Help, on all three fronts.

Training.

I had my Brother-in-law help me move our elliptical from the garage to the upstairs room, next to the master bedroom, while he was in town for Christmas. It's been living in the garage since we moved, 3.5yrs ago. 

Why?

Because the damn thing weights so damn much, that's why. DAMN!

Seriously, it has to weigh about 250lbs+ fully assembled. If you take off the arms and feet, it probably drops 50lbs. Doesn't seem like all that much, until you start carrying the thing up the stairs. I was seriously gassed by the time we got it up there. It's all good though, now that I have an alternative to running when the weather (or other factors) aren't cooperating, just like yesterday/today. 

With family stuff finally winding down, and some time to relax before my wife went back to work, we had some quiet time watching a movie (Silver Linings Playbook) on the couch while the kids napped. I would've rather gotten in my run, but my wife really needed a couple relaxing hours. I was ok with it, since I knew that even if I didn't get my run in Sunday, I could just get up Monday and run OR use the elliptical before the kids woke up. So I got up, and did 30min while a snow storm was blowing in, and the kids were cozy in their beds. It was actually harder than the run would've been. Intervals on an elliptical can really be a killer!

Brewing.

I'm excited to say that I have FINALLY ordered the Blichmann Tower of Power control module!!!

I held off ordering it when I bought the Top Tier stand and burners and kettles last year. I wanted to see if it was really needed when doing direct fire RIMS (recirculating infusion mash system) brewing. Here is my short answer, it isn't. BUT, I was screwing up my mash temps by overshooting them more often than not. I also had to babysit the mash the whole time. So, I asked for a gift card as a Christmas present from my brother-in-law and his wife. They came through, and I ordered it the next day. I can't wait for it to come in, so I can get it set up and brew again. It's been a few months since I have brewed, and I've got several recipes at the ready. It'll be nice to have the mechanized help with mash temps!

Kids.

Christmas was pretty fun this year. With our kids being 3.5 and almost 2 years old, and having cousins ages 4, 2 and a little under 1, it was crazy!!! They all had a ton of fun running around playing and fighting over whatever the other one had... typical. Opening presents was still a bit of a cluster, but they kinda get it, and said "thank you" when reminded to. I just keep thinking how much fun it'll be in the next few years, while Santa is still real, and the presents are still toys that make the kids go crazy. It's also nice when you have a whole house full of family that can help keep tabs on all the kids. I can sit and have a few drinks while talking with other adults, most of the time. 

Cheers,

Kurt

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.

We have watched Home Alone a couple times. My 3yr old thinks it's pretty funny. It's a lot better than I remembered.

Hard to believe that Christmas is already here! I thought time flew by before kids. Once you have them, it seems like it's dragging along day to day, but then you wake up, and your kid is already in preschool and another year is gone. Yep. Gone.

Speaking of filthy animals....

Gravel Grinders
They are becoming very popular lately with the cycling crowd. I'll give you the basics.
Off highway bicycle races. Only the most hardcore riders will actually be "racing" them. Most distances are 100+mi, and can be on anything from well traveled gravel roads to paths that are "labeled" as a road on a map. The same stuff that I prefer to ride motorcycles on!

I have only done one of these rides, and it was a small one. The Flint Hills Death Ride. I think it ended up being about 83mi. I rode it with my cousin Jason, and uncle Greg. This was when I was in the best shape of my life. Not cycling specific, but still. We took 9.5hrs to complete it, with 7.5hrs of moving time. Several flats slowed us down, especially one that I remember taking at least 20min to get sorted. I don't recall why, but I do remember leaning on a pasture gate, baking in the sun, and starting to feel like crap. The one thing I learned from that ride, was NEW TIRES, NEW TUBES, KNOW HOW TO FIX THEM. I personally only had one flat, and had it patched and rolling inside of 5min. This came from the ample practice of changing road bike flats during all of the training rides I was doing for triathlons. Jason and Greg combined and at least 3 flats. Two of those came during the most hilly and rocky sections, not far past the half way point. No shade. Slow and failed repairs. It was demoralizing.

