The PED Issue (Part 1)

With the performance enhancing drug issue becoming more and more prevalent over these past few years, the world of professional sports is at a crossroad.

Do they stop the cheating by using biological passports for every major sport or do they rethink the issue entirely?

My favorite sports writer, Bill Simmons, wrote an article challenging the PED problem by asking questions we all have been afraid to ask or ignorantly ignored.  His readers responded with several different theories and opinions on the matter; a smart and simple way to attack a problem that has plagued competitive sports for years.

So the questions are: Why now?  Why is everyone asking the right questions now? And is it because of technology today exposing every cheater?

We finally have to make a decision on the issue that will change the future of sports forever while simultaneously altering the past.  We have to.  Honestly, we are pretty much forced to at this point.

PEDs have been around since the 70s.  It became a world issue when the East Germany women's team took every medal in the 1984 Olympics.  It became even bigger when Ben Johnson broke the world record in the 1988 Olympics before being the first person stripped of a medal due to performance enhancing drug use. 

In baseball, it became clear that at least 75% of players were using PEDs in the 1980s and 1990s and reached a precipice with Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds chasing baseball's home run crown.

During Lance Armstrong's Tour de France reign, every top cyclist has either tested positive or have been alleged of taking PED's.

So again, why now?

People are tired of hearing multiple professional athletes getting caught with PED use. 

"It ruins the game. What type of example does this teach our children?  How can these athletes lie in our faces?"  These are just a few quotes individuals state continuously about PEDs. 

Isn't the whole reason we watch sports is to see excellence?  To see people do things most of us only dream about? To break records and dismantle the competition?

Wasn't the Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire home run chase the most exciting thing in baseball?  Then to have Barry Bonds break the record a few years later?

Or how about Lance Armstrong winning seven straight Tour de France titles after coming back from cancer?

The answer is yes...to all of the above. 

We all want to see greatness.  We want to tell our children that we saw Adrian Peterson come within 9 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record a year after having tearing his ACL.  We want to be amazed by Kobe Bryant playing at an extremely high level in his 17th season in the NBA.  We don't really care how it happens.  We just want to see history.

Sports fans live vicariously through their favorite sports teams and players.  It's the same reason people watch 'reality' TV shows.  They know everything is staged, yet still watch it because it is entertaining.  Everyone needs an escape from their daily lives.  We need to believe in something greater than ourselves.  This is what sports gives us; an escape.  That hour and half to 4 hours of bliss and surrealism that fills a void must of us wish we could do.  We just want to be entertained and witness humans push themselves beyond perceived limitations.   The last two players I named haven't even been linked to PED use but shouldn't we be questioning every player or great thing we have seen in the past 40 years.

That's the biggest problem with this and the real reason why everyone is questioning the matter.  We don't know what to believe anymore.  We are questioning everything.  And why not?  With everything in recent memory becoming a fallacy ending with disgrace and betrayal, we don't believe everyone is doing this the natural way.

 Did Usian Bolt really dismantle the world's best without any "help"?

I could go on forever listing extraordinary things performed throughout the history of sports.  Where would that get me?  Where would that get us?  A generation so critical of everything we see on TV as if we are somewhat better.  We judge athletes, politicians, and thespians as if we do things differently, and most of the time, in situations where we don't know half of the details.  

I am getting carried away and preachy again. 

After much thought, research, and watching almost every sport on the planet (including Gaelic football, Rugby, cricket, and baseball), the conclusion is simple.  Just let the athletes treat their bodies the way they want and enjoy the show.  I understand the elementary take on this but hopefully after you are done reading this, you will understand that much care, thought, and experience went into this. 

The Science of PEDs

When I started doing triathlons, I received a call from a telemarketer.  Unlike most people, I take some of these calls (for no specific reason at all.... I am just an idiot) but I wasn't getting offered 43 subscriptions of magazines I would never read or timeshare in Bloomington, Indiana.  I was getting offered Human Growth Hormone.  That's right. I was getting offered HGH from a dude I have never met or spoke to before.  In complete shock, I told him calmly that I am a triathlete and keep myself in very good shape by eating healthy and wouldn't find any need for such a substance.  In a unexpected turn of events, the guy got pissed ( I assume this was his 13th straight rejection and probably interpreted my tone and explanation as "I don't need that s*** and if I did, I would certainly not get it from you"...which wouldn't be to far fetched) and told me "How can you turn something down that will increase your libido, life expectancy, and overall health?" This is now, 4 years ago, and I still remember him saying that.  He was sincerely pissed but I sensed he believed in what he was selling. 

