Before and After...

Totally unrelated to anything a triathlon but here are a few pics before and after I photoshopped them...  The wifey thinks adding fake clouds is so over rated.  I think it adds a nice touch making each picture look like a picturesque day... what say you?

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Real photo courtesy of Mrs Captain Cueball:

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My first tri (or is it try)

Well I finished my first triathlon.  Although it was a very short one it was still fun.  Not very hard but it was fun to get out there and do one.  The wifey and I woke up around 6am so we could leave by 630.  We drove to Clermont, Fl which was about an hour away.  We got there and I linked up with someone who was going to let me borrow a wesuit.  Long story short, I rented one online and it didn't show up on time so I called a friend who called a friend and eventually put me in touch with someone who had a wetsuit I could borrow.  Moving along...

So I finally get my number and my goody bag and get to the transition area to set up my stuff.  I laid out my bike stuff and my running stuff and waited around.  

I finally got into the borrowed wetsuit and the race began.  The 400m swim turned into more like a 200m swim and a 200 meter water run. The lake was quite shallow and it took a long while to get to where we needed to swim.  The toughest part was determining what the fastest way to get through the water was.  Once I got to where I couldn't run anymore, but I could still walk was it faster and more energy efficient to swim or walk?  I would swim for a few strokes and then realize the people I was next to were going just as fast as I was but they were walking.  So I would stop and walk, but that made my legs tired and knowing that i had to bike and run, was it better to swim? But then swimming is a lot more tiring overall than walking so was walking the best option? This back and forth went on in my head for a long time.  I finally finished the walk/swim portion and transitioned into the bike.  The transition took a little longer than I would have liked but not bad overall.  Once on the bike I felt a lot more comfortable than I felt in the water.  Because this was a first triathlon for most people, there were people riding mountain bikes and one guy was even riding a beach cruiser. It was funny until I realized that he was beating me and by a lot.  Anyways, I kept pedaling and the 9 miles went by quickly.  I got off the bike and put my running shoes on.  The 2 mile run started off on a very sandy path which made for slower running but it ended on regular dirt which I appreciated.  I think most people were very tired by this point because I passed a lot of people.  
In the end, my goal was 1 hour and I finished a few seconds ahead of that.  And my second goal was to let no one pass me. And no one did.  Well except in the swim maybe.  But no one came up from behind me in the bike or on the run, which is always a goal: always be the one passing people.  At the end I was bumbed there was no medal to show for my efforts, but oh well.  It was still fun. I am looking forward to the next one. The next one is in a month and is a legitimate distance and will require a legitimate effort.  

Here are some pics the wifey took...

Me setting up my gear.

I had to test out the water before I got in...65* = brrrr.

A funny sign next to the water's edge.  Not something you want to see right before you go swimming...

A self portrait before it all began.  I was going to make a "that's what she said" joke about all that rubber I was wearing, but decided against it.

The start of the race...can you find waldo?

Me during the bike portion

And at the finish... I know I could be a walking Nike poster. And no I am not sponsored by them; yet.

Triathlon Eve

Well tomorrow is my first triathlon. Well kind of. Technically it is my first official 3 sport event, but it is a sprint triathlon so I hardly count it.  400m swim, 9 mile bike ride and a 2 mile run.  Like I said, very short but it is mostly just getting out there and learning what a triathlon is about. So we will see. 

Anyways, had a follow up appointment today with the Dr and he could not find any reason my heart beats so fast. So for now, I am ok.  But he is going to keep working on it. I will wear a heart monitor for two weeks only taking it off to shower or swim.  Hopefully this longer duration will show the Dr something, anything.  

But like I said, I am not too worried. He said I should be ok.  

Well today's question is, what physical endeavor have you always wanted to accomplish but either never have yet or you have accomplished?  If you have not completed when are you planning to?

For me I want to accomplish a full Ironman in under 13 hours. That is an endeavor I would like to accomplish and hopefully I will do that this November. 

Dr. Who or should I say Dr What?

Well I have still been keeping up with the training, but I have tried to keep running to a minimum and keep it at an easy pace as to not upset the heart before my Dr appointment.  I actually did a bi-athlon on Saturday.  I swam for 30 mins (1000m) and then rode the bike for an hour (17 miles).  All this while keeping a low heart rate. 

