203.67 miles? You gotta be kiddin’!

That was pretty much the reaction my team of six runners had last May when we opened our bag of goodies from the Beach to Bay Relay in Corpus Christi, Texas. We were in our second year running Beach to Bay, and were already feeling pretty good about our prospects. More importantly, running Beach to Bay the year before had bonded us into not just musician colleagues playing with the Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra, but into a group of friends who enjoyed the opportunity to run together as a team.

I kidded my teammates about entering us in the new Texas Independence Relay (TIR), announced on a flyer packed in with our t-shirts and various other race announcments. I remember we laughed and said: “Sure. We’re going to run that (not).” The first fatal mistake was opening up my laptop a little later and browsing over to the TIR website. As I looked at the welcoming webpage I was drawn into the possibility that maybe we could run this race. Just add a few more runners, rope my sister Brenda into managing some logistics, and well, maybe. I asked a couple of the other runners who were gathered round the television set watching the Spurs in the playoffs. “We might be interested,” they said. Then Brenda made the second fatal mistake of the evening by saying: “If you can find the runners crazy enough to do it, I’ll help with some of the organizing.” Of course, she didn’t think it would ever come to be nor, frankly, did I.

You run Beach to Bay, a standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles, with six runners, each running a little over four miles. It’s a cinch, almost. To manage the almost 204 miles of the TIR, divided into 40 legs, would require 10-12 runners. I got commitments from the rest of the Beach to Bay team and then set out to recruit four more runners, preferably musicians, or at least relatives of musicians in the Mid-Texas Symphony (MTX). The MTX, by the way, is a modest sized regional orchestra which is jointly supported by the cities of Seguin and New Braunfels. I had discovered bit by bit that there probably were ten serious runner musicians in the orchestra, some pretty accomplished at marathons, triathlons, and just fun-thons, running for the thrill of it. “Piece of cake,” I thought, “to make this team of ten.” How wrong I was!

Disparate schedules, and the fact some runners just prefer to do it themselves (no team for me, thank you), complicated matters. But still, seven months out from the TIR, I had commitments and some money pledged as well, from supporters of the Mid-Texas Symphony. I plunked down the $850 entry fee and set about finalizing my roster. Capping it at ten, I sought a couple of alternates, and the team was made. A few months later, one runner moved away. Darn, he was a fast one too! Then a couple more holes opened up, before the wheels came off with injuries to two key runners. They were both bringing relatives to the team with them. Two more dropped out and rather than ten runners and two alternates I now had only seven runners. Just 2 weeks before the race, I seriously considered pulling the plug.

What prompted one more stutter step in this seemingly inevitable march towards quitting the race was the realization that those of us who were left had been not only looking forward to the challenge, but also training for it. Runner Steve Hager sent me an email saying he would certainly understand whatever decision I had to make. Then he sent a second email, telling me how he had run three times the day before, for a total of 16 miles. “Now he’s ready to race,” I thought. I bit my tongue and put out a last appeal for runners, trolling wherever I thought there might be a nibble. The first strike came within hours. Two runners from Houston would join us. The next day I heard from a runner near College Station who agreed to fill the 10th roster position. I burst out of my house on an exuberant run.

Brenda, good to her word, kicked into action organizing the transportation, the shuttling of runners from one leg of the race to the next. A few more nagging details lingered, including an issue over a driver for the second team van. “Don’t plan anything for the weekend of the race, Dorian, because you’re going to be driving van 2. I would bet on it.” Dorian is one of our Beach to Bay team, and came up injured awhile back. She and her husband Fred are great teammates and I regretted more the loss of their optimistic personalities than I did their good speed. But now, as I warn, get ready to drive, Dorian.

I look at a map and the reality of the distance astonishes me. Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument on the other side of Houston: 203.67 miles! How will it feel? It’s anyone’s guess. Alan Pekarik, one of the last minute additions to our team, has run 199 miles with a team which included his wife Marie. (Marie is also running with our band of musical fools.) According to Alan, sleep deprivation will kick in, and what looks like a reasonable demand of 20 miles per runner, divided into 4 legs each will, according to Alan, “feel like a marathon.” Am I glad we’re doing this? You betcha! Will I be so sure of myself when it’s over? I’ll take a gamble and say: “Yep. When’s the next one?”

Cheer for our team. The Mid-Texas Symphony runners are:
Liz Levin Pittel, Steve Hager, Jonathon Hager, Maeve Goetz, Brian and Denise Renaghan, Alan and Marie Pekarik, Holly Murphy-Brackin and Yours Truly, James Baker. The MTX team pushes off the starting blocks at 8:15am March 1 and we anticipate crashing the finish line 33 hours or so later at the San Jacinto Monument. How great will that be?!

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Some sole searching

We are a society of bargain hunters, attracted to the marketplace of Walmart or the internet. I'm surely one of the worst culprits. But when it comes to buying shoes, specifically athletic shoes, it might make sense to buy local from a retailer who knows the ropes.

There's no intention of making any commercial endorsement here. San Antonio offers several shops which specialize in gear for the runner, or the swimmer, the biker, the baker, the candlestick maker. You know what I mean. When it comes to shopping for running shoes you can read, read, read on the internet, or consult the latest "Buy This" edition of Runner's World. Or, you can walk into a store owned by a runner, employing experienced runners as sales people, and ask them to help you choose a pair of shoes. Find a store which is a comfortable fit for you and then use the expertise of knowledgable sales people. When you leave the store with a great fitting shoe which is just right for your demands and for your particular skeletal features, you'll be glad you went the local route.

