Ankle Surgery: Post Op Day 1

6:55 am. It feels like electricity in my toes when my wife touches them. This different from yesterday when I couldn't really feel anything.

7:30 vomited into bucket at bedside.

8:55 am. I just realized I'm able to move my toes again.

12pm Ate a few spoonfuls of homemade chicken noodle soup.

2pm Took Tums for stomach gas.

4pm Ate a piece of toast and took 1 Percocet.

7:00 pm vomited again immediately after .

8:00 pm Elizabeth called the doctor's office and told them of my intolerance for Percocet. The doctor said it was quite common and recommended a switch to Tramadol. She picked up the prescription and I popped two tablets around 9 pm. I waited a few hours for the nausea and reflux to set in again but was pleased when it didn't.

We watched a good movie, The Imitation Game, just she and I for the first time in months. Then retired at about 11:30. I tried to read for a few minutes then dozed off.

Aric Almirola leads Richard Petty Motorsports 24 Hours of Booty Team

Aric Almirola was looking for ways to give more back to the local community. A longtime recreational cyclist, he decided to form a fundraising team at Richard Petty Motorsports for the 24Hours Of Booty charity bike ride.                     Aric is also an endorser of Advocare fitness products, who sponsor the Number 6 car of driver Trevor Bayne. As a long time cyclist myself, I can attest that Advocare's products can help your endurance and power on the bike. 

My favorite products for cycling are: 

• O2Gold - for increased oxygen capacity. They call this the "3rd lung."
• Post-Workout Recovery - taken within 30 minutes of a ride, it gets my legs ready for the next day. 
• Arginine Extreme - for increased blood flow during strenuous activity. Works like beet juice by proving nitric oxide to your muscles. 

See all of the Performance Elite Products here: http://www.advocare.com/products/performance_elite.aspx

Getting back on the health & fitness track after losing motivation, at age 49

It's not easy to start a fitness regimen at any age. And it's not easy to re-start a regimen once you have lost motivation. In my experience, you don't HAVE to hit rock bottom, where you're completely disgusted with yourself...but wherever you are, the important thing is to DECIDE that you're going to change.

I fell off the exercise wagon because of stress. Which is ironic because giving up exercise is giving in to stress. I know from experience that exercise is medicine, or therapy. It is a fact that exercise produces endorphins which are natural mood boosters.  

But I let my stressors, mainly centered around job loss and the resulting severe financial pressure, get the best of me. I wanted to spend every waking moment focused on fixing my situation, sending out resumes, reaching out to everyone for advice, and searching for a solution to my problems. I felt that exercise was frivolous and self-indulgent, though I knew deep inside that it was not. My depression only grew worse as I blew off workout after workout. 

I still struggle with the depression. Every day is a roller coaster ride of emotions as new doors open and then close in my face. It is so hard not to take every rejection, every unreturned email or phone call personally. I've also started to get angry at my friends for not recognizing how miserable I am and not offering to help. You read about suicides every day and everyone always says afterward..."If only I knew what he was going through." (Note: I don't think I'm suicidal, but if you think you are, please call a professional immediately!)

The point is, that today, I made the DECISION to not let my situation get any worse. I went on a run...and it was hard after a 2 week layoff. But I didn't stop until I'd run two miles...then I walked a 3rd. It was a struggle to get through the first mile, and I lost form during the second mile, but I felt reborn at the end.

Maybe getting back on my exercise routine will do more than band-aid my symptoms. Perhaps it will be the basis of my resurgence, and the foundation of my mental recovery. I hope so. 

Apple Macbook Pro Message App hanging

Recently, the messages app on my Macbook pro started hanging. I had no idea what caused it and thought it was related to a recent software upgrade (to El Capitan.)

The app would open, then go into the "spinning wheel" mode where nothing happened at all. It seemed to last forever and my only option was to do a "force quit." I had to rely on my phone to send/receive messages.

After several days of searching, I finally found the thread with the answer:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7408309?start=0&tstart=0

It turns out the problem is due to the Contacts app. I had contacts enabled for both my icloud and gmail accounts. When I turned off icloud (as I have over 1500 in gmail) then restarted Messages, the problem was no more.

Ralph, I don't know you but God bless you!

Ten Tired Traffic Myths - still alive and kicking

Our region is home to one of the top 6 transportation boondoggles in the country right now - the I-77 toll lanes project.

While the contract itself appears to be fraught with problems and penalties, such as penalties for building nearby projects that take traffic away from the toll road, the opponents keep touting Myth 1 as if it is the obvious answer.

The answer to me is actually in Myth #7, get a little bit of traffic off the roads, and you get a significant reduction is delay times. This is because traffic delays are non-linear. I don't expect the toll road opponents to understand that because they have problems with Myth #1, which is kind of math dependent as well.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/12/10-tired-traffic-myths-that-didnt-get-a-rest-in-2015/422274/

iPhone 6 Dead Microphone

I didn't post an update but I finally fixed my dead microphone problem. What I did was take my iPhone to the Apple store. One of the geniuses ran an audio test which confirmed the microphone was bad. Since my phone was still under warranty they swapped me with a new one and I was on my way in about an hour. It took that long to make sure I had a fresh backup and update the OS on the fresh phone.

