The Charger's transmission wouldn't shift out of Park today so I am currently at home waiting for a tow to the dealership, covered under warranty. Never happened before or had problems before so it will be interesting to see what is discovered.
I can't let a little car problem screw my whole work day so I am pumping up the tires and riding the Valdora in. Nothing like a little extra bike training during to build base.
Its going to be hot, forecasts are 111* today. I won't have a choice but to ride through the worst of it and guess I will get between 30-60 miles today. The sunscreen is definitely going into the bag.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Open mouth, spew crazy.
Missed my 2500 yard swim and 12 mile run brick today. Man has work been crushing me this week. My partner actually apologized to me for all the additional duties he put on me, not knowing that it was really breaking me down. I have a hard time saying NO right now, because I am picking up slack from some promotions and demotions of people. Luckily this is the only day I have actually missed a workout(s). The workouts I have been on have been benchmarks. The progression is really coming along.
But back to this stress. Oh it will dissipate. My stress envelop is being pushed but its big enough, more than enough. I still have an hour to get home for movie night with Mighty Mo and Mistress. Peter Pan tonight. Love that movie. Oh we couldn't get a babysitter for the friends night out, so we bagged.
I might actually try to have a little vodka and OJ tonight. Not too much, just enough. At 3 a.m. I am getting up to fit in my 60 mile ride before Mistress has her Masters swim. The key run I missed today I am going to replace with my base work on Sunday.
A lesson to people in the same time crunch as I am right now. Never sacrifice your weekly key workout of each discipline. You can miss the filler but not the long stuff.
I don't know if this correlates, but in my punch drunk mind it does. I can hear Bolder in my ear saying, "You want to train for hills, ride hills. You want to train for flats, you ride hills."
But back to this stress. Oh it will dissipate. My stress envelop is being pushed but its big enough, more than enough. I still have an hour to get home for movie night with Mighty Mo and Mistress. Peter Pan tonight. Love that movie. Oh we couldn't get a babysitter for the friends night out, so we bagged.
I might actually try to have a little vodka and OJ tonight. Not too much, just enough. At 3 a.m. I am getting up to fit in my 60 mile ride before Mistress has her Masters swim. The key run I missed today I am going to replace with my base work on Sunday.
A lesson to people in the same time crunch as I am right now. Never sacrifice your weekly key workout of each discipline. You can miss the filler but not the long stuff.
I don't know if this correlates, but in my punch drunk mind it does. I can hear Bolder in my ear saying, "You want to train for hills, ride hills. You want to train for flats, you ride hills."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Ringing
Forget the fact that my kick ass silver laptop with 17" screen feels like the size and weight of the nuclear football, but it does allow me to work from Buffalo Wild Wings this afternoon, and they do free wi-fi. God Bless America. For those that know my penchant for my favorite meal, well its fifty cent boneless wings Thursday. Hoorah.
Its been just a nutz day. I have been backed up all week with demands and I finally had to have the, "You have given me this, this, and this as urgent. I have time deadlines on this, this and this. What do you want me to sacrifice?" Point made.
Mistress got frustrated with me for not answering my phone a few weeks ago. To be honest I don't carry my phone with me everywhere I go. I don't take it into meetings, or movies or I turn off the ringer when I am jammed up. But I have tried since that conviction to be better at answering her calls.
She called today right before going into a meeting with some lawyers, asking if I wanted to see a comedian Friday night with a six other couples we are friends with. If she was asking I knew it was important for her so I was interested until she said it was the 9pm show and we'd be home around midnight. I sort of groaned out loud as I had planned to get up at 0330 Saturday to get in my 60 mile ride before coming home for her to go to her Masters swim.
Her mention of me skipping the ride did not go well, but I told her right away that I would simply ride on 3 hours sleep and that it seemed this was important to her. So I am riding on three hours sleep.
I hung up, still frazzled from all the demands of the day, walked into the meeting with the lawyers and realized I had brought the wrong case file. Yup. Thankfully all I really do is consider these cases, looking at every angle and we had a productive meeting with me going from memory and them from their files. Thank god they were on my side.
