Road Trip! MangoMan 2009

Tanner decided not to race at Mango Man on Sunday and I noticed we got the start time wrong. So I called up the boys (Jeremy, Joe and Adam) on Saturday afternoon to let em know we'd be late by half an hour. Turns out we've all been kinda resting the past 2 weeks after Lavaman. The rain hasn't helped our motivation much this past week either. Bill's been going full steam, but he's in Oahu for the week.

I picked Adam's brain for a good hour or so then left with some new tri-shorts, fuel belt, and Heed. He told me about pre-race fuel and why oses (glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc) are bad alone.

Off to get some marinara. Foodland is on the way home. WTF, oh shit Hoolaulea! Place was packed. Found some with maltodextrin near the top of the ingredients list. I missed meat so I added some to my pasta (I had it already defrosting... self-defeating attitude?). Topped it off with fudge sundae ice cream. Oses!

Tried to hit the hay by 9am. Woke up every 2 hours on the dot (11, 1, 3). Re-heated yesterday's whole-grain banana pancakes and ate 3 on the way to town, dipping them in blueberry syrup. More yummeh oses!

We all pack into Joe's truck outside of Hilo Bike Hub at 4am. Not sure if squeezing in 4 bikes was tougher than 4 guys into an extended cab. Joe and Adam entertained us with stories. Jeremy vibrated the entire truck while telling us about a car he was following on the way to Lavaman. The "I just said that, dumbass" game unofficially began midway on this trip. Joe got the first point when Adam made the same topical joke Joe told a minute earlier. We made a pitstop at Chevron Waimea to unload, fuel the truck, and answer questions about triathlons from the attendant. This quickly became a history class on bicycle frame construction, which Joe interrupted before we were a day late for the race.

Fastforward to the pier. We got there around 6:30am. I felt relaxed while gathering my gear.

I'm finally not stressing out about having everything. Even if I'm missing something, like gels, the world isn't over. I had enough pre-loaded and I have my Endurolytes.

tires - pump pump pump!

tri-suit - run to King Kam hotel to change... check! On the way back, Macca and a pack of 8 rode past. Cool beans. But I didn't get too excited like my usual schoolgirl cheerleader self. Weird.

swim cap - check

swim goggles - check

socks - check

bike shoes - check

helmet - check

sunglasses - check

run shoes - check

fuel belt - check

watch - oops!

water bottles - empty! run to the faucet... yummeh.. extra chlorine!

Endurolytes - 2 pre-swim, 3 for the bike, 2 for the run (just in case)

Joe, Adam and Jeremy are getting course directions from the race director, Carl Koomoa. The water was choppy and the turnaround buoy wasn't visible (1km out). The water was choppy. I inhaled a buncha water. I wanted to see big fishies. I only saw little ones. I followed Jeremy the entire way, but still sighting more than I've ever done before. On the way back, I aimed for the big antennae tower. That seems to work. Jeremy and Adam mentioned a ginormous Honu. Dang I missed it. But a school of little fishies swam with me for a minute or so. That's when I found my rhythm and just glided through the water. Wish I could glide a lot faster though lol. 1.2 mile swim in about 43 mins.

Jeremy got in 30 secs earlier and waited for me so I could show him the bike route. He had trouble getting his tri-top on so I got up to help him, but he finally got it on. Turns out Joe had to do the same for Adam LOL. He broke loose up the hill and I tailed him the entire bike. My stomach was hating all the saltwater. Breath breath breath. There was a fresh blacktop on Kuakini, which was nice and smooth and added some grip. Each 500ft climb got easier. 15 mile bike, 1500ft total climb and equal descent, 3 loops in... oh yeah forgot my watch. Carl said my time was about 1:30 including the swim.

Still about 30 secs behind Jeremy. I tried to relax on the run. I tense up on race days. Aww... gotta piss again. Found a hedge and used it early this time. Ahhh feelin good... Awww... gas. My stomach is busy. Better take it easy. I walked on 2 steep portions of the climb. I tried to break loose at the top but felt my quads tighten up. Jeremy really picked up his pace on the last 4 miles of the run. I ended up 4 minutes behind him at 1:31.30. I think my run was about 9min pace. His was an 8. 6 mile run, 500ft climb, same descent, 55min run or so.

Cooled down in the freezing shower. I swear the shower water is colder than the water fountain. They must be pumping from OTEC, hah.

And now for the best part. Beef Stew!!! Wow, I love these guys. A full platter of warm rice and a giant pot of steaming beef stew. Delish.

I moaned about my ankle that's been bothering me for the past 2 weeks. But it was only a problem AFTER the run.

Saw Bree, Carl, Kris, Monica. Met Pablo, Rob VanUltraMan (Jeremy's nick for him). I love this sport and the people who make it lovable.

