Saturday, December 11, 2010

New Blog - I'M MOVING

I am moving my blog over to Wordpress.com

Here is the new link -> The Chronicles of Turbeau Curbeau...thats the title until I can think of something else..if their is anything else. Any suggestions for a new blog title are very welcome. Leave the names in the comments section. I will give you credit if I choose your suggestion!

NEW BLOG --> http://turbeaucurbeau.wordpress.com/

Thursday, December 9, 2010

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Happiness is a choice, and today I choose to be happy no matter what happens. One cannot control the external factors in life so today I say that everyone should just be happy no matter what the situation. I think everyone needs to be reminded of this now and then, I know I do.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

A Saturday Morning Quickie

Tight on time at the moment. Trying to get a ride in this morning before I pack up and head to Syracuse to catch the basketball game tonight!

In the mean time here is the final picture of me and my Mustache. Taken on Wednesday of this week. Thank you to my family members who donated money and helped give me the motivation to keep that beautiful thing on my face all month. And thank you to the many admiring comments I received all month long. I was very close to keeping it forever.....well not really

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Turbeau Goes to Portland



Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. As I sit here flying 20,000 or however many feet we are up I am beginning to feel reality set in once again. I have been lucky enough to come out to Portland and visit a part of my family who I rarely get to see. The trip kind of popped up out of nowhere. I always knew I wanted to come spend time with my brother and his family but its always so hard to actually put the trip together...figuring out schedules, taking time off, managing training, etc etc. Anyways, back in early October I made up my mind that I wanted to come out and Thanksgiving was going to be the ideal time as it afforded me time off from work without using my vacation hours and it was during the offseason from triathlon training, although I did get some pretty serious runs in out here, but more on that later. So anyways, with the help of my mom we pieced together a flight out here and that was that. It's a fair amount of travel to get to Portland but it's worth every second. So with that introduction let me get started on describing what it is I've been doing out here this weekend.

Well as I wrote about in my last blog; for the Thanksgiving holiday I came out west to Portland, Oregon to be with my brother Jon, sister in law Meredith ("Mere"), nephew Winslow ("wins" or the "deeder" or something along those lines, niece Elle (aka "mudgy snigler" or the "mudge", and the wonder-dog Sugarfoot. On Friday as I wrote about in my last post I got to go running with Mere, ate donuts at the Voodoo donut shop (definitely the creepiest, dirtiest donut shop in the country...and they are making money like gangbusters!!..and they are cash only, someone from the IRS should stop by, I'm just sayin..),





...then after that my brothers friend Erin took me to the Nike Employee store where everything was 50% off! Two pairs of shoes were quickly purchased, pretty much solely because they were so freaking cheap, and the were the latest versions, it wasn't like they were the defective outlet store ones...they even had the latest Air Jordan XIII release for just $85, if your a sneaker head like me you now that deals like that just don't happen...ever! So that was basically like taking a kid into a candy store or an alcoholic to the Budweiser brewing facility. My head was spinning..awesome stuff!!

After we got back from the Nike store we gathered back at my bros house and had dinner with Erin and Chris who are my brothers friends who live just up the street. They have a couple little guys just about the same age as Wins and Mudgy so it works out real well for them in terms of babysitting and all that. And I believe if I am correct, my brother used to Nanny for Wins and there son Leo for a brief time when they were little guys before he started Med school.

So they came over, Wins and Leo had some epic Clone Wars reenactment battles and I was able to pick the brain of Chris (Erin's husband) who has THE DREAM JOB, as he is a Product Designer in the running footwear department for Nike (he helped design the Nike Free's that are currently on my feet as I type), he's also the President of the Bowerman Athletic Club too (check the website out!)..and oh by the way he is a former 4:08 mile who ran at Oxford university...you know that really old historic place over in Engalnd..yep that one! So he is a legit Oxford Blue. It was great to talk everything running with him, we even you tubed some classic running races and he gave me the scoop on all of them. Since I had just finished Sir Roger Bannisters book on the flight out here I was able to talk about the 4 minute mile and actually know more than it was really fast and an amazing accomplishment. All in all it was super cool to chat with someone who shares the same passion for running and athletics in general...and I mean he has the sweetest job ever getting to deal with elite athletes on a personal level by developing sneakers for them and ensuring that they can do what they do at the highest level possible. maybe he will be able to pull some strings for me over at Nike...can you imagine!!! Portland, Oregon with my brother and fam, with Nike, among the beautiful pacific northwest...ahh it would be a dream come true.

So that was Friday in a nut shell. A fantastically amazing day that had to come to an end.


Saturday began with a pleasant walk down into the little village where my brother lives. They have a starbucks, some shops, and some restaurants..a very cute and cozy downtown all in all. Instead of going to the giant coffee store that is Starbucks we opted to pay a visit to the Grand Central cafe where we got caffeinated and chatted for a while as we ate out muffins and pastries, a very pleasant time was had for all.



After the morning walk and coffee I got ready to go for a run with Erin..and let me tell you Erin is legit. She might play it off that she's just a casual runner blah blah but the woman can hammer. I was going into the run with no agenda, my official 2011 training season starts tomorrow so this still just for pure pleasure with no data watching. Well let me tell you, Erin had me gasping for air. We went out to big beautiful park called "Forest Park" where it looked like I was in some remote rain forest...the first thought that came to my mind was FERN GULLY. It was BEAUTIFUL! Gorgeous trail paths with wooden hand rails, lots of happy hikers, jobbers, families walking together and some serious elevation! Going up the muddy trails, along switchbacks, climbing and climbing had my legs absolutely shelled by the time we made it to the top of the hill...all while Erin was happily bounding up ahead of me. But it was totally worth it, such a cool place that had an awesome view of Portland at the top. I could really get used to running these trails and running with Erin and her husband who could whip me into shape. Its always good to train with people who can absolutely take you to the pain cave post haste. After our epic trail adventure Erin was kind enough to take me over to the Nike Campus for a little self guided tour. What a place! Soccer field, tracks, volleyball courts, tennis courts, basketball, courts, indoor pools, etc etc..it is basically the epitome of what I crave, love, desire, want, live, breathe, etc..the list could go on and on. All the building there are named after Nike athletes, there is the mia hamm building, Tiger Woods building, Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice, Bo Jackson, and many more like the Lance Armstrong building which as one that I got to go inside and see. What an amazing facility! A full gym, spin room, locker room, huge pool...and I've got to tell you about the pool because it is truly unique, even my swim snob buddy Mary Eggers would drool over this thing. It's an ozone pool that uses absolute no chlorine, there are no chemicals in this thing. Its pure and I hear it is absolutely amazing, maybe next time I am here I will get a swim workout in it. So after the LA building tour we strolled around rest of the campus, taking in the sights like the man made lake thing they have going on, among other things. Then on the way out I saw what was probably the coolest thing on the complex...a full size track that is located smack dab in a wooded forest area. The infield is all trees so your basically running on a world class surface in and out of the forest...it just looks so awesome, I've got to imagine running mile repeats on that thing wouldn't be so bad at all.

