 With the way I've been posting, it would be reasonable if someone concluded I was in the final weeks before an Ironman. Reasonable, and wrong. While there is the Spirit of Racine half-Ironman next Sunday, it is the rest of life that has kept me hopping the past few weeks.
But first, about the photo. I am seriously contemplating buying the full size version of this race picture. It was taken at the Trinity sprint race, and is probably the best race picture I've ever seen of myself. I seen to be almost smiling, my form looks decent, and it is free from any "noise" in the background. And for once, the photography company is willing to sell individual pictures for less than $35.
I'm officially in taper for the half-IM, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Between my new role at our church's upcoming (August) Vacation Bible School, volunteering as a leader at a youth camp (next week), and a couple home projects, I've been busy.
Next Saturday, I head to Camp Onaway for a weeklong boys' camp. Given my love of endurance events, I was "volunteered" to run Military Track for the older campers and lead an off-island mountain biking trip. Add to that my role in coordinating the skits, music, and other festivities for a leader run campfire, and I've been busy with preparations. And with the Spirit of Racine race on Sunday, I'll have to leave camp early Saturday and won't get back until mid-afternoon Sunday. A lot of things have to be hammered down before I leave the island.
At church, I am in charge of the "Bible Adventure" segment. We had to build a "city," and I am altering the "out of the box" script just a bit. That requires I somehow build a "time tunnel" that will transport the kids from modern times to ancient Biblical times. Then there's the whole eccentric scientist role to create. But it's for kids. No effort is too small if it helps the kids have a great experience and learn about God.
On the home front, I spent the weekend gathering components for a battery powered back-up sump pump. We had a power outage in the middle of the night Friday. Luckily, B-Boy got scared and woke me up. After getting him back to bed (with a battery powered worklight as a nightlight) and putting Monster Girl in my bed, I checked out the sump. It hadn't overflowed, and I spent the next three hours checking and bailing it every 20 minutes.
We were blessed to have a boy that woke up because the lights went out (or whatever woke him up). I won't rely on that every time, so want to get an emergency system in place. It's one of those "should have done long ago" things that won't get me, again. All that remains at this point is to make the final connection into the discharge pipe and fill and charge the battery.
Who said 10 years of Navy experience and six months learning about submarine electrical systems would never pay off?
And things will likely stay pretty intense until October. While I have yet to sign up, I'm pretty set on the Glacial Trail 50 mile race. Training for that should keep my out of trouble for a few months.
After that? Who knows.
 Last year, the Spirit of Racine triathlon was the second half-Ironman I raced with George Schweitzer and Iron Wil. Okay, "raced" might be a bit of an exaggeration. Wil and I were just close enough to George to see him on the run course. He was a full lap ahead of us, so we weren't a big threat to his finish position.
Racine was a great race. It was also a learning experience for my wife and I when it comes to "away" games. This was the first major race where we had to travel away from home. We learned things like "book your hotel early." And "no vacancy" on the Internet means something different than on the phone (in other words, call even if the Internet says a hotel has no rooms). Iron Wil apparently knew this and was able to stay at a fairly nice hotel near the race course. My wife, no not near and not so nice.
I will be racing the half-IM again, this year, and look forward to the opportunity to meet any bloggers who will be there. Whether racing or spectating, it's good to know who is around. Whether it's passing someone on the course or seeing someone cheering, familiar faces make any race more enjoyable.
If we get a feel for who will be at the race, we should be able to make arrangements for a get together, perhaps for lunch or dinner. This year should be easier for two reasons. First, I know the area better and won't spend as much time lost. Second, we should be able to get out of the Fox Valley without having to clean a bottle of nail polish out of my daughter's hair. That will make any meet-and-greet easier to attend.
In all the races I've done, the opportunity to meet other bloggers has been just as exciting as the race itself. So if you will be in Racine for this year's race, let me know. We'll put together a list and see what we can coordinate.
Along a similar line, if you will be participating in the High Cliff Triathlon, please let me know. I live in the area and will be volunteering at this year's race. At this time, I don't intend on racing, but will still consider a pre-race pasta feast at my house if people are interested. We had a great time, last year!
 Early reports out of Pol-Land indicate we may have a casualty on the blogger front. A routine visit to Commodore's site turned ugly when I wound up at a spam site. Where there used to be wonderful human interest stories about Commodore, Mistress, and Mo there is now a spam site dedicated to medical conditions.
Correspondence was immediately dispatched to Commodore's attention, and any updates will be posted as they are received. If anyone has any information, please let us know.
Some of you may recall a while back when Flatman had a similar situation occur. We may, again, need to mobilize the Tri Blog Community to restore the site of the Uncommon Mann to the blogosphere.
Update 3: Commodore's site is now restored to fully functional status. CM!
Update 2: It appears all is well. It will take a bit to get things back up and running. It all revolves around E-mail addresses:
Well it looks like its just expired. The host had my old hotmail contact not my new spiffy Gmail.
