I am packing and leaving tomorrow morning after physical therapy and my wife and daughter are flying in on Friday arriving in the evening. We didn't want to pull Olivia out of school and didn't want to have two vehicles in Madison. Valet parking is not cheap :). Next year we have purchased a tent and I - note I said I will be camping at some of the venues I am planning on attending.
How are things going. Well I remain in a brace for at least one more weak. I follow up with DMOS - Dr. Taylor on 9/13/11 and hoping to get the hell out of this brace. The swelling is pretty much gone and all but a couple of spots from the road rash are gone. Lots of Telfa bandages and Silvadene cream makes a HUGE difference. The knee remains stiff and sore once out of the brace but with a little love, ice, and stretching it loosens up. I swam yesterday but it was all upper body work. Buoy between the legs and was very careful not to kick and pushing off the wall one legged made things interesting. Today I sat on a stationary bike and after pedaling 1/2 strokes going back and forth for about 10 minutes I was able to take full pedal strokes but only with the seat all the way up. This made my day and made me smile from ear to ear. So the bottom line the leg is feeling stronger and stronger everyday and we are now hoping the ACL scars down and is able to give me some support and surgery is not needed. I will update you all on that come 9/13/11. While sleeping I am able to take the brace off. Sleeping has been HORRIBLE!!!! I toss and turn all night and if I am not careful and turn wrong meaning applying pressure to the MCL area then holy mama its shoots pains all the way up my head and brings tears to my eyes. I have some pain medications but if I take that before bed I might as well just stay up and study cause the shit wires me.
We have been looking at races for next year and I am getting excited. I have One B race, One A race, and one tripple A race on the horizon. One of my training partners is now doing Ironman Wisconsin with me as well as a few other friends from around the area.
My first race of the season all pending on what the surgeon says on 9/13/11 is going to be Ironman St. George. This will be my B race. I am looking to just complete this race and use as a building block for the year. Check it out here: http://ironmanstgeorge.com/
Why? Because I want to :)....This is the hardest bike course in the United States on the Ironman Circuit followed by Wisconsin. They are changing up the run course for St. George for 2012 and it is 3 laps in the shape of the M-Dot. I just want to ride the hardest course and then back this up next Sept with my second IM of the year in Wisc.
Looking at a compu trainer for this winters workouts. I am able to bike the actual Utah and Wisc Ironman courses.
My second race of the season will be my A race and will be a 70.3. We have it nailed down to two but now just need to decide.
- We are looking at Lubbock, Texas -http://www.buffalospringslaketriathlon.com/bslt.php
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| Oh yes please let me introduce you to White Lightning |
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| Coach Rich with EN. Looking to go Sub 10 in IM Wisconsin and qualify for Kona. |
or Mont Tremblant, which takes place in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada - http://ironmanmt.com/
Again my training partner whom is doing IM Wisc is doing the same. We are leaning towards the one in Quebec d/t it pure beauty and challenging course plus it is an inaugural race and it will be a great short vacation for our families.
My third race of the season will be Ironman Wisconsin and this is the AAA race :). I truly fell in love with Wisc bike course and was looking forward to rocking it. I had my bike split down to ~ 5:40 and that was with me riding within my power zones. My swim was coming in around 1:12-1:20 and the run would have been completed in 4 hours. So a total time of ~ well 11 hours or under. I had two race reheasals and they were showing this was going to be the case. Granted lots can go wrong in an Ironman such as flat tires and that is why we carry extra tubes and co cartridges to fill them. Gastric shut down, nausea, low blood sugar, etc. This is why when we train we train with what we will be eating, drinking, etc. Come race day all the hardwork has already done it is just time to RACE and take it all in. I will be there next year and that is a PROMISE.
I will again be training with Endurance Nation:
I will be with them for the remainder of 2011 and all of 2012. Please if you are looking at taking your training to the next level get rid of your personal coach and check this out. This is a family and we are well supported. I along with 99.99999% of my team mates had HUGE PR gains and went places we didn't think we could. You are trained as an age grouper and not a pro. I can tell you I never trained over 15 hours ever and that was pushing it. I had a 43 min PR in Kansas in one year and my power went from 171 to 250 watts at my last test. My vDOT went from 45 to 51. I was in the best shape of my life. I had one injury (ITB flare early in the season and then this wreck but you really cant count the wreck cause it was uncontrollable). The coaches from EN are PROVEN!!!!!!! Both are Kona qualifiers more than once. Coach Rich is racing Wisc with us and is pushing for a sub 10 and qualifying for Kona. Coach Patrick ran a sub 10 this year and qualified for Kona. So they are able to back up there training plans. You can get in and create a 5 day free pass and see it for yourself. You have 400 team mates so if there is ever a question the cool thing is you get answers immediately. I can't say enough about this PROVEN team and coaches. Just check them out.
Now for the most important piece- I want to take a few moments and lines here to thank my family. My wife Alison JC Noftsger, my son Keegan, and daughter Olivia. You three are my rock stars. You allowed me the time to train, whine, scream, travel, go to bed before the sun set, etc. When I was down and frustrated you three were always telling me I could do it and not to give up. Olivia would always tell me when I was coming off the bike-----go dad all you have left is the run and that is nothing. Always made me smile inside. Keegan was my logistical brain. He would tell me what time it was, give me food and fluids, always know where things were and the best way to get them done. Alison-you are my life line, my love, and this just is not possible without your support. The past two weeks have been very rough on US. You were the first to see me in the hospital after the wreck and you told me everything was going to be alright and you know what IT WAS AND IS. You set up with me when I was in severe pain, you dried my tears of frustration, dedication, pain and always motivated me!!!!
A special thanks out to Kyle and his entire crew at Kyles Bikes in Ankeny, Iowa.
I am looking forward to the next year and all of our accomplishments. Thank You very much.
Too my training partners and friends. All I can say is you are the bombs. If we as a family ever needed anything you were right there. Chad my friend you took great care of me on that terrible day and even though I knew black beauty was a wreck as a good friend would do you told me well you need a new chain otherwise she looks good. I look back and laugh now cause I was laying in the road, middle of the road not able to move my legs and I was more worried about my bike. I knew at that time my race was not going to happen. It was great having you as a training partner and look forward to training with you for the next season. One thing though-I am not biking at 4 am when it is below zero and the wind blowing. I want to feel my hands this whole next year :)
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| Ahh Carribean Sea after the Jamaica Marathon. |
Well time to watch a little tennis, golf, history channel and study a bit.
Be safe out there.
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