The many microphones of the iPhone 6

Siri stopped hearing me when in speakerphone mode right after my last software update to iOS 9.1! However, I can still talk to people and do other things normally. 

Working:

• Voice memos
• Siri via headset
• Voice dictation via headset
• Speakerphone voice

Not working:

• Voice dictation via phone itself
• Siri via phone

I haven't resolved the problem and have a case opened with Apple Support. However, during troubleshooting, I learned the iPhone actually has 3 microphones as shown in this diagram from Apple:

Siri went deaf. She couldn't hear me nor could I do voice dictation.

I upgraded (?) my iPhone 6 to iOS 9.02 the other day. I didn't realize Siri wasn't working until this morning. Here's what I did that didn't fix her:

1. Power on/off
2. Toggle Siri on/off.
3. Toggle Cellular data on/off.
4. Soft reset (hold down power and home button simultaneously for 10 seconds.)

Here's another procedure that did not work:

Try resetting your network settings:

WARNING: These steps will make you lose any entered passwords in already joined networks. SAVE ANY IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS OR WEBPAGES, YOU MAY LOSE THEM.

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General
3. Go down, tap Reset
4. Tap Reset Network Settings
5. If prompted for a pass code, enter it.
6. Tap Reset Network Settings
7. A series of different screens will show. This is normal.
8. Once this is done, unlock your phone and try connecting to a network or cellular network.
9. Try using Siri.

Problem adding GMail Account to Outlook MS-Office 365

This threw me for a loop this morning for a couple of hours. I logged in via the web browser just fine. I set my GMail account for IMAP. Still couldn't add it to Outlook.
Kept getting this error message despite several attempts and triple-checking my spelling, etc.

Your IMAP server wants to alert you to the following: Please log in via your web browser:
http://support.google.com/mail/accounts/bing/answer.py?answer=78754 (Failure)

Finally found the solution here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2984937

Cause

This issue occurs when you try to sync to a Gmail account after July 15, 2014 and Basic Authentication has not been enabled for your Gmail account.

Google has increased its security measures to block access to Google accounts after July 15, 2014 if those accounts are being set up or synced in apps and on devices that use Basic Authentication.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, enable Basic Authentication for your Gmail account. To do this, go to the following Google website, and then select Enable when you are prompted about whether to let less secure apps access your Gmail account:

Allow less secure apps

For additional security, consider enabling Google’s two-step verification and app passwords as documented at the following web pages:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/180744?hl=en

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en&topic=2784804&ctx=topic


Note The workaround described here takes you to the page in the following screen shot. You click Enable to work around the issue.

Gun-free zones and gun bans will not decrease mass shootings

I would support both a gun ban and gun-free zones if I thought they would work. But for numerous reasons including the sheer number of guns out there, it won't work.

We should be alarmed at the seeming increase in mass-shooting events. For the record, I prefer to call them "Mass Shootings" like the website www.shootingtracker.com instead of "Mass Murders" like the FBI.

There is one expert gun nut out there names James Alan Fox who states that the definition of a "Mass Shooting" is one in which 4 or more MURDERS are committed. This conveniently leaves out shootings in which people are merely crippled, paralyzed, or maimed but manage to survive.

For example, the shooting in a Layfayette, LA, movie theater on 7/23/15. In that case, 10 people were shot but only 2 victims died (along with the shooter). So, James Alan Fox would not call that a "Mass Shooting" event.

I'm not sure why James Alan Fox feels this should not be classified as a Mass Shooting. I suspect he is funded by the gun manufacturer's lobby (the NRA) or some such organization. But I digress.

Having said all that, I do sincerely wish we could come up with a solution to the problem of excessive gun violence. I don't believe we should just accept it as a fact of life and move on in denial. It's a complicated problem and simple solutions like "banning all guns" or "gun-free zones" don't address the root of the problem.

I believe the underlying root causes are societal and therefore harder to "fix." Look at the profiles of mass shooters. They are typically (not in every case) male, caucasian, loners, with demonstrated anti-social tendencies. Many are known for being video gamers or dabbling in fringe organizations. I suspect these are folks who feel disenfranchised from society. They may feel fear, loneliness, and victimization. I know it is dangerous to make sweeping generalizations.

So, what are the causes of such feelings? Mental issues could be both the cause and a result.

I believe it is due to the breakdown of our sense of physical community. Our generation spends a lot of time in self-containment. Whether in our cars, in our homes, or with our heads buried in our phones or on social media. We have replaced physical connections with virtual ones which are nowhere near as healthy.

Adding to this sense of alienation is the pressure to be as happy or as fulfilled or have as much stuff as we see others on social media. It is becoming a sickness and adding misery to those who already feel as if they're not getting their fair share. There's even a term for it, Fear Of Missing Out or FOMO (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out.)

The solution is to try and rebuild those bonds of community. It's going to take a massive grass roots effort. It's going to take outreach. We have to come up with ways to make people feel included and draw them back from out of their dens.

Denon AVR-S700W Review: Great features and sound, questionable reliability

This is a very nice receiver with impressive features and great sound at a great price. However, because I had an annoying repair (during the warranty period) you may want to be a bit cautious about the quality. Especially if you don't live near one of their repair centers.

I purchased my receiver new at Best Buy in June 2014. It was very easy to set up and configure. It even includes a nifty feature for optimizing the speaker volume levels for your specific room and seating arrangement. The sound quality was amazing and the power was plenty for a small to medium-size room. We enjoyed about seven months of trouble free listening.

