Success on Saturday!

What a day this past Saturday.
The 10K race at The Wilds was a pretty unique race. I’ve never done a course as hilly as the one at this location. It was brutal from start to finish. Some of the hills were truly heartbreaking. I am very surprised that I made it running through those hills. Some of them were as steep as some of the steep streets in San Francisco. I wish that I could come up with a detailed explanation on how they felt but no matter what I say it would not give it enough justice.
It was a great training exercise, I have to tell myself that. I ran as hard as I could for as long as I could. For this 10K distance I clocked a time of 50:19, which was good enough for 33rd place overall and 2nd in the 25-29 Age Group. I did end up winning a snazzy “2006 EcoThon at The Wilds” mug.
But the day was not over then. After the race I drove back to Columbus and starting at the Hoover Dam I went ahead and rode for 31.5 Miles. It was not the fasted I could do but enough to make it a “Monster Reversed Brick Day”.
It felt really strange to be riding my bike after a hard run. It was a nice change of pace but it took my legs a few minutes to adjust to the riding after the run.
All things considered it was a sensational day.
In case you are wondering about how I felt on Sunday… I have to confess that it was a very mellow day.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Last tune up before the Flying Pig Half

Out of the blue I decided to sign up for a race sponsored by my employer for which I had the chance to have a discounted entry fee. It is described as a wilderness run through a nature preserve called the The Wilds. It should be fun!

This 10K should be an interesting experience as it should serve as a nice speed workout before I attempt to taper off before the Flying Pig Half Marathon. The day of rest today should help the cuase. I just hope to hear my alarm in the morning when it is time to wake up. I should probably start packing up and heading for bed. The morning will be here before I know it. Along with this 10K I am planning a ride of at least 30 miles to complete a "reversed brick" during this weekend. I have to take advantage since I have the time and the weather will be cooperating tomorrow. Hopefully this training will help me avoid getting passed as shown below...that lady could run.

Swimming

It is been about a week and half since I've been in the water. Now, that I am done with the head cold I feel that I can come back to the pool and not make a fool of myself attempting to swim the length of the pool. The arms sure felt tired after today’s workout. But speaking of making a fool of myself checkout the Clot Buster before a race last year…

Those goggles sure fit nicely without the band around my head. Sometimes you just have to find ways to stay occupied while waiting for the fog to lift from the lake.
Now, below you can see the man in action after things got underway. It is all about the business on hand of trying to give my wife a good lead for the run portion. Liz and I raced the Pineman Triathlon as team where I swam and biked and she finished things off with the run. With only the two of us we can beat some other teams of three people. It is always interesting to see how we stack up against other teams. I enjoy sharing the pain with Liz during the team events. Who knows maybe this year again we will be able to sneak in another team race under the "Clot Busters" team name.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

NATT - Columbus, OH Seminar Announcement

NATT will be holding an Education and Discussion Seminar on
BLOOD CLOTS AND BLOOD CLOTTING DISORDERS: Key Issues in Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention.

Saturday May 13, 2006
Hilton at Easton, Columbus, Ohio.

This is FREE seminar will be of interest to:
People who have had a blood clot or at risk
People with inherited clotting abnormalities
Family members
Health care workers
Anyone wanting to know more about blood clots and wishing to advance prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis and thrombophilia.

If you are interested in receiving more information about this seminar please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Post Half Marathon Blues...

After Liz and I completed the Columbus Ohio Distance Classic I think that both us have fallen victim of, what I like to call, “Post Half Marathon Blues.” We had that first race in our minds for soo long that after it came and went we found ourselves completely unmotivated to hammer out the miles in preparation for our next challenge. In our heads the pain from the last half marathon still fresh. And along with that we are facing the hills of the Flying Pig Half marathon course that is not pick-nick at all.
Personally I much rather be riding my bike. Which is exactly what I did this week three times already. But we are not leaving our running behind either. Yesterday we put our fears a side and went for a +40min run with 3 hill repeats added to the mix. It was far longer than what I thought we would go when we started. I enjoyed it even as I was continuing my battle with the head cold. Finally, today I am turning the corner…or so I believe so this weekend should bring some good efforts.
In reality, I am just VERY LUCKY to have the chance to go out there and workout everyday that I do. I always need to come back to that when I feel unmotivated to get out the door with my running shoes all laced up and ready. Every opportunity has to be enjoyed to the max because in the end I am the one who makes it fun, challenging, and worth it.
Next week sometime I will be making the final preparations for the printing of the NATT jersey. It will look SWEET! Hopefully I will have them in my hands by the time the first triathlon of the season comes my way.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Murphy's Law...

Here in Columbus, OH we are having some sensational weather that I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy. I would love the chance to me kayaking today but istead some of us get the chance to sport a bright red nose courtesy of relentless nose blowing from a cold that I picked up over the weekend. Even after having a debilitating head cold I managed to be outside riding yesterday. Today, I was lucky enough to go for a long walk with my lovely wife that included some great conversation, plenty of sun shine, swinging on the swingset, and youth soccer watching as the foreign head coach of one of the teams barked instructions. It was really funny to hear the guy's accent across the field...Of course, who am I to talk?

I am glad to see people out there just enjoying the fresh air. It does the body good, no question about that.

Slowly I am crawling out of this cold. I look forward to how I will be feeling tomorrow. Perhaps a ride is on tap for me. We will see.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Schedule Update...

2006 Race Schedule
~ Columbus Distance Classic (Columbus, OH) – 04/01/2006.
13.1 Mi. Run.
Time: 1:34.59 (New Personal Best!!!)
Overall: 150th
25-29 Age Group: 21st

~ Flying Pig Half Marathon (Cincinnati, OH) – 05/07/2006.
13.1 Mi. Run.

~ Vineyard Triathlon – Buckeye Lake State Park (Millersport, OH) – 05/27/2006. (NEW on my schedule).
0.5Mi. Swim; 15.7Mi. Bike; 3.1Mi. Run.

~ Med Express Mountaineer Triathlon (Morgantown, WV) – 6/25/2006. (NEW on my schedule)
1.2Mi. Swim; 56Mi. Bike; 13.2 Mi. Run.

~ Buckeye Lake Triathlon (Millersport, OH) – 07/16/2006. (NEW on my schedule)
0.9Mi. Swim; 25Mi. Bike; 6.2Mi. Run.

~ Columbus International Triathlon (Columbus, OH) – 07/23/2006. (Tentative)
0.9Mi. Swim; 25Mi. Bike; 6.2Mi. Run.

~ Steelhead Triathlon (Bent Harbor – St. Joseph, MI) – 08/05/2006. (NEW on my schedule)
1.2Mi. Swim; 56 Mi. Bike; 13.2 Mi. Run.

~ Great Lake Escape Triathlon (Marblehead, OH) – 09/10/2006.
0.9Mi. Swim; 25Mi. Bike; 6.2Mi. Run.

Oh, I was hurting!

Mile 11 brought the pain at the Columbus Distance Classic.

255.5 Miles of Racing soon to Start!

Now days, what can you do with a nickel, a dime, or even a quarter? You could decide to use any one of them to match every mile that I plan to race this season which would translate into much needed funds for NATT. Since I am an engineer by profession allow me to do the math for you...

$$ Nickel per mile -> $12.78
$$ Dime per mile -> $25.55
$$ Nickel + Dime per mile -> $38.33
$$ Dime + Dime per mile -> $51.10
$$ Quarter per mile -> $63.88
$$ Quarter + Nickel per mile -> $76.65
$$ Quarter + Dime per mile -> $89.43
$$ Double Quarter per mile -> $127.75
$$ 0.75 cents per mile -> $191.63
$$ One Dollar per mile -> $255.50

Considering all of the alternatives above I am confident that one of the options surely will fit your budget and consequentlyy help a very worthy organization.

I am very excited for the season to start in late May. Yesterday I rode my bike outside for the second time this year (I cannot ride on the trainer ANYMORE!!!) and it was glorious! I think I went a little harder than what I should have but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Please consider joining me in this adventure to help NATT continue the great work that they are doing.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Clot Buster's Jersey Preview

Here is a sneak peak of what my competitors will see blow pass them in a blurr...

Colmbus Distance Classic - Some more photos from the race.

Additional photos of the "Clot Buster" crossing the finish line...


Well, I was relieved that I crossed the finished line no doubt about it.



I really don't know why that guy is walking towards the finish line. How did he get in front of me? My wife, with her cross country running experience always tells me to leave something extra in the fuel tank so that you can SPRINT to the finish. That guy left it all out there...sadly enough he beat me anyway.

Now, here is an example of going all out to the finish line! Liz finishing strong!


My Love, I am sorry but your effort at the end there needs to be shown!

The recovery week is going well. Slowly I am getting around to be pain free. I may even run a little this evening. I hope I can sustain the pounding.

Thanks for reading!

The Clot Buster

Columbus Distance Classic Half Marathon - Columbus, OH

Saturday April 1st, 2006.

Columbus Distance Classic Half Marathon (13.1Mi) - 1:34.59

BEST TIME EVER for a Half Marathon distance race.
The legs felt really good all the way to mile 11 when I started to struggle a little. I was keeping a sensational pace the entire time until the wall at mile 11. For some reason after mile 11 my legs started to feel extremely fatigued but my mind was telling me to keep on going. It was a battle inside of my head to maintain a decent pace all the way to the finish.

Somehow I kept it together and reached the finish line setting a new Personal Record. I improved from my previous 1:37 half marathon time set last year in february at the New Orleans Half Marathon.

It was a fun race all around the campus of the Ohio State University (which featured a loop around the mighty "Horse Shoe" Stadium) and all over downtown. The wind kept us honest everytime we faced West. My wife, Liz, also had a pretty good race improving on her performance from our last half marathon. She had a little bit of a struggle but she got it together. She amazes me everytime... she had a pretty rough start with a slow pace but after finding that little something inside of her she put it on the line and crossed that finish line.


The "Clot Buster" came out sporting the colors for the season... I had many, many, many compliments about my hat... Just wait until I get the entire kit ready for the beginning of the triathlon season.

As soon as I have more picture available I will be posting them.

Thanks for reading!

The Clot Buster.