It’s been a while since I last posted.  Time flies by so quickly, and with the increase in training hours, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time for everything.  I finally mowed my lawn! Lol.  But here is an update on things going on, how training is going, and other assorted tidbits.

First off, I’ve decided to use this race to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by joining Team in Training.  Usually, you pick an event and raise money to go to the event, along with the support and training that TNT gives.  But as usual, I have to be a little different.  I’ve already paid for my race, I have awesome coaching through E11even Athletics, and everything is set.  But I can still help raise funds without a goal race.  So in honor of my Mom, who died from Lymphoma, I am doing this and I could use some help.  Please consider donating here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ia/yourway18/TKneale#home

Mom went through chemo and radiation once, and said to me “never again”.  She had diabetes, and the combination almost killed her.  She made it a year and a half cancer free, before a PET scan showed that it was back and this time, in more than one lymph node.  She opted for Hospice care, and as you know, they stop all meds except for pain. One day, we went to visit her and she said “What’s my last name? I know my first name is Betty, because everyone calls me that.  But what is my last name?” When my wife asked her “what’s Dad’s last name?” Mom remember her maiden name. So Julie said “What’s Roy’s last name?” and she said “Kneale…oh! Write that down so I don’t forget.”

As we left, I broke down and cried.  No one should ever have to go through that.  It was a helpless, sad feeling, and by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do: smile and help a parent remember their name when all you want to do is cry and take their suffering away.

So please consider donating.  Hopefully they can find a cure and no one else has to go through this.  Thank you.

On to happier things. Training is going well.  I have rode a couple century rides now, and have another one scheduled before we taper.  The swims have been pretty good as well, and I feel more confident each time I get in the water.  I have a 20 mile run on Saturday, and hopefully that will go great.  It’s hard to believe that it’s almost here.  Something that a few years ago I didn’t dare think about is about to become reality.  I am about to embark on the “Toughest Day in Sport” . . . Ironman 140.6. Hard to think that a former 3+ pack a day smoker, one who smoked themselves into asthma, would be at this point, but one things for certain, I didn’t get here alone.  Between my wife and her support, my wonderful coaches Jennifer and Jeff Keil, my friends in the Des Moines Triathlon Club like Connie and Eric McGarrah, Karen Chicken, Scott Newbury, and Shelley Goodell, to good friends like Jodie Dunker, Kara Palczewski, Kelly Hill and Chris Matthews, I am toeing the line with a lot of people in spirit.  I just want to say thank you to all of you, and for those I’ve missed…know that your support is appreciated more than you know. If I cross that finish line and hear those words, I will have a lot more people to thank.

My coach said to me “the hay is in the barn”. I had to laugh at that because when I trained for my first marathon, Loren Storts was coaching us and he said the exact same thing. I have never forgotten it, and now that I’m coaching runners and triathletes, I’ve caught myself saying it too.  But he’s right: we are about as ready as we can get.  A few more hard workouts, a couple more challenges, and then it slows down to race day.  One thing I didn’t expect to discover as the workouts got longer was it’s not completing the workout that’s hard, it’s starting it!  The other day I had a 6 hour ride and a 30 minute run off the bike.  I was prepped and ready to push off when I looked at my watch: Sunday morning – 9:30 am. That’s when the thought popped in my head “People are just waking up. They’ll have breakfast, and lunch, and will be thinking what to have for dinner when you get back…..and you will still have a run to do!”  To me, that’s the hard part. Once I get going, I’m fine.  But knowing that most of your day will be spent training is a challenge.  But like all good challenges, the reward at the end is so, so sweet.

Live healthy, be happy!

Travis

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve sat down to write a blog post.  There has been so much going on, and I guess time slipped away from me.  Maybe I need to put a time on the calendar to write each week.  So let’s just get started with a quick recap of events, and then onto newer things.  So here we go…..

Since I last wrote, I have run in a couple half marathons; The Drake Road Races half and the Dam to Dam.  My running wife Kara was surprised at the finish line of the Drake half by her boyfriend, who proposed to her at the finish!  It was awesome to witness, and I am so happy for them both.  They are wonderful people, and I wish them a lifetime of love and happiness!

The Dam to Dam was brutally humid; to the point were I got nauseous for a bit on the run.  It was a hard race, and there were a lot of people having heat related issues.  So the elusive sub 2 hour half still eludes me, and stands at 2:02:37.  One day, I’ll break that time….

