Two Triathlons within a Month? Am I Crazy? Sorry for the long post. I will post more frequently! I promise

Sprint Triathlon's are my distance of choice as I begin the sport at the ripe old age of 35. Even my hometown of Jackson held a triathlon on the weekend of July 18th in Clark Lake, Michigan. I hope the event was a success because I want to race in it next season.

Well I was going to Ft.Lauderdale for by Brother and Sister-in-Law's baby shower over the 4th of July weekend so I thought why not find something to do on Sunday since the Shower is on Saturday. The Coconut Creek Triathlon and Duathlon just happened to be going on. I signed up and felt it would be a good primer for my big race on July 18th in Miami. Time was just barely under 1:15 mins. 1:14.59 for a 1/4 mile swim 10 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. This was a wave start where everyone just takes off at the gun shot. A far cry from my relaxed time trial start at my season opener in Clermont, Florida. I got my goggles broken by a kick to the head at the start. I may have swam better.

Open water swimming was on the agenda for the July 18th Triathlon in Key Biscayne South Miami(ish) I hate salt water even if it helps with buoyancy. With two large bridges to cross I bettered my time to 1:14.22. Not a huge gain, but with the bridges, I was happy to know my hill training in Thonotosassa on the weekends paid off. I did see my first bike crash and it was nasty.

Next up! The Fort Desoto Triathlon in October. It is a little longer but closer to home and should allow me to train on the actual course. This will be the first time I will be participating with a friend as well so my time should be better as we push each other.

Lost some weight as I tweak my diet and work out to get my body lean and mean! Down to 212lbs as of this morning with my initial starting weight in March was a healthy 227. I will begin posting more often so I don't bore you with these long posts. Cheers all off to bike!

UPDATES GALORE! Including following on Twitter: supadupaD

Wow, it's been a while since I have updated the site. Where the heck have I been? I am in the midst of my first triathlon season, so I am training like crazy in an effort to keep my times low. I should have been updating all along but life is crazy at times so from here out I promise to come back a few times a week.

Tampa Bay Rays Baseball team has amazed me leading up to the All-Star break. I thought for sure they would melt down and find themselves 5 games back with a brutal first two weeks of July. But, they kicked Boston when they are already injured and kept pace with my Yankees (RIP Mr. Steinbrenner) and are only 2 games back in the AL East. The pitching has cooled off a bit but still looking good as David Price made the All Star Start for the American League. Longoria and Crawford also started at their respective positions in the All Star game. Congrats to all three.

My second sprint triathlon of the season came and went on July 4th. Time of 1:14.59 beating my goal of 1:20:00. The Coconut Creek, Florida Triathlon had me anxiously training the weeks leading up to it. Now with my second triathlon out of the way, I'm getting more comfortable with the format of the races. I have some new additions to my bike too! I got the aero bars for Father's day from my wife and kids, and purchased new tires. I am looking forward to my third race of the season this weekend, an open water triathlon in Biscayne Bay in South Miami. I will do my best to break 1:12:00.

My Miles for Moffitt 5k event on May 15th went well. I finished 8th in my age group of 35-39 at 24:23.34. Even better, our group raised over $2500.00 for cancer research. Let me know if you are interested in running next year.

MY WEIGHT LOSS

I noticed a lot of weight loss as my miles on the bike began adding up. I was stuck at 227lbs when I began, down to 216lbs this morning. Tweaking the diet and cutting back on the adult beverages have really made a difference. I now look for the healthy goodies first. A far cry from my days of eating dessert first!

I will update one more day before my Triathlon in Key Biscayne. Thanks for being here!

My Sporting News Updates--MLB/SOFTBALL/5Ks/TRIATHLONS Oh my!!

Okay, for those of you following my train wreck of a softball season, it is finally over. My Tuesday night team has finished with a 1-9 record and my Wednesday night team that was in the Championship Game just last season has finished up a solid 2-8. So a combined 3-17 record made for a lot of dissapointment and a truly long season. It's over and I am done playing for the month of May and will only sub in on the Tuesday team (Underdogs) and will focus more on the Wednesday team (The Bulls)

Now this coming weekend is a race that I run for Charity. As some of you know my cousin Rusty, passed away from cancer in July of 08 so every year since, I have taken part in running the Miles For Moffitt 5k. It's a great cause and the proceeds benefit cancer research. That will be this Saturday May the 15th. We have a huge group of almost 100 people that will be part of the P.O.P.S. ON THE RUN runners. Thanks to all for your support.

