The Band

I was given the wristband on Fight Night 2011, and I’ve never taken it off.  My daughter likes to pull at it, to my great worry.  It has been my object of good karma, having protected me from crashes and serious injury, and cleared skies when they were too dark to ride and run.

Perhaps I embellish a bit, but it has inspired me.  Not only do I think of Joan, Steven and Morgan when I look at it, I marvel at its own endurance.   Save its faded purple-turned-to-pink color, it’s remained free of tears, wrinkles or breaks.  Poor man’s guess, over the last 9 ½ months, Chris and I have swam about 50 miles, cycled about 3500 miles and run about 700.  Considering the chlorine, sunburn, sweat, rain, snow and soap, it’s got to be some kind of record.

I’m on the plane to Cancun now, being asked to power down.  Three days to Ironman.  I…am…terrifiedman…

JB

It’s been quite a journey.  As I look at the clock, it’s 8:47pm on Friday night.  November 2, 2012…it’s been 9 months since Chris and I began our averageman training, and only recently have I really begun to understand what we’ve really been doing this for.

I had the pleasure…no, HONOR…of interviewing two special people who receive the financial benefit of the Morgan Adams Foundation.  The doctors who receive MAF funds are moving mountains with their research, and I’d like to share just a moment of their significantly more important journeys today.

Dr. Jean Mulcahy-Levy is a pediatric oncologist and instructor in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at University of Colorado School of Medicine.  As she described her research to me, past and present, it sounds quite unique.  One of her research points studies a drug fighting the tumor’s “autophagy” – a starving cell’s ability to break down some of its own machinery for energy. Clinical trials of this drug are underway with adult brain cancer patients, but none for children have been awarded to date.  She has led investigations where patients in clinic are found to have a genetic marker for brain tumors, and while some tests fail (think Sir Isaac Newton), the data compiled can be used for other testing.  It’s a great start, but it’s only the beginning. 

Before treatment begins, Dr. Jean also wants to foresee how a child patient will respond to aggressive treatment.  She can review their chromosomes down to the single DNA nucleotide to identify and determine a patient’s ability to learn…how to lose less learning skills, therefore determining how aggressive the chemotherapy and radiation will be.    Ultimately, she’d like to make long term outcomes the best they can possibly be for each kid.  It’s pretty amazing when you can get that specific with each kid.

One overlying theme Dr. Levy’s research surrounds is designing new strategies to block positive tumor responses to treatment, and combining survival drugs to both reduce chemo and reduce toxins, as well as to make the “cocktail” work better.  She was recently awarded a large grant to continue he research, and has relied on MAF to get as far as she has.  Congratulations on this honor, Dr. Jean, and averageman will follow your progress!

Dr. Jacob Gump was born in Denver, and went to CU-Boulder, then graduate school at UC – San Diego.  We went to do research in between with Dr. Steve Hunger, head of Cancer Research at Children’s Hospital.  After grad school, he returned to Denver to pediatric medicine and researching general cell biology.  While he and his wife were vacationing in New Jersey over New Year’s 2009, they got the news.  Their two-year old, Eli, had been diagnosed with a craniofrangioma tumor.  He had a massive seizure due to fluid buildup in the brain, and nearly died.  His surgery to reduce the swelling was followed by two more over the next year and a half.  As Dr. Gump stated, Eli’s tumor is unique in that it doesn’t grow quickly and doesn’t metastecize.  But because of its slow growth, it doesn’t respond well to treatment, and the tumor itself (being a “hollow cyst”) can build up fluid quickly, growing huge in size.  The Gumps decided against radiation as long as possible, until Eli was 4 years old, injecting chemotherapy directly into the tumor in the meantime.  One of the many things I didn’t know before this is that the brain grows the most up the age of 6, where personality and cognitive traits are learned.  Messing with the brain during the early stages subjects the child to severe quality of life risk. 

Naturally, Dr. Gump has wanted to be close with his son and the disease, but there are only 5 or 6 metro areas around the nation that can parlay university studies and a children’s hospital into a career opportunity.  So Dr. Gump really needs to keep his research more broad in order to provide for his family.  Working in his own lab, he focuses on cancer biology and how cells respond to chemotherapy.  To get a professorship, the employer usually will require him to work on underlying biology issues that aren’t related to Eli.