It a day in the life.
Its been just a nutz day. I have been backed up all week with demands and I finally had to have the, "You have given me this, this, and this as urgent. I have time deadlines on this, this and this. What do you want me to sacrifice?" Point made.
Mistress got frustrated with me for not answering my phone a few weeks ago. To be honest I don't carry my phone with me everywhere I go. I don't take it into meetings, or movies or I turn off the ringer when I am jammed up. But I have tried since that conviction to be better at answering her calls.
She called today right before going into a meeting with some lawyers, asking if I wanted to see a comedian Friday night with a six other couples we are friends with. If she was asking I knew it was important for her so I was interested until she said it was the 9pm show and we'd be home around midnight. I sort of groaned out loud as I had planned to get up at 0330 Saturday to get in my 60 mile ride before coming home for her to go to her Masters swim.
Her mention of me skipping the ride did not go well, but I told her right away that I would simply ride on 3 hours sleep and that it seemed this was important to her. So I am riding on three hours sleep.
I hung up, still frazzled from all the demands of the day, walked into the meeting with the lawyers and realized I had brought the wrong case file. Yup. Thankfully all I really do is consider these cases, looking at every angle and we had a productive meeting with me going from memory and them from their files. Thank god they were on my side.
It a day in the life.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Does this look lonely?
The sad fact is that my base training is ramped up harder than most half iron plans right now. But I have big goals for next year and I can't wait for the season to start. But first the sowing, then then the reaping. And as all good farmers know, the seeds are growing long before they pop through the loamy earth.
I am one of the slower swimmers in my tri club. Let me put that in perspective for a moment. I am on pace to swim a 82 minute Ironman and I finish in the back of the pack with my peers who all pace about an hour five. I really don't have any problems with my swimming right now...as long as its wet suit legal. Thats another story.
Lately I have been swimming for an hour in open water or about 3000 yards. Most of my pals are swimming 2000 in about 30 minutes. So its a lot of time spent by myself in water, usually I try to get in the water 30 minutes earlier so we all finish together. When that doesn't happen or someone else is staying in, one of the team will spot from the steel bridge that we swim under and has perfect viewing of the entire swim course.
Ken took this picture of me swimming late as he guarded me from the bridge one night. I think it's a beautiful picture of a beautiful place, but it only emphasizes my sense of loneliness now that I am deep into the biggest training program of my triathlon career. I look at it and see just me. Alone. Happy but alone.
I usually arrive an hour or more early to all our events to get in extra miles of whatever practice where having. But that is the sacrifice one must make to accomplish big dreams. It's the training that I do when others are not around that is going to get me where I want to go, though I would never want to give up the camaraderie I have with my team.
Its also sort of a metaphor of my blogging. While my daily posts have not slacked much, my daily reading has and that causes me to feel as alone as I do in my swims. I am happy, but alone. Reading the success and struggle of my good friends is as much a part of my life as any swim, bike or run.
I am one of the slower swimmers in my tri club. Let me put that in perspective for a moment. I am on pace to swim a 82 minute Ironman and I finish in the back of the pack with my peers who all pace about an hour five. I really don't have any problems with my swimming right now...as long as its wet suit legal. Thats another story.
Lately I have been swimming for an hour in open water or about 3000 yards. Most of my pals are swimming 2000 in about 30 minutes. So its a lot of time spent by myself in water, usually I try to get in the water 30 minutes earlier so we all finish together. When that doesn't happen or someone else is staying in, one of the team will spot from the steel bridge that we swim under and has perfect viewing of the entire swim course.
Ken took this picture of me swimming late as he guarded me from the bridge one night. I think it's a beautiful picture of a beautiful place, but it only emphasizes my sense of loneliness now that I am deep into the biggest training program of my triathlon career. I look at it and see just me. Alone. Happy but alone.
I usually arrive an hour or more early to all our events to get in extra miles of whatever practice where having. But that is the sacrifice one must make to accomplish big dreams. It's the training that I do when others are not around that is going to get me where I want to go, though I would never want to give up the camaraderie I have with my team.
