Blog break

The TNT team is ready to go and will be heading down to Miami this weekend to rock the course. I will be heading down today to work with the race promoter, hang with my friends in Ft Lauderdale (might get in some fly time with my buddy Jimi who is learning to be a pilot), and get in some warm weather training for the Key West race.

I will have the lap top with me but if I do not get a chnace to blog while I am gone have a great week and I will post results of the Team In Training event when I get back.

Cheers You All - Happy Training.

AI Review

Another week, another contestant is getting ready to go home. After last weeks ejection of Carly S I am through predicting. The popularity contest is too hard to judge except that it looks like everyone loves David A and David C.

It could be worse though - we could rely on Paula A to judge for us - you know Paula the one that said Jason's second song left her empty, even though he only sang one song. Maybe what is empty is Paula's head???

First, some random thoughts - Loved the "Man Crush" sign in the audience - now that was funny. David A's dad must have a "Fiddler on the Roof" hat business - not only did he have a new (and ugly) lid, but some young girl with the family had one on too. Neil Diamond is the man and his songs rock!

nice hat David's dad


The reviews:

Jason C - Forever in Blue Jeans and September Morn - let's get this straight, I like Dr Dread (a lot better than some of the others) but he really looks and sounds like he has given up. Maybe he is on some sort of protest because he sucked last week too but did not get kicked off. He bored the heck out of me and when he got his feedback he had this look that was like "whatever". Might be the end of the road.

David C - I'm Alive and All I Really Need is You - couple of songs that no one really knows but he sounds good - the electric guitar on the first one was cool, but I liked the second song better. Paula says "she is looking at the next AI" He should be in the final two.

Brooke W - I'm a Believer and I Am, I Said - Nice disco pants Brooke - she looks like she should be hanging out in the movie Staying Alive. Is it just me or does she look more and more nervous every week? Maybe she should be nervous - it is the final 5, but isn't part of being the next "Idol" being able to handle being nervous too? Ok, I did not like the first song at all- I heard better performances at the Fair (the Monkees ears must be burning). The second song was better - she looks more comfortable behind the piano and this song was better.

David A - Sweet Caroline and America - David pulls out the America card - knowing that the voters will not send anyone home that does a song about America (remember Christy Lee). I thought the first song started kind of rough but got a little better. The second song was good - he can sing but I am not sure where his niche is- who would pay for an album that all sounds the same and is nothing but pop ballads? Oh well.

Syesha - Hello, Again and Thank the Lord for Nighttime - I really liked the first song, but who started this AI trend of not wearing shoes (even the Dead wore shoes)- I thought it was a good song for her. The second song was a bit like broadway, but this is what she does best and it looked like she had fun (still no shoes though???)

I know I said I would not do this but ...My guess is Jason and Brooke go to the bottom two - either one can leave as far as I am concerned.

Congrats to Boone Girls Water Polo

A big shout out to the Boone HS Girls Water Polo Team - they made it to the state semifinals. They were no doubt a better team this year because Rene' was their strength and conditioning coach.

Congrats Rene' and great job with the team!

Sportsmanship is awesome

Need to share story that happend a few weeks ago at a local 5k.

As the 5k was winding down and all of our Team Hendryx athletes were done and enjoying soem down time after the race the last finisher of the 5k entered the track area. She was about 10 minutes behind the second to last finisher. When this athlete started her walk around the track to the finish line some of our Team Hendryx athletes joined her to encourage her to the finish. The even got her jogging a little on the last lap. Right before the finish line they peeled off and let the lady finish stronog and happy.

It turns out that she was and Team In Training participant from Mississippi. She was in town for the weekend and knew her teammates were back home doing a 5k and she entered this race to get soem training. Congrats on her completion and thanks to the TH athletes for their support and sportmanship.


with our new found friend

making sure everyone finishes

Random Thoughts from St Anthony's

This is my second year of going to St Anthony's as a spectator. This year Beth and I went over to support (and market) Team Hendryx and to watch the Pro racers tear it up.

Here are some random thoughts from St Anthony's (in no particular order)
-Matt Reed is huge
-this course is flat and fast
-this course is crowded
-there are many athletes that need to practice mounting their bike
-you should not try a flying mount on your bike if you have no experience
-a race is no time to practice new stuff
-it is HOT
-this is a course that you have a good chance of PRing on
-the water was a little rough this year
-the Pro racers can transition like the wind
-I can't imagine running a 32:00 10k after swimming and riding
-lots of wrecks out of T1 because people are stupid
-Tom Z is a nice guy and I liked his beach cruiser
-no kids in the finishing chute of a Olympic distance race (unless some crazy circumstances dictate)
-the last waves get a raw deal
-Kevin C from UF is getting fast

the best observation of all

-we saw a guy that should have his racing privileges revoked - he came out of T1 with his helmet on backwards - make it ten times worse - it was an aero helmet (he should have had a stand down penalty of 5 minutes)

St Anthony's Tri review

Sean finishing a great race

Steve at the start of the run

Matt Reed out of T2

Sean at the bike start


Team Hendryx had 6 athletes racing St Anthony's on Sunday and all did really well. The race was in it's 25th year and had a filed of 4,000 racers including a stellar Pro field. Matt Reed won the race only 1 week after winning the Olympic Trials and earning a spot to Beijing. He killed the course in 1:46:34 (I think they said only 4people have ever gone under 1:47:00 on the course). Reed was second out of the water but took the lead early on the bike and cruised to the finish. He earned a cool $11,000 for his victory.