Update 1: I received the following from Commodore. Apparently, he was caught as offguard as anyone else.
I am not sure Tom. I found out last night by a phone call. I emailed the company to find out. Haven't gotten any bills from them so not sure what the deal is all about. I hope to have back up today.
 The thought "at no point" has crossed my mind so frequently, it would almost certainly be the title of any book about my endurance "career." That's because so much of what's been accomplished in the past half-decade falls well outside the realm of anything I had ever considered. Or believed I could accomplish.
At no point in the first 30 years of my life did I contemplate running a marathon. Yet somehow, prior to my 35 birthday, I became a marathoner. At no point in the first 35 years of my life did I consider becoming a triathlete, let alone an Ironman. And somehow, prior to my 39th birthday, I did both.
Somehow, "at no point" is likely to end before my 40th birthday. The accomplishments of the past few years have drastically changed how I view things. The Boston Marathon, a goal long considered unattainable, is something I now consider as a possibility. Ultramarathons I used to consider out of reach are now in play.
There are two people (groups) that can take credit (blame) for this evolution in my life. First? The youth that challenged me to complete a triathlon, and an occassional training partner named Bill. The kids put me up to the attempt. Bill gave me a single suggestion that turned my swim around.
Second? Roman and the rest of the raceAthlete founders. When they came up with the "Train Like a Pro" theory, Ironman was something I considered as "a possibility, years down the road." The chance to be on that team led me to shoot for IM Wisconsin. When that failed and IM Louisville was announced, that distant pipe dream became a driving force.
And now, several members of that 2007 team are starting another journey. And while I am excited about what opportunities might be offered, I am equally excited about what will happen regardless of those opportunities. While I was unable to officially participate in the 2007 Ironman Wisconsin, I went along for the ride, and accomplished some amazing things, anyway. Because it's all about team, friendship, and the Tri Blog Community.
 I started evolutionary change in 2000. That led to dramatic results in 2007. And in 2008, a new evolution begins. Led by several members of the 2007 team, new opportunities will come into play. And this time, "at no point" will not be a factor. Just like last year, I'll be there to support the team in whatever capacity is needed. And just like last year, we will all benefit from the friendships that will form and grow. If you haven't already stopped by the site of Iron Wil, Simply Stu, Chris Sweet, Rural Girl, or Bolder, visit one of them and stay up to date on all that's happening.
 Last night was hectic. Between my Tuesday night youth meeting, putting up our Christmas tree, and allowing two toddlers to help WITHOUT tearing the house down, I was busy. It was somewhere in the middle of all that when my wife commented that our dishwasher wouldn't run and a green light was flashing at us.
A quick check of the owner's manual provided few clues as to what might be wrong. It simply stated there was a problem with the heater circuit. Removing power didn't reset anything, so I asked my wife to call about a technician.
Our dishwasher is a Kenmore (link intentionally blank), sold through Sears (also intentionally blank). Mrs. Pol contacted me at work with our options, as provided by the "technical assistance" line. Option one is to schedule a technician with a $75 service visit fee plus $60/hour. If the heater coil is bad, that's about $150. Option two is a one-year service plan for $205. That includes any service calls, and any parts up to $500 (the original price of the machine). Beyond that , they would give us a credit toward the purchase of a new dishwasher.
I wavered between paying for a service call and having my wife get the service plan. Then, I got mad. In situations like this, my getting mad leads to me doing everything within my power to give people money. Because they don't deserve it.
I had two issues. First, why is the owner's manual so vague about what is obviously a fault indicator? Second, why are the only options offered by the call center blatantly designed to generate sales of the service plans? The only answer that makes sense is that there is a VERY EASY fix to this issue.
So, I headed to the Internet. In something like three minutes, I returned Mrs. Pol's call and asked her to push a couple buttons in sequence. That done, the dishwasher initiated a wash cycle, and the magic green light has stopped flashing. Total cost: $0. Repair time: 5 minutes, counting the 4 minutes 30 seconds to find the answer, place the call, and explain what to do.
It's very interesting that the call center couldn't provide that very simple test when my wife called. "Hey, push these two buttons in sequence and see if the washer will run. If it does, problem solved. If it won't run, you really do need our help."
In the time it took to complete this post, Mrs. Pol called. The dishes are clean, the heating element worked, and the flashing green light is now a solid green "Clean" dishes indicator.
That will be $205.
 First, a word of warning. If you are using tabs in Internet Explorer AND trying to get used to a new laptop keyboard, I strongly advise creating your post in something that will save regularly. Things have the potential to get quite frustrating if you accidentally click when your mouse isn't quite where you expect it to be. Theoretically. I mean, I have a friend...
Now, on to the verklempt part. It was quite an honor when I saw my blog listed on the raceAthlete Best Blog post. Mostly because I couldn't figure out how to nominate anyone. So to everyone who DID figure it out, my hat is off to you. And given the group of sites listed there, it was really humbling to see this site included.
