Bye, Bye Boise... Time for Timberman

Boise was an incredible race and great experience.  I think I speak for my entire family when I say that the city and race was first class.  An experience I will remember for a very long time.  To see my brothers cross the finish line was a special time.  Of course I wish there would have been one more coming across but that is the way training goes.  And who knows, Noel could have been watching us cross the finish line after he kicked our butts... only time will tell.

Now that I have taken the last two weeks to recover (A.K.A., be a turd), it's time to focus on the Timberman 70.3.  It's only about 7 weeks away so it's time to get serious.  The course is beautiful up there, however after experiencing the hilly bike and run I may change my mind.

I am glad I chose two half ironman races this year in different parts of the country.  The experience from the travel to the finish line is an amazing adventure.  This time Nicole gets a shot at the title.  She talks a big game and her advantage is the hilly bike course.  She has been working hard and I look for her to crush her previous times.

So Brothers, we need to decide where and when next year you will be attempting to take my trophy.  Maybe the rule should be, the winner decides the next "4 Brothers Tri" venue?  I kinda like that idea.


Stay healthy and stay fit guys!

Boise 70.3 slide show coming soon...

Nick

9 days...

9 days remaining guys. It looks like Boise weather is starting to change in our favor. Of course the water temp will still be cold enough to make us scream like a little girl. Despite that, I am looking forward to traveling away from the Sun and enjoying more seasonable weather.

The Swim Waves are up on the website. Good news, we don't have to wait long! Also, here is a link with a detailed map of the bike course.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/id/boise/228127376181919708

It looks to be like a great ride!  Hopefully, the elevation won't play a factor.

Let the taper begin and we'll see you soon!

Nick

Oh yeah... here is what you will be seeing a lot of on  the Boise course... my backside!  Ha!

Knee and ankle update

Not sure if you all know about my knee problems are not. I have had some knee swelling and calf pain for the past month or so, but I was still able to bike and run. I just thought it was a strain. I was more frustrated than concerned. The day after Teagin was born, I put some shorts on and looked down at my ankle and noticed it looked like Colby's. I couldn't even see my ankle bone. I also had cankles. I was a little concerned, but was more focused on Teagin. When we came home on Monday, the swelling was still there and I think a little worse. By Tuesday I noticed some bruising on the inside of my ankle (See photos). That started to concern me. I made a doctors appointment the next hour.

I explained to the doctor what was going on, and she thought it was either a ruptured Bakers cyst or a blood clot. The Bakers cyst was nothing to worry about, but the blood clot was. So she had me get a ultrasound. The ultrasound did not show either. There was some fluid in my knee and my calf.

I have another doctors appointment on Monday with the rheumotologist. Maybe he can figure out what is going on. I don't think it is arthritis related. I think I tore or strained something in my knee or calf. If so, I go see a Sports Medicine Doc.

I also have my ECHO on Wednesday. God, I sound like I'm 80 years old. Hopefully everything checks out, but if not I may not beable to do the 70.3. I just want to give you guys a heads up, so you all know what is going on are not pissed if I can't race in June.

Tune up race before Boise

I second Andy's findings of the new heat wave in South Florida. The humidity makes you feel like you just started your training program. IT SUCKS! At least Boise won't be crazy hot. Let's just hope that it warms up a little bit. Last I checked, it's been in the 30's each morning. It's going to be one coooooold swim!

We all knew Baby Teagin was on her way, but now that she's here, this trip is going to be even more great. It's a good age for her to not understand that her daddy got his ass kicked. One day her Uncle Nick can explain to her, but until then we will just make her feel like everyone is a 'winner,' daddy included.

This weekend is the Florida International Triathlon at Siesta Key. The final race before Boise. It should be a lot of fun, and a great race to fine tune fueling and hydrating. Which has always been a challenge for me. Of course living on the Sun, (AKA, Florida) doens't make it easy. Have I mentioned it's starting to get hot here? My fat ass doesn't do well in the humidity.

Nicole and I are excited to see everyone. It's great to get the family together revolving around health and fitness. Get ready to get inspired. These events will motivate you and humble you at the same time. And, what a great environment for Kyler and Kaylei (Teagin too but don't think she will be doing much but pooping and eating) to be around. Let's enjoy this time together and not let the tradition die. Stay focused and get ready, cause our swim wave is not far off!

Noel: Congrats! Now, pass Baby T off to Colby and get on it! What are you really good for right now anyway? Let's be honest. Of course always do what Colby says though. Oh yeah, and RECOVER that knee!!

Alan: Get your ass out of the RV and get on it! Great job at Elma by the way.

Andy: Put the laptop down and the hookers down. They can wait.

