Protein - Marketing Creation or Necessary Part of your Diet

When I first started doing strength training which eventually led to endurance training I was of the mindset that I needed to have protein, protein, protein within 30 minutes of working out.  I was downing Muscle Milk as if they were running out of it.  I noticed that I wasn't losing any weight nor did I feel any different after taking it either.  Now that may have something to do with the fact that I was partnering it with Promax Bars.  Between the two you are looking at close to 600 calories and 40 grams of protein.  Since I only need 65-80 grams of protein I was already at half my needs and it didn't matter how hard the training was.  1 hour training led me to having the same amount of a 3 hour training session.

Since then I have switched to HoneyMilk OR Promax Bars but not both and I have lost weight and feel much stronger then I ever have before.  I am getting in 20 grams of protein and only about 280 calories depending on which I take but not going overboard.

So I believe that I was being marketed to and I was convinced to take in as much as possible.  Eating that protein was going to generate lean muscle as if that was all that I needed.  What I really needed was to educate myself on how much protein, when to take it, what else am I taking in and be conscious of all that goes into my body.  I eat very healthy in terms of getting 8 servings of fruits and vegetables but I was overloading on calories with the rationale that I just worked out so it's ok.  Being smart about what I take in is really what I needed to change.  My needs after a 1 hour workout are much different then my needs after at 3 hour workout.

Since I have corrected my thinking I started following recipes and making sure that my servings are not more then they need to be.  I have also taken those recipes and began posting them here so that you can see what to take in and have it be not only nutritious but also tasty.  The link to my recipe page is here.

In addition to HoneyMilk and Promax Bars I have begun to use AdvoCare which has great breakfast bars and meal replacement bars.  They are not only good for you but also taste good (which is probably the most important factor for me in whether or not I consume a product.)

Fooducate has a great article on its blog about the notion of protein being a marketing myth.  You can read the article here.  In the article it discusses how much protein one needs to take in on a regular basis or as an endurance athlete.  It then goes on to list food items that we all consume on an almost daily basis and how much protein you get from these products.  If you were to eat a 4 oz piece of chicken breast on two slices of bread you would get 28 to 30 grams of protein.  Wash that down with a glass of milk and you would be adding in another 8 grams.  Add that up and you are at 36 to 38 grams of protein.  Average 150 lb person needs 40 grams......that meal replacement bar would put you at 56 to 58 grams of protein.....do we need that much?

The blog in Fooducate links to an article in the LA Times that discusses in further detail the needs for protein.  The article is an eyeopener in terms of the amount needed but what I got out of it was that yes protein supplements are ok to use, but you may be better off just looking at how much protein you would get from your regular diet.  The point is that while protein supplements are convenient you need to look at the list of ingredients on the bottle to make sure that you are getting the right protein supplement and not something that you don't want to put in your body.  Reading the label of a protein supplement is no different then looking at the ingredients list on a package of whole wheat bread.  Make sure it's what you want to put into your body otherwise grill up a piece of chicken.

New Page added to Baha703ironman.com

A new page has been added to http://www.baha703ironman.com/ and it is a Link To Me Page.

I have gotten a handful of requests recently asking if links to my blog can be added to their site or blog and the answer is yes.  I have created some html code that can be copied and pasted into your site if you choose to link to me.

I also want to point out that not only is it ok to link to me but it is very much appreciated.  In addition to that if you want to be listed on my blog under the resources tab just submit your link to me and I will review the site and post in the resources section under one of the three headers on the page.

The resources section can be found here:     http://www.baha703ironman.com/p/resources.html
If the header doesn't fit well I will create a new header for your site.

Here is the Link to Me page http://www.baha703ironman.com/p/link-to-me.html with the easy to copy HTML code for you.

Hills and Heels and Him.....1st in Age Group.....Way to go Karen

Today Karen and 4 of her friends ran the Heels and Hills and Him and had truly perfect weather for the 5K.

We got up early and had some of the friends meet us at the house so that we could follow each other and make sure nobody was lost or late.  Got to the race in plenty of time and I was surprised.  I had no idea that the event was going to be as big as it was.  There was a 5K, a 10K and a 1/2 marathon being run today as well as a 1 mile fun run/walk.

The 1 mile fun run/walk went off with all the children and their parents.  These little kids and there legs looked like helicopter blades they were moving so fast.  It was incredible to watch as some of the children were giving it all and then some.  You could see how profud the parents were.

The 1/2 marathon was the next race to get going followed by the 10K.  So next up was the 5K and the 5 ladies got ready to run.  Once the gun went off you could see them moving forward until they hit the starting line and took off.  It was inspirational to see this crew start running.  I had guessed that Karen would be heading back in about 30 minutes.

Before I knew it the announcer made a comment that the first 5K finisher was coming in.  The time for him was 17:29 and he looked like he had barely broken a sweat.

A few moments later Karen Oliver came in and was the second female finisher.  About 5 minutes later Karen Bahamundi was running with her friend Barbara and were looking strong.  They crossed the finish line together and then we waited for three other friends.

