i'm back

kinda gave up on the blog thing for two reasons - 1) stopped personal training      2) wasnt feeling chatty about hernia repairs, finding out about a myriad of cardiac issues  3) i can't count


well, i signed up for the show low half ironman a few months before the race to force myself to get back in action - it had been almost a full year since my last race.  three weeks before race date - sept 8th - i knew i was in trouble.  usually it goes kinda like this - train, eat well, sleep, recover, repeat - and you slowly get stronger and faster.... well it wasnt working - every training session seem the same or worse than the previous.  i attributed this to getting older, the a-fib, and not being completely healed from the hernia repairs. thankfully during the final three weeks i started to feel generally stronger if not too much faster.  as race date approached i resigned myself to completeing the swim and bike legs and call it a day.  during the race i was still committed to this plan, however, upon completing the bike i felt ok and trundled off  on a run/walk for the first 6.5 mile loop. about one mile from the end of the loop i came upon a guy in his thirties who seemed to be suffering as much as i was......well, we formed a pathetic alliance and shuffled through the second loop for my slowest half ironman

being dull-witted, i have entered the half iron distance race in lake havasu on november 10 - goal: do a little bit better

heading back to tucson tomorrow and will train for eight straight days until i leave for syracuse ny -have a bike at my dads and a kayak and river for substitute  swim training(it works!) - several good running venues also - then back to tucson for three more hard weeks - only a one week left