It's my Birthday..!!!!!

TO ME!

rockon`

the long run..

Yesterday was my last long run before LA Marathon so that means it's Taper time now! To kick it off I had to complete a good long run and since I have been sick all this week and did absolutly nothing it was going to be interesting to see how things come together. I set out from my parents house which is on the west side of Vegas. I have run around there many times before and I knew that there is a lot of gradual and steep hills depending on where you are out. I decided that I needed a lot of varity in the couse on this long run to help overall and I because it was long run I wanted to stay in town near many stores and bathrooms for convienence.

The day was to be warmer than usual which was fine with me because I am thinking that LA is going to be about the same conditions and wanted to get a feel for 60's temps since I have not felt that since Miami back in December. As I started out there is a lot of down hill and it was easy to run about my planned pace so I had to watch myself. I started well with the gels and nutrition and early morning breakfast was good.

After the 3.5 mile mark the course turns up hill from about 2600ft elevation to 2800ft. at mile 5. It's not really steep but a long steady climbing and I was able to maintain my pace without blowing up my HR. After mile 5 my course levels out around the 2800ft for a mile then begins climbing from mile 6 (2800ft) to mile 9 at 3050ft. again Long steady climbs with a couple of short steeper ones but mostly steady. By mile 9 I was still feeling good and HR was still working with me. Once I hit the 10.5 mile mark is was time to turn around! Yahoo and head back.

On the way back I stopped and had to do a little Prevent Defense as I could feel one of my toes rubbing and wanted to stop and future blisters. This was a good time to refuel, get some fig newtons (Bigun) and take just a few minute breather. Once I was back on the road I was feeling great. I saw my dad out running (he is training for the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon and is a young 62 years old, Go Dad!) We stopped at my mile 12.75 and things were feeling great. By this time I had started some of that long gradual climing and now it was down hill. Funny thing now I had a slight head wind and was not really gaining any benefits from the down hill, figures!!

Around mile 16 I was beginning to feel tired and started to make sure I was taking in enough fluids/gels. I was a little behind. By mile 17 the down hill part was over and now it was time for some uphill which I was not in the mood for and neither were my Quads or my HR, as it decided to do it's own thing now bringing me to walk/slowing more than I wanted. The pace I had set out for was now slipping away :(

After mile 17 I really had to take some time and just walk for a while, refuel and walk some of that uphill. At 18 I stopped stretched really good and then was off running again for about a mile but was once again stopped by HR and Quads. (These bastards are working together now and now listening to me) I am at the part in the course where there was a lot of down hill at the beginning and had to watch the pace but now that is definetly not a factor. It's walk/jog/walk. Finally by mile 20 I arrive back at the start ever so missing

as that was my goal for the day.

My quads are toast for any more running, although I was doing just fine walking but that really kills the overall pace, ya know.

Overall I was disappointed in the last long run. Yes, I have been sick all this week. Yes, there was a lot of uphill/downhill running so that probably smashed my quads. and Yes, I did get behind on my fluids but that did not seem to effect me but in endurnace terms I am sure it did. What did I learn? Maybe my pace is too fast and don't run anymore by West Vegas.. ha! especially since half the run was on concrete sidewalks, which probably did not help either.

Today, I feel good. Little sore but not as bad as some of the earlier runs I did leading up to this. It's all deposits into the Bank of CdA.

rockon`

Colditis..uggghhh

The week has been totally unproductive thanks to a cold. I felt it coming on after Saturdays 15 mile run. I was cold during that run as I had under dressed, forgot my gloves and my ear warmer but I actually didn't think it was that cold out when I left the house but as soon as I started running I got cold. Anyway, after getting home and resting up I felt something coming on late that night. Sunday I took off because I woke up feeling very tired, unmotivated and definetly did not feel like riding 3.5 hours on the trainer because it was raining and windy again!

Then Monday I come to work and this dipshit here is totally freakn` sick, coughing, fever! He has it all! I got pissed. Told his dumbass to go home because he was only going to make me and the other guy sick, well he tells me that he can't because it doesn't look good taking Monday off after a weekend, esp. Superbowl Weekend (GO GIANTS!) you have got to be freakn` kidding me so instead he stays here infecting everything. Again I did not train on Monday as I was feeling a scratchy throat by the end of the day, probably no thanks to DipShit!! Fukr`..

