Muncie May Olympic Tri Race Report

Let's just start with the weather!
Thursday's high was mid 70s.  Friday's high was upper 60s.  The water temperature on Friday was 69.
Rain overnight and overnight lows in the 40s = Saturday water temperature at 61.7 with air temperature of 48 degrees!
Now most people would have turned around and gone home - no, actually most people wouldn't even sign up to torture their body like this on a normal Saturday!  But I'm not most people, and race day is no normal Saturday!
With a sold out race, the lines were long, and with many people still in line at 7:30, the race was officially delayed 30 minutes to not start until 8:30.  It certainly couldn't be because of the temperatures, so I figure the fog on the water was only possible rationale.
Nonetheless, 8:30 comes and the elites are off, followed by the sprint tri athletes and I didn't hit the water until 9:00.  When my face hit the water it was a bit of a shock to the system, but honestly, swimming was pretty good for my body temperature!  Afterall, the water was warmer than the air, so everything was going well.  It was certainly not the swim I had hoped for, but I never felt bad, I just never had that "fire in the belly".  When I hit the beach, my watch was 34:16 at the mat.
Transition is a good jog up the hill, and stripping the wetsuit was not easy.  Once I reached T1, I took my time stripping and layering up with warm dry clothes, the most important of which was my new REFUEL windbreaker jacket.  Spent way too long in transition, nearly 4 minutes.
Once on the bike, I just could not get comfortable, took a gel, and drank some water, but my hands were freezing.  My trisuit was still wet and drying in the wind, so there was nothing I could do to gain warmth.  I was pedaling, but just couldn't push.  I think Chuck beat me out of the water, and I beat him out of T1, but he caught me by mile 3 of the bike, and was out of my sight by mile 7.  After one lap, I was ready to be done, but quitting was not an option today.  I don't think I had a single mile over 20 mph, and the wind seemed to pick up on lap 2.  I'm also convinced that my great looking windbreaker was acting more like a parachute.  It was anything but aerodynamic, but it was keeping me warm!  I developed some pain in my lower back late in the ride, but nothing I couldn't work through.  The bigger issue was frozen and numb feet!  As I dismounted and started to head to T2, I could feel nothing in my shoes!  My bike was a sad 1:29 which is only 17.3 mph average.  Not even close to where I was at this time last year.
T2 wasn't terrible, but again, as I jogged out I couldn't believe how painful my feet felt!  Once on the road, I just wanted to run the first mile.  As I climbed a little hill to the first aid station at mile 1 I caught a guy who had stopped to retie his shoe.  When he popped up he was right with me and we were running the same pace.  So Phil from Indianapolis who is in the medical device sales field and I ran together through mile 4 when I finally had to let him go as my quads were locking up like never before.  I could finally feel all of my toes around the turnaround aid station, and even though the legs were telling me to quit, I was determined to run through it...and I did!  My first sub 10 pace on the run - 1:01:44. I could not be more excited to finish the run without walking.  Maybe it was because I didn't spend as much energy on the bike as I formally had, but I'll take it.

So now comes the analysis.  And it's pretty simple.  Spend more time on the bike, and attack the heck out of this course next month.  I really think I have a sub 3 hour in me, but it's going to take 3 straight hours of 100% commitment!  See you next month!

An evening with Jillian and Danni

How did we get here?  That's the question that I continue to laugh at.  Sure we took 69 North to Marion, but it's much deeper than that.

Last evening, Molly and I had the EXTREME pleasure of being Danni Allen's invited guests to the Jillian Michaels Maximize Your Life tour stop in Wabash, Indiana.

The show was nothing short of "life changing" for both Molly and I - and not just in terms of weight loss, but in terms of LIFE!  The show is broad, mature, and REAL.  If you're not ready for the truth, then stay home!

The show is broken into three parts.  Science, Sweat, and Self - or - Food, Exercise, and Life!

Each segment starts with an intense video - the music is loud - the crowd is not.  It is very much a lecture type of atmosphere.  Molly took notes throughout.  Jillian is...Jillian.  There's only one of her, and what you see is what you get.  She tells it like it is, no matter what you may think of it.

The show opens with her saying, here is the secret to success - wait for it - Eat Less.  Move More.  Simple right?  As she says, "...and you continue to pay me money to tell you that!  I don't get it!?!  But thanks!"
The science is simple, and it's what we all know.  Burn more than you eat.  Within food, we talked about counting calories (how cutting edge is that-ha) We took a hard look at specific foods, food groups, pros and cons, what and when and how often (what did you think I was going to share all the secrets here)

The Exercise part was great for me.  Cardio vs Strength - Both are critical.  Do you know your BMR (not to be confused with your BMI) - if not, google BMR calculator and find out!  Mine is higher than I expected.  But then you can increase that number from 10-30% based on what you do throughout the day (I sit at a desk, so I get a 10% bump) - For years, I've told you to use myfitnesspal because IT DOES THIS FOR YOU!

After intermission, we talked about Self.  I was surprised how much I got out of this, but as we got into the psychology of who we are, what we are, and WHY we are, I found myself hanging on every word of the quasi live version of a self help audio book.

When it was done, it was done - OVER 2 HOURS LATER!  It flew by though!  But the fun was just beginning.