It has taken me awhile to come to this approach, but I must say that I have gotten great advice and great service on my last several pairs of shoes. For example, I walked into my local favorite the other day for new shoes. The salesman, an experienced runner, looked at the shoes I had last bought from that store, and knew exactly what features I would need in the new shoes. Was it simply luck that the first pair was exactly the right shoe for me. I think not. The online discounters court me constantly, but I've come to realize that they don't know me, and they've never cheered for me in a local race. If you haven't done so already, it's time to get acquainted with a local shoe store. Your feet will be happy, and so will you.

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Blue skies and drier air

NOTHING lifts the spirits of a runner faster than a favorable break in the weather.

This has been an extremely unusual summer in South Texas. We are accustomed to battling through summers, running early or running late, cursing the heat which towards the end of the season can linger at 85 degrees at one in the morning. The pavement radiates the day’s heat back into the faces of those bold enough to pound pavement through the gates of Hell. A “normal” summer will also add occasional insult with high humidity.

This summer has been mild, with only a short period of temperatures over the mid-90s. Overnight lows have been mostly below 80. But most unusual has been the rain, persistent, rarely drying out for more than a week at a time. The copious rain has left a lush green covering over a landscape which is usually a brittle brown by August and early September. Not too bad, right? Wrong! The television weather forecasters love to tell us that we begin to feel the humidity when the dew point exceeds 60 degrees. Conditions this summer have taken that line right out of their play books since the dew point has pretty consistently lingered between 70 and 75 degrees. So, we have been faced for three months with cloudy skies and high, high humidity. My hat is off to those diehards who have managed to log their miles this summer. I’m not among them.

A couple of days ago the clouds blew away and though the humidity was still high and the temperature was far from comfortable I actually felt like running, and I did, hills, even. I’m in a neighborhood which affords me a half dozen different running routes, a couple of which are hills. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of digging into low gear and running a long and challenging hill. Nor is there a pleasure comparable to peaking a hill which reveals a vista of our beautiful downtown San Antonio. It’s good to run and become fit. It’s also great that it gets us out of doors, where we can enjoy the vistas and the hills, all the while taking some care to not stumble into a San Antonio pothole.

A couple of evenings ago I put my VO2 knowledge to work and ran a little harder, pushing my heart rate to a range of 150-155. I managed, but the humidity steamed me to the core. I doubt there was a dry stitch on me when I wrapped up. Runs like this remind me of why it is more difficult to run in high humidity. The humidity, of course, makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself. But the humidity also pushes up the heart rate. The experienced runners will verify that. I’m no sports doctor but I have imagined this has something to do with the body trying to moderate the blood temperature. Anyhow, running with my heart at 150-155 in extremely high humidity made no speed demon of me.

Today a “cool front” arrived, with rain (imagine that!). But the precipitation began to dissipate by mid-afternoon and I ventured out to buy some new running shoes (Nike Air Structure Triax 10+) and sensed a change in the air. It made me want to run, though I had to wait until late in the evening. If you are lucky you can get in a few miles before the sweat begins to get in your eyes. Tonight, I managed about 3 miles before the humidity began to win. Nevertheless, it is marginally drier and that did translate into a pleasant run. Again, I put my heart rate into the 150-155 range for about 40% of the workout while running exactly the same route I struggled with two days ago. The slightly lower humidity allowed me to run the seven miles about 2 ½ minutes faster. No, it wasn’t the new shoes. I was wearing my old Nike Equalons, which still have some miles left in ‘em.

So…after a summer spent more swimming laps at Gold’s Gym than pounding out miles on the streets of San Antonio, I am pumped about blue skies, drier air, and Autumn ahead. Come on, you rats of the gym. Get outside and soak up some rays. We’re on the cusp of outdoor season here in South Texas. Let’s make the most of it.

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Heart rate monitor

It is certainly possible to train without a heart rate monitor. You can always pause and get a pretty good estimate of your heart rate as you are working out. But the benefit offered by a heart rate monitor is that you don’t have to pause, you are monitored constantly, and you can produce a report after the workout which gives some interesting statistics which can help you plan a more effective next workout.

I won’t get into detail here but I would love to hear from anyone who can speak with experience and authority (Shelly Campbell, are you out there?). Suffice it to say that I have exercised off and on with a heart rate monitor for much of the last 4 years, and I find it very useful. Heart rate, more than pace, has dictated my marathoning experiences. This might not be the end all method, but I think it has generally served me well on race day.

Now I am discovering even better ways to use my monitor. There are formulae, based on one’s age, which allow an athlete to identify certain ranges of heart rate which then translate into various levels of results. For example, I am 58 years old. One of the often used equations is 220 minus your age to determine your max heart rate. You then use that number to determine a heart rate “zone” for weight loss, cardio, etc. The range is something like 65-85% of your max heart rate. Using this basic formula I find that for cardio work I should strive for a workout heart rate of (220-58)x.75=121 bpm (here I use 75%, or right in the middle of the workout range). Experience has shown me that this is too conservative. However, the conundrum is that if you disregard your “ideal” and instead overwork, you end up with less return on your workout.

I recently saw another formula (Target Heart Rate Calculator) which is supposed to distinguish whether you are in shape or out. Using this calculation I am advised that my 75% workout should be done at 132 bpm. That’s better, and forces me into a more vigorous workout. But in the end, these are generalized estimates which may lead you astray. I have heard that the numbers produced by the formulae can be off by as much as 10%, maybe more.