We also did the Copper Creek Sprint Triathlon this past Sunday.  My coach decided that we were going to use it as a workout and train right through it with no rest days, so we did.  On Saturday before the event, I rode 66 miles in 3:47:33, then ran for 20 minutes off the bike (about 2+ miles).  So when the triathlon rolled around the next day, I decided that I shouldn’t expect much as far as timing goes. Boy, was I wrong! I PR’d the race from my previous time by 9 minutes! Other than horrible wind on the bike, it was a great time.  I was the calmest in the water than I have ever been at a race, and ran sub 9 miles for the 5k.  It was a great day!

So, onto change and what I’ve been noticing lately.  In the past, I would have looked at my training schedule and freaked out if I saw a 4.5 hour ride and 20 run off the bike.  Now, I look at it and think ‘Hmm…if the wind is with me I should make 80 miles.”  When I saw that this Sunday’s workouts were a 3500 yard swim and a 13 mile run, instead of saying “How the heck am I supposed to do that all in a day?!?”, I think about it and say “I might as well bring my running stuff to the beach and make a brick out of it.”

These are the changes I’m seeing.  There is a confidence growing in my abilities, and it’s coming from within.  Instead of wondering if I can get it done, I’m wondering if I can make it harder.  Instead of doubting myself, now I tell myself that I need to “finish this off and you’ll have the rest of the day to yourself.”  But then, after a bit, I wonder why I can’t throw in another workout because I have some free time.  It’s this positive mental state that makes these workouts seem a lot easier than they truly are.  Because believe me they are hard!  That 66 mile ride? First 33 miles were headwind. My legs were screaming until I got to the turn-around point.  Then, with a tailwind, my legs wanted to push faster and enjoy the speed.

I hope that confidence continues, as it is an awesome feeling.  Yesterday I went to the lake to swim.  It was extremely choppy, with whitecaps all over.  I watched two swimmers as they swam a short distance and quit.  As I geared up, I thought “What if Maryland is like this? This will be good practice!” So into the water I went, getting pushed around by waves, some of them slapping over my head like some kind of sandlot bully.  But I wasn’t about to be bullied out of the water, not until I finished my workout.  I pushed on, swallowed a little water, had to stop and sight more than once, yet it was the calmest in the water I have ever felt.  It was amazing!  Now before, I would have said ‘no way” and went to a pool.  Now I was happy for the challenge.

So before I end this, I want to thank Kara Palczewski for the bike pictures above and the swim pictures below.  We are working on a photo journal of my training leading up to IM Maryland, and she is just amazing with the camera.  We still have run photos to do, so I’ll have more to post.  But if you are in need of a photographer, give Kara a call. You will be extremely happy with the results!

So now it’s time to prep the bike for a ride (did a 5 mile run this morning) and then maybe post a time on my calendar to write…
Live healthy, be happy!

Travis

I guess I should start this post with the sad news first.  I had to say goodbye to one of the most loyal friends I’ve ever had. Maverick, my Weimaraner, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on January 29, 2017.  The poor guy had congestive heart failure, valve disease, and arthritis, and still wagging his stubby little tail at me.  Try as we did, the medications and treatments were not helping.  One of the hardest things you have to do as a pet owner is to forgo your selfishness to hang on and let them go and be pain free.  Maverick my friend, one day we will be together again.  Please don’t forget me, as I will never forget you.  R.I.P. Buddy.

Training has been going well, even with dealing with the emotions of the past week.  We have a challenge at work where you get extra money placed in your health savings account for completing 2 hours of exercise a week for 10 weeks.  Guess what? I’m done . . . Before the end of week 2!  I smile when people say to me “How to they expect me to fit in two hours of exercise a week?”  Maybe I should tell them that this Saturday I swam for 1:10 and biked for 1:45 after that…and I’m not in peak season yet!  But I guess it’s a matter of what’s important to you . . . If you want it badly enough, you’ll make the time.  Which leads up to the next topic/challenge I’ve had to face…

My department at work moved locations, and it could have thrown my training into disarray.  See, I was right across the street from the YMCA, and could get a lunch workout in, and then only have one evening workout left.  It was a great arrangement.  But moving to the new location, with the work gym less than satisfactory for what I needed, a change was in order.  So now I’ve become a member of the EMC (Early Morning Crew).  I get up at 4am to get to the gym (which is a few miles away from my office, and a YMCA) which opens at 5am.  I am now one of the people I used to laugh at…standing at the door, waiting for them to unlock it and let me in.  But I can get a good workout in and still be at work well before 7am.  Then all that’s left is an evening workout if I have two scheduled.  If there’s a will, there is a way!

I mentioned last Saturday, and the swim/bike brick that I did.  While my coaches, Jennifer and Jeff Keil (seriously, go to elevenathletics.com and look them up…amazing people and awesome coaches) had a structured bike workout, the only thing in the swim was a ?.  I took it to mean maybe swim if I felt like it, but what to do?  So I got to the pool and did this..