Danni hooked us up with VIP tickets for the after show Q&A meet and greet.  Our orange wristbands got us into the basement with about 100 others who fought for a close seat and waited on Jillian AND Danni!   Yay, Danni was there!  And as the Q&A began, I was fortunate to have my question picked to come forward and ask.

As I approached the mic, I caught her eye, and we smiled and waved.  And in my most smitten child-like voice I said, "Hi Danni" and she laughed and said "Hi Chris", then I said "This is cool - I'm talking to Jillian Michaels and Danni Allen" which drew a laugh from the crowd.  I told Jillian that I learned tonight that it really was okay to be proud of myself, and so I was happy to share that I had lost over 100 pounds which drew a nice applause, but ultimately my question was "As an endurance athlete, training for an Ironman, I just eat and eat and eat, but I'm burning it, however the weight has stopped coming off, and I know I have more to lose - should I expect my body to stop dropping weight because of the extreme cardio, or is the only way to get more off to add the strength training"  I loved her answer - in typical Jillian fashion "Oh honey, I can tell by looking at you that you might have a few vanity pounds to lose, but you don't need to lose any more" - I smiled and said "thanks, but..." and then she interrupted "Do the math!  BMR + burn - calories"  She asked if I had an arm band and I said we had tried the BodyBugg, but no, I counted on my Garmin for the calorie burn count, too which she said are you sure you're eating enough calories and my wife chimed in from across the chairs "YES" - she again said "Do the math, and make sure your deficit is no more than 1000 calories on your big burn days"  I'll take that along with everything else I learned tonight and put it to the test.

I returned to my seat and enjoyed the next 30-40 minutes of questions, and when it was done, Danni hopped out of her seat and bolted right for me with the biggest hug and thanks for coming!  Seriously!  I couldn't thank her enough!  And finally released her into the waiting arms of my wife who gave her an equally big hug, while I grabbed my phone and captured this moment!  We just stood and smiled and continued to say thanks until it seemed awkward that others were standing around us waiting they're turn to meet her while we were hogging her all to ourselves!  I promised her we'd see each other again, and we agreed to continue to keep in touch.


Jillian was surrounded by the masses, posing for photos, and signing autographs!  Someone had a strange request for her to yell "Get your ass back in the gym...and move your ass" and I almost caught the whole thing on video.

As security pulled her away to exit, she graciously continued allowing pictures to be taken, and I was brave enough to jump in and get mine taken with her.  When she was gone, Danni remained with many others, and as much as we wanted to hang out and chat more, it was going on 11:15 pm, and we had an hour drive home, so we headed out.




We talked the whole way home, and learned a lot about ourselves, and each other.  Our habits, our likes, and things that just never have come up in day to day conversation were meaningful to both of us.  This carried on until our heads hit the pillows, and this morning we picked right back up.  The VIP package included a 4 week free trial of Jillian's program off her website, and Molly had it downloaded and installed before 8 a.m.!

I tossed and turned and even smiled as I lay in bed last night thinking "how did I get here?".  Jillian kept talking about "what is your why" Why am I doing this.  Why was I fat?  Why did I change?  Why do I continue?  I know the answers to each, but that's another post.  I chose tonight to focus on the How.  So how DID I get here?

Well in a reverse chronological relational sense...I got to hang out with Jillian and Danni tonight because I got to meet Danni in Nashville.  I got to meet Danni in Nashville because I won a contest through Rock N Roll races.  I won a contest through RnR races by being registered for the Nashville Half.  I signed up for the Nashville Half because I was sponsored to do so by Team Refuel and Got Chocolate Milk.  I was sponsored by Team Refuel and Got Chocolate Milk because I shot a video at the Vegas RnR Expo (and because you voted for me, thanks!) I shot a video at the Vegas RnR Expo because I was signed up for the Vegas RnR half.  I was signed up for the Vegas RnR half because Pete and Amy encouraged me to do so.  Pete and Amy encouraged me to do so because of the impact I've had on their lives.  I've had an impact on their lives because I helped get them active by being active myself.  I got active myself because... well, because I wanted a better me!  Danni said it in Nashville, "Be the best you that you can be because there is only one you" and I can tell after tonight that she learned that from Jillian who preached the same message. 

I continue to be blessed with amazing opportunities as a result of my efforts.  I had let my foot off the gas a little over the winter months, and tonight was the perfect reminder of why I want to maximize my life!

THE ARTIFICIAL DIET

I was approached by a college journalism student to be the subject of her final project for the semester.  This is the article she produced.  Thanks Victoria Davis for the opportunity to share my story with you.  It is impressive how much detail you got from our short conversations.  Hope you got an A!


THE ARTIFICIAL DIET

At Jos.A.Bank men’s apparel store at Hamilton Commons in Noblesville, Ind., Chris Day begins to try on a new three-piece suit. In the reflection of the mirror, Day sees a man who stands tall and for the first time in a while, sees someone different. His clothes actually fit, and they are no longer swallowing his figure. Two of his close friends noticed recently that Day’s clothes were massive in comparison to his body. His clothes were so big that they could be wrapped around him. The two offered to take him shopping to upgrade his look. That afternoon, Day walked out of the store with two brand-new full suits. Down 70 pounds after following a vigorous workout routine, Day was suddenly struck by reality. “At that moment I realized that the change I had made was significant. The way that I felt when I put on the suit and when I looked at myself in the mirror I felt like a whole new man. It created a realization for me,” says Day. He continues to thank his two friends till this day, not for the money, but for the experience.

