Month: December 2013

  • Monday HR Test

    I am really starting to get back into the swing of things, but it is taking a lot more mental effort than I was expecting. Everything in me would rather sit around being lazy than getting out on the trainer, but I must push through the mental piece. The stress of 2013 is finally coming to a close, but it isn’t giving up without a fight is the biggest problem. I look forward to a fresh start on the year Wednesday, hopefully things will start going back to the way they should be.

    Here is Monday! I have a lot of improvement room, I was so much stronger than this just 6 weeks ago….

    *BIKE #1:* HR Test

    WU: 10mins @ 115-120HR

    7mins @125-130HR/ 3min @ easy;

    7mins @135-140HR/ 3min @ easy; (120’s)

    7mins @145-150HR/ 3min @ easy; (120’s)

    5mins @155-160HR/ 3min @ easy; (130’s)

    3mins @165-170HR/ 5min @ easy; (130’s)

    1min @All out effort/ 5min @easy; (140’s)

    1min @ All out effort/ 5min super easy cool down.

  • Back to the pool

    Taking 6 weeks off from swimming is a BAD idea! I felt clumsy and slow today during my baseline tests. I knew I would so I think that is why I kept procrastinating about getting back to my swim. Next week I will head back to masters for a real rump kicking. This was an easy baseline recording, the workouts will come fast and furious from here on out.

    WU: 100FS
    (2x)50 fast; (:30sec rec)
    (1x)400 All out (full rec)- Record Time
    (1x)50 easy (:30sec rec)
    (1x)200 All out (full rec)- Record Time
    (1x)50 easy (:30sec rec)
    (1x)200 All out- Record Time
    CD: 100FS
    Total: 1200

  • Seriously

    I must be sleeping hard which is a nice change if pace. Unfortunately it has sidelined me for two days as I cannot turn my neck. Can’t wait to see Dr Jay next week, this is killing me.

  • Oh it’s over!

    I love the holidays and being with family, but my waistline is glad it’s over. The 2013 season has been an awesome on and now we look to get full swing into training for the 2014 season. Today we are repeating our run tests to get baselines built for the next 14 weeks before Galveston.

  • Merry Christmas!

    Every Christmas Eve we sit as a family with the 24 hour Christmas Story marathon and read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. What makes it special is it’s one thing big boy can’t wait for each year. The part he is most excited about is the fingerprint. I thought it would be cool for him to see how he’d grown each Christmas. The first 2 years there is a full hand and foot, these days his thumb print is almost that big.

    He goes to sleep smiling knowing that Santa will come while he is snoring like a bear. The little guy was squirmy and more interested in his hat his brother had given him. But his finger prints are in his book too. When they have their own families they will have something to share with their kids I hope.

    I wish all of my friends and family a very Merry Christmas. Please be safe and I hope Santa is generous this year.

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  • Tears???!!!

    As I get back into the full swing of things after an extended recovery after IMAZ I am finding out it hurt more than I thought taking 4 weeks off. Today was my first time back on the TT bike on the CycleOPs and it is more difficult to get my head to spin the pedals than my legs I found. I know I have an awesome 2014 coming with Team Zoot and my training team KMF, but getting into the training is the tough part.

    That’s great and all, but that isn’t why I was surprised this morning. A workout is just a workout, but today was the first time put on some of my tried and true IM motivation videos while I was riding. I’ve just stuck to music for anything I have done in the last 4 weeks (which isn’t much at all), but today I decided it is time to go back to my motivational videos and start pushing. That is where I got surprised, I started with 2013 Kona and was enjoying it until they started announcing finishes. It is the first time I have heard Reilly announce “you are an Ironman” since IMAZ. It was the first time I have been consumed by emotion since race weekend and it completely caught me off guard. I wasn’t a blubbering fool or anything, but the sudden endorphin rush hit me and I did tear up I must admit. The smile was uncontrollable on my face and the last 30 minutes of the workout suddenly weren’t difficult any longer. I remember why I was sitting on a TT bike in my garage spinning against my will when I would rather be out on the road or on a MTB trail.

    Little small victories never cease to amaze me. I am happy to be back training and I remember now that I AM AN IRONMAN!!!!

  • Team Zoot!

    It is with great pride I am announcing my selection to Team Zoot in 2014 Yesterday Christian Wendenburg contacted me to deliver the news that I would be racing for Zoot Sports in 2014.

    December 16, 2013

    Hi Kris,

    Congratulations! After a long review process of the many applicants, Zoot Sports is happy to notify you that you are being offered a position as a Team Member on the 2014 Team Zoot. Our Texas region has been delegated 12 spots, and I am anxious to have you as one of our group!

    What is the Team Zoot?
    The Team Zoot is comprised of approximately 185 US-based amateur, elite, and professional triathletes who are committed to racing hard, having fun, and representing the Zoot brand and each of the Team Zoot industry sponsors. The Team is subdivided into 9 regions across America that are overseen by 13 captains.

    My anticipation of 2014 had now increased ten fold. Pretty cool being asked to join a national team! You can learn more about the team and products by going to Zoot Sports.

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  • Why?

    Why, isn’t that the question that a triathlete gets the most? I hear it at least once per week it seems, and when I say I’m not only a triathlete but an Ironman the whys get much louder. When the people you are talking to get the details out of you about the disciplines, distances and training regimen their jaws are usually on the ground. It is one of my favorite moments in the sport. The next favorite question is when they ask how and proclaim they could never do it because they are too busy, too fat, not a swimmer/cyclist/runner (pick one, everyone fears at least one of the disciplines).

