The TriathleteNut

21m 14s 800.00 meters 2m 39s /100 meters

9m 52s 1.00 miles 9m 52s /mile

Weight training 1h 30m

Core Workout with Fitness Ball with:
Rows, Crunches, Dumbell Press, Hamstring Curl

Exercise Sets Min reps Max reps Min Wt. Max Wt.
BACK Bent-over DB row 2 15 15 35 35
ABS Crunches (FB) 3 50 50 0 0
FOREARMS Reverse Curls 2 15 15 20 20
TRICEPS Pulley pushdown 2 15 15 35 35
CHEST Flat Dumbell Press 2 15 15 35 35
TRICEPS DB Overhead Extension 2 15 15 10 10
SHOULDERS Military BB 2 15 15 40 40
BICEPS Straight Bar Standing 2 15 15 40 40
LEGS Hamstring curl 2 15 15 0 0

Sports
Baseball 1h

I’d like to thank the organizers of this event (Me) for providing a challenging and fun course and for the inspirational music (on my iPod) which I listened to during what turned out to be an awesome Memorial Day Weekend 10K Run.

The participants (ME) look forward to doing it again next year.

Yes… I did it. I’m not much of a runner as I may have stated before. I never have been. I’m still not much of one now. But since I started running, I’m loving it more and more. And after today - Sunday, May 28, 2006, I have realized that I’m just addicted to running as I am to Tri-events.

Leading up to the weekend I had planed to get in 10-12 miles on my bike. I haven’t been on it since the UCLA Iron Bruin Triathlon. Bad weather, sickness, and other personal issues got in the way. This also led to lack of motivation and basically, a month of May with no training. Again, the motivation to conquer the hill or ride four laps around the Rose Bowl got the best of me. And early this morning I decided to forgo my bike training and decided to just dedicate the day to my first ever 10K run. That’s a 6.213711920 mile run. I also decided to memorize the 1 Kilometer to Mile conversion to the ninth decimal space hence the nine decimal places on my mile conversion. Why? I had nothing better to do maybe?

The course that I decided to do was an uphill battle for 3.1 miles starting at my house and going up Verdugo and past Glendale College. I would turn around when my Garmin calculated 3.1 miles, which ended up being the stop light right before entering the Montrose area. From there I would turn around and cruise down Glendale Avenue and back home.

Sounds easy enough. I estimated a time of, well, around an hour plus or minus several minutes – mostly on the plus side. Whew… an hour of running. How’s that possible?

Well, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would or could be.

First, I’ve been running in pain as my right foot has been sore since the UCLA triathlon. I haven’t run, or even trained much since then, so I figured my foot is as healed as its going to be and I’ll have to live through the pain. Even walking has been painful. The purchase of new shoes, different socks and icing my foot after a run hasn’t helped.

But back to my run-

The weather was perfect. I’m talkin’ blue skies, a calm breeze, and a nine o’clock morning sun.

Perfect.

I had my Garmin strapped to my wrist and my iPod strapped to my arm.

Perfect.

The shoe of choice: My UK PT03 with the red Yankz laces tied just right.

Perfect.

The pain started right away. My first mile is normally the toughest. This first mile was torturous due to the pain. More negative thoughts go through my mind during the first mile more than any other mile thereafter on all my runs. Today, triggered by the foot pain, my mind was nonstop negativity.

Not so perfect.

The negative thoughts were thoughts like: I’ll just do two miles and turn around. I’ll just do a 5K instead of a 10K. I’ll just walk a mile, run a mile and walk a mile. It’s too hot to run. I’m not prepared for this distance so I might as well just focus on an easy 5K to get my legs use to it again and then do a 10K some other time. I should be biking not running today anyway. Maybe I should just do a mile then go for a swim.

Yeah… a whole mile at a 9:21 mile pace with those thoughts over and over and over again. It wasn’t pleasant.

After that first mile hump, the pain in my foot seemed a little more bearable and the thought of 3.1 miles on an incline was completely doable; especially with a 3.1 mile downhill as the reward.

It’s amazing what you find yourself thinking about when you run. First, concentration and focus is a must. Music helps sooth the pain - good for training - but normally prohibited in a race situation depending on the organization hosting the race. Focus is key. And during most of the run that’s all I do. I focus on each step. I look forward to the next mile marker. I make sure my pace is within range and I make sure I don’t overdo my water intake. Every half mile counts – baby steps. Losing focus would mean a slower pace or even a faster pace which could be devastating at the end of a race. In a race, I don’t want to have any effort left at the finish. I want to give it my all on the race course. I can’t cross the finish and feel like I’ve saved energy, its all got to come out of me and timing, pace, and pain threshold management is an absolute must.

