Houston Tri Race...

Houston Tri on Towne Lake. 400m open water swim, 13 mile bike and 3.1 mile run.  This one was the last tri of the season for me this year. I hadn't trained all that much for this one. With my wife being on the tail end of her pregnancy there hasn't been much time, or drive for that matter, to train as much I should've. My running had been getting better... faster. I hadn't really been swimming or biking all that much but I had been going to a spin class about once a week and trying to swim before the spin classes....
Mother Nature decided to flex her muscles the day before the race and the race officials ultimately decided to cancel the bike portion of the race due to high water on the course. I was a little disappointed because I feel that the bike is the best of the 3 disciplines. So the race turned into a Aquathon of a 400m Swim and a 5k.
Prior to this race I had a patient of mine give me a DVD of a swimming technique called "Total Immersion". It's not to improve speed but to improve technique which allows for a more efficient swim, allowing for more energy after the swim. I actually didn't get to watch the entire DVD but I did watch some of it and used the technique during the race. This swim was one of the most congested starts I've ever been apart of. The first 100 or so, I was kicked and punched... the technique I used was STAY ALIVE! After the first turn, about 100m, I actually was able to use the Total Immersion technique and it worked well. I finished the swim in 9:50, good for 9th out of 30 in my division.
This race actually had a transition of about a 1/3 mile from swim exit to transition area. Had about a 150 yard run out of water down a sandy path and onto a street. I had some shoes placed at end of the sandy path to finish the run on the concrete. Overall it took 6:10, 11th out of 30.

Me and coworkers. 

The run path circled around Lone Star Cy Fair campus and through the Towne Lake Subdivision. It felt pretty good running. I tried to start a good pace in the beginning and wanted to finish strong. I was able to finish the run in 28:09 which was 7th out of 30. I finished in 44:10 which put me in 6th place in my division.... UNTIL I was penalized 2:00 for using my headphones during the run. Yes, it's a USAT rule. Yes, it was a rookie mistake. Yes, I understand why the rule is in place (for biking). No, I wouldn't have used them under normal circumstances. I am completely happy with what I did on that day and have no regrets!... However, the 2 minute penalty put me back to 11th of 30.
Also would like to say thanks again for my dad going with me to the race. Waking up early to come support me and my coworkers so my pregnant wife didn't have too. He is a great dad and friend! I have a great blueprint for how I will try to be.....

.... To be continued!

Wade

Bridgeland Tri Race Report

550m Swim, 13 mile Bike, 3.1 mile Run

The day started with a good pre-race routine, a winding back-road drive that took about 30-40 minutes, and nice set up in transition. I had checked my bike the day before so it made my morning much easier.  This tri is well known throughout the area and had about 1500 racers. The ON UR Left group that put in on, did a fantastic job. My dad went with me, even though Kelli ultimately wanted to go, we wouldn't let her. It was going to be too hot, with no shade or many places to sit. So a big Thanks goes to him for getting up early and going with me! 

The Swim: A point to point 550m swim in open water. Unlike CB&I Tri, which was open water too, the point to point swim meant no loop and looks a lot further when its a straight line. Actually, when standing on the mushy sandy bottom of the lake and look along the swim path, the finish was around a bend, which prohibited the racers from seeing the finish. However, this was the first Tri that I did not feel any butterflies or nervousness while waiting on the start. I felt comfortable, confident. Maybe it was because I wasn't there to make a certain time. Maybe because this was lucky number 3 Tri... The "gun" sounded and off we went. 

I made it to the 2nd buoy, about 200m, swimming freestyle. Started to catch up to the pack, thus running into other competitors was inevitable. I switched to breast stroke for the next 100m or so, making it around a bright yellow buoy, which was our queue to turn right and head for shore. At one point on the home stretch, I put my head in the water, and just swam hard... To only look up and notice I had only gone about 50m. It just seemed like I wasn't able to go anywhere fast. I did that a few more times and finally made it to shore. Official Swim time: 13:45. 58th out of 81 in my Age Group. 

Transitions: Since I wasn't in this race to actually RACE, I took my time while in transitions. T1 was 4:40 and T2 was 3:06! That is laughable! Almost 8 minutes of Transitions, but that's ok. I was worried about the Transitions in this race. Just wanted to have fun and practice in open water. 

