tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88500084925571421312024-03-12T21:39:03.654-07:00The Road [A Multi-Sport Blog]Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-43124489283377447152011-09-18T22:22:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:22:19.570-07:00MovedHi there,<br />
<br />
I'm over at <a href="http://www.enduranceathleteproject.com/">www.enduranceathleteproject.com</a> now.<br />
<br />
Maybe I'll see you there....<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-80078141191329193432011-08-18T20:40:00.000-07:002011-08-18T20:40:03.063-07:00Wicked SickI'm wicked sick.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08XYQhAkUhLIyMZ1x6NxfbKjYfRS8rd1mbj410NJiqSklayMhjKYNmon9epLZAXNpUvrSvoHDxz0X8ocUP5YBjYhTMRmPncrOKF062VLYmil5ENNhsLewXfoJhD9HPu7wqiGEtaUu6So7/s1600/mamap4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08XYQhAkUhLIyMZ1x6NxfbKjYfRS8rd1mbj410NJiqSklayMhjKYNmon9epLZAXNpUvrSvoHDxz0X8ocUP5YBjYhTMRmPncrOKF062VLYmil5ENNhsLewXfoJhD9HPu7wqiGEtaUu6So7/s1600/mamap4.gif" /></a></div>I'm also from Massachusetts and prone to say "wicked". Just so you know.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I'm OK - it's just a cold that has been made worse by having to do a little bit of travel for work. So I'm going to bed early the next few nights. Hopefully I will post something more substantial (though I'm not saying good) soon.<br />
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Thanks<br />
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P<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-76819053906843542402011-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:002011-08-15T11:24:25.065-07:00The 5th Discipline<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCCwBV7P6KgYtxJvsu_uG6JEyrFfdD5e98C53TH9nywo84rZxNhNoCLEDPGG0nqPxBV5JtmboCxk1EyafSZAu0oCUwlxVVUJfShYvM_rvCvFgI2uOJ8MqWHUvep7UUWuhkLRHXMhE1939/s1600/Lazy+Leopard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCCwBV7P6KgYtxJvsu_uG6JEyrFfdD5e98C53TH9nywo84rZxNhNoCLEDPGG0nqPxBV5JtmboCxk1EyafSZAu0oCUwlxVVUJfShYvM_rvCvFgI2uOJ8MqWHUvep7UUWuhkLRHXMhE1939/s200/Lazy+Leopard.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the fastest rest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As triathletes, we spend an awful lot of time swimming, biking and running. After all, doing something over and over again to get better at it is pretty much how things work. So we swim. We bike. We run. And then we repeat this cycle at least a zillion times. The more savvy triathletes among us also practice transitioning from the swim to the bike and from the bike to the run. This is very smart because fast transition times mean faster race finishing times. And faster finishing times means extra bragging rights on the blogs and triathlon Internet forums. Swimming, biking, running and transitions are universally accepted at the 4 disciplines of triathlon.<br />
<br />
A Google search and/or hiring a coach will result in more advice than you'll ever need when it comes to swimming, biking, running and transitions. What about recovery, though? Pretty much everyone is aware that rest is important. But beyond a general acknowledgement of the importance of recovery, there is very little information about how to actually go about it. This is unfortunate. Because while resting, the countless hours spent training start to pay off - you get stronger with rest. There are many ways to rest, and one of my favorites is simply just sitting on my ass. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXwKm6WYO9jOVVHtH3kFTV63tCvZQOMSC1GcCcQ9ylpNHWBE5DLIjRWjvJBLYfOKRQmzRLCzFwnkNHztxTgQMaT_wZWnVHM_7a1hcqCvz9mLMjL_kzsNFGojNSKUnPfkSxvcoOwBMamLD/s1600/photo%2528137%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXwKm6WYO9jOVVHtH3kFTV63tCvZQOMSC1GcCcQ9ylpNHWBE5DLIjRWjvJBLYfOKRQmzRLCzFwnkNHztxTgQMaT_wZWnVHM_7a1hcqCvz9mLMjL_kzsNFGojNSKUnPfkSxvcoOwBMamLD/s200/photo%2528137%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 5th Discipline in action</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I take sitting on my ass very seriously. In fact, I'm doing it right now - I'm kicked back and my feet are up. I have a laptop balanced on the right arm of the couch and the universal remote is on the seat cushion to my left. The TV isn't on yet, but I guarantee you that this will change within 15 minutes. I haven't decided whether I'm going to check out what's on Universal Sports or rent a movie from OnCommand. Either way I'm not worried, because I'm not going to have to move an inch to do it.<br />
<br />
On the coffee table in front of me sits a sliced apple and a bottle of sparking water. But the truth is I might not get around to touching them. Because to get to them I would have to move about 2 feet. Though I usually don't consider moving 2 feet getting off my ass, it's still farther than I feel like moving tonight. Luckily there is a bottle of still water on the table behind me. It's within easy reach, so I'll be able to stay hydrated. <br />
<br />
As I do with my workouts, I try to start with a clear scope and objective for my ass sitting sessions. For example, my plan tonight was to get on the couch (scope) and not move (objective). I've always felt that it's very important to try and include those close to you in your world of triathlon, so I told Mary that she was more than welcome to join me.<br />
<br />
Sitting on your ass should not be considered "active recovery" - you still have to do easy swims, bike rides and runs. Rather, sitting on your ass should be considered <i>"active passive recovery"</i> because it requires a conscious decision on your part to do absolutely nothing. Conversely, sleeping is <i>"passive recovery"</i>. Although going to sleep usually requires some modicum of conscious thought, the benefits of sleep do not manifest themselves in the same ways they do when you are sitting on your ass. Because when you sit on your ass, the sheer joy of same introduces a significant layer of mental satisfaction into the equation as your body works to achieve homeostasis.<br />
<br />
It's likely that as the knowledge base about triathlon continues to grow, most of it will continue to focus on swimming, biking and running. However, don't let this deter you from sitting on your ass. The good news is that with a little bit of practice involving a lot of sitting on your ass, you will become an expert in no time. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-29239005100398414832011-08-12T21:41:00.000-07:002011-08-12T21:43:31.617-07:00Simple Math<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc8fGNleF1Nm_JoFvVqeuWLcrZJBtV0Si-BpJmi6BeEp-LV5oithQenfTXr6O9fgik3le9I_lKdeo8GpQCfrqgMz2vrAyMHMUfSywQctmblHHVhMIL8vyqzm2hCMOl7sDLsxsaRfWBFPq/s1600/Picture+9.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc8fGNleF1Nm_JoFvVqeuWLcrZJBtV0Si-BpJmi6BeEp-LV5oithQenfTXr6O9fgik3le9I_lKdeo8GpQCfrqgMz2vrAyMHMUfSywQctmblHHVhMIL8vyqzm2hCMOl7sDLsxsaRfWBFPq/s320/Picture+9.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Getting to here at some point late tomorrow morning for coffee and bagels means.....<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauE8LKoMRcjVGcD2cHyh8VaGBL_Gr8IiLDoMqXI3Wj77517PRz47oe6FXE4x6lnx3Mwyu55xIUSR6yTLHa7wUqbiCgvMO6ycGQvJvMj1wGnhy2x6zg6y-vXUtCCdNtnQ6AfTE8jA66fZv/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauE8LKoMRcjVGcD2cHyh8VaGBL_Gr8IiLDoMqXI3Wj77517PRz47oe6FXE4x6lnx3Mwyu55xIUSR6yTLHa7wUqbiCgvMO6ycGQvJvMj1wGnhy2x6zg6y-vXUtCCdNtnQ6AfTE8jA66fZv/s320/Picture+1.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Climbing Newport Coast...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigP-fka3jrmBSyUF4krIT80X_nbOnQDOsH535KcDiVj0aFMPHT159uxyU8lr3aIY9N3kOzZ600Pq-CzsnwqQi6xNFGdOlt3q39kVrvgfr-bCJWPQ6zz1aK0ri-BhuPh2Tm2E164uZJV-27/s1600/Picture+3.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigP-fka3jrmBSyUF4krIT80X_nbOnQDOsH535KcDiVj0aFMPHT159uxyU8lr3aIY9N3kOzZ600Pq-CzsnwqQi6xNFGdOlt3q39kVrvgfr-bCJWPQ6zz1aK0ri-BhuPh2Tm2E164uZJV-27/s320/Picture+3.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Then climbing through Shady Canyon...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMn9YAeO4mpagvyeJQa28CT7UgNKk0oQmdcvr5H3XhVv05ODkdaSfiFc2z1kC-gapXJKXcrMOQ82WxtdKxmH8YimArz3w4J2m3FjV_mN5ybtHM1JIWRm16TU-y1Yyt-HdzxPkFLdA8RqG/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMn9YAeO4mpagvyeJQa28CT7UgNKk0oQmdcvr5H3XhVv05ODkdaSfiFc2z1kC-gapXJKXcrMOQ82WxtdKxmH8YimArz3w4J2m3FjV_mN5ybtHM1JIWRm16TU-y1Yyt-HdzxPkFLdA8RqG/s320/Picture+2.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Then climbing up and around Starwood Drive in Turtle Rock...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_j86-dotha1wBQiZet_Usgs6qyeoIZ3s0wQp2ymEXwqZsuZET8ktZ9GjkhCaZL6K3RuZMsvNf195wNbVbVxR9t6_UgJAyE5iqsAXvpk7MyZYxOSZYSGQuV3MuRGZEoGnXgLbkr0V8WPe/s1600/Picture+5.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_j86-dotha1wBQiZet_Usgs6qyeoIZ3s0wQp2ymEXwqZsuZET8ktZ9GjkhCaZL6K3RuZMsvNf195wNbVbVxR9t6_UgJAyE5iqsAXvpk7MyZYxOSZYSGQuV3MuRGZEoGnXgLbkr0V8WPe/s320/Picture+5.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Then descending down through Laguna Canyon...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiWbPbOzLU2vzOz2cwsrceB3B51ELZE8j8E8U8qYJSblDVwEYKiWfaBW8RHgS5hpi-W0L7QJRrMjVjeGkdLezHsLQ881N4j7ThTQ_4DJEc56UAjSQgSbcPPajwM2p3Kz2pa6lPhY_J1m7/s1600/Picture+6.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiWbPbOzLU2vzOz2cwsrceB3B51ELZE8j8E8U8qYJSblDVwEYKiWfaBW8RHgS5hpi-W0L7QJRrMjVjeGkdLezHsLQ881N4j7ThTQ_4DJEc56UAjSQgSbcPPajwM2p3Kz2pa6lPhY_J1m7/s320/Picture+6.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Then riding south on Pacific Coast Highway for awhile...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN_8emESF6dzy8MLfZRZhCFtVG3_sZUoQTbfcAMUnCkrwhFTb0AAVRjIlF5fuZ6Rxib1a_BAmoPhVQ5D-sXNwOKbToMJLlFSK9gPy9VWFWWJqQmSea7av7et2HhhwU1rAnND8JXfUBif7/s1600/Picture+8.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN_8emESF6dzy8MLfZRZhCFtVG3_sZUoQTbfcAMUnCkrwhFTb0AAVRjIlF5fuZ6Rxib1a_BAmoPhVQ5D-sXNwOKbToMJLlFSK9gPy9VWFWWJqQmSea7av7et2HhhwU1rAnND8JXfUBif7/s320/Picture+8.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Until we pass through Newport Beach back into Huntington.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dXfQpBAF5R198nbwDW9L_wB2FPs4R0ZV8WP_Miw3lrHRahyuUJ0GgOVJSXbsMl6puhrQul0S8ZcOdqg2ikkRsdH_SasW8saepZMtsS4X-74hPdJT72DhbBL8o0IRIjCrOvQBa521yuoD/s1600/Picture+10.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dXfQpBAF5R198nbwDW9L_wB2FPs4R0ZV8WP_Miw3lrHRahyuUJ0GgOVJSXbsMl6puhrQul0S8ZcOdqg2ikkRsdH_SasW8saepZMtsS4X-74hPdJT72DhbBL8o0IRIjCrOvQBa521yuoD/s320/Picture+10.png" /></a><br />
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I'm really looking forward to the ride...just one more sleep.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-21302043167219789902011-08-11T21:53:00.000-07:002011-08-11T22:38:09.445-07:00Be The Lemonade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>There have been a few things going on this week:<br />
<ul><li>Mary is in Boston at an e-tailer's conference. </li>
<li>Ian was sick all day Tuesday with a slight fever.</li>
<li>I felt sick Tuesday afternoon, felt better Tuesday night, felt sick again yesterday evening and felt fine again this morning.</li>
<li>My left knee has a twinge in it. I might have just made the word "twinge" up, but what I mean is that I'm feeling something going on there. It's not pain, it's not even a dull ache. Rather my knee is simply reminding me that it is there.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj920I53iyg-iDLh5ixS-ESDCo43a3fekCmHWb5CUi4IhUGPAcCaQ7UOzESo1we7x3khwwnihDbWWK9or2uEU7Sp8_MmoiIXbF7Ky89F5TvIzC2HjM1y4fOzGSM9SCcIBiqWwzssyHNnySr/s1600/lemonade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj920I53iyg-iDLh5ixS-ESDCo43a3fekCmHWb5CUi4IhUGPAcCaQ7UOzESo1we7x3khwwnihDbWWK9or2uEU7Sp8_MmoiIXbF7Ky89F5TvIzC2HjM1y4fOzGSM9SCcIBiqWwzssyHNnySr/s200/lemonade.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>Needless to say my workouts have suffered a little. I normally wouldn't get too bothered by this because I rarely have to deal with conflict in my training schedule. But this week is a little different because I am in the peak training phase before I taper for <a href="http://www.firstwave-events.com/races/Big-Kahuna-Triathlon-Santa-Cruz-CA.aspx">Santa Cruz</a>. I probably could have handled any combination of 2 of the 4 exceptions without much difficulty, but having them all hit at once has been a little challenging.<br />
<br />
The week started off normally on Monday with my scheduled swim workout. But with Ian sick on Tuesday (along with my body trying to decide what it wanted to do), I missed a bike and a run session. I swam again yesterday, but had to cut it short to pick up Ian. Today I ran. I was supposed to do 800M repeats, but due to the knee I started the run not entirely sure what I was going to do. I ended up playing it (semi) safe and did about 30 minutes at tempo instead, which still made for a great run. My knee is still twinging, but it's no worse (or better) than it was.<br />
<br />
I'm supposed to do a recovery bike ride tomorrow morning, but I don't have anything to recover from. So I think it's best to change things up for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow I'll do Sunday's swim. Saturday I'll ride with <a href="http://ocvelo.com/">OC Velo</a>. Subject to what my knee wants to do, I think I'll join the "A" ride to go a little longer than I have been lately (75 miles) and then do a very short run. Sunday, I'll join OC Velo again for a recovery ride followed by a run somewhere between thirty minutes and an hour and fifteen minutes, again depending on the knee.<br />
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Mary is back tomorrow afternoon and hopefully the knee twinge ends up being nothing. That way I can hit it smart and balanced next week since it's the last big one.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-77952057451038559982011-08-08T23:47:00.000-07:002011-08-09T09:28:32.584-07:00As Predicted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbyaIGAFjfinhpleAg0Tc3LSL45Bn0QCKw1NgPKZPzDHCSA4U7xwPcfimlU3YCZgqBXAoXFd104eap3LSZww0FhRBD6ZOsfOFThF-3V8_OY34tOcpkOOs8Qf_fhudUKk0vU6Et2a93oeC/s1600/Barefootfoot_rick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbyaIGAFjfinhpleAg0Tc3LSL45Bn0QCKw1NgPKZPzDHCSA4U7xwPcfimlU3YCZgqBXAoXFd104eap3LSZww0FhRBD6ZOsfOFThF-3V8_OY34tOcpkOOs8Qf_fhudUKk0vU6Et2a93oeC/s200/Barefootfoot_rick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A percentage of runners have been running barefoot for a long time, have continued to run barefoot through the current barefoot mania and will continue to run barefoot for years to come.<br />
<br />
And then there is the rest of us.<br />
<br />
I think it's safe to say that over the last year or so, we've all at least considered drinking the Kool-Aid. By taking a completely crass view of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McDougall#Born_to_Run">Born To Run</a>, you realize that it is one of the greatest (and perhaps completely unintended) works of propaganda ever written. It's an entertaining, readable story that makes some very compelling arguments for barefoot/minimalist running. We all have a little bit of a primal instinct left in our DNA and the booked tapped into it perfectly.<br />
<br />
But human nature is complicated, probably more now than in any time in history. We live in a world that became increasingly fast paced through the second half of the 20th century. That pace was then amplified by the technology of the last 10 years. As a result we have grown very impatient because we can get anything we want within 24 hours. Information is instantly available. Books, music and movies can be downloaded in a matter of minutes. And as long as we are willing to pay for it, almost any product we can think of can be delivered to our doorsteps overnight.<br />
<br />
So what happens when information is instantly available and (in the case goods and services) that information can be acted upon so quickly? Trends come and go faster than ever before.<br />
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Barefoot running is a trend, plain and simple. Like I said in the first paragraph of this post, there are people who have always run barefoot and will continue to do so. But they aren't the people who have been overly evangelizing barefoot running recently. They aren't the people who have been propping up Vibram's balance sheet for the last 18 months. And they aren't the people who will inevitably get out as fast as they got in. <br />