Since 2010 Day has shed more than 100 pounds and with his dedication he has earned himself a sponsorship through a chocolate milk company by the name of Refuel.  “I am very driven by goals that seem impossible,” says Day. In 2010, Day weighed over 300 pounds and quickly realized that he wanted a different lifestyle for himself. Since then, Day has completed a half Ironman triathlon this past July, which included a 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles of biking and a 13.1 mile run. Day is now training for a full Ironman competition this summer in Louisville, KY. For training purposes and weight management, Day continues to compete in local 5K races frequently with his family and friends.

In the Day household he is nicknamed the “human garbage disposal” because he usually eats all of the leftover food. “In our family we don’t believe in wasting food,” says Day. It all started at one specific dinner setting when Day’s five-year-old daughter said to him, “Is that what made your tummy so fat?” The same evening, she proceeded to drum and tap on Day’s stomach and chant “Daddy’s belly, daddy’s belly.” This was a moment that has changed Day’s life. “I was beginning to run out of excuses,” says Day.

Formerly a high school band director and now a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Yorktown, Ind., Day’s career choices have played a role in his weight management. In high school and college, Day was always very active in sports and other physical activities. Once he became married and began having children was the same time that he began working at Edward Jones. Going from being on his feet all day as a teacher to sitting at a desk in the office contributed to Day’s weight gain. In 2007, once his son was born, Day and his wife, Molly, decided to change to a different lifestyle. “One night, I was sitting on the couch and I began looking at fitness websites,” says Day. “That was the night that I decided that I wanted to run a marathon.” Little did Day know, a resource that would later contribute to his weight loss was right around the corner.  A YMCA was built less than a mile away from his home was where it all started. “It was hard being the fattest guy in the room at the Y and it was really difficult to remind myself that I was there for myself and not anyone else.  When I looked around the room everyone was just so fit, but it was just more in my head than anything,” says Day. Starting off small, Day implemented a fitness plan. He started by running for 90 seconds, then walking for a few minutes and soon starting the process over again. “I couldn’t even walk ten minutes without feeling winded, so it took a while to build everything up,” says Day.

Standing at about 6 feet, Day now weighs in at about 205 pounds and plans to lose more weight through triathlon trainings. “I began using an app called My Fitness Pal and begin holding myself accountable. The great thing about that app is you don’t feel handcuffed to fit a special diet,” says Day. He currently exercises every day for an hour to an hour and a half. His workouts usually consist of running several miles around his neighborhood with the range of miles varying by day. With the use of technology, such as the My Fitness Pal application and Day’s Garmen wrist watch he is able to track his progress easily. On some days Day may run four miles, while the next day he may spend three to four hours running 16 miles. The Garmen wrist watch is a GPS training wrist watch used by many athletes. “I am very analytical when it comes to tracking my progress, and the data is really important to me,” says Day as he pulls up various charts on his computer.

Although Day didn’t used to have a lot of confidence, now he feels a great sense of accomplishment after losing 100 pounds. “What I learned later is that although I was usually one of the heaviest people in the YMCA weight room, a lot of those people looked at me with admiration because I was actually taking that first step,” says Day. He may be the heaviest person in the room or may complete the race in last place, but the sense of pride that he feels is priceless. “Competing with others who are more advanced can be challenging both physically and mentally. When the results come out at the end of the race, and it tells me that I am 49 out of 50 it can be disappointing,” says Day. “I’ve had to really learn to separate the competition factor and make it a competition for myself. This means racing against the clock, not the person next to me.”

Andrew Griffin, an independent personal trainer in Indianapolis, has been a personal trainer for four years and has witnessed many plans for a healthy lifestyle. He says that it all starts with the first initial plan of expectation. “Before beginning a workout program I have to get a clear picture of their goals and the underlying reason of why they want to accomplish it. The shallower the underlying reason, the more likely you are to quit when times get tough,” says Griffin. There are also mental aspects involved with weight loss and it is the difference between weight loss and fat loss. “What we should focus on is body composition,” says Griffin. “The scale doesn’t do a great job of showing what’s really happening in the body. It can be misleading. A better way to monitor your progress would be to look in the mirror. You’ll see little changes in definition quicker which let you know fat is coming off.”

In order to track his progress, Day created a blog on September 29, 2009 called “I Advise U.” The blog was created at the very beginning of his weight loss journey and has changed paths since the start up. Initially his blog was meant to be an advice column, but as time went on the blog became an exhibition of Day’s personal journey. He writes about his upcoming races, his family, and what keeps him motivated. As a self-proclaimed music junkie, Day often mentions the music on his playlists that keep him enthused during the race including Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Kanye West’s “Stronger.” Many of the songs chosen for his playlist are because the tempo matches Day’s cadence during races. One post mentioned Day’s first triathlon. He finished with a time that he did not feel comfortable with, and by the end of the day he ended up in the emergency room. The memory that he will always have as his first triathlon involves being diagnosed with hypothermia and dehydration as he was halted into an ambulance truck.