Its also sort of a metaphor of my blogging. While my daily posts have not slacked much, my daily reading has and that causes me to feel as alone as I do in my swims. I am happy, but alone. Reading the success and struggle of my good friends is as much a part of my life as any swim, bike or run.Monday, September 3, 2007
Filling in the holes
Sometimes the hardest decisions are not if your going to finish your workout, but if you will start it at all. I am not immune from those thoughts as well. So many times in my life I sat on the couch or at my desk day after day rewarding my indecision with poor nutrition. The days turn to weeks and so a true lapse has occurred in my fitness. Luckily this has not occurred in many years but still I vividly recall those months telling myself, "Tomorrow I'll start working out/eating better." It taunts me like a drug taunts an addict after many years of recovery.
The sad fact is that millions of people go their entire life thinking everyday about the fitness hole they are in and never doing anything about it except making a promise to start with never setting a date. Its no wonder this hole has created almost a nastiness towards those that have not only dug out of their hole but turned their hole into a mountain that constantly grows as the person reaches higher after meeting each goal.
I think these mountains are not based on altitude so much as capacity and atittude. Whose to say my mountain made with recovery from paralysis and head injuries, finishing marathons and ironman's is any higher than someone who just finished their 5k. I am just as excited for them as I am for myself. Its our own personal self worth that makes the mountain, not what our ego tells us.
So many people live without the faith they can lose weight, get in shape and maybe, just possibly feel a little bit better about themselves. Its this lack of faith that limits them more than any physical ailment. This is why I think deep down all of us mountain builders are so excited for those hole dwellers when they begin to fill in their holes by joining a gym (and using it) or perhaps just running on a consistent basis. Really deep down, just getting themselves outside of their comfort zone to improve themselves is celebration enough.
So today find a reason to celebrate someone who is working towards filling in their hole. Remind someone who told you their New Years resolution was to run a half marathon this year that a 5k is still very much possible. Encourage that person that continues to say they will run with you or swim with you or go to yoga at least once (guilty) that you will stick with them the whole time and then you dedicate that workout not to showing how good you are, but how fun what your doing is.
That the view from atop the mountain is a lot more satisfying than at the bottom of a hole.
The sad fact is that millions of people go their entire life thinking everyday about the fitness hole they are in and never doing anything about it except making a promise to start with never setting a date. Its no wonder this hole has created almost a nastiness towards those that have not only dug out of their hole but turned their hole into a mountain that constantly grows as the person reaches higher after meeting each goal.
I think these mountains are not based on altitude so much as capacity and atittude. Whose to say my mountain made with recovery from paralysis and head injuries, finishing marathons and ironman's is any higher than someone who just finished their 5k. I am just as excited for them as I am for myself. Its our own personal self worth that makes the mountain, not what our ego tells us.
So many people live without the faith they can lose weight, get in shape and maybe, just possibly feel a little bit better about themselves. Its this lack of faith that limits them more than any physical ailment. This is why I think deep down all of us mountain builders are so excited for those hole dwellers when they begin to fill in their holes by joining a gym (and using it) or perhaps just running on a consistent basis. Really deep down, just getting themselves outside of their comfort zone to improve themselves is celebration enough.
So today find a reason to celebrate someone who is working towards filling in their hole. Remind someone who told you their New Years resolution was to run a half marathon this year that a 5k is still very much possible. Encourage that person that continues to say they will run with you or swim with you or go to yoga at least once (guilty) that you will stick with them the whole time and then you dedicate that workout not to showing how good you are, but how fun what your doing is.
That the view from atop the mountain is a lot more satisfying than at the bottom of a hole.
Perspective of the life
We all live in stress envelopes of our own creation. We have different levels of stress for work, friends, outside stimulus, and of course physical stress. As we train our minds, numb our feelings or train our body's we can increase these envelopes till what used to be very stressful is now merely a blip.
At the pool the other day I shared a lane with someone getting back into swimming after a long absence of exercise. At one point in my set we both ended up at the same wall with some time to spare and he asked how much farther I was going. I replied about a mile more after already doing 800 yards and what about him.
