 I was surprised to see my name on the March leader board at Plus 3 Network. I made the Top 50 for "hand entered" workouts coming in at number 48, earning $18.32 for World Bicycle Relief. One more workout would have easily moved me up another half-dozen positions, so I know I can do a bunch more if I can have a month without some kind of cold slowing me down. For anyone unfamiliar with the site, Plus 3 Network is a tool for tracking training. More importantly, it is a tool for turning training into donations for worthwhile causes. When signing up, each participant selects a sponsor/cause combination. Then, as training is documented, each participant earns money which the sponsor contributes to the specific charity. As a means of documenting and tracking training, Plus 3 Network is far short of many of the Online resources. But the ability to raise money for various organizations makes it a great tool. Consider my account. When I registered, I selected World Bicycle Relief as the charity. SRAM is the sponsoring company. Since November of 2008 I have logged nearly 1600 miles of training in a total of just over 235 hours. For me logging that training into Plus 3 Network, SRAM has donated $66.52 to World Bicycle Relief. All totaled, more than $10,000 dollars has been raised by people training for a cause. For me, it is a no-brainer. I'm already doing the training, and I'm already documenting the training in multiple locations. I have to fill out my company's wellness forms and my personal tracking file. The 30 seconds it takes to log the workout into Plus 3 is well worth the effort. An added benefit is that various sponsors run "Challenges" that allow participants to compete for rewards. Since starting, I've picked up some SRAM socks, a reusable shopping bag, and a couple other little goodies. I've yet to win drawings for some of the bigger items which have included Garmin GPS units and store gift certificates. If you haven't stopped by their site, check it out. They have dozens of causes to which you can dedicate your training, and the site is easy to use. It's a great way to make your training count for others, and every time a workout is entered, you have the joy of knowing you're doing something positive.
For those still reading my posts (all three of us) who were unable to access the site recently, the host sent a note detailing the events surrounding a concentrated Denial of Service attack that occurred over the past week.
They even provided a spiffy 50% off coupon for services by way of "making up" for the situation.
There are two remarkable things, there. First, that a simply blog hosting site would be victim of such a concerted effort. Perhaps I need to do hit more of the sites they host. I might be missing something. And second, that they would provide a discount coupon for the ridiculous acts of an outside party. Unfortunately, such attacks are just part of life in the Internet world. (Should we thank Al Gore?)
Weebly has apparently spent a great deal of time and money to improve their infrastructure and ability to handle such attacks in the future. Given their handling of the situation, it's only fair to recommend them for anyone looking for somewhere to set up a blog.
There are probably a few people still following this blog who remember me in "my other life." That would be my life as Running Pol. While Iron Pol is focused primarily on endurance events, particularly triathlon and Ironman, Running Pol split time between politics and running.
When I transitioned to triathlon, I left the political discourse behind. Well, mostly. I know I've thrown a few things up here. In order to minimize the impact of politics on this site, I've decided it's time to allow Running Pol to be reborn from the ashes.
Since this site will remain as my record of training, races, and family matters, a new site has been created. My new foray into political blogging is called Always Right. Anyone interested in just how my mind works in that arena, stop by.
And the rest of you will be free of the political rantings on this site. As always, I appreciate everyone stopping by to check up on me and make sure I'm still able to type.
For anyone who hasn't noticed (and actually cares), I seem to now have accounts with both Facebook and Twitter. My sister pushed me to actually use my Facebook account, as she was concerned my blog was the only way she knew what was going on in my life. Of course, my blog details most of what's going on in my life, namely training.
Tonight, there was a news report about second graders using Twitter, and my wife wondered what it was all about. I signed up so we could see. Oddly enough, I signed up with the username ironpol.
I never said I was creative...
As commented in the previous post, motivation can be a challenging thing to maintain during the long winter months. Especially when it's a cold, snowy winter that makes training outdoors difficult. This year, members of Evotri have a team challenge to keep things interesting.
Participants in the Evotri Iron Challenge have taken it upon themselves to log at least one Ironman each month, meaning the same 140.6 miles of an IM distance race are completed. Everyone is welcome to complete as many multiples as they want, and each successive success at 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running qualifies for another "entry" in the challenge.
We are using Plus 3 Network to track our training mileage. In addition to providing a convenient (and free) spot to document training, Plus 3 Network allows us to raise charitable funds for various organizations. For each training mile completed, various companies make small contributions to one of many local, national, and international charitable groups.
For increased motivation
No, you aren't crazy. The look of the site DID change, again. My hand was kind of forced, this time.
If you'll check out the tabs at the top of the page, you'll note that a Forum tab has been added. Now, to be honest, I'm posting this before even taking a look at the forum and seeing how it works. So if you see it vanish, or the site revert back to the previous layout, it means I was less than enthused with the addition. I'm hoping it will give people another means of communicating. Sometimes, comments just aren't effective for discussions.
So, stop by the forum and see what's up. I'll be playing with it to get the layout right. Feel free to start a discussion, make comments, ask your own question, or answer that of another person.
Well, it's now official. I am registered for the High Cliff half-Ironman on June 20. This was the same race I completed as my first ever half-IM.
It seems only fair to review the 2008 goals and accomplishments before moving on to 2009. Besides, it's the "in" thing to do. So here we are, the 2008 facts and figures.
Training Statistics:
Swim - 144,660 yards (just over 89 miles). This was short of my goal of matching my 2007 swim yardage. In retrospect, that was probably unrealistic as 2007 was my debut Ironman year.