During tough times when Day finds himself losing motivation, he has his own personal support group at hand, his family.  Day’s wife Molly was the one who encouraged him to pursue triathlons through her work with Ironman. To date, she has lost over 75 pounds. Not only is Day’s wife involved in changing to a healthier lifestyle, his children has also been involved. His eldest daughter is on the swim team and runs in the summer with a group. “It is interesting to see them pick up on things. Definitely without the support, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” says Day. LeAnne Greene, the Branch Office Administrator at Edward Jones has worked closely with Day for the past eight years and has observed his evolution in the past three years. “Chris is really motivated and once he put his mind to the idea of becoming healthier, it took off from there,” says Greene. “He is always looking for another race so that when one is done, he has another one already lined up.” Greene was once shown a photo of four men at a golf course and Day asked her if she recognized anyone in the photo. Greene says she had not, but then later realized that Day was actually one of the four men in the photo. “When you see someone every day, it is hard to recognize change because it is not something that you rest upon daily, but once you look back and reflect on those changes, it’s magical,” says Greene. Day’s inspiration has even encouraged Greene to form her own fitness plan to manage her weight.

Since Day has gotten the attention of the Refuel, a chocolate milk company, he has no problem staying motivated. On a sunny Saturday afternoon in the sin city of Las Vegas, Day and his wife Molly are spending their afternoon visiting the vendors at the Expo of the Vegas Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series. Being the very social person that Day is he wandered over to a vender table just out of curiosity. He asked the representatives what exactly was going on and the woman replied that they were filming commercials for chocolate milk. Instantly, Day was given an iPad to sign up and learn more. The requirements for each participant were to say why they liked chocolate milk and to tell their personal story. “I’ve got a story,” says Day. “I pulled out my phone and showed them one of my fat pictures and began filming my commercial.” Confidently, Day displays his charisma skills in front of the camera and encourages others to become active and live a healthy lifestyle. 

The commercial was aired on the Refuel chocolate milk website for about a month and Day gathered all of his friends and family to vote for him. “I’m just blown away by this,” says Day. “I can’t believe that someone is willing to give me money, clothes and pay for all my race entries for the year is remarkable.” Upfront Day has received his cash prize, sponsorship clothing and has been entered into races that total over $1,200. Day says that money isn’t everything, but it definitely makes this hobby a lot more interesting. “It’s humbling and overwhelming, but at the same time there is this sense of responsibility to succeed because I am carrying the name of a company,” says Day.

Currently there are only 40 people in the U.S. that have received the Refuel chocolate milk sponsorship. About five people are chosen per month and the participants range from all different ages, abilities and genders.

Training for a full Ironman in August 2013, Day reflects back to his first race at Prairie Creek Reservoir in Muncie, Ind. Day heard about the race the day before on the radio. The next morning Day attended the race, cash in hand, ready to compete. With no prior preparation for the reservoir’s hilly landscape, Day did manage to finish the race. “The internal feeling of accomplishment is what was more important to me than anything,” says Day. Despite feeling completely exhausted from his first race, Day researched the race once he arrived home and found out that there was a race every month. “I now have my wife, two of her friends and her friend’s children participating in the monthly races,” says Day. In the May race, with now family and friends, Day was eager to show off his endurance. “Although April was my first race, this race was one of the most meaningful because it seemed like the beginning of something special,” says Day.

With strict physically training, Day has a very interesting way of watching what he consumes. On a day where exercising does not take place, Day keeps his daily calorie intake at about 1,500. On a day where exercise is included, Day keeps his daily calorie intake at 1,500 plus whatever he burns. He calls it simple math and with this strategy he plans to lose about one pound per week. “Technically I can eat whatever I want because I burn it off throughout my workout. I don’t feel handcuffed to some sort of special diet. I just hold myself accountable for what I eat,” says Day. Throughout Day’s blog, he mentions that he still enjoys McDonald’s every now and then and snacks such as cookies. He hasn’t given up on being the ordinary family man.

Once Day completes his upcoming full Ironman race in August, he plans to participate in other marathons and maintain his level of fitness. He doesn’t see himself becoming significantly faster, running wise, but he hopes to still participate in local and national events. “The next graduation of a full Ironman would be multi-day triathlons and destination racing, it’s an excuse to travel,” says Day laughing. Walt Disney World has a raced called the “Dopey Challenge” where participants get the opportunity to run through the Disney parks and hopefully have an chance to win one of six medals throughout the five day competition. Day hopes to get involved in races like these in the future.

Not all races end with a happy ending. On April 15, 2013 the annual Boston Marathon in Massachusetts ended in powerful explosions as runners sprinted through the finish line. According to the New York Times, three people were killed and over 100 were injured. “As a runner, the marathon is one of the most grueling things we can put ourselves through.  We train for weeks and months on end to prepare for this single event, and the Boston marathon is the pinnacle race for most marathoners,” says Day. “At the time of the bombing, those finishing were at the end of the qualifying times and most were charity runners, doing this for others.  I'm horrified. I couldn't do what I do if not for my support system and network of fans.”

