Race Preview-Ironman Florida

Well, here we are. After 3,816 miles and 347 hours of preparation, and nearly $5000 raised for Wears Valley Ranch, It's time. My bike and gear are all checked in and we're just one more night's sleep away from the goal. It's hard to believe. Lots of thoughts are floating around in my head right now, but one has been dominating the brain waves. How blessed I have been throughout this whole process. Blessed in that I've been able to remain healthy. Blessed to have the strong support crew that God has provided. Blessed to race with Tri4Him, a team that lives out what it stands for. And blessed to be able to go out there an glorify Him on race day. Not just with effort or performance, but with all the little things too. Yesterday morning, while out on a swim, I took a moment to reflect. As I laid there, floating on my back, in the middle of The Gulf of Mexico, I was in awe of our God. The ways in which He's touched my life through this sport, it's people, and this unbelievable process of transformation have been countless. The past 18 months have been a little snap shot of what life is about and I'm hoping and praying that tomorrow will be a fitting and humble tribute to our Lord, who will never, ever, quit on us.

Here's how tomorrow will shake out.

Swim

At 7AM, the cannon will go off. Me and the 2000+ other competitors who are staged on the beach will take off. Pretty much a free-for-all getting to the water. It will be a 2-loop course (1.2 miles each), broken up by a short jog on the beach, before starting the second loop. Water temperature has been 72-75F, making it perfect for a wetsuit swim. My strategery won't change any for this one. Stay calm. Stay relaxed. Avoid as much traffic as possible and come out of the water in good shape for the bike.

Bike

The bike course here is flat and fast. There are a few rollers and one bridge to manage, but for the most part, flat and on excellent surface for the duration. The big variable for this one is weather. Morning lows will be in the 40's so the first 56 miles will be a bit more chilly that your typical Houston weather. It'll warm up into the 60's, but on a bike, going 19-20 M.P.H., it can get pretty cold. I'm planning on taking my time in transition and getting layered up. It may take a little longer and I may have to shed some clothing on the course, but it beats being uncomfortable from the get go. I'm planning on being fairly conservative on the bike leg. The energy you burn trying to be hero for that 112 miles is gone. You don't get it back for the marathon, which is when it really counts.

Run

Again flat and the cool temperatures should make for a good run. The course meanders through several neighborhoods, making for lots of folks out to support. I plan on maintaining a comfortable pace through the first 13 miles. If the legs are feeling good and I've got some mojo left, this is when I'll try to kick it up a notch. If not, it'll be gut check time. I'm told that the last half of the ironman marathon is where memories are made. I wanted to find out what was over the edge of self-imposed limitations. Tomorrow I will.


As always, thank you for following along and offering up prayers and support in so many ways. Tomorrow, between 7AM and 7PMish, I'll be out there grinding away. Pray for strength, courage, patience, peace, and that I might be a blessing to someone else out there on the course. I'm excited to be here, feeling good, and anxious to find out what's in store.

Now let's go do this thing.

17 days to go!

Had an interesting experience this weekend. I travelled with some of the local Tri4Him crew up to Austin for the Ironman Texas 70.3. I wasn't racing, but many from our team were, several of them competing in and finishing their first half-ironman. Quite a change of perspective watching from the sidelines as close friends and teammates push themselves to their limits. The Austin race was my first long event and last year many new friends were there to support and encourage me in the same way. I can remember being so grateful and encouraged to have them there and wondered why in the world these people I'd just met would travel 3hrs to watch me compete and struggle through such an event. This year, there I was, doing the same thing. Trying my best to get them through the day. Things have come full circle.

The experience was a good reminder of what's most important. It drew my focus away from Ironman Florida, 11/6/2010, and redirected it to the real payoff. The journey and the transformation that has shaped life for the last year. The preparations and the volume of training put in over the past several weeks have made it difficult to think about much besides the big race. Travel plans, am I ready, do I have all the stuff I need, equipment checks, rest, nutrition, blah, blah, blah. There's lots there to think about, but when I'm able to take a step back and consider all that's transpired over the past year, I can't help but be amazed at what God's done in my life. Sure, this race is a big deal to me, I'm excited, and it will be the exclamation point. But the real payoff has been the journey.

This weekend I'll have my final race rehearsals. Friday afternoon I'm headed down to Galveston to do the swim and Saturday I'll have another long ride followed by a run. For the most part, the hard work has already been put in. I won't see any major gains in fitness over the next two weeks, just fine tuning and troubleshooting to avoid surprises on race day. After this weekend, I'll have a two week "taper" period leading up to the race. During this time the number of workouts won't change much, but their duration will be much less and the intensity will be dialed down a notch. I won't lie, I'm really looking forward to the extra rest!

