Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Last week that was in numbers

Big changes on the home front equal stressful times on any side interests and hobbies...
Try as I might to get it all in, sometimes the plan just doesn't work.  I've officially changes day jobs, which if any of you have done, you know what I'm talking about.  I worked for my former employer for 10+ years and now have charged out into a new path.  It's been... interesting.

With the new gig comes changes in timing and schedule.  I had a 25 to 30 minute commute one way to work before, now it's 15 minutes max, no highways.  I'll be out and about a lot more so there may be chances to grab a quick workout here and there, but a lot of my new gig is lunch appointments.  I have to be careful to stay on a good path with eating out over lunch.

But, last week was with the old employer and I had a somewhat regimented schedule, so I got most of my workouts in and even made it outside for the weekend with temps in the 50's and 60's!  Hold me back!

Last week's numbers:
BIKING - 78 miles - SWEET!
RUNNING - 19 miles
SWIMMING - 200 yards - only got one swim in... booo
TOTAL MILES - 100 - SWEET!
TOTAL TIME - 09:51 - almost double digits...

I also slapped on the heart rate monitor for my long run and came pretty close to staying within 75% of max for a zone2/3 run.  I was at 78% average, but I wasn't paying a LOT of attention to it, just running by PRE and seeing what the heart rate ended up at.  I might dive a little deeper into heart rate monitoring, you know, with all of my free time!



I've read up on some good articles and posts about it, and with my past VO2 max testing, I have a great heart rate to work with.  I just need to find the time to sit down and figure out my zones and get a game plan going.

Time time time...  =)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ruckus Kansas City extends price change, welcomes Commando Run exiles

Check out breaking news from Commando Run HERE.  The inaugural event set for March 31 has been cancelled due to not reaching an agreement with the event location.

They have, however, offered to transfer registration to the Ruckus Kansas City Run.

BUT WAIT!  There's more!

From Ruckus Kansas City:


Kansas City!

We have decided to extend the price change an extra week.

As you may have heard, we will be welcoming Commando Run participants, and in order to accommodate them and their friends signing up, we will delay the price change until this Friday at midnight.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the Ruckus Kansas City, just wait to see what we have in store for you on March 31st!

Don't forget that you can use code "mvtri66" for $5 off as well for reading my ole blogio.

Monday, February 27, 2012

@TonyRezek Reviews @PumaRunning Bolt Faas 400's

If you've been reading the old blog here for any length of time, then you know that I've become a Puma convert for running shoes for 2012.  I've been lucky enough to run in the Bolt Faas 400's, Velosis III Running shoes (Puma Velosis III ON SALE!) and Nightfox 4 TR.  I have yet to hit the trails with the Nightfox, but I have worn them for X-camp sessions at Rev Gym.


But, if you don't want to take my word for how the Pumas are working out, maybe you'll be interested to hear what Swim Meister Tony has to say about the Bolt Faas 400.

From Tony himself;

I’ve had the Puma Faas 400 for about 2 months now. I haven’t been running in them. I’m a swimmer, and concentrating on my performance in the water only right now. But, I still do a great deal of my training out of the water. And I’ve worn the Faas 400 for every “dry” workout for the last 2 months.

Ware and Tear: So, how does a swimmer judge ware & tear on a shoe? My training out of the water is pretty hard on the feet. There is a lot of jumping, step ups, lunges, and planks. All of these put a great deal of stress on a shoe in one way or another, and I do this 2 to 3 times a week. They feel the same they did the day I got them, and don’t show as much as a wrinkle anywhere. I wouldn’t expect them to, most my shoes last a year or more with my workout routine. But I can tell you enough that these shoes are solid construction, and aren’t going to fall apart in one race (or workout) like the home made shoes you saw on the movie Prefontaine.

Comfort: Outside of my workouts, I’ve also worn these shoes around the house and daily errands. Something else you should know about me, I have a 7 year old son with Autism that requires 100% monitoring, and he is very mobile. Imagine a kid that gets into trouble around the house like a toddler, but is capable of a 40 yd dash in the 7 to 8 second range. Things like baby gates are barely an obstacle for him. I am on my feet nearly all of the day on weekends just minimize damage to the home and persons in it. I sit down when he eats, and usually there is an hour or two a day where his play is calm enough that I can sit. So you can imagine, I need an extremely comfortable shoe. I have to say the Faas 400 are among the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. Most of my running shoes in the past get uncomfortable, whether its after 4 hours or 8, I usually want to take them off before I can, and just suffer the rest of the day. Not with this shoe.



