Mind Games

Buffalo Springs Race Report

6/27/10

            I am not a swimmer!  This frustrates me.  I work at it.  I work hard at it, but no matter what, I am always left in the dust when the gun goes off.  Buffalo Springs was no exception.  To make matters worse, it was a nonwetsuit swim which just adds to my misery.  This doesn’t make sense, I am fit, I swim everyday, I have a great swim coach, Gerry Rodrigues, and I have been mistaken for a swimmer because of my body type (Thanks Terrenzo).  I just don’t move in the water.  It seems as if the field rounds the first buoy before I take ten strokes.  It just doesn’t make sense.  But I am getting ahead of myself; I just had to get that of my chest.

                I prepared for this race.  I had a solid four week training block, I ate right, I salt loaded since Wednesday, I got to sleep early every night, I didn’t have any booze for some time (That was a tough one), I tapered thoroughly, and I felt great about my chances in the race.  I thought this was going to be a good one.  After a long work day Friday, I flew to Lubbock and arrived around 10:30p.m.  The cab driver got lost on the way to the hotel, which got me there around 12:00a.m.  No big deal, the race wasn’t until Sunday, so I had a day to chill and relax, which I did all day Saturday.  The wake up call would come early Sunday morning.  With the race being a 6:30a.m. start, and Buffalo Springs being about a 20 minute drive, we would have to get up at 3:20a.m.  That’s early!

            Eric Bana!  Eric, freaking, Bana is the reason I only got three hours of sleep Saturday night.  No, I wasn’t up thinking about the race, or if I had everything packed, or anything else triathlon related.  I watched the movie “Funny People” before bed and Eric Bana played one of the characters, but I could remember what his name was.  And, you know that feeling of when you know something but can’t think of it, well I had that feeling, and I didn’t think of his stupid name until 12:30a.m.  This really made me mad.  So I went to the race on three hours of stupid sleep. 

            On to the race.  As I previously stated, the gun goes off and I am instantly alone.  I watch the swim pack get further and further away, and since there are no wetsuits, I feel like a rock in the water.  I was wearing my Xterra Velocity skin suit (www.xterrawetsuits.com) which saves me from a downright embarrassing swim, but the buoyancy gained from my Xterra Velocity wetsuit really helps my swim.  This is when I start to get pissed off, and my MIND GAMES begin.  I think, “Why do I get up at 5:15a.m. every morning to swim if I am just going to be left in the dust every time I am in a race.”  A ton of negative thoughts enter my mind, a lot of them involving me swearing at myself and asking myself if I am wasting my time with this sport.  Now, if you know me, you know I am a positive person.  I try to get positives out of every situation and it is unlike me to think negatively, but I really thought I was ready to race.  So, after the men leave me, and pretty much all of the women pass me as well, I finally finish the swim.  I look at my watch and I surprised to see 32 minutes.  I thought my time was going to be much higher than that.  Not fast by any means, but the worse part is all of the energy I spent trying to keep myself on top of the water.  My legs were burning, and my heart rate was pretty high. 

            I get on the bike and start to get into a groove.  Within the first 5 miles, as usual, the arm rest on my aero bars breaks which means I have to race the bike portion with one arm lower than the other.  No big deal, I was hammering.  It was a challenging bike course with some steep climbs, but I was powering.  I actually finished the first 30 miles in around 1 hour and 10 minutes which is a pretty good pace, but then the “fun” began.  A head wind kicked up, and it seemed as if it was out to get us.  No matter which way we turned it seemed to be right in our faces, and strong.  I am so tired of the wind.  I think it has a vendetta for me this year.  Other athletes say, “The wind makes you stronger.”  So does bench pressing midgets, but I am not going to do that.  I don’t want to put up with it any more (Wha, Wha, Wha, can you see me crying?).  This arch nemesis shredded my legs.  I went from having an outstanding bike split to a subpar one.  I haven’t looked at my split yet, but I think it was around 2:30.

            From the moment I got on the run, I was spent.  I am a runner.  I run my tempo runs at 5:30 pace while in training, no problem.  So when I struggle to keep a 7 minute pace I get frustrated.  I know I am capable of so much more.  I plodded along, picking it up when I could, but it just wasn’t there.  I had to dig deep just to eek out the 13.1 miles and I felt all 13.1.  I finished my run in around 1:30, and we will never speak of that again.

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Potential

6/6/10

            While watching the movie, “The Bucket List,” Morgan Freeman’s character tells a story of how coffee was discovered.  He says that a Sherpa saw his goats eating an unknown berry and acting energetic because of it.  He brought the berry back to the village where they boiled it into a stew and drank it.  This stew began to spread from country to country, and eventually coffee became a worldwide staple.  But, what if the Sherpa had just shrugged off the actions of his goats, turned a blind eye to the berry, and forgotten about it?  Would we have coffee?  His keen observation, ability to follow through, and perseverance, gave us coffee.  If he did not bring the berry back to the village, the coffee bean may still be on a plant with no one being any wiser to its potential.