This is why I was thrilled recently to undergo VO2 testing at Spectrum Athletic Clubs here in San Antonio. Many health clubs are set up to conduct VO2 testing and I would assume the results obtained from one source will not vary greatly from the test results elsewhere. In the interest of full disclosure, Spectrum agreed to test me for free as I work with my colleague Diane Berlanga on a podcast feature about several of the fitness tests offered by Spectrum and others.

I am still learning exactly how the results are derived from the tests. Suffice it to say that one is fitted with a mask through which expelled air is measured and analyzed. My test was on a treadmill which varied the intensity of my 15 minute workout. I began easily and eventually was paced up to a jog, then to the max, anaerobic, level. The information was then processed by a computer program and customized heart rate parameters were produced for me. What I have learned is that my gut reaction pre-test was correct. I can and should work out at a higher heart rate level than the formulae would indicate. It is said that much of this is genetic predisposition(thanks, Mom and/or Dad), though I imagine there’s also some reflection of one’s fitness level. The important thing is that I now can more accurately monitor my workout levels for highest efficiency.

We all wonder from time to time whether we are working as hard as we should be. I have always known that I could work harder by ramping up how often I run, swim, bike or otherwise work out. But what I have not known previously is how hard I can and should go within a workout. Now I do know. Of course, there’s still the matter of implementation.

Bottom line: if you are interested in getting more out of your aerobic activity, purchase and use a heart rate monitor. A number of manufacturers make them, though Polar is probably the leader in the industry. Check the various models carefully and make sure you get everything you need, and then some. If you are a techie, like me, you will not regret spending a little more in order to have more features. I have had very good service from the first monitor I bought, but not such good experience with a biking specific model which would interface with a pickup on the bicycle to measure speed and distance. This never worked reliably for me, and the watch part of the system proved not very waterproof for swimming. As I was saying earlier, choose carefully the features which you need for your particular sport or sports.

The final bottom line: if you are really getting serious about fitness and are competitive with yourself (or others) to achieve more, splurge on VO2 testing and then USE the gathered knowledge.

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Making music and Making tracks

It's tough enough to rehearse and perform a challenging orchestral program compressed into a couple of days. But my friend Dorian Ramirez not only played cello for the weekend with Mid-Texas Symphony, but she and her husband Fred then turned around and swam, biked and ran the Austin Triathlon. Talk about endurance sports!

Congratulations to my good friends Dorian and Fred Ramirez who turned in outstanding races at the recent Austin Triathlon. You may remember that Dorian and Fred fired off the triathlon season in Galveston back in what seems like forever ago. It is astounding how quickly the triathlon season has passed, though there are still some good opportunities to race before the water of area lakes begins to chill. The swim for Dorian and Fred was in Austin’s Town Lake. Dorian reported the water temperature to be 77 degrees, right on the cusp for many swimmers as to whether they wet suit it or not. D&F both opted to swim without wet suits. Says Dorian: “I figured I would spend too much time trying to get out of it!”

Dorian turned in an overall time of 2:56:57, under her goal of 3 hours. Fred’s time was 3:06 plus some seconds. They both had enough left in the tank to finish strong in the final 10k. Dorian’s time was 47:41 and Fred ran 52:17, both PRs for their triathlon careers.

Fred and Dorian will take on the Longhorn Half Tri in October. That’s a half ironman, I believe. Dorian mentioned to me that they will be cramming nutrition information for that final exam of the season. I recommended she check out the booklet published by Hammer Nutrition, called The Endurance Athlete’s Guide to Success; in fact, I would suggest anyone with questions about fuel issues study this booklet. Currently, the book is out of print, but you can download a PDF copy for free. Go online to Hammer Nutrition.

I am sure Dorian and Fred would be interested in any other nutrition tips anyone might offer, especially keeping one’s self fueled during a long endurance event such as a half-iron, a marathon, or an ultra. In fact, I would encourage anyone with knowledge on the topic to chime in and share with those who read this blog. Your input will be much appreciated.

Making Music
Dorian and I have known each other for quite a number of years as musicians in the Mid-Texas Symphony. We had rehearsals and a concert the same weekend Dorian raced in the Austin Triathlon, making it even more amazing she did so well. It was a busy and challenging weekend for the orchestra, so I expect Fred ended up setting up transition areas both for himself and Dorian.

I checked the math and the 10k legs turned in by Dorian and Fred worked out to 7:41 and 8:26 miles respectively, and respectable too. You understand now why Dorian and Fred are valuable teammates of mine on the Mid-Texas Symphony relay team. We’ve had a great time the past two years running the Beach to Bay relay marathon down in Corpus and are about to bite off a BIG challenge this coming March. We saw a flyer stuffed in our race bags at Beach to Bay about a new race called The Texas Independence Relay. 207 miles. We laughed. Problem is, we then started thinking about it, and it just was too good a challenge to pass up.

I’m doubling the size of our relay team to a dozen and even 6 months out from the event we are becoming giddy with the prospect of taming the challenge: 207 miles from Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument. We’ll run about four miles at a time per person and in 35 hours or so we will hit the finish line. Our team experience at Beach to Bay has been so positive that we are looking forward to this next big challenge. I’ve talked to other runners about relays, and some just don’t like them. I can certainly appreciate that for many of us running is somewhat of a solitary experience. But I guess for team Mid-Texas Symphony we enjoy so much working together in the orchestra that running together seems a logical extension. If you read this and think you might want to check out the Texas Independence Relay, browse over to http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/.