Her are my tips for the only portion of a gravel grinder that I feel I have a right to give.
You can spend hours trying to figure out what tires to use. Tubular or Clincher (that would be tubeless or tube and tire, respectively). Lightweight skinny tires, or bigger, heavier, more tread.
I would go with the strongest tire you can, while not going too wide. Make sure you go out and get some good long rides in on the same rubber that you'll be using at the event. Get a feel for it, and see if it is reliable. It'll be the best money and training time you'll do.

Most of the serious riders are on cyclocross bikes. I don't have one (yet?). I rode my 2007 Gary Fisher Cobia at the Death Ride. I'll probably stay on it for them in the near future too. So, I was running two different tires, that seemed to work really well. Bontrager Jones XR 29x1.8 front, and WTB mutano raptor 700x44c on the rear. One flat on the rear, due to a tiny metal shard that probably would have flatted most any tire, except one with sealant. Good grip from the pair. Rolled pretty fast. Overall, I was pleased with them. I would like to go just a touch more narrow, in the 1.5inch (40mm) range. I'm also hoping to get a rigid fork to replace the heavy Rock Shox Tora that is on the Cobia.

The one other thing, besides flats, that had me well under preforming, was my pack. When reading the description of the Death Ride, they made it sound like they give you some directions on a piece of paper, and if you come back alive, great! Armed with this "knowledge", I decided to be prepared for the worst. I had two full water bottles on the bike,. Two tubes, 3 CO2 cartriges, a multi-tool, tire levers and a few emergency snacks in the seat bag. I wore my Camelbak Mule, filled with 80oz of water, and then topped it off with Nuun tabs, more snacks and extra stuff. It was probably 15lbs strapped on my back. I also mounted my Garmin GPS60Cx to the handlebars.
DUMB!
Turns out, we got the well laid out direction the night before. I plugged it all in the GPS, and that was really nice. Although nice, I probably wouldn't bother again. Everyone else was just using the guide sheets with mileage. There were aid stations about every 15mi. I could have completely ditched my camelbak. Two bottles of water and some gu or shot blocks would've been plenty. Instead of taking all the tubes and stuff, I would just take patches and CO2.

Why all the reflection on an event that I did once, nearly 5yrs ago?
Jason, and Greg, have decided that it was just too much fun to not try again. We aren't doing the Death Ride, but there are two in Nebraska that sound "fun".

Odin's Revenge (June 28th)

Gravel Worlds (August 22nd)

I'm happy to never ride the Flint Hills of KS for anything more than 20mi ever again. The rocky roads down there can get really rough. NOT FUN! The Nebraska gravel is much better. It can be deep in spots, where they lay fresh gravel. Overall though, it's the nice smooth pea gravel that rolls pretty fast. The hills can be tough, with one after the other for mile after mile (it's not all I-80 folks!). The wind can also be a killer. I'm pretty sure that Prairie Madness can set in quickly if the wind is really blowing.

Odin's will be up first. I think we will most likely do just the first half. The full is 180mi! It is held in Gothenburg, NE. Only few hrs from home, and an easy I-80 drive.

Gravel Worlds is right in my backyard, circling Lincoln, NE.  I don't think they offer anything but the full distance. I also think it's totally unsupported. This actually is somewhat appealing. There are several small towns that it rolls past, and you can self support by stopping at gas stations. That's also the thing on this ride, you have to stop at said gas stations, and buy lottery tickets. Turn them in at the end as proof.

I'm planning on riding the Gravel Worlds route from last year on my motorcycle as soon as the winter weather breaks, to get an idea of what it'll take. I know it's not going to be easy, AT ALL. I'll keep things updated on here.


Crap, and I thought I was going to get away with just a couple sprint tri's this summer.... LOL!!!!

-Kurt

Quibids

I'm sure you've heard of the auction site Quibids by now.

Here it is in a nutshell:
You buy bids for $.60 each (100 bids for $60 at sign up).
Auctions start at $0.00, and each bid is $.01 and sometimes $.02.
If you bid 100 times on an item, you just spent $60 without a guaranteed win.
You can purchase the item at full price, minus the money spent on your bids within a time frame of the auction ending.

