Wife of an Ironman

Looking back I didn’t know how Thanksgiving 2010 would change the summer of 2011, I do now.  When Brad decided that the full distance Ironman was what he wanted to do, I was in.  I know when he goes after a goal it is 110%.  What I didn’t know in the spring of 2011 was the amount of time Ironman would require.  I was fully in support of Brad following the triathlon training plan, I wanted him to be prepared to compete at the mind boggling distance of 140.6 miles!   

The summer went by quickly his training time steadily increased.  We planned weekends and family events around training, we were both working towards Ironman.  Brad followed the daily training plan except for a few days.  On those days he didn’t follow the plan and we took the evening off!   We needed a normal evening of just us, thank you babe!

The week before REV3 was full of excitement and list checking.  It takes more to pack for a triathlon than a camping trip.  The morning of REV3 started at 3 a.m.  I was calm until we walked on the beach towards the start line.  Brad gets calm and focused at the start.  I looked at lake Erie and my stomach went in knots.  Having friends at the start was like a hug and that hug meant more than all of you will ever know.  I gave Brad one last kiss and his adventure began.

 Greg, Dee, us, Rabbit and John

I tend to worry, OK if you spent the day with me at REV3 that is an understatement.  I can’t help it, it’s a genetic defect.  I don’t do calm when Brad is competing, especially at this distance, this was unknow territory.  Brad knows I worry (and he still loves me) so before every event he tells me his predicted split times.  I always carry this list with me, REV3 was no different.  He was either exactly on time or a few minutes off over the 140.6 miles. 

 I carried this all day

The last hour before Brad finished seemed like a week, I just wanted the day to be over for him, I was worried he would be hurting from 14 hours of competing, I needed to make sure he was OK. I want to thank Brian, Ann Marie, Dee and Greg for being there for the entire day.  Dee and I walked toward the parking lot to try and spot Brad as soon as he turned toward the finish line.  When we saw him my heart started pounding he was still running and he was smiling.  He grabbed my hand and we took off.  Running in with him was a moment in time I will never forget, I am so proud of what he has accomplished he is my Ironman!

Thanks to Brian Coon for taking photo's!

Journey Complete

Thanksgiving Day 2010 started my journey to Ironman 140.6.  After enjoying a meal with friends Jason told me he was going to do the full Iron distance triathlon at REV3 next year.  He said “if I do it and you don’t you are going to wish you did.”  He didn’t know I had been thinking about the full REV since I finished the half distance at Cedar Point the previous September.  I had been going back and forth between yes I will do the full and no that’s crazy.  The yes part of my brain won and I registered for the full REV in December 2010.  I called by wife to tell her I was going to do it and then sent Jason a text.  As Jason says “game on!”

 Off season conditioning began January 1, 2011.  I ran all winter with the Y Run Club, spinning classes and swimming at the Y. I work best when I have a plan, training for a triathlon is no different. I down loaded a plan specific for this distance.  I started following the plan in April.  There is a science to training so I wanted a plan that was written by a coach, I did not want to try to coach myself.  Also part of preparing my body to compete for 140.6 miles was proper diet.  But nutrition to fuel my body during the event was a different challenge.  In June Rick a biking friend told me about Infinit a new nutrition supplement he was using on long bike rides.  Infinit is mixed specifically for each person, it is not one formula made for the masses.  I began using Infinit for nutrition when riding or running.  At REV3 Infinit, one Cliff bar, 3 gels was my only food intake during the 14 hour event.  I was never hungry, no stomach problems and no leg cramps, Infinit worked.

September 11th was my first Iron distance triathlon. I had been training for this race for months, I had been thinking about it for years. It all started when I ran my first sprint triathlon in Shelby in 2007, I was hooked. And now I was standing on the lake Erie shore at 7 am. My friend Jason and I shook hands and wished each other luck and waited nervously for the gun to fire. I knew Jason would do well, he had been training hard and he was ready. I didn’t know if I was ready. But I was about to find out.