Meanwhile, happy workouts to all. One day soon the rain will end, the humidity will dry out, and we will all remember what pleasure there is in biking, running and swimming in the great outdoors.

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A Long Way for Mexican Women

As I watched and cheered the Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa on her way to winning the Women’s British Open, I was reminded of the advances women athletes have recently made in Mexico. And I believe the Mexicans appreciate it as well.

Although there likely won’t be a repeat of the celebration which took over Avenida Reforma when the Mexican National Soccer Team advanced into the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, there is surely much cheering going on throughout Mexico for the accomplishments of Ms. Ochoa and, yes, some fireworks also.

When I recently traveled to Mexico, revisiting a couple of areas I know very well from having lived there for six years, I thought of the enthusiasm Mexicans have for sports, in particular futball. The kids there play it like kids play baseball in the US. And here and there you also find Mexicans who know and love baseball. I remember sitting glued to the television in a Mexico City apartment in 1981 as pitcher Fernando Valenzuela hung on to win game three of the World Series. Young Fernando had paid his dues in the Mexican League and even threw some Texas League pitches here in San Antonio. But I digress. Mexicans do follow baseball and on my recent trip I even saw a kid holding a football of the pigskin variety.

During the mid-80s I was living in Xalapa, the capital of the State of Veracruz. There’s a minor league baseball team there and everywhere you find soccer, though 99 percent played by males. Maybe that’s changing now. I hope the success of women’s soccer in the US is having an effect south of the border. In Xalapa and the surrounding areas (I actually lived in the coffee producing town of Coatepec) running was immensely popular. I would dare to say there were the soccer players and the runners, and the two didn’t overlap that much. In fact, when you went to the track there were always soccer matches going on and lots of runners in serious training. Like soccer, there were never many women at the track. Mexican running was dominated at the time by the men. Arturo Barrios was featured in Runners’ World and was on his way to setting a long standing record in the men’s 10K. Mexican runners were training like mad and many fine runners were at work in the Xalapa/Coatepec area. I ran laps, and nothing more, but I marveled at the focused dedication of the great Veracruz runners.

When my friend Liz Levin had come to Mexico she was already an experienced marathoner. She continued to run regularly and seriously in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, where the elevation is 9000 feet. When we moved to Coatepec she fell right in with the enthusiastic running community, despite the fact there were very few women who were runners. Liz ran at the track and also on the steep cobblestone roads in the coffee fincas, honoring the age-old runners’ tradition of a weekly long run. A Mexican runner named Pedro (I can’t recall his last name) began to help her with her training and together they would take 6 AM runs into the countryside as I rolled over and slept some more. Liz became more than a novelty. She was winning some races in her gender and age bracket while some of the Mexican women began to notice. I don’t intend to suggest that Liz was singularly responsible for the women who began to run seriously in that part of Mexico, but surely they had noticed her dedication to the sport.

Back then we watched as male Mexican runners placed high at the important international marathons. Some still do. But today it is the Mexican women who are turning heads in the running world. Adriana Fernandez won the New York Marathon in 1999. At that time she noted: "There are many more women running in Mexico now. They need more time for you to see them'' at the world class level, "but they will develop. This is going to encourage more women to run." Madaí Pérez, the new kid on the block, is currently finishing strong at the international events and is the Mexican record holder with her 2:22:59 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon.

But the most popular female Mexican runner is surely sprinter Ana Guevara. She has attracted legions of fans to the sport of women’s track in Mexico. When Ana recently set an unofficial world record in the rarely run 300 m she reacted by saying: “An unforgettable night for me and the whole of Mexico; the emotion tonight was unbelievable. I didn’t think so many people would respond.” Guevara continued: “When I came out for the opening ceremony I was amazed to see so many people in the stands. It was a dream but we decided why not, and it’s a dream which came true.”

And now similar popularity awaits golfer Lorena Ochoa after winning in such style the Women’s British Open at the hallowed St. Andrews course. I am not alone in cheering the successes of the Mexican woman athlete. May there be many more victories. ¡Viva Mexico!

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If you think that’s cold……

Have you ever dipped your toe into the pool and shivered while declaring: “That water’s too cold!”? It could be you were already looking for an excuse not to swim that day. But the truth we mostly know is that once you are in and begin your routine, the water temperature is not that much of an issue.

Imagine now the feat just accomplished by the Brit Lewis Gordon Pugh, who on July 15th took a dip in the Arctic Ocean. He was making a point: that global warming is a real issue. He said:

"Just five or 10 years ago this swim would never have been possible - most people have no idea that you can find patches of open sea at the North Pole in summer.

"It's deeply regrettable that it's possible now because of the devastating effects of climate change."

Mr. Pugh’s accomplishment was reported today on the BBC World Service. Here’s the item the BBC published in advance of Pugh’s swim: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6282048.stm

To summarize and put this into my own personal perspective (please feel free to add your own), the water temperature was -2C. Mr. Pugh, clad only in his Speedo, goggles and swim cap, swam 1 kilometre (he IS Brit!) in just under 20 minutes. I’m doubtful we mere mortals could accomplish such a thing without injury, but apparently Pugh has an ability to raise his body temperature. Nevertheless, my teeth are still chattering.

I swam one kilometer (I’m American!) yesterday, but if anything the water was too warm. Given a choice, I think I’ll prefer it at more like +25 Celsius rather than -2C. The coldest water I have ever swum in was at the wonderful artesian spring pool at Balmorhea State Park out in West Texas. The CCC constructed pool is fed by San Solomon Springs, and is definitely cold water. One internet site states the water temperature as averaging 73 degrees year round, but I swear it must have been colder than that the last time I dived into that water. Then again, maybe I was just looking for an excuse not to swim that day.