            Now, I bring up this story for two reasons.  First, because of the potential of the coffee bean.  If it had not been discovered by an observant Sherpa, the coffee bean may still be sitting on a plant somewhere, full of so much potential, but no one would ever know about it.  I believe the same is true for people.  Imagine how many people out there have talents, traits, loves, etc. that they have no idea about.  Many are scared to think outside of the box.  Many stay in their comfort zone with their 9-5 job and stable income and never experience their true potential.  What if Lance Armstrong never rode a bike, or if Wayne Gretzky never laced up his ice skates?  Sure, they could have lived a comfortable life and given up on their dreams to live a stable, less risky life, but would they really be living?  I knew I had potential to be a good triathlete.  I knew deep down this sport was suited to my strengths and traits, but for four years I was afraid to act on it.  I kept my miserable 8-6 office job because it provided me a stable income.  I actually gave up triathlon for a year and a half always knowing I was missing out on something.  What if I hadn’t come back to triathlon?  I would be ignoring an innate talent and wasting a given gift.  There are so many people out there who have gifts/talents but are too consumed with stability that they are not willing to recognize their true potential.  This doesn’t mean giving up your job, or denying yourself the opportunity to support a family, but your life should be taken advantage of.  It’s easy to sit behind a desk all day, eat quarter pounders with cheese, and watch Simon Cowell critique the latest karaoke phenom.  It is hard to deal with the stress of risk.  It’s easy to give up on your passions and desires when “The Man” is offering you stability.

            While having a miserable Ironman New Zealand race, I was thinking, “Why am I doing this?”  How easy would my life be if I were just a sales rep. saving money, and eating and drinking what I like, when I like?  I would probably be able to afford a house, a ton of toys, and relaxing vacations across the globe.  Instead, I live in a shitty little apartment in West L.A., spend all of my money on training and equipment, and I take trips around the world to race (no relaxation involved).  In order to reach your true potential you have to take risk.  I am putting a lot into training and racing right now, and my life is full. 

            The second point I like to take from the Sherpa is his ability to observe and take action on the effects of the coffee bean.  Like I said earlier, he could have disregarded the actions of his goats but he didn’t.  He acted and brought the effects of coffee to the world.  I think a lot of people let life pass them by without acting.  Whether it is picking up the phone to call a friend, following through on an invention idea, or (as previously stated) acting on your dreams, don’t let life pass you by.  Live every moment. Don’t let a day pass you by without acting.

            The coffee bean is a world wide staple because of actions taken on potential.  We all have potential in one way or another, your real job in life is to find that potential and act on it, otherwise, you are putting your life on hold while time passes you by.  RACE HARD!

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C DIFFERENT

4/26/10

     This past weekend I guided Aaron Scheidies at the PossAbilities triathlon in Loma Linda, CA.  Aaron is a blind triathlete, but don't let that fool you, he is FAST!  This was my first time ever guiding someone through a race.  Usually it is all about me.  Am I ready?  How fast can I go?  What do I need to do to prepare for a race? etc.  Let me tell you, I have done a lot of things in triathlon, and this, by far, was the best experience I have ever had. 

     The PossAbilities triathlon's focus is to show anything is possible.  There were tons of wheel chair racers, amputees, people sufffering for MS and Muscula Dystrophy, as well as, other maladies.  But, although these people had set backs in life they were out there doing it.  They weren't feeling sorry for themselves, they were hammering a triathlon.

     Aaron is a World Champion triathlete.  He races all over the world, usually using the same couple of guides who know how he races.  When he called me last week, I will admit, I was a little nervous.  I didn't know if I was up to the task of not only being responsible for myself, but for someone else as well.  It's hard enough to race a race as an individual.  We would run with a tether between us, bike on a tandem bike, and I would guide him in and out of the pool (he can make out the dark line at the bottom, thank God because he would whup my butt swimming). 

     We lined up at the start line, where we were all together, myself tethered to Aaron, a few other professionals, a ton of amateur racers, and a ton of racers with disablities.  This gave me that tingle inside.  It was awesome.  But then, they said, "Abby will be singing the National Anthem, again."   Abby is probably 10 years old and she suffers from Muscular Dystrophy.  She grabbed the mic and belted out the most beautiful rendition of the National Anthem I have ever heard.  This also, was Awesome.  She had braces on her legs and had a tough time walking around, but she was doing it. 