Post-Lavaman Keauhou Party, Peaman Biathlon, Pre-IM Tri Course Preview

Joe hosted a Post-Lavaman Keauhou Celebration where I helped Bill lose in a game of pool volleyball against Mark and Joe. They were snipers against us... well me, particularly.

Food was awesome! Jeremy and Kelly made stuffed pasta shells. Bill and Lorraine brought Chinese Chicken Salad. The guys hibachi'd the chicken I picked up on sale from KTA, while we played vball. Joe and Veronica made fruit salad, hot dogs, burgas (with all kinds of toppins), and best of all... deserts and drinks!

I was about to drive over to Tanner's to stay the night and drive over together to Kona in the morning, when I realized I was missing my charger and my cell was almost dead. So I slept at home. Only, I got about 3 hrs sleep. Meh.

Got to the race an hour ahead of schedule. Oops... Sorry guys!

We were definitely relaxed before the race, with tons of time to prep. We setup a towel to put all 3 of our transition items atop and wipe our feet on.

Peaman gave the race instructions and we were off at the pop/fizz of a 2 liter soda bottle reacted with Mentos. Conditions were a little rough. The currents made me zigzag a bunch. I have never sited soo much in a swim before. At least it wasn't choppy, or tooo choppy. 1200m in 26:30 for a 2:21/100m pace. But I felt like I worked a lot harder than the 1500m last week. My shoulders and chest feel worked. Got bumped a lot more, even though there were 1/4 the participants at most. Got my goggles elbowed, but they hung on tough! Tanner's leaked, though. He should look at a different style.

Transition was kinda fun. Wasted 5-10s getting my running shorts over my speeedo briefs (and untying/loosening them as well). Rinsed my feet, wiped em on the towel, put on socks, shoes in about a minute. Grabbed my water bottle. Up and at em in about 1:15.

I realized after about a mile that... I have never ran immediately after a swim! LOL this is new. I couldn't find my stride, my right calf gave symptoms of an upcoming cramp. Better take it easy. Kept pace with a friendly local Monica for a half mile, then felt okay to move up. While chatting with her, Bree zips past us at an unreal pace, still smiling! Joe crossed me a hundred yards or so from the turnaround. He looked strong though. I told Monica I wouldn't be able to catch him, but I'd try. Before the turnaround, a guy in a black ponytail zooms past me. I barely see him throughout the race. Joe is long gone.

Finished the run with a stick labeled 65. My overall time was 58:00 even. Estimated run was 30:25 for a pace of 7:34. Not too shabby. Tanner came in shortly after. He looked strong at the finish. I still wanna know how Adam trains with 9min/mile runs off the bike, and races at low 7's.

Joe and I later talked stories with the other athletes. The ponytail guy was Fredo. There was another guy around same pace, name Rob (I think... me and names... yeesh), who wore a lauhala hat on the run!

I also bumped into Kris after the race. He didn't race. I offered for him to join us on the pre-course ride, but he was headed out for a long ride on QueenK. He's prepping for Ironman 70.3 Championship! Good luck bro! Good luck to his wife as well, Kim (I think), who is training for Ironman Championship!

Finally got a pic with my Super-Friend Bree! She's gonna rock Ironman 2009 Championship. Representing Hawaii, F.B.I.!

I had called Bree about a description of the TeamMangoRaces Pre-IM Tri course but... me and directions, and times... yeesh. Each bike loop is just under 5 miles, for a total of 3 nasty loops. 1.2mile swim at Kailua Pier (should take me about 42 mins), then ride along Ali'i to Hualalai and up onto Kuakini. Uphill took me about 7 mins (with about 15s of heavy hammering at the end). The remaining ride was about 10 mins. Then, after 3 of those (about 51mins), we get to run it once! 6 mile run which I'll shoot for 7:40 pace (about 45mins). Total time 138mins plus 3 mins transition = 2:21.

Oh

Heating it up this morning, I realized that I slow-cooked my pre-race oatmeal before Honu but nuked them before Lavaman Keauhou. Oh!

lol if only it were that simple

-- Posted from my iPhone

Restless Mind

Oops, not asleep yet. 7hrs before PMan biathlon and bike training day (2hr drive to Kona). Read some of my old blog posts. Did the Honu in 6:26. Swim portion 1.2mi in 41 for 2:04 100m pace. Keauhou 1500m was 31:57 for a 2:08 pace. I actually did better in May. Thought I was stronger Now. I had more in the tank into the bike in Keauhou though. Maybe the short amount of time in master's swim class helped. What's different? Jess?

I think my mind is clear enough to sleep now. The drizzling rain helps.

This is turning into a blog post. Moving this from FB comment to blog.

Have a great day!