The Bike: I had initially wanted to just cruise around 16-17 mph on the bike, but I guess the competitor in me and the fact that the Bike ride was flat and fast, I ended up riding faster than expected. I averaged 19.1mph and was happy with my time. Official Bike time: 40:50. 62nd of 81 in Age Group. 

The Run: I was trying something new for this triathlon. I was running cycle of 4 minute run and 1 minute walk. And I initially thought it was slow, but after seeing official time, I liked the outcome. I used my Garmin watch this time, which gave me immediate feedback on my speed, which helped me stay on a good pace when running. The course curved through the Bridgeland community, which was very nice. Paths were curvy and narrow, but nicely shaded in areas. Official Run time: 31:44. 72nd out of 81 in Age Group. 

I finished with a time of 1:34:07. 70th in my Age Group. I probably could have done it faster, but I am glad I didn't. I enjoyed the race and survived the swim. It was a hot Houston day, so just to finish was an accomplishment. We received some beautiful finisher medals too!.... 

On Another Note: My back didn't like the bike ride this weekend. I started to feel it tighten up after the race and now 4 days later, it is still bothering me. I am going to get it checked out, b/c with my history of back issues I want to get a better understanding of what is going on back there. I will keep everyone posted, however, it does not look like the Olympic Distance will happen at the end of September, regretfully. But there will be one more race before the Summer of Tri comes to an end. 

As Always, Thanks for the support! I really appreciate it!!!

Wade

Surprise.... BREAKING NEWS!

About 2 months ago I got a sponsored entry from the company I work for, to race in the Bridgeland Tri. When I registered for the race, it told me that I was on the "Wait List". Since this is a big race, with a lot of competitors, I didn't think I was going to get into it. 

Going into TriAggieland, the Bridgeland Tri was in the back of my mind. I had really written it off as not getting in to the race.... Well, Surprise Surprise!! I received an email stating "We are happy to inform you that you have been selected to race in the Bridgeland Triathlon." So this weekend, I went down into Houston to pick up my packet... Oh, the Tri IS THIS WEEKEND!

The week following TriAggieland, I took the week off and rested my legs. Last week I started a 10 week training program for my next triathlon. The two swims workouts were really good this week. Running was productive and got a little circuit training session in too. I didn't get any on the bike. I was planning on riding this weekend, but I was a little under the weather. I've had a sore throat since last week, I finally broke down and had to go to a RediClinic because it was hurting pretty bad to swallow. I tested negative for strep, whew! I did get a Rx for a Z-pack, so we will see if I can kick it before the weekend.

Breaking News: The 10 week training program is an Olympic Distance training schedule. Yup, you read that right, Olympic distance! I think I am ready for the next step... I am nervous, to say the least! Houston Tri, Sept. 30.... 1500m open water swim, 24+ mile bike and 6.2 mile run...

No where in the 10 week training program does it say, Race in a sprint Tri. But I'm going to do it anyways. I am going to use Bridgeland to try and pace my self and not go for time. I will just shoot to finish the Olympic distance so I need work on pacing myself. I haven't registered for it yet, but I will soon. 

Bridgeland Tri: 7 Days!

Am I Crazy?

Wade

TriAggieland Race Report

I was back. Back to the town I was born in... Bryan/College Station. Back in the town where my parents grew up. Where my dad graduated from Texas A&M. Back in the town where we spend holidays and see family. Back in the town where, with the exception of my parents, my family lives. This time though, I was back to race in the TriAggieland sprint triathlon. This triathlon has been on my calendar for a while now. This one was a little special due to the fact that my Uncle and I were going to be racing in it together. 

I trained hard for this one. I trained for speed. Since I had already accomplished the goal of finishing a Tri, this one was for time! 

Sunrise over Kyle Field. Natatorium to Right. 

PRE-RACE: We were staying in College Station with my Grandmother. The alarm didn't really wake me up, but once I heard my dad rustling around down the hall, I was up. I had my pre-race routine, loaded the truck and headed to the race site on the A&M campus.

Once we arrived and got body marked, I entered the transition to set up. After putting the bike on the rack, set up my transition area, I got my ear plugs and goggles, exited to the transition area to walk across the parking lot to the Natatorium. My Uncle and I were talking before going to get ready for the swim, we noticed how bad the concrete hurt my feet and he suggested putting my shoes at the end of the sidewalk when exiting the pool, I took his advice (more on that later). We entered the Natatorium, went to use restroom and then got seated for the pre-race talk and National Anthem. A group of UT students or alum or t-shirt fans, were there and started a "Texas--Fight" chant, I guess it was too early, but the Aggies didn't even do their hissing, or sssss'ing or whatever it is. The chant didn't last long, however, the wait to get in the pool, DID! I sat there and talked with my Uncle, met his trainer, went to the restroom, tried to loosen up and THEN I was put into line to get into the water.