     We started the race.  Aaron and I hammered the 5K run in about 17 minutes, pushed it on the bike, and he got in the pool 2 seconds before pro triathlete Ian Mickelson.  They beat each other up for 125 yards and got out of the pool one after the other.  The finishline was 50 yards out of the pool.  Aaron was slighltly behind Ian.  Aaron had no idea where the finish was.  I grabbed his hand and yanked him as we sprinted together to try to pass Ian.  Aaron, not knowing really where he was, ran into my back, I grabbed him and shoved him to the other side of Ian and yelled "GO!"  It was a photo finish.  They crossed at the same time.  Ian's chip read .005 of a second faster so he took second.  Aaron got third.  What a finish!  And to think my parter was doing all of this with out his sight.  Try to do anything blind, it seems impossible.  He is also, Awesome.  I had to guide him on the run through every turn, pothole, low hanging tree, etc.  But it was team work.  We pushed each other on the bike, which on a tandem takes a ton of effot.  Two 175 pound men climbing a hill on a bike is not easy.  And the way we finished will be remembered forever.

     So, while we were waiting for the awards, the kids race was finishing up.  The announcer said the awards will commence once Abby finishes.  I thought, "Wait, there is no way Abby the singer is racing.  She could hardly walk."  Sure enough,  here comes Abby, sauntering to the finishline.  Sure she wiped out a few times, but this did not deter her, she got up and kept running.  No braces, just determination and will.  She crossed the finishline and smiled the whole way.  We went over to congratulate her and, let me tell you, she is the nicest girl in the world.  She doesn't care that she can't walk as well as the other kids, she is out there doing it with them.

     In a sport that is so individual, it is great to experience the team work and love of a day like today.  It was probably the most fullfilling experience of my life and I look forward to many more races with Aaron.  He is a great dude, and we will be friends for life.  Aaron, as well as other people with disabilities live tough lives.  One of my friends asked me if I got any recognition for racing, but it's not about the recognition.  It's about helping my friend, Aaron, do what I take for granted and do every day.  This is something everyone should experience.  It is a way YOU can really make a difference in someone's life.  I don't care if you have never run a race in your life, you can do it.  Go to www.cdifferent.org and find out how you too can have a life changing experience.  RACE HARD!

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Ironman New Zealand

Race Report (Feelings)

3/6/10

            I wanted to write this race report as soon after the race as possible while I still had the feelings fresh in my head.  I trained for this race, I trained hard and had a lot of good quality training, but once again, I was humbled by the ironman distance.  There is no other competition like it.  In training I would do 100 plus mile rides the have no trouble running 6:30/mile off of the bike.  In the race, I couldn’t seem to get my motor revved up on the bike and I couldn’t run a 7:00/mile pace for the life of me.  But, like anything, you don’t become an expert at anything doing it only a few times, it takes many failures before even a tiny amount of success. 

            The canon went off at 6:45am sharp.  I was immediately alone in the water.  These Kiwis can swim.  It was OK.  I had planned for this.  I figured I would be about 12-13 minutes behind coming out of the water.  The toughest part was seeing the top swimmers swim further and further away from me and while keeping a positive attitude.  The water was a perfect temperature, it was calm, I was rocking my new Xterra wetsuit and I felt good.  I kept my stroke long and consistent.  I exited the water in 1:02, which was my best IM swim split yet, by three minutes.  I was about 12-13 minutes down on the leaders, which was exactly where I wanted to be.  Now, my real race was about to begin, or so I thought.