So how does this relate to Morgan Adams Foundation?  There are NO clinical trials comparing approaches to the research of Drs. Gump and Mulcahy-Levy.  Because these brain tumors are rare, more money goes to larger scale disease.  What this particular science needs is a “multi-institutional consortium”, Dr. Jacob explains…a bank of knowledge to share ideas and practices to kill these tumors, and there’s very little money to do so. 

My thoughts are of Eli’s quality of life.  Eli’s tumor has destroyed his pituitary – the “regulator of all hormones” – growth, adrenal, hydrocortisone, testosterone/estrogen, sex hormones and more.  At 4 years old, he takes 4 drugs orally and a growth hormone shot daily.  When his age reaches that of normal puberty, they will begin administering testosterone.  This treatment will occur for the rest of his life, but without it, Dr. Gump says, he’d die within a week.

This would be more than most of us could handle, but it’s just the beginning.  Damage to the hypothalamus leads to weight gain.  I ask why.  The hypothalamus initiates signals to the brain such as the switch that goes off after we’ve eaten.  Poor Eli lives in a constant state of hunger.  As a result, he is held to a very restricted diet of 800 calories per day.  Why so few calories?  The hypothalamus also controls metabolic rate…even though the body thinks it’s starving, it puts on weight.  It’s unthinkable to a strong eater like me.  Dr. Gump notes they could be worse off…a fellow parent who shared stories of his son wasn’t as strict.  His son at 4 ½ years old is morbidly obese, and they’ve stopped sharing pictures. “What do you do when they’re 15 years old and you can no longer tell them what to do?”  Jacob asks. It literally breaks my heart.

It doesn’t end there.  With this cancer affecting a geographic area of the optic nerve, vision is rarely a sense unaffected.  Eli is legally blind in one eye and 20/40 in his good eye…he lacks peripheral vision, as if looking through a telescope.  There are cognitive and intellectual issues as well.  Eli is fortunate, being in a normal school receiving the additional help he needs.  Others have rage disorders and severe social disorders. 

It all comes down to the research and the dollars to support it.  Many docs want to help, but they haven’t found a way to collaborate.  At least now there is a “tumor repository” – tissue to test.  This will have a direct effect on future kids’ quality of life.  There is a new grant to establish the first foundation of these consortiums. The more we fund, the more docs can conduct the necessary research, and Dr. Nick Foreman believes that there will be a cure by the time he completes his career. 

I hope this short look into these special people’s worlds leaves a lasting impression.  Help us help them…they’re truly changing the world and saving lives.

THE WALL

Marathoners define “the wall” differently.  I like this one –

"It felt like an elephant had jumped out of a tree onto my shoulders and was making me carry it the rest of the way in.”—Dick Beardsley

What actually happens is around Mile 20, roughly 2,000 calories of glycogen fuel have been exhausted, resulting in an overwhelming feeling of heaviness in the legs, a lack of concentration and even feelings of outright despair [source: Latta]. 

We’ve hit the wall…in our training.  We’re unmotivated, sluggish and flat out don’t want to do it anymore.  In fact, I only swam 2300 last night, Justin.  Yes, we’re slacking, too.

Last night in the pool I did have a breakthrough, though.  I lost count after 1000 yards and decided I would swim for time, and found that when I wasn’t focused on the distance, my mind wandered and it was actually EASIER to swim.  I thought about what I would do if I saw a shark during the race, what to write in this blog, how to raise more money for MAF.  All of a sudden, my time was up (yes, not quite the distance I was supposed to go).  If we can find this zone during race day, we’ll be coming up the ramp feeling great.

We know this happens to everyone in training.  In fact, there are great ways to stay motivated…to keep going when all you want to do is sit on the couch.  These little mind tricks are great.  But we need more.  Send us your pick-me-ups.  The last thing we need to do is fall into the “tapering blues”.

Off to ride.  I am averagemaaaaaazzzzzzzzzz….

JB

A Weekend in the Life of averageman

How a long training weekend sucks

Friday, September 7, 2012 – 4300 meter swim – Cherry Creek Athletic Club - Jonathan

Water is cold, and I’m upset to have to be doing this long of a swim at the pool rather than open water.  4300 meter swim / 25 meter pool = 172 lengths.  Time to dig in.