Despite the overwhelming activities that occurred at the Boston Marathon, many races are still being held. On April 20, 2013 Day competed in his fourth marathon in Carmel, Ind. within five hours and two minutes. During the race, Day experienced a great deal of pain in his ankles, calves and back. “Mile fifteen brought exactly what I had hoped for, my family,” says Day. In the distance, his wife and children stand at the marker, smiling, waving and cheering. “I looked at Molly, in the eyes and said ‘I just need you to be proud of me. She kissed me and said ‘I am proud of you now keep going!’” says Day. In a blog entry about the Carmel Marathon by Day, he says “I must finish this post with a huge thanks to my amazing family who allow me to do these crazy activities, but especially to my wife, who already gave me a full body massage. I love you Molly.” Day says that his motivation for the race was dedicated to the innocent victims that were killed in the Boston Marathon race. “While the impact of today's events will weigh heavy on my mind and heart, they will NOT change who I am, what I do, or how I do it,” says Day in a blog post on the day of the incident.

Now that Day has accomplished many of his goals with the support of his family and friends, he likes to share his knowledge with the world. Very often, Day is questioned by those around him on the secret to his weight loss. Day gives three pieces of advice to those looking to start their own weight loss journey and those who want to begin living a healthier lifestyle. One must have self-discipline. “It doesn’t happen quick or overnight. It took me seven years to gain the weight and sometimes it takes just as long to lose it,” says Day. He also believes in celebrating the little victories in an appropriate manner. “The problem in my previous lifestyle is that I would reward myself with food. You have to find other ways to reward yourself. My wife loves to go shopping,” says Day. One also must be willing to change their attitude. “I lived as if my life revolved around food. Once you can break that habit of only eating when you’re hungry and not at the specific times we are accustomed too is when great things can happen,” says Day.

Day shows his personality, drive and compassion everyday through his running. His family is simply amazed by his significant change and ambition. “My children always tell me how proud I they are of me,” says Day. “Molly inspires me and I am in awe of her patience.” The moment Day decided to change his attitude about his health was when the spark ignited.

Interviews

Chris Day

Interviews:

March 23 (face-to-face)

April 2, 2013 (face-to-face)

April 16, 2013 (email)

Chris.Day@edwardjones.com

LeAnne Greene (Chris' secretary)

Interview:

April 2, 2013 (face-to-face)

765-795-7030

Andrew Griffin (personal trainer)

Interview:

April 7, 2013 (email)

April 10, 2013 (email)

Giffinfitnesstraining@gmail.com

Sources

Day, Chris. "I ADVISE U." Weblog post. Carmel Marathon Race Report. Blogger, 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 23       Apr. 2013.

Day, Chris. "My First Triathalon." Web log comment. I ADVISE U. Blogger, 4 Sept. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Eligon, John, and Michael Cooper. "2 Blasts at Boston Marathon Kill At Least 3 and Injure More than 100." The New York Times. Nytimes.com, 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.

Nashville Rock N Roll Weekend Recap and Race Report

Did you know if you rearrange the letters in the word NASHVILLE you can spell HILLS A NEV - I'm pretty sure that's Greek for Hills that never end!  But we'll get to that!  First a little background...

The Country Music Marathon is the first Rock N Roll race that I've done since Vegas last December, and only my second RnR ever!  Better yet, this was the first sponsored race that I entered as a member of TeamREFUEL after earning my spot from the video I made at the Vegas Race.  This icing on the cake of course was winning the #RnRSlimDown contest from the competitor group.  (click any of the links if you're new to my blog)

Because of the obligation to be at the expo by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, I picked Pete up at 5:30 a.m. and we were rolling making decent time, but we were able to dial back the pace when we realized that Nashville was actually on Central Time!  Oops, but it all worked out as we were able to take our time and relax on the way down.

Once we arrived in Nashville we got parked and made our way to the expo at the convention center.  Got my bib, shirt, swag bag, and made my way to the REFUEL booth.  There I met the team rep who hooked me up with my VIP pass for the weekend.  I didn't have long to chat as it was 10:45, so I made my way to the stage area to find my contact but found no one.  Finally found the moderator, John Bingham, for the featured session, and he had NO IDEA who I was or what I was supposed to be doing!  Oh great!  Thankfully, my contact did show up and hooked me up with the 2 VIP passes (yes Pete got one and one went to waste), and said that the UP band was not there they would have to mail it to me.  She said Danni was on her way and explained the contest to the moderator.

Within minutes, Danni arrived, and I was introduced.  Immediately got this first picture with her which was posted to Facebook by the race saying "True inspiration- #RnRslimdown winner Chris Day and Danni Allen - Biggest Loser 14 at the health & fitness expo! Proof that you can achieve anything you put your mind to!"  AWESOME!  Then they quickly rushed her off to get ready for the session telling me there would be time for me to speak with her later.  Once she was on stage with John, the crowd grew ten times over!  The interview was fascinating.  She answered questions and spoke very openly about the experience.  Everything from the second she found out she was on the show and on the bus with the other contestants on the way to the ranch to the finale and beyond.  While the behind the scene details of the show were very insightful, I was really more interested in her current goals, thoughts, plans, fears, struggles, challenges, successes, and life in general, as this is where I am today.  Here are the key takeaways I got out of it.  1) Have a plan.  This is her first half marathon, all part of a bigger goal to run her first full marathon in her hometown of Chicago this October!  2) Log your food.  She says this is still the key as she is somewhat OCD about journaling, but insists that it is critical to know what you ate, when you ate it, and what you did the day before you gained a pound or two on the scales.  Study it, and learn from it.  3) Surround yourself with the right people.  Your support network has to be strong, and you have to walk away from every hint of negativity in your life.  Believe in yourself and know that you are the only you in this world, so be the best you you can be!  (I hung on every word).