-- Posted from my iPhone

Without a DREAM there is no DRIVE

9/16 Wednesday Morning

Insa90x 1.11 - P90x CST

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
In/Out Shoulder Flys	10#16
Chair Dips	25
Plange Push-Ups	15
Pike Press	6
Side Tri Rise	12
Floor Flys	20
Scarecrows	10#15
Overhead Tricep Extensions	15#15
2-Twitch Speed Push-Ups (Wide)	All
Y-Press	25#12
Lying Down Tricep Extensions	15#8
Side-to-Side Push-Ups	10
Pour Flys	10#15
Side Leaning Tricep Extensions	15#7
One-Arm Push-Ups (80/20)	6
Weighted Circles	10#20	10#14
Throw the Bomb	15#12
Plyo Push-Ups (Clapping)	10
Slow-Mo Throw	15#10
Front-to-Back Tricep Extensions	10#18
One-Arm Balance Push-Ups	12
Fly-Row Press	15#15
Dumbbell Cross-Body Blows	15#80

9/16 Wednesday Noon

Pool Swim

400m medium (1:42, 1:54, 1:52, 1:51)

8x25y stretch

10x25y on 30 (20-22s with 8-10s rest)

4x25y breathing (3-2-1-0)

2x25y stretch

9/17 Thursday Noon

Pool Swim (times may include 5-10s rest)

6x100m medium (2:06, 2:15, 2:14, 2:20, 2:11, 2:17)

4x100m buoy (2:18, 2:14, 2:24, 2:20)

2x100m stretch

9/17 Thursday Afternoon

Yoga Class - Core

On our backs, holding legs up. Chair pose. Downward dog with kicks.

This morning I had a brief chat with a good friend. I listened to him talk about his passions and dreams. They involved large sums of money, and his plans with said money. I got excited for him. I pictured him enjoying the money and enjoying sharing it with family and friends.

Dreams are a subset of goals. It's my belief that there are 3 levels of goals:

• Level 1 Goals you HAVE to accomplish
• Level 2 Goals you know you CAN accomplish, but require tremendous time and/or effort
• Level 3 Goals are Dreams

My dreams are the polar opposite of his. I prefer to live in a world without money. Does that mean I don't strive for success? HELL F'n NO! My definition of success depends LESS on money. Sadly, money is a necessity in this era. I'll get mine to support family, and get a few material necessities (and some not so necessary). My point is that you need to work to get your money to do the things you want to do or to get things you want. My dream is to live in a world where you can do/get what you want NOW. I'm partially living that dream by enjoying outdoor activities. Sustainable living with a healthy family. Now that's a dream I can live for; I can drive towards.

Dreams are sometimes almost unattainable. Something like winning an Ironman triathlon. Qualifying for and competing in the Ironman World Championship is a goal I KNOW I CAN do, and WILL do.

Another dream is to become a Paramedic for the County of Hawaii. Scratch that. Level 1 goal.

Traveling the world is another Level 2 goal.

I've accomplished a buncha Level 1 goals (that were probably Level 3 goals when I was laying on a couch 2 years ago). I've dropped more than 50# of fat, and have put on some meat. I've done several endurance races. I've completed 2 rounds of P90x and am currently working on a mix of both P90x and Insanity to supplement my triathlon endurance training.

Oh yeah, coach Hope wanted me to put up before and after pics on my BeachBody profile. This is me all pumped up and shit after P90x CB (Round 3, Day 11). I have NEVER been athletic. Getting this far was once a dream. But you gotta keep setting new goals and crushing them.

Bree and Me at Orange Tree!

Monday was all rest. Besides work. I tried to stay off my feet though. Bill took me out for a victory 2 Kona Brew Longboarders and an Aloha Burger with Onion Rings while watching Raiders vs Chargers.

Up and at em for a beach run! 5.8 miles downhill in 45. 10 minute break before 2 laps through breathtaking Kahalu'u Beach Park (my favorite beach, bar-none). 10 minute break before taking on Kam3 in an easy 22 minutes. Legs felt great. Total run back up to the house was 2.5 miles in 33 mins.

Cruised the day with my compression tights under my khakis :) A good portion of this work day was on my feet, but I felt good.

On the way back to www.KonaAutoCenter.com from our lunch meeting at Big Island Grill, I spotted a runner coming down Kuakini. Nice pace. Cute. Hey that's Bree! Honk Honk! Whoah, I almost swerved into her. Still waving and smiling back at me. She calls and I meetup with her and lil Kainoa at Orange Tree. We need this in Hilo! Bree's got a huge heart, is soo down-to-earth and I'm a nervous wreck. She's got me motivated to qualify at Honu. I'm gonna do it.

Check her out and support her at www.hibreewee.com. IM2009Kona: Bring it, Bree!

Lavaman Keauhou 2009

Mark scored us a sweet apartment at Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort. Joe and Veronica whipped up some spaghetti, chicken Caesar salad, fruit salad, and 2 flavors of homemade bread. Mean. They and Mark also had cases of community Gatorade/Powerade.

We all shared equipment and checked each other's gear. Amazing teamwork.

Shared stories about how we got into triathlon (mine was reading about team Hoyte).

Joe put on some early Ironman videos.

