TriFolk

Pirate Triathlon

2011-07-24T16:50:00.004-05:00

Wow! It has been over a year since I last posted. I guess for good reason, as I have not been able to run or bike since my surgery. Life is different for me now, and my days as a triathlete have come to an end.....................
WAIT!
Stop the presses!!!!

Who am I kidding? A triathlete never quits. Sometimes we recover. Sometimes we have to take a moment to re-evaluate things. But quit? never!

For the past few months I have been swimming more and more. Some time a few months back, I tossed out the idea of doing a relay with some friends from the Cleveland Tri Club. Chuck Marquardt who has undergone major heart surgery and been unable to run as a result jumped at the idea and took on the cycling portion. I mentioned it to Brandon Henneman, in hopes that he would run for us, and we had a team lined up for this mornings race at Fairport Harbor.

Always one of my favorite venues, I thought the protected waters on Lake Erie would be perfect. The 500yd swim starts in the water, and finishes on the beach. We were granted an exception to tag at the shore, so that I wouldn't have to race across the beach and risk a fall. The race was also $30 for the three of us....That is amazing!

6:00AM- The alarm goes off and I begin to ready myself. Goggles, cap, suit.....Check. This is much more simple than is a race where I have to be responsible for three disciplines. So I shower, dress, and eat before heading outside to meet Annie (she and I are dating) and Theresa (a Plain Dealer reporter working on a profile piece about me). We climbed into Annie's van, giving Theresa lots of time to interview me and save gas. We then headed east to Lake County for the race.

7:30AM- We arrive. The lot is full, so Annie drops us off before finding a parking spot. We meet up with Brandon and Chuck, get our t-shirts, body markings, and waivers signed, and head down to the water. Theresa meets Mickey Ryzmic of the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. I imagine she got a great interview or at the very least a good laugh.

Chuck having racked his bike, met us and we established a spot on the beach to tag. Things seemed to be moving quickly when we looked out at the water and realized the swimmers were all old men. Brandon helped me enter the water as we hear the starting horn, and my competitive nature kicked in as I dive forward into the water and begin swimming. Later I was told it was more of a flop due to the lack of power in my legs....A few strokes in and I notice another man my age wandering in slowly. I pull up and ask, "What wave just went out?"
"That was men 35 and up, relay teams are next", he tells me.
I relax, and swim to the start. I didn't have to wait long before my actual wave began.

The horn sounded. Feet and arms were everywhere. The dark open water of Lake Erie was blanketed by an overcast sky. My adrenaline was surging. I love this. This is my sport, and I am participating despite my disabilities. My stroke felt strong and smooth. My breathing was steady and calm. My only weakness was the lazy kick due to my injury. I seemed to be pacing well with a friend of Mickey's, so my confidence was also strong. This swim went as well as my swims go. I sighted well and swam straight. I went around the marker cleanly, and approached the beach with strength and the desire to swim further. Once I was out of water deep enough to swim, I crawled on my hands and knee's to the waters edge before tagging Chuck who raced off to the Bike transition.

After I had my shoes and leg brace back on, we headed to the transition to wait for Chuck on the bike. I did play by play for Annie and Theresa giving back history on many of the other athletes from CTC. Brandon headed into transition, and we waited along with Mel (who was and often is with Brandon).
Chuck came rolling into transition with a smooth dismount. This was his first race since 2007, but he looked like a pro that clearly knew how to play this game. Once tagged, Brandon took off running looking for a 20 minute 5k. We moved to the finish area and grabbed a much needed seat.
Chuck grabbed some post race food, and we waited...

A short time later we saw E-Speed run past yelling for Charlie....We thought she was looking for another Charlie. She was not, she was sent by Brandon so that I could finish the race with him. He made me take our race number, and we moved slowly a cross the finish with my leg brace and cane. Mickey was on the mic now and making sure that everyone knew that I had returned to the sport today following my injury. I proudly waved to the cameras held by Annie, E-speed and Janet (CTC Prez).

For Chuck and I, it was a return to a sport we love. We were both able to be apart of this wonderful culture of health and fitness. The day was special. The finish was fun, but we have no idea what our times were. It really didn't matter. Today we were part of a triathlon team. Today we competed. Today we were triathletes.
We named our team, "Team Billy Shears". That name comes from the Beatles song that states, "I am gonna tri with a little help from my friend's. Today that is what we did.

Exercise with a spinal cord injury

2010-06-09T13:12:00.004-05:00

One major struggle for me has been adapting to a sedentary lifestyle. For most of my adult life, I have had the ability to head out for a run. When I need to blow off steam, I always have had my running shoes. Exercise was something that came naturally. The activities I chose kept me fit and healthy.
Today I have to work much hard to motivate my self. I use a stationary bike to get my heart rate up. I have some hand weights to try to maintain some muscle, and I do a series of core exercises to help keep my lower back and abs strong. Soon I plan to begin swimming again. I am waiting for the outdoor pool to re-open for the summer. I look forward to this as I know the benefits will be huge.
I know that much of what I gained as an athlete is still available to me. I know that I can regain much fitness in my heart, lungs, endurance, and muscle.
My neuro wiring is a mess, and I can barely walk let alone run. The concept of being able to race is remote. This is beyond my control. But my fitness is not beyond my control. The workouts may not always be the way I want them to be. But they are available to me. Fitness is my choice. This I am grateful for.

On with the show

2010-06-01T12:21:00.003-05:00

So as I am adjusting to life with a disability/injury I am making changes due to my physical limitations. The first thing I need to do is replace the sound system I use for open mikes and other gigs. It is a great system, but it is much to heavy for me. I have come up with a plan make it much more manageable. This means selling the old to purchase a new lighter one.
I also have some triathlon gear that will not be put to use any time soon. Wetsuits and GPS devices are not going to be used for a while. So I have decided to sell these as well.

While selling these belongings, I have become reminded of how different multi sports athletes and musicians can be. When an athlete expresses interest, they say " I will be there at 5PM". This is often without fail. When a musician expresses interest, they say, "I want it! I should be able to buy it the third wed. in June".
I guess this could also be an economic issue.
Both of these traits belong to me.
In any event, the wetsuits and HRM/GPS are sold while the PA remains.................

Trifolk coming out of blog retirement!

2010-05-31T14:25:00.005-05:00

It is summer of 2010. I had intended to put this blog to rest, but I have come to believe that the story is not finished. Over the winter I suffered compression to my spinal cord and underwent surgery to repair broken discs in the cervical area of my spine. I am currently 3 months out from my surgery and undergoing physical therapy at MetroHealth in Cleveland.

Triathlon and running are not in the planning right now, but I can dream and use these activities as physical goals. I am using the bike indoors and plan to return to the pool soon. Running is a long way off, as even walking is very difficult due to the nerve damage I have suffered.

My long term prognosis is unclear. Nerves heal very slowly. I was told by my surgeon that the goal of the surgery was to prevent additional damage. A full recovery was not promised to me. I live with symptoms from neuropathy that include: tingling in my hands. feet that feel like they are frozen. My legs are numb, cold or burning. I am unable to walk without the assistance of a brace and a cane. When I switch from a sitting to a standing position I am often slowed by extreme stiffness. I have poor motor control and weakness with my feet and legs. My left foot drags without the brace. These issues are mostly neurological. Structurally I am ok aside from a little extra weight.

My goals are much greater now than ever before. I have every intention of returning to the sport though I know it may take years if this is even possible. I have no intention rolling over in defeat. The will that drove me to ironman remains. I will now return to this blog to update on my progress and struggles as I work toward my recovery. My hope is to one day enter another race report.

Thanks for reading.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion

2010-04-14T20:00:00.001-05:00

I never did follow up on the last post. This animation shows the surgery I wound up having about 6 weeks ago. Everything went smoothly and I have been undergoing a lot of physical therapy since then. I spent 17 days in the hospital and was very calm through the whole thing. I thank my family and friends for seeing me through this. I can safely say that I have no triathlons planned for this season. My training now is dedicated toward PT. learning to walk is my big goal.

Surgery

2010-03-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

I know this blog has ended, but I thought I should add this. I am in the Cleveland Clinic dealing with an unknown compression to my c4-6 vertabrae. Best case is steroid treatments worst will be removal of a growth and chemotherapy. This should all start today as I am on a presurgery diet.
The problem is unrelated to my sports, but my fitness will help me to overcome this. I am far more nervous right now than I was when I entered the water at Ironman. I hope to post positive results soon.
Thanks Charlie

Greater Cleveland Triathlon Race Recap 2009

2009-08-10T10:53:00.005-05:00

The week had been tough for me. Monday evening I took sick and was unable to train all week. My voice and ability to breath were in serious question with a nasty head cold. I tried to be optimistic and view it as a taper. The race plan was to go hard. The fear was to go hard and risk further sickness.

I packed up Saturday. I have found that ironman training and racing has taught me to minimize my belongings and weight, so I have refined both my race and gig kit to the point where it can be carried in one trip. I had dinner and coffee before sleeping. At a weeee bit past 5am Sunday, Bbop and Mel picked me up and we headed east through lightning storms towards mentor Headlands on the shore of Lake Erie.

As we arrived the skies began to clear, but the lake remained agitated and rough. The Coast Guard quickly canceled the swim. Bummer, but I get it, Lake Erie is unpredictable. Swims are never a sure thing on this body of water.

I set up my transition very quickly and just milled around. I left my guitar and cables in the car just in case the weather acted up. For the most part I was very relaxed.

We all gathered around the start to watch the oly race begin. GCT being the Cleveland Triathlon Clubs home event makes this race a great social event for us all. For CTC members, it does not matter your role in the event,you just want to be at GCT for the chance to visit with everyone.

30 minutes after the oly got going, we lined up and the race began. I took off in a group of other CTCers. With a 2 mile run, I ran as hard as I could with my head still stuffed up. I hit T1 in 17minutes. My transition was slow. I have not added yanks to my lacing system and continue to use road shoes on the bike. Once thru, I hit the bike and hammered all but two RR crossings that appears to be eating tires and delivering triathletes faces to the pavement. During the second crossing the gates closed while I was on the track. It was spooky for a moment, but we all kept riding as we heard the roar of the passing locomotive behind us. The last couple of miles up rt 44 gave me a good tailwind to ride. I hit T2 and joked around with volunteers a little to long before taking off on the final 2 run miles. My running was good and I felt fast. One section had a huge puddle with a single track pass. With oncoming runners on the dry section, I took the plunge through a 4 inch deep puddle before dashing to the finish. 1:18 .09

At the finish they took my chip and gave me a medal for my might accomplishment. I grabbed some water and headed straight to the car to get my guitar, mic and cables. I got set up quicker then either of my transitions during the race and began to play"Going down the road" by Woody Guthrie. I felt good singing and everyone seemed to enjoy my noise.

Following the race I helped clean up before Mel and I jumped in Lake Erie to bob in the waves. Bbop took off for a 2 hr run in the heat as he is prepping for IMKY.
As everyone was thru at the park, we all headed to Pickle Bills for and Great Lakes brew.
Twas a fine Day. GCT and Mickey Ryzmic put on a great event. I love the tradition we have developed with me playing in the finish area.

******

This is my last post to this blog. I am moving on to the next stage in my life where I will be applying all I have learned while training and racing ironman triathlons. My ability to accomplish what I have car free and plant based has taught me that I can do what ever I dream of doing the way I want to do it. The world I want to live in exists if I make it so. My only limitations are in my lack of imagination. If I allow my self to dream, then "Anything is possible".

When I left music in 2004 as my primary motivation, I had become disheartened by the need for so many belongings to present folk music. My business had lost the magic that it began with. The idea of a guitar and a singer going anywhere people were became so complicated and impersonal. My friendships were sometimes overly competitive in very unhealthy ways. The need to own and maintain a car was absolute. I rarely had time to sit with people and get to know them. I would drive 50 minutes, do the show, get paid and drive home. I dreamed of being more independent as a musician, but struggled to visualize a world that would allow me the freedom to do this.

Having spent the past few years learning to minimize my needs and belongings during a race as well as traveling to races through out the region and into the United Kingdom, I have found it very simple to become a regularly performing songwriter with out a car. My standard gig set up is lighter then my bike now. It includes a small PA, guitar mics, cable, stand, recordings and postcards. I am now able to be the performer I had dreamed of becoming. Self powered.

My next big project will be planning and executing a tour next summer using only bikes and bike trailers. A friend will also join me and film it as a documentary. I will be starting a new blog dedicated to this project, so please stay posted.

Thank You for being a part of this adventure. Let nothing stop you from living your life the way you truley want to live.

2009-07-31T20:23:00.002-05:00

After mulling it over for a while now, I have decided to end this blog. My last post will appropriately be the race report for the coming Greater Cleveland Triathlon. I am registered to race the sprint distance and scheduled to perform during the post race festivities. As I am going through this current transition in focus, I feel as the metaphor of beginning the day as a triathlete and finishing as a musician serves as the perfect conclusion to this blog.

When I began writing this blog, I saw it as a means to journal my training. Over the past three years of writing I have found it to be a portal into a strong community of support and camaraderie while training for long course triathlon. I have gained a number of good friends as a result of writing and reading other blogs. I feel I have contributed to a greater knowledge base with race reports giving insights to the races I have done. In some cases information on these races was scarce. For many looking for Ironman UK info, my report became a resource that I did not have prior to my race. I am glad that this blog has been used for this. For the reason above all others, I will keep trifolk published. I will however not be adding any new posts beyond the GCT report.

I am grateful to everyone that has followed this blog over the past three years. The intense focus required to train for ironman has often found me very alone. The constant contact I have been able to maintain through these writings, along with your feed back has given all of my efforts greater meaning.

My triathlon and running plans will remain active, but not central. My music is where I am directing most of my energy now. I have set up my music site within blogger and will continue writing regularly on that page www.charliemosbrook.com . If you enjoy my writing, I promise to post regularly. In addition my music site serves as a portal to my web presence from twitter, facebook, and myspace to itunes and other music sources. Feel free to friend me on facebook. I am obnoxiously active on that site and talk about endurance sports often. Ultimately once my music career is where I can rely primarily on it for income, I will have more time to devote to a hobby. When I arrive at this point I may try Ironman again.

As for now my rededication to music has manifested immediate results. A lot of very cool things are happening for me as a musician right now and I am enjoying an excitement about music that has been missing for a few years. Please feel free to take a moment or become a follower of the charliemosbrook.com site. I will continue to follow the blogs I have been reading as many of you have become friends and I want to know how it's going.

Anyhow, to steal a line from Spokane Al,
Thank you for reading,
Charlie

Mondays mean Open Mi

2009-07-27T10:25:00.001-05:00

Mondays mean Open Mic at the Coventry Phoenix. I like Monday

Lake Metroparks Pirate triathlon at Fairport Harbor

2009-07-26T14:29:00.004-05:00

The Pirate Triathlon is the old Fairport Harbor sprint with a new spin on promotion. I have done this race a 1/2 dozen times in it's original form and always felt that it was one of the best races around. The new pirate theme gave it a little more flair. The swim course is within the break wall on lake Erie, the bike rolls mostly flat along the lake and the run is flat and largely unshaded. The distance is a sprint 500m/20k/5k.

After returning from my vacation I got a hold of Tracy to confirm my ride. Around 6pm I knew the race was on. I had some veggie sushi, converted the bike from road to areo, packed my gear, and chilled.
At 5:30 I woke up and ate a small bowl of cereal and had a 1/4 cantaloupe. Tracy arrived 10 seconds early as I was crossing the street to meet her. We attached the bike to the car, I jumped in and away we drove for Fairport Harbor.
We got to the race just in time for registration($25 w/late fee). Set up transition, and got ready to race. Everything went very smooth pre race. I chose to wear a wet suit.
My wave started at 8:10. A horn sounded and we were off. I felt strong right off the bat. My mind was clear and really felt like I was just focused on the task at hand. The wave was a large group of men 35 and up. The swim was frantic and aggressive. Contact was constant. I remained steadfast and unapologetic throughout my swim. I am not sure of my time, but I stayed with the main group and swam straight. In general I believe it was a very good swim for me.
As I came out of the water I began stripping my wetsuit and jogged into T1. The only problem of the day occurred at this point as I really struggled to get my wet suit from my ankles. My guess is that I lost 3-4 minutes to the suit.
Once on the bike I hammered out the next 12 miles. Going out we had a great tailwind. I was doing an average 24mph and passing a lot of riders. On the return it dropped to 19mph as the winds were now at our face. I used my areo helmet cause I never get to. I think it benefited me on this course. Geek maybe, but it was the right choice.
T2 was quick and easy. I haven't switched out my laces this year, so I had to tie em. Not a big deal.
The run starts with a steep hill and soon turns flat. I went easy up and hit my stride after the climb. The Run went well. My old hamstring issue was apparent but not an issue. My run went well and I finished in 1:20.04(not confirmed yet).
It was fun to get out and run this race. The prep was light, I felt good the whole time and feel as though I put out a solid effort. My interest in time was obvious as I didn't look at my watch after I started it. I just went out and raced. Just had fun doing a tri and pushing my self a little harder then normal.
The race was very low tech but run well. Te new theme was fun, the food offerings were top notch. The cost and venue were as good as can be expected. I honestly believe this race is one of the best bargains in triathlon.
We had a good group of CTC members on hand and everyone seemed to have fun.
My race experience was A1.

Toning it down and tuning it up

2009-07-14T17:52:00.003-05:00

I have unsettled business. It is my music. This is what I set out to do years ago. I need to focus on that first and for most. This is what has always driven me, and I am ready to give myself back to it.

A few years ago I hit a wall. I came out of an engagement that I had wanted for most of my adult life. The woman was the one that always left me wondering, "what if?". The long and short of it is that I found out "what if", and it sucked. It left me confused and without direction. In an attempt to regain some direction and focus I turned toward the discipline of triathlon. I developed a multi year plan aimed at completing an Ironman.

The goals I set were accomplished methodically. I finished 2 ironman distance races, 7 70.3 distance races, and 5 stand alone marathons. I relied on the consistency of my training and was always willing to make sacrifices to achieve my goals.

I need to apply the same energy toward my music. I still hope to run a 50k this fall, but I can not see my self commiting to a 50 mile race and being able to give music the attention I need to. I need to be in a place where I can feel ok with missing or skipping a workout or two. Music is my greatest passion . I need to set my musical goals higher then those in sport right now.

The personal healing I looked for has occured and I want to be able to go deeper on an emotional level. I wasn't willing to do that before and my music suffered for it. I am ready now.

A Most excellent Race 10k-Race report

2009-06-28T19:12:00.005-05:00

I woke this morning at my normal 6:30. I had everything ready to go so I was able relax as I got going. I had a banana and a glass of H2o. Checked the latest MJ news, climbed aboard my bike and headed to the other corner of Cleveland Heights.

I arrived at Beaumont school with lots of time to register and stretch out before the race. I mostly sat by myself pre race before one of my customers and Dane's old boss, Brad came by. It was his first race. We chatted a bit before the kids of Camp Cheerful headed down the track. Every one clapped as the kids made their way to the finish line. This is one of the best pre race traditions in the Cleveland area.
I headed to the start in an easy jog and lined up. The weather was great. The heat had backed off this morning and the sky was overcast. I watched the herons and hawks overhead and relaxed. Just before the horn sounded and old prof named Scott lined up with me. He loves folk music, triathlon and running, so we always have lots to talk about. The gun sounded and we made our way across the line slowly. Still chatting for a good two minutes, I remembered what I was doing today. I wished Scott well and got going.

