lonestar

We arrived on Friday after what seemed to be a fairly easy drive.
Weather was cool and not too bad, but after living in Texas for a bit you know this stuff can change fast. We had a house where 6 of us were all staying; it was the first time for 12 people who I had trained. Last year I coached 20 people for TNT for this same race, so I had some experience in helping people get here and doing well.
This time I had a chance to be here for all the emotional breakdowns, my job was simple, just pick up the pieces and make sure everybody had confidence when the gun goes off. I was a little nervous but decided not to show any fear. Linda asked if I was and before I could answer she said of course you’re not, this is what you do, I thought you are right.
Everyone was checking the weather daily, trying to figure out what it would be like. The race course had changed due to the storm the year before; the bike had a weird extra loop thrown in and the run was a 4 loop run.
We found out at the race meeting that we could drop off our bikes on Saturday, that put us into a slight crunch, heather was not very good at drinking and biking, so I grabbed a never reach to put on her bike so she could drink easier. So we got the bikes ready and dropped them off.
We all woke up at 0400 to leave for the race at 0600. We arrived in plenty of time to finish setting up. This is just a training race and I was here for my people, of all things to forget, I forgot my socks!
Oh well I can deal with it, everyone has shown up ready to go. . My wave is one of the first of our group and it is set to start at 8:27 but they are running behind. We have all put on our wetsuits and now we have found out that it is going to be a little longer. As we wait all suited up, I noticed a concerned look on Eugene’s face, I knew this wasn’t good but I was thinking all about damage control. We knew the winds were going to shift and then later they were going to get crazy strong, but who knows when? It is now 74 degrees with humidity at 100%, this is not good! It is almost 9 and we haven’t started yet. The concern on Eugene’s face starts to get to me.
But it is all good! We finally start. The swim is easy and not crowed, but salt water sucks! My neck starts to chafe but I am almost done so who cares. As I start the final stretch, I look over and see Jackie right next to me. We come out of the water together and talk along the way, I get to my bike and Ingrid comes in, so I get ready to go and then decide to wait a little to see who else, (heather) comes in. Finally I take off, the first water stop seems pretty far away but the wind isn’t bad and I am well over 19mph in my hr zone. I get around the first turn around and start to see people, I figure when I start my second loop I will see heather, but not quite she is there just after I am headed back, I pulled up next to her and talked to her for a little bit, and then I take off. I grabbed a bottle at the next stop put it into my cage and it bounced out, should have stopped but that would make too much sense! I get a few more miles out and I see Eugene on the side of the road just coming back in. I said are you ok? He said I am cramping bad. As soon as I get by my right quad locks up, I don’t usually have these problems, till now.
I stop at the next water stop and use the bathroom and get some bottles and Eugene passes me. I see a sign that says mile 50 and the wind has picked up.
The course was shortened to 55 miles, but the last 5 miles were the longest of my life, I make the turn to head into moody gardens, and I see Eugene stopped on the side again trying to get his legs to move without the cramps, he jumped on again and we rode in together. He made the comment that he did that way too fast, I agreed. We had hammered it in about 3 hours but now we are struggling to maintain 5 mph.
We get into transition and the reality sets in, this is going to be a long day! I am now starting to worry about the first timers, did they listened to me when they should have? Did they know how to go into damage control mode and recover? Then the announcer says they are having wind gust up to 50mph. I am concerned about heather getting aero and surviving the wind.
When things go bad and you go into survival mode it becomes all about rehydrating and eating so you can somehow move forward with something that doesn’t look or feel like a run.
I start to think about each person, and what they will need to do, the long stretch of no water and the bad wind on the sea wall. Eugene and I walk a run together on the first loop and talk about the brutal ride.
As I get back around by transition I start looking for bikes to make sure everyone has made it in, I see a few and the I see Virginia, and I know heather has survived.
As the run gets further and the course loops around it makes it easy to see each other I see, Kathryn , Ingrid, heather and they are walking and running, I am very relieved and I stop and give them a pep talk and we continue on. The only things that taste good are the chips, (vinegar and salt), and the red licorice. The bowls of chips had rocks in them to keep them from blowing off of the table, this is crazy!
As I see more and more people I start asking who they have seen and where they are. Towards the end you get so tired of hearing, “your almost there”, “great job”, “looking good”.
My race is just a training day, I am feeling okay, but I am so proud of everyone! Some look good and others looks bad, for the people who are not looking great, I told them to keep going, keep fighting, and I said you make them physically remove you from the course.
It was a very tough day and everyone pushed through, when we were done I asked Eugene which was easier, cda or this half? With any pause he says cda.
I told heather If I had to choose, I would rather redo Tempe than return to Galveston.
I am very proud of everyone!