Today, an E-mail came stating that the Iron Pol site was included in the Top Ten list. If you haven't seen the list, give it a read. There are some amazing sites listed, most of whom are on my "to read" list. From serious to zany to informational, this list has some big hitters. Regardless of the outcome of the voting, it's an honor to be put in the same group.
When you are checking the list out, be sure to cast a vote for your favorite blog. Rather than pressure you to vote for me, I'll point out that you get to pick your top three. And if I happen to be included in that top three, I'll be honored, again. Of course, when you see the list, you may have a tough choice. There are some "pee-your-pants-funny" sites. The best I've ever had said was a reference to spitting food all over the place. Spit-take funny is good. But it struggles against pee-your-pants funny.
So, take some time to check out all the blogs if you aren't already familiar with them. You'll consider the time well spent. And thanks, again, to everyone, for reading.
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A couple of comments have come in regarding Sunday's broadcast of the Ironman Louisville race.
No, it wasn't me shown finishing near the end of the show. There were a total of two members of the Fox Cities Triathlon Club wearing full team kit, that day. They found the other one. It WAS a great shot, though!
And just to add to the injury, I will be looking for one of the local race directors to find out if he was in Louisville as a spectator. On the DVD sent to finishers, there is a shot of the crowd, and I'm fairly certain he was in it.
So, while it wasn't me, the Fox Cities Triathlon Club did make it onto the national broadcast. It's all about the jerseys!
November is nearly here. That means it is time to get your feet wet. We all know the offseason is the time to focus on improving our skill in the various disciplines of triathlon. There are a lot of different programs out there, and using the advice of Coach Mike Ricci, I am once again focusing a 30 day period to becoming a better swimmer. While it is nearly impossible to dedicate most training time to a single discipline during the race season, the winter months provide the opportunity to intensify our training in weak areas.
This year, there is an added opportunity. In addition to making dramatic improvements in the swim, those who complete the 30 swim plan (okay, 26 as I'm sure we'll all miss one or two) stand to gain some schwag in the form of energy gels. The first five to let me know they will be participating (and to actually complete the swims) will receive five Power Gels. If there are fewer than five participants, the case of gels will be divided among those who do.
Now, to be fair to Bigun, he would really prefer that nobody else join us. At this point, he is the only one who has notified me of his intent to participate. As it stands, he will be up an entire case of Power Gel by the end of November. He stands to lose Bigun-time if anyone else signs up. So if you hear anything from him saying you SHOULDN'T attempt this, remember he is biased.
Whether you are currently swimming a maximum of 500 yards or you are making the transition from short to long course triathlons, you will benefit from a heavy focus on the swim. If you are struggling to shave time off your favorite swim distance, 30 days of intense swim training will give you the opportunity to improve your pace. If there are specific areas in need of improvement, such as bilateral breathing or balance in the water, 30 days of drills provides plenty of time for drills. And if you are looking to improve your aerobic base, 30 days of swimming will move you well along that path to greatly improved fitness.
If you are interested in joining us, let me know by posting a comment or via E-mail. The more the merrier. Well, unless you're Bigun. If you're Bigun, it's "Go away! Clydesdales need big schwag!"
One of the minor disappointments from Ironman Louisville was the finisher's bag. The main letdown? That there weren't finisher's bags. No finisher's hat. No finisher's shirt. Just the medal. It would have been nice to get something, ANYTHING, other than the medal to indicate an Ironman finish. It just looks wrong when I wear that medal to work. Even if it IS casual Friday.
The one silver lining was the announcement that came just days after the race. As a "thank you" to participants, all finishers would be provided a copy of the finisher DVD shown at the award ceremony. A great many people have been anxiously awaiting that video since the announcement was made. And continue to wait.
A quick check with several others who completed the race confirmed that the videos have yet to be sent. That is the kind of situation that warrants a note to the race director. And despite the feeling many had that any message would fail to get a response, there was a positive reply. Apparently, the videos were sent out last week. A mere eight weeks after the race (six weeks after the announcement).
Of course, as with any good business, the E-mail added that dreaded caveat...
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
Perhaps it will get here in time for Christmas.
 For most of the country, the new year begins on the first of January. For triathletes, the new year often starts in September or October as they begin preparing for their next race season. For those considering an Ironman, the new year starts as much as 365 days prior to race day as they sign up at the current year's race.
Next year will be slightly more relaxed as the longest triathlon in my sights will be a half-IM. In fact, I have already registered for my A-race, the Spirit of Racine half distance event. This year, the goal will be to break the 5-hour mark, which will require shaving 31 minutes off my previous PR, set on the very same course.
Ten minutes of that should be easy, as I won't be stopping to help any "damsels in distress," this coming year. The balance will be picked up through self-improvement. My swim and bike times have plenty of room for improvement, and I always strive to pick up the run pace.
2008 might be just around the corner, but planning is well under way for the year's race season. Coming soon...
A mid-winter 15K, an early season 10K, and a full marathon with a Boston qualifying time in the sights.
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