My hope was to hang at 8:00 miles. My legs have been heavy since the marathons and I turned my ankle this past week on a trail run, so I had lite expectations. I figured 50 minutes would be a success, but I was ready to except slower.

As the race turns west on Fairmount you have a slight downhill for about 1 1/2miles. I was moving at about 7:45 very comfortably. No ankle pain and my stride was smooth. At Coventry we turn right right for a block before heading east on Northpark. The return is uphill slightly before becoming steep after Lee road. I know this area as well as any. so I was able to anticipate every thing perfectly. The second loop came and my legs were beginning to feel it. Other runners began to pass. My pace was consistent so I wasn't worried.
As I approached the Coventry turn I got caught behind a group of walkers. I was a little discouraged, but I just took the extra moment to run around them. Half the group was in wheel chairs. So it was no big deal. The day was for these kids. Not me.
As I headed backup NorthPark I began to fade a little. I was heating up and my insides were churning. I focused on my breath, footing and a runner I had been just behind for 3 miles. At mile 6, Brian (another customer) was calling out times. He yelled "Come on Charlie, run harder". I tried to laugh or smile, as I did appreciate the sentiment, but I am sure it didn't show much. The last .2 miles are uphill. I dug in and pushed through to finish at 50:57 for an average pace of 8:10.

I headed straight to the loo and then for water and fruit. Everyone was gathering on the soccer field. I noticed fellow Aquarius triblogger ironG and went over to introduce myself. I have known her for about 2 years now online, but this was the first time we had actually met. We talked for a bit and hung for the awards. She had a great 5k finishing 2nd overall.
As G took her award it began to pour. She darted for her car and I put on a jacket and my helmet. The rain slowed and I rode home.

Overall I feel the race was successful. I was able to meet my speed goals. The lack of speed and sluggishness I have felt for the past month seems to be behind me. My ankle is a little soar. I iced all day.

Home course advantage

2009-06-22T10:51:00.002-05:00

Last week I ran for 6 days straight for the first time in years. This week I will continue that trend. The off day is Thursday. Friday I will run four miles, Saturday two, and Sunday I will run a 10k around the Shaker lakes area. My goals for the race will be to see where my fitness is at two weeks into structured training.
"A Most Excellent Race" is a local 10k that was started by my current boss Brendon Walton. It is a fund raiser for Camp Cheerful, a residential camp for children with disabilities. Just before the race start, kids from the camp participate in a fun run as all of the racers cheer. I have shed a tear twice for this event. When I ran this race in 1998 I was talking to Jen just after the race. I asked "How did ya do?".
She said, "I won."
The following year I had one of my personal best races. I don't recall the time, I do remember out racing some fast runners.
The race course has changed since then, but it still remains in the area that I have run regularly for 18 years. I went to elementary school two blocks away. I will spend a few miles on it today. This is my home course. I have good memories going back to '93 for this race. Should be fun.

new habits

2009-06-16T19:48:00.003-05:00

While training for Ironman, my run mileage usually remained between 20-30 miles per week. My long run was the important run and topped out at 2.5 hrs. Brick runs were also mandatory. Most of my other runs would be 30-45 minutes. My pattern was 3days on, one day off. Biking dominated my training for the Ironman. If the choice was bike or run, I had to bike.

I am now in the process of changing that pattern to better adapt my legs to longer runs. I am reducing off days to 6 on, 1 off. Most runs are 45-60 minutes. Long runs are much longer. I am refocusing all of my training with the goal of a 50mile trail race. As long runs grow longer, I will add days off. This will be most true when I attempt back to back long days. I doubt I will do a 5 and 4 hr weekend, but a pair of 3hr runs may be the planning.

Right now I am getting my general fitness up to speed. I also still have some pounds to loose. 188 is a lot of extra weight to carry, I could save a lot of energy by loosing10 or 15 . I think the 175 range is perfect for me and attainable in a healthy way.

I have been running sans mp3 player now for a few weeks. On trails this seems like a good idea. My local trails are in urban parks. It is good to be alert. I have seen coyote and been chased by wild dogs. I really want no surprises. I also find it is one less thing to worry about.

Another new discipline has been the use of hand held water bottles for every run. I picked up a nice one made by Nathan that has a pocket and handle. It is much simpler and more comfortable then the fuel belt I have been using. I am looking into a racing vest with a bladder. That costs a bit more and is not important yet, so I will wait.

Changing all of my habits and relearning everything I know about going long is fun. I am really enjoying this new focus and I am very excited about a new goal.

That said, a new iron distance triathlon has been scheduled for next September at Cedar Point....about an hour away.......Hmmmm.

Where was I?

2009-06-15T09:47:00.002-05:00

Quick update:
I haven't written much this week. The dominant issue has been a personal relationship. I leave that stuff off the net.

My recovery has been slow. I was able to get running quickly, but running was not quick. I added regular bike commuting and never exceeded an hour of running. Last week I took two days in a row off. I may have been ill. So I just laid around. Since then I have had a lot more energy.

I have officially kicked off my training for a fall of trail running. I am still tinkering with what the experts say works and what I think I can do while staying healthy enough to run 50 miles. I am giving more focus to post run strength training.

I am going to run in "A Most Excellent race" on the 28th of this month. This was always one of my favorite 10ks. It is run on my home turf through the Shaker Lakes area.

That is about all I have for now.

Looking Forward.........

2009-06-01T10:32:00.003-05:00

July I will start base building for a fall season of trail runs. My family will be spending a week atop Eagles mere Mountain. I have used this vacation to train before with bike climbs up the Mountain. The confidence it built for the old GCT 1/2 and the IMUK course was huge. This year I will be running up and down the mountain along the switchbacks. My "A" race will be near Hagerstown MD. After Brierman(Also in Hagerstown) last fall, I can not take climbing lightly. The area around the Appellation trail is rough.
I will also do a sprint tri in Fairport Harbor. It is one of my favorite little races.

August My only planned race is the GCT in mentor. My main duty will be as a musician. I will be racing the sprint.
I have made a commitment to pace a runner for the Burning River100. I also will volunteer at an aid station.
On August 30th, I will be taking in IMKY as a spectator. The Cleveland Tri Club has a lot of folks racing this year.

Sept. I plan to return to Michigan for a 50k on the same course as the Trail Marathon. The race festival is called RunWoodstock. The theme for all of the races that weekend will be "hippy" I will be camping. My approach to hills will be very different this time....Walking.
I have made a promise to take part in this years "Ride for Miles". Last year I was drafted to the stage to play a few tunes following the ride. This year I know to expect it. I am excited to have more of an opportunity to combine sport and music this year.

Oct. The Towpath Marathon will be returning to my schedule this fall. It has been 4 years since I last did this race. With my "A" race covering 1/2 of it's mileage on a similar towpath in Maryland, it makes sense to me to use this as a training run.

Nov JFK50 mile run. That's all I am gonna say about that.

winning and loosing

2009-05-27T21:31:00.004-05:00

I set off on my run this evening to meditate on winning and loosing. The Cavs are 1 game away from being eliminated from the NBA play offs following a season of dominating the league. The season we in Cleveland have followed has been the most promising of any of our pro sports teams in my lifetime. With Lebron James leading his best team, we have had confidence that we would finally experience what every other major city in America has witnessed. A championship.

Winning is a foreign subject to me personally. The last time I was part of a winning team was my Little league team (Tris Speaker youth baseball) My team went 14-1-1. Our final game was a scrimmage against the 2nd best and only team to beat us. We won 19-3. We were the Giants. We were coached by some college players that were really good at teaching us the game. What I will always remember is how well we did the basic things. When ever we did something special on the field it counted and was magnified because all the basics were taken care of.

As an adult athlete I have two age group awards from 10 years ago. My approach to racing is much more in line with participating then it is competing. I look for a personal challenge or a fun event to see friends and run faster or further then I normally would. I race with personal goals, but I have no plans on returning home with anything other then a finishers medal.

As a fan, I love to watch the games. I love getting to know the players on the field. I love seeing the way a team meshes. I love seeing an underdog like the '97 Indians or the '05 Cavs exceed every ones expectations, and not being surprised. I know that I can look back on this past season and say that I have every reason to believe that LBJ and co. can and should win the next 3.

As a Clevelander I am haunted by a sense that I will never see it happen. An Injury or free agency will snatch hope away. The best opportunity to win will be thwarted by one moment that will be remembered vividly by all in our city.

A ball sailing inches from the outstretched glove of a favorite pitcher. A great RB being stripped before he crosses into the end zone. Moments that defined the careers of two of the greatest players ever. An interception that made the coldest of January's ever in our history that much colder.

2007.....I am so glad I had ironman during the never ending sports disappointments we went through 2 years ago. As a Cleveland sports fan, I am familiar with disappointment. The best we have had was a team that still had a chance in the last play of the last game. The big win never happens here. That's just the way it is.

My run took me through a warm rain, down the hill into University Circle. The turn around point is the lagoon in front of the art museum. as I pointed back eastward I noticed a rainbow leading into the area of the University Hospital. The Rainbow Babies and children hospital appeared to be the end point of the rainbow. Having been born in that hospital, I was reminded of my mom claiming she had my dad circle round Severance Hall home of the Cleveland Orchestra, to insure musicality. I remember going to her work at the institute of art when I was young and being influenced by so much music and art. I remembered listening to music at the Jazz and folk clubs and eventually performing at them. I thought of the Gardens and Museums. I thought of the city and the amazing park system. The way the people support the arts and work to preserve the culture. I remembered that the place I was born is very special. I am proud to claim Cleveland as my birthplace and home. I realized that the end of the rainbow is an amazing city. Win or loose, it is always home.

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Race recap

2009-05-18T09:44:00.003-05:00

The weekend leading up to the race was very relaxed. Aside from a few hours at work, I mainly stayed off my feet. I had Pad Thai for dinner Friday and Veggie sushi Saturday night. I slept well both nights. So I felt rested and well fueled without feeling bloated. I hydrated well, and my pre-race meal consisted of two Lara bars and 12oz of Gatorade. AJ and I rolled down to the race at about 6am. I was able to clear my soul in the loo. I checked my stuff, turned on my garmin and lined up.
I was hoping to make one last stop in the confessional, but the lines were very long. The race attracted record numbers this year, so I decided to wait for the first good tree or statue of a for civic leader to loose excess water weight. The air was cold. I wore gloves for warmth. I settled into the crowd near the 4:45 pace group. Not that I was looking for a finish of that time, It was just as close as I could get. I checked my Garmin for the time only to discover that it was still looking for satellites. Apparently buildings cause problems. Since the course was measured, I didn't worry to much about it. I mostly wanted heart rate info. Pace is easy math.
The race started and 5 minutes later we were thru the starting line. My first few yards were with my neighbor and AJ's roomy Brendon. I spotted a place for privacy and pealed off. When I returned to the course, I jumped in and just hung with what was comfortable. My body was still a little tired following the trail marathon, so my strategy was easy going....
Thru the first mile the crowd was tight and slow. I started to hit my stride and moved up into a pack that matched my natural pace. 9;30 with walking at aid stations. I was a little to well hydrated, so I had a few additional stops along the way. At times I reminded my self of Zeus(my folks lab) with the incessant tree soaking.
The run was going smoothly thru 12. Some where on the main street bridge my knee did something that really freaked me out. I took immediate caution and pulled to the side of the road to massage it and do a quick self examination. I began running again, but with caution. If something seemed seriously wrong I could pull out at the half way point and head to the finish to cheer on friends. The pain continued but did not worsen. This was a marathon, so I excepted some pain and pushed on past the turn off.
Out along the marginal, I was manging my knee pain. 25 yards from the coming aid station I found a GU in my pack and walked into oasis looking for water. Matt Collister(CTC multi IM and now ultra runner) was working this water table. I leaned into him and said muttered, " Doing marathons so close together f**king hurts my knees".
He replied, "Keep moving forward".
So forward I moved.
Around this time I struck up a conversation with a runner attempting her first marathon. She was beginning to doubt her ability to finish. She was concerned about falling apart after 17 miles.
I shared some of the things I had learned over the years. I let her know that things turn good as quickly as they turn bad. The human spirit is an amazing thing. during the darkest parts of this race she would find inner strengths she never knew existed in her self. Marathons turn mental after 20 miles.
Around 21 miles, she was still with me. neither of us had wavered from our strategy. She walked at mile markers and I at aid stations. I kept assuring her that she was doing great. she told me that the things I had said were giving her strength.
At 55th and St Clair I saw Mary cheering. I was still using Matt's advice. The knee was stable. Every thing hurt. I was tight and unable to stretch the stride, but I was running. The 4:45 pace group caught me. I think they were ahead of pace. I stuck close with that group the rest of the way.
The final 5k was just an exercise in determination. I hurt all over. At lakeside with under 1/2 a mile to go I ran as hard as I could. This was not hard at all. I crossed the finish in 4:44. I finished with the group I started with. I waited for my new friend that traveled the tough miles with me. she was 2 minutes back. I congratulated her. She gave me a hug and thanked me for my words. I thanked her. Staying positive is so much easier when you can share with others.
Micky Ryzmick came over to me to congratulate me. I was wearing the same GCT hat he had on. I found Mary and we laid on the Mall C lawn for awhile before finding coffee and lunch....

Thoughts from the day. The weather was perfect. Aside from a little wind, this was as a good a weather day as can ever be hoped for. The new course was very scenic. I think the race directors found a course that celebrates the city. Detroit ave and St Claire suck, but there is really no other way to get in or out of downtown without facing the economic reality that exists between the downtown area and the burbs. I personally think it is a very important area to visit in the cities of America. The lake front, Rockefeller Park all of the downtown sites, Lakewood and the new finish at city hall made for a great course. The race course had many more people cheering on both sides of town. This race has made some great changes for the better. I once again recommend it after being down on it the past few years.

Alot of friends had great races. Most notably, when I looked at the results i noticed that AJ Baucco whom I drove to the race with took 5th in the half. In the women's race I noticed E-speeds name as the 2nd place finisher.....Amazing.

Congats all.

Goals for the Cleveland marathon

2009-05-13T20:18:00.003-05:00

As I head into the coming weekend, I think it important that I take a moment to reflect on my coming task this Sunday. I am registered for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. This will be my second marathon start in 21 days. Unlike the Trail Marathon last month, this on is flat and run on roads. I have no real expectations. I am realistic in knowing that I have never gone this distance with so little time between starts. I think I was able to bounce back following the race in Ann Arbor in good shape. My legs still have very little pep, but I have not really pushed to hard. I have followed my standard tapper. So who knows. I think my biggest goal is to go out and enjoy the biggest fitness party in town. I hope to stay positive and run a marathon around my city.

Also, I have moved my music( http://www.charliemosbrook.com ) site onto blogger and have done a lot of changes to it. Please check it out.

Runners Envy

2009-05-08T19:41:00.002-05:00

Today was a rest day. I have been training consistently. My body is in need of the kind of schedule that marathon tapering brings. Quick short jogs and an extra day off. My mileage will be cut drastically in the coming week. My body could use the rest . I am well aware of the benefits of tapering. The JT line"My body is aching and my time is at hand and I won't make it any other way" rings true a week before a marathon. My body and mind know this to be true, but my spirit and soul want to run.

As I walked to the bust stop following work I noticed runners everywhere. As the bus rolled up the hill to Cleveland Heights, I watched runners climbing and descending Mayfield. I wanted to press my nose to the window to see them all run. I twisted in my seat to get a glimpse of all the runners heading into the cemetery. As I walked from my stop , it seemed that everyone on Coventry was headed out for a run. I noticed nothing else. My heart was stiring inside. I wanted to go out and run too.

But for me this evening there is only this runners envy. Like a dog in a car at the dog park, I can only look forward to my run tomorrow. I will be rested.

We are stardust

2009-05-03T18:56:00.005-05:00

A few years back as I began the early stages of my training for Ironman UK, I joined a CTC run one Wednesday night. There were just 3 of us that night. One runners name I have lost in the past few years. I have either not seen him since or I saw under a different light. The other runner was E-speed. I think it was our first formal meeting. I knew who she was, as she had spent the whole day at GCT rooting us all on. Her enthusiasm certainly fueled a few miles for me that day. I had also read her JFK50 mile race report here in blogland. So many folks in these sports seem to inspire others just by doing what they do. Sometimes inspiration takes a long delay before it hits.
As we ran along, E shared her experience from the JFK50 mile. The race seemed unimaginable. I was focused on Ironman, so entertaining any idea of running a 50 mile race had no space in my mind. I also remember her reflecting on the questions of "What's Next?" and "Whats the point of all this?".
These questions have dogged me over the past year since finishing my first Ironman. I imagine this is common for long distance athletes.
Looking for a point may always remain a mystery. I am not sure I have ever heard of anyone clearly defining a point to pushing beyond the limits of human endurance. When it comes to staying in shape, these Ultra and iron distance races are overkill. Trying to find an easy sound bite to explain our drive is silly. When it comes right down to it, I think if you are searching for a point, you have missed the point. The only clear point is a finish line. Once we cross over that line it ceases to have any relevance in our present.

At a races end, it is easy and common to become lost as our sense of purpose has come to a conclusion. What is gained from many of my races is gained during the months of training that precedes the actual race. A big smile and a finishers medal account for a very small part of the reward. Sometimes the greatest struggle comes after the finish. Haunted by the emptiness of living with out goals makes life after the race more difficult then the race it self. We have had so much time to ready our selves for the trials that we would have to overcome on race day. We spend almost no time preparing for the transition after our goals have been met. Just as I believe death is a transition, I believe that a finish line would be better defined as a transition line. Crossing that line can bring a world of confusion if your biggest goal has been achieved.

Following my IMUK finish I was able soak up the joy for a while. Within a month, I had committed to another year of ironman training. I took some downtime and got back to work.

As I began the training for IM Louisville, I found my self confronted by the same questions I had listened to E-speed ask a year earlier. I had no answers to these questions and often found my training uninspired, flat, and boring. I wondered what the point was often and more then once considered dropping out. One thing I repeatedly promised myself after IMKY was to spend more time just running. I looked forward to a season of more focused marathon training.

Early on Nichole and I had planned for the Big Sur. Having new goals waiting beyond an Ironman finish propelled me to the finish/transition line at 4th street live. I learned alot about myself last year. Most importantly I learned that I have no quit in me.

My training for big Sur began well. Driven and focused on a new goal, the joy of training had returned. When it became clear that Nichole was dealing with injuries that would force her to drop out of the Big Sur plan, along with economic fears looming, I adjusted my plans as I once had to do for ironman and picked the Trail Marathon. My training moved along without distraction. I went into my race feeling I was ready......I was not......The trail kicked my ass. I was down, but there was no quit in me. Like the little scrapper that I was as a kid, I would drag my bloodied body from the trail and jump right back into the fight. I refused to end a season of marathon training with a race like that. I decided to run the marathon in Cleveland 2 weeks from now and maintain my training. I am completely focused.

I have also decided to maintain my focus on running. Sept 19th I plan to go 50k for the first time on the same course that beat me last week. The race is called the freak50k. It is a part of a weekend called Runwoodstock. The big race is the Hallucination100 Mile. I will follow that up with the Towpath Marathon and then a week before Thanksgiving I will end my season with The JFK50 mile.
I gotta be honest, the distance still seems unimaginable to me. I think back to last Sunday and remember how relieved I was to see the finish/transition line. I wonder,"how can I go any further?". The truth is, I don't think I have ever seen a finish line that I was not relieved to see. Most races leave me feeling destroyed for at least a short moment.