However, after him questioning my logical thought process, I politely said no thank you and got off the phone with him.  But he had garnered my interest.  I had to find out more.  Is that really true?  Can it do all of the those things because if so, why isn't this marketed as supplement just like Vitamin C is?  Couldn't this legitimately save lives? 

I have only heard or seen on television the "bad effects" and labels coming from HGH.  Everyone who does this is a cheater, lacks moral fiber, and has no lower intestinal fortitude.

After doing some research through various sites and testimonials, the guy was right.  I am not going to go into the science (ironic because this section is called "The Science of PEDs") so here is the best way I can explain it.  Remember when you were 20 years old (if you are younger than the age of 23, wait a few years...if you are older than 30, you know exactly what I am talking about) and you could workout for 2 hours, go out drinking, eat whatever the hell you want, get 4 hours of sleep and get up to do the exact same thing without ever having an issue or setback.  That's what HGH does for you, even if your 50! 

Your body starts producing hormones like it did in it's apex.  Remember how energetic you were in those times.  It's not because you "matured" that you became calmer.  Your hormones aren't producing as much.  So with more energy, you are more lively, become more productive at work, have better sex, and recover faster from workouts or injuries. 

It is even proven to improve your eyesight.  Something that is universally understood to fade over every one's lifetime.

So why isn't this celebrated as a medical miracle?  Why aren't we using this in everyday life?

Actor Sylvester Stallone started taking HGH in 2008 and stated multiple times that it has saved his life. 

You want to guess how old he is in the picture below:

64

Read that again.

Go ahead...let it sync in.

Read it again...it's not a typo.

He is 64 in that photo!  This was shot during the filming of his latest film: Bullet to the Head

You want to guess how old he is in the next photo (I would have uploaded the photo on this post but it just wasn't working):

61.

So in 3 years, he went from declining to prospering.  He started taking HGH for his role in Rambo IV. 

Let me correct myself, he started taking HGH to revive and continue his career.  He didn't want to give it up.  He knew he was past his prime but knew he still had something left in the tank.

Sound familiar?

There are multiple counts of people taking HGH and it turning their life around..when they are in their 70s, yet this still gets published negatively.  People are getting in the best shape of their lives while receiving medicare and social security.

So again, why is this not being marketed as the best supplement in the world with huge positive effects and no big negative side effects?  What am I missing here? 

And if you are wondering if I have the answer to these questions.  I don't.  I have theories and opinions on why but they are irrelevant in this column.

Now players are coming back from injuries sooner than ever.  I understand surgery has come a long way but no surgery on the planet can speed recovery, especially for those in decline.  That has to be done naturally through nutrition and natural supplements. 

A few years ago, Kobe Byrant traveled to Germany and received knee surgery that is illegal in the US.  At the start of the season, he started playing like he was 22 again.  He started dunking over guys, playing 46 minutes a game and showing no signs of decline.  He was 32 at the time but no one said boo about this.  There wasn't a peep of negativity towards Bryant on his ability to regain something everyone loses over time.

Yet, Ray Lewis got chastised right before the Super Bowl because he sprayed Deer Antler Spray (a HGH compound) on his torn bicep.  Do you know how long it takes to recover from a torn bicep?

9-15 months! 

He came back in 2.5 and tore through the playoffs, recording double digit tackles in two of the 4 postseason games.

How did the public react?

They wanted him suspended before the Super Bowl (the story broke out a week before the Big Game).  Some fans wanted to literally take the Lombardi trophy from the Baltimore Ravens after they won, claiming that Lewis is a cheat. 

He took an all natural spray that you can order on the Internet.

So what is the difference between the two?

Answer:  There is none

Both found a way to heal their bodies so they can return to their respective sports to help their team win.  This did not help improve their performance but it did get them back to a healthier version of themselves.  Yet, both are viewed so differently.  Why is that?

I will leave you with that as an ending point.  This is going to be a three part essay so I hope you enjoyed and their will be more next week.  Thank you for reading!

Click Here for Part 2

Performing in the Heat

Note:  Part of this post is a little dated...