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How much is Too much exercise?

They’re at it again, those who contend that any exercise beyond three sessions a week is excessive. In an earlier post, I responded to such a report I had seen on television which labeled as addicted to exercise those who work out four or more times per week.

The latest report to bristle my dander was on, of all places, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO). To be honest, Mr. Gumbel was also mildly incredulous about the report which dealt with the increasing numbers of baby boomer fitness fans (I am reluctant to really call us fanatics) that are coming in for sports surgeries and joint replacements. The segment asks whether we shouldn’t arbitrarily slow down as we enter our mid-40s and beyond. We hear the argument that our skeletons begin to wear out with age and that we should therefore shift to low-impact exercise. And forget about competitive, even if it’s just an inner competition with one’s self.

The argument continued that the increased demands on medicine to correct the blown joints and the torn musculature would bankrupt the health system. At the end of the segment, Bryant went on the defensive for he is obviously amongst those of us who are refusing to turn it down a notch in our 50s going on 70. He asked the obvious question. Are we not, by concentrating on maintaining our fitness, avoiding some of the chronic diseases of inactivity such as heart disease and diabetes?

I suppose these questions will continue to be raised and we must exercise on either because of the benefits, or despite the supposed negative effects of our “addiction.” I certainly don’t intend to back off, though I do listen pretty closely to my body as I ask it to perform a little more than others of my age require of their bodies.

What do you think? Why not leave a comment?

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1st Tri becomes 2nd Tri

I have now officially started and finished a triathlon, and have a much better idea of what the fuss is about and also about the challenges of the sport.

The Heart of Texas triathlon series is run each summer here in San Antonio, overseen by John Purnell of Run A Way Athletic Club. Last Sunday was the second of the series of five mini-triathlons, paving the way for the Heart of Texas Triathlon Championships in September. As I mentioned in a previous post, this event was recommended to me by Shelly Campbell and also by Phil Arno, a musician acquaintance of mine for many years, and a 5 or 6 year veteran of triathlon.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at Ft. Sam Houston at the ungodly early hour of 6 AM, I ran into Phil. “I looked at your website,” he said. “With all your running background, you should do very well.” “We’ll see,” I said, though I feared his prediction might come back to haunt me. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to me that those triathletes who don’t regularly run marathons (actually Phil has done his share) seem to look at marathoners with some degree of awe. I must admit that as a marathoner, I look in similar awe at the real swimmers and cyclists. I guess it all adds up to triathlon being an equalizer, of sorts.

The Heart of Texas Triathlon No. 2 consisted of a 300 meter swim in a 50 meter pool, a 10 mile bike ride on a 2 mile loop, and a final 2 mile run, with some hills. Considering I had been previously training for the CapTexTri sprint distance (750 meters, 20 k bike, 5 k run), the Heart of Texas should have been the proverbial “no problema, man.” But cut me some slack. It was still my first Tri, and I started out with a poor swim. I got nervous, forgot what little form I have, and struggled somewhat. The bike ride gave me a chance to get my lungs back and my heart-rate stabilized. In retrospect, this might have been my strongest suit, though I by no means burned up the course. However, I did pass a few while the sprinters were busy lapping me.

Everyone has told me time and again: “Practice your bricks. Practice your bricks.” According to Wikipedia, “the term brick has multiple claims of origination/derivation. Among those is the derivation from a partial anagram of Bike-Run. Also, it may simply be a descriptive term for how your legs feel for the first part of the run.” I have generally interpreted it as principally referring to the transition from the bike to the run, and it is something I practiced, though obviously not enough. By the time I transitioned to the run, I was operating at a deficit. And who would be the athlete just coming in for the finish as I was about a quarter mile into the run? Phil Arno. And at that point I was walking up the hill. There was a look of consternation on Phil’s face, and I have no idea how I must have looked to him. But I got it back together and did most of the run, running. My unofficial time was 1 hour 15 minutes and some seconds. (Phil finished first in our age category of 55-59 with a time of 59 minutes.) In the true spirit of Triathlon (these people are infinitely supportive), Phil was there at the finish line to congratulate me on finishing my first tri. Also in the spirit of support, Phil gave me some pointers for the “next time.”

And there will be a “next time.” And that next time I will be a little wiser and a lot more practiced in BRICKS. Also, one other note regarding the future. I am enjoying sharing these posts with you, and reading what feedback has come. If you are game for it, I’m certainly willing to keep writing. But hey! Help Zetta and Shelly out. I sure would love to hear more voices on this blog.

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Another day, another first tri….

After hearing encouragement from a couple of triathletes, including Shelly Campbell, to check out the Heart of Texas series of triathlons I signed up for their next event, which is this coming Sunday morning. I really don’t know what to expect, though here is what the organizers have to say:


“This 25th annual event is held in a 50 meter outdoor pool. 300 meter swim. 10mi bike on loop course, 2 miles out & back run on rolling hills.”