 I had my new Suplicy bike, and I was ready to hammer 112 miles.  I got on the bike, and immediately my lower back tightened up.  I could hardly pedal with my left leg.  I didn’t know what was going on.  I though, “I can’t make it through the bike like this.  It better loosen up, or I am out.”  Luckily, after about 5 miles, it did loosen up, although maybe it shouldn’t have.  My whole game plan was to ease into the bike.  It was a long day and I had to be patient.  But my easy pace should be stronger than what I was doing.  I felt as though my legs were saying, “I need more power Captain,” and my body was saying, “Ain’t no more power buddy.”  This is when the trains began.  One age group dude passed me, 3 meters behind him there was another, then another, and another, etc., etc.  Probably thirty guys went by before there was a break.  Sure, I could have gotten in on this, but I would not be bettering myself.  I am in these races to become a better triathlete, not to cheat the race or myself.  The wind was harsh and getting harsher, and I knew it was going to be a tough day, but that was no excuse to cheat.  So I plodded along at “my pace” and tried to remain positive.  After the first turn around, and a few more trains of the dishonest went by I was passed by a single dude.  He got in front of me right before a short hill.  I dropped back as one is supposed to do when passed, when all of a sudden, the dude stood up to climb this minor hill.  He slowed his cadence which caused me to come up on him suddenly.  About then, another rider came up on my right, so I was boxed in.  I had no where to go.  Then, the sound of a whistle.  Some lady, who has probably never raced a triathlon in her life, was on a motorcycle pointing at me, calling me for drafting.  This, after I was so diligent not to get caught up in all of the cheating.  She told me I had to pull over and serve a 4 minute penalty.  I know things happen throughout the course of the day, but this was a bunch of crap.  While standing there, I saw lines of 20-30 athletes riding a mere meter off of each others wheels.  This lady was just looking to give penalties when she probably has no idea what she is really doing.  While standing there, the negative thoughts started to pile up.  The race was far and getting farther away from me.  And I thought, “I should have just gotten in with the hordes of cheaters.  If I was going to be penalized I should have at least earned it.  Who ever this woman bike marshal is, write me at jim@jimlubinski.com and I will teach you about racing.  So, after four minutes, I got back on the bike.  I still had 70 miles to go, and I figured I would get back into the groove.  I built my speed up throughout the rest of the first lap, but it was speed no where near my potential.  The second loop was windy to say the least.  It hurt, but I finally found my grove with 40 km left.  I felt my power take over and I was moving.  I was focused and not letting anything distract me.  I did notice a race marshal come on a motorcycle one time and motion a lengthening motion in my direction.  There was no one in front of me, so I glanced behind me.  There was some dude sitting right on my wheel, and all this marshal did was motion to him to drop back.  “How long had this guy been here?”  This marshal just suggested he drop back, when he was obviously been using me to his advantage on purpose.  I didn’t feel I had a good bike race, but this marshal thing left a bad taste in my mouth.  I am not blaming them for my poor race, but this lady should not be on the bike course giving out penalties if she doesn’t know what she is doing.  She would be much better at helping athletes at support stations, than she is at judging a bike race.  I trained hard for this race and I traveled a long way to get here, and to have some stupid lady attempt to ruin my race really pisses me off.

So back to my race, I came off of the bike and felt fresh.  I started running 6:15/mile pace no problem.  I wasn’t feeling fatigued, and I thought, “OK I am going to salvage something from this race.  Here I come.”  I saw my friends Liza and Gary and they gave me a ton of energy.  I kept thinking what Cliff had told me, “Run 6:30 for the first 6-8 miles, then open it up.”  So I ran the first 6 at around 6:30 pace, then it dropped, and dropped, and dropped, and eventually I was struggling to run an 8:00/mile pace.  I was miserable, and I was thinking ironman racing is not for me.  I have never been one to give up on a challenge, but I was dejected, I wasn’t performing the way I knew I could, and I was getting frustrated.  I counted down the long slow miles battling the wind and heat.  I eventually finished in 9:55.  I was the twelfth pro to finish and 88^th overall.

It is hard to put it all together in an ironman.  I know I am a crappy swimmer, I know I need work on my long term power on the bike, and I know my run is strong, but to utilize it potential, I need to save a lot of energy for it.  I know there is a bigger picture than just IM New Zealand and I need to chalk it up to experience.  I am recovering right and beginning to formulate a new strategy that will get me to the top of the podium.  It will be a long journey, but I knew going into this there was going to be a lot of set backs and discouraging events, but with out perseverance and determination I would not get anywhere.  I need to keep looking forward, learn from my experiences, and stay positive.  I know I have talent, but the Ironman distance is no joke.  You can’t fake an ironman.  You can’t just power through it.  All of your weaknesses, both physical and mental, are exposed.  If you are not up to speed, you will easily get left behind, but Ironman racing makes it evident what your weaknesses are.  Jim, move forward.  RACE HARD!            

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Multitasking

2/6/10

            One thing I love about my life is the adversity it contains.  I have always said I want to make the most of my life and do a lot of things.  Well, right now in my life, I am doing a lot of things.  I am working full time, and I am doing well at that. I am training 25-35 hours a week, and I am doing well at that.  I am constantly hunting for supporters to get on the Lubester band wagon.   I am remaining social and hanging out with my friends, and I am trying to find time to recover, eat, and sleep properly.

            The days fly by in my life and it seems as if the year has just begun, BUT IT’S MID FEBRUARY ALREADY!  I am making huge gains in the pool, on the bike, in the run, and I am getting strong.  But let’s break down this adversity thing a little more.  As triathletes, we need to master three sports.  We need to balance our time between training for three sports, work, family, friends, etc.  This not only makes us better athletes, but I believe it makes us much better as individuals.  Our minds, although extremely messed up due to our love of torture, are better able to deal with adversity, stress, and mental obstacles than the non triathletes.  I am in no way saying we are better than anyone, but I think our lifestyle better prepares us for real world challenges. 

I have read that divorce rates of people from Midwestern states are less due to their ever changing weather.  The weather added a diversity that forced the individuals to deal with change, this prepared them for real life and they could deal with adversity better.  I believe the same is true for triathletes.

