SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 5)

So in preparation for the 8 mile trail race, I got in about 6 miles of trails in the South Carolina foothills last weekend.  Not real sure why I haven't been running trails, but this was a first.  Fantastic.  The no cars thing is really nice.

Cool stuff Yanti!  Do you get a tri-suit with your name on it?  

Hope I am not too late to join the party!

NAME:  Scott K.

BIO: 

54 Y.O. Male, married, 2 "little ones," 5 grand-kids (would've had the grand-kids first if we'd known how much fun they are!)

STORY: 

I started swimming competitively when I was 11 and swam all through high-school and college.  I guess you can say I was a world class swimmer in the late 70's and early 80's.  I held a world record at one point, albeit for about 20 minutes, but it was a world record nonetheless (I set the record in a semi-final and it was broken in the next semi-final).  Back in those days, an amateur was an amateur so as a swimmer, unless you were independently wealthy, you really only had one shot at the Olympics.  After the 1980 U.S. Olympic debacle my swimming career began to wind down and in 1982 I finally retired from competitive swimming.  That was, coincidentally, the same year my Ironman dream started.  I suspect that many of you can trace the genesis of your own Ironman dreams to the same moment - Julie Moss on her hands and knees, crawling across the finish line in Kona.  In my mind, that was, and continues to be, the epitome of athletic achievement.  I immediately knew I wanted to do an Ironman.  However, the sad reality was that I had spent 5-8 hours a day in a pool, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for over a decade, and the thought of going back to full time training was not very appealing.  On top of that, I had another problem - running and I had never really been friends.  The Ironman has that little marathon thing at the end and that simply terrified me.  A couple decades later, I found myself over one-hundred pounds overweight, and I couldn't run 100 yards, let alone a marathon.  Although I didn't move to fulfill my Ironman dream, I did tell anyone who would listen that, "I could do an Ironman."  Then a couple years ago, I went to a client's house and there on the wall of his home office was a picture of him crossing the finish line in Kona.  Of course, one of my first comments was, "I could have done that!"  After a year of him hearing about how I could have done that, he finally called me out last May.  He basically said, "Your going to go to your grave saying you could have done it, or you can do it."  He then challenged me to join him at the Ironman World Championships in Kona on October 11, 2014.  After a grueling two weeks of researching everything Ironman, including how to qualify for Kona, I finally accepted his challenge.

GOALS: 

1. Ironman World Championships - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii - October 14, 2014

WEIGHTLOSS:

1. Started on aggressive weight loss program in May, 2012.  Was at 297.6 pounds when I started.  Graduated high-school at 180 pounds, college at 200 pounds.  Want to get down to that range.  Target is 200.  I have lost roughly 50 pounds so far.  Started out using the Atkins diet plan and have modified that as I started training.
   

RACES: 

1. Entered:  Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, May 4, 2013
2. Previous:  Well in excess of 1,000 swimming races back in the 70's and 80's

WHAT WILL MAKE ME A GOOD MEMBER:

Having competed at a world class level for several years, I vividly recall the pressure and nerves you experience at a high level competition.  Plus I have a pretty good understanding of swimming and proper technique.  That is experience I look forward to sharing with anyone interested.

I may not be the most competitive person you have ever met, but I will settle for being the second most competitive person you have ever met.

I have this theory, if you aren't going to be the best you can be, why try at all?  That theory tends to be contagious and will spur others to higher achievement. 

Most importantly, I know my limitations.  I know I am returning to training after a very long "retirement."  I know training techniques have changed dramatically in the past decades and I know there are many people here with far more knowledge than I have.  I anxiously look forward to hearing their expertise.

Welcome Scott. 

Good grief that's cool.

Welcome to all the new folks.

just got back from a run.  You know the conditions were miserable when strangers are turning around to offer you drives home and your girlfriend meets you at the door with a blanket and an offer to make tea.  It was windy, cold, and rainy when I started but that turned into full on hail pretty quickly.  Wish I had thought to wear clear lens instead of just leaving the glasses at home.  Got it done though and am sipping on a nice peppermint tea to warm up.

Thank you.  Would have been cooler if I had been .002 second faster and held the record a little bit longer.  It was cool though to know that you were the best in the world, even if it was for just a few minutes.

Welcome.

Very cool. What event ?

Cool, that was my event too.  I'm guessing that even with all of that you still would have kicked my arse.  Welcome to the group!

Sounds just like I still do it, but mostly because I don't know any better.... At masters practice one of the deck coaches asked me "so you are really not interested in streamlining that, huh?" I didn't even know what he was talking about....

Welcome to all the new folks - here is what I have so far - if I have left you out or you see find any errors, just let me know.

SBR Utopia: 

Merry Christmas to all of those that are celebrating and hoping Santa leaves you awesome tri-stuff under the tree - hope you all stayed off the naughty list this year!

That just might be the coolest thing I've heard! And welcome!

I'm wearing winter gear for NZ, and yes, all the outerwear will have the Indonesian flag, INA (so everyone's gonna think my name is Ina, great), and yes, my name. Ina Yanti.

IND is India.

Merry Christmas everyone!  

I got in a cold 45 min run this morning.   -10C with a -18 windchill.  Brrrrr!

Rusty, thanks for the list of group members!

Marshall, when is your 8 mile trail race?

Yes ! merry xmas to all.

Off to see Les Miserables, and then a run. Weird Christmas traditions

Arend, do you have snow and ice ? Ice everywhere here (Ottawa). It screws up pace so I end up pushing pace.

Stores are all sold out of Yak Traks

I have to learn to not be driven by my Garmin. Very bad habit.

No, not much in the way of snow and ice.  We had a warm front come through on the weekend with +7 and rain that melted everything.

February 2.  It's in the Uwharrie Mountains (central NC).  At one point, folks thought the Uwharries were the oldest mountain range in the world.  So, nothing high at all, but plenty of rollers and creek crossings.  There are also 20 and 40 mile races, so it's a big deal with the area ultra folks.

My buddy who I mentioned before that is trying to BQ (he's getting really, really fast) and I are running it.  He's spotting me 28 minutes.  I think I might have a shot.