Once everybody was across the finish line a few pics were taken and off to the house we went (it is Sunday Football Day!!!!!)  Halfway through the game Karen checked the results and as it turns out she finished

1ST IN HER AGE GROUP (FEMALE 40-44)

I am so proud of Karen for her accomplishment in this race.  She did wonderful and proves that the proper training, proper nutrition and rest can do for you and your confidence.

Great Job Baby.....very proud of you.  Two podium finishes in races in 2010.

Running in a Downpour

Running in the rain is a wonderful experience, but running in a pure downpour?  With thunder?  Lightning?

Well let's just say it was just as good.  I had a great time running 16 miles today and I can't say that is something that I say often but today it was awesome.

I went out to White Rock Lake with Karen and a good friend Adam.  Adam has been training for the past few weeks for a 5K and he has really been pushing himself.  He is doing hill training, interval training, fartleks, track training.....you name it he is doing it and it has been awesome to watch.

Today he had planned to only do 7 with me but once you are at White Rock Lake you can either turn back or keep going and he decided to not turn around at 3.5 miles and managed to run the full loop which is 9 miles.  He even pushed himself to finish strong in the last 0.5 miles.  It was great to have him there for 8.5 miles as it made my run much easier.

The one issue with the rain today was that it did make the air chilly and if you aren't prepared for it then it can get really cold.  Karen was nearly frozen when she hit the 9 mile marker and decided to call it a day and take a nap in the car while I ran another 7 miles.

I felt like it was a great run and when I got to 13.1 miles (1/2 marathon) I looked at my watch and was under a 10 minute pace, but then when I finished the 14th mile I looked at my watch.  OH BOY!!!!!  What happened?  I was at 10:42 for that mile.  Did I just stop and daydream?  What was going on here?  I decided that I would run the last two miles at a faster pace and picked it up.

Of course as I got going I realized that I needed to pick up Adam's shirt (he dropped it off by a tree at the start of the race b/c it was making him hot and starting to weigh quite a bit.)  I picked up his shirt and it was covered in dirt and twigs.  Of course at this point I had taken off my second shirt because it was starting to chaffe my pectorals.  Now I was carrying two shirts and trying to pick up the pace.

After about a mile longer I had to pick up my first shirt.  Now I was carrying three shirts and decided it was time to make like a running back and carry them as a football.  I finished those last few steps and it was time to cool down.  Took about a 1/2 mile walk to the car to find Karen sleeping.

I did the 16 miles in 2 hours and 38 minutes.  I feel really strong and to celebrate Karen and I went for pedicures.  Great way to relax and massage your legs after a long run.

Tomorrow will be a 1.5 hour session on the bike trainer while watching football.  Let's Go Giants!!!!

Marathon Makeover North Dallas Updates

Here is an update on what is happening with Marathon Makeover North Dallas.

1- The domains for both business names have been purchased and are currently being worked on so that we can present a clear and concise idea of who we are and what we do.

The domains are:
http://www.honuwaytolive.com/
http://www.marathonmakeovernorthdallas.com/

A big thank you to my friend Mark Armstrong for helping me design these webpages and I cannot wait for them to go live.

In the mean time if you want to understand the program you can go to Marathon Makeover

2- The logo for Honu Way To Live, LLC is just about complete.  The color scheme is all that is left.
From there the logo will go on the web pages and business cards.

3- A Twitter account has been established under the name MMNorthDallas.  You can find it at http://twitter.com/MMNorthDallas.

Follow us to get tips on running, recovery and the such.  Updates on the business.  Humor that only Karen and I can provide.

4- Business PayPal account has been setup so if you are ready to join today you can.  The email address to send payments to honuwaytolive@gmail.com.  Contact me for pricing before you send any money and I will give you the complete low down on what you receive for your money.

5- Business Credit Cards have been approved and I can purchase ALL the equipment and necessary items for a safe and fun run once we start up.

6- A facebook page has been setup as well and will have information on there related to Marathon Makeover North Dallas as well as to us.  LinkedIn will be created soon as well.

Basically what I'm saying is that you can't miss us now.  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, baha703ironman.com, honuwaytolive.com, marathonmakeovernorthdallas.com.......

Be on the lookout for more updates as we continue this journey and get ready to turn couch potatoes into marathoners.  If you don't live in North Dallas do not worry as we can train you via the internet and if there is a Marathon Makeover team in your area we can point you in that direction as well.

Cheers and Good Running!!!!!

201Ironman: Prepare Yourself

201Ironman: Prepare Yourself

This is a video I found on http://www.201ironman.blogspot.com/ and helps answer any questions that you may have regarding why one would put themselves through the training, the mental fatigue, the physical fatigue, the nutrition watching and everything else that goes with becoming an Ironman.

Friends Helping Friends

Throughout the process of being unemployed I have learned a few things about myself but just as important I have learned a lot about how my friends truly are who those are to be considered aquaintences.  I learned from a mentor a few years ago that friends are to be put on a dart board and those closest to the bullseye are your closest of friends.  And most importantly is that people will move toward the center and away from the center all the time.

