I’m a little behind on race reports, so I’m going to knock out four posts in the next four weeks. This first one is depressing.

Washington Island Ultra Relay: July 26th, 2019

This race takes place on Washington Island, the first island off the ‘thumb’ of Wisconsin. The course is made up of a 0.25 mile swim in Lake Michigan, 10 mile bike course around the island, and a 2 mile out and back run from the campsite. Teams or individuals do as many loops of each ‘sport’ in either 8, 12, 24, or 36 hour competitions. It’s a really relaxed vibe, with racers camping out at the transition area.

I did this race last year, completing 208 miles between swimming, cycling, and running, in 24 hours. I thought I could eclipse that total this year by minimizing down time and consuming more calories. Unfortunately, that’s not how things played out.

In the end, I swam 2.5 miles, biked 110 miles, and ran 18 miles, calling it quits about 13 hours into the event. I wasn’t hurt, and certainly could have kept moving, I just didn’t want to be miserable any longer and knew the harder half of the race was ahead, so I gave up.

It’s easy to look at my training for this event and say I was in no physical shape to endure 24 hours of exercise, but neither was I last year, and persevered for all 24 hours. There are levels to suffering in these dumb little events and I was just scratching the surface.

This race was a sober realization that who I think I am doesn’t line up with the objective results. I was a pretty sorry sack of shit when I quit. I hate quitting. I hate viewing myself as a quitter. So I’ll be back next year for retribution.

This was a depressing post to write, but I figure I’m not painting a complete picture if I don’t complement the achievements with the failures.

(SPOILER ALERT: Don’t worry, the next three race reports turn out better)

Goal #20 on my 31 Before 31 list was to develop a plan for each goal. You may say that’s an obvious step to goal achievement, but it’s a step that was missing in the previous six iterations of my lists. I copied this from a Word document, and don’t want to mess with the HTML to get the numbers to match up correctly for each goal, so every goal from ‘Fitness’ on is misnumbered. This probably only bothers me.

Health

1. Less Than 500 ‘Strikes’ (Junk Food = 1, Healthy Fast Food = 1/2)
   -9 per week
   -Start at 10 per week, subtract 1 serving every 3 weeks down to 5 per week
   -Strikes don’t count during exercise > 1 hour
   -Will need to plan ahead when traveling to avoid excessive strikes.
2. 1500 Servings Vegetables
   -Appx 28 servings/week = apx. 4/day
   -Large Bowl of Salad = 4, Lunch
   -Roasted Cauliflower, broccoli, or kale = 5, Dinner
   -Morning Vegetables?
3. 1000 Servings Fruit
   -One fruit smoothie = 5 (3 blueberries, 1 strawberry, 1 pineapple), lunch or dinner, or both!
   -Use fruit to quell sugar cravings
4. 200 Days Meditation (10 Minutes Minimum)
   -Daily after lunch

Fitness

1. Two Ultra-Endurance Events
   -Washington Island Ultra 7/26/19
   -Barkley Fall Classic 9/21/19
2. Qualify For Ironman World Championships (70.3 or 140.6)
   -Potential Target Races (IM Texas 4/25/20, IM Tulsa 5/31/20, 70.3  Texas 4/5/20, 70.3 Des Moines 6/21/20)
   -Goal performance benchmarks: Swim: 500 Yards @ 6:00, Bike: 20 Min @ 400 W, Run: 5k @ 17:00
   -Swim: Build up to 4x / week. Video tape some sessions to analyze form
   -Bike: 200 miles / week. 2×20 @ FTP once per week. FTP test once per month
   -Run: 40 miles / week. Track workouts combined with running group. Monthly 5K test (https://www.parkrun.us/jamaicapond/)
   -Diet: See goals 1-3
   -Sleep: 9+ hour per night, sleepmask, ear plugs, limit caffeine before bed.
   -Weightlifting: 2x per week. Focus on legs, core.
3. Wabash Trace Fastest Know Time
   -Post marathon (9/8/19) and post Barkley (9/21/19) should be in great running shape.
   -October 27^tH? Will be in Omaha for wedding. Maybe earlier in October?
   -Need to find support crew
4. Qualify For Boston Marathon
   -Cascade Express Marathon 9/8/19, low chance of qualifying
   -Find another (fast/flat/cool) marathon for January
   -Build up to 60 mile run weeks, 3 weeks build, 1 easy, repeat.
5. 1,000 Hours of Exercise
   -20 Hours Per Week (will need to build up to)
   -Weekly Goal: Swim 10k yards, Bike 200 miles, Run 40 miles
   -Weighted 1 mile rucks every morning with dog.
6. Sub 6 Minute Beer Mile
   -Need to be able to run a 5 minute mile, which should be achievable with IM training.
   -Practice chugging, water and non-alcoholic beer. Goal < 10 seconds per beer
   –https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/conquering-the-beer-mile-a-training-plan-20141111/