Surprises: So far no negative surprises for me. One feature I have really come to appreciate is the sole of the shoe doesn’t stick out very far from the side of the foot. I didn't expect this to be a big deal, but it turned out to be. My last several pair of running shoes have a platform that juts out from the foot, and has a relative sharp edge sticking out from the side of the shoe. That at times caused problems in my workouts. I often do side planks, and much of my body weight rests on the side of one foot. With my old shoes, the edge of that shoe was very difficult to support my weight on, and my foot would often roll and put the weight on the side of my ankle. Not very pleasant. With the Faas 400, I can place put all of that weight on the side of my foot, without the edge of the shoe interfering. Now I only dread side planks for the pain of the exercise, not for the awkwardness of balancing on the edge of my shoe. That lack of edge on the sole also comes into play in my jumping. I often do lateral jumps over a bench, a step, or some type of stool. With my old shoes, sometimes that edge would catch what I was jumping over. Sometimes when my foot got caught I was able to recover without injury or embarrassment. Other times, it was pretty embarrassing. Fortunately I never got injured. With the Faas 400, I don’t have to worry about that. If the side of my foot hits the bench while jumping up, it doesn’t get caught, it just slides over it.

All in all, I think this is a very good shoe. It’s light weight, comfortable and appears it is probably quite durable. I would advise if you are between sizes like me (I have shoes of both 10-1/2 and 11 sizes that fit very well), go for the bigger size with the Faas 400. Although the shoe I’m wearing is maybe 1/4 size too small for me, it’s been a good shoe all around. I would certainly buy another pair.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Rock the Parkway news!

 2012 Rock the Parkway logo
Rock The Parkway February 
E-newsletter



 There are less than eight weeks left until Rock the Parkway!

The adidas half marathon technical shirts are in, the personalized half marathon race bibs have been designed and the half marathon finishers medals are being manufactured - April 14 is getting close!

Since our last e-newsletter, Rock the Parkway Half Marathon has sold out with more than 4900 registrations and the 5K has reached more than 2/3 of its capacity, with more than 1800 registrations!  Beat the price increase (and a potential sellout!) and sign up today for the 5K here!
  
Science City VIP Half Marathon registration slots are almost gone!  There is one more VIP Half Marathon registration still available!  Check here for more information or to claim it!

Rock the Parkway Apparel - Check out our new online merchandise site for Rock the Parkway apparel in a variety of sizes, colors and styles!  Grab a shirt or pullover to wear while you train for Rock the Parkway here!

New Sponsors - Welcome to Title Boxing of Leawood and Lenexa, Target and PRA International, our newest sponsors! Keep an eye on the Rock the Parkway Facebook page for more information about Rock the Parkway promotions that each of them will be offering in the coming weeks!

Meet the Pace Group Leaders - Rock the Parkway Half Marathon is once again teaming up with SmartPacing to provide pace groups leaders for pace groups in 5 minute increments from 1:30 to 3:05!  Click here to meet the pacers!

Host Hotel Announced - Have you made your reservations for hotel accommodations yet?  The 2012 Rock the Parkway host hotel is the Overland Park Sheraton Hotel at 6100 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS, and they have offered Rock the Parkway registrants an $89 room rate.  Go here for more information or to reserve your room!

Volunteers are needed for the race expo and on race day for a variety of tasks.  Contact Brad@rocktheparkway.com if you are interested in helping out!

Rock the Parkway Groupie Runs - Join us on Sundays for the FREE Rock the Parkway Groupie Runs held at different locations throughout the area. These group runs are along an out and back course that allows runners and walkers to go up to 12 miles.  More than 150 people have been participating in these group runs that will continue through the date of the event.  Go here to sign up or here to follow the Groupie Runs on Facebook!



KCRC Logo transparent

Friday, February 24, 2012

Getting ready to Ruckus ASAP!

Time is flying by!
_______________________________________________________________________
Around Kansas City, it hasn't been much of a winter as far as snow, ice and cold goes.  As I type this, 2/23/12, it's forecasted to be around 65 today and yesterday it almost reached 70 degrees.  CRAZY!

Hopefully you have been lucky enough to get outside and get some training in instead of being relegated to the treadmill and bike trainer.  Swimming... well, unless you are hard core, it's still too cold in the water for open water swimming.  Or, you could be of the opinion... "man up".