There is not much to say about the swim, bike and run. I followed my plan for nutrition and pacing. My arms and shoulders got tired during the swim, my legs got tired the rest of the race. The volunteers were great, the spectators along the route were eager to lend encouraging words and the weather was wonderful. The unique thing that stood out about this event was competing with Jason again, and seeing my wife and friends John, Rabbit, Brian, Dee, Greg, Ann  Marie and Rick cheering me on at various places along the course, I have great friends and my wonderful wife!

As the sun was setting I was running my last 3 miles, I could see the lights from Cedar Point getting closer and closer soon I would begin to here the crowd cheering for the runners as they passed in front of the stands. I knew it would only be a few more minutes and I would be running in front of those stands and I would be an Ironman. I rounded the last corner and headed toward the cheers, as I approached I saw Teresa smiling. I grabbed her hand and we ran together across the finish line. In honor of 9-11 the runners were handed an American flag to carry across the finish line.  Other good friends Dee, Greg, Brian, Ann-Marie and Jason were waiting on the other side. It was a very good day. 

In the end I finished only 9 minutes after my goal of 14 hours and finished 4th in my age group. I missed third place by less than 10 minutes but this race wasn’t about the finish time or how I placed this race was about finding out if I could do it.  I did it, I have completed the journey from Fatman to Ironman, and will do my best to avoid a return trip.

Photo's by Brian Coon

Ironman Muncie

Friday morning we woke up full of nervous energy. This was the day we were driving to Muncie, Indiana to participate in the Ironman 70.3. We had loaded the van the night before with everything except the cooler but I still reviewed my list one more time because I always feel as if I am forgetting something.

After a trip to Starbucks we were on our way. The trip was uneventful, nothing but cornfields. We arrived in Muncie, checked into the hotel, had some lunch then called our friends Jason and Ann Marie. Jason was also racing. We met them and went to the convention center where the Ironman expo was being held. This is where we picked up our race packets, timing chip etc. This was also the location of the athlete’s pre-race briefing, which we were required to attend.

As we entered the expo, we checked in, picked up our race packets which contained a bib number, a swim cap, a timing chip and some free samples of sponsors products. From here we entered the Ironman store. I bought a bike jersey, running shirt and running shoes. Before we left we attended the athletes briefing. They explained the course, answered questions etc.

Jason and I decided to go for one last bike ride that afternoon so we drove to the race venue, which was about 10 miles from town at a place called Prairie Creek Reservoir. We didn’t ride far, only about 11 or 12 miles then walked around the venue to find out which way to go in and out of the transition area during the race. We drove back to town, had dinner and tried to wind down for the evening.

Race day

The alarm was set for 4 am because I like to eat some complex carbs and some fat (bagel and cream cheese) 4 hours before an endurance event. I woke up at 3 am, so much for that extra hour of sleep. I went ahead and got dressed but wanted to stick to my plan so I waited until 4 to eat. We drove to Prairie Creek. I set up my transition area. This is where the competitors leave their gear, bike, helmet, bike shoes, etc. I was ready; all I had left to do was pace around nervously until the race started.

The Race

Just before 8 am everyone started moving toward the starting line. Someone sang the national Anthem, the professionals were introduced, a cannon fired. The professionals went splashing off into the water. My wave was next; I usually start at the back of the pack because I am a slow swimmer. This race was no different. I planned on swimming at a steady pace and try to stay on course; I did just what I had planned. I finished the 1.2-mile swim in about 52 minutes, slower than I wanted. I ran into transition, put on my bike shoes, helmet, grabbed my bike and was on my way.  Out on the bike I was feeling great. I drank my liquid nutrition about 2 swallows every 10 minutes. This is what I calculated I would need calorie wise to sustain me. I finished the 56 miles in just under 2 hours and 45 minutes at a 20.4 mph average.

Now for the run, this is where the plan fell apart. I had 2 bottles of my Infinit nutrition on a fuel belt lying in my transition area, which I planned to use on the run. But because it was so @#%&*! Hot from setting in the sun, it tasted awful. But in all honesty this is not what spoiled the run for me. There was plenty of food and drinks at the aid stations along the run and the volunteers working at the aid stations were enthusiastic and eager to help in any way possible. They were probably the best group of volunteers I have ever seen at a race. What spoiled the run was that the weather was so @#%&*! Hot and the run course was very hilly which together made for a very slow run, but I finished the run in 2 hours 42 minutes.  My Ironman finish time was 6 hours 32 minutes.