With my blog I have the opportunity to help a friend out who has started his own company in the education space.  I came into contact with this friend while working for an online advertising startup.  In our year together we worked day and night, weekdays and weekends (literally) in transforming the company.  It was rewarding and exhausting.  I know the kind of work ethic that he put into somebody else's company so I know what he is doing today to ensure that his company and new ventures are going to be beyond successful.

The company that he is a pricincipal for is Ed Ideas, Inc.

According to the About Us page, Ed Ideas Inc. was founded to help colleges and universities identify opportunities and implement strategies to increase quality student enrollment and improve retention and graduation rates.

I can't think of a better way to help today's economy and youth.  In order to push our economy to get beyond the recession we need to have educated youth coming up through the ranks.  There is one investment that will never lose money and that is an investment in your education.  It pushes your income at every level of degree attained.

Ed Ideas, Inc has opened up a new website called CollegeComplete.com and the company has Education Advocates at the ready to help individuals achieve their dreams and goals.

I am beyond impressed with how my friend has taken hold of his future and how he is ready to move his life forward and at the same time help others to achieve their dreams.

I am not sure how much this blog post will help the company but anything I can do to help him is my pleasure.  I believe in his ability to be successful and I believe that he deserves success.

To my friend....Good Luck and Thank You for teaching me what you knew when we were working together.

House and Job Hunting - Simultaneously

Can you think of two things that are more stressful and yet doing them at the same time?  In all honesty the only two that may be more stressful would be marriage and child birth and getting married during child birth would be extremely stressful and sort of funny at the same time.

Imagine the mother yelling names at the father as we have all seen in sitcoms.  Her cursing while the person overseeing the ceremony was trying to get answers to do you take this person's hand.  The doctors and nurses telling her to push at the same time.  Is there a witness?  Are there cameras to capture the wonderful moment?

So all that being said that is how I feel right now.  Searching for a job while also searching for a house.  I'm trying to find jobs and apply to them while going from house to house.  Trying to change my point of view and being objective when I walk in a home.  The whole situation is some surreal.

This morning I was going to go to the gym and get my swim training and strength training in before our first house appointment at 10:30am.  Instead I 'slept in' until 7:00am and go up and decided to do the job hunt first.  Figuring we would go to the houses and then I could go to the gym at lunch and get my workouts in.  All the while I know I will be thinking about emails from companies and phone calls while I'm swimming or lifting.  That for me has been the hardest part.  I don't want to miss a phone call or email, but at the same time I know that if the job was meant to be then it was meant to be.

I consider myself to be a person who is always in control, and right now I am feeling as if everybody else has the upper hand in making my decisions.  Is the job the right job and will the hiring manager think I am the right person?  Is this house the right house and what about the banks for mortgage approval?  How about selling this house and are people going to be making an offer on my house?  It is all out of my control and it is not something I am learning to deal with graciously.  I guess once I get to the point of giving it up and knowing that I cannot control all of these facets of life it will get easier.  Let's start today.  I have a great plan for making today successful so let's just build on that.

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Honu Way To Live, LLC Update --

I have applied for credit cards for the business and have been approved for one.  I was just approved for an American Express/Costco card which will benefit me greatly as I will be purchasing gatorade from costco so why not use the card that will help me save money at the same time.

I am now waiting on Citibank and an American Airlines approval.  I have a frequent flyer account with AA and this will allow me to build miles just as quickly as using my personal cards.  Killing two birds with one stone as they say.

I have setup my business Paypal account so that when athletes register on Marathon Makeover they can select the North Dallas region and choose to pay via credit/debit card of download the application and pay via check.

The logo for Honu Way To Live is almost complete.  The design is done and now I am working with the designer on color scheme.  Hopefully it will be done this week and ready for unveiling.

Karen is going to setup Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts for Honu Way To Live as well as Marathon Makeover North Dallas.  Since the MMND is going to be the trade name that is the best way to go in terms of pages (of course I will be setting up a tab on my blog for the business.)

The last and probably most crucial element to this whole process is that the paperwork for the franchise agreement should be here this week.  I will be signing and sending over the paperwork along with the franchise fee and officially be in business.  I am going to be heading to Mississippi for training with Marathon Makeover sometime in late October, most likely Halloween weekend.  I am beyond ecstatic to get the marketing up and running as the past two weeks waiting has been excruciating.  I understand the point of the FTC not wanting people to sign up for franchises through a hard sell but it has been difficult just waiting on those two weeks to pass, especially when you have so many ideas and thoughts and you are ready to get the process started.

Everywhere I turn I see motivation and inspiration in getting the business off the ground and getting athletes signed up.  For example, Karen and I ran 14 miles on Sunday morning out at White Rock Lake.  It was a gorgeous morning and while we were running in complete darkness to start out, once the sun rose there were quite a few runners out there.  Not everybody is a Boston qualifier, so it is inspiring to see people of all shapes, sizes and ages out there running to get healthy.  I was moved when I saw the elderly gentleman who was just shuffling his feet but still moving forward.  The young girl who was obese but was out on her bike getting in some exercise.  The couples that looked so happy as they were running together.  The young 'kids' who were just outside and not inside on an XBOX 360.  I found motivation in each and every one of the people out there and I can't wait to bring that motivation and inspiration to the athletes who sign up for Marathon Makeover.