For now, I am simply looking for a taste of the triathlon experience. As I have mentioned previously, I am one who needs an event ahead of me. There needs to be a carrot on the end of that stick. Anyone wanting more information about the Heart of Texas series can check out their modest website. (http://www.runawayclub.com/Heart_of_Texas_Series/hotseries.htm)

Mother Nature has been tough on us lately. Of course, she rained out the CapTexTri on Memorial Day. In case you haven’t heard, that event is not being rescheduled. This really doesn’t surprise me. I am sure it takes a full year to organize such a big event. Permits have to be obtained, volunteers arranged, etc. We must all just move ahead, bringing me back to the ornery nature of Ma Nature of late. The weather has been oppressively humid and this in turn keeps temperatures up in general, especially preventing any effective overnight cooling. It has taken some hard will on my part to finally commit to running in those conditions, but I am glad I have finally said to myself to cut out the excuses and just do it. A six mile plus run last night, in the wee hours, was good for my psyche.

The heat and humidity is not so much a factor in the indoor pool where I have been swimming, so I have been pretty good at putting in the laps. Tonight, for whatever reason, they had taken up the lane dividers in the pool. Having the water pretty much to myself, I was able to swim circles rather than laps. This gave me a different feel in the water, rather than the somewhat monotonous 50 meter laps back and forth.

Another new element in my workout routine is stair climbing. I work on the 8th floor of a 10 story building. I can usually find a 15-20 minute slot in my workplace schedule for slipping into the stairwell for a short but intense workout. It really is a nice addition to the polite running, biking, swimming routine, a sort of blue collar workout since it requires no equipment or club memberships. It’s got me thinking now about entering the annual stair-climb at the Tower of the Americas. I believe there are 900 and some odd steps in the Tower climb. Heck! It’s just another challenge.

I thought about this, the stair climbing, when I read Nathan Cone’s recently posted comments about trying to squeeze in time for fitness while juggling the responsibility of being the father of two children. Nathan mentioned he climbs the stairs rather than taking the elevator, and my hat is off to him. Many ignore the obvious opportunities to piece together a workout. I’m reminded of Tim Derk’s plan to do 10 thousand pushups this year by doing 10 pushups every time he goes to the copy machine at the Spurs office. In the end, it’s all about inventing ways to get it done. Now, Nathan, are you taking those stairs two at a time?

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Racing Against the Clock - a review and some comments

I recently had the opportunity to see the DVD titled Racing Against the Clock and then to write a review of the documentary film by Bill Haney. This has sparked some interesting exchanges with several friends whom I invited to see and hear the review.

Hopefully, this has also sparked at least a modest spike in sales of the DVD. The film really is that good. Check out my review, both written and audio, at http://tpr.org/articles/2007/06/cinema-raceagainstclock.html.

Here are a few of the comments I’ve gotten. Carol Masters, who knows a few things about masters athletics, wrote:

“James, I ordered the DVD as soon as I received your previous note and actually watched it in AMAZEMENT a couple days ago.”

Carol continues:

“Thank you for sharing the program. Ironically, I never thought of the term baby boomers as an American term so did not give it a second thought when there were women from other countries competing. I thought that it was wonderful of the producers to chose such a diverse group of women athletes with diverse backgrounds that all eventually led them to track and field sports. I actually came away thinking (after viewing the movie) that several of them could have been olympic quality had they been born under different circumstances. We will never know. Additionally, I took away from the movie (among many things) that sports facilitated each of the ladies to dig really deep within and find strength to overcome illness, poverty and lack of identity.”

“Thank you for encouraging me to see the movie! I am going to share it with everyone I know!”

More about Carol Masters in a moment.

My interest all along in writing this blog and also in the continuing production of the podcast iExercise has been not to trumpet my own accomplishments which are decidedly modest, but rather to encourage others to take control of their fitness. I am surely not responsible for the life changes made by my friend Linda Carlson, but I welcome her note as something which will speak to anyone considering changing their ways:

“Love your review! This is so inspiring! I was born in 1953. For the past 8 years have been power walking, carrying 4 pounds in each hand, twice a day (6.30 am and 6 pm, each time with friends) for a total of 6 - 8 miles a day, 5 days a week. Now, I know that is nothing compared to your Marathon achievements, but it has helped me keep my weight and muscle tone where I want them to be, as well as helping me cope with stress, sadness etc. I wouldn't give it up for anything.”

And Paul Blakemore, a musician and friend for many years, wrote:

“Hey James - Thanks for sending me this. I bought myself an eliptical machine for my 53rd birthday last January and have been doing about 30 mins a day 4-5 days a week since. Along with this aerobic workout I also do about 80-90 situps and some moderate weight lifting - mainly shoulder presses, bench presses, rows, bicep/tricep curls, and squats. This just to keep from becoming a 50 something tub of lard! Har. It certainly has its benefits, though. My resting heart rate is usually about 63 and my blood pressure is typically 117/73 plus or minus.”

Way to go, Paul!

Bicyclist and fitness advocate William Hudson has surely encouraged many here in San Antonio. It seems everywhere I turn I find people who say how helpful William has been to them. Wrote William:

“Thanks for making me aware of the film ..... I have ordered it.”

As a quick aside, you will find a link for buying the DVD if you browse over to read the review. Texas Public Radio receives a modest return when you purchase using that link. Thanks for helping us out, and please share this film with others.

Forgive me, Carol, for adding this without your knowledge, but as I mentioned earlier this blog is about lighting a fire under us all to initiate and continue our own personal fitness regimens. Several in the San Antonio fitness community have suggested I get to know Carol Masters and I have followed their advice. In fact, Carol will eventually come in for an interview which will be featured later in the summer as an iExercise podcast segment. Here is a recently published article introducing Carol http://www.southtexasfitness.com/02_07/feature.html (February 2007 issue of South Texas Health and Fitness).

