Super Bowl Swami

Time for the Activeness Super Bowl prediction: Win or lose, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger will drink like a champion.

Race Report: Frostbite Series Race #4, Half-Marathon

January 28, 2006, Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri

Weather-wise, this one had the potential to get ugly. Heavy rain was forecast, but a few minutes before the race the light rain stopped. With the temperature in the high 40s, these were good running conditions. The raindrop reprieve was short-lived, as it started coming down again as we set off to cover 13.1 miles.

I ran even splits for the first four miles, sticking with a small pack that had set a pace that I was up for trying to hold, although admittedly it was a little faster than my PR half-marathon pace. It's even caught on film (upper right photo, in dark blue shirt).

The cone with mile-marker #4 on it was, unfortunately, set right at a cross street, leading runners to turn before they were supposed to. The chain reaction trickled through the field and we all cut the course unknowingly, perhaps by 1/8 of a mile. Once we hit the parking lot with a cone in the distance, something seemed wrong. That's when I spotted the cone with the arrow at the following intersection. Oh well. We joked about it and as I turned to look over my shoulder, Todd yells out, "I'm following you Jan!" I yelled back "Cheater!", all in good fun. On the second loop the guilt was too much and I was sure to stick to the course, which was now better understood. Perhaps as punishment for mistakenly cutting the course, the skies opened up and a cold headwind plastered my drenched dri-fit shirt to my chest. "This might be a long day," I huffed to myself.

At about mile 7, I passed the hacker, who was groaning away as usual. I was holding a good pace and eager to get out of range. The rain had lightened up again. I was now running with three guys: "Shades" (expecting sun?), "Headband", and Todd. We stuck together until about mile 9. These guys really pushed me to hang with them. Very motivating.

At mile 9, the wheels almost fell off completely. I was having a great race up to that point, but my stomach was suddenly not in the mood to cooperate. I had no choice but to back off as the three other guys pulled away along the straightaway. The hacker's wheezing was getting louder from behind. I tried to focus, knowing there was a bathroom up ahead if I got desperate and had to bail. The unspoken truth of endurance sports is that "accidents" happen, and you have to be ready to "handle" them. When I turned the corner past the bathroom, I started to feel better and had a downhill stretch to get it together. Perfect. By mile 10, I was feeling better and Sam, who had run the 4-mile race (5th place!), jumped from across the road and got a half-step in front of my shoulder and found the pace that he thought I could hold. I took a gel and soon, with Sam's pep talk and encouragement, was gaining confidence.

I was able to catch and pass "Shades" and then "Headband" as I put the hammer down and came into the finish with a new unofficial PR.

I decided to give myself the PR, since even when I added a minute to my finish time, I still had a PR for the half-marathon. YES!

After being on the brink of quitting with a bad stomach before cruising to a PR on a soggy January Saturday, I was reminded of a poem I used to keep in my soccer locker at Duke University:

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong,
As they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And when you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Printed by Daughters of St. Paul, Boston, Ma. 02130

Anonymous Racer X Goes to Kona

AnonymousRacerXComic, originally uploaded by jjactive2.

Discovering Armstrong's Successor

While George Hincapie may have earned his chance to lead the Discovery Channel team in the Tour de France, the New York Times reports that he'll ultimately be battling with fellow American Tom Danielson for team leadership. Danielson won't ride in the Tour this year.

Daniel Coyle on Lance Armstrong

Here's an interview from last summer with Daniel Coyle, author of Lance Armstrong's War.

What’s our biggest misconception about Armstrong?

"That he’s a nice guy. Lance is smart, charismatic, incredibly hardworking, and he does a lot of good works, especially within the cancer community. All that has led most of us to the misimpression that he’s saintlike or even cuddly. He’s not, by a long shot. Like DiMaggio, like Sinatra, like Babe Ruth, Armstrong is one of those who lives life all the way up. ... He’s the kid from nowhere who became best in the world at a sport that is very difficult, painful, and dangerous. He’s the proof that Darwinism works. As his best friend, John Korioth, says, Lance is animalistic, the ultimate alpha wolf. On the bike, and often off the bike, he’s a competitive beast."

It's a Disney World

The Disney-fying of triathlon seems like an ominous development. But battling pirates will add a nice twist to the swim.

