Unintended Epic Bike Ride

I set out from my house at 5:40am on Saturday, July 2, 2011 for a long bike ride.  I was thinking 50-60 miles up the Suncoast trail.  I returned at 1:30pm from a ride with 6 new friends who let me tag along on their annual "Century Ride" which included about 40 miles in the hills of San Antonio, FL.  It was a great ride to celebrate the start of the Tour de France and my upcoming trip to Lake Placid to volunteer at the Ironman race.

My early morning riding partners were Kevin, Steve, Felix, Shawn, Gary and Angelo. Kevin knew the routes best and was the leader for the adventure.  Gary indicted that we'd be riding the "full hondo" and I was welcome to join in.  The pace was great and I was up for an adventure.  We made our way up the bike trail and turned off the trail after 20 miles to head into the hills of San Antonio.  Fortunately it was slightly overcast, almost foggy, but that didn't make the hills any less steep.  San Ann is known by cyclists and triathletes in the flat lands of central Florida as a great place to ride the hills and we did that day.  I learned about places like Happy Hill Road and the Three Sisters; a challenging set of three hills with a small flat spot between each and the word "Whew!" spray painted on the asphalt at the top.  There is a map available of the San Ann routes (http://www.sananncycles.com/images/ridemap.jpg), but I didn't have a copy, so I just followed along with my new riding partners and did my best to keep up.

I also learned that Kevin has been hosting another ride in Florida for the last 20 years.  It's known as the Coast 2 Coast Cross Florida Bike Ride (http://c2cbikeride.com/).  Looks like a fun way to explore the back roads of Florida starting in Ormond Beach on the east coast and ending in Tarpon Springs on the Gulf of Mexico.  Kevin was a great leader on our ride and I can see now that he's had plenty of practice.  Check out the C2C ride for yourself.

At one point in the ride, Steve and I stopped at the local Quik Mart for some refreshments.  I couldn't resist the huge Drumstick ice cream and fought to eat it before it melted in the ever warming day.  It turned out to be pretty good fuel for the rest of the trip and sure beat anything I was carrying with me.

There was only one flat tire on the trip and it did heat up on the last 3rd of the ride, but it never got too hot.  The conversation was great as I learned a bit about everyone and was taken into this very generous group of riders.  The cycling and triathlon community in our area is full of great people and I'm so pleased that I was able to join this group for the day, make some new cycling friends and ride my longest bike ride ever; 112 miles.

Ironman Lake Placid - I'm Coming to See You!

Jill, a triathlete and friend of mine, twisted my arm a little and convinced me to volunteer at the 2011 Lake Placid Ironman triathlon race.  We're volunteering on the bike course at about 10am so we should have plenty of time to see the start of the race and watch the front of the pack get through T1 and out onto the bike.  The scenery is beautiful and the course runs in and around the Olympic village, complete with the towering ski jumps. 

Take a look at the official web site: http://ironmanlakeplacid.com/

There is a method to the madness.  Volunteers are given preferential registration to the 2012 race, so if I don't chicken out, or forget my wallet, I'll set the wheels in motion for my first Ironman triathlon. 

I'll keep you posted as the journey begins.

Yes, I Ran the Women's Half Marathon...

Sunday, November 21, 2010 - There's a good reason I ran in the Women's Half Marathon...I was there to support my Saturday running group friends. I started the day at 5am when I left my house to drive to St. Pete and to meet up with Merle and the group in the photo above. We walked to the start a few blocks away and once we arrived, it was a sea of pink shirts. Merle wisely chose yellow shirts for the team and this made it much easier to pick out the group.


We entered the start corral and I was politely informed that men had to start in corral 4. It is a women's race after all, so I said goodbye to Merle and the corral 2 group and headed back. I was pleased to find the rest of the group right when I entered corral 4. Robby, Michele, Anielka (Annie), Sara and Sandy were ready to run and a few minutes later, we were off.


Sara and Robby took off and within a mile, we lost them in the crowd up ahead. Michele, Sandy, Annie and I ran together for about 2 miles using the Galloway walk/run method until Annie decided to run without the walk breaks and we ran out ahead. Annie and I had a nice run together and kept a nice steady pace. She was running strong and ultimately at about the 6 mile mark, Annie took off on her own and I re-grouped with Sandy and Michele.


Michele had been training to do her first half marathon at this race and was doing really well. She'd built up her mileage and was stronger each time we ran together. Unfortunately, she developed a injury in her foot and her doctor sidelined her with a very stylish boot to stabilize her foot and to help her heal. On her road to recovery, she took up Spinning 3 times a week and slowly came back to running as the doctor permitted. I was so pleased she was there, but I figured she might need some distraction and encouragement along the way. Sandy, on the other hand, rode 65 miles in a cycling event on Saturday and sheepishly admitted that she hadn't been running much.


