Lavaman 2019 in Kona Hawaii

One week to race day for Lavaman 2019, the olympic distance Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii that is so popular at the end of every March that is sells out the July before. I am still fairly chubby, but I am strong in my lungs and my legs. This Friday I crushed 40 miles of the Hong course from Hapuna Beach https://www.hawaii.com/big-island/beaches/hapuna/, all the way up to Hawi and Back. A hard 40 mile ride with 2,000 + feet of elevation gain, and not a cramp or whisper from my legs. In fact, I was ready to go run when my wife called and asked when I was coming home because I obviously had forgotten about being back in time for a sleep over her and my daughter were doing at a friends house.

     On this training ride, I took a friend Easten, who has a crazy incredible life transformation story, which I won't tell, because he video blogs and all that stuff, but I will tell you my part. After Easten's life and death experience, while lying limply in a hospital bed for days, his brother told him he had to start setting goals or he would never get out of the bed. One of his goals was to do a triathlon, a Ironman. I bumped into him at the Big Island International Marathon, where he was running the first annual 10k and I just happened to be leading it on my mountain bike. He told me He wanted to do "Honu" the Ironman 70.3 June 2nd that I am training to do, and He was going to do it on his hybrid bike. The Bike course is crazy hard, and that would make it so much harder. I had met him years ago at a group open ocean swim at Richardsons Beach Park https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-beaches/richardsons/ . After hearing he didn't have a race bike, without knowing him, I loaned him my road bike and shoes, that is what I have been taught is the kind of Aloha you should Malama other with living on the Big Island, and it is definitely the kind of hospitality I would have given you growing up in Wyoming. So, when Easten said he wanted to do Honu, and he was goin to try to raise money, I decided to be his first helper. I took him to Kona, and while getting new headset bearings put into my race bike at Bike Works in Kona http://www.bikeworkskona.com, I bought new, on sale, tri shoes for me, so he could use my old ones with my road bike, got him a water bottle, co2 cartridge, spare tire, the rest of the kit to be dug out of my closet, and we got the bike tuned up in the park lot while waiting for my bike. And, then he joined me on the punishing ride. It is almost as exciting to see and help someone do Honu for the first time, as it is to prepare to kill it myself. I am adding in this part of my story so if someone actually reads my blog, maybe they will look up Easten, hear his story, and give him a little sponsorship! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQvyglQowFg

Lavaman Triathlon March 31st, 2019

http://www.moltenminds.com

As Lavaman approaches I am pushing to get into better shape, and trying to trim up. My weight loss has plateaued since I need to eat to recover and have enough energy to continue to train. I was shooting for a sub two hour olympic triathlon at Lavaman, but it must be a really hard course as last years winner finished just under two hours, and my fas friends were from 2:21 to 2:31. I am going to push hard this week with a Kalapana ride/2 mile run today march 12th swim later, wed. 8-1/2 mile run swim later, thur. cross training ride with Aaron/speed work brick swim later, light fast 5 mile bike and easy 10k run. Saturday??? This pic is me out slaying it on a ride to Kalapana at the lava tube that fed the Leilani flow of 2018.

So far, so good!!!

Feeling decent about training so far this year. My only set back so far was after completing the swim, and bike during the Iron Mango 70.3 during that gnarly wind storm, and the next day I ran an 8.42 mile run. I believe it was the combo of the harsh weather and long works that plagued me with a sinus infection and chest cold that lingered for two weeks. But, I am back to training now, I caught my 33.33 mile out and back to Kalapana on Tuesday. My first ride on my new saddle. It is one of the Urologist recommended saddles, I choose the ISN PN 2.0. It was was a little awkward, but way more comfortable, especially in areo. No more numbness! Why didn't I do this years ago?

https://www.amazon.com/ISM-PN-3-0-Saddle-Black/dp/B06Y3NNQM4/ref=asc_df_B06Y3NNQM4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312070810048&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3195118377511212203&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032751&hvtargid=pla-412915283020&psc=1

Workout: 01-01-019, Hilo to Volcano Relay.

Three person team of awesomeness and lucky enough to have a driver, "Tres Pollo Locos". It is a 50K, sea level to 4000',each person runs 5 segments, I had good strong paces ranging from 9-10:30's. Sunny, warm, with some thin clouds.

Blog to be a workout log also.

Since most of the posts here are only mildly entertaining, for those individuals who are in between more quality entertainment, which happens to be no one, since my blogs, I have one on wix.com too (Mumbles and Rambles), and no one is viewing them, and I am not seeking anyone to view them, but I do want to use them as a form of journal, and the Chubby Cheetah also as a workout log leading up to Honu 70.3 the ironman at the beginning of June.  my workouts will be listed as workout/date/description. My other blog, "Mumbles and Rambles", isn't to gain viewership either. It is about consistency for an entire year. It is more of a rambling if the thoughts of who I aspire to be, and in the cover of anonymity use the internet avatar to create real changes to myself, my habits, and enhance my own life.