When training I have to watch yourself and make sure the distance and pace is doable so that my recovery time isn’t a week, but a day or two because I’m training to train again and I need to have enough energy for the next day, week and/or month leading up to race day. So see… a plethora of things to concentrate on.

My first mile: 9:21. Speed 6.4 mph. A little too fast.

I’d be exhausted if I kept that pace up for the rest of the run. Especially since the first half was uphill. I figure going downhill will make up for a slower uphill pace so I gave myself an easier stride and maintained a pretty easy treadmill pace of a mid to high 5 mile per hour speed. On a treadmill, I can run a 5K at an under 6 mph speed and have tons left over to do 45 minutes of weight training. It’s my ‘run all day on a treadmill’ speed.

Second mile: 10:31. Speed: 5.7 mph. Right on target.

When I hit the second mile mark I almost turned around as this was the mile mark where I turned around the last time I ran this route. But I still had 1.1 miles to go before heading home and my legs were feeling pretty good. And once I passed the second mile mark, the run couldn’t have been more pleasurable. It’s at this point in all my runs - treadmill, road, Triathlon races - where I fall in love with running all over again. Yes, my first mile is the toughest and once I’m over that, the second mile is just running to run. After the second mile, it’s running for the joy of running. Does that make sense? You’d have to be there I guess.

By mile three I was looking forward to that ‘point one mile’ mark so I can turn around and glide back home.

Third mile: 11:03. Speed: 5.4 mph. A little slower than I wanted but it was a harder run than the first two miles for some reason. Fatigue mainly. My normal training distance is 3 miles and usually I let it all out during this mile but I knew I had to leave some for the rest of the journey.

Finally, the 3.1 mile mark and the run home.

This is when everything seems to fit in. I’m at this spiritual level mentally and emotionally. All I can think about is the run and how great it feels.

I picture myself, and this exact feeling, where I’m 12, 13 or even 17 hours into the IronMan Championships in Hawaii. I see myself struggling with a couple of miles to go, the finish line and lights in the distance, the remaining crowd cheering me on, the look on Donna’s face as I approach the finish, Jake and Bella waiting for me to cross, Dale screaming the only way Dale can, “Come on, man! Come on!” as I pass him and my sister taking a picture as I approach the finish. And finally, the hug from Donna as I struggle to stay on my feet.

I have pictured this moment like a movie in my head every single time I’ve run three miles or more. Every single time I see the dark road ahead to the illuminated finish line. Every single time I see my kids waiting, Jake’s eyes filled with worry, Bella clinging to Donna waiting for me to carry her. And every single time I cross the line I fall into Donna’s arms with tears in both our eyes as she says, “I’m proud of you.” I get all teary-eyed just thinking about it now. [breath]

It’s going to happen. Just like that. One day. Someday. 2008 maybe?

Next thing you know I’m down with two more miles and only have 1.1 miles to go.

Fourth mile: 10:16. Speed: 5.8 mph.
Fifth mile: 09:28. Speed: 6.3 mph.

A fast fifth mile. Yeah baby! With 1.1 miles to go and an ice cold Gatorade at the gas station, motivation is high, mental state is good and physical effort is pushed to the limit. Life couldn’t be any better at this moment.

The last 1.1 miles is all about continuing the journey strong. The ability to stay on my feet, timing stop lights so I won’t have to run in place (which I didn’t have to do during the whole run), and finishing strong yet able to walk normally for the rest of the day.

The last mile I picked up my feet. My legs felt a little tight. My chest burned as I took in air. At least in my head I’m moving faster. I’m tired, and this last mile was tough. But I didn’t have any negative thoughts from mile three on. I didn’t even think about stopping to walk a little to rest. It was all positive during this last three miles. I was on a high. I was gliding. I was finishing the first 10K run I’ve ever done. I have NEVER run this far or this long in my entire life.

Sixth mile: 09:19. Speed: 6.4 mph. Faster than the first mile!

It was a good sign that I actually was able to have some kick left for the end. Time, pace and speed management, baby! Awesome.

The last .2 miles: 01:53. Speed: 6.4 mph.

Here are my mile splits:
Mile 1 09:21, Speed 6.4 mph
Mile 2 10:31, Speed 5.7 mph
Mile 3 11:03, Speed 5.4 mph
Mile 4 10:16, Speed 5.8 mph
Mile 5 09:28, Speed 6.3 mph
Mile 6 09:19, Speed 6.4 mph
Mile 0.2 01:53, Speed 6.4 mph

Final time: 1 hour, 1 minute and 52 seconds. A 09:59 minute per mile pace.