Michele and Sandy were doing great and running strong as the route took us out to the end of the Pier and back and up the street towards Tropicana Field (where the Rays play). According to Michele, it was about mile 10 when her calf muscles started to complain loudly and we stopped for a stretch break. Sandy and Michele did their best to push over this street sign, but it held firm as they stretched and we kept going. This was also the point in the race where it turned from simply a physical event, to a test of mental toughness.



Sandy and I turned up the distraction factor and encouraged Michele to keep it up. I once heard that there are 2 universal lies told during races..."you're looking good" and "you're almost there". Sandy and I didn't lie as such, but we simply used these same phrases to encourage Michele, reaffirm how good we all looked and to comment on the relative nearness of the finish line. We were, after all, only a 5k away from the finish line.



One cool thing about this race course is that you get to run inside of the air conditioned Tropicana Field baseball stadium at about mile 11. That was a fun distraction and the soft, indoor, artificial turf felt great as we made our way around the bases and across the outfield. Michele and Sandy liked it too and showed their appreciation for the camera. We were almost there (I'm not lying) with only 2 miles left to go. Michele shared that her calves were on fire and I looked and confirmed there was no combustion and told her she needed to tell her calves to "shut up!" so she could continue on and finish her first half. We kept running, taking an occasional stretch break and sometimes extending the walk breaks, but we kept moving forward.



Michele was determined to finish strong and Sandy and I reminded her that every step she took was a new longest run. She was doing great as we came to the final turn and a guy with a bullhorn announced that we "looked good" and that it was only .3 miles to the finish. We rounded the corner and the finish line was a bit further up the road and I heard the disappointment in Michele's voice when she saw the additional distance. I thought she was going to walk, but she kept going strong. Michele was fighting through the pain and all the negative messages her muscles were sending to her brain, but she kept on going. Just to show her calves who's boss, she picked up the pace and ran hard into the finish.


Michele won the mental battle today and achieved her goal of running a half marathon. Congratulations Michele! Sandy also earned an award as "Best Supporting Distracter".


Merle, thanks for organizing and nice race! Sara, thanks for getting Michele into running in the first place...way to go. Annie, thanks for coming up to do the race, it was great to see you again. Tracy, you smoked the course today! Congratulations to everyone who did the race today and helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ("Go Team!").

Ironman 70.3 Championships - Volunteer Anyone?

Saturday, November 13 was the Ironman 70.3 World Championship race in Clearwater, FL and for the third time I saw the race from the vantage point of a volunteer. The first year, I was a "bike catcher" and for the last 2 years, I worked at an aid station on the run course.

Joe, our fearless volunteer leader and Ironman triathlete, did a great job organizing the chaos and we had a very successful day supporting the athletes with water, sports drinks, bars, gels, bananas, oranges, sponges and a huge helping of encouragement. I started the day at the swim start where I saw the pros speed through the calm water and exit the 1.2 mile swim in under 25 minutes.

By the time they hit our aid station, they'd biked 56 miles and run over 4 miles of their 13.1 mile journey. They run 2 loops, so we got to see them again before they headed back over the memorial causeway to Clearwater Beach for the finish. It was a fun day marked by plenty of sticky pink sports drink (Perform, not Gatorade) and the best of the best from across the world competing in this race.

I was even able to see my friend and co-worker, Larry, compete in the race and caught this blurry picture of him on his second loop of the run. Congratulations to the athletes who made it through the day and to the great volunteers I worked with that made it so enjoyable.

Meal Replacement?

I was sitting at the dinner table tonight, trying to convince my family to eat more healthy foods and my wife and kids came up with the idea for a new website. While I was trying to convince them that Quinoa was a good substitute for white rice and that they could eat all the fruits and vegetables they wanted each time we sat down for a meal, they countered that there should be a new website that espoused the nutritional benefits of Garlic Butter Texas Toast and ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. They would create this website and point me to it so I would get on board with the latest in healthy eating advice. You've heard of "meal replacement" drinks...well, this is the "exercise replacement" meal.

It's an uphill battle, but I'll keep pedaling. Pedaling the benefits of exercise and healthy eating, that is.

Accidental 20 and Other Happenings

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day is filled with good food and enjoyable conversation as you appreciate all we have to be thankful for.

I've been "staying off the couch" with regular running and some cycling as the weather in Florida has cooled a bit. I'm not training for any particular event, but keep a regular schedule to maintain some base fitness. On a recent weekend a number of runners from our Saturday morning group were doing a long run in preparation for the Space Coast Marathon and I decided to come out and support them during the early morning segment.