We are all interested in how and why you exercise. Please leave a comment. Thanks.

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Bout of depression and a Faux triathlon

I was determined to not become depressed following the unfortunate cancellation of the Capital of Texas Triathlon. After all, and as I am quick to point out to any who will listen, I am casual about marathon, ultra-marathon and even the new dimension of triathlon, not driven like all those “a” personality types.

Unfortunately, if I am more “b” than “a,” I am also a recovering alcoholic and one who knows a few things about manic. So I guess it’s not at all surprising that a dull depression set in for a couple of days following the aborted CapTexTri. My ice cream stash diminished and I neither ran, swam nor biked for several days. I went online to sign up for the Chicago Marathon and found registration already closed and looked at a stack of backburner projects while finding no impetus to pick any of them up. Yep. I was depressed.

During the 12-14 weeks of specific training for the CapTexTri I spent a good bit of time in the pool in addition to logging some cycling miles. Running has taken something of a back seat. All along, I have tested the various combinations of disciplines while never putting the whole package together. I was waiting for D-Day for the ultimate test. Well, D-Day never came and that gets a lot of the blame for not only my depression but I suspect for some down moods amongst all who looked forward to their Memorial Day exams.

Today I decided I really had to take control and snap myself out of the funk. I planned to do it yesterday, but the depression wouldn’t release its grip. So what did I do? I put together my various transition items, clipped my bicycle shoes into the pedals of my bright red Trek, and rode off to the gym. That couple of miles served as a warmup. I backpaddled a lap in the pool as a further warmup and then swam 15 laps with an extra for good measure (and in case I had miscounted). Transition back to the bike was awkward given that I was at the gym at a somewhat busy time. (It was about 7 pm by then.) In no way was this a competitive T1!

Biking was in somewhat heavy traffic down Fredericksburg Road toward Woodlawn Lake. I finally bailed on Fredericksburg and took a less trafficky way to Woodlawn. I would guess I was at about 3 miles when I began laps of Woodlawn Lake, 5 in all for a distance of 7.5 miles. A final 2.25 miles landed me at my front door where I did manage a pretty efficient transition into my running shoes and a final 5 kilometer run.

As I had prepared for the big CapTri I was stumped for an estimated elapsed race time. In the end, I had settled on 2 hours being a roughly rough estimate. And who knows what might have been with the adrenalin flowing and all the competitive juices (which I insist aren’t there). All I can tell you is that today’s faux triathlon took just under 2 hours. The only distance which I could absolutely certify would be the 5k run which was measured by my Nike plus iPod setup. But most important is that this exercise was a great workout, it lifted me out of the funk, and I am sure to sleep well tonight. I would be lying to say I look forward to getting back to my normal work routine, though that is surely part of keeping the depression from returning. But the best antidote will be the return to a good regular workout routine as I continue to scan the horizon for the next big challenge. Congratulations to you if you don’t need an event ahead in order to keep you on track. I am one who works best when there is a race, a goal, a D-Day. I’ll see you at the gym, swimming at the lake, or running and biking the streets of San Antonio. Let’s all stay strong!

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I’m so sorry..........Rained out

Condolences reading “I’m so sorry….” were received from both Zetta Young and Shelly Campbell recently. Had I not immediately understood, I might have feared the word was out about the goldfish which went belly up last week.

But no, Zetta and Shelly were saying “I’m so sorry” not just for me, but for the thousands of athletes who suffered equally from the cancellation on Memorial Day of the 2007 CapTexTri. Mother Nature had her way as she dumped rain on Austin early Monday morning, creating a cold and messy Town Lake. The skies continued to drip even after the swim was canceled, eventually forcing the biking and then the run to be scratched. Wouldn’t you know it? The sun forced its way out in the afternoon and I am sure many wondered what the fuss was about.

Although races all pretty much have a liability disclaimer which all the participants must sign off on, the organizers of the CapTexTri surely made the right decision. The safety of the athletes was clearly the motive, especially considering that the entrants ran the gamut from hard core seasoned triathletes who would have managed the conditions, to first timers such as myself who would perhaps have been just reluctant enough to create havoc. Although I never saw a hard figure on how many participants had registered for the various events (Olympic, Sprint and First Tri’s, plus a Relay), I heard a range of 2-3 thousand. That’s a lot of folks to have swimming in runoff polluted water and with a tricky current. And imagine the seasoned (and fast) cyclists sharing a slippery road surface with hundreds of less sure cyclists! In the end, one must conclude that the decision to cancel was the right move.

I had imagined the CapTexTri experience would be the culmination of this particular blogging topic. After all, there can be only one first time, or First Tri(athlon). But like many others at the CapTri who were also first timers, I remain untried, a tri virgin. So this blog topic will continue. I know there are some readers and lurkers to this blog who also were shut out in their effort and I would love to hear from you.

My experience, for what it is worth, was enjoyable. An old friend who is a swimmer but doesn’t run or cycle came along with me to packet pickup and remarked on how great everyone looked. It’s true, and it’s one of the things I enjoy about going to the gym. It’s great to see fit people, or at least people who are making the effort to get fit. If you are one of those who stand to the side, shaking your head in bewilderment at those of us who distort our daily schedules in order to swim, bike or run, you should join in. As Zetta has told me from the start, the tri community is very inviting and enthusiastic about helping in any way they can. That’s certainly been my experience thus far. So come on! Let’s all get active.