Swim: I was bib number 209 so it took a while for me to get in the pool. I really wished I could have warmed my legs up a little bit more before the 400m pool snake style swim. (8x 50m lengths.) They were pretty well organized, but the first competitor was sent of around 7:05 and I probably hit the water 20 minutes later, I guess. They were putting people in the water and sending them off in 5 sec intervals. 

The First 150m I thought I was doing well, form was good, time seemed to be doing good. Then I started to feel water getting into my right ear, so my breathing every 3 strokes turned faulty. I tried every 4, but it was to long and every 2 strokes was taking too much effort. I changed to my trusty breast stroke. Swimming the next 100m breast stroke I actually passed some people. Just before the last lap, I was preparing to past a racer but she did something weird with her lane change which didn't allow me to pass her like I wanted and caused me to swallow some water. I needed to clear the water out of my throat, allowing some of the people that I had just passed, to get back in front of me. Once I was on the final length, I was close enough to pass but decided not to. I got out of the water, and started on to the transition. My "official" time in the water was 10:31, but I had 9:55 on my watch and my dad timed me at 9:30. So, I am not sure where their timing stopped for the swim. Whether it was right out of the pool, not until the transition area or somewhere in-between. I was 23rd in my age group for the swim. 

T1: There was about 50-75 yards to the transition area from the building. I put my shoes by the wall of the building so I could lean up against it while putting on the shoes. Turned out to be a great idea by my Uncle. I could actually get across the concrete without tearing up my feet. It allowed me to be 6th in my age group for T1. Official time of T1 was 2:06. 

BIKE: The 12 mile, 2x 6 mile loops, ride had some elevation on it. But for the most part it was pretty fast ride. The ride was on good roads until we got into the campus roads, but they were marked very well to caution us about the cracks and bumps. There was a long section, about half way through the loop that was a long steady up hill climb that proved to be the hardest for me. I was pretty happy with my ride. Officially 37:19, averaging 19.3 mph, good for 13th in my age group. 

T2: Got into transition, got some water, a GU and I was out. 1:32 in T2, good for 11th in my age group. One blunder, I forgot to tighten my shoe laces. Had to stop outside of the transition to tighten the laces. 

RUN: 32:47, 10:34/ mile pace, 22nd in age group. The one thing that I can say about the run is... HOT! I told my Family after the race was that I completely underestimated how hard the run was going to be. The first mile was the hardest for me. I finally was able to get to some water and some gatorade, which was awful! The gatorade was warm and lemon flavored, but I think it is exactly what I needed. The last two miles proved to be a little better for me. I usually try to walk the aide stations, about every mile. This time I was walking about every half mile for about 20 seconds. One time towards the middle of the race, when I was walking, I noticed a gentleman pass me and on his right calf his age read 74!! At that point, I graciously passed him and only stopped one more time, at the water station, to get some more of that brutally necessary gatorade and cool water bath. I didn't have my Garmin watch so it was tough for me to run without that immediate feedback of speed...

Big Boy feels small.

I can't forget to mention the couple of laps inside of Kyle Field. I have been in that stadium many times. I have been in there to cheer for the Aggies of old. When I was younger, my dad took me there to get autographs from Aggies. I have performed in a football camp there. And I have most recently been there to cheer for the Scarlet and Black! (Thanks to realignment, not anytime soon.) But this day I was in that stadium as part of the 3 mile run. We had to endure the sauna like heat that the black rubber outlining the field was putting out. It was pretty "cool" though. All in all I enjoyed going through the cool scenery of Kyle Field. Actually, kind of eerie. An 85,000-ish seat stadium and no one sitting in the stands, and then I could hear my Mom's words of encouragement echoing off of the aluminum bleachers... "GO GET EM RED RAIDER! WRECK 'EM!" Gotta love my mom!

My Uncle Larry and I with our finisher medals. 