Unfortunately, without warning the display stopped working. It went completely dark although the audio features seemed to work normally and the sound continued to be excellent. Since it was still under warranty I contacted customer service to find a repair center. This is where I have an issue.

First, the customer care line was a voicemail so I started a chat session. Without reading too much into it, let's just say the personality of my rep was "cold." I was just sent a pdf of repair center locations without so much as a "I'm sorry our product failed you so soon. Here's what we can do to help."

I boxed up the receiver and shipped it via FedEx Ground ($80!) The repair center in Rockaway New Jersey did a great job and shipped it back within a matter of days. I reconnected everything and M back to happy listening.

The packing slip in the box indicated that a bad 0.1A fuse was replaced. Knowing that fuses cost a few pennies, I really wasn't happy that this cost me about $100 even though the receiver was under warranty. I probably should have used UPS instead of FedEx Ground.

In summary, I love this unit but I am worried that the display fuse may go bad again out of warranty. At that point it may be cheaper to buy another product.

Here is the link to Denon's AVR-S700W product page: http://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/avreceiversht/avrs700w

Be more productive by following the simple rule of 3

I've read dozens of self-help books searching for the elusive magic bullet for becoming more productive. What I've learned is that there are hundreds of list of the Top 10 or Top 15 things you should do every day...go ahead and Google the top things you should do and you'll see these long, long, lists.

I don't know about you but I function best by keeping things as simple as possible. I've found that it's best to focus on just the three most important things you have to do at any one time.

Little did I know that there is research about this subject as well. They call it "The Rule of 3" and it is based around the concept that we function best around that number of things. In fact, Steve Jobs either innately or purposefully based his presentations around three. It is also a basic writing and oratorical concept:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_%28writing%29#Rhetoric_and_public_speaking

Take a look at this great productivity blog for starters and start practicing your own "Rule of 3" today. Let me know what it does for you:

http://alifeofproductivity.com/rule-of-three/

I can't believe I'm admitting this but, I need readers.

I'll be 49 this year. I've worn glasses, well contact lenses 95% of the time, since I was 22 years old. My vision has always been about 20/30 meaning that I need glasses to see things far away. Things that are within an arms length or so have always looked fine and I've never needed glasses to see things close-up.

I've watched my parents and older relatives start to deal with readers in their '40's but somehow I didn't. There's no use in speculating why other than I don't watch much television. My work days are spent starting at various computer screens though. Since getting a smartphone and iPad, I probably spend way too much time staring at those screens...mainly for reading as I'm not a fan of watching movies on those devices (nor do I have the time.)

Because I wear contacts for distance correction, they help my eyes focus on things that are far away. The muscles in my eyes have always been able to contract to view things up close clearly even with the contacts in. However, something seems to have changed just in the last week and I find myself reaching for readers to see things on both my iphone screen and, for the first time just a few minutes ago, on my laptop screen.

I guess no matter how hard we try and outrun him, Father Time catches up with everyone.

Buying Cheap Lightning Cables, So Not Worth It!

For the record, I've always had success avoiding the Verizon and Apple tax on accessories by ordering from eBay. For at least 10 years this has served me more than very well and I've ordered very nice chargers, cases, etc. not only for myself, but for friends and family.

But I have been having a bad case of fragile or DOA lightning cables ever since getting my iPhone 5S.

Mind you, I've had genuine Apple, Belkin MFi certified, and generic knock-offs from eBay. The generic ones are the worst, being non-certified, several of them were DOA.

I just ordered a metallic reinforced cable from i-Blason on Amazon.com for $15. Will update this post with my experience.

Here's an interesting article on another guy's experience with cheapo cables
http://www.cnet.com/news/why-im-done-buying-cheap-lightning-cables/

Dinner conversation about the end game for wealth inequality and revolution

I think our civilization needs to look back at what happens when tremendous amounts of wealth are concentrated into the hands of the few. Yes, in an aspirational society that is the ultimate outcome. But can we avoid catastrophe or revolution by being cognizant of the "endgame?" Can the elite be convinced that we need to find a better way?

In a capitalistic society, the clever will always find a way to escalate and there will always be that segment that dwells at the bottom, living off of the generosity of the middle and rich. But extreme disparity is just wrong.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalearcher/2013/09/04/could-americas-wealth-gap-lead-to-a-revolt/

Jared Diamond: Why do societies collapse?
http://www.ted.com/talks/jared_diamond_on_why_societies_collapse/transcript?language=en

Garmin File Won't Upload to Garmin Connect ---->The Easy Solution!

I did a short trainer ride this morning and synched my Garmin 910XT right afterwards as usual. But for some reason that particular file wouldn't upload to Garmin Connect. I could see it on my device, but it wouldn't upload! I even checked the local file directory to see if maybe the .fit file was stuck on my pc. I then deleted and re-installed Garmin Express to no avail.

After a few frustrating hours of synching unsuccessfully, I found a possible solution on a forum. There is a function on the 910XT device to manually "force" an upload of all of the files on the device:

Mode--->History--->Tranfer All

To my delight and surprise, upon synching again one final time my file finally appeared as if nothing was wrong in the world. Whew!