We met up and set up as a team and started as a group. We all did very well at the race. Joe had his best pace ever. Hearing that gave me goosebumps.

The race was fun, but the camaraderie was the most memorable part. Crossing the finish line to find your buddies cheering you on (even though they beat you there). There's rarely a better feeling.

Jeremy and I were on spot with our predictions versus each other.

The water was a little cloudy, just a tad choppy, and Jeremy was shivering. Long, easy, relaxed strokes until I unleashed hell on the last few hundred meters. This was the best I've ever felt in the water. I was finally comfortable with the distance and the people around me. 31:57, only 37 seconds behind Jeremy, but 2 minutes ahead of schedule. He saved up for the bike.

But I was close on the bike as well. I dropped my water bottle near King Kamehameha hotel on the bike, right after Jeremy broke away. 1:18:11, now 0:01:54 behind Jeremy. Getting into the run, our distance apart was on schedule, but we were waaay ahead of our predicted paces.

I was supposed to catch him at mile 4. I trained with a fuel belt, and decided to forgo it on the short run. I was thirsty, so I gulped down 6oz of Gatorade at T2 after sitting down to wipe feet and change socks (worth it). Thanks to Mark for picking up the terry shop cloths! I was in and out in about 1.5 mins.

The first mile was up. 8 mins on the dot. Downed some water at 1st Aid station. I gotta pee. Second mile was up. 9 mins...? BOOO! Side pain. Third mile was flat, but offroad (in a good way). Very nice change of scenery. Too bad I'm grimacing cause I have to pee soo freakin bad. Crossing paths with Jeremy on the turnaround. Hmmm, I can still catch him. Probably another 8 minutes. Small boost of energy helped me get out of a pack onto the golf course. Hello Mr Coconut tree, you look thirsty.

Now I'm ready to rock! I musta blazed on the second half (remembering what Jess told me), cause my run pace was 7:26. Jeremy kept glancing back every minute. I hid behind some dude for a minute and rested while drafting. I laughed to myself while Jeremy took a second take. He saw my hat behind the guy. Jeremy would not let up.

17 seconds off his tail for a total time of 2:36:14. He earned that. I told him, I got his # at Waikoloa.

http://www.jtltiming.com/results/lavak.html

Without each other, we wouldn't have done so well. We're looking forward to the future. For the first time, I'm looking forward to the training as much as the races.

What I see in each individual in our training group:

Bill going nuts on the bike, and his passion of life.

Adam with his uncanny pace, and immense knowledge of nutrition.

Jeremy with his diehard attitude (he just might need to be injured to do well). We share the same goals and easy-going attitude.

Joe. Animal. If it ain't tough enough to present a worthy challenge, he makes it so. I easily relate.

Mark, Tanner and Brandon are fresh faces. Helping them helps us learn as well. Tanner is soo excited about continuing to race. It gets me all fired up as well.

Mark and Joe also get credit for bringing us all together as a group. Firefighters know damn well the importance of teamwork.

If you wanna know why our training team did really well in this race, read my previous post. 4 of the 7 of us hit the podium. And we had fun doing it.

Triathlon is a Team Sport

Had my loose clothes. Forgot my Yoga mat. So I grabbed the huge blue beach towel from the car. Rochelle let me borrow her purple mat. My hands were slippery, so I had to lay the towel near the top of the mat for grip. We held downward dog positions for the better part of the class. The shoulder burners / clie from Insanity Core / Balance, and noon swim was an excellent warmup for the pose. My shoulders were on fire.

I tripped out when I looked at the class from Warrior2. I was the only one dripping with sweat. The rest of the class were warrior poses. My glutes got their 2nd workout of the day. If you're familiar with these set of poses, you know it also works the shoulders.

I felt a lot better after class, but had to rush to Sook's to get a quick buzzcut, then to Coconut Island to meet Jeremy for a quick run. We did the 5k route in 13:30 + 12:00 negative split. Very easy, until we loosened up after the bridge, going downhill.

We talked about how we felt before this race, but more so about Ironman. His mind is set on qualifying. I told him I didn't feel like I was pushing hard enough on my swims and was thinking about swimming at 5:30am before my P90x or Insanity workouts on MWF.

Cousin Mark called me soon after, inviting me to a practice sprint tri the following morning (Friday). 8am would be too late, so they agreed to push it up to 7am. I knew Jeremy wanted to get in a bike ride before the race so I got him in too. I met Tanner, another fresh young triathlete. I don't think he trained as hard as Brandon did, but he's got a lot of heart and will finish strong. Mark is going to a concert the night before. lol

When you think about doing a triathlon, you think of it as a solo event. Nobody can physically help you progress forward during a race. I trained solo for my recent races. I finished. But I didn't do as well as I'd like. Training solo, I didn't push myself hard enough. I forced myself into isolation during training, and it also felt like it on the races.