FINISH: Official time was 1:24:17. 23 in my age group and 196 overall. I was shooting for somewhere in the ball park of 1:20-1:25, so I feel good about my time.... Kinda. I was wanting my run to be under 30 minutes, but since the weather was a little more humid and warm, I will take it and be VERY happy with my completion of my 2nd sprint tri... Most improvement I saw between the 1st and 2nd were the transitions. At T1 I went from 3:09 at CB&I to 2:06 at TriAggieland and T2 1:54 to 1:32. I cut off 1 minute 25 seconds off my transitions. 

I had a great time running this race. It was well organized, fun and I will definitely do it again next year... My Uncle and I are trying to get my Dad to do it too, so maybe we will have another Garrett racing!

And I have to thank my pregnant wife, who is 7 months prego, for coming and standing in the heat to cheer me on too! I love you and always enjoy you coming to support me! Your cheers always make me smile!

Wreck 'Em from TriAggieland 

Wade

My Grandmother & RACE WEEK...

It is race week... Yup race week! I have been excited all week but when the news of my grandmother's fall broke this week my mindset has changed a little bit... She fell off her back patio this week, fracturing her skull and shattering her wrist. Luckily the brain is okay. Her wrist needed surgery to place pins to put her radius back together. AND thank goodness for LifeAlert! It really did save her in this situation.... I have done a couple workouts this week. I will try to get a lite workout in tomorrow and it will probably be my last one until Race Day! I will go get my bike back from the tune-up Friday, test ride it and start packing and getting everything ready for the weekend. It will be good to see family, especially my grandmother. Thank you for all of the prayers. It sounds as if she is doing well, but has a long road to go.

TriAggieland: 2 DAYS!!

-Wade

PEAK WEEK -- Coming to an end

Today was a twofer day. Interval bike ride on the stationary bike this AM and a swim after work. I was going to do a brick this weekend but I wasn't thinking and took Scotty to get a tune up for next weekend. Bike: 15 minute warm up, 3' hard/ 3' easy x4. Swim: 5x200m.
I am a excited about the swim... Which is a complete 180° from the CB&I. I have been working hard on getting faster, more efficient and I think, if the stars align right, that I will have a good swim on race day!

TriAggieland: 9 days! 

--Wade

Swim Day - PEAK WEEK

Following a lite warm up... 2x400m at race effort. 1st 400m 8:42, 2nd 8:54. Pretty excited about these two times. Was in a 25m pool, race will be in a 50m. Will need to get some workouts in a 50m before the race.

TriAggieland: 12 days

Wade
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Peak Week... Monday

Today: 30' stationary bike. 20' treadmill with negative split, last 10' faster than first 10'.

With the July 4th holiday stuck in the middle of the week, it will be an interesting week. But this is going to be my hard week. I have to push myself hard this week, 2 weeks left before TriAggieland!

Wade
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Week 1...

Week 1 of the 6 week build up has come and gone. I used this particular workout program before the CB&I and I liked the layout of it. I usually change it up a little bit but I like how the 3 disciplines are done through out the week.
This week:
Tues- Swim: 400m. 25 minutes total of which 400m was consecutive free style. This time around I am trying to concentrate on the Free Style motion when swimming. When training for the CB&I I was just trying to get through it and was mixing in breast stroke too. So Tuesday was a big step to go 400m free style consecutively.
Wed- Run: 20 minute Aerobic. Nice and easy morning run. Also did some core work after with some stretching.
Thurs- Swim: 4x150m. Bike: 40' I went to the CISD Natatorium in the Woodlands to get my 2nd swim of the week in. The Natatorium is open various times throughout the week for open swimming. I wanted to go swim at "The Nat" to swim 50m lengths. But one of the local high schools had a morning summer workout going and I wasn't able to swim in the 50m lanes but I was able to swim nonetheless. I actually was happy with my times of the 150m sets. averaging 3:10 per set, which is good for me.... Oh and I got a bike ride in too. I did about a 40 minute ride. Included some hills that challenged me a little. Averaged about 17 mph which was a little slow but since a lot of it was Hills I am ok with it.
Fri- Brick: 20' bike 10' run. Stationary bike to Treadmill run. Nothing big about this but was a good end to the workouts of the week.
Rested this weekend and I will pick it back up on Monday. It feels good to get back to training with a purpose!


