickly off the bike. She's probably right; I can see the potential for injury or cramps.
I felt good about hydration and nutrition today. I used a Camel-bak hydration system, and it worked well. It definitely encouraged me to drink more frequently than I did last week using just the water bottle.
Today I car-pooled to the work-out, and it was nice. I got a chance to meet an Ironteam-mate, and it made the commute more pleasant.
Well, believe it or not, after a quick lunch, I am now at work for a 16 hr shift. This is taking endurance training to the limit.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Brotherly Love

The long and arduous task of becoming an Ironman requires the love and support of family and friends. First off I want to thank everyone who has already supported my fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Your support gives me the encouragement I need to deal with the 2 a day and 3 a day workouts, 6 days a week. Your support will hopefully help find a cure and treatment for some of these diseases within our lifetime.
Now I want to give special props to my biggest donor and supporter, my brother and sister. As the older brother, I tried to set a good example for my siblings. In some ways, I have succeeded; in other ways, I may have failed. But their unwavering love through the good and the bad has meant so much to me.
This is an excerpt from a recent email from my brother who lives and works in Singapore.

"Hey Alex,
Wow, that's unbelievable! I'm really proud of you. I've been telling everyone that my brother is going to do the Ironman but as far as I can remember he can't swim."

Without support there is no way a non-swimmer can compete in an Ironman Triathlon. But with love and support all things are possible.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

A Life Saved and Post-Call Brick

Yesterday was a "rest" day. That means working a 24 hr shift in the hospital. I think working these long hours helps my body and mind prepare for endurance events. Pacing is crucial. The ability to rev up your body and mind at a moments notice to handle the most stressful and life-threatening situations is also paramount. Running a marathon in many respects is about pacing and then pushing forwards during those crucial moments such as "the Wall" and the Finish. Competing in an Ironman just magnifies everything. Preparation, Pacing, Nutrition, Mental Fortitude, Physical Stamina, Rest... all elements to a successful call day or race day.
Last night at 1am, just as my body is starting to wind down and getting ready to rest, an urgent call to rescue a man with angioedema from an anaphylactic reaction to an ACE Inhibitor. This gentleman's tongue was swollen to triple size and was protruding out of his mouth. Saliva was drooling out of his mouth. His airway was severely compromised. "Death and All His Friends" were waiting for him. Fortunately by inserting a breathing tube using a fiberoptic scope through his nose, I was able to secure and protect his airway and deny Mr. Death, et al.
A few hours later it was placing epidurals in moms-to-be. Before I knew it morning had arrived and it was time for a quick nap at home followed by my Ironman workout.
Today I did a "Brick" workout, which consists of a bike ride followed immediately by a run. This will prepare me for the actual triathlon ( swim, bike, and a Marathon at the end! ) I don't know if this is true, but I heard they call it a brick workout because your legs feel like bricks after getting off the bike and starting the run. So I rode for an hour, quickly transitioned in 3 minutes to my running gear and refilled my water, then it was off for a quick 5 miler ( 46 min run). As I get closer to race day the rides will get longer and the runs will get longer. Yikes!
After taking care of errands around the house, I will have a coached swim workout tonight. Yep, the life of an Ironman wanna-be.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Pain in the Butt

My Ironteam had a 2.5 hr bike ride at Westlake Village yesterday morning.  Beautiful scenery.  Reminded me of Northern California.  I use to ride my Mountain Bike in SF, East Bay, Marin, Sonoma, and Napa.  I could go on 5 or 6 hour rides.  Of course when I was tired, I would take a break off the bike.  I'm not quite use to riding continuously for more than 2 hours without getting off the bike.  I notice yesterday my butt was really sore.  Standing while pedaling helped relieve some of the pressure.  But after a while the pain in the butt returned.  I am hoping that with training my Gluts will get accustomed to it.  Perhaps I might develop some muscles back there.  Otherwise I might have to try a different seat, perhaps one with thicker cushioning.
 I really enjoy riding my Cervelo S1.  Its the best bike ( and most expensive bike) I've ever had.  I averaged almost 16mph on the course which consisted of rolling hills with a few steep climbs.  My top speed was almost 39mph during the descent.  I'm hoping these times will improve as I get accustomed to road cycling.  
Well afterwards I was tired.  I felt like I had run a half marathon.  I ate, took a nap, and watched some NFL playoff action.  I also ended up taking a couple Advils for my pain in the butt!
I felt better this morning and ran a hilly 9 miles in Palos Verdes.  I have a swim workout planned for this evening.  More about running and swimming in a future post.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

New Year's day Rose Parade Run

I started off 2009 with a 10 miler this morning along the Rose Parade route in Pasadena, CA.  I found out about this run from my Iron teammate Louis Kwan's blog.  Apparently this run was started a few years ago by "Godfather" Sean and Jimmy Dean.  Starting at about 5am from the end of the Rose Parade route, we run to the start of the parade route in Downtown Pasadena.  We check out all the floats before the parade start and then return along the route to where we began the run a few hours earlier.  (  the end of the actual Parade route)
This was my first time running this route.  In fact this was my first time at the Rose Parade despite living in So Cal for over 10 years.  I was amazed to see so many people sleeping on the sidewalks in sleeping bags.  Many groups had a fire over a grill to keep warm during the night.  When we started at 5am, most people were still sleeping.  A few people cheered us on and encouraged us to run faster.  As I passed the numerous Starbucks, I noticed long lines.  Many of the Reserved bleachers were still empty.  When we got to the start where the floats were lined up, we walked, took pictures, and just marveled at the beauty that surr ounded us.  The flowers were so colorful and vibrant.  It made me glad to be out there this early on New Year's Day.  
The return trip was a little anti-climatic.  The streets were more crowded.  The reserved bleachers were filling up.  There was more traffic congestion.  Most people ignored me as I ran by.  I did get a few smiles that cheered me up.  By the end I was a little tired, but I felt energized about 2009.  This will be the year that I become an Ironman!  How cool is that?