The minimalist running craze is hotter than ever. Compression is still around. Bright colors are in (note Erin’s post on Timex watches and a UK company is entering the US market with neon pink and neon orange — visibility and safety without crossing-guard look).

I think there were at least 5 new running shoe companies that touted the “minimalist running” benefits.

Not saying that it is “good” or “bad”. Just saying that the marketing bandwagon is ON.

I even found Austin pro, Patrick Evoe having some fun with lightweight high-heeled running shoes — like lightweight moon boots. They are so spongy, it’s amazing. I would have picked some up, as I like to be TALL, but they were $160. Woah!

On the other hand, that is far cheaper than the price of cosmetic surgery. I know this because I read the menu of services at the dermatologist. (I was getting my annual cancer-prevention skin-scan).

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In case you are a “bottom line on top” person, the bottom line is comeback (barely).

Step 1: Surgery
Bionic ankle surgery — October 28, 2008.
All that soccer caught up to me: no ligaments or cartilage.
That was a dang long time ago. Thought I’d be back at it in 2009. Blah blah blah.

Step 2: Rehab
I spent hours getting fatter and less fit while I balanced on things, increased range of motion, and spun on the bike at 75 watts in the closet on the trainer forever.

Step 3: Chasing
My mental state: chasing. Exhausting! I wrote about this here.

Step 4: DNS
Recognizing that all that energy is forced, not flowing. No IM comeback in 2009.

Step 5: False Start
IMCDA 2010. I made a promise: no IM until I can run 26.2 without a total horrid meltdown experience.

Step 6: Winning/podium finish at stuff that I used to roll my eyes at…. and laughing with joy
Like:
- “Mid-Life Crisis Division” at Couples Tri
- Master’s division runner-up at a 25K trail race (I had to walk down all the hills)
- Master’s division olympic distance Texas championship
- Master’s division winner at Kerrville Half (Where I crossed the line first, only to know that some 30-somethings were going to beat me)

Step 7: Real life perspective
I love my new career.
I went to my 20th undergrad reunion and love my college friends.
My kid rocks at equestrian hunter/jumper (and I took Ian’s advice and leased a pony).
I am now Aunt Juli.
My husband is a hottie (he’ll never read this, so I can embarrass him).

Step 8: Being Well
After an epic meltdown on July 31…. I’ve focused on inner calm and peace. I’m figuring out the whole GI distress thing (another post forthcoming).
My racing mantra: “I am Well: Happy and Peaceful”.

Step 9: Acceptance
Kona or retire from IM racing. If I can’t enjoy it, I’m out. Only way to know is to get out there. The training block was really fun, even the mile repeats.

Step 10: IMAZ
Well, I didn’t get my age-group record back. In fact, I didn’t even win my age group. But I put up a fabulous bike split without a total running meltdown. Off to Kona in 2012. :)
Bonus: My dad will be with me, celebrating his 70th bday.

Team I AM / I CAN is a group of people who have come together to achieve what they have been told is impossible: walking or running a 5K or 10K. Some of our teammates have Parkinson’s disease or are survivors of strokes and head injuries. Some of us are just pessimists and out of shape. All of us need motivation, inspiration and a team. The team provides support, training and a vehicle to pursue our common goal. We also share a common mission statement, “To achieve the impossible, we must change the environment.” Together, Team I AM / I CAN changes the environment and achieves what we were told was impossible.

Team I AM / I CAN invited me to talk to them about “How to Train Like a Real Athlete” (no snickers).

We talked through preparation and race day for the IBM 10k coming up in October. About half the team members’ goal was to walk or run the entire 10k; half set other distance goals.

The preparation discussion included a great chat about goal setting — setting a minimum goal (what I need to do; period), a solid goal (reachable but challenging), and a stretch goal (on a great day if it all comes together, I might…).

The team had quite a few questions about pacing and hydration on race day, as many of them have neurological issues that impact their decision-making and motor skills in activities of daily living — not adding the stress of a “race”.

Looking forward to seeing how we do!