I walked about 50 meters to the stop light, crossed, jogged with a little wobble in my legs to beat the light and made it to the gas station and purchased that ice cold Gatorade I was looking forward to. Then I walked the rest of the way home with a big smile on my face.

Ahhh… what a day. What a run. And all this before a good nap and a BBQ birthday party for my favorite niece Kena in the afternoon.

Can’t all Sunday’s be like this?

And… above all… I’m back! I’m on track with the training. It feels good. Countdown to the San Dimas Triathlon on June 10th - thirteen days.

1h 1m 52s 6.20 miles 9m 59s /mile

And what did I do to prepare?

A lazy 3 mile run and a unmotivated 450 meter swim.

But at least I did that right?

14m 15s 450.00 meters 3m 10s /100 meters

28m 52s 3.00 miles 9m 37s /mile

Cliff sent me home early today so I got an afternoon workout in. I love the gym around 2:30ish… Nobody is at the pool. Well… sometimes there are, but its pretty mellow. I managed a pretty good 700 meters. I was thinking 1 mile in my head. But at 700 I was spent. I didn’t want to overdue it. My throat was kinda scratchy due to allergies and I didn’t want to get worse.

Hopefully I’ll be doing at least 1 mile a week next week.

The weight training was great too. I felt like I pushed it and felt good after every set. If only it felt like that everytime. Good music, a quiet gym and concentration is all I needed.

I hope to bike this weekend. I haven’t done that in a LONG ASS TIME!

15m 39s 700.00 meters 2m 14s /100 meters

Exercise Sets Min reps Max reps Min Wt. Max Wt.
ABS Crunches (FB) 6 50 50 0 0
BICEPS DB Concentration 2 15 15 15 15
TRICEPS Pulley pushdown 2 15 15 35 35
SHOULDERS Front DB raise 2 15 15 12 12
LEGS Leg Press 2 15 15 180 180
LEGS Seated calf raises 2 15 15 45 45
CHEST Flies - Flat 2 15 15 35 35
BACK Lateral pull-downs 2 15 15 70 70

What a bad training day… Everything was heavy. Including me. I swam for only 400 meters and my arms fatigued. I wanted to do a mile… yeah right.

Then I did weights and couldn’t lift a thing. I struggled through some sets of weights and decided to end my day with a run.

Five miles? NOT… an under 9 min mile that I struggled through with stomach pains.

I’m hating life.

10m 01s 400.00 meters 2m 30s /100 meters

8m 51s 1.00 miles 8m 51s /mile

Exercise Sets Min reps Max reps Min Wt. Max Wt.
BICEPS DB Concentration 2 15 15 15 15
ABS Crunches (FB) 3 50 50 0 0
SHOULDERS Bent-over raise 2 12 12 12 12
LEGS Leg Extensions 2 15 15 90 90
LEGS Hamstring curl 2 15 15 70 70

Sports
Baseball 1h 30m

Every time I look at my upcoming Tri-events I have to take a deep breath due to anxiety. [/deep breath]

Having missed two triathlons in a row was mentally tough on me. Not only did I miss them, I had to deal with some serious personal issues in life… But life goes on; you lace up your shoes, jump into the pool, get back on the saddle and click the button online to register for the next tri.

The San Diego Xterra Sprint Triathlon I missed on May 7th was supposed to be the “big” triathlon I was training for since day one. It was big because it would have been my first open water swim (in the ocean no less) as well as my first ‘normal’ triathlon that goes Swim|Bike|Run versus a reverse or backwards tri that goes Run|Bike|Swim. It would also be my very first open water swim which I was very anxious about.

My next scheduled event was to be the San Bernardino Sprint on June 25th, which is backwards and in a pool, then a Sprint Relay in July that is normal and in a lake but I would only be doing the bike portion. So I wouldn’t be doing a normal tri-event which included an open water swim till July 30. That wasn’t good.

So I had to squeeze a normal tri-event in with an open water swim on June 10th. It’s a good starter tri-event for anybody. The swim is in a lake and its only 400 yards. The bike portion and run portion are also short. It should be a piece of cake, so-to-speak.

But still… [/deep breath] I still have anxiety about the whole thing.

Here are the details:
· Los Angeles Tri Express Series #3 - Saturday June 10, 2006, 8:30 AM
- Race: 400 Yard Swim | 8 1/3 Mile Bike | 4 Kilometer Run
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

My next race will be the San Bernardino Tinman Triathlon. And I’ll treat this backwards sprint like a sprint-sprint. I mean, I’ll be sprinting! I’ll go all out and finish that 100 yard swim in less than 2 minutes time. I’ll push myself to the limit like you wouldn’t believe! I can’t wait. BRING IT ON MOTHER FIRETRUCK!