I called Adam one day and he invited me to a group ride. That was probably the most beneficial change to my training I have ever done. The camaraderie. We bounce ideas off each other. Most times Adam and Joe have already experienced them and can give us a quick, detailed answer along with justification.

We want to continue the weekly, long group workouts beyond the race. I also suggested to Adam that we begin hosting monthly triathlons at the beach, similar to TeamMangoRaces on the west side. We can offset the schedule so people could do either race, and so they don't coincide with big events.

Coach Jess sent me some motivational advice today. Such a small gesture really does help me a ton.

Blah

Wednesday 9/9/9 7am

Insa90x 1.11 (Core & Balance Cardio)

I moved up my recovery week from Week 4 to Week 2 to ease into Lavaman Keauhou (Olympic Distance Triathlon happening this Sunday). This video is still an intense workout. It's easy, relative to the other Insanity workouts I'm familiar with.

Body Part	Duration	Severity
Glutes	30 min	4-5
Hams	20 min	3-4
Calves	35 min	3-5
Abs	35 min	2-3
Chest	5 min	2-3
Quads	3 min	1-2
Shoulders	5 min	5
Tris	3 min	1-2

I was planning on going swimming out in Kona, but spent too long trying out shoes after work.

Thursday 9/10 7am

Insa90x 1.12 (Core & Balance Cardio)

Same as yesterday. Then I shaved my Mountain Man beard. I have a haircut after work. Then I'll shave the limbs on Saturday. I'll make a hair puppet for cousin Mark.

Thursday 9/10/9 12pm

Swim at the pool. Lack of motivation, focus, energy. I read Bree Wee's blog to help motivate me, and it worked for about 15 minutes. I kept track of laps until they switched to long course.

Too many thoughts raced through my head. Are my legs dragging? Are my hips up? Am I rotating enough? How's my kick?

I need a swim buddy. Jeremy goes to the pool at 4:30pm. I can't make that. The Master's meets are too crowded and I felt like the slow kid. I want more individual attention for quick results. I'm too needy! Is that wrong?

Why do I feel soo negative? I hope I'm just tired.

I just realized I have Yoga today! I feel better now. I'll save that for another post. Let's keep this one strictly negative.

Insa90x1.10, A Cold One (Run)

Tuesday Sept 8, 2009 7am

Insa90x 1.10: Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Glutes, hams and calves got a good kick in the... glutes, hams and calves. Trying to keep it light. I'm gonna have to turn this into a recovery week so I can taper for this weekend's Olympic Distance Triathlon. I still had trouble with "Ski Abs" and "In/Out Abs", but I'll nail them next week. They're going down! Okay okay, maybe I couldn't exactly keep up with those "push-up to plank run to jump" things either.

Tuesday Sept 8, 2009 6pm

A Cold Run

Rain came down along with the first footsteps of my run. Got in a mile and a half before my socks got wet. Didn't bring my good socks so I turned around before I made myself upset. I took Adam's advice to speed up only on the downward slopes. He said this will help prepare my legs for my unbelievable speed on Sunday. Not a 100% on the "unbelievable" part. I may have ad-libbed.

It was pouring, a little cold, and I had on my white singlet. Nips supplemented my navigational system's deterred vision by acting as antennae. Kind of like Daredevil.

I'm fkn bored.

Near Fall

Rested Friday after P90x, and Saturday (minus some house chores). Met up with Ferd Babas, Joe Wedemman, Brandon Parea, and Jeremy Buttz at Adam Busek's house for our weekly brick at 1pm on Sunday. We ventured up from the middle of Kaloli (200' elev.) onto and along the Keaau Bypass Road (400-600') for 10 miles. We turned down onto Kapoho Rd then Pohoiki Rd (where Big Bill Hubbard joined up with us) for 4.5 miles to reach sea level.

View Larger Map

This was a great warmup. Mostly downhill, but windy. The roads were wet and we were going at a relatively unsafe speed. I can't even begin to imagine how fast Bill was going, cause he took off like a madman, and I didn't see him until we got to the water faucet.

Kalapana Road (sea level, 11.5 miles) was a bit hilly. This was the most scenic portion of the ride. About 5 miles onto it, I realized I wasn't gaining momentum before the uphills. That's why I was getting beat up and building a gap (they were just within sight). I also blame the scenery for losing speed. I caught up with about a mile left till Ahia Rd and got into 2nd position. I almost missed the turn! Glancing right on Ahia, I saw Bill's white shirt and made a quick U-ey.

We stopped for about 5 mins to refill water. Insane Joe ventured up Opihikau (sp?), grew unpatient at the top, then came back down to meet us.

It was a 7 mile climb from sea level to 1k ft elevation. Just over 17 miles total back from sea level to Adam's house.

