Disapointment . . .

What a let down . . .

I am so disappointed in so much right now, mostly with myself.

As you all know today the clocks turned back an hour. I didn’t know this until last night when we had the informational session at the host hotel.

Then Amanda reminded me as well.

Last night I went over my gear, lubed my chain, re-checked my gear and got ready for bed.

I use a cell phone PDA called the 8125, by m cell phone carrier. I have had it for a short time. It is a good phone and it also keeps my calendar up to date and I can get my email and check the internet on this phone. It is great . . . Except for last night.

It was about 11:00 PM. I knew I had to reset the clock on the phone since I use it for my alarm. I did this, I set the alarm for 5:45 AM. This would give me time to shower, load my bike and drive 30 minutes to the race site. I don’t like standing around for 30 minutes or an hour before the race. I will not do that anymore!

I set the phone back an hour, set the alarm and watched a little TV, then went to sleep. For the first time I slept great before a race. I did wake up at about 2:30 and got sick a little, I think it was the pasta I had for dinner.

My alarm goes off. I instinctively reach over and tap it to shut it off. Get up stretch, shower, turn on the TV. I eat an energy bar.

I put on my watch. It says 7:03 AM. 7:03 AM!!!!!!!!!

I also moved my watch back an hour.

I grab my phone and there is a message on it that say it automatically reset my clock for me as a result of daylight savings.

My swim start was in 2 minutes. I was 30 minutes away and didn’t have my bike loaded.

I sat on the bed in disbelief. I am still in disbelief. I worked hard for this race and I am sitting in my hotel while it is beginning.

I am so sorry to all of you that supported me and gave me motivation for this event. I feel so horrible.

I was angry at first, but I only had me to be angry with. I should do like everyone in this sport and get there right when transition opens incase something goes wrong.

I am very sorry.

I am signed up for Gulf Coast. This is another half Ironman in Florida early next year. I will work hard for it and do well.

I have to forgive myself for this mistake and move on. While I feel bad and feel like I have let all of you down, I have to move ahead so I don’t fall behind.

I fly out tomorrow at 4:00 PM. I am going to ride the bike course tomorrow morning.

Eleven Hours . . .

Eleven Hours . . .

It is 9:42 PM. I am setting he clock back one hour. Daylight savings, or whatever. I am in good spirits.

I had a good dinner with my buddy Rocko and the informational session for the race was nice.

I aim to sleep well. I never do, however tonight is going to be different.

I will wake at 4:00 AM, check my gear, load up and head to the race site. After I set up
my transition site I will head up to Rocko’s room and nap for 30 minutes or so then get
mentally focused and head to he swim start.

I will finish around 3:30 PM and it will take me about an hour to get under control and
showered. The second I am out of the shower I will post and let you all know how I did
and that I am living!

Keep me in your thoughts.

Chris

30 Hours and counting . . .

30 hours and counting . . .

I am in Conroe TX. It is about 68 degrees and sunny. I am wearing a fleece jacket. I am happy!

It is said to be 40 degrees Sunday morning. High of 71 degrees! The Lord has answered one of my prayers today!!!!!!!! Let’s just hope he knows his Fridays from his Sundays! (Just kidding big guy)

As the start of the race becomes closer my muscles begin to tighten. I ran this morning, 3 easy miles. This afternoon I am going to drive the bike course and ride about 10 easy miles.

So, this morning I did it!

It?

It you ask?

Shaved my body!!!! I know geeky, and it feels as weird as it sounds! If I had thought ahead I would have brought a BIG plastic trash bag, you know the size for your lawn to pick up leaves. I could have made so serious cash with the amount of hair I could have sold to a sweater making shop!

Instead, I have simply pissed off some poor hotel cleaning person. (I left a pretty good tip for my mess and the new vacuum cleaner they will have to buy)

Let me tell you how odd this feeling is. It’s odd!

I don’t have anything to compare it to so I’ll do my best to describe the feeling.

The shaving part was tough first of all. First I used my beard shaver/trimmer and took off the long hair. Then in the shower I lathered up with soap and went to town. I probably should have notified someone of what I was doing so there would be confusion if I were found dead in the tub as a result of the loss of blood. Poor women . . . Poor women.