What stimulated this thought was my crazy life I depicted at the beginning of this article.  Like I said, I am nonstop right now.  From 6:00am until 8:30pm, I do not sit down, but if I am doing well at my endeavors, why change?  I was in the post office today at 2:30pm and I saw a kid, probably 25 years old, still wearing his pj’s, his hair was a mess, he had a bed head you only read about in fairy tales, and he was being quite cranky.  This made me think of all of the things I had done thus far on this rainy Saturday.  I woke up, enjoyed some coffee with Cortney, and Chris Schauble and the Channel 4 news team, went out and ran 16 miles under an amazing sky, ran into my friend Steven P, packed up for Tuscon, and now was picking up my new bike at the post office.  I believe to each is own and what ever makes you happy is what you should do.  So, if Sleepy wanted to sleep all day and this made him happy, I am glad he did it.  But we only live once and we need to LIVE our lives.  I have said this plenty of times in previous blogs, but I can’t say it enough.  Get out and “Just Do It.”

OK, I just got off course regarding the topic of this blog, multitasking.  In the first paragraph I said I was doing well at work.  My job consists of me driving around and stopping in doctors offices all day.  I work at a rapid rate and I am constantly spreading the word of my five different products.  I have no trouble talking about, and selling each product in every call.  I am also pretty good at relating to all of my different doctors.  They are all different and I have to find a way to relate to all of them.  I attribute my success at work to my competitive nature and my triathlon training.  I am good at dealing with diverse situations and molding them to my benefit.

Adversity, diversity, multitasking, whatever; they are all traits you acquire and hone by training for triathlons.  So when you are suffering through training, racing the kids to school, trying to fit in a swim at lunch, get the quarterly reports done, and have dinner on the table by 7:00, remember you owe a lot of the ability to do that to triathlons.  Stick with it, and remember; when the going gets tough just think what you are doing for your character.  RACE HARD!

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Coach?

1/10/09

Over the past season I have made some huge gains, mainly working off of my own training plan.  I didn’t really have an overall plan, I just went hard pretty much 100% of the time, which taught me how to push the limit, but made for a long season of intense training.  As the season began to wind down, more and more people began asking me if I was going to bring on a coach.  I wasn’t sure.  I knew I needed some sort of guidance, but that meant I was going to have to shell out some major coin.  When I went to Perth for the Long Course Worlds, I spoke with a lot of different athletes to get everyone’s perspective.  I think all of my professional team mates had coaches and most of my amateur friends had coaches.  Overall, I really don’t know what I am doing in this sport, so I came to the conclusion that a coach was necessary, but who?

I heard from a ton of people, and everyone said their coach is “the best.”  How was I supposed to make this decision?  Then, one night over dinner, I was talking to Tim O’Donnell.  He was telling me about his coach, Cliff English.  He had some outstanding things to say, and by the looks of the killer season Tim was having, Cliff really knew his stuff.  What ultimately sold me on Cliff was when Tim told me the personal attention Cliff gives his athletes is unlike any other.  Like I said, I am still new to this sport, so I need someone who is going guide me a little bit and really care about what I am doing.  The first time I talked to Cliff, I could tell I was not just another athlete; he actually cared to see me succeed.  His resume of accomplished triathletes is really impressive as well; Peter Reid, Sam McGlone, TJ Tollaksen, The Lovatos, Rebecca Wassner, among others too numerous to mention.  I got really excited after speaking with Cliff, and I knew this was the right step in order to take my career to new heights.

So, I hired Cliff.  This meant I had to cut back in other areas until I started seeing some race winnings (which will be soon).  I had to stop seeing Gerry Rodrigues as my swim coach.  This really hurt because I know how far Gerry has taken me in the pool and I know he is personally devoted to seeing me and his other athletes succeed.  Since money doesn’t grow on trees (Although I am trying to invent this), I am now swimming on my own.

This brings us to my experience, to date, with Cliff.  It is Awesome!  The fact that I don’t have to think about my workouts and there is a balance between intensity, strength, and endurance is so relieving.  I have to balance my full time job, training, sponsorships, friends, etc.  Having my workout laid out for me in one less worry I have in the world.  I have the ultimate trust in Cliff that he has a plan for me and is guiding me through the steps I need to take to get there.

Let me give you an example of my workouts last week.  I am gearing up for IM New Zealand March 6^th, and if I keep training like this I may set an IM course record and hurt some people along the way.  I swam around 21000 yards, Thursday I did an hour and a half tempo run with 3 X 15 minutes at 5:30 pace, Friday I did a LT set of 5000 yards in the pool, Saturday I Rode 109 miles with a 6:30 paced run off the bike, and Sunday I ran 2 hours (16 miles).  I love the fact that I have to be accountable to someone. 