Team Hendryx Athletes all performed well - they were lead by Coach Sean who clocked a 2:12:23 and placed 146th out of 4,000. His race was smooth and fast from start to finish, clocking his 10k in under 40 minutes.

Steve Griggs - 2:16:50 - another fast performance
Gary Jones - 2:33:22 - PR
Kevin Johnson - 2:37:48 - PR
Mike Reynolds - 3:09:05 - great result with limited swimming because of an injury
Erin Kirk - 3:14:01 - Erin's main focus in a 100 mile ride in a few weeks

Congrats to all the Team Hendryx athletes on their awesome performance.

Wicked

Beth and I got to see Wicked last night at the Bob Carr PAC (did you know Bob Carr was a mayor of Orlando??) and man was it fun. It was nice to see all the torrid details that lead to the witch being Wicked (or was she??)

AI review

now we are down to 6 contestants and it is all popularity from here on out - all the singers are good, all have different qualities, all are liked by different people - it is going to be all about who the voters like most now.

this week was Lord Andrew Lord Weber night - ok, I am a fan of some musicals. Beth and I have seen Phantom, Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rent - probably others - but why do we have to listen to show tune night? I always thought it was bad when Simon or any judge says "it was kind of broadway"??Oh well - let's see how they did.

Syesha - she goes first (many think first is the jinxed spot now) and she sings One Rock and Roll Too Many - she looked good and performed well - she is definitely made for broadway stage more than she is made for the concert stage. I liked it - she looked like she had fun and she sang well. Give her a 6+

Jason - you all know I am a fan of Dr Dread - he is the man. I can't wait to go down to the Keys, have a boat drink, and jam to Jason on the patio of my favorite bar - or head out to Vail to ski and when I hit Apres he is there ready to sing while we enjoy our after skiing cocktails. He sang Memory and let's be serious - he stank! I am not sure there are enough young girls to vote to keep him in the show this week. Give him a 3 - side note: what was Paula trying to say when she was like - this is usually sung by a women with a strong voice, but good choice of songs????

Brooke - well, something new out of Brooke this week - she looked like she might cry - again! Come on Brooke, pull it together - I am a fan (or was a fan)and I am kind of getting tired of the whole emotional thing. She started, then stopped, then started again You Must Love Me - it was ok - not great but not bad. This is the second time she had to start over and it might be time for her to go. Give her a 4+

David A - David's Dad had another new hat this week - after wearing his crappy old baseball hat for the shows first weeks he has had a new hat for the last several - this one looked dumb but hey - it was new. David sang Think Of Me - and get this - he made it a power ballad. Ok, he is good and the song was ok - but you will not catch me at one of his shows. Give him a 5 add a plus because he did not lick his lips 10 times.

Carly - Carly gets scolded by ALW and told to sing another song - he probably helped her. She sang Jesus Christ Superstar and I lied it. She rocked it out and looked like she was having fun. The chorus sounded a little funky but maybe that was her arrangement - never saw the musical because I could not stand Sebastian Bach. Give her a 6-

David C - he sings Music of the Night (I know this song) and he is good. I like the bandanna in his back pocket (crica 1980). He does not look like this is music he prefers and if it was I would not like him as much - he does well though. He deserves a 6 and he gets a plus for staring lovingly into ALWs eyes.

My bottom 3 are: Brooke, Jason and David A - although I would guess that either Carly or Syesha will replace David A in the bottom 3 - either Brooke or Jason goes home.

Dialidol.com had David C leading David A by a large margin

Past IdolNews - William Hung is going back to school finally - word is that he made over $1mm for being awful (there is hope for me yet)- only in America!

Boston Marathon

Man do I love Patriots Day - it should be a holiday all over not just in Mass. Patriots Day means Boston Marathon.

This year did not disappoint - it was a great race from start to finish and man did the conditions look great.

In the men's race R. Cheruiyot won the men's race in almost record time - he defended his title from last year and ran away from the chase pack in the Newton Hills - knocking out a 4:37 mile at mile 19 - and he ran it like it was nothing. I hope that this means he will get a spot on his Olympic Team.

The women's race was awesome - A. Biktimitrova pressed the pace and took the lead pack from 10 to 6 and eventually down to two. She did all the work and unfortunately got none of the glory. D. Tune drafted off her for almost the entire race and pulled ahead on Boylston St to take the win by 2 seconds. Biktimirova was game when Tune started her surges but the last effort was just too much and she could not hang.

After the winners finished and awards were given out Versus extended coverage so it could become the L Armstrong show. They had one camera focused on the cyclist for about his last 4-5 miles - they were even having runners move so they could get him on TV. Ok, it is bad enough that Al Troutwig kisses Lance's butt all the time but then to do this?? Then they let him finish on the right - the spot normally reserved for 2 people - the men's and women's winners - and they let him break a fictitious tape. Puhlease - he is another runner in a pack of 25,000. I respect Lance and his athletic accomplishments - I also respect that he was able to get 50 people in the race to support LA Foundation and that they raised $250,000 (rumored) - but why focus on Lance - why not on the 50 others that trained and raised money for the foundation.