Joe punished the hills and I tried to keep up with the monster. On a downhill section of Kalapana Rd, we were going at least 30, maybe close to 40 (I didn't have my speedometer onboard). I tried to avoid something nasty on the road, and ended up slipping on either the white line or a reflector. I wobbled for a split second or more. I kept low and tried to keep control. There was a 75% chance I was gonna hit pavement hard. Luckily, I made it through. I took a deep breath or two, and used the adrenaline rush to gun it. I overtook Adam and Joe and went about 90% all the way back. I glanced over every few minutes and didn't see anyone behind. I wanted a good lead on the bike this time instead of playing catchup on the run. Overall ride was 44.5 miles in 2:35:21 including the water break.

1:52 in transition; refilling my gel and Endurolytes. Leaving the driveway, I was surprised to see Ferd and Brandon coming in. I cheered them on and took off. 30 seconds later, I realized I was speeding. I loosened my stride, easing up my breathing and HR. I committed to 6 miles. Passed Brandon again about 1.5 miles in and told him where to turn around. He looked winded but was trying to maintain composure. Almost 2 miles in, I passed Bill who was hunched in agony. He had bad cramps in both hamstrings. I gave him some endurolytes and my water.

I turned into the driveway (16:07 minutes into the run) to refill on water and endurolytes (an extra 3:49 to get back to main road). I felt pretty damned good. But it was getting sunnier and I was headed uphill. I kept my long-sleeve dri-fit on to help take a beating in the sun. I'm wondering now if it actually did the opposite by helping me keep shaded and cool. 3.5 miles in, I poured some water on my hat, back and chest to help lighten the load I was carrying in my hand. Oops, that made my shirt heavy.

Another 15:18 into the run, I hit the turnaround. Cool. I opened up and turned the 15 into 13:20, following Brandon's 4 miler. Turns out I only went 5.25 miles on the run. But I ran into the driveway twice, so I may have topped 5.5. Overall training time was 3:25:20.

Bill told me the Endurolytes and H2O fixed his cramps in about 5 minutes. That made me feel great, and was good to know. I have a feeling Bill's gonna take the podium for his age group.

Turns out Brandon's only 18! He's gonna make a name for himself in the next few years. He might make the podium also for his age group.

I want it. I feel great. I actually trained for an event. My age group (M30-34) is stacked. Last year's Lavaman Waikoloa featured Chris "Macca" McCormack, Tim Marr and John Flanagan, placing 1, 3 and 4 overall, respectively. All 3 pros with sub-2hr times. The age-groupers were only about 10 minutes behind. For now, I just want to break 3hrs.

We're also planning on hitting up the www.TeamMangoRaces.com Pre-Ironman Triathlon on Sunday, September 27th at Kailua Pier. 1.2 mile swim, 15 mile hilly bike, 6 mile hilly run. All fun, and free!

I couldn't convince Ferd to get into triathlon yet. I think he's in once he gets his first marathon over with (he's also doing the www.HonoluluMarathon.com in December). Jeremy might do it also.

Insani-P90x 1.9

Thursday 9/4 7am

Insani-P90x 1.9 Legs & Back. Yeah, this workout should not happen after a day of leg workouts. We should have worked Chest & Back again.

P90x Legs & Back	Set 1	Set 2
Balance Lunges	0#25	-
Calf Raise Squats	15#25	-
Reverse-Grip Chin-Ups	12	12
Super Skaters	25	-
Wall Squats	All	-
Wide-Front Pull-Ups	12+5	12+5
Step-Back Lunges	15#15	-
Alternating Side Lunges	10#20	-
Close-Grip Overhand Pull-Ups	10+5	12
Single-Leg Wall Squats	60secs
Dead Lift Squats	20	-
Switch-Grip Pull-Ups	12	12+6
3-Way Kicks	5	-
Sneaky Lunges	20	-
Chair Pose	60secs	-
Toe-Roll Iso Lunges	22	-
Groucho Walk	All	-
Calf Raises	15#+	-
80/20 Seiber Speed Squats	30	-
Total Pull-Ups +Chair	46+10	48+11
	94+21

P90x AbRipperX	Set 1	Set 2
In/Outs	25	-
Bicycle Kicks	25	-
Reverse Bicycle Kicks	20	-
Cruncy Frogs	20	-
Wide-Leg Sit-Ups	20	-
Fifer Scissors	20	-
Hip Rock & Raise	16	-
Pulse Ups	14	-
V-Up Roll-Up Combos	17	-
Oblique V-Ups	25	-
Leg Climbs	12	-
Mason Twist	40
Total	254	-

Body Part	Duration	Severity
Glutes	4	4
Hams	4	4
Calves	4	3
Abs	4	4
Back	4	4
Quads	4	4

Insani-P90x 1.8, Swim, Yoga, Run

Wednesday 9/3, 7:00

Insani-P90x 1.8 - Power Cardio

I need to start rating the amount of abuse each body part gets per workout so I can schedule Insanity, P90x and Endurance training together. Scoring is 5 extreme, 0 untouched

Body Part	Duration	Severity
Glutes	4	4
Hams	3	4
Calves	4	3
Abs	4	2
Tri's	2	3
Shoulders	2	2
Chest	1	2

Had enough time to recover from P90x Chest and Back on Monday to do well on the push-ups. The tri rises at the end were a bit tough after Wednesday's P90x Shoulders and Arms. The V-Ups didn't seem to be a problem though. Do the smaller muscles heal quicker?