Lethal Engineering / Lethal Tri

1. Join Artisan’s Asylum and Go 10 Times
   -Already joined different, closer Makerspace (Boston Makers)
   -This goal shouldn’t be too difficult, based on proximity
2. 10 Lethal Engineering Videos
   -One per month, 5 hours / week
   -Ship 3D printer to Boston
   -5 Videos R2/D2, 3D Printed Nerf Gun, Drawing Robot, Boring Company Flamethrower, Cardboard Stormtrooper Bust, 3D Printed Rocket
3. 10 Lethal Tri Videos (about my goals)
   -One per month, 2 hours / week
   -Film goal progress, write blog post, blog post can be script for video
4. 25 Blog Posts
   -One post every two weeks, alternate with Lethal Engineering / Lethal Tri video

Business/Productivity

1. $1M Revenue
   -TOP SECRET
   -Not really, but I’m embarrassed to share what I consider million business dollar ideas.
2. Setup SIMPLE IRA For Business
   -Pursue after obtaining direct contract
   –https://investor.vanguard.com/small-business-retirement-plans/simple-ira
3. 10 Hours Productive Time for 200 Days
   -10 hours is easy to get assuming no News/YouTube/Social Media, and limited social engagements
4. 100 Days No News/Social Media/YouTube/Netflix
   -Delete apps and block social media / news sites
   -Fill ‘anxious’ / bored time with reading or podcasts
   -YouTube allowed for learning, social media for sharing (like, blog posts)
5. 48 Weeks Commitment Contract
   -Submit contract to LIFE COACH on Mondays before midnight
6. Develop A Plan For Each Goal
   -That’s what this is 🙂

Learning

1. Complete Raspberry Pi (using Python) Book
   -1 Hour, 4 days / week starting now.
   -I’ll start with Python Crash Course, then do Raspberry Pi with Python book
2. Mountain Bike 100 Miles
   -Take up in April
   -Read book or attend workshop. Might have to do in WI since that’s where the bike is
3. Complete SCUBA Diving Course
   -Take up in May
   –https://ecdivers.com/class/open-water-scuba-certification-course-new-diver-training/

Adventure

1. See Falcon Heavy Launch
   -Done
2. Go To Two of Four Boston Sports (Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, Celtics)
   -Red Sox, when it gets cooler, Sept 17-19?
   -See Celtics in November
3. See an F1 Race
   -11/1/19-11/3/19 in Austin, TX
   -Buy tickets in September
4. Bike To Walden Pond
   –https://www.strava.com/routes/9388935
   -7/22/19

Other

1. Donate 10% of Income (post tax)
   -Track income weekly
   -Increased income would certainly help! See goal #15
2.  Zucc 1 Mile For 200 Days
   -1 Mile in morning upon waking
   -Use weighted rucksack to count towards exercise totals
3. Hold Breath For 2 Minutes
   -Follow the following protocol in February
   –https://freediveuk.com/how-to-hold-your-breath-for-5-minutes-in-1month-freediving-training/
4. 10 Escape Rooms
   -Whenever visiting friends / family
   -Make friends in Boston and go with them.