At any rate, it's getting close to March!  MARCH!?  Where did the time go?  I know for us, with two very young children, time just flies by.  Never boring is out mantra.  I've raced the Groundhog Run that usually kicks off the new season and now I'm facing God's Country duathlon and Ruckus Kansas City Run, year 2.




Ruckus Kansas City Returns
_______________________________________________________________________
They came and went last fall.  This year they wanted to avoid the heat of the summer and the coming cold of winter.  What better timing than early spring?  From experience of racing early spring, it can be chilly, but generally once you get moving, you don't notice it.  It may be different running through water and mud, but that's to be determined.

But, did you know....
  1. Price increase TONIGHT!  It's $75 now, up to $80 after tonight.  Get in ASAP!
  2. The Ruckus race series was voted #1 Ranked Obstacle Course Under 10k by Adventurerun.net?  Seriously!  Check it out HERE.
  3. If you live in KC and want to run the race, and for being loyal readers of my blog, use code "mvtri66" for $5 off!  If you get in before tonight, you could get in the race for $70 instead of $80 tomorrow.  What are you waiting for?  Get in HERE.


    What can you do to race hard at Ruckus?
    _______________________________________________________________________
    If anything, I've learned to wear high socks!  5 months later and my rope burn is still left its mark.  Don't be that guy or girl that looks like they burnt their leg on an exhaust pipes.  While scars can be cool, getting the burn to scab over took a couple of weeks and a lot of pain and some socks got thrown away in the process.  Don't be that person!  Read my other tips HERE!



    ANYONE ELSE RACING ADVENTURE RACES?  Have any tips?  Have any events that are new and not widely known?  Post in the comments and share your thoughts!

    Thursday, February 23, 2012

    Busy much?

    Holding down the fort with so many responsibilities doesn't always go as planned...
    There's been some changes around the house on the personal front which results in less "free time" to cover existing responsibilities and the extra curriculars... like blogs, facebook, emails, gear reviews and training.

    Sorry, but I opt to ease back on the social media to maintain the training.  I mean, if I wasn't trained up to race events, what's the point of writing a blog about endurance sports mixed with reality?  =)

    Last week didn't shape up like I wanted...
    With what I mentioned on the personal side, we have been limited going to the gym and I've been so exhausted in the mornings that some AM workouts have fallen through the cracks.  Oops.  I did get most of the running and swimming in, but my achilles heel last year, the bike, has suffered.  I need to get out there.  Especially today, high forecasted around 65 today!  Hopefully I can fit it in between appointments.

    Here's last week's numbers.
    BIKING - 35 miles
    RUNNING - 19 miles
    SWIMMING - 5700 yards
    TOTAL TIME - 07:27 hours

    Hopefully this week I can find time for a gear review and a post about my upcoming Ruckus Kansas City run in late March.  Plus I'm be hitting a classic, the God's Country Off Road Duathlon.  I better ride the trails a few times before this race!

    I also checked out a fundraising dinner for Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Kansas City Triathlon team...
    The dinner was this past Tuesday and aside from wrangling two rug rats during the dinner, it was cool to finally meet a lot of local triathletes that I had met online for the most part.

    Em was out of town for training and if I wanted to make it to the dinner, then I was going to need to find the courage to take a 1 year old and soon to be 4 year old out in public for dinner.

    The soon to be four year old was excellent.  Actually listened to me and had a good attitude.  The one year old, on the other hand, decided he had enough after 15 minutes.  Flailing, throwing food, screaming... these were just a few of his tactics.  After 45 minutes, we had to go.  But, for posterity I'll link the video of him in the car after dinner... enjoy.

    Tuesday, February 21, 2012

    Ruckus Kansas City Price Change


    RUCKUS KANSAS CITY

    March 31, 2012
     Price Change Friday

    There is a price change Friday for the Ruckus Kansas City. 


    Already registered? Share this information with your friends so they are able to sign up in time.

    We've been working hard all winter designing an all-new course that will continue to set the bar in terms of obstacle courses.

    Don't miss out, save some money,
    sign up today!