Unless you are living under a rock, it has been ridiculously hot out.  I can't remember a summer where it was this consistently hot out.  Come to think of it, maybe living under a rock is a best practice in this recent heat.  It has been so hot that this week is considered by trustworthy meteorologists to be a "cool" week (Average Temperature this week: 86 degrees, does not include humidity).  But hey, tomorrow's high is 77 degrees.  I may have to put on a sweater.

Needless to say, the heat sucks.  It's uncomfortable, sticky, depressing, tiring, and constant.  And that's if you are just standing in it.  Imagine biking and running, or just shooting some hoops in it.  The heat becomes magnified.  Your body temperature rises exponentially causing the sweat glands to open and pour out salt water to cool the body down while you continually perform arduous tasks.  The body desperately tries to cool your body; it works so hard that it burns an amazing amount of energy sucking every bit of nutrition and water you supplied yourself hours prior to activity.  Your mind chimes in, begging you to stop.  "Please find a cool place.  Stop doing this to yourself.  It's not worth it," are just a few quotes rattling off second by second.

Now, comes the realization that this has been going on for the first two miles of a 13.1 run in a half ironman.  It's 12:30, meaning it is only going to get hotter.  Plus, you previously swam 1.2 miles and biked 56 miles.  How would your mind handle it?

Mine failed stride by stride. 

This is painfully cheesy and poetic but I can't help myself sometimes:

In the blazing light of the sun, you soon find yourself in total darkness.

I couldn't get over the heat constantly burdening my every step.  I tried at every aid station to cool my body but it will never be enough.  I didn't train in the heat consistently which is out of my control but I can train my brain.  Mentally, I was a mess.  I couldn't only think about quitting.  I had already accepted defeat.  Just couldn't get past the reality of 11 more miles while trying to average a 7:45 mile and climbing up and down hills.  I couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough.  My body was fine.  At mile 9, my body was even telling me to pick up the pace.  It couldn't handle walking up the hills anymore.  It was done going at this terribly slow pace.  A 1:40 half-marathoner humiliated down to a 2:15 half marathon in a World Championship Qualifying race.  I am pretty sure Michael Jordan would be laughing at me hysterically if I ever told him this story.  I quit on myself.  I accepted defeat.  All because I didn't wrap my mind around the heat. 

I couldn't escape the darkness. 

Everyone was struggling in that race.  Everyone was dying.  It was the golden opportunity to push through and destroy the competition.  I had a shot and failed.  I wasn't strong enough.

Now, I am training in the heat non-stop.  My body hates me every time I go out there in the middle of the day attempting to tackle the sun and humidity.  And I am not doing this to get my body adapted to the heat.  I just want to dismantle my demons because when you run in heat, your mind goes to dark places.  Places you are not ready to visit if you haven't take the time to face them.  Places so loud, they can be deafening. 

I mentioned in my last post about not using the true stories told by Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek.  Two Ultramarathoners who face greater adversity than I could ever comprehend.  Both run 135 miles races in Death Valley....in the middle of July...where it has been recorded to reach a World Record high of 134 degrees.  A place so hot that your shoes literally melt when you run on top of the asphalt (the only way shoes don't melt is if you run on the painted white line). 

I have used these stories to inspire me.  Stories and lessons I have used to overcome adversity.  I forgot them when I needed them the most.  Karnazes stated continuously that pain is a good thing.  "If you are in pain, then you are doing something right."  Scott Jurek became the best ultra marathoner ever because his ability to block out and pain.  Jurek was so focused during a race that he crushed a rattlesnake with one of his strides and he didn't miss a beat.  He discovered later that he killed the snake when his pacer told him moments after. 

With every future step I take in the heat, these are the things I will never forget.  I failed to realize the simplicity of balancing positive and negative thoughts.  I focused only on the negative in Syracuse and couldn't escape my own demons.  I even tell people "if you can run in this weather, than you can run in anything."  How useful is that quote if I don't practice it myself? 

Darkness can point out the voids in your strengths making your best qualities almost irrelevant and in that rare moment, it is up to you to fill that void with perseverance and strength.  Then, your strengths become stronger and your weaknesses become obsolete. 

I forgot that...

Additional Notes:

This is two posts in the past three that I have reffered to Scott Jurek and Dean Karnazes.  I strongly recommend both of their books.  Even if you don't run, their stories are extremely powerful.  So strong, you're convinced they are fiction.