My original plan was to run from 3:30am to 5:30am and then do a bike ride with a friend later that morning. After I had already committed to the early run start, my bike ride fell through and I decided to complete the entire long run with the group. We ran 10.5 miles in the first 2 hours and then picked up the 5:30am crew who joined for the remaining run to get to 20 miles. I really do enjoy running with the group! The conversation and distractions make the miles go by quickly and everyone provides encouragement to anyone who needs a boost to push through to the finish. The Space Coaster's did great and put their fitness to the test this coming weekend. Go Matt, Mark and Rhonda! We celebrated with pumpkin pancakes and 1,000 calorie muffins at Mimi's Cafe. I'm pretty sure we put back all the calories we burned that morning, but it was good.

On Sunday of that same weekend, I did get my bike ride in too! My son and I went for a 15 mile ride on the trail near our home. We bought a new road bike as an early Christmas present and we've been our a few times to get prepped for the annual Mid-Florida MS Bike charity ride coming up in May. More on the MS Ride later. We rode short and fast and on the way back to our house, I received a text message from my friend John who was free to ride at 9:30am. I got back to the house, had some breakfast and headed out to meet John for the second ride of the morning.

John does nothing at a leisurely pace and this is especially true on the bike. We decided on a 40 mile ride on the trail, trading the lead every mile. As is typical for our trail, we encountered a nice headwind which made the ride challenging on the way out, but we sustained a good pace between 18-21 mph. John made it perfectly clear that there would be no "squeaking" or complaining on this ride, regardless of the previous days accidental 20 mile run. We turned around after 20 miles and a quick sprint up the overpass (Florida hills) and started back down the trail.

As is also customary on this trail, you never have a tailwind. We were both looking forward to cranking out the second half of the ride with the wind at our backs, but were quickly disappointed to learn that we only had a stiff crosswind to push us sideways. Arghh. John enforced the no "squeaking" rule and we made good time on the way back and it felt good to ride hard and to be pushed by John as I get back on the bike.

John is not known for his encouraging words, but he prefers to motivate through tough love. Our ride was no exception as he reminded me that the 20 mile run from Saturday was no reason to ease up the pace. I occasionally receive shouts of "encouragement" from John as I run in the neighborhood. This typically comes in the form of a shout of "Slacker!" from his car window as he drives by. It's just one small part of the support structure in an active lifestyle and it always makes me smile.

That's all for now. Dave

Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.

Last mile was fast
Motivated by nature
Gator on my run

On the final mile of my early morning run, I saw some wildlife up ahead on the trail. I thought it was a possum waddling down the center of the path, but it turned out to be a 4.5 foot alligator out for his morning walk. He was in the middle of the trail as I approached and I skirted by along the right side of the trail and he didn't make any sudden moves. I picked up the pace and didn't look back and clocked a quick final mile of my morning run.

Triku - Triathlon Poetry

Triku-The traditional Japanese poetry form with a triathlon focus.

Went swimming today
Sun was high and deck was hot
More sunscreen next time

Mid-90's on a lovely Florida day and the YMCA pool was nice and cool, but it's really easy to burn on a day like today. Lesson learned.

Birthday Run - Complete!

I'm happy to report that I successfully completed the 45 mile Birthday Run with the help of my supportive family and many friends.

I started just after 10pm on Friday, July 10 and finished around 9am on Saturday, July 11 for a total of 11 hours. The weather was beautiful overnight and into the morning with clear skies, a nearly full moon and temperatures in the low to mid 70s. It was still humid, but noticeably cooler than any recent day or night. Perfect for a long, slow run.

The run was great fun and I was kept motivated and entertained by all the people who helped throughout the night. A team of over 20 family members and friends helped, ran and rode bikes along side of me throughout the night and into the morning. I was so touched by the generosity, enthusiasm and willingness of each of these people to come out and support me on my adventure. Thank you all!

I've included an alternate way to look at the Birthday Run...a heart rate trace of the 11 hour period. For the training geeks, my resting HR is typically between 45-50 and my average for the run was 133 with a maximum of 165, which I hit when I broke the tape of the finish. My heart rate monitor said I burned 5,400 calories, but I suspect it might be a bit higher than that. You can click the picture below to see the details of my heart rate and mileage over time.

Here are some notable highlights from the run.

Warm Up Run - 10 PM - 12 AM - 10 miles
Assisted by Jill, Gail, Merle, John, Trudy, Mike and Bob on his bike. I quickly realized that brownies at the first rest stop were a bit of a distraction for some as we made two 5 mile loops. Also, taking pictures with my highly reflective safety vest proved tricky. Gained first nickname of the night...Tron.

Completed Miles: 10 - Feeling great!

Transition Run 1 - 12:15 AM - 1:22 AM - 4 miles
Assisted by John, Matt, and Steve and Bob on bike. Had to make up a little time due to a slightly late start and the brownie distraction. On a whim, Steve purchased a new bike that afternoon and worked on assembly during the final hour of the Warmup Run. It was worth it! Steve would ride with me from midnight until 6:30 AM and he had a really bright headlight and a Blackberry that plays music. Very nice.