So I now have season race goals that will give me focus. 50miles is huge in my mind. I have a lot of miles ahead. I have no idea what comes after JFK. But I know unlike the 60's, Woodstock comes first.

I came upon a child of god
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
Im going on down to yasgurs farm
Im going to join in a rock n roll band
Im going to camp out on the land
Im going to try an get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
-Joni Mitchell

What other point do you need?

Photo's from the Trail marathon

2009-04-28T20:27:00.002-05:00

Race report: the trail marathon

2009-04-27T16:13:00.004-05:00

The day began in a fog. We had oatmeal at the Bigboy near the hotel and headed north to Silver lake in the Pinkney State recreation area Northwest of Ann Arbor Mi.

My first thought when we arrived was,"this would be a great place for a triathlon". We sauntered about. I took care of the morning personal mission to encourage intestinal comfort. I readied my race belt and cloths. packaged up the ipod Nike+. No headphones, just to record data. I was ready. As a triathlete, I was itching to adjust any piece of gear I could. But this set up was a simple one. With a chip on each shoe Mary wished me well and I headed to the starting line.

The marathon was a small field of maybe 250. The 1/2 drew a much bigger group of runners that left an hour after us. Everyone just sort of calmly waited for the start. An old hippie climbed up on a stump and made some announcements, and started the race. I hit the face of my Timex and the center button of the ipod and began running.

The first loop went smoothly. I ran without issue and felt strong. The fog was lifting, but the air was still heavy. The rising temperatures were also awakening zillions and zillions of little bugs. Many of them wanted me not to be a vegetarian as they flew into my mouth. Aside from bugs and humidity, the first 13 just consisted of me following a runner up and down hills along a single track path through the woods. the group slowly spread out, but we all remained within site of other runners.

At the half hay point we passed the start/finish and the only spectators along the course. This was welcome. I searched for Mary and announced to her and the crowd that I was no longer a veg as I had swallowed many an insect. I grabbed some food, talked for a moment with an aid worker about The Cleveland marathon. Mary walked with me as I gobbled down some food, and I ran off and onto the second loop.

Everything was going well and runners ahead of me were beginning to fall back. I began targeting folks and making my move. I had just over taken one runner and was cresting a hill ready to shoot down the other side when my right foot failed to clear a small obstacle. I tried to stabilize for one moment before preparing for an emergency landing. I got my arms in, tucked my chin, and rotated to my side. I landed evenly with light impact to my shoulder and a little scrape of the knee. The fall was a thing of beauty. The many years I have spent falling down paid off. I was a little dirty and scraped, but I was more then fine. I climbed to my feet, assured the runner who was now retaking his position that I was in good shape. and continued on with the race. At the next aid station I cleaned my wounds.
One volunteer asked, "Are you having fun?".
I told him, " I was doing somersault out there".
He assured me I was looking better then a lot of others.

Within a mile and a half, the wheels started to come loose. My stomach was not behaving and the heat was taking it's toll. I was not at all prepared for 85 degrees. Most of the rest of the run was spent walking the climbs, descending with care, and jogging the flats. At one point around 23 I paused to regroup when my heart rate seemed a bit to high.

I maintained a rhythm and finally crossed the finish line at 5:58.14. I had beaten 6hrs. I felt this was something to celebrate.
I don't recall my IMKY run time, but I think this was a personal worst. This was a tough day. I sat down and began my recovery. I looked over at a guy holding a hand full of finisher medals and asked. "Do I get one of those?"
He said, "Yep."
I crashed on the ground for a bit and took a cold shower of sorts before Mary and I headed into Ann Arbor to Watch the Cavs play. We missed the first half as the the locals were more interested int the Bulls/Boston game and the Tigers.

Final thoughts:
This race kicked my ass.
I have absolutely no complaints about the race itself. I will likely return.
I plan to run Cleveland now. My training went well and I think I can run better then I did.
I have a new respect for ultra racing. This was a tough race. I can not fathom 50k, 50, or 100 miles. This still boggles my mind. This usually means I can't shake the idea of trying.

So, I have a marathon Sunday.

2009-04-23T18:56:00.003-05:00

I am excited right now for this race. More so then I was for IMKY. I think the reason is that I have goals in running. In triathlon I don't really have any major goals left. Right now I see triathlon as something that I love to do. It is fun for me, but I don't have any major goals left. I think I have peaked with Ironman. I love the sport and will continue to race for the joy of racing, I will train as a triathlete, and I will identify my self as a triathlete. But right now, Iam distracted bytwo new attainable goals. Both are running goals.

The first and most remote goal is Boston. I would love to qualify and run Boston. My next age up brings the times to within a more attainable time. I think with focused dedicated run training I could meet the 3:30 time standard. It won't be easy, but it is possible. I have a few years before I move up.

My other goal is a 50 miler. This one is more realisticly achieved in the "near" future. I get the LOOOONG DAYYYYYYYY. I just need to adjust to the idea that this race is a pure running race that will last longer then the Ironman bike. This intimidates me. Intimidation motivates me.

So this race this weekend is the first major race since I re evaluated my training plans and goals. I am entering this race having spent all spring with a desire to train. I have not had that hunger since Ironman UK. Last year I was completely uninspired. I had moments. Steelhead was an amazing race for me and at Louisville, I met my Maker. I look back in a positive way. But for the most part, I was just not into it, thhis made it very difficult. Since I have started flirting with the long term running goals I have entered into my training with a new desire.

My goals this weekend are to stay within my self and explore the world of long distance trail running. I don't think a PR is in the works, but I do know my fitness is high. I am peaking perfectly. I have absolutely no doubt in my training. My health has been good. Not one cold or flu all spring. I tweeked my ankle on an early trail run, but nothing bad enough to slow me. I have benefited grately from the CSU rec center. I have no reason to expect a bad race. So a steady pace is my ultimate goal.

I will try to update the blog through out the weekend.

Back to the Woods

2009-04-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon. In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon for the tenth time in my life. In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon for the first time off road.

I began running with trips around the Shaker lakes. I always enjoyed the trail portions best. This was the section that would pull me into the immediate moment as I would have to focus on each and every step or risk tripping over a root or stone. Turned ankles are often the result of not paying attention to oncoming obstacles, so for my own health and well being I would have ignore the common state of distraction that I often live in. The softer surface is more agreeable to my heavier frame whilst the constant climbing and descending remain difficult due to the same issue. The major attraction to an off road marathon is my love for nature and the chance to commune with the world in it's natural state.

Most of my marathons have been both flat and on roads. I have run the Towpath twice, which is flat with a crushed lime stone surface. A portion of the IMUK course was both hilly and off road. So I have limited experiance with this distance and terrain in combination. I hope to try ultra marathons soon, so The Trail Marathon seems like a good step in that direction.

I am healthy and my fitness is at a good level. My main concerns are loosing focus and turning an ankle or flying face first to the ground.

All in all I just look forward to a new challenge.

Brrridges to Recovery 5k (Race report)

2009-03-29T15:35:00.009-05:00

This was the first race of the year for me. The Bridges to Recovery is a small 5k set up as a fund-raiser for Covenant House in the Ohio City area of Cleveland. I have been training for speed, so I was curious to see what I had .
We arrived with 45 minutes to spare. I signed up, hit the loo, and did my warm up. It was obvious that the winds were bringin' a chill from the west and that the warmer stuff was being pushed out. I was wishing I had some gloves, but aside from that I was ready to run hard around the 5k course that takes you over the Cuyahoga, past the Hard Rock Cafe, the Q, back over the flats and around the west side market. I really love this course for it's scenery. The bridges are deceptive and provide long inclines. My concern was the wind on the bridges coming off of Lake Erie.

A little past 9am the starting bell rang and we were off. The crowd was small, so I was able to settle in quickly and just focus on a hard pace. After the first mile I felt my pace was solid at about 7:30. The lead pack wasn't pulling to far ahead, so my ego remained healthy. After the aid station, we headed over the Lorain Carnegie bridge. The struggle to hold pace began as we crested the bridge. After turning onto w.25th I remained stable within the pack, but could never find a higher gear. I hit the finish in 23:54 for a 7:41 pace.

I worked hard and am regaining any lost speed from pre ironman form. I was happy with the effort. Hermes ran a good race and the residents at Covenant House were great volunteers. I have a fondness for this race and hope to return. This was my second.

Four weeks remain before the Marathon. All seems well.
5k's go by quick.

Perseverance

2009-03-24T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today I had finished my run and headed to the stretching mats. I ran into an old friend and who has an Ironman dream. She asked me what my best discipline in triathlon was.

This has always been an odd question for me to answer. I enjoy running the most. I am strongest on the bike, and my swim has been where I have improved the most. In addition, I tend to be ranked evenly in each sport. So it seemed silly for me to name one.

What I came up was perseverance. This is what I am best at. This is what really drives me.

Later on in the evening the President and a Biggest Looser ( as a fat kid that has to work his ass off to stay at a healthy weight, I get caught up in the show from time to time) contestant emphasized perseverances as a means of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. I know this was the biggest factor in both of my Ironman finishes.

Perseverance can be an incredible force. I wish Mr Obama the best with his. May all of mine be available to his goals.

Steady on America.

What we do now

2009-03-21T11:53:00.006-05:00

Last night I had a gig at the Old Stone Church on public square here in Cleveland. The show was a send off for the buses headed to DC for the 6^th anniversary of the Iraq war. Passions still remain high, but the anti war movement has lost a little steam with Obama's change in policy. There seems to be a lack of urgency as most folks feel the President is taking us in a new direction. The voices of peace however are no less important. The move away from No bid contracts, torture policy, and the Iraq focus were important policy decisions, because we made them important issues. If we as citizens become complacent with the belief that things are changing, we will get what we have been getting. So I will continue to contribute with my music. Hopefully some part of my music will help to strengthen the cause of peace in the marchers in DC.

After the show we headed to nearby John Q's and the Little Bar (old downtown bars) to watch the CSU Vikings play Cinderella in the NCAA tourny. CSU beat Wake Forest. I was impressed at how CSU never backed off. The remained focused for 40 minutes.

The rest of the weekend will be devoted to training. I am 90% sure I am doing the trail marathon in Michigan on April 26th. It looks like a fun race. My only reservation is that my run training is right on track. If I do a fast flat race, I think I can go 3:40. My speed and strength training has been consistent and I am now really recognizing my fitness level rising. I am injury free and the pounds continue to drop. It all adds up to a good opportunity at a fast marathon. However, I don't think this race will lend it self to that goal. Non the less, The work I am doing will help me in having a good trail marathon. It will also continue to build strength and speed for a faster marathon in the future.

All of this is a reminder to me to take care of the present moment. I know if I do that, the future will fall into place.

How long have I left to write?

2009-03-10T19:24:00.002-05:00

My battery is at less then 50%. I will try to say what I must say. I am doing what I can to make every word count. I know that when I least expect it, my netbook will be on empty and my ability to write will cease.

I have been thinking about mortality lately. I know that eventually I will no longer breath. At least not as Charlie. I had a friend get hit the other day. He is OK, but you never know. You never know when a random act will find you. You never know when decease or some other bodily malfunction can suddenly end your perception and being here on earth. It will happen. It always has before and it will happen to me. As I age my life grows shorter. Death will happen I am sure.

I also know that with death, there is life. I watch the seasons come and go. Right now we are coming into spring. Life will erupt once more. Within days, barren limbs will be covered with buds and within weeks the buds will be leaves so thick that the sky will disappear over our heads. Life will be rich and we will celebrate it. We will move from our homes out into the open air to breath run, bike, sing, dance, and rejoice in life as we do every spring.

Death returns to life. Resurrection, reincarnation and the four seasons are strong held beliefs. I am not afraid of death, because I know that death can only exist with life. Knowing that I am not dead reminds me that I am alive. This makes me happy.

My battery is getting dangerously low now. So I must end this post.
Happy Spring! Enjoy Life!

I have no idea what my plan will be

2009-03-01T21:21:00.002-05:00

My training is going so well. I have shed 15 pounds in 6 weeks. I haven't missed a work out. Everything I am doing is quality. No Junk miles. I am moving toward a much improved marathon.

Now that I have establish a solid training regimen, I have to choose a race. Big Sur is not gonna happen. Nichole has had back issues and has been limited in her training as a result. So we decided to stay close to home and see the Dead in Philly. The Flying Pig is the same weekend as the dead and it is a week after my planned marathon week. So now we consider other races.

The trail marathon in Michigan is all trail running. It sounds really nice, but I am training for a road race. They offer a whole and a half. The cost is $35. It is right outside of ann arbor. Lodging should be easy.

Nashville Marathon. I have never been to Nashville. This is the center of the Universe as songwriters go. Seems a good idea to make a pilgrimage to music mecca and run my 10 th marathon. Cost is over $100 and I have no simple lodging plan.

The Glass City Marathon in Toledo. Flat road race. Out and back . Low cost. Close to home.

I have to toss this around with Zac and Nichole. We have choices that will keep my target date intact. I just have to pick one now.

moving sideways

2009-02-19T20:35:00.003-05:00

As I sat on the bus today I noticed that I was not moving forward. My body faced not the front of the bus, but the center of it. My view was not of the oncoming day. My view saw the city through the opposite window. My anticipation and remembrances lacked as all I could see was only what was passing by at that very moment. Moving forward or backwards was not an option to me. My seat was a bench that ran along the wall of the bus.

My sports and music are based on linear time. Songs and races have a start and a finish. Tempo is a common term within both worlds. When I get confused I can always return to the beat, to my breath, to the moment that I am in. I can focus directly on the note or footstep and let go of what I expect to happen next.The truth is that I never know what is going to happpen next. I can make assumptions based on experiance. Like a weather forcaster I can look at all of my data and try to predict what willl happen. But when a moment arrives it is unique and I have to adapt to it for what it is and not what I thought it would be. When my expectations are wrong I must adjust. This is where I have learned to move from side to side. I find other routes toward my goals by taking a very indirect path as if I were sailing into a wind. My tack is patient but determined. I can't alwaysfollow a path that may have worked for you. The only path that will work for me is the path that is available to me. Sometimes the best path available to me is in a direction I have never considered.

Often times forward is the obvious choice. Today as the brutal winds whipped across lake Erie and through the streets of Cleveland, backward worked well. As I rode my bus, I found that my path was sideways.

Without goals what do we have?

2009-02-08T00:27:00.003-05:00

I have really enjoyed all the indoor training. Oddly I am finding benift rather then boredom on the tread mill. The belt keeps me on target when it is time to go fast. my mileage is starting to climb and I am remaining consistent with my strength training. The odd thing is that I really have no major goals this year.

Since I began writing this blog, I have always had a motivating race in the future. Ironman UK and Louisville were so big in my mind that I felt missing any training would jeopardies my chances of finishing those races.

During my training for UK I was always eager. I would stand at a bus stop in the worst weather with out any reservation to get my swim in. My training goals were always met and nothing was going to stop me.

For Louisville I trained with the knowledge of how hard Ironman can be. What I lacked in enthusiasm, I made up for in wisdom. I feared not being prepared.

This year I have vague race plans. Big Sur is a goal. However money has been tight of late, and it is not going to get better immediately. The uncertainty of the economy has me trying to play it safe. Nichole and I have talked about the flying pig as an alternative. I have not raced Cinci, so I look forward to either option. My triathlon plans are without any real structure. I know I would like to do two or three 70.3 distance races,. I need that shock to my system. The relaxed strength that long course builds is something I crave. I hope to do more short cousre racing this year, but ultimately I like to spend race day racing.

This year I have really embraced my training. I spend my days at work looking forward to getting to the gym. I feel so lucky to be able to start working out within 15 minutes if I hurry. Commuting seems to really zap my energy and passion. Since I began working out at CSU, My desire to train has been strong.

I have no idea what races I will race. What I do know is that I am enjoying every moment of my preparation for the coming season. What is motivating me is the joy of training. Each moment is special. With no end goal in sight, I am able to truly focus on the miracle. I am able to focus on the present and really embrace what life is.
Life is now.

Relaxed

2009-02-03T21:56:00.003-05:00

I can now relax. I have had a long couple of days.
Sunday I was up at 6:30am for tri swimming. Following the swim workout I met up with Nichole for our first long run in our training plan. The air was warmer then it has been in a while, It made for a very pleasant run through the rocky river reservation. We really lucked out with the weather. 50 degrees. Hello February. January was so cold and snowy. The run went well.
BTW- I am moving most of the workout specific stuff to my training log in the side bar.
After the run I went to my folks place to watch football, eat and do battle with conflicting anti virus software in my dads PC....
Monday was a 4:30 am wake up, as I was subbing for Zac as the opener. After work I got some laundry done and packed up for open mic. as I threw my guitar on my shoulder the lights went down....."NO! I paid that bill!" I said before I noticed the silence. When I poked my head in the hallway I was reassured that it was a wide spread issue and had nothing to do with the fact that I can ignore first energy for a Looong time.
Any how, I headed up to the phoenix in the dark to figure out what we were going to do. Honestly I physically could have used the rest, but finances rule right now so I was relieved to see power return to the street. We had a good line up of musicians, but the crowd was slower then normal.
After the gig I retired quickly. I was in at 8 this morning, so I was better rested. After work I ran, lifted, and swam before coming home. About ten minutes ago I finished some promotions for my upcoming gig at AJ Roccos on Valentines day.
So now I sit, listen to some middle eastern music, and enter a little blog.
I am relaxing.

Less tri More Folk

2009-01-31T13:09:00.003-05:00

I am looking for a new way to recharge the blog. So this is the first posting to be linked to my Facebook page. I know that I will reach many more readers on Facebook with a wider range of interests/disinterests. So I plan to write more about music and random life stories in an effort to balance the focus of this blog. I will still write about triathlon and endurance sports, but I hope to not bore my non running friends with countless exercise abbreviations without explaining myself. I have a handful of Facebook friends that I could've known from either triathlon/running or music. I have many old friends from my youth that have found me on FB that have taken a similar athletic path to mine, some hope to, and some just think the whole endurance sport world is nuts. A lot of my friends want to know what is going on with me musically and have little interest in my intestinal discomfort during a recent race. My point is that I have a much wider demographic that potentially may read this blog, so I aim to "spread the wealth" a bit more in regards to topic.

I am sure that many of you that have followed my blog think I wander off track often. It is true. Eight hours on a bike tends to make your mind wander. I am never shy about writing down my thoughts on anything that I feel passionate about other than personal relationships. My mind sometimes bounces all over the place. In a very random sort of way. I use song structure mostly to keep me from chasing notes as though they were butterflies. I race becouse a finishline gives me direction in my fitness.

So Trifolk is now dedicated to less tri and more folk...............Happy reading.

All charged up and ready to roll

2009-01-25T23:00:00.002-05:00

I has been tough getting the blog rolling again.

Last weekend I was busy with OS installations and hardware upgrades to my laptop. The thing is roaring now. It actually seems stable in vista. In Ubuntu, it is running amazingly smooth and fast. The graphics are awesome, and all in all I have my laptop running the way I would like it to.

After the New Year I just started training and haven't wavered from my base work. The CSU rec membership has been key in this regard. I go straight to the gym/pool after work and get busy. With the cold we have been hosting, it would have been difficult to maintain the same consistency with my former arrangements. At CSU I can go at my convenience without any additional commute.