Here are the two titles:

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons I Run

Here is a link to one of the funniest, yet most accurate accounts on why we, runners, do what we do.  It is a six page comic book illustrated and written by a gentleman named Matthew on his website The Oatmeal.  It has hilarious takes on all accounts runners expiration through there respective trials and tribulations.  Hey, it may even inspire you to run yourself. 

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running

There is very little that I disagree with (Actually, I fully disagree with his input on Page 3...its actually the opposite...for a lot of runners but I digress) and it's amazing how much all of us runners have in common.  So please, click the link and enjoy. 

Even if you are not a runner, you will enjoy this

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Syracuse

This is a race report from my last race: Ironman 70.3 Syracuse.  I hope you enjoy as I am about to rip into myself.

The goal of this race was to break 5 hours and qualify for the World Championship in Las Vegas on September 8.  Even if I didn't break 5 hours but qualified for the WC, it would be an extreme success.  I broke 5 hours earlier this season, but just barely (literally by 3 seconds) and understood that this was a more difficult course with hotter temperatures to contend with but as I found out through the race, I was unprepared for a lot going into this race.

The Swim

From reading previous posts, it is clearly evident, swimming is my weakest link... by far.  I have recieved coaching and talked with a plethora of swimmers at the gym on how to improve but I simply cannot breakthrough.  However, I have greatly improved since I have started doing triathlons, so I was banking on my training to mark that improvement.

First off, that swim was longer than 1.2 miles.  With this being my 7th half ironman and hours of training in the pool, I have a pretty good grasp on the length I am swimming and that swim was not 1.2 miles.  The course was laid out in a rectangle, my favorite (I hate the triangle configuration...don't ask why)  but the width of the rectangle was longer than it should have been, by feel alone, I would have guessed the swim was about the distance of 1.35 or close to it.  Nevertheless, I finished the swim at the time of 39:00, which isn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination.

 

My good friend T-Money finished seconds before I did which was simultaneously pleasant and irritating. 

Onto the transition and the bike...the race has started!

Transition 1

When the volunteers (excellent as always) ripped off my wetsuit, my timing chip was nowhere to be found on my left ankle... lovely.  One volunteer looked and felt my swimsuit to see if the timing chip came off during the strip.  No luck....brilliant.  So I had to go to the race director and recieve a new timing chip.  Add about a minute or two to my time.  This is going really well. Stay positive! Onto to the bike!

The Bike

This is my strong point and this is where I am going to make up the time I lost in the swim. 

Right in the beginning, I passed Tom and wished him good luck in the rest of the race.  Now it is on to business. 

Now, I have already rode this bike course so I felt comfortable riding hard and strong.  On the contrary, I forgot a lot.  The first 12 miles was completely uphill, which I remember fondly, but I considered the rest of the way to moderately easy and able to hammer through.  I was dead wrong.  For the first 35 miles of the bike portion, the course never let you get comfortable.  At any point, I did not feel confident that I was making up any time.  Continually looking at my GPS watch repeatedly reassured that confidence.  I wasn't gaining any time.  I was actually losing time.  What was wrong? Did I not train hard enough?  I am very good with my bike workouts including interval training and long, hard rides.  I even did my infamous HillCrest repeats (anybody who lives in Central Jersey understands the relevance of how difficult that hill is).  I was hydrating properly with water and Amino Vital Endurance.  I executed each aid station with perfect precision (each aid station was expertly and excellently placed), so why was I doing so terribly?

The answer was simple:  I greatly underestimated this course.  I assumed I would average 22-23 mph throughout the course but the terrain suggested otherwise.  I was able to catch up some time in the last 21 miles but couldn't only a muster an average speed of 20.3 mph equating to a total time of 2:43 for the bike.  Respectable, yes, but I expect better.

The Run

Look how excited I was to finish the bike and start the run:

After the bike, I was ready to run.  In the transition area, quickly changing, I felt good.  I felt ready.

By this time, I accepted I would not break 5 hours unless I ran a 1:30 half marathon, which would be a personal best, but I still think I could qualify for the World Championship.  Within the first two miles, I knew I was in trouble.  I was averaging an 8:00 mile pace when I usually average a 7:45 pace.  The negative thoughts immediately started to trickle in.  Did I really not train hard enough for this race?  More negative thoughts start flooding my brain.