Don't give up

I wrecked my bike last week and got a concussion that has given me double vision. I fully believe I will he'll be back on my bike sometime down the road I don't know when but someday.

Over the last week more than one person has question why I keep bike riding at the age of 48. You have so much to lose they tell me. Sure I question it myself but if I wasn't able to swim bike and run and challenge myself i'm not sure what I would do. It's not that I'm any good at it I frequently finish in the middle or upper third of my age group if I'm lucky. But coming from someone without an athletic background I'm just so proud of being able to do these events at all that they have become a huge part of my personality and my life.

Carolina Half Ironman 2014 vs 2013 Splits

Yesterday was the second, or the first, Carolina Half Ironman distance race, depending on how you look at it. I did much better in 2014 than 2013 and I wanted to understand where because, frankly, I didn't feel as ready as I did in 2013. This is a quick comparative analysis of my splits.

In 2013, the race was produced by Setup Events and took place in September. Benji Jones, who was with Setup Events, left to form Jones Racing Company in late 2013 and took several events with him, including the Carolina Half. For 2014, the race was moved to May 4th, which worked out better for the planners and town. 

The swim was 100% the same but the bike and run courses were modified slightly. In 2013 the bike course featured too many turns and short legs; this was corrected for the 2014 event resulting in a much faster course. The run course originally was a one lap out and back which included the cross country course at Davidson College. The 2014 course was changed to mainly streets and paved greenways but still featured some pretty tough hills. 

In 2013, I did not strip my wetsuit off fully until I got to my bike, which was a mistake because the swim to bike run is about a quarter-mile! So in 2014 I made sure to take my suit off completely at the water exit. There is a large concrete driveway at the swim exit so plenty of room to strip. So the best way to see if I improved at all from 2013 to 2014 is to look at both my swim plus T1 times together:

2013: 42:53 vs 2014: 44:01

So I actually lost 1:08 in the 2014 race which makes sense because it felt a little slower. I didn't draft as many people as I did in 2013. I also struggled to get my suit off...did not bring any cooking spray!

In conclusion, most of the difference was on the bike and probably due to the more straight course. However, I think my run strength has also improved. So, I'd attribute half of the better time to the course and take credit for the other half :)

The Rule of 3

There are too many experts publishing advice lists that are just too long.

What good is a list of the top 12 things you can do to be happier, or the top 21.5 questions you should ask a prospective customer, if you can only remember the first handful?

Life is too busy and hectic to be able to truly focus on more than a few things at a time!

You can make consistent, measurable, progress just by focusing on a few things at a time. Do a few things every day, or even several times a day, and you will accomplish a lot more in less time!

Follow the rule of 3! Make a list of the 3 most important things you want to do right now. Fight the urge to make a longer list. Get those 3 things done as fast as you can...then think about making a new list of three. I guarantee you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment than you would by making a list of 20, 30, or 100 urgent things and only getting 1 or 2 of them done.

For example, if you really want to get healthy, remember this list of 3 at restaurants (that is, if you have to eat out at a restaurant).

The 3 things I should eat:
1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Lean meats (substitute if you are a vegetarian/vegan.)

Clear out the distractions! Keep your lists simple! Get more done!

Gmail Contacts Sync to iOS7 Device Problems and Solution

I wasted the better part of yesterday afternoon and evening in frustration. My 2200 or so odd Google GMail contacts stopped updating on my iPhone 5S and iPad (both on iOS7.)

First, let me just state that I have multiple email accounts on my devices. Second, let me state that I've set them up myself. Third, I'm not a programmer, just a middle aged engineer and mobile aficionado with pretty good technical skills, but not an expert at IP lingo and software configuration.

The accounts on my phone are:

• Personal GMail
• Work GMail
• iCloud
• Side business iMap email

I was using my personal GMail to manage all my contacts. I decided to go this route due mainly to GMail's ability to find and merge duplicates. On my work PC, I use Outlook to access my work GMail and it created a separate Contact database...another source of frustration causing some duplicate contacts.

Long story short, let's focus on the problem and solution. My GMail contacts weren't synching. I tried deleting and adding my GMail account multiple times following the instructions on Google's page: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/2753077?hl=en  

Here's what I didn't realize until about 10pm that night - My work GMail was not set up correctly. 

I set it up as a Google type of Account under Settings>Mail,Contacts, Calendars>Add Account

What I should have done is set it up as an Exchange Account using these instructions: 

https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/138740?hl=en

To my surprise, once I set up my work GMail account as an Exchange Account rather than as a Google Account, my personal GMail contacts started synching properly.

No, I don't understand why. I assume there was some kind of conflict inside my devices as a result of having two differently configured GMail accounts set up as Google accounts. All I know is when I fixed the work account, then my personal contacts started synching again. Perhaps the order in which the accounts were added was part of the problem as well. 

Hope this helps!

My Ironman Arizona 2013 Race Report: A dream come true, an amazing day

Ironman Arizona (#IMAZ) 2013

November 17, 2013

12 Hours 37 Minutes 17 Seconds Overall

Ironman Arizona proved to be both easier and harder than I expected but mostly, more fun than I could have imagined! First of all, what an awesome, awesome, experience! The organizers spared no detail, every little thing was planned out from the color-coded special needs bags (each color a different motivational saying) to the numerous themed rest stations staffed by exuberant volunteers. It was not only a really great time for me, but for my family as well. As for the race itself, I thought the swim was much easier than most of my long training swims. However, the bike segment was harder than expected. The run segment was about as I expected and I actually enjoyed it. Even though my only stated goal was to finish, I secretly wanted to beat 13 hours, which I did by about 23 minutes.

