Back to the US and back to training

Vacation was AWESOME.... had a fantastic time with the familia and it was nice to be there for Xmas and New Years. It was hard to say good bye and leave them all but it was time.

Back now and started to train right away. It's been good and I feel great!

Started doing runs outside, yesterday it was really nice, in the 50s and sunny but this Sun is going to be in the 20s and I need to a get 60 min run in. Don't like running in the cold too much, even though it could be a lot colder so I might as well take advantage of the double 'still double digit'. Been on the bike/trainer... those can get boring but some people I know are going to do some group trainer work outs, that should be fun. Swimming is fine, no worries there.

Started working on good nutrition as well and I think that is going well.

Need to read the blogs I follow, I feel kinda disconnected with my blogger amigos.
Hope everybody is training hard and eating well.... like me... j/k.

PC

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO from Ecuador!

Which means (for the ones who don't know): Happy New Year!
I am having a fabulous time in my home time Cuenca. :)

Been running a few times and man, it's a lot harder here (at about 9,000 feet sea-level). My nephew became my running partner. We did a litle 4.5 mile race and he kicked my arse....lol
He trains track and field and he has a lot of potential.
We're doing a 10K race tomorrow morning and I bet he'll place in his age group.

I just wanna take this opportunity to wish you all a fantastic 2009 and best luck training and racing!

PC

Quick update

Training has been going real nice. Lifting has been good, spinning always is fun, picked up on running as well and I swam this week... it was the first time I went swimming since September (Cancun 70.3)!! Felt awesome though.

Can't believe I'm leaving to Ecuador a week from tomorrow... I can't hardly wait!

This weekend my wife and I are running a 5K race, it's called "Fun in the Freeway". They closed one of the highways here to fix it and before they re-open it (this Monday) they let them have a 5k race. Should be good times, and according to accuweather.com it'll be in high 40s.

Not a whole lot more to report at the moment.

PC

So I did it!

I am officially registered for the Ford Ironman Louisville - Aug. 30, 2009!

I thought a lot about it... initially I was gonna shoot for IM Tempe, AZ but it got sold out in minutes, and the only IM event in the US still accepting applications was Louisville so it was either that one or wait until 2010. I registered a little over a week ago and yesterday I received one of those Ironman Top Stories email (newsletter) stating: "Ford Ironman Louisville Sells Out for 2009. Ironman announces that Ford Ironman Louisville, taking place on August 30, 2009, has reached capacity.", so I did it right on time.

This is very exciting and scary at the same time... it's hard to believe that in 2007 when I did my very first tri (sprint) I used to hear, read and watch all about Ironman and used to think: "yeah, it'll be a long long time until I start thinking about that". Several sprint, about 5 oly and 2 Half Ironman races I signed for Ironman.

So obviously I started training right away. Started going to the gym and doing some weights to get some strength back, started taking spinning and also started running.

Before registering for IM Lou I thought I'd do some training in Ecuador, you know a little running... maybe going to the gym I used to go when I lived there, nothing too serious. Now, with this race 8 months away I need to train hard and often. It'll be interesting running in Cuenca (my home town) which is in the mountains at around 8,500 feet sea-level.

A little bit about Cuenca:

http://www.ecuador.us/cuenca.htm

Below is my possible race schedule for 2009:

DATE & EVENT

03/14 St. Patrick's Day Parade 5M Run (STL, MO)

04/18 GO! St. Louis Half Marathon (STL, MO)

05/? Race For Sight Triathlon Sprint (Columbia, MO)

05/17 Memphis in May Triathlon Oly (Memphis, TN)

06/06 Ultramax Triathlon Oly (Innsbrook, MO)

06/21 High Cliff Triathlon Half (Sherwood, WI)

07/? Joker's Wild Half Marathon (STL, MO)

07/? Tour de Kirkwood Sprint Triathlon (STL, MO)

07/? Ballwin Sprint Triathlon (STL, MO)

08/30 Ford Ironman Louisville (Louisville, KY)

Stay warm!

PC

NOTHING...

...I got nothing! Haven't been doing much ever since the Chicago marathon on Oct/12. I've only ran ONCE and have done spinning at the gym 3 times I think. In one hand it's kind of nice to take a break, and not only from swim/bike/run but healthy food and not drinking break. On the other hand I am starting to miss it and I feel like my body is like: "uh... what's wrong??" Been wanting to get out and do something but I guess since I am not officially training for any race I don't have that urge/motivation or that pre-set schedule...