First 1000 – nice and slow.  I wonder what the first 1000 will be like on race day.  I’m not wearing a wetsuit, so this will feel kind of similar.  Will it be wavy?  When 2400 people start together, sharks will be afraid to pursue even the slower swimmers, right?  My ankle kind of hurts.  Focus on breathing.  Keep your head lower in the water so your legs don’t sink.  Only 400 so far?  Jeez, it feels like it’s been a half hour.  The guy next to me is a really slow swimmer.  I wonder how many times I can lap him.  Slow down, stupid…you’ve got a long way to go.  I’m thirsty…I’ll take a 20-second break each 1000 to drink.  Time – 20:12.

Second 1000 – I need to pee.  I’m in a groove and feel strong and I’m trying to keep my mind off it.  I remember reading a blog post about people who pee in their wetsuits during the race.  Pretty fun conversation, and there is no gray (or yellow!) area…triathletes either pee or they don’t.  I can hold it as long as I stop thinking about it.  But that’s hard, considering they’re loading in Port-o-Let’s into the pool area for a special event this weekend.  Would it be okay if I use them?  Would anyone be any the wiser?  Focus.  1700 in and back to race day.  The water is too warm for wetsuits, so no speed advantage or buoyancy advantage on race day…damn.  I feel good now, but how would I feel this far in on race day?  What about the salt water?  I’ve heard about rashes from not properly rinsing off, especially during the run.  God, that sounds painful.  The lady in the other lane reeks of perfume in the water.  GAG.  Okay, 2000 meters, time for a quick pee break.  Time – 41:06.

Third 1000 – Man, I feel better.  I’m starting re-think the whole “pee-during-the-swim” thing.  I mean, chances are, I’ve swam behind someone racing who did it.  Gross.  But I was clueless and it didn’t affect me.  My arms are tired.  I am beginning to chafe on my left shoulder because I didn’t shave today and my arm keeps hitting my cheek when I reach.  Remember that at 4am when I wake on race day.  The race isn’t won during the swim…slow down!  I am told that there are scuba divers underneath to keep an eye on us and sea life, should anything happen.  I feel like I’m being chased by a shark.  Slow down!  It’s getting warmer and I’m one of the only ones in the pool right now.  I love that feeling, that I’ve bested people’s normal exercise times.  Now I feel like an egotistical schmuck.  Focus.  How will finish?  I’m thinking Armando can make us a really thin sign we can hold up with the Morgan Adams Foundation logo.   That would be cool.  Time – 1:01.

Fourth 1000 – I’m getting tired. Ankle hurts again.  I took ibuprofen before I left the house, right?  I hope it’s not swelling.  I have that burning feeling in my nose from a few flip turns…man, I’m bad at those.  I think I’ll stop doing them…I mean, no one does flip turns in the ocean!  My pal Chris (different Chris) is the Sales Manager at Cherry Creek Athletic Club and is touring a prospective member couple in the pool area.  They’re looking at me.  Try to look like you have good form.  Look like you’re really strong.  Do another flip turn…NO!  Don’t even think about it, dummy.  Two guys are now hovering over me at the end of my lane.  Of all places to stop and have a conversation!  In reality, they’re probably ten feet away but it feels like they’re conducting surgery over my comatose body.  Only 600 in?  I’m slipping…getting slower.  It doesn’t matter…just finish.  So I won’t end up with a 1:15 race time.  We just want to survive and finish, right?  Participants must finish inside of 17 hours to be called ‘Ironman’.  Those finishing 17:00:01 get the title “DNF”, or “Did Not Finish”.  Can you believe that?  The guy who completes 140.6 miles 5 minutes late is labeled the same as the guy who quits after 50 yards into the swim.  That’s Ironman!  Time – 1:21:37

Last 300 – I can’t swim.  A pair of young ladies are now laying out at the pool and I look like a baby giraffe trying to stand for the first time.  I am kicking every 2 reaches/pulls instead of every 3 and I feel like a complete tool.  Figure it out, stupid!  I try to sprint 25 and slowly creep back to combat my sudden muscle memory failure.  It works enough to at least keep my mind off the feeling that ESPN is capturing my stroke on the “Not Top Ten” list.   Ankle no longer hurts and I have a burst of energy at the end.  DONE.  Time – 1:27:06.  I was either faster that last 300 or I lost count.  Done either way.  How will the ankle feel tomorrow?