This is my seventh year of making one of these goal lists. As in previous years, I’ve chosen goals without any real consideration of how I’ll accomplish them.

Health
1. Less Than 500 ‘Strikes’ (Junk Food = 1, Healthy Fast Food = 1/2)
2. 1500 Servings Vegetables
3. 1000 Servings Fruit
4. 200 Days Meditation (10 Minutes Minimum)

Fitness
5. Two Ultra-Endurance Events
6. Qualify For Ironman World Championships (70.3 or 140.6)
7. Wabash Trace Fastest Know Time
8. Qualify For Boston Marathon
9. 1,000 Hours of Exercise
10. Sub 6 Minute Beer Mile

Lethal Engineering / Lethal Tri
11. Join Artisan’s Asylum and Go 10 Times
12. 10 Lethal Engineering Videos
13. 10 Lethal Tri Videos (about my goals)
14. 25 Blog Posts

Business/Productivity
15. $1M Revenue
16. Setup SIMPLE IRA For Business
17. 10 Hours Productive Time for 200 Days
18. 100 Days No News/Social Media/YouTube/Netflix
19. 48 Weeks Commitment Contract
20. Develop A Plan For Each Goal

Learning
21. Complete Raspberry Pi (using Python) Book
22. Mountain Bike 100 Miles
23. Complete SCUBA Diving Course

Adventure
24. See Falcon Heavy Launch
25. Go To Two of Four Boston Sports (Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, Celtics)
26. See an F1 Race
27. Bike To Walden Pond

Other
28. Donate 10% of Income (post tax)
29. Walk Zucc 1 Mile For 200 Days
30. Hold Breath For 2 Minutes
31. 10 Escape Rooms

My original goal was to run full marathon. However, my training was sporadic and inconsistent as usual. In the 20 weeks leading up to this race, I had six weeks where I ran zero miles and six weeks over 20 miles. In total, it was the most run volume I’d done in a long time, but I dropped down to the half marathon since I didn’t want to risk injury (my longest training run was 13 miles). My goal for the race was to improve upon the 1:50:15 I ran in Sioux Falls Half Marathon in September 2018.

The day before the race, I met up with my friends Barb, Matt, and Matt’s wife Angie (Matt would be running the full and Barb the half). We did the ‘Fairy Tale Cottage’ escape room at Outfox Escape Rooms. This one was unique in that there wasn’t a code to get out at the end, rather twelve fairy tale items you had to accumulate. This was Angie’s first escape room, and, despite being several months pregnant, she carried the team, finding the most items.

The race day temperature was a perfect 38 degrees. The course consisted of a couple of rolling hills and 550′ of elevation gain per my watch. I had no idea what sort of speed was maintainable given my training, so I started around 8:00 min/mile pace and tried to hold on. Matt was running the full, and the night before we had tried to calculate if he would pass me after the courses merged, given his faster pace and earlier start time. Turns out we met up almost exactly where the two courses merged, Matt 30 yards ahead of me. I tried to catch up with him, but a 7:00 pace is really hauling when you’re struggling to maintain an 8:00 pace.

The second half of the race was painful, but I managed to run an almost perfectly split race, crossing the line in 1:42:29. That’s a 7:49 min/mile pace, and almost 8 minutes faster than my previous half marathon

In the 10 weeks leading up to the race, I counted only a single mile that I ran faster than 7:49 pace, so apparently running slow does allow you to run fast.  This was my second fastest half marathon ever (not that I’ve ever run a fast half marathon). It’s always encouraging to see that when I run a little consistently, I can put up a decent time. Next race will be the Washington Island Ultra, a race I did last year and hope to improve upon.

