The Kindzia Blog

Point Break - July 30, 2008

As I wind down during the tapering period, it's a good time to make final notes of key data points and training numbers to help dial things in.  This morning I had a 2.5 hour run that I broke up into 30 minute sections of increasing efforts.  The goal was to look for the break point where the additional effort stopped giving me a solid return on investment of energy spent.  Here's how it shook out;

            Pace           HR

1. 8:52/mile     125
2. 8:44/mile     129
3. 8:30/mile     130
4. 8:10/mile     140
5. 8:14/mile     143

Each section that I lifted heart rate, the pace dropped appropriately until the final section.  In this case, the HR went up and pace went down.  I usually don't see it this dramatically.  It could have been the heat, the humidity or maybe some accumulated fatigue.  Normally the heart rate and efforts keep rising but the pace starts to level off (still a key indicator).

I'm expecting to run a good chunk of my Ironman marathon in the 138 to 143 heart rate zone so this was another run that indicated that I'm in the ballpark on those zones.  This run further confirms that I should show up to Canada with the fitness and endurance to run 8:30's per mile.  I'm hoping to finally run a marathon in the 3:30's (I'll take a 3:39) but that may be the difference between wishing/dreaming and reality.  However, if I am able to hold 8:30's, that would equate out to a 3:43 off the bike which would still be good enough for a new marathon PR in an Ironman.

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 178 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 24 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 93 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 360 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 148 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 144 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 178 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 24 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 93 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 360 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 148 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 144 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Cyclist Arrested and Defining Success - July 29, 2008

First some news...

According to the New York Times, 29 year old cyclist Christopher Long was charged with attempted assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest during a group ride in NY Times Square.

Some on-lookers actually caught the entire episode on video and posted it to YouTube.  Check it out how aggressive this cyclist was with the police in this link.

WNBC reported, "In a criminal complaint, (officer Patrick) Pogan accuses bicyclist Christopher Long of steering into him, the impact flinging Pogan to the ground and causing cuts on his forearms.  However, on the video shot by a bystander, it appears as if Pogan is the aggressor who with both hands shoves the 29-year-old Long off his bicycle as he traveled down Seventh Avenue by 46th Street about 8:30pm.  The videotape shows that Long hit the ground but doesn't show Pogan thrown off his feet."

Enough of the news for now before I puke...

Defining Success

In yesterday's post, I talked a bit about creating success.  Within that post I made mention of the term, "high achieving age-group athletes."  I received an abundance of emails that made me realize that my attempt at a "think piece" sort of went haywire with the readers.  Maybe I could call this entry - Part II that may help clarify.

Many of the emails that people wrote to me were on the topic of natural talent and how triathlon success (and Ironman specifically) boils down to genetics, VO2max, a free-loading or irresponsible lifestyle, access to money/finances, and a whole list of things that equated to "Ironman Success."

Early in the day I received an email from Jeff Caplan asking me how I define, "high achieving age-group athletes" and I responded with my thoughts at that time.  As the emails continued throughout the day, it triggered some additional thoughts and motivated me to follow up on the subject.  So I returned to the comments that I wrote to Jeff.  I hope he doesn't mind me sharing my response. 

"Yo Caps,
Defining success (or high achievers)...let's see...

I didn't define it as I wanted to leave it vague, thus making it a "think piece.". Defining success is fruitless as we all will have varying personal definitions based on unique backgrounds, expectations, values and goals.

My definition of success at best could closely correlate to another person, thus giving us something in common to relate to each other about.

But there are countless people that have dramatically different definitions of success than I do.  But best that I don't deny them their own as I feel offended when others try to deny me my own.

But if each of us align our actions with what we think is success, then there is a much higher probability of personal fulfillment.

Thoughts?"

Now I want to be more specific as I've had some additional time to sort things out in my head.  But first, a question; What is success?

Success is not a specific point in life.  Success is always moving.  Sometimes we have it and sometimes we don't.  When we have it, it's fleeting.  When we don't, we know it and we chase it.  Success is what we achieve when we define our goals, ambitions, dreams and values and we align our actions and behaviors with those items.  When our lives are lead in alignment with what we value, we are living a successful life.  I like living a life with a "process of achievement."  When I have a good processes in place and are executing on those processes, I seem to be fulfilled (even though the process takes tons of hard work.)

Show me somebody that is not doing what they love in life, someone who is not following their dreams, is doing things just for the paycheck, or lacks ambition to accomplish anything, and I'll show you somebody that has internal personal conflict.  They probably feel as though they are in a rut or unfulfilled or unhappy.

Success is when we follow our own process of higher achievement.  It has less to do with genetics or natural talents.  There's no shortage of people that have natural talents and waste them or that are unfulfilled in life (look at all the Hollywood actors, pro athletes or depressed business people out there).

Success is identifying what is special in life to us as individuals and then disregarding the "advice" of others who try to tell us what to do in life while we follow our own path.

When I talked specifically about high achieving age-group athletes yesterday I was thinking about people that are successful in many areas of their lives (more so than just Ironman).  And that's the think piece that is highly individualized.