Overall I really enjoyed racing in this event, but it wasn’t the racing alone that I enjoyed. It was choosing which event to run.  It was figuring out the best training methods.  It was figuring out what to eat during the event.  It was the camaraderie that exists in a shared experience with friends. But most of all it was seeing Teresa’s smile when I crossed the finish line.

 Jason and I at the finish!

Forget the PR

Last weekend I ran a race called Forget the PR a trail run through Mohican State Park.  This race is very popular and sold out in just 26 days. 

One of the reasons I wanted to do a long event in the spring was to test a nutrition plan for my upcoming triathlons.  During the race I wanted to use Hammer Perpetuem, which is liquid fuel for endurance events, I just call it “mud”.  I wanted to use this as my only form of nutrition to see how my body would react.  Mud worked great, I never felt hungry and maintained good energy levels throughout the race.

I was new to this event and I didn’t know exactly what to expect.  I was familiar with some of the trails because I mountain bike on them.  The first aid station was at the fire tower which was about 5 miles in.  I told my wife I would get to this point in about an hour, it took me longer because I slowed down on the section the race director calls big ass hill and it was.  From there the trail made its way down to the covered bridge aid station.  Both of these aid stations were well stocked with food and friendly volunteers.  Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way.  My wife was waiting there with a wonderful smile and encouraging word.  I refilled my water bottles and headed out to the Lyons Falls loop; parts of this section were more like extreme hiking than trail running.  I made my way up a ravine to the base of Little Lyons Falls where I climbed up tree roots like a ladder to reach the top.  Next I ran to Pleasant Hill Dam, up the road then back on trails to Big Lyons Falls, returning to the covered bridge aid station.  As I was running towards the aid station I saw friends Greg and Dee taking pictures. 

Leaving the aid station I had to cross the Mohican River.  The water was thigh deep and startling cold.  As I started in the water I saw Samuel who was sitting on the rocks under the bridge watching the runners cross the river.  I walked carefully to maintain good footing to make sure I didn’t fall in.  My legs were cold I didn’t want the rest of me in the freezing water.   My wife was waiting on the other side with dry shoes and socks.  I quickly changed, drank some mud talked to Greg, Dee and Samuel before starting the last 5 miles.

Photo by Dee Brandes

I finished the 17.35 mile trail run in 4 hours 2 minutes.  This was a little slower than I thought I would do, but it was a very enjoyable run.  At the finish line there was hot soup, sandwiches and beer.  I am already looking forward to doing this event again next year.

A Ride for ALL Ages

Kyrsten, Lucas, Evan and me

Most adults have forgotten what it is like to be a kid.  I had the opportunity this week to experience one of the simple joys of life; I went on a bike ride with my grandkids.  We started in Bellville and headed north on the bike trail.  We saw birds and a squirrel and rode over sticks and leaves.  Nobody was thinking of going to work or what we had to do tomorrow we were riding bikes.  The kids never stopped talking or smiling.  The youngest one, Lucas, started singing as he peddled his new bike.  His first ride was over 3 miles, not bad for a 4 year old.  Kyrsten wanted to ride fast; she was going 14 mph at one point.  Evan likes to mountain bike so he kept riding on the grass on the side of the bike trail.  The next time you pass a family on the bike trail, remember the fun you had when you were a kid.

Chain Reaction Part 3

During 2001 and through early 2003 exercise and restricting my foot intake became more like work.  Between those dates my weight dropped from 300 down to 232.  One set-back came in May of 2002.  I was mowing the lawn, slipped on a hill and broke my ankle.  I did not exercise for the next 2 months.    Looking back I realize that taking 2 months away from exercise gave me the mental break I needed to continue, even though I gained weight during this time.  I realized I had to find a way to turn exercise into fun, something that I loved to do.  I remembered that I used to enjoy riding a bike; I had sold my bike at a garage sale when my weight reached 300 and I thought I would never ride again.  I decided to give riding a bike a try, I bought a Trek 7200, it was a heavy bike, but it was just what I needed to cruise up and down the bike trial.  I found my love of biking again and looked forward to riding and I did it more often.  Biking is still one of my passions; yesterday I rode 46 miles with some of my friends.  By the end of 2003 my weight was 203.