1000 yards freestyle (non-stop) 1 min rest

1000 yards pull (non-stop) 1 min rest

500 yards free – :45 sec rest

500 yards pull 

It didn’t take long, and I just cruised, so I wasn’t worn out for the bike.  I dried off, changed, and hit the bike right away.  The problem with spin bikes are the are not accurate on the mileage.  So after doing a little research, I’ve determined that a 1 hour spin for me is approximately 17 miles.  So I rode approx. 30 miles after the swim.  Not a bad days work!  But I feel sorry for the buffet I stopped at after. LOL

So, until next time, remember to believe in yourself, dream big, and have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and give it a try.  You’ll never know how amazing you can be if you don’t try.

Live healthy, be happy!

Travis

I passed!  It was one of the tougher tests I have ever taken, but I completed the two exams and I am now a certified triathlon coach.  The first exam was a multiple choice test, and although challenging, it went really fast.  I think that a couple of questions were arguable due to personal coaching philosophy, but that’s ok.  The main thing was I passed, and received my email on how to proceed to part two.

This is where the “fun” started.  It’s called a ‘short answer’ test, but the truth is, its nothing of the sort.  You begin by downloading all the necessary content: athletes bio, health assessment, assessments for their run, bike, and swim, base training schedule, the athletes availability schedule, list of goal races and their information, and the test.  Now you start and you use every sheet of paper you downloaded.  For example, I was supposed to come up with a three-week general prep schedule for my athlete, taking into account the athletes availability, particular weaknesses in each discipline and how to correct them, getting at least one intensity and one endurance workout per discipline per week, along with core/strength training.  That’s part ‘A’ of question 1.  Some questions went to part ‘F’, so you know that it’ll be a long test.  

The good thing is that it wasn’t a timed test, so you could stop, get a cup of coffee, review notes, bang your head into a wall, and return.  I decided to write everything out, and then when I was content with my answers, transfer it to the online format and send it in.

So I took my time, went over it again and again. Changed and corrected mistakes, and the spot on the wall where I banged my head grew larger.  Finally, after almost a week, I just wanted it to be done.  I knew that if I did not pass, that they would suggest areas to review to improve your score one time, so I decided that I would send it in, find out where I messed up, and focus on those areas.  So I nervously hit the ‘send’ button.  I breathed a sigh of relief; it was off.  I looked down and started gathering my papers when I noticed something….a mistake!  How did I miss that?!?  I could hear the laughter all the way from Kona.  Now I dreaded getting a response, because I was certain that I would be doing the entire test again.

Within the hour, I received an email stating that they received my test, and that it can take up to 14 days to grade and return it.  So, now all I could do is wait, and go over my notes to prep myself for the retake.  The next day, I received an email from Ironman University.  I was scared to open it, knowing I’d be knee deep in schedules and stretches, zones and threshold levels.  Finally, I opened the mail…..

I got 90%

I almost cried.  I was so worried, and yet I did really well.  I read that email over and over, making sure they sent it to the right person.  I was now a certified triathlon coach through Ironman University.  I have already started putting the knowledge learned into action, as I have two athletes that are beginning their triathlon journey that I am coaching.  While my primary focus is on the beginner triathlete, I hope to follow them as they grow and see how far they go in the sport. I enjoy writing the schedules, planning the workouts, hearing “Are you trying to kill me?!?” After they see the schedule, answering questions, etc.

But the thing I love the most is encouraging them.  Letting them know that they can do this, that they are amazing, and even though the workouts get harder, they in turn get better.  It’s fun to see them grow, not only in ability, but in self confidence.

So now I have coaching triathletes going on, and my coaching half marathoners is about to start up again.  Then you have to remember that I have my workouts to do to prepare for my first Ironman (Maryland, October 7, 2017).  The plate is filling up, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

When I chat with people about working out and hear them say “I can’t”, I just smile because I know they can, and I tell them why.

I did . . . and so can you!

Live healthy, be happy!

Travis

It’s time for a long overdue update. I finished my second Des Moines Olympic distance Triathlon recently, and set a PR (personal record) by cutting 37 minutes off last years time! That’s huge for me! Granted, it was a bit cooler than last years event, but I really give credit to my coach Jennifer (Jenni) Keil and the E11even Athletics team. Jenni trained me for my Ironman 70.3 in June, and during that training I saw what I needed to change to be successful in the Olympic distance. I learned to hydrate and refuel, even if I didn’t feel like it, and it paid off big at the Des Moines Tri. No sick, weak feeling, no hitting the wall, just a strong swim, bike and run! It was awesome!