Wednesday 9/3, 12:30

Got soaked while pulling my bike from the car in the rain! Pedaled to the pool for a quick 1km swim. I watched another swimmer during my interval rest. He's quick. I mimicked how he kept his feet near the surface. Seemed to be more efficient. It's also much easier to swim after Insanity days than P90x days.

Wednesday 9/3, 16:30

Yoga. I did a headstand!

Wednesday 9/3, 17:45

Run. 8 miles with Jeremy. Easy 38min run from Coconut Island to Richardson's and 40min back.

Nervous, Insani-P90x 1.7

Tuesday 9/1, 12pm

Was surprisedly worried/nervous about swimming today. Did I sleep enough? Did I eat enough? Do I have enough energy? Will I have enough energy for this afternoon's run?

Took it real easy until about 400-500m. My pace was about 2:05 - 2:10 per 100m.

Opened up a bit until I gassed at 750m. My form was absent. I was pulling with my neck to breath. My legs began to sink.

Rested for a min, remembering Adam's advice about a particular type of interval. After recharging, I decided to really open it up. I only had 150m to go anyway. Didn't time them, but it felt great to really pull and kick.

Finished up with an easy FS/BS/FS. IDK why, but I felt like it.

So I did 1100m, with a little rest. Been awhile since I've done so. Confidence is up a notch.

Jeremy asked my time for the Honu swim. I couldn't really remember so I looked it up after today's swim. 41:10 for a 2:04 pace. A little faster than my training pace back then. I was undertrained for the swim then, and I'm undertrained for it again now.

WTF am I thinking? I don't train enough for events. I just sign up and do them. I thought this would be the race in which I got serious for and do well instead of just finishing.

Maybe I'm subconsciously doing this just to keep things interesting.

I need to get more than 7 hours of sleep tonight so I can make my training day count tomorrow. Headed to Kona for the day.

Tuesday 9/1, 5:30pm

Had the same nervous thoughts about the afternoon run. Exhausted, fatigued, tired. Met Jeremy at Coconut Island just before 5:30pm. He had just done about 1km of swim intervals and then some. And now we're gonna do an 8 miler. 37 mins to Richardson's. 33 mins back. We cruised and talked most of the way there about training, fitness, nutrition, races, and future events. Halfway back, we decided to pick up the pace a little. We picked up the pace quite a bit for about 2 miles, then went easy again. We both agreed that it hardly seemed worth the 4 mins for all the extra effort we put in.

He's a stronger, faster swimmer. He should finish the swim at least 3 mins ahead of me.

On longer rides, he's got me again. He'll gain another minute or less on the bike.

I have to kick butt on the transitions and the run.

12 days till the inaugural Lavaman Keauhou and counting...

Wednesday 9/2, 7am

Insani-P90x 1.7 Shoulders and Arms - Decided to rename this hybrid workout. I'll increment for each "working" day, including 1 recovery day a week. Not including Sunday's brick yet, need to decide if I'm gonna include a short cardio or strength workout on those days (cause there's yardwork too).

Got 7 hours sleep. Almost got more. NO-Xplode almost brought me up to normal. Really had to push myself.

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
Alternating Shoulder Press	20#15++	30#12=
In/Out Bicep Curls	20#16+	25#16=
2-Arm Tricep Kickbacks	15#15+	20#12=
Deep Swimmer's Press	20#12=	25#12=
Full Supination Concentration Curls	20#8=	25#8=
Chair Dips	25	35!
Upright Rows	25#12=	30#10=
Static Arm Curls	20#12=	20#12==
Flip-Grip Twist Kickbacks	15#8+	20#5-
Seated Shoulder Flys	15#16=	15#16+=
Crouching Cohen Curls	20#15+	25#12+=
Lying Down Tricep Extensions	15#15+	20#10=
In/Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Flys	10#16+=	15#16
Congdon Curls	20#10=	25#8
Side-Tri-Rise	17	30!

This time, I took it easier on the first round to see what I could do on the 2nd.

Insanity 1.6, Double-Brick, P90x 3.1, Yoga, Insanity 1.7

Insanity 1.6 was... skipped. Saturday is my rest/recovery day. I'm not sure if I should push everything back or just lose a day. Sunday was double-brick day and I didn't have enough in me to do Power Cardio also.