May 2002 with my Grandson Evan





A Good Run

Most local running events involve a charity in one way or another.  The 5k yesterday was no exception; this 5k was sponsored by a local rock band, thank you Red Ball Jets.  The proceeds went to a non-profit organization, the Area Agency on Aging (www.aaa5ohio.org).  This agency helps area seniors in many ways and I was happy that my entry fee went to them.  But this was more than just a good deed, this was fun, it was almost like a party.  Since it was a local event we knew many of the participants and many of the volunteers, including the race director who is the unofficial leader of our running group, thanks Bob we appreciate you bringing us these running events.  Friends and running, what a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  We even won new metals.  My wife Teresa placed second in her age group and set a new PR, I took third in mine, friends Dee and Greg took first in their respective age groups.  Teresa’s running partner Tammy also set a new PR.  It was a good run.

After the event me, Teresa, Greg and Dee

Spring Forward

There is now less than 6 months to my attempt at an Iron distance triathlon.  When most people think about the first day of spring they think of flowers, bees and birds, I am thinking that I am running out of time to train before my epic event.  It is time to start ramping up the intensity of my workouts.  Most of my workouts lately have been zone 2 or 3.  This is perfect for base training and to build endurance, but now it time to kick it up.

For those of you not familiar with training zones here is an over simplified over view of heart rate training.  Training zones are based on percentage of your maximum heart rate which is different for everyone.  A rough estimate of your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age.  This formula makes my maximum 166.  But working with a heart rate monitor I know that I am capable of a maximum heart rate of 172. 

Zone 1 is 50 to 60 percent of the maximum heart rate.  Zone one builds a healthier heart, you do not burn a lot of calories, but the calories you burn come primarily from stored body fat.  Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent of the maximum heart rate.  In zone 2 your breathing is still fairly easy and comfortable you can work out for a long period of time.  Zone 3 is the aerobic zone 70 to 80 percent of the maximum heart rate which builds cardiovascular efficiency and endurance.  Zone 4 is 80 to 90 percent of the max heart rate and is used to gain strength and speed.  Zone 5 is also called the red line zone 90 to 100 percent of the max heart rate, your breathing is so labored you feel your chest will burst.  Zone 5 is only for competitive athletes.

Starting now I will be mixing in many zones 4 and a few zone 5 workouts and will be increasing the amount of time of each work out.  Both of these things will increase the intensity of my work load.  I will be increasing my work load for three consecutive weeks then one easy workout week, I will repeat this until REV3 in September.  By then zone 4 and I should be best friends.

The book I used to learn how to train with a heart rate monitor is The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclists by Sally Edwards and Sally Reed.

My heart rate monitor

the SUUNTO T3D wrist top computer, it is also my watch

Chain Reaction Part 2

At my April 24, 2000 doctor’s appointment my weight was only down to 297, in the last 3 months I only lost 3 pounds.  I was trying to exercise 3 times a week.  Exercise was exhausting, walking up stairs made me tired.  I was carrying an extra hundred pounds around all the time.  I felt I wasn’t making any progress because I wasn’t loosing as fast as I wanted to.  Most of my exercise was walking outside.  I also knew I needed to quit smoking but I wanted to fight one battle at a time, dropping some weight first.  In August of 2000 we joined the Y.  Exercising on my own was not working.  I met with a Y trainer who suggested I work on my diet in addition to exercise.  My doctor told me a low fat diet would improve my cholestrol numbers, but that was another battle.  I was only concerned about the number on the scale, I didn’t think about athletic ability in 2000.  I just wanted to lose weight. 

Early in 2001 I started to research how to exercise for weight loss, this lead me to a heart rate monitor.   I purchased a heart rate monitor so I knew when I was exercising in an aerobic zone.  Once I learned what this zone was for me, the pounds started to drop off.   I still wear a heart rate monitor every time I work out. 