U.S. Distance Runner Bob Kennedy Retires

Bob Kennedy, a two-time Olympian who was America's dominant distance runner for a decade, announced his retirement from racing at age 35.

"'I have no regrets,' Kennedy said. 'Of course, you're always thinking, 'I wish I would have done this, I wish I would have run a little faster.' That mentality is what keeps an elite athlete going anyway.'"

You Got to Keep It Real

The X-Man works out in the free-weight room, as that is the optimum way to simulate the closed kinetic chain movements that have become invaluable to my off-season strength conditioning regimen.

As I pumped iron yesterday, the two middle-aged women next to me were rambling on about their faith. "Jesus gave me the recipe for those chocolate chip cookies," said one. "I found it next to my bag at Bible study."

"Move it or lose it" is what I was thinking as I eyed their bench.

Just then I dropped a 45-lb. steel plate on my toe. "F-..." started to come out of my mouth until I realized who was next to me. After a brief pause, I went ahead and finished the expletive. I may have offended those devout women, but at least I remained true to myself. In this life you got to keep it real. Jesus understands.

Later,
Racer X

Average Marathon Finishing Time

According to MarathonGuide.com, the averaging finishing time for all runners who completed a U.S. marathon in 2005 was 4:45:47.

"2005 saw a record number of marathon finishes in the USA, with a 6.0% growth in the number of marathon finishers from 2004 to 2005. More than 383,000 marathon finishing times were recorded in the USA in 2005 - an increase from more than 361,000 finishes in 2004."

Tour to Start in London

The 2007 Tour de France will start in London. The race will visit the UK for only the third time in its 104-year history.

Her First Time

Elizabeth Baechler recalls her first triathlon.

"For some reason I wanted be a part of that dream. I wanted to challenge myself to a goal that I had no reasonable expectation of meeting. At the time, a triathlon suddenly seemed like the perfect 45th birthday present to myself."

Five Major Marathons Form Series

Organizers of the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City marathons have combined to create a two-year series in which they will award runners points and provide large cash prizes. Great idea for generating interest in the sport.

With a Little Help From My Friends

This Newsday story explores the positive impact of having friends as training partners. "Pick someone you trust ... a friend you can laugh with ... a person you can rely on."

Endurance Sports Resource Center

Race360 has race calendars and such.

Deactivating Misplaced Priorities

A Steelers fan suffered a heart attack when Jerome Bettis almost fumbled away the game last Sunday.

Movie Review: Wired to Win

Rating: * * * 1/2 water bottles (out of 4)

Over the winter holidays, I went on an outing with my sister's family to the Boston Museum of Science to see an IMAX presentation of Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France.

This is not a documentary about the Tour de France and its rules, heroes, winners, or losers. The movie shows how the Tour "is a dramatic example of how practice and repetition can 'wire' our brains to excel at complex, demanding tasks." And how "inside every rider...is a complex physical system composed of bones, muscles, neurons, and other tissues—all connected to, and powered by, the brain."

"Following the 2003 Tour de France, Wired to Win explores the capabilities of this amazing organ, integrating IMAX® technology, cutting-edge computer and medical imagery, and real-life racing drama to show how the brain responds to stimuli—and adapts for success as we learn, train, and practice."

The movie set out to focus on Tyler Hamilton's 2003 Tour. When he tested positive for doping, the focus shifted to two other riders: Australian sprinter Baden Cooke and French teammate Jimmy Casper of the FDejeux team. For cycling fans, the occasional glimpse of the big names such as Lance, Ulrich, and Tyler keep your attention. The footage is breathtaking and tests your stomach as you descend the mountain with the riders or go flying off a French mountain cliff (presumably from a helicopter's viewpoint).

While Casper wasn't so lucky in his 2003 Tour, Cooke's quest for the green jersey comes down to the final stage in Paris.

If you are a cycling fan, interested in exercise physiology, or the science behind mental strength as it relates to sport, I recommend you check this out.

The Return of Millar the Maverick

David Millar, once the golden boy of British cycling, will return to the Tour de France after serving a two-year drug ban from the sport:

"'I'm calmer, quieter, probably happier and sadder at the same time. The irony was that it took all that for me to grow up,' said the 29-year-old Scot."