"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Wade
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

IronMan Texas

There are only 26 IronMan events IN THE WORLD, Only 9 in the USA! And one of them is in the Woodlands, our backyard! I will be volunteering the finish line medical crew again this year! It is an amazing event to watch and I would encourage coming out and watching these participants attempt this feat! Check out some stats here.
IronMan Texas
2.4 mike swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 Mile run!
I can't believe it's been a year since I decided to start this journey. Check out one of my first blogs here... The Bug...

Wade
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A Mother's Poem...

"Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart,
But in it."
--- Unknown

To my Mom on Mothers Day:
The greatest gift of my life, is the life I was given! I am blessed to have the chance to call you "MOM", I wouldn't have been able to hand picked one any better! God certainly blessed me by coming into this world with an amazing Mother to love me and that's all I could have asked for.

A Thank You to all Moms:
Some Mothers have many children, some have one. Some Mothers gave birth, some didn't and some haven't yet. To all the Mothers; biological, adopted, foster & God-Mothers, You all deserve a big thank you today! We all are blessed to have you in our lives!

Happy Mothers Day from the Big Boy!

Wade

Adrianne's Race Report!

My friend and co-worker Adrianne's CB&I race report. It's funny, informative and inspiring... Great Job girl! Adrianne talks about her swim, staying on the bank and not treading water before the gun went off. I did the same thing and was reminded of a joke my Grandfather once told me... (Remember I had all the high school aged kids in my group):

An old bull and a young bull were standing on top of a hill overlooking their herd. The young bull said to the old one, "How about we RUN down there and mount us one of those cows?" the old bull responded "How about we WALK down there and get a couple of them?" :-D I was the old bull that stayed on the bank waiting for the gun to sound while the young bulls were treading water....

Check Her Blog Here! You Really Should!!


"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Wade
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Triathlete's Prayer

Via My friend Adrianne @ letstriagain.com/ go check her blog out!

Wade
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The Athlete Within...

Hitting a home run, catching a Touch Down pass, making a 3-pointer, pitching a shut out, scoring a goal in a soccer match, running a sub-7:00 mile, finishing a 1/2 marathon... I've had my fair share of athletic accomplishments, I can now add TRIATHLON to that list.
I've always considered myself a pretty good athlete, especially for my size. Not ever GREAT at one but passable at many. I've felt that I can adapt to any sport, I may not be the best, but able to perform with some competitiveness... Growing up I played many sports competitively: Football, Baseball, Soccer, Basketball and even Tennis. I've enjoyed other sports recreationally: Flag football, Racquet Ball, Ultimate Frisbee, Softball, Golf, Snow Skiing and even Volleyball. Side note, some sports that I have never seemed to grasp: Ice Skating and Skateboarding, or any kind of boarding for that matter.
I joined 3 friends/coworkers and about 996 other people in the attempt to take on a challenge by water and by road. Some have attempted before, some this will be their first time and I was one of them. We conquered a challenge set in front of us, made of three separate endeavors when completed on their own are challenges in themselves. Combine them and you have a triathlon! SWIM: 500 meters. BIKE: 15 miles. RUN: 3.1 miles... In that order.

The swim, 13'29": I was lumped into the age group of 13-29. Most of the group seemed to include very fit young guys. I wasn't the prototypical tri-athlete in the group. I had to breast stroke most of it, mainly to watch where I was going and to keep one particular kid from drowning me. I guess he was trying to stay with my pace, which wasn't fast, but instead we had this very large swim area and he was right next to me. I would try to get out of his way, but he just stayed close. There was another kid that swallowed water 30" into the swim and sounded like a seal the entire time we were swimming. Finally I was done and I could get to the bike. My chance to make up some time!
The Bike, 47'13": I averaged between 19-20 mph on the bike. I passed more than I got passed by. I felt really good on the bike. I probably could have gone harder at the beginning, but for the last 2/3 of the bike, I gave it all I had on the bike course. OH! And it is a good thing that the guys in front of me, started to unclip from their peddles upon dismount, or I would have completely forgot to take my feet out of the peddles!! That would have ended badly.
The Run, 29'16": I averaged 9:26/mile, a little slower than I wanted but I survived. (I was shooting for about 9:00/mile.) When I was in the transition between bike and run (T2) I put a GU in my back pocket and was going to get it down at the next water station. But when I got to it, I reached into my pocket and NOTHING! Damn, I missed it a little towards the end, because of some fatigue. I walked the water stations to catch my breath to be able to run a little faster. The last tenth of a mile my Right VMO (thigh muscle) started to lock up and it really effected my final kick... However, I finished. All pain, all discomfort, all thoughts of time diminished when I heard the cheers from the crowd, my family and when I crossed the finish line.
THE FINISH: 1:35:02-
It was something that I had never felt before. Not even with the 1/2 marathon, which was more like "Holy crap I can't believe I did this, I can't believe I finished!"... Today's finish was more like, "You're DAMN right you finished! You trained, you pushed yourself and you overcame something you weren't comfortable with!" (swimming)
The athlete within is ecstatic to add TRI-ATHLETE to my athletic resume! It may be no IronMan, but a challenge non-the-less. My next one is in College Station in July, oh man that will be HOT! I will be competing with my Uncle. I can't wait!
Thank you all for your support! It means a hell of a lot to see and hear your support!!!!

