I am 38 years old. I have a wife, three boys and a Goldendoodle (best dog ever!) I love to ultra run, hike, cycle, swim, camp and race Ironman triathlons. I work full time as an Art Director for a local publishing company where we work hard but also play hard.
My wife is a first grade teacher and an interior design guru. Together we are having grand adventures on this amazing, mystical place called Earth.
I have been a competitive swimmer since I was five-years-old. I grew up surfing Newport and Huntington Beach, California. I also mountain biked quite a lot. So I decided it was time to get competitive with myself to get back in shape. I needed to get fit again to have more energy to do things with my sons. I signed up for the Fat Tire Off-road sprint triathlon in early 2006 and the journey began. I was hooked.
The next logical step was Ironman. I watched all the race videos and YouTube clips and instantly became enamored with the transformative qualities that finishing an Ironman seemed to bring people. As I trained for that first Ironman, I realized that, like life, it was the journey where the transformation occurred, not the destination. Training for and finishing that race was the start of my lifelong love for ultra endurance events. I learned that I loved to get lost in my thoughts during super long runs and rides. I also learned that during this time, I got my best ideas for problem solving issues at work and home. The long training stretches alone allowed me to enter a kind of Zen meditative state, 'The Zone,' where my thoughts just kind of took care of themselves. Powerful stuff!
Philosophy
I love to train alone, and coach myself. I started out a Geology major in college but ended up getting my degree in Journalism. So, I do have a bit of the nerdy, serious science data freak in me. I love to devour the latest information from all the participants and coaches in the sport. But, I am also balanced by my creative, outside-the-box, laid back, surfer- hippie mentality. Basically, I love data and schedules, but I like to tweak them in unconventional ways to see what results.
Nutrition
I love food, beer and whiskey. Those are constant temptations that de-rail me from my goals. I have used the weight watchers system in the past to help me but lately, simple calorie and protein logging seems to work the best for me. Recently, I have purchased a Vitamix blender and am loving it!!! Hopefully by making this training journal public, I will hold myself a bit more accountable.
Training
I have been a competitive swimmer since I was five-years-old, so I don't need to swim as much as most people. I don't really worry about the swim. It is my favorite part of the Ironman (other than the finish) and I feel very comfortable in the water.
I ride a Specialized Transition Elite with a carbon front end almost exclusively on the trainer. The only time I really ride outside is for my race assessment workouts, and I only have two of those.
I run in ASICS Gel Evolution shoes and I run through the heat of the Arizona summer. I use Under Armour clothes and Hammer Nutrition products (except for Salt Stick electrolytes.) I take a multivitamin and use Ruby Red immune system booster. I use a Polar heart rate monitor with a foot pod that measures pace, distance and a whole bunch of other stuff. I race in a 2XU Tri top and bottom and also use 2XU compression socks.
< Links to products I like and use.
So there you have it. Some specifics about me that influence my training and racing philosophy and make up my general outlook on the whole fitness/triathlon scene in general. I hope you enjoy following me on this journey of transformation
There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E
My wife is a first grade teacher and an interior design guru. Together we are having grand adventures on this amazing, mystical place called Earth.
I have been a competitive swimmer since I was five-years-old. I grew up surfing Newport and Huntington Beach, California. I also mountain biked quite a lot. So I decided it was time to get competitive with myself to get back in shape. I needed to get fit again to have more energy to do things with my sons. I signed up for the Fat Tire Off-road sprint triathlon in early 2006 and the journey began. I was hooked.
The next logical step was Ironman. I watched all the race videos and YouTube clips and instantly became enamored with the transformative qualities that finishing an Ironman seemed to bring people. As I trained for that first Ironman, I realized that, like life, it was the journey where the transformation occurred, not the destination. Training for and finishing that race was the start of my lifelong love for ultra endurance events. I learned that I loved to get lost in my thoughts during super long runs and rides. I also learned that during this time, I got my best ideas for problem solving issues at work and home. The long training stretches alone allowed me to enter a kind of Zen meditative state, 'The Zone,' where my thoughts just kind of took care of themselves. Powerful stuff!
Philosophy
I love to train alone, and coach myself. I started out a Geology major in college but ended up getting my degree in Journalism. So, I do have a bit of the nerdy, serious science data freak in me. I love to devour the latest information from all the participants and coaches in the sport. But, I am also balanced by my creative, outside-the-box, laid back, surfer- hippie mentality. Basically, I love data and schedules, but I like to tweak them in unconventional ways to see what results.
Nutrition
I love food, beer and whiskey. Those are constant temptations that de-rail me from my goals. I have used the weight watchers system in the past to help me but lately, simple calorie and protein logging seems to work the best for me. Recently, I have purchased a Vitamix blender and am loving it!!! Hopefully by making this training journal public, I will hold myself a bit more accountable.
Training
I have been a competitive swimmer since I was five-years-old, so I don't need to swim as much as most people. I don't really worry about the swim. It is my favorite part of the Ironman (other than the finish) and I feel very comfortable in the water.
I ride a Specialized Transition Elite with a carbon front end almost exclusively on the trainer. The only time I really ride outside is for my race assessment workouts, and I only have two of those.
I run in ASICS Gel Evolution shoes and I run through the heat of the Arizona summer. I use Under Armour clothes and Hammer Nutrition products (except for Salt Stick electrolytes.) I take a multivitamin and use Ruby Red immune system booster. I use a Polar heart rate monitor with a foot pod that measures pace, distance and a whole bunch of other stuff. I race in a 2XU Tri top and bottom and also use 2XU compression socks.
< Links to products I like and use.
So there you have it. Some specifics about me that influence my training and racing philosophy and make up my general outlook on the whole fitness/triathlon scene in general. I hope you enjoy following me on this journey of transformation
There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E
