Did you tell them I'm doing an Ironman?

Apparently Trimama's heroic like status knows no bounds. She helped out at the grade school track meet today, and was approached by multiple parents who inquired about her adventures in triathlon and if it was true that she was an Ironman.

"Did you tell them I'm doing an Ironman?"

"ahh...Yeah I think so"

"You think so!"

"Yeah, I did, I told Mr. Shields about my experience and then mentioned you were training for Wisconsin."

It's fun to tell people your training for an Ironman. It seems like a part of the whole training experience. No, it's absolutely part of it. Tacee B has enjoyed talking to people about the challenges of the race, but not just for his own pride. The joy of encouraging them that if I am doing one of these then they can for sure start exercising.

An example of this is one of Tac's good friends, who is about 300 pounds, but has been steadily losing weight. Tac's Ironman adventure is rubbing off on him. He swore last year he would never do a sprint. Last month, after we talked about finishing Wildflower, he committed to join me in doing LifeTime Triatlon in 2008.

What are some of your unexpected benefits from training for an Ironman?

Tac out

Sea Change

Also the name of a good Beck album (Sorry Dummy, more of Tac Boy's metro sexual music tastes)

This week's recap of the Adventures of Taconite Boy(since posting is apparently as common as Greyhound wearing a normal tie) involves complete career changes and a darn good ride.

Painting and Tac Boy are heading for divorce. She has run my, no, our life for about 17 years and Tacee B is sensing it's time for a change. Trimama has been the best supporter any entrepreneur could ask for, but she has also seen and felt how much of a burden the paining company has been for Tac.

To get right to the point (as superhero's are want to do) painting is not a very profitable product. I just spoke to one of my contractors (Great Company) and he agreed that paining is one of the toughest trades in regards to customer satisfaction that he deals with. Although Paradise Painting has very high standards, the manipulation of liquids as they turn solid can have varied results. Some customers don't get that and at times this costs Tac lots of dough. Another problem is that painting is something many people have done themselves, which creates the mindset that the cost should be low. Once clients see our work, they understand why we charge what we do, but this still affects what we can charge as tradesman. Finally, already low wages have leveled off. Due to many market factors over the last decade including cheap (and illegal) labor and fly by night companies the painting trades have seen a freeze or even decrease in hourly wages. Even in the high end market I have not been able to increase my hourly rate in the last 5 years.

I would appreciate lots prayer right now because trying to determine what direction to go is quite challenging. It feels like Tac has been dropped in the middle of the sea and is wondering where land is. Thankfully, in some prayer time, this awesome passage showed up...

Psalm 114:3-6

3The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.

4The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

5Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

O.K. If God controls the sea, then being in the middle of the ocean is alot like being in his hands.

So what options are out there for a 17 year painter? Two years ago I completed a degree in psychology (marriage and family-see now you know why Trimama rocks so much :) It feels like it's time to put that night schooling to some good use. First I need to figure out which shore I'm swimming to (official triathlon link). Then I plan to combine the qualifications of a degree and long career as a business owner and craft a resume that is tailored to my new vocational direction. Thanks for any thoughts and prayers you have.

Tri Thunder Kraut and I went out for a nearly 4 hour ride early Saturday morning. For him it was the confidence booster needed as he prepares for his first 1/2 IM in two weeks. For me it was good to just go long with a good friend and feel fine. Ironically TTK is my old painting partner. I can't lie that I much prefer spending tri time with him then paint time!

Have a good Memorial Day Weekend, and honor all those who have sacrificed their lives so we could enjoy simple things like Triathlon and not so simple career changes!

Tac out (and in the sea)

Random thoughts

When the week involves less project management and desktop time and more hands on painting, then posting is out the cyber window. Tac boy may have superpowers, but he has not developed the surgically implanted MacBook...he'll wait for Bigun to work on that one.


No Wildfower post race report, o.k. here it goes.

Swim-hard, slow, panicked and frustratingly painful (still have major scars from chaffing of suit)

Bike-Beautiful, difficult and glad to be done with. Tac boy's amazingly low heart rate zones(thanks heart meds!) were kept in check though and that was a good sign.

Run-Slow, totally fun (with the mama) and rewarding!(the finish)


WIBA WEBA...what ever. Tac Boy is in. He's decided that the opportunity to hang with Greyhound, Chivalry Chris, Tri-thunder Kraut and all the other bloggy friends is too rare to pass up. So fear not WIBA participants your superhero is available for the weekend. Although Iron Wil's philosophy lessons on the 6 hour bike may cause Tac Boy to become confused for he is a bit slow to complex philosophical ponderings.


Met the very kinetic Tri-Dummy on Wednesday night. He's a total kickin good time. The plan is to crash a local tri-birthday party tonight. Pictures of the criminal activity should be posted soon.

Race the Du tomorrow. Taking the run portion easy, hit the bike a little harder and back to easy run. :)

Have a good weekend!

Tac out

Here Comes Tri-Dummy

Watch out Minnesota tri-community, Tri-Dummy is heading up this week. Apprently he has a work related appointment up here and is going to spend the last part of the weekend with us. I'm looking forward to meeting my IMMOO 07 brother. I think we have some good Gear West activities planned for him, if he's tri-enough for it.