"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

My Tri-Version: "May the water drift in your direction, may they be calm... may the road be smooth and down-hill... Until we cross the finish again, May God keep you strong and injury free!"

Wade
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I'd like to introduce you...

This is my friend 'Confidence'. We haven't seen each other in a while but we have become aquatinted again!
(How long has it been?)... Oh, let's see, March was it? Yeah, March! After the 1/2 marathon... So ya, almost 2 months!
(how did u get reacquainted?) well it's a funny story. I did a brick (bike & run) one morning... Bike: 15 miles, 48:00... Treadmill: 3.1 miles, 26:30... Which was fantastic for me and my confidence meter was rising. However, the swimming always seemed to be 'Debbie Downer'. Until today!!! I swam 3 laps (25m pool, 50m total in a lap) to warm up. Then swam 500m non stop in ~12:00. Took a breather and then swam 7 laps with breaks working on technique... That's 20 laps total!
I'm not bragging on my new friend, ok maybe a little, but it has been so long since I have felt this good! I just wanted to share in my excitement.
-----
Speaking of excitment... I have someone else I would like for you to meet! This is 13 week old baby Garrett! I had the pleasure of seeing him/her earlier this week and I didn't realize I could smile so big! (FYI: those are legs, at least that's what the professionals tell me)



Wade
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Big.... Daddy?

As most of you now know, and if you don't, Kelli and I are expecting our first child in October. We are beyond excited! We have known for some time now, but have just started to let the world share in our excitement.... To say that we are happy is an understatement. To say that I'm scared, may be a bigger one. Any free thoughts throughout the day are consumed by the upcoming little bundle and I hope that I can do 1/2 the job my parents did!

If you remember, Kelli was in an accident a few weeks ago. You should to go back and read my last entry "That Moment..." and while you read, remember we knew that Kelli was about 9-10 weeks pregnant... After the ER and the OB appt everything checked out. Shortly after the close call we decided to start telling people. We told our parents and Kelli's sisters the week before and weren't going to start telling people until after the 12th week. But since many questions were starting to arise about the details we decided to start telling people. We started with the grandparents, then other family and then the next day we released the info on the interweb... We received so much love and support that it was truly a blessing to see.

We go this week for another Ultrasound. This one will be my first one to ever hear, see and be apart of. It will be an amazing experience, one that I will never forget. Thank you all for your love and support! Any advice along the way will be greatly appreciated.

"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Wade
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That Moment....

The moment when you get the game winning score. The moment of your first kiss. The moment of when you lose a pet. The moment when you heard your favorite band live for the first time. The moment of when you drank your first beer. The moment when your first child is born. The moment when you say "I do" to your best friend.
With most things we do, there is always that moment we remember more than any other part of the story we live to tell. Of this particular story, the moment is when my wife calls me and says with a somewhat shortness of breath, and a sense of panic, "I need you to come get me... I've been in an accident... I can't get out of the truck." It is, THAT moment... Your "fight or flight"... when you heart sinks, your stomach turns and your fist clinch....
Which initiates that moment when the worst starts to come to mind. The moment when your optimism fights back the tears. The moment of when you are pulling up to the accident site, getting stopped by the red light just feet away from where the love of your life, your best friend, is waiting in an ambulance to be taken to the ER and you can't do a DAMN thing about it. Where seconds seem like minutes, minutes seem like hours and It's those moments that consume you. You can only pray.