PS: Erin, my legs are still sore :)

After the Nike visit Erin dropped me off back at my bros house. Once there I was able to see my brothers friend Skippy and his family who were down spending the weekend. You see Skippy and I go way back, to a time when he and my brother made a cross country trip to Penn Yan in a van that had a Hawk painted on the side of it...don't ask...if you want more details on it I can give you Mere's email and she can tell you all about it! So anyways they came back east one summer a long long time ago...maybe 12 years ago and the most memorable part of the whole trip was that Skippy ended up buying an old Mazda truck that belonged to my brother in laws mom. So we have some history.

Plug for Skippy...go to his facebook page and "Like" it!! and visit his website Aaron Barna Photography

I know none of my friends and people that read this live on the West Coast..but hey, you never know!


Later in the afternoon we made our way to the neighborhood community center for some fun in the pool with the kiddos. What a neat neat place! Tons of water toys and fountains and geysers for the little dudes and me, and a huge water slide that is fun fun fun. Wins and I went down...uber fast, it was cool. Which at the center I even had the chance to get some laps in...all was right in the world. After the pool we went back to the house for a big feast of steak and all kinds of vegetables. It was delicious. Then we hung out for the rest of the night. Another great day of vacation. Couldn't have asked for a better one.



And so here I am. Flying high in the sky trying to get in grips with the fact that I am returning back to Rochester, back to work...I've got a lot of stuff to do over the next few weeks in terms of work. Nothing major like tax busy season deadlines but just a lot of random projects that I don't really know to much about. I feel very overwhelmed by them so I am trying not to think about them as their is nothing i can do about it until 8:30 tomorrow morning. There is no reason to let it disrupt my personal time...my vacation time...my family time. So there it is folks. I had an awesome awesome time out here. Although I was here for but a few short hours I totally dug the vibe I got. Being able to be a part of my brothers family who I do not get to see often is special for me. They have two absolutely amazing children and I treasure the time I get to spend with them. Seriously, just look at the pictures of these two coconuts. They are adorable. Mudgy could literally get away with anything just by saying "I sorry...Me no mean to"..how can you get mad at that! Along with the little peanuts being able to spend time with my older brother and his wife is priceless. Growing up across the country from them and being 12 years younger has not allowed me to really interact with them much. Before this trip the last time I had spent time with them was 2006 when I went out to the Snake River and helped my brother finishing building a house...yes I helped actually build something of substance, to this day it amazes me. Well anyway i feel like I really got to know my sister in law Mere this trip, i had a blast hanging out and getting to know more about her. I'm really blessed to have such a cool family that is spread out all over the world...it just stokes the fire in my belly. The fire to do big things.

So thank you Jon, Mere, Wins, Mudge, and Sugarfoot...along with Everyone else I met out here in Portland. I had a blast hanging out with you all, and I hope to see you all again sometime soon. Hopefully it won't be another 4 years until i come back out west!!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Turbeau's in the Wild West

Greeting All!

I hope you've awoken from your coma induced slumber by now, and if you were out bargain hunting this morning on Black Friday I hope your coupon induced craze paid off.

Today was a stellar day out here in Portland. No, the sun was not shining and it was not 80 degrees outside. BUT it was Portland and Portland is where my big bro and his family live. So all was well in Turbeau's world today. I got in yesterday evening around 5:30 ish and was greeted by my brother and nephew Winslows who came and got me at the airport. We quickly got back to his house and met up with his wife Meredith and some friends of theirs who were over for dinner...and dinner was just what I needed after a long day of flying with minimal legit meals. Just a couple apples and a granola bar with some nuts were about the only things I had...so taking down some turkey, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, creamed onions (better than they sound), pumpkin pie made with agave (no sugar), etc..it was good stuff and there were leftovers so the meals we had today were equally delicious. After dinner we mellowed out and all hit they hay pretty quickly, especially me. This morning my sister-in-law Meredith and I went to one of her favorite places to run which is an old fire road called the leif erikson trail. Its a really nice trail that climbs up the side of hill. It doesn't go straight up the hill or anything...instead it meanders back and forth in a long switchback format. It made for a really nice run. I was a bit outside my zones because of the elevation but I wasn't to concerned...it just felt good to be outside moving around. And for the first time since Nov 6th I started to feel like an athlete again.

When the running was done we headed back to the homestead, had some lunch, and chilled for a little while before we headed for the main adventure of the day which was a visit to the world famous Voodoo Donut shop. This place is for the lack of better words NUTS. Get this, the donuts come in a "box" which is "pink" and has the words "all the best things come in a pink box" get it??? get it?? your sick! hahaha

Anyways, this Voodoo donuts place is a freaking gold mine. They only except cash which means you know they are making out like gangbusters. I asked the lady working the counter how many donuts she thought she sold per day and she was thinking around 2K or so..thats a lot of donuts!! I mean the line was out the doors at 3:00 pm and my bro said it was like this pretty much every time they had ever been there. I ended up having one of their signature Bacon Maple Donuts..yep BACON! DELICIOUS BACON right on top of some maple glaze. It was pretty tasty I must say. They also had all other kinds of donuts, Marshall Matters (named after Rapper Eminem) which had M&M's on it, a Captain Crunch donut, a bubble gum donuts with an actual piece of bubble gum in it, and some other really really awesome concoctions. I will post up some pictures tomorrow when I pull them off my computer. You will all be impressed.

To cap off the day my brothers nice friends were kind enough to take me up to the Nike Employee store. My brothers friend Chris who has a couple kids the same ages as my brothers works at Nike as a product developer for Footwear and he is the President of the Bowerman Athletic Club...he's kind of a big deal! Anywho because he is who he is I was able to go inside the Nike store with a guest pass and get the chance to pick up some nike goods for 50% off! And this store had it all..all the newest releases, everything a normal Niketown would have..so basically I had my pick of the cream of the crop at half off. Naturally I picked up a couple pairs of shoes (Nikes Frees - Livestrong Edition and some Lunar Elite's)..sidenote: My brothers friend help create the Nike Free so if your wearing them right now..thank him!

Well its getting to be bed time and I have another full day of playing around here in Portland!

Talk to you all later.

-Turbeau

Monday, November 22, 2010

yikes...

You know your are a baller when you:

1. Finish an Ironman
2. Finish an Ironman in first place in AG
3. Finish an Ironman in first place of your gender...as a pro
4. Finish an Ironman only 30 minutes behind the overall male finisher...when you are a girl

Chrissie Wellington is fast...scary fast.


Sunday, November 21, 2010

Last day of the Offseason, my last hurrah with pretzel m&m's

Good morning all. Today is the last official day of my offseason. The 2011 will begin tomorrow. It will begin very slowly, but at least it will be beginning. What does this mean? Well first off it means that its about 7am right now, I am eating pretzel m&m's and drinking coffee, and about to go paddle around on Keuka Lake in a kayak. The lake is like glass and the sun is just coming up. It looks to be a glorious morning. Maybe I will even be back in time to catch a walk with my mom. These types of days are few and far between so I need to take advantage of them while I can. Another thing about today is that its 7am. I've been up since about 5:30, for some reason my normal sleeping habits kick back into effect as soon as I have caught up on my lost sleep. Meaning that once I've made up for whatever sleep deficit that comes about from racing and traveling I return to my normal sleep pattern which is waking up between 4:30 - 5:00 each morning. It's not such a bad things because I really cherish the morning horus. They are my hours, most other people are still asleep so between 4:30-8:30 every morning I can do whatever I want without worrying about not being available. That sense of freedom is nice ecspecially when in the winter months work can become demanding and the hours last long into the evening. I at least always have a few sacred hours in the morning to myself..to my sport!