As always, thanks for your encouraging words and for all of the support. We're almost there. I only ask for two things. That you'd keep me in your thoughts and prayers as the big day approaches and that you'd consider contributing to our fundraising efforts. Thus far, thanks to your generous giving, we've raised nearly $4000 for Wears Valley Ranch. Awesome. I would love nothing more than to see that number keep climbing right up until I cross that finish line. Just click the "firstgiving" link on your right and you'll be directed to a secure website where you can enter your information.

Dress Rehearsals

Just wanted to give a little update on what life's been looking like lately. Things are going well and I'm still in one piece, thankfully. The past few weeks have been big in terms of mileage and hours, but soon the training will shift to focus more on rest, recovery, and maintenance of the gains that have been made. This week I'll have my first of two "race rehearsals." Friday I'll swim 2.4 miles in the pool. Saturday I'll ride 117 miles and follow it up with a one hour run. The goal is to match everything as close to race-day conditions as possible. Down to what I'll be eating this week. The primary focus will be on pacing and my nutrition during the race so that when I get to Florida there won't be any surprises. I'm looking forward to these dress rehearsals, but honestly, a little nervous too.

Others warned me about the mental side of this. I was told to be ready for the battle that begins as ironman nears. Although I hoped that I'd be different...turns out I'm not! My biggest challenges, at this point, are not the physical demands but the demands centered above the neck. Doubt, mental fatigue, even fear at times. All natural, I think, when we take risks or overreach. But you can't let it paralyze you. So I'll walk the tight rope. Recognizing the risk and knowing where I'm vulnerable but also trusting. My training, my support, and most of all, my God, who got me here and continues to amaze me with His plan.

Thank you again, for all of the support, interest, and well-wishes. It means a great deal to me and often fuels me when I'm having "one of those days." And don't forget, there's still plenty of time to donate to this year's cause. Just click the "firstgiving" link on your right. We've already raised over $3000, but are a loooong way from the goal. Surprise me!

Have a great week.

Thoughts on Ironman

I hope that you've all had a great Labor Day weekend. Just a little update and some thoughts on the big day that is rapidly approaching. I'm nursing a few minor injuries but that's to be expected at this point. Thankfully, things have been going pretty well as of late though. In fact, this weekend we hit a few milestones. Saturday I had my first ride of more than 100 miles and this morning Joe and I ventured down to the beach for my first Gulf swim (Note to self: Check weather next time). I grew up 10 minutes from that water and it's only taken me 34 years to muster up enough courage to brave it. Mother nature made it a humbling and challenging workout (see pic) but certainly a valuable experience.

As November 6th gets closer, so does the number of times I hear the question, "Are you ready?" Funny, that's what I keep asking myself. My answer..."I don't know." Can you be? I do know that I'll be prepared. I have incredible support, a coach that I trust, priceless mentors, and a solid game plan . If I do my part I will be prepared but "ready" is a whole different thing. At some point everyone reaches that moment where their body is ready to shut down. The point at which quitting sounds more appealing than continuing. In an Ironman, that's usually the last third or so of the marathon. Maybe it's a lot sooner than that for me, maybe a little later. Who knows? But whenever that moment arrives, late or early, the trick is to have your brain convince the rest of you that "we're ok!" Easier said than done, I'm sure. I've never had to do it but I'll have to in Florida. That's the part that I'm not quite convinced that you can be "ready" for. The good news is that I'm racing for more than just the finish line and that this process has been as much about spiritual endurance and growth as it has been about athletic benchmarks. So while I don't know if I can really be ready for what's to come, I know that the one who got me here is. The one who strengthens me will be racing right along side of me that day, just like every other day, and when my "moment" presents itself, I will lean fully on Him. I don't think I can go wrong with that game plan.

Sometimes we find ourselves in uncharted waters and sometimes God asks us to do things that aren't exactly comfortable for us. While you may not be ready for it, He is and He wouldn't have put you there if He wasn't planning on providing a way for you to get through it. So lets continue to prepare ourselves as best we can knowing that when we reach the edge of what we thought possible, He'll be there to blaze the trail ahead.

Have a great week.

The Final Push

It's hard to believe that we're less than twelve weeks away from Ironman Florida. Many hours of training, many miles logged, many dollars raised for a great cause. What a journey it's been. Life changing to say the least, but it's been so much more.