Tuesday the full head cold had set in and it's official, crap! I did manage to do a 30 minute easy spin on the bike but that's it.

Today I am feeling better. Taking Airborne, Wellness Formulas, Vit. C, Zinc, etc... everything I can get in MEGA-DOSAGE to knock this crap out. It's still there but better.

Bottom line I have not trainned all week and probably won't until Saturday when I head out for a run as the weather here is supposed to be in the mid-upper 60's. That will be a change.

On my last run I felt really good. My pace was on and I am feeling more confident for the upcoming LA Marathon (march 2nd) but anything can happen.

In other JT news. The H-twn group (Lauren, Liz, & Ryan) All 70.3 Switzerland peeps and myself got our airline tickets and hotel booked for the June event. How freakn` exciting is that. My credit cards haven't seen that much activity in a long.. wait.. Ever!.. ha, and now I gotta pay all that off in a hurry. Also coming up in event news is sealing the deal for the CdA house next month as the final payment is due.

Sorry to have been slow in updating the blog but now I am really beginning to see how work, life, and training effects blogging. I remember Wil talking about this last year during her journey to IM and she's right, something has to give and it's usually da blog. All is good though as I am not going anywhere, just slow to update.

Have a great weekend!!!

rockon`

Friday..

Alright its the weekend which means some good training, relaxing, and eating. This week has been pretty stead for my workouts with no problems. If I had to pick something I would say I am not eating enough during the days so I need to increase my calorie intake, which hey, that's a good thing!

Tomorrow I have a 15 mile run which I am looking to do some serious grading on myself and take notes on fueling for the LA Marathon. Then in the afternoon I am going over to Formulaics to fine tune he and Mrs. Form with some sports chiro stuff, and probably drink a few brews, Gotta rehydrate! HA.

Sunday I have a 60 mile bike planned and weather is not looking too good at this time which sucks because I am not in the mood to do another 3 hour bike trainer ride!

As the count down continues for LA, Switzerland and CdA I am glad things are slowly, but surely coming along.

rockon`

Train, Movie, #'s, bonk....

The week has been a pretty good week for training. Got some good swims, runs and some biking in. And the best thing is that JT, has had no serious problems with the knees, or hips or anything so all is well. Work has been busy this week finding me either training, working or sleeping. Who got to go see the "Spirit of the Marathon" on Thursday? Wow! Is all I can say and if you missed it you have to go see it now in Feb. Check the web site for the next showing. You will be totally blow away and inspired and might even find yourself wanting to run Chicago!! HA!

Friday morning I was totally jazzed as I received in my email box race #8103 !!! And after seeing the movie I was even more pumped about this race. It's five weeks out so I have a couple of more long runs and then taper time, it's gonna be GREAT!

Saturday was a big run of 19. Damn it's a long ass ways and all things started well. My pace for the first 9 miles was dead on at 10:20 which is what I was shooting for but the turn around was a completely different story. Now the grade does turn up on the way back and there's lots of climbing so maybe that is why the out felt good. As soon as I started back my HR was a little high so I slowed down and even walked some just to keep it down. By mile 14 I was really feeling tired, legs were feeling good just didn't have any gas to run them. Holy crap, I bonkd`! So I started doing inventory on gels, fluids and trying to determine what happened. I was on track with all my gels/fluids so I came to the conclusion that it was pre-run breakfast and not enough calories. And once your bonkd` it seems almost impossible to come back. By this time, my HR was totally too high and although I could run I did not want it that high so it became of run of walk to the next side road marker and then run the next two and this is how I finished my run. I have to include a couple of run pic's as this area, Red Rock Canyon is just beautiful to run and it's amazing how in just a few miles I can be in the Pyrenees!