If I imagine a young Ironman professional athlete that does nothing but train, eat, and sleep day after day, would I call myself "unsuccessful" because I'm not as fast as them?  I wouldn't.  I don't value or dream of that lifestyle or value those daily behaviors.  But I respect the person who does value those things and follows their dreams.  I'm sure there was no shortage of people chirping in their ear to "get a real job" (like themselves, even though they may hate their "real job.")

So who do I define as successful in my world?  Probably some of the following are included (but not limited to this list);

Jeff Caplan - the guy is a chief technology officer at a company doing what he likes professionally.  He's married with two great kids and an awesome family.  He rides his bike about four times a week.  He loves Ironman and appears to be quite happy in life as he created a life where he could pursue, "his goals, dreams, ambitions and values."  Do I think Jeff is "less successful" than another age-grouper because he may or may not have a lower VO2max or genetic potential than someone else in his age-group who lives in Australia?  Not really.  He's one of the funniest guys that I know and he loves "figuring out the puzzle of Ironman and endurance physiology."  I could relate to that.

Paul Carriere - a corporate attorney, married, father and Ironman fanatic.  Yeah he likes NASCAR (but so does Caplan).  I try not to hold that against him.  He's successful because he has achieved many of his goals in life by executing plans with discipline, determination and consistency.  Whether or not Paul ever reaches the podium as an age-group athlete has nothing to do with personal success in Ironman or in his life (my opinion, may not be the opinion of others).  He's one of the most level headed and logical guys that I know (probably why he graduated at the top of his law school class?)

Matt Erbele - he took a year off to do a walk-about around the globe.  Why?  Because he could and he had the balls to do it.  How many people would be willing to walk away from "the safe zone" while working at Motorola in Chicago to do a walk-about?

Joe Reger - I love Joe because he's a fanatic at work and at play.  Whether it was skydiving, starting technology companies, writing code, doing Ironmans, running a 100 mile race (yeah, he did the Vermont 100 through the mountains last year...just to do it?), or being a father.  The guy dives in head first and makes a splash!  If people had about 1/10th of the energy and passion of Reger, the earth would be orbiting the sun every 22 days.

Ole Jacobsen - Ole is a "free thinker" of independent mindset and good at analyzing situations and personal behavior.  Well educated and a unique "personal philosopher."  I like being around Ole because he's so genuine.  He's really good at picking out the bullshitter in the group and then will smirk to himself because he spotted the phony.  There's no need for him to point out the phony to others.  He takes more satisfaction out of spotting the phony and enjoying a quiet moment of personal satisfaction.  And he makes me laugh almost as much as Caplan (and that's tough to do when you're supposed to be a stiff German!)

Now the funny thing is that the list of people that I deem successful is long (to me) but short overall.  I have a way of tuning people out that are negative, dramatical, complainers or are draining to me.  So that leaves me with the people that inspire me, push me, show me or encourage me.  Life is pretty good once you get a good support group around you and tune out everybody else (too much noise in life).

From time to time, life gives you a swift kick right in the tic-tacs (or somewhere else if you are a woman...choose your own anatomy...I don't care...)  And when you are having a bad day, are struggling, feeling overwhelmed or are losing perspective, you can pick up the phone or shoot an email to somebody (like Caplan, Carriere, Reger, Erbele, etc. in my case).

These are people with similar values, goals, ambitions and dreams.  Therefore, I relate to them.  And I'm pretty sure none of them are hanging out with me because of my "natural triathlon talent" or ability to live in San Diego, Boulder or Bend, Oregon.

So what is your definition of success and do you need the validation of others to feel successful if you are following your own dreams, ambitions, goals and values?  Being a "high achieving age-group athlete" has less to do with VO2max, natural genetics, geographic location, unemployment than it does with a monster heart to go after what is important to you before you die.

Streaking Challenge

Everybody is still towing the line.  Sorry I just missed you Adair with your results.  I'll catch you on the flip flop.  Download streaking_challenge_july_27_08.pdf

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 177 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 25 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 94 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 361 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 149 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 145 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 177 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 25 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 94 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 361 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 149 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 145 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Creating Success - July 28, 2008

I am amazed when I meet and learn about high achieving age-group athletes in the sport of Ironman.  Learning about others is a first hand look at the principles of success.  These people have slowly crafted a life that aligns their daily actions and behaviors with their goals.  Success in Ironman is typically just one facet of their life.  I learn that some of these age-groupers have successful careers, family lives, and other happiness related endeavors.

What becomes clear when examining these high achievers is that they have learned the art of personal discipline, dedication and determination and mixed it with a healthy dose of desire.  These people come from all four corners of the globe.  Many have conquered Ironman and then moved on to greater challenges.  Some are just beginning their triathlon journeys right now. 

So I ask myself some of the following questions;

• How did these people create the lives that they have?
• What did they do to allow themselves the opportunity for success?
• How did they learn the belief in themselves in all areas of their lives?

What I have learned and try to model from other successful people is that they have an ability to self-reflect and honestly assess what needs to be changed to create a higher probability of success.  In some ways, these people are self-critical to one extreme, yet extremely confident on the other extreme.  But they have a knack of figuring out what road blocks they have created or are creating in their own lives that can be eliminated or replaced with better alternatives.  They simply have figured out a way to assess and remove habits, negative people, work environments, and lifestyles that are not in alignment with their core values.