Kelli was in an auto accident. Someone pulled out in front of her while she was going toward Tomball and she couldn't avoid them, despite doing her best. She was in a 1/2 ton Chevy Silverado and walked away from essentially a head on collision in which she was going about 45 mph. The person was pulling out from a jack in the box and was going to go East on 2920. Kelli was headed west and had just passed through the intersection of 2978, she locked up her breaks and tried to minimize the damage, when the two vehicles collided. Luckily people stopped to help and to issue their statements of what had happened in support of Kelli.

The Tomball PD and FD responded quickly and was able to transport her and the other people involved to the hospital. She was checked out and released. She is sore and slow moving now, but is very fortunate. The accident could have been worse. The truck took most of the hit and kept my beautiful wife safe. "Chevy, Like a rock."



"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Wade
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

It's Not a Diet...

When people tend to think of eating healthy, they call it a diet. I am calling it an eating program, because I want it to last. I want it to become a habit.
When trying to lose weight, I have been told that 80% of it is diet and 20% of it is exercise. The last few months I have been exercising 5-6 times per week and haven't lost any weight, may even had gained a pound or FEW. But my diet wasn't where it should have been.
This week I started a new eating plan. It isn't anything ground breaking or anything, but it is simple and pure. Eggs and oatmeal in the morning, fruit as mid-morning snack, Chicken breast and salad for lunch, fruit as afternoon snack and then a protein, veggies and maybe a little brown rice... and a whole lot of water... In 3 days I have lost 7.5 pounds, and while I know it is mostly water weight, it is nice to see the scale doing down.

And it should also be noted that in the 3 days, I haven't been able to work out due to a back injury I sustained while working out last week. I have lost more weight this week by not working out and eating better than I have by working out and not eating well. So moral of this story is to watch what you eat, is definitely more important than working out... When trying to lose weight.

The back is getting better everyday. Not back to 100% yet. I may wait until the weekend or even next week before getting back on the triathlon training.


"May the road rise up... wind be at your back... Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Wade
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Odyssey

The Odyssey is a tale of a long voyage home, which has many trials and tribulations along the way, making the ending even more sweet. My 1/2 marathon I labeled the Odyssey for obvious reasons. And I want to share the whole story!

Signing Up:
As some of you know I am training for triathlons, but I was approached by my supervising PT wanting me to run a 1/2 marathon with her. When I accepted the challenge I knew for about 4-5 months that I was going to be running 13.1 miles and the training started. I ultimately decided that I wanted to use this as something to shoot for and be a good reason to continue to train during the winter months.

Training:
My training consisted of mainly running along Flintridge, in the Woodlands. It is known in the running/ triathlon circles as a road with fairly steep hills which provided a strong running challenge. Even though it is hard, I felt comfortable running it. I would run predominantly two short runs during the week which lasted about 30-45 minutes. On the weekends I would run longer runs and on every-other weekend is when I would increase milage, usually about 2 miles on each of those. The week leading up to the race I only ran once and had one nice long walk with my beautiful wife.

The Day of the Race:
PRE-RACE: The Race started at 7:00AM. Which means I had to get there around 6:15, leave the house around 5:30 and had to get up around 4:30. Now normally I wouldn't need that much time to get up and get going, but when you are about to run 13.1 miles you need to handle the bodily functions that you wouldn't want to handle in the middle of the race. I get to the event and get a text from my running partner which stated that she wasn't going to be making it... I was on my own. Probably worked out better, I will explain more later.... After standing in line waiting to use the restroom, I have a nervous bladder (TMI? oh well), I got the starting line about 2 minutes prior to the gun going off. I walked my way up to where I thought I should be, looked to my left and saw a co-worker and friend who was running the 1/2 marathon too. (She has 3 kids, didn't get to run for 2 months prior to the race and she finished! I'm jealous) BOOM the gun goes off....And Nothing happens. We are so far back we didn't cross over the sensor to start our chip until 2+ minutes after the gun went off.
RACE: We ran the first 4-5 miles together, which was good because I didn't get to warm up very well. We averaged about a 10:30/mile pace over that span which allowed me to ease into this race... Remember me telling you that my boss didn't show up and it was a good thing. See, she is a faster runner than I am and was probably going to push me for a lot faster pace than me and my other co-worker ran initially... I left my co-worker about the 5 mile mark, with her blessing, I was off! And started to pick up my pace. I got to about the 7.5 mile mark and experienced a very sharp pain in my left forefoot. It lasted about a mile and a half, and I needed to stop occasionally. I wasn't going to let it end my day. I pushed through. I ran roughly a pace of 9:30/mile pace for the last 8 miles, even with the foot pain. Around mile 9 it started to rain, 9.5 it rained a little harder. After the rain stopped about a 1/4 mile later, it was really a blur until about the 12 mile mark. Between miles 10-12 I really don't remember much, I was just putting one in front of the other. At mile 12 I looked at my watch and realized "I ONLY HAVE ONE MILE LEFT!" Then I looked again and realized my goal was achievable, I had 10 minutes to make it 1.1 miles.
THE FINISH: The last mile I ran my fastest mile of the entire race, 9:18! The last .1 made it really interesting. I knew I was going to be cutting it close. I start my final kick down the finish line. I see my family standing there cheering me on and I start to sprint. I see cones lining the finish line and thinking that is the final few feet I am in full sprint... well the best sprint I could muster up after running 13 miles... I reach the cones and look ahead and see that the finish line isn't for another 50 yards and if I continued on my sprint my finish line photo would have been me puking! So I coasted the final 30-40 yards and did not puke. But I was happy, I made my goal by 21 seconds! I set a goal and achieved it.
SUPPORT: The support I received on Facebook and on the course was amazing. I couldn't have done it without you all. This is an accomplishment I will never forget and you were a part of that...