Afterwards I started refueling asap and even got some solid food going and by 3 hours post run I was feeling much better. Yea, my leg's were achy sore but overall I was feeling better. According to Garmin calorie counter and me weighing in at 200 I burned 2875 calories. That's a bunch. Not sure how accurate that is but no matter what it's a bunch.

Today, Sunday, now is a crappy rainy day and will most likely find myself on the bike trainer for a long time, uggghhh!

And if you haven't heard Bigun and Taconite Boy's pod cast hop on over to there blogs, download and listen up.

rockon`

50 miles on the bike trainer!! Damn! that's a long time to be in one place but I got it done!

Injury Update...

So after recovering from the Houston run with TNT this week and getting back into the groove of things it turns out that my right hip is still a little on the not so fixed side, however, my left knee feels Great!! Thanks to the boys at Spine and Sports Therapy in Houston, I love those guys!

This week I was able to get a tempo run on the treadmill on Thursday and I felt good with no pain to the hip area. I have been fighting that little cold I pulled outta H-twn but as of today, its gone! For my run yesterday, I had 12 on the books and ended up baggin` at 7 due to the right hip pain wanting to work it's way back in there and instead of pushing anything further I thought it was best to yield.

That brings me today with a 47 mile ride!! It was a good overall ride and made me remember that nutrition is important when going out that long and I was totally hungry on the way back in just before I got my front flat, crap!, with 8 miles left. And when I got home I was pretty dang tired and knew the nutrition pre-ride and during ride needs to be addressed in better fashion. As for the right hip, yes, it decided to just say hello around mile 35 but went quickly away.

In other good news about Dino (bike) I put my new corrected forward seat post on (i blogged about this problem a while back) and although it seems to be working I need more adjustments on this as I felt totally cramped in the cockpit all day long. I really need a new bike fit but that will have to wait for the time being as I got a lot of other things going on.

And last but not least my favorite part of all this, the Swim.. This week I didn't get one freakn` swim in due to the cold and just recovering overall. Yes, I'm a loser! I know.

Fear not, as this week will be a great week for training and getting some good numbers up.

And one last thing.. I for one do not have a problem riding in temperatures below 55* as today was only 49 when I started and 52* when I ended.. I'm not saying anything about anyone particular, I'm just saying.. HA!

rockon`

And the excitment wazz.....

I snuck into Houston late Thursday night for the weekend of the Houston Marathon! OK, so here's the story:

I left Thursday afternoon cutting out of work early and planning my "fake" illness for Friday but the office was good and was on to me, damn them! Anyway, I hoped a flight to H-twn and landed about 10pm. Rental car and pulled into Liz's house about 11pm. Off to bed.

Friday morning I was up early to take care of some unfinished personal business then off to my former stopping grounds from the boys at Spine and Sports Therapy to get a little fixin` up on that knee problem I have been having. Damn, I was all messed up, left hip rotated and lock, left knee internally rotated, left ankle fixated or stuck if you will so no wonder my damn knee/itb bursa has been hurting. After a good fix up I was on back in business and feeling great! Thanks JD!

Then it was off to the convention center where we were to meet up with Lauren, who I was totally surprising. Once there, Liz and I planned our attack.. Lauren showed up.. and Operation JT went into action as Liz escorted Lauren around towards packet pickup and JT was running up behind some people and WHAM! grabbed her and here I was! It was totally great to see the smile on her and the excitement! (BTW, this is Laurens 1st Marathon) So I had to be there. Once we did packet pick up we all had some other plans to attend and took care of business.

Later that night watched 3 : 10 to Uma, what a good movie and then off to bed.

Saturday I went with Liz to some Team in Training meetings for the upcoming Triathlon season and then we were basically off to the pasty party for TNT. Now this is where it really all begins. You see, if you don't remember I was the assistant coach this year for TNT Marathon program and for 3 1/2 months I was out there training and helping these great people get in shape for there first marathon. When I moved away I kept in contact via many many emails and coaching from afar. Now the TNT group had no clue I was coming in town but by my surprise Friday with Lauren and running into a few of the participants the word was getting out. When time came to start the Pasty Party we have what we call "red carpet roll out" and basically all the coach's, mentors and staff all line the red carpet with the most loud clackers you can find and cheer every single one of our participants as they come off the escalators!!!! It's totally a blast and shows how much me appreciated and love them.

