Mi Casa es… NUEVA CASA!

Who knew that in this day in age they would allow me to borrow enough money to buy a house? I am still surprised but very excited at the same time about homeownership. This is very accomplishment if you consider that where I come from buying a property is very difficult challenge. I cannot believe that yesterday along with my wife we became homeowners.

I am thrilled with the prospect of making one of the rooms in the house “The Clot Buster’s Headquarters.” I know you are thinking the same thing as I am… polka dots all over the place just so that I can get that extra motivation to train and continue this fundraising effort beyond this summer. Although, Mrs. Clot Buster is a supporter of the fundraising project not so much of the room… Maybe with enough support I can persuade her… what do you think?

So, as of Tuesday August 29th I am not longer renter. Let me tell you that is been a long time coming… I don’t even want to imagine the number of Clot Buster jerseys I could have manufactured and later used to sweep so that everyone knows about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

Please don’t tell anyone, but my training is taking a hit as we try to move into our new place. I think that commuting to work Thursday and Friday will be my solution for the training problem this week. I will be riding past the infamous tree so I will have to see what is left of it. I am bringing the camera to document the remains of the fallen tree.

For the time being I am looking forward to finding a spot for my beloved hammock in our backyard… soon enough I will be swinging away in a cool Sunday afternoon…

I have to get back to my moving.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

Who is this Clot Buster Guy anyway?

Perhaps that is a question that many of you out there are asking yourselves. Yes, he is a very handsome bald individual who wears a polka dot outfit while racing, but really who is this guy and where did he come from?

Well, I wish I had a great story about the birth of the Clot Buster like the falling tree on top of me last week… By the way, last weekend Mrs. Clot Buster and I went for a run at Highbanks Park. During our one hour run on the park trails my sense of hearing was very much in tune with the noises coming from the trees above us. I was looking around a lot just in case… you just never know! Also, for the first time in a very long time we went to the track to do some speed work. Man, I needed that workout so bad. It was very nice to put down 9 sets of 400 meters. In the Clot Buster’s world that was a tremendous work because the need for speed is great as I am looking to close this season with a good race on September 10th. Although, the triathlon racing will be over by then the Clot Buster mission is far from over. YES! He will be back next year but in the interim there are some fall races that may experience the Polka-Dot power in full force. You just never know where I will end up showing up. Just stay tuned.

But returning to the story of how I came about, there is not much to it. I’ve been racing triathlons for about 4 years now during the summer. I enjoy the competition and how I’ve been able to improve over the years in all the different areas of the sport. It seems as if every year I discover something new on my racing that I can work on to get better. There is always a detail or a new workout that I can add to make things more challenging for my competition. Also, I enjoy racing in some new venues. It is a great excuse for us to go travel and explore new places. But at the same time I have some favorite races that I really enjoy doing to see if I can improve on my times. So, all things considered we could say that triathlon is one of my hobbies. There is a reason why I love eating… and it is so that I can race!

Knowing that I was going to put together another racing summer and considering the fact that my wife, as one of the founders and current board member of NATT, has volunteered an unimaginable amount of time to the organization over the last 3 years I just could not sit on the sidelines being an outside supporter any longer. The dedication and sheer passion that my wife shows for NATT day in and day out is a tremendous inspiration for me to attempt to help in any way possible. I also know that along with Mrs. Clot Buster there are a number of other people volunteering incredible amounts of time to get this organization on the map and working towards the fulfillment of their mission to educate and create awareness. Being witness to all this hard work inspired me to come up with this fund raising/promoting campaign idea.

Mrs. Clot Buster in action at the Columbus, OH Edcuation Seminar

I am EXTREMELY THANKFUL to all who have donated to this cause so far (If you haven’t and would like to PLEASE GIVE IT A SHOT!!!). Being my first year I did not have a specific target I wanted to reach in terms of money. However, I did want to get NATT’s name out there for people to know. I think that over the course of the summer I’ve been able to provide that additional exposure and hopefully a way for people to get connected into the network of information and support NATT can provide.

So, really I am just a geeky Electrical Engineer who races triathlons during the summer and wears the goofy looking polka dot jersey, hat, and socks…You just never know maybe next year the polka dots may expand to even cover the shorts… now that would make me even better looking! Would you agree?

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster





 

Hanging Lose + A bizarre Incident…!

Like the Rastafarian Bear in Benton Harbor, I’ve been using this week just to “hang lose” and continue to work on my preparations for the last race in the Clot Buster’s calendar. It is hard to believe that we are reaching the end of this fundraising effort. It is been a blast I have to confess. I would do it all over again for sure. I can only hope that NATT has been able to receive that exposure it deserves to continue their mission of education and awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

So, here is the summary of where the Clot Buster stands on his racing mileage log…
224.2 Miles COMPLETED!
31.3 Miles LEFT TO GO (September 10th will be the day!)

