Up Close and Personal...

That is what you see when the Clot Buster blows by you...Nothing but Polka-Dots... or as NATT people knows them Red Blood Cells!

 

Now is MY Turn!

A rare photograph coming out the water.

Yesterday, I posted a tribute to Mrs. Clot Buster and her success on her very first triathlon but because I would not let her out shine me I also threw down the hammer on this race and just because things work out in an interesting way the Clot Buster also finished SECOND in his age group!!! I was very pleased with my performance in this race when compared to my times in this exact same course from last year.
How do you like the snazzy white shoes...?

According to the results the area of most improvement has been the swim. I've been able to cut over 3 minutes from my swim time so that I could cover the 1500 meter course in 25:08 which was good enough for 19th place overall. After putting on my snazzy new white cycling shoes (which complement my outfit so well!!! Stacy and Klinton from "What Not To Wear" would be so proud!) I headed out on the bike course to light things up to the best my legs could do. After 5 laps, each worth about 5.1 miles I was able to average a speed of 22.1 MPH for a time of 67 minutes 28 seconds on the bike course.
Heading into T2 ready for the run.

I have to say that the Fat Rabbit Racing really puts together a tremendous course. In how many races can you say that you raced your bike on a highway? It is so neat and fast I can't wait until next year's race. I also have to give another BIG THANK YOU to the Fat Rabbit Racing organization for allowing me to include the Clot Buster flyers into the race packets. I hope very much that people had the chance to read them and learn about NATT and what they are all about.
I look like I need a hug...

Believe it or not after the fun joy ride on the course I still had some juice left in the tank to put together a very respectable 10K run. It is been a while since I felt this good in a run but the legs were ticking over very nicely and in a time of 47:17 I reached the finish line to the encouragement of Mrs. Clot Buster who refused to give me a hug...I thought love was unconditional...I guess that I was sweating a little more than what I thought.

So, the countdown continues...Four races down, only 2 more to go! From the original goal of 255.5 Miles I have covered 153.9 Miles and there are 101.6 Miles left to race. Please don't forget that your contribution matching every mile that I race will help out in a great way an organization that is doing a lot of good. Checkout below some examples of how donations can break down if you are interested...

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

Until the next post.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

 

Mrs. Clot Buster’s TRIATHLON DEBUT…

Should a "first timer" be smiling like that...?!?!

Let’s just say that she put the hammer down on her very first attempt to race a triathlons…I could not believe it but my lovely wife had a tremendous race finishing SECOND in her age group!

I think that in the future we will be hearing more about her success as she told me after the race that she was “Hooked” on the sport. I look forward to sharing the starting line with her in races to come.

The format of this race is well suited for first time racers. Since the organizers use a “time trial” start, where competitors start their swim in intervals of 3 seconds, there is not the mass start that usually scares so many people. Liz was able to overcome some early panic on the swim portion to complete the 750 meter course and head on to transition for the bike portion of the race. She told me that on the bike she averaged over 20 MPH and she enjoyed every minute of it. After the 15 miles of biking the run came and knowing my wife she lit up the 3.1 mile run course to complete her first triathlon and take a spot on the podium of her age group.
Mrs. Clot Buster running so fast the photographer could not focus on time...

I am very proud and delighted to see her complete this race. I think that I better watch out…she might take over the Clot Buster “franchise” instead of just sharing it with me…

Hopefully, in the near future we will have the pleasure to have Mrs. Clot Buster’s report on this blog. I am working on it so stay tuned…!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

 

Columbus International TRIATHLON

Outside of being the 4th race in the Clot Buster’s series of triathlons this season this race on Sunday marks the debut of Mrs. Clot Buster in the world of triathlon. For a number of years she was the queen of duathlon just winning in very race that she entered. This time around she will be jumping in the water with the rest of us and give it a try. She is been swimming more than NEMO in the first 5 minutes of the movie. I am really proud of her taking the challenge on the Sprint Triathlon.

I wish that I could be on the sidelines to cheer for her as she is coming out the water, going by on the bike, and kicking it home on the run. Unfortunately for her debut I will be racing as well but I am lucky since this time she will also be sporting the Clot Buster’s kit and I will be able to see her in passing to cheer for her. I look forward to hear how it goes for her out there. I am sure she will leave a lot of people on her wake…

This is without a question one of my favorite races of the year. We can ride our bikes from home to the transition area. The course is very unique as you get to ride on Ohio Highway 315 and really put the hammer down on the nice flat straight road. The run is pleasant very pleasant along the Olentangy River multi purpose trail. Flat and fast great to post your best times of the season.
Keep your fingers crossed for the TEAM CLOT BUSTER in action on Sunday.