Here is what sucks.
There are a LOT of auctions that are bundled with many items. These have similar priced items, and the winner of the auction gets to choose what item they want. That was my first big turn off.
Now there are games, where you can win bids. First you have to win an item that has a game play attached to it. So this makes a seemingly low ticket item, a big one with the game hounds.
The biggest problem is the time it takes to bid on stuff. Sure, you can set your "bid-o-matic" to bid for you, but most people just bid until the automated bidder doesn't outbid them. Guess what, you just lost the item as well as the money in bids.

I spent just over $11, and several hours looking and learning. Then emailed customer service and got a refund on the rest of it.

The only way it makes sense to buy something on quibids is if it's something that you are going to buy at full price anyway. If it's an item on there, and you sign up, and try to outbid the others, and loose, you can then just pay the full retail for the item, with your bids counting toward it.

I just had to post this.

Cheers,
Kurt

"I Hate Running"

Ever heard someone say that?  Did you say it?

I was in the "hate running" camp for a long time. I participated in track when I was in Jr. High. I didn't enjoy that experience. I can still remember trying to keep up with the group I was assigned to run with, and feeling like I was dying. I remember the track meets, where I was supposed to be the anchor in a relay, running the longest leg of 400m. I still have no clue why the coach put me in that spot. I sucked at it. 

Fast Forward to adult life, and here I am, running for fun. I have the secret for you.

Zone 2. It's a heart rate thing. 

You can look it up, and figure out your bpm (beats per minute) range and all that. The super short explanation is to go slow. This will include walking for most people that aren't already running on a regular basis. I am in this camp, at the moment. You don't have to have an HRM (heart rate monitor) to start using Zone 2. Just walk/run with intervals to keep you at a conversational pace. This means that if you can talk to someone, while running, you are there. If you are just spitting out a couple words with each breath, that's too hard. 

Zone 2 is the reason people can run 100 miles. It's the reason Triathletes can move a combined distance of 140.6 miles in a race. It's the reason there are people out there running together, chatting away, like they are sitting at a bar together. Zone 2 is the shit!

When you are in Z2, your body is in perfect balance of swift movement, oxygen intake and fuel burning. What fuel? Fat! This is the "fat burning zone" that all those cardio machines at the gym have plastered on them. Z2 is for endurance. Z2 training, will help you get faster at a lower effort. Z2 is where runners, cyclists, triathletes, and...well,,,basically any endurance sport athlete should be spending most of their time. 

Here is the thing. If you are fat, like me, you don't want to be in the gym training in this zone all the time trying to loose weight. Confused? I was too, for a long time. Yes, during Z2 your body is using mostly fat for fuel. As soon as you stop, so does your fat burning. If you go and lift weights like a boss, your body will burn fat for hours after. Loose the weight with heavy weights and interval training AND HEALTHY FOOD. I'm not really all that concerned about "my weight". I'm fine with who I am. I don't care if I'm a bit thick. I just like being active. The weight will come off with triathlon training, that's for sure. I'm just not doing this solely for the weight loss aspect.

Zone 2 folks. ENJOY your running, by going slow. You will need to force yourself to slow down at first. Once you can check your ego and find that pace allowing you to go "all day", you will be a runner. You will be a HAPPY runner. 

-Kurt

New Year....resolutions?

As the close of 2014 is just around the corner, I think about what I would like to accomplish in 2015. As I posted earlier, getting back to triathlons is a big one. Does this make it a "new years resolution"? I've always said that I don't do the resolution thing. I think back to the time of year that I usually start doing something better for myself, and it's almost always in the late fall or early winter. I've never joined a gym in January. I've never threw out all my junk food the first week of the year. When I quit smoking, all those years ago, it was in the spring. The thing is, I know they are still "resolutions", and they don't need to start January 1. Do it. NOW!

December 8th Resolution? Why not? Mine was November 25th this year. I made a plan, and started a few days later. GO. Start something right freakin' now!!!! It's as simple as recognizing a goal, and making a plan. Let it sink in a day or two if you need to. Just make sure you set a date to actually DO something, and do it that day.