Last week was recovery week.
Going into the week, I made a list, prioritized it, and continued to add to it and expect to accomplish more of it as I fantisized about all the time I’d have since I wasn’t training as much. I’m a few weeks into IM training, and I like to load the first 8 weeks, with a 3 on / 1 off pattern.

What I love: Stuff that got done:
- Volunteer at Austin Pets Alive! with Autumn (ok, don’t refer to my post about no more volunteering)
- Laundry (ok, Michael did that)
- Timex event with team I AM / I CAN
- Work stuff – lots of work stuff (e.g., new clients, new hires, administrivia)
- Carpets cleaned
- Landscaping hand-watered (we have some serious water bans given the current weather, and I can’t let the trees die)
- Stock up on training nutrition and freeze water bottles
- Reservations for my 20th reunion (undergrad)

It was Autumn’s final full week prior to Middle School, so we spent quality time together (and if you believe that….) – actually, she worked at the horse stable with her trainer, Lacy, which was right on target with what she loves. Ok, we did spend some time together. She encouraged me to buy a new pair of shoes (shoes that one doesn’t wear running or biking) — to replace the ones I love from 1999. We volunteered. We stayed up late, falling asleep by the TV watching Harry Potter movies.

What I hate: The potential for anxiety from that which did not get done:
Now it is Monday, and recovery week is over. I still have items on my list; perhaps I’ll get to them in a few weeks.
Time to pack the cooler and the bike for the morning.

I discovered a new delicacy — Power Bar Energy Gel Blasts “dipped” (ok, more like smothered) in salt.

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2. Saying “never”:
I’m doing another thing on my “I’ll never…” list. Yes, swimming was on this list too — I’m sending my child to private school. It’s middle school, so really, what can be all bad about a school of 10-20 kids. Don’t tell me; I don’t want to know. Anyways, my friend, Ariel Miller, is starting the school, so I’m totally psyched.

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3. Living the glamorous life:
The true logistical answer to "how do you have a family, a new business, and a time and energy-intensive hobby"? Bag management.
I have a bag or bags for every moment: Groceries. Teaching. Training. Food and drink. Horseback riding. Client visits. Networking opportunities. Dog poop.

Oh, the other answer is to not worry about things that don't REALLY matter, like the fact that, after 5 years, I still can't format my BLOGs correctly.

4. Siblings:
I’ll keep mine. Autumn has to “borrow” a step-cousin. Zach and I lived the rock-star life in Northern Wisconsin — skiing/wake-boarding, cycling, eating, staying caffeinated. We had several family adventures including driving Grandma’s white 1996 Grand Marquis.

“Because you can’t write habitually and well all the time, you have to be willing to write badly,” she said. “That’s how you get the regularity that enables you to be present for the good stuff.”

– Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize award for fiction for A Visit from the Goon Squad

More on the article here

What he had to say about his experience:

Q: Tell us a little about your background — athletics, career, and family.

I’m one of those fairly good all-round athletes but not exceptional at anything. :^) I played tennis in high school, all of the intramural sports in college, then I tapered hard off of sports for the better part of the next twenty years (other than some softball and sand volleyball rec leagues). When I turned forty I told my wife I was going to start jogging. She laughed as it was the third or fourth time I had said that. That was just what i needed! So I started hitting the crown jewel of Austin – the Town lake Trail. Amazing! On the professional side of things, after working in corporate america for five years, I knew I was an entrepreneur at heart and had to put together a business in an industry that I was passionate about so i could create a business doing something I loved. So I put together a business plan and raised money from friends and family and started BedandBreakfast.com. I sold it to HomeAway in March of 2010 and decided that in addition to spending more quality time with the wife and kids (before the kids wouldn’t have me around), I needed to pursue something on my bucket list – and I decided to try and find a full IronMan. Fortunately, they decided to finally put on a full IronMan in the fine state of Texas so I signed up. Unfortunately, spending more quality time with the family and training for a full IronMan sort of conflict… Now that the race is over, I am planning to move to the time with family piece of the equation more! On the family side of life, I have an amazing wife of 21 years and three young kids I love spending time with.

Q: How did your past experiences prepare you for IM training and the race itself?