I accomplished this goal back in August, but didn’t write about it because I sort of side stepped the purpose of it. I joined the Milwaukee Makerspace, got trained on multiple pieces of equipment, and then never went back. I had imagined that I would meet people with similar interests and build cool projects utilizing equipment that I couldn’t afford. Why did I stop going? There aren’t any good reasons but I do have two excuses. The Milwaukee Makerspace is located 20 minutes from my house and I already have most of the tools I need in my current workshop, making it inconvenient to travel to when I could work on most projects at home. Again, those are just excuses.

This is a pretty lame goal post, so let me update you on an exciting development…

We’re moving to Boston! Alexis will be doing a two year research fellowship with the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change through Harvard Medical School. It’s the same organization she worked with when she spent a year in Haiti. She’ll also be pursuing a Master’s in Public Health through Harvard Medical School. In order to get this all funded, she agreed to come back to Milwaukee every month and take call for one week at the Children’s Hospital. We’ve found an apartment and will be moving out to Boston the beginning of July. Our apartment will be tiny (697 sq. feet), so I’ve started investigating Makerspaces in Boston. Artisan’s Asylum seems to fit the bill, and given our small apartment size I will be forced to use it if I want to continue making projects.

Goal #20 on my 30 Before 30 List was to assemble a > 1,000 piece LEGO set. I never played with LEGO growing up, which surprises my fellow engineers as almost all of them loved LEGO.

My interest was sparked when I saw the Saturn V LEGO set my Dad had received from one of his buddies. When did LEGO get so cool? The Saturn V was an incredible engineering achievement, and now LEGO created a miniature brick version! For my 29th birthday, I received the 1969 piece Saturn V LEGO set.

This set was assembled two weeks ago while my father in law was in town. The entire  process was very enjoyable. You follow a set of instructions and end up with a cool model. There was no creativity or original thinking (I was merely an assembly line worker), but I didn’t feel bored or distracted.

This is a hobby I’d like to continue. Some other sets that sparked my interest were the Porsche GT3RS and Star Wars Millennium Falcon. I’d also like to modify my LEGO Saturn V and turn it into an actual rocket. That’d be a sweet Lethal Engineering video, right?

I don’t know who reads this blog, so it’s strange to give recommendations. My assumption, though, is that if you read my blog than you might like other blogs that I like. That’s the transitive property, right?

Here are six recommendations:

Mr Money Mustache
A self improvement blog veiled in frugality and early retirement. Mr. Money Mustache retired at age 30 after a short software engineering career and writes about how you and I can do the same.  Here are some posts to get you started: The 4% Rule, The Simple Math Behind Early Retirement, What is Stoicism, and Happiness Is The Only Logical Pursuit.

Derek Sivers
I first heard of Derek on the Tim Ferriss podcast (here and here). His enthusiasm is infectious. Derek worked as a musician, circus ringmaster, and eventually started and sold a company called CD Baby. His posts are brief and to the point. Here are a couple of gems: Hell Yeah or No, Ideas Are Just A Multiplier, Be An Extreme Character, Be Resourceful, and Actions Reveal Our Values

Tynan
I don’t know how to describe Tynan. Maybe if the Most Interesting Man in the World was real and wrote a blog. A couple of Tynan’s adventures include buying an island, buying a penguin, becoming a famous pickup artist, writing several books, living in an RV, and that’s just scratching the surface.

John Kelly
A PhD Data scientist, Kona Ironman Qualifier, and one of fifteen Barkley Marathon finishers. John takes a very analytical approach to setting and achieving goals. Some great posts to start with are Goldilocks Difficulty, Failing With A Purpose, and Component Goals.

Tim Ferriss (his old posts)
It seems like Tim is focusing on his podcast and books now, but his old posts are gold. Tim posts are long form, in depth write-ups. I managed to lose 15 pounds in 5 days using this post (not recommended). Some of his popular topics include minimalist travel, language learning, muscle gain, and marketing

ZedWeblog
My friend Zach! He is currently pursuing a postdoc in math and made his own 30 Before 30 List. His articles in our high school newspaper were always entertaining to read, and that style continues with his blog. Leave him a comment encouraging him to post more frequently!