I am sure there were many "heroes" in the race that never got a mention - how about Dick and Ricky Hoyt? How about the wheelchair athletes? I know - someone that no one has ever heard of does not sell add space and Lance A has done a lot for Al's career and the ratings of Versus over the years - but come on man - he is a retired athlete now - he is trying to stay in shape like the rest of us.

Sorry - did not mean to rant but the coverage was crazy and the special finish was not needed!

A Night At The Fair

The Central Florida Fair is in town and we had to make a trek there for food on a stick, fun ride, expensive games with cheap prizes and the overall entertainment of it all. I would not recommend going at night with kids but I bet the day time is just as fun. Here is our experience


Rides - fun for all - and scary for some!



Dinner - good food - cheap prices (beer is only $3.75 for 20 oz)


Everyone is a kid at the fair


Petting zoo (except the tiger) - I want to take the goat home to help with lawn care.

2 more triathlon spots filled for the Olympics

Congrats to Matt Reed and Julie Swail for securing spots on the Men's and Women's Olympic Tri Team for Beijing - Reed took the win by 20 seconds while Swail tool the win by 29 seconds.

The third and final spot for the men's team should come down to Andy Potts and Hunter Kemper (of Longwood, FL) and the women's spots will be should be decided by either Sarah haskins or Sarah Groff

Congrats to the Women's Olympic Team

The US team for the women's marathon is set - Kastor, Bouley, Russell will represent the US at the Olympics in Beijing (Olympics start 8/8/08). I am not surprised by the results but the way DK won was unexpected - she came from almost 2 minutes back to win in the last several miles - similar to her third place at Athens - nice and steady in the beginning and busting out 5:30 miles in the end.

The best effort of the weekend had to be Join Benoit running a 2:49:08 at 50 years old - she is awesome! I guess all that pacing for LA has paid off in her training.

Congrats to the ladies and good luck in Beijing.

Keys Ultra Training Review

what a fun week of running - the weather was great and the miles rolled on by.

Total for this week - about 70 miles - total for the 7 day period of Sun 4/13-Sat 4/19 - about 95 miles (6 days of runing , all singles)

It was a great confidence booster getting in 30 miles (8:10 pace) on the dirt road and then backing it up with 11 the next morning. After a long day on my feet Saturday, Sunday was a well deserved rest day

4 weeks to the race and it is time to take the mileage down a little and pick up the speed a little - keep your fingers crossed.

happy training

the importance of stretching

My Tax $ at Work

I was heading to get the oil changed in Squints yesterday (if you do not know who Squints is - see Sandlot and my drive way)- and I pass something very interesting.

I see two (two, not one, two!) city workers washing the green street signs. I say to myself - "myself, that is not too odd, they are keeping the neighborhood nice and clean"

That there were two people cleaning signs is not what bothered me - it was how they were doing it - they were taking the green signs off the poll they were on, laying the sign on the street, and washing the sign with a scrubby brush, turn it over (put the clean side on the dirty street) and wash the other side - then replace the sign. Move on to the next sign.

I just figured out how to lower my taxes - how about a one time investment on a power washers - drive up to the cruddy sign, spray that sucker with high powered water and wash stuff and presto - it is clean - move on to the next one.

Ok, so you do not want your taxes to go to a power washer - then lets take it a step down (this is how my old corporate jail would operate, because they do not want to pay to do anything right) - lets buy a cheap ass ladder - put the ladder by the sign, climb up and wash with your scrubby thing - it has to be faster than removing the sign, washing and replacing.

I tried to take pictures but they would not let me - I asked how I got this sweet job (there are tons of signs in O-Town, this could keep your busy forever) but they would not tell me.

Oh the humanity - the things we will have government workers do!

one other way to save on my taxes - not have the city pay $7mm for a small ass property in Paramore so we can build a new area - puhlease!! do not get me started there.

Deal of the Week - maybe the Century

I go to my local 7-11 almost daily during my morning break (you know the 15 minute one that the boss says I have to take) - it is pretty much the same thing - ride my skateboard down there, buy a Coke Zero (no calories please), a newspaper, and maybe a apple fritter (I have been off the fritter since Ultra training started)- then I skate home and go back to work.

So get to the deal you nimrod!

Yesterday I see sign hanging in front of the beers (I stop there daily too but just to window shop) and they have a Meal Deal Posted - any meal deal in the beer section has to be good.



Two Big Bite Hot Dogs (prepare them at the fixins bar any way you like)
Two Tall Boy Bud Heavies (you might even be able to get Bud Lite)
One bag of chips

for the Low Low Low price of...

$4.99

That is a bargain - one sweet deal. Check out the equivalent at any ballpark in America (I am being generous with these estimates)

Two Large Dogs - $4.00 each - total $8.00
Two buds - $5.00 each - total $10.00
Chips - $2.00

Total at ballpark - $20.00 and you had to pay $40-50 for the game - so you are in to your favorite baseball team for $60.00 (not including parking) and your seats probably suck.

head to the 7-11 - drop $4.99 - turn the game on TV (HD please) you have great seats - you do not disturb anyone when you get up to go to the bathroom (you can pause the game if you want) and you have $55.00 left over to buy your wife something nice.