(I guess you guys could tell me to get my ass off my iPad and start training.)

Can't wait to see you guys. I may get my ass kicked but as long as I am prepared and cross the finish line with my brothers, I am happy.

Take care.

Nick

Little Update

Been a while since my last post so thought I would give you a little update. The heat has arrived in South Florida and training outside has become a little unpleasant. I must admit that I have been slacking a little lately spending more time on work trying to get the new venture and programs ready for launch. No long races lately, but have had some success in a couple sprints! At the Nautica South Beach Tri I took 2nd in the Clydesdale and 7th in my age group. At Tri-Miami last weekend I not only took 1st in the Clydesdales but also won the 30-34 age group! That was also good enough for 17th overall! I was surprised by my performance especially since I only got about an hour sleep the night before the race. Nicole I'm sorry to say you won't be able to give me anymore shit about racing in Clydesdale because I don't weigh enough for that category anymore. So I will retire from the Clydesdale ranks on top!

No more races till Boise though which is right around the frickin corner! It's great to win a sprint but that doesn't mean shit when you're talking about 1.2 miles swim, 56-mile bike, and half-marathon! Here are a couple recent pics from the races.

Spring Fling Results

It looks like I finished 17 out of 98 finishers. If I didn't feel like I was going to drown, I probably would have finished in top 10. Not bad, but can definitely improve. My knee is really pissing me off right now. I am not sure what is going on, but I can't even do a standing quad stretch. Hopefully it will get better. Take care.

42 Days Left!

It's crazy to think this event will take place in just a few short weeks.  I remember like it was yesterday trying to convince Alan to train for a Half Ironman.  Ha... and the crazy ass bought it!  Then Noel bought in and with little experience in triathlon, they have got in shape and now are a real threat for the 'Fittest Clark' crown.'

Meanwhile, Andy is in Miami training his ass off while also trying to buy every speed advantage possible (Zipp wheels, Q-ring, tri-suits that decrease your HR, pro wetsuit, etc.).   We should also point out he participates in every triathlon on the calendar.  The guy should be getting his Pro card any day now.

It is amazing to see a group of brothers who grew up playing baseball and football try to tackle a grueling endurance sport like triathlon.  The transformation is amazing.  Alan is losing lard left and right.  Andy has lost a couple of biceps and pecs and is now close to normal human-being size.  Noel has always been a freak athlete but for him to lose some lean mass is also quite the transformation.
I can remember back at UAB when we had to run 1 mile every Friday (yes 1 mile) and I wanted to punch our coach in the head for making us do it.  Now, an hour run seems to be a casual workout.  Needless to say, times have changed.

With only a few weeks of training remaining, it is time to nut up and finish what we set out to do.  The crown will go to the bro who performs the best on June 12th.  Yes, I want the crown, but I also want all of us to cross the finish line in one piece and have a shit ton of memories until our next great race.  So, get your asses in the pool, on the saddle and on the pavement (or treadmill if you are in Washington state... Ha!) and be ready for this amazing day!  No fucking excuses these next 6 weeks.  Trust me, you want to be ready.  70.3 miles can be a loooooong day if you are not prepared physically and mentally.

Is this Half Ironman going to be painful?  Absolutely, but when you cross that finish line you will feel amazing!  All the hard work will have paid off and the IPAs will flow freely.  Boise will be an exciting trip and I am already excited for the next one.  Lake Stevens 70.3 2011??


Stay Healthy and Train HARD!!

See you soon!

Nick

First Tri in the books!!!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. I was not as nervous as I expected. Maybe because the swim and bike were timed and you were not actually racing each other. I felt good in the swim. I shared a lane with a female triathlon coach, who used to swim at U of W. I thought maybe I would try and keep up with her pace, but she took off right out of the gate. I think she lapped me twice, but I think I still met my goal of at least 800 meters in 15min. The bike time started as soon as the swim was up. My transition was pretty quick. I felt like I was riding downhill on my trainer. They had the front wheel propped up on a couple of kick boards. I think I needed one more. Half way through my bike, I had a Hammer Gel, which I felt when I got into the run. Either it was the gel or I drank a little to much water. My upper abs started to cramp up as soon as I started the run. Other than that, I felt pretty good. I am looking forward to the sprint in April and in May.

I tried to upload some swim footage, but for some reason it wont work.