I look real stupid right now out in public with Kleenex tissue stuck to the blood spots!!!!!

Once I was out of the shower it was instantly obvious this was new to me. As I tried to dry off, the towel just stuck to my body. I had to sort of pat try.

Then there was walking by the A/C. WOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Cold!

Putting on my pants and shirts was wild! The clothing just flutters around me now, touching me in ways that some might find erotic. This is a whole new clothing wearing feeling.
THEN! There was the sunlight!

Once I hit the sunlight I began to see the infractions of my earlier work! I missed some serious real-estate!!!!!! There are long stripes going up the back of my calf, and worse from my elbow to my wrist I missed two big patches!!!!!!!!

I am first time shaving gone bad.

However I will say, it feel quite liberating. I feel lighter. I know I’m not . . . Well, maybe? While I think about it I did see about 4 pounds of hair around the bathroom! I know TMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many of you may be reading this and asking yourself, “why would he do this?”.

Great question. I have no idea.

I really don’t. I read about it I a tri article about 6 months ago and it basically said that it doesn’t improve you performance really, but it creates a unique feeling on race day. Well, I have to disagree with that article. It creates a unique feeling, INSTANTLY!

As I am writing I just noticed a new patch I missed, on my right wrist!!! HAAAA!

I need to give a shout out to my friend that sent me two mix tapes (isn’t it funny, I still call them mix tapes even though they are CDs!!!) just for the race. I have been listening to them non-stop. I am listening to them right now. This friend is the best Triathlete I know period. And she is smok’n hot! Thanks for the CD/s C.

My friends from the BRtri club are heading over tonight. My friends Bear and Momma Bear come over tomorrow. Race Packet pick up is from 11:00am until 6:00pm tomorrow and the lodge where the race is.

I thought about shaving my head, but I thought is the key there. I don’t know how much thought into shaving my body, but once you start, you really can’t stop. Stopping would be much worse. Much worse. (I did leave my chest hair)

I am in very good spirits. I am excited, but focused. I have confidence, but I realize it will be very difficult to finish and that finishing is all I am here for.

Thanks for ALL and I mean AAAALLLL of the positive emails and phone calls. Please understand this . . . Your emails and calls are the number one motivator for me in the endeavor I call health seeking. Thank you.

Well, I will try and write tomorrow about my pre race mental state. If I don’t forgive me, I am probably going over my check list for the four hundredth time.

Thanks again and I will post after race for sure.

MICHELLE JONES WINS KONA!

Yes this Michelle Jones Pictured with your very own ME and the Incredible HEATHER FUHR!!!!!

T - Minus 6 and counting . . .

T – Minus 6 days and counting!

Monday – It is 4:15 in the morning. I am tired. I didn’t sleep at all. I am on my way out of the door to run.

My run will be 3.5 miles to the NAT (where I swim) then back home 3.5 miles.
The swim in between will consist of 3200 yards mix drills.

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!!

I will detail how it all went when I get back!!!


7:33 AM

WOW! I can only hope the weather is like this in Conroe next weekend. It was brisk and chilly, perfect for what I did this morning.

Got off on my run right at 4:22 AM. Took it easy the first mile to warm up. Once I made it to the lakes at LSU I picked it up to my top speed! Sadly the turtle I startled moved faster than me to make his escape.

I have never ran to the LSU Natatorium before. I wasn’t sure the best route so I simply ran the way I drive there every morning. It seems so much shorter when you’re in your vehicle.

About mile 2.5 I realize I was going to be tired on the way back home.

I have a friend who is an awesome Triathlete, she said something twice to me, once in a letter and once in an email.

She said when something negative comes up, acknowledge it, then let it go.

I put this into practice several times on the way to the pool and double that on the way home.

I twisted my ankle just a tiny bit on a curb, nothing bad at all. I acknowledged it and let it go.

Got to the pool right about 5:10 AM. Had to go to the bathroom the last mile, thank goodness I made it. I could just see calling home at 5:00 in the morning . . . “Yeah, hun, it’s me, can you a come bail me out? . . .What for, well, uh, public peeing.”