This magical 7-11 is at the corner of Bumby and Curry Ford in SoDo. Enjoy this tasty tip.

Got this article off Yahoo - thought it was interesting reading while I was drinking a Coke Zero

4 Ways to Ditch Your Diet-Soda Dependency

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Stevia-Sweetened Soda!

In case you don't know, stevia is an up-and-coming, all-natural, calorie-free sweetener (currently sold in packets for drink-sweetening). Well, not too long ago, Coca-Cola filed dozens of patent applications for their very own form of stevia to use in some of their sodas. But you don't have to wait 'til that stuff arrives, 'cuz Zevia's already on the market! In Cola, Orange, and Twist (lemon-lime flavored), this 5-calorie-or-less-a-serving stuff is the ultimate solution for the soda-obsessed who want to nix artificial sweeteners without turning to regular high-calorie sugary soda. FYI, the Orange is the best and the Twist is good, too. But we're counting on Coke to come out with the perfect cola...


Metromint Water!

Tired of those silly calorie-packed waters (Vitamin Water, SoBe Life Water, Snapple Anitoxidant Water!)? Seeking flavored water with no artificial stuff? Check out Metromint's line of 0-calorie H20s. This stuff is made of just purified water, mint, and natural essences. Besides the standard Peppermint and Spearmint, there's also Lemonmint, Orangemint, Cherrymint, and (our latest fave) Chocolatemint! They're all subtly flavored and super-refreshing. We can't wait to see what the folks at Metromint come up with next ... Watermelonmint, Vanillamint, Rootbeermint?!


Zenergize Vitamin Infused Drink Tabs!



One of these all-natural, 2-calorie tablets will turn your glass of water into a fizzy flavorfest! They come in a gazillion flavors, from Orange + Pomegranate to Tropical Punch. And it's pretty fun to watch the little disc dissolve in your glass (really -- try it!). The bubbly consistency makes these a fantastic soda swap. They're also PACKED with vitamins and other energizing stuff!


POM Light Tea!



Typically, all-natural iced tea is either crammed with calories from sugar or it's unsweetened and super-bland. Well, neither is the case with this awesome line from Pom Wonderful. With pomegranate extract and just enough sugar, you get a fruity-licious tea drink for only 35 calories per 8-oz. serving. It comes in Light Wildberry White Tea, Light Orange Blossom Red Tea, and Light Hibiscus Green Tea. Sayonara, soda. Wonderful, POM!


For more diet-friendly food finds, recipes, tips, tricks and more, visit hungry-girl.com and sign up for free daily emails!



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Cool to have a coach

here is why it is cool to have a coach (and I have the best)- here is what my training week would look like without a coach

Mon - run
Tues - run
Weds - run
Thurs - day off - spin please
Fri - run
Sat - run long
Sun recovery run

next week - repeat prior week

with a coach - there has been some thought and planning put in to my training plan - I gave my coach 8 whole weeks notice that I wanted to run a 50 miler (I started at 100 but Sean talked me down from the ledge). Sean studied some stuff and determined my goals then put together a training plan - a plan that we discuss every week to see if tweaks need to be made.

last week when I told Sean I thought I was getting slow and felt sluggish he started to mix in some small speed work with my training. last night was one of those nights - the workout left me refreshed and feeling liked I flushed my legs out.

1.5 mile warm up, 800 (2:47), .5 miles off the track easy jog, 400 (1:21), 1 mile easy jog off the track, 800 (2:50), then to the baseball fields to do 12 seconds fast with 18 seconds recovery (on the nice grass outfield), 1 mile easy cool down.

Man that was a fun workout - left me refreshed for today's easy 6 miler (44:00) and for tomorrows 27 miler at the dirt road.

Hire a coach - it will pay off in the long run.

happy Training

AI Review

yo - what up dawg - ya know - let me tell ya how it was for me - it was just ok - not jumpin up and down dawg!

that is how I feel about Mariah C night on AI - I was impressed that she now has more number 1 hits than Elvis but maybe that just says something about the crap that America will listen to and pay for.

I think the boys have an advantage on a night like this - they are signing songs by a chick - the chicks will be compared to Mariah and the boys will be original

do you supposed MC wore her Candy Bracelet and Hello Kitty band aid to try and feel younger so she could connect with the Idol contestants? Her doggie was cute though. where does one get a candy bracelet any way???

here is my review:

David A - ok, there is no denying the guy can sing a ballad (ho hum) and the crowd loves the kid. I thought he was ok - but was he really wearing leather pants? Leather pants were not what I meant when I said he needs to be more edgy - I was thinking about him dropping the f-bomb, or talking back to Simon, leather pants? Again, I thought he was decent - he can sing and I like his hovering Dad's new hat! Give him a 6

Carly - I thouhgt she looked great and sang well. I do not know about all this stuff the judges spew about not being committed and trusting yourself (that must be artist speak, I might have to ask an artist) - she was good - not great but good - give her a 5+

Syesha - did she has some glittery hair tonight or what - I like Syesha and she really goes for it. She has tackled some tough songs over the last several weeks and that should count for something - I say she deserves a 5+