As I was standing on the carpet and my group was coming up they would see me and totally be surprised as you could see there eyes get all big, smiles were bigger and some even cried, yes, JT, has a great inspiring effect. At this time I was totally glad I had come back but didn't know it would get better. As the pasty went on we had speakers, food, decorating party for our jerseys for the run and music to keep the party rocking. Then when the party was over and everyone went back up to there hotel rooms use Coaches, mentors and staff had all these decorations for the participants doors and it was floor by floor taping, sticking and hanging decorations. Finally after a couple of hours we were done and it was pretty much time to go to bed but Liz and I had to watch Talladega Nights, so funny.. Chip, im gonna come at you like a spider monkey!! LOL..

Next morning it was up for race day. Weather was good, a little windy and made it feel colder than it was but once the sun came up it was great. As the race got started I was with several of my peeps and they were all totally excited, nervous and ready to go! Once the gun went off it was about 4 miles before we could really start running and by this time the starting group of peeps had already been split up so JT ran with about 3-5 people, OK, Bigun, yes they were ladies, then it was just Lauren, Taryn, and Sarah. I was really amazed how these ladies who have been training together for 5 months held the pace at 10:20 dead on! It was amazing. Stop for water, then bam! right back to the pace and they did not have a GPS or any gizzmo, just the natural feel to run together. I ran with them till about the 10 mile make keeping them excited, talking and just being the coach then it was time to send them off and make my way back towards the other side of the course. So I left them in good standings and said I would see them at mile 22.

Once leaving the girls I had this freakn God awful pain in my right glut that did not want to ease up. I stopped and stretched it several times but nothing worked. Finally, when I got to the 11/24 mile marker I was able to rest and totally go into a fully lower body stretch on the grass. (oh, 11/24 mile marker is where the full and half marathoners meet back up on the course, so I had ran about 12 miles by this time, with a 1.5 mile sprint to after mile 5 to catch the girls as Lauren forgot to drop off her jacket with her mom, so JT ran back up the course about 300 meters, mom was gone from the spectator point so I crossed under and out of course and ran mom down about block away as she was getting to her car. Then hauled ass back to the course, got back on course and now it was interval time, dodging all the people to catch the girls, which by my calculations were about a mile ahead by now. After a nice gps mile of 8:10 and totally zone 5 breathing, I caught them and slowed back down but I think the damage to the glut was done then.)

As I cheered, walked and ran up and down the sidelines with participants of the half and when the fulls came through I was still having problems with my glut and I knew when the girls got there I was going to be in trouble as I was not really feeling good to run 3 more miles. Then I get word Lauren is close and the two have fallen off the pace a little more. As Lauren approaches I begin to run with her and it's not feeling good at all. I keep to myself and run without complaint as by this point at mile 24.5 its all about her. There are a couple others running with her so she has a good support group. At mile 25ish we catch her mom again who passed me earlier at mile 24 asking for her and I told her mom that she had not passed but mom thought she did and went up ahead looking but no worries as she is there now. As we draw to the last 500 meters the chutes are there and the others have to peel off as they do not have a race number, but not really sure that matters and it's just Lauren and I running in. Everyone is calling her name, Go Lauren, You can Do it! You Did It! It was amazing to hear everyone yelling for her and finally we crossed the finish line (Lauren is on the left, me right. I am wearing purple singlet with black long sleeves shirt). I went to give her a High Five but then she was crying so I grabbed her and gave her a big hug, you did, it I told her. It was the best thing to see her smile and accomplish her first marathon, she was feeling pretty good and I wouldn't have missed it for anything!! After her finishers photo we went and got our finishers gear and then to look for the others. After seeing more the peeps now and hearing how there race went it, was totally the best thing ever. Finally, we all made it back to the TNT Tent there were lots of pictures to be taken and stories to be told. I ended up running 17 miles, whew.