Saturday, September 8 – 19-mile run – Goodson Rec Center - Chris and JB

We show up at Goodson just before 7.  Neither of us feels great.  We’re wondering about the ankle.  Chris recommends we go out 6, return, refuel and go out again.  That way if the ankle gives out, we’re not too far out that I can walk back.  It’s cold – 46 degrees.  We opt for jackets and gloves.  We’ll shed a layer upon return.  Off we go.

What a difference it is to walk and to run.  The impact of the strike of the ball versus heel is completely different.  Heel doesn’t hurt a bit, but ball feels like a needle going from my foot up through my ankle and calf.  It’ll get better.  When we cross under University Blvd. there’s a sign stating “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!” and a lunch bag, most likely with additional fuel inside.  I hope for Kristen’s sake I am not in need of additional munchies.

Mile 3 – ankle has warmed up.  So have the rest of our bodies.  Both of us are sweating and have tied jackets around waists.  That jacket decision will now cost us the next 10 miles.  Must remember to take salt tabs every 3 miles.  It’s hard to get enough to drink because I’ve frozen my water bottles and it’s still too cold to thaw.  Sure hope I don’t dehydrate.

Mile 5 – Chris recommends we go 6.5 out so when we return we only have 6 left.  I’m thinking when we get back I might jump in my car and speed off.

Mile 7 – We’re both going strong.  This training is a piece of cake.  I am no longer tentative on the ankle.  I’m not fearing the bike tomorrow.  Get real, stupid…you’ve got a lot left to go. 

Mile 12 – That was fast…now I feel tired.  My left knee hurts on the outside.  That’s a new one.  Chris has an old ankle injury that’s now giving him pain.  Almost to the car. 

Mile 14 – Refueled and feeling nourished but tired, we begin again.  Starting feels like trying to turn a rusty crank.  It’s hard, and the first mile feels like an eternity. 

Mile 16 – Turn-around point.  We’re going to make it.  Chris has extended our walk time 15 seconds, which feels like 2 seconds.  Our pace has dropped from 10-minute miles to 11:20.  The only reason I give a flip is that it means it’ll take us longer to get back.  My son has a soccer game starting soon.  Yippee.

Mile 19 completed – Done – I can’t recall the time but I think we’re around 3:28.  For all I care it could be four hours.  We high-five and quickly stretch and depart.  Both of us have Dad responsibilities and a much longer task ahead of us tomorrow.

Sunday, September 9 – 110-mile ride – Chris and JB

This is not a good idea.

My ankle hurts and we’ve gotten a late start.  The plan was to begin at 7am but we miscalculated our starting location.  Once we get to the Platte River Canyon exit on C-470, we creak our way to our trunks and start loading up our bikes.  I’ve come prepared today.  I have a cooler full of ice, food, frozen and iced bottles with extra fuel, if needed.  Chris is limping around as much as I am, so that makes me feel better.  One of the problems with taking two weeks off running with a sprained ankle is that I’m out of practice and therefore in pain.  My quads feel like Rocky has punched them like in the meat locker scene.  Now I have to ride 110 miles on them.

Our route is unplanned, for the most part, which is not like Chris at all.  Clearly he didn’t get much sleep.  This is my traditional ride…as long as I have my iPhone I have a way to be bailed out.  We decide to head out C-470 to Morrison Road, which turns out to be a really dumb idea.  We’re climbing almost endlessly, but I did manage to snap a few cool shots at Chatfield, Fox Hollow Golf Course and Bear Creek… 

At Fox Hollow, we have our first near-miss.  On a quick downhill pass, I’m messing with a squeaky brake and fail to complete a turn…I go off the road.  Fortunately, no damage to the bike or even the tire tube.  Chris might not have even noticed my faulty driving!  We turned onto Bear Creek Trail and rolled into Platte River North.  A boy of perhaps 8 years old is almost creamed as he turns onto the path with us coming toward and a group of five riders behind him!  Just earlier a couple had blindly entered the bike path from a side street…I almost clip the older man and Chris somehow avoids taking out his wife.  It’s amazing that we’ve avoided a serious injury on this stretch of road.  Another 6 miles  and we take our first break at REI.  Bathroom break, coffee and oatmeal/bagel (JB/Chris) was exactly what the doctor ordered.  Next stop, Jonathan’s house.  We went up Platte River to the interchange at 287.  Up to Stapleton and through a little festival in the town center.  Up to Lowry and another break.  We shed a layer and applied Kenesio Tape to our swollen left shoulder blades.  Chris and I both suffer from the aero position on the bike, and now 50 miles in, we’re really feeling it.  I look at the clock…11:25???  Holy time suck, Batman!  We’re not even halfway and 4 hours have elapsed.  Perhaps we got a little too comfy at REI.  This is going to take longer than we expected.