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Let's discuss this 14 miler on Sunday from a training perspective.  The run was to be an EZ run.  When Coach C says that the run is to EZ I go with a HR of less then 150.

This weekend the temps in the morning were a little, and I mean a little, colder then what he had been experiencing.  It was probably around 78 degrees as we headed out but being right off the lake there was a little bit of a breeze in the air.

We got about 20 steps into the run and I could feel my stomach get upset and I knew I had to go to the bathroom.  Unfortunately at White Rock Lake you are only getting porto-johns.  Those are not the cleanest in the world, obviously.  Karen encouraged me to keep going and that there were cleaner ones up ahead and then she said 1-2 miles up.  I thought to myself there is no way I get that far.  Well, I had no choice and kept going until I got there.  Once I used the restroom I started running to catch up to Karen and I had a great pace going.  I couldn't believe how fast I was moving and not feeling winded what so ever.

The next few miles we ran together and at a great pace.  Karen was doing such a great job.  I couldn't believe how well she was moving and how fast she was going.  Eventually we parted ways and I kept on going until I got to the turn around point and headed back.  I was going at a great pace and I kept seeing my HR in the 140s.  I thought this couldn't be true.

Karen and I parted because I had 5 sets of 3 minute tempo running and that is when my HR spiked but even then it did not exceed 167.  After the tempo runs my HR stayed more elevated then prior to the runs, but in the end my average HR was 140.  I wound up doing the 14 miles in 2 hours and 12 minutes or an average pace of 9:27.  I can't believe how well that run went.  To maintain such a pace with such a low HR in incredible.  I now know that I can go even faster without elevating my HR to much and be able to be around 2 hours if not under in the 13.1 miles of the 70.3 Oceanside Race.

Run The Jailbreak 2010

Today we Rank The Jailbreak and it was a lot of fun.

The Jailbreak is an obstacle course run that covers 3.8 miles with 14 obstacles.  The claim to fame is the mud and getting muddy is the point of the run.

We were in the first wave of runners at 9am.  When you start out going downhill and then up and over various boards and up and down hills.  After that you enter a muddy section where your feet sink into the mud and it is difficult to pull them out.

You keep on running and eventually end up at a creek where the water is waste high.  You brave through that and you continue on running.  The overall belief is that the obstacles were too far apart and you spent a major portion of the race running.

After the creek you go through a maze which eventually leads to bails of hay that you climb over.  Keep on trucking at this point and you wind up at a water slide.  This slide takes you back down into the creek which is shallower then the previous water entry.

After you run/walk/swim/crawl through the creek you wind up at tire mountain.  Pick a line and climb up the tires and try not to fall backwards.

You are not done with tires at this point because after 1/4 mile you end up having to do tire drills.  Once you run for a bit more you end up at the deepest and mudiest part of the course.  It was so deep that the guy in front of me kept getting his feet stuck.  You end up trudging through 3 differnt locations of mud prior to getting to the last obstacle.

The last obstacle is an army crawl under barbed wire.  Once you get through that it is a short run to the finish line.

Here is the Course Map

Overall I had a lot of fun and enjoyed running with Karen and Barabara.  I truly enjoyed eating afterwards as we went to Twisted Root for delicious hamburgers.  Now it is nap time before Clemson battles Auburn.

Tomorrow will be another early wake up call as Karen and I have to each put in 14 miles.  We plan on doing it around White Rock and be home in time for NFL Football.
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Honu Way To Live is alive.  The company is officially formed and I have two people working on logos.  I should have them very soon.

I spoke to Marathon Makeover yesterday and I will be getting the paperwork this upcoming week to get the franchise off the ground.  We discussed the territory that I would have exclusively and we are looking at The Colony and points south for me.  I am happy with this territory because I don't think that anybody north of The Colony is going to to drive to the locales I have selected for runs.

I will not only be known as Honu Way To Live, but also Marathon Makeover North Dallas.  I can then take checks two ways and that is an additional avenue to process money.  In addition to that the Marathon Makeover site will have a way to choose to pay via PayPal or to pay via check.

I can't wait to get the marketing program going and also to being to talk to people about doing some guest speaking for the atheletes.

Hopefully this week I will get the approval on the business credit cardes and truly begin to launch Honu Way To Live, LLC.

New Page Added to Baha703Ironman.com

I have added a new tab (page) to my blog and this one concerns recipes.  I plan on updating this page on a weekly basis on Thursday mornings.  I will be removing the week's previous recipe so if you want to get that recipe because you missed it please send an email to honuwaytolive@gmail.com with the subject of recipe and you will receive the recipe in your inbox as soon as I can get to it.

I will be leaving the dish name on the page for 13 weeks (quarterly - to match the seasons) so you can always ask for the recipe you missed going 13 weeks back.

These recipes will be healthy and nutritious but tasteful as well.  I will let you know if I tried them out before posting them by providing my opinion at the bottom of the recipe.  I may post the recipe prior to trying it so be sure to check back often for my opinion and also please leave comments on the recipes if you decide to go ahead and try to make them yourself.