Fall 2000

Chain Reaction Part One

Eleven years ago today I walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes.  This event, without my knowing it at the time, was the first link of an ongoing chain reaction.  But thinking back the first link would have been me sitting on the coach with a half eaten bag of potato chips, thinking to myself I feel like crap, I am unhealthy and I have to do something about this.  At this time my weight was 300 pounds and the only form of regular activity was mowing the lawn when I absolutely had to. 

This chain is still going on, I didn’t start out thinking that I wanted to race in an Ironman Triathlon I just wanted to be able to lean down and tie my shoes.

In the coming months I hope to recount the major links in this chain that brought me to where I am today.  Becoming an Ironman doesn’t happen overnight. 

Me in 2000

Ride Through the Woods

Photo by Jason J Molyet

I went mountain biking at Mohigan Sunday afternoon.  A mountain biker is a special breed of person.  They are masters of a unique skill set that enables them to enjoy racing up difficult climbs and down dangerous descents, strewn with roots and rocks.  They live for the adrentiam rush they experience when they narrowly escape personal injury by staying upright while riding through the rock garden.  I am not one of these bikers.  I’m just a guy that likes to ride a bike through the woods, and today was a wonderful ride.  The woods floor was dusted with snow and the air was crisp and clean.  The friends I was riding with made this experience a thrill, thanks, John, Rabbit, Jason and Josh.

A Day at the Beach

Pleasant Hill Lake Summer 2010

Sun on my face and sand in my toes is part of a day at the beach.  Swimming at Pleasant Hill Lake gives me all of that but since it is frozen solid I went to the Y pool.

Friends of mine offered to spend some time with me and give me some pointers on improving my swimming.  Since they are both swim coaches I jumped at this opportunity.  My last swim instructions were in the Y’s tadpole class when I was 6.  For the last few years I have been watching swimming videos and the Olympics to try to improve my strokes.  But without knowing specifically what I was doing wrong I didn’t know what I needed to change, I just knew my swim times were slower than I wanted.  In my mind I was swimming just like Michael Phelps.  Swimming isn’t like cycling or running it is more about technique than simple training.  With the suggestions from my swim coaching staff, thanks Marcia and Dale I was able to go from 26 strokes per pool length (25 yards) to 20 to 22 strokes while maintaining the same speed.  That will be a savings of 675 stokes over the 2.4 mile Ironman swim.  Learning to swim efficiently will save energy that I will need to complete the bike and run portion of the Ironman.  I will work on getting comfortable with the new stoke technique for the next few weeks and hope my speed will increase.  Once I am ready Marcia and Dale will work with me again, I am anxious for more instructions.

Blizzard Buster 5k

The Blizzard Buster 5k is the first race of the year in our area.  This is the fourth year my wife and I have competed in the Blizzard Buster.  I like mixing races in with my training, running with the other competitors makes me run a little harder than I do when running alone.  I run harder because I want to catch the runner in front of me and I don’t want to be passed by the runner behind me.  Not to mention the carrot at the end of the stick . . .  the prize for placing in my age group.  I didn’t place this year but my wife set a new PR and won her age group.  This is what she won. 

That’s right a new cup with a spoon.   She was excited about this because our grandson broke the mug she won at Blizzard Buster,  2 years ago.  It was her favorite hot chocolate mug,  now she has a new one.  Most races give out metals as awards but you can’t drink hot chocolate out of a metal.  Although I didn’t place I was very pleased with my run. 

 I ran a 25:30 on a hilly, icy course and that was good enough for me.

The Long Run

I ran 90 minutes today.  I plan to increase my weekly long slow run by 15 minutes every other week and try to keep my heart rate at 125-135 beats per minute.  I run 3 to 4 times a week, but I enjoy the long slow run the most.

By mid April I will have increased my long run to 3 hours.  I am training to compete in Forget the PR 25k, www.mohican50k.com my first big event of 2011.  Forget the PR, is an incredibly difficult 17.1 mile run on the hiking trails at Mohican State Park.   To date my longest trail race has been 8 miles on some of the same trails.   Increasing my long runs increases my endurance, which I will need to complete this event.  I will continue to increase the time of my long runs in preparation for the full marathon I will run at the end of REV3 on September 11^th. 