I am nothing.  I should just quit.  You never push yourself when you need to.  This is like basketball all over again (a story for another day).  I am just not good enough. 

Then the real truth set in.

It was 90 degrees, high humidity, high U.V. index, and no wind.  I have consistently trained in weather at least 10 degrees cooler or more.  I was not prepared for this type of heat and it destroyed me.  Everytime I tried to pick up the pace, my body temperature started to rise exponentially.  Everytime I charged up a hill, the heat charred my body even more.  It became brutal.  Every aid station started to become a lifeline.  I desperately was trying to cool myself with sponges, ice down my shirt, cola, powerade, shot bloks, and water.  It worked for a half mile after nourishing myself as best as I could and then it all went to hell.  I ended up walking every hill.  I could barely break 9 minute miles.  I was being extremely humbled by the race course.

My father and wife-to-be were in attendance and I felt so ashamed of my running.  Heading into lap 2, I apologized to them for my performance.  Both gave me love and support in leiu of my condolences, which felt great for about two minutes, but then, it went back to s***.

This picture sums up how I felt throughout the run.

I ended running a 2:15 half marathon (embarrassing) and finished with a total time of 5:44.  My worst time since my first 1/2 Ironman, 4 years ago.

This is how badly the race went:

I coouldn't even get any love at the finish line.  When it rains, it pours.

Conclusion:

Sometimes you just need to be humbled.  Eating a piece of humble pie can be distasteful, yet necessary.  I felt so confident entering into this race due to my previous success and continued improvement in each performance, but something had to give. 

Of all of the questions I ask and negativity stated, all hold some sort of truth. 

I didn't fully quit, but with the power of hindsight, I could have pushed myself through the heat and completed a 1:45 half marathon to finish with a total time of 5:13.  This would have been much more respectable and would have given me a solid opportunity to qualify for the World Championship.  Even if I didn't qualify, I would have moved up 20 positions in my age group and over 160 positions in the overall field.  Huge difference. 

I diseased myself with negative thoughts and couldn't find the strength to power through.  I forgot previous lessons learn from earlier races and books of I have read.  Stories from Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek became lost memory when I needed to use them the most.  I failed myself.  It wasn't the day to set a personal record, but that shouldn't stop me from having a good day.

I will use this as fuel to propel me in my next race: Ironman 70.3 Timberman in Gilford, New Hampshire.  My confidence and ego is definetely bruised, which isn't a bad thing since I have had a good run of races over the past 2 years.  I needed to be knocked down.  Not that I ask for this, but it was defnintely something that was going to happen eventually.  Now, it is up to me to respond.  Got to put in the work and continue to push myself.

Additional Notes:

Congratulations to Tom Holowka for finishing his second half ironman.

Congratulations to Jason Cosma for setting a personal record in his second half ironman.  He beat his previous best by 20 minutes on a course that was tougher than Providence, RI and in much harder conditions.  Well Done!

This was my first race with the Specialized SHIV, courtesy of Knapps Cyclery in Lawrenceville, NJ.  It was the only positive I can take from this race.  It was superb.  The real improvement was in two areas: uphill and on flatland.  The uphill is more impresiive as TT bikes are not known to be good climbers.  However, with the aid of the UTI system, the electronic gear system was seamless in each hill I tackled, giving me the strength and cadence to attack the next obstacle.  I look forward to riding with this new weapon in my future races.

Thank you to my sponsors: Knapp's Cyclery, Amino Vital & TGIFriday's for all of your support.

Photos Courtesy of Rachel Misenko

Specialized Bike For Sale

If you follow me on twitter or know me in person, you are well aware that I purchased a brand new triathlon bike recently.  It is a 2013 Specialized SHIV Expert with UTI gear system (electronic gear changing).  Now, I bought this to help me get to the next level.  Not that there was anything wrong with the 2011 Specialized Transition Pro I am selling now, but it is in a completely different caliber.  The SHIV is retailed at $6,600 while the Transition is retailed at $2,500 (with Keo Look Pedals).  And anybody that is a triathlete or cyclist, you get what you pay for.

I have put a little over 1,200 miles on the Transition Pro since I primarily used it as a race day bike.  It is in very good condition (See pictues below).  It has recently been serviced and ready to ride unless you have different shoes or pedals than Keo Looks (comes with the bike), which is a wquick change. 