Here is a link to the newest page on baha703ironman.com ---  Recipes

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Training for this week has been going great as it has been almost all pool work.  As a readed of my blog you know that swimming was the one thing that I dreaded most but it was mostly out of the fact that I wasn't training properly.  With Coach C on board I have changed my attitude toward the swim and now love it.  It has become like any other challenge in my life.....stare it down and beat it and turn it into a strength.

So this week I swam on Monday and Wednesday and have another swim session today that I can't wait to get to.

Monday consisted of Long Swim and Short Swim at T-Pace.  The set was a warm-up then 4x300 at T-Pace with a :30 RI followed by a 50y kick and then a 4x150 at T-Pace with :30 RI.  This was tough as getting in 1200 yards with no rest followed by kicking and then 600 yards with no rest is not the easiest thing for me to do but I completed the set and felt great afterwards.

Wednesday was a whole new session and I loved it.  The session was a series of fast 100s.  I was scheduled to do 3 sets of 5x100 with 50 kick with a :30 RI in between all of the reps.  My first set was very fast as I was 3:30.42 to 3:46.04 with each 50 kick coming out to about 2:00 so each 100 was 1:30 to 1:46 on average.  The second set was slower at 3:42.65 to 3:48.55.  Not terrible but slower.  The third set started out very slowe but got much faster as I went on.  Times ranged from 3:40.38 to 3:52.60 with the slowest time being the first rep. 

I was then to swim my fastest 100 and I swam it at 1:43.42.  It wasn't my fastest as I know I did one 100y rep in 1:40 and probably faster in that first set.

After that I was to cool down with a 300 and wound up swimming that in 6:27.32 which is pretty good for a cool down and after having swam so much.

Today's set is a much different set then ever before as well.  Lots of 300s using the aids (pull bouy, paddles, fins) at a moderate pace.  I am excited for it and can't wait to head to the pool later today.
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Personal information:
Karen got a job this week and we are very excited about it.  This is certainly a stress relief for us.  I am so happy for her and so proud of her for handling her unemployement graciously.

The company is alive.  The name is Honu Way To Live, LLC.   The Honu is another term for turtle and I became enamored with them when I was in Hawaii a few years ago.  I am ready to launch my marketing objectives and start signing up athletes but the company does have cash in it.  I deposited some money into the accounts and thus we are up and running.

In addition to Honu Way To Live, LLC I have become an AdvoCare distributor.  This is a product that has great synergy with my company.  The products I am selling are helpful for nutrition and fitness with shakes and vitamins, etc.  You can place an order here:     AdvoCare

Endurance Corner Quinoa Lasagna

Here is a recipe for a lasagna that is healthy for you in that there are no pasta noodles and the cheese is partially cottage.

Quinoa Lasagna Recipe

I will be making an attempt at this lasagna this week.

Come back for how well this turned out.

The recipe is from Vince Matteo.

Never Forget

Today is a day that we shall never forget.  On this day 9 years ago I was at a vet's office with my cat when I got a phone call to watch the tv.  I immediately turned to the tv on in the vet's office and there was the first plane crashing into the tower.  In total shock and horror I couldn't believe what I had just seen.

I immediately tried to call my office and friends who were in NYC at the time.  All the phone calls received nothing but busy signals.  I got my cat and headed home.  I turned on the TV at home and there was another plane going into the second tower and in all the confusion I thought I was watching a replay.  It wasn't until the newscaster repeated that it was not a replay and an actual live event of a second plane.

It took me sometime to process this event and to this day I have a hard time seeing planes so close.  Living near the DFW Airport I see planes all the time and actually see landing gear and wonder every now and again what is going to happen to the plane.  I have not gotten over this life changing event and I know that I will NEVER FORGET where I was nor will I ever forget the scenes that undolded right before my eyes.

Karen and I have a friend (MCG) that serves in the Navy and I want to thank her for her service.  I want to thank all those that have served, are serving and will serve this great nation that we live in.  If it weren't for them I could not even have this blog or any of the things that I have in my life.

While on my ride this afternoon I kept thinking of riding through Camp Pendleton and the motivation that I will get from those soldiers.  The inspiration that the soldiers will be providing without even knowing that they are providing it will lift me and my speed on the bike.

My ride today was 2 hours and 30 minutes and I went 46.14 miles which equates to an average speed of 18.5 mph.  My HR was never higher then 166 and it averaged approximately 153.  I was thrilled with my speed and my HR on this ride.  I felt strong and felt like I could ride all day.  Even the hills didn't faze me as much as I thought they would.  My goal on the ride was to never fall below 13.5 mph on the hills and in doing so I managed to add 1.3 mph to my ride compared to my 3 hour ride.

Coach C (Claudia Spooner).....in the XTERRA newsletter

RUNNER'S SPOTLIGHT: CLAUDIA SPOONER

Claudia Spooner doesn’t believe in excuses.

It is why she is able to train three times a day. It is why she isn’t afraid to keep pace with the elite men in every trail run she enters. It is why – at age 40, with two young children and a surgically-repaired knee – she is the best female trail runner in Texas.