THANK YOU.

Wade
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ready to Run...

My first (and presumably last) 1/2 Marathon is in a 4 days. I am a little nervous. Not about finishing the run or trying to beat my goal... 2 Hours 10 minutes by the way... I am more nervous about all of the other runners standing around me, trying to sound and act cool around other runners... Listening to music while running is frowned-upon among the "cool" runners but its how I drown you all out and get into my own world so I can suffer enjoy 13+ miles. So yes, I will be listening to my music! Sorry, off my tangent... Also, since I will have my phone, I can get 'cheers' through Facebook. So when you see that I have started my run on Saturday morning hit 'Like' and I will hear the cheers. I will need all I can get! Thanks,
Wade

Blisters, Brooks and Hobbit feet...



Blister on a Blister after 7 mile run



Last weekend I ran the farthest I have ever ran before in my life! 10 miles. Which broke the longest I'd ever ran by three miles, which was 2 weeks prior. The 7 mile run a couple of weeks ago caused a blister on the arch of my Left foot. I thought it was just due to the amount of running, so I proceeded to run a short 3 mile run. Only then I realized I had a blister, on top of a blister, I decided I needed new shoes..... HOWEVER, I had it in my head that I needed to get a long run in to stay on track for the 1/2 marathon in March. So I decided to run, without new shoes. 5 miles into the run I decided I would shoot for 10 miles.

 

Blood Blister after 10 mile run



I felt what I thought was the blister coming back. The pain lasted about a mile or so my inner Forrest Gump was telling me to "run". I finished the 10 miles in 1:44:01. (A little longer than I wanted, but I got there.) To be honest, when I took off my shoe I got scared. I had never really seen anything like it, at least on my body. After a little "stick-and-squeeze" I came to the realization that new shoes are a must!

 

 I've ran in Brooks shoes in the past and switched to Saucony's. I decided I wanted to go back to Brooks. I did my homework, researched which ones would be best for me and went and got the shoes today. Ran 4 miles in them today and they felt great! The blistered area, which is now just a lot of dead skin, wasn't affected. Hopefully they will take me through a 1/2 marathon, and four Triathlons this spring and summer. 

 

That's right, you read correctly, FOUR triathlons. At least that is the plan for now. I have finally signed up for my first triathlon, paid and everything. There is no turning back now. I plan to really ramp up the Tri training after the 1/2 marathon. My plan for the up coming season is: 1/2 marathon the first weekend in March, CB&I Tri in the Woodlands on the first weekend in May, Tri Aggieland in College Station on July 15... and tentatively Bridgeland Tri in August and Houston Tri in September. The Houston Tri I am thinking about the Olympic Distance... But all of that depends how well I can swim. I may need a tube and a cooler of beer to make it.... Guadalupe Style.



Guadalupe Style





I hope I didn't frighten any one by the hideousness of my Hobbit Feet and the blisters on them.

Sorry it has been a while, not much else going on around here. But I will keep y'all posted.... We just came back from vacation in Colorado. Be looking for that one, it may be one of my funnier ones. It was a great time had.

Wade