I listen to Zen and the Art of Triathlon podcast. One day, Brett talked about happiness vs feeling good. To sum it up, true happiness is the pursuit of a goal. You think that eating a big piece of triple chocolate cake (or whatever) makes you happy, but a while after eating it, you feel the exact opposite of "happy". It is a momentary GOOD FEELING, that fades quickly to a varying degree of depression. This insight came at the perfect time for me. I was on my third workout of the couch to 5k plan. I was actually feeling pretty darn good, and this made me realize why I missed triathlons so much. I set a goal, late in the year, that will have me planning and scheduling workouts for months. All for a few hours on a summer morning. Talk about a long term pursuit of a goal! It really doesn't fell like happiness right away though. You need to plan a little, with a goal, and start doing the work. No matter how hard or unobtainable it feels on any given day, you are still thinking about what's coming next, and what's at the end.

Now, go make that resolution.


NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;)

-Kurt

One year of planned workouts.

Starting slow.

Couch to 5k program. Yep. Started that "officially" a couple days ago. I need to get out for a walk/run this evening. It was too cold this morning!

Log it.

About an hour ago, I decided that I would utilize three key elements to keep me on track, and motivated, for this rebirth of the triathlon me.

1) Beginner Triathlete .com

When I was a TRI nutter, I used Beginner Triathlete to log all of my training. It's a great site, with a ton of info and support. Forums, training plans, reviews for equipment and races, and even support groups and challenges. It's all there. The interface is a little clunky at first, but it's a heck of a lot better than it was in 2008, when I first started using it!!!

2) Endomondo 

Got Apps? I have used the Endomondo app for quite a while, although not effectively. It's hard to believe just how far things have come in the last six years, but one look at your phone will tell you, it's a LONG way, technologically speaking. I used to map out my runs on google maps, and then try to remember the exact way, so I could log the approximate mileage I ran. Now, I fire up my endomondo, and it will do EVERYTHING for me, including telling me to run or walk at the appropriate times. 

3) Fitbit (or something)

I do not have a fitness wearable yet, but I will soon. I am going to wait for January, as I told my wife that one of these will be a good birthday present for me, and the new Fitbit Charge HR and Surge will be out. I am undecided on which of those two I would like, or if something else would be better.

How it all ties together.

Combining all three of those items, should really help keeping things logged and on track. I have now paid for both the 1yr Beginnertriathlete and Endomondo subscriptions. I have used the free versions for a long time, and the added ability to have the training plans populate into the calendars for them is worth it. I just sat down for five minutes on beginnertriathlete, and planned an entire year of training. Yes, it took only 5min! In a nutshell, it's three programs. 

Couch to 5k (16week) - Sprint Triathlon (run focused 20week) - Olympic Triathlon.(20week) 

All that's left is to glance at my Training Report and see what tomorrow has in store, and do it. 

Following this, I will be back in stellar shape by this time next year. 

The ONLY thing that I need to figure out, is when and where to swim. I suspect the YMCA will be my best bet. It's only a couple miles away. I just don't know the hours, busy times and how to juggle the kids for that. I have some time before I need to get back in the pool though. First thing's first. C25k. 

Cheers,

Kurt

Brewing and Motorcycles

Do these things really go along with being a Father, and a Triathlete?
Yes. In my world they do.

Let's start off with the more tame of the two topics.
BEER!

If you like beer, you get it. It's just something that's enjoyable. To some, it goes way too far. I'm not talking about alcoholics either. Homebrewers are crazy about the stuff. You start trying different styles from different breweries, and then one day, someone you know hand you a beer and says "try this homebrew". If it's a good one, you realize that you to could make your own beer. For me, I wanted to brew beer for quite a while before I did. We just didn't have the room in our old house (or so I thought), and I was busy doing other things with my free time. Once we moved into our new(much bigger) house, and I wasn't working full time, I decided to try it out. I got a starter kit for a touch over $100, and brewed my first batch. It was a Pale Ale extract kit from Brewer's Best. Luckily, I had brewed a second batch before that one was ready, because that kit was pretty awful. The second batch, a Vanilla Stout, turned out very good. I was hooked.
In the future, I will share some of my recipes and projects.