Hilo to Volcano Ultra Relay 2019

I just looked back and noticed my first post it was in 2011. What the F*&^, time goes by that quickly!  Eight years later and my goals are to change the same patterns. From the outside looking in it probably appears the same, but I feel that this go is much different. I am super chubby, less than in the fall, but in Tennessee at Christmas I weighed in at 207.  I am fairly strong, if I can keep my training from hitting all the normal potholes I could have a totally different race season. My push to build a base seemed to work. On the team "Tres Pollo Loco's", we ran the 50k in 4:46. A good time for a team thrown together at the end of December. It's 3 people, running five legs each, at around 2 miles a leg. It goes from sea level to 4000' elevation. I ran mostly close to 9 minute miles, with the last segment just over 10 minute miles. I was at 8's for about half of the leg running step for step with a high school track girl. This bouncing little track didn't even look like she was breaking a sweat, and I looked like a drunk Russian coming out of a car wash. One of the solo ultra support vehicles pulled off the road, and the support person, who is obviously not a runner, opened his door jumped out, and stood there with the door open, forcing me to drop behind the bouncing pony tail, to avoid push her towards the white line and traffic. And, step by step the pony tail bobbed a little further in front of me. My conditioning was enough to keep me shuffling up the hill, but no kick left to catch the pony tail. I am referring to the pony tail, because there were three teams, of three girls, all small runner girls, and everyone of them had a mid shoulder pony tail. Since I am at least a 100 pounds their senior and in mediocre shape, I watched pony tails bounce away from me all day. My team was awesome, fun, and pushed themselves conquering the never ending hills in our climb to Volcano village. I am considering that race my first official work out towards the training for the Lavaman Triathlon that is at the end of March. My training on Sunday was trying to learn how to sail in a small dingy called a Sunfish. Until you try sailing one of those little boats, you don't realize that it is a full body workout, and your first few sessions are comedy gold. Jaime captained one yesterday for the first time, and we capsized twice in Hilo Bay. The first time our dagger board fell out, the sail went under water, I had to get the dagger board back in place, swim around, and climb my fat butt all the way up to standing on the dagger board to right the boat. Then Jaime went back to shore. I went on a solo sail to get reacquainted with the sailing process, as it was my fourth time. Then I took Otis for a cruise, and then I took Betty for a cruise. Today I may catch a light work out in the afternoon. Most of the day will be spent getting ready for the kids to start back to school tomorrow.

Hilo to Volcano 50k Relay Tomorrow

Aloha,

     I am heavier than I have probably ever been. Weighing 207 pounds. I am feeling strong in spite of my weight. After tomorrows race I am going to start to control my portions, but I am going to let most of the weight come off naturally during the season. It is such a difficult balance between staying strong and losing fat. Weight is not really the way I should phrase it, because I don't want to lose any muscle. My belly already doesn't slide over when I lay on my side, so I am already trimming up a bunch.

    Tomorrow's relay is two mile segments, and I am hoping to keep my slow paces around 9 minute miles, and if I am falling apart no slower than 10 minute miles, and during some point of the race hit 7 minute miles. The trick is staying strong all day, keeping lightly fed and hydrated. Starting at sea level the race is over 4000 feet of elevation gain, so it is all up hill, except the out an d back down Wright Rd. which is, the hardest part, large rolling hills at around 4,200 feet elevation. It's a small race, maybe 100-150 entries with relay teams, and a fun post race hang out and awards.

   After, a nice hard push for running being fully started after this race it is time to fold the other disciplines into the schedule. I will start my swim training, switch from small occasional mountain bike rides into hilly tri-bike rides, lots of short hard pool swamis while the kids are at swim practice, surfing, I will definitely push work outs to go surfing, keeping sailing on the first and third Saturdays with the Hilo Sailing Club, and by somewhere opening the connection to unlimited spiritual energy rise above my own deprecating self image, plug in, reset the whole fucking computer even if it risks everything.  I will not carry my race season as a ball and chain through the mud and rocks letting my other responsibilities and desires fall to the way side as my home chores pill like it''s a career choice. I will not use, "I will not, cannot, won't" with me, instead rising with positive language and thoughts. "I allow myself, Not I stopped eating this, but I started eating this. Things we pretend piss us off or frustrated, I am going to do like I tell me children, "stop, try again, try a new tactic." I am not going let the mind say no beer, spit out the tobacco, put down the whiskey, pick up the broccoli, unless my my body tells me. Over the years of trying these races I have learned that you body will tell you what it wants and when. If you listen every thing goes well. It will be interesting to see how my new perspective, coming off recent failures, and keeping life fun will play out this season. Especially with all of my workout friends in far superior shape due to their consistency conditioning themselves over the years. I have fallen in and out due projects, life, accepting the excuses I provided myself. This is going to be a year at living in the joy and grace and laughter of life, and for that reason I will succeed in all my endeavors!