Finally the moment came when John announced the SlimDown contest winner - ME!  I got a nice round of applause as he brought me on stage, and the first question from John "So tell us how much you slimmed down", to which I smiled, paused, and then spoke confidently - 107 pounds!  Wow, I got an even bigger round of applause!  I looked at Danni and said, "Not as good as Danni's 121, but I'm not done yet"  

With that John was pretty well done with me, but he did allow me to sit down on stage next to Danni as he went into the crowd to take questions from the masses.  The first question was from a Yoga instructor who wanted to ask her about Yoga and her thoughts.  Ultimately it turned into a conversation on cross training.  When Danni finished answering the question, she turned to me and was nice enough to ask if I had anything to add.  I took the chance to mention swimming, and in the same breath turned the question back to her.  Something that had been on my mind, so I asked her.  "You were such a strong swimmer in the challenges on the show, have you ever thought about getting into triathlons?  Afterall, Tara raced an Ironman in Kona after her season."  She smiled and said that she actually did her first Sprint Tri while she was at the Biggest Loser resort and really enjoys the spin bike, so it was not out of the question.  She said she had already talked to Tara about it!  I believe that was the end of my involvement.  I didn't expect anyone in the audience to ask me a question, and I didn't think it was my place to say anything else unless I was asked, so I just sat there and smiled for the duration.

When it was all done, she stood up and hugged me, and I kid you not was swept away quickly by her handler to get to the St. Jude booth for a meet and greet.  I didn't feel like I had gotten any one on one time with her like I had anticipated, so I followed the crowd.  Upon arriving, a line quickly formed of people wanting to meet her and get their pic taken with her.  I positioned myself right beside her, dropped my bags and with my body language basically was saying, I'm not going anywhere!  I helped speed the line up by offering to take pictures for fans as they took their turns with her.  She could not have been any more pleasant.  Always smiling, and taking the time to ask every single person their name and where they were from.  Always hugging instead of shaking hands, and showing a genuine concern and love for every person she spoke with.  At one point even commenting that her cheeks always hurt from smiling so much, but she figures she has strong cheek muscles and is burning calories with every smile! 

As I sensed the line coming to an end, and her next obligation coming, I called Molly via Facetime, and gave her the chance to do something very few will ever do - Facetime with Danni Allen!  Molly was smiling the whole time, and I'm not sure they could really understand each other, but in true Danni fashion, she smiled the whole time telling her how sorry she was that she couldn't be there.  Molly actually thought quick enough to screen shot the moment.  Once that was done, I grabbed her and said I need one more favor!  My oldest daughter was equally disappointed that she couldn't come and made this card for me to bring to you and ask for an autograph.  Without hesitating, she asked what her name was and wrote the following, "Hey Morgan, thanks for all the support.  Hope to see you soon. XO Danni Allen BL14" How sweet is that?  

She granted me one last picture (my favorite by far) And as quickly as it began, it was over!

With that highlight done, it was time to thank my sponsor!  Made my way over to the REFUEL booth, and finally got to meet my teammate Jesus from California.  Jesus is running all but 3 RnR races in the country this year.  This is already like number 7, and he's not just half crazy - he does fulls...and he's pretty fast too!  Was great to finally meet him after chatting online for many months.  Also got a chance to get some "official" photos around the booth with the rep for their use.  Didn't hang out too long, but couldn't say thank you enough to the group!

 Pete and I took our time trolling the expo, and enjoying some free samples, but it was well past noon, and we were in need of some food!  We hit "The District" and found bar after bar after bar, every one of them with live music!  A very cool area where we ultimately ended up in an upstairs open air covered patio overlooking the busy street below!  Had an awesome lunch and then it was time to find the hotel.

 We headed toward the Hotel Preston which is near the airport, got checked in and decided it was okay to just REST!  Kicked back and got caught up with facebook and twitter news, and I smiled to see that both Rock n Roll marathons and Danni Allen are now following me on twitter.  Called around to check on reservations for a few places, but ultimately decided that we could grab some pizza and pasta at nearby Vanderbilt University and save money from the downtown Nashville experience.  Turns out, good choice!  Enjoyed some great carbs, and then drove aimlessly around Vanderbilt and up and down Nashville's Music Row!  What a cool city!  With that it was back to the hotel where we both fell asleep watching the NFL Draft!

RACE DAY!

Alarm set for 4:50 a.m., and guess who is awake at 4:40 to hop in the shower first!  Check the weather and forecast to confirm what we should wear, and sure enough, as predicted.  100% chance of heavy rain all morning with a chance for a rumble of thunder.  Temps were about 52 degrees so I went long sleeve tech under my new refuel shirt.  Shorts with my new orange calf sleeves and possibly the most important thing - a cap!  A cap to keep the rain out of your face and eyes is critical.

