Now, what?, you ask, is Coach Tom telling me to do? "Turn the knee in and drag that foot, no really DRAG IT."

Just kidding... A prize to the first person to post a comment with the correct answer...

It's time to add more pictures, because I know you really don't want to read this stuff, but it's always fun to see pictures.

Now, when people put on wetsuits, they usually go in the water but not Ironteam members we do situps... and go running...and do pushups!

Actually we also swam, before, and after each of these pictures, which were taken at Aquatic Park in San Francisco.

Oh, and by the way, that's me in the red cap!

I don't need to be 29 anymore...... I'm 26!

The new news this week is that I purchased a Tanita Body Composition Monitor 554 (read "fancy scale"). It gives you all kinds of data other than weight, such as hydration, base caloric needs, bone mass, visceral fat, and my favorite, metabolic age. Yes, you guessed it, I like my metabolic age which has averaged 26. Nice mental boost.

Our newest Ironteam member, COCO. The biking might be kind of tough but she is up for the challenge!

Well, last week was the first recovery week with shorter, easier work outs. We finished up with our first open water swim at Aquatic park and the gods were kind in giving us beautiful weather. Honestly, I was dreading swimming there, not being a lover of salt water, but it was actually pretty nice. We got a little sand, a little salt, and a little cold, but all in all it was a good day.

Now we are back to the building phase and the weather is making it a little challenging to get the biking in. That is ok, challenges are good for us right?

Thought for the day from one of our team honorees, Laura. "Now is the time to pursue your dreams. You don't know what tomorrow will bring." how very true.

If you are intersted in donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and help stop cancer please click on the link "DONATE to the cause" and follow the on-line donation instructions. Thank you for helping provide hope for patients and their loved ones.

Ok, it has been another good week of training. Over 11 hours total, and next week is the recovery week. We build our time and effort for 3 weeks and then have 1 week of recovery workouts. It's a good system which allows the body to heal and recover from the new demands before pushing on to the next level. I'm looking forward to next week because although I hate to admit it, I've been a little tired.

I promised to write more about Dottie and here she is. She was a member of the Spring 2006 Modesto Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training Marathon group. Although I met her because her daughter Katie joined the water polo team at Tracy High for which I was the head coach. Katie also swam on the 2006 Tracy High swim team so we got to spend lots of time together and I was very excited when Dottie joined the marathon team (for which I had also been a coach).

The reason Dottie is included in this blog however is because during her marathon training she discovered she had breast cancer. She just returned home from the hospital (on Friday) after surgery for the breast cancer and also ovarian cancer. She has a bit of recovery ahead of her and is excited about my Ironman in her honor. She is a very outgoing, bubbly person with lots of positive energy so I am excited to include her in my new team and I hope our team support will help her with her recovery. Please think good thought for her during this recovery period. She is a wonderful person that deserves LOTS of good thoughts.

CORE WORK - CORE WORK - CORE WORK !!! Yes, that is 3 times per week. We all hate it but I can already feel the benefit in my biking so JUST DO IT!