Once they remove the negative habits, behaviors, actions, environmental factors, negative people, and other "life anchors," they find better replacement choices.  If they find that they are eating poorly, they can focus on eliminating the bad choices and replacing them with better alternatives.  If poor work behaviors have encroached in their careers, they can see the error of their ways, eliminate and modify the situation and replace it with a more optimal solution.

And finally, these people can show incredible restraint and apply this restraint consistently.  These people are like immovable rocks that do not yield to standards that are below what they deem acceptable.  They hold themselves personally accountable.  Their discipline does not come from manufactured motivation from other sources but comes from a burning desire to create a life that is designed to fill their own unique needs and fulfillment.

So if we take these principles and apply them to Ironman, we should stop and review these elements of success in our pursuit of Ironman (or anything else for that matter);

1. What are things that need to be extracted?  Do we need to eliminate negative people from our social circles?  Do we need to change our work environment?  What negative habits need to be altered?
2. What will be the replacement once we eliminate the things we just deemed unacceptable in our lives that are preventing us from achieving personal success?
3. Are we willing to show consistent restraint?  Do we have the internal discipline to move forward with habits and behaviors that will support our long term values and goals over very long periods of time?

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 176 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 26 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 95 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 362 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 150 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 146 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 176 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 26 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 95 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 362 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 150 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 146 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Stress, Anxiety and Worry - July 28, 2008

I often believe that we seek out and find stress, anxiety and worry.  This happens regardless of our circumstances.  Simply put, no matter our situation in life, we'll find something (or many things) to worry about.  I often like to think in terms of extremes and use extremes to help me in my thought process or analysis with issues.  Once I start at the extreme, I'll then move towards the middle and see if my examples hold up to solidify my theories on things. 

Here's an example of using the Kindzia method of extremes to test human behavior;

First, I want to envision a truly stressful situation in life (an extreme) that I might not even be able to fully comprehend.  Let's pretend that I'm living in Darfur, Africa.  Rebels have killed off many of my family members, the government is corrupt and is backing their own militia which is responsible for raping women and killing children.  Financial wealth is non-existent.  My home was burned by the rebels.  There is no organized health care, my safety and the safety of my family is constantly at risk and I'm forced to be a refugee living in a tent at a camp that relies on infrequent food distributions from global aid organizations.  I dream of an ice-cold Coca-Cola.  The closest Starbucks is about 2,000 miles away.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times.

Next, let's make some improvements in my life.  Now, rather than living in Darfur, a third world living hell, I live in Iraq as an Iraqi citizen.  I have a home, some very basic utilities, access to food and there is a government that is attempting to improve the situation.  In-between limited work, I have access to basic healthcare, clothing and local transportation, but there is still random car bombings, unlawful citizens, a war going on in the neighborhood, corrupt militia's and a split government. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times (especially each time a car bomb goes off and kills people that I know.)

Next, let's go a place in Eastern Europe (more improvements).  Gone are militia's and car bombs.  The government is running a nice and comfy socialistic society.  I am assured food and basic healthcare.  I have a house (albeit a small one) and my family is safe from random violence.  I have freedom to go places.  I have a job.  But I'm stressed because I can't get ahead in life.  I can't be entrepreneurial, obtain work more, be creative or try new things.  Getting by and trying to keep my head above water is the perpetual norm.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I would feel stressed, despondent and anxious of my situation.  I don't have enough to fill my needs.

We continue until we get into the United States.  I'm now low middle class, maybe even "poverty" by economic definition.  I live in a free country.  There are no wars going on in my back yard.  I have cable TV, Internet, food, transportation, access to jobs (or multiple jobs), clothing, education and a personal cell phone.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - You betcha.  I'm a living stress case living on the lower rung of the social ladder in America.  "The Man" is keeping me down.  I can't get ahead and can barely keep my head above water.

I'm now upper middle class in the United States.  I work in an office, with air conditioning.  I eat at restaurants quite a bit.  I usually have a car that is less than 3 years old.  I have a 4 bedroom house.  My kids go to a nice public school.  I vacation twice a year.  I have health insurance, car insurance and homeowners insurance.  I have season tickets for my college football team. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - "Yes.  My kids need college education money.  I have a high car payment.  My mortgage rate re-adjusts in 4 months.  I didn't get the big promotion that I was counting on.  My wife keeps nagging me to cut the grass, paint the bedroom, and help with the laundry more often.  I'm behind on retirement savings.  I want a bigger house and a nicer car.  My credit card bills are starting to escalate.  The big screen TV will need replacing soon to plasma.  My cellphone is so old school.  I need an iPhone."

That's when I realized, it doesn't matter our circumstances.  We don't have extreme stress in our lives but sometimes we create it.  Do we REALLY have problems or are we creating situations that lead to problems (that are far from life threatening).  How many things are we stressed about, anxious about and worried about that really don't matter in the scope of life?

Stress is real and it has a real impact on our health and well being.  It causes increases in blood pressure, poor sleeping habits, dependency on drugs, depression, amongst other things.  Are we doing everything we can to create a life that is less stressful or are the decisions we make each day contributing to our stress?