We loaded the shuttle at 5:30 sharp, and struck up some casual conversation with those around us.  Many were asking who was running their first.  Half or full?  Where else have you ran?  Where are you from?  Can you believe this rain?  etc.  Pete actually saw someone wearing a race shirt from a small race he had done in Michigan last year.  The girl looked at him like "Yeah, right", but he talked the talk, and turns out they are both running the same marathon next month too!  One of the girls saw our bracelets and asked how we got VIP bracelets.  Pete deferred to me as the provider and I paused for a second about how to answer.  I could say I won a contest through the race or I am a member of team REFUEL.  Instead, I said confidently "I'm a sponsored athlete"  (That was fun to say).  Of course it brought on the same confused look that Pete and I got when we told them we both ran a full marathon last week.  I'm guessing they got off the bus calling us a couple of fat liars!

Once we arrived to the village area and unloaded into the rain, it was not raining that hard.  Pete and I made the long walk to the VIP area which was actually a Chili's.  It was packed with race officials, race staff, official pacers, sponsored athletes, elite athletes, etc.  It was a clean dry place just for us with a spread of bananas, bagels, water, juice, and tea and many other goodies, not to mention a clean bathroom.  I spotted Jesus there early and introduced myself to a few others.  By 6:30 Danni arrived, and I greeted her with a hug and wished her good luck.  I leaned in and asked if she had a goal time and she said she'd like to be under 2 hours.  I laughed and told her I saw her 8k time from the Shamrock (sub 40) so she should crush this.  She said yeah, but that was only 5 miles.  I knew she had it.  Her coach Christopher Lane was there (who I found out later via a twitter conversation was from Muncie and graduated from Yorktown - boy did I miss an opportunity there) and the same handler was moving her quickly from obligation to obligation.  She had a couple quick photos and then was gone.

Shortly thereafter my REFUEL rep Lindsey showed up and introduced me to Fireman Rob.  I had read about Rob and his charity efforts before, but didn't make the connection that he was an honorary REFUEL member.  Rob was made famous for completing multiple Ironman races by doing the run in full turnout gear!  He even got to race in the world championships in Kona last year, and finished with 20 minutes to spare!  He asked about my journey and I told him I was doing Ironman Louisville this August, and he said "See you there!"  Outstanding.  His beautiful wife Nicole joined him today to race alongside him for the first time.  Spoiler alert - he finished in 2:42:51!  That's a 12:26 pace in full gear!  I was honored to get my picture taken with the two of them alongside team member Chris Self who is a challenged athlete and runs for CAF with a blade leg - ready for this - he ran a 1:57:33 today - on a blade leg!  Talk about being surrounded by inspiration!

Pete and I headed to our starting corral.  I was supposed to be in 10 and he in 13, so instead we jumped in 9 with the 2 hour pace group.  (Start sooner,

finish sooner).  We packed in tight and got our self pic with our 20000 closest friends in the background before the ceremonies began. At this point Danni just happens to jump into our corral with her coach Christopher and they line up with the 2 hour pace group, so of course I had to yell to her again "Good luck Danni", and as she smiles waves back and says you too, I'm pretty sure in her mind she was thinking "Stalker!".  In my defense I was here first, but yeah, I had my eye on her.  There was a moment of silence for Boston and they had everyone raise the peace sign with the hand that they had their Boston bracelet on.  The only sound was the blades of the helicopter above.  Very cool!  There was a prayer, and the national anthem with EVERYONE joining in by the end!  Chills!

The race was on and Pete and I both seemed to feel good.  I watched Danni stride away with ease, and thought about trying to bust it out today, but I had no intentions of PR today.  The course begins on a slight uphill, but quickly turns down, and down, and down again thus mile 1 at 9:29 was no surprise, but mile 2 at 9:01 had me loving gravity and long legs!  But as we turned the corner block and started heading back in the opposite direction it was up, and up, and up.  Tough pill to swallow going from a 9:01 to a mile 3 pace of 10:18.  My 5k split was officially 30:22, so right around 9:50 was fine for me today.

The pain behind my left knee is on the top part of my calf, and is the very spot that gave me problems at the end of Carmel.  During my massage this week, she worked on this spot, and I have had no pain there all week.  But the combination of the downhill pounding on the knees coupled with my struggled ability to climb hills really put the hurt on me early.  Mile 4 was 10:34 and Mile 5 was 10:25, but caught a little downhill on Mile 6 for 10:03.  My 10k split was officially 1:02:25 and that had me just over a 10:00 pace now.

Jesus caught up to me at this point, running with his GoPro camera, I'm hoping he got some good video, and he pulled me for a bit, but not enough to catch up to Pete who was now starting to pull away from me as we pounded out repeat hills through miles 7 and 8.  Jesus left me, and I lost Pete in the crowd.  Mile 7 fell off to 10:41 but Mile 8 was an embarrassing 11:33.  People were moving by me like I was sitting still, but I maintained my jogging motion as I shortened up my stride to pound through these hills.  Pete and I had studied the elevation and I remember we had decided that getting to mile 8 was the goal, and then the downhills would be more than the ups, so I just tried to stay in motion.

The course left Vanderbilt University and headed down Music Row back toward the downtown.  The trees in Nashville are full of leaves and provided some cover from rain if you could stay to the side, and when I hit a downhill I tried to stride out a little more.  Mile 9 was 10:57 and Mile 10 was 11:09.  This was all I could muster as the pain was starting to creep up the hamstring and into the lower back.  Mile 11 clicked off at 11:23, and despite having decided that jogging every step today would be a victory in and of itself, I finally took my first walking step at the water aid station at mile 11.3 as the full marathoners split off from us to their long course.

