2010 Year in review.

2010 has been a great year for me.  It was my 2nd year of cycling and my first year of competitive running.  I also competed in my first duathlon and 2 half marathons.  My mileage totals will be accurate, but the hours, cals, and climbing will be off.  I have only been tracking those since I began using a Garmin in May.    My proudest moment has to be the Fall Classic Marathon.  I  PR'd my first half marathon by 14 minutes to become a sub two hour runner 5 weeks after my first half marathon.  Most disappointing moment, would have to be today.  The only event I didn't PR all year.  Without further ado...here we go!!!

Total miles:  5,204
Cycling:  4,678
Running:  526
Total Calories:  246,445
Total feet climbed:  89,633
Time spent running + riding:  366 hours
Weight lost:  29 pounds.

Running events:  Akron 1/2 Marathon (2 hr 10 Min.)  The Fall Classic 1/2 Marathon (1 hr 55 min) Pigskin Classic 5K (25 min 51 sec)  The Great New Years Eve 5K (26 min).

Duathlon:  Nordonia Hills Duathlon (1 hr 20 min)

Cycling:  Think Spring Ride (35) , Ride of Silence (20), Sunday in June (64),  Ice Cream Odyssey (64), ABC Beautiful Country Ride (100), Sweet Corn Challenge (50), MS 150 Pedal to the Point (175).

Funniest line I heard:  "Can we slow down, You're hurting me." - Team Haywire member who kept up with me for 20 miles at the MS Pedal to the Point.  I dropped him and made it 80 miles in 3 hours 15 minutes.

So, its been a good year.  I just wonder what I could do if I lived in an area that didn't have such crappy weather.  Thanks for checking out my year in review.  Stop back tomorrow for my 2011 RACE SCHEDULE!!!!!!!

BEAL

Race Day - The Great New Years Eve Race

Today is The Great New Years Eve Race.  The distance is 5k and the location is in Stow, Ohio.  This will be 4th time I have said this will be my last race of the year.  I have a feeling I may be right on this one.  I am not a huge fan of 5K's.  I have only done one once before (Pigskin Classic), but I couldn't get comfortable and establish a rhythm that I can on longer runs.  I am hoping it was the weather that day as the conditions were not favorable.  Snow, 22 mph head wind off Lake Erie, and a long climb at the finish that led to a disappointing time of 25:51.  I really have not expectations for today.  This week has been the first in roughly a month that I have ran with "intent" and haven't had much speed.  So, I am going in too today's race to have fun and reflect on the past year.  I came up with an idea that I would give a pre-race report much like this before each event.  Hope you enjoy!!

Location:  Stow, Ohio - Stow Highschool
Event:  The Great New Years Eve Race - running
Distance:  5K

Gear:  Nike LunarGlides, CEP compression socks, Nike dri fit clothing, and Garmin Forerunner 305

iPod Mix
1. Air rade
2.  Blitzkrieg by Metallica
3.  Rock is dead by Marilyn Manson
4.  Control Me by Surrounder
5.  Future Shock by Dj Virus
6.  Echoes by Thomas Trouble
7. Superstar (dub mix) by Dave May
8.  Can't Stop by Midas
9.  Don't Go by Andre Visier

BEAL

A Christmas Surprise

Christmas was pretty standard for me this year.  It consisted of a trip to my parents house in Wadsworth, Ohio aka Wadstucky.  We opened gifts this year and as we all sat around, my mother stood in the middle of us holding a small but shiny box.  The wrapping paper was a deep purple metallic.  A nice bow of thin silver streamers was tied at the top.  Everybody sat in silence, hoping that the gift would he handed to them.

My mom began with a story that sounded like she was about to hand out her most treasured family heirloom.  

I mentioned in my 1st blog that I played Baseball in college.  I used to be pretty good back in the day and was almost drafted out of high school.  We had a class that was geared towards students who would be headed to college to play sports.  It focused on time management, cooking, and how to take care of tasks while being on your own.  It was pretty basic, like how to write a check and make small meals in the dorm etc.  

Obviously, part of the curriculum included practicing safe sex.  Part of that was an assignment where we had to care for a baby as a parent would.  Thankfully, we didn't have to carry around an egg or an electronic doll that cried.  I had a troll doll that I was to treat as my own first born.  Needless to say, I was pretty embarrassed having to lug around a troll doll.  My plan was to hide the doll from all friends and family.  I wasn't about to subject myself to the teasing the was about to ensue if I was caught with a metaphorical baby.   

On the trip home from school.  I quickly stashed the doll in a storage compartment in the back seat of my parents car.  I really don't remember how long the project was to last, but I planned to retrieve the doll on the way to school near the end of the project.  The day finally arrived and on the way to school that day, I reached in the compartment and there was NO DOLL!!!!  I started freaking out.  I had to come clean and ask where the doll was.  I figured my parents had found the doll and assumed it was one my sisters, I ask if they had seen it.  My dad, said yes and asked why.  I explained it was for a project and that it was my kid.  He burst out in laughter fighting back the tears.  See, this is exactly why I kept it a secret.  He then went on to say.  They were car pooling and one of my sister's friends found the doll and was playing with it in the back seat.  Since it wasn't my sister's, they gave it to the girl.  I had officially JUST LOST MY KID.  By this team it was too late to do anything, so I had to go to that class and explain how I lost my kid.  Thankfully, my teacher was also the athletic director.  I explained what had happened, trying to put the most positive spin on why I failed the project.  I received and F for loosing my kid, but was given an opportunity to make it right.  I had to right a 10 page paper on how I was a bad parent and then had to write about how to be a good parent.  Which, is what I did and received an A.  