Race Report: Frostbite Series Race #3, 20K

December 14, 2006, Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Running 20K races on consecutive weekends is probably a first for me, but when the temperature is above freezing, the sun is shining, and the body is feeling relatively good, I guess it’s good to get out and put in some work.

The two-loop course, with some out-and-backs, gave ample opportunity to wave to friends passing by. Or, in my case, wonder, “Who just said my name?” as I stared blankly at a mass of runners on my left, not recognizing anyone, but saying “Hey, good job” anyway.

This time I was able to stay a little closer to guys who usually smoke me and noticed a few behind me that are usually right around me. The three other guys that I formed a mini-pack with for miles 3-5 helped me keep a good pace, as did Sam, who had run the 5K earlier and joined me for miles 6-9. But perhaps my main source of motivation came from the desire to distance myself from “the hacker” – the guy who sounds like he is being punched in the stomach with every step he takes. Talk about distracting! All I wanted to do was get far enough ahead of this guy so I couldn’t hear him.

Overall, I was happy with my time and think I may have gotten some points for the age-group series competition. My time was significantly better than last week’s, probably for a variety of reasons, but it’s nice to see movement in the right direction.

Movie Review: Saint Ralph

SaintRalph
Originally uploaded by jjactive2.

Rating: * * * 1/2 water bottles (out of 4)

Fourteen-year-old Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher) doesn’t want to be an orphan. But that’s what he’ll be if his mother doesn’t get the miracle she needs to wake up from her coma. After being “conscripted” by his Catholic school’s cross-country team, Ralph learns from Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott) that it would take a miracle for him to win the Boston Marathon. Naturally, Ralph puts one and one together and gets three: “If I can win the Boston Marathon then my Mom will get better,” he deduces.

No chance, right? Not so fast, Phidippides.

Saint Ralph writer and director Michael McGowan, a distance runner himself — he won the 1995 Detroit Marathon with a time of 2:18:11 — claims that since 1954, when the movie is set, 14-year-olds have run faster than that year’s 2:20:39 winning time. And though Boston already was a big race back in the 1950s, it still was possible for an unknown to come from nowhere and compete for the win.

It turns out Ralph has both “an incredible capacity for work” and a conviction that he’s destined for greatness. In Father Hibbert, once Canada’s fastest marathoner and now a restless priest studying Nietzsche (“God is dead.”), he has an enlightened coach who supervises workouts like a 20 X 1-mile nighttime interval session and who doesn’t deny Ralph the power of prayer: “Most marathoners will tell you around mile 20 they’ll start praying for any kind of help they can get.”

With just five months until the race, can a combination of perspiration and divine intervention carry Ralph over the finish line first? “There’s only one way to find out,” he says.

Of course there are obstacles. Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the absurdly stereotypical stern headmaster, believes Ralph’s quest for a miracle is sacrilegious and is determined to keep him out of the race and in his place at the bottom of the school’s food chain. He’d rather beat Ralph down into salvation than help him build wings.

And Ralph is distracted by the beautiful but evasive Claire (Tamara Hope), who, though clearly intrigued by her suitor’s odd charms, constructs a “Great Wall of China” chastity strategy and claims she can’t date him because she’s destined for the convent.

As Ralph shapes up and “closes in on miracle country,” clinging to the idea he can win the race and bring his mother back to life, the dogged dreamer inspires Father Hibbert to recall why he became a priest: "To help people." And maybe to rekindle his own belief in chasing miracles.

“Before I met that young man, I didn’t much believe in anything,” says Father Hibbert as Ralph prepares to run Boston. “But now I’m starting to think that one day, when my time is up, God is going to ask me: 'George, did you ever put it on the line? Did you ever not know and still jump? Did you ever just close your eyes and let go?’”

Saint Ralph is beautifully filmed on location in and around Hamilton, Ontario. Though the Canadian filmmakers didn’t have the budget to shoot in Massachusetts for the final race scenes, they manage to replicate the feeling of Boston in the mid-1950s. Throughout the movie the running scenes are realistic and fun to watch. McGowan shows just enough training and racing scenes to capture the beauty of distance running without losing the interest of non-runners.