Stress, Anxiety and Worry - July 28, 2008

I often believe that we seek out and find stress, anxiety and worry.  This happens regardless of our circumstances.  Simply put, no matter our situation in life, we'll find something (or many things) to worry about.  I often like to think in terms of extremes and use extremes to help me in my thought process or analysis with issues.  Once I start at the extreme, I'll then move towards the middle and see if my examples hold up to solidify my theories on things. 

Here's an example of using the Kindzia method of extremes to test human behavior;

First, I want to envision a truly stressful situation in life (an extreme) that I might not even be able to fully comprehend.  Let's pretend that I'm living in Darfur, Africa.  Rebels have killed off many of my family members, the government is corrupt and is backing their own militia which is responsible for raping women and killing children.  Financial wealth is non-existent.  My home was burned by the rebels.  There is no organized health care, my safety and the safety of my family is constantly at risk and I'm forced to be a refugee living in a tent at a camp that relies on infrequent food distributions from global aid organizations.  I dream of an ice-cold Coca-Cola.  The closest Starbucks is about 2,000 miles away.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times.

Next, let's make some improvements in my life.  Now, rather than living in Darfur, a third world living hell, I live in Iraq as an Iraqi citizen.  I have a home, some very basic utilities, access to food and there is a government that is attempting to improve the situation.  In-between limited work, I have access to basic healthcare, clothing and local transportation, but there is still random car bombings, unlawful citizens, a war going on in the neighborhood, corrupt militia's and a split government. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times (especially each time a car bomb goes off and kills people that I know.)

Next, let's go a place in Eastern Europe (more improvements).  Gone are militia's and car bombs.  The government is running a nice and comfy socialistic society.  I am assured food and basic healthcare.  I have a house (albeit a small one) and my family is safe from random violence.  I have freedom to go places.  I have a job.  But I'm stressed because I can't get ahead in life.  I can't be entrepreneurial, obtain work more, be creative or try new things.  Getting by and trying to keep my head above water is the perpetual norm.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I would feel stressed, despondent and anxious of my situation.  I don't have enough to fill my needs.

We continue until we get into the United States.  I'm now low middle class, maybe even "poverty" by economic definition.  I live in a free country.  There are no wars going on in my back yard.  I have cable TV, Internet, food, transportation, access to jobs (or multiple jobs), clothing, education and a personal cell phone.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - You betcha.  I'm a living stress case living on the lower rung of the social ladder in America.  "The Man" is keeping me down.  I can't get ahead and can barely keep my head above water.

I'm now upper middle class in the United States.  I work in an office, with air conditioning.  I eat at restaurants quite a bit.  I usually have a car that is less than 3 years old.  I have a 4 bedroom house.  My kids go to a nice public school.  I vacation twice a year.  I have health insurance, car insurance and homeowners insurance.  I have season tickets for my college football team. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - "Yes.  My kids need college education money.  I have a high car payment.  My mortgage rate re-adjusts in 4 months.  I didn't get the big promotion that I was counting on.  My wife keeps nagging me to cut the grass, paint the bedroom, and help with the laundry more often.  I'm behind on retirement savings.  I want a bigger house and a nicer car.  My credit card bills are starting to escalate.  The big screen TV will need replacing soon to plasma.  My cellphone is so old school.  I need an iPhone."

That's when I realized, it doesn't matter our circumstances.  We don't have extreme stress in our lives but sometimes we create it.  Do we REALLY have problems or are we creating situations that lead to problems (that are far from life threatening).  How many things are we stressed about, anxious about and worried about that really don't matter in the scope of life?

Stress is real and it has a real impact on our health and well being.  It causes increases in blood pressure, poor sleeping habits, dependency on drugs, depression, amongst other things.  Are we doing everything we can to create a life that is less stressful or are the decisions we make each day contributing to our stress?

Stress, Anxiety and Worry - July 28, 2008

I often believe that we seek out and find stress, anxiety and worry.  This happens regardless of our circumstances.  Simply put, no matter our situation in life, we'll find something (or many things) to worry about.  I often like to think in terms of extremes and use extremes to help me in my thought process or analysis with issues.  Once I start at the extreme, I'll then move towards the middle and see if my examples hold up to solidify my theories on things. 

Here's an example of using the Kindzia method of extremes to test human behavior;

First, I want to envision a truly stressful situation in life (an extreme) that I might not even be able to fully comprehend.  Let's pretend that I'm living in Darfur, Africa.  Rebels have killed off many of my family members, the government is corrupt and is backing their own militia which is responsible for raping women and killing children.  Financial wealth is non-existent.  My home was burned by the rebels.  There is no organized health care, my safety and the safety of my family is constantly at risk and I'm forced to be a refugee living in a tent at a camp that relies on infrequent food distributions from global aid organizations.  I dream of an ice-cold Coca-Cola.  The closest Starbucks is about 2,000 miles away.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times.