Brooke - I dug the whole unplugged bluesy vibe of that song - I would buy that song as long as no one told me it was a MC song. She gets a little too emotional for me these days - it always seems like she is on the brink of crying. I liked it though - and what the heck was Simon saying - burger with no burger only bun?? Whatever dude - give her a 6

Kristy Lee - she has been in the bottom 3 more than I can count and she is going back there again this week - she is a good country singer. Maybe she could take Kelly Pickler's lead - get some new girls, a new look, get a few good songs and become a country star? I just think she is the worst of who are left - no bad just not better than the others. She gets a 5

David C - man he was emotional, having his brother there was obviously very touching for him and I am glad he did well. I liked the whole song - his whole vibe. In my opinion he has more talent than any of the others and should win - he won't but he should. He gets a 6+

Jason - Dr Dread stays cool, he sang a cool little song - it was nice - he is cool and the crowd seems to like him - I wish the David A fans would go over to his camp because I think he is more talented thhan David A

My bottom 3 are Carly, Kristy Lee and add a name here.

I usually do not talk about the kick off show but Michael Johns being kicked off last week was nutty - never in the bottom 3, tackled tough songs, was definitely better than 2-3 others on the show - just goes to show you everyone has an opinion and opinions are right - I just disagree with this opinion.

Enjoy

Featured Athlete

Lauren, her good friend Peter, and Coach Bill enjoying a green beer


We are going to start a regular post here of a Featured Athlete - every few weeks we will feature an athlete and acknowledge their hard work and determination - they get no cash prizes and really nothing but the recognition, but we thought it would be fun.

Here is our first Featured Athlete

Lauren Block - Lauren is a mentor on our Team In Training Team and is fairly new to the sport of triathlon but her determination and athletic ability have taken her far in a short period of time. Lauren did her first race last fall at The House of the Mouse and is currently training to take on the Tri Miami course in a few weeks.

The improvement that Lauren has shown has been awesome - she has followed the Team Hendryx training plan of quality over quantity and her times are improving weekly.

Lauren is just like you - she has a full time job, she juggles home, family and other responsibilities along with her training.

Lauren has already taken minutes off her times from last year in a race at Moss Park and continues to improve. She is a determined athletes and does not want anyone to beat her - she also listens very closely and absorbs all she can about the sport.

Lauren swam a timed 1500 meters last night and took 10 seconds off each 100 from her timed 1000 last month - in a month she has swam farther and faster than her last timed swim.

Lauren continues this progress and we might see her on podium in Miami. After the Tri Miami race Lauren will be training with Team Hendryx to take on the 1/2 Iron distance at Miamiman. We are very excited to work with Lauren in the coming future.

Good Luck and Congrats Lauren

AI night

it is American Idol night and I am going to have to tape it because I am heading to dinner with a good friend of mine from Chicago.

However, word on the street is - Mariah Carey will be the guest helper for the participants - I wonder if she will help them be psycho, teach then to be a snazzy dresser like herself, or just help with the singing??

I would like to see Worm Lips (David A) take on a fine MC ballad to add to his other ballads this year - maybe he will do something new and pop on the piano.

Cheers - tune in tomorrow and read the reviews

Circle, Chain, Pyramid of Yelling

Anyone ever watch that show "How I met Your Mother"? I find that show pretty darn hilarious and last night one of the themes of the show was the reason why I do not work in corporate america any more.

Barney talked about the Circle (or Chain or Pyramid) of Yelling - you all have experienced the one at work where the Top Dawg at your company yells at someone, who yells at someone, who yells at your boss, who yells at you.

It can go many places from there - you can yell at someone working for you or you go home and yell at your wife, who then yell at someone at her office - so on and so on.

Technically it is never really a circle because the big guy never completes the circles and gets yelled at back.

Sounds like a bad Dilbert cartoon - the funny part about it is there are never any suggestions to improve or offers to assist - it is just the simple quote "get it done" or maybe "do it better" or "improve your productivity" the funniest "work smarter not harder" (what does that mean any way)

When I worked in a large corporate office I was never successful in the Chain of Yelling because I believed that I could get things done with others without yelling, however, after many management changes the last regime were a lot of yellers but never any suggestions or offers for assistance - just yellers (I have my thoughts why but those are for another day)- I was only a few clicks from the CEO so I guess I got to hear it loud and clear on a few occasions, but I tried never to pass it down - I always tried to stop it and figure a way to fix the problem.

Now as a small business owner the only person to yell at is myself (and that happens on occassion), or I guess my business partner. BUT, he is also my coach so if I yell at him then there will be no yelling back just some uber hard workouts!!! :-) Actually there is nothing to yell about - there are plenty of things to talk about and things that we need to work on - but yelling is going to get us no where.

Any way - I thought the show was hilarious and the next time you need to yell determine if it is going to accomplish anything or just make you feel better because you were yelled at?? Stop the Chain!

Happy Yelling - I mean Training

recovery run???

since when does 15+ miles become a recovery run?? I guess after 26+ the day before anything is recovery.

riddle me this? why do my recovery runs seem so damn easy? Today's run was about a 7:30 pace and I had to keep slowing it down to keep at 7:30 - no sense in getting too crazy here.

I "heart" recovery runs!!!