I have been lifting/stretching, treadmill and outdoor running, plus trainer workouts, and most importantly I have been swimming with greater frequency. I can feel myself getting fit again and I am always eager to work out.

This all tells me how important the downtime really was. I needed a serious break. I took it, and now I am feeling very ambitious about the training. It is time to feel this way. Big Sur training begins next Sunday. Nichole is excited. I am eager.....So come on and let the good times roll!

Adapting to the weather

2009-01-14T00:22:00.002-05:00

Over the past few years I have had to take a bus to Notre Dame for 7:30pm lap swim. I always found it welcoming, but difficult to get to and from. On cold nights it really sucked walking from the pool 10 minutes to the bus stop on Cedar. Once at the stop, the wind would cut right through me as my skin was saturated from the swim. My choice not to do polar bear swims the last two years was based in large part on this issue. I leave myself open to illness with the pool commute. Why add to it?

Today I have changed this. I took on a community membership at Cleveland State University's fitness center. The pool is amazing and it is located along my bus line/Bike lanes. The buses come by every 7 minutes and the station is just outside the center. The rest of the center is brand new. My cost is very reasonable. This made to0 much sense. This new arrangement will make training much more accessible to me.

Just in the nick of time. The mercury is headed for 0 degrees this week.

Changing my status is easier than blogging

2009-01-03T12:13:00.004-05:00

Well.......
I have been taking my recovery period. a blog break just sorta happened. Since many of you are also on Facebook, I have been able to maintain communication via one liners.

I am getting my running back with some consistency. I do a trainer workout twice a week, and I have been doing the winter tri swim group workouts at Oberlin. Those are a blast. I haven't been in the pool since before XMas. I am all right with that, but I will be back in this week.

Music has really been fun this winter. I have been doing a lot of song writing and my performances have been to the level I expect and enjoy. I recieved a standing ovation at one show last month. This is a rare event for me, so I was very flattered. It also told me that I may have done something right. My relationship with my instruments has become much more delicate and deliberate. Some times I think I know what I am doing.

My race plans right now include:
The Big Sur Marathon
Maybe Race for Recovery 70.3 in June.
Steelhead(Tho Bbop suggested a half near the IMKY course)
GCT Sprint Followed by some guitar playing at the finish line

I will most likely toss in a few more Oly and sprints. My big plan this year is to have fun.

Anyhow, Big Sur training starts in two weeks.

Be well and Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading.

Chicago Turkey Trot and Poi Dog Pondering

2008-11-30T11:55:00.003-05:00

My sister Sue and neice Sarah invited us to Chicago for the Thanksiving holiday. I always loved the windy city. I lived there for two years when I was younger. The only drawback to spending the holiday outside of Cleveland was knowing that I would miss the Turkey trot. I have raced a TT in Warren Oh. so I guessed Chicago might have a Thanksgiving race of their own. I googled it and found a race in Lincoln Park on Thursday called Turkey Trot.

Race morning I woke and headed from Evenston down Lake Shore Drive with Susie and Sarah to the Lincoln Park Zoo hoping to get my packet amongs 6500 runners. The race organization was Capri, who handles Steelhead and the Chicago Triathlon. Large numbers don't seem to be a problem for Capri, so packet and chip pick up went smoothly.

We had 45 minutes to kill prior to the race so we meanered around the sponser booths including a dog obedience school that entertained my 9 year old niece prior to the race with some friendly canines.

The weather was a crisp 39 degrees with no wind and sunny skies. I stripped down to a long sleeve CTC shirt and my tights. I wore an ACE ankle brace to protect my recent sprain. I lined up at 10 till 9 amongst the 6000+ runners and waited and waited and waited.

At 9:20 the race began a bit late,but it began. We walked to the start and started running slowly with the crowd. The 8K course followed park paths and was very narrow. I wasn't sure where my fitness was, having rested my injury all month, but I seemed to move well through the crowd. I knew no one so I just stuck to my running sans one quick conversation with another Ironman vet.

Aside from the density of the field and narrow course, I really enjoyed the scenery of the Chicago sky line and Lake Michigan. The crowd was so thick that I was never able to move at race pace. I crossed the finish line in 47:06. Best of all my ankle felt fine and I was in the top half of the field.

Following the race I found my sister and Sarah and we headed to the car so we could get back to Evenston to get dinner ready. Unfortonatly The parking lot was jammed for an hour as we sat and waited to leave. We literally did not move for 50 minutes. Sarah was not happy about this situation. Eventually we did get out and back north for a dinner of thanksgiving and togetherness. My brother, folks, sister and niece ate a bird. I had tofurkey. It was good.

Also while in Chicago, we had cocktails atop the Hancock building. I also went to see one of my favorite bands Poi Dog Pondering on Friday. My friend Mickey joined me for the concert as we danced up a storm. It was the first time we had a chance to hang out since she was married 2 months back. Poi Dog was great, but the crowd was much more subdued then I recall in years past. I realized most of the audience was my age and not as active as I remember from the last time I saw the band in '96. Mickey is in her mid 20's and I am kinda young and fit for a 40 year old, so we were the only folks really dancing.

It was lot of fun. I am so happy I stay fit. It really feels good to stay young. So many of my friends are active, so I forget that age slows down so many in my age group. Seeing the aging effect of my peers reaffirms the need and commitment to fitness.

“Thanksgiving for Every Wrong Move” is a Poi Dog song. Thanksgiving for my will to move is my thanks this holiday.

Keep on moving!

Looking back

2008-11-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

I have been done with my 2008 season since Brierman. A few days before the election, I sprained my ankle and more or less shut down my training for the year. I have jumped on the trainer, one run and done a little lifting. I did the tri swimming workout this past week, but nothing else. I have decided to give my self a serious break. However I am becoming restless and know I have to get it going again.
The first step is to wrap up this past season. I intend to do that right here.

Having achieved such a long term goal in 2007 by completing an Ironman, 2008 was a motivational challenge for me. Coming off that race, I signed up for IM Louisville having not really spent the time considering what I had just done and what I had given up to achieve it. My off season seemed to be without seam. The motivation was not as natural. I rarely skipped workouts, but I was not always enthusiastic.

The spring included several road races, but the high light was training with Nichole for her first 26.2 and seeing her to that goal.

My tri schedule started with Deer Creek. It was a fun race. Camping was the highlight.
Morgantown was an awful race for me. I was ready to quit and I had stomach issues on the run. My attitude that day was a wakeup call. I had to do a serious gut check after this race. It did push me in a positive direction as I went into Steelhead. I was disappointed by the canceled swim, but I ended up having my best effort in long course racing. The positives from Steelhead carried me into Ironman confident and excited.
Ironman was a tough race for me. I had a mechanical breakdown which could have been avoided. I had a nutitional breakdown due to the heat. I made it through and overcame alot of adversity that day. I think a lot of folks might have dropped out under the same situation. I did not. I finished the race before being taken to medical. I am proud of my effort.
The Brierman was tough. I maintained my conditioning leading into this race, so I was fit. The course was as demanding as I have ever raced. It was also as beautiful as I have raced.

The best part of my '08 season was the camaraderie. I traveled to races with Tracie, Zac, Nichole, Bbop, Jack, AJ, Brendon and a couple other folks. Shared hotels and road trips make up most of the time spent racing, and I had a blast through all of it.
Overall I think I grew a lot this year. I developed some good friendships, stayed fit, and I had fun.
Goal achieved.

Citizen Houser

2008-11-16T14:28:00.003-05:00

Cleveland has lost some great people this year. Fannie Lewis, Stefanie Tubbs Jones, Paul Newman and Herb Score.
For me the greatest loss is my friend Ed Houser. He died Friday. His level of activism was unmatched. If you ever visit Whiskey Island, know that Ed Houser made your visit possible. He single handedly fought the port authority and kept them from selling the land off for private use. He believed the lakefront should belong to all of us. He devoted ALL of his time and energy to this mission.
So long Ed.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/11/ed_hauser_47_environmental_act.html

If you were paying attention.

2008-11-13T23:28:00.003-05:00

Back in May I mentioned a sports story I thought worth paying attention to.
http://charliestrifolk.blogspot.com/2008/05/consistency.html

Congrats on another Cy Young for the Tribes starters.

I am a patriot.

2008-11-09T13:39:00.005-05:00

I was born in 1968. MLK and RFK were both murdered that year. The city of Cleveland still smoldered from the Hough riots. Our nation in my early life was marred by the Kent State shootings, Vietnam, Watergate, the Iranian hostage crisis.
By the time I had become aware enough to start understanding politics, Reagon was being inaugerated and Jimmy Carter was sent to Germany to welcome the hostages back. The timing of the hostage release has never sat well with me. I have always suspected that GHW Bush played a dishonest roll in that negotiation. The Iran/Contra scandel futher fed this concern. Our nations intervention in Nicaugua and El Salvador while ignoring South Africa and the issues surrounding the Palestinian people left me to question our sincerety in promoting freedom. The invassion of Panama intentions also seemed a bit suspect, as the control of the canal was to return back to Panama within 11 years.
The Clinton years were good for me. However the deaths of Ron Brown and Steven Foster never sat well. The foolishness of Bill Clinton's perjury, behavior and the Ken Starr witch hunt left me still distrustful of our leadership.
I had been concerned with GW Bush since '92. His "election" left me feeling completely helpless. Any hope in democracy working on a federal level was vanishing. I do think he handled 911 with poise and confidence. I had hoped for a compassionate reaction, but I was realistic and understood the attacks on Afganastan. As the Bush adminastration began using our emotions to gain support for an attack on Iraq, my optimism weakened. The unbelievable failure during Katrina futhur cemented my absolute distrust in the intentions of the White House leadership.

The point I am tyrying to make in my look back on American history over the past 40 years is that I have never had the pride in America that I was taught I should have. I have never felt that we were living up to the promise. We were living on past success and our nation was no longer a model for liberty. We were relying on past glory. The will of America was tired and weak. We had been beaten down not by our enemies, but by our own leadership. Our elections had become nothing more then ceremonial. Democracy on a federal level seemed lost. Though I loved my country and all that we believed in, I lacked faith that we had actually maintained the vision that so many had fought for.

When the primaries began, I could have gotten behind Hillary Clinton or John McCain. Both candidates seemed capable and logical in the never ending succession of "Business as Usual" politics that we have lived with since my birth. Hillary did represent something more, but.....not much.
A year ago I lent my music to the Kucinich campaign. I felt Dennis would introduce discussion that I felt important. I had no expectation that his run would last long, but he shared my views and I wanted them to be heard.
As the Ohio primary neared, I struggled between Mrs Clinton and the young senator from Illinois. As I entered the booth I took a deep breath and made a choice.. I wondered if I had just voted for a candidate that had no chance.........I was however willing to go out on a limb to vote for not who I thought could win, but who I thought would bring real change to our nation.

Tuesday so did the majority of our nation.

I have never experienced pride in our nation like I have this week. I have never seen America live up to its past glory and promise of the American dream. I know there is still a long way to go. I know it is going to take time and at times it will be uncomfortable. But like anything worth doing, the toughest part is making the decision to do it. The tough part is believing that we are ready and able to acomplish the things we believe in.

This week we have made a decision to continue the true dream of America. This week I finally understand what it is to be proud to be an American.

Fear No More!

2008-11-07T16:39:00.004-05:00

I haven't written much lately. I haven't been training and I am nursing an ankle sprain. I think my lack of posting though has much more to do with the changes we are experiencing. It all seems so much bigger then anything I have to say about it.

The past eight years have brought us three major events. 911, Katrina, and President elect Barack Obama.
The first event was fear. Fear has compromised our constitution and sense of humanity. It has taken us to war. It had promised no end.

Katrina was the slap in the face many of us needed. The responce was unacceptable. We had left our most vulnerable citizens behind. The recklessness of our leaders became obvious.

What has happened this week is hope.

Barack Obama's election has transcended race. Tuesday was not just special for black America, Tuesday was special for all of America. Tuesday we looked beyond fear and into a future of hope and unlimited possibility. We were able to rely on the strength of our constitution. Freedom would not be manipulated by fear. We stood in the face of every limitation and fear we had been taught and defied 20th century beliefs.

I am very happy that Barack Obama has won because I believe in his platform. I am happy that the "Glass ceiling" has been broken. I am happy that all Americans can believe in the same opportunities. I am happy that the perception of America will change within our country and globally.

Mostly I am happy because WE have changed. We have rejected fear and embraced hope.
This is the America I believe in.

Everything

2008-11-05T21:44:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking about everything lately.
I have come to one conclusion:

Everything is really time consuming.

Anything is possible

2008-11-05T01:36:00.001-05:00

Philladelphia

2008-10-18T11:50:00.005-05:00

15 years ago my grandmother died. I never had a chance to get to know her very well. She lived in North Carolina and we would see her during vacations in Pennsylvania. My best memory of her was sitting on the porch as she gave me a red batters helmet with a "P" logo. She made me promise to always be a fan and root for that team.
I agreed.
After she died(in January 1993) I looked to the heavens and said, "The Philly's will win the pennet for you this year. They did.
true to her order, I am a Philly fan to this day. Sports are great in this regard. You don't have to have a good reason to root for your team. You cheer because they are your team. I always imagined the personal disdain my Grandmother would have had for John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, and Mitch Williams. These guys were the bad news bears all grown up. Ripped uniforms covered in chewing tobacco and a guy nicknamed "wild thing" did not epitomize the traits that my dads mother admired in people.
This current run by Charlie Manuals 2008 Phills brings my thoughts back to the late matriarch of the Mosbrook family. I am sure she would have been charmed by the managers southern folksy humor.
Absolute beliefs are OK when it's pennet time. Immature childish behavior is perfectly acceptable toward rival fans. We are all guilty of leaving voicemails of the crowd roaring from the late Jake as Victor Martinez launches a HR into Alberts Alley for Some happless Red Sox fan in Iowa as she drops her tofu pup on the carpet....It is for this reason that I am hoping for the sox to comeback.

This was the only absolute allegiance she asked of me. That is a good thing, because during the other major contest this fall, I want to stick with the candidate that epitomizes the human traits that she admired. I want to support the candidate that has held his head up high and presented his plan for America and how it will work. I want to support the presidential hopeful that has focused on his campaign rather than to unleash rumors that stir hatred and fear.

I can't be sure that my Grandmother would vote for the same candidate as I. She was a southern women that shared comments from time to time that most people in Cleveland Heights find offensive.
My guess is she would identify with the other candidate more.
I don't write this to condemn her, or to point out flaws in my family. Her comments were shocking to us mostly because of the beliefs her own son had raised us with. He was always objective. He was a civil rights era news reporter in Cleveland, Ohio. He has had the opportunity to sit and discuss issues with MLK, Carl and Louis Stokes, and Desmond Tutu. He had a chance get a better understanding of who these men were. I never had the feeling that he ever had to look beyond race. I always felt he was far beyond race. His opinions were formed through thorough open minded investigation.

My Grandmother always expected us to stand with dignity. I can overlook a lack of dignity in Mr Dyksta. He was a Philly. His job was centerfield. The man that becomes president however will not be given the same blind eye. Implied bigotry is not a campaign. It is one thing to see people in the Dawg Pound, the old Vet, or Fenway act like a bunch of hateful idiots, but when I see it on a presidential campaign, it is a real turn off.

(I removed the Strongsville video from this post)

Brierman Race Report

2008-10-13T10:15:00.003-05:00

The Brierman 50lite triathlon is a .85/40/9.5 mile race in Boonsboro state park near Hagerstown, Maryland. This race features a cold swim on a flat lake, a two loop bike course with a climb up the side of a Mountain, and a run course up and down a very long steep hill. The park is an amazing race venue.

AJ and I arrived Sat. at 2:30. We signed up for the race, listened to the course talk and drove the bike course. The bike course had us both intimidated. The climbs were long and steep. It was obvious we were going to spend much of the day below 10mph. After that we went to the hotel to watch the race in Kona and got a "good" meal.

Sunday we woke up at 5am and got ready to race. We headed to the race site, readied our transition, stood in line for the 2 toilets offered, pulled on the wet suits and headed for the shore.

The swim was two laps on a very calm lake. The water was cold, so I wore two caps. We all started together for a "mass start"(maybe 100 racers). The horn blew and we were off. The swim was really nice. I just swam nice long even strokes and enjoyed watching the sun rise over the surrounding mountains. I was bummed when the swim ended. This was a perfect swim for me. I think it was my best of the year.

T1. I entered on the wrong side of the rack. This slowed me a bit. I put on a long sleeve jersey, my helmet, glasses and headed up the first steep climb out of the park.
"clack,clack....."
Many riders were unable to stay up. I started in an easy gear and had little problem. The ride was a mix of fast descents (48mph top speeed) Long steep climbs, and sharp turns. It was far tougher then any I have ever ridden. The highlight was the amazing fall colors and veiws from the side of the mountain.

The course also was littered with McCain/Palin signs. My malicious side had plans made up for the signs, but they were never realized as I feared some folk may not be able to distinguish aero bars from antlers. The ride was mostly very lonley on the second loop. Once the sprint group left the course we were so spread out on winding mountain roads, that I never really saw other riders. I wondered how far back I was. feared I was dead last until I passed one rider and spotted another that rode 500' behind me.
As I returned to the park down the steep hill we had previously ascended I was excited to start running.
T2. I entered and had to push my way through two people from the sprint race chatting in front of my rack space. I got my run stuff together and headed out for a nice run.

So I figured we would start with a short climb and out and back run around the lake, along park roads. What actually happened was a long climb up a steep hill followed by a long steep descent before turning around and running it in reverse. Half way down to the turn around I was caught by the athlete who had been riding 500' feet behind me on the bike course. I began to match his pace, and we ran the rest of the course together. His name was Scott. We paced and managed the long climb well before opening up our pace as we ran the final fast mile back to the finish. We crossed at the same time. We were glad to be done.

I checked on AJ to see how he did. He said, "I won."
We had been told we couldn't have a race shirt due to our late entry, so I asked if they found an extra shirt for the winner of their inaugural race.
He replied "No".
This happened in front of a Newspaper reporter who was interviewing AJ.Hee hee hee.

I am happy with my performance. Had I planned on doing this race, I would have spent more time doing hill work over the last 3 weeks.
The race management really kind of sucked and the cost for entry was to high. They had made promises to us via email and danced around the issue when we arrived at the race site. AJ had been told he would be given a discount and I would be charged the online fee since the site closed earlier than indicated online. When AJ asked for the discount, the RD took a shot at him saying, "I will cut you a check when you get the 1st place medal."
After he won, the RD continued to dance around the issue. We are waiting to see if he actually honors his promise and sarcasm.
I loved the course both for the challenge and beauty. I will return if Piranha Sports keeps it's word. The venue is awesome. They have a good race. I just thought the management provided very little for an expensive race. If I do return I will register far in advance.

Season Finale

2008-10-10T23:48:00.003-05:00

AJ and I are headed to Boonsboro, Maryland for the Brierwood half lite 50 triathlon. I am really excited because the race will be in the middle of the mountains. I am hoping to catch fall at its peak. I have to admit, I am most likely treating this one as a tour rather than a race. But then I do feel good.

Also, here are my predictions for Kona.

1 Craig Alexander
2.Andy Potts
3 Ferris Al-Sutan

1 Chrissie Wellington
2 Sam McGlone
3 Bella Comerford

Spread this

2008-10-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

Gig this Saturday

2008-10-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

For anyone interested, I will be playing my music at the Phoenix Cafe in south Euclid this coming Saturday at 8pm.
The Phoenix is at the corner of Mayfield and S. Green.