My Ironman Arizona journey began nearly a year in advance, though I didn't start training seriously (that is, with a plan) until late January when I signed up with Jamey Yon at TRi-Yon Performance. The very first thing Jamey asked was "Is your wife on board with all this?" as he knew that was the first and most important prerequisite. Fortunately, I had already had "the conversation" with Elizabeth and she was behind me all the way...something I will always appreciate. After an endless summer of long Saturday bike rides and Sunday runs to cap off a week of speedwork, strengthwork, and lots of swims, the weeks wound down to the race. Those last few weeks were pretty excrutiating as I experienced a range of emotions from fear to anxiety to hope. Finally the big day arrived!

Swim: 1 Hour, 16 minutes:

I had no major issues on the swim, just a little nerves when they finally told us to jump in the water. Even though it was 64 degrees, the temperature felt fine after a few seconds of swimming. I treaded water for about 10 minutes and when the cannon finally fired, I started my Garmin, put my head down, and just went. This was a 1 loop swim and it seemed to take forever to get to the turnaround. I ran up on top of a couple of people who stopped (?) and got kicked once in the side of the head but luckily no blows to the face. Once we made the turn back the spacing improved considerably. The finish came relatively quickly and as I exited snuck a quick glance at my time (76  minutes) so I was actually a few minutes ahead of my best case prediction. I found out after the bike that I had some abrasions on my neck from the wetsuit collar so will make a mental note to use some vaseline in the future! 

Bike: 6 Hours, 12 Minutes:

The bike segment was tougher than expected; it was an essentially coast-free loop that we did three times (Coach told me months ago the IM bike is a long steady effort and boy was he right.) I just tried to settle in and spin to avoid any lactic acid buildup in my quads. I set the Virtual Pacer on my Garmin for a 6 hour pace; at the end of the first loop I was dead even with him. By the end of the 2nd loop, he had built up about a 5 minute lead which I thought I could erase on the 3rd loop. However, as the organizers warned, nasty head/crosswinds showed up on the 3rd loop (headwind on the inbound/downhill final 17 miles) and I ended up about 10 minutes off the 6:00 pace. In retrospect, I got passed a lot on the bike and could have gone harder...but the 10 minutes I may have shaved would have probably cost me more than that on the run. TIPS: Set a timer or use a system to take in your calories consistently. Don't banquet on the bike; I only ate 2 NOW bars cut up into 8 bite sized chunks and used Infinit and Hammer gel for the rest of my calories. I was covered in salt when I changed for the run so I probably did not drink enough plain water and could have been a bit dehydrated.  

Run: 4 Hours, 55 Minutes: 

The 2 loop run went as well as possible, considering it was my weakest discipline before working with Jamey. I had some bloating on the first loop and even take the thought of eating anything...not even a gel (I carried one through 4 rest stops before chucking it.) I made sure to take a cup of water or two at each rest stop and chugged them both. I ended up doing the whole run on liquids (water, GU Perform, cola, and 2 cups of chicken broth) with a few bites of banana and 1 or 2 pretzels. My stomach felt much better after mile 13 (along with my left big toe, which I wrapped up in a large bandaid from my special needs bag) and I was able to hold the same 11 minute pace. I was still holding back to see how I would feel at mile 21. I made it past mile 22 and was still feeling great when I hit the (only) hill on the course. For some reason, I decided to attack that hill. I don't know if it was anger, exhaustion, or just insanity but it felt like someone reached into my back and just squeezed my adrenal glands. As I passed dozens of walkers I kept thinking that this must be the #TYDifference; all of those strength and hill workouts was paying off. Many of the volunteers seemed surprised to see this crazy guy running strong on the closing miles of an Ironman...and their reactions fired me up even more! 

I hit the last stop and the final 1.2 miles seemed like the longest of the day; the road was dark and pretty deserted of spectators. However with about half a mile to go, I could hear the cheers and loudspeakers of the finish line crowd. I entered the chute in disbelief, thrilled, relieved, and proud and still not quite believing I was now in a new club...an Ironman finisher.   

Post-Race:

Obviously lots of stretching and/or massage...my hamstrings wanted to seize up once I stopped running. I wasn't really able to walk much after the race but felt surprisingly good the next day. It wasn't until the 2nd day that I really felt soreness in my quads and calves. By Wednesday, I started complaining about where I could have done better during the race (the bike segment) so my wife knew I was back to normal :)

More Tips:

* Rest up a lot the week before even though you will feel like you want to workout more. 

* Stay off your feet as much as possible the day before. 

* Don't eat anything in the 3-4 days before that will upset your stomach at all. I ate penne pasta with roast chicken and olive oil (no cheese) for my final pre-race meal. 

* Wear compression socks whenever you're on your feet and especially afterwards.

* Believe in yourself! You are ready! You're going to be amazed how well you do and you'll want to immediately register for another one. 

* Smear Vaseline on your feet before putting on your socks in T2 if you get blisters. Also, keep a few large band-aids for blisters in your Run special needs bag...which you get at mile 13. 