<br />
I read a forum thread on <a href="http://beginnertriathlete.com/">beginnertriathlete.com</a> today where the poster was commenting on the barefoot running trend by citing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Gladwell">Malcolm Gladwell</a>, the author of one of my favorite books <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point">The Tipping Point</a>. I'm paraphrasing here, but the point being made was that trends usually swing opposite to each other with every cycle. If a low heel drop and minimal uppers are the technological and cultural paradigm of running shoes today, it will eventually go the other way. In fact, it's already happening. Have you seen these shoes yet?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX75C-NHKulAe-wkYJV8UO4TUiRR_Mg6tKIIpMeqWNb4fl3Gwa6zaBekbp6NV1-TygUwefOErfCktpRtwA-LMIXgk7yhpNn8qWSUvl5ziAejeLdWFL-L8Mb9dH7-0gSmWBJAa0Af3ehB2/s1600/hoka-300x201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEX75C-NHKulAe-wkYJV8UO4TUiRR_Mg6tKIIpMeqWNb4fl3Gwa6zaBekbp6NV1-TygUwefOErfCktpRtwA-LMIXgk7yhpNn8qWSUvl5ziAejeLdWFL-L8Mb9dH7-0gSmWBJAa0Af3ehB2/s1600/hoka-300x201.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoka One One "Mafate"</td></tr>
</tbody></table> From the <a href="http://hokaoneone-na.com/">Hoka One One</a> website:<br />
<blockquote><i>By using an EVA 30% softer and increasing its total volume to 2.5 times that of a typical trail running shoe, we allow for more cushioning than any other shoe on the market today, dissipating up to 80% of the shock associated with heal striking when running.</i></blockquote>I'm not saying Hoka One One is going to single-handedly swing the trend. Personally, the only way you'd ever get me to run in those things is if I could also wear a Japanese school-girl outfit, pigtails and a Hello Kitty back-pack. But eventually, something will stick. And most of us will quickly forget what the whole fuss about barefoot running was in the first place.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit I am a sucker for trends. But as a result of trying out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibram_FiveFingers">Vibram Five Fingers</a> a couple times early on, I consciously decided to avoid barefoot running. I realized that I had already found running shoes that allowed me to run long and far while staying injury free. I mostly wear Newtons. To be fair, I'm not surprised that their design borrows from both schools of thought.<br />
<br />
I'm also not bashing the true barefoot runners. I recognize that just because the "trendiness" of barefoot running has eclipsed the act itself, the trend does not invalidate barefoot running. In fact, I would suspect that there are many barefoot runners that are just as annoyed as I am.<br />
<br />
And yes, the barefoot running trend annoys me. The reason is simple - running is a very intense activity and your feet are way too important to get caught up in hype and for-profit marketing. I don't know of anything in the world that works for everyone, so I think it's safe to assume that barefoot running is no different. Yet, the spin on barefoot running has reached such a fever pitch that the message has almost become "unless you start barefoot running RIGHT NOW you will get injured and your running career will be over". Sure, there are plenty of more reasonable voices out there. But the problem is that at the apex of any trend it is super easy for all common sense to go flying out the window.<br />
<br />
Think I'm wrong? Then why is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber">Justin Bieber</a> so popular?<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-46402839556301950362011-08-06T22:16:00.000-07:002011-08-07T08:38:21.263-07:00Big BrickToday I went out and did what I'm calling a "baseline brick" for <a href="http://www.firstwave-events.com/races/Big-Kahuna-Triathlon-Santa-Cruz-CA.aspx">The Big Kahuna 70.3</a> triathlon in Santa Cruz early next month. First I went out and rode just over 53 miles with <a href="http://ocvelo.com/">OC Velo</a>. Then I came home, changed and headed straight out for a 10 mile run. Both are familiar distances on their own, but this is the first time I strung them together to see what would happen.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhdZNjMlLpllOY7C0sDGI0OQav0t5-XdWhavRi3pK9zrC8a9cYlDEPUkgXbXoeXCndMu5VdejDGwoLR1RXPJua2qHv2CtJxaE5iz5NCeE4slvvbbaM3B-KJv3FMbFo1gGa1GTnJbKm5-x/s1600/068LagunaCanyonAndBeachOct05L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhdZNjMlLpllOY7C0sDGI0OQav0t5-XdWhavRi3pK9zrC8a9cYlDEPUkgXbXoeXCndMu5VdejDGwoLR1RXPJua2qHv2CtJxaE5iz5NCeE4slvvbbaM3B-KJv3FMbFo1gGa1GTnJbKm5-x/s200/068LagunaCanyonAndBeachOct05L.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laguna Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The ride was south through Newport Beach, Irvine and Laguna Beach. It was a pretty routine ride and at times a little more mellow than I had hoped for. One of the highlights of the ride is a 2 mile climb to the height of land on El Toro Road in Laguna Woods and then a gentle 6 or 7 mile descent down El Toro, into Laguna Canyon and on to Pacific Coast Highway. To me, this particular stretch of the ride affords a perfect view of the classic Southern California landscape. The south end of El Toro Road is especially wild, running through large areas of coastal chaparral. Laguna Canyon is a deep, twisty canyon that ends at one of the nicest beach communities around.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYapCLWsEwWx1WpG01hWQfdV0yskJihRwI82kcQBtgBcljIC2Gcp8gYWCKBjvEvWIzP29LSU-imgqeXvYqENpME4-qp0nNsdhsVlGRDGmjpWxRy5c3qQ_XFY4jn4On-iy8XptW2bnoFnPz/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYapCLWsEwWx1WpG01hWQfdV0yskJihRwI82kcQBtgBcljIC2Gcp8gYWCKBjvEvWIzP29LSU-imgqeXvYqENpME4-qp0nNsdhsVlGRDGmjpWxRy5c3qQ_XFY4jn4On-iy8XptW2bnoFnPz/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The climb and the descent</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It's good to have great training partners, and I've got one. About 15 miles out of Huntington Beach, <a href="http://tri714-letsdothisagain.blogspot.com/">Craig</a> told me to get on his wheel. He wanted to hammer but knew I needed to stay as fresh as possible for the run. We made it back to Huntington Beach pretty quick, hitting 22 or 23 miles an hour when we had the road to do so. When we got back to town, Craig headed home to get ready to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_%26_Aliens_%28film%29">Cowboys & Aliens</a> with his son. When I got home, I got ready to run.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl84Q95HHqcm7IS-R9GHu71xQ8dMYFtXUPXCDBGAVfXd160svBSQujnW9MeAAbP_VNFN-DiU_QTHbSZXsGeqcOcRuEwnQogxALSrsQ3ac7H9Zhb-GyJ28eb80wIxEVbCu179qBGXhKAO8/s1600/bolsachica-rentals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl84Q95HHqcm7IS-R9GHu71xQ8dMYFtXUPXCDBGAVfXd160svBSQujnW9MeAAbP_VNFN-DiU_QTHbSZXsGeqcOcRuEwnQogxALSrsQ3ac7H9Zhb-GyJ28eb80wIxEVbCu179qBGXhKAO8/s200/bolsachica-rentals.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bolsa Chica Beach Path</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was in and out of the house in 15 minutes. Not quite the transition time I'll want to lay down in Santa Cruz, but then again I won't have to change clothes and check my e-mail on race day. The route I took is a familiar one - out of the house, west to the beach and then south on the Bolsa Chica beach path. At about 7 miles, I turned inland and ran back to the house. It's essentially a big quasi-triangle that circles the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.<br />
<br />
It was a pretty typical run, save for miles 2 and 3, where for some reason things got a little rough. But by the time I hit the beach I had found my legs and finished the run strong.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5CZti9GlVoHBhyNdnVG_tOq4H-iG7bEcSRE5AkB4z8bB-iV5gZEr1i_grZ6rs4Sp0PfOOpsIkDuGJIQrDI2LK_XkpQ-0zENPGfxgA2IoeUtQAzJCOeQTgny37NZQ1y4JQXWAIDPHHJzh/s1600/Picture+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5CZti9GlVoHBhyNdnVG_tOq4H-iG7bEcSRE5AkB4z8bB-iV5gZEr1i_grZ6rs4Sp0PfOOpsIkDuGJIQrDI2LK_XkpQ-0zENPGfxgA2IoeUtQAzJCOeQTgny37NZQ1y4JQXWAIDPHHJzh/s320/Picture+10.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>The Stats:</b><br />
<br />
The Bike - 53.32 miles in 3:08:34; Average speed 17 MPH<br />
<br />
The Run - 10 miles in 1:22:27; Average pace 8:14/mile<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, I would have liked to have had a faster bike split. But you know how group rides are sometimes, and all things considered I'm happy to go with the flow. Luckily, the second half was the fast half and despite drafting off of Craig for the last 15 miles, I definitely felt the ride in my legs when I started running. I'm happy with the run. I'll be going for a faster pace on race day but I feel today was aggressive enough to test my ability but not so over the top where recovery is going to take awhile.<br />
<br />
Going into this workout, I was pretty sure that things would go fine. That said, I'm glad to have done it as it was definitely a confidence builder. So when it comes time to execute the race next month, I'll be building off some experience.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-24453487799791967322011-08-04T22:11:00.000-07:002011-08-04T22:37:52.396-07:00Ironman Coeur d'Alene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHA7gOjc6plDgTrqY6jgJujSlS0zxZaRRSOliyfqDF6w8FTb28ULc9SBYeYolfGRNmkAZen2O5j92kGKXdywKkuYKgJmylhr8IHPTu2UCLgzt57pUnUpiadJ1f7F9xiicvI7sbAa6Tqgc/s1600/thumbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHA7gOjc6plDgTrqY6jgJujSlS0zxZaRRSOliyfqDF6w8FTb28ULc9SBYeYolfGRNmkAZen2O5j92kGKXdywKkuYKgJmylhr8IHPTu2UCLgzt57pUnUpiadJ1f7F9xiicvI7sbAa6Tqgc/s1600/thumbs.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So the guy who has used the word "IF" quite a bit in the last few months (as in "IF" he was going to do a long course race 2012) will now be using the word "WHEN" instead. I registered for <a href="http://ironmancda.com/">Ironman Coeur d'Alene</a> today, which will take place on June 24th, 2012 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.<br />
<br />
You might recall that I was using the word "IF" because even though the idea of doing a long course race was appealing, I honestly didn't know if it was right for me. I was worried about becoming obsessed by it and I was worried about having the time to train. And though I am still worried about becoming obsessed and having the time time to train, I've realized that if I don't give it a try I will come to regret that decision. A cycnic would call this a "lose/lose situation", but I'd prefer to call it a win. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson">Richard Branson</a> would say, "Screw it, let's do it!" <br />
<br />
By the way, I decided about a month ago in concept but didn't start admitting this to myself or anyone else until the beginning of this week. Also, I've not yet done my first 70.3 yet. This will happen in about 5 weeks on September 11th. I find it a little bit ironic that the guy who spent so much time making this decision is currently in this situation. Hopefully I'll like the 70.3.<br />
<br />
Originally, I was thinking a race late in the year would be best. I was going to try for <a href="http://ironmanarizona.com/">Ironman Arizona</a> and use <a href="http://ironmanflorida.com/">Ironman Florida</a> as a back-up. But then I got to thinking - since I'll be doing the <a href="http://ironmancalifornia.com/">California 70.3</a> in April, why don't I just keep going? I'll still start a new training program somewhere at the beginning of December, and California will now be a nice long training day about 2/3rd's of the way through the schedule.<br />
<br />
I'll start thinking about the details soon, but for the moment I'm happy to be equal parts excited and terrified for what lay ahead.<br />
<br />
I should thank two people for helping me make this decision whether or not they realize their complicity. Ironically, they are both from Texas. I've been lucky in Texas so hopefully the trend will continue. First off, thanks to <a href="http://cooktraineatrace.com/">Jason Bahamundi</a>. I registered for Ironman 70.3 California after reading Jason's race report, and I can't say his decision to go long on 2012 didn't have an affect on my decision to do the same. Secondly, I'd like to than <a href="http://danglethecarrot.blogspot.com/">Jeff Irvin</a>. Every time I've emailed him for advice, his answer has been gracious and much more detailed than expected. In fact, the dissertation I got from him today comparing and contrasting Florida, Arizona and Coeur d'Alene was so detailed that I made the decision to go with Coeur d'Alene before I fully absorbed what he was saying lest his abundant good advice cloud my thought process any further. <br />
<br />
I'd also like to thank everyone else who reads The Road as well. One thing I've noticed is that the blog community is very supportive of Ironman newbies, and I'm gonna need it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-82558554837329541792011-08-04T01:31:00.000-07:002011-08-04T11:24:55.511-07:00Help Us Garmin-Cervelo, You May Be Our Only Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiY3O597vDtHvWvZ9vB5esVWNXcQD0Mdzjv8tGo0Ysb_kxLqUWjCBSJFW0iv3Xs7gPo2veu8p0J3tE_Fp4Lf_Zlh5G3HAvy8S-PNb9jd6StrZTbWaJpwZivKK4GtJu-WaVDbryTRrQWtE/s1600/garmin_cervelo_calpe_2011_1422_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiY3O597vDtHvWvZ9vB5esVWNXcQD0Mdzjv8tGo0Ysb_kxLqUWjCBSJFW0iv3Xs7gPo2veu8p0J3tE_Fp4Lf_Zlh5G3HAvy8S-PNb9jd6StrZTbWaJpwZivKK4GtJu-WaVDbryTRrQWtE/s200/garmin_cervelo_calpe_2011_1422_600.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>As you may know, I'm a big fan of pro cycling. Somehow, somewhere I got pulled into the sport just like people get pulled into Football or Basketball.<br />
<br />
I first took notice of bike racing when I started doing triathlon, and I started to watch races on TV once in awhile. But soon, "once in awhile" turned into watching every stage of every race that I could find. I started subscribing to Cycle Sport magazine and now read it cover to cover (usually twice). <a href="http://velonews.com/">Velonews.com</a> is one of the very first websites I hit every morning. I know the teams and the riders. I even joined a fantasy Tour de France league. I got sucked in and have the foam fingers to prove it. <br />
<br />
That all said, I'm not blind. It was immediately apparent that the sport was corrupt. There's probably been a high visibility doping case every year as far back as I've bothered to research. We all know about the allegations against Lance Armstrong. Most of us probably know about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Landis">Floyd Landis</a>. But spend a little time following the sport and you quickly learn about the European scandals like the Festina Affair and Operacion Peurto. These were both major doping conspiracies that implicated multiple riders and/or multiple teams in regular systematic doping practices.<br />
<br />
This stuff is hard for me to stomach and has frequently made me question my admiration of the sport. After all, it was easy for me to write off guys like Jose Conseco and Roger Clemens when they got caught. Heck, I ended up losing interest in baseball. But with cycling, I keep watching, my hypocrisy in full swing. <br />
<br />
I came across this video last night. It profiles the riders on Team <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin-Cerv%C3%A9lo">Garmin-Cervelo</a> in the days before the start of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_California">The Tour Of California</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="286" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fJ8GKUURRcI" width="450"></iframe><br />
<br />
Garmin-Cervelo's roots can be traced back to 2007 when Team Director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Vaughters">Jonathan Vaughters</a> established the team. The team was formed with a <b>stated policy of zero-tolerance for doping</b>. So far, so good - not one rider has tested positive or been accused of doping while being a member of the team.<br />
<br />