I want to ride my bike

The winters in Ohio for the most part prevent bike riding because of the possibility of icy spots on the road. I managed to work in about 35 miles on the New Years Day ride hosted by the local bike shop, most if it in the rain, but since then its been all spinning classes at the Y.  If you have never taken a spinning class here’s what happens, you ride a stationary bike while the class leader that tells the group when to peddle fast, when to peddle standing up.  Spinning is a good workout, but does not give the thrill of riding outdoors. 

Running in the winter is no problem, in fact I really enjoy running while it is snowing, its  surreal and relaxing. I have screws on the bottom my shoes, sort of like studs on tires, so I don’t worry about slipping on the ice.  I didn’t let a temperature of 14 degrees keep me from running 9.2 miles today.  

But I miss riding my bike, feeling the wind on my face and seeing the beauty of the Ohio countryside and I miss the camaraderie that exists within the group of people that I ride with. These people have become some of my best friends, I miss them, I want to ride my bike.

The Story So Far . . . .

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Brad, I live in north central Ohio and on September 11^th I will be competing in my first Ironman distance triathlon, but I am getting ahead of myself, this being the first blog post, I feel obligated to start at the beginning. In the summer of the year 2000 I found myself weighing 300 pounds (Fatman) with severe high blood pressure, high cholesterol and showing early signs of Diabetes. I smoked and got winded while walking up the stairs. I was a classic couch potato. My doctor told me that if I didn’t do something about my weight I would have many more serious health issues for the rest of my life. This was not the future I wanted.

Me (Fatman) Summer 2000

In  October of 2000 my wife and I joined the YMCA and started an exercise and diet regiment. This was very hard at first, it was hard to stay motivated to exercise and to watch what I ate. It all became more than a little overwhelming. There were days that I just wanted to admit defeat and sit on the couch and eat a big juicy bacon cheeseburger. After about 6 months of this dismal attitude I realized that in order to achieve this new level of health that I wanted, I had to make this lifestyle permanent, I had to find a way to embrace this way of life and not see it as torture. I had to succeed in losing weight and keeping it off AND enjoy life! So I made a bargain with myself, I told myself that if 90% of the foods that I ate are healthy then 10% could be whatever, as long as I didn’t eat too much. If 90% of my activity was healthy then 10% could be napping on the couch. This worked wonderfully; I called it the 90% plan. If I REALLY feel like sitting on the couch and eating a big juicy bacon cheeseburger I do, and I don’t make myself feel guilty about it because even a big juicy bacon cheeseburger is healthy in limited quantities. I lost about 100 pounds in less than three years and have kept it off easily, I was also able stop taking medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol and quit smoking. My health is under control and physical fitness is now such a huge part of my life I look forward to going bicycling or running or playing soccer with my grandkids.  This is a lifestyle that I can sustain for a lifetime.

A few years ago I decided to enter a sprint triathlon, this one took place at the Shelby YMCA; it consisted of a 300-meter swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a 5k run. I had no illusions of winning; I just wanted to finish the race. I hadn’t competed in anything since junior high and just wanted to see how I would do.  I came in second in my age group and yes there were more than 2 in my age group. I loved it, it was exciting, exhilarating and such a thrill that as soon as I finished I knew I wanted to do it again. I have found that for me, competing is a great motivator, it gives me a reason to stay in shape (besides that health thing); it makes me want to work a little harder to do a little better in the next event. And when my friends ask me how I did, I can tell them that I did great, I finished.

Since that first triathlon I have competed in many 5k races, several sprint triathlons and duathlons, some informal cycling time trials, half marathons, four half ironman triathlons and a full marathon. This year I plan on running, two half marathons, a half ironman triathlon, a full ironman triathlon, quite a few 5k races with my wife and many bike rides with my friends. And in all of these I will give it everything I’ve got…90% because for me, winning isn’t crossing the finish line first, it’s crossing it many times and for years to come.

Between now and September I plan to report details about my preparation for the most physically difficult thing that I have ever attempted, so stay tuned, it should be quite a ride.

Brad