* Walk through every water station starting at the first one. 

* Cold water dumped on your head or back really helps snap you back to awareness. 

Inspirational post borrowed from another first time Ironman finisher

I read this in a newsletter from TrySports. It was written by one of their employees, a 45 year old who just completed an Ironman event this past August. As I near the end of my training for Ironman AZ, this reminded me of what got me into this endeavor, and what has gotten me through it. 

By Terry Collins, TrySports Wilmington:

"What inspires me?  It seems that these days, I'm asked this proverbial question quite often.  Just to give you a little background, I decided at the age of 45 to complete my first full Ironman this past August in Mont Tremblant after just two years of competing in the sport of triathlon.  What was I thinking? Could I do this?  I took a huge leap of faith and decided that I had to give it a try!  At this point in my life, I didn't want to risk not knowing what I could have done.  This season hasn't been without difficulties as I sustained a broken collarbone from a cycling accident.  As you can imagine, I needed the encouragement of many others to get me through some tough times.  Again, the question beckons, what inspires me?  Here are a few.....

I'm inspired by my training partner who motivates me and holds me accountable, even when I don't want to complete that tough workout!  Before the start of the Ironman, his words, "Be confident - you can do this", gave me the courage to start that incredible day. 

I'm inspired by my fellow TrySports co-worker and good friend who messaged me before the start of the race and said, "We are with you".  Those words kept me going during my lowest points in the race.   

I'm inspired by my coach as she will complete her 9th Ironman this year! Her words of encouragement kept me going through injury and the tough times. It's because of her that I write the words, "Your life is now" on my arm before every race.  

I'm inspired my fellow TrySports co-workers.  You not only encouraged me along the way, you encourage others and embody the spirit of believing in yourself to reach that goal.  

I'm inspired by my fellow athletes that I see on "The Loop" at Wrightsville Beach swimming, biking, and/or running every morning before the sun rises.  While you have may have full time jobs, families, and other commitments, you are out there giving it everything you have.  

Maybe you are thinking about completing your first 5K, marathon, or Ironman.  You might be saying to yourself, "Can I do this?"  In the book Ironstruck, Ray Fauteux writes about the fear of lining up and starting on race day.   He says, "There are hundreds of athletes who will feel the same as you on race morning.  That is one of the things that makes this event so amazing.  You are all on the same journey together."  It could be that you want to get in better shape, improve your overall health, or get a faster time.  Whatever your goal, know that you are not alone.  Many others have overcome adversity to make it to the start line, and you will, too!  Along the way, you will become the inspiration for others to begin that journey and take that leap of faith as I did.   So when I'm asked the question, "What inspires me?" -  I'm inspired by YOU! 




Keep believing and achieving!"












Terri Collins
TrySports Wilmington

Race Report: Carolina Half Ironman 9/29/13

This past Sunday, I competed in the inaugural Setup Events Carolina Half-IM, the first long course race based in (or near) Charlotte, NC. With time to reflect back on it, I've decided I enjoyed it, even though parts of it were pretty darn hard.

My goal was to use this as a training race, to practice and prepare for Ironman Arizona in about six weeks. I intended to just settle in, focus on fueling, and take it easy, without trying to push the pace or hit a time goal. However, after getting on the bike, that old competitive spirit kicked in and I wrestled against pushing myself versus holding back for what I knew was going to be a tough run. I ended up going a bit harder on the bike than I wanted, but still seemed to have enough left to have an OK run. My run was still pretty bad, but I ended up taking 10 minutes off of my previous PR at this distance, which was on a flat course at the 2003 Blackwater Eagleman.

Age Group Results
6:01:05, 15th out of 32

I was surprised to place in the top half of my age group. This is a big improvement over most of my previous events where I was in the lower 40%. I attribute this to following a great coaching program from Jamey Yon. The next guy up was 10 minutes ahead so I'll have my work cut out next year (if I do this one again.)

RECAP:

Taper Week: Went in to see Dr. Bradberry at Greenapple for a mild case of metatarsalgia and a sore hip. Flew out early Tuesday and spent Tuesday through Thursday in Chicago, IL. Swam Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Buehler YMCA in Palatine. Felt really good all week and concentrated eating clean and not pulling anything.

Friday night we headed up to Boone for Parent's Weekend at Appalachian State and we spent all Saturday on our feet hiking both the campus and some trails. Despite complicating my preparation, I knew where my priorities needed to be. We didn't get home until 10pm and then I had to prep my bike and bags. Didn't get in bed until midnight for a 4:30 wakeup...not good.

RACE DAY:

After 4 hours sleep, we drove to T1, got my packet and racked my bike, then headed to T2. I was definitely feeling the lack of sleep but also the typical pre race nerves and was ready to get it done. Then, a lack of shuttle buses caused me to get separated from Elizabeth and ended up in T1 without cooking oil spray and my whole gear bag.

SWIM:
37:31, 12th out of 32: 

This was my first beach start and I don't know if I prefer it one way or the other over the other kind. Due to the shuttle thing, I didn't get to do a warmup but tried not to think about that.

I felt really good right away from the start and was able to settle my breathing down within a few hundred yards. I didn't feel either fast or slow but kept up with what I thought was the middle of my pack. I stayed with the pack through the two turns, only getting slightly off course twice. After exiting at the boat ramp I glanced at my watch which read 36:34 and immediately thought I must have accidentally paused it. My previous best swim in a half-IM was about 43 minutes.