Saint Ralph jogs a narrow line both between comedy and drama and over-sentimentality and poignancy. It may be formulaic but it’s the “innocent underdog’s quest for greatness” formula that most of us like. There’s also just enough quirkiness — such as a scene in which Ralph’s deceased war-hero father appears as a vision dressed as Santa Claus and exhorts him to relax his arms while running — to keep us off balance. By the time Ralph digs deep for his kick to the finish line in Boston, we realize McGowan has created a touching fable about two things he’s passionate about: distance running and his faith.

Saint Ralph is available on DVD or video. Please don't get it at Blockbuster, as Activeness has put that company on its Permanently Deactivated list. If you're watching with the kiddies or Pat Robertson, note that some sexual content and partial nudity make its PG-13 rating well-deserved.

Deactivating Missouri's Boy Wonder Governor

The 225-mile Katy Trail runs along old railroad right of way across Missouri. Now 35-year-old Gov. Matt Blunt's administration has given away a key link in the trail, threatening the future of the rails-to-trails project.

Caffeine Limits Blood Flow To Heart During Exercise

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports on a new study showing that caffeine limits blood flow to the heart muscle during exercise. While coffee may not boost athletic performance for short-term exercise, I've seen lots of studies showing that it does enhance performance in endurance sports. In my own experiment of one, it works. The best thing is that getting off the caffeine is so easy that I'm able to quit several times each year!

Is This Heaven?

No, it's West Virginia."In tiny, secluded Marlinton, West Virginia, proprietors Kristy and Chad Mantz have created a gem of a concept: a bike shop/coffee shop/fitness studio/pool/bed and breakfast, all smack dab in the middle of some of the best riding you could ever find."

For the Athletic-Minded Traveler

It's tough to eat right and stay in shape when traveling for work. Athletic-Minded Traveler claims it can help healthy-minded individuals find the best places to stay, work out, eat, and have fun when traveling across North America.

Pushing the Limits

Elite athletes are pushing the limits of human performance, reports the Los Angeles Times:

"We're getting closer and closer to our species' physiological peak performance all the time. But the peak is theoretical, and it'll take infinity to reach."

Special-Interest Bike Shops

A list.

Race Report: Snowball Series 20K Run

January 8, 2006, Chesterfield, Missouri
If you want a low-cost, no frills, low-tech, loosely-measured winter "race," then I recommend the Snowball Series runs.

The early start-time had runners arriving pre-sunrise. When the group split into 5-mile and 20K participants, a small amount remained to tackle the longer distance.

The first few miles had all the runners on the streets simultaneously. After 2.5 miles, when the short-coursers turned around, the remaining runners thinned out. I felt good through the first four miles, but after that fatigue from cycling the day before began to weigh down my legs. I came in well off my usual pace, but early enough to avoid seeing the deer accident on the final hill. In the end, I was happy to get in the miles and run in good conditions.

As I was chatting with friends at the finish, sipping some hot chocolate, the race timer had his worst nightmare come true, as the finisher race tags lay strewn about the parking lot pavement, out of order. Oops.

What's Our Excuse?

Spotted on three treadmills — simultaneously — at the gym today:

* An 80-year-old man who for the past few years has shuffled around the fitness room's circuit with the help of a walker. He always wears the same striped polyester pants and long-sleeved, collared shirt. It took him about two minutes to climb onto the treadmill and get it started.

* A 50-ish blind woman who runs 2,000 miles a year and who has a smile permanently imprinted on her face. She recently asked if I had heard of interval training, which is what she was doing.

*A 60-ish woman using an oxygen tank to breathe through her nose as she walked.

What's your excuse for not trying something out of your comfort zone? What's mine?

Deactivation: Road Rager in Green Jaguar

I was out for a long bike ride on an uncharacteristically warm Saturday in January, minding my business and following the rules of the road. After executing a left turn at a busy intersection where several cars proceeded cautiously past me (thank you!), a 50-something man in a green Jaguar pulled even with me, honked his horn, and gave me the finger. Utterly perplexed, I sat up, extended my arms, shrugged my shoulders, and yelled "What's the problem?!" My presence on the road may have slowed him down by five seconds. I guess he was in a hurry to get back to his miserable life. Respect the lifestyle, dude! You have been Deactivated.