Here are the details:
· San Bernardino 20th Annual Tinman Triathlon - Sunday June 25, 2006
- Race: 5 Kilometer Run | 10 Mile Bike | 100 Yard Swim
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

Then my next Tri will be what I call the “Family Tri” where my cousin, his son and I will join together as a relay team. It’ll be held in Sacramento. Our team name is called, “The Triathlete Nuts”!

Here are the details:
· July TRI for FUN Sprint Triathlon. - Saturday July 8, 2006
- Race: 1/2 Mile Swim (800 meters) | 16 Mile Bike | 3 Mile Run
SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO!!!

Swimming for The Triathlete Nuts will be my nephew, Keaton Mendoza (16) - my 1st cousin once removed in the legal title as relationships are concerned.

Biking for The Triathlete Nuts will be ‘yours truly’, Glenn Magas (39 at the time of the event).

Running for The Triathlete Nuts will be my 1st cousin, Desmond Mendoza (45) - Keaton’s dad hence the ‘once removed’ title for Keaton above.

It should be a lot of fun. Maybe I should get T-shirts made!

And finally, the big event for The Triathlete Nut… An open water swim in the ocean in San Diego… [/breath]

Here are the details:
· Solano Beach Triathlon - Sunday July 30, 2006
- Race: 1/4 Mile Swim (400 meters) | 9 Mile Bike | 3 Mile Run
NOT SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO YET!!!

And that, so far, are my upcoming races… [/deep breath] whew…

I ran my first 5 miles today on the treadmill. It was great! New shoes and a new distance. I’d like to do this distance every time if I can.

But my ankle is sore!

45m 25s 5.00 miles 9m 05s /mile

Suddenly it clicked. After not swimming for 10 days due to sickness and other personal issues, I get into the pool and bilateral breathing is suddenly a simple feat. Not once did I NOT alternate my breaths. It was weird. My body was turning so much better than months past! It felt good. I took it easy not trying to rush into my training after such a long layoff. I think I’ll workout less but workout harder? I was trying to get to the gym everyday. It could have led to my demise. Maybe extend my workouts a little more - swim longer, run longer, but don’t do it as much through the week.

9m 54s 400.00 meters 2m 29s /100 meters

Exercise Sets Min reps Max reps Min Wt. Max Wt.
LEGS Seated calf raises 2 15 15 45 45
ABS Crunches (FB) 3 50 50 0 0
TRICEPS Pulley pushdown 2 15 15 35 35
BICEPS DB Concentration 2 15 15 15 15
BACK Bent-over DB row 2 15 15 35 35

After trying to decide if I should do two Tris in a row and finally deciding to do both – the Loma Linda Tri on 4/30/06 and San Diego Spring Sprint on 5/7/06 I didn’t do and won’t do either.

I was sick so I missed the 4/30 Triathlon last week and at the same time I had a death in the family and drove up to Sacramento North for a funeral today.

Tomorrow’s Triathlon was the “big” Tri I was training for since I started thinking about Triathlons in December. It would have been my first open water swim, first regular tri where you swim first, bike then run. So I’m disappointed that I’m missing it… but more sad because of the death of my cousin Joshelene.

I’m in a very weird emotional state about this whole thing. It’s a weird feeling. Missing a loved one who just passed away and then missing a big event that I’ve been preparing for for several months.

I’m so confused emotionally and mentally right now.

The mental thing is weird. For six months I’ve been preparing my mind and body for this swim. For this tri. Mostly its been my mind which is the hardest part. There was not one day I didn’t think about it. Not once did I NOT feel apprehensive about it. It took a lot of preparation. Even when I bought my wet suit I felt okay, this is it, no turning back.

I didn’t prepare myself for my cousin dying. At least not right now. I’ve been in denial about her dying. Every time I dropped off my aunt and uncle at the airport to go see her because it may be the last time, she always pulled through and the next thing you know I’d see her at a family function. So this time didn’t seem any different. Sure there was the sense of fear that she may pass but I always believed she wouldn’t.

This time she did.

So here I am. I don’t want to grieve. I don’t want to see her in a casket. I don’t want to see others sobbing. But yes, I do want to be here. I have to. For me. For my family. For her.

Funny, she would have told me to do the Triathlon. But even so, even if she told me to, even if she made me promise to do something like that instead of coming to her own funeral there is no way I would.

Slowly getting into the groove.

7m 15s 300.00 meters 2m 25s /100 meters

8m 57s 1.00 miles 6.70 miles/hr