T1: 

5:22, 14th out of 32

T1 was about 1/4 mile up the road from the water exit and I made the mistake of only peeling my wetsuit top down. It would have been smarter to shed the whole thing. Plus I got a sleeve caught on my watch and that added precious seconds. I could probably shave a minute off next year.

BIKE:
3:00:29, 17th out of 32

I was actually shocked at placing relatively low on the bike leg, normally my best segment. I will say that nobody passed me on training wheels, that is, everyone that passed me had aero race wheels, which I didn't...but I'm not making excuses. The bike is probably the area where my training has lagged the most due to all my mid week traveling.

This was a course with relatively few fast stretches. Lots of turns connected by pretty rough asphalt. Also lots of rolling hills with 2 or 3 out of the saddle climbs, especially in mile 55.

My fueling plan was do the same as on my last few long rides. Lots of Gatorade and Hammer Gel with one or two energy bars. I downed a NOW bar (280 calories) in the first 25 miles then switched to just Gatorade. I need to get a better Bento box and gel flask holder for my bike. Mine didn't work well with all the short segments and turns.  

Eric Banks Carolina Half IM Bike Splits 9/29/13

I finished the bike feeling really strong though and was more than eager to start the run.

T2: 
1:28, 7th place. 

No issues here. Shoes stayed on the bike. Clean dismount. Right out of the traps onto the run.

RUN:
2:16:16, 17th out of 32.

I knew this was going to be tough but didn't preview it so I just mentally approached it as a strong training run. The first two miles around Bailey Park flew by and I was optimistic that I was going to easily break 2 hours. Then the fun started in mile 4.

For the run, I took water and Heed at the first few stops until we entered the Davidson College Cross Country trail system around mile 5. Then my legs started to get heavier and I craved coke and water at the next few stops through mile 7.5, the turnaround point.

Exiting the woods around mile 9, I could sense the finish and was able to crank the pace up a bit. By that point I was taking two water cups and dumping one on my back. Things went well until those last two brutal hills in mile 12 where I had to take a couple of walk breaks.

Eric Banks' Carolina Half IM Run Splits 9/29/13

In summary, I was pretty spent at the end but semi-happy with my results. On the one hand, I was glad to get a PR and to have a really great swim. On the other hand, I was disappointed I still didn't make it into the 5:30 club. Oh well, as they say, there's always next year!

If You Want Success, Follow The System!

I've probably heard this advice over and over hundreds of times in very different contexts, but for some reason, I still mainly try to forge my own path toward whatever goal I've set. Then, I wonder why the path has been so difficult or why I've failed to achieve my goal.

I suppose part of this stems from hearing the Frost poem about "taking the road less traveled" too many times. There is a part of me that believes that I have to "earn" my success through adversity as opposed to taking a tried and true path. In other words, my ego prevented me from "merely" following someone else's system.

But I'm now following a "system" to get me in better shape for triathlons and improving my results and I'm seeing the results of following it.

Switching to a more neutral running shoe, the Brooks Ghost.

I've worn Asics 21xx series for years starting from when they were the 2060's up until my just retired 2170's. These are a stability shoe with a medium amount of pronation control. My running style, if you can call it such, as evolved over the years from a flat footed heel striker to now more of a forefoot striker. I think this is good although being a forefoot striker puts a lot more stress on my calves (soleus and gastrocnemius.)

According to "Born to Run", the book that rewrote...the book, on running, the forefoot striking style is how we were "born to run" so once you're adapted to it, it should work better for you.

What I've found is that my shoes wear, and my feet hurt, right under the 2nd ball joint of both feet. Most people push off of their big toe joint so they have a lot of shoe wear, and callouses, under that joint. I'm a little strange I suppose.

On the advice of my chiropractor (whom I was seeing for a calf strain) I decided to try out a more neutral shoe. After trying a pair of Newtons and an Asics Gel Kayano, I went with a pair of Brooks Ghost. This was on Monday of this week (today is Wednesday.)

I went for a quick 3 mile run on Monday and immediately felt much more stress on my calves. This is because the sole is more flexible than my old Asics. My forefoot felt a lot better cushioned however I still felt most of the impact and push off on my 2nd ball joint. I think this is a matter of my style and I may be able to shift slowly more over to my big toe over time.

I did a 5.7 mile hill workout today and felt pretty awesome so fingers crossed that this was a good shoe choice.

5 Tips For Avoiding "The Bonk" On Long Bike Rides

I don't know if its due to my advanced age (46) or the fact that my nickname should be "Heavy Sweater" but  I've become an expert at "bonking" on long training rides.

By "long rides" I mean those over 30-35 miles and lasting 2:30 to three hours or more. (I'm still building up my fitness and stamina for anything longer.)

My "bonking" usually sets in around the 20 mile mark between an hour and 1:15 into the ride. If it's a hot day, I'll start to feel like my legs just can't turn over as quickly and I'm not light on the pedals. By mile 30 I'm usually well off the pace. By mile 40 I'm barely moving up the hills and may even weave a little.