My faith in the human spirit was restored, however, on the rest of my ride as I crossed paths with other cyclists, all giving me the trademark wave. One guy even hollered, "What's up my man!?" as he rode into a headwind. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Spinning With "The Man" in Boulder

Boulderites wait in line for 45 minutes to take a Tuesday morning spin class led by former triathlon champion Dave Scott.

"Roughly 70 percent of each class involves variable-gearing combinations of low gear and big gear, seated and standing, while 30 percent is in a time-trial gear. 'Muscle recruitment at varying workloads is important for the development of muscle specificity and the type 2 muscle fiber,' says Scott. 'Too many triathletes always ride in their choice gear -- big mistake.'”

Registration Open For Chicago Marathon

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, which will go off on October 22 this year—about two weeks later than normal—is open for registration. Seems odd that running a 3:55:59 marathon in the past year is fast enough to qualify for a "Preferred Start." I blame The Penguin for the Great Marathon Slowdown. For me, running Chicago more times than I can remember has been enough of a great thing. Time to find a new fall marathon. New York?

30,000 to Run Disney Half and Full Marathon

Three thousand people will run both races, which are on Saturday and Sunday. I had no idea this race had gotten so big. 101 Dehydrations? My memories from running it in the late-1990s include waking at 3 AM EST (2 AM my time) and taking a bus to the park, where we stood in the dark for hours. The course had lots of concrete highway ramps.

Journey Into Computrainer

Inside Triathlon's interactive editor journeys to Seattle so RacerMate can fix his worn-out Computrainer in exchange for some free publicity. The writer points out there has been surprisingly little evolution in the Computrainer since it came out in 1986, which is something Diesel and I were just discussing. Imagine how cool it could be if we could get some EA video game designers on it. Read the story.

But Can Big George Climb?

PEZ speculates George Hincapie could be Disco's protected rider in the 2006 Tour. His mountain stage win opened some eyes (some of which were quite skeptical) last summer.

Sideways

This year all the cool triathletes are riding sideways bikes and drinking pinot noir.

As the Wheel Turns: Steve Warner’s Triathlon Odyssey

This article originally appeared in the January issue of SwimBikeRun St. Louis Magazine.

You want to hate Steve Warner because last March he went sub-5:00 — 4:46 to be exact — in his first-ever Half Ironman, which also happened to be his first-ever triathlon. Then you get to know him a little and you want to hate him even more because you realize there is absolutely nothing to hate about this guy. On the contrary.

The Olympic Crew

Warner was a runner at his Michigan high school, where he graduated as 1996 class valedictorian. He started rowing as a freshman at the University of Michigan.

“I wasn’t good enough to make the cross country or track teams so I tried rowing,” he says. “I enjoyed it because of the teamwork. It was a bunch of guys working hard toward a common goal. And I like endurance sports — probably because I’m not good at shorter distances.”

After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Warner, 27, spent four years training with the U.S. National Team in Princeton, N.J., where, oh yeah, he also held down a gig as a molecular biologist for Bristol-Myers Squibb. He survived an intense competition to land a spot as a lightweight rower on the Olympic team.

In August 2004, Warner rowed on the U.S. Olympic team in Athens in the “lightweight men’s four” event. His team placed ninth.

“It was a disappointing finish but a great experience,” he says. “Our race was during the first week, so we were able to spend the second week watching other events and meeting athletes from different countries in the Athlete’s Village. It was great to see how they trained for their sports.”

Discovering Triathlon

In September 2004 — on the day after he returned from Greece — Warner and his wife, Poppy, moved to St. Louis so he could begin medical school at Washington University. With no plans to continue rowing and a relatively slow initial year ahead as he embarked on a rigorous, seven-year Ph.D.-M.D. program, Warner found himself with some free time for training.

“I had a strong endurance base from rowing so I toyed with the idea of attempting an Ironman,” he says. “But I had never swum laps or been on a road bike.”

Instead, that November Warner tackled the New York City Marathon, where he posted a Boston-qualifying 3:05 in his first try at 26.2 miles.

But that didn’t quench Warner’s thirst for competition. Next up: triathlon. Taking advantage of his Olympic team discount, Warner purchased a new Cannondale R1000 bike and an indoor trainer. With an eye toward attempting a spring Half Ironman, he started pedaling.

“Since cycling is such a big part of a triathlon, I cut down on my running and focused on building my bike endurance,” Warner says.

To jumpstart his swimming, Warner “read stuff online” and pushed for faster times while swimming “lots of laps.”

Rocking Ralph’s

In March 2005 — less than six months after turning a road bike’s pedals for the first time and swimming his first lap in a pool — Warner ventured to the mecca of triathlon, southern California, for Ralph’s Half Ironman California. There he tore up the course in 4:46: 111th of nearly 2,000 competitors and 20th of 200 in his 25-29-year-old age group.

“My goal was to beat five hours so I was happy,” Warner says. “But I also realized triathlon was fun. I had a great time being in a race for almost five hours. And I’d never experienced anything like that feeling of being in the swim pack.”

If a half Ironman was such a blast, Warner must have reasoned that doubling the distance would deliver twice the pleasure. When he got back to St. Louis he signed up for Ironman USA in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Ironman USA: Wheel of Misfortune

To prepare for that July Ironman, Warner, who still didn’t know many triathletes in St. Louis and mainly was working out alone, kept his training focused on cycling and, as a tune-up, raced a sub-5:00-hour Halfmax Triathlon in Innsbrook, Missouri.

Race day in Lake Placid began as a picture-perfect first Ironman for Warner, who had two goals: a fast time and a fun time.

“The conditions were ideal and it was one of those days where everything seemed easy,” he remembers. Hurtling along well ahead of his projected time at mile 72 of the ride, Warner was dealt some adversity when another rider collided with him at an aid station. The crash bent his rear wheel to the point that it wouldn’t fit back into the frame.

As race officials scrambled to help, Warner waited patiently on the side of the road for two hours and 15 minutes. “First they tried to fix it with a spoke wrench but the wheel was too bent,” he says. “Then they were riding around trying to find a different wheel for me.”

Meanwhile, rider after rider came streaming past. “I was disappointed at first,” he admits. “But after about 30 minutes I gave up on my time goal and just wanted to get back on the bike so I could beat the cutoff and run a good marathon.”

Warner’s thoughts also were with his wife, who had watched him pass through the halfway point of the bike loop and then returned to the transition area to wait. “I felt bad sitting there because I knew she was worried that I wasn’t showing up and I had no way to contact her,” he says.

Eventually, a different aid car came through and a resourceful mechanic was able to bend the mangled spokes enough that the wheel fit through the frame and Warner could ride the last 40 miles.

After finishing the bike leg, Warner reeled off an impressive 3:25 marathon. “It seemed anti-climactic because I was so far behind my time goal,” he says, “but it did feel good to put together a strong run.”

In the end, even with a break long enough to catch a movie at a local theater in the middle of the race, Warner finished in less than 13 hours.

Ironman Wisconsin: Beg, Borrow, and Steal

With his second year of classes starting at Washington University in August and free time becoming increasingly scarce, Warner had planned for Ironman USA to be his last race of the season. But the Lake Placid experience had left a sour taste in his mouth.

One week after returning from New York, Warner signed up in the collegiate division for Ironman Wisconsin, which would be held five weeks later on September 11.

“I had to recover from Lake Placid for a few weeks, train for Wisconsin for about a week, and then bring it back down,” he says. “There’s not much you can do.”

On the Wednesday before Ironman Wisconsin, Warner noticed the garage door ajar behind his Central West End home. “The garage had been broken into and two things were gone,” he says. “The lawnmower and my bike, with a newly bought disc wheel. My stomach dropped.”

Without a bike, Warner feared he may have to drop out of the race. He turned to Washington University classmate and St. Louis-area triathlete Sami Barmada for help.

“Going back to September 2004, Sami had been instrumental in getting me fired up about triathlons and trying an Ironman,” Warner says. “And throughout my training he had been so patient in answering all the questions I had as a beginning triathlete.”

Barmada placed a call to local triathlete Jan De Weer, who, at 6-feet-1, stands about two inches shorter than the 6-feet-3 Warner, and asked the question that has been known to make even the most laid-back triathlete’s leg stubble stand on end: “Can my friend borrow your bike?”

But De Weer gladly handed over his rig. Two days later it was in the back of Warner’s car and headed north to Madison. “I took the bike on a test ride the day before the race to make sure it was good and tight and comfortable,” Warner says. “I adjusted the seat up a bit but didn’t want to mess with Jan’s fit.”

Warner went into race day with a fresh set of objectives: “My main goal was to finish a continuous Ironman without anything happening,” Warner says. “My secondary goal was to get a fast time.” Once again, though, circumstances beyond Warner’s control — this time Mother Nature — intervened.

What did happen at Ironman Wisconsin is well-known by now: brutal heat and winds decimated even the most experienced, best-conditioned Ironman athletes, turning the event into a Death March.

“It was a hard race,” admits Warner, who finished in 12:17 — in the top quarter of his age group but more than an hour behind his expected time. “Getting out of the water I knew it wasn’t going to be a good day. No matter how hard I tried, nothing felt fast. But I was happy to do a continuous Ironman.”

Warner reached the finishing chute throwing up and weighing 160 pounds — 10 pounds lighter than when he started. “I wasn’t as bad off as many, but I went to the medical tent for some fluids,” he says. “After about a half-hour, we drove back to St. Louis because I had class Monday and my wife had to work. She was a trooper.”

For Warner, one huge positive came out of Ironman Wisconsin: “I experienced how great the St. Louis triathlon community is. It was great of Jan to trust me with his bike on such short notice.”

De Weer points out that Warner more than paid him back. “He returned my bike with two new tires on it and $100 in cash, which was totally unnecessary but shows what kind of guy he is.”

A New Focus

Though he’ll run in the Boston Marathon next April and has been competing in local road races, Warner has no plans to enter another triathlon until school eases up in a few years. He hasn’t even replaced his stolen bike.

“I’m ready to start focusing on a career in academic medicine instead of sports,” says Warner. “But sports still are way more fun. There’s something about heading out and doing a long ride and then coming home feeling completely wasted. Whatever that feeling is, it’s awesome.”

Visual Proof That Umbrellas Don't Always Offer the Right Type of Protection

Umbrella

Mapping America's Running Routes

Map a running route.

Deactivation Is First Step to Firing

So the Rams finally fired coach Mike Martz. This September 15 post proves you shouldn't underestimate the power of an Activeness Deactivation. It's rare but lethal.

Activations: Breaking the Plane

This column originally appeared in the January issue of SwimBikeRun St. Louis Magazine.

Activation – noun: making active and effective

It’s first and goal. What are you going to do: Take a knee and let the clock run out or move forward and try to break the plane of the goal line?

The score doesn’t matter. Neither does your record. This is about you moving in a direction to better yourself. This is about challenging the status quo, the comfort zone, the resistance to change. This is about letting go of your fear of failure or unpredictability.

What are the planes you need to break in 2006?

In some cases it’s a physical barrier defined by spatial boundaries. Like the plane of a warm bed cover when the alarm to exercise goes off on a dark winter morning. For many Americans, it’s the confines of the couch in front of the TV. Some planes, such as the snack cupboard or liquor cabinet, are better left unbroken. Imagine an electric fence in your refrigerator doorway.

Mental planes are just as prevalent and often precede the physical. Finding the self-confidence to set a goal and believe in yourself enough to actually think you will accomplish it can be difficult, no doubt. It’s easier to hide backstage, behind life’s curtain, and criticize the performers. The catch is that your dreams may be on the other side.

Find the slit in the curtain and try stepping through. Show your boss that new design you’ve been tweaking for months. Submit your song to a record company. Send your poem to your parents who don’t know you write poetry. Get your screenplay into the hands of your cousin’s producer friend in L.A. Say hi to that friendly face on the elevator or at the gym. Break the self-imposed force field you’re lugging around. It may protect you from rejection or failure, but it’s just as likely to block you from your dreams.

Break the still surface of a quiet swimming pool. Hop on your bike at daybreak and go. Break the plane of your front door and put one foot in front of the other. The momentum of a streamlined push off the wall or a few pedal strokes will carry you further than you could have imagined. Possibilities exist, opportunities are created, connections are made, ideas are born. Journey to a new plane where promises to yourself are made and kept.

It’s first and goal and you’re in the huddle looking at all the pieces of your life staring back at you. It’s time to decide what to do. Don’t take a knee or get called for another delay of game. Run a play that moves you forward. It’s the only way to win.

Here’s hoping you break some planes in 2006. Break!

Respect,
JPD

The Edge's Stocking Caps Won't Protect My Melon

Last night my recurring nightmare recurred. I was staying in the summer beach home of U2's The Edge, in the south of France, and Lance Armstrong stopped by to pick me up for a training ride. In the dream I always scramble to get ready as Lance gets increasingly antsy and threatens to leave me behind. The problem is I can't find my bike helmet anywhere. Instead, I keep finding clothes baskets in every room that are full of The Edge's trademark black stocking caps. Hundreds of stocking caps are everywhere but not a single helmet! "Dude, those stocking caps may look cool but they won't protect your melon," snarls an exasperated Lance before pedaling away.

In unrelated news, I've dropped Wilhelmina, my masseuse, from the X-Man's Success Posse. She was doing a decent job and it's nothing personal—I just felt like she was getting too comfortable. This move sends an important message that this season we all need to be more uncomfortable.

Later,
Racer X

Activating Tony Dungy

For doing the hardest thing any father could do:

"With his 18-year-old son's body in the closed cherry casket before him, his entire Indianapolis Colts team to the left, his extended family and friends to his right, the NFL family in the center section, Tony eulogized his son for 15 minutes."

Race Report: Frostbite Series Race #2, 10 Miles

December 31, 2005 - Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
My main concern entering race #2 of the 5-race winter running series was not whether I would score points by placing well in my age group, but rather if my sore calf would be strong enough to cover the 10-mile course.

I forced myself to hold back in the first mile and see how I felt. The calf held up well and I kept a steady pace throughout, with constant chatter and encouragement from Jay who was running "to get in a workout." Conditions were dry and cool but comfortable and sunny.

It was a rare occasion; not running for a PR or fast time. So I was satisfied in finishing without pain and with a respectable time - slower than last year, but not by much. With the busy 2005 holiday season in the books, I'm hoping to get stronger with more consistent training.

Exchanging New Year's wishes with all my runner friends was like putting a bow on the gift of 2005.

Happy New Year!

Black and White Lance

I've noticed Lance Armstrong sees things in black and white: right or wrong, with him or against him — no hedging. So here's your opportunity to see him in black and white. A Lance Armstrong gallery in the NPPA's "Best of Photojournalism 2005: Still Photography Winners" awards has some great shots.

Download a Running Log

This is a good time of year to start keeping a running log. Track shoes, races, training runs, nutrition, whatever. Download an Excel-based log. Maybe I will, too. The mental log ain't what it used to be.

Activating a Champion Unicyclist

A unicyclist with mouth cancer and a smokeless tobacco sponsorship is "fighting cancer as any other human-powered-vehicle enthusiast would." Read the story.

First Annual Activeness Racquetball Tournament

Off-Season Event Report: First Annual Activeness Racquetball Tournament, December 31, 2005, Mid-County YMCA

A dicey toe hangnail kept me on the sidelines, but here are my observations on an epic end-of-2005 racquetball tournament between the other two Activeness co-founders.

Later,
Racer X

PARTICIPANTS
Jan, John: Neither had played in more than a year and the two previously had not met on the racquetball court.

UNINVITED
Friend of Activeness Diesel, who plays racquetball twice a week and is considered way too good.

PROGNOSIS
Jan brings the superior hand-eye coordination and competitiveness of a former professional athlete. He’s younger and quicker. Slight edge in experience and strength to John.

VARIABLES
Jan competed in a 10-mile running race earlier in the day. John was not well-rested.

RESULTS
Sorry, but what happens on the Y racquetball court stays on the Y racquetball court. Fitness center director let the two extend past closing time to battle for final points as both players went into their two-minute offenses trying to get to 21. Prediction: Each guy would win 50 if they played 100 games.

SUMMARY QUOTES
“It’s a nice change from multisport to play for an opportunity to win. Plus it’s fun. I felt like a kid.”
- Jan

“It seemed like I was playing against myself. And man, that’s a lot of sweat.”
- John