Now, let's get controversial.

MOTORCYCLES

If you don't ride, it's hard to explain the allure of it. I've heard it explained well a few times, but really, it's just something that if you love it, you can't imagine not doing it. I fully understand the risks involved. I try very hard to mitigate the risk, and protect myself from serious injury. I've read "The Hurt Report" This is what I've based my personal riding guidelines on. Read through it if you want, but here is what I do to over simplify it.
GEAR (Always wear a minimum of Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Boots and Pants. No bare skin.)
TIME (Limit riding at night as much as possible. I rarely ride after dark.)
DRINKING (Never drink and ride. EVER. Period.)
BEHAVIOR (If I "want" to go ride, but I don't have my head in it, I don't ride.)

A lot of people think it's irresponsible to participate in this dangerous hobby once you have a family. I disagree to a certain point. If you are not responsible enough to take precautions, and ride safely, then yes, you should not be riding. For example, if you think going on a poker run, having a beer or two at every stop, and riding without a helmet is a good time, maybe you should re-evaluate your priorities. The likelihood of serious injury or death is so greatly increased when you compound risky behaviors with impairment and lack of protection, it's just idiotic.

So next time you see someone on a motorcycle, with gear from head to tow, with hi-viz and riding responsibly, give them a wave. It might just be me.

-Kurt

The Beginning (background)

Welcome.
 I'm going to start this off with my history. Everyone has a past, and some are more interesting that others. You decide where mine falls in the B to A spectrum (Boring to Amazing).

Early Years
I was your average Midwestern kid. Grew up in Nebraska and Iowa, and was involved in sports, although I was never good at them. Enough friends to get into trouble here and there, but wasn't "the popular kid". I'm not sure it's overly relevant, but my Mom died when I was 10. Cancer. My Dad remarried, and our family almost doubled. I had two sisters, and now a step-brother and step-sister as well. Generally this was a good thing, and we all bonded in our own ways. Now that I'm a Dad, it's hard to imagine what that time was like for my Dad. I'm not in the mood to go there right now... so let's keep it light to start off. Where was I? We would go skiing in Colorado for Christmas every year. I'm fairly confident that if I was born and raised in the mountains, you would have seen me at the Winter Olympics, right along side Bode Miller. No kidding. Not that I was some prodigy or anything, but I loved every second of it, and was actually pretty good, unlike other sports. A coach and every weekend on the hill would've had me killing it in no time. I still like skiing, but life really gets in the way, and I rarely get out there.

Post High School
I went to a Community College, and studied Aviation Maintenance Technology. That's the fancy way of saying that I became an Aircraft Mechanic. I did that for a few years, met my wife when I was 21. Luckily, I was almost 22. Why? Because when I was freshly turned 21, I was in a bar more than I wasn't. Got that out of my system! I lost my job, found a new one, met my wife, moved in with a good friend, quit smoking, and started living life in a much better way. My 22nd year of being on the planet was a good one.

FF>> 3yrs
Getting married. New career in Telecommunications. Motorcycle and Home owner. All good things. Something was missing though. Fitness wasn't really on my mind heavily. I had lived with some friends for the last couple years, and we went to the gym after work. Not my thing, but it was something. I would go mountain biking once in a while, but not regularly. Then, all of the sudden, I was all about town for work, in a van, and eating fast food and gas station crap every day. The weight started to come on. I wasn't bad for quite a while, but after a few years my metabolism started to fall off, and I got heavy without noticing it.

6ft, 245lbs
We decided to take a vacation. My step-brother and his soon to be wife, lived in Las Vegas. We had never been, and we went. It was a blast. We got home, and I was looking through the pictures. There was one, with my brother and I, out at Red Rocks Canyon. I looked at it, and couldn't believe that I was really that big. It just didn't seem like it was me. So, right then, I decided to start exercising. I'm not sure what I started with exactly, but mountain biking and some running was involved. Couch25k. I know I did that. Before too long, I was out running regularly, and biking whenever I could. I started looking for some 5k's to maybe do. Then I stumbled upon the website beginnertriathlete.com. I started logging my workouts, and doing the little challenges on there. Learning about triathlon, and it sounded way cool. I looked, and sure enough, there were several in the area during the summer. I was a member at a gym that had a lap pool, so I started a sprint tri training plan.