The pool has never felt better. I swam in the slightly heated pool. It was like magic. I headed straight into my 800 warm up, nice and easy making sure my mechanics were on time and smooth.
I have this one horrible problem in my crawl, I forget to kick. Sound ridiculous I know. I don’t mean I let my legs go limp and drag behind me, but I just sort of flutter my legs behind me, not really making them work. I actually have to remind myself to kick. I hope no one else has this problem.

After 4 sets of 100 descends, 200 kick, and 500 at just above race pace, and 400 at race pace, then another 800 cool down I was ready to run home.

After 3100 yards in the pool I actually felt ready to run, until I hit the out doors and realized just how heated that pool was. For the first mile I thought I might lose a nipple. I was pretty darn cold and anyone who knows me, realizes what a feat that is, to cool me down.

But it didn’t take long until I was hot and back to sweating like only a Boggs can.

The run home was definitely a mental test. I forgot to mention that my Garmin 305 registered 4.2 miles form my drive to the pool, so I was putting in 8.4 miles this morning with a nice little swim.

As I passed my Friends Gloria, and Scott’s house which was about mile 2.7 I was pretty pumped. My heart rate was in good shape, my breathing was awesome and my legs hurt like heckle and jeckle! I was ready to be home.

The sun was coming up and it was ending up to be a really pretty morning. I crossed Stanford and new I only had 1.3 miles to go and I began to get a second wind, too bad my legs weren’t in on that plan!

As I coasted in on my street I let out a short little woo hoo!

I thanked the big guy upstairs and headed straight for the dry clothes then the computer to make my post.

I will ride later today if I get back from New Orleans in time if not I will put in double time tomorrow.

Everyone, have a brilliant day!

I am off to shower and begin my day and make a difference, I am not sure how yet, but it will happen.

Sevn Days . . .

Being fat seems so trivial . . .

I have a friend. Yes I do!

This friend has such a positive spirit and this friend has been very motivating to me in my effort to become healthy and lose weight through triathlon.

While it may be an infrequent occurrence, there are a few times I have allowed myself to give into self pity and self sorrow regarding my weight.

Today I realized how little my situation is in the world we live in. I can change. On my own with no surgery, no drugs, nothing but my own will. I can make myself into a healthy person through exercise, through effort, and focus.

I am one lucky guy.

My friend, she is going to have a mastectomy. She has cancer. She is 30. It is hard for me not to get emotional while writing this. I wish you all could know her. She is such a positive person with the strength of a lioness.

She doesn’t want me to feel sad for her. She doesn’t want me to pity her.

Do you know what she does want?

She wants to live through me over the next 3 to 4 months while she goes through the fight which as she says will be another notch in her belt.

My friend asked me to train for her.

She is doing Florianopolis, Brazil next year.

She wants to train through me and finish races through me, until she can get back on her training and on her feet.

Whoa. I will admit . . . this is pressure. I know how hard she trains.

I only have one race this season, but I will post daily for her to read. I will post the silly nuances that go on in my daily grind. But more than that, I will race for her this coming weekend. I will cross the finish thinking about her and as she put it, she will feel like she crossed right along with me.

On November 12, I begin my training for next year. A crazy year, 2 half Ironman races and then ending the year with my first Ironman in Florida.

Please keep my friend in your thoughts. I know she will be fine for the reasons I listed above, but kindness and positive thoughts always helps.
To my friend. You are loved for you and what you become everyday.



A very short report on my race yesterday.

It was awesome! I cut my time by 19 minutes from this race last year! This is a lot of time considering how short this race is.

From beginning to end I felt strong.

I even had a lot in the tank at the finish. Good thing since I am going to need every ounce of it this coming Sunday!

The best part of the race was about mile 1.5. A guy comes flying by and then starts walking. I catch up to him and he has stopped running to talk with me. He is a PT and shared his thoughts with me. We talked for a good 5 minutes. As he ran off to the finish he said this, “You are an inspiration to a lot of people, you should know that.”

When I began this effort or triathlon I didn’t do this for that reason, selfishly. I did this because I wanted to get better, healthier.

But each time I hear someone share that with me, it makes me smile. It pushes me to do better. When I hear a comment such as that I feel a commitment to those I inspire and I am beginning to realize something.

I am doing this for me, but there is another result here. I may be helping others?

My only hope is . . . That I don’t let you down.

Thanks to everyone for your kindness and your motivation.

Nine days . . . Nine days.