That's all I have for the moment. Its now 7:15 and I am going to head out onto the lake for a little while. I might be back on here later if an inspiring thought so chooses to cross my mind today.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Holiday Season is upon us all


Happy Movember 20th everyone!

The mustache is alive and well..and Starbucks is now in full-fledged holiday mode, which is very comforting to me. If the weather must turn cold and the snow must fly then at least for 1.5 months out of the year I can drift into a warm and cozy holiday time of the year where people are cheery (most of the time) stores are decorated nicely, and where friends and family are a frequent sight. This year in particular I have a lot to be thankful for. Lately I have found myself a bit down and out about certain things, I succumbed to thinking that "I have it bad". Well, the fact of the matter is that I don't have it bad at all. Instead of wishing I had something else I need to be grateful for what I have right now. We are all on some kind of path and you just need to stay the course. Nothing ever worth having or attaining came easy, nor should it. I know that but I haven't been living it lately. So what can I do about this? Well I can reflect on all the awesomeness that is around me.

Top 10 Things that Turbeau is Thankful For:

10. The new Starbucks Holiday Mug. This is now the 4th of my collection. I can officially say that I have been addicted to coffee for over 4 years now. I owe it all to my time in London where I discovered the wonders that a hot coffee, iPod, and the London tube had to offered. I spent many a time walking to the station with my coffee, sitting on the train with my coffee, and even sitting in the many Starbucks that London has to offer. Then back here in the homeland coffee took a new meaning when I began to study each morning here at my favorite Starbucks in the world, the 12 Corners. I could honestly write a whole blog about how awesome this store is. Its funny to think about how many barista's I have been through here. All very nice people who seem to always remember me when I come in the store. They have all moved on to bigger and better things and for that I am very happy.




9. My new Asics trainers. (Gel Noosa Tri 6) Check out these fly babies.


Yeah, they are pretty loud. But what else would Turbeau wear? I haven't actually run in these yet since I've been on a bit of a break from exercise lately...but I have been wearing them around to the coffee shop, to the diner, etc...and I have had numerous compliments from strangers and family who are all raving about how cool they are. Then they see the actual designs on the shoe and absolutely love the kangaroo's riding bikes. You see, this Noosa tri sneaker is not a new one. It is in its 6th edition now, but previously to this one it was only sold in Australia and some other European markets, the USofA has missed out on the colorfol joy that the Gel Noosa trainer brings. Noosa in particular refers to a spot in Australia where a triathlon which has over 8,000 participants takes place each year. YES 8,000! Can you imagine that swim start if it was a mass start??

8. Coffee in general. I just wanted to express my thanks to the lovely coffee bean which produces the wonderful drink which greats me most every morning. Coffee, you do many things for me and for that I am grateful.

7. My mustache. A one month a year oddity, it warms both the soul and the upper lip at the same time. You might miss it on my face if your more than 10 feet away but rest assure that its there and its taking on a life of its own. Never be bashful about a mustache. Remember, cowboys in the old west sported them so it MUST BE COOL!

6. The Harry Potter Books. They are each equally wonderful masterpieces of literature which take me to a happy place each time I read them. I must not tell lies that they are probably my favorite books of all time, and thats just that. And part 1 of the 7th movie was very good. I pretty much like every movie I see, I mean they are all entertaining..even the bad ones. However, a great movie in my opinion is one where in the middle or towards the end of it in the theater I think to myself....geez I wonder how long I've been in here, I really hope the movie isn't almost over. Those are the movies, the ones that end to soon..the ones you want to keep going. Last nights movie for me was one of those. I wanted to go grab another bag of popcorn and watch Part 2..IMMEDIATELY! But alas, I must wait many months in order for Warner Brothers to milk us greedy consumers. And I must not leave out that Ms. Alexa Harding accompanied me to the movie last night. I must say that as much as a fan of HP as I am...I a pail in comparison to her. Just ask to see her wrist some time. Line, Circle, Triangle..I will leave it at that.

1-5 to come later.

Friday, November 19, 2010

It Finally Happened

I've caught a cold and the first snow has stuck to the cars outside. I could feel the familiar scratch in my throat yesterday morning, the scratch that tells me that its going to be hard to swallow for a little while, you know the one where your head becomes heavy, your neck hurts and all you want to do its sleep all day. Anyway, I fought long and hard yesterday to keep the sickness at bay, yet all the water, oranges, airborne, and purell couldn't repair the damage that had done. Luckily my mom and dad came up last night and were able to get me some medicine to combat whatever I have..be it a nasty cold, or strep throat. None the less I took a huge swig of nyquil last night and I woke up just a few minutes ago..I got a great full nights sleep because of the quil..good stuff! So I am a little happy today that I don't feel as awful as I thought I was going to be feel and that I am not contagious which means I don't have to sit in bed all day, even though a nice long nap all day does sound appealing. Tonight is a night where I actually want to be able to go out and do something. It's my last weekend of my true offseason and its the night of the Harry Potter opening. Officially the movie released this morning at 12am, I would usually have been there for the midnight showing but alas I did not grace the Pittsford cinema with my appearance this morning. So now as I struggle to wake up I am left to think about the day ahead. I've got to get through the next ~11 hours and life will then be good. I will get to start the weekend off by reading some Harry Potter, then going to the movie, then going to bed and sleeping until whenever I feel like it. I will sleep long and hard with the aid of nyquil. This weekend is going to be all about sleeping. I have a big week next week and I want to get back to full strength! What's my big week entail of you ask? Well, I would be more than happy to let you all know.
1. The 2011 season will officially kick off. Some easy efforts will begin and the weight room might even make an appearance.
2. Only 3 days of work
3. I am going to Portland, Oregon on Thurday morning to spend the weekend with my brothers family!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Atomic Bomb Eating Challenge




In the beginning we were full of hopes and dreams of accomplishing the feat and getting our names put up on the marquee..in the lights...but we were mistaken for the burger was LARGE..larger than we ever though possible....



I was going to do a nice little write up about this but my friend and fellow Eating Challange Contestant Travis Earley has beat me to the punch. Please refer to his blog --> Travis's Blog for the full details of the event along with many pictures that were taken by Travis's sister who was there for moral support.

I will just say that Travis's bro-in-law Dave was killing this challenge for about the first 20 minutes until he hit the infamous WALL, something like the wall that many people hit at mile 20 of the marathon. Dave ended up conceeding defeat to the burger challenge but only because the win was no longer in sight. I respect his decision as he has a wife and children, however as I do not I tried to bravely go where no man has gone before...beyond the 30 minute time limit. This picture says it all....



I was defeated...beaten down by the Atomic Bomb Challenge. I have always said I love eating challenges, but after attempting this I think it will be a long long time before I ever do something like this again..if ever. Although the Ben and Jerry's Vermonster does hold a special place in my heart due to my affinity for ice cream. However, that might be a team challenge..just for fun..someday..maybe...prolly not..ugh..I'm still a little full.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Quick Summary of what's to come...

Big things in store for the next blog:

1. The atomic eating challenge at Stick Lips BBQ -5 pounds of food in 30 minutes, can it be done? UPDATE: It's official, this challenge is being undertaken at 6:15 tonight at Sticky Lips BBQ! Lets get it on!



2. Movember continues. Newest donor is none other than my aunt and uncle, they saw me at church this weekend and must have been super impressed with my mustache...I can't blame them, it is a masterpiece in the making.



3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I) comes out this week.
PS..Hermoine is HOTT!




4. I feel fat and lazy

5. I have a serious case of the Mondays

6. I began the cleaning process of my apartment this weekend. It is beginning to look quite nice. This week and next weekend I have the task of organizing my clothing and getting rid of the stuff I don't need. Does anyone know of people who might like my slightly used clothing? It's all good stuff and I'd rather donate to somewhere else other than the clothing drop behind Barnes and Noble. I also must force myself to clean the bathroom..this is the hard part because it will be a big task, but I will get it done.

That's it for now. Gotta get some work done.

-Matt

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Back to Reality

From Yesterday 11/10/10

Usually the first day back to work is a complete drag. The weather always seems to be gloomy on these days. However, this morning was different. The sun was out and shining bright and I was able to stop off at Starbucks for a quick cup of coffee on my way in. Maybe it was the holiday feel that Starbucks is putting out these days...but I just like it. The weather is getting colder out and its always nice to come into a warm coffee shop where people are smiling and the numerous conversations all blend into a constant hum..it makes me feel comfortable. Over the next couple of weeks I plan on hanging out at my favorite Starbucks before work, that is once I have caught up on my sleep. I have always enjoyed the vibe that I get from the shop in the early morning when the same familiar faces are always around. Even though I haven't been a regular morning coffee visitor in about 2 years I still see the same faces that greeted me on so many occasions when I was in the minds of studying for college finals and then for the CPA exam. I am really going to enjoy taking some time to relax, sip coffee, chat with people, and play on my computer. Mostly writing blog posts and looking at tri stuff that I don't really need but is still totally cool.

Today - 11/11/10




Remember everyone. It's Movember all month long. In support of prostate cancer I have donated my face. The mustache is still growing strong and seems to give me the old western look. I'm thinking along the lines of Doc Holliday or one of those guys.

Click here to go to my MoSpace where you can donate as little or as much as you would like.

I still am not sleeping in real late but some of that can be attributed to the fact that I went to bed at 7:45 last night. I went and had a massage after work, ate a couple bowls of cereal, and then decided that I really had nothing else to do but go to bed...and I wasn't about to start cleaning my apartment at that late hour. I think the actual reason why I have been able to go to bed so soon is that for some reason my computer won't hook up to the wireless internet connection in my apartment complex. My computer has no problems getting on the wifi anywhere else..JUST MY APARTMENT WHERE I LIVE. But I really do think its a blessing in disguise because the internet is what always keeps me up to late after work. I don't need to be surfing the web then..so in a way my malfunctioning technology is making me a better person. Plus I really do love coming to Starbucks early in the morning like today and just hanging..sipping coffee, posting a blog and chatting with the nice people. And hold the phone! As I am writing this post my good buddy Mike Mundy just showed up, ordered his coffee and oatmeal and began informing the whole store that I just finished the Ironman, hahah!!! Mike is a good dude who was introduced to me last year by my friend Josh. Mike has been running his butt off over the past year and is in really good shape...just look at what he is doing next weekend --> Tough Mudder This is a race that is not timed..its just go out and have at it with all your friends..the theme is teamwork where everyone helps each other but goes at it hard at the same time. It really seems like a fun day, if my body wasn't shut down at the moment that would be the exact kind of endurance thing I would be into. So long as I didn't hurt myself when running through the burning rings of fire..Yes! they have burning rings of fire, its crazy!

In other news I kicked off the post season this week by beginning to read a non-running or triathlon related book. Instead of my usual genre choice I have reverted to my scholastic love of history by picking up a new novel about George Washington, our countries first president...not the peanut dude. In case you were confused. Deep down I am a history nut, I loved the subject in school and was in fact Social Studies student of the year in 7th Grade when I was in Mrs. Mueller's History class. Everyone said she as a tough mean teacher but I thought she was a peach! Hahaha..we would write in our journals, we visited the Genesee Country Valley Musuem. The place was great! I would go there again in a second! If I remember correctly at the time we went it was in late May or early June and it was a magnificent day. In fact I think it was this day when me and my ex-girlfriend at the time, Allison Wager reconnected. And later the next fall (8th grade year) we got back together...it was around Modified Football Season, I must have impressed her with my wide receiver and kicking skills on the gridiron! :) Funny the things you remember. In fact I remember that the day we went on that field trip in 7th grade that she had just broken her ankle during a softball game and she had to walk around on crutches the whole day, and she was wearing a yellow coat..yes, it was yellow with a navy blue stripe. How about that for memory. It should also be stated that this was probably my last "courtship" as I have technically not had a "girlfriend" since...maybe I should go back to the Historical community and see if I have any more luck..maybe their will be a young history teacher who is searching a lover of history like myself! But that might be a long shot and many parents who are chaperoning the field trips might think it weird that a random 24 year old is wandering the Genesee Country Valley Museum during a school week..idk...

Monday, November 8, 2010

IMFL 2010 - In The Books

Thank you :
First off I want to say thank you to everyone who wished me well before this race, everyone who kept track of me when I was racing around Panama City Beach, and everyone who has sent me congratulatory messages. I really really appreciate every single one of them and I hope I have been able to respond to each one of them....I think I have but if I missed you I do apologize...and in such a case please inform me so that I can make up for this atrocity :)

Without the support of my friends and family throughout this past year (my first full year of triathlon) I would not be where I am today...and where I am today is a good place. I am working at a new office where the people are friendly, they seem to really want me to learn and want me to be a part of their growing business, and they also seem to "get" my triathlon addiction, although to them its just my hobby...little do they know that I spend just about every waking moment of my non-work day in triathlon mode, whether that be eating right (most of the time), hanging at the bike shop making sure my bike is ready to roll), training!, driving to places to train, driving to places to race, getting enough sleep to recover properly, heading to the gym, yoga to stretch, etc.. etc... the list could go on and on.

When I sit back and think about what I have done, what I have seen, where I have been, and who I have met throughout this past year it really is quite amazing. I think that my good friend Mike Corona said it best in his most recent blog This kind of thing is what really matters when it comes down to it. It's about enjoying the sport and enjoying it good company. Mike and I spent many a early morning in conditions that would make southerners turn pale in the face and scare them into the fetal position. We even crashed together one morning...I mean really crashed hard!!! but through all the crappy mornings and the brief pain it only made us stronger triathletes and more importantly stronger triathletes. One year ago I didn't know Mike and today I consider him one of my closest friends.

I also wanted to add one final thought about the overall triathlon community. I refer to this a lot..about how great it is blah blah blah..but once again I was amazed by it down here at IMFL. I know that a lot of people get pissed off at the WTC for what they do and most recently for what they tried to do. I personally have no basis to be angry with them since I haven't been around that long. I have a bit of a personality trait that doesn't care what was in the past so in terms of the WTC I never experienced what IM races were like pre 2010. Frankly I don't care..All I know is that it costs a lot to put on a race of IM magnitude and that to have everything done for me and have all the race set up for me is great. I have enjoyed every single one of my IM events this summer. I did 4 M dot races (2 70.3's and 2 Full's) and sure their might be some things I would like to see changed but on the whole they were run extremely smooth. For me the 300 or 600 dollar registration fee is a small price to pay for the amount of training, sacrifice, and dedication that goes into IM training. Sure I would love it to be less expensive, especially since I don't make a ton of money right now. But I am not going to complain and make a scene like some people do. It really irks me when I see some of the comments on ST about this. Some comments are justified and some are not..and I've got to imagine that some of them are being written by people who make over $100k per year, to them unless they are struggling to support a family of 5 I have no remorse because I know a lot of people who make less and are still paying their dues. But enough about that, I am jaded by my youth, so take my thoughts for what they are worth (not much).

What I was trying to get to in the above paragraph is that I had a really wonderful time here in Panama City getting to know some more QT2 athletes like Charlie and Andy. Andy in particular is a bit older than me and was not at the Vermont camp so i didn't get a chance to meet him this summer. However, I saw him multiple times on the course and cheered for him as he went flying by me on the bike as well as on the run loops. He was hauling! It was exciting to see him trucking along, and exciting for me to see someone else racing that I knew. Then at 2011 registration I met a guy named Jason who lives in Florida and who was signing up for this first Ironman. We got along just like old friends talking about this years race, next years race, his own tri club, etc..It's always great to meet people who are excited about the sport and into the same thing as you. I look forward to seeing him next year as he nails this race!

IMFL 2010 Race Report (or something like that)

It was cold! I was freezing before the swim start. Up until Mary and I hit the beach I was nice and warm in my cozy 3 layers of clothing as I checked my gear bags and pumped my tires. The special needs bags were dropped off (and never touched..so someone got a nice powerbar, pair of newton socks, and powergel courtesy of Turbeau Curbeau, athelete #190...I hope you enjoy them!), then we prepared to head to the beach by getting on our wetsuits. This is where I got the coldness set in..40 degree temps with a sleeveless wetsuit is not all that pleasant. I ended up making the executive decision to ditch my hoody and sweats and just wear my wetsuit, $6 dollar Walmart slippers, nike winter cap, $2 dollar Walmart mittens, and nike long sleeve shirt to the swim start. Sounds like I would still be warm right? WRONG! I was still freaking cold and I had to pee like crazy...the bathroom lines, although the smallest of all IM events because of the proximity to the host hotel, were still extremely long and I wasn't about to stand in line for 20 minutes just to go #1..something I would soon be doing in my pants all day long anyways. So as Mary and I were standing on the beach, a few yards from the swim start I decided to warm myself off by taking a leak...it must be absolutely fascinating for a non-racer (spectator) to just see a grown man peeing himself with a big old smile on his face..or at least I think it would be fascinating to watch..but then again I am kind of weird. After I relieved myself we walked through the swim start to engage the timing chip, once through that we had the whole shore to our disposal. I proceeded to jump around for the next 5 minutes attempting to warm my body up...it didn't work all that well. Then the worst part. I had to ditch my hat, my shirt, my gloves, and lastly my slippers...it was now go time! As I made my way to the front line, a little to the right of the first buoy (banking on the current taking me to the left the whole time) Mary and I happened upon Adam a QT2 athlete who was starting his first ironman, its always nice to see a familiar face when you are surrounded by 2,500 other people. At 7AM the cannon blew and we were off. The water brought a welcome warmth to my body as it was significantly warmer than the air. The swim was taken in 4 segments, the first segment was the swim out to the first buoy. It was a fight against the current which was pulling left and their were some pretty decent waves as well. It made for a fun battle and really didn't allow for any time to think about your stroke. It was just swim swim swim and try and not get nailed by a competitor. As weird as some people may think..especially those who have done IMLP, I took more hits here than in Placid, probably because of the waves and current. After the first buoy (which I dove under and around) it was a short straight line towards the way back to shore...this was quick because the waves were going that exact direction...then after the turn it was just swim as hard as you can back to shore. This part was aided by the current and waves and they were flowing in the general direction of land. It was also on this segment of the first loop where the back of my wetsuit broke. The zipper was toast and I could feel some nice cool water on my skin, but most of all I could feel the top of it rubbing against my next (I have a nice little spot on my neck which resembles that of a HICKY right now..to bad its not a HICKY, hmm..I might just tell people it is so maybe the ladies think I have some game. Yes, that is what I will do. Anyways, the benefit of the buoyancy from the wetsuit outweighed the other option of stripping after the first loop. I ran out of the water, onto the beach, grabbed a swig of water, looked at my watch..smiled, and the proceeded to face plant into the sand as another dude forced me into a little sand wall that had been created by the tide..no worries though I bounced up quickly and made it look as smooth as possible..you know like I meant to do it..haha! After that I did about 50 dolphin dives to get out to deep enough water where I could begin to get some benefit by actually swimming. The rest of the swim was just the same as the first loop..my wetsuit was bugging me but that was the only negative. Other than that I really enjoyed seeing some sea life on the ocean floor in the shallow waters...whats the use of swimming in the ocean if you don't take some time to enjoy the scenery! (I saw 3 horseshoe crabs in case you were wondering). During the swim I thought to myself, hmm...I am pretty warm I don't think I will need an extra layer on the bike..I am soooo GLAD I did not go with this notion.

T1-Bike

The wetsuit was stripped off and I headed to the indoor transition, my bag was given right to me and the nice transition people, good bless them, just dumped it in front of me and were at my service...literally doing everything I asked except appealing the cream to my private area. (I don't know why by the term grundle seems applicable here..haha that sounds funny when I say it...grundle..just say it and you will laugh. I don't even know if this term is horrendously offense or not..if it is I apologize) The bike was freaking freezing for about the first 2 hours and then didn't get much warmer than mildly comfortable. It was also pretty windy. No excuses though, a tail wind for the final 11 miles or so pushed the mph average up so I was happy for that. The bike was overall uneventful. The turn around out and back half way was super bumpy for about 5-6 miles..like really bumpy, every 2 seconds it was another bump, I wouldn't say the road was super bad but its just that after 50+ miles in the saddle already a few hundred thumps just isn't the most fun thing to have. But overall nothing horrible...I did almost see one guy yard sale when his front tire caught in a rut, but somehow he managed to steady his steed and keep riding..I didn't see to many of the bike peletons that I heard about from others, yes a couple passed me but not that many. At one point Andy Salmon (QT2 athlete) rolled by me around mile 15 or so..he was in the zone, I wanted to follow but I knew such a move was not in my cards and would ultimately leave me crying on the side of the road somewhere in the fetal position. Once I hit mile 80 it was go time though. I bumped the watts up ~10 and was trying to make up some time that the cold and wind may have taken away from me. Let me state that I wasn't being superman by any means but I was riding at a little higher tempo. I got to see my mom outside our hotel on the way back as well as Curt and Luc Eggers..always great to see familiar faces when racing. I was feeling really good, really high spirits.

T2-Run

I got off the bike and tip toed to T2. I am not an accomplished dismounter of the bike with no cleats yet, this is something I will work on next year. Trying this for the first time in and IM event is not the correct place and would probably have left me with some open wounds and a mangled bike. T2 went pretty good overall, the volunteers were again like little angels sent from heaven. The only dump move I made was forgetting to take off the Mellow Johnys Bike jersey I wore because of the cold (thankfully I packed this! The arm warmers would not have been enough. Next year I will be packing a really good base layer to put on over my tri top after the swim to help warm me back up and keep the core temp up, I think the cold might have dropped my heart rate on the bike to a lower than normal level..but whatever I will look at that later..REMEMBER NO EXCUSES ON RACE DAY..IT IS WHAT IT IS...SUCK IT UP AND DEAL) So after I remembered this I took it off and chucked it at a nice little girl who was like "WTF is this idiot doing" I told her my number was #190 and thanked her. Truthfully I didn't expect to see the jersey ever again, nor would I have cared...but the little angel stuck it in my bag and it was there for me when I picked it up. The first mile was good, 7:20, exactly as planned..then the next mile sucked. I just couldn't keep the pace. I ended up pulling over and taking a leak while I walked..gross right? Not really when you think about the dude that pooped himself..I didn't see this but it was all over ST that some guy had done some work in his white pants and was leaving behind a nasty smell as he ran his marathon...After that the next ~5 miles were good, or something like that. Clipping off ~7:30's and feeling the way I thought I should feel based on training, etc. This didn't last long though, for some reason the giddy up wasn't their, I suppose the wind on the bike took more out of me than I thought..maybe? None the less I kept eating, kept drinking and made my way around the first loop and into the second, thinking back I really am angry I couldn't get myself to push to another level, this is something I need to work on going forward..yes I was hurting but everyone else was too. I knew this! and I knew this going into the race but still there are times when you think..damn I didn't execute as planned. I had kept this mindset for the majority of the day but at the end of the run when I think about I let it slip. When I check my watch with 6 miles to go I knew that sub 10 was pretty much out the window unless I decided to morph into Ryan Hall for 10 minutes and make up 2 miles. So the last 6 miles I am angry at myself because I didn't floor it. I didn't make myself go beyond the wall, I ran hard the last mile but the damage was already done..the damage was done at mile 10 when the legs weren't firing at sub 7 pace. So be it! It's over now, and I have gained valuable knowledge about myself and where I need to place focus on..both mentally and physically. As I entered the finishing shoot I had the whole thing to myself as I was in no-mans land for the last 1.5 miles. I saw my mom and dad, high fived my dad, and crossed the finish line smiling....little did I know that I was smiling for the camera as it was being streamed over the internet. Glad I wasn't being grumpy or obscene. HAHA. I put my arm around the nice lady that gave me my medal, thanked her, collected my t-shirt and hat and made my way to the food tent for a cold coke and banana. I felt pretty good all things considered. What does this mean? I didn't go hard enough, I want to cross the line in a haze where they have to cart me off to the med tent..haha (I bet coaches love to hear that right?) Anyways, I found my parents again, gave them a hug and proceeded to get my dry clothes bag since I was already getting cold from no longer running.

And that was that. I got my bike and took it to the Ironman bike store (best $175 dollars I ever spent, they took my box and built my bike on Thursday, had it built and tuned in 3 hours, picked up and test rode it, raced on it, and then gave it back to them after I finished and they proceeded to re-box it for me all I have to do it take it to the airport and check it in...it was great!!!) picked up my Transition bag (aka T-bags, hehe). I then caught up with the Eggers and found Mary after she finished.




PS: I went to McDonalds for breakfast today and on my coffee cup they had the monopoly peel off sticker game, and I won! I won a free small fry. Looks like I know where lunch is going to be today!!! Then I am thinking maybe another meatball sub from subway for dinner..I've really developed a craving for those, haha! I am going to enjoy some tasty foods for a couple more days and then once I get back on the wagon I am going to stay their! I've got a lot of work to in 2011 but I've got everything in place to get me where I need to be. One year from now I will be back here in Panama City recovering from IM #3. I can't wait to look back and see what 2011 was like.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Scarf time -



MEATBALL SUB WITH PROVOLONE AND LARGE WENDY'S FRY!

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Tortoise and the Hare

A hare one day made himself merry over the slow pace of the tortoise, vainly boasting of his own great speed in running.

The tortoise smiled at the hare and replied, "Let us try a race.  We shall run from here to the pond and the fox out yonder shall be the judge."

The hare agreed and away they started together.  True to his boasting the hare was out of sight in a moment.

The tortoise jogged along with a slow, steady pace, straight towards end of the course.  Full of sport, the hare first outran the tortoise, then intentionally fell behind chuckling at the tortoise all the while. 

Having come nearly to the goal, the hare began to nibble at the young plants.  After a while, the day being warm, he lay down for a nap, saying:  "The tortoise is behind me now.  If he should go by, I can easily enough catch up."

When the hare awoke, the tortoise was not in sight.  Running as fast as he could, the hare found the fox congratulating the tortoise at the finish line.

I always liked Turtles, ever since the days of TMNT on Saturday morning cartoons and my 2 pet turtles as a kid.

Don't lose sight of the goal, don't stop until the work is done. DO YOUR JOB!

Greetings from the Pan-Handle

Hi everybody!

Just in case your were wondering....the mustache is in full effect and seems to be growing just fine. If you look close enough at my face now you can actually tell that something is there...something strangely red colored, but its there. (My mom has red hair and strangely the only signs of her genetics that shows on me is in my beard...weird!)

So Panama City Beach is pretty legit. Its offseason here so all the cool shops and stuff are closed, and so is the dune buggy track, but that also means that everything is pretty wide open. Meaning all the restaurants are crowded, the beach is all MINE!, the ocean is all mine!, the rooms are $50 bucks a night...the rooms are $50 bucks a night...did I tell you how much my room was? Haha, it just makes it a ton more affordable than say IMLP. Its at the end of the season which is perfect for me since the summer and fall are the best times for me in terms of having time off from work. So yeah I am really liking it here..who knows maybe I will sign up on Sunday, we will just have to see!

I also have an amazing view of the ocean right from my 7th floor room, it really is quite nice and provides an amazing venue for watching sunsets. I think the best part of this whole trip is the vacation time I am going to have on Sunday and Monday...all day to just CHILL, sit on the beach and soak up the sun...with the real world as far out of my mind as possible!

Well, thats a little taste of what its like here. I had a HUGE breakfast and the waffle house, have been munching on pretzels and stuff this morning, am going to have subway for lunch, and then a light dinner around 3-4ish. In between lunch and dinner I will drop my bike off at transition. Then after dinner it's back to the hotel to plant myself in my bed, watch Toy Story 3, catch a nap, wait for the arrival of my parents, and then sleep as much as possible before a 3:30am wake up call.

Tomorrow is race day..I get to race on FLAT LAND all day..and race with a whole bunch of my friends who are down here. It's amazing that you can be so far from home yet know so many people, that's the beauty of this sport!

It's going to be a great day!!!

-Turbeau

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

It's Still Growing




Movember, Day 3. The mustache is now taking shape and looking forward to the warm sun and sandy beaches that Panama City Beach will bring.




Remember, here is where you can donate to my face! My MoSpace, Donate Here

An updated picture will be posted as soon as I get out of work tonight!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Movember Day 2

In case you forgot here is my MoSpace where you can donated money to the fight against Prostate cancer and check in on my mustache and how it is taking shape on my face. --> http://us.movember.com/mospace/855948/

Here it is after 1 day..pretty snazy huh?



After one day the total amount donated is a whopping $75 dollars thanks to my Sister and Parents, now that the family has kicked it off let see who else wants to join in. Every dollar contributed goes to a truly worthy cause and gives me more and more motivation to make this mustache spectacular on behalf of everyone!

If you have any styling suggestions please do comment.

Bonus Turbeau points if you can guess where this photo was taken?

Monday, November 1, 2010

Happy Movember Everyone!

I've donated my face to Movember and the fight against cancer, pls give so it may grow: http://us.movember.com/mospace/855948/


Keep the donations coming and the stache will stay, no matter how funny I look!


Here is a blast from the past. A blog I posted just about 1 year ago :

As the month of November begins, let us take a moment to reflect on the beauty that is "Movember." I am extremely jealous of the people who can observe Movember. I did not take the opportunity in college to do this and I seriously regret it. If you are not familiar with Movember let me clue you in on what its all about. First of all check out the main Movember website http://ex.movember.com/. Basically Movember is a month to grow out a mustache and raise money for charity. How cool is that. I would be looked down upon at my job if I decided to do this at my level..I could probably get away with it since its for charity and everything but I just don't want to deal with the comments and everything from co-workers, it would be REALLY annoying..so I will hold off for now..but one of these years I am going to begin the tradition of Movember and rock my mustache for charity with some serious pride and who knows the mustache might just remain on me for good...I mean just look at some of the best mustache's their have ever been...these guys really knew how to rock them with style! As a note I must say that by no means am I advocating what these men did in their lives (i.e. Adolf) I am purely displaying various men who wore mustache's and wore them quite well...whether they looked hideous or extremely manly.

In no particular order..feel free to comment on their overall ranking or included ones that I missed because there are a ton and I just don't have the time to think of all of them:




1. Steve Prefontaine - It's been said that Pre's Mustache had aerodynamic qualities that allowed him to run at the speed he did. His stache also made a great place to hide a little snack so during his run he wouldn't even have to reach into his pocket for nutrition. Pre was certainly ahead of his time in many many ways!





2. Mark Spitz








3. Michael Phelps







4. Rollie Fingers - What can you say? Rollie's mustache is a piece of artwork. How intimidating of a pitched must he have been..I mean to stroll out to the mound, knowing you were rocking the coolest facial hair in the stadium..HUGE confidence booster IMO.






5. Tom Sellek - Can't knock it...




6. Hitler -Bad dude with a weird stache. He rocked it with confidence....even though he had issues.








7. Matthew McConaughey - Umm...McConaughey, he's buddies with Lance so that makes him cool in my book, even though he has a tendancy to not on t-shirts and never leave the beach...wait a minute, thats freaking awesome. And he lives out of a airstream trailer! I take back anything bad I ever said, the dudes living an awesome life and making big bucks doing it...im jealous! He should grow this stache back!










8. The Beetles - The Beetles were gods. Still today they take on the giant that is Apple, still demonstrating that they have the type of mojo that comes along with sporting a mustache.











9. Ron Burgandy - Burgandy had to be in here...how could you leave him out? A man that can tell a whole city to 4 letter word itself should definitely be wearing a mustache.





10. Mel Gibson - No Mel!! Absolutely NOT!




New Additions: Thanks to CJ

Bert Reynolds:



The Hulkster aka Thunderlips if your familiar with Rocky III, which I just happened to watch yesterday.



It's A me...Mario!

Happy Movember Everyone!

I've donated my face to Movember and the fight against cancer, pls give so it may grow: http://us.movember.com/mospace/855948/


Keep the donations coming and the stache will stay, no matter how funny I look!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

T-minus 6 Days Until Liftoff



Ironman Florida is right around the corner. Next week at this time I will be laid out on the sandy beaches of Panama City with a bag full of pretzel m&m's. The race is next Saturday and I can honestly say that I am starting to get very excited. Over the past year many hours have been logged in preparation, and I wouldn't trade those hours for anything in the world. Sure many of those hours hurt (physically and mentally) but they were hours spent doing something that I am so totally and fully obsessed with. It would probably take me a long time to reflect on the countless memories made over the past year so I will just mention those that immediately come to mind. Things like going over to Corona's house last November for the first time and riding my bike on the trainer for three hours (my longest trainer ride ever), spending the early hours of the holidays on my bike or running before the rest of the family got up to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving, hitting the roads in the dark desolate months of January and February for an early morning run..through the snow and frigid temperatures, waving to my brother and law as he snow blew the driveway as I was circling the neighborhood with frozen fuel belt bottles in tow, waking up at 3am to start a 6 hour bike ride with Corona,

yardsaling across train tracks with Corona at hour 5 of a 6 hour ride,

swimming alone in Mirror Lake in the beginning of June and thinking about halfway through the swim that this is kind of eery..and wondering if their were any big lake monsters beneath me, the early morning spent at countless Starbucks..the calm before the storm, my morning coffee which always puts me in a good mood regardless of the situation, the train this camp when I finally ran 3 miles off the bike 4 weeks out from LP, the QT2 came in Vermont where I began to see what an absolute machine they were...It was here that I met some really really awesome people that allowed me to enter their circle without the slightest hesitation..and I must say that not only were these people super nice they are all also super FAST! I am really excited and honored that I am going to have the chance to work with and be a part of the 2011 QT2 team..2010 was awesome and 2011 is going to keep the good times rolling by taking me to new places...I vividly remember showing up at the Vermont camp really knowing only one person (Pat) who hadn't yet arrived..so me being me I was anxious to do something and meet people. So of course when Tim Snow asked if anyone wanted to head out for a ride I was on my bike and down the road before he could clip in. I have to really thank Tim for not dropping me like a bad habit on that 2 hour ride because I think I still would be lost and looking for my way home today if I had not been able to keep him in sight. In the end the ride was so totally worth it, it rained a little bit and took me on some really beautiful roads, then just as we were approaching the road on the way back to the house a BIG double rainbow appeared behind us. Luckily Tim was looking back to make sure I hadn't died or anything and he saw it and pointed it out to me..it was really cool, maybe a sign of good things to come for us all in the future!




Hey, you have to be optimistic right? Then their was IMLP of course..a totally amazing experience, looking out from the swim start at the thousands of spectators brought only the though of "I'm in a little fishbowl" to my mind. Coming into town for the first time on my bike brings chills to my body just thinking about the vibe that I got from it all..people always told me it was like you were on the tour de france and they weren't lying..it was electric. And then of course crossing the finish line, knowing that I know had 140.6 miles on my legs and that I could take on anything. It was pretty cool. There were also countless rides with Don and Chris my Rochester riding buddies. Don in particular has been so so nice to me, allowing me to invade his home on countless early mornings. He lives in such a great spot that allows us to quickly get on the country roads and make a quick transition into running around the beautiful Mendon Ponds. There was the race down in Texas last April where I got to experience the Ironman atmosphere for the first time, meet Chris Lieto in person!

and even collect some hardware at my first M dot event!!! I couldn't have asked for a better first experience..I was spoiled. There was also the time I ran the Mini-mussel sprint triathlon in only a speedo..yes I saw in a speedo, road a bike in my speedo, and ran in my speedo..it was definitely a strange sight to see. However this mini-mussel might have been the most fun I ever had on the run because I came off the bike right with the second place guy in my AG. As I caught up with him leaving T2 he ran with me for about a half a mile, during this time we had caught up to the first place guy at the time who had laid down a pretty stellar swim, so then it was just me and him..and the half mile point he began to fade and I never looked back (literally I was superstitious) I even remember seeing Pat Wheeler on the run course and could see the shock in his eyes when he and his wife laid eyes on a pasty white kid wearing only a speedo racing down the lakeshore towards the finish line..it was quite the sight to see. And now here in the lead up to IMFL I have had a couple huge training days in the cold windy northern weather. Riding for hours at a time and then jumping off the bike to run faster than I ever have before.

The big dance is coming soon...very soon...I need to get some good sleep this week and eat good food and not worry about anything else. At this point I have done all I can and it doesn't matter "what I didn't do" because the end result is that I am very close to making it to the start line and that's what matters. I can't wait to put my toes into the gulf of mexico and churn up the water with reckless disregard, I want to go fast but I want to be consistent..I want a great day but I don't want to crap the bed, I want to make people proud and validate my training hours...but I know that's not the correct thinking because basing a whole year of training, friendships and adventures on one single day..on 10+ hours is not fair to me or the people around me. Win, lose of DNF I am going to give it my all, hold nothing back, and hope for the best. Regardless of the outcome I am going to have an absolute blast racing with my friends in Florida next weekend.

ITS GOING TO BE A HECK OF A DAY!

-Turbeau

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is coming soon!

I scarred myself just like Harry in preparation for this latest release...



naw just kidding I got this scar earlier this year when I was changing my pedals for the first time and decided to punch my front rings

Full speed ahead

I don't run to win races or prove my fitness, I run because I can. It's a privilege to be able to move my body in such a manner. I run and bike and swim because for me their is no better satisfaction than that which is born from ones own accomplishments. The energy generated from self improvement cannot be replicated. This stuff might not be for everyone and that I understand...but the lesson is universal. Whatever inspires you should be taken on at full speed, hold nothing back and attack it with everything you have. No regrets, no excuses...it is what it is and be thankful that at least your in the mix. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

If it comes easy, if it doesn't require extraordinary effort, you're not pushing hard enough; it's supposed to hurt like hell. ~Dean K.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

This, That, and everything in between

Just finished lunch here at work and had a few free minutes so I figured I would at least try to get something up here on the blog. I've realized that writing things for my blog really relaxes me and just genuinely makes me feel good. With that said I have not been posting much lately and I can definitely tell that I have lost a piece of me that I really quite enjoy. This is not to say that things haven't been going well in my life lately, because frankly they have been going pretty good.

Training in preparation for Ironman Florida was rocking and rolling up until this past Sunday when my body told me that I had used it to the max and that it was time to start recovering..time to ditch the fatigue. Prior to Sunday I have been very very happy with the way my training has gone. Unlike the leadup to Lake Placid I am currently running pain free and have been doing so since late June. Instead of my long run of 8 miles before Placid I have had multiple weeks where my run mileage is up in the 30's. No its not the huge number that some athletes put up, but I am not a season veteran with marathon hardened legs. I am still in my rookie year and have only one marathon to my credit. However, the legs have been feeling pretty good. I partially attribute that to some of the trail running that I did in Aug/Sept. Every Wednesday night in Aug and Sept I ran with some friends out in Mendon Ponds, where the trails are beautiful and the terrain is hilly. Putting on 12-13 miles on a Wednesday evening after having swam for an hour in the morning is a good day's training for someone like me who has to sit at a desk from 8:30-5:30. So with several of those weeks plus last months trainin which included some 5-6 hour rides with hard running right off the bike I feel like I am in as good a place as I can be at the moment. More speed and endurance will come as the years tick by but for now I am happy with the improvement and gains that I have achieved this year. Whether I have a good or bad day down in Florida it really doesn't matter. I am not going to let one day tarnish the past year. I have made to many friends and begun to many relationships for one bad day to cast a gloomy cloud over the whole thing. With that said...I am 100% confident that Nov 6th is going to be a great day. I am going to be racing in warm weather (a welcome change from the fall weather that is coming in the Northeast), I will be playing in the great wide ocean (no crazy mass start with 3000 people on top of each other), racing with friends, ang GOING FAST. I am going to stick to my plan BUT I am going to race...I am going to race IMFL and give it my best and see what happens. If I come up short..well at least I know that I pushed it to the red-line. I felt that I left a lot on the table in LP because of the circumstances. I raced smart in LP and came out on the other side smiling and injury free. But FL is the season ender..I want a fun race but I also want to know that it was my best effort at the level I am currently at. I can't wait to tackle this one!

Hmmm..what else has been going on?

I did a little 10 mile race on Saturday and had an extremely good time. Ran the race with negative split miles the whole way (or just about). Started out around 6:45'ish for the first 6 and then dropped it a bit at the end...ya know just for fun. This race wasn't about red-lining and taking home the championship. It was about making sure I could hit my paces and feel that they were easily obtainable...mission accomplished.

I also had my first real track workout last week. It was on Thursday morning in the wee hours of the morning. Me, myself, and I made our way to the Brighton highschool track before dawn and began to circle the rubber path. I had 5 by 1 mile repeats. I have never had the chance to do this workout and I must say I really enjoyed it. In one hour I ran about 9 miles or so and 5 of those miles were fast! They were fast but they weren't throw up fast, which is a good thing. Throw up fast will come..and most likely come when I have some training partners to push me. But they were fast enough for me to feel really good about where my fitness is..and doing them solo in the darkness and being done before 7am..well it just really makes you feel like you accomplished something. I highly reccommend this workout to all people..you don't have to be a triathlete to go out and run!

One other thing thats on my mind...my long lost London friends have begun to reunite. Thanks to the great CJ McCarthy from Boston, an email thread has been created and many memories from 5 years ago have been ressurected. Yes folks, it is almost the 5 year anniversary of when your's truly graced Great Britain with his presence. Many great moments occured during my time in the Queens country. Laughs, falls, cries, more laughs, beers, kavanaughs, bouncers, creepy british dudes, etc etc...I could really go on and on about this all. In fact I should try to recreate my London nights in new posts. I saw in my friends emails that some had kept a London journal. Unforuntely I did not keep such a thing..I was to busy being the freaking man. Anyway, maybe I can try to write some posts as if they were from the great year of 2006..back when it was cool to be a Mess of a College kid, roaming the streets of London and having an absolute ball....

AHHH memories!

and yeah..I used to be a good time (Believe it or not) I think my Mom has stopped following my blog so I will put this pic up for old times sake. If your reading this Mom..well I guess its to late..hahaha