So I had been training for about a year with Felix Hinojosa, well-known and respected local coach. He started me out and I liked the way he brought me along - pushed enough to make progress, but not so hard that I got discouraged and crapped out. Had some complaints because it seemed like I dropped off his radar at times and that I very rarely got any one-on-me attention.
So I was in an airport in Albuquerque and ran into a lawyer whose wife is local triathlete legend Gretchen McElroy. He told me she was getting into the training business. I thought I'd see what a new coach might be like so we went to lunch. She agreed to look at my weekly workout schedule from Felix and give me some feedback. She also asked what my weakest sport was - no question, I freaking hate swimming!
Got Gretchen's feedback on my sked. The feedback was I'm a big ole tampon and not working nearly hard enough. Gretchen says she wants "quality not quantity" and proceeded to jack up my "quality" to unheard of levels. My quality swims with Felix? 1000 yards of drills twice a week. My first week of quality swims with Gretchen? Swim 5 times a freaking week for a total of 6300 (!) yards. Things changed.
I'm guardedly optimistic on the one-on-me front, because she's been out with me on the bike three times and once on the swim in the last 3 weeks of training. Swim doesn't count b/c I just ran into her at the pool but while there did a lot of good. She made 3 small changes and dropped my 100 yard time by 15 seconds. Unheard of! Mind you, this was on the first day. So I'm a little stoked!
Then came the hard part - how do I tell Felix? I kid you not when I say that I was scared. When you invest that much time in someone, in each other, it's almost like breaking up with a girlfriend. I even went so far as to ask the advice of others, which is pretty rare for me in itself in all my pig-headed stubbornness. Eventually I chickened out and sent a text. The response? Congratulations! Almost like I had graduated. Very cool.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Official snazzy triathlon bike
I finally convinced myself to invest in a time trial bike. For those of you who aren't tri nerds, a time trial bike has different geometric angles that allow the rider to get more aerodynamic by getting more vertical over the handlebars (or cockpit and aerobars, in tri-nerd speak). When I first started training for tri's I immediately bought a Cannondale Synapse, 59 cm, carbon fiber bike. This was the first bike I tried. I got it on the advice of Rob who owns Crazy Cat Cyclery here in El Paso, a personal friend and extremely nice guy who is fair and honest in all his dealings (a pleasant surprise in what is increasingly a business owner friendly climate). It was the only bike I tried out and I think Rob got it for me because I'm 6' 2" and over 200 pounds, and most of the road bikes seem to be designed for little skinny dudes, and this was the one that fit me. I looked online for used bikes and every single one listed for guys was 56 centimeters. So I rode the Synapse and loved it.
When I went to triathlons, I would see guys riding the TT bikes and feel pangs of jealousy as they dusted my big ass. I told myself, however, that I never wanted to be the guy that shows up on a fancy TT bike and proceed to get dusted by guys on lesser equipment. I didn't want to be the "all hat, no cattle" guy. Hate that guy. So I made a deal with myself that if I could average 20 miles per hour for a solid hour, I would consider myself "worthy" of a TT bike. I got there in September 2009.
Here's the proof. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50146507?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d49a3505ab3dfc1%2C0. Yes, I'm that kind of guy.
Here it is. 4 months later I finally pulled the trigger. I'm glad I waited and not so glad either. I'm about 2 miles per hour faster on this bike at the same relative effort. Very impressed with the bike and don't feel like a big hat at all.
When I went to triathlons, I would see guys riding the TT bikes and feel pangs of jealousy as they dusted my big ass. I told myself, however, that I never wanted to be the guy that shows up on a fancy TT bike and proceed to get dusted by guys on lesser equipment. I didn't want to be the "all hat, no cattle" guy. Hate that guy. So I made a deal with myself that if I could average 20 miles per hour for a solid hour, I would consider myself "worthy" of a TT bike. I got there in September 2009.
Here's the proof. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50146507?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d49a3505ab3dfc1%2C0. Yes, I'm that kind of guy.
 |
| Cannondale Slice TT Bike - 60 CM |
I even got one of those fancy bottles that sits between the aero bars and has a long straw so you don't even have to slow down to get a drink - just tilt your head down a bit. I know, I know, it's a sick, obsessive hobby.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Inspiration, Injuries and Training
I recently met with a new trainer that is bar none one of the more accomplished triathletes in the area. She's awesome. She asked me why I started doing triathlons. Good question. I was originally 270 pounds and lost a bunch of weight on the Atkins diet and quitting drinking. Lost 40 pounds and then started doing cross fit workouts at EFS here in El Paso. Got down to about 215 but no matter how much I worked out or ate like a caveman, couldn't get down to 200 which was my goal. Graduated law school weighing 190 but I figured 200 was an obtainable goal. I had pretty much resigned myself to staying above that 215 pound threshold, convincing myself that was just what I was supposed to weigh now that I'm over 40.
I started running to train for the El Paso Marathon in March 2010. I had trained for marathons before but always got hurt (self-trained, too much, too soon, etc., etc.) Started running with a local guy named Greg Brickey who was teaching the Galloway method which is basically jogging interspersed with walk breaks. Did really well with that method and didn't get hurt. I wanted to stay with training that would prevent injury but also wanted to lose that last 15 pounds. Enter Triathlon Rob.