We’re refueled and headed to the Cherry Creek Trail.  Back down to REI for a quick, unscheduled break…see, I lost my Sweat GUTR and it’s starting to take its toll.  Once Starbucks verified they didn’t have it, we’re back on the Platte Trail en route to Chatfield and the cars.  Another close miss as Chris avoids a head-on collision from a guy who wasn’t paying attention while riding beside his partner.  No room for that on this path on a Sunday!!!

It’s getting hot, and we’re feeling it.  About Mile 75, I’m pretty cashed.  We’ve gotten slower, and I’m feeling the same way about it yesterday.  Dreams of finishing by 1:30 are dead.    We’ll be lucky to be done by 3:30pm, a mere 8 hours after we started!!!

We reach the cars and towel the sweat off our heads.  We’ve got a solid 20 miles to go. We begrudgingly head out again, going up to the Chatfield entrance and then back towards Denver.  It seems that my Garmin can’t keep up with our mileage…are we really going to hit Sports Authority Field before turning back again?  Just before we reach the distant parking areas, we finally turn around.  We are officially at the home stretch.  We’ve been riding over 6 hours and have taken over an hour of breaks.   Still, we feel…not so bad.  Tired, no doubt, hot, definitely.  But the pedals keep moving.  We’re slower, but still we ride. 

We get o Overland Park Golf Course, again, or at least I think WE do.  I turn around and Chris is nowhere to be found.  I dawdle circling around a turnabout where golf carts and bikes interchange all day, but still no Chris.  Finally, I grunt and head back, and right around the corner comes Chris.  His rear bottle cage has fallen off, along with the screws, meaning he can’t reattach it.  I suggest he take the rubber bands from his Profile Design Aerodrink and attach the cage to his aero bars.  Unfortunately, it means he can’t rest in the aero position AND it’s difficult for him to shift gears.  Less than 6 miles to go, though, and we’ll manage the slower pace.

As we ride the last mile, Chris picks up the pace and we coast to the cars together.  Normally, we’d head to the nearest watering hole, but it’s been a LONG day and longer weekend, and it’s getting late.  The Broncos game starts in less than 3 hours and we’re content to have our Victory Beer at our respective homes.  We high five and limp to our cars.  The training day is DONE…and while we’re still average, we’re proud of our accomplishments.  Time to rest and recover.

Averagelog August 22, 2012

The Miracle that is The Life Vessel

I met Gail Lynn at a networking event early this year, and was immediately impressed with her professionalism and business acumen.  She knew her stuff, not only of her business but OF business.  I thought the two of us could do business together, but I became immediately interested in her product, The Life Vessel.

THE LIFE VESSEL® was invented by Barry McNew in 1998.  One thing that impresses me is that Barry McNew isn’t a doctor, a chiropractor or a Yogi…he’s someone who studied and figured out something that really works.  You can watch him describe the technology in detail by clicking here.

Formally speaking, the Life Vessel, a patented non-invasive technology and technique by which Frequency, Vibration, Sound and Light Waves are applied to the human body in a resonate frequency, resulting in the body being able to perform its innate natural ability to heal itself.  In averageman lingo, it’s a big box that resembles a tanning bed that you lie in for an hour and achieve maximum relaxation.

It’s impossible for me to put that feeling – and my personal experiences into words.  But I’m going to try.

My first time in the Life Vessel was back in May.  After the first minute I started to feel weird things happening in my body, like my left pinkie finger pulsing.  Back in November, I broke my finger in my annual Thanksgiving pickup family football game.  It hasn’t been the same since.  I thought, “hmmm…that’s interesting”.   I don’t remember a single thing after, but when I “awoke”, I channeled by inner Lion King…hakuna matata.  The next day I was faster, more powerful and feeling fully revitalized from the training week before.  Next time I’m going to pay more attention…

This week in the Life Vessel felt stronger going in…no need to rid myself of the pains of early training.  If you recall, there’s less pain now…only eternal exhaustion.  I tried hard to notice what was happening to my body.  A warm buzzing in my calves, a feeling of waves over my quadriceps…it’s working again!  Then a feeling in my face and frontal lobe that can be described as a chapter-length portion of book pages being turned from left to right, “unfolding” my face, brain and head.  WEEEEEEIRDDDDDD….

The bulbs grow dimmer, or at least it appears that way to my eyes.  I was out by now the last time I was in the vessel, I thought…perhaps I’m not letting myself go.  What time is it, I wonder?  Am I wasting my session because I’m not letting go?  SHUT UP, STUPID!!!  RELAX!!!

And then I’m gone.  Total restfulness…the lowest level of my subconscious.  It’s not sleep…it can’t be.  I feel like I’m somehow aware of my surroundings, but consumed by the sounds surrounding me.  If the Grim Reaper was standing over me, I wouldn’t have either noticed or cared…nothing seems to matter and disturb me in this state.  I think I’m awake…no, I must be asleep.  And then the door opens.

Tracy has brought an end to my session, and I’m a little bummed about it.  Whatever this feeling is, I want it back.  Gail tells me that people discover things about themselves that are sometimes buried down deep, from relationships to childhood abuse and more.  This comfortable state of total relaxation yields more than the body healing itself…it’s a bit of a revelation.

What I can tell you for certain is this…the intense throbbing in my shoulders is gone.  My attitude is completely relaxed and the “weight of the world” has been lifted, even if just for the day.  I am stronger, I am recovered and I am ready to get out and train again.  The Life Vessel makes me a better athlete.

Whatever your malady, I’m willing to bet the Life Vessel has served it.  From autism to multiple sclerosis, depression to Crohn’s Disease, the body is capable of healing itself once in its most relaxed state.  Don’t take my word for it, click here to read and watch the testimonials.  I’m hooked, I think you will be, too.

Our friends at Life Vessel of the Rockies will extend a healthy discount for averageman followers who would like to experience the Life Vessel personally.  You can reach her through our website, www.iamaverageman.com, or by dialing 303-630-9218, Tuesday through Saturday.   A free consultation is always provided.

Gail Lynn…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Our first meeting with Susan

Susan Kimball is our nutritionist, Certified Holistic Health Counselor  and owner of Balanced Health Counseling.  Susan is best known for helping her clients detoxify and lose weight through her popular Gentle Detox Diet Program, a four-week cleanse.  No question, Chris and I could benefit from this comfortable program because you really do get to feed your body.  The program begins with detoxifying through good whole foods daily like greens, eggs and whey protein, and even includes good carbs (less for weight loss) like brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes.  There’s a one day juice cleanse in the middle and you put foods back in at the end to see what foods work for you (and what don’t).  But it’s not without sacrifice…no caffeine and no alcohol.  After a full two seconds of consideration, I opt for a lesser challenge.

Our goal will be to make small changes.  Eat solid whole grain foods.   Consume the necessary servings of organic and regular fruits and vegetables.  Focus on foods that promote body recovery.  And above all, a reduce/add mentality.  What does that mean? 

Small changes to the diet are meant to not shock the system.  I eat pizza and fast food burger about once a week…so I get those things once every two weeks.  I can live with that.  Solid whole grains including barley, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and rolled oats.  “Whole grains” DON’T include pasta and whole wheat bread which may include whole grains but they are processed, NOT the whole grain themselves.    As for fruits and veggies?  We need to eat 9-13 servings per day.  Seriously.  AN AVERAGE OF ELEVEN servings of raw (1/2 - 1 cup worth) or cooked (1/2 a cup worth) of fruits and vegetables EACH…DAY.  Reduce just a little of the bad choice (quarter pounder with cheese) and add a little of the good choice (apple slices).  Easier said than done.

ONE LESSON THAT MAY CHANGE (AND EXTEND) YOUR LIFE - Spinach, kale and lettuce need to be organic because of the heavy pesticides on leafy greens.  That list also includes potatoes, celery, apples, grapes and blueberries – some of worst pesticide-heavy foods due to their thin skin.  Conversely, onions, broccoli, bananas (yea!), pineapples and avocados are okay to buy regular because of their pungent smell or thick skin.  Stick to getting the  pesticide-laden produce organic and you’ll wipe out about 80% of the toxins you’ll consume from pesticides.  THANKS!

Chris and I will opt for Juice Plus, a supplement made entirely of 17 fruits and vegetables (and even whole grains) which will give us the necessary servings to whittle our daily intake to about 5 real servings per day.  Our price - $41.75 per month.  For less than $1.50 per day, we’ll save about ten bucks a day in the produce section at Whole Foods.

Were you aware that protein is supposed to amount to only 15% on average of your daily diet?  It’s true.  Even more so for Chris and I with our workout plan.  We need complex carbohydrates for energy and  a serving of protein three times a day no larger than the palm of our hands.  A Whopper Junior fits in the palm of my hand…

So as far as I’m concerned, I’ll do my best to stick to the above regimen.  The Bryants will boil our grains on the weekends and portion them out so they’ll be readily available.  I will get rid of the daily multivitamin, add a vitamin B-12 pill and 4 capsules of Juice Plus per day.  This supplement will reduce inflammation, repair DNA damage and give me more energy.  It may not be noticeable right away, but I’m pumped.  Susan will allow me my vice…I don’t want to give up alcohol until a month prior to the race (I don’t want to give it up at all, really).  We’ll check in Friday mornings twice a month to report how we feel (I’m going to take a stab at a food diary) and see what these little changes are doing for our performance.

Our goal is to get our bodies TO and THROUGH November 25^th…away we go!

Are you interested in Susan’s 4-week cleanse or Juice Plus?  You can reach her at www.balancedhc.com or 303-748-2521.

70.3 miles later

I live for race day and last week was no different.  I agreed to do the Ironman 70.3 Vineman with my friend Sam Attasi last year while we were living in Charleston, WV.  Sam warned me that it is common to get cranky the week leading up to the race; it must be true because I was called out by both my wife and boss.  So a warning to all you averageman wannabes: steer clear of people a few days before the race. 

We arrived on Friday night and made our way to beautiful Sonoma County, CA.  The weather was perfect the entire weekend, low’s around 50 and highs around 80.  It was so good to see my friend Sam, since it had been almost a year since we’ve left Charleston.  Saturday was registration and transition setup day; there were a lot of little details to keep track of which made for a few long hours, but we tried to relax as much as possible. 

Race day started with a 4:30am wake up call so we could be at the swim start by 5:30am.  My swim started at 8:30am in the Russian River and the water temperature was 72 degrees, which meant wetsuits were allowed.  As an averageman, I need every technological advantage possible, so I was very glad to have the wetsuit for buoyancy and speed.  This was my first event where the water was warmer than the outside air, so when I jumped in the water it felt really good.  I was in one of the biggest waves of the race so I hung out in the back of the start to avoid getting kicked in the head.  The swim was great and I noticed the advantage of training at altitude almost immediately on the swim.  I felt like I had a third lung, so I kept increasing my speed as the swim went on.  I finished the swim in 39 minutes and headed to the transition area to prepare for my bike. 

It was going to be a quick transition, until I broke the band on my Garmin.  It added at least 1 minute to my transition which was a bummer because I needed every minute I could get!  The bike started along the Russian River towards Santa Rosa and took us on a beautiful bike ride around northern Sonoma County.  All that beauty could not come without a price; that price was hills and a lot of them.  About halfway through the bike I was really glad we trained on a few hilly areas the month before the race, but I would not know how effective my training was until I started running.  I finish the bike portion in 3:09 and considering the amount of hills I was very pleased. This put me in a very comfortable position to exceed my averageman goal of 6.5 hours. 

The run portion is usually my best; however it did not work that way for this race.  I am pretty sure I used my legs up on the bike, because when I started running I did not have my normal kick.  Maybe all the hills on the run affected that too and it might have been helpful to do at least one hilly run during my training.  The worst thing about running without a friend or music is you have a lot of time to think.  All my thinking pretty much consisted of “How am I going to double all this in November?”  I am not sure if it turned out to be a motivator or not, but I did run the second half of the run faster than the first!  As I crossed the finish line in 6:21:37 they announced my name and where I was from, which I though was a really nice touch!  I was given my medal and some “real” food which I desperately needed after only eating Gu for 6 hours. 

