Summer update

Wow. Um, wow. Been a while. In the worst news of the summer, our dog Teddy died last week. So in memoriam:

Teddy Bair Tomac
2003-2009

Teddy loved to pal around with his buddy Taylor. They did everything together, from wrestling to playing to napping (Ted frequently used Taylor as his pillow). But when Taylor died 3 years ago, Teddy changed. He became our “goth kid.” He was morose, and for a while, he wouldn’t get off the bed, not even to eat. His heart was broken.

Tarfful came along to help keep Ted alive. But Ted had already lost much of his playful side. He and Lisa still mourned the loss of Taylor. Ted now spent his days sleeping, barking at the vacuum, barking at me, barking at Lisa, and barking at me and Lisa. Lately, he had started to become pals with the neighbors’ Yorkie that they rescued. Howie has no kneecaps in his back legs, and Ted had lost so much weight that he had little muscle in his. So they were a perfect couple of buddies. But Ted would only be interested a little at a time.

Ted still had his personality. He was a very insistent dog, from when it was time to go outside, to when it was time to go inside, to when it was time to eat, or when it was time to be picked up (which was often). In fact, he perfected the art of turning 180 degrees to make it easier for you to pick him up seconds after pushing you in the leg with his front paws to let you know that “it is time to pick me up”.

It’s still hard to realize that Ted is gone. We’ll miss you buddy.

KCCC Tri report

Distance: 1/3 mile swim, 9 mile bike, 2.4 mile run
Goal time: under 1 hour
Previous record: 1:16

Yeah, I was trying to make a big leap forward. I got tired of doing worse in the KCCC than I knew I was capable of. And I thought my new-found fitness from the Ironman in November would help. Only problem, is that Ironman was SIX MONTHS AGO. Crap. And I've spent no time in the water.

So 3 swim practices in the week before KCCC weren't going to get me into swim shape, but at least they'd help me remember my form. I was shooting for a 10 minute swim.

And I got tired of the damn Dam Hill kicking my ass and devastating my cycle times. It's tough to watch all these itty bitty people waltz past me on the climb (though I do kick ass on the downhills and flats). The course has a nice 5% grade for about 3/4 mile as one of the first things you get out of the transition from the swim to bike. It's this hill that kept me from doing the bike leg in under a half-hour in the past. But I've been riding a fair amount since the ironman, and was shooting for 25 minutes.

The run goal was 22:30 - much slower than normal, since it also climbs the steepest part of the damn Dam Hill. And I always have problems on the run.

So how'd I do?

First, I could tell it'd been a while since I swam more than a few laps...my shoulders were burning by the time I got 200 yards. But I got into a groove and just kept at it. My swim split was 10:52, about a minute off my goal, and worse yet, I sliced open the underside of my big toe on a rock getting out of the water. I was bleeding all over on my towel in T1, but I wasn't going to pay attention to that when I had a race to finish.

I hit the bike leg with abandon, and thought I'd be able to make up the lost minute with both laps of the bike course. Yeah - I had to summit the Dam(n) Hill twice. I still got dropped by the lightweights, but on the descents, I didn't coast - I kept right at it. There was one guy who called out that he was passing on the left as we crested the hill; poor sap didn't realize that he had lost his chance to pass. I don't think he ever caught back up to me. On the relatively flat mile-and-half backside of the laps, there ain't nobody gonna catch me. I hit 43.3 mph in the race.

But that Dam(n) Hill bit me on the second lap - I need to drop 30 lbs. I ending up losing a little more time on the bike overall, with a bike split of 28:30.

So the Run leg was a one lap of 2.4 miles. If I hadn't just got done being in anaerobic hell for the last 35 minutes, I'd say it was a decent course. But the combination of my running (lack of) skills and the gouge of flesh that was missing from the underside of my big toe, I managed a measly 24:00. Yyeah, I checked after the race and seems a 1-1/4-inch by 1/4-inch section of my flesh was ...missing. My socks and shoes were filled with blood i.e. Curt Schilling.

