A patient wife...

If there is one thing that is required beyond all else when training to become an elite Ironman competitor...more than desire, work ethic, pain tolerance, etc...is the love and support of your family and friends. In particular, your partner in life. I'm lucky enough to have the best little lady around! We were recently watching Modern Family and there was this part where the older father is yelling at his wife and son as they are late to a birthday party, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!!!" I was instantly told that this was me! It's true, I'm always in a hurry. Seriously, always. You might think I'm impatient, but you would be wrong - in my opinion :)

Here is the deal. I have a lot to balance. We all do, I know. But for me, I wake up every morning with a fair amount of work and training staring me in the face...on top of domestic responsibilities. You should watch me post work, pre dinner. I'm a machine when it comes to my training routine and dinner prep. But in all honesty, if I'm not then a minute here or there turns into 15-30 and all of a sudden I have even less time to spend simply sitting and talking/hanging out with my wife and or friends. Also, you can say I have a "hungry monster" so we are always avoiding blood sugar crashes around the Yates' house. Let's just say Meg makes me travel with snacks!

So, in conclusion...I might be slightly impatient, but I feel like I'm extremely organized :) Right, wrong, or other, I have the most supportive wife in the world who loves me for who I am. When I'm out there training late at night or early on a weekend and want to cut a workout short or simply skip one altogether, I think of this woman and her dedication to my pursuit to chase my dreams. I hope you are all happy and healthy. I would also like to congratulate Trevor D on becoming an Ironman at Arizona the other week! I have yet to meet you in person bud, but it's been fun following you along on your journey. Congratulations on a great race, you should be proud.

-T

In Oregon, you can cut your own tree down!! $5 and a fun filled day :)

Race Schedule

Well, I've spent a lot of time trying to nail down a schedule for this upcoming year. For me, it's a little easier than years past as I know what my key race will be, IMCDA in June. I will try and get in 2 triathlons prior to Coure D' Alene. I'm looking at a half Ironman in April down in California and hopefully an Olympic race 3-5 weeks out from CDA. Beyond that, I hope to get in some 5 and 10k races during the late winter, early spring and mix in some road racing (bike) potentially. After saying this though, my schedule will be determined with the help of my coach. I have committed to putting everything I have into the next 7 months and this includes utilizing the experience and guidance of my coach.

Speaking of my coach, it is wonderful to have someone else preparing my workouts for me! I didn't realize over the past few years how much time and energy I was spending trying to put together workouts and yearly schedules myself. Furthermore, it helps me stay focused on putting 100% into each workout because I don't want to waste anything, including the commitment I have made to my plan, my health, and my coach. 3 weeks with Muddy at the helm and I can already say that I feel like a different athlete. Sure, I'm in better shape than years past at this time, but something is different. My workouts are sharper, my mental state is more focused, and overall I just feel more confident leading into the new year. This is a great place to be in. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Holidays approaching!

One concept that I hear from time to time is, "must be nice to eat whatever you want and stay (insert your fit/skinny/slender, etc adjective here)." Truth is, you are what you eat. And furthermore, your body is an engine...if it was a race car would you fill it with regular unleaded? Of course you wouldn't. Heck, same logic goes for a nice sedan. So yes, I can eat whatever and would probably maintain a certain waistline, up to an extent. But my goals in triathlon goes beyond a waistline or appearance, I want to perform. So I watch what I eat, consistently. To give you some perspective...

I stay away from processed foods whenever possible, natural and organic. I don't drink cola, except during races. I will drink diet cola, but try to limit this when possible. Sweets, after the calendar turns the page to a new year, you will probably not see me order a desert at a restaurant. I do eat low fat ice cream at home as a treat though. I try and eat lean cuts of meat whenever possible and stay away from chicken thighs, fatty cuts of steak, etc. Pizza is a weakness of mine so I allow myself to have it every so often, but ask for half the cheese. And as far as cheese, I don't eat it unless it's on pizza. Out to breakfast, I'm that dude, the one ordering egg whites. Vegetables and fruits all day long. Alcohol, like a lot of other people, I enjoy our local wines and micros. Post January 1, I limit my intake. If I'm going to have more than a beer or glass of wine, it's a weekend and I'm slamming water before bed to try and rehydrate before my workout in the morning. And finally, water, sleep and vitamins. Repeat daily.

So, at the end of the day, I try and fuel my body with proper fuel that will help my engine preform to a level that it's capable of. I don't eat whatever I want, but I also don't feel guilty if I have a steak from time to time (great iron content!) for instance. With the holidays approaching, I make a concerted effort to balance my diet and yet still enjoy a few escapes from the daily diet. Thanks for taking the time to read!

-T

Time to blog

Well, I haven't posted in a while. Why? Well, things have been pretty dull around the Yates' house. Actually, not really, but...in terms of training they have. And it is in training, and racing, that I get my inspiration for writing. So what's new? Actually, a lot. I celebrated a birthday the other day. Yes, I am older. And getting older by the minute. This kind of sucks when I relate it to triathlon as I'm in the second most competitive age group for Ironman racing right now. The most competitive is the next one! Oh well, if I didn't like competing than why do this right?

Other news. I have a coach. I am no longer coaching myself with the assistance of my father. I am professionally coached. I interviewed a few coaches and talked with a few athletes before reaching my decision. Ultimately, I ended up going with http://www.coachmuddy.com/. I had read about Muddy prior to hearing about him through a friend and fellow athlete so I was already aware of his reputation, but I must saw it was my friend Erich that really helped me pick up the phone and call Muddy. Erich is a phenomenal athlete that has had great success under Muddy and had nothing but great things to say about him and his programs. After talking with Muddy for nearly an hour over the phone the other night, I knew he was my guy. He cares about his people. He understands the sport. And he is incredibly passionate about the sport and his people. I am in my second week of "Muddy training" and can assure you that I am ecstatic with my decision. If you are thinking of a triathlon coach, please consider this individual. All levels.

Second announcement: I will be racing with a new team this year. Since moving to Wilsonville (South Portland, OR) a few months ago, I realized I was going to have a difficult time continuing to rely on Life Cycle in Eugene for my bike and triathlon needs. Furthermore, I wanted to be apart of a team. Here I am trying to make a run at Kona, I want to be surrounded by people with the same ambition. Enter the Ironheads. I'm happy to say I was accepted to become a member of their racing team the other day! If you live in the Portland area and have never heard of them, check them out!! http://www.ironheadsmultisport.com/ These guys are legit. They sent 9 members of their team to Kona this past year, the most in the NW I believe. I am extremely exited to be racing under the Ironhead logo this upcoming year!! It will be great to be able to train and race with the some of the most elite age group athletes in our region on a consistent basis.

Beyond that, everything else is pretty much the same. Muddy has me doing weights so my legs are tired! I was counting laps in the pool this morning while following the black line and again asked myself, "Why?" Why the hell do I do this? I spend all this time, energy, and money to suffer. Months and years of my life for one day. Maybe two, in one year, where I peak. I put all my energy into one or two races each year. Why? Because there is no greater feeling than to have committed 100% to something and seen your commitment through to the end. I have another year or two of Ironman racing before family comes first. I absolutely love the challenge and despite the fact IMCDA is over 7 months away...I was thinking about the marathon today. Bring it on.

-T