Last go.

Hey witches and warlocks,

Purdue is this weekend. My recovery from Ironman is not even close to complete. This race is almost assuredly going to be a huge suffer fest. I like races like this because you see yourself in a very ugly place and you see what stuff you are truly made of. The Ironbear post was perhaps a little premature... Depending on this result the next post will be either titled cream puff bear or serial killer bear.
Either way I am shutting it down the day after this race and hibernation can't come soon enough. This bear is more tired and broken than everyone in the world is of hearing about anything to do with brangelina. Did you hear that brad is mad at angelina and he's been seen with Jen?!!!???!!!!!!!

Urination station

Recently, pooh has come under fire a la the bush administration for something completely repugnant in the view of some and completely acceptable in the eyes of others. This issue is, for lack of a better word, "pissing" in ones shoes while racing. Apparently this is not kosher to those close to this bear of very little brain. I feel like it is in character for a dunce of a bear to run around peeing all over himself especially as he doesn't wear pants, but I guess this came as a shock to some. Well... get used to it. I am not going to stop. It's necessary. Time musn't be given up when the problem can be solved as easily as a babbling brook trickles. What are your thoughts, blogging community?

IronBear

"Pooh might seem a bit soft around the mid section being that he is stuffed with fluff. His calorie consumption of honey alone should render most clinically obese. However, when it comes to triathlon... well there are somethings that bears of very little brain do naturally." - A.A. Milne

Overall time- 10:13
Swim-55:30
Bike-5:31
Run-3:38


Reaction- The swim was awesome with massive amounts of dunking occurring. I hate to say it, but if you have been dunked in a triathlon, I was probably the culprit. It isn't my fault, though. I am big boned and have rather large paws that get in the way. I came out of the water in a time about 1-2 minutes faster than I would have hoped.
The bike was tough but, as most things in triathlon are, over hyped. Fear mongering has a way of taking over after people do a race. It seems like a triathlete's duty to scare the crap out of as many others as possible about the difficulties of the course. Despite what you may have heard about the IM wisc bike being hellish, it isn't. It is rolling. Go sign up.
The run was sweet. I didn't have my garmin though so I went slightly slower than I would have liked. The crowds were unreal and the coke was flat and disgusting but useful.

Missed Kona by two spots and finished 5th in my age group. %$@#^$^%$^%$

All in all, awesome race. My family was there the whole way and my sister even ran about six miles of the run behind me to keep me company. The MSU tri team had 4 IM rookies and each smashed 12 hours so that was also sick. Stay tuned to the EVO tri website for the next issue of the collegiate.

IM Moo

In all seriousness... it is time to go. I appreciate all the support from everyone who helped me get to this point. Special thanks to Caitlin (girlfriend and best friend) who, on a daily basis, has put up with all the quirks, annoyances, and sacrifices that go along with Ironman.

I will do my best to absolutely kill it for all of you.

Mason, this is for you.

Here goes nothing.

MOO

Last night I was reading some stuff from my A.A. Milne collection and it really got me going. Ironman Wisconsin is almost here and I am about to leave for Madison. Anyway, the following are some quotes from pooh that lit a fire in my belly that burns brighter than Bon Jovi's gorgeous smile.

"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."- Pooh taunting rabbit before both competed in Ironman

"If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize. "- goading piglet before a local triathlon

"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."- Pooh hopped up on a slew of different uppers and downers.


I am getting pumped for this race.

Stay Tuned.

The value of nothing

A wise bear once said, "Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

Sometimes it can be scary to look at Pooh through a philosophical lens. You almost want him to be devoid of content, like that half-witted elmo who interacts with his drawers and other furniture. Not so with pooh. While he may hide under the guise of being a bear of very little brain, do not be fooled.

I am in the middle of my taper and that is where the life lesson from Pooh comes in. I am putting my faith in A.A. Milne and hoping that his background in triathlon helps me with my Ironman prep. Time to trust the training and slowly wind down. To quote Sweet, "You can't do anything to make you faster, but you can definitely do a lot that will make you slower."

In other news about ME! ME! ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because after all, that is what we are all here for isn't it? I just moved into my new house and I am finally getting settled. It has an unbelievable bike room for the delightful east lansing winter and a gigantic kitchen that would make rachel ray throw up all that garbage she warms up on her food network show in an act of sheer jealousy.

May all your transitions be as fast and smooth as this one has been.

Blustery Day

Hey...

Yesterday I just completed a killer workout. It was an unholy union of difficult activities. I did a 5k in the pool followed by an 85 miler on the bike in a good deal of rain followed by a 10.5 mile run. It went so well I am totally fahklumpt. Talk amongst yourselves........... My heart rate was super low on the bike with good speed and the run was a bit sub my IM goal pace and my hr was super low. I also recovered incredibly quickly. However all of that is irrelevant. My main purpose for blogging today is to plug the greatest thing since kosher hot dogs. Coca-Cola. I drank a liter of it on my run at various intervals and it was like Manna. Rocket Fuel. It made me happier than Ted Nugent polishing his firearms. I will be guzzling Coke at the Ironman as sure as shootin.

Mazel Tov for reading this.