Then it was time to head back to the hotel, eat, get cleaned up and head to the Post TNT party where we all met back up, had some drinks, told more stories, took more pics, had more drinks, danced, had more drinks and then had more DRINKS! It was totally worth it!

I am tired as all can be today, my ass still hurts, my legs are sore I almost missed my flight by like 10 mins, I lost 2 of the rental car keys and I caught a cold! Fuk ya! ALL FOR MY TNT TEAM MEMORIAL GROUP!

Some of the best people I have met have come from TNT and I am proud to help them in the fight against blood cancer!

rockon`

update..

Just a quick update as these days time is something that there seems to be little of.

The weekend 18 miler run was great, no pain while running but the weather conditions were totally brutal. 25mph+ winds, it rained and sleeted and was just ugly for the last 9 miles. Luckily, I had a trash bag with me to keep me mostly dry but it was totally crazy and if anything, that made the run the hardest part. I got it done.

However, Sunday, I was totally wiped out and did not do anything but eat and relax. Monday, I was back at it for a little swimming, which totally suckd as my swim mojo is no where to be found. Tuesday, I was on the treadmill for some tempo work and the knee felt good again, a little achy afterwards but good. I have also been doing a lot of self work on it so it's helping.

Then last night it was some single leg bike work on the trainer followed by 60minish of my zone 3 riding, aghrr..

This morning I was able to get a short swim in due to lack of time and I am already feeling totally hungry as I know I did not eat enough yesterday, Feed Bag Time Today!! Yeah!!

Thursday, I have another run scheduled and then JT, has to take care of some Exciting stuff, sorry, can't let ya know just yet, but let's just say he is totally pumped, happy, excited, scared and it's all gonna be good!

So until this weekend, I might not get back to updating...

rockon`

A not so happy new injury..

That's right! Some little freakn` thing in my lower left leg has been annoying the shit out of me this past week. It happened after my long run of 16 on Saturday and has been hanging around, worse at times than others. I have done some self treatment doctor stuff on it but I can only do so much from my angle and need assistance. So the pain as you can see by the nice smooth legs of the lady is exactly where her thumb is and just a little bit higher to that, case in point!

Now this pain in the leg, left, feels like a nerve entrapment at that junction, but also feels like a muscle overuse problem, Humm.. Hello, Ya, 16 miles of overuse! I know, I know and the Bigun is going to say see I told ya Johnny! But listen here ya'll, this is about the road to the big show at CdA. Yes, I don't want to be plagued with an injury this early on but I tell you, I would rather have it show up now that 2-3 weeks before. I have time to adjust and correct this little fukr` and get it on my side. Oh, and it only bothers me while running Uphill or walking down stairs. Not biking or swimming.

In the mean time I continue to work on my pencil sticks to get some good leg strength and build and to make sure I'm strong enough so this doesn't happen... HFS!!....

Now instead of leaving you with #157 in some serious beyond HFS pain.. I will defer to the more pleasing look of...

rockon`

2007-2008

Day 1.. it's the start of a new year and this year is going to be a heck of a ride!

So to bring in the new year, I hooked up with Formula-ic and his neighbors and let me say everybody knows how to have a great time! I totally had a great time with them and of course drank too much, ha! I got to play GuitarHero, which I totally suck at but it was fun.

Today, is recovery with an easy spin on the bike trainer. Yes, my training has been going great and consistent which is just wonderful and makes me feel like I am getting somewhere, although, the Bigun tells me the only place I am going, is right behind him all through IMCdA, he's a funny guy.

Saturday I hit the road for a 16 mile run and 1300m swim, Sunday was 40 mile bike and yesterday it was back in the pool for 1500. After saturdays run I have noticed lower leg pain and seems to be hanging around, crap! I need to do some self treatment.

Now looking back over the year, I'd have to say it was a good year for JT. I completed a couple of sprints and 2 olympics and signed up for an ironman and 70.3 Switzerland. I met amazing people and have made unbelievable great and joyous friendships! I look forward to many years with my new friends and many memories to be made.

I am ready for the new year and what lies ahead. I am ready to create those memories and laughs. And in the famous words of the Blazeman.. "what ever you do, get it on film.."

rockon`