BUFFMAN AND SQUEAKY, PART DEAUX

Three years after completing my first-ever triathlon, the 2008 Buffman and Squeaky Olympic triathlon at Buffalo Springs Lake, I completed my 12th triathlon at the same location and the same event.

My first experience was pretty awful: no wetsuit, slow bike, side cramps on the run, etc.

This experience would have been much better had the water not been 58 degrees which was WARMER than the air outside the lake. It was freezing.

My theory is that the cold water had something to do with my calves cramping up about halfway through the swim. If I concentrated on powering my kick from my hip joint and not my ankles, the cramping would go away. A twinge here...a twinge there.

When I reached the swim finish and set my feet on the bottom of the lake to stand, both calves and both groins cramped. That's never happened to me before. I had to sit there for a few seconds while the cramps subsided, then slowly walk up transition to my bike where I had to actually sit down to take my wetsuit off - calves and groin cramping all the while.

Frustrating.

I went to mount my bike and off they went again. The announcer said, "Here's Mark Rogers off on the bike...and, no, now he's OFF the bike." I had to get off the bike and let my legs stop cramping.

I didn't think I was going to get up the first big hill, which is about 100 yards from the bike mount. And keep in mind, a strong, cold wind was blowing and I'm wearing a wet, skin-tight triathlon "outfit" and no socks.

I made it up the hill without incident and had to keep it just under redline the rest of the bike as to not upset my abnormally crampish legs.

The wind was in our faces on the way out, but we had the luxury of a tail wind the last half of the bike.

I dismounted, changed into my run gear and had to run about 2 miles before I could actually feel my feet. Ended up with a decent run time of 45 minutes, considering all that was going on - and I had to stop and pee (it was so cold that none of the water I was drinking was going anywhere...I wasn't sweating).

Sprinted the last 20o meters to finish just under 2:40, 5 minutes faster than my first ever triathlon. My PR Olympic is about 2:24 but not at this venue. Any distance on that course is a killer because of the potential for wind and the enormous hills.

I'm looking forward to the Capital of Texas Triathlon in a couple of weeks (Memorial Day in Austin) where there will be little to no wind and very few hills. Maybe this race won't be unseasonably freezing.

4-HOUR BODY EXPERIMENT (Days 29 and 30)

Day 29 - Sunday:

Weighed 180.3 (81.8 kg) this morning. Wow. Just more than 8 pounds since I started.
Breakfast was eggs and strawberries.
Didn't eat lunch until 3:30 PM (moving). Had a large salad and some black beans with chia. Dessert was cashews and raisins.
Dinner was pulled pork, beans, potato salad. Dessert was a large bowl of sliced frozen banana, frozen mangos, cashews, and honey. Mmmmm....boy.
Had more cashews and raisins later. Also had a couple of pieces of wheat bread with melted organic cheese right before bed.

Day 30 - Monday:

Felt OK this morning. Just exhausted from moving. Woke up late and got a late start. Ended up taking the day off to work at the house.
Breakfast was tuna, salad and black beans.
Lunch was the same.
Dinner was beef brisket, beans, jalapenos, pickles and mustard greens. Celery and cashew butter as snack.
Second day in a row I didn't work out.
PAGG, gallon water, cold showers.

OK...so my overall thoughts on 4HB diet are very positive. It's basically Paleo with no fruit during the week and legumes added back in. I feel great. I lost more than 8 pounds. Hopefully I'll be <180 by the end of this week...which was my goal (to be under 180 before the start of tri season - May 15).

I actually look forward to cold showers now and haven't taken a hot shower since the Saturday I read 4HB (April 2nd I think?). I may take one tonight as a celebration of 30 days in the books.

I will continue to eat the way I've been eating. It will be interesting to see where I'm at after another 60 days. I really like the whole not eating fruit thing during the week and then eating fruit on Sundays. It makes fruit a whole new experience. A delicacy. Something that triggers dopamine in my brain so I get the same response I used to get when eating ice cream and candy bars on Sundays. Oh...and this is day 121 of no candy, processed sugar, sweets, desserts, etc. Have no cravings for any of it.