Stay tuned for an update after the race. Let’s hope that 1300 flyers we were able to make strike a note with some of the racers and motivates them to learn about NATT, get involved with the organization, spread the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders, and hopefully donate some green-backs for the cause.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

Jackie and Darrell - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

So, you probably think that The Clot Buster spent most of the weekend racking up the miles in training just preparing the body for the upcoming races of the season... Well, only part of that statement is true for this weekend. My wife and I sure racked up the miles but they were mostly driving to and from St. Louis to attend the wedding of my good friend Darrell.

It was a lovely wedding on the grounds of Washington Univeristy in St. Louis. This is the place were, according to my parents, the stress of engineering school prompted for all of my hair to fall out. I would like to agree with that but my Gentic Counselor wife would not let me have it. But, it was very nice to be back on campus seeing all the buildings I once occupied attempting to get through school. Darrell "The Man of Action", as his brother called him during the best man's toast, seemed to just cruise on and just make it look so easy. I guess that was because all of his hair was already gone so he did not have to worry about it... see, I think that this theory does work... it makes perfect sense.

We got the chance to do some running on Saturday before the shin dig and on Sunday just let the body rest after the night of celebrating and dancing. You should see the blister Liz had on her feet from breaking it down all night long...

So, only a few days to go before the fourth race on the series.

BIG THANKS to the FAT RABBIT RACING people for letting the Clot Buster include his flyers on the race packets for the upcoming race. 1300 of them have been produced and ready for people to read and learn about NATT.

So, that is all for now. I think that my rear end still flat from all the sitting while driving back from St. Louis. I need to go and walk around some more...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

Rebounding…2nd place in 25-29 Age Group…

Not a bad come back to racing after the Morgantown meltdown two weeks ago. The Caesar Creek Triathlon turned out GREAT!!! I think that it had to do with the support I got from Liz and Kath coming out to watch me race. I sure missed their cheering when I raced in Morgantown… but enough of going back to that race in WV. It’s behind me and now I need concentrate on the races left on The Clot Buster’s schedule.

On Sunday, the weather was perfect for racing. I could not ask for anything more. The swim I was able to complete in about 23 minutes and some change. Attempting to take off the wetsuit is always a show. So, my transition times from the swim to the bike are pretty high compared to races without wetsuits. But, it does not matter because once on the bike I put my head down and went at it. I tried to keep the fastest pace that I could and on the end I averaged 20.6MPH. From there, we headed out in the run. Believe it or not, the legs felt good and I was able to press a little and actually pass some people instead of getting passed by everyone else. I was very happy on how my body was reacting to the run and how I was able to keep it together with a time of 47:11 for the 10K. All together, The Clot Buster completed the third race of the season in 2 hours 24 minutes and 40 seconds for a second place in the 25-29 Age Group.

If you got the chance to read my post before the race, I wrote about having the opportunity to put The Clot Buster’s flyer (700 of them) in the race packets. Well, I have to say that the flyer along with the polka-dot outfit worked as I got to meet some people who suffered from blood clots or knew of someone who did. They were interested and glad to know about NATT and what they are doing to spread the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. Giving people the opportunity to know that NATT is out there for them is the best result I can ask for. We have made contact with a few people let’s see how many more we can bring into the fold. Let’s keep it going!

So, we continue to drive forward. 121.8 Miles of racing finished… 133.7 Miles left to go! Three races down – Three more races to go.

Keep an eye out for the guy in the polka-dot outfit out there. He just may come around you and leave behind on his wake… or you could come around and leave me on your dust. It could go either way…

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

P.S.: I have some more picutres to post from the race so keep an eye out for more pictures from the race coming up. 

Saturday Fun...

How many people can say that on a Saturday afternoon you went down to the banks of the Ohio River, by downtown Cincinnati, and climbed over the top of the Purple Bridge connecting southern Ohio and northern Kentucky?
Well, I can tell you that The Clot Buster and his wife did…!

Yes, close to my birthday my mother in law found out about the Purple People Bridge attraction opening and thought that it would be something I would be interested in doing. Well, she was correct!

It was an experience to climb over the profile of the bridge while below you have the river and everything associated with it. The views from the bridge were unique. It was a great perspective to be up there just to take in the skyline of downtown Cincinnati and surrounding areas. We went in the afternoon but while talking to the guide we learned that dusk and dawn climbs are really a treat. After being up there I would have to agree with that. A beautiful sunset would be that much more impressive while on top of the bridge.

At any rate, the experience was unique and I to admit that I enjoyed it a great deal. I could do without the guffy suits but all in all it was a good time. I think that Liz’s mom did a fine job getting this gift for us. This is something I will always remember.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

Caesar Creek Triathlon - 07/09/2006

Dear Friends,

This weekend once again, I am looking forward to the opportunity to line up at the start line wearing the “polka-dot” outfit and hopefully let some more people know about NATT and the work that they do. I am very excited to be able to include The Clot Buster flyer into all of the 700 race packets to be given out on Saturday and Sunday morning before the race. It is been a challenge to prepare all of the flyers on time but somehow Liz and I were able to pull it off. I will let you know what kind of results we will receive from this effort.

I would like to give a very big THANK YOU to HFP Racing for allowing me to incorporate The Clot Buster flyer into the race packets. This people do a very fine job organizing triathlons all over the region. I enjoy very much participating in their events.
So, we are heading out to Caesar Creek Sate Park in Waynesville, OH. This will be my first time in this area. At this point I don’t know much about this course other than it features a two loop bike and run sections so there should be plenty of photo opportunities throughout the race. I understand that Liz will be ready to snap some pictures so that we can post them for your viewing pleasure.

I believe that at this point I am fully recovered from the Mountaineer Triathlon. I am definitely hoping for a better showing on Sunday. I need to swim the 1500 meters, bike the 38.2 Km, and run the 10 Km as fast as I can so that I can make it home to watch the final game of the World Cup. It should be a good one. I would have never predicted France and Italy to be on the final. Both teams have what it takes to win so it should be fun to watch.

So, stay tuned for my next post when I let you know how things went during the Caesar Creek Triathlon. Be sure to know that The Clot Buster is ready!!!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Random Picture of the Clot Buster's Adventures - Can you guess where this picture was taken?

 

Living “THE AMERICAN DREAM”

Believe it or not I have to confess to all of you out there that I AM THE LUCKIEST person on the face of the earth. Lucky to have the chance to enjoy the 4th of July celebrations once more. I truly appreciate the opportunity to live in this country every day that I woke in the morning at the start of a new day. I really wish that everyone would have the chance to go abroad and experience a different culture for an extended period (specially if the country of choice is an under developed country). Only then, people can start to appreciate and cherish what this country has to offer. Regardless of all the problems that we face in economical, political, educational, and environmental issues this country continues to be, in my opinion, a place in which with hard work and dedication you can make a lot of things happen.

Did you know that the Declaration of Independence was NOT actually signed on July 4th 1776? I could not believe it either but while reading John Adams’ biography I learned that the actually signing of the declaration took place on the 2nd of July and actually on the 4th nothing happened. The book goes on to explain that several years later several of the people involved in the signing believed that the 4th was the day so after some debate congress decided to settle on the day we know today. How do you like that piece of history trivia?

After taking three days completely off from training I got back on the saddle to resume my workouts and continue my preparation for the third race of the season. Taking those days off was the best thing I could have ever done. My body felt refreshed and ready to take on some more workouts. Listening to your body is very important. I need to make sure I am following the plan in order to complete the 255.5Miles of racing I’ve set out to do this summer for NATT.

The NATT volunteers are working very hard these planning all of the upcoming activities. The fall newsletter should be very interesting. Your support of this organization is paramount! Please consider donating if you have the chance…Here are some donation alternatives if you would be interesting in matching your donation for every mile that I race:

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

Have a very safe and enjoyable 4th of July!!!

Thanks for Reading,

The Clot Buster 

!...Race Schedule Change...!

Dear Readers,

Due to some conflicts in July the Clot Buster will be making an adjustment on his race schedule for the season.

Instead of participating in the Buckeye Lake Triathlon on 7/16/2006, I am making arrangements to take the starting line at the Caesar Creek Triathlon in Waynesville, OH on 7/09/2006.

Fortunately this will not have any effect on my goal for the season so I am still on track to complete my 255.5Miles of racing for NATT.

The recovery after last weekend’s race is going well. For the past 3 days I have done nothing other than allow my body to rest and get back to feel normal before I start training again. I think that taking these last three days off from any meaningful physical activity is the best thing I could have done. Today I will ease back into things and tomorrow we will back in business.

Thanks for reading.