Phew! I think that’s the most hyperlinks I’ve ever included in a post. I hope you enjoy these recommendations!

I’ve always been skinny. Maybe weak is a better descriptor. I was embarrassed to lift in high school because every member of the girls basketball team could lift more than me. The solution to that problem was obviously NOT to avoid the weight room, but my high school self had a pretty fixed mindset.

I began lifting in college with the tennis team and continued sporadically in the years after I graduated. During that period, about five years ago, I was exposed to GORUCK , completing their challenge event with my friend Matt Brand.

GORUCK offers an even more challenging event called Selection which has a measly 5% completion rate. I wrote about it previously, signed up, and never attempted it after dislocating my shoulder (that was my excuse at least). It’s an extremely demanding event, well above my current ability. In order to complete it, I would need to become much stronger. That’s why I decided to build a power rack.

The power rack allows me to work the big three lifts of bench press, squat, and dead lift. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to weightlifting, but at least now I can embarrass myself in the privacy of my own home. The design for my power rack was based on this YouTube video:

I bought all the necessary supplies at Home Depot for a total cost north of $200. It took around four hours to build. I also cut pieces of plywood to have a wood platform over the carpet.

For weights, I first looked on Craigslist, but was able to find a barbell weight set cheaper online at Wal-Mart (with free shipping!).

I’m pleased with how the power rack turned out, but it is pointless if not used. My plan is to read through Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength to learn proper technique and then develop a weekly strength training regimen. The ultimate goal is to complete GORUCK Selection in the Fall of 2020.

This was the 5th goal I accomplished in a very productive month of August (what a delayed post!). There’s only four months until I turn 30, but if I keep making consistent forward progress, I should accomplish 20 of my goals.

I should be an Olympic swimmer. 23 time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps is thought to have a perfect body for swimming with his 6’4″ height and disproportionately wide 6’7″ armspan. I’m 6’6″ with a 7’0″ armspan and webbed toes! My mom was an All-American swimmer at Purdue, her sister an All-American at Notre Dame, and her brother an All-American at Auburn (he also swam in the Olympic trials). My Mom never pushed swimming, instead signing my sister and me up for sports she enjoyed watching (basketball, baseball, volleyball) rather than attending weekend long swim meets.

In late 2012, at age 23, I decided I was going to do triathlons with the large goal of completing an Ironman triathlon. There was one big hurdle though, I didn’t know how to swim. I wouldn’t drown if you tossed me in a pool, but my swimming could best be described as a thrashing doggy paddle.

My first swim ‘workout’ was rather embarrassing. I was determined to learn to properly swim, which meant wearing the skin tight ‘jammers’ as well as sticking my face in the water to exhale and breathing to the side. I would swim a little bit, choke on some water, stop, start swimming again, choke on some water, until I got to the end of the pool. Thankfully the pool at 24 Hour Fitness was only five feet deep so I could stop and collect myself midway. Here are the the notes I wrote in the Garmin activity tracking software after a couple of those first swims:

December 29, 2012 –

January 2nd, 2013 –

January 8th, 2013 –

January 10th, 2013 –

January 13th –

January 15th –

January 17th –

The all caps in that final note is reflective at how excited I was to swim one length breathing properly (a laughable accomplishment now). It took nine workouts, but I finally figured out how to breathe properly. Later that summer, I successfully completed the 500 meter open water swim in my first triathlon. A year after that, I was one of the first people out of the water at that same triathlon. Four months after that, I completed a 2.4 mile open water swim in route to completing my first Ironman.

Thinking back on it, learning to swim was such a rewarding experience. To go from a complete novice to proficient in two years is a very empowering feeling. If I can learn to swim, what else can I do if I sidelined my unreasonable fear and anxiety?

There’s so many things I’d like to learn to do! Riding mountain bikes, rowing, welding, programming, wood working. and automotive repair are a few. What if I picked a project and jumped in feet first like I did with swimming?