Next, let's make some improvements in my life.  Now, rather than living in Darfur, a third world living hell, I live in Iraq as an Iraqi citizen.  I have a home, some very basic utilities, access to food and there is a government that is attempting to improve the situation.  In-between limited work, I have access to basic healthcare, clothing and local transportation, but there is still random car bombings, unlawful citizens, a war going on in the neighborhood, corrupt militia's and a split government. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I think it would be overwhelming at times (especially each time a car bomb goes off and kills people that I know.)

Next, let's go a place in Eastern Europe (more improvements).  Gone are militia's and car bombs.  The government is running a nice and comfy socialistic society.  I am assured food and basic healthcare.  I have a house (albeit a small one) and my family is safe from random violence.  I have freedom to go places.  I have a job.  But I'm stressed because I can't get ahead in life.  I can't be entrepreneurial, obtain work more, be creative or try new things.  Getting by and trying to keep my head above water is the perpetual norm.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - Yes, I would feel stressed, despondent and anxious of my situation.  I don't have enough to fill my needs.

We continue until we get into the United States.  I'm now low middle class, maybe even "poverty" by economic definition.  I live in a free country.  There are no wars going on in my back yard.  I have cable TV, Internet, food, transportation, access to jobs (or multiple jobs), clothing, education and a personal cell phone.

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - You betcha.  I'm a living stress case living on the lower rung of the social ladder in America.  "The Man" is keeping me down.  I can't get ahead and can barely keep my head above water.

I'm now upper middle class in the United States.  I work in an office, with air conditioning.  I eat at restaurants quite a bit.  I usually have a car that is less than 3 years old.  I have a 4 bedroom house.  My kids go to a nice public school.  I vacation twice a year.  I have health insurance, car insurance and homeowners insurance.  I have season tickets for my college football team. 

Question - "Do I feel stress, anxiety and worry?"  Answer - "Yes.  My kids need college education money.  I have a high car payment.  My mortgage rate re-adjusts in 4 months.  I didn't get the big promotion that I was counting on.  My wife keeps nagging me to cut the grass, paint the bedroom, and help with the laundry more often.  I'm behind on retirement savings.  I want a bigger house and a nicer car.  My credit card bills are starting to escalate.  The big screen TV will need replacing soon to plasma.  My cellphone is so old school.  I need an iPhone."

That's when I realized, it doesn't matter our circumstances.  We don't have extreme stress in our lives but sometimes we create it.  Do we REALLY have problems or are we creating situations that lead to problems (that are far from life threatening).  How many things are we stressed about, anxious about and worried about that really don't matter in the scope of life?

Stress is real and it has a real impact on our health and well being.  It causes increases in blood pressure, poor sleeping habits, dependency on drugs, depression, amongst other things.  Are we doing everything we can to create a life that is less stressful or are the decisions we make each day contributing to our stress?

Winding Down - July 27, 2008

Four weeks from now I should hopefully be on the Ironman Canada marathon course.  It's that time already where the training starts to wind down.  Even though I've been posting the countdown numbers throughout the year, it always felt so far away.  But, the days, weeks and months pass and now it's time to start the official taper for Ironman #11.

Yesterday I did my final "Big Day Training" and did in get in over 7 hours of training as planned.  The morning even felt like the morning of an Ironman.  I was nervous and almost nauseous during breakfast.  I find that the nervousness for me never goes away.  It just changed over time.  For my first Ironman I was nervous about so much.  There was so much unknown to me.  I had no idea of the actual logistics of the race, things like special needs bags, nutrition, check-in, transition bags, etc.  So I was pretty nervous about all the logistical items.

As the races stacked up, I don't find I stress so much about the logistics but rather about the unknowns of my performance.  How will I do?  Will I meet my goals?  What will my time be?  How will I compare against my peer group?  What will the weather be like?

I find I still get nervous before an Ironman.  It's a natural occurrence.  Any time a person puts forth effort to achieve something deemed worthwhile, they'll be nervous about the outcome.

The morning swim went fine.  I was in the water just after the sun started coming up and there was daylight.  I didn't push pace but rather just swam steady for 1 hour straight.  No problems and no issues.

The 112 mile bike also went well.  Perhaps just a little light on nutrition but hydration was much better.  I didn't go crazy trying to push watts but rather just rode at a consistent and steady pace that would enable me to run after the bike.  Going back over the data, it appears I left a little on the table.  I wasn't going for personal best numbers but I think I could have pushed at least 5 more watts and perhaps 10 and been fine.  My watts were in the 185 to 190 range for quite a few hours and the heart rate was in check. 

That's all part of dialing it in.  I had a few bikes where I felt I "crossed the line" and now I've had about 2 rides in a row that I feel I was just a bit too conservative on.  Sometimes things are a bit too hot and sometimes things are a bit too cold.  That's why we experiment with actual numbers in training.  But, if I had to make a choice on game day which mistake to make, I'll chose the same mistake on the bike and go just a bit too conservative.  There's plenty of time over the course of a marathon to make up lost time and use up every ounce of energy.

Post bike was a 5 mile run where I averaged 8:27's while trying to keep my heart rate down into high zone 1 and low zone 2.  If I wasn't watching, it wanted to sneak up pretty easily, just like during an Ironman for those first few miles.  This is something that I'm going to have to watch on game day.  I seem to have a hard time fueling, hydrating and keeping the heart rate down during those first few miles.  The perceived effort seems to indicate that I could hold that initial pace, but that pace is usually quite fast.