More from No Boundaries

here are some photos from the No Boundaries Running Program ending 5k - look at all the fun you could have too - for more info on running programs from Team Hendryx and Fleet Feet contact either on of us (www.teamhendryx.com) (www.fleetfeetorlando.com)



here are the future runners - I encourage everyone to stay for a kids race it will give you a new perspective on things :-)


here are some of the runners after the BIG race!


The crack coaching staff


The team before the race - fit and ready to rock the race


stretching with Coach Sean


the sun is rising and Coach Sean gives the athletes last minute instructions and inspiration


the Team Hendryx/Fleet Feet home base.

Escape from Ft DeSoto

Team Hendryx Trainer and Coach, Steve Griggs, went down to Ft DeSoto for a triahtlon this weekend and had a good day.

He ended up being 26th overall and 4th in his age group. Clocking a 1:05:59 for the course.

Congrats Steve

Training week in review

another week down and only 5 weeks to go until the race. this week was made up of long runs, recovery medium distance runs and shorter runs with some added speed work.

overall miles for the week = 70+ two runs over 20 miles and soem 800 repeats to get the legs stretched out some.

it is funny how running goes - some days you have it - other days you do not. Monday was an awful day of running - ran 18 (of 22) in Wekiva Park and tehn had to take a break and rest before tackling another 5 onn the roads around the house. Not sure what went wrong with the run but there was no way I was going to finish that sucker on that day. Yesterday was a great day - 26.5 in about 3:30:00 - nice, easy, and controled - felt great. The weather was awesome yesterday - low 60s and overcast - I am sure that had something to do with it.

this week willl be another high 60 or low 70 miles.

AI review - final 8

Last night was Inspirational Songs - how do you describe that? Could it be any song that inspires you? Maybe Scarlet Begonias "strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand" is very inspirational for me - could I sing that??

We are going to have to wait until Thursday to see who gets the boot - unless they play that crap they did last year and no one gets kicked off during the "Idol Gives Back Week"

Before I start the review of singing did anyone notice Paula's ummm - girls??? They were pushing to get out and I thank my lucky stars we survived a whole hour with seeing a wardrobe malfunction.

Michael - Dream On - ok, I never pictured Aerosmith as inspirational but like I said before maybe it was inspirational to him. I think Michael is better as a bluesy kind of guy than a rock star but hey, I liked it - it was ok. I give him a 5+

Syesha - I Believe - any song by Fantasia I hate but hey I must judge her on her performance and not the fact that I am not a Fan of Fantasia. She was good I guess - I can not figure out of I like her or not - some weeks yes some weeks no. Give her a 5

Jason - Somewhere Over the Rainbow - this is the IZ version. For those of you that do not know IZ he is a rather large Hawaiian that play ukulele. Anny way I thought Dr Dread was cool tonight - that was a cool song and I would pay to see this dude - probably a cover charge more than a full price ticket but I would give him a shot. Paula liked the way he played guitar - too bad he was on the ukulele??? Give him a 7

Kristy - Anyway - she has sounded better in the last several weeks and is peaking at the right time maybe - but if you look at her whole time on the show she is still the weakest of the bunch - still good but not as good as the other 7. She looked good and actually looked less robotic this week. Give her a 6

David C - Innocent - oh my goodness, what was up with the white leather waiters jacket - ouch! Of course Randy liked it but it was awful. The "give back" message on his hand was a nice lead in for tonight's charity show - he was decent, not great not bad - tough to live up to the last two weeks of killing it! Give him a 6

Carly - Show Must Go On - I thought Carly looked good tonight - better than the last two weeks - those pants were a little nutty with the high waist but the top was nice. I like the way Carly sings - she sounded a bit like a Heart cover band to me tonight - she might be in trouble - give her a 5

David A - Angel - David's dad got a new hat - how about that crap - but it was plaid! What is Daddy thinking??? It was the usual David performance - piano, ballad, sounds good but the same as every week so far - he is still the favorite to win because all the 14 year olds (the ones that vote) love him - after all it is a popularity contest

Brooke - You've Got a Friend - she looked like she should have been on an episode of the Partridge Family with the go go dress - I liked it! Brooke looked nervous or sick or something - not her usually sunny self. I like the song though - I thought it was good and I am glad she let folks know that this is not a JT song but a Carol King song. Give her a 6

I think the bottom three will be Michael, Carly and Kristy - not sure who will go home. Although I think if you like at the entire show Kristy is still the weakest - Carly and Michael have had too many good performances in the past. We will see.

It is going to really stink when David A wins this thing - even though the public admits David C is more talented they would vote for David A because they like him more - sounds like the presidential race we have going on.

Must read - Spin Class Review - my first 5 out 5 spin bikes review

Yesterday was a rest day for me so it was off to spin class at the downtown Y. May plan was to arrive around 3:15p - spin alone until 4:00p - take class until 4:45p - then spin a little more alone until 5:15p - a good 2 hours on the bike will get my legs good and refreshed.