Completed Miles: 14 - Back on schedule

Almost a Marathon Run - 1:35 AM - 3:30 AM - 10 miles
Assisted by Matt, Steve and Bob on bikes, Valerie on her bike, Estuardo running and his teenage daughter on her bike. Initially I thought I would only have one volunteer on this loop, but ended up with quite a crowd. The neighborhood security officer stopped us at about 2:45 AM and indicated that we shouldn't be running down the middle of the street as it wasn't safe. We politely agreed and continued running down the middle of the street. We didn't see many cars that morning. I had not met Estuardo until 1:30 AM, but quickly learned that he is a multi-Ironman finisher and he jumped at Steve's suggestion to join us. His daughter, who he called "coach", was equipped with a Fuel Belt with more bottles than mine and she rode happily along in the early morning hours with her dad and his new found friends. She was super-supportive and I got the feeling that she'd done this before. Thanks "coach".

Completed Miles: 24 - Felt like I'd almost run a marathon. Still felt pretty good.

Transition Run 2 - 3:45 AM - 4:30 AM - 3 miles
Assisted by Steve and Valerie on bikes and Lora running. Lora was the unexpected surprise at 3:45 AM when I saw her yellow Jeep pull in. She was able to make it out for the run and then get a lift back to her car. That was really nice! Thank you Lora. Valerie rode ahead of us and Steve lit the way from behind as we made our way down the dark, scary street of the run. As we slowly made our way, we were startled by the guard armadillo on duty halfway down the street. He heard us coming and charged towards the fence and I expected him to jump up on his hind legs and bark ferociously, but instead he snorted softly and then turned away, satisfied that he had protected his yard. Valerie also sacrificed for the team by riding through all the spiderwebs that crisscrossed the trail. Lora also did an interesting little "froggy jig" as she dodged a randomly hopping frog crossing our path near the finish. Nobody wanted to hear the squish, so we appreciated the fancy footwork to avoid our green friend.

Completed Miles: 27 - Re-energized by the short run

Park Run - Bandit Style - 5:00 AM - 6:45 AM - 8 miles
Assisted by Steve on his bike, Paula, Mark and Scott. We ran to the entrance of the park that contains a nice, soft trail around a number of lakes, but the gate was locked. No surprise, since the park doesn't open until 7 AM. Undeterred and a little giddy, we hopped the fence and gently hoisted Steve's new bike over and were on our way. Our pace quickened with the fresh legs of the new group and we made quick work of the park loop and were surprised to see that the gate was open when we left. I picked up a hitchhiker with 3 miles left to run in this segment...the singing balloon.

Completed Miles: 35 - Saw my wife again after 25 miles. She liked the balloon.

The Finale - 7 AM - 9 AM - 10 miles

Assisted by Mark, Scott, Paula, Luis, Rose, Rhonda, Robyn and Sandy and Laura on bike. Paula's singing balloon was a hit and I had it tied to my waist for the remaining 10 miles. When you tap it, it sings a little birthday ditty. When your friends punch it, it sings. When it hits a low tree branch it sings. When your running form is sloppy, it sings. Needless to say, I was serenaded for the next 8.5 miles until the battery started to go. Then the perky birthday song started to sound like a fat, sloppy, slightly drunk, Elvis impersonator singing the once perky birthday song.

We celebrated the passing of each mile mark after 40 with a whoop and continued to calculate the exact route we needed to take to get to 45 miles at the finish. Paula was in charge and I was thankful. Rhonda, Laura, Paula and I ticked off the final miles and soon made our way down the final stretch and at half a mile out, we could see the finish and the small crowd that was waiting. I picked up the pace and saw my daughter holding one side of the finishing tape with a big smile on her face. I saw my son and wife and many of the people that had helped on the run who had come back for the finish. I was running hard when I hit the tape and I raised my arms as I crossed the line. My heart rate monitor read 45.11 miles, but it felt like much more. It felt like an adventure I will never forget filled with sweat, fuel, fluids, heart rate monitors, GPS wristwatches, tech fabrics and expensive shoes. An adventure in training, planning, preparing, coordinating, e-mailing, blogging, Twittering and talking. But most of all it was an adventure filled with stories, laughter, smiles, friends and family who shared and cared about my goals and dreams.

Thank you all for the support!

Dave (Ironbirdlegs)

Triku - Triathlon Poetry - Special Birthday Run Edition

Birthday Run is here
Forty five miles for forty five years
A long night ahead

Less than two hours until the run begins. I'm so thankful for the friends and family who have volunteered to run, bike and support me tonight. Let the adventure begin!