So total time was 1:06:43, enough to set a new personal record, but also slow enough to realize what I need to work on.
I finished 32nd in my age group (out of 69). I was 30th out of the water, 19th on the Bike, and 57th on the run. So guess what I'm focusing on for the next 12 months? Well, I will when this gouge heals.

42.7 miles an hour is very fast on these tires...

So it's been a while since I posted. But I have an excuse. I am finishing up (after nearly 4 years!) my master's programs. That's right, programs. Just have one little team paper to finish and I will officially have completed my MBA to go along with a Master's in Ag Economics. Though I am not keen to call myself an economist any time soon...

And as you can tell from the log to the right, the training is picking back up. Not nearly as much as for the Ironman, but I am trying to get ready for a sprint tri in a couple of weeks - 1/3 mile swim, 9 mile bike (though it should be 13.5), and a 2.5 mile run. My goal time is 1 hour or less - and my previous best is about 1:15. that's 10 minutes to swim, 2 min for transition 1, 27 minutes for the bike, 1 min for t2, and 25 min for the run (though my running pace is picking up - I hit a sub-8 min mile today, which i the first in a long time!)

I just wish the bike lap was longer - it's 2 laps of a 4.5 mile course - just as you get into the rhythm of the bike, it's time to get off. And I do loves my the bike. In fact, this past weekend, I set a new personal record of 42.7 mph on my bike. Now granted, the road I use for these speed tests does slope down a little, but not much. It's a nice double-wide lane with very little traffic. But pedaling 42.7 mph is no easy feat - in fact my heart rate monitor had me at 199 bpm...which is well above my 100% level.

This comes 3 weeks after setting a record of 42.3 on the same course with similar conditions. So I hope the tri, which is actually a hilly course, will let me go even faster - I usually get up to 44 or 45 mph in this event, and that's on the old, non-aero bike.

Tomac TRIgger140.6

Here's version 2.0 of the bike. Just need to get those decals for the "model name." Now that weather is nice, I can't wait to ride!


Specs:
Fork: Reynolds TT
Wheels: Mavic Kysrium
Drivetrain: SRAM Force crankset (53/39), Force derailleurs, Force brakes, SRAM Red Cassette (11-26), SRAM 1090 Hollowpin Chain
Cockpit: FSA Vision TriMax aerobars, Cane Creek TT brake levers, SRAM TT900 shifters
Saddle: Profile Design TriStryke Ti with X-Lab Flatwing attachment
Pedals: Shimano Look-compatible
Computer: Cateye Cadence

Other tidbits: Tomac Neoprene Chainstay Protector, Ironman decal, FSA faux carbon-fiber bartape

New Season - New Changes

So it's time to start up for 2009. I've been trying to stay in somewhat reasonable shape, but it's been tough to stay motivated AND find the time (even more difficult when I am traveling for work so much - in fact. I put 1300 miles in my last trip)!

I'm circling 2, maybe three events this year. It'll be tough because I still have 2 more classes to go - and they start today, just in time for spring when I want to get out of the house!

1. KCCC Tri - This is always on my list. It's nice and short (1/3 mile swim, 9 mile bike, 2.5 mile run) and I think I can do really well this year. Just got to get that running thing down.

2. X-Terra - I've always wanted to do one of these. Hopefully this year in Arkansas, but maybe not. It's off-road all the way - swim in a lake, mountain bike, and trail run. I have a feeling I will love this.

3. KC Olympic Tri - it's new this year, but with all the school and travel, we'll see if I can make it.


Other than that, not much else. I need to get school done so I can be finally finished. Sept 2005 seems like so long ago!

Oh, and the changes? New bike upgrades! Look for pictures of Version 2.0 of the world's only Tomac Tri bike soon!