The shiny box came my way and began to unwrap it.  I opened the box and pulled away the tensile to reveal the exact troll doll I had lost many years ago!!!!!!  A couple weeks ago, my parents saw that same little girls mother while shopping.  I am not sure why, but my parents told her the story.  Apparently the girl never throws anything away and the mother looked in her closet.  Sure enough the troll doll was still there.  

So, after all these years.  My first kid has returned home.  I will keep it now and proudly display him in my apartment.  Just a small reminder that we live in a small world and you never know what may be around that next corner.

BEAL

The Cardio Triple Crown

I live in Northeast Ohio, which means I've been training indoors consistently for over a month now.  I am fortunate to live around the corner from what can be described as the Taj Mahal of gyms.  It has an indoor track, 4 pools, free access to trainers, rock wall, and dreadmills as far as the eye can see.  I found myself this week staring out the window as a ran laps on the track.  Feeling like a tiger trapped in a cage, longing to be out on the open road.  While exercising this past month, I've found myself concentrating on 1 of three things:  Social life, my next event, and 2011.

The plan has been to do my first triathlon and marathon in 2011.  I more recently came up with what I've been calling the triple crown of cardio.  A triathlon, a full marathon, and a 100 mile bike race.  It was all planned out in my mind that the Tri would happen in May, Century sometime in July, and Akron Marathon in late September.  I would then sprinkle in the local charity runs and rides through out the summer.

The wrench in my plans came this past Monday came when I was fortunate enough to be a Marathon Monday winer.  I won free entry into the Cleveland Marathon.  No problem, right?  Well, its 7 days before the Memphis Triathlon I had planned on attending.  The contest covers any route I choose, but I feel like I am not making the most of an opportunity I've been given.  I've have come up with some different options that I have listed below and with over 2 feet of snow on the ground.  I should have plenty of time to think it over this week.  Tune in on January 1st to see what I decide!!

Option 1:  Cleveland 10K 5/15, Memphis Tri 5/22, Century or Gran Fondo July, and Akron full 9/22
Option 2:  Cleveland Half 5/15, Memphis Tri 5/22, Century or Gran Fondo July, and Akron Full 9/22
Option 3:  Cleveland Full 5/15, Cleveland Tri 5/22,Century or Gran Fondo July,  and Akron 1/2 9/22
Option 4:  Cleveland Full 5/15, Cleveland Tri 8/6, Century or Gran Fondo July, and Akron full 9/22

Welcome!

So, I am taking the recommendation of @Tridiesel to start a blog.  First off let me apologize for two things. 1) I suck at writing and most of these may be boring or not very "bloggish"  2) I'm not an English major, so expect grammar mistakes.  Lol.  Ok.  I was thinking of a good topic for my first blog and came up with the idea of basically just introducing myself.  I'm the one they call Beal.  The main contributing factor to who I am today is a result of one day, August 5th 2007.  I was a baseball pitcher all my life and was fortunate to have an opportunity to play in college.  I suffered a career ending shoulder injury at the end of my junior year and spent the next few years feeling the effects both mentally and physically.  Graduating college and being in business led to a change in lifestyle, transforming from a college athlete to a spending everyday sitting at a desk.  As the years went by, my weight continued to balloon.  I never was really happy with myself and dealt with it by continuing to eat more and more.  I found comfort in avoiding mirrors, pictures, and a social life.  In letting myself go, my weight ballooned to 330.  That brings us to 8/5/2007.  August 5th just happens to be my birthday and that year I was attending my now brother in laws bachelor party.  We were celebrating on a large lake and had access to jet skis.  I had never been on a jet ski before and was excited to give it a try.  The adrenaline rush was intoxicating as we raced around the lake.  It started with jumping small waves then bigger ones.  Then without warning I flipped mine.  I wasn't injured so I started to swim after the jet ski, which had stalled.  As I swam and swam, the waves continued to push the jet ski further and further away.  Within minutes I tired myself out and began to drown.  By the grace of God, I was pulled out of the water just as I was going under for good.  I will never forget that moment.  Being so out of shape that I couldn't even save myself was the wake up call that I needed.
     Shortly after that day.  I joined a Biggest Loser Contest at work.  I still remember my first trip to the gym.  5 minutes on the stairclimber.  Over the next 4 months I lost a total of 55 pounds and finished 2nd in the contest.  I realized that an active and healthy lifestyle is what I wanted, not comfort gained from pizza and beer.  I've continued to evolve over the past 3 years losing a total of 130 pounds and coming within 10 pounds of my college weight.  Durning my journey I have become addicted to cycling and most recently infatuated with long distance running.  In 2009, which was my first year of cycling.  I road a total of 4,883 miles and completed my first century ride.  This year I competed in my first duathlon, road 150 miles in one day, and completed my first half marathon.  I had so much for I did another one 4 weeks later PR'ing my time by 14 minutes to break the 2 hour barrier at 1:55.
     There is a lot more to this story that what is written here, but I have to save something to write about in the future...right?  Thank you for reading and come back.  I have big plans for the future including my first triathlon and full marathon in 2011.  So, subscribe to my blog, follow @Beal88, and become a member of the TEAM BEAL nation of fans.  Thanks again for reading and have a great day.

BEAL