Ironman AZ

Well the trip out was a little exciting and yet boring. You get so anxious that you just want to be there and get all settled in.

My training went well and was pretty much complete, my bike, equipment and nutrition all dialed in.

We left on Tuesday and planned on arriving on Wednesday after a 14 hour drive, thank god for XM radio!

We did have a small delay by the Texas state troopers in west Texas, but I informed him how I donate regularly and he let me go. Just kidding, He let me off with a warning.

We alternated the driving duties and went on in to Las cruces for the night. We found a beautiful little place called the teakwood inn, it was appealing because it said," free breakfast", and it was only $60.00. I was out like a light, but the next morning I was told that someone tried to enter our room around midnight, so this place might have been a little scary, but it served its purpose.

We arrived in Tempe around 3:ish Wednesday afternoon.

Now we were very anxious to get settled and unpacked.

We dropped Aaron off at his temporary residence and Jeanne off at the airport to get a rental car.



I got into my condo about 6 and Holy crap, it was nice, this was no Teakwood Inn!

This was not what I would have booked! My girlfriend had set this up and it was a freaking million dollar home!

She got in that night and no one else really got in till Friday.



Thursday we went down to the race site to pick up the packet and train a little.

We went out to the bike turn around and I geared up and rode an 11 mile stretch, it was smooth and fast, my average speed was 27mph, CRAZY!



We went for a 30 minute run that evening, and just chilled out. Friday morning we went to the swim. It was very cold and windy and rough, I was out there for about 20 min and I swallowed a lot of water. I went back and just slept most of the day. We had a small get together that night with friends and just hung out.

Saturday we slept in and I decided to swim in the heated pool out back, it wasn't big so I hooked 3 race belts together, hook them onto a chair leg and hook my feet inside, then I swam in place.

It was a good loosen up session since I had a 15 min swim planned.

Everyone did their own thing and I did my bike and run workouts from the condo. I was good to be away from the race nervousness.

Later on that afternoon we had to go in to drop off bags and the bike, and hit the expo.

It is hard to be around all of that pre-race hype, so I was ready to leave, but not really.

I had a few hours alone to just get my head right, but then I had a weird case of diarrhea, but I figured it was nerves and stuff.

That night we had a dinner at home and it was surprise time. Heather brought out her top secret mission surprise. She had shirts made up that said, "Team Tarp", they were awesome, and I lost it, I cried!

Then I open a bag that is full of cards from home, I cried more, read each one then past it on.

Then I pulled something out that was unbelievable. It was a photo album that heather made somehow behind my back and yet right in front of my face, from the first page I was crying.

It was an awesome chronicle of the last year with Heather and Ironman training. I was sobbing.

It was a very incredible gift! the pages were signed by friends, I was floored and speachless!

Once I was done crying,(which took awhile), it was time to shift back into Ironman mode.

I got my Nutrition bags ready and my drink stuff finalized and now all prep is done. I get up at 0300 and start my morning as I usually do. They say this must go down like a normal training day and if you think of it as a race, your're screwed.

Made some coffee had a little breakfast and had my usual bowel movement. I just kept thinking this is a long training day, and I was preparing to meet eugene at o'dark thirty.

We get to the race and I am on a mission, I get body marked and get my special needs bags dropped off and now it is time to wait. I am calm and yet feel like this mission has the importance of the survival of our economy resting on it. I am about to get some serious shit taken care of!