I arrived around 3:15p and start to spin, I never look at the board to see who is teaching or what the "theme" of the class is because it really does not matter to me and all the classes seem the same any way. So as I am on my bike, minding my own business and listening to my Ipod I notice the room is starting to fill up. This is very puzzling to me - usually the class starts to fill up around 10 minutes prior to start time, yesterday people were arriving 30 minutes early. I also noticed another strange thing - it was mostly women. Ok, it is 3:30p and maybe this was a special class for women (maybe I should have looked at the board) or maybe a lot of guys could not make the 4:00p class because they can not get off work in time. I prefer the 4:00p class because it is usually not very crowded.

By 3:45p this class was full - and it was very evident that the Y was giving away a special prize to anyone in this class - how else do you explain a full class at 4:00 pm on Monday??? As I step out to refill my water bottle I now see the reason for the class being so full - it was the spin instructor - no it was not Elvis or Jerry Garcia (but I would have liked to see either one of them on a spin bike) - it was Tony S. (I usually use intials of instructors to protect the guily but he deserves to be mentioned)



Tony is the Ys resident Rock Star Spin Instructor. There could be others with the popularity of Tony but I have not witnessed it like I did on Monday or the time a few months ago when I took a early morning class from him (that class was full too). Tony brings out the women, that is for sure.

While everyone is warming up Tony and a couple people from the Y management staff are closing the velvet rope and letting the late comers know they are out of luck - or they are walking around helping Tony set up bikes for people. I think I actually saw a tear in the eye of one spinner who had another female help her set up her bike while Tony was helping a little kid - the look of disappointment almost made me shed a tear for her.

So this class is so full that Tony gives up his spin bike so another young lady can join class - he will instruct from the floor. As the class starts it is announced that it will be 80s night and better yet - it was 80 Hair Band night. The music was right on tonight - Tony had the spinners in the palm of his hand - he danced, he sang, he encourage better performance from all. We heard Xtreme, AC/DC, Bon Jovi (one of the favorites of the back row, who did not sing very well) among other 80 favorites. This class rocked and rolled through the fastest 45 minutes I have ever had on the spin bike.

Not only was the class entertaining it was the first time I was ever soaked through and through with sweat - he made us work and when folks slowed down he encouraged them to go further, go faster.


I have to admit, I had fun, I worked hard and felt like I was in the presence of a star. Tony had the class hanging on his every word and I will say that is the hardest I have ever seen a class work during spin.

From now on I will check the board so I can see who is teaching - I want to see all the disappointed faces when he can't fix their bikes for them :)

You should all give his class a try - it is fun. Without a doubt my first 5 out of 5 spin bikes. Nice job Tony

Upcoming Events

I am very excited for the Boston Marathon this year and it has nothing to do with the celebrity sightings of Lance and Katie - I could care less about either of them. I am excited to see the US Women's Olympic Trials in Boston the day before the marathon. I wonder if anyone can get close to Deena at this years trials - her PR is about 10 minutes faster than anyone in the field. It will also be Joan's last Olympic Trials - considering she won the very first Women's Marathon in the Olympics this is kind of historic.

The Monday of Boston should be a holiday for everyone - not just the Lucky ones in Boston - I will be glued to the TV. This is must see TV.

Key West 50 Miler Training

Training is going well for the Keys 50 miler - another week is in the books and there are 6 weeks to go - here is the week in review:

54 total miles - with a 21 miler, a 11 miler and a 10 miler - then some other runs mixed in. because of some issues I did not get a chnace to run on any soft surfaces this week - just on the roads with some cobbles mixed in - the week went well though.I was able to get in the gym a couple times to lift and work on stability and flexibility. Also was able to sneak in a couple spin sessions and I go tin the pool for the first time since November - yea me!

Some of the runs were good though - I was able to get the shorter 10 and 11 milers done in a pace of 7;45 or so - the 21 miler was a little slow for my liking but I am stilll trying different nutrition options and getting used to taking in more and different foods.

At one point last week I had run over 70 miles in 7 days - so I am happy that I am able to handle this worklaod. This week we will have two runs over 20 and have a total mielage of 60+

Happy Training

Need For Speed Highlights

Steve R takes home the Masters Title today at the SMM 5k in Altamonte Springs. Steve ran a 19:35 5k on a hot humid day to be the first finisher over 40 and take home the prize. Steve entered the parking lot at the end of the race in a pack of 3 other runners but pulled away on the track to take the title.

Steve is being trained by Team Hendryx in the Fleet Feet "Need For Speed" training program - he has 4 more weeks of training and we look forward to him improving his time in the future.

Congrats Steve - great job today

No Boundaries Results

It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it.

No Boundaries Athletes – Congratulations! You all did awesome today - you should all feel great about your accomplishment. You persevered through many weeks of training that ended today in you completing your goal. It was so encouraging for all of us at Team Hendryx Coaching and Fleet Feet to see you complete what you set out to do. We had 21 starters and 21 finishers today.

Here are some of the SUPER highlights of the day:


· Jenny W was the fastest No Boundaries finisher in 26:05

· Sean W was the fastest Male finisher in 30:10


· Margarette C would have been 3rd in her Age Group and won an award but the race committee had her in the wrong age group


10 of the 14 people ran a faster mile pace for the 3.1 miles than their single timed mile back in January.


· Gloria R improved by 2:00 a mile

· Kathy T 1:21 a mile

· Carmen P 1:17 a mile

· Sherri H 1:00 a mile


In addition, we heard many stories of 5, 10, 15 pounds of weight loss and general health and fitness improvement throughout the day.