Anyways, I went to the Dr today and it sucked.  Very anti-climatic.  I prepared myself for an intense ordeal. I was hydrating all day, didn't work out before hand and even wore running clothes and shoes to the appointment.  So at the appointment the Dr listened to my heart, took a sonogram of my heart, did a stress test, and I am currently wearing a mini-EKG for the next 24 hours.  When he listened to my heart he asked me "did you feel that?", I was like umm...no, why?  He didn't say. I am not sure what he heard. Did my heart skip a beat, beat too many times, did it start whistling the Marine Corps hymn? Who knows.  After that, they did a sonogram of my heart, which I have to be honest is a hoax.  I think all you see is a bunch of squiggly lines and depending on what kind of Dr it is determines what kind of news they tell you.  I mean, the picture they took of "my heart" could have just as easily been a picture of a baby.  Totally unrecognizable.  Much like a child's art, it was total crap.  You couldn't see anything.  I might be pregnant, who knows?  Then the very anticipated stress test. Now like I said, I showed up expecting a STRESS test. I was expecting for these Drs to really test my heart out.  I was in a controlled environment with proper medical supervision... lets see how much stress the ol' heart can take.  I was expecting all the Drs to gather around and watch as a human heart beats off the chart.  I was expecting something out of Rocky (the one where he fights the russian) and all these newspaper guys and Drs are all around and someone says "a normal person punches at 50 pounds per square inch.  Dragov will now puch. (dragov punches board) As you can see Dragov punches at 500 pounds a square inch."  Everyone then ooh and ahhs like they just witnessed a medical miracle.  I figured someone would say a normal heart beats at 193 bmp = 100%, while as we can see "Super Man" beats at 230bpm; then everyone would ooh and ahh.  Quite the contrary though...  The stress test took 14 mins and I never really broke a sweat.  They only push you until you reach your 100% bpm (220-your age).  Once I hit 193 the test was over.  How lame is that?  I brought my ipod.  I had it on with my headphones in, just waiting for the test to get hard and the running to get tough.  The test chick probably thought I was so stupid for bringing an ipod to the stress test.  But I was expecting to but on a show.  I was going to show them something a human heart isn't supposed to do.  I guess not. I guess I will save that for some other time.  And lastly they gave me a heart monitor that records my heart rate for the next 24 hours.  No showering, yuck.  They said no working out, but then I explained when I work out is when my heart really gets going.  So now they said it is ok to work out. So tomorrow I will get on a treadmill and run like I haven't run in a week and let the monitor in my pocket record medical history.  Or not.  I know I am bit over dramatic but it is better than being under dramatic.  Can you be under-dramatic? I think you can in Europe.

Anyways, I have decided to do away with the top 5 list and start something that might promote interaction... so now we have the question of the day.  Everyday* I will post a new question that people can reply to.  So today's question is:

What is the longest run you have ever been on (distance or time)?  It can be a marathon or running from the police...just what was your longest run.  Mine was in Okinawa, Japan. Jan 1st 2007 a buddy of mine and I ran an impromptu marathon.  It took us 4 hours.  I haven't run that long (time) ever again.  I have done another Marathon since though.  

*legal note: everyday being a very loose interpretation of what a day is. Think of "day" in an abstract sort of timeline, not literal. 

California dreamin, on such a winter's day

Well last week the wifey and I were back in San Diego. I was there for work, she was there because it was almost free.  The gov paid for a hotel, rental car, my flight and my food...all we had to pay for was her flight and everything else was included in my stay.  Sweet! So, while working hard (ha ha ha) I took the time to run a bit (sorry Big Daddy), lift weights and even got a little swim in.  While I was running on the beach at sunset (eat your heart out every where else in the USA) I was took the time to relect on how awesome SoCal is.  Where else can you go to the beach in January and work on your tan?  I mean tropical islands, yes... NorCal or the east coast,no.  

Anyways training continues back here in Orlando. 

I have a Dr Apt next monday with a cardiologist.  That whole rapid heart beat thing has me concerned. Anyways, no problem for a super man. 

I have my sprint Triathlon next weekend. Should be easy but a fun event. We will see.