Hope to see some of you there.
Charlie

My Kona dream is selfish

2008-10-01T22:35:00.003-05:00

With one last triathlon this season, I consider not where I have been, but where I would like to go. I am realy trying to figure out what I look to gain from the sport and what kind of goals I should try to work toward.
It would be obvious. I would like to win Kona. I am realistic however and I know that for this to happen , a great disaster would would have to befall all of humanity. Since I can not wish suffering on others, my Kona dream is selfish. I worry also that my hopes for world peace could be the result of much suffering before the world could go on in peace.
In my on going attempt to reduce the harmful impact of my life here on earth, I have created some simple goals for next season.

Goals
1. Have lots of fun!
2. Reach out to those who are new to the sport.
3. Continue to search for peace within my self. Be the peace I hope to see.
4. DREAM BIG dream small. Dream , always dream.

Yoga for a folk singer

2008-09-28T21:23:00.004-05:00

This photo turned up from the Ride for Miles. This was a trifolk moment if ever I had one.

Yesterday I played during my friends wedding. We were outdoors for the ceremony and I played as guest took seats and the wedding party came down the isle. For the bride(Mickey) I played the chord progression for Sea of Love. After that, we went to Night town for one heck of a party.

I woke up yesterday feeling as though I was going to get sick. I scrapped all tri training and stuck with just the Yoga session M and I had planned. It seems silly, but this was my first time doing yoga.

I had always played a lot of hackey sack, so flexibility and balance were never a problem for me. Last year I decided to not play often for fear that I could injure myself. I didn't realize how inflexible I had become. I can see how beneficial yoga can be to both triathlon related sports, and hackey sack. I will make yoga my big off season addition.

Today I rode and ran. I also met up with AJ to plan for the Brierman race in two weeks. I feel healthy, recovered and ready to go.

Picnic and Ride. Happy Fall!

2008-09-22T19:08:00.001-05:00

This past weekend offered up some fantastic weather. I love the fall. Saturday morning I joined the “Ride For Miles”. It was a memorial ride for a Biology professor from John Carroll University who had been struck and killed by a car during a ride last month. The ride had 500 people take part and the route followed my normal 24 mile loop.

Following the ride, lots of food was served and everyone was treated to music compliments of my a group called Roots of American Music. The group is led by an old friend of mine named Kevin Richards. As soon as he discovered me, he drafted me to perform a few tunes. Bike shorts, cleats, and an old Guild guitar seemed perfect for the Trifolk look, but alas, I had no camera.

Sunday was the Cleveland Triathlon Club picnic. I rode down with Jack and somehow managed to avoid politics. he has started a rumor that I have seen the light regarding the GOP ticket since our ride home from Louisville. What he didn't mention was how out of whack my electrolytes were following 15 hrs in 97 degree heat. Once I regained consciousness, I remembered how screwed up the current GOP administration has left us, and that only recently has the GOP hopefuls tried distance them selves from GWB.

The picnic was a good time and the weather was perfect.

Basic update

2008-09-18T20:31:00.003-05:00

I have committed to a race in Maryland Oct 12th. The race is called the Brierman Half Light. I found the race because my neighbor said he needed a half prior to Clearwater. I really wanted 1 more tri this season. So I agreed to go along.

The distances are .85 mile swim, 40 mile bike, and 9.5 mile run. It is close to the first long course race I did in Medford Mass in '99. The course looks hilly, so it should be a challenge. It is also near the Appellation trail and the fall foliage should be awesome.

I have switched the bike over to a road setup and will only add the aero bars for the race. I will maintain the relaxed position for better climbing.

I have also done a lot of work on my Nishiki. It is riding really well and the morning commute has been a Joy.
Speaking of the commute, I was interviewed for the 9am show on WCPN (Clevelands NPR) about bike awareness. The segment will air tommorrow(9-19)

On the new frame search. I am leaning toward a Leader. Price is amazing, feedback is positive. The frame should be stiff and light with an aggresive position. This frame should do it and start me under budget.

Any how thats all I have right now. Be well.

I am narrowing my

Life after Louisville

2008-09-11T20:13:00.004-05:00

I came so close to tossing the dice today in hopes of grabbing an Ironman Canada entry. I was in heavy debate with myself as 1pm approached. I passed. I am still tossing my 2009 plans around in my head.
Right now I am thinking:

Ironman Mexico
Ironman UK
Ironman Louisville
Ironman Nice/France
JFK50
Marathons and 50k focus with two or three 70.3 races tossed in along with a bunch of sprints.

Most likely I will do go with 6, but I am sure my imagination will get the best of me.

My bike that has given me thousands of miles, 2 Ironmans, 6 70.3s, and most of my triathlon life is getting a new makeover. I am converting it back into a road bike. I am bidding on some shifter/brake levers and switching the bars to drops. The seat post will return to a more relaxed position and I will forgo the aero bars. Once the switch is made, I will begin building a new tri specific bike. I may also check off season sales and do a law away plan.

The volunteer that found me withering on the convention center floor and made sure I got medical attention, found me on Facebook. He was concerned about my well being. I must have looked aweful. I am certain I was one of many to need medical aid after that race.
Anyhow, I can't thank him and the other volunteers enough for the job they did at Ironman. They were working all day and night in the same conditions we raced in. I am sure a few athletes are alive today because of the job these folk did. I am not sure where I would be if Mike had not spotted me.

Thank You.

Ironman Louisville critique

2008-09-07T19:14:00.004-05:00

Following my IMUK race last year, I posted a critique of the the race overall. Not my race, just my observations of the event as a whole. That post is one of my most visited. Seems we all look for any information we can find on these events. With that in mind, I felt it important to once again provide information that is useful to others, so here is my critique.

This was my first Ironman race in North America, so I will try not to compare it to the events I visited in Europe.

Travel: I had the benefit of traveling across Ohio to Kentucky, so transportation was simple. We took I71 the whole way.
Lodging: We stayed in the host hotel, The Galt House. This is a huge (3000) room hotel that sits between the finish and transition area The convention Center (Welcome dinner, awards and athlete recovery area) is also within a block. The expo happens here and there is plenty of space to lounge with a large group. It is easy to spend a great deal of time in this complex and out of the heat of the day. The room was nice and clean. Also, free wi fi.
Post race food lacked options and the elevators were slow.
3 nights with parking and tax came to $537. Split in two it was affordable for me.
Race Management: This was a WTC event. They are the measuring stick. First Class. Registration was smooth, as was everything else they did. It did lack a personal feel at times. The welcome dinner and awards lacked the excitement I saw in Europe.
Volunteers and course support were amazing. I had the opportunity to use a bike mechanic and medical staff. Very helpful and attentive. They were both instrumental in getting me back going.

The Course: The unique TT start made for a really peaceful swim. The water is muddy and warm. Sighting is simple.
The bike course has lots of rollers but no true climbs. The first and final ten miles are flat. Auto traffic was a bit much and clueless how to behave with a race going on.
The run course is flat and in the shade for slow racers.
This course is an easy one....except for the probability of high tempuratures. Don't expect it to be an easy day.

The finish line at fourth street live is amazing. It is covered and packed with peaple.
The city of Louisville Kentucky: This is a really nice city. They had alot happening in town including lots of public music. It is small enough to keep everything close and big enough to offer every need that may come up. Veg options were kind of light. near fourth street.
The peaple were really freindly and got behind Ironman 100%.

Summery: This is a a great event, and Louisville gets behind it all the way. I will most likely be back. Hopefully with cooler weather, though I am not counting on it.

Reflections from my raceday: IMKY

2008-09-03T19:42:00.002-05:00

I went into this race feeling fit and healthy. I felt my bike was running smoothly. I was confident in my race plan. I don't feel that the race course was a difficult one. My nutrition was solid. If things went smoothly, I don't think a 13hr race was out of the question.

The reality of ironman is that none of that matters. Ironman doesn't care.

The anticipation of swimming into a current without a wet suit in 84 degree water is worse then the reality. It is a slower swim, but no more difficult if you train for a swim of this distance.

The bike course is really ideally suited for my training enviroment. the first and last 12 miles are flat and very easy to spin through. I was never challenged during the bike. My problems came from a preventable equipment issue. I am solely responsible to have my bike ready to race. I considered swapping out the chain. I decided not to. I gambled and lost.
The heat was ending a lot of races during the bike. I saw many camped beneath the trees.

The run course was mostly flat. There was decent shade through most of the run. This could be a fast course, but Sunday was the hottest day I have seen this summer. It was destroying people. Ambulances and med crews were busy.

The heat was the element of IMKY '08 that made this race so difficult. My race plan was skewed by my failure to replace worn equipment.

Ultimately I am very satisfied with my Ironman experiance. I feel my year prepared me well for the obsticals I faced. My spirit was shaken and tested. I overcame everything and pushed myself as hard as my body would allow.

During Ironman we face some dark moments. You not only feel weak and vulnerable, you are weak and vulnerable. Ironman will deal its hand, and you will play it. The strongest fail. This is not an easy race. Ironman is where we face our demons. No matter how close you may be to the finish, it is never guanteed. But once you step over that finishline, nothing else matters. You did it.
For me, I had to pay a cost for my finish. I was done with ironman, but ironman wasn't done with me. I dared to defy all that ironman had dealt me. This was a race I should not have finished, but I would not stand down. I crossed that finish line despite all the struggles I had this year. But it came at such a cost physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally that when I finished I was absolutely spent and had to literally be revived by the help of others.

As I regained consciousnes and was able think more clearly, I found my self to be very happy. I had an awareness that I had lacked recently. I was not happy because I had crossed a finish line. I was happy because I was alive. I had come through some very dark struggles, and I was still alive.
I came to this race not to see how far or fast I could go. I came to this race to see how deep I could dig. I dug as deep as I could. For me, Ironman is a spiritual journey. I got what I came for.

It was a great race.

The weakest link is where I found my strength

2008-09-02T10:12:00.005-05:00

Ironman Louisville Race Recap

Race morning we woke up at 4:15 and ate bagels fruit and Lara bars. Jack and I got rolling around 5AM both joking and feeling very relaxed.
I got into transition, filled my aero bottle and tires and headed to the swim with Micky Ryzmic, Jack and Tim Ritt. The mood was loose as we were all dropping middle aged white guy jokes left and right. Good stuff....body marking was quick and painless as were the facilities. We jumped in line for the swim with kar-Ming and Chris. We lost Jack some where, but figured he jumped in line with some other CTC folks....We waited an hour or so for the canon, and then 40 minutes to get in the water.

At the swim start we just ran down a dock in a single file line and jumped in, and started swimming. It seemed like a very smooth process. Once in, I focused on settling my heart rate and finding my stroke. The first 3/4 miles are into the current with an island to the left making the channel narrow. This caused some congestion but it wasn't bad. I did throw a few elbows in defense, but it was light contact for the most part. Once around the island you swim with the current. The river was moving slowly, so this wasn't much help. I just swam and enjoyed the meditation of a long open water swim. I never missed having a wet suit. The swim went smoothly. My swim time was 1:39.40. On the surface it was slow, but we also had no wetsuits or mass start pull. I am satisfied with my swim.

T1 was uneventful. I took my time and made sure every thing was sound and moved on. 7:42

I hit the bike feeling very good. my turnover was good and I felt as good on the bike as I have all year. I began passing peaple immediately. My race plan is generally to hang back early, butI felt fine and easy, so I just went with it. The first 12 miles are flat and easy. As I headed into an early climb I dropped my chain. No big deal, I got it back going with out a dismount. A little while later it happened again. This time I had to dismount. While clipping back in I was rear ended by another rider. I checked to makesure he and his bike were OK, checked myself and proceeded. At this point I became aware that the chain would be an issue and it made me tenitve when dropping into my small ring. My speed was good at around a 16.40 avg mph. This was my goal pace. At around mile 40 we hit a series of short steep inclines. On the toughest one I dropped into my small ring and spun out. I got my foot to the ground quickly as I had no power and was afraid I would go down. I heard other riders say "He broke his chain, that sucks". They were talking about me. I pulled the bike off of the course, took a leak, and got to work on the chain. This slowed me down, but I was able to do a quick fix. I hopped on and could not get the chain to stay in the small ring. At the next aid station I got off to do some adjustments. They had a mechanic that went to work on it, so I sat under a tent and had a Lara bar and bottle of water. I also watched the rest of the field roll past me. I was a teporary spectator and I was soon going to be far back. I thought of Jen C at lake placid and her determination to keep going. I remained calm and refused to become frustrated by my trouble.
Once the mechanic handed the bike back to me I got moving. I had to walk a line between getting back into position and staying patient. I still had 70 miles to ride and the heat was rising. The chain was working well so I began to feel more confident in the bike. I started moving up in the pack once again. I found another rider that was trying to recover time after a broken chain. We were together for a short time before a tube shot out of my tool bag. I had failed to zip it after the aid station. Duh! The tube got caught between my brake caliper and wheel. The other rider vanished. I shook my head, dealt with it and got moving. I was growing a little frustrated, but remained calm knowing I had 50 more miles and it was getting really hot. I maintained a good mix of urgency and patients. I began once again to pass riders that were familiar from before my many mechanical issues. The second loop was much less eventful. Just roller after roller and VERY HOT.
Within the last 25 miles I saw a lot of riders camped in the shade at the side of the road. My confidence was on the upswing, and I spun my way through the final flat 12 miles before arriving at T2.
Bike time 7:35. I am very happy about my effort and ability to stay positive through all of the mechanical issues. In hindsight I would have swapped out the chain a few weeks ago. It was the only heavy wear gear I decided to not replace. Lesson learned.

At T2 I saw the other broken chain victom. I was happy to know I had made up a lot of ground. I got ready to run, got sunscreen, hit the loo and headed off to the marathon. My legs felt good and I was feeling very positive. I had made the cut off. I was still going.

The first 4 miles of the run were going well. I ran from aid station to aid station and enjoyed the crowd along the course. The heat was brutel. Mid 90's. My pace slowed and the walk breaks grew longer as I was doing every thing I could to stay cool and hydrated. I began to see all the CTC friends I had lost contact with hours earlier.
During the mid section, my walk breaks were becoming jog breaks. My attitude was still good. I spent much of this time encouraging others. I think sharing my positive feelings helped me to maintain a good attitude myself.
Some where close to mile 16 I started to get into a funk. I was really growing tired and my focus was waining. I began to question my well being. I was having trouble consuming fuel. I really took my time trying to get pretzels, gels, banana's, water, gatorade, and coke inside of me. I fought off nausea and pushed forward. The finish seemed so far away, but I had come so far. I couldn't quit, but I wasn't sure if I could continue. the dark of night brought cooler temperatures, but the heat of the day had done its damage. I was spent. My goal was to remain upright and forward.
At the final turn around I broke through the darkness. I could see my path clearly. I was able to stretch my running further and further. Walk breaks shortened. I was rooting every one else on and geting chatty. I grabbed a full 24 ouce bottle of water and just sipped the rest of the way. The closer I got, the better I felt. I ran alot of the final section and turned onto fourth street feeling really strong.
The crowd on fourth was amazing. I couldn't help but to ham it up as I coaxed the crowed to get louder. Just before going under the Ironman arch before the finish, I cought my toe on a cobble stone. My hamstring completey seized and I stopped, hobbling in circles. The crowed quieted. I turned to the finish, picked up my legs and found my stride. The crowed roared as I ran into the finish. I was VERY happy. It was fun looking up at the big sceen to see my finish.
Run 5:51.18 Wow, that is a long time to be on a marathon course. I was so happy just to finish.This run was really hard. The heat was brutal.
Total time 15:24.25
After I finished I walked over to the convention center for recovery. I grabbed what limited food I could and laid down in the hall way with my feet in the air. I made phone calls to Bbop, M, and my folks. As I got off the phone with M, I felt a little quizzy and rolled on my side. A volunteer asked if I needed assistance. I declined. He said he would be much more comfortable if I went to medical. The next thing I know I was in a wheel chair with about five volunteers surrounding me. My hamstring was completely locked up and screaming and I was having a familiar hypoglycemic attack. This includes a seizure, blackout, fainting, and my skin turning ghostly white. They hooked me up to an IV massaged my hamstring and ran tests. As I began to feel better I got a hold of Jack. He said his son Michael had already retrieved my bike and gear. I became chatty with the other athletes starring at the ceiling. Michael came to escort meback to the hotel and all was good.
I am very greatful to the medical staff, volunteers and Michael.

Overall I achieved my goals. I dug deep and left every thing on the course. I fought through all adversity, stayed positive and had an amazing day. The city of Louisville is great.
Thank you all for your help and encouragement throughout the past year.

Track my race

2008-08-30T17:24:00.003-05:00

Well, we are 12 hours from race time. Louisville is hot( mid to low 90s), but the humidity is low(43%). Wetsuits are out, but the river is comfy. Every thing is set and all we can do is rest and eat.

You can track my race at Ironman.com I am #1649.
If you have never done this before, it is updated as I pass over certain points on the race course. Last year it was a huge mental boost to know that so many were watching my progress. I remember passing over a timing mat and announcing "I am still going mom!". Thank you all for your support.

Also, this year you can view the finish line on ironman.com as well. I don't think that link is up yet, but look for the audio/video link. I will be wearing my CTC gear. My guess on a finish time would be between 13 and 17 hrs. But who knows? ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

One more thing, many of you have sent well wishes via Facebook.
Thank you.

Transition is full

2008-08-30T16:55:00.001-05:00

DSCN1572
Originally uploaded by charliemosbrook

Empty Transition

2008-08-30T09:27:00.002-05:00

DSCN1562
Originally uploaded by charliemosbrook

We are in Louisville

2008-08-29T17:04:00.002-05:00

We got in at about 1pm. Much different than the UK. I haven't left the hotel except for a second. It is HOT here.
We are of to dinner.

Just two more

2008-08-28T12:10:00.001-05:00

the last two
Originally uploaded by charliemosbrook

This is my bike after Steelhead

How deep the river

2008-08-27T13:26:00.002-05:00

Ever since I watched Jen finish Ironman Austria back in 1999, I had dreamed of finishing one myself. Jen is a much better athlete then I, so it was hard to fathom myself having the endurance to cover 140.6 miles. I had completed a few marathons at this time, but Ironman seemed like such an impossible goal. It wasn't until my first 70.3 completion that I could imagine going the full distance.

My first Ironman in the UK was the magical experience I had dreamed of. I never struggled with my training and found race day followed in the same manner. My enthusiasm carried me through the tough times. I really never felt that the finish was out of reach as long as I was patient and followed my plan. The work was a lot, but it was what I wanted to do. finishing Ironman was my priority.

This year I have found it to be much tougher. I have other goals I am working towards. My time has been gladly spread to other area's in my life. Sometimes I have been to tired or bored of training. Week after week I have followed my plan whether I want to or not. Sometimes the desire to quit has been strong.

Sometimes I have wanted to do what other people do on Saturday or at happy hour. I have wanted to sleep in or spend more time with M. Time management has not been as easy, as my attention has been divided into area's outside of triathlon. I have sought methods to better manage my limited time, but ultimately my priorities have not been as focused on Ironman as they were prior to my first.

Some how the months rolled by and my training stayed on track despite my lack of enthusiasm. My fitness was intact, but my motivation was lost. I wasn't clear on why I wanted to do Ironman, I was just training because I was registered for the race in Louisville.