This sort of thing doesn't just happen without an incredible amount of support. I thank all of you who've played a role at some point along the way. Several times a day I'm asked, "how's the training coming along?" or "how many miles did you ride Saturday?" So many interested folks offering encouragement. Not to mention the donations that many have made to Wears Valley Ranch. I'm humbled by your generosity. With three months to go we've raised $3000!

I don't do much sitting around on weekends anymore, but I look forward to them more than ever. When the sun comes up on Saturday morning, I know there will be an army of Tri4Him teammates ready to saddle up and and spend the day riding, enjoying the fellowship, pushing one another, and encouraging one another. Many who aren't gearing up for an Ironman ride extra, just because they know I have to. Tri4Him and the Houston chapter, specifically, are doing such great things. I'm proud to be a part of it and very thankful for all of them.

My Wednesday long-runs have gone from "just another work out" to a valuable time of prayer and personal reflection. Hard to explain really, but two or three hours alone out enjoying God's creation is a great time to clear your head and focus on what's really important.

We've come a long way since early 2009. My life, my spirit, and my body were taken down to the foundation and have now been rebuilt. Stronger, better. It was difficult at the start, but I wouldn't give those days back. Were it not for them, I might have missed what was happening. These good times wouldn't mean nearly as much without the struggles early on.

So here we are. The final push. I'm more motivated than ever and honored to be able to go out and race for the one who made all of this possible. I hope you come along to see what happens. We're almost home. Don't quit on me now.

www.firstgiving.com/teamstevenstri

Race Report-Small Texan Triathlon

We found out this weekend that the "small" in Small Texan Triathlon does not refer to the hills encountered on the course! This was a challenging olympic distance race and a good test of will and problem solving skills as it turned out. The elevation changes were comparable to Lubbock but instead of a 56 mile bike ride, the hills were crammed into a 28 mile course. That left us with little time for recovery between climbs and jelly legs once we got to the run.

The swim was not my best, by far. I struggled to get out of the pack and seemed to be caught up in the churn of other competitors for most of the 1500 meters. That combined with difficulties seeing the directional buoys led to the slower time. One of those swims that you just have to get through. The bike portion was tough (see above!) all the way around. Pretty much max effort for the majority of the course. I was happy with my time in the end but I had to work for it, for sure. That made for a difficult 6.2 mile run which also featured some unpleasant changes in elevation. I was happy to keep it together, even though I had to slow my pace a bit to make it through. My heart rate hit some numbers that I've never seen before. Racing or training. In the end I finished at 3:15:32. Good enough for 11th in an age-group with 24 competitors. Not bad considering my swim was 21st (out of 24). OUCH!

Hope all of you had a good weekend. For now, back to the training grindstone. Clear Lake International is right around the corner. Another olympic race but this time flat and in our own back yard. Clear Lake will also be the first time that Tri4Him-Houston will compete as a team against several local tri groups. Hope some of you will be able to make it out to watch.

Race Week-Small Texan Triathlon

It's time to race again folks. This weekend we're off to Boerne, Texas for The Small Texan Triathlon. A challenging olympic distance race (1.5K/45K/10K) that will offer another nice change of scenery and, once again, hills. Really looking forward to this one. It'll only be my second race at this distance, giving me a chance to see where (or if) I've improved. Also, a step down in distance, which is nice mentally. This race and Clear Lake, next month, will serve mostly to keep me motivated and having fun heading into the final few months before Ironman Florida...yes, it's just a few months away! Scary thought, but good scary. Three other Houston Tri4Himers will also be making the trip to race. Always a plus to have team support, encouragement, and mutual motivation on race day. Don't know a whole lot going into this one, but I'm sure it'll be a fun day.

Interestingly, we've got a pretty good race going between my training mileage and our WVR donations progress. This week, the 2000 mile mark was eclipsed and the current fundraising is at $1900. Don't let me log more miles than that dollar amount! Kidding aside, your contributions to this point are awesome and much appreciated. By the way, I just looked at WVR's current "wish list," and they've got a minivan listed as a need. What they're needing will range from $8000-$10,000. How great would it be to raise enough to get them in one or real close to it? If you haven't checked them out, I'd encourage you to do so by clicking the Wears Valley Ranch link on this page. Lots of information there including some testimonials from kids whose lives they touched. Inspiring stuff. If you haven't yet and would like to help out, just click the "firstgiving" link over on the right-hand side of this page. There you can make your donation in any amount, big or small. You know you want that mini van!

Once again, thanks for all of the support and interest you've shown. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this weekend and I'll be sure to let you know what happens when I get back.