I hear a lot of debate if a coach is necessary and for what I am trying to achieve, I can tell you 100% that it is.  Just the peace of mind gained from a good coach who has the ability to communicate effectively and get the most out his/her athletes is just cause to spend the extra cash.  I look at my professional career as a business.  In order to get something out, I need to put a lot in.

Quick plug, we have a pro training camp in Tucson in February and Cliff is holding a amateur training camp late Feb. early March, go to www.Cliffenglishcoaching.com for more info. 

The reason I wrote about this is so hopefully I can provide some insight as to why I hired a coach and the thought process I went through.  I know a lot of you out there contemplate this, so I wanted to give my two cents.  The Word of the Lube.  RACE HARD!   

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Just Do It

By: Jim Lubinski

Man, it’s been a while since I have updated my blog.  Sorry about that.  I, kind of, got caught up in the daily routine; train, work, train, sleep, train, work, train, sleep, train, work, train, sleep; and so on and on and on and on and on and on and on…..  Before you know it, a week has gone by, a month has gone by, a year has gone by, ten years go by, etc.  Then, your 70 years old, and what do you have?  I’ll tell you what you have, a life full of memories, adventures, extravaganzas, and friends.

                We, as triathletes, have an opportunity and excuse to travel the country and the world doing what we love and seeing sights from a perspective not many can say they have.  A triathlete has the opportunity to sweat in Switzerland, bleed in Belgium, and drown in Dubai.  A trip to China is something an individual plans for, years in advance, and saves up days off from work so they can see the sights.  To a triathlete, a trip to China is a spur of the moment decision (Ok, if it’s IM China maybe a little preplanning is necessary), probably put on the credit card to be paid later, and closer to an overnight trip to Grandma’s house than a two week extravaganza.  Yes, our trips aren’t as long, but they are definitely more frequent than the average individual.  The reason I bring this up is because I am in the planning stages of my 2010 season.  And you know what, I said,” Screw it, I am going to race early and often, and see the world while doing it.” 

                I scheduled my first race to be IM New Zealand.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, I don’t have a family or too many obligations.  I have a flexible full time job that really supports my life outside of work, so I have to opportunity to do this kind of stuff.  I had a job where I didn’t see the light of day, and I was miserable.  I look at that time spent, not as wasted time, but as a kind of purgatory.  I was not moving forward, I was not moving backward, but I was stagnant.  Finally, I looked in the mirror (I literally looked in the mirror) and said “Change Your Life!”  The next day I started job hunting and soon after I had a job that accommodated my lifestyle.  Now, I am moving up everyday, and making a story of my life. 

                I am not saying you need to be a triathlete or an athlete or world famous, to make a story, but you do have to be happy.  If you are just going through the motions everyday and living life just to live, you will not have much of a story to tell when you are 95 years old.  Do what YOU want to do.  Have a family, start your own business, travel the world, see Cher live at Cesar’s Palace, etc.  Make yourself happy and stay positive.  Everything comes with ups and downs, but if you keep moving forward and smiling, things are likely to work out. 

                So, I plan to race, race, and race more in 2010.  Hopefully my body holds up, and if I run out of money, I will just ask you guys for more.  The Word of the Lube.  RACE HARD!

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It’s All About the Love

11/13/09

            I am on my way to my first ever race, in which I will be a spectator.  The Ironman 70.3 World Championships are this weekend in Clearwater, Florida.  I qualified for this race as an amateur, but when I decided to turn pro, I forfeited my spot.  So, I am not racing, but Cortney is, and Kevin from www.finishline-multisport.com asked me to help him out and do some interviews for the website.  It is a strange feeling, to be going all of this way, to watch a race.  I plan to go, meet a lot of people, support and cheer on Cortney, and have a blast.  I always try to keep a loose demeanor prior to a race, but there is an underlying stress that in undeniable.  It will be nice to hang out and actually take in the sport, pay attention to others, and actually help others succeed.  This sport could be self centered and selfish, but we should always remember that we are a common team, all competing on the same field, exerting ourselves for one overall common goal: Finishing.  Some are first and some are last, but we are all striving to finish.  Sometimes you(the athlete) needs to take a step back to realize this.  I consider myself, taking a step back this weekend.