Here are my sure fire ways to guarantee a "bonk:" 

1. Do not eat anything before the ride.

2. Do not carry any sports drinks.

3. Do not carry any solid food.

4. Do not carry any energy gels.

5. Do not apply sunscreen before setting out on the ride.

So, logically, here is what I've been doing to prevent such misery:

1. Prepare my fueling plan the night before. Figure out what I'm going to eat before and during the ride. Eat at least 200-250 calories before the ride. Drink 16oz of water and S-Caps if it's above 75 degrees and humid.

2. Mix up 2 pretty strong bottles of Gatorade. Put one S-Cap or Endurolyte in each bottle.

3. Make sure I have at least one Clif bar to eat at around mile 20.

4. Carry a full flask of Hammer Gel (Montana Huckleberry or Vanilla) and draw from it every 15-20 mins. 

5. Put sunscreen on the back of my neck, arms, face, etc. prior to leaving the house.

Figure out your own requirements by listening to your body. Spending a little extra time on your fueling plan can do wonders for helping you avoid "the bonk."

I am improving

When I re-started my triathlon training program this past January I guess I thought it was mostly going to help me build stamina and endurance, but I never thought I would be fast. I'm starting to doubt that now...that I will remain slow, that is.

I've never been a fast runner By any stretch of the imagination. When I was doing a few tri races back in the early years of the century I think I got a 5k PR of around 25 mins and a 10k in the low 50's. but being out of shape and not really training for almost a decade has taken its toll on me. In January, the best per mile times I could muster were in the 10:30-11:00 minute range. 

The last two times I've run though I've averaged in the lower 9 minute range which I have to say, seems very surreal to me.

When I look back and assess what's going on, I'm excited to report that I've actually felt like I'm making progress. What I mean is that my pace was the same for many weeks and months as my body adapted to the shock of running. Actually, my body rebelled at the added demands. First, my knees ached so badly that even walking was painful. I applied ice and rubbed the tops of my Tibia hoping that it was just tendinitis. Luckily, it was. Unfortunately I strained a calf muscle about half a mile from finishing a short 4 mile run.  Lots of ART therapy and stretch training seems to have fixed it, but it still is painful.

The Anarchist

“The lenses inside of me that paint the world black / The pools of poison, the scarlet mist that spill over into rage. The things I’ve always been denied, an early promise that somehow died / A missing part of me that grows around me like a cage.”

Who hasn't felt this way at some point in their lives? Whether stuck in a dead end job or a toxic relationship. The frustration of unrealized potential can indeed spill over into rage. As we age, the pain of knowing there is a missing part of you only grows stronger. It's testimony to the importance of finding your self at an early age. I believe true satisfaction is achieved through being self-less that is, to live to give of yourself.

What if I don't fail?

A few months ago I attended an excellent presentation by an inspiring leader in the direct selling business. The gist of it was, get over your fear...take action. Sure, you may fail. But what if you don't?

Yesterday while running that phrase came back to me in a big way. As is often the case when doing something uncomfortable...alright, painful, I have to pysch myself up to keep going. 

I realized I have to keep running instead of stopping. What if I just keep running even though my aching legs tell me to stop?  I will be prouder and happier with myself and feel better about my upcoming triathlon race.

l also realized I can apply that question towards any aspect of my life when facing a decision on whether or not to take action.

For example:

• I'm afraid to call that difficult customer because he might think I'm being a pest. But what if he gives me another order?
• I'm afraid to tell my neighbor about this great new product I'm using because he'll think I'm trying to push it on him. But what if he wants to try it and it helps him?
• I'm embarrassed to share what I'm doing with a close friend because he might ridicule it. But what if he thinks its pretty cool that I'm trying to better myself?
• I'd better not start that business because I might lose my life savings. But what if I don't? 
• I'm not going to sign up for that half-marathon, what if I can't finish it? But what if I can?
• I'd better not try and fix the car myself because I might not be able to figure it out. But what if I can?

Most of our fears are irrational but hold us back. Next time you are afraid to try something, think about the opposite of your fear happening and dwell upon that! Attitude can be a very powerful motivator!

Man of Steel Trailer #3

The third trailer for the new Zach Snyder movie, "Man Of Steel" debuted last night and I can't wait to see this interpretation of the Superman story. The theme seems to center around the age old concept of destiny vs free will, which is a common thread from one of my favorite song writers, Neil Peart, of Rush. Following that theme is the sub-theme of the father son dynamic. Fathers always want their children to have a greater impact on the world than they themselves had. In this way, fathers wish for their sons to fulfill great destinies.

The movie is a complete reset of the Superman story and may be hard to grasp for those who like me, were children when the Christopher Reeve, richard Donner films came out with Krypton being an crystalline ice world. this carried through even to bryan singers Superman Returns.

First, the Kryptonian science and technology seems to be very organic as opposed to cold and icy like in previous superman movies. The trailer showed creatures or ships flying with lots of wing like movement.

Second, Kal El appears to be some kind of different Kryptonian even before being sent to Earth. The early peeks indicate that he may be an illegal birth, a natural born child as opposed to a genetically engineered person, again, born with free will instead of a destiny.

Third, the earlier films seemed to gloss completely over the fact that Supermans existence proves that we are not alone in the universe. He is the first visitor from another planet and his discovery would have enormous impacts on Earth. Again, his destiny would inpart, be to establish first contact with extra terrestrial life.

I can't wait to see this movie!