Great Weekend in Miami

The Miami International Triathlon was excellent as expected.  The weather was great with some wind on the bike but other than that it was perfect race conditions.  I have to admit I am impressed with how Andy performed.  The boy has been working.  The brothers will have some competition from the big man.  Of course he does own every piece of triathlon gear possible.  Great job Andy!
Nicole crushed her time from last year by 10 or 12 minutes!  Damn!  I did beat both of them, however only by a couple of minutes (with Andy beating me on the bike and Nicole beating me on the run).  I am definitely satisfied with my performance knowing that I still have some work to do.  It is interesting to point out that my swim time and bike time were both within one second from my previous years race.  Crazy!  I am not sure what to make of this, but I do know I will continue to push myself just as hard and believe my body will perform optimally at Boise.  B70.3 less than 12 weeks away... scared yet?!

Keep training hard guys and see you soon!

Nick

MIT!!!

So the first race of the year is over. I'm very happy with my overall time of 2hrs 32 min. My swim was about 31min (1500m) bike 1:07 (25miles) run 48min (6.2miles). Definitely have a lot of room to improve on the swim, but I completely the whole thing without stopping for a float break or heading to the swim up bar! Had a blast all weekend with Nick and Nicole and their whole group of athletes that came down. Everybody did very well! Special thanks to Roy and www.trivillage.com for letting me use the Zipp Demo Wheels. Very fast!!

Next on the agenda: April 3rd 1st Publix Fitness Weekend Sprint Tri in Pembroke Pines, April 11th Nautica South Beach Tri, May 15th Florida International Tri in Siesta Key.

Update

Just wanted to let you know how the training has been going. It has been tough trying to get in long workouts on days I work. I am working days right now, so I will sometimes get up a 3am and ride or workout. I can't get to the pool on days I work out because open swim starts at 8pm, and I am usually in bed by then. The swimming has been going well though. Today I did the 1000m times, and finished in 19:26. I will push myself a little more next time so I beat Nicole's time. To my surprise, swimming has probably become my favorite workout. I can't wait to get some open water swims. I am going to do a indoor Tri (Indoor Rainman Tri) in March, which consists of a 15min swim (as many laps as you can do), 30min on your bike on trainer (as many miles as you can go), and 1 lap around Green Lake. It should be pretty fun. I think Alan and I are going to do a Tri in Elma in April. It is a short one (400m swim, 15mile bike, and 3 mile run). Should be good to get used to transitions. I also have a few half marathons on the board, one of which is Monday in Bothell. I am crossing my fingers and hoping I can get June 12th off, since I will just be coming off FTO, and I am not sure what my schedule will be. See you guys in 120 days.

Miami Half-Marathon

Ran the Miami Half today in 1:45. Not too bad. The rain stayed away, but it was warm and muggy. Watch out Nicole...I'm getting closer!

I concur regarding elevation training

Come to find out, there is Florida 'in-shape' and Colorado 'in-shape.'  Training at 6000ft made me feel like one of the Biggest Losers.  However, we did have a great trip and enjoyed the weather and good company.
I can't believe January is damn near over.  This little Boise thing is coming fast, but first we have a tune up race at the Miami International.  Andy's goal is to beat Nicole (yes... a girl).  No matter what happens it will be a great weekend.  Jen and Dean (and Evelyn) are coming down and will be racing as well.  We also have Josh and some other clients racing.  It's gonna be one hell of a party!  Noel/Alan... it's not too late to sign up.  All you need is a plane ticket (and time off of course).  We can rent you a bike down here.  Think about it!

Nick

(Garden of the Gods and the Olympic Training Center)

The Frogman Cometh...

Just to recap Colorado...training at altitude sucks! One important thing I learned is you are at your 'weakest' the third day you enter altitude in regards to your training. Can hack it in the weight room, on the bike, and even the run wasn't too bad, but the pool was a whole different story! Talk about tough!

Gorgeous day yesterday here...sunny and 75! Had a great ride and short run. Miami ING Marathon is this coming Sunday. Not sure yet if I'm going to race or not.

Alan-sounds like a hell of a workout you had this weekend! Keep it up!

Noel- trainer setup looks good. Don't forget the DZNuts!

Bike Trainer

I finally got my bike trainer set up. So far so good. I went and got some speed play zero pedals, which feel pretty good. I have not tightened the 15 degree play yet. Do you guys have yours tighter? I will probably get get some areo bars in the next couple weeks, which means I need to get a shorter stem as well. Let me know if you guys have any recommendations when it comes to those.

Mountain Bike Ride

On Sunday while it was pouring down rain and about 45 degrees, a co-worker and I set off for a grueling mountain bike ride. We parked at the bottom of the entrance to Capital Forest. We rode from the bottom to Capital peak which was a 8 1/2 mile climb up hill to the peak, man what a work out. Once we reached the top we took a very challenging muddy unforgiven trail through the forest to get back down. The overall distance was 21.3 miles with approximately 9 1/2 miles being up hill. I burned 4000 calories during the ride which took us 3 hours and 35 minutes to finish. This ride tested me on proper fueling and water intake which I felt I did pretty well. I had planned on transitioning to the 4 mile run afterwards however my legs, ass and hands were numb plus it was still pouring down rain so I decided I had enough for one workout.