The rain is absolutely pounding at this point.  The water is rushing through the streets like fast moving streams.  There is some uphill work to be done in the last couple miles as you enter the elevated downtown, and there is no such thing as a puddle because the water is rushing under your feet coming down the hill at you the whole time.  I walk/jog as I have to but mile 12 is a predictable disappointment at 12:44, and as much as I wanted to run more in the last mile, I could not for a mile 13 of  12:35.

Thankfully as you reach the peak of the hill, the bridge down to LP field (home of the Titans) and the finish line is a beautiful downhill and I'm able to stride out during the last 0.22 (always measures long) and Garmin has my pace at a 8:57 for that last kick for a final official time of 2:21:59.  Not one for the record books, but a battle of wills in these conditions that I hope I never have to race in again coupled with these hills that we just don't have in Yorktown!  Overall: 9344 out of 17829  Division: 704 out of 981  Gender:  4322 out of 6506 - And in case you were still wondering, yes, Danni crushed that 2 hour goal with a 1:53:37 - yeah, that's almost 5 minutes better than my PR - not bad for her first half!  #losersrock

Pete was nice enough to wait for me at the finish line.  He ran a great race at 2:08:35.  The rain and hills got to him, but he seemed to have no pain, and is well on his way to his 4th marathon next month.  I limped through the recovery area for my water, gatorade, banana, and of course my chocolate milk!  Lindsey was there to greet me, and we snapped a few photos.  Got Chocolate Milk actually tweeted out this photo saying  A rainy @RunRocknRoll #CMM didn't stop #TeamREFUEL's @chrisday_fa & others from a post-race LF choco milk. #myAFTER

Once that was done, there was no question - let's get out of here.  This is how much pain we were in!  We had VIP passes which include a full spread of catered hot food, drinks, and bathrooms in an enclosed covered tent.  Didn't matter - we headed straight for the shuttles and back to the hotel.  The additional factor was that it was now 10:00 and checkout at the hotel was to be 11.

As we sat on the bus, I could feel my back starting to lock up, and continued to squirm to find a comfortable position.  And as we got off the shuttle I hobbled to stand upright.  But once we got to the room and I could peel off the wet layers, and get a hot shower, I was able to stretch it out more efficiently and relieve the pain.  The pain behind my knee, well it is still there 24 hours later!  We loaded the car and drove in the rain most of the way home.  Cracker Barrel was our lunch recovery choice, and when we reached Indy it was Five Guys time for dinner.  I was home before 7 and in bed before 10!

A memorable weekend for sure.  No regrets.  I said all along it was to be a fun weekend that would be a victory lap of sorts to cap off the Spring running season.  I should take a week off from racing, and refocus on the bike and swim as the first triathlon of the year is in less than two weeks and I have yet to ride the bike outside!  I have renewed focus for taking care of myself.  Not only getting my legs back to 100% but also focusing in on my diet and what's going into my mouth.  I've still got a few winter pounds to shed to get myself back to peak performance.

Thanks to my sponsor Got Chocolate Milk and Team REFUEL.  Thanks to the competitor group, Rock n Roll Marathon Series and Danni Allen.  Thanks to my supportive wife and family who allow me to take off for a couple days to experience these opportunities.

Here is a link to additional photos and videos of the race from the local newspaper
 http://www.tennessean.com/section/PROJECTS59?sf12198701=1

#RnRslimdown WINNER

Tuesday evening I come across a post that the Country Music Marathon #CMM is running a contest called #RnRslimdown - All you have to do is tweet an instagram pic of your #before and #after.  By now you've all seen the signature before pic of me in the 3XL blue shirt from 2007, but in order to send one pic I needed to upload a file that had my after attached to it.  So I came across a facebook cover photo I had spliced together after my 2011 race season - not even at my lowest weight!

I cropped out the right side, and tweeted the left side as an instagram pic:

#RnRslimdown #before & #after from 310 to 203! #runCMM http://instagram.com/p/Ydh2Hwjywi/ 

As I looked back on the rules I saw that the contest ended last Thursday and the winner was to be announced on Friday - at that point I decided I had wasted 10 minutes tweeting for no reason.

Fast forward to tonight!  

Congratulations, you are our #RnRSlimdown Winner!

Turns out, they extended the contest!!!  And what does that mean - it means I win a UP band by Jawbone, 2 VIP passes for Saturday's race, and drumroll please - I will be featured at Saturday's expo clinic alongside Biggest Loser Season 14 winner - Danni Allen -someone pinch me please, cause I must be dreaming!

Molly and I have been Biggest Loser fans for 14 seasons.  We have never missed an episode.  And while I couldn't tell you much about very many of them.  Danni was one that I actually followed on social media while we awaited the finale.  And now I get to spend time with her before her first half marathon!

So that's it - Friday morning at 11 a.m. in Nashville Tennessee, the fun begins!  Needless to say, my wife was nearly in tears when she realized she was unable to travel with me on this trip.  So, my running partner Pete is the lucky recipient of the other VIP pass!