When I got to Morgantown for the ½ I found my self with nothing on the inside. I had the physical strength for the race, but my heart was weak. I didn't care. Leaving that race, I knew that if I was to finish Ironman I would have to do some real soul searching. I would have to look deeper then I had before. I would have to continue to build my physical strength, but if I wanted to succeed with Ironman I would have to focus on building my strength from within.

The next month was one of long and frequent workouts. I had a handful of big breakthrough workouts, but mostly I focused on the frequency of my workouts. I spent most of the big workouts looking deeply trying to find focus. At Steelhead I realised the results of my renewed commitment. I found strength and joy from within. I PR'd that day, but the real victory was in finding my self. The difference between Morgantown and Steelhead was not in my physical fitness, it was my heart.

Somehow this season I had forgotten why I do this. I had begun to compare myself to others and look upon outward results as a gauge of my development. When I made the conscious decision to return to my heart, everything began to fall into place.

As a triathlete my best is not demonstrated in how fast or far I am able to go. My best is a reflection of how deep I am able to dig. This is also true of my music, relations, work and life. My athletic goals are spiritual. I approach the start of Ironman as the final stage of a long look into my soul.

My second Ironman experience has been much tougher than the first. I have had to work much harder this time around. I have had to force myself at times to train. It was not always fun. I had doubt in my training and desire. Overcoming this, to reach the point I find myself today has been the true victory. I am physically, spiritually, and emotionally ready.-

My bike is also ready. Performance addressed my package improperly. I was able to get a refund and fill the order locally. They were able to help me resolve the issue. I am grateful for this.

One week out.

2008-08-24T09:55:00.003-05:00

So I sit here Sunday morning sipping coffee and watching IMCanada. I am headed to the pool for a quick swim followed by a 24/3.5 mile brick.

Later this afternoon My friend M and I will be clipping my hair, and then Bbop and I are headed to Lakewood for a pre IM get together.

Friday Zac, Nichole and I had Indian food. A year ago we ate a lot of curry dishes together in the UK. This year we had the same as our pre IM feast.

Yesterday "M" and I were jogging at mentor headlands when Micky(GCT RD) pulled up and gave us some water. I was a little post dal gassy.

My family celebrated my moms birthday last night. They had a Ben and Jerry's cake. I ate fruit. My sister rubbed it in. I told her I would let her enjoy the cake, but to expect some links about dairy. My niece Sarah(age 8) said she was considering becoming a vegetarian. I told her to read up about it and keep her Ice Cream gloating mother informed about her diet.

One more thing. Congrats to the local bicycle maker on his gold medal in the Olympics. This young fella works down the street from Rocco's. I am wishing him luck in his next big goal. A freaking NBA title!.

1649

2008-08-22T15:28:00.002-05:00

Race numbers have been assigned and I am #1649. If you would like to track my race, follow this link
www.ironman.com

The taper is going well I feel healthy and fit. My running is really at a high point. I have been running 7:30-8:30 miles. My HR is stable and the effort is reasonable. One key is my butt injury has mostly healed. I love running faster. I have to control this urge.
The helmet has produced some amazing results in field tests. In some spots I gained 5-6 mph. Mostly 2-3 at speeds above 20mph. Over 112 miles this could add up.

Swimming is going well. I am bummed that the pool will be closed after ironman. Last year, the post race swims were nice. The ND college lap pool is much more get in/get out. It is much harder to relax.

I am nervous about my package from performance bike. I ordered it on the 12th. It is not here yet, It contains brake pads, bar tape, cleats, tires and tubes. It is important stuff. I want to ride on the tires pre race. I want the bike to be ready by tuesday. Arrrrgggggg. I figured I would save time by going online.
Spend a little time, save a little stress.

Last night was a blast. Thank you to everyone who came to the gig. Singing is a great taper activity.

Into the waves

2008-08-19T23:21:00.002-05:00

I hit the CTC open water swim this evening. The waves were huge(GCT/Steelhead huge). I hadn't taken my wet suit, so I was would be able to gain more confidence for the no wetsuit possibility in Kentucky. We swam for 30 minutes or so. Fun stuff.....I have a gig at AJ Rocco's Thursday at 8 PM.....I accept tubes for tips.

1 more thing: I am a nerd....I have an areo helmet.............

Taper blues

2008-08-18T15:59:00.002-05:00

The taper is so stressfull to me.
I want to roll up in bubble rap and watch cartoons. I can't make sense of my emotions. I want to eat. I want to run. I want to buy gear. I want to register for 6 marathons, 3 ironmans, 1 ultra and the bi-athlon this sunday. I want to be in louisville right now. I want to hammer in thee pool, I want coffee, I want cookies, I want to race, I want my mom, I want to race, I want to do hill work, I want a strawberry tufutti shake from tommy's. I want to work on my bike. The Olympics have got me fired up. I can't wait. I want to be in Kentucky.

TickTickTick

2008-08-15T23:35:00.002-05:00

I had to get a new watch today. My HRM is a bit beat up. I have had to hold the strap down with a zip Tye on the HRM and my older timex IM. With Ironman within 15 day's, I thought it time to replace my watch.

My first thought was to get a GPS/HRM. I can't afford the garmin stuff, and battery life seems to be in question. I wouldn't use it for the race any way. I found some good deals on the Timex bodylink Ironman watches, but it came down to the question of whether I would need it for race day or not.

After Ironman, I plan to train for nothing for a few months. I will exorcise and race, but it will be a loose affair. Heart Rate, speed and distance will not be a concern for some time.

I decided to hold off on the fancy stuff until I get my 50k training going
For now, I just need a good watch. 50 lap Timex Ironman. This is the one I got.

I am weighting for the USPS to bring some things for the bike. Tires, tubes, tape, cleats, brake pads.
I have new goggles from Steelhead. My running shoes have some hours on them. I need to replace them.

Ironman is 15 days away. The time is coming fast. I want to enjoy this time as relaxed as I am able. Being prepared early is important. I want to leave nothing till the last minute.

It is time to get my things in order. It is almost time for ironman..........

2008-08-10T21:09:00.002-05:00

The Great Lakes Unplanned Duathlon series continued today as Lake Erie made Steelhead look like a pony ride at a rodeo.

I didn't race. My job was post race music. I told Micky I was doing the sprint next year before I play. I love GCT. Mickey takes very good care of me. He has since he received my first GCT entry in '05. His personal approach makes this race one nobody misses. It is getting to the point that if you don't race, you volunteer. I get the best job I can imagine. I get to play my guitar.

I am into my taper. I did a 5hr brick yesterday and 100 minute run today. Tuesday I want to swim 4500. After that, I have to keep my fitness sharp and stay healthy.

My confidence is high and I feel as though my training is right where I was aiming back in December. I have really had to reach deep this season.

There was a stretch where I really lost focus. I felt exhausted. I never considered quiting, but I wasn't clear on what I was doing it for. This culminated at Morgantown. I had a really bad day. I walked away feeling so dejected. A few emails found me and reassured me that we were all going through the same trials.

I hadn't struggled last year. Nothing was going to stop me. This year I wasn't so sure. I danced with doubt.

It was during the sweet corn ride that I broke through. I was standing at a cross roads when jack pulled up and assured me that I was lost, but not alone. Together we found our way. We forced our way back with the confidence a couple of guys wearing MDOT tattoos should have.

At Steelhead I executed my plan as well as I ever have. I adapted to format changes. I had fun. I came away from steelhead convinced.

My desire is back. Nothing is going to stop me. I am ready.

Steelhead 70.3....er....71.someting Du Race report

2008-08-04T22:32:00.003-05:00

Bbop and I rolled into Benton Harbor Friday at 3:30. The area seemed dead until we got to the race site. At that point we were amongst LOTS of athletes.2500 registered. This meant a huge transition area and check in process.The organiation was top notch so this went by quickly. We were able to get some shopping done at the expo and sit down to some Cheeza hut. I at some cucumber. socialising with the other athletes was what this pre race party was for, so I wasn't to bent about the non vegan friendly menu. After wards we went to dinner and sat with Katy(from tri-swimming) and some other random athletes. Dinner was tasty and filling. We went back to the hotel and retired for the night.

While trying to sleep I experianced a little acid reflux, but nothing serious. It was never an issue again.

Race morning we headed back to the site. I got in and out of transition quickly and headed to the start up the beach. the lake looked rough, so we knew we were in for a challenge right away. I actually like rough water, so I was calm and just followed my pre race needs.....the loo. After I lost some weight it was anounced that a desision on whether we would swim would be made soon. The crowd had a mix of sighs and groans. I was disappointed, but I have dealt with unintentionalb du's 5 times before, so I just changed my focus and we walked back to transition to get ready for a run. My only concern was nutrition. I drank gatorade.

The swim was replaced by a 2.1 mile run. We would still start in waves. i went out at a 10k pace and just tried to hang with the crowd. Mostly in the shade and quick. One advantage was the preveiw off the finish chute. Lots of sand and uneven footing. I hit tansition and -prepared for the bike. I felt good. The knee pain I had beed dealing with was not a problem. 16.39 run/ 2:51 T1

I hit the bike and wondered if I had a flat. Bbop flew past me. I had no power. I decided to spin until my legs felt right.Within about 10 minutes I felt right again. This is normal for me. My plan was to start easy and hold back much like I would for 140.6. I mostly rode on my own and passed others slowly. I also found myself making room for the many pace lines that would blow past us all. The format of the race was to seed waves so that everyone would finish around the same time. This format allowed many slow racers like myself to witness the cheating that goes on up front. Cheaters suck.Congrats to all the drfters. You Cheated. Lame.
At the midway point I followed my plan to turn it up a notch. I began really moving fast. I was passing huge groups of riders. I continued to crank it up for the rest of the ride. At aid station I took water and poured it over my self to cool. I ate on schedual and took salt as planned. My only mistake was in running out of water while taking in the final gel. Bike: 2:53.57 My goal was sub 3.

In T2 I removed my shoes on entry. I was racked at the far end, so I went barefoot in. 3:16

The run started with a side stich. I ran thru it and took down plenty of water to dilute the gel from the bike. It worked. During the first lap I held off and ran relaxed. I used the sponges and dumped lots of water on myself to stay cool. I used gatorade and took a gel midway. the second half I once again ran with urgency. I pressed except at aid stations. I maintained my cooling plan and ran with strength the rest of the way. With 3 to go I ran with the plan of catching anyone with in my sight. Except for one runner I did that. At the finish I spinted past two more runners. Run- 2:09.32

Once I croossed the line, I pumped my fist as I knew my day went well. Final 5:26.18 PR adjuhsted with my worst swim time. I was a bit emotional in recovery. This year has been tough, and I felt that everything came together for this race. I am very happy about it, and I feel much better about IMKY.

CTC closed the day with 3 Clearwater spots. We went out and partied. Congrats to everyone.
I must sleep now.....More to come about this one.

Sweet Corn Challenge.....LOST!

2008-07-27T18:13:00.002-05:00

I made a last minute training change Friday and decided to do an organized century ride. The sweet corn challenge begins and ends in Richfield Ohio just south of Cleveland. The ride is known for very tough hills and a feast of corn and chicken. I left the chickens off of my plate. Lots of CTC members took part including a strong showing by the IMKY group. For whatever reason the men and women all seemed to ride as two groups. I am unable to keep pace with the women, so I tried my hand with the fellas.

As we departed we immediately saw a down rider and an ambulance. I also realized that the rider was part of the fem' CTC group. I will refer you to Daisy Duc, Jodi, or Elizabeth's blog for details(all in my side bar). This caused lots of concern within our group, but it was being handled, so we peddled on.

The weather was great. The course is north east Ohio farm country. Aid staitions were well stocked. The hills were very challenging. I rode well and felt like I was getting in a good day of riding in.

Following the final aid station was a very steep climb. at this point I had 10 miles to go. I followed the rider just ahead of me.....................................................................
............................................................................... and discovered that I was no longer on the course. He and I studied the map and made a wrong decision. We rode south for a bit and turned around. He lived near by, so he just went home. I backtracked in hopes of finding my way.

As I rolled up to an intersection I saw Jack. I asked, "are you the search party, or are you lost to?".

He was also lost. Well at least I would have the company of a friend in finding my way. We took a series of wrong turns, but eventually got back on course to a section of the course we had both ridden. The section of the course that included the very steep hill......We both swore and grunted as we were forced to ascend this awful beast of a climb once again. We did take comfort in knowing that we were getting a work out that would provide the confidence we both needed to head into the final month before Ironman. In all we rode 120 miles. We are ready.

We headed to the post ride feast and joined a few CTCers for some corn and food. YUM.

Since Thursday I have logged 190 miles. I feel strong. I am ready. Next Saturday, Bbop and I are headed to Steelhead for a dress rehearsal.

Knowing limits

2008-07-19T10:37:00.003-05:00

My favorite method of sharing humorous thoughts is to suggest a different point of view without ever actually telling the joke. My hope is to allow the imagination of whomever I am joking with to complete the tasteless humor that floats under my dome. If done correctly I can turn a simple smile into a very sick joke. If done poorly I end up having to explain myself. This is usually the point that my little joke fails and falls into inappropriateness. My theory is that I can share my most twisted thoughts without saying them. If successful, I can claim the thought was your own.

The line between appropriate and inappropriate is a fine one. When I cross it, I set myself up for problems. So I try to stay this side of a bad joke.

The past two weeks I have been pushing my training much further. Long swim days, long bike days, and long run days have dominated my training. The last big workout was a 2+ hr run Thursday. The run focus was to take advantage of the 90 degree heat and practice good hydration. The workout went well, but left my body a little tattered. My muscles were a bit dehydrated and tight. I battled some awful spasms late Thursday. I still feel the effects of the run and sensed a little cold looking for an opportunity to attack. There are many little things occurring with my body that tell me this is a good weekend to back off. At Rocco's, we have been setting sales records all week. Being on my feet all day and rushing about has also left me a bit tired.

So in an effort to stay a fit as I have been feeling lately, I am going to ere on the side of appropriate training behavior. If I reveal to much, my training might resemble bad joke.

For me the key to success is knowing when not to say to much.

Neighbors

2008-07-14T17:15:00.003-05:00

I got a call from my neighbor AJ yesterday, letting me know he had won the Miltonman Oly this past Sunday. He and his roommate Brendon will be heading to Lake Placid this week as Brendon will be racing this coming Sunday. I have done some training with him and traveled to races with both of these guys. They are gifted.
Also racing in Lake Placid will be Kurt Molter. Kurt was my tent neighbor in the UK and the first person to say, "Charlie, you are an Ironman".
Any how Congrats to AJ, and good luck to Brendon and Kurt as well as Sam, Joe, Ben, and Ryan. Have a great race. I will be watching the finish line feed.

Today I become an Ironman

2008-07-12T18:54:00.003-05:00

I am not in Austria. There will be no swim, no medal will be hung round my neck and no finish line celebration will happen. But what I do today will play a huge roll in whether or not I cross the finish line in Kentucky.

"Today I become an Ironman" is what I said to myself as I headed off for 90 miles around the Cleveland Metroparks.

I have to say, my attitude is back where I want it. When it began to rain midway through, I repeated this verse. When the climb out of the valley got tough, I repeated this verse. When I arrived home to see my running shoes waiting for the brick portion, I repeated this verse. When I finished my workout I repeated this verse.

"Today I become an Ironman".

What I do today is what matters most.

I did get a mini finish line celebration as I finished. E-Speed and E-Husband were headed to Tommy's for some dinner and saw me finish. E called out my name. Boy was I relieved to see someone that appreciates 7 hrs of sweat and grime. She is also one of those folks that I am glad to see every time I do.
So thanks Elizabeth for the finish line celebration. Today I became an Ironman.

I hit a low point in my training

2008-07-07T16:15:00.004-05:00

Last week was a low point for me during my Ironman training. I found myself to be a bit depressed and disappointed by what went on in Morgantown. It didn't bother me that the race went slower then planned. All in all it was not a bad effort. The swim was into a current. It was going to be a bit slow. I am OK with that. The bike was 50 seconds slower then last year. It rained this year. I slowed for safety. The run went well till my stomach turned. Oops, it happens.

What caused concern was my poor attitude on the bike. I haven't experienced this during a race. I really didn't care about the race. I would look at my computer and think "15 miles?! Crap! When will this nonsense be over?. What is the point?". When I crossed the finish line I threw my hands up in defeat, rolled my eyes and smiled for the camera. I was happy to be done, but I was not happy.

The following week was spent exploring these feelings that continued. I took the time to recover from the race. I went out for a few beers Tuesday. I tried to go easy during workouts. My hope was that I was just tired.

July 4th came and my friend M and I went to a party along the lake. During this party, I had a few random conversations that seemed to ask the right questions.

The next morning I had coffee with another friend that really got my mind excited about future goals and my ability to achieve them. I recognized very clearly what I wanted to do as a recording engineer. I could see exactly what path to follow to realize these dreams.

As I began my workouts through the weekend I realized that my training had more energy and passion. I was caught in the excitement of organizing my thoughts. My lack of drive seemed to return as my sense of purpose became clear, not just as a triathlete, but as a human.

Ironman is no longer a goal. I have become an Ironman. Ironman is now a reflection of the kind of person that I am. I am capable of accomplishing great things. I do this race not to prove my worth. I do this race to remind myself of what it takes to achieve my dreams.

I have outlined my July training schedule. It is going to be tough, but I am focused. I am hungry and I want to train. Louisville may be my last full Ironman. I want to savor these next two months.

Next up, STEELHEAD!.

Spirit of Morgantown race report

2008-06-29T21:45:00.009-05:00

Following the service for Patrick Saturday, we loaded the car and headed for Morgantown. I rode down with Brendon, AJ, and Ericson. All three are in their early 20's and all are very gifted and dedicated athletes. The ride was a lot of fun.
We got into town around 5:30, grabbed our race packets, racked the bikes and joined the CTC party for dinner. CTC is one of the rare groups where I genuinely like and admire everybody. I may disagree with some of them from time to time, But I still consider them all good and fun folk.
Needless to say, We had fun. After dinner we headed to the hotel and got some rest.

Race morning we headed down to the race site and joined the transition pre-race festivities of pumping tires, body marking and last minute repairs. USAT watches this race closely as it is a national qualifier. The officials had picked my bike out as a possible bar end violation with my aero bars. I duct taped pennies on and was ready to race.

We had so many Clevelander's present. My rack alone included Rob Reddy, Jack Carney, and John Telich. It was a very social affair.

After waiting for the first few waves start, I entered the water, The first thing I noticed was a reasonably strong current that was pulling us all forward. This made for a slow swim. For me it was very slow. 44 minutes. This is getting annoying. My pool work outs have been much stronger then my race results.

After exiting the water I stripped off the wet suit quickly and ran the 1/4 mile back to T1. Transition took :05 including the run and strip. I was happy as I it felt very smooth.