Breaking it down
Swim. Bike. Run.

Swimming was tough starting out. Let's just say it was inefficient at best! Still, I was in the pool, getting in the workouts. I eventually found "Total Immersion Swimming". I studied this technique via YouTube videos. I also used YouTube for learning flip-turns, and bilateral breathing. With a TON of practice, I eventually got pretty good at swimming. I ended up enjoying it the most of any workout. If I ever felt like not biking or running, I would go swim.
Biking was the most natural for me. I had always liked biking. I had a mountain bike in high school, and rode all over town. I always owned a mountain bike, and would ride here and there. Once I started looking into tri's, I started looking for a road bike. I found a brand new, last year model, LeMonde. Picked it up for about 50% off original retail. It's still in the garage. I've put a lot of miles on that half steel/half carbon beast. I ended up doing a lot of cycling, and enjoyed it nearly as much as swimming.
Running was the tough one. I was getting fit really quickly, and wanted to run farther and more often. Ended up with injuries, and had to skip my first planned half marathon. Yeah, I was upping the mileage WAY TOO FAST!!! If there is one thing I learned, it was to ease into running. Long story short, I have done ONE half marathon in my life. I probably will not ever do another one, unless it's at the end of a Triathlon. Why? Pounding pavement just isn't my thing. I'm a big solid guy, when even at my peak fitness level, I'm over 200lbs. No kidding. I do enjoy running. Quite a lot actually. It takes a long time to get from where I was on that first trip to Vegas, to "A Runner". Once you do, it's pretty cool to look at a training plan, see a 6mi run on the weekend, and think, "Sweet!" It's also an amazing feeling, knowing you CAN run for an hour or two, without stopping. Unthinkable to those that have never done it.
So, after a solid year of triathlon training, injuries, missed events and basically being scared of actually showing up to a triathlon. I did my first one. Me and two other friends. It was an early spring, indoor swim, sprint tri. It. Was. AWESOME! Cold rain and all!! I was hooked. I couldn't find the next tri soon enough. I did a few other Tri's that year, and then the next, and then the next. That third year, I was training for a half Ironman distance triahtlon. My friend Scott had done all the same tri's as I had, and we were always doing very similar training plans. We did an Olympic Tri, and the run didn't go well at all for him. I stayed with him on the run, mostly walking, and then just had to take off for the last mile. I'm pretty sure that scared him off of the half iron, and he said he was not going to do it. I decided not to as well. That was in 2010. I have not done a Triathlon since. I switched to half marathon focus, and ran the Las Vegas Rock'n'Roll half, with my sister. It was a blast, but did a number on my knee. Might have slowed my pace a bit too much, to stay with sis, but wouldn't do it any different. My wife was then pregnant with our first kid. Our son was born in May of 2011.

THE HUGE CHANGE
After our son was born, I quit my job. My wife graduated and got her job in a new city, just an hour away. We moved into a new house. Suddenly, I went from being an avid triathlete with a full time job, to being Dad. I will elaborate on this a bit, as it's a huge topic with emotions both up and down. For now, let's leave it at I have never had a job as hard as being a parent.

FF>> 3.5yrs (present day)
I tried. I walked. I rode my bike. I pulled the kids (yeah, we have two now) in the bike trailer. I just couldn't seem to find the time or motivation to keep in shape. Being home all day means that I'm in and out of the kitchen constantly. Kids come first, of course, but this also means that sometimes I'm just grabbing bites of whatever I see, before, during and after meals. Combine all of this, and you've got weight gain. BIG TIME weight gain. I am currently, 245lbs. Fat and out of shape. Time to get back to where I was the happiest. Under 220 and working out EVERY DAY. Weather it was swimming, running, biking or just doing some sort of activity that had me outside moving and sweating, I desperately want to get back to that. I'm sure my kids will appreciate it too. They LOVE LOVE LOVE to GO GO GO! Stay tuned. I'll do my best to talk about all aspects of juggling two toddlers and getting back into shape.

-Kurt