For the Tour of California, Garmin-Cervelo fielded a squad that included Thor Hushovd, Johann Vansummeren, Tom Danielson, Ryder Hesjedal, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie, who are all interviewed in the video. I enjoyed these segments and thought they all had a humble, almost zen-like way about themselves. And it's not like these guys are ambitious upstarts trying to impress with a feigned earnestness. Hushovd is the current road racing world champion. Vansummeren won Paris-Roubaix earlier this year. Tom Danielson was the highest placed American in the 2011 Tour de France with a 10th place finish. Hesjedal got 4th in the Tour de France in 2010.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ian is starting to identify his first role models. It's Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter for the moment, but that will eventually change to real world people. When it does, I hope he identifies with the somewhat more low-key individuals. If he's anything like me, that's where he'll probably gravitate to anyway. The Garmin-Cervelo riders fit that bill - humble yet immensely talented individuals who are dedicated to what they do. Especially the American riders. They are almost anti-heroes who are flying the flag of a still somewhat obscure sport in the US and excelling at it, regularly taking the fight to cycling's spiritual European home. To me, these riders represent any number of admirable qualities than anyone can learn from.<br />
<br />
But there is a catch. Pro cycling as a whole has already done so much self-inflicted damage to itself that I can't help but still be dubious that the honest team that Garmin-Cervelo claims to be is the start of a new era. Could this all be too good to be true? Bigger ruses have certainly been pulled. Besides, can one team solve all the sport's ills from the inside out?<br />
<br />
Yet, I want to believe. I'm a big fan of pro cycling because I love cycling itself. No other sport perfectly matches grace, mechanics and sheer guts like cycling does. Cycling has become a huge part of my life, and a part of my life I want to share with my son. But I don't want to have to explain the cheating and the disgraces. Instead, I want the idea of climbing on a bike and riding 130 miles over 3 mountain passes just because it's fun and beautiful (whether you are a professional or not) to be easy to explain. I don't want Ian to ever doubt that he could do it too if he wanted. <br />
<br />
So I'll keep watching, waiting and hoping. Of course, it still could get much worse. But it might get better too.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-54435187027899717412011-08-01T23:37:00.000-07:002011-08-02T08:30:07.911-07:00One Great Blog<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5o-aQ7XXh8_P4XUWd-WzDpSrEeyA1FE9yIFPMagX7EDHopAKtS4BNWZ8nEpqfqNhCSt3n3JRJtV9KcqbCVJQDs2BcEvBOSOmmPlVlKEAGVBBwVw_bbJW_9AAaRfKsitzBPC4xDA4GrKV/s1600/photo%2528130%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5o-aQ7XXh8_P4XUWd-WzDpSrEeyA1FE9yIFPMagX7EDHopAKtS4BNWZ8nEpqfqNhCSt3n3JRJtV9KcqbCVJQDs2BcEvBOSOmmPlVlKEAGVBBwVw_bbJW_9AAaRfKsitzBPC4xDA4GrKV/s200/photo%2528130%2529.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3rd mirror shot in a month</td></tr>
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</style><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Luckily, while I'm busy taking pictures of Ian and I in the reflection of every mirror we come across (and then posting them on the blog), there are a bunch of other people out there taking the time to consistently post good content on great looking blogs. Jason Bahamundi's blog <a href="http://cooktraineatrace.com/">Cook Train Eat Race</a> is one of my current favorites.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Jason is equal parts triathlete and dietary crusader. Read the first few sentences of any of his posts and you will immediately realize that he is very knowledgeable and passionate about both. In all honesty, Cook Train Race is what Endurance Athlete Project should have been - a grass roots source of good information delivered without an enterprise minded agenda. Exhibit "A" - One of Jason's <a href="http://cooktraineatrace.com/taxes-food/">posts</a> last week was about a proposal to levy a tax on fast foods in an effort to combat obesity. This led to a very lively debate on the blog. Everybody had an opinion - some wanted to tax the consumer while others wanted to tax the supplier. Many didn't want more taxes - period. Other ideas where thrown into the ring for consideration - there were calls for tax credits for healthy living, subsidies for organic farmers and so many more. It seemed that everyone had an idea on how to solve the problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Though most of the opinions were well thought out and presented, I actually think that the correct answer was right there front and center the whole time. Specifically, the best way to fight obesity is through honest and unbiased education, and the best way to distribute that knowledge is through a network of grass roots blogs with no hidden agendas. This network of blogs, by the way, would include Cook Train Eat Race. Idealistic? Maybe. Can the blogs easily reach the masses? Well, no - not yet. But I truly believe things are headed that way, especially for people who really desire the information and know where to look. And that group of "people" is getting bigger and bigger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Never before has the playing field been as level as it is now with respect to an individual having a real voice in the media. The barriers of entry for creating your own little wellspring of content are non-existent. All you have to do is go out there and stake your claim, and then work it. Jason is well on his way to doing this.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L8VIKEdR6SOhm8UMB5v2XIaE7Gxo7dGgHTbHO1tbdbT-QqefsZ5u0EZRDCyiq-D8wMnO2o9dEqzxs1LL3pBY6BzTO2AhRHdFyoowyXnUx39m9bosmcvfU49vMXp2Iwq2l9hPiGuvA1n1/s1600/Picture+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L8VIKEdR6SOhm8UMB5v2XIaE7Gxo7dGgHTbHO1tbdbT-QqefsZ5u0EZRDCyiq-D8wMnO2o9dEqzxs1LL3pBY6BzTO2AhRHdFyoowyXnUx39m9bosmcvfU49vMXp2Iwq2l9hPiGuvA1n1/s320/Picture+7.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cook Train Eat Race Banner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">On a whim I fired off seven questions to Jason about the blog and his motivation. I wanted to get a better idea of what makes him tick. Here are his answers:<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b>Patrick: How much time do you spend working on Cook Train Eat Race?</b> <br />
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<b>Jason:</b> Lots. It is a passion of mine and I love spreading the word about a healthy lifestyle and I try to write on the blog so that somebody new to the lifestyle of an endurance athlete is not intimidated. I typically don't post my stats because I am training 15 hours per week and if I saw that as a newbie I would have stopped following thinking they are so far more advanced than I am. I keep it so that a newbie wants to follow and learn. Not always successful but I try. <br />
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Patrick: What motivates you to do so?</b><br />
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<b>Jason:</b> I sort of answered that in question #1 but my motivation stems from being a step parent and a husband. I want to be around for all the important dates in life. I lost my father before he was 50 so he didn't see my first marriage, my divorce or my 2nd marriage and those are life changing events that I don't want to miss of my step-son's (although I don't want him to go through a divorce.) I don't want to miss anything important in my wife's life either. I stood at the finish line of her first marathon for over an hour after running my marathon and cried over her accomplishment more than she did as I was hugging her (really suffocating her with that foil blanket they give you.) </span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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Patrick: Where do you want to take Cook Train Eat Race?</b></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b>Jason:</b> I want Cook Train Eat Race to be the go to site for endurance athletes and those looking to cook healthier meals in their kitchen to share with their families. I have dreams and hopes of writing a book about the life of an age grouper and the ordeal that we go through to be able to compete in marathons and Ironman events while still being involved in a family, hanging out with friends, going to work, etc. It isn't easy but so many of us do it so it proves it is possible. In addition to that I want Cook Train Eat Race to be on the Cooking Channel (notice I did not say Food Network) because CC showcases real cooks who are not celebrities. I believe we have the wrong impression on how to cook because Food Network became so mainstream and all their chefs are cooking with 6 lb blocks of butter. I had a twitter conversation with Jeffrey Saad about The Food Network not having a vegetarian show and I have written them a few times asking for one and get no response. I think it is irresponsible of them to not showcase one show on healthy eating while we have an obesity epidemic in this country. Yes, it is an epidemic.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Patrick: What was your a-ha moment to make changes? Was it radical change or incremental? How "in shape" where you before you made the changes?</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<b>Jason:</b> I started my endurance athlete journey in 2007 when my now ex-wife asked me to run a half-marathon. My original reaction was no way am I running. I played football and baseball all my life and you ran a few feet and stopped so running for 13.1 miles was absurd. She convinced me to do it (not why we go divorced by the way) but I fell in love with it and have to thank her for getting me started. Before that training was over I had signed up to run a half-mary in Miami and another in Philadelphia. After Philly I moved to Dallas and put on about 25 lbs as I had no connection to anybody here except for my now wife. Because of her I started to make friends and play softball and from there I started running again, signed up for a marathon and sprint tri in 2009 and the rest is history. As the lbs came down from 175 to my current weight of 142 I felt better, looked better and thought to myself....if I can do this anybody can.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Patrick: Cook Train Eat Race takes the concept of a "blog" a bit farther than most. What was your inspiration/influence to do this?</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<b>Jason:</b> I started with </span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://baha703ironman.com/">Baha703ironman.com</a> and was journaling my journey to Oceanside (CA) 70.3 in April 2011. Around November / December I exchanged emails with Rita Barry of Fitblogger and Blog Genie and decided to change the name and she encouraged me to pick something that I was passionate about and I knew I was not stopping with that one race in California and was dedicating my life to living this way. At that point Cook Train Eat Race was born and because I had to fill slots for Cooking/Eating, Training and Racing I started writing more and more and eventually found my voice. I enjoyed reading other articles about how you should do this or do that and then put my two cents into it and make it a conversation that others could join. I do my best to respond to comments because I think we get the most out of ourselves and others when we are social, which is why I have a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Paper.LI account (which I learned from my company Fun City Social Media) in addition to the blog. The blog is my brand and an extension of who I am and I want to share it with the world (narcissistic in a sense but at the same time I want to relay to the masses that there is no time like the present to start living a healthy active lifestyle.)<br />
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<b>Patrick: Would you be OK with some competition if Endurance Athlete Project was reborn but took a different tact than you do, which would be for me to be passionate about things but still continuing to perpetuate my jack-assedness?</b></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b>Jason:</b> I welcome the 'competition' because I learn from those around me. If there is a great idea that pops up on a blog or website I want to use it on mine but put my own spin on it. You have seen the Q&A go around and I think that is a great idea as I get to know the people who write these blogs but I did not do one. What I did was take my post about obesity and create my own Q&A based on questions I was already getting and answered it with one word. It was my own spin and it has drawn quite a few comments and page views. I say you resurrect EAP and lets get more people talking about health and fitness and making changes to their daily lives that will not only benefit them but also society.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<b>Patrick: Do you think it makes sense to re-edit your Marathon Makeover video so that the first frame doesn't show you with your eyes closed?</b></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
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<b>Jason:</b> Probably, but it also makes me look like I am in deep thought and that I don't just wing all of this stuff. There is a very strong power to perception. Then again people could be perceiving me as...'look at this jack-ass with his eyes closed' I can't control their opinions but I can hope that they read and respect mine and then chime in with theirs to create dialogue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">So there you have it... </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-47817186731668410082011-07-31T23:43:00.000-07:002011-07-31T23:57:58.629-07:00July Wrap Up<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuc8ohxW6_dAlRZrGomUVeHDlKCZtk1FZPMeBUuUsc7w0gPO1RpnyCvMcPRXds74WnTmOR1CbzyVCoZjAwzvDYGXRPKkH856oh89xa87Xu3V58n-iM8kxspeQWlpNDbL01qdyMMJooYL6/s1600/photo%2528129%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuc8ohxW6_dAlRZrGomUVeHDlKCZtk1FZPMeBUuUsc7w0gPO1RpnyCvMcPRXds74WnTmOR1CbzyVCoZjAwzvDYGXRPKkH856oh89xa87Xu3V58n-iM8kxspeQWlpNDbL01qdyMMJooYL6/s200/photo%2528129%2529.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See ya, dude.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>July was a pretty good month training wise. But I'll get to that in a second. The more important news is that as of this afternoon, Ian is now riding his bike. It took a few months of negotiations to convince him that he was ready, but when we finally closed the deal this morning we didn't waste any time. I took the training wheels off after lunch and we headed to the park.<br />
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I probably held the saddle for all of 15 seconds before I let go. In all honesty, he didn't need my help. When he looked back that first time and saw I wasn't there, he immediately fell over. That was it though, and after that he was riding on his own, back and forth between Mary and I. Sure, it's still a little shaky and his turning needs a little bit of work. But look at the picture, he's riding. <br />
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We got Ian going on the bike between today's pool workout and long run. These two work-outs wrapped up the month for me, and it's a month I'm feeling pretty good about.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwll_hhmO5tr96x0oIpuvl7IerbT05nU5MGpI3WUTKiVeIrz8-6PF8odJhfjlVddW0ClYD0ryitqO3UPIYLNDK9vSuzFEniJCWQqvrWVITvRQJMos0qBw20ly463VSZ4ig-3ncsszvB3kg/s1600/Picture+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwll_hhmO5tr96x0oIpuvl7IerbT05nU5MGpI3WUTKiVeIrz8-6PF8odJhfjlVddW0ClYD0ryitqO3UPIYLNDK9vSuzFEniJCWQqvrWVITvRQJMos0qBw20ly463VSZ4ig-3ncsszvB3kg/s1600/Picture+6.png" /></a></div><br />
July ended up being just over 47 1/2 hours of total volume. The good news is that I'm feeling strong and <i>think</i> I'll be able to hang in there for another 3 weeks before I start to taper for <a href="http://www.firstwave-events.com/races/Big-Kahuna-Triathlon-Santa-Cruz-CA.aspx">Santa Cruz</a>. And the bad news? I guess there really isn't any bad news. But I do have a few concerns. The first is I hope I'm doing enough, because this schedule has pretty much maxed me out in terms of available time. My second concern is that since I am maxed out, how in the world am I going manufacture the additional time needed if/when I decide to register for a full Ironman next year?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOr1NQsJ1QsIZr32jd0YjQtJauGDKgM9sjPmjhntzOa1MeZSCTgpAIGD0mxTC-hQeHo6C_3spMq5fL496ej7y6AbrvFZziufSnX3XdK1ReZce7ANT7Px374TDLBOsh779ruo_MFHV3cXB/s1600/Belmont+Shore+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOr1NQsJ1QsIZr32jd0YjQtJauGDKgM9sjPmjhntzOa1MeZSCTgpAIGD0mxTC-hQeHo6C_3spMq5fL496ej7y6AbrvFZziufSnX3XdK1ReZce7ANT7Px374TDLBOsh779ruo_MFHV3cXB/s200/Belmont+Shore+Beach.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buoy line - Belmont Shore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My weeks have more or less settled into the following routine: Monday is a 75 minute pool workout. Tuesday is an hour's worth of bike intervals followed by a 4 or 5 mile run. Wednesday is back to the pool for 75 minutes, but if I'm feeling a bit adventurous I'll head to Belmont Shore for an open water swim. Thursday is a 1 hour speed-work session. Friday I do a 90 minute recovery ride. Saturday is back on the bike for 3 to 4 hours followed by a 4 to 5 mile run. Sunday is another 75 minute pool workout and a 1 1/2 - 2 hour long run. Every 3rd week I cut back by about 30% and take Sunday off.<br />
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I really like how the schedule flows. Monday's swim is a great active recovery day and I'm always hitting Tuesday's workouts feeling really fresh. And Friday's recovery ride has been setting up the higher volume weekends quite nicely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY23HVcHWBkHG7akpkaqWO2YtDz2ATnn_pVn4tSeoV13WBpDvgyawdksYzaRz8lQAguhOX_QvHvZVkEc-bj7S4OyhCYfjIc_O6xIWcCqDdQ_QlTBUmCrEIs7hcOrSkCdgsecmAQ90U4hyphenhyphenN/s1600/legoland1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY23HVcHWBkHG7akpkaqWO2YtDz2ATnn_pVn4tSeoV13WBpDvgyawdksYzaRz8lQAguhOX_QvHvZVkEc-bj7S4OyhCYfjIc_O6xIWcCqDdQ_QlTBUmCrEIs7hcOrSkCdgsecmAQ90U4hyphenhyphenN/s200/legoland1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LegoLand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm going to change things up next Saturday, though. I feel like I need to do a long brick - like a 50 mile bike and 10 mile run. These distances back-to-back are uncharted water for me and I want to have an idea about how it's going to feel come race day. Plus I want to do a full dress rehearsal of my nutrition plan.<br />
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Even though this coming week is not a recovery week, the brick on Saturday will allow me to take Sunday off and take Ian to <a href="http://www.legoland.com/">LegoLand</a>. The hotel we stayed at last weekend when I was racing at <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/solanadf84.htm">Solana Beach</a> last week was right next door, and so that's all he's been talking about. Since Mary is going to be out of town for work, it'll be a good day to take him - Mary's more of a <a href="http://disneyland.disney.go.com/">Disneyland</a> girl, and since she's been more than generous accommodating my schedule, I owe her one...<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-42100105413173836812011-07-26T22:57:00.000-07:002011-07-26T23:05:49.466-07:00The US Open Of Surfing (A/K/A The Invasion Of THAT GUY)Here's what's happening in Huntington Beach next week:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKkTBMCrykJs951x-dML8Sr2Ap6kjfNdi2EHPKDqBMz4ZVmAmgyC3INpWMk_d3tTORsR2CqGupjlU3Yo-ktCgEyR9kdkhn2bRp7CRJulLLSitvSXo1uDSI6HIVKJUd93faXHmGwdi0MGz/s1600/usopen-225x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKkTBMCrykJs951x-dML8Sr2Ap6kjfNdi2EHPKDqBMz4ZVmAmgyC3INpWMk_d3tTORsR2CqGupjlU3Yo-ktCgEyR9kdkhn2bRp7CRJulLLSitvSXo1uDSI6HIVKJUd93faXHmGwdi0MGz/s1600/usopen-225x150.jpg" /></a></div><blockquote><b><span style="font-size: small;">2011 Nike US Open of Surfing Set To Deliver Another Historic Week of Sport, Music and Art at Huntington Beach</span> </b></blockquote><blockquote>Huntington Beach, CA - The US Open of Surfing has a storied reputation for going big. This year will only add to that legacy as title sponsor Nike - along with presenting sponsors Hurley, Converse and Nike 6.0 - continue to elevate the event as the world's largest youth culture and action sport festival. With more than 500,000 people in attendance along a 14-acre stretch of sand on the south side of Huntington Beach Pier, the Nike US Open of Surfing showcases the best in surf, skate, BMX, music, fashion and art. </blockquote><blockquote>"It's hard to match the experience of the world's best in sports, music and art coming together on the beach in one of action sports' most iconic locations," said Sandy Bodecker, VP Nike Action Sports. "Our commitment this year is to bring the energy from Huntington Beach to even more fans across the world. </blockquote><blockquote>The 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing will run from July 30 to August 7. All events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC or can be viewed live daily at <a href="http://www.usopenofsurfing.com/">www.usopenofsurfing.com</a>. The event is owned and produced by IMG, the global leader in sports and entertainment. </blockquote><blockquote>Anchored by the world's largest professional surfing competition, the $460,000 US Open is a pivotal point on the ASP World Tour for both the men and women. The Men's side will feature a North America ASP Men's Prime event with valuable points on the line right before the coveted ASP Top 32 cut-off. For the women, the US Open of Surfing will witness the final event of the 2011 ASP World Title Tour and crown a women's world champion in Surf City this summer. "I'm really excited to be returning to Huntington Beach to try to defend my US Open title," says Hawaii's Carissa Moore. "It's so fun to be competing in front of so many people!" In addition to the high-stakes Men's and Women's divisions, the US Open will feature a grade four men's and women's Pro Junior as well as the Pacifico Nose Riding Invitational - always a crowd favorite. </blockquote><blockquote>The action doesn't stop at the shoreline. On the beach, the event will once again host eye-opening tricks from the most talented and diverse crew of riders from across the globe as they skate in a state-of-the-art skate bowl at Converse Coastal Carnage. And, a stellar crew of BMX riders will push the realm of possibility at the Nike 6.0 HB BMX Pro. The runway will be busy on Thursday, August 4 as five of the nation's top high schools will compete for $25,000 in the Hurley Walk the Walk National Championship - the ultimate youth fashion competition. And the US Open Music Stage will host a soon-to-be-announced lineup of bands that will surely rival last year's Weezer performance in front of 50,000-plus screaming fans. </blockquote><blockquote>Couple this with one-of-a-kind retail and brand experiences, more than 100 interactive exhibits, autograph signings, DJs and giveaways, and you have another summer to remember at the Nike US Open of Surfing. Be ready to dive into the madness starting July 30. </blockquote><blockquote>The Nike US Open of Surfing is proudly sponsored by G-Shock, Skullcandy, Red Bull, Pacifico, Paul Mitchell Salon Haircare, Invisalign Teen and Transworld Media.</blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWuQO8tN0w2ASgzYmNl3bcnQ7f_QC4wsr0KwnpuXC8L1-ehZPDmfe2kCQdpFL7v_x_PDn-Q3Tysw2ueQ0QzNpaqMt-hmR3tx212gZzIcFm0RgqHmd4DCdPmzzCxNzpqPUnbsauyZFicHs/s1600/riot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWuQO8tN0w2ASgzYmNl3bcnQ7f_QC4wsr0KwnpuXC8L1-ehZPDmfe2kCQdpFL7v_x_PDn-Q3Tysw2ueQ0QzNpaqMt-hmR3tx212gZzIcFm0RgqHmd4DCdPmzzCxNzpqPUnbsauyZFicHs/s200/riot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happier times at the Open - 1986</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Other than the fact that the current title sponsor is my least favorite sporting goods company of all time (what does Nike know about surfing past what they've managed to buy?), this is a fun event. I take Ian every year to catch a few heats of competition. If we time things right, we get to see some vertical skating or BMX riding as well.<br />
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Unfortunately, of the 500,000 expected attendees, it's likely that 450,000 of them will not be from the Huntington Beach area. In fact, they will probably not hail from places anywhere near the coast. Their hometowns are called San Bernadino and Riverside, and as such they will not be hip to our coastal ways. To keep things simple, these people will hereinafter be referred to as "THAT GUY".<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDAhZnMiwlfJll89vvQXi9KtMuZu6LgSHV15KR4FMPfwGk0ke3ktb_GxnZubNDcyAWKsACWo4AIXcYKLL1xSJgvrlG1cUOxPjn8gCLs4vmoWRiia0NJqgksY5jaUplLRVGUVUaKE9LcAm/s1600/Jacked-Up-Chevy-Trucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDAhZnMiwlfJll89vvQXi9KtMuZu6LgSHV15KR4FMPfwGk0ke3ktb_GxnZubNDcyAWKsACWo4AIXcYKLL1xSJgvrlG1cUOxPjn8gCLs4vmoWRiia0NJqgksY5jaUplLRVGUVUaKE9LcAm/s200/Jacked-Up-Chevy-Trucks.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official vehicle of THAT GUY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>THAT GUY still listens to mid 90's Nu-Metal and like Korn and Disturbed, and he will want everyone to know it. THAT GUY will be dressed head to toe in tough-guy-cum-action-sports branded apparel: Fox, Osiris, Spy and Famous Stars and Straps. THAT GUY will be wearing a baseball hat - sideways. The cooler in THAT GUY'S truck will be stocked with equal amounts of Monster Energy Drink and domestic beer. Despite the obvious impact that the contents of the cooler is having on his physique, THAT GUY will take off his shirt as early in the day as possible.<br />
<br />
THAT GUY also sucks at driving.<br />
<br />
So I have no choice but to qualify the term "fun event" and limit it's meaning to include such times when I've made a deliberate decision to head down to the beach and check things out. In other words, if I happen to be passing through downtown on my way somewhere else, it will definitely not be a "fun event". And if I'm riding my bike through, which I am inclined to do at least 3 times a week, it will be a guaranteed nightmare. This is because the aggregate driving skills of all the motorists downtown will plunge even lower than they already are, which in the summer is already bad.<br />
<br />
I know I have choices - I can easily avoid the Coast Highway for a week. The thing is I don't want to. This is my town, dammit. And since property taxes are high and City regulations are so absurdly rigid that if I hammer a nail into a wall without a building permit I am out of compliance, I want to ride my bike wherever and whenever I want. <br />
<br />
And I probably will. Wish me luck.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-79532127036608734292011-07-25T23:34:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:20:08.028-07:00Solana Beach Triathlon Race Report<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyOb2eL4AgqqNKbEviN4B9ztn5xZwUp8UOPpZX-WU0H94p3he3qEdcFafi_Za_5_dTkt_qR1tt95Fq6mkB74br3tboNHKYmtkXSmw87vBoNZi-ce5mmjawO99pO_cOwfZ9C58IKjY0vdX/s1600/photo%2528127%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyOb2eL4AgqqNKbEviN4B9ztn5xZwUp8UOPpZX-WU0H94p3he3qEdcFafi_Za_5_dTkt_qR1tt95Fq6mkB74br3tboNHKYmtkXSmw87vBoNZi-ce5mmjawO99pO_cOwfZ9C58IKjY0vdX/s200/photo%2528127%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smug & Cocky</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Q: Who was the smug & cocky sonofabitch who claimed he could finish the <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/solanadf84.htm">Solana Beach Triathlon</a> in under an hour?</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>A: Me</b><br />
<br />
Yeah, well that didn't happen. I finished in 1:06:03 instead. Yet, I've really got nothing to complain about. My normal inclination would be to moan about the swim. But that actually went pretty well - I stayed with what I'm calling the "middle pack" the entire time. In fact, I drafted behind a guy on the beach bound segment (the course was "U" shaped around two buoys beginning and ending on the beach) and didn't have to sight the entire way in. Why I put complete faith in this guy's navigation skills I'm not sure, but this guy ended up being a regular Magellan and before I knew it I was on the beach running the 1/3 of a mile up the ramp to transition. My final swim time (including the run to transition) was 13:44. At first I wasn't super stoked on this, but after the race I heard almost everyone complaining about their swim times so I felt a lot better about it. I'm guessing either the course was longer than a 1/4 mile or there was some sort of current working against us. Either way, I think I ended up doing OK on the curve. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88_aIkW00je8JKy_Btf0bVzL0zNIJVJe1JEkVpKappfknP2eLtGrw9cGnf6dnC7K2GCwR1zYiT3ErPcdgxiTDerYjnaHe60K0u2PZtDIhf8V7KXzwYuJJpEC21mdLRdmSGK-HDBJOCjDj/s1600/solanabike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88_aIkW00je8JKy_Btf0bVzL0zNIJVJe1JEkVpKappfknP2eLtGrw9cGnf6dnC7K2GCwR1zYiT3ErPcdgxiTDerYjnaHe60K0u2PZtDIhf8V7KXzwYuJJpEC21mdLRdmSGK-HDBJOCjDj/s200/solanabike.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slowing and turning somewhere...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was in and out of T1 in 1:57, and I'm generally happy with anything under 2 minutes. Once on the bike, everything went fine. Well, almost fine - I had a little bit of trouble clicking in to my pedals. But it's always the things you do a million times that go wrong at the worst possible moments, so I just went with the flow. The course was two 4 1/2 mile slightly rolling loops on Coast Highway. There was a moderate cross/headwind going north and a cross/tailwind going south. My average speed for the first and last mile where a mildly disappointing 18.5 MPH I'm guessing due to a fairly long haul between the timing mat and the actual mount/dismount line, but the rest of the time I averaged between 20 and 23.5 MPH depending on the wind. This is where I am at in terms of bike fitness at the moment so I'll take it. Plus I passed plenty of other riders. My total bike split was 26:22.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0E0499NCfLSd4K-GVcUYTom9eHhz1oZz7L3gE6l7ReovR_ppVphImX-QzjkQB4WEsfRdh98uLQoM6XEMr88enNk3LPVKou8ohegOiB14XwrYhs_3StxG6Z-R-ANiMbbUSnEwRcP84qCE/s1600/solrun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0E0499NCfLSd4K-GVcUYTom9eHhz1oZz7L3gE6l7ReovR_ppVphImX-QzjkQB4WEsfRdh98uLQoM6XEMr88enNk3LPVKou8ohegOiB14XwrYhs_3StxG6Z-R-ANiMbbUSnEwRcP84qCE/s200/solrun.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run finish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>T2 took me 1:37, so I was happy with that too. As far as the run, I held an average pace of 7:20/mile. The first mile 7:23, the second mile was 7:27 (weird), and the last mile was 7:14 for a total split of 22:21. Again, nothing to really complain about there.<br />
<br />
In the end, I was 23rd of 87 in my age group and 260th of 1100 overall. I finished 1:47 faster over last year. A year older and almost two minutes faster? I'll take that. I also feel I raced to the best of my ability and made very few mistakes. And through the entire race I felt I maintained the perfect combination of hard work and enjoyment. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUIMPaGE0sPNTSx-fox0CH_A1Pe7o-C09SahGLPfDqsDBQa0H3NcwBAmwdaga8YtE42IuQe6QGgDOqcvimAmCguKMLtxhBE-ObidoiJXa1WCszyAJTSVNGewArHyNyf9lW_73pO9FhNN8/s1600/photo%2528128%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUIMPaGE0sPNTSx-fox0CH_A1Pe7o-C09SahGLPfDqsDBQa0H3NcwBAmwdaga8YtE42IuQe6QGgDOqcvimAmCguKMLtxhBE-ObidoiJXa1WCszyAJTSVNGewArHyNyf9lW_73pO9FhNN8/s200/photo%2528128%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris K, Ian and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mary, Ian and my Mom (who is in town visiting) came down to cheer me on. <a href="http://bqordie.blogspot.com/">Chris K</a> from the Manly Runner lives in the area and also came down. This was very cool and much appreciated. And a big thanks is due to Chris for the bike and run pictures - I think they are pretty good. Cheers for that. <br />
<br />
After the race, we went to breakfast at a local place called Honey's. If you ever are in Encinitas, check it out - it's a very legit breakfast spot. We had a nice conversation about all sorts of things, including some quality reminiscing about our mutual pal <a href="http://www.midwestmultisportlife.com/">Kovas</a>. I ate pancakes and drank a bunch of coffee. Basically it was the perfect meal.<br />
<br />
So how did I talk myself into thinking that a sub one hour race was possible? This is how - I over estimated my abilities by a minute or two in every discipline. I didn't leave enough time to get from the beach to T1, I didn't factor in the wind on the bike course and I didn't have the legs to run a 21 minute 5K. But despite the fact that my prediction of a sub one hour sprint triathlon will be publicly displayed on the Interweb forever, I'm 100% OK with this race. But now it's time to go longer - it's about 7 weeks until the <a href="http://www.firstwave-events.com/races/Big-Kahuna-Triathlon-Santa-Cruz-CA.aspx">Big Kahuna 70.3</a> in Santa Cruz.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-39798804737917237182011-07-18T20:00:00.000-07:002011-07-18T20:42:35.126-07:00CarmageddonDid you guys know about this?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCOJpN9blIJTa78ILK7w-OuQTyVXIsOgJzCIJSuMABtHpcHAe38zMZ7g2JvplVNTg903mSiNZZA3iTdD4tsCZb9IbZlHu9kyp2EX-y58jm_cCsR89CPug5_AMjzN2N9Qf375GVIAyqWv-/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCOJpN9blIJTa78ILK7w-OuQTyVXIsOgJzCIJSuMABtHpcHAe38zMZ7g2JvplVNTg903mSiNZZA3iTdD4tsCZb9IbZlHu9kyp2EX-y58jm_cCsR89CPug5_AMjzN2N9Qf375GVIAyqWv-/s320/Picture+4.png" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closed Section of the Freeway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A 10 mile section of the 405 freeway between Santa Monica and Sherman Oaks was shut down all weekend so a bridge could be demolished. The build-up to this project had been going on for months. Apparently there have been temporary road signs as far north as Oregon warning people of the impending doom that was expected over the weekend.<br />
<br />
The hysteria really kicked in to high gear last week to the point where even I was buying into it. I had a meeting up in Woodland Hills Friday afternoon, and to get there I had to take the 405. I started worrying. What if they close the road early? What if everyone in the LA basin attempts an escape to points north? I allowed myself 2 hours to go 10 miles. It only took 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
On the way home I avoided the 405 completely. I took the 101 to the 5. It was smooth sailing. I did hit some traffic on the 5 but it was nothing more than normal Friday afternoon traffic in Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
When I got home I immediately forgot about all of it. I had no business up north over the weekend. And besides, between weekend family stuff, my training and the Tour de France, I have not been thinking about much else over the last couple weekends. Out of site, out of mind. I enjoyed a weekend of perfect weather and drove my car a grand total of 10 miles.<br />
<br />
It was back to the grind this morning. And catching myself up with the rest of the world, I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2299432/?from=rss">this</a>.<br />
<br />
In case you don't have time to read the link: To "battle" the congestion, Jet Blue offered $4 flights from Burbank to Long Beach over the weekend. It's about 40 miles from Burbank to Long Beach, and as a practical matter you would never take the 405 to drive between the two. <br />
<br />
So some cyclists issued a challenge. From the same street corner in Hollywood, the cyclists rode straight to the Long Beach Aquarium (essentially a straight shot down the LA River trail) while someone else drove to Burbank Airport, parked, went through security, waited to board, taxied, took off, flew, landed in Long Beach, taxied, deplaned and took ground transportation to the Aquarium.<br />
<br />
The cyclists got to the Aquarium in an hour and forty three minutes. The plane had not even pushed back yet.<br />
<br />
My take? I know I should defend my brothers of the bike but I just can't. Cool stunt, fellas and way to out-bulls**t the bulls**ters. But please hold the high fives right there and inject some clarity. You can't push the "alternative urban transportation" card here. First, because you stacked the deck. And second, an Airbus A320 isn't generally seen as urban transportation. I don't see the parallel. Race an Amtrak train station to station and then come talk to me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGuWABXvNIp_ttU855fnmLUhBXfue1JlS2wNMzJMBdw7tiXUN_0VYb7OwfqNWJGpWPBMxTf2nmDuLJnDfohRhNlVkz1_II1N7-1aigr6aP9mjc20HgJt01Zs3fJGevxlDanahyphenhyphenkbm-a4k/s1600/132404-an-empty-405-freeway-is-seen-in-los-angeles-california.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGuWABXvNIp_ttU855fnmLUhBXfue1JlS2wNMzJMBdw7tiXUN_0VYb7OwfqNWJGpWPBMxTf2nmDuLJnDfohRhNlVkz1_II1N7-1aigr6aP9mjc20HgJt01Zs3fJGevxlDanahyphenhyphenkbm-a4k/s320/132404-an-empty-405-freeway-is-seen-in-los-angeles-california.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Empty 405</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unfortunately, the bulls**t didn't end there. In fact, it got worse.<br />
<br />
The contractors had 53 hours to get the job done. If they delivered late, they would be penalized something like $17,000 per hour against the contract value. This seems like a fair and prudent protection enacted by the government for the benefit of the people, right? Do what you say you are going to do or be penalized.<br />
<br />
BUT, it turns out this deal went both ways. As in if the contractor delivered early they got a bonus of something like $17,000 per hour. Well, the contractor ended up 17 hours ahead of schedule and is now just under $300,000 richer. Los Angeles Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa has gone on record saying that the taxpayers actually saved $400,000 because of this bonus. How does that math work? Never mind, I'll never understand it. Because even though I am pretty good at adding up a column of figures, when the numbers are sugar coated with political spin I'm hopelessly lost.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure I like this quid pro quo thing. We'd already been conditioned to expect a 53 hour closure, so we all found ways to avoid the 405 over the weekend. Yet by getting the road back early we ended up paying more for something that we were told we wouldn't have. It's too bad the satisfaction of kicking ass (and getting Sunday afternoon off) wasn't good enough for the contractor. Who will give me a hundred dollars for every minute I take off my goal time at the <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/solanadf84.htm">Solana Beach Triathlon</a> this Sunday? None of you. Because you live in reality.<br />
<br />
I suppose if they use the extra money to pay out the workers who had been expecting a Sunday shift, that would be one thing. But why do I get the feeling it's not going to work out that way?<br />
<br />
Oh yeah, I spent an hour and twenty minutes moving two miles today on La Cienega today trying to get on the 10 Freeway because of some other construction. Just when I thought it was over....<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEdBSxFs1lFc-Wh9croenOdW4zPfg7lE5Cuo3AO6K0DkEdntJJdCaCvxNUKpr9HHj8lCytUamTX0qDSWZAApK8U968ZOrI-4HLm03F-WQ9AOiOngF_gbfOnnjXQ1_a-_idRdEV9JaTTew/s1600/132404-an-empty-405-freeway-is-seen-in-los-angeles-california.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br />
</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-40410558340386728242011-07-12T22:43:00.000-07:002011-07-13T10:05:29.615-07:00You Ask, I Answer - The Horrible TruthsSo.....<br />
<br />
I asked you to ask and you did. Here are the answers.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://wwwagegroupsrock.blogspot.com/">AJH</a> asked...</span><a href="http://wwwagegroupsrock.blogspot.com/"><br />
</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>What would be the most important thing for a beginning cyclist to do for speed improvement?</b><br />
<br />
Just keep riding - time in the saddle will do wonders and your ability to ride farther and faster will come quick. Once you get some mileage into your legs you can work on pedaling technique and other drills for efficiency improvement, but for now just get out there and ride!<br />
<br />
<b>What is a place you have never cycled in that you would like to?</b><br />
<br />
Europe. Someday I'd like to ride in Belgium and France.<br />
<br />
<b>Is there a terrain that would be be too daunting for you to cycle in?</b><br />
<br />
I don't think so. I'm too big to be a great climber. But as long as my cycling pals don't mind waiting, I'll give anything a shot.<br />
<br />
That said there is a downhill on San Joaquin Road in Newport Beach that I don't like - because of a ill placed and fast changing traffic signal, there have been many accidents, some fatal I'm afraid.<b></b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://therunningartist.blogspot.com/">Jennifer</a> asked...</b></span><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Before you were an athlete, back in the dark days, what did you think when you saw guys in spandex?</b><br />
<br />
I'm sorry to say, but I probably wasn't thinking. Funny story though: I had an employee who's good friend was a serious road cyclist and this guy would come by the warehouse all the time. I remember picking up his bike once and being surprised how light it was, but that's about as much thought I put into cycling before I actually started doing it myself a few years later.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ironbob-ironbob.blogspot.com/">ONEHOURIRONMAN</a> asked...</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>In your photo, you appear to be mimicking Eminem... head down, visor down. Eminem usually uses a hoodie when he does this pose. What inspired you to use the ball cap?? </b><br />
<br />
This is an easy one - the head is down to hide the double chin and the hat is on to hide my bald dome. Luckily I can hold my head a little higher these days but I still need the hat.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://didyougetanyofthat.blogspot.com/">XLMIC</a> asked...</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>What size running shoes do you wear and is that the same size dress shoes you wear?</b><br />
<br />
Size 11. My dress size is a 4. But that's only because I want it to look really tight and slutty.<br />
<br />
<b>What was your first pet?</b><br />
<br />
Tara and Willie - Cats; Gigi - Dog <br />
<br />
<b>Did you do any sports as a kid?</b><br />
<br />
No not really. <br />
<br />
<b>What inspires you?</b><br />
<br />
Questions that ask what inspires me inspire me. And normal everyday people doing extraordinary things inspire me too.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you ever cry at movies? Which ones?</b><br />
<br />
Let me answer this with another question. Do you know how hard it is to hide tears when you are on an airplane? <br />
<br />
<b>What would you choose for your last meal?</b><br />
<br />
Do you mean if I was going to the electric chair or something? Grilled chicken, brown rice and a spinach salad. Because all the other mass murderers pick the Rib Eye, so that's played out.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://bqordie.blogspot.com/">Chris K</a> asked...</b></span><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>1) If you could see any band in the world tomorrow, all expenses paid and all obligations are handled, who do you pick? </b><br />
<br />
Can I go back in time? Then it's The Clash. Right now? I'd like to go to one of the jazz festivals in Europe. Not because of the music per se, but because the vibe would be something I don't normally experience.<br />
<br />
<b>2) Where do you think you will be living in 10 years?</b><br />
<br />
In your guesthouse.<br />
<b><br />
3) What are five things on your bucket list?</b><br />
<br />
Get the training wheels off of Ian's bike<br />
Insure my iPhone lasts more than a year this time<br />
Finish remodeling my living room<br />
Host a flash mob via my blog<br />
Take Mary to Japan<br />
<br />
<b>4) On a scale of 1-10, what would your rate your desire to do Kona?</b><br />
<br />
I honestly don't know. Because I'm quite pleased to have a go at 70.3's for awhile.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Are you a metrosexual?</b><br />
<br />
I don't even know what that is.<br />
<b><br />
6) Are you okay wearing shirts with vertical strips? what about horizontal stripes?</b><br />
<br />
Stripes are fine. I prefer thin vertical stripes and still have a soft spot for the Kurt Cobain style horizontal striped shirts from the early '90's.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://kate-my-mind.blogspot.com/">Kate</a> asked...</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Along the lines of ajh's questions...tips for hill climbing, ways to get better at it? (and I know hill repeats, but anything specific on them other than pedal pedal pedal?)</b><br />
<br />
Here's a couple tips -<br />
<br />
- Work on proper pedal technique. You need to generate power through your entire pedal stroke, not just when you push down. Some people assume this means pulling up hard from the 6 to 12 o'clock position. I don't agree with this, it can ravage your hamstrings. Instead, pull up just enough so that the opposite down-stroke does not have to compensate for dead weight. Another technique to try is pulling you heel back like you are wiping mud off of your soles from the 3 to 9 o'clock position. Again, this should be a lighter movement then your down-stroke. A good pedal stroke should feel like you are floating straight through the revolution. There are tons of drills online.<br />
<br />
- Don't slow down your cadence<a href="http://wwwagegroupsrock.blogspot.com/"></a>. Shift down instead. <br />
<br />
- I use a rear wheel with a 12/27 climbing cassette when I know I'll be climbing. It doesn't make me go any faster up the hills, but the 27 tooth ring has saved my butt a few times.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journeytoahalfmaraton.blogspot.com/">Caroline</a> asked...</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be?</b><br />
<br />
Andre<br />
<br />
<b>Are you happy? I hope you are.</b><br />
<br />
It's been a great couple of years and thank you for asking.<br />
<br />
<b>First concert you have ever been to?</b><br />
<br />
Rush (Go Canada!) at the Worcester Centrum, Worcester MA. This was probably '83 or '84. <br />
<br />
<b>The one you would have liked to see?</b><br />
<br />
I missed The Smiths in '85 or so. I couldn't get a ride into Boston.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you like Canadians? :)</b><br />
<br />
I love everyone. <br />
<br />
<b>Guilty pleasure? you can say you watch Real Housewives of OC we will not judge.</b><br />
<br />
I'm not sure I have one. <br />
<br />
<b>how did you propose?</b><br />
<br />
It was at a hotel in West Hollywood. I was still living in New York and was in LA on business so Mary came up from Orange County for a few days. We had just come back from a show and I got on my knees and asked her to marry me.<br />
<br />
<b>Luke or Han Solo?</b><br />
<br />
Han Solo. Even at 8 I realized that the reluctant hero behind the obvious hero was the REAL hero. By the way, it wasn't until the last couple years that I caught on to the fact that Obi Wan let Darth Vader kill him on the Death Star. I'd never caught that the first 50 times I saw the movie.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://blog.ransick.org/">Mike</a> asked...</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>What would you like us to ask about so you can talk about it? I'll ask that question, so open floor for you :-)</b><br />
<br />
Wait...you want me to tell you what to ask so I can answer a question I want to answer? I think they only do that on Fox News when Sarah Palin is on. Chris and Colleen, how do I handle this?<b> </b> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://midwestmultisportlife.com/">Kovas</a> asked...</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Would you consider a business booking bands at triathlons?</b><br />
<br />
No. Well maybe. I'd book the most extreme Swedish metal band I could find and put them at mile 20 of the run so most people would pick up the pace just to get by the noise. Can you think of a better way to get through the "wall"? I think not. <br />
<br />
<b>How would Mary describe you? (guestpost!)</b><br />
<br />
The greatest guy she knows that is 41 and lives in her house. <br />
<br />
<b>If Ian started a band, would you be happy or cringe?</b><br />
<br />
Obviously you haven't heard <a href="http://soundcloud.com/17281posse/six-on-sticks-stab-the-chicken">Sticks on Six</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Any more triathlons for Ian?</b><br />
<br />
This is the summer of getting him comfortable in the water and getting the training wheels off. So far, we've made progress in the water.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://cbkingery.blogspot.com/">Colleen</a> asked...</span> </b><br />
<br />
<b>If you could have any super power, what would it be?</b><br />
<br />
Any superpower that makes the noise that the Six Million Dollar Man used to make when he was using his powers would be fine.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://tri714-letsdothisagain.blogspot.com/">Craig</a> asked...</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>1. What is going through your mind when the tempo is beyond high. Let's say when it is push another 100 meters and make it, or let up and get cracked. What are you telling yourself ?</b><br />
<br />
I'm usually telling myself that I won't stay pissed at you for long.<br />
<br />
<b>2. How the hell did Doc Martens ever get so popular ?</b><br />
<br />
Somewhere between the original UK punk bands and the Paris & Milan runways during Fashion Week something went horribly wrong.<br />
<br />
<b>3. can you sing ?</b><br />
<br />
Sure - as long as I double track all the vocals, sing everything like 6 times, cut and paste a final set of vocal tracks from the best of all the takes and then use tons of pitch correction.<br />
<br />
<b>4. are you and your wife planning on more kids ?</b><br />
<br />
Negative.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Unlimited $$ - build a bike, what is it and what's on it ?</b><br />
<br />
I'm not sure anymore. I do know it would have an Easton wheelset and a SRAM gruppo. Oh yeah, and a Fizik saddle. Maybe a set of FSA SLK cranks too. So I can pay $80 for another cab when they fail after only 100 miles.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-10159279711153870852011-07-11T00:22:00.000-07:002011-07-11T00:26:19.221-07:00Halfway Through<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupQiRu2Onv2Ul5L7d7YKm0MEv8haS3I6osPmlkN0U8C2jF5m8MjEAFRd-Rc0LPp84FtD7bsTUZ4U4J4jFqMB3PKNvnupoElSnBskzXF8AVJjqcjJVpTjft7ElmT4du9PGB6rzEHqDfYOK/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupQiRu2Onv2Ul5L7d7YKm0MEv8haS3I6osPmlkN0U8C2jF5m8MjEAFRd-Rc0LPp84FtD7bsTUZ4U4J4jFqMB3PKNvnupoElSnBskzXF8AVJjqcjJVpTjft7ElmT4du9PGB6rzEHqDfYOK/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My playground....from space</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As of today, I've done the first 8 weeks of my 16 week 70.3 training plan. So far, things have been pretty good - I've just had to keep my daily schedule tight and most of the time this has allowed me to get done what needs to be done. There's the occasional conflict for sure, but that's more or less a universal problem I'd guess. The great news is that my motivation has stayed high and actually keeps increasing.<br />
<br />
My weeks tend to look like this, though every 4th week is cut back by about 30% and Sunday is off.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>MONDAY - POOL WORKOUT (1:15 - 1:30)</b><br />
<br />
I've learned to enjoy this. I'm now up to 2500 or 3000 yards per workout. I'll mix things up, but every session includes a warm-up, drills, sprints, a pyramid of some sort and a cool down. I've started to drive to Irvine to do this. It's a 20 minute drive but the pool gets half the use that my local pool does. This was a big part of learning to enjoy the workout.<br />
<br />
<b>TUESDAY - BIKE/RUN BRICK (1:30 - 2:00)</b><br />
<br />
Normally I'll do an out-and-back along Coast Highway with a turnaround somewhere in Newport Beach. I usually throw in some intervals for good measure. For the run, I've got a couple different 4 or 5 mile loops around my house, and I usually decide which one it's going to be as I leave my neighborhood.<br />
<br />
<b>WEDNESDAY - OPEN WATER SWIM (1:00)</b><br />
<br />
I've been doing this swim in Belmont Shore. Up until the <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/solanadf84.htm">Solana Beach Triathlon</a> (which is in 2 weeks), I'll do quarter mile timed repeats. After Solana Beach, I'll start doing swims more in line with the 70.3 swim. It's been pretty crowded with swimmers lately and that's made it really fun.<br />
<br />
<b>THURSDAY - RUNNING SPEED WORK (1:00)</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bqordie.blogspot.com/">Chris K</a> sent me 3 workouts a couple months ago and I religiously rotate them. I probably should be doing this on a track, but I don't. I do it along the beach path instead. It's the one workout I always look forward to doing but hate while I'm doing it. But I'm always glad I did it.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>FRIDAY - BIKE (1:30)</b><br />
<br />
Depending what's on tap for Saturday's ride, I'll either treat this as a Z2 recovery ride or work in some intervals. Because my Fridays are tight, I've got to do this workout in the morning and keep it within the hour and a half time-frame. This means I don't have enough time to get into the hills, which would be nice to keep things fresh. Oh well. By the way, for the first 4 weeks of the plan, this was an off day.<br />
<br />
<b>SATURDAY - LONG BIKE/RUN BRICK (3:30 - 4:30)</b><br />
<br />
For this, I'll join the scheduled group ride with either <a href="http://ocvelo.com/">OC Velo</a> or <a href="http://rideoutspoken.com/">Outspoken</a> and then head home for the run. The ride is usually between 55 and 65 miles and the run between 4 and 6 miles. I'll be increasing the run length just after Solana Beach.<br />
<br />
<b>SUNDAY - LONG RUN -or- BIKE/RUN BRICK -or- SWIM/RUN BRICK (1:30 - 2:00)</b><br />
<br />
Since my plan is on a 4 week turn, I'll do each of the above workouts over 3 consecutive weekends with the 4th Sunday as an off day. My plan does schedule these, but I tend to go with what I'm feeling like doing while still making sure that I do cover them all in every turn. Today was a good example - the plan called for a swim/run brick but I woke up feeling a little uneasy about my run and decided to do a long run instead.<br />
<br />
You'll notice there aren't any days off, except for that 4th Sunday I was talking about. I was concerned about this before I started the plan. But it's worked out OK. With Wednesday being a fairly light swim day and the option to use Friday's ride as active recovery, I've consistently felt good and have not had any major issues. Plus, if I need to take a day off, I just take it. I've done that once so far I believe. <br />
<br />
My diet has been in training as well. I've been cutting out all sorts of foods over the last year, like foods that amounted solely to empty calories and processed foods. This isn't exclusive - I don't think I could live without ice cream for example. But I would like to think that all but the most extreme nutrition enthusiasts would view my approach as reasonable.<br />
<br />
Yet despite the changes, I found they still weren't enough. The mix of foods (especially carbohydrates vs. protein) was off, because I stopped losing weight and was still about 10 or 15 pounds over were I wanted to be come race day. So I've changed the mix. I now try and keep my carbohydrate intake as low as I can, adjusting it up or down against expected training workload. I'm still working on getting it right, and when it has gone wrong it's usually been the case of running out of fuel. Overall, I've replaced the carbohydrate decrease with increased protein intake. I've dropped 5 pounds in the last month. So I'm going to stay the course and keep working on finding the right balance.<br />
<br />
Mentally, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm pretty excited actually. I'm spending as much time with the family as I can, but I also know that they expect me to take a break after Santa Cruz. I'm totally fine with this. Taking it easy for a few months before I start it all up again in December to prepare for <a href="http://ironmancalifornia.com/">Oceanside</a> will be welcome by everyone. The truth is, I haven't taken a real break since I started in triathlon over 2 years ago. Check out this chart from July of 2009 when I first started logging workouts. Some months are bigger than others, but I've more or less kept my foot on the gas since the start.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSTbJ7WHHQ5mMOqml6sTp8TGq5KWhejKC8DALh1hRCcYLhxryQ8lYYGuridb-BupGO9Jh6rCB4pM8LGMbc6Ef5fmSYHiE7kmfbij3kWxdNkYo8JPaLu-Op1b7dbGQB6WhTcKTz1FmUdPS/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSTbJ7WHHQ5mMOqml6sTp8TGq5KWhejKC8DALh1hRCcYLhxryQ8lYYGuridb-BupGO9Jh6rCB4pM8LGMbc6Ef5fmSYHiE7kmfbij3kWxdNkYo8JPaLu-Op1b7dbGQB6WhTcKTz1FmUdPS/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monthly training since July 2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's summer, so all my clients are out on tour and work is busy. But I'm managing fine with that too. I'm also lucky that I can use the slightly odd hours required to work with the bands to my advantage.<br />
<br />
So that's where I'm at. What do you think?<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-86807580524845657372011-07-10T00:50:00.000-07:002011-07-10T00:52:49.378-07:00When Two Worlds CollideSaturday was a busy day. I spent the morning doing what I normally do on Saturday mornings - training. But in the afternoon, Ian and I went to San Bernadino to check out a concert that my client <a href="http://www.facebook.com/suicidesilence">Suicide Silence</a> was playing at. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuU_xMuR8HqCfJ2Tiv6tIyf__B03AMIijgQgNGh9q2U6oOVWYXAQVxHil3VdUtBKYqHgcAQC2Lwq9ZCV2bjuDskmGkX95NHg24UVzbRoVfRg4DLYF_K6xPfIMI3qbj-gntVPkOOYb0_45/s1600/photo%2528124%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuU_xMuR8HqCfJ2Tiv6tIyf__B03AMIijgQgNGh9q2U6oOVWYXAQVxHil3VdUtBKYqHgcAQC2Lwq9ZCV2bjuDskmGkX95NHg24UVzbRoVfRg4DLYF_K6xPfIMI3qbj-gntVPkOOYb0_45/s200/photo%2528124%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the half way point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the morning I rode with the <a href="http://rideoutspoken.com/">Outspoken</a> group ride. There were 6 of us and the plan was to do a metric century from the shop - south down Coast Highway to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_River_bicycle_path">Santa Ana River Trail</a> and then the River Trail almost to the end before turning around and coming back - 63 miles.<br />
<br />
The Outspoken ride starts a little later than most rides around here do - at 8:30. On top of this, we were a little delayed getting out and didn't leave until about 8:45. I knew this was going to leave me pressed for time, but it was what it was.<br />
<br />
I don't think I've ever taken the River Trail more than 6 or 7 miles inland, so the last 13 or 14 miles of the trail was uncharted territory for me. Though it does get scenic towards the end, I'm not sure I'll be in a hurry to ride it again. I like a little bit more variety of terrain on a ride and to be honest I prefer taking my chances with cars than riding on a congested and narrow multi-use path.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz8A1bnEzzm7W-59wEIk3mAcMkyRDM6bKQA45waUYhBl3yKpYNT3LhIs5QHDsackvBrJ_HzE_si6ips938Peih9_30RcFGJtNhaqGgfApQf-Yg69oupKOnFWY-XTR7TGfoOGfO18mV2Ff/s1600/btrail18gva_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz8A1bnEzzm7W-59wEIk3mAcMkyRDM6bKQA45waUYhBl3yKpYNT3LhIs5QHDsackvBrJ_HzE_si6ips938Peih9_30RcFGJtNhaqGgfApQf-Yg69oupKOnFWY-XTR7TGfoOGfO18mV2Ff/s200/btrail18gva_400.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Ana River Trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Regardless, it was still a decent ride and we managed to maintain an average moving speed of just over 18 MPH. This was respectable considering that the ride back was straight into a gusty headwind that had only just kicked in, meaning we didn't have a tailwind on the way out.<br />
<br />
Because we started late and took a break at the turn-around point, I had to take a short cut home and missed the last 10 miles of the ride. I also didn't have enough time left to run - I was planning on doing 4-5 miles straight off the bike. Kind of a bummer, actually. I got in 53 miles in just under 3 hours of riding. <br />
<br />
When I got home, I kept moving. I quickly ate and showered, and then Ian and I jumped in the car and drove to San Bernadino. Since Ian's almost six and I had a pair of industrial strength ear protectors in the garage, it was time for him to see what Daddy does.<br />
<br />
The show was one of those twenty band themed touring festivals called the <a href="http://rockstarmayhemfest.com/">Mayhem Festival</a>. These big shows are a complete pain in the ass to deal with, especially when you are as jaded as I am. The first order of business after parking was to pick up our passes, so we made our way over to will call. When we got into line, I couldn't help but notice that the guy on front of us looked at EXACTLY like Ozzy Osbourne. But I immediately knew it wasn't because:<br />
<ul><li>This guy was wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt.</li>
<li>This guy was wearing a pair of made for mass market Champion brand basketball sneakers.</li>
<li>This guy was actually waiting in a line. Alone. </li>
</ul>We got out of the will call line just to get into another line to enter the venue. When we finally got in the scene inside was priceless. First we had to walk through the biggest cloud of Marijuana smoke I have ever seen. Lovely. Not a minute after that, some skinhead completely destroyed a guy with a punch to the face. This happened right in front of us. The guy went straight down, eyes rolled into the back of his head. My first thought was "wow, you gotta admit that was a great shot...". My second thought was "Did Ian see that?" I turned to look at him, but he was staring at a scantily clad bleached blond metal chick and missed the whole thing. I'm sure this exact scene was playing itself out all over the venue and all I can say is that Canada should invade. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrAZnYyf-J5_mCxMHn572ju7jiPVlegIy1nK_LPp_dSz5TjTq-mzgxB_bUr8JZgyjxggg8FqBsJUIWDmHrCyKcxzePmBuszwImScDV7NyHhO7OFBy0YWXR34DLsAj9JU3DJstQl967_TH/s1600/photo%2528126%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrAZnYyf-J5_mCxMHn572ju7jiPVlegIy1nK_LPp_dSz5TjTq-mzgxB_bUr8JZgyjxggg8FqBsJUIWDmHrCyKcxzePmBuszwImScDV7NyHhO7OFBy0YWXR34DLsAj9JU3DJstQl967_TH/s200/photo%2528126%2529.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wristbands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We made our way down to the stage right backstage gate because given the last 10 minutes I had no intention of staying out front for any longer than I had to. But there was a little problem - we had the wrong color wristbands. Ours were yellow and we needed green ones. This isn't the first time this has happened and will probably not be the last, so I'm pretty good at the verbal upgrade. All we did is walk over to the stage left gate and I talked our way in. <br />
<br />
Once backstage, we found Suicide Silence's tour bus. Despite their band name, these guys are some of the nicest guys I know and it was all apologies for the wristband inconvenience. This was Ian's first time on a bus and he was a little nervous. But then he saw the video game console and ended up not leaving the bus until it was time to go home. At one point I noticed Ian sitting on the couch with a game controller in his hand looking a little dissapointed.<br />
<br />
<b>ME:</b> "What's wrong, buddy?"<br />
<br />
<b>IAN:</b> "Nothing..."<br />
<br />
<b>ME:</b> "C'mon, what's wrong?"<br />
<br />
<b>IAN:</b> (Pointing to a member of the band) "He stopped playing the game..."<br />
<br />
<b>ME:</b> "Well he has to go play a show..."<br />
<br />
<b>IAN:</b> "He's in a band?"<br />
<br />
<b>ME:</b> "Yep"<br />