I learned what I had hoped to learn on big day training.  I learned that I have some good solid endurance.  I'm ready for an Ironman.  The numbers don't indicate some stellar age group podium or Kona slot race, but they do indicate that I've made some progress, am improving, have a great shot at a PR and should continue to make headway into closing the gap on a Kona slot.  I should show up to the race with lifetime best fitness and skills.

That gets me back to yesterdays post about becoming "detached" from things that are beyond my control.  At this point, my fitness is solid and I'm in good shape.  The things I can control are my race strategy, my race execution, my ability to prepare for contingencies/problems and my ability to stay focused on "finishing the race as fast as I can while doing my best."

I can't control the weather, other athletes, flat tires, or a whole host of weird things.  I just need to show up and do my best and good things will happen.  After the race, I get two weeks of solid recovery and then I get to start all over again for Ironman Florida just 10 weeks after Canada.  It looks like I got into Lake Placid for next year via community slot (I'm just waiting for the second and final confirmation email) and I'll sign up for Florida once again for next year.

I came across this information on the NA Sports website regarding age-groups for the 2009 season.  I was tempted to do Canada next year rather than Placid since my birthday is August 3rd.  That would keep me in the 35 to 39 age group for Placid but bump me to the 40 to 44 age group for Canada for next year.  I went with Placid just because I wanted to do that race again.  It's my favorite race on the circuit.  And after filling out the paperwork, here is what I discovered in the frequently asked questions section of the website;

Which Age group will I race in on race day?

• AGE ON RACE DAY is used for all age group for all NA Sports Events. Ex: If you are 39 on race day and 40 on Dec. 31st of that year, you will race in the 35-39 age group for that event. We are Exempt from the USAT age up rule.
  
  Beginning at Ford Ironman Arizona-November NA Sports will adopt the USAT age policy. Your age on December 31st of that year will be the age you race on race day.

So it looks like I'll be racing in the 40 - 44 year division at Placid after all.  Good news even though there are no shortage of fast 40 to 44 year olds (but at least they slow down a wee bit.)

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 175 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 27 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 96 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 363 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 151 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 147 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 175 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 27 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 96 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 363 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 151 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 147 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Ironman Detachment - July 26, 2008

I was thinking a lot about this blog post while doing my big day of training today (lots of time to think...).  Now that it's getting into the evening, the fatigue is catching up to me and my mind is going to mush.  But, I'll give it a go.

I was giving a lot of thought as to how I'm focusing my efforts to "detach" from non-controllable events during an Ironman race.  Becoming attached to things like absolute results or time goals, placement, age group rankings is a little bit of a slippery slope for me.

When I ask myself what my number one goal of the Ironman race is, I answer, "To finish as quickly as possible while doing my best."  I choose those words carefully as they allow me to "detach" from specific outcomes that I may not have any control over.

Let me give you an example.  You are an age-group athlete and gearing up for an Ironman.  You have time goals (we all do), or placement goals, or maybe a goal to qualify for Kona.  As we gear up for the race, we start ingraining our sense of success on the accomplishment of these goals.  We may share these goals with our coach, our peer group, friends, co-workers, family members (or maybe even be dumb enough to write a blog...)

Fast forward to race day.  We show up at the starting line with a pre-conceived notion of "success" based on our attachment of absolute goals that are contingent on things that we have no control over.  Then the race starts and undoubtedly, some things don't go as planned, it is windy, too hot, rainy, too cold, the swim is too rough, we get a flat tire, we drop a nutrition bottle, etc.  Or, it just turns out some athletes showed up that are faster than us.

Now if I go into the race with the focus of accomplishing a race that is detached from uncontrollable events, I can stay more relaxed and focused.  As problems come up (and they usually do) I can either concentrate on "finishing as quickly as possible while doing my best," or completely fall apart mentally because all the stars didn't align.

If it turns out to be windy (and I've done windy races at Florida and Arizona), I can't control that.  It's better to just focus on doing my best and keep moving forward.  I've had races where it was too hot, too windy, I've crashed, I've blew myself to smithereens and had to lie in a ditch, dehydrated, bonked, gone too fast, gone too slow, barfed at an aid station and accidentally dropped nutrition along the way.

If we get too attached to time goals or a Kona slot, or a ranking, it becomes easy to lose it mentally and actually quit the race entirely.  I often believe that many (if not most) of the DNF's in Ironman are not from the slowest and newby athletes.  It's from the experienced athletes that were too attached to an outcome that didn't happen as a result of things that may have even been outside of their control.

• If you get a flat tire, change it.  If you get another flat tire, change it again.
• If you drop your nutrition, do what you can to make it to the next aid station (but better to be prepared by packing a little extra).
• Take clothes for temperatures that may be hotter than normal, colder than normal, and rain.
• If you hit a bad stretch of the race, keep moving forward.  It's the old saying, "If you find yourself going through hell, keep moving forward as quickly as you can."

