Turning a new leaf!

2012. A new year and I decided it was time to shake things up a bit and tackle a new challenge. Now yes I realize its almost March but hey better late than never.

Over the last few years I have focused on going long. Last year I did four HIMs (Rev3 Knoxville, Rev3 Quazzy, Eagleman, and Rev 3 South Carolina), one full Ironman (IM Canada) and only one Olympic (Rev3 Quazzy) as part of the Revolution (Oly and HIM on the same weekend, part of 3 races in 8 days.) While that was a great challenge and alot of fun, having done a Full Iron Distance race each of the last six years, it was time to try something new.

So this off season, I looked at my training and my races over the last few years and decided I have proven to myself I can go long, so I took a page out of Macca's book and dedicated this year to trying to go fast. I still have The Revolution on my schedule (I done every REV3 Quazzy race and I'm not letting that run end quite yet :), but just primarily my focus this year will be to try an go fast. Of course we are talking fast for me.

So far my race schedule looks like this:

1) Rev 3 Knoxville Olympic: Got some serious payback for this course had a major PR on the hook in 2010, this year I want to finish that effort!

2) Rev 3 Quazzy Olympic and HIM (The Revolution). Normally the Olympic is the race I have to reel myself back on, but this year Sunday is just going to be a catered workout and Saturday will be the race.
3) Rev 3 Wisconson-Dells Olympic: Brand new race, plus the whole family should be come with me to the water parks. Should be a blast and some added motivation.
4) Rev 3 Maine Old Orchard Beach Olympic: Another brand new race, but early reports are the bike looks fast. Potential PR race.
5) Shoreman HIM: A very flat and fast course in SE New Jersey at the same site as the Jersey Genesis tri. Good shot at qualifying for USAT Half-max and maybe even my first AG medal.
6) Half Full Tri: New REV3 race for the Ulman Cancer Fund. Closest REV3 race to me and looks like I can get alot of folks to travel for this one. Have to support this race, but think it will be another catered workout.
7) Rev3 South Carolina Olympic: Absolutely loved this race last year. Did the HIM and had a great time and a great race. With the Collegate Championships in the Olympic, might be a great chance to see if I can hang with one of those rabbits and get a PR.

Been having a very productive and pain free off season so far (Unlike last year's foot injury), so thing seem to be lining up. My current Olympic PR is 2:36:40 from 2007 at the Lancaster YMCA Olympic. Would like to break 2:30 this year, and my super stretch goal is sub 2:25 and my first AG medal in my 10 years of doing triathlons.

Ok now that is on paper and out there, all I have to do is back it up. Time to REVITUP !!!!

Random Thoughts stuck in traffic.

Last night I was coming back home from an inspection at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. Life can be funny sometimes, one minute you are having a discussion with the Chief Nuclear Officer of a Billion dollar corporation, the next you are stuck in a traffic jam for over 3.5 hours because someone thought it was a good idea to shut down a section of the Penn Turnpike on a Friday afternoon and evening. 20 miles or so of stop and go traffic gives you plenty of time to think.



Random thoughts:
1) For the people at Jos A Bank and Kohl's if you can have 50-70% off sales or buy 1 get 2 free sales every single week it means your regular prices are way to high.
2) Last year I sold my first wetsuit a Blue Seventy Sleeveless at very steep discount to a brand new triathlete to help her overcome a fear of OWS do her first Tri. Now she's hooked and this year Team Rev 3 is sponsored by Blue Seventy. Good karma always come back to you!
3) Guy on the radio is talking about who was the tough athletic perfromance and Wayne Simmons of the Flyers who took a puck to the grill in pregame got 25 stitches, but played the game and scored two goals. However, I'll take Chrissy Wellington's win at Kona covered in road rash and spending the day before in the hospital yet coming out and winning it by running everyone down and holding off the defending champ. I also think Lance's Armstrong's comeback after cancer and kemo to become the greatest cyclist of all time is tougher than a few stiches to the grill.

4) Speaking of Lance, I still have seen the results for IM 70.3 Panama. How come Spanish soccer scores make it in USA today but not a major Triathlon with one of America's greatest athletes not.
5) Don't understand why people are so pissed at the New Jersey Governor for honoring Whitney Houston by flying flags in NJ Saturday. Whitney's life and works brought alot of joy to people, and she already paid the ultimate price for her bad decisions. If anything it honors her memory and enforces an important message: Noone is immune to drug addition, the best cure it to never start. Noone ever dubbed her a hero
6) Several of my Rev3 Teammates got some very cool Rev3 Sparkle suits. They are willing to model them on FB/Twitter/Blogs if enough people donate to the Ulman Cancer Fund. http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=3051165870937&set=a.1734792762432.95246.1016959054&type=1&theater
7) Team Rev 3 is Running Across America. 21 days 3080 miles March 26- April 16, 2012 to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund. Donate or get a group together and do a vitual run with us. http://rev3tri.com/america/virtual-run/
8) A car dealer is willing to give me $10,000 off and another always seems to be giving $5,000 cash back, or $5000 for my trade. Once again if you can stay in business doing that the MSRP is way to friggin high.
9) Hey AH! Just because I let one person in doesn't mean you have the clearance to dive in behind them.
10) If I got out, put the car in neutral and just pushed it for an hour, I could at least get a workout in, and I still would stay with traffic.
11) I would absolutely love to be disrespected with a 4 yr $60 mil guarenteed contract. How are you every going to feed you family?
12) Happy birthday to Michael Jordan and Jim Brown! Two of the greatest ever in the sports.
13) I still don't know what my New Years Resolutions/goals are this year.
14) SBR's Tri Swim products rock! Wish I would swim more so I could use it for what it is designed for. Save 20% all this month.

15) How many times do events happen where someone knew something wasn't right but didn't step up and say something because the more experienced people around them didn't say anything?
16) In the words of Geddy Lee, "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers turn and look at the stars. All of us end up in the gutter, dreamers turn to look at the cars."

Enjoy the Ride!