 
So, now for the news! My coach and I had been discussing starting a group to train beginner triathletes in the sport, and to help them prepare for the sprint or Olympic distance triathlons. Jenni was also talking to my friend and fellow teammate Chris Matthews about this, and Chris and I were both excited to discuss it and wanted to be a part of it. Well, that time is now! E11even Athletics has started a beginner triathlete program called “Earn Your Stripes” (see image above), and it will take beginner athletes and guide them through the three disciplines as well as core/strength training to prepare them for their first triathlon. Coach Jenni has asked Chris and I to head up the program as the coaches! This is quite an honor, and I am happy and excited to assist taking E11even Athletics to the next level, and to help beginners find the same love for the sport of triathlon as I have! Many of you know that I currently coach runners training for their first half marathon, so to move up to training others for the swim and bike portions, as well as the run portion of a triathlon is exciting, and of course it makes me a little nervous. I want to do the best for the people who put their trust in me, and I want to be sure that, while triathlon training is tough and at times demanding, the athletes also have fun. You have to enjoy what you’re doing, or you won’t do it, simple as that.

 
My fitness journey has been an amazing adventure. From barely running a quarter mile on the treadmill to completing a Ironman70.3; from not knowing anything about the sport to helping others navigate their way through it. To make the news even better, I am currently studying to become a certified triathlon coach through Ironman University. I hope to complete this training soon, and put the knowledge I learned to work helping others.

 
So, if you are thinking “I’d like to do a triathlon”, look no further. Go to http://www.elevenathletics.com. Ask questions, sign up, and join us. You’ll be off to your own amazing adventure too! You will love the team at E11even Athletics, and you’ll be amazed at what your body can do!

Live healthy, be happy!
Travis

Ten days.  It hardly seems possible that eight months has went by since my wife and I toyed with the idea of doing a half Ironman, or Ironman 70.3. We were excited and nervous, but knew it was so far away, that we had plenty of time, so no need to panic. 

Ten days. Thanks to my friend and now teammate Chris Matthews, I made contact with and signed up with the most amazing coach, Jennifer Jageman Keil and her team at E11even Athletics. I knew we would need proper guidance to make this work, and Jennifer has been awesome, even when I was frustrated (which in the beginning was often).

Ten days. We started training in October, and training by heart rate. This lead to my most frustrating moments, and Jenni calmly talked me “off the ledge” as I grew irritated by my run times. I had never ran so slow in my life! It felt like I was going in reverse, but Jenni was the calm in the storm I was creating by letting frustration get to me. 

Ten days. One morning my workout said “Run for an hour. Not too hard but at a pace that makes you happy”.  Now I’m supposed to watch my heart rate so it doesn’t go over its maximum aerobic function (for me: 130), but she didn’t say to watch it, so I decided I’d run a great clip and watch her freak out over the HR. After an hour I had covered 6.5 miles. Proud of myself for jacking up the HR, I finally looked at the average: 131. I got a text shortly after from Jenni, it was a smiley face. 

Ten days. From freaking out over having to swim 1500 yards, then 2000, then 3000, then 3500, to calmly telling someone “I only have to do 2000 today”.  From being sore from sitting on the trainer for an hour, to going 2.5 hours and feeling fine. 

Ten days. We have leaned out but weigh the same. We found muscles we never knew we had. We discovered our endurance can continue to grow, and that never giving up, especially in yourself, reaps big rewards. 

Ten days. In ten days we will step into a lake in Raleigh, North Carolina and embark on a journey of 70.3 miles. If all goes well, we will cross the finish line with smiles on our faces. But if something happens where we do not finish, we will learn from it and try again. We already know we have the drive and dedication to do this. Now all that’s left is to wait ten more days. 

Before we start this adventure, I want to thank some people for everything they have done. To my wife, who is joining me on this crazy journey, we make a great team, even when we go off in different directions at the gym. To my coach Jenni, who is totally amazing. To the Des Moines Triathlon Club for their support and training. To Chris Matthews, aka Awesome Girl, for connecting Jenni and I, and for all the advice and support she has given. To Kelly Hill, for her constant support and encouragement. Glad to have you on the team! To Mel Cortez, Karen Smith, Jodie Dunker, and everyone that supported this crazy dream. And a big shout out to my friend and sports massage therapist Amanda Lundstedt. I’ll need to see you once this is done!  If I forgot someone, my apologies, but I’d be typing all day. 

Ten days. The culmination of eight months of blood, sweat, and tears is down to ten days. I’ll try to post more as the day gets closer, but if not, keep Julie and me in your prayers. Look at the beautiful charms we will be carrying on the bike and the run. Thanks again Jodie!! Hopefully when we meet up again, I’ll have another title: Ironman 70.3. 

Live healthy, be happy!

Travis