She proved that again on Aug. 21 when she was the first overall female finisher at the XTERRA Austin Trail Run.

That race was the third event in the XTERRA Texas Trail Run Series in 2010, and Spooner was the top overall female at all three of the races. Perhaps more impressive, she finished among the top 10 overall at each race, including a second-place finish at the XTERRA Waco Trail Run in May.

“Waco was an absolute thrill for me,” she said. “When I saw that finisher’s ribbon, I felt like crying. I was so super-excited. It’s a feeling no one could ever take away … to be second overall, even against the men, was huge to me and completely unexpected.”

But a look at her daily schedule helps explain things. Spooner is the founder and head trainer of the “I Run I Tri” program based in Austin, Texas. In a nutshell, she trains endurance athletes of all levels.

“I’m real hands-on, I like to know what my clients are doing every minute of the day,” Spooner said.

As a result, Spooner is not afraid to train several times a day – early in the morning for her own race preparation, then later in the day with her clients. A typical week might include 8,000 meters of swimming, 200 miles of biking, and 60 miles of running.

Spooner started as a road marathon runner, and then took up triathlons 11 years ago after knee surgery caused her to take a break from running and try swimming and biking.

Most recently, XTERRA trail runs have become her favorite type of racing. “Trail runs are flat out fun,” she said. “Road racing can be sometimes very monotonous … with trails, you have up and down, side to side; your core and upper body has to be strong. You have to have nimble feet and be able to recover from big uphills on your downhills.”

Because many XTERRA events feature a trail run on a Saturday, then an off-road triathlon on Sunday, Spooner will often do the trail run, then give tips to her triathlon clients on what to expect on the trail.

“I usually have four or five athletes who do the triathlon, so I’m out there for them as well,” she said. “I’ll tell them where the tough parts of the course are … that is, if I can remember myself. Some of those courses are really tough.”

What’s more, Spooner does it all while also playing mother to her son Cameron, who is 6, and daughter Morgan, 4. Not surprisingly, she never used motherhood as an excuse to stop training.

“If you could see my jogging stroller, you would know I have gotten my money’s worth,” she said. “I have had the wheels rebuilt twice.”

Her husband, Rob, also happens to be one of her clients, even though he started doing triathlons before she did, and is responsible for getting her to take up swimming and biking while recovering from her knee injuries.

Claudia and Rob will both compete at the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship at Bend, Ore., on Sept. 18, and Claudia is considered a legitimate contender for the overall women’s title.

Spooner still competes in triathlons and road races, and would like to see trail runs become more popular, especially in her gender and age group. After all, she is proof that on an uneven trail, a 40-year-old mother can compete evenly with anybody.

“I think women get intimidated,” she said. “It looks too hard, but they don’t realize you don’t run the same way on trails as you do on the roads. Your body gets stronger all over when you are running trails.”

For information on Spooner’s training program, visit http://www.irunitri.com/.

Check out the XTERRA Waco Trail Run Video on Facebook

New Business has been filed !!!!! Yeah !!!!!

I just received word that the paperwork that was filed with the State of Texas has been approved and the final documents are being FedEx'd to be now so that Honu Way To Live, LLC is born.

I am so excited that this venture is on the way up.  Having added AdvoCare to my list of things that can be packaged with Honu Way To Live, LLC is a great way to start.

I received an email from Marathon Makeover this week asking if everything was OK and if I had any questions and my response was just that I am excited.  I am very ready to begin this new adventure and one that I expect to be not just fruitful for me financially but to be truly fruitful personally.  I am ready to give back to the sport of running foreverything that it has given me.

And to top off all of that news a friend of mine has drawn up a great logo for Honu Way To Live, LLC and I should be able to display that in the next week or two.  Lots of excitement around the Bahamundi household these days.

Karen was just offered a job and on top of that we have 2 showings in the first day that the house was listed.  Things are starting to come together and I truly believe that we will be back on our feet in no time.

I spent a majority of my morning updating my resume and that can be seen in my previous post.

Jason Bahamundi - Resume

JASON BAHAMUNDI, MBA 

1205 Holy Grail Drive • Lewisville, Texas 75056 • 214.356.6656 • jasonbahamundi@gmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT - MARKETING 

Driven, results-oriented Marketing Professional with 14 years of proven ability to develop and execute successful and mutually profitable marketing campaigns to meet client needs while adhering to strict budget constraints. Outstanding leadership and organizational abilities, with a demonstrated record of success managing competing priorities within a deadline-sensitive environment.

CORE COMPETENCIES 

• Strategic Market Planning     • Competitive Analysis
• Campaign Management        • Television Buying/Planning
• Lead Generation                   • Online Marketing

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

ITN NETWORKS, New York, NY     1997 - 2000; 2001 – 2006; 2007 – 2010
ITN Networks is a national media sales company that specializes in providing customizable national networks across television and broadband platforms.

Vice President Planning – News Division (2007-2010)
Accomplishments

• Achieved 50% increase revenue in three years. 
• Improved profit of division by 10% from 2007 to 2010.
• Championed product development to increase efficiency of buying and planning departments.
• Trained and coached 10 direct reports to build their daypart revenues within the division.