I hope you all enjoyed the training and the festivities today – if anyone did not get their finishers certificates you can contact the store and they will get them for you.


Please fill out your post training survey and/or provide your comments to Fleet Feet so we know how to improve this program in the future.


It was a pleasure working with you! We hope to see you at future training programs.


Team Hendryx Training and Development,

Sean, Rene’, Mike, Steve and Bill

www.teamhendryx.com

No Boundaries Big Day

Tomorrow is the big day for the No Boundaries training group - this group of aspiring runners has been training for 12 weeks to prepare for their first 5k this weekend. They will do awesome - my bet is that their average mile pace for the 5k will be faster than they ran a mile on the first week of training - check back on Monday for the results.

AI rewind

So I am not a fan of Dolly Parton - and after last night I am still not a fan. The only song I knew was the Whitney song which I did not know DP sang - I guess she sang it with Kenny Rogers before Whitney sang it to Kevin Costner??

One thing before I review - has Paula ever said anything to help a singing perform better - ever - she talks a lot and does not say anything - reminds me of some folks I worked with at meetings I used to attend.

On to the review:

Brooke - Jolene - cool version, like her voice not the song too much - she gave it a good vibe - liked the guy on the box, that sounded cool - I could see that on stage - at least she did not have a piano and cry this week! Give her a 6+

David C - Little Sparrow - his voice is kind of mysterious, maybe haunting? this song sounded good - it did not top Billie Jean, but that was a high spot for him. Give him a 7

Ramiele - Do You Miss Me - what the heck was she wearing - oh my! Crazy shoes! I think Ramiele must be the choice on Vote For The Worst these days - she is good but not as good as the others - it was ok - give her a 5+

Jason - Travelin Through - ok, I liked this song, I like the arrangement he did - loved the bongos - I liked it and I am liking him more and more - maybe it is because he reminds me of my ski bum and GD days. Give him a 7-

Carly - Here You Come Again - decent - did not like the song too much but enjoy the way she sings - even though Simon did not like the way she was dressed I thought she looked better than the last two weeks. Give her a 6+

David A - Smokey Mountain Memories - aw shucks it is DA again - he is so cute - and is so cuddly - PUHLEASE - give me a break from this kid and his hat wearing Dad!!! So, it was another ballad (I would like to see him try to sing some rap or something)and he did better than last week - at least I did not picture myself at Epcot this week. Give him a 6-

Kristy - Coat of Many Colors - cute, true song form DP - it was ok - not quite as good as last week but not too bad - better than a lot of other weeks - like Ramiele I just do not think she is as good as the others - BUT - what was with the no shoes dealio - come on man, come up with something original. Give her a 6-

Syesha - I Will Always Love You - don't they say never sing a Whitney song?? Isn't funny though - whenever someone tries to sing Whitney the judges say "it was not as good as the original" no shit sherlock - I am not sure any of the songs they have sung have been as good as the original - were any Beatles song as good as the original - PUHLEASE. Any way - she was good - I liked it - sitting on the piano was kind of corny - good thing she did not fall. Give her extra points for trying to be daring - 7

Michael - It's So Wrong, But So Right - jazzy, blues, love the electric guitar in the back - I could see that on stage too - nice performance. BUT - an ascot, my man - you are not Hugh Hefner - minus points for the ascot - 7-

I would put Kristy, Ramiele and David A in the bottom 3 but that will not happen because David A is too cute - Jason or Syesha might take his well deserved spot in the bottom 3.

I am voting to shake this up a tad and have them sing The Ramones next week (at least they will not have to shorten any of the songs) or maybe they should sing Reel Big Fish, or even better - Flogging Molly - let's see what they can do with some real music that this pop crap they keep coming up with :-)

Cheers

AI night

I heard that tonight on AI is Dolly Parton night - sing DP's greatest hits and I thought and thought and came up with one Dolly Parton song - 9 to 5 - and that was a classic! I think she sang a couple of ballads with Kenny Rogers - but I could not name one if you were paying me.

After some research I saw that DP had 20+ albums, most before these contestants were born, but I am sure they are very popular and well known by all the contestants.

Here are some songs I would like to hear - Potential New Boyfriend (David A could sing this one - he is looking for a prom date right), In The Ghetto (really Dolly - this is a country song), Mule Skinner Blues (David C could do the acoustic version of this one - or Brooke could play it on the piano), White Limozeen (love the use of the "Z" - Dolly is so mainstream - maybe Dr. Dreads could do the hippy version)

I did find some cover tunes Dolly sang - not sure if the contestants are allowed to sing Dolly doing a cover but here would be some good ones - Great Balls of Fire or House of the Rising Sun or the best yet - Peace Train.

Can't wait to hear tonight - might be as bad as Beatles Night II

Tune in tomorrow for the review.

Volusia Run Group

I had a chance to get up to Volusia County last night to meet with our Volusia run group and they are doing awesome. I had a chance to run some miles with the runners, walk some miles with the walkers and have some chats with the folks that had questions. It was a very good visit to the group. Next up we will be doing a Dynamic Flexibility clinic for them.

Cant wait to see them all (outfitted in their Team Hendryx gear) at the 5k this weekend!