    Friday, February 17, 2012

    BikeWalkKC and Midwest Tri Series Updates

    Bike Walk KC
    Bicycle dreams this Saturday February 18th

    Bicycle DreamsBuy your tickets now - who can resist watching a biking movie with friends on a cold night? Get ready to nosh, bid on great silent auction gifts, have a drink or two, and mingle with bike folk. See the story about Race Across America, one of the world’s greatest sporting challenges, and hear from some local RAAM participants like Dan Jordan and Gary Del Nero. 

    This event is almost sold out! Get your tickets now at http://bikewalkkc.org/bicycledreams

    Thanks to our silent auction product donors, including Boulevard, Garmin, Sporting KC, Ambigoni Urban Winery, Lush Cosmetics, Screen Tee Gallery, and the American Jazz Museum.

    Tour de Brew KC - May 20th
    KC’s newest bike ride is back on Sunday,  May 20th with more history, more food, more beer, and teams. Tour Kansas City’s amazing brewery heritage, explore historic neighborhoods, and join a fun charity bike ride where bicycling itself is the charity.  Tour de Brew KC is BikeWalkKC’s biggest fundraiser for our work to bring you more trails and bike lanes across the metro area.

    Registration is now open - learn more and register at http://www.tourdebrewkc.com









    Welcome to 2012! We hope you've been enjoying the mild Winter weather and have been training! It's that time of year for us to get things rolling for the summer events and we would like to invite you to join in the fun! Online registration is open for all events and now is the time to save a few bucks as we head into the dreaded tax season! Early Bird Registration is available until March 15th, 2012! At that time all entry fees will be the standard fee until online registration closes. We have attached the entry fee structure for you as well.

    Each year we try to offer something new for our events or try to streamline things to make it easier for each of you. Feedback has been great and we've made a few changes over the last few months. We will be announcing many of these things over the next few months to keep things exciting. Here are a few things that we want to tell you about for now!

    We've updated and streamlined each event website to make the maneuverability much easier. Pages have been combined, the race information and maps are on the same page to name a few. Out with the old in with the new! We live in a viral marketing world with Facebook, Twitter & Blogs and we want to utilize this to our advantage by adding Facebook to the home page of each event site. Not everyone is on Facebook but, we hope you check us out! When you visit each event website we would ask that you click "Like" for the event. This will allow each of you to get real time updates about promotions, registration incentives and other event information. Many of us are on Facebook daily but not necessarily on the event website! This will also help us eliminate sending too many e-mails over the summer months.

    Don't forget about the Early Bird Registration! Thank you for supporting our sponsors and events!

    2012 Event Schedule

    Midwest Mayhem Triathlon
    Lone Star Lake, Lawrence, KS
    July 15th, 2012

    Jackson County Triathlon & Duathlon
    Longview Lake, Lee's Summit, MO
    August 19th, 2012

    Midwest Meltdown Triathlon & Duathlon
    Lake Miola, Paola, KS
    August 26th, 2012

    Thursday, February 16, 2012

    Interesting article about Livestrong and Lance Armstrong

    If you have read my Examiner article or EverymanTri post about Lance Armstrong re-entering the world of triathlon, thanks to all 10 of you!
    But in seriousness, I throw out some ideas about Lance entering the Ironman scene and it's potential impacts on the sport.  Is it good, is it bad, does it matter?

    I got notice about point 3 - "PLUS – Livestrong and Armstrong go hand in hand. He’s bringing a monster charity to a new playing field and building a bigger army. You cannot argue that more funds for cancer research is not a good thing."

    An interesting email in my inbox come through which pointed me to THIS Outside article about Livestrong. It reports that Livestrong isn't contributing much to cancer research anymore.  The article states that the funds are more geared for assisting cancer patients with their journey through fighting cancer.


    Does that matter to you?  Did you know this when you contribute or when you contributed to Livestrong?

    Interesting!

    Wednesday, February 15, 2012

    2 things for Wednesday - @1BandID and showers

    Yes, you can take your 1BandID in the shower and it's good to go... but that wasn't the point of the post.

    I forgot to mention in my review for 1BandID that I was sent a discount code.
    Go to www.1BandID.com and use the coupon code below that you can enter at checkout to save 10% (or $2) off a 1BandID of your very own. The coupon is good for 20 uses over the next 90 days, so first come, first serve. Please share this with your training friends and family and help as many people as possible simplify their safety.

    Customized coupon code: ryan25823

    I also have a training tip...
    Pack extra towels for training days.  Stash a towel in your car somewhere.  Stash a towel in your gym bag.  Put one somewhere at work... have spares!  Found myself with no more spares today after the lunch workout and resorted to using an extra clean shirt in the gym bag to dry off with.  It worked, but it was awkward.