Media Planning Supervisor (2002 - 2006)
Refined and executed the marketing strategy of the entertainment division. Facilitated meetings between departments, campaign management, P&L responsibility, as well as managed 6 direct reports. Recommended strategies to Senior level management; initiated and managed programs and processes; evaluated and reported results. Developed and supported an entertainment network with revenues of $100MM.

Senior Media Planner (1999 - 2000; 2001 - 2002)
Created and executed broadcast television plans for Fortune 500 companies across multiple dayparts. Established and accomplished marketing objectives of clients by researching opportunities and problems. Trained Client Services Associates and Junior Planners in the creation and optimization of media plans.

Senior Station Sales Negotiator (1997 - 1999)
Negotiated and purchased local television commercial airtime. Managed schedules through vendor relationships across three Top 20 television markets. Increased billing an average of 15% compared to decreases in same markets by previous buyer.

Director of Media and Client Services     2006 - 2007
INNOVATION ADS, New York, NY
Innovation Ads is an online marketing agency specializing in lead generation in the education space.

Wholly responsible for operations of division with focus on budgeting, forecasting and P&L responsibility. Provided strategic and tactical action programs governing company buying and planning initiatives. Increased profit an average of 5% in one year.

Media Planner     2000 – 2001
ORB INC., New York, NY
Orb Inc is an online marketing agency specializing in branding.

Developed and directed marketing activities online and off. Managed client relationships and vendor negotiations with complete accountability for brand strategy and execution. Increased company revenue by $15MM.

International Media Buyer     1996 – 1997
ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL, Pearl River, NY

Active International is a corporate trading company acquiring underperforming assets to help fund normal business activities of its clients.

Purchased television and radio commercial airtime in Canada and Mexico. Improved profit margins of department by increasing trade billing.

EDUCATION 

IONA COLLEGE, New Rochelle, NY
Master of Business Administration in Finance, 2004
     Recipient, John G. Hagan Award

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO, Oswego, NY
Bachelor of Science in Marketing, 1995

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Denton County Fresh Water Supply District 1B Board Member     2010-Present
Founder of Castle Hills Running Club     2008-Present
Team Member Athletes Honey Milk     September 2010-Present

Team Jamba Juice Member     April 2010-September 2010

Hard Work Pays Off Multiple Times

IIt takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to make it in this life and that holds true for everything you do.  Whether you are starting your own business, working in a corporation or training for a triathlon the results you get are from the hours and days of hard work that you put in.
Today I began to see the fruits of my hard work in the pool.  This week is a time trial week for me where I am going all out to push myself to the next level.  This morning had me scheduled for a 1,000 yard swim time trial.  My goal was really to make sure that I could complete the 1,000 yards because I had not done that previously.  That goal may have stuck with me for too long during my swim because I finished at 20:57.35.  That time puts me at 2:05/100 yards.  Not horrible considering it was 1,000 yards but :15/100yards slower then the time I just put up in the Old College Tri.

I asked Coach C if I could do the time trial again on Friday as I know I can go faster.  I didn't feel like I really pushed myself until the last 250 yards.  I felt strong and felt like I could swim for a longer time then the 1,000 yards which is great for my confidence heading into the Toyota US Open Olympic Distance Triathlon where I will have to swim 1,500 meters.

Coach gave me the greenlight to do the swim again on Friday even though it is an off day.  I am going into Friday with the mind set that I don't care if I am too tired to finish the 1,000 yards I am leaving it all in the pool.  I want to get back down to that 1:50/100 yard time as I had in the 250 yard race.  In order to get to 1:50/100 yards I have to complete the 1,000 yards in 18:25.  That is a 2 minute and 30 second decrease but over the course of 20 laps we are talking about :15/lap.  Not unrealistic and a challenge that I am looking forward to.

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Changes to my blog have been occuring with regularity lately.  I am trying to get the blog to look more professional and to attract more people to it so that they can read how and everyday person can work and train and live a life while still accomplishing the feat of becoming an Ironman.  One Dream, One Goal, Hard Work is my new motto for this Ironman.

Here are the new tabs at the top of the page:
Race Results - 2010
Videos
Photos
Resources
Interviews - this is coming soon as I send out interviews to Ironman finishers.

In addition to these tabs keep coming back as you will see the launch of my new business which is going to turn couch potatoes into marathon and half-marathon finishers.

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More changes involve Karen and I becoming AdvoCare distributors.

AdvoCare is a premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products along with a rewarding business opportunity.

This business will coincide extremely well with new company as the athletes that I am training will now have the ability and access to products that will help their sports performance.

I am excited about this venture as well as my new company, which by the way is being called Honu Way To Live.  Honu will have a facebook page, a tab on the 70.3 California Blog, and other resources for you to access.

You may be asking yourself what does that name mean.  Well Honu is another word for turtle.  I fell in love with the honu while in Hawaii about 3 years ago and have been fascinated by them.  They carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, are considered to be good luck and for me it is about efficiency and not speed.

Getting things done right the first time will be much faster then having to continually repeat the feat and wasting time and money.