The Clot Buster

MedExpress Mountaineer Triathlon 1 :: Clot Buster 0

In honor of the ongoing World Cup, I wanted to post the final score from the Clot Buster’s race on Sunday. There were no yellow or red cards on this game just a hard fought battle from the start line all the way to the finish line.
The swim started off really well. It was one of my best swims ever in a triathlon. I surprised myself on how fast I was able to get through the 1.2 Mile course. I posted a time of 33:31.49 which includes a run over a steep hill from the water to the transition area. This swim time was good enough to be the third fastest in my age group and 18th fastest overall.
Unfortunately, after that came the bike and run portion of the race in which my performance was less than stellar. This is where I learned that the city of Morgantown is really beautiful if you come as tourist. The landscape is really amazing when you are watching from a car… let me tell you that on the bike the hills are not all that fun at all. Wow, the bike course had one hill that I could never be prepared for. It was long, steep, long, steep, long, steep... I became very good friends with that hill over our 2 encounters during the race. Here in Columbus, OH we don’t have hills like that and no amount of hill repeat workouts would prepare me to how hard that hill was. So, factoring in the rain, the wet roads, my conservative approach on the down hills, and cramping legs my time of 3:04.36 over 56 Miles at an average of 18.2 mph is not that bad.

But the story does not end there, after the bike came the run and I have to tell you that as soon as I started running I could feel that this was going to be a long half marathon. I think that the bike took the better part of me and left me completely empty for the run. I ran the first 5 miles to the best of my abilities but after that I was reduced to a 5 minute walk, 5 minute jog the rest of the way. I never felt like that before. My legs could not go anymore not matter what I did. I think I was at my limit during the run. I struggled big time all of the 13.1 miles for a total time on the run of 2:40.39 and a total time for the race of 6:24.39.
I had big hopes to finish this race somewhere around the 5:15.00 mark but as you can see I was well off the mark. I am proud about being able to finish the race. I would never be able to describe accurately what I was going through during the 70.3Miles that I raced on Sunday. But no matter what I kept going even when I thought that I could not do it anymore. Just like I have written many times before, the goal is to cross the finish the line and anything else is just bonus.

However, this year there is one more goal and that is to spread the word about NATT and of course get some green backs for this superb organization. I am very excited to let you know that the “Clot Buster” outfit caught the eye of one participant at the race on Sunday (this person kicked my butt when I found her finishing time…) who emailed me today after remembering the jersey. I look forward to write her back to see if she can give me some pointers on how to race half-iron distance races… but most importantly to see if she was able to find NATT’s website.
So, 89.7 Miles down… 165.8 Miles to go!!! How much are you willing to donate for the miles I have covered and I have left to go? If you can please consider helping NATT…!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

70.3 Miles = 1st Half Iron Distance Triathlon of the Clot Buster's Season

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The time is finally here. Early on the morning of Sunday June 25th, I will be preparing to line up at the start of the MedExpress Mountaineer Triathlon Half Iron Distance Race. I have a duanting task ahead of me that day but one that I am very eager to take on.

I am very excited about participating in this race. The Clot Buster's colors will be flying high spreading the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. Every person that I blow by should be able to notice the polka dots and of course NATT's logo and website information. I just hope that while I pass them they don't think that the guy in the funny outfit is an illusion of their suffering minds.

The goal as always is to finish the race. Anything else is a bonus. This will be a great test to see how my training has prepared my body for the challenge.

So, on Sunday morning think about polka dots and send some positive thoughts my way. It is going to be a great time and I can't wait to share my experience with you all.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but after Sunday my quest will have 89.7 Miles covered! 165.8 Miles to go! If you have the opportunity to donate to NATT please consider doing so. They need it to continue helping others who need to know more about blod clots and blood clotting disorders.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster 

Cheryl and her ride across America!

Dear Friends,

Please keep my friend Cheryl and her husband Tom on your thoughts as she is making her way across this great land of ours for the next 35 days. She is truly a remarkable story and I wish her nothing but the greatest success in this journey.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to get to meet this great women once she makes it to Ohio later on in July. If you have the opportunity please go to her site and read about her. Blood clots can't stop her... they can't even slow her down.

http://www.nwclotbusters.org/


You know, I think I recoginze those jerseys from some place... Where did I see them last...!?!?

Cheryl and Tom RIDE ON!!! I look forward to reading about the journey.

BEST OF LUCK!!!

Thanks for Reading,

The Clot Buster 

Loveland's Amazing Race

TEAM GUANABANA - Almost home, come on let's finish strong!

TEAM GUANABANA - The sweet reward!

TEAM GUANABANA - The sweet rewards go both ways!

 

Loveland's Amazing Race

TEAM GUANABANA - Final station going through the obstacles.