This was a great race and was very organized!  I would recommend this race to anyone, but definitely train for hills on the bike and run.  I think I might try The Vineman again next year, so let me know if you want to join!  Jen and I had a great time the days after the race exploring Napa and Sonoma.  I am excited about Ironman Cozumel now, especially since it is a flat course for the run and bike!  Back to work next week and back to 15 hours of training next week.  Being average is a lot of work this year!

To see my photos from Vineman CLICK HERE.

Chris

Average men and women, we're in for a treat today!  Grab your pencils and take a few notes.  Coach Justin is a USAT certified coach with 9 years experience in multisport.  He has donated his time and expertise to benefit averageman and The Morgan Adams Foundation, and has provided 4 Above Average Tips for the budding average triathlete...

1. Equipment:  You don't have to go all in, but do yourself a favor and invest in a few things that will pay off in the long run.  A)  A decent bike -- you can get into an entry level road bike for between $500 and $1000 and will allow you to learn how to properly ride a bike.  B)  A "swimmers" swim suit -- no baggie shorts or bikinis for the ladies.  Getting a good suit will ensure that unnecessary drag is not preventing good technique.  C)  Running shoes -- getting new shoes that are specifically designed for your running style will prevent injuries down the road.  This will ensure that your first triathlon experience is a good one and will have you coming back for more.
2. Do not do too much too soon:  If you've never run before, jumping into a 5K without any training is a recipe for pain.  Seek a qualified coach or follow a training plan that will help you achieve your goal while staying injury free.  Remember that a general rule of thumb is to increase no more that 10% per week increase in distance or duration.  For example, if you ran a total of 5 miles last week, then you should only run 5.5 miles next week.  Similarly, if you swam for 30 minutes, increase your time to 33 minutes next week.
3. Stay balanced:  If you look at many experienced triathletes, you will find that they lead a very balanced lifestyle which includes time with family, work and still time to train.  Don't let triathlon become all-consuming, but enjoy this new found healthy lifestyle by trying to incorporate family and work into some of your training (e.g. buy a jogging stroller to be able to run with your kids, or organize a lunchtime walk/run with your coworkers). 
4. Have fun:  Above all else, have fun.  Give a friendly smile or wave to other people that you run by and a quick nod to other cyclists -- they're having as much fun as you are!

Training in Hell 

Growing up it Texas should have prepared me for training in the heat.  The only problem was...I did not grow up at 5,280 feet.

Although this week might be beneficial for our Ironman (basically on the equator) in Cozumel, it was not enjoyable in Denver.  All I can say is "Thank God for the pool."  This week was one of the hottest weeks on record in Denver but we managed to do 28 miles of running and 100 miles of biking.  I have to say we did pretty darn good.  It required waking up at 5am a few of mornings so we could run at 80 degrees instead of 102.  It was all good until our final workout of the week.  

Jonathan and I started at 7am with an open water swim to prepare me for the Ironman 70.3 Vineman in two weeks.  It seemed like a good idea until the last two hours of our bike ride at 95 degrees with no sun screen.  We survived the week and I found a great new energy supplement this week. It is called Honey Stinger and it's made by a small company in Steamboat Springs, CO. All their products taste great and are easy on the stomach, since they are made with honey...a pure natural energy. The Organic Waffles are unbelievable! 

One more week of hard training and then it's time for the Vineman!

averageman - Chris

"Zone 2"

5 months to race day...

I love what Justin posts on Workout Log for each run and ride.

"Maintain Zone 2 throughout"

Zone 2 refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm) in order to maintain aerobic exercise.  You can figure our yours by clicking here.  There are 5 HR zones, with Zone 5 being your maximum heart rate (MHR).

Chris is average (in a good way) when it comes to this calculation.  When we run together, Chris maintains a Zone 2 HR of about 130.  I, on the other had, am less than average.

I just got back from the first part of today's training - an 8-mile run.  After about 45 seconds of running, I'm around 145bpm.  From middle to end of the run, I'm around 171.  According to the charts, that's roughly Zone 4. or "lactate threshold" (huh?)...my MHR is supposed to be between 180 and 190...ruh roh.  

I've questioned a few people about this and read several blog posts.  One self-proclaimed cardiologist posted that it really doesn't matter what your HR is, as we're all different, blah, blah.  Words of wisdom?  We'd love to hear it.  While our goal is simply to finish, if I can get good tips on how to keep my HR down (without going any slower), please chime in.

Jonathan