The bike began poorly. I was not mentally in a good spot. I was working hard, but I was questioning my self and my desire far more then I like to. The first loop also included some heavy rain at times. Most of the first loop I spent monitoring Jack as he was gaining ground on me. We are closely matched, so he is a good race target for me. By the end of the first loop I looked back and saw Jack within 50 yards. I tried to use this as motivation. Part of me wanted to slow down and ride with him. But this was a race, so race I would try.
As we headed over the bridge out of town a car pulled in front of me to escape the backed up race congestion.
I yelled "YO!YO!YO!".
The driver acknowledged my presence and I shot around him cursing to myself. My anger provoked a much more focused second loop. I dropped Jack and was out on my own saying hello to Jack and JT after the turn arounds. My bike split was 3:08.52. With the rain, hairpin turns, and poor surface, I am satisfied. Mostly I was happy to regain my focus. Next time I need to do this with out a negative trigger.
T2 went by quickly. I washed my feet of the debris from the rain and got going.
Results don't show T2 time.
The run began well. I went out at about a :09 minute pace and held it till devils hill. I was a bit smiley and was having fun with all the CTCers on the course. At devils hill I bopped up the first section and pushed my self past the second.
After passing through the campus I took a couple salt tabs. I had not been drinking anything but water and taking in gel. HFP is serving HEED. I don't like it. So I tried to compensate.
The next 6 miles were ugly. I watched my group start to pull ahead as my stomach went bad. At mile 10 I went into a walk run. Jack passed me by. Now the chore was to cross the finish line. If I could do it with out a personal worst I would be happy.
In 6hrs25minutes and :03 seconds I got across the finish having run most of the final mile.
Goal two accomplished.
The rain was beyond my control. Nutrition I should have taken better control of. My plan was to rely on what was provided on course. I should now remember that HFP serves Hammer products. I don't like Heed. The remainder of my races are WTC events.Powerbar/gel and Gatorade. That works for me. except the non vegan bar. I will carry and leave Cliff and Lara bars in my special needs bag.

My biggest concern during this race was the "I don't care" attitude that lasted through 25 bike miles. If this feeling had hit me on the run, I might have just walked off the course. I have a lot to figure out this month. I can not take this attitude into Ironman.

CTC as a group took home a ton of hardware. Congrats to you all.
I took home a hard lesson. Don't screw with race day nutrition and get your head in the game.

2008-06-26T22:54:00.002-05:00

I had one of those moments early this week when I considered giving up and going back to the way things were. I hit a bump in the road that had me feeling completely hopeless. I worried that I was just not cut out for this.

Well, I some how have developed this odd persistence. It being a taper week, I have had extra time to address the issue and try to grow. It is not always easy. Change is difficult. I have to sometimes really stretch beyond my perception and just be open and willing. As I continue moving forward, good things happen.

Well after a few days really examining the issue and trusting my instincts, I have resolved the problem. Every thing works and I am still enthusiastic about the project.

I am talking about the switch to linux.

My system runs with amazing efficientsy. I love the desktop environment. Any software I want is available for free with no strings attached. The potential is amazing. Linux will link the 3rd world to the Internet. Linux will do this commercial free. Linux is and a techo-op.

I am dedicated to learning how to run Linux with confidence. Some drivers require research. Some time to a very frustrating degree. Ultimately the user groups are amazing in shared knowledge.

I get this also in the tri community. Zac had a problem with the bus, so he can't go. I called some neighbors, and they came through. I got a room nearby. I am excited to race. Morgantown is packed with CTC members.

We are saying goodbye to Patrick Saturday. I am playing "Into the Mystic". I am nervous. I will be with people that care about me.

In all the things I do I draw strength from others. Tips, applause, or the exhausted thumbs up from a fellow athlete at the end of the run. These things keep me going in life. I am who I am because of who we are.

Thank You.

Ironyman on healthcare

2008-06-21T10:32:00.001-05:00

I am a bike commuter. It is my preferred mode of transportation. Currently the city of Cleveland is making the leap towards providing options for people like my self. From east 89^th to Cleveland State along Euclid Avenue a new pair of bike lanes have been created as part of the new Euclid Corridor project. Once the project is complete I will have my own lane from University Circle to Playhouse Square.

I only hope I live to see it.

Right now the project construction that continues, along with the never ending additions to the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals has created a barricade between the comfortable riding of the heights and the new bike lane. Everyday as I descend the hills and make my way past these two world class health care facilities, I pray that I will make it a mile and a half past the high volume of construction, shuttles, EMS, and thousands of cars ferrying overworked health care professionals and receivers. I assume many are on drugs and/or are under heavy stress as they work through health related issues. The preoccupation of thoughts amongst the drivers who the share road with me must be great.

As I am under insured, neither of these institutions is accessible to me. So aside from employing much of the population around me, I don't feel as though I am directly benefiting from the constant growth of these hospitals. I know they both are global leaders in healthcare, but locally I consider them to be the source of my greatest health concerns. I fear for my life every time I travel past these two medical giants.

Once I progress westward on Euclid into the crime and poverty of midtown, I am able to relax and enjoy a carefree ride to work.

A week from now I will be racing in Morgantown WV. I am doing the 70.3 distance. I will taper this week.

Finding focus.

2008-06-16T23:12:00.003-05:00

Watching the US Open(Follow the link for story of the tourney), I was mesmerized by the absolute focus of Tiger Woods. I was rooting for Rocco, but I was in awe of Tiger.

During todays playoff, I turned to a friend and said of Rocco,"I hope he is enjoying every second of this."

Some how I need to find both properties in my training. As the work becomes more and more intense, having fun while remaining focused becomes a major challenge.

I see myself becoming very protective about time commitments. I get cranky when demands are made on my schedule. If I have to train, I find it difficult to enjoy other activities. That is accept all of the workout procrastinations I can come up with...(Blogging).

With the improved weather, the joy of training is returning. No more trainer. No more tights. No more indoor pool. The weather has been great for a few weeks(I want high heat).Training is fun when it is sunny.

Saturday I went long solo on the bike. These days are tough, but I truly believe in the solitude to build mental toughness. Ironman is a long day. Drafting is illegal.
Midway through the ride I ran into Bbop down in the Cuyahoga Valley. We rode for a bit. That was nice. The change of course also awarded me more climbing. This I need. I am sucking on hills this year.

The Open Mic has been amazing. Cleveland has so much great talent. Our lineup has filled every week. The audiances have responded well. The Phoenix staff is very sopportive of both the Open Mic and myself.

This is all where I want to be. I am enjoying every second of it. I am also becoming focused.

It is time to become an Ironman.

Up to Buffalo

2008-06-13T20:23:00.007-05:00

I don't know if it will be the Sunday cup of coffee before or after a work out, or the subtle jabs at Browns fans that I will miss the most. Something always seems a little uneasy when a broadcaster has died while still broadcasting.

The thoughts I have regarding the death of Tim Russert go beyond the unexpected loss of someone that has become a common part of our life through radio or television. It has transcended the fear I have of the eventuality of loosing my own hero and favorite broadcaster. Tim Russert's death is a little different.

I have always believed that the media is the fourth branch of government here in the USA. The media is responsible for communicating the actions of our leaders with out bias. Very few have done a better job of clarifying the truth then Tim Russert. The man wouldn't accept non answers. I think we have lost a huge part of the election process. In my mind we have lost one of the most important Americans of our time.

Deer Creek race report

2008-06-08T21:51:00.006-05:00

Double fisted was the best race plan of the day. I knew going into this weekend that it would be a hot one. Having gone though such a cool spring, I wasn't sure how well I would deal with it on the Deer Creek course. With the big goal being Louisville, heat will be an issue.

We left Cleveland in Zacs bus late Saturday afternoon. He has the VW looking good and running very well. The addition of a bike and rack make it really shine. We arrived at Deer Creek close to 9pm. We grabed a tent site about a mile from the course. It was privately owned and about a third of the cost of the State park.

The creek near our camp was very high. The area was enduring some flooding. This fact was sure to influence the race. We set up camp and had some food. Nicole is running a raw cafe within a Lakewood wellness center now. She is experimenting with lots of good food. Zac got a bag of chips. They were also quite tasty. At about 11pm I slept.

We woke at 5:50am. First me, then Max, then Zac, then Nicole brought up the rear. We rolled up to the park soon after. I grabbed my packet, set up transition, chatted and just enjoyed the pre race happenings. I met Mary Sunshine from the IMKY blog. She grabbed some AG hardware. Congrats!

Nicole went down to the water with me. We didn't have to go far, as the lake was a bit bloated. The beach of 30yrds from last fall was non existent.

I swam a bit and waited for the waves to go off. The race began 16 minutes late and was delayed after a swimmer had to be rescued. The swimmer was OK.

My wave went at 8:35. Immediately I was hit with a side stitch. Maybe it was the hammer I took before the start. Maybe the Gatorade. or maybe my water had been spiked with heed. What ever the intestinal distress was became unimportant as I began to take repeated blows to the head. I became a little defencive in establishing my space. My wet suit was tight on the left side. I was never comfortable. I also swam a little cooked as we were hit by a strong current of flood water headed to the dam.
My swim was :31. I expect better.

Once I hit T1 I got caught in a five minute comedy routine as I tried to remove my wet suit from over my calves.Body Glide is good stuff, but nothing beats a CFC hose down with a can of PAM.

Once on the bike, I went aero for 23 and 1/3 miles. I worked hard. I took in nutrition as planned. I worked at remaining cool as I kept pouring water over my self. The heat was in the 90's, but I feel I managed it well. My bike was 1:18

Once I was in T2, I knew it was going to be hot. The shock of becoming still beneath the sun was noticeable. I was out quickly.

As I started the run, I took more heed(electrolyte replacement). I again felt the same cramp as I had during the swim. I only drank water following the heed test. I noticed the returning runners all looked spent and dizzy. I went at a 9 minute miles, and really took my time at aid stations.

The end result was not fast (2:55), but it was steady. My endurance is good. I need to find speed and clean up details like sighting in the water and removing the wet suit.

The weekend was a lot of fun and I am a bit red. I now know what I must work on.

A tough nut to crack

2008-06-05T22:27:00.003-05:00

I am confident in saying, Nicole is hooked. She is acting like a runner. She is dressing like a runner. She is researching like a runner. She is planning for a race a year away.

We are thinking of heading west for the Big Sur marathon next spring. This works for me. Next year I would like to focus a bit more on the Marathon and ultra marathoning. I plan on triathlon mid summer, but no more then one 70.3.

The marathon has always been a tough nut to crack. My PR of 3:53 was not my best race. If I had been on that day, I would have gone 3:30. That was a 9 years ago. I want to run Boston one day.

The ultra marathon also totally intrigues me. I want to go there.

Currently, I have Deer Creek this weekend. I am feeling fit and focused. I plan to go hard the whole race. I want to go through transitions cleanly. I also am looking for improvement on the swim. It is a training day. My one concern is water temps. Lake Erie is still in the 50's.

Sorry for my recent absense around here. I have been a little distracted.

I want to race

2008-06-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

I have been a bit busy lately. Everything is going well, there is just a lot of well going on.

My swimming is on lately. I can't wait for the out door pool to open. 14 hrs of lap swim a quarter of a mile from home. One more week.

My cycling was feeling really flat. I wasn't getting enough frequency in. This weekend I began to feel the rewards of my work. My fitness seems to be coming together.

Just in time. Deer Creek is on. I want to race.

I have added another race to the plan. Nicole, Zac and I are going to do a relay at Cleveland.
ZAC?!. Zac is gonna race. We have him on the bike before he hands off to Nicole for the run. I am the swimmer. Should be fun.

Life is great.

Lone wolf with a solitary focus

2008-05-26T11:12:00.005-05:00

Training for your first Ironman is a monumental task. You devote all of your energy to the process. Mostly everybody around you understands and provides support. Good bosses, friends, family, spouses, children, pets, bills, chores, guitars all are neglected to a degree. Nobody does Ironman alone. The energy given by those around us is ultimately what gets us across the finish line.

Having just read Jodi's TTT race report I am impressed by the spirit of team work that race emphasizes. Congrats to those of you who took on this race.

Training for my second Ironman has a different set of challenges.I am accustomed to the workload. I am more creative with time management. I am able to enjoy many other things in life that I would have sacrificed last year.

Sometimes I worry that I am not training enough. Mostly I have confidence in my training.

With IMKY within 100 days I begin to feel the juggle of life taking on more bowling pins and chain saws. Mid June will include a wedding and a memorial service on consecutive weekends. The service is for my child hood Friend Patrick who has been missing for a few years. I plan to do Deer creek Oly, but may let it go for a chance at a long ride instead. I have the Open Mic, but other gigs will wait until taper time. I have been seeing some one for about three weeks. This has only been a positive so far and I have been more then willing to work my schedule around this new development. I am very fond of her.

Somehow I am actually living a normal life right now while training for Ironman. My minds focus is much more evenly distributed then it was last year. I am training with others more often. I am relaxing with others. I am no longer the lone wolf with a solitary focus.

As I include others into my life and open my heart once again, I find that the sacrifices I make in training to spend time with good people has given me focus once again on what is really important.
I think I know why the wolf howls at the moon.

Why do you'll bike so much?

2008-05-24T15:29:00.002-05:00

This morning a whole bunch of multisport nuts headed out to Headlands State Park for a day of training on Lake Erie. The event was hosted by Mickey Rezmic, RD of the Greater Cleveland Triathlon.
I went out with the first group. All dudes. So of course every one was hammering away. About halfway thru the first loop Bbop had a mechanical problem. I hung back with him as the others rode away. I will let him tell you the details in an attempt to get him to post to his blog.
After some time I jumped back in as the group came around on the second loop.
Following the ride, Jack and I added 3.5 on the GCT run course.

The weather was great. Still cold in Cleveland, but sunny. If you are not aware, Cleveland feels as though it is on the north shore of Lake Erie. If the Canadian like temps continue, I am going to demand dual citizenship.

Any how, it was a nice day of training with some good folks.

Cat gave me a ride. As she dropped me off, a young teenager stopped to ask, "Why do you'll bike so much?".
My first instict was to look at the kid cross eyed as I proclaimed "because I have an Ironman to do!"
Well I thought better of this idea and just told him
"It's Freedom".
He shrugged and said "OK".

Ironman Lodging

2008-05-21T17:55:00.002-05:00

Last August I sent an email to a farmer to secure my lodging for Ironman. When we arrived at Sherbourn Castle, we handed over 45 GBP for a week of camping. This worked just fine. It was fun, and it was a unique Ironman experience. The major expense was airfare to London.

This year, I have fewer travel costs, so I thought I would splurge on my accommodations for Ironman. I just booked three nights at the host hotel, The Galt House. It has free WI FI and a swell pool.

As the financial investment mounts, I figure I should mount my bike a little more often. Saturday I will be doing the GCT training.

Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon Recap

2008-05-18T22:00:00.006-05:00

The weather was identical to the '06 edition of this race. I rode down with my neighbors Brendon( Doing IM Lake Placid soon) and AJ (Took 13th overall in the 1/2). The rain was heavy at times, but no body seemed to concerned. Along the way we saw a few Cleveland Police and an SUV that had been riddled with bullets.

Once we arrived I saw JT Tri guy and began searching for Zac and Nichole. The crowd was good and the line for the morning chore moved quickly. We lined up near the rear and waited.For some unknown, the race started late. With the rain, this kind of sucked. Once we got going the rain was a non issue.

For most part I ran steady and moved through the crowd. I remained focused most of the way so I have little to report. I finished in 1:53.53. Following the race I chatted with Jack and JT.

Nicole did great and is now a marathoner. We had Indian food for lunch.

Following the race I went to watch another game 7 vs Boston on a marathon day. Same result. Arggggg.

All in all it was a good day.

Mind the gap

2008-05-15T19:53:00.003-05:00

" Mind the gap" was the message coming from the womens voice over the public address system aboard the London underground. Zac grabbed the front end of the case that held my bike while I took hold of the other. We lifted the case from the train and proceeded toward the stairs leading to the street level.

As we passed others, some would stop and wonder what it was we were carrying. Most would just try to navigate around our over abundance of baggage. Nicole and Zac made it possible for me to move through the UK with so much luggage. Without them, I may still be trying to get off of that subway car.

Since I have known my good freinds, they have always been willing to help me with my baggage. Their support has not only enabled me to move along with so much baggage, but it has also aided me in shedding much of what I did not need. Freinds like these two are rare. I value them greatly in my life.

As I began readying myself for the GCT 1/2 iron distance back in '05, I asked Nicole if she would train for a marathon with me. She gave it a shot, but was not really into it. I never buged her about it again.

After returning from the UK, nicole told me she had been running since our trip and wanted to try a 1/2 marathon. The Ironman finish line has an amazing effect on spectators. As you cheer, you can't help but to visualize your own finish. She had been inspired.

Following her 1/2 in Columbus, she was hooked. The marathon goal was now in focus. We mulled over the race choices and settled on Cleveland. Over the past three months, she followed the plan we put together. Sunday she will step to start of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.

I am very excited for her. Marathons are not easy, but she is ready.
Go Nichole!

I will be running the half. I hope to match my time from last year. I will not be dissapointed if I don't. I know I have trained well. I have taken a very easy week and should feel fresh and healthy. Most importantly I will be ready to start the next stage of my IM training.

If you have a moment.....

2008-05-12T15:44:00.007-05:00

Well, that moment is gone now. But as long as I have your attention.........,Life is changing around me. I am not sure that I am changing with it. I keep doing what I am doing and good things just start happening.

When I began this current phase in my life four years ago, I was a beaten man. Who I was, had come to an ending. My hopes and dreams had been resolved in a not so happy way. Some of the things I had to accept were difficult. My life changed abruptly. I got a bit disoriented before regaining focus enough to move forward.

My forward motion was motivated mostly by the Ironman dream. Having become disillusioned by romance, politics, and the recording business I needed something to work towards. Ironman gave me this. I had my friends and family, Ironman gave me a mission.

Having finished my first race of 140.2 miles, my mission was complete. The moment at the finish line had passed. Not knowing what to do next, I just kept on with what I was doing. I signed up for IMKY and Steelhead.

I am not sure whether I race to train or train to race. The moment at a finish line is often unforgettable, but the memories acquired throughout my training will always be with me and serve me well. Finish chutes are places of great celebration. Training day in and day out is living. On completion of a long race, you receive a medal, some food, and a smile that won't quit. While training I quietly grow in every moment closer and closer to the becoming the me as I see myself . A me I am proud of. Not for my accomplishments, but for my discipline and dedication in becoming not only an Ironman, but becoming a good man.

Somehow overtime the things I had lost became unimportant. New opportunities arise and I am able to give those things my attention. The present is what is important now. I just keep doing what I am doing, and I seem to find inner happiness.

Moments come and go. Each one is important. We can't dwell on the moments past or wait on new ones to come and expect to enjoy the present one. These are moments lost. So, if you have a moment, pay attention to it.

Open Mic recap

2008-05-07T16:33:00.003-05:00

I am a little slow with this post. I had a good brick workout yesterday before joining the gang across the street on Panini's patio for a poorly played basketball game. Fortunately for me, I had my attention turned toward the 8th inning for the three run homer off the Yankees. As for the CAVS Celtic series, Lebron, Pierce, and Ray Allen all sucked. I don't think the series has begun. Boston just happened to have the lead at the right time to start the series tomorrow with a head start of one game.

Anyhow, I am actually posting about the Open mic this past Monday.

I live a block from the phoenix, so I just carried my PA to the cafe and set up. After getting the stage set, I put out the sign up sheet along with a list of guidelines for the performers to remember. The list filled quickly. I had to create an overflow list for additional performers. At 8:00, I sauntered up to the stage, picked up my guitar, introduced myself and began singing my song "Who here will lead us". At that point, I felt I had the focused attention of the room. I was now ready to turn the stage over to the next performer.

We had a good mix of seasoned pros and newcomers to art. Everyone was so nice and respectful of each others music. The audience was really cool. It was the first time I have seen the coffee shop filled with people that were not staring at laptops. Every one seemed to have a good time. I expect similar responses in the future.