    In 2007 I was the cant guy pushing 275 pounds and eating/wasting my way to an early demise. I knew I had to do something so I bought myself and my wife a set of bikes. I started with a mountain bike because it was the last type of cycling I had done at age 18. I always loved road biking though and purchased my second bike shortly after (I have a bike addiction and can’t have enough). Once we had our bikes we started joining some group rides and dropping some weight. It was fun and I truly enjoyed riding both road and mountain bikes 2-3 times a week.

    There was something missing though because I wanted to more and I wanted the thrill of racing again. I had a long running bet between a buddy I made in 2003 about doing an Ironman. I shot my mouth off at a drunken card table and in 2012 my buddy did his first 70.3. Suddenly I realized the guy that was never athletic had gotten off his rump and was on his way to kick my butt because I hadn’t followed through with the dream that was originally mine. How could I have done that? I had talked with my fellow riders about doing a tri for years, but never pulled the trigger. I was terrified of it and had no idea where to even start.

    Well, one afternoon last October I signed up for the 2012 Denton Monster Tri the following Sunday. Let’s get something clear, I had not been in a lap pool since I was 17 and could not run a mile. I could ride like crazy, but at 250 and ill prepared it was nuts. That fits. Y personality though. So Sunday showed up and it took me 1:54:13 to do a sprint. I stayed in the back of the swim line and thought I was going to drown in 2590 yards, I couldn’t believe how one of my favorite things in life had become so difficult. I survived the swim, rode a tired bike and struggled to run half of the 5k but I did cross the finish line. All of my TBP and KMF buddies were laughing and supportive of me as I crossed that line. The pain was all over my face and I had never felt so proud of a physical accomplishment in my adult life. I had earned a medal. It was truly the start of something, I think all of my teammates thought it would be my only tri. Oh boy were they wrong!

    He Monster Tri was 10/21/12 and I was so hooked and so naive on the reality of Ironman that I signed up for Ironman Arizona on 11/16/12. Yea I couldn’t swim 250 yards, but I signed up for one of the ultimate races in the world and was lucky enough to get through the online registration. So now my friends not only thought I was crazy they thought I truly had lost my mind. I was told by quite a few people that there was NO WAY I would get ready of IMAZ I that short of a time. Well, I did so you can learn not to tell me that I can’t do anything is useless. It would have been smarter to tell me I SHOULD NOT instead. I probably still wouldn’t have listened.

    So here I was with less than 12 months to get ready for 140.6 miles of IMAZ and not the slightest clue on how to get there. So I did the next dumb thing I could, I started signing up for every tri I could afford. Seemed logical to me! Luckily James and Ben decided I was going to hurt myself without some guidance and they jumped in to help me achieve my goals. We started with Rock n Roll half marathon and Ironman Texas 70.3 to get through the first quarter of the year. Those two events were the proper kicks in the butt I needed to realize I had a LOT more work to do just to finish IMAZ.

    I will do some write ups on all of my 2012 events as I don’t want to short change the stories they tell about my journey. So we go back to why. My answer was always why not honestly. My doctor cleared me for my stupidity so I didn’t have a legitimate excuse not to do it. So for those without time, I’m married with a 9 year old and a 15 month old. Those that have to much work to do, we are a single income family and I’m a small business owner. For those that are too out of shape, I was 250 and 26% body fat at my first tri. I am currently 219 and 17% body fat. I eat ice cream and chocolate, and indulge in Whataburger. Are you running out of cant’s and starting to ask yourself why not yet?

    Triathlon has saved me in more than one way. IMAZ was as much of a spiritual journey as it was a physical one. I am alreadying looking forward to my 2014 races, but 2013 IMAZ will be the race I dedicate my survival too. I couldn’t have dropped the weight and freed myself of stress and low self esteem like I have in 2013. I’m far from perfect and very far from done, but I am on the next part of my journey. That why comes back up all the time and when I look around in my family they all have their answers too. My 9 year old is begging to do triathlons, 5ks and swim lessons. My beautiful wife is marathon training and she ran like me when she started. My little sisters are running events every month, one of them ran their first 5k this past weekend after seeing me on my ironman journey. The other one is contemplating jumping off into my insanity now.

    Why has changed everyone around me. Why has extended my life and made me happier. Why has made me a better father and role model to my sons. Why has made me a hero to my wife. You now know my why, so what’s yours?

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  • First Day Back!

    Well, it’s been 4 weeks since I raced IronMan Arizona and I’ve been useless. I have tried to maintain some physical activities, but with family, holidays and recovery it’s mostly been sit around and eat. That’s not completely a bad thing my coach said, but after 4 weeks I feel bloated and out of breath even on light exercise.

    So with all the laziness it is time to begin working again. Usually it comes with a big heavy sigh when you realize you have to get back to work, but I honestly couldn’t be more excited to get 2014 started. From the picture attached you can see that our schedule is full already. IronMan Galveston 70.3 is less than 16 weeks away and the Cowtown Full Marathon is less than 8 weeks away. Those are my 2 big events for the first half of 2014 and it is gong to be a great year. Last year the idea of running 13.1 miles was terrifying, but now I can wait to do my first full marathon (I don’t count IMAZ since that wasn’t a pure run).

    Today we started a week of baselines to gauge where I am after IMAZ and recovery. I will post the data later, but my endurance has suffered. The legs actually felt great and I could still push some power, but getting winded on a 10 mile TT was something I haven’t felt since last year. The Computrainer is a great tool to see where you are and where I need to go! Tomorrow will be a run test, Wednesday another bike test, Thursday a swim test and Friday another run tests. It’s a full first week back and I already feel like the guy I did 5 weeks ago again, just a little slower.

    Looks for more data and posts!

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