Have you considered helping out with matching some money for every mile that I am racing? If you are considering the possibility please checkout the breakdown below…

$$ Nickel per mile = $12.78
$$ Dime per mile = $25.55
$$ Quarter per mile = $63.88
$$ Double Quarter per mile = $127.75

Also, if you are interested in a Clot Buster Jersey they are also available for you to wear and look as good as Mr. and Mrs. Clot Buster… If Abraham Lincoln bear would have had a choice I know he would be wearing one of our jerseys for sure!

PLEASE! If you are out there riding make sure you wear your helmet…! I wish I had a fancy helmet like the ones below… Do you think it would me faster? I think I could have one made with a polka-dot design. That would be really cool. But I am going away from my original point. Yesterday, on my ride in to work something happened that you probably will not believe because it is VERY STRANGE.

In order for me to make it work on my bike I have to travel a 20 mile route that I was able to map out through back roads mostly so that I can avoid heavy trafficked streets and therefore have a “safer” way to go to work. However, it is not always that safe on these neighborhood roads. Yesterday, I timed my ride so perfectly on this particular street that as I was going through minding my own business at around 6:27AM with no wind at all I had a branch from this one tree break off and fall right on top pf me. This tree was rooted about 8 feet from the curb and it was a pretty old as its trunk had a considerable size. The secondary branch, the one that broke, was big enough to knock me down and block the street completely. The branch did not completely brake off from the main trunk it “peeled” off. So, you can start to imagine the size of this branch as it was still connected to the main trunk and yet it covered the entire street so that no cars could come through.

I can’t even begin to explain what went through my head during this time. I could not believe it! After I scrambled out from under the weight of the tree and looked back I realized the size of this branch. I could not see my bike it was buried.

So, after taking a moment to look around I was glad to know that outside of some scratches and some stiffness nothing much more serious happened to me. I had to break several smaller branches to free my bike from the mess and find out that she was also all right. It was a great relief to know that I could still make it to work on time after the small mishap and about 5 more miles still left to go.

On my way, I spotted a police officer and let him know about the road being blocked because of a fallen tree. He looked at me pretty perplexed after I told him that tree branch fell on top of me. He saw my scratches and the green stains on my jersey but somehow he thought that I hit the tree and for that reason the branch broke off. Don’t ask me how you jump to that conclusion but he did. At any rate, he was able to get a dispatch out to the intersection of Amesbury and Linclonshire to check things out.

So, it was a very good thing that I wore my helmet for my commute ride… it may not be a fancy helmet but it did trick and kept me safe.

Watch out for falling tress out there!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

 

Final Steelhead post... I promise!

Well, I don't thin I have to say much about this picture... Did it hurt? What do you think?

Butt, there is nothing like a massage after the all out effort. This saved me from some serious pain the days after the race. SOO GLAD these ladies were there. I enjoyed every minute of that session. I highly recommed it to anyone. The recovery so much faster after a nice massage.

You see, I am even smiliing after the massage. It did wonders for me if your consider the firt picture in this post.

Am I last? Nope, 77th in the 25-29 age group and 630th finisher overall. Just glad that I finished!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

 

We are getting closer...

Wow, this picutre has to be towards the end of the run... I was in all kinds of pain during the last 2 mile of this run. The only good thing about this picture is that I make the polka dots look "good"!!!

13.1 Miles were quickly coming to an end on that finishing straight... I gave it all I had to beat my best half-iron distance time by one minute according to the Clot Buster's unofficial watch timing... Time for the run 2:20.57. There is plenty of room for improvement here...

I still think that I make those polka-dots look incredible...! I think I should order this picture from the race photographers. Is it worth it?

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

 

70.3 Steelhead Triathlon - Some Bike Pitctures Part II - 56 Miles

At this point, I was not too far from the end of the bike course. It was a breath of fresh air to see Mrs. Clot Buster at this point to give me a big cheer. My pace picked up some more after that... Total time for the bike 2:36.47 for an average speed of 21.4 MPH. I was very impressed with that split...

Even when she is not competing, Mrs. Clot Buster gets some love from the photographers... she even got some Gatorade from one of the aid stations. It must be her charm!

Some day we will see her out there... throwing down the hammer at a half-iron distance triathlon!

 

70.3 Steelhead Triathlon - Some Bike Pitctures Part I - 56 Miles

All right, here we are getting all the goods on so that we can get moving... getting my make up on in a rush like that is always difficult.

Looks like I am ready... Check out the Clot Buster Socks... If I could only get a helmet to match the outfit... that would be sweet!

It is hard to run with your bike shoes on... I could start telling you about all the near misses I have had over the years... What is up with the guy wearing the arm-warmers. It was not that cold.

You can't stop me now... Just hope to contain me!

 

70.3 Steelhead Triathlon - Swim Pitctures - 1.2 Miles

We started from the pier way back there...really it is that far!