A lot of exciting changes going on right now and I can't wait to let the world know about them.

ONE DREAM, ONE GOAL, HARD WORK

Old College Tri 2010 - Recap

The Old College Tri 2010 was an extremely succesful race for me.  I finished in 9th place in my age group out of 31 Men 35-39 racers.  Overall I was 53rd out of 369 athletes.

Getting a Top 10 in such a fast race is a terrific accomplishment and one that I am very proud of.

My splits were incredible on this day as I set records in all three disciplines.

My swim went very well although I did get caught in two bottle necks.  My overall time was 4:36 for a 250 yard pool swim.  The split per 100 yards was 1:50.  Having gotten caught up in those two bottle necks was both harmful to my race but helpful in that these types of clogs will happen during the open water swim.

The bike was incredible even though it was short.  The ride was a total of 12 miles, but my speed is what I was concerning myself with and that was 19.7 mph.  That is 0.5 mph faster then any previous race I have done.  There were some hills but for the majority of the ride it was flat for the most part.  There were times when I felt that I was letting myself slow down but during the downhills I was going well over 22+ mph.

The run was a 3 loop 1-mile course but there were no hills whatsoever and it was fast.  I ran the 3 miles in a time of 21:37.9 which turns out to be a 7:12/mile pace.  That pace would have set a 5K race record for me.

I ran with a guy names Jeremy who I met on the course and he pushed me because I was not going to let him beat me.  Once we rounded the corner of the final lap and had about 0.5 miles to go I turned it on and picked up the pace.  He then started to pace me but we hit a driveway which was a hill and I sprinted up that hill and beat him.

Follow this link to the race results:
Old College Tri 2010 Race Results

or go to the Race Results tab on my page here:
Race Results - 2010

They will also be on the results tab of my blog.

Kudos to my wife for getting up at 4:30am to accompany Robert and I to the race.  It was such great inspiration to have there with me and really pushed me to do well as I wanted to produce great results for her.

Inspiration in all Forms

I had a swim training session along with a run today.  A not normal swim-run brick.  Not normal because you don't transition from the swim to the run but instead get on the bike after the swim.  With that in mind I knew that switching up the sequence would make for an interesting training session today.

The swim was more different then anything I had ever done.  The warm-up was 3x300 done with 150 free then 150 catch-up, 150 buoy, 150 3-breathe strokes.  Doing a straight 300 can get boring but mixing in the additional drills made it fun.

The 3-breathe stroke swimming was probably the most difficult and I didn't get through all the 300 by doing it, but was able to get to 75 yards straight.  The issue is that I don't relax because I am thinking about getting that next breathe and thus my chest becomes constricted.

After the warm-up I was to do 2 sets of ladders starting at 25 yards and increasing by 25 until 125 and then go back down.  During this portion of the swim I continued to do the 3-stroke breathing and I was able to get to 100 yard before I felt the constriction.  I am thrilled with the fact that I was able to go that far and hopefully I will continue to focus on that and perfect my craft.

Once done with the ladders it was onto 200 buoy and 100 kick.  During my session I met another triathlete in the lane next to me.  Very nice guy (should have gotten his name) who has competed in a few 70.3 Ironman races.  He is racing Longhorn this year and he was a very good swimmer and he gave me inspiration to keep pushing myself.

There were a couple of times when I wound up drafting off of him and you can truly tell the difference then when you are on your own.  At the same time as I met this gentleman another swimmer came into the pool and she was serious.  She had all the paraphenalia.  She shared a lane with me and I would watch her during my breaks and seeing how effortless it was for her gave me some inspiration as well.  Again, at certain times I was able to draft off of her and could see how easy the swim become because of the drafting.

After the swim it was onto a 30 minute run at a 2% incline.  The run started out at a 5.5 and moved up to 7.0.  I did the increases in 5 minute intervals.  I wound up running 3 miles in the 30 minutes.  My inspiration on the run came from the girl next to me.  I saw that she had her speed at 6.4 and I was determined to exceed that even though I had the incline on.  I also thought about the race this weekend and how I wanted to make sure that I pushed myself because during the race I would be pushing myself hard.

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So I found out from LegalZoom that the first three names I chose for my business were not usable so I had to change them out for another set.  I am going with Get Healthy Dallas, LLC as my first choice.  Let's hope that sticks and I can begin the process for getting this under way.

I signed my franchise disclosure forms and faxed them in so I now have a 14 day 'cooling off' period to think about the business and whether or not I want to go forward.  I don't see me turning back now.  I am excited about the prospects and can't wait to start making phone calls for ad space concerning MY company.

On a side note, I found out that an old high school classmate of Karen's submitted a questionnaire to marathong makeover as well.  In speaking with MM it was determined that it was too close of a territory but maybe there were other ways to set up the business.  Some sort of satellite scenario is possible.  I am thinking contractor.  I have spoken with him a few times and he is bright and motivated and that can only help me in the long run.  Let's see how this turns out but I am excited about the prospects.  I have so many thoughts and ideas running through my head for sponsorships and companies and how to get them involved.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the newest endeavor and who knows that it might lead to.