A few posts back, you will see I raced in the Super Sprint Triathlon that took place in Clermont, Florida. I didnt feel comfortable with my training for the Ron Jon Triathlon so I skipped it and I have officially registered for the Mack Cycle Key Biscayne Triathlon! It takes place on July 18th just south of Miami, Florida. Equipped with a New set of wheels, I hope to place a good time as I learned a lot from my first Tri. Pictured is my new ride!

And finally, a congrats to the current best team in baseball, the local good guys, the Rays. With an amazing road record and a fired up young pitching staff these guys will be great until the all-star break. Then the Yankees will hit stride and win the AL East by a landslide. It is unbelievable they are the best team in baseball with a batting average of about .250. Pitching does wonders. Anyway, until next time enjoy sports and enjoy life! I do!

FIRST TRIATHLON DOWN

With both softball teams having issues finding a win, I have decided to also work some triathlons into my athletic ventures. My First Triathlon took place in beautiful and surprisingly hilly Clermont Florida.
Nerves were killing me the night before the event, so as soon as we arrived in town, I took the family to the site. I checked the water temp and took a look around settling my nerves a bit. After picking up some GU packs at the vitamin shoppe, we drove by the NTC, an elite training center set on a 300 acre campus just outside downtown Clermont. Went back to the hotel and tried on all my gear one last time and went to bed.
Race day I woke at 5:30,it was nice and dark out. Woke the family and went downstairs for some oatmeal and banana and plenty of water and it was off to the event. Sunrise was nice and calming, and my wife pointed out that one person that you can tell is hardcore. He was rail thin, donned a pair of speedos and goggles... that was it.
First leg of the race was the swim, that wasn't long, only 200 yards. I powered my way through it with virtually no form at all. I need to revisit my swim lessons before the next event. Next was the transition to the bike which I could have done better. I could have ran faster, but I was so concerned with saving energy for the 8 mile bike and 2 mile run later. Jumped on the bike after throwing my shoes on just a quick mouthful of GU energy gel and off I rode. Immediately was a decent hill right out of the transition area, the girl in front of me slipped out of gear and wiped out. I stayed on my seat in a low gear because that was the way I trained and also have no ACL, so I was a little worried about stability. I encountered a lot of rolling hills in the 8 mile ride and some beautiful homes on Lake Minneola as well. As I headed back to the transition area, Boomer said "You're in last place Daddy" and after a chuckle with the crowd, I dropped off the bike and left for the 2 mile run. Surprisingly, the run was my best leg of the race with sub 8 minute miles. I finished, which was one goal and I finished the event under an hour which was my initial goal. I had a couple issues on the bike where I only had 3 gears to choose from due to shifting issues.
I had no idea exactly how far to push my body in the first two legs of the event so I feel like I left some time on the course. I was so focused on conserving energy, I could have ran another mile at the same sub 8 minute pace. Overall, it was a great time and now I know what to expect for future competitions.

March Madness is upon us-I just said no to Brackets and guess what?

No brackets for me. I didn't feel the need to fill them out this year. This allows me to cheer for underdogs like Oakland and the other small schools like University of Northern Iowa who just knocked of the #1 seed of the tournament, Kansas. I enjoyed the whole game. Sure just like most of you I waited for the UNI collapse and expected Kansas to eventually win by 10 or so. Didn't happen and it was great. I didn't have to worry about the effect it would have on my bracket, I could watch it for what it was a monumental upset.
Don't get me wrong, I like filling the brackets out and doing the research associated with the small schools. I have even won a few in my day, but this year allows me to enjoy the underdogs and the passion they bring that the schools that are always in the top 25 feel is their right.