Steadily The Clot Buster swam through the field for a swim time of 31:05

Here is the start of a half mile run from the beach to the transition area.

I am serious... this race was more of a 70.8 than just 70.3. Our finisher medals are just that much sweeter.

 

Did it hurt...!?!?

Well, I have to say that it did!

The 70.3 Ironman Whirlpool Steelhead Triathlon is officially in the books. Throughout the run I never thought that I would finish the race as once again I pushed the bike as hard as I could and for the run I only saved 7 miles worth of effort...

Either way, I am very happy about my race. I FINISHED THE RACE!!! No one can take that away from me. Secondly, I improved on my previous best time at this distance by a whole minute (I had to work for that minute let me tell you!). I also had a blast just being out there amongst 1,425 finishers all searching for the same goal… that bloody finish line!

Not much time to write but before I go from this post I have to express my disappointment on the lack of race marshals on the bike course. Throughout the entire 56 Miles I never saw one and the drafting was just out of hand. I saw 4 groups of people, ranging from 7 or 8 all the way to 30 or so, just going at it not even on the aero-bars just shooting the breeze taking turns in an organized paceline. Where were the marshals? That is what I would like to know…

Other than that, the volunteers were incredible. Many Thanks to everyone out there at the aid stations. The course, was sensational along with the organization. I come away from this race with great memories…

All right, now I really have to get going… Mrs. Clot Buster will be busting my chops here soon…
Stay tuned for more later on…

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

Will it hurt…?

It better!

One time while listening to a triathlon training seminar I heard that during a race you should be prepared to feel some degree of pain because you are RACING and therefore pushing harder than you usually do. For some reason that comment stuck with me and I think about it every time that I race. It does not matter the race I think about it and it helps me to understand how my body should feel as I am getting through the event. For some people other thought processes help but for the Clot Buster that is the solution.

So, during this 70.3 Mile journey you can expect him to be making all kinds of funny faces as he attempts to cope with the pain he is feeling because he is racing. Perhaps my wife will be able to capture some of the faces and I can post them here for your entertainment.

So, because you are racing you should be feeling pain. With that pain, here are the goals for the race if I had to classify them in order of importance, from most important to “Man, I wish I could do that, pass the pain killer IV over here…!”:

Goal Number One: TO FINISH THE RACE (even if I have to crawl to the finish…)
Goal Number One***: TO HAVE A BLAST!
Goal Number Two: To be able to put together a solid 13.1 Mile run (in past Half Iron races the run has failed me big time)
Goal Number Three: To cross the finish line faster than my previous best time of 5 hours and 36 minutes.
Goal Number Four: To aim for a 5:15 finish time.
Goal Number Five (A lot more pain that I am willing to handle, I think): To possibly add another race to my race schedule… in Clearwater, FL.

Let’s see how things end up Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster 

HALF IRONMAN @ The Whirlpool Steelhead Triathlon

Wow! It is already here, the time for The Clot Buster to make his way to Benton Harbor, MI to the shores of Lake Michigan to participate in this challenge of 70.3 Miles of racing.

Without a question this will be the biggest race in the Clot Buster’s racing resume. Today is Tuesday and I’ve been having butterflies in my stomach since last Tuesday…

Am I intimidated about this distance? Not so much, just hoping that on Saturday I can put together a race that would improve my time from my last half ironman attempt in Morgantown, WV. I should be in good shape this time around as Mrs. Clot Buster will be around to cheer me on and as long she is there I should be able to make my competitors see red polka dots blow by them…

I do seriously believe that I race better when she is around at the race. Specially this time around when I am racing representing or spreading the word about the organization that she cares so much about and for which she dedicates an enormous amount of time and effort. I am just inspired by all of her hard work (and all of the rest of the people who is and has invested so much for NATT) that during the times I am suffering out there the polka dots carry me on even if I am reduced to a walk during the running portion of the race.

Speaking of inspiration, this weekend I had the opportunity to finally meet in person someone who is riding across the United States and has suffered from multiple blood clots that have seriously affected her lungs. Cheryl and her husband Tom have been riding for the better part of a month and are now pedaling their way to Washington D.C. for their arrival on August 8th. It was an honor to be able to ride with them from Sandusky, OH until their first rest stop at the Lakeview Park some 30 Miles East of Sandusky. Her smile and positive attitude is simply contagious. Everywhere she goes she talks about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. She is an “awareness creating” machine. If you get the chance please checkout her site at
http://www.nwclotbusters.org/

She is doing her part in this challenge that we have ahead of us. Are you? You may not feel like riding across the US but there are many other ways to do you part. You can learn more about blood clots and blood clotting disorders by visiting NATT’s Website (www.nattinfo.org), you can help NATT by donating what ever you can so that this organization can continue their education and support quest across this great land of ours. Great things are being planned that will help many people!

Stay tuned for a report from the race… if I survive of course!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster