MEET MY NEW TRAINING PARTNER & FRIEND

I would like to introduce my new training partner and friend...The Wind!

As we approach some windy times in Egypt it occured to me that I had to stop battling the wind. I have to quit cursing it on every ride. It is going to be around for some time, and not just any wind but a warm dusty desert type wind. I decided it was high time I made friends with the wind. High time I began treating it like a friend and companion. I realized the wind is what is probably going to get me to the start line of Ironman in the best possible position to make it to the finish line. The wind is going to be my companion over the next 6 months and I am going to use it and abuse it. Get everything I can out of it. Welcome it like a long lost friend. Sure there will probably be times when it frustrates me, when I go back to old habits and curse the wind, but in the end I will make up with it and treat it like a friend. Appreciate it for what it can do for me and what it will do to me. Prepare me to become an Ironman.

Bring on the wind!

Cheers for now.

Brawn of the Oasis

8 MONTHS...LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

It occured to me on my long run yesterday that it was exactly 8 months until my date with Ironman. Exactly 243 days. I had completed my training plan 2 days before, the training plan that was going to get me to the start line at Ironman Switzerland and the training plan that was hopefully going to get me to the finish. I felt pretty good about it, very much business like. Yesterday for some reason the magnitude of the whole thing set in and filled my mind with the usual questions...'am I ready to do this?' 'will I be ready to do this?' 'why?' 'what if I don't finish?' 'what if I do finish?' 'is this enough training?' and many other questions.

I think these questions are natural, especially for first time ironman competitors. I also just read an article about the increasing number of people that are DNFing in Ironman competitions. I have my own thoughts on that. I think there are a number of reasons the number of DNF's are up:

1) like climbing Everest as more people do it the respect for it diminishes. People think if that many people have done it it can't be that hard. People forget about the amount of work that needs to go in to the preparation for this and turn up unprepared.
2) Because of our 'fast food, drive through mentality' people want the big prize and they want it now. Why wait 2 years, I'm going to take the express lane and save myself all that time.
3) Many people understand the physical side of Ironman, but people forget about the psychological side. People are surprised when their mind starts to go through stretches where it tries to convince you it's had enough. This catches people off gaurd and they are not prepared to deal with their mind.
4) Despite all the training advice out there, there are still people who turn up at the start line overtrained, fatigued and not in the best position to start.
5) Not wanting to be critical of all those who have DNF'd, of course Ironman is still a mass undertaking and there are many people and will continue to be many people for whatever reason just get beat on that day. Whether it be physical problems that they could not forsee, weather, mechanical, equipment, etc. The race just wins.

Item number 5 is what Ironman is all about for me. That is one of the things that draws me to it. I am determined to put myself at the start line in my best possible condition. I am determined not to beat myself. I will be as prepared as I can be. Then it is up to the race... it is up to me to turn in my best performance on that day. I don't expect to conquer Ironman, I think there are only a few people who ever have, but I want to embrace it and if the racing gods are on my side and I can turn in my best performance on that day, I will not only see the start line, but I will also see the finish line.

With this in mind I have two goals for Ironman Switzerland.
1) To get myself to the start line in the best possible place, both physically and mentally. Hopefully this brings on a smooth transition in to goal #2,
2) To see myself to the finish line. Time...that is up to the race and up to my ability to accomplish goal #1.

Cheers for now,
Brawn of the Oasis

THE FAMILY

Here is a picture of family. Jaz and the Little Brawn at the beach.

A SIGN OF MATURITY??

Perhaps this is a sign that I am finally maturing as an endurance athlete. Last week I had a very busy week. I did a 10k run on Sunday, 2 spinning classes, 10 k run on Tuesday morning followed by a 5k race on Tuesday night, a 25k run on Thursday morning and a 90k bike on Friday morning. Saturday was my off day and I woke up with a bit of a sore knee. On Sunday I was supposed to get up and run but the knee still felt a little wonky so I did yoga instead and took the day off. Monday I was going to bike, but again it didn't feel great so I did yoga and left the bike on the stand. This morning when I woke up, the knee felt better and I was able to get in my 15 k run. The run felt great, I felt well rested and strong, and was able to knock off sub 8 minute miles while keeping my HR in zone 2.

In past situations that are similar I would not have been able to take the day off, my ultra-competitive, type A personality would have kicked in and I would have pushed through all my workouts risking some extended forced time off or ended up feeling frustrated because the workouts sucked. Instead, I was able to show some 'maturity' and take the much needed two days off and get back at it rested and strong and pain free!

On my run today it crossed my mind that I am exactly 8 months away from my date with Ironman! More on that tomorrow.

Cheers for now
Brawn of the Oasis

THE LITTLE BRAWN!

Just thought I would throw in a picture of the Little Brawn. Anaka is now 14 months old and definately on the move. She is talking a lot, saying many words (her first being BALL) and is always on the move.

This picture was taken in Ein Sukhna on the Red Sea coast, about 1 1/2 hours from Cairo. It is a common get-a-way for Cairenes, especially foriegners living here.

Cheers for now.
Brawn of the Oasis

BRING ON THE FEAST!

And so tonight marks the beginning of the feast which concludes the Holy Month of Ramadan in a Muslim country, and this year I must say it could not have come fast enough! As I sit and write this there are fireworks, firecrackers, whooting, hollaring, honking, and every other noise one can think of going on outside...and good for them, it has been a long difficult month and a little celebration is deserved.

That being said Ramadan is no picnic for anyone living in a Muslim country. Our internet has been down for about a week and trying to get someone to come to fix it is all but impossible. Trying to anyone to do much of anything is very difficult. Stores say they open at 11:00 but may not open until 12:00 or later. Most shops then shut down at 3:00 so workers can get home for Iftar. Shops will then open again around 8:00...or they may not...they may not open at all. This is the way it is insha'ala, God willing things will get done. And the normally cheery friendly Egyptians have something happen to them when they go without food and water all day, they stay up all night. In the last week I have had rocks thrown at me on a bike ride, was swerved at by a bus while running, I was even chased by a pack of dogs...I guess they were interested in breaking their fast a little early.

Our school decided 5 minutes before school was out on Thursday that we would have Sunday and Monday off as well as Tuesday to Thursday, so although the notice was late it was a much welcome surprise.

So bring on the feast, enjoy the week and then hopefully we can get back to business as usual next week!

Damage Control
It seems at school right now we are on damage control. It seems every year right about now we move in to damage control mode. The last week of the Holy Month of Ramadan...the last week of fasting for our students. I teach grade 9's and for the most part many of them have been fasting for several years so they are better at it, but it is still hard on them. They go all day without drinking or eating. At sunset they break their fast with a large meal (Iftar). They then go out on the town, visit with friends and family, enjoy a late evening, usually not getting to bed until well after midnight. They are then supposed to get up and eat around 4:00 am before they begin their fast again, however, most of our students are not able to wake up to eat this meal.
So as I'm sure you can imagine when we get the kids at school we don't see their best for most of this month. They are tired, hungry, grouchy, lethargic...and so on. This is compounded when you teach PE.
I have been lucky this year in that I have a good bunch of kids, but right now I am on damage control, trying to survive the last week. I have the kids downstairs in our sports hall in the weight room doing a unit on health and fitness. It is good because it gets them out of the sun and allows me to address some diet issues with them. I have spent a great deal of time trying to educate them on what this fasting does to their body and how they can minimize the effects by making some good decisions when it comes to breaking their fast, drinking enough during the night to make sure they start the day hydrated and more importantly making sure they get up to eat in the morning so they start the day with some fuel in the tank.
Ramadan can be a very frustrating month here for a PE teacher, but the best thing is it finishes with week long holiday (Eid). Until then it's damage control.

Cheers
Brawn of the Oasis

MAN DOWN!

This past weekend I'm cruising on the bike about 40km/hr when a motorbike pulls alongside. After the customary Egyptian immature behavior of honking and yelling and asking where I was from the bike pulled away and I relaxed and was able to begin looking around and enjoying the ride. A few miles up the rode I noticed the motor bike driver picking himself up off the road and dusting himself off. My first thought was serves him right and then it occured to me he went down for a reason. Unfortunately, this thought came to mind to late and as I looked down I realized I was in an oil slick. Moments later I was skidding through the slick on my side at 40km/hr. Luckily I stayed in the slick and when I got up I only had some minor scrapes and a lot of oil.

This got me to thinking how much this is like my life. Things sail right along for me as long as I stay focussed and concentrate on the road ahead. The minute I lose focus, become complacent, start taking things for granted the wheels come out from under me.

Last year when my training was going well, I lost focus and went too hard and ended up sick for two months.
Everytime I start to take my family for granted, I am very quickly reminded of all they are sacrificing for me to chase my Ironman dream and I am on damage control.
As soon as I become complacent in my work I begin to become unhappy with the poor quality I am producing and have a hard snapping back out of it.

This past weeks bike wreck was a good reminder for me. Stay focused, don't get complacent, don't take life for granted and it's easy to keep the wheels underneath you.

Cheers for now.
Brawn of the Oasis

LONG WEEKEND?!?
So this past Monday the Egyptian government decided to name Thursday a national holiday (Armed Forces Day), sooo with no time to book anything and make plans, we are spending a long weekend in Cairo. It makes for a good opportunity to get some training in and spend some quality time with Jaz and the little Brawn.
Tomorrow morning I'm doing a two hour run with a friend who will be flying back to the States to run The New York Marathon. On Friday I will be dong about 90km on the bike with a small group.
I will let you know how it goes!
Cheers for now.