    Checking out @1BandID

    You hear about it all of the time.  Some poor runner, cyclists or triathlete was out training and hit by a car.  More often than not, the driver will stop and assist, but you do have those rare instances where it may have been malicious or inattentive and the driver leaves the scene.

    What are you going to do if you’re unconscious or incoherent after an accident?  How will your family be notified or critical health information be found if you’re not with people you know?  Simple.  Have some ID.

    Road ID has been a life saver for many triathletes caught on a loan training day in an accident.  Without that ID, who knows what would have happened.  While Road ID was the pioneer, other players have thrown their hat into the ring.  There are many products out there, but 1BandID has come out with a unique ID that does not require additional gear to strap on with everything else we wear for training or racing.


    The 1BandID comes with a Velcro band that attaches to a multitude of items any triathlete would normally take with them.  Need one for your Garmin watch strap?  They have it covered.  Need one for your cycling shoe, swimming watch or running shoe?  They have it covered.

    Here’s what I came away with from my time with my personalized 1BandID.

    At first, I was leery that the Velcro strap that wraps around a watch band might chafe, rub or create difficulties getting my Garmin wrist strap to fit.  Through 2 weeks of running and swimming with the 1BandID, I’m happy to report no hot spots or blisters, and I still have room to adjust the watch strap.  It will force you to loosen up the strap a good 2 to 3 notches where you are used to depending on how you wear it.  For my wrist size, it was no problem.  For more petite wrist sizes, the space needed to fit on the strap might produce too loose of a fit, so you would need to attach it to a shoe or race belt, but that’s probably pretty rare.


    The design allows up to 6 lines of information that are legible, but does force the ID band to be too large as to cause interference with body movements or other gear.

    You can order from an assortment of 7 different colors, because as we all know, if you are not coordinated, then you just look like a noob out there, right?

    Seeing that you have different shoes to run and bike in (not to mention most of us don’t wear shoes to swim in), you have to put some foresight where you place the 1BandID.  It’s not the quickest to move from one item to another, but it can be done.  I found that placing it on my Garmin strap is the best bet as I always use it for swimming and running.  When training on the bike, I use the bike mount for the 310XT, so I would need to attach it to my shoes for riding.  During a tri, I wear my Garmin strap the entire race, so I’m covered like All State there.  No more ankle ID Velcro stuck to the liner of my wetsuit!

    Worst case, if you go watchless, then the next best option is to strap it to your ankle chip.  The strap should fit around the timer strap and secure it for the race.  Just remember to get it back when you turn in your chip.

    It’s definitely been nice to strap it on the Garmin wrist strap and just not worry about it.  During the winter, I’ve been relegated to the trainer so no problems for ID on the bike.  Since I put it on, the only time I think about it is when I put my GPS on and take it off.  No forgetting my ankle ID in the closet.  It doesn’t get stuck to my bicycle print boxers (I’m working on finding Toucan Sam boxers) from the Velcro and I find it when I’m folding clothes.  It’s always there.  Let’s face it, when we’re in a hurry to get the miles in between kids and work, you might miss the details like an ID.  With 1BandID, it’s already taken care of.

    1BandID is very personalized.  You get a website link with your ID that gives you all sorts of information on the 1BandID with opportunities to get discounts for your friends.  They are also right on par as far as cost with comparable ID’s.  Personally I think you get better adhering mechanics with the 1BandID and few offer options that would attach to your watch band.

    For my money (well, this one was free for this review – no pressure for a good review), 1BandID should be a consideration for your ID needs.  Need one for your dog?  It should fit on the collar with no problem.  Need one for your 6 year old that always seems to just run off?  Here you go.  I’ll be wearing mine for the 2012 season.

    Tuesday, February 14, 2012

    Kansas City Track Club News - Feb 2012‏

    KCTC Logo
    Kansas City Track Club Newsletter February 2012 

    THE KANSAS CITY TRACK CLUB's 34TH ANNUAL ST. PAT'S DAY RUN  

    st pats logoPlease Join us for the 34th Annual Westport St. Pat's Day Run, March 10th at 10 AM. New this year is a green running shirt for each participant. Get your costumes ready! We are giving away green KCTC Logo neck warmers to the first 180 runners that show up on race day with a costume. Bring your camera! We have 4 leprechauns for a photo op. This fun 4 mi run/walk begins at Westport Rd. & Pennsylvania Ave &takes you through the heart of Westport. Proceeds benefit the Bacchus Foundation/The Childrens Place.

     REGISTER HERE


    Brew To Brew Registration is OPEN
    brew to brew shirt
    Registration is open Get your team together!  This years race is an RRCA State Championship which means some really great awards and perks! The top winners will receive a Mizuno Breathe Thermo top and Top Team Winners receive Mizuno gloves.
    New this year- the Kansas Beef Council has donated $2,500. and will be handing out beef sticks to finishers. www.brewtobrew.com

    LET US HELP YOU CONQUER THE HILL

    The Hospital Hill Run has been one of the premiere half marathons in the country and a Kansas City tradition for 39 years. Many of you may have made running their first half marathon, or even running this half marathon, one of your New Year's resolutions for 2012. The Kansas City Track Club can help. Although the race isn't until June 2, 2012, it is never too soon to start training.

    If you are new to running, or just new to half marathon training, you should start by working on your base. This means increasing your distance or speed in increments over time. The weekend, weekday group runs and intervals sponsored by the KCTC are the perfect place to meet fellow runners that can give you advice, motivate you and help you reach your goals. There are no set distances and these free group runs are perfect for those just starting out. Please see the list below to find a group run near you.

    Once we get into spring, the Track Club will provide interval training and courses in conjunction with the long runs of your week to help you hit your goal, and also help you prepare for the infamously hilly terrain of the Hospital Hill Run course. You will get weekly updates from us regarding locations, course maps and distances, with running partners and group leaders to help you along the way!



    RUNNING ON SOLID GROUND  

    Let KCTC assist you with one of your New Year's Resolutions, "Eat better, avoid injury, train in inclement weather, run through the mental blocks, run a marathon, or simply improve your fitness level as KCTC presents "Running on Solid Ground." This series of clinics on Thurs evenings will be conducted at the KC Plaza Library's (4801 Main Street, KC, MO 64112) Lg Conference Rm from 6:30-7:30 PM with a social following at Spin Pizza (4950 Main St, KC, MO 64112).  Spin Pizza has extended a 10% discount to KCTC members after each clinic. Clinics are free and open to the public. We will raffle a Road ID gift certificate at each event!
      

    February 23rd - Dr. Tom Cotter presents "Running Form/Running Trends." Gain efficiency in your stride and hear about the benefits of minimalist running.

    March 1st -Tom Cotter and Brad McCleary present "Injury Prevention/Performance Enhancement/Physiological Effects". Get the most current medical research to minimize injury while simultaneously improving performance for your spring race.

    March 22nd - Hospital Hill Run Race Director Beth Salinger will be giving presentations about training for the race on March 22nd- "Preparing for your initial Hospital Hill Run Half Marathon at 6:30" and "Race Strategies and Advance Training Tips for the Hill at 7:30.  

    UPCOMING TRAIL NERD RUNS

    Trail Nerds

    Break the winter running monotony and welcome in spring by hitting the trails in one of these upcoming trail events at Wyandotte County Lake Park!

    Saturday March 3rd
    Mrs. Robinson's Romp 5K, 10K

    Saturday April 21st
    Free State Trail Runs 100K, 40M, 26.2M, Half  

    Visit http://www.psychowyco.com/ for more details!   

    GROUP RUNS WITH THE TRACK CLUB  

    Click for details about the many group runs at www.kctrack.org
    Sunday in Prairie Village-7:30a Hen House, 71st & Mission 
    Sunday Northland Runners- 8am check for location.  
    Sunday in Olathe- 9am Price Chopper at 159th & Mur-Len
    Sunday In Independence- 7:30am at the old O'Charlies  
    Monday -Friday Intervals- 5pm Independence MiddleSchool
    Monday New Runners Class- 5:45pm at Ward Pkwy Center.
    Monday Night Run in Waldo- 6pm Meet at The Waldo Well
    Monday Mud Babes- 6pm Shawnee Mission Park
    Tuesday Intervals Prairie Village- 5:30pm SM East High 
    Tuesday Northland Run- 5:30pm at Macken Park, North KC
    Wednesday Night Run- 6:15pm different location each week.
    Thursday Leawood Runners- 5:30pm Leawood Middle School
    Thursday Northland Run- 5:30pm at Macken Park, North KC
    Saturday Near The Plaza- 7am Aixois at 55th & Brookside
    Saturday Downtown-  8am Panera Bread, 2405 Grand, KCMO
    Saturday Lee's Summit- 7am Gusto Coffee, 3390 Fascination
    Saturday Liberty- 8am Buffalo Wild Wings, 9207 NE 152 Hwy
    Saturday Long Trail Run in Lawrence- 7am Clinton Lake.
    Every Day Trail Runs- off-pavement with the Trail Nerds   

    Monday, February 13, 2012

    Week that was in training and some tips

    If you can get a gym within 3 miles of your house and has child care for most of their open hours... jump on it!
    Nothing has been more beneficial to my training or general fitness than becoming a member of a gym that has convenience written all over it.
    1. If we are at home over the weekend, we can grab the kids and be to the gym in 15 minutes (7 to 8 minutes of travel time).
    2. We can work out as a family... sort of.  The kids have a fun area where they can run around and Em and I can get our workout on.  It limits the number of times we have to alternate who works out and who watches kids and that dance.  Around 2 hours all told to get kids, go to gym, workout and get back home.  Then, it's all done for the day and we can focus on fun and chores around the house.
    3. If we want, we can meet up after work and it works out great to have the person that gets this kids first get them and head to the gym and we all meet up there.  Get the workout on and get home.
    4. We still have a few issues when the kids area gets full, but out of 3 weeks, we only had that issue once.
    Lets look at the numbers:
    BIKING - 52 miles
    RUNNING - 21 miles
    SWIMMING - 5800 yards
    TOTAL TIME - 09:52 hours

    They are getting there!  Running and swimming are looking pretty good while I'm able to get two strength sessions in a week.  Works well not to bulk up, but to keep strength up and protect against injuries.

    I do want to pick up the bike miles.  Last week, I had issues towards the end of the week getting up for an AM trainer ride.  I'd like to get 70 to 90 a week starting now on to bring up the bike splits from last year.

    Lord knows I won't be getting it in outside since it's suddenly winter in Kansas City!  We are forecasted to end up with 4 inches of snow with a nice ice crust topping when it's all over.  We have been pampered by 50 degree days around here and look to get back to them by the end of the week!



    Have a good week and hope winter is treating you right!

    Friday, February 10, 2012

    News from pool side with Swim Meister Tony

    Even though we haven’t really had a winter (not yet at least), spring is just around the corner, and your warm weather activities will be here before you know it. Are you ready for it?

    First, local upcoming events:

    March 5, KC Blazers All-Relay Masters Meet: I love this meet! Relays give you that sense of team work that swimmers sometimes miss out on. I really love this meet because I get to help other swimmers that probably will never have a chance at an individual National Top Ten time, earn a Top Ten time on a relay. That is the main idea of this meet, and every year, swimmers of all abilities find themselves on a National Top Ten List. You can do that too! Meet info here.

    March 31, Breadbasket Zone Championships: This meet is in St. Louis, which is hardly local. But, several local swimmers are planning to go. It’s a 2 session meet (Sat afternoon & Sun morning), so you can get in more events. I went to this meet at the same location several years ago, of course it was a good time. Meet Info here.

    April or May; I have been assured there will be a meet at the new pool in Lees Summit. They have it narrowed down to 2 weekends this spring. Details to come.

    July 5-8; USMS Summer Nationals in Omaha

    I’ve always thought that adult swimming needs an ambassador, a huge name that people might follow and think “Hey, I might give that a try!” That person may have arrived. Since his retirement from cycling, rumors have swirled of Lance Armstrong taking a stab at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, HI. None of that has been confirmed, but here are a few things that have. Lance is a registered member of United States Masters Swimming. He did compete in a swim meet last month for the first time in more than 25 years. And last week, in response to a USMS tweet asking people about USMS Spring Nationals, Lance replied “It’s on my calendar!” Who wouldn’t love the chance to race Lance Armstrong? I admit, the thought entered my mind, but I won’t be in his age group at the Spring Nationals. I WILL be in his age group at the Summer Nationals meet in Omaha that I already plan to attend. Will Lance attend that meet? See more on Lance as a masters swimmer here.


    Tony Rezek
    Chapter President, Kansas City, MO
    (913)424-7601
    tonyrezek@train4autism.org
    http://train4autism.org