<br />
<b>IAN:</b> "Oh..."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLO5OEvxtIsWCAOmfMv53orJDgMN6C7x9bxI-q3QJ8Y0aAX8_yG1PqqjnMg8PT9IdA8AcIZuwfU9u2n_S9c2NHflKFrtpG87OcyAb4h2fiwqFUxrroN1B48iuvpeQa8LotK3ecqHcmwN1/s1600/photo%2528125%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLO5OEvxtIsWCAOmfMv53orJDgMN6C7x9bxI-q3QJ8Y0aAX8_yG1PqqjnMg8PT9IdA8AcIZuwfU9u2n_S9c2NHflKFrtpG87OcyAb4h2fiwqFUxrroN1B48iuvpeQa8LotK3ecqHcmwN1/s200/photo%2528125%2529.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As for me, I hung out for awhile and then went to watch the bend when they played (Don't worry mom, Ian was supervised). After the show I did my thing and saw a bunch of people I knew. I found out that a band I've been interested in is now represented by a manager and an attorney that I've known for years. I love it when things like this happen.<br />
<br />
We left around 6 and were home by 8. Though it was a pretty good time, I'm looking forward to a more normal day tomorrow - a long run and a pool workout along with some down time around the house with the family.<br />
<br />
I hope you all are having a good weekend.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-31065593110266599742011-07-08T22:53:00.000-07:002011-07-08T22:57:13.415-07:00You Ask, I Answer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPa945bMv2NA3QlpHJFXNNIsNBvM3YxOcalqrg33Am6bR_l9qmNWEHKTWOKFfbnbkbKhZgFneHp29mycSZD3U-w1R7qFheO-GmCqaOBKFw_8iw0DOE0Gh4RBG59EcyROWc792Oixhy7wn/s1600/q_and_a_header_001_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPa945bMv2NA3QlpHJFXNNIsNBvM3YxOcalqrg33Am6bR_l9qmNWEHKTWOKFfbnbkbKhZgFneHp29mycSZD3U-w1R7qFheO-GmCqaOBKFw_8iw0DOE0Gh4RBG59EcyROWc792Oixhy7wn/s1600/q_and_a_header_001_opt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
OK <a href="http://bqordie.blogspot.com/2011/07/you-ask-i-answer.html">Chris K</a>, I'm in. And I agree, this was a great idea, <a href="http://cbkingery.blogspot.com/">Colleen</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
So that means you can ask me anything you want. And like Chris says, no subject is too serious or frivolous. But unlike Chris says, I am going to obligate myself to answer everything** <br />
<br />
What do you want to know? <br />
<br />
Feel free to go nuts. After all what's better for a guy who likes to talk about himself than the chance to talk about himself? You'll be doing me a huge favor by asking a question - I'll be able to BS my way through a blog post without having the added pressure of deciding on a topic. It's like Christmas and a birthday all wrapped up in one.<br />
<br />
I am ready, show me what you got....let's call end-of-day Tuesday as the deadline for questions. <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>** Policy subject to change without prior notice</i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-79033639702706399402011-07-08T00:18:00.000-07:002011-07-08T12:18:02.994-07:00I Don't Really Have A Good Title For ThisIt's been just over eighteen months since I started this blog. When I think about the time that has passed, there's a disconnect - A year and a half isn't really a long time, yet the day I started the blog seems like it was ages ago. This feels strange to me as I usually have a pretty good perspective on the passage of time. But maybe this is how time should feel after I've spent the last two years of my life being more active than I've ever been while still trying to maintain the rest of my life, only to usually end up piling on more. <br />
<br />
The truth is that when I got into triathlon, I immediately sensed that it was more than just training and racing - it was a community. And this was a nice stroke of luck because I really needed a community. It had been a rough couple of years - I was suffering from an awful case of self-doubt and was questioning everything about how I had lived my life up to point. I jumped in with the hope that it would help me both build a new future and forget the past. <br />
<br />
One part of "me" that has generally proven itself equal parts beneficial and detrimental is my predisposition to take something I enjoy and try to commercialize it. When I was growing up, music was all consuming. So when I was given the opportunity for a career where music was a focal point, I naturally jumped at the chance. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that opportunity was not always sunshine and ponies and has definitely had it's ups and downs.<br />
<br />
When I got into triathlon, I couldn't help but also look at the business side of it as well. There are many parallels between the sport and parts of the music business I have been involved in - they are both emerging "scenes" with a lot of innovation happening. This was exciting to watch, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what I might be able to do to get involved. Looking back, I wish I'd had the sense to stay focused on the sport only.<br />
<br />
I must admit that originally this blog was a center-point of my ulterior motives. I had Google ads. I used the blog to try and launch a clothing line (failed). I then used it to try and launch an online social network (also failed). I did my share of product reviews. Essentially, I was trying to build myself up as some sort of "brand" or "expert".<br />
<br />
I lost interest in all of the business stuff a few months ago, mostly because it just wasn't fun. Ultimately, the failures were the result of a lack of passion. But I was passionate about triathlon and having a lot of fun - so why complicate things? In fact, I was having so much fun with triathlon that I was starting to enjoy working in music again. The thought occurred to me that maybe it made sense to not mix business with pleasure anymore.<br />
<br />
There where early warning signs of the discontent that in hindsight I now realize I missed. Example: About a year ago <a href="http://www.midwestmultisportlife.com/">Kovas</a> and I reviewed some a fortified chocolate milk drink that was being pushed as the "ultimate recovery drink". I remember thinking that the stuff was OK. However (and I don't remember if it was me or Kovas), one of us mentioned to the marketing guy that there was a concern about how high in calories it was. The marketing guy's response was somewhere in the neighborhood of "there are other athletes that are less concerned with calories that we will be focusing on." Basically, Kovas and I were called fat (in marketing speak) by some a**hole because our review was a little less than glowing. Great.<br />
<br />
I'm also turned off when someone comes along and saturates the blog world with offers of sample products in return for blog coverage. CSN comes to mind, as does some company that was trying to sell signs. I know that I might be putting myself on a slippery slope with some of you here. And I'm certainly not against blog giveaways and contests, because they are fun. But over time, I realized something - there is a lot of advice out there in the world for the taking. You know what, though? The best advice I get consistently comes from the blogs. And I think this is because we all have a lot in common. At the end of the day, we are all amateur athletes. We all work. Many of us have families and children and all the responsibilities that come with that. Many people would call it a day right there. But we don't. We find the time to train, race, push, learn, improve and share. So for me it comes down to this - I'd rather hear what you have to say rather than what someone else wants you to say.<br />
<br />
I'm going to keep it simple going forward. No more hair brained business schemes. And I'll be wearing this blog on my sleeve; no more ulterior motives. I'm going to focus on doing my best to keep generating content from the first person. Hopefully you'll like it and will continue to put up with my occasional twisted sense of humor. Sure, if I come across something I really love then I'll tell you about it. But I believe that the most authentic thing I can do is make my little corner of the community as white-noise free as possible. Lord knows there is enough noise in the world and it's doubtful we need more. Some of you figured this out a long time ago. Well played.<br />
<br />
And then I'm going to train, race, enjoy and repeat for as long as I can. Sorry about the missteps. <div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-29469316764517351092011-07-05T22:50:00.000-07:002011-07-06T00:35:34.040-07:00Metrosexual Triathlete - Tip Of The WeekThere is little doubt that male swimmers and cyclists have been shaving their bodies since the day after swimming and cycling were invented. Typically, swimmers will allow themselves to get as hairy as possible during a training block and then shave their bodies for competition. Not only does a lack of hair reduce drag in the water, but there are psychological benefits as well - jumping into a 76 degree pool freshly shaved makes you feel immortal.<br />
<br />
As a cyclist, shaving your legs for the first time is truly a rite of passage. It's the day when you proclaim to the world that since you are already rolling around in super tight spandex cycling shorts, going "all in" by shaving is simply an unremarkable footnote to your cyclist lifestyle. Besides, it's much easier to treat road rash, get a massage or apply embrocation with clean legs.<br />
<br />
But technical reasons aside, the biggest reason we shave is because it simply looks better. We've been working the crap out of our bodies and we want to put that work on display. We want razor sharp tan lines just above the knee. And when we are not out training or racing, we want other people to notice that we mean business. By the way, everyone at Metrosexual Triathlete calls bullsh*t on any of you who don't at least partially agree with this statement.<br />
<br />
Gentlemen: Even though there are definite performance benefits derived from shaving your legs, if you do it purely for vanity it's still OK. Shaving your chest is also OK to if you want to put in the time and effort to maintain it. Shaving your back.....well to be honest you should be doing this anyway regardless of your sporting status.<br />
<br />
There are literally hundreds of videos online that demonstrate the proper technique for shaving your body for the first time. But we know that your training schedules are mad crazy at the moment, so we went ahead and watched them all for you. Here are our favorites:<br />
<br />
Leg Shaving:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d_UKSYrUq3c" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br />
Chest Shaving (Warning!! This one is steamy!!):<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/diqWXx6RBdU" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br />
So there it is. If you are already shaving, then these videos might as well be of you, especially the chest shaving one. And if you are thinking about shaving, now you know what to do.<br />
<br />
But the question begs to be asked - who IS shaving? We've got the answer. Simply take part in the our poll and see for yourself!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZ4NFEOUU0o984RdRtAd_iS1pJ85MHxQMep_6qLVHZYVaVBvmUBXzpzo-uogBBbjFqHqP8zxs0DmFpwbz2' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
When I first watched this, I was shocked. But I was shocked for different reasons than I originally thought I would be. Sure, my left arm is crossing the center line when I reach, my head is coming out of the water a little bit to much when I breath and a tighter core and more body-roll won't hurt. But my biggest problem? I am literally moving in slow motion. My turnover rate is, I dunno, maybe 2/3rd's of what it should be? And there is a dead-spot in my stroke when I breath - it makes the whole stroke look jerky. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had no idea. And remember this is a guy who sucks at swimming critiquing himself. I can only imagine what some of you swimmers see.<br />
<br />
Today is a pool workout anyway, so here's what I've come up with:<br />
<ul><li>500 yards warm-up</li>
<li>200 yards paddles/pull buoy</li>
<li>200 yards alternating one-arm</li>
<li>10 x 50 yards on :20 rest</li>
<li>10 x 50 yards on :15 rest</li>
<li>100/200/300/200/100 yards on :20</li>
<li>200 yards cool-down</li>
</ul>This is 3000 yards, and the longest I've ever gone for in a single workout. I'm going to get nice and warmed up (while focusing on staying fluid), do the 50 yard repeats really pushing the turnover and then try and hold the higher turnover rate through the pyramid. We'll see what happens.<br />
<br />
I'm leaving for the pool in 5 minutes.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-60707927580364233162011-06-30T23:32:00.000-07:002011-07-01T17:37:39.542-07:00San Diego International Triathlon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF39jHFEWtgvrgfqmm3osmqD8wb910yrKBmKSbOKLKM4FL1-cO8Aq2uK-1VWubPnWDkFVQR82KjaRayprSQ53CgfqNnJbg97JTVflu_icZj0MP3TR96Q-VmPjm8Pah_G3swGgAfPPNe1v/s1600/cfiles20407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF39jHFEWtgvrgfqmm3osmqD8wb910yrKBmKSbOKLKM4FL1-cO8Aq2uK-1VWubPnWDkFVQR82KjaRayprSQ53CgfqNnJbg97JTVflu_icZj0MP3TR96Q-VmPjm8Pah_G3swGgAfPPNe1v/s320/cfiles20407.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Diego - Love This Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
There must have been some sort of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies">Lord Of The Flies</a> fan convention at the San Diego Travelodge I stayed in Saturday night, because when I went to bed around 10 there were still about 50 kids in the swimming pool making noise and causing indescribable chaos, without a single parent to be seen anywhere.<br />
<br />
Luckily for me, the air conditioning unit in my room was one of the loudest I've ever encountered, so it drowned the noise of the kids out. But in and of itself the AC was only slightly less annoying than the kids. Finally, around 11 I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
The alarm went off at 5:00. It was easy to get up - I was looking forward to this race. I got dressed, had a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, a cup of Greek Yogurt and a small bowl of strawberries. I was out the door by 5:30. <br />
<br />
The race was just down the freeway so I was there and parked in 15 minutes. I had dropped my bike off on Saturday afternoon, so all I had was my transition bag. I walked into transition, got my body markings, walked over to my bike, set my stuff up and put on my wetsuit. It was now about 6:30 and I had 20 minutes until my wave start. So I headed to the beach, got in to the water and did 3 or 4 100 yard warm-up "sprints" (to the extent I can actually sprint). By then it was time to line up for the start.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBsY6UGo6QbY9DpU_GPiLoVkoZWX_ekANgJbTzXIQAN25U5PZjpuQEEl6Y_PjJMcRzkkm07mz9w45upKkhTVIkOT27Sg4trW2AyZdNNX_L1VeD3TAsd4zRMhodr0y4dB3pwZ8crCP0X8-/s1600/0241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBsY6UGo6QbY9DpU_GPiLoVkoZWX_ekANgJbTzXIQAN25U5PZjpuQEEl6Y_PjJMcRzkkm07mz9w45upKkhTVIkOT27Sg4trW2AyZdNNX_L1VeD3TAsd4zRMhodr0y4dB3pwZ8crCP0X8-/s200/0241.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swim Start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>San Diego is a deep water start. There were 100 guys in the 40-44 AG. I've come to not give a crap about the "meat grinder" at the start - If I get kicked I get kicked, whatevs. So I lined up to the inside right on the front. Chances were excellent that at least 80 of these guys were going to be out of the water before me, so I might as well take every advantage I can get and make it so they all have to pass me.<br />
<br />
The horn went off and I started swimming. We were swimming one big 1000M rectangle in a protected marina so the water was totally calm. From the start, I could tell I was getting passed by a lot of guys, but funny enough I didn't actually make contact with anyone. In fact, the only time I hit somebody was at about 400M when this one guy was cutting right across my line at a 45 degree angle. We collided but it was no big deal and I kept going and ended up passing him.<br />
<br />
Two turns later and I'm on the backstretch. The swim was going OK for me, so I was pretty optimistic that I'd come out of the water pretty much on goal. And I did - at 20:30, a minute faster than last year. A good start.<br />
<br />
<b>Swim - 1000M 20:30 (approx 1:54 per 100 yards) </b><br />