So what now? This is the tough part after all those weeks and months of training. The long faces I saw as I went to retrieve my bicycle from the transition pen spoke of supreme disappointment. I talked after the aborted race with Phil Arno, a former musician colleague of mine who is a seasoned ultra-athlete. He is enthusiastic about a triathlon series being held at Ft. Sam Houston. Called Heart of Texas Triathlon, the series of five events is run by John Purnell of Run-A-Way. Shelly Campbell has also recommended it as “a great series” and she sent this link: Heart of Texas Triathlon.
Seems to be worth checking out and maybe that’s where you will find me come mid-June.

Whatever we decide for ourselves, let’s keep training. There’s always the next run, the next swim or the next bike ride. Let’s fortify ourselves with plenty of electrolyte fluids and soldier on.

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Final week, and Beach to Bay

Like Texas thunderstorms, races always seem to blow up on you in a hurry. It’s why you learn with experience to take advantage of those early and middle weeks of prep so as not to be caught under-, or worse yet, un-prepared come race day.

I recall wondering before my first marathon if I was really prepared. How would I feel at mile 20, or 22? This is one of the appeals of these things, though it still leaves me somewhat uneasy as I now find myself less than a week away from the CapTexTri. Generally, assuming I don’t flounder badly in the swim, I feel mostly prepared. But here again there is a real difference when compared to training for running events. In the case of a marathon, or half-marathon, you have trained by running, and then running some more. As a rookie triathlete, I wonder if I have given enough attention to each of the disciplines. I may have mentioned previously that I feel unfaithful to my original mistress, running. I am sure other triathletes, coming from cycling or swimming backgrounds, must feel the same. Believe it or not, I have missed the weekly long runs of 12-15 miles, an essential element in distance training. But, of course, I didn’t dare expend that much energy on running while still a newcomer to cycling and swimming. Time will tell, and time will accelerate as well, as the final days of tapered training come around.

Beach to Bay
I must admit that I did focus upon running this past weekend as my Mid-Texas Symphony running team made its second run at the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon in Corpus Christi. This year’s team was slightly reconfigured from last year’s bunch, but remains by employment or familial ties connected to the Mid-Texas Symphony. We thought we might have ended up allowing a non-musician onto the team when we asked Fred Ramirez, hubbie of Dorian, to join us, but it turns out Fred is a former trumpet and baritone player. He’s also, with Dorian, in his second year of triathlon. So, how’d we do? Not bad, he replied, despite the need for some creative logistics. Bottom line is we finished in 3 hours 38 minutes 10 seconds, not bad for a bunch of musicians. The funny thing is we shaved almost 5 minutes off what we ran last year. What's so funny about that? Read on.....

Now I’m the slowest (also the oldest, if that even makes a difference). The young doc-to-be Jonathon Hager is the race horse, which is why we have run him at anchor both years. This year, however, part of the team, including Jon, was staying on Padre Island. This was great for me and Jon’s dad, Steve, since we both had early legs which required us to start on the island. By the time the first wave of runners was finished on the 4 miles of beach (I ran this leg for our team), a Texas sized traffic jam was forming as runners, shuttle buses, and spectators all headed towards the causeway at once. It was bumper to bumper for 8 miles and took almost 2 hours for me to get across and reunited with my leg 2 and 3 runners. Unfortunately, Jon got caught in the mess as he was driving to his handoff point. We all assumed the worst, that we would just have to write off this year’s race to experience. But surprisingly, despite Dorian of leg 5 having to wait at the handoff point for 4 minutes while wondering what had become of Jon, the team finish was good enough to place us in the upper 20 percent overall. We got great legs from all the runners.

Weekend athletes like myself and my teammates will often say we do it for the fun and to simply test ourselves against ourselves, and that is true mostly. I know competitors who say, emphatically, I don’t do fun runs. None of the runners on my team (Dorian and Fred Ramirez, Liz Levin Pittel, Jon and Steve Hager, and myself) turn our noses at fun runs, and Beach to Bay definitely is a fun run, in the very best sense. Nevertheless, as several of us reflected the next day on our performance, we thought of how our finishing time might have looked if not for that 4 minute gap.

“But we’re not competitive,” said one teammate. We looked around the circle and each of us understood the coded message. Just wait till next year!

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I love swimming

Who would have thunk it, that the same guy who was reluctant to get his feet wet 8 or 10 weeks ago, would now declare his love for swimming? Admittedly, I remain apprehensive about encountering open water with hundreds of others all around me. (Oh please don’t kick and scratch me and hold my head under water. <--bad flashback to a cousin who was a bully.)


Now that I have gotten beyond the water wings, I am finding that there is truth in believing the water will support you. And the fluid movement through the water is really a thrill. Not only that, I like the feeling after the workout. The chest feels even more bellowed than when you run hard, or bike hard, and I guess that’s to do with the increase in muscle. I’m first to admit I don’t have the swimmer’s body of Josh Davis, but I do like the increasing upper body strength which is coming with three encounters a week with the pool.

You want to know something else? I like not having to brush the stinging sweat out of my eyes. Maybe there’s a little burn from the chlorine, but your body temperature stays temperate. That said in favor of swimming, there’s still a puzzle in my mind which I raised 5 or 6 weeks ago. I can feel myself dehydrating. Some have said that we do sweat when we swim, it just washes away. But where I dry out is in my mouth and throat. It’s probably not a real issue for a sprint triathlon swim of 750 meters, but surely this must be a concern for the half iron and ironman swims. Does anyone else wonder about this? Is so, please post. I’m dying to know how others address the issue.

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