Nine Days.


Things happen.

It has been a tough two weeks. My favorite part of the training I haven’t been able to do. I have had a major ear infection that is today still fighting to stick around. My doctor has restricted my swimming and I am miserable.

I have been running and cycling, but the ear is not letting me train to my needs to complete the race.

I am keeping my spirits up and I will try and get enough in this next week to complete the race.

I have been prescribed physical therapy for my nagging calf issue. My doctor feels that there was at some point a tear in it and it needs to be worked with.

There you have it. “Things happen”.

I am remaining optimistic.

I am not an Olympic athlete. I am not going to place in my age group. I am going to finish.

One of my best friends from college, who I miss a great deal, said it best. He said “I know you will do great, you’re too stubborn to quit.”

I would say that about sums me up.

I race tomorrow (Saturday) in a very small sprint triathlon. I am looking forward to it.

Keep me in your thoughts the next nine days. Send me positive thoughts. I will need them and I will also need your thoughts and prayers on Sunday, October 29th.

I am going to attempt to post immediately after the half Ironman, but forgive me if I can’t.

On October 29th I will Swim 1.2 miles – Bike 59 miles – Run 13.1 miles. I will.

Have a great week!

2 Weeks and Counting . . .

2 weeks . . .

You know, when I signed up for my HIM (Half Ironman) about seven months ago, it seemed like such a long, long way away.

Not so much today.

It is 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday. My little sister is getting married today and then she won’t be my little sister anymore. I have just returned from an 80 minute run around Ridgeland Mississippi and I can only hope the weather in Conroe Texas is the same as it was this morning, however with my luck or lack the of, it will be the opposite of this morning.

As I exited the hotel at around 4:05 AM, I was welcomed by a brisk cool morning with dew on the ground and I was happy. I began to run with a hop in my step that I haven’t seen in a while. After about mile 2 I began to think about Conroe and the two weeks between now and then.

I am doing a sprint tri next weekend in Lafayette. Amanda is participating in her first tri as a relay participant!!!! I am so excited! She has been training on her own, running twice as fast as me in her first day out. I am so excited, it was worth a repeat.

We depart for Texas on the Thursday before the race. Big D from the tri club is riding and staying with us. I love Big D to death. She is about (man I hope she doesn’t kick my butt) 40’ish, maybe 42’ish? And one tough mother!! I can only dream of having her body (only in the male version) when I am her age. She works had at it and it pays off.

I think a lot about how difficult the day will be and if I can hold up. After the 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike I think I will be ok. It is the 13.1 mile run after all of that which worries me. I know that after mile six my body, hips especially, will be in bad shape, but I will not give up. I am a little worried about the cut-off time. In my head the numbers work and I see myself finishing a good 30 minutes before the cut-off of eight hours.

I have also made one last resolution. After this weekend I am only allowed to think on the progressive side, the positive side. I am only allowed to see myself succeeding and doing so with style. Or just not crapping in my pants!!!

I believe in visioning and I will put the belief to the test in 15 short days.

I must admit, I have not trained as I would like to have, but I have trained to the extent that my body has remained intact. There have been days that I couldn’t lift my left leg to put on my pants because my hip was in such bad shape. I look forward to dropping to my goal weight. My thought is that I will not be in so much pain from the training aspect of the sport.

However I have to work with what I have right now and I am doing the beast that I can. I am in what is called the TAPER portion of my training. This is where I begin to lower the distance of my training and begin to push the speed portion until I get close to race day, where I let the body recuperate for the big, long, weary day.

This has been a journey.

Amanda stop asking me about a week ago . . . “Are you still going to do your Half Ironman?” I think she is finally grasping the fact that this is going to happen. I know she worries about me. I am not sure the Disney Tri and Medical Tent experience helped her.

That was the last question she has asked me regarding this race, “Is it going to me a Disney finish again?”

My response . . . “Likely.”

Thanks to everyone, Timbeux, Anne, Amanda, and everyone else for your thoughts and encouragement. I will take that with me on my journey.

Here we go!

Todays weight: 386

It's not 380, but it isn't 405!

Next weigh in: October 18th

Goal: 375

Disney tri pictures

Pictures from the Disney Tri

ESPN for Monday night football: Saints vs Falcons!