Looking forward to it bro

Tac Out

(you may have to click on the pic to make it larger)

I love Bolder

The Eleven Reasons I Love Bolder for suggesting we do Wildflower.

1. Getting to spend time with a good guy named Iron Kahuna.



2. Watching Robo-Stu be Robo-Stu



3. The joy of meeting so many awesome bloggers



4. Getting to know how fun Simply Stu is.



5. Getting to know (and sometimes see)my RV homies Wayyyyy more than I thought I would.




6. Doing my first waste dumping with an RV...umm yummy



7. Observing Iron-Jenny-Butterfly in her native environment



8. Being amazed at the caring and wonderful person that is Stronger.



9. Experiencing one of the most beautiful views (from atop nasty grade) I've ever seen on a course.



10. Finishing my first 1/2 Ironman with my best friend.



11. Spending the weekend with my lover.



Thanks Bold

Tac Out

I hate Bolder

It was his idea. Florida, poolside, the day after Ironman Florida...

Bolder "I think we should do Wildflower 07 and IMCDL 08."

We all like little lemmings agreed. WTHS (what the hockey sticks), that was the hardest race I have ever done. Not just the distance, the hills, I mean, mountains we climbed were ridiculous. I've never stopped my bike on a hill to take a brake, but I did twice on nasty grade.

How hard was it? Iron Jenny, who has competed in multiple Ironman and 1/2 Ironman events said that this was the hardest course she's ever done. One of the guys who placed ninth from the race athlete team said that compared to Canada and Coeurd'Laene, Wildflower was much harder.

I finished a 1/2 hour slower then I expected, but that's o.k. being this was my first 1/2 Ironman distance and the HARDEST 1/2 IRON IN THE WORLD. I definitly feel more confidence going towards Wisconsin! IMOO hills are more like speed bumps compared to this.

Much more to say and pics to show later, but everyone finished and we enjoyed a good post meal and adult refreshments las night. Were cheering on all our Olympic comrades this morning! Go Curly Su, Wil, Stronger and Rural Girl!


Tac out

Nap Time

Simply Stu caught this photo of Trimama and I underwater during the swim. Oh yeah.. she knows how to give love on the course! Cool shot or what!

Well after a late night which involved a midnight dip that is officially off the record..ehem..we got up early this morning, put together the bikes swam in the beautiful lake nestled in the valley of hills, followed by a quick 20 minute ride to try out some of vertically challenging roads. Trimama and Greyhound made a kickin brunch and I think we all are heading towards 'pre-race' nap time.



Tac out...zzzzzzz

Hangin in the RV

Finally got it here around 7:00. Iron K took us on a drive of nasty grade....HOLY CRAP. It's long, it goes up...way up. Hangin out here tonight right now. Looks a little like this...



Waitin for Robo-Stu and the Wil'ster to show up along with the other RV's, so I think I'll have another drink with Iron J...



Tac out

The Hair cut????/??

4 margaritas-2 martinis and one guitar lesson


The new pre race ritual


Robo and Jenny shave the K man.....bald

During guitar lessons.

AM will come early- I'm glad I'm not driving

Trimama out

The meal planning begins...

Well Trimama, Iron Jenny (who I want to now call IronButterfly) and I arrived safe and sound in the OC and were treated to leisurely stroll around the beaches in the area by our host IK. Trimama, being the mama of her RV is scripting out the Costco shopping list as Kahuna admires her mother hen like instincts.



Well busy morning ahead with about 20 people to pick up in the morning at LAX then we wind up the coast...oh yeah and do that half iron thing.

Tac out

6 hours....6 hours?

Apprarently this Saturday I'm doing a 6 hour work out. Well I hope I'm ready. I know your supposed to trust the training and all that, but I now understand how the taper can drive you bonkers.

Strained my hamstring Sunday. Very helpful in pre-race stress/taper. My IT band is still in healing mode from the trail run 10 days ago, so I decided to give aqua-jogging a go. It was awesome. I did two sets of 20 minutes in between two sets of 1000 yards swimming. Came home, felt great and spent the rest of the day doing chores around the house. Sunday morning Trimama and I got up for an early 2 hour bike ride. The ride was to cap off our training and officially welcome in the taper. We didnt ride hard, just nice and steady. When I got home, I sat down read some news and when attemptingto get up my leg literally would not straighten out. Spent the rest of the day in alot of pain, so I iced and rested. Apprently the aqua-jogging totally screwed up an outside portion of my hamstring. Visited my massage therapist yesterday (Thanks Shelly) and spent most of the day fretting about Wildflower and how stupid it was to try a new technique 6 DAYS PRIOR TO A RACE!

Well as of this morning the hamy is much better, still slightly sore, but should be fine by Saturday. Yea!

Packed our bikes last night. Wow I so hope my bike works when I pull it out in California. The way I contorted the thing to get into that box, I swear it cursed me when I closed the lid.

Got a message from Iron Jenny last night. Yeah... she capped her weekend off by riding 62 MILES THEN RAN 22 MILES THE NEXT DAY. She's weird. :) But she's all ours.

Were going to try to set up a posting laptop in our RV this weekend using my verizon broadband account, so hopefully will be able to update our sites with the views and news from Wildflower. Have a great week.

Tac out

6 hour hour race..yikes.