Persistence is key. Sometimes you just don’t feel like putting in any miles/time. Most of the time, you do it anyway… Not always though. Sometimes I just couldn’t get my work out in because I didn’t feel up to it or didn’t have the time with crazy schedules of kids, etc. That’s when it was helpful being able to change things up and not be so black and white on the training plan. Ultimately for me it was not about crossing every T and dotting every I. I wanted the entire process to be enjoyable, from the first training session until I crossed the finish line and Mike Reilly said, “Eric Goldreyer, YOU are an Ironman!”. So I was not fanatical about training. But I did have to change things up sometimes when I could not do a 4 hour bike, but could squeeze in 4000 meters in the pool since it took less time. In those cases, I would switch the days, or sometimes simply miss a work out. It is not the end of the world. So accepting change and being agile as to the training plan (like in business) is good.

Q: What was the most challenging about training for IM?

Definitely finding the time! I know that sounds like total BS since I am somewhat retired at the moment, but it is still hard to find time to train with mtgs, appts, kids, family, etc. – all the other priorities in your life. I have a completely new level of respect for folks that train while working a full time job. THEY are amazing!!! I have nothing to complain about! But it was crazy…

Q: What is the craziest thing that happened when you were training?

Nothing too crazy other than I must have shown up at the ACC pool on a Monday 5 times. They are closed on Monday’s! It’s hard keeping track of days when you are not working…

Q: Tell us about race day — the race, the emotion, the finish.

I soaked in every minute of it (some minutes taking way longer than others!). I was pretty calm. I didn’t have any jitters since I had taken the approach to enjoy the entire process and had not saddled myself with hitting any specific time but was more wanting to go out and soak it all in. My wife and three kids were all there with me and I was looking forward to seeing them on the course and stopping and going over and giving them hugs and high-fives. The swim was brutal. Not the distance, but the left hooks and upper-cuts. ;^) Seriously, it wasn’t “that” bad, but a swim start with 2,500 folks in any body of water, not too mention a small body of water, is tough. My concept of starting towards the back so folks are not all around me was flawed. If I do it again, I will start as close to the front as i can get and deal with the inadvertent arms and legs. Starting at the back definitely cost me some time – not much in the grand scheme of things, but five minutes or so… We were lucky on the bike – we had cloud cover for the first 80 miles or so. Just so happens about the time the cloud cover left, is when my legs were ready for a change to the run. Coincidence?? The run was my favorite. I had to walk it some for sure, but still it was nice to pass some of the folks that blew by me on the bike! Chicken broth (with a handful of Ruffles thrown in) never tasted so good in my life as it did on the last loop of the marathon! I saved a little juice in the tank for the finish and did a negative split running the last two miles at a little over an 8 minute pace. I was bummed though in that I forgot to soak up the finish line as I was trying to go fast (which really was totally irrelevant at this point of the race and process!). Looking back, I wish i would have slowed down, given the family another round of hugs, and ran across the line with a smile as big as I was wearing most of the rest of the race. Next time!!??

It’s April in Texas and I haven’t been racing much yet, so it’s go time.

1. Galveston 70.3

Just goes to show you that even if I don’t lay the hammer down on the bike, the impact on the run is nonexistant. Maybe I was dehydrated. Thinking of giving up the aero helmet when it’s humid. I’m taking the Korey Stringer Institute guy seriously and doing some sweat tests.

It was a bit embarassing to get a call-out at the beginning of the race on how it would be a showdown between me and Claudia, and then I was 5th. Oops. I was 1st for awhile, thanks to the Orbea. At mile 3-4ish, my turnover went to something below a reasonable number. Seriously, I have been running faster in workouts.