I am asking for $1,800 CASH ONLY

Contact me @ 9083802250 for more information.  I am going to put this on craigslist in a few days but I wanted to give my readers a first crack at it.

Check out the pictures below

Getting to the Next Level

In my previous post, I talked about finding the gear to get me to the next level and how you can only get so far by yourself.  Everyone needs competition, whether be friendly or not, to be pushed beyond what that individual thought was possible.  The Iron War, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, and Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova are some of the biggest examples in sports where two opponents brought the best out of each other and to a level neither would have done on their own.  A connection so strong that some of them became best friends (Evert and Navratilova) or even close friends (Bird and Magic) because they reached into each other's souls and brought a level either opponent can't comprehend. 

Michael Jordan is the only person in sports history in where he brought the best out of himself and pushed his own limits to where no one has reached or ever will reach, all due to his pathological competitiveness.  I like to think I have a strain of that competitiveness in me (shoot to my girlfriend nodding with a s*** eating grin) but I still need help.  I am was hoping that my two friends (Tom @TomHolowka and Jason @SBRtriathlon) would help but that hasn't happened...until now.

It isn't the level of the aforementioned rivalries but Jason Cosma has arrived as a triathlete.  He has been doing triathlons for five years but he has finally gotten to the next level, pushing me in the process.  His speed and hill training has gotten is run to an elite level and it is much better than my own.  Two weeks ago, he told me he ran a 1:38 half marathon in a training run, which is much faster than me (1:47 is my best training half, 1:32 is my personal record). 

After hearing that, it made me simultaneously proud and bothered.  Proud because I have waiting for him to get to this level for three years and bothered because I hate losing (Michael Jordan nodding while losing a $10,000 hand of blackjack).  I always like competing against my friends for multiple different reasons, some positive, some negative. It matters on the relationship and what we are competing in.  It's hard to explain. 

Anyway, I immediately wanted to push myself in areas where I have felt complacent in the past.  I want to train with others (95% of the time, I train by myself) to help me to get to an elite level.  Coaching, running clubs, strength training our all elements I want to delve into where in the past is something I lightly considered.

Sadly, I cannot do this right now since I have a race this Sunday (Ironman 70.3 Syracuse) and guess who I am competing with and against. 

Your deductive reasoning skills are astounding (You nodding with excitement). 

Anyway, after the race is complete, I have new goals and new ways to reach them.  Thanks Jason, I needed that extra push.

For those that do not know what the Iron War is, read the book "The Iron War" or just watch this:

 

 

 If you are really bored, you can watch the full length version here

Stay tuned as a preview for Ironman 70.3 Syracuse is coming soon.

Race Day Approaching

With less than 2 1/2 weeks until Ironman 70.3 Syracuse, things are getting interesting on the training front and I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't nervous.  This is the first race I am trying to reach a real goal since each time before, I was trying to improve my time or simply finish.  Now, I am trying to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas on September 9, 2013. 

 

In my previous race, I did way better than expected breaking 5 hours (4:59:57, not a typo, it was that close) at the Bassman Half Ironman in Tuckerton, NJ.  It was a complete shock but reviewing the details of the race, the feeling of reaching an elite goal ( I consider breaking 5 hours Elite at the half ironman distance) is starting to slip.  The race had perfect weather: cloudy, barely any wind, 60 degrees and the course was entirely flat.  I know that term, entirely flat, can be exaggerated, but I am telling you, it was flat as a pancake.  It was built for personal bests.  Still, I am elated I broke 5 hours ahead of schedule because I would like to break 5 at Syracuse, but after doing a training bike ride and run with my good friends Tom (@TomHolowka) and Jason (@SBRTriathlon), it is going to be tough.  On top of that, I have felt I haven't improved at all since Bassman (Race was on May 5) which is a big issue because Syracuse is hillier than the elevation charts represent.  This is going to be tougher than initially anticipated.  I am confident I will perform well but I am not where I need to be.  I need to break through but feel I am going through a mental block.  I went through this in high school with track and cross country and it got me nowhere.  I just need to put in the work and push myself to the next level.

I am not trying to make any excuses because I know I train hard but it has only gotten me to this point, which would satisfy most.  However, I expect more of myself and want to be close to a professional level. 

Just have to keep pushing.... inch by inch: