ZenTri Podcast 243 - IronBaby 2013

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This episode is the crown jewel of the ZenTri podcast.  I record before, during, and after the IronBaby; ZenTri's annual self-supported Iron-distance triathlon.  

We started out with a 2.4 mile swim in "Lake Ironbaby".  It's a 25 meter community pool with no lane ropes, no lane lines, and even no markings on the walls.  It's like swimming in a white abyss; more challenging than you'd think!  155 lengths gets you 2.4 miles.  Six swimmers in that thing created a nice amount of open-water chop, making it quite a trip.  A good swim for sure.  

A quick check of the water with the Suunto Ambit2 before we started showed it to be chilling at around 68 to 69 degrees.  That called for wetsuits.  I thought it would be tough to do turns in one, but it wasn't at all.

A quick review of the racers and distances: Phil and I did the full swim, bike, and run. Matt, April, and Stacy did the half-distance.  Gary had IM Florida coming up soon, so he did the full swim, bike, and then ran a short while after he finished the bike to see how his legs felt.  

Alright, back to the race!  We all finished swimming around the same time and headed back to my house just two miles away to start the bike.

It's tradition to mark your lap count on the driveway with kids sidewalk chalk. It keeps you from forgetting which of the four bike laps or nine (yes, NINE) run laps you are on.

Athletes are required to self-support, so the easiest thing to do is put whatever you think you'll need in your own cooler for quick access.  Here's mine.

You can see small bottles of BeetIt beet juice in there.  They are kick-ass shots of liquid VO2 Max.  Love it!

I rocked a 12:35 finishing time, then gathered myself together enough to snap this blurry picture of Phil crossing the finish line.  Go, Phil!

I definitely wanted to go faster, but my stomach wasn't having it that day.  Gary, on the other hand, was setting a blistering pace on the bike and run.  If he went all the way, he would have smoked us!

Speaking of stomachs, I want to give a shout out to Freebirds Burritos.  They are the coolest burrito shop you could imagine and they brought lots of food for us and our families.  Here's a shot of the inside of their store on Rock Prairie Road for an idea of how crazy these folks are.

Amrita also sent a ton of their bars for us to use and hand out.  I should have eaten more of these on the bike instead of that gel stuff that made me queasy!  I'll remember that next time.  They taste incredible.

We had all this great stuff set up under a giant Specialized tent loaned to us by our local bike shop, Aggieland Cycles.  And then under that tent, we had a keg of ale sponsored by New Republic Brewery!  Talk about awesome!  Maybe I'll post more pics of that once we throw the HOA off our trail.  :)

Emily had a banner made up that hung from the tent.  We looked totally pro! Nobody is going to confuse us with Ironman, but I think Emily just found the edge of my comfort level.  I don't need any letters delivered by certified mail, if you know what I mean.  

While I was putting this post together, I stumbled across the picture of Kai and I podcasting together in 2005.  This wasn't too long after IronBaby #1.  

I really love that picture.  There is so much history going on in one shot!  

That wraps up the blog post, but there is TONS more in the podcast.  Make sure you check it out.  And a huge thank you goes out to everybody involved.  The IronBaby is a living symbol of what people can do when sufficiently motivated.  Keep. It. Up.

9th Annual Ironbaby is Sunday!

The Ironbaby is a self-supported iron-distance triathlon I've been doing every year since 2004. (Link to page here) While I do the full distance, others are invited to come do as much or little of it as they want. The two other full-distance finishers are @Triboomer (2011) and @Mchristian (2012), and we might add another to this list in 2013 - @KingOfPain.

I started doing this because my son was born prematurely and I was sent home to basically do nothing... for two months! I decided to show how hard I would work to save his life if given the chance, so I went out and did the hardest thing I knew - A solo Ironman. I had never done one before and it was definitely the toughest thing I've ever done in my life.

The next year, it struck me that this would be a great event to do annually. So I did it again and gave it a name - The Ironbaby.

The following year, I started promoting March of Dimes as the charity since they help with kid's hospitals. And then friends also started joining in! As the swim, bike, or run happens, other people can jump in and do however much as they want. It is now a giant endurance sports party!

A few years ago, we added Suunto, Freebirds and Aggieland Cycles as sponsors. And then New Republic Brewery joined in last year. This year, we now include Brazos Running Company.

So come by and join in on the fun! Who can pass up free beer and burritos while watching others suffer? If you donate to the March of Dimes, send me an email with how much you gave so I can keep track. Maps and more about the course can be found here on the Ironbaby's permanent page.

So you can get an inside look at how a self-supported Ironman comes together, I've included a live viewer into the planning document below. Keep your eyes on it and you will see items expand or get checked off over the next few days.

ZenTri Podcast 542 - Angela Naeth, Kona Review, and Identity.

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The amazing Angela Naeth joins us to talk about what it was like to race the epic Ironman Lake Tahoe.  She finished 3rd in the swim, 5th overall!  

I also do a full review of Ironman Hawaii, covering all the big players, the dynamics of the race, and how you can put to use what happened on race day.

Below is a video of Luke's post-race interview.  Most interesting is him talking about how he held back on the bike more than ever before...

Video streaming by Ustream

I also found the interview with the overall winner Fredrick Van Lierde particularly intersesting.  His goal wasn't to be first off the bike, but to be "the strongest runner of the strong bikers."  Very important words to remember.

Video streaming by Ustream

There is lots more analysis and tips in the podcast, so listen in to feed your brain.

Before you leave, don't forget to hop over to The Ironbaby page to check out the big event on Oct. 20th.  Donate to the March of Dimes at the link at the bottom of that page to get your name in the drawing for a Suunto Ambit 2 S!

ZenTri Podcast 541 - Jodie Swallow and Priorities

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I interview one of the top pro triathletes just before her Kona debut, Jodie Swallow.  She is one of the most competitive and driven professionals I have ever met, and it shows in our conversation.  

Also, I talk about the Zen view on Priorities.  What are they, how do they work, and how can you use them?

Links mentioned in the show - 

• Video of Jodie swimming freestyle.
• French guy swims butterfly across entire English Channel.

Intro music for Jodie's interview is "Hot Like Sauce" by Pretty Lights.

As always, stay safe out there until the next episode!

ZenTri Podcast 540 - Ben Greenfield and the Monkey Mind

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I interview the endurance body-hacking wizard Ben Greenfield about fat burning, the ketosis diet, and Kona qualifying.  I also cover the Zen view on the Monkey Mind and how to get it under control. Finally, I do the ketosis diet myself and tell you what it's like to try to train for Ironmans on body fat alone.

Links mentioned in the show - 

• Ian Sharman and Nick Clark dueled it out for the 100 miler grand slam.
• Dirk Bockel training and racing video. 
• Melissa Hauschildt in the windtunnel. 

Above is a photo I took on a break during a three hour bike ride while in ketosis.  It can be done, but it was tough!

Kai and I went out to check on Emily during her own long ride.  We brought our black lab Kona along for moral support.

Sometimes I went biking before breakfast.  Here's the handlebar setup for night riding right as the Sun was coming up.

Above is what it looks like when you scramble eggs with guacamole mixed in, then cook it in a coffee mug in the microwave.  Works great!  This is a typical high fat, low carb snack.

I took the above sketch to a local machine shop to get a part made.  It will allow me to get my seat farther forward, sitting on my butt instead of my crotch. They were a great shop, so I'm excited to share the results when it gets finished.

As always, stay safe out there until the next episode!