Alan

Swim Day

Tried out my new hand fins today, and Nicole I already spoke with Alan about them. I won't use them that much. I did use them 4 out of the 5 sets of 300 yards. I timed myself on the third 300 with the fins. It took me 5 minutes and 30 seconds. I took the fins off for my forth 300, and finished in 5 minutes and 10 seconds. Now, I wasn't going all out, but I thought that was pretty good. The fins do help with the hand stroke. I will try to get Colby to video me so you guys can see how I am doing. And regarding my weight, there is no way in hell I am dropping below 175lbs. I just need to start lifting more. Later.

Remember????

Sorry Alan, you must have been to big to fit in the picture!

Skinny Bastards!

You guys keep withering away and you will have to compete in the "little girl" category! In case you guys forgot we were always known for being "big guys". We were bread to be big aryan monsters! You better not destroy our rep by turning into little sticks!!! I guess if I don't win I will at least still have the muscle mass to lift some beers to my mouth later that night! Keep up the good work fellas!

Andy

All time low.

Today I got my body fat tested in the dunk tank. This was the first time getting tested in the tank. Before getting into the water, I jumped on the scale and to my surprise I weighed in at a staggering 178. I have not been under 180 since my freshman year in high school. Nick and Nicole your program is whittling me down to nothing :) I did finally get back on track with my training today. The swimming is getting easier and easier. I am looking forward to my first open water swim. I still need to get some shoes and pedals for my bike, so I can try out my trainer. I am going to check out some stores tomorrow. Well, time to go eat so I don't wake up at 170.

An eventful week

Last week was pretty eventful.  Fortunately it was a recovery week for me, because it was a busy one.  These pics should tell the story.

We have a new addition to the fam... Cadence.  She likes to eat, sleep and pee (a lot).  And for some reason Nicole doesn't hear her in the middle of the night.  Must be nice.  So, I've been on this new sleeping pattern called puppy interval sleep.  Goes something like this; Sleep for an hour... puppy wakes up... has to pee or play... She sleeps for another hour (two if I'm lucky)... has to pee or play... then sleeps again.  We are almost down to three intervals.   Meanwhile, Nicole is catching up on her sleep and should be feeling fantastic.  She is a great pup and her and Abby are starting to get along real well.  Abby didn't want much to do with her the first couple of days.  She mostly didn't want to share her toys or couch.  Now I think she likes having someone around to beat up on.  So far so good.

Now, about the head.  Street signs can be a real bitch!  I pride myself on stressing the importance of proper running form to my clients, which would include keeping your head up.  I unfortunately was going around a corner with the sun in my eyes (no glasses) and BAM,! My forehead made friends with a street sign or some fucking sign sticking half way out on the sidewalk.  I would have turned back to look but for some reason I just kept running.  Fortunately I was wearing my head band/ear warmer (because is freezing ass cold in Florida!) because after I felt the blood dripping down my head it turned into a makeshift head bandage.  I told myself if I started getting dizzy I would stop.  I guess my large brain absorbed the impact and kept me going. 
Anyway, healing nice and I'm excited to be able to go to work without a hat for the first time tomorrow. 

Hope you guys are sticking to the plan... Boise is right around the corner!

Nick

Here is a before after. The photo on the left was taken in Hawaii in 2008. This will be his midway point, since he wants to get down to 200. I think he could get down to 190 no problem once he starts hitting the weights. Even though it took a 5 bypass to get him to realize that he needed to make some changes, I am very proud of him. I think our next goal should be a race with all of us. How awesome would that be!!! Way to go POP. Keep up the good work.

Check out my bulge!!!

This doesn't have anything to do with training, but Nicole was digging up old photos and I found this. I thought it was pretty funny.

On a training note, I did the swim workout today (5x300), and I felt awesome. I haven't swam since Suncadia, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did. I went to the Bellevue Aquatic Center for the first time, and they have a great lap pool. I will be doing the rest of my workouts there.

Sabotage in Sarasota!!!

Been a while since last post...so let's see what have I been up to??? Well I went to Sarasota for Christmas. There Nick and Nicole did a fantastic job sabotaging my training schedule. I spend a whole lot more time drinking than training!! Thanks guys I had a blast. They also go me a 'pointy-tip' helmet so I can really fly on the bike!! Here is a pick...


This past week's training was great though. It has been cool in Miami (in the 40's) so the outdoor runs have been awesome! On Sunday I ran 13.1 in 1hr 45min!!! That's a personal best and I felt great after. Till next time...