Signed up with Felix Hinojosa and the Human Performance Center. As intimidating as it sounds, HPC was basically a bunch of weekend warriors like myself training for different sports disciplines. Felix gave me a schedule that introduced me to swimming and biking. I had never biked or swam in any kind of coordinated fashion before. In 60 days, the stubborn 15 pounds were gone. At my first duathlon (bike and run), I surprised myself and hung with a lot of guys. Even came in 3rd in my age group. Granted, there were only 5 guys in my age group but I'll take a medal anyway I can get it. I've never medalled since because (1) I'm not that fast (yet) and (2) the other triathlons that I signed up for I went to because they were in cool places like Albuquerque, Ruidoso, and scenic Dexter, New Mexico. Unfortunately for me and my medal aspirations, lots of other way more experienced and talented triathletes showed up at those races - so no medals for triathlete Rob. Also, I signed up for all those triathlons as an age-grouper instead of a Clydesdale due to nothing more than vanity. I didn't want to compete with the 200 pound plus guys, I wanted to compete with the little skinny fast guys. Learned my lesson and this year I'm competing as a Clydesdale.
That, in summation, is the history of my foray into the world of triathlon. I wish I had more zen-like aspirations to wow people when they ask me that question but apparently I'm just not that deep a person. I just wanted to lose those last 15. I guess there must be some deeper goal I have in mind for still subjecting myself to 8 or 9 hours of working out per week now that I've lost those recalcitrant 15 but I guess I'll be able to post on that later once I've figured it out.
I started running to train for the El Paso Marathon in March 2010. I had trained for marathons before but always got hurt (self-trained, too much, too soon, etc., etc.) Started running with a local guy named Greg Brickey who was teaching the Galloway method which is basically jogging interspersed with walk breaks. Did really well with that method and didn't get hurt. I wanted to stay with training that would prevent injury but also wanted to lose that last 15 pounds. Enter Triathlon Rob.
Signed up with Felix Hinojosa and the Human Performance Center. As intimidating as it sounds, HPC was basically a bunch of weekend warriors like myself training for different sports disciplines. Felix gave me a schedule that introduced me to swimming and biking. I had never biked or swam in any kind of coordinated fashion before. In 60 days, the stubborn 15 pounds were gone. At my first duathlon (bike and run), I surprised myself and hung with a lot of guys. Even came in 3rd in my age group. Granted, there were only 5 guys in my age group but I'll take a medal anyway I can get it. I've never medalled since because (1) I'm not that fast (yet) and (2) the other triathlons that I signed up for I went to because they were in cool places like Albuquerque, Ruidoso, and scenic Dexter, New Mexico. Unfortunately for me and my medal aspirations, lots of other way more experienced and talented triathletes showed up at those races - so no medals for triathlete Rob. Also, I signed up for all those triathlons as an age-grouper instead of a Clydesdale due to nothing more than vanity. I didn't want to compete with the 200 pound plus guys, I wanted to compete with the little skinny fast guys. Learned my lesson and this year I'm competing as a Clydesdale.
That, in summation, is the history of my foray into the world of triathlon. I wish I had more zen-like aspirations to wow people when they ask me that question but apparently I'm just not that deep a person. I just wanted to lose those last 15. I guess there must be some deeper goal I have in mind for still subjecting myself to 8 or 9 hours of working out per week now that I've lost those recalcitrant 15 but I guess I'll be able to post on that later once I've figured it out.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
1st Post
Long time lurker decided to start his own blog chronicling life and times of an attorney/wanna be triathlete. I enjoy reading others blogs that are similarly situated to me and somewhat egotistically thought others might garner a little insight from my own life experiences. So what do I bring to the table?
I've been a lawyer since 1994 even though I'm "only"41, soon to be 42. I've handled a LOT of car accidents in that time, more than 10,000. So I guess you could say, there isn't a lot of unexplored territory in the frontier that is my plaintiff's personal injury practice in Texas and New Mexico. To keep myself sane and entertained, I started training for sprint triathlons about a year ago. In my first year, I completed 7 tris, at lots of exotic climates like Dexter, NM, and Levelland, TX. I dragged my new wife and "old" kids, ages 11, 9, & 7 with me to these lovely scenic locations and to their credit they never complained once.
All in all, I'm a lucky guy in that my practice does well, I get to spend a lot of time training and trying to get some semblance of a physical fitness base, and I have an incredible family that loves me and wants only the best for me. Like I said, a lucky guy.
My earnest intent in this blog is to comment, reflect, and otherwise pontificate on the ups and downs I encounter in trying to get to finish an Ironman Triathlon (that's a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then run a marathon - all in the same day - I know, it's sick). I plan to document how I'm doing while also trying not to lose control of what has been a very successful practice. Hopefully I don't run it into the ground while doing the same to myself.
Perhaps people will learn something about the lovely southwest United States, the quality of the triathlons in this area, and the foolishness of chasing the previously wasted athletic talents of youth.
I've been a lawyer since 1994 even though I'm "only"41, soon to be 42. I've handled a LOT of car accidents in that time, more than 10,000. So I guess you could say, there isn't a lot of unexplored territory in the frontier that is my plaintiff's personal injury practice in Texas and New Mexico. To keep myself sane and entertained, I started training for sprint triathlons about a year ago. In my first year, I completed 7 tris, at lots of exotic climates like Dexter, NM, and Levelland, TX. I dragged my new wife and "old" kids, ages 11, 9, & 7 with me to these lovely scenic locations and to their credit they never complained once.
All in all, I'm a lucky guy in that my practice does well, I get to spend a lot of time training and trying to get some semblance of a physical fitness base, and I have an incredible family that loves me and wants only the best for me. Like I said, a lucky guy.
My earnest intent in this blog is to comment, reflect, and otherwise pontificate on the ups and downs I encounter in trying to get to finish an Ironman Triathlon (that's a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then run a marathon - all in the same day - I know, it's sick). I plan to document how I'm doing while also trying not to lose control of what has been a very successful practice. Hopefully I don't run it into the ground while doing the same to myself.
Perhaps people will learn something about the lovely southwest United States, the quality of the triathlons in this area, and the foolishness of chasing the previously wasted athletic talents of youth.
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