Troublemaker (Reprise) - Weezer

So what happened in the court case? The judge called our case Tuesday morning, and asked us to try to work it out amongst ourselves one last time, if it were possible. We went into the hall, and it was clear they were upset that I had found what insurance they had and that I had filed a claim (on the advice of my insurance agent and an un-named source at the police station). The husband told me that even if I won, the insurance company would likely hire a lawyer to appeal the judge’s decision and take it to “Big-boy court, whatever that is.” Immediately I felt insulted; one, that he would use such infantile terms when he had to know that I knew he was a lawyer (especially as he stood there in his expensive pin-striped suit), and two, that he would think I would get scared. What insurance company would hire a lawyer for a $420 claim appeal? That’s ridiculous. This only increased my resolve.

We went back in front of the judge, and I presented my case. I was very nervous – more so than if I was speaking in front of a large group. I thought I did a decent job – looking back, I wish I had said things a little more clearly or remembered a few additional points, but all in all, it was OK. I stayed calm, and presented my itemized damages, pictures and diagrams of the incident, and did my best to stay level-headed and organized.

Jonalee gave her testimony, and it was a little more scattered. At one point, she told the judge that she had never been in an accident, had never gotten a ticket in her life, that her kids get on her for her cautious driving and slow speeds, and that she “refuses to break the law.” After which, she and her husband both testified that they didn’t provide insurance to me when I asked for it as the result of an accident – which is a violation of the law.

The judge then asked the husband what he was there for. When the husband replied that he was not in the car at the time of the accident, the judge said to him in his best so-why-are-you-here tone, “So you are only here to tell me about the conversations after the incident.”

The judge deferred ruling on the spot, and instead told us he would issue a written judgment, which he hoped to have to us in the next few days. So you can only imagine how tough it was on Lisa and me, wondering who the judge would hold responsible, and if we lost, how we would pay for the front bumper. I was pretty confident though, that the decision would be either a both-at-fault or in my favor.

Wednesday passed with no mailing. Thursday, at Thanksgiving dinner with Lisa’s family, I was happily surprised when Lisa’s cousin’s kids (ages 6 and 8, whom we baby-sit often and have a lot of fun with) presented me with my very own 15-foot Ironman banner. Katy and Jackson had drawn pictures of me swimming and biking and running; Jackson drew pictures of sharks swimming around me. They even put my final time. It was awesome.

Friday came, and in the mail was the judgment.

I had won.

Now it’s time to go get my Ironman tattoo. Since I bleed green for MSU, I think it’s only fitting that my M-Dot be an S-Dot instead.

I am Ironman.

Devour - Shinedown

I lay down to sleep about midnight, but kept waking up through the night – either I was too cold or too hot. The pizza wasn’t sitting well either. At 3 AM, I decided to get into my turkey sandwich, even though I wasn’t feeling hungry, hoping it would settle down my stomach. Even though it was soggy, the lettuce was wilted, and the tomato was under-ripe, I don’t know if anything ever tasted so good as that sandwich did at that time.

I woke up at 7:20, stiff as a board, and headed down for the hotel’s breakfast, and was immediately overjoyed at the smell of bacon and eggs. Delicious! But I was quickly discovering that even though I was hungry often, I couldn’t eat much before I was full.

It was hard work getting my bike boxed up and out for shipment – I felt out of breath every time I moved. I packed my gear and headed for the airport. I walked past the Wendy’s counter and didn’t hesitate to buy a double cheeseburger with bacon. Again, delicious, but I could only eat half the meal before I was again stuffed.

The ride home wasn’t bad, but I was so sore that it was impossible to get comfortable. I dozed a little bit, but it was impossible to get any real rest. Not good, since I had a court hearing the next morning.

Monday night it was next to impossible to sleep, either because I hurt everywhere or because I was going over the case in my head. I got hungry every hour and a half. I weighed myself when I got home, and had lost 5 points of body fat and about 7 pounds.