Bike - 700 miles (including 130 "estimated" miles on trainer using 15 miles/hour). Way short of my similarly unrealistic mileage goal of 1500 miles.
Run - 1035 miles (my first time breaking 1000 miles in a year). The one distance success for the year, well beyond my 750 miles from last year.
Major Accomplishments:
Trinity Triathlon Sprint PR (this is the same race where I completed my first ever triathlon, breaking my bike chain and running about seven miles of the bike course, finishing dead last).
Marathon PR of 3:41:38 (set at the Green Bay Marathon).
Half-IM PR of 5:27:55 (set at the Spirit of Racine Triathlon).
Completed 40 and 50 mile ultramarathons. The 40-miler was an official marathon completed after running the half-marathon course in reverse to get to the start. The 50-miler was the Fall 50 Endurance Race, complete in 8:58:00.
Looking Forward:
In 2009, I will try to double swim and bike volume. My run goal is to again break 1000 miles. On the race front, I will run one marathon with no time goal whatsoever. I will complete another as a "double" for 52.4 miles. I will race the High Cliff half-IM and attempt to break my PR at the race, though I don't believe I will pursue my overall half-IM PR. It's a tough course.
I will also continue to give back by coaching the youth tri club. I should have three returning members and hope to add several more to that. I also plan on being in Madison to volunteer for IMWI 2009, and hope to have both the funds and approval to sign up for the 2010 race.
That's the "short and sweet" vision for the coming year. I appreciate everyone who has checked in during the past year. Train safe, race hard, and have a great 2009!
First, allow me to apologize to anyone who spent an hour last Saturday listening to a radio broadcast that, in the end, did NOT include the interview of yours' truly. After learning how to record streaming audio, arranging things around the broadcast, and then taping the entire hour, it became apparent that interview will be another day. My wife pointed out that perhaps they recorded two week's worth of tape to account for the holiday weekend.
For the sake of convenience, I will be recording the interview and will post it here. That way, only my time is spent waiting in the event it isn't on THIS week's broadcast.
It's been a great month of training, and I am nearly complete with the mileage for the Evotri Ironman Challenge. I have completed about three times the needed swim yardage, finished 115 miles on the bike with last night's workout, and have about three miles left to run.
I might try to complete a second Ironman in the remaining days of December. This is because I am determined to complete the full B-Fit B-Day challenge. That means 6600 yards swimming, 40 miles biking, and 10 miles running. At that point, I may as well tack on another 70 miles on the bike, and finish the marathon.
I'm trying to figure out a way to get good footage of the event and put together a nice video to kick off 2009. However, I'm better at finishing races than actually documenting them. If I get around to it, I have some pretty neat ideas. We'll see.
In case I don't post in the next couple days, have a great holiday break. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or whatever applies best. Whatever that is, enjoy your time with family, take a break from the strict discipline of diet and training, and recharge your batteries for the coming new year.
Thanks to everyone who visits this site, and an extra-big "THANK YOU!" to everyone who visits and comments regularly. I appreciate the support and guidance you provide.
The title of this post WAS going to be "I Love It When a Plan Comes Together." Unfortunately, my host and my Internet connection have other plans. And the definitely AREN'T coming together. So, I had to go with something about the best laid plans of mice and men...
There was supposed to be a nice picture of The A-Team's leader, Hannibal Smith shown here. For some reason, Weebly isn't taking pictures after some recent down time. Who knows what's going on with that?
The whole "plan coming together" thing is based on several current events coming together in perfect harmony to make this winter's training new and exciting.
First up is the USAT National Challenge Competition. This contest pits tri clubs from all over the country against each other as they log training mileage for December, January, and February. Each month has a focus, starting with swimming in December. Because of this program, I shifted my 30 swims in 30 days from November to December. While it will be difficult to hit the target of 30, I wanted to avoid being burned out on swimming come December. Of course, I'll be competing with the best tri club in the world, the Fox Cities Triathlon Club.
December also marks the beginning of the Evotri Iron Challenge. This will make the USAT NCC more interesting as Evotri Ambassadors strive to complete a total Ironman during their monthly training. For an even greater challenge, individuals can attempt to complete multiple Ironman distances in a given month. For anyone competing in the National Challenge Competition, the team leader will love you if you are also doing the Evotri challenge.
Finally, as part of the Evotri Iron Challenge, we will be using a beta site call Plus 3 Network. Yet another triathlon focused networking site, Plus 3 Network has partnered with companies like SRAM, Trek, and Pedro's to raise funds for worthwhile charities such as World Bicycle Relief, Safe Routes, and Rails to Trails. Mileage completed and logged on the site generates money to be donated by the sponsors to the various organizations. It's a great way to let training have a positive impact on others.
These programs will provide a great deal of accountability to training through the long winter months. And with Plus 3 Network, that training will help others around the world. I have selected to partner with SRAM and the World Bicycle Relief project. Now, all I have to do is keep up with the Evotri Iron Challenge, support the Fox Cities Triathlon Club in the National Challenge Competition, and document the training, and I'll help provide bicycles to people in need.
As Hannibal Smith used to say in The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together." If you want to be part of the plan, just stop by the Evotri site to find out about the Iron Challenge (and signing up for Plus 3 Network), check with your local tri club about the USAT NCC, and start planning your workouts.
It promises to be an exciting winter.
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