            Let me tell you what got me thinking about this.  I was in line to board the economically friendly Southwest Airlines, when, all of a sudden, a haggard old witch ran in front of me and quickly gave her ticket to the boarding agent before I had time to yell out, “You old bag, no cutting.”  I didn’t really yell that, but I did think it.  She looked as though she has been locked in a tanning bed for the past 53 years, and her skin resembled that of a rotten banana, yellow with brown spots all over.  She, undoubtedly, has lived a rotten life.  Sorry about that description, but I wanted you to get a mental image of the type of person we are dealing with.  This got my mind churning.  So many people in triathlon are self absorbed loners, and rightfully so.  We train for hours on end, ALONE.  We race for hours on end, ALONE.  This makes it extremely easy for us to only think about what’s best for US.  It makes it extremely easy for us to disown our friends and families and get caught up in the lonesome life of an endurance sport athlete.  This is not what it’s about, and it’s not what life is about.  I want to help people out and see people succeed.  I don’t want to be a rotten old banana when I am 70 years old.  I want to be youthful and giving.  I want to be the guy who gives up his seat and misses his flight so some other person could go see their family.  I believe helping others keeps you youthful and fresh.  It gives life an incentive.  I know I am a successful triathlete, but to be able to help someone else complete a triathlon (which is a colossal feat) could be more rewarding that completing one myself.  This is one of the reason I have started The Lunatics.  I want that team to be an open forum for teammates/members to ask questions, train together, and learn from each other.  I want people to make contacts all over the world so you will have a friend to train with or stay with in any country of the world.  It will be the ‘Fight Club” of triathlon.  I want to make a lot of contacts, with a lot of companies and get great discounts for The Lunatics.  This sport is expensive, if I can save my team mates a little cash here and there, it helps.  This will also be beneficial to the companies giving the discounts.  If we have members all over the world ordering their product, they will thrive as well.  Its all about seeing everyone win.  I want us to do clinics for underprivileged kids, run used equipment drives for those less fortunate, and help new triathletes break into the sport with out the feeling of an outsider looking in(we all know this feeling).

            Being selfish is the easy, comfortable thing to do in this sport.  But, we must remember there are a lot of people/athletes out there who need us (the confident ones) to reach out and lend a hand.  I think all triathletes should take a step back at least once a year and take in a race from the side lines.  See others prepare and acknowledge what we go through from an outsiders perspective, so next time you may be more incline to help the “newbie” set up transition, or help calm the nerves of a uneasy athlete.  Good luck to every one racing in Clearwater, be safe and have fun.  Help you fellow athletes and spread the love.  You don’t want to grow into a rotten old banana.  RACE HARD!

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ITU Long Course World Championships

10/25/09

            If you look at what separates a professional triathlete from an amateur, one glaring difference it that the pro does not let adverse conditions affect him.  Whether it be heat, humidity, cold, rain, wind, etc., the pro remains consistent through it all and usually records similar times.  This comes with experience in racing in these conditions and learning how you body will act in each circumstance.  The ITU World Championships was one of these experiences I will take with me and learn a great deal from.

            The sun rises early in Perth, Western, Australia.  On race morning, I awoke at 4:45 to see it was already getting light out.  The sky looked clear from my hotel room and it looked like a great day.  Remember, I said it “looked” like a great day.  I did my usual prerace routine and took off from my room to meet up with my team mates Amy Kloner and Becky Huber-Witinok in the lobby.  The moment I walked outside, I knew I was in trouble.  I had my bike with me, and, as soon as I walked out, my bike nearly blew over from the intense wind.  We walked down to transition.  The wind didn’t let up the slightest bit.  Now, we had swum the previous two days at the location of the race, the Swan River, and the water was calm and warm.  I walked out of transition on race day to look at the water conditions.  I don’t know who replaced the Swan River with the Bearing Sea, but it was as if the Perfect Storm had occurred over the river.  There were white caps and the swells looked to be about 3 feet high.  There was also a pretty intense current running from south to north, the exact direction a majority of the swim would run.  The buoys were also set up, the course looked about 30 times longer than any swim I had ever done.  I am always a positive thinker, but I thought I may not finish this swim before nightfall.  Whatever, I was racing for the U.S.A. in Perth, Australia.  I was going to give it my all and gain the experience of competing on the world scene.  It was something I want to get used to.

            I left transition with Amy “Crash” Kloner, to go “warm up” in the water.  We hopped in, and I thought to myself, “who dumped ice in the water over night.”  It was freezing and the conditions were exactly how they looked.  The pro men’s field lined up at the start line and the gun went off.  I was instantly alone.  The swim was 3K, which is a long way to swim, and the field was dominated by extremely strong swimmers, me not being one of them.  I was really fighting the water and just trying to conserve as much energy as possible because I knew the water conditions were taking a lot out me.  First the men’s field left me, then a majority of the women’s field passed me, then I was alone again.  I though a lot during this swim, mainly getting pissed off that I didn’t grow up as a swimmer.  So, I finished the swim in God knows how long, and hopped on my bike.  We shall never talk of that swim again.