I'm really susceptible to numbers and the attachment to numbers.  That's why I'm starting to prepare myself for the proper mindset on race day.  I'm also a finance guy that's pretty fiscally prudent (another term for "cheapskate").  So if I look at racing Canada, I need to be aware of the following that also applies to almost every Ironman athlete;

• I paid $1,000 for my entry fee (it was a charity slot)
• My flight was $800 bucks
• My hotel will be >$1,500 with taxes and fees
• I have to ship my bike or fly it to the race
• I've spent a lot of money on gear
• Coaching fees this year to prepare me for the race were about $2,500 bucks
• I've spent a ton of money on physical therapy and rehab after my injuries
• I have to use a week of vacation to participate in the race (and I'm self employed so it's not like a company floats me some free money for not working).
• How many of us spend thousands of dollars to participate in the event only to lose it mentally because we get too attached to results that may not have been realistic in the first place?

Ironman is about going the distance.  It's difficult (that's why we challenge ourselves by doing it).  If we really wait for the perfect day, with all the stars aligning, where we have that "special feeling" every second of the day, we might have to wait a lifetime to catch it on race day.

So we need to ask ourselves, "Are we getting too attached to things that are beyond our control?"

There are times to DNF, such as;

1. You are a pro, are racing for a living, may be having an off day and rather than killing yourself, you can race again soon by pulling out before you trash yourself into the ground.
2. You have a serious crash during the race.  I had a friend in Lake Placid that was going down the very first hill on the bike and a guy side swiped her and knocked her into the next zip code.  She went to the hospital.
3. My buddy Ole got the flu a week before Ironman Germany a year or two ago and went into the race dehydrated but wanted to see if he could make it.  He had to abort after the swim.
4. My buddy Paul Carriere collapsed 2 miles from the finish at Ironman Arizona in 2006.  He was on pace to break his PR by over an hour.  He collapsed in front of a medic.  They pulled him off the course (and probably saved him from going to the hospital or doing serious damage to himself.)

But if you are getting ready for your first Ironman (or your tenth), my advice would be to detach from your absolute goals and go into the race with the focus to "finish as quickly as possible while doing your best."  If you did that, you did all you could and could come away with a wonderful learning experience.  You'll have another chance to do it again.

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 174 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 28 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 97 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 364 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 152 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 148 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 174 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 28 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 97 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 364 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 152 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 148 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Guarding Fitness - July 25, 2008

Tomorrow is the last "Big Day Training" prior to the start of my taper.  That doesn't mean I won't have  a few more long workouts, just not the kind that I'll do tomorrow (which will be my longest workout of my build).  I plan on doing a 1 hour swim, 112 miles on the bike and then run long enough to accurately gauge my run potential based on my earlier pacing, nutrition, and hydration.

I have no intention of laying down lifetime best results tomorrow.  I'm sure plenty of athletes would call this "soft" or "lame" but, no worries on my behalf.  I'll be plenty tired from going over 7 hours.  It's also my final day to dial in.  I'm reminded of some good advice I got from Coach KP (Kevin Purcell) in the past.  Here's a couple of nuggets from the past that I keep on hand;

1. The difference between peaking early and/or being overcooked and arriving at your "A" race can be as little as one week done too hard or perhaps even one key workout too hard if the athlete lays down lifetime best numbers. 
2. When things are going really well with your training, it is often a good time to roll back efforts.  Not many athletes are prepared to guard their fitness in this way. 
3. If we were to take a poll of endurance triathletes and ask them when their best ride and run of the year took place, how many of them would answer at their AAA race?

I also keep the counter-argument on file from Matt Russ from the past;

"You will have ample opportunity to test yourself on race day, but does it make more sense to test yourself during a work out or on the race course?  I like to go into a race with as few "unknowns" as possible.  I want to know exactly where I will blow up and what my known parameters are.  If you blow up towards the end of a work out and end up limping home a bit then you have discovered something valuable.  It is also very easy to maintain fitness; you only get faster when you upset the apple cart (excuse the metaphor).  So don't be afraid to push the envelope (slightly) and challenge yourself a bit; especially during a work out of moderate intensity."

It's sort of funny how both of these methods make logical sense.

So I end with a quote from a guy that has a way of words;

"You have your way.  I have my way.  As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." - FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 173 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 29 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 98 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 365 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 153 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 149 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 173 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 29 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 98 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 365 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 153 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 149 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

Branded Ironmans - July 23, 2008

I have officially sent in all necessary paperwork to obtain my charity slot for Ironman Lake Placid in 2009 (most importantly included 2 large checks in the package :)  Based on the jump start that I got on everybody else, I should be assured of my spot (I over-nighted my package just to be extra safe!)

I've received a few comments and emails about "official" or "branded" Ironmans versus "non-branded" or "generic/rogue" iron distance races.  Here's my two cents;

First, I've never done a non-branded iron distance race.  I probably never will.  To me, I have yet to obtain any type of information or feedback that there is an iron distance race that can compete with an official "Ironman" race with only one exception - ROTH Iron distance in Germany.

So it wouldn't be fair if I told you about non-branded Ironman races.  But since I am coming up on #11 and #12 over the next few months of official Ironman races, especially those run by NA Sports out of Boulder, I can tell you plenty about those.