It's been busy though. Work has been not only busy but hectic busy and more than anything scary. Thanks to the economy right now just like many other companies we have been having layoffs. Not good. Even though so far I'm ok but nobody is safe. Hopefully things will get better... and over soon!

One of my sisters (I have two older sisters) came to visit from Ecuador for about 10 days. She came with her husband and little baby girl (almost 2 yrs old). They came during a fun time, elections - even though I was DONE with the campaign ads and all - and Halloween, which I love. It's so much fun. We did the typical touristic stuff, went out to eat, shopping, etc. We had a fantastic time.

I just finished watching an awesome movie I'd like to recommend. It's called "Into the Wild" directed by Sean Penn and based on a true story. It was excellent! Definitely on my 20 top list.

My next big, or HUGE event is next month. On Dec 20 the familia and I are going to CUENCA, Ecuador for almost a month. I can't wait. My whole family is down there. It's going to be so great to spend the holidays there with them. I hardly can't wait. This year is extra especial because, number one: since I came to the States (9 yrs ago) I have never been back for Christmas. I've been back, in fact we try to make it down there every year but we usually go in the summer or any other month. And secondly, and in fact more importantly because dad has been sick and I want to go see him and spend time with him. Of course I want to see mom and everybody else too :)

ART is great. I like it a lot. Have done 3 sessions so far and Heather - the Chiro - wants me to go once a week. To be honest I don't know if it is helping because it only hurts when I run long distances at race pace which of course I haven't done. But I really like the way it feels.

Ok my friends, for those who live in the Midwest and northern areas, stay warm. For the rest, I hate you guys! Just kidding! Enjoy your off season, let the body recover and more than anything have fun!

PC

BofA Chicago Marathon.. a week later.

It's been way too long since I last wrote here.... I know, I'm a lazy bastardo. Yup, that's me... laziness at its best. I guess with the end of tri season, change of weather and my horrible 2nd marathon ever, the last thing I wanted to do was write about it.

I can avoid it for a while but not for-evah. On the other hand when I read some blogs (the ones listen on the right) I do want to say something too.

Ok, so the Chi mara. It simply went aweful. Ok, that's all I'm writing about it.

No, j/k... I know I didn't trained properly but I wasn't expecting getting an old injury back! Arrived in Chicago on Sat 10/11. Went to the Expo which was fantastic, they had a ton of really cool things big stands, every single running brand you can think of, games, prizes, Bart Yasso signing his book, etc. On Sun 10/12 at 7:15ish am I got to the starting line, got situated with the 8:45 pace group. It was really cool to be around so many people. We started right on time 8am and off we went. Absolutely loved the crowds, they were cheering pretty much the whole 26.2 miles.

I was going at about 9min/mile pace, very comfortable, feeling great and by mile 12 the outside of my right knee started to hurt. "Oh please not again!!!" I had the same problem last year in Memphis when I ran my 1st marathon, it was at mile 17/18.. had to walk and run for a while (2 miles) until the Aleve I took kicked in and finished running it (slower but I was able to run it). Back in April this year it happened again when I ran the GO St. Louis Half Marathon at mile 9. I remember crossing the finish line limping and in so much pain.

Going back to Chicago. I had some pain killers which I took but I am not sure if they didn't work as well as they did in Memphis but the pain never went away, maybe a little bit but not enough to keep running. My split 13.1 was 2hrs 1min and from then on it all went down hill. I walked, stopped to strech and tried to run but it was too painful. I finished in 2hrs 43min (Last year in Memphis I finished at 4hrs 2min)

On top of that, for the first time ever I got a black toenail. It's my big right toenail. I'm pretty sure it will fall off... great! At least this happened at the end of the season. I had planned to run a couple of local 5Ks and maybe a 10K but it all depends on the freaking nail. LOL

This past Friday I went to see a Chiropractor who does ART (Active Release Techniques). She adjusted my back and I am going back on Monday for my knees issues... I hear ART is a bit painful but very effective. I am willing to try it. Last year I did PT and I think it helped some but obviously it did not get fixed...

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall and getting ready for: (evil voice) H A L L O W E E N!!!

PC

IRONMAN 70.3 Cancun, Mexico pics - Sept 21, 2008