You Are What You Eat

Nothing reinforces the adage “you are what you eat” better than high volume training. I feel exactly as I eat and sleep. Eat well, sleep well = High energy, positive outlook, ability to recover from the hardest workouts. Eat garbage or deprive myself of sleep = Ugliness. It’s really that simple. Good diet choices get more challenging when you’re hungry all the time. Eating a healthy, balanced diet while enduring heavy training takes planning and discipline. The office, with the vending machine from hell, is my biggest challenge.

Fund Racing for Bridge of Hope

On August 29, I will be competing in the Ford Ironman triathlon in Louisville,Kentucky, and I need your help.

The road to completing an Ironman can be overwhelming, exhilarating, and immensely personally satisfying—all at the same time. But my deepest desire in this race is to really make a difference in our community by again raising money to benefit Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties.

Please consider a personal or company donation to help me reach my goal of raising $5,000.

As I train to cross the finish line in Kentucky, my “personal best” will be to help Bridge of Hope reach as many single mothers and their children with the opportunity to achieve wholeness and independence.

Bridge of Hope served 38 women and 77 children this year with life-changing skills to end homelessness for single mothers and their families. These families now have a second chance.

Why should you care? The daily challenges these women face remind me of my own journey to the Ironman finish line. Their Ironman consists of roadblocks to employment, a paralyzing fear of failure, the physical demands of being a single parent, and staying on track with financial pacing. The need for stamina, tenacity, and determination to go one more step is crucial. But where do these resources come from? Having the support of mentoring friendships while working with program staff allows the women to be successful and cross the finish line to self-sufficiency and financial stability. That makes a stronger community for all of us.

With no government funding, Bridge of Hope has attained a remarkable success rate of more than 80% of its participants graduating to self-sufficiency. They rely solely on private donations.

How can you help me “race” to make a difference?

1. On the web, go to my triathlon training blog (http://dan-kerr.blogspot.com/) and click on the Donate to Bridge of Hope link in the right margin under “My Favorites.”

2. Please send a check made payable to Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties and send it to me at: c/o McClure Company, 4101 N 6th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Individuals contributing $100 or more will be entered to win a free home chef service from Custom Cuisine Personal Chef Service (approximate $300 value).

Thank you for your support!


P.S. To learn more about Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties and read some of their stories, please visit www.bridgeofhopelcc.org. Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

It's the Heat... and the Humidity

Two hour and twenty minute run on the schedule today. I headed out at 10 am in an attempt to get used to the heat. When I finished, the sun was shining, the temperature was 89F and the heat index was 92F. How'd it go? Let's just say my breakfast of birthday cake, coffee, and a Mexican omelette wasn't such a great idea. What was I thinking?

Down Time Thoughts

I just can't motivate myself to get in the saddle during this Saturday morning downpour. I really don't want to put the wear and tear on my high end tri bike, and my road bike isn't equipped with a power meter. With five weeks of hard training to go I really shouldn't be skipping workouts. I'll wait this thing out and make a determination this afternoon. I might end up on the trainer today.

I've been spending the morning watching YouTube videos of the Ironman Louisville course. I think I'll love that bike ride. It consists of a ton of rolling hills, but far easier climbs than what I'm accustomed to in Lancaster County. The key will be maintaining momentum on the downhills, "flattening" the course by maintaining consistent power output. I'll be ready.

My metabolism is going crazy with the uptick in training. I've managed to drop two pounds in the past 10 days or so. I'll likely level off at my current weight of 151 pounds. I plan to show up on race day at a lean 149. Anything less will be unhealthy. My normal weight is between 155 and 157.

I'm a little concerned about my sore left shoulder. It started to get sore during our (training with my buddy Ryan) epic 4,100 meter swim yesterday. I'm going to schedule a massage for the coming week.

My kids dread the Tour de France because I actually compete for TV time. Those guys are so smooth and powerful. Really good mental training for a visual learner like me. Think I'll tune in now while the boys are still asleep...

Big Volume Week 2010

At the suggestion of the coaches of team EN I made use of the long July 4 weekend to gain a volume “pop” in my training. It was a big week by my standards, at 25 hours total training. I spent 21 of those hours in the saddle. Compare this to my consistent weeks of 12 to 14 hours. Some random thoughts:

• With a dramatic increase in cycling volume I have some issues adapting to life off the bike. Yesterday on a family drive to Hershey Park I caught myself shouting out “car left!” I also keep having dreams of dozing off while in the saddle, startling myself awake.
• Due to my occasional episodes with atrial fibrillation I’ve been afraid of using caffeine or other stimulants as performance supplements. Conversely I’ve been bothered by a tendency to lose mental focus around mile 75 of long bike rides. This weekend I used FRS chews at around the four hour mark. I’m sold. I’ve never been so focused deep into a long ride.
• I fear the heat. I drank eight 20-ounce bottles of fluid today and still didn’t have to pee until I got home. That’s insane. I better plan on two bottles an hour in Louisville. I decided to bag my brick run today out of cautiousness. My power meter read 102 degrees at the end of the ride.
• My tolerance for training load like this has increased dramatically since Ironman #1 in 2007. I suppose it’s due in equal measures to a stronger will to endure the pain and an increase in fitness.
• Bullfrog SPF40 sun block is the best I’ve ever used. The sun and heat were powerful this weekend. I have absolutely zero burn. Considering the amount I sweat and how long I was in the saddle, that’s pretty amazing.

I should be ready to resume training as normal by Thursday. Until then it’ll be a combination of complete rest and recovery workouts.

Training Update

I escaped this little accident on Father's Day weekend with cuts, bruises and road rash. Very, very lucky. The elbow and knee are still a little sore but otherwise I'm good to go.

I'm making use of the long July 4 weekend for a big volume training block. In two days I've ridden 176 miles and ran 3.5 miles. Gearing up for another ride today. More details later.

Please take note of the new "Favorites" link to the right. As in 2007, I'm using my Ironman training to raise money for the Bridge of Hope www.bridgeofhopelcc.org. More on that later, too!

Too shelled to put much mental energy into blogging today...