New Shoes in time for my first Super Sprint Triathlon

After my last race I took some time to examine the running shoes the serious runners had on. What I noticed shocked me. No Nike shox! I did not see a single Nike shock running shoe in the first 70 shoes or so. What did this tell me. Exactly what my guy at the IRONMAN store told me. Save your shox for jeans and casual attire. Don't run in them. So back to my research. I successfully found a shoe that fits well is light and didn't break the bank. The Saucony Pro Grid Ride 2 is my running shoe of choice. These shoes are light, breathable and since I began wearing them the strain I was feeling in my shin has disappeared. Nice.

I know it's been a while since I last posted. On a softball note after starting off 0-3 in my Tuesday night softball league we posted our first win. Oh yeah, a 14-12 beating (well not quite) and then the second game of the double header we got lambasted by 20 in five innings to a far superior team full of ex-baseball and softball stars.

Hats off the USF Mens Hoop team on their third best season in history. 20 wins in the Big East conference is a major feat. It looks like it was all for nil as they were taken behind the woodshed by the Georgetown Hoyas in the second round of the Big East Tournament. The second half was the most atrocious basketball I have ever witnessed. Plagued by missed free throws, dunks and horrid shooting the Bulls dug a deep hole and accepted their invite to the NIT with about 8:00 left in the second half. After winning their first game in the Big East Conference Tourney, they had us looking forward to a visit to the dance but we will watch the top 65 from the outside this year. Fear the Bulls next year if we can keep Jones from entering the NBA draft.

First Challenge of 2010 down-Gasparilla 5k finished

Am I happy with my finish? Yeah, it felt good to get out there and run. It sure was cold. Too cold for my self-made cheering section, they got to have fun at the babysitter's house. My wife guessed my run at 25:25 but my chip time was 25:43. Not too far off from her guess work. Overall I finished 948 spots out of first place out of 9644 runners that took place in the 5k event. The start was a little crowded. My next event is slated for April 18th which is the Ron Jon Triathlon but I heard that I may need a wetsuit, so I may wait for the Sprint series over on the "West Side" or Gulf Coast. Fort DeSoto has several throughout the summer and into early fall. Besides this last race shows me that I need more training to be somewhat competitive. We'll see how the next month goes. I am planning another 5k on May 15th for those of you interested. The Miles For Moffitt is a great race for a great cause, to raise money for cancer research!! My wife is also racing in this one which will give the winner in home bragging rights. My wife is the team captain and also ran track and cross country in high school. So the pressure is on her! The kids can also compete in this, as there is a 50 yard dash that Boomer raced in last year and got a medal.

My first challenge of 2010. 5k Gasparilla Run-Downtown Tampa

The run is tomorrow at 7:30am. I have just gained 5 lbs in New Orleans thanks to my new found love of Beignets. I tried to walk as much as possible, I just did not have the energy left after walking the French Quarter all day only to come back to the hotel and workout. Wow what a run on sentence. Anyway, I am posting a poll to see how fast I will run this 5k be sure to vote!

Killing time on Super Sunday-When I Noticed....My beer was finally cold and...

With the Super Bowl still hours away, I find myself flipping channels between college basketball and the 2008 World Series(Rays vs Phillies). I had to stop watching the World Series because1. I knew how the series ended (Phillies in 5). and 2. I couldn't help but notice how many tattoos these college basketball players have. This is serious artwork that cost serious money. Where do they get the thousands of dollars for these tattoos. I couldn't read most of them but they are pretty elaborate. It takes hours to get these done. Does it take away from their study time? Some look to cost as much as a good used car. Maybe they are paid for by an unspoken sponsorship. I'm inspired to get one now but will I look as badass on the court at the YMCA as they do on national television? I think so.

New Bat=New Era in Temple Terrace Softball League

An awesome win in my Wednesday night softball league. The bats came alive from the first pitch and the new player acquisitions fit right in making the Bulls a league force. Is the new bat the difference or are we ball smashing badasses? We will find out next Wednesday for all the marbles in the league championship.

Now onto USF football news. Skip Holtz's first recruiting class is officially in place and looks pretty solid. High hopes for the upcoming season. Highest ranking recruits ever for USF football including two 4 star recruits Terrence Mitchell, cornerback from our local Hillsborough High, and Defensive Tackle Todd Chandler out of Miami.

USF Basketball note. Dominique Jones is a ManChild!! He has scored 140 points in the last 4 games!! True Story! Against Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall,and PITT.