Day Zero

9:10AM Monday April 28, 2014. Click. Done.

Hi. I'm Rick Ashburn. I've now committed to the Lake Tahoe 1/2 IM. Or the "70.3" as they call it these days. Nobody wants to do "half" of something, so now it has its own name. But still...it's half. And I'm OK with that. The "full" is beyond my commitment level at this time and I don't want to stress out over preparations.

Background: I'm 53. I first got off the sofa in 2001 by signing up for IM Lake Placid for summer 2002. I was fat and out of shape. My big goal at first was to be able to run to the elementary school near our house in La Jolla without stopping. That's 3 whole blocks, if you really want to know. I eventually ran all the way to Wind n Sea beach and asked my wife to go home and get the car to take me back.

That was 4 blocks.

I worked up to my first 1/2 marathon (a neat 2 hours). Then a couple of half IMs. Then I made it around the Lake Placid course that next summer in a little over 13 hours -- 4 of which was walking.

I continued on in the sport for the next 4 years, favoring long-course events. I like my suffering as a slow-burn. Sprint tris and 5ks are too intense -- like burning your hand on a stove.The San Diego Tri Club was my base, and the monthly club races were invaluable in working out techniques and strategies.

The last serious push I made was for the Oceanside Half in 2006. I trained hard, and felt I had all the pieces in place for a top-10 AG finish. But I let my fitness get to my head a week out from the event and decided mid-ride to set a PR on my favorite 3-hr loop. I was exhausted after that, and was tired right up through the event. I thought I was a lock for top-10 but instead cratered on the swim and my day went downhill from there.

I executed OK on the bike (2:40) but just could not find any rhythm on the run. Finished 15th or 17th...I forget exactly. But that was my last triathlon. Our family moved up to the SF East Bay in summer 2006. I stuck with running for a while...did a trail marathon and some long self-supported trail runs. But I chose to stop the time commitment that is tri training as my kids were getting older and I preferred family time to bike and pool time.

I continued running for another 2 years -- 3-4 days a week. Then the plantar fasciitis hit. And hit bad. I limped around...could not run more than 20 minutes. Eventually couldn't really run at all. One day of running left me sore for a week. And, yes, I tried everything. Stretching, foot brace, Strassburg Sock, A.R.T., taping, 6 different kinds of shoes, barefoot running,...you name it, I tried it.

So I quit.

That was three years ago, and I took up golf. I always swore I would never play golf until I couldn't run any more. Well, that day arrived sooner than I thought.

Friends ask, Why didn't you keep riding? Defeatism. Being bummed out about my feet and not being able to run any more. IOW...no good reason. I just quit, that's all. Played golf; restored old motorcycles; coached Little League. I just didn't feel like riding.

But an interesting thing happened after carrying a golf bag for a few miles a couple days a week for two years. My feet got stronger and more resilient. I took some tentative runs early this year, and I got encouraged. Then I found out my golf course will be closed for renovation this summer and fall.

And so here I am. Day zero.