For me the best part of the evening went against my rules for myself. My number one rule as an open mic host is, "It is not about me". My goal is to create an event that allows others to shine. I will give everything to my own performance, but my priority is to the other players and the audience. If this goal is met, we have a successful evening. I mostly lived by this rule Monday. however, I had so much fun and felt my self returning to normal. I was doing, what I do best. I felt whole once again. I didn't bother anyone else with how much self gratification I was taking from the evening, but I very much enjoyed what I was doing. I needed this back in my life as much as any one. At least for one show, It was about me.

The Phoenix was happy. Number goals were met. They are a good bunch of folks at the cafe. This is the ultimate key to success. The support was awesome. Two staffers performed. They really helped in creating excitement.

So we are set for a show every Monday. The women Felisha that has been asigned the roll of Phoenix point person for Open Mic said she will prepare vegan treats for Monday nights. So very cool.

See ya Monday.

A major step.

2008-05-03T11:49:00.004-05:00

Recently I have left the confines of Microsoft for the user controlled world of Linux.At first I was concerned that I was going to be limited by incompatibility issues with windows software. I have found things to be quite the opposite. Linux has a windows software emulator called wine. I have yet to use it as the open source software seems to work much better. My hardware is working much faster. I no longer view the Internet as an unrelenting advertising portal into my brain. My move toward Linux has been huge step . My perception has changed. I have been released from the mental restrictions that plagued me as a windows user.

These sifts in my growth are exciting. Big ones include my choice to go vegan, Ironman, living car free, Buddhism, and my first marathon. Each of these things has completely changed my perception of the world and myself. My path to personal freedom is marked by these moments that I let go of the limitations I had imposed on myself.
Ten years ago today I took two of my biggest steps toward becoming the person I hope to be. these steps were near East 22nd and Euclid in front of CSU.
The first of these two steps was toward the west as I crossed the starting line of the CVS Cleveland Marathon. This step symbolized my belief that I could run 26.2 miles. I had stuck to a training plan and was on my way. The race was not easy. The first two miles my calves felt as though they would explode. By mile 16 my quads were screaming. Getting through the final 6.2 miles was as difficult a personal struggle as I have ever known.
My family was ever present on the course. They were decked out in t shirts that said "Run Charlie Run" my sister Nancy and niece Morgan had made. My brother delivered a cliff bar to me out in Lakewood as he peddled along side of me. My sister Susie drove to the race with me and helped me calm my nerves. My Parents awaited my finish with cameras and hugs. I cried after I finished. Finishing things had been an issue for me, so this was a huge deal. I was fundamentally changed. I was a marathoner. I often remind myself of this when self doubt arises. Finishing was my second major step that day.
The days that followed were painful. The marathon beats you up. But since then, I have grown stronger and stronger.

Part of me really wants to run the full 26.2 in Cleveland in two weeks. I am trained for it. But common sense tells me to train through for Ironman. So I am content to race the half and wait for Nichole to finish her first full. Being a part of her progression as a runner means more to me then anything I could accomplish on the course at this time.

I have run 8 marathons since this day ten years ago, but none have meant as much as the first. Over the last three springs I have helped Sheila, Dane, and now Nichole with the marathon training. This has helped me to enjoy a first marathon spring after spring.

Today the things that seem most important, are no longer just about me. Knowing that together we can accomplish great things has become a much more important theme than my personal accomplishments. Sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm gets us all a little bit further.

Consistency

2008-05-02T21:10:00.003-05:00

My empathy for the Washington Wizards fan is strong. As the Cavs finished out the series, I thought of Jordan and Elway. It sucks when you think your team is pretty good and you can't get past a legend. One day they will come to appreciate the player Lebron James is. I found this peace with MJ. Elway I have not.

It was nice to see the trade pan out the way I originally envisioned. With Sasha returning, the two spot is deep. The concern for me is consistency. The Cavs continue to get that from only one.

Consistency has been a greater struggle for me this year. The cold I got last week has been hanging on. It hit like a ton of bricks and has been as annoying as the aforementioned basketball series. I think it is almost gone, but I expect to wake again with a chest and head full of gunk. I would like to spend a four hours on the bike, but if the weather sucks, it is back to the trainer. last week I totaled 9 miles on the run, while this week I will top 30. Swimming has been work. I need to swim out side. My stroke is clicking. I am getting faster, but I want to swim out side.

I have a new work schedule. 7-3 Monday through Friday. This is perfect for my summer training. I tend to do a lot of back to back sessions with 1/2 hour breaks. this gives me 6 hrs to work with. I really like the consistency. It also makes getting a workout in before a gig a lot easier. I do not like to feel rushed. My race times reflect this issue.

I am really starting to get focused on Ironman. My attention is pointed in the direction of Louisville. Every choice I am making is beginning to reflect this. I have not had a drink since opening day. And that was just a shot.....at 11am. I have also suspended actively seeking romance. I don't have time right now. I am OK with this. I am now chasing a man...IRONMAN.

Saturday is the tenth anniversary of my first marathon. I will post tomorrow on my memories of this major step in my life.

Back to consistency, Cliff Lee is one of the best sports stories going on right now.

Anyhow, time to be consistent. I have a lot on my plate. I have some things I have to do. I have big plans...

Go Cavs!

Final long run in the books

2008-04-28T18:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I woke at 6:30 to meet Katy for the Tri swimming.The day was promising with good weather to run in. Swimming included 14x50x3. It was a good workout, but not to tough. It was a small crowd as the race season has begun. We all had coffee before Rob dropped me off in Lakewood.

Zac was busy putting the finishing touches on the bus. he is in the home stretch of a very long restoration project. It is looking good. I will post photo's once he has finished. Nichole was putting togeteher a feast to be enjoyed later. I grabbed a guitar and turned on the Cavs game. They used all 48 minutes to determine the outcome, but things worked out well for the Cavs.

Following the game, Nichole and I set off for our run. Three hours was the plan, first stop: Second Sole. We had just one GU. Unfortunately they closed before 5PM so we stopped the watch and ran into the supermarket, bought some cliff bars and headed into the Rocky river rez for some running. the weather was great. I am not fully recovered from my illness so I ran tired most of the way. I think we both were having tough days, but we stuck it out and finished a 8 minutes shy of our plan.

once we got back to the house, Nichole and I devoured some watermelon and kettle chips. We sat down to the cartoons on FOX and ate this feast that had been started hours earlier. Pasta, greens, asparagus, bread. It was awesome.
I got home at 10:30 and went to bed soon after.

With three weeks till Rite Aid, we are both healthy. I have every belief that Nichole will do great in her 26.2 mile debut. I am very confident about the half. I have no predictions this year. I just want a solid race.

I have almost completely moved over to linux. I am working from it right now. I love the concept of being free from windows. I mostly love the stability of the OS.
One week till the Open mic at the coventry Phoenix starts. See you all soon.

I left the window open and something flu in...e'chooo!

2008-04-23T20:57:00.006-05:00

If you follow my training log at all, you may have noticed that I have been logging "0" workouts since the 5k. This is due to the bug I came down with.
Sunday I hit the couch and dozed into extra innings. Monday I took the evening off feeling some congestion. I watched Napoleon Dynamite. I saw LBJ and Cavs remind the Wizards who it was that won the east last season. I struggled to sleep. Went to work at 7am. Came home at 10am. I then slept.

For what ever reason, races always leave me open to sickness. The good part is that I have a recovery week right now, so I am not really(just a little)stressed about loosing workouts.
Today I felt better. Not 100%, but I went to work, rode to the pool, swam 1600 easy, rode a mile, chain broke, caught a bus. I am satisfied.

I have been enjoying the NBA playoffs so far. If by chances the next round is Cavs/Celtics, I apologies in advance for all the obnoxious things I may say about a town a drool over the thought of running in. Speaking of that run, congrats to Daisy, E speed, and Katy. Sounds like they all had a blast.

Being sick is weird. It is not fun to work through. But once in a while it is nice to grab a pillow, a roll of tissue, a comforter, a DVD or two, and just rest up. I like the healing process.

My computer guy has been setting up a linux platform for me. It still has some bugs to work out, but he is loving the challenge.Using it makes windows seem like a really bad prank. It actuall seems much cooler then mac. According to my tech genius linux is not at any threat from virus's. It just refuses to run the programs.
As I sit here and sniffle, I wish I could just choose not to run a virus. I wish I was as well protected as linux. But after a race, my firewall are down. I get sick.

City 2 City 5k recap

2008-04-20T12:48:00.004-05:00

Nicole and I decided Friday to do this race. The schedule called for a 5k today. My early plan was to ride down, but it was raining and I didn't want to stand around for an hour in wet cloths ,so I took the train into tower city for registration. Nichole and Zac began the day by changing a tire.

The entry was $20. Kinda' steep for a 5k but the charity was a shelter for battered women and children, so I knew we would be getting more out of it then a tshirt and banana. I hope they were able to provide funding after expenses.

The field was sparse compared with other races I have done recently. I was scouting the crowd to evaluate the competition. This is not easy any more. My age group seems aged as randomly as any and running doesn't mark calves. I shared the idea that awards could be had with a good effort. I hoped to provoke Nichole's competitiveness.
We headed up to Huron Rd to warm up and toe the line...well my toe is never near any line, but I am sure you get the drift.
"Ding, ding,ding!!!" the race bell sounded (I am glad the bell has replaced the gun). I was immediately stalled by joggers so I did my best Barry Sanders impression with some nice lateral moves until I found open field.
Hermes race systems seems to have a deal with Tower City this year, so the start and finish are Identical to the Chilli Bowl course. The Mid section goes deeper into Ohio city as it passes by Johnny Mango's
My first mile was 7:55. The bridge kind of kicks you in the bum so I hoped I could make up time in OC. At Mile 2 I was at 16.01 The course was an out and back so mile 3 returns back over the bridge. I worked hard to catch runners ahead of me, but I ran out of race before I could over take them. Final time was 24:50 for an average of 7:59. Not blazing fast, but steady. Goal achieved.

This race was a nice little event. Hermes does a good job.
This course is tough. I do not run it fast.

Nichole had a nice race. This was her first 5k.

The Female 35-39 age group had a 17 second differential between 1st and 4th place.

I took the train home and have decided to rest the remainder of the day.
Speaking of taking a train to a race, E Speed, Daisy Duc, and Katy(She picks me up for the Oberlin workouts every other Sunday, and is doing IMKY) have taken a train to Boston for a race tomorrow. I think I heard it was a marathon. Good luck and Have fun....
Someday I would like to run Boston. If I can hold those eight minute miles for 26, I will be in good shape......When I am 45.

Open Mic

2008-04-17T21:28:00.008-05:00

When I moved to Madison in 1988, my goals were folk music. I went there with intention to hone my skills as a player, performer, and writer. I had developed a plan and followed it as I do my triathlon training plans. I would practice a minimum of one hour daily. I had to write one complete song a week. I had to learn one new song a week and I had to go to the local Open Mic, held at the Rathskeller on the UW campus. The weekly open mic would always keep me on task, just as an up coming race does. This was where I found out what worked and what didn't. This is the place I got over my stage fright and became a performer.

In '89 I returned to Cleveland. I resumed my work at the Coventry Arabica as a Batista. I had left that job a couple of years earlier after the Cafe had been sold and the new manager persisted in trying to get me to sleep with him. He was now gone and the owner was glad to have me back. He sometimes would ask us for our input on ways to increase business. I suggested starting an Open Mic. He thought it a good idea and put me in charge.

Over the next 16 years this became my life. Every Monday I would set up my sound system and introduce the next act. I took the job very seriously as I saw it not only as a vehicle for promoting my own music, but more importantly I saw maintaining the open mic programs around Cleveland as a major responsibility as the custodian for the forum so many of our best musicians would use to develop their own set of skills.

My Open Mics gained a lot of credibility quickly for having good audiences,musicians, and for treating every performer equally. It was common place for some of the biggest acts in town to drop in for a set. The audience had grown accustom to seeing unknowns become very well known. Once in a while the major record company would bring in acts. Jewel and Sean Lennon were two of those acts. Best of all I was able to create a venue for MANY first time performers. I was put in a position where I was able to help a lot of amazingly talented musicians to develop their own skills. This was my calling, and I was able to answer it. I have always thought myself very lucky to have held this position.

In 2001 the Arabica closed. I continued to host shows for the next three years, but businesses would come and go. Stability was fleeting. My final open mic was at the Lee Rd Arabica. After they closed I decided to not take on a new show until the conditions were right for long term success.

Well.....Conditions have become right. I have just settled the details to begin hosting a new Open mic at the Phoenix on Coventry. We will start with the first weekly show Monday May 5^th.

I am so freaking excited. This is my element. This is where I shine. So come on out with a guitar, voice, flute, or your ears. Monday nights on Coventry will be alive with song once again.

Forsythia Means spring!

2008-04-15T21:13:00.006-05:00

I am driven by emotion. Emotion is what helps me to run 26.2 miles. My logical side enables me to train for a marathon, but emotion gets me to the finish line. The marathon is beyond logic. Why in the world would you do that to yourself. Emotion is the only explanation I can come to. Logic however tells me that I must reach a level of fitness to be able to meet the demands of my emotion.

Music is much the same. Without an understanding of music theory, music is left to just wander without direction. Music depends on a set of rules just as math, science, and language do. Yet music performed without emotion, seems to loose its musicality.

Much of my base training has been logical in its motivation lately. Honestly, I have had little desire this past winter to train. I do not love the trainer rides. Commuting to and fro the pool by bus kinda sucks in the cold, and running in the winter is really nice during November and December, but after New Years it becomes a real chore.

Today I headed out for an hour around University Circle. My goal was speed work in the form of intervals. I knew what I needed to do in my head, but pushing myself was going to be a chore of the heart. My plan was to play chase with other runners.

The game works like this: Spot another runner and e catch them. Preferably they have at least a 100 yd lead over you. The Case campus is a good spot for this workout because it has so many fit runners to choose from.

Within five minutes, I had a runner to stalk. He was young and seemed to run well. I began my chase. Once I was with in 25 yds, the prey had become aware of my pusuit. He began to increase his effort to match mine for a mile and a half. I was within ten yards at the bottom of Mayfield hill when he made his turn off my course. We had both pushed each other really hard. I spotted and overtook a few others along the way, but none gave me the same effort as my first chase.

While running I took notice of the brilliant skyline that circles Wade Oval. I took notice of the forsythia as it bursts into spring. I enjoyed the sun light and moderate temperatures. The music mostly helped me to maintain my cadence.

My mind during a run is constantly racing back and forth between logic and emotion. I constantly run a system scan over my whole body. But to continue my Stearn focus, I need the fuel of my emotions.

A sure sign of spring is when I get home and I am excited to head out for my run. Logic has helped me to build a solid base. With spring, I can just enjoy my training. I can revel in the beauty of spring. I am joined by so many more runners and wildlife. My head spins with joy as I run purely for the love of running.

Logic and emotion are the basis for so much in my life. My mind is often working through both. But some how as I relax following my run, my sense of logic and flow of emotion seems to subside. I am no longer processing the thoughts in my mind. I have no problems to solve and I am driven by nothing. At the moment I conclude my run I am at total peace.

Side note: As I finished writing this post, A group of high school seniors came into the coffee shop and requested that everybody stand up and hold hands for a photo. Every body did. At least 30 people that haven't looked past their laptop screens in over an hour stood together hand in hand. This was a moment of inclusiveness that does not happen often in the 21^st century cafe'. It was refreshing.

What will we leave behind?

2008-04-12T11:27:00.008-05:00

It has been about ten years since I first embraced the Internet and the personal computer. I had dabbled with the technology before this, but it was still to buggy for me. What I wanted to do with the new world of technology was still a little out of reach. Inevitably I would put a demand on the software I was using and it would crash. Many hours were spent learning the importance of saving your work. If I was on the early internet, I would spend many hours waiting for a page to load. Once it appeared it was fairly limited in useful information. My imagination saw a future for these tools, but as a musician I needed them to be further developed.

The late nineties brought faster machines. Jen and I had a P3 that I recently retired. I began using it for music production. Mostly post production work as the software and memory was still to slow for my demands in multi track recording. I had the most success using SoundForge for post editing and "mastering" my mixes from my multi track recorder.

The internet, once used only for email distribution of upcoming shows became relevant in a much bolder way. In 1999 I found a site called mp3.com. This site enabled me to create a true web presence. I was able to offer music to listeners around the world. I was able to create on demand CD distribution. I had a place to offer information on my upcoming shows. I was finally able to bypass the record companies and move forward with my music. MP3.com paid us for the downloads and the musicians promoted the site. As independent musicians we were very enthusiastic about what mp3.com offered and worked hard for it. We were well paid and the future was exciting.

MP3.com was pioneering the way music would be distributed. They were taking the industry into the future with unabashed ambition. Ultimatly the recording industry (RIAA) filed lawsuits to prevent mp3.com from offering online personal music storage. This and the old Napster lawsuits filed by the RIAA began defining how music could legally be distributed online. MP3.com lost the lawsuits and were ultimately bought and shut down by NBC/Universal. The artists were all offered CNET space. No website since has offered as good an opportunity to indie musicians.

Since that time I have used many music hosting sites. Myspace has the biggest visiter community. CreateSpace offers the best on demand CD pressing. Integrating the two has been completely up to me. Offering an online music player in my integrated website forces me to use another site. To offer unlimited free downloads, I have had to create that from scratch using html. As a result, my desire to make and distribute music has taken my skill set from musician to web designer. Today my folk music world is here on the internet.

Folk Arts are defined by some, as a mediums that originate amongst the common people of a region and passed through the people.

What we were doing ten years ago on mp3.com was a new kind of folk art. We were sharing our music around a campfire called the Internet in a region called the the world wide web. This style of sharing, is of course not limited to just music. We all find ourselves participating in the world of blogging. We are sharing our lives and stories. We are creating an account of world history unlike any the world has ever known. The folk tradition is alive here in the bloggasphere. Our stories are being told. Some true, some exaggerations, some are pure lies. But it is all being accounted for.

Centuries from now our lives will be remembered in greater definition then was available ten years ago. Our decedents will be able to get to know us in very intimate ways. As bloggers we are recording history. Every little detail of our lives will be relevant in future attempts to see and understand who we were as a world in 2008. If humanity survives into the next millennium, it will be our stories that will help future generations to understand why they live the way they do.

I do not believe our human future will be an earthly one. I honestly think if we are to continue at our current growth, that we can not do it here any longer. Earth will be home to some for agriculture, but we most likely will have to expand our world into space. What we write here in blog land may be some of the last accounts of what life was like when so many lived here on earth.

I hope we can leave more then a digital memory.

Are we really free?

2008-04-10T21:23:00.002-05:00

I finally put up a page for free downloads. The music is from the Beachland Show Feb. 10th. So feel free, download and share. The page is mine. It is not MySpace or another site that wants your personal info. Just free music.

I have been avoiding my TV, as I have been enjoying Southpark, King of the Hill, and TED.COM.
My favotite cartoons are now available on demand through their own web sites. TED.COM is this awesome site I found on Jasper Blakes blog.The site is filled with speeches by some amazing human beings. And it is free!

Here is a video by one of my major personal heros.
"And the eyes of the world are watching now". From his song Biko written back in 1977.
I think it amazing that he has found a way to give the world eyes to monitor injustice. His plan seeks freedom for all.

I live my life relatively free. I have few obstacles that I can not see beyond. My mind enjoys a greater peace then it ever has before. Yet peace and freedom are so fragile.
Sing for freedom.