But before I do, some quick history.  "Ironman" the name, the brand, the logo and all of the trademarks are officially owned by WTC (The World Triathlon Corporation) down in Florida.  WTC owns and runs the World Championship race in Kona (the grandest of them all) and also the new Ironman Louisville in Kentucky.  They also own and operate the 70.3 series.  The rest of the official "Ironman" races are licensed out to other companies.  In North America, those rights are given to NA Sports of Boulder, Colorado which is owned by Graham Fraser and the CEO is former female Ironman great Paula-Newby Fraser (no relation to my knowledge to Graham).

NA Sports has the rights to run and operate; Arizona, Coeur d'Alene, Lake Placid, Canada, Wisconsin and Florida.  They have a full time staff and company dedicated to running and operating a superior product that includes the following advantages;

• Full medical staff - Ironman pushes the limits of human endurance.  As you've seen on television, sometimes the human body doesn't make it to the finish line.  I don't know about you but although I'd rather die doing an Ironman than most other ways of dying on earth, I'm still convinced that I don't want to die during an Ironman.  If the proverbial "shit hits the fan" and you go down, I'm pretty sure that I want people that are trained and on hand to deal with severe dehydration, hyponatremia, heat stress (which also kills), amongst other problems that can come up.  Shit really does go down on race day and on rare occasions, people really do die.  Take precautions.
• Full aid support - Ever been to a cheap local race where they don't have enough aid stations?  That might be ok for an Olympic.  A half-ironman that is not fully supported with aid stations is another health hazard.  In a full Iron distance race, you could find yourself in a world of hurt.  In an official Ironman, they are running an all day buffet for you out there.
• Volunteer support - The average official Ironman race has on average 2 volunteers to every participant.  You have no idea how important the volunteer force is until you do the event.  That's right, the average Ironman race has THOUSANDS of volunteers.  That's more than the 2 or 3 volunteers at other races...I'm a numbers guy and I'm telling you there's a big difference.
• Logistics - During Ironman week, there are DOZENS of paid staff running the event, the village and the logistical support to get ready for the race.  When the Ironman train comes into town, it's multiple tractor trailers full of equipment to support the event.  We're talking a train of 18-wheelers that makes a Metallica concert look like small potatoes.  It's forklifts, golf-carts, ATV's, motorcycles everywhere.
• The fans - It's as close of feeling to being in the Tour de France that you can get even if you can only push 150 watts during your lactate threshold test...
• Free Gatorade at the practice swims.  That's a huge savings if you love Gatorade and can drink a lot.
• Friends can watch you on the internet and wonder, "I wonder what happened to my friend?  He said he was doing this event?  I wonder if they quit?" when you blow yourself to smithereens during your first Ironman.  That's a lot of fun for your friends to watch you disappear off the radar like airplanes in the Bermuda Triangle.
• It's fun to wear your official Ironman finishers medal after that first race for about 2 months after the event.  Some races only give you a banana and some chewing gum.
• There's free pizza after the race.  And more free Gatorade.  I'm talking pepperoni and everything...
• Simontis, Caplan...I can't wait for your sarcasm to be added here...Please...do share...

I'm really not even scratching the surface on the benefits of doing official Ironmans.  It's like somebody saying that they went to the NCAA Final Four in mens basketball versus the high playoffs in their region.  There's no comparison.

Is doing an official Ironman expensive?  Well, sort of.  But if you see what it really takes to pull of such an event of that magnitude, it's a bargain.  If you have never witnessed an Ironman in person, you won't comprehend it.  It's not until you go there, see the village, see the event, experience the day that you will realize why these things fill up on the spot.  The demand far outstrips the supply at this point and there's a good reason.  It's the most amazing experience.

If you are interested in seeing what it's like, take a long weekend and head down to Panama City, Florida the first weekend of November this year.  Take a trip to the beach.  Condo's for rent are dirt cheap.  People from the southeast can drive.  Go do the practice swims.  Run on the Ironman course back in St. Andrews park.  Ride your bike on the strip the day before the race.  Go see the village.  Volunteer for the event.

Jon Adamson just let me know that volunteers are given special priority for signing up for next years event!!!  Such was the case for Lake Placid.

Anyways, it's a cheap mini-vacation for triathlon lovers.  It's family friendly and I know you will be surprised by this, but Panama City has a Wal-Mart!!!  It also has a Publix.  So all you need to do is drive down, find a nice and inexpensive condo to rent, buy your food at the grocery store and enjoy a weekend at the beach to see what an Ironman is really like.  My guess is that you'll be waiting in the sign-up line the following day.

Since I've only touched on some of the advantages of doing an official Ironman race, feel free to post comments if you can add to this topic.

By The Numbers

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 172 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 30 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 99 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 366 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 154 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 150 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)

• Injured Jan 1 through June 30 with plantar fasciitis and achilles problems on the left leg.
• 172 - Days in a row of consistent training 
• 3 - Days missed of training at least 30 minutes in 2008 (goose-eggs in 2008)
• 30 - Days remaining until Ironman Canada
• 99 - Days remaining until Ironman Florida
• 366 - Days remaining until Ironman Lake Placid 2009
• Only 154 shopping days remaining until Christmas
• Only 150 days until Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah Caplan)