First race of the year went like this:
- Scrambled around getting ready to go out of town – standard
- Met Jessica (lovely special friend of Mr. Schaning) – fabulous
- Played in the surf on Chann’s surf board – fabulous
- Talked to Lon (Power Bar) and Maurice (T3) about our gross limit, e.g., “So, if you were bonking and you found an open package of Power Bar Energy Blasts on the ground, would you eat them? How about if you choked on it and it came out your nose?”
- Listened to family complain about the food selection/availability – yuck
- Got up crazy early and waited for the last wave of the race – fabulous social; yuck waiting
- Swam – pretty good
- Rode Ruby the Orbea – fabulous fun; sub-par pace (about 5-10 minutes off the mark)
- Ran circles around Moody Gardens – fabulous fan cheering; had a bit of a yuck meltdown
- Sprint finish – are you serious? Some girl tried to out sprint me at the end – entertaining
- Qualified for Vegas – I wasn’t there to find out. The family met me at the finish and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

2. The Rookie
This is my favorite race in Austin. It should be called “The Social with a Triathlon”.

Decision: 300 meter swim. Water is 68 degrees. Air (we must have been living in the desert that day) 50 degrees. Wetsuit?

I chose to wear the wetsuit. I hate being cold.

The Rookie went like this:
- Wore the wetsuit; comfy waiting for the start (note all the goose bumps on other participants) – comfy
- Swam – came out with Keri, Mich, as expected – standard
- Biked – put a couple minutes on everyone but Natascha, who would lead the whole way and win – fabulous
- Ran – respectable run
- Sprint finish – again? This time I lost the runner-up spot by 3 seconds.
- Razzed – I was teased mercilessly about taking 2 minutes to get my wetsuit off and losing by 3 seconds.

3. ATC
This isn’t really a race, but it’s a challenging group ride.
ATC went like this:
- Nervous.
- Increased caffeine intake
- Rolled out with Michael (spouse)
- Group warm-up – social
- Hammer time – I’m still here
- Hammer time up the hill – I’m still in the first group
- Hammer time for a few more minutes – I’m gapped by 2 meters, which could be tough in the wind
- Look for help, see that Robbie Robinette is on my wheel – what?
- Call out to Robbie for help – it pays to be a chick
- Robbie comes around, closes the 2 meters – yeah
- Boom! My wheel pops — a screw went all the way through the rim – foo

What I like the best is that I seem to have found some peace and integration in my journey. Instead of competing lists of “to-do” items, I promote wellness and provide service to the community — which also promotes my business, Wise Companion Care.

We have a lot of fun in class – my choreography is a bit rough (I failed out of ballet and took up soccer), but I make up for it in challenges. Balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and cardo — it’s “Fun Functional Fitness”.

Recently, we got together after class to talk about nutrition. The big message (stolen shamelessly from Bo’s wife):

“Take Responsibility”
It seems like they are doing just that.

I love lists; they alleviate stress. In that whole Myers-Briggs thing, I’m ENTJ, with the J part of me preferring organization by list.
So, in order to encourage me to Get Things Done and celebrate accomplishment, as I love the immediate gratification of checking off an item, prior to traveling, I make three lists. The process always begins the same way: with a full list and two blank lists. Here is how it played out for our family-race trip to Galveston.

List One – To Do BEFORE I Leave
- Change tires on shimano wheels
- Bike check – Jack and Adam’s
- Send info to Michelle’s mom
- Financials – personal bills/checkbook
- Schedule appointment about local marketing with Jon
- Connect with local company about local internet marketing strategy
- Print 70.3 information
- Check driving directions
- Print hotel information
- Review background check for new associate
- Send Patti (mother-in-law) list (care for dogs, cats, and fish while gone)
- Complete registration packet for employer health fair/event
- Schedule mice eradication
- Change tube on shimano training wheel
- Call client
- Check in with caregiver staffed on new client/additional hours
- Get groceries from Whole Foods
- Get cash
- Pick up fused glass projects from art studio
- Check Galveston weather
- Fill gas tank
- Write/send April Wise Companion Care newsletter
- BLOG on Wise Companion Care
- Pick up surf board
- Talk to Chann about my race
- Talk to Eric about his race
- Connect with Cat about travel back to Austin
- Pack
- Write Timex BLOG about this to-do list

List Two: To Do on the way or when I’m there

List Three: To Do when I get back

The result: 4 items ended up on list two and 3 moved on to list three. Yes, evicting the mice from the garage attic got a happy check mark as it was completed while on list one.

Of course, all the reading, Facebooking, BLOG reading wasn’t on the list, but it was fun.

Hmmmmm …. Maybe I didn’t need those extra calories today either, Andrew. :)