We meet up with Jeanne, and stacy and craig, see Timmy, Tory, and big D.

We don our wet suits and head over to the start. it is a cluster fuck as we are all coralled into a small area and channeled into a smaller area. I am cool and know with this cold ass water temp, I am about to get colder. we are instructed to make our way to the dock and jump in. We are looking at treading water for about 15 mins so I jump in and make my way toward the front, (less pounding up there), then they tell us we need to move another 50 feet forward. I am about middle of the pack now, but there is no one around me. I have somehow got myself some prime water realstate and I am excited!

Just then the cannon goes off and as fast as a blink I am now crowded and getting pushed.

I fight back a little and make my way through, I get into a rythm when all of a sudden my head slams into the back of this ladies head, I am now dizzy, and pissed.

I go a little further and I feel a severe pain in my right leg on the back side of me knee, wtf ? Was I just punched or kicked? Then the same thing happens to my left shoulder, I feel like I am being stalked or a joke is being played on me. I am being freakin attacked. I get away and make some head room then all of the sudden someone is on my back, so I start to swim with sharp elbows and I get away, but now my wetsuit is falling off. Someone has unzipped it. I am devistated and soo beat up I am ready to quit, but this hell has only been like 15 or 20 min, so I go to a canoe for zipper assistance but they can't see where to refasten it because it is too deep under water. They instruct me to go to the side where I can stand up and they will fix it. I am now looking at my watch every 5 strokes. I wanted to be out of the water in 1:10, this is going to put me behind, way behind.

I re-fastened and I am off, I have a long way to go and I look at my watch and this bulshit has taken 30 mins.

So now my plan for under 12 is slipping away, I'm not even half way there yet, so I am going to kick it up a notch and try to get back in the game. I get to the turn around and am feeling ok, peeing some a farting a bit, hands and feet are totally numb, then I smell the stinch of shit , real shit.

I thought omg I am swimming through someone's poop, I gag a little but keep going.

I am tired and beat to hell when I start to hear the announcer again, HOLY CRAP I am almost done!

I get to the exit and the guys lift me out, I am soo confused. I get to the stripers and I don't know what to do, (I should because I have done this before) then I see my friend big D, he is telling me to get down, but I am not understanding his words, he gently eases me to the ground and goes to work, Timmy comes over and helps out, the get my suit off and help me up. I don't know what to do, my feet are not moving. Just then Big D puts his arm around me and I feel this big warm comfort thats brings me back, I think its time to finish this 138 mile day. I tell him I got the shit beat out of me and he says I know, now shake it off.

I get through a long transition and get on the road, I am keeping my heart rate down and get some food down. I am on a mission and I sticking to my plan, I start to think about the photo book from last night and Heather and I check things and I am going too fast and getting too excited, need to calm down.

I am passing soo many people this day could turn around.

I remember two things, 1) this is a training day and need to stay in zones, 2) Eugene said,"if tarp can stick to the plan he will be fine".

I am eating like I have trained and having about 3 bottles every 10 miles. I see some familiar faces and cheer them on. I get through the second loop and I start to pick it up a bit, but still sticking to the plan. I start to think that things are going so well that I won't need my special needs bag.

I then started to fart a bit and at that moment I realized on the swim when I thought I was swimming through poop, I wasn't. It was me! This is not normal, but no big deal.

I cruise on some more enjoying the day, when I see the sign for mile 52 and all of a sudden what I anticipated to be a burp, was puke. I just threw up all over my right leg. I don't feel bad yet though, but I'm a little in shock.

My throat hurts and I have the worst taste in my mouth, so in a few miles there is an aid station and I stop to assess what has happened.

I see this guy standing away from others so I go to him, as far as I know I have dried puke on my face. I ask and he says,"your cool", I take a bottle of water have one big swallow and out comes another load. The poor young college student is now dancing from my puke, I am shocked, embarrassed and now stressed.

I get to special needs and decide that I better take all that's in there just because I'm now weary of the outcome of this day.

I make it 10 miles or so stop at an aid station and I realize I am about to crap myself. I pull in and a dude holds my bike, I shuffle into a porta potty, I barely get my shorts down when the most violent thing I have experienced is happening, I just know everyone within 10 miles can hear this orchestra my internal organs are now producing.

I finish up, and now I am in damage control mode, I walk up to this girl holding a red bike and I am ready to get on and go, when the guy holding my bike is yelling,"SIR SIR", I thought what am I doing?

I can not get into my aerobars because my stomach hurts soo bad.

I take off and realize that at 14 mph, my heart rate is screaming at 180, things are not good.

I am close to the turn around and I am not good, It has been over an hour since I have been able to drink or eat anything. I know the crew will be within sight soon, I want to stop and talk things over, but I'm also afraid if I stop I can't get restarted, or they will make me stop.

I see them and try to talk but instead I am dry heaving, I thought I have got to keep moving.

I look down and I see that I am now moving at 10mph and my heart rate is 190. I decided to pull over and figure out wtf is happening.

I stopped and rested and my heartrate wasn't coming down, I realize that it has been almost 2 hours since I have had fluids. I start to cry, is this it? My stomach is totally locked up and hurting.

After 20 min alone a sag car pulls up and I am balling. They are freaking out asking,"what's wrong, what's wrong", I blubber out, "I don't want to stop".

We talked and discussed the situation, and decided the medical tent would be best, I said,"okay" and then the guy said, "I need your chip", I then cried more.

I was in the medical tent for 2.5 hours, no IV's were given, but I did poop 2 more times and had some serious abdominal pain. So I know It was a good decision. They put me on the scale and I have lost 8lbs.

I laid there thinking about my Album I was given, I thought about Heather and wished her excitement could fix this, then I thought of big D and wished he could bring it back on course.

I was done!

I thought if this had hit tomorrow, or yesterday, this story would be so different.

I check out of the mash unit and walked up the street to find my friends. A few minutes later the group rejoined and I told my story and cried some more, "actually a lot more even while writing this".

November 08'

Well it has been a long time since my last post, so I apologize for the delay.
I am 3 weeks away from Ironman AZ and training has gone fairly well. I am pretty calm about the race, last time I had many moments freaking out, (back in 04'). I am just putting in the work and hope to feel good on race day. I have had some great support in my training and some resistance.
Most of my training sessions I have done alone, but I like that sometimes.

My bike was on it's last leg a few months ago and colonel's bikes really helped me out with a new ride.
Dr. Brian at active spine and sport has been a lifesaver, he has really been there to help me maintain my level of training.
I have days that I am so tired I can't get out of bed and others that feel great.
I have met lots of new people over the past few months that are in awe of someone that does Ironman, I just tell them that it is not impressive, but stupid.

It's the kind of thing that if you start doing Ironman races it will break you and you vanish from the sport forever, or it will make you and define the type of person you are.
For me this will be my person payback to the race distance that devastated me 4 years ago. I want revenge!
Last Friday (Oct 31st) I had one the hardest rides so far. I rode with Tati and we were in the 20mph zone for most of the day.
With 5 hours logged I was wasted! I couldn't even walk and get my heart rate below 170.
But it was a good day!
I have about a half of a week or so before the taper, I'm ready!

The Day after

Well I am 40 and very excited about that! Yesterday was fairly uneventful, but there were lots of Happy Birthday wishes, I am very thankful for all that I have right now.
My life is really heading in a great direction.

I am sorry this has taken me so long to re blog, but I am really busy and my laptop is in op.

Thank you everyone!

1st blog of the year!

Well we are 10 days into the new year, and my life has really changed!
My business is incredible busy!
I work on the TCU track and field team and was voted best sports massage therapist in the state of Texas for 07'.
The TCU team left yesterday for a meet in Arkansas on Friday and will be back on Saturday early, I feel like they are my kids going to run.
Everything is great in my world!
This weekend I have lots of friends running the Houston marathon. The biggest challenge here will be the humidity mixed with temperatures around 60 degrees. That's going to be a tough run!
So please remember friends to hydrate and stock up on your sodium!
I will be tracking you all, run well and be safe!