<br />
But this euphoria was short lived, because when I got to my bike in transition, a weird thing happened. For a few seconds, I FORGOT WHAT I HAD TO DO. Sure, I knew the ultimate goal was to get on my bike, and I had entered the transition area with my wetsuit was already stripped down to the waist. But the <i>"wetsuit off, helmet on"</i> normal order of things had somehow completely escaped me. When I finally got my bearings I of course made things worse by fumbling to get the wetsuit off my ankles. But with the wetsuit finally off, I got my helmet on and ran for the bike exit, although it was 40 seconds later than it should have been.<br />
<br />
<b>T1 - 2:38</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ohuxut1IeGxxPe9UmpLlrBk6vQNbOnztQNoPjWCrxjgjUzxzHD00vrr0bYToqpKpZHsq6IFeSqrbYSKpAAC85RwplezypG4vLFou-PNuRAZyQQJogDQ7dLw5rTockrg49UNHkJNnu_aK/s1600/bikeSD.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ohuxut1IeGxxPe9UmpLlrBk6vQNbOnztQNoPjWCrxjgjUzxzHD00vrr0bYToqpKpZHsq6IFeSqrbYSKpAAC85RwplezypG4vLFou-PNuRAZyQQJogDQ7dLw5rTockrg49UNHkJNnu_aK/s200/bikeSD.png" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Once on the bike, I got going quickly enough and slipped into my shoes. The first 4 miles of the course is uphill to the top of a small penninsula called Point Loma. But I had forgotten how "uphill" this section was. I could have sworn that it was only about 300 feet of vertical, but it was actually more like 600. Not that this really mattered, but I found myself doing more climbing than I had anticipated. Oh well, adapt.<br />
<br />
I summited the climb and started the first of two 5 mile loops, each with 4 short but punchy climbs to deal with. So there was never a nice long stretch where I could stay aero as I decided to attack each climb pretty aggressively. I got the two loops done and then got to go down the first long climb back to transition, finally in aero for a nice long stretch. This went fine, but could have been faster - I kept overtaking small bunches of riders spread across the road who were being a bit more cautious on the descent, and I didn't really feel like getting in a tangle with any of them. I did the 30K bike course in 54:17, two and a half minutes faster than last year. Things still looked pretty good.<br />
<br />
<b>Bike - 30K (approx 18.64 miles) - 54:17 (20.6 MPH)</b><br />
<br />
T2 went a hell of a lot better than T1, yet it still took me 2:05. Why this took so long is a mystery to me, though in my defense it seems like a lot of the other guys in my AG had transition times higher than I'd expect. Maybe the run from the timing mat to the bike racks was longer than I realize, dunno.<br />
<br />
<b>T2 - 2:05</b><br />
<br />
I set out on the run and felt great. But just like last year, the run was a little weird - there were not a heck of a lot of people on the course. I ran a fairly solid 10K in 49:17. Solid yes, but I have faster. I have a theory about this though. Since runner traffic was light, I had no one to pace off of. All my best/PR running times have come from big road races - the <a href="http://www.theroadmultisport.com/2011/02/surf-city-half-marathon-report.html">Surf City Half Marathon</a> and the <a href="http://www.theroadmultisport.com/2010/11/dana-point-turkey-trot-10k-race-report.html">Dana Point Turkey Trot</a>. I think that running with more people makes me push my pace whether I realize it or not. I'm not trying to make an excuse here. Rather, I'm making a mental note to myself that I have to stay on top of myself a bit more on a traithlon run.<br />
<br />
<b>Run - 10K (Run was actually a little long @ 6.3 miles) - 49:17 (7:49/mile)</b><br />
<br />
My final time was 2:08:42. Last year's time was 2:13:30. So despite my transition issue, I shaved almost 5 minutes off of last year's time and had time improvements in every leg. I'm obviously pleased with this result, yet I was secretly hoping for a 2:05 finish. I reckon a 2:05 would be a pretty good indication that a sub one hour <a href="http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/solanadf84.htm">Solana Beach Triathlon</a> is possible in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
So there you go, another one on the books.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-65953681363077518352011-06-27T23:57:00.000-07:002011-06-28T00:10:52.679-07:00HTFU<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhhCLqjr3MfbptbzXaps0JsKBHl8JQLPAn6f6JQSYNbteu_jIZpc1OgDHiGQfbl8yqVY8-QCBAZLotMFmvTp0xH3NKsUt62jYZyYnryebyXBNip_uUpu8BZvlKvYytonT5ee_HHhETdAZ/s1600/i_want_you_to_htfu_wmid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhhCLqjr3MfbptbzXaps0JsKBHl8JQLPAn6f6JQSYNbteu_jIZpc1OgDHiGQfbl8yqVY8-QCBAZLotMFmvTp0xH3NKsUt62jYZyYnryebyXBNip_uUpu8BZvlKvYytonT5ee_HHhETdAZ/s200/i_want_you_to_htfu_wmid.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>By the time I was finally standing in line to board my flight back home from Oakland this afternoon, I was tired and annoyed. I was tired because I raced yesterday and then had to get up this morning at 5:00 to catch the flight north. I was annoyed because generally speaking, airports annoy me. Add this to the fact that I had just endured 2 people in front of me in the gift shop line who insisted on paying for their purchases in exact change. I've always felt that paying with exact change always takes longer than the generally accepted cash register time allowance per customer. In fact, it's almost as bad as people who still write checks at the supermarket. Plus, both of them were digging deep and counting out pennies and nickels. I always pay with bills. The change goes to Ian - Stanford is expensive.<br />
<br />
While waiting for the gate agent to call for passengers with "B" boarding passes (that's Southwest Airlines code for a best case window or aisle seat in the back of the plane), my iPhone beeped. It was an email from <a href="http://didyougetanyofthat.blogspot.com/">XLMIC</a> asking if I was going to be posting a <a href="http://www.theroadmultisport.com/2011/06/metrosexual-triathlete-tip-of-week_20.html">Metrosexual Triathlete Tip Of The Week</a> tonight. I emailed back saying no, probably not. In fact, I was most likely going to blow off my swim workout and just go home instead. I was tired. And I was annoyed. <br />
<br />
When I got to my seat, my iPhone beeped again. It was another email from XLMIC which simply read:<br />
<br />
"HTFU"<br />
<br />
I sat down and right away started feeling guilty. She was right - there was NO REASON that the Metrosexual Triathlete Tip Of The Week post should be delayed. So I decided right then and there to man up, get home and write the post. As the plane taxied to the runway, I closed my eyes to take a nap. I was going to need some rest if I was going to write the post. But as I was drifting off to sleep, it occurred to me that XLMIC <i>might</i> have been referring to the swim.<br />
<br />
When we landed, I got off the plane and made straight for my car. When I got to the freeway, I headed south towards the gym instead of north towards home. I was going to get that swim in.<br />
<br />
It turns out that swimming was a good call. The gym near the airport has a better pool than the gym near my house. What makes it better? No one ever uses it - I had a lane to myself the entire time.<br />
<br />
The workout:<br />
<br />
800 free warm-up<br />
400 w/ paddles and pull buoy<br />
4 x 50 over/under<br />
200 kick<br />
900 pyramid; 1-2-3-2-1 on :20<br />
<br />
Though I like the sentiment, I must admit that I am not a fan of the term "HTFU". This is because it's got too much of a "tough guy/mixed martial arts" vibe for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I most definitely have the mouth of a trucker. But I like my cussin' to have a certain refined irony attached to it. And I'm quite sure that the original framers of the term "HTFU" were not the ironic types.<br />
<br />
But you take what you can get, and I needed a good HTFU shoved in my face this evening. Thanks XLMIC for getting my butt to the pool.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-11314752408292631002011-06-24T22:02:00.000-07:002011-06-24T22:32:43.181-07:00The 2011 Gear Guide<a href="http://www.midwestmultisportlife.com/">Kovas</a> may not believe this, but I actually do like gear. And as I've gotten more involved and a little better at the sport, my gear has evolved too. But as you know, replacing and/or upgrading is expensive. So I always ask the question "Will I <i>really</i> use it?" If the answer is an honest yes, then I'll go ahead and make the purchase. I'd like to think that this self diagnostic keeps me on the less severe side of the otherwise neurotic and/or impulsive behavior that quickly takes hold when I see some piece of equipment that I like.<br />
<br />
Do I always get it right? Not a chance. As a righty, I've definitely purchased a fair share of "left handed wonder tools" that now either sit in the garage or barely managed to sell on eBay. But as my performance has improved, I think my gear choices have improved too.<br />
<br />
Here's some of the stuff coming with me to San Diego:<br />
<br />
<b>ORCA EQUIP WETSUIT</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK73XrVPQz3DviXcgxts5YsVwDNNGqSOL4QeFuQS0WQdC0x070B70HTwJVMpvpKY6yxnzAbxfYpAwHViCuAuQb2UH9-1Qc3-ByALPpxI4fZa8YztFG4Pf7-4QGv0I7zFI0HJXMFgogpiqb/s1600/photo-16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK73XrVPQz3DviXcgxts5YsVwDNNGqSOL4QeFuQS0WQdC0x070B70HTwJVMpvpKY6yxnzAbxfYpAwHViCuAuQb2UH9-1Qc3-ByALPpxI4fZa8YztFG4Pf7-4QGv0I7zFI0HJXMFgogpiqb/s200/photo-16.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>I started my triathlon career in a 2XU sleeveless wetsuit. I originally went sleeveless because I had absolutely no open water swimming experience and had read tons of horror stories about how people would put on a wetsuit and completely freak out the minute they hit the water because it felt like they couldn't move their limbs or breath due to the tightness of the suit. I hoped that a wetsuit sans sleeves would only be half as bad. Though I've gone on to have plenty of trouble swimming, I never have had any trouble with a wetsuit.<br />
<br />
<br />
I wore the 2XU for my first two seasons. But towards the end of last fall, a funny thing happened - my arms started to get really cold on swims. I've always been a wimp when it came to cold water, but suddenly even 65 degrees was unbearable in the sleeveless.<br />
<br />
So earlier this year I bought an Orca Equip full-sleeve suit. I also tried on suits from Tyr and Blue Seventy but this one fit the best. And it's been keeping me nice and toasty in the water since March. San Diego will be the second race in which I've used it.<br />
<br />
<i>Other swimming gear: Tyr Tracer swim goggles. </i><br />
<br />
<b>SPECIALIZED TRANSITION</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqBt1logZnB0rGD3VYrCJcAnQjtP8Q3_g473cUVuxTdeuzmv-NPxMPIUIBXGgDrCA9ZN4IhwhZHrX18ycO346xw-dLQmyduxguO2N7uR4V3YMDeu1iN5USmH_NctxDjM-tWjBG0u4Dw62/s1600/photo-17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqBt1logZnB0rGD3VYrCJcAnQjtP8Q3_g473cUVuxTdeuzmv-NPxMPIUIBXGgDrCA9ZN4IhwhZHrX18ycO346xw-dLQmyduxguO2N7uR4V3YMDeu1iN5USmH_NctxDjM-tWjBG0u4Dw62/s200/photo-17.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The Bianchi is no doubt jealous, but I am loving the Specialized right now. As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, I've recently replaced the saddle with a Fizik Arione Tri 2 and the aerobars with Vision's Trimax model.<br />
<br />
When I bought the bike, it came with a Shimano 105 gruppo. As it stands now, I'm running a Dura-Ace/105 mix. The rear derailleur, cassette and bar end shifters are Dura-Ace, the front derailleur and crankset are 105, and the brakes are still whatever came with the bike. My wheels are Mavic Carbone SL and the tires are Vittoria Rubino Pros.<br />
<br />
After some consultation with <a href="http://danglethecarrot.blogspot.com/">Jeff</a> from Dangle The Carrot, I'm going to go with a Speedfil hydration system this weekend. At first I was concerned that even though I wanted to start test racing the set-up I'll be using in Santa Cruz, using the Speedfil on what amounts to be an 18 mile bike ride would make me guilty of some pretty severe douchbaggery. But Jeff came back by saying that under the circumstances, testing trumped all and that I was bound to "see guys with 6 GU's duct taped to their frames and carrying 3 bottles of water/nutrition so the Speedfil won't even register on the poser scale."<br />
<br />
He's probably right.<br />
<br />
<i>Other bike gear: Giro aero helmet, Louis Garneau triathlon cycling shoes. </i><br />
<br />
<b>ZOOT ENDURANCE TRI SUIT</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa2UOmbPyGTBHupdeYtgHMmMqP8-4SlLnuZM5kKyE4bxesQaoOW9ddnsYvgVU5-6XUKWRjZuF8CkCHCMDGxgFw7TEI-5Ggl0K1AbKVmo_IBdvgcdCCEUXQ-3UNRcPdRGAd6oLhWLlsJYZ/s1600/photo-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa2UOmbPyGTBHupdeYtgHMmMqP8-4SlLnuZM5kKyE4bxesQaoOW9ddnsYvgVU5-6XUKWRjZuF8CkCHCMDGxgFw7TEI-5Ggl0K1AbKVmo_IBdvgcdCCEUXQ-3UNRcPdRGAd6oLhWLlsJYZ/s200/photo-18.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>This suit was one of those deals that was too good to pass up. I got it on a promotion and it's about as simple as triathlon suits come. For starters it's mostly one solid color, and I don't mind the black accents around the leg grippers. Most suits out there have multiple colored panels that I'm just not a big fan of. Secondly, it's designed specifically for short course races so there are no extra pockets that I've found are usually the first place a suit starts to wear out. It's just a really simple suit that fits well.<br />
<br />
I'm still debating whether or not to run sockless in my Zoot 2.0 racing flats or take the extra minute to put on socks and run in my Newton Distances. The Zoots make for a very fast T2 but the Newtons are just more comfortable. I'll decide soon.<br />
<br />
<i>Other running gear: Home made Andreas Raelert style headband, Oakley Jawbone sunglasses.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850008492557142131.post-10816675894052411102011-06-23T22:46:00.000-07:002011-06-23T22:46:23.446-07:00And Then Hell Froze Over<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0VmlQ6mDgVAFfZJCamhWMBLkQyh12UJ8Lx6Jy6Z7CGMpay9r0L4lRLo183IUrbVZPpz1dK-JZRIUCbBuLwFnEXClxpND0VQsQP0V91SiY2WbdBVZMJaU5WqDucTIQJbHZpYkYtfkL4fh/s1600/Swimming_Unicorn_by_GinnyMalfoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0VmlQ6mDgVAFfZJCamhWMBLkQyh12UJ8Lx6Jy6Z7CGMpay9r0L4lRLo183IUrbVZPpz1dK-JZRIUCbBuLwFnEXClxpND0VQsQP0V91SiY2WbdBVZMJaU5WqDucTIQJbHZpYkYtfkL4fh/s200/Swimming_Unicorn_by_GinnyMalfoy.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can find anything on the Internet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I don't know if it's the extra intake of <a href="http://www.theroadmultisport.com/2011/06/sea-trials-all-hail-spinach.html">spinach</a>. I don't know if it's the single <a href="http://www.theroadmultisport.com/2011/06/yoga.html">yoga</a> session. And I don't know if it's because since visualizing that I was dolphin wasn't working, I tried visualizing that I was a swimming unicorn instead. Or maybe I was inspired by <a href="http://www.midwestmultisportlife.com/2011/06/expedition-impossible-mansuit.html">Kovas'</a> vague promise to try and come race <a href="http://ironmancalifornia.com/">Oceanside</a> with me next year. Whatever it was, there is no doubt that some sort of magic descended upon me this evening when I swam back-to-back 8:07 440's, which translates to about 1:50 per 100 yards. After I did it the first time I naturally assumed it was the current. But when I got the same time going back (AND passed another swimmer) I nearly drowned due to the shock.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the 3rd and 4th intervals dropped back down to nine minutes plus. But whatevs, I'll take the first 2 for now. <br />
<br />
<i>(Note/disclaimer: If this is the first time you are reading my blog and are wondering why I am giving myself high fives for swimming 1:50 per 100 yards, you should know that I normally suck at swimming. I thought I should clear that up. Thanks.)</i><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Road [A Multisport Blog] - (c) 2009-2010 Patrick Mahoney. All rights reserved.</div>Patrick Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17181637044657605057noreply@blogger.com10