---

Met some cool endurance athletes at the Sunday HPP double-brick. Adam Busek (veteran Triathlete, kickboxing instructor, Human Anatomy Biologist Bicycle Salesperson who I regularly seek for nutrition and training advice) kindly hosted John (Adam's young nephew from SF), Brandon (young fresh Triathlete from Hilo, HS wrestler), Bill Hubbard (older, fresh Clydesdale Triathlete from Kapoho area), Joe Wedemman (Clydesdale veteran of many things. I look up to him in more ways than one), Jeremy Buttz (young fresh Triathlete from Hilo, fast fast fast), and another young guy but can't remember the name.

First 20k bicycle loop was done as a pack in just under 40 mins. Adam has an excellent judgement of pace and maintained that throughout. I slowly crawled my way from the back of the pack to the middle. When a large gap appeared behind Adam (leader), I rode up to 2nd and encouraged the other 2 to follow and close it. The last 3 miles are downhill with a strong headwind. Jeremy and Brandon sped up to take the lead. Adam kept his pace and eventually caught up. I focused on pulling up with my core to save my legs for an efficient stride on the run.

Transition was lightning quick for each of us (15-30 seconds).

I'm not sure when/where but I broke loose on the run and maintained the lead for the majority of the 2 miles. I loosened up near the turnaround only to find Adam a few steps behind. Aww shit, "pick it up... pick it up!" (Tony-ism #27). And the 2nd half is uphill. Yay...! All I can say is... thank you P90x/Insanity. Adam finished right behind me in about 15 minutes. Big Bill commended me on my posture and stride. I was more impressed that he was right behind, at his age and size.

We rested for 10-15 mins. Reloaded our fuel. Reapplied sunblock (don't forget it!). This time around, I loaded up on NO-Xplode.

2nd bicycle loop, Jeremy took OFF! Brandon and Joe held steadily behind until halfway though. Joe caught up to Jeremy, and Brandon faded to just within my sight. Big Bill laughed when I later told them my highway mantra "I'm gonna get you f'rs... I'm gonna get you f'rs..." It helped me focus on breathing and pulling up with my core again. I barely saved anything for the run. As I pulled into the driveway, Joe and Jeremy were already running out. As I parked my bike, Brandon was heading out. I finished in 39:46 including transition.

I took off like a maniac this time. I passed Brandon by the time I got to the road. There's no way they're beating me here. Jeremy/Joe were a few roads ahead (1/3 mile or so). I was landing harder on my heels and pushing long strides off my toes. I overemphasized my arm-swing to "pull" myself closer.

1/3 way through, some random guy on a mountain bike whispered "they're about a quarter-mile ahead" as he passed. I laughed back "Thanks! I got em... I got em"

I joked with Joe a bit at the turnaround "Pleasant day for a run, isn't it? How do you do?"

We all encouraged each other as we passed (it really does help... even a sun-burnt, sweat-ridden smile helps keep you going).

I slowly closed the gap to 1 road. But they were too fast. My watch read 14:39 as I entered the driveway. I didn't have enough energy to stop it.

Then when I tried to stop it, it wouldn't. No matter how much I cursed at it.

We all shared advice and laughs as time flew by while we recovered. What a fun training group.

We planned to meet at Richardson's to float and stretch. I couldn't find anyone when I got there so I jumped in and took an easy swim and left.

---

Back to P90x with Chest and Back.

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
Std Push-Ups	30	25
Wide-Front Pull-Ups	15	9+3
Military Push-Ups	25	20
Reverse-Grip Chin-Ups	15	10+5
Wide-Fly Push-Ups	25	20
Close-Grip Overhand Pull-Ups	10	10
Decline Push-Ups	15	17
Heavy Pants	30#x20	30#x25
Diamond Push-Ups	20	17
Lawnmowers	30#x15	30#x20
Dive-bomber Push-Ups	8	9
Back Flys	30#x20	30#x25

I went heavy/hard on the first set. I forgot what I was(n't) capable of. Now I have a new list for next time. I'll start with the 2nd set #'s. But this won't happen for 2 weeks because of Lavaman Keauhou.

---

Yoga Class. We did a bunch of core work. I don't remember much of the class because I felt soo relaxed afterwards. I kinda zoned out on the way to Richardson's. Did a quick 300m. Joe, Shaun and Harry were hanging out and called me over.

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Insanity 1.7 Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. LOL at Shaun-T-ism "Damn! That SH*T was baNAAnas, YO!" I substituted the push-ups (from the suicide push-up drills) with extended plank run (healing from yesterday's P90x chest workout). I also subbed the much missed (seriously) push-up jacks with jumping jacks and running in place. It's not the same without either workout. But I didn't do too bad in scheduling (only missing out on 2 parts of the drills).

I FORGOT MY FINS! I hope my legs aren't too burnt out for a 1km swim. The stretching should help my chest and back though. LET'S DO IT!

Wait, I need to rest my legs for this afternoon's 8 mile run with speedy Jeremy. Oh boy. Balance. I'll use my core. Wait, I just did a 15 minute ab workout this morning. I'll just drown...