            The bike course was a four loop circuit with 4, 180 degree turns.  I had brought a disk wheel because of how flat the course was.  Little did I know, Perth was the third windiest city in the world.  But, I did notice before the race Tim “The Real T.O.” O’Donnell was running a disk, so I should be fine.  The first three miles were great, I think I was hitting around 30 m.p.h., but you know what they say, “What goes out, must come back”(I actually just made that up).  At the first 180 degree turn, I was stopped in my tracks by the brutal wind.  Pretty much the entire course had a head wind or cross wind, except for that initial 3 miles.  Thanks Mama Nature, I appreciate your desire to make me a stronger cyclist, but you could have provided this wind on a training day and not at my biggest race of the season.  Despite this wind, I did average 24 plus m.p.h., so that is definitely a positive.  I got off of the bike after 50 miles (it was supposed to be 48 but it was a little long), and my legs were shot.  I thought, “Let me start out the run extremely slow until I loosen up.”  Never happened.

            The wind died down, but now it was getting hot (They said it was 36 degrees Celsius, but I have no idea what that means).  I was not enjoying the run at all.  My legs were burnt out, it was really hot, and the electrolyte drink on the course had dairy in it which was giving me major stomach issues and the runners behind me stench issues.  I didn’t know about the dairy thing until Becky told me after the race.  I just wanted to get to the finish line, so I could start my off season and start working on my weaknesses.  I meandered through all 12.4 miles and finally crossed the line.  One consolation of the day was that my team mate, T.O., had won the race.  He is the nicest guy, so I was really happy to see him do well.  It was also the first time in 19 years an American had won the race (Holger told me that tid bit).  Go USA!

            So that was the day, and although it sounds miserable, it was actually probably one of the greatest races I have ever done.  If every race were perfect, I would not get better as an athlete, or challenge myself in ways only triathletes know.  We are a sick bunch, but I think the main reason we do these races is to have the sense of achievement when we overcome these obstacles.  I can groan and complain all day, but the fact is, Tim O’Donnell ripped up the course and didn’t let anything slow him down.  He has been professionally racing for a few years now and I am sure he has encountered his share of obstacles.  With each one, he gets stronger and more prepared for the next time that obstacle presents itself.  I will take what I have learned, make a note of it, and whup ass next time because of it.  Mother Nature is gonna get it.  RACE HARD!

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It’s Starting to Roll

10/13/09

            So when I told Kevin (Creator of finishlin-multisport.com) that I would write a blog on his site, I told him I wanted to write about my experiences as a new pro and my climb to the top.  Little did I know as much would be happening, this fast.  First of all, two weeks ago, USA triathlon contacted me and told me I had been selected for the US Long Course World Championships Team.  What an honor!  Only 6 guys in the country were selected for this team and I am one of them.  I am really excited.  They will take place in Perth, Australia on October 25^th.  The distance is 2 x’s an Olympic distance triathlon.  A 3K swim(ouch!), a 80K bike, and a 20K run.  In anticipation of this race I have been swimming like it’s going out of style.  I know I won’t be able to keep up with the best, but if I can hold my own, I know I can do some damage on the bike and run.  Last weekend I did the San Diego Classic Triathlon in which I ran the 10K in 30 minutes.  I am psyched to put my biking and running to the test against the best.  It will be a 25 hour trip to Perth, so I will have a lot of time to think about how hard I am going to have to push it in this race.

            The next happening was my creation of my own triathlon group.  In golf, Arnie has his Army, now, in triathlon, Lube has his Lunatics.  I want this group to be made up of people who have fun in life and enjoy watching others, as well as, helping others push their limits.  It is initially starting as a Facebook group, but eventually I would like to transform it into a club of sorts, in which members can plan to meet up at races, talk race strategy, push each other in racing and training, and enjoy a frosty beverage together before, during, or after training/racing.  Since it will be a world wide group, members can get traveling advice from teammates who live in other countries and may be able to help each other with lodging.  I would like to have all of my sponsors give members of the Lunatics exclusive deals.  We will have t-shirts, uniforms, equiptment, etc. displaying our name and sponsors and most importantly, our motto which is ONCE!  This is not strictly a triathlon group.  It is a group for anyone who makes the most out of life and does not take one day for granted.  My description is mildly vague right now, but I have a mental image of what Lube’s Lunatics will become, and it is exciting.  So hit up Lube’s Lunatics on Facebook, be loud and proud to be a member, shoot me a line to say, “What Up!” and live it up.

            I leave Monday, October 19^th(my birthday), for Perth.  I don’t know what to expect over there, it will obviously be my first World Championships, but hopefully I will perform my best, meet a lot of people, and spread the word of Lube’s Lunatics.  Hit me up on Facebook with any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc.  I look forward to feed back.  You can also e-mail me at Jlubinski1@yahoo.com.  I would like to incorporate some questions and comments from readers into this blog, so don’t be afraid to hit me up.  I will keep you up to date on Facebook and Twitter as to the happenings in Perth and in the world of the Lunatics.  Take care and Race Hard!      

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