He had done 6x100 and was smoked and leaving. He asked me what I was doing for the rest of the day, going back to work or going home for Labor Day weekend. I responded that I am going to go run 10 miles.
His eyes got HUGE. Thats when it dawned on me.
At work I am constantly surrounded by people striving to be better physically. In training and racing and blogging I am constantly surrounded by, listened to, dropping advice, or in the company or conversation of fitness.
I suppose I am sometimes blind to the fact that people are not into the lifestyle that I have. Just as I am aghast that someone would drop their cigarette butt out the window of their car, others I am sure are aghast that I would over the course of a Friday, Saturday, Sunday; run 15 miles, cycle 60 miles and swim 5,000 yards. And that was just the schedule for last weekends base training.
I read the facts and see the results of the increasing weight problems of this country. While I am not shaped like a sleek whippet or coiled spring, (see: Bolder for that), I have a decent build and my mode of dress does describe a Fitness Enthusiast. The funny (or perhaps sad) thing is making sure I don't have too much triathlon gear on. Between my M-Dot tattoo, a race shirt, my road ID which never seems to come off my ankle, a IM visor or other races ball cap, or drawstring swag bag, (which Nytro calls a Murse), it can be triathlon overload. Like when you see someone head to toe in Nike.
I don't enjoy blowing the mind of the Common Man, intimidation can overwhelm someone into NOT getting started on an exercise program, but I do get a glimpse at the understanding of where my fitness stress envelope is when seen through their eyes.
I suppose the moral of this story is when you think you're just barely making it, in whatever you're doing, someone else will see it as Herculean.
At the pool the other day I shared a lane with someone getting back into swimming after a long absence of exercise. At one point in my set we both ended up at the same wall with some time to spare and he asked how much farther I was going. I replied about a mile more after already doing 800 yards and what about him.
He had done 6x100 and was smoked and leaving. He asked me what I was doing for the rest of the day, going back to work or going home for Labor Day weekend. I responded that I am going to go run 10 miles.
His eyes got HUGE. Thats when it dawned on me.
At work I am constantly surrounded by people striving to be better physically. In training and racing and blogging I am constantly surrounded by, listened to, dropping advice, or in the company or conversation of fitness.
I suppose I am sometimes blind to the fact that people are not into the lifestyle that I have. Just as I am aghast that someone would drop their cigarette butt out the window of their car, others I am sure are aghast that I would over the course of a Friday, Saturday, Sunday; run 15 miles, cycle 60 miles and swim 5,000 yards. And that was just the schedule for last weekends base training.
I read the facts and see the results of the increasing weight problems of this country. While I am not shaped like a sleek whippet or coiled spring, (see: Bolder for that), I have a decent build and my mode of dress does describe a Fitness Enthusiast. The funny (or perhaps sad) thing is making sure I don't have too much triathlon gear on. Between my M-Dot tattoo, a race shirt, my road ID which never seems to come off my ankle, a IM visor or other races ball cap, or drawstring swag bag, (which Nytro calls a Murse), it can be triathlon overload. Like when you see someone head to toe in Nike.
I don't enjoy blowing the mind of the Common Man, intimidation can overwhelm someone into NOT getting started on an exercise program, but I do get a glimpse at the understanding of where my fitness stress envelope is when seen through their eyes.
I suppose the moral of this story is when you think you're just barely making it, in whatever you're doing, someone else will see it as Herculean.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
The Doings
I have been a bad blogger. I am quite a bit behind in my readings but damn if I haven't been having fun. While I have opened up the '4th Wall' into some of my work woes, the last month of training has been off the hook for me. I am loving it. Whether this is because I took 9 weeks off or whatever, I have found that passion that was sorely lacking after eighteen months of hard training.
For my first three weeks of base training I have been averaging 8,000 yards swimming, 90 miles cycling and 26 miles running per week.
I have not been without conflict or issues, like for instance a front and rear flat today up through the first half of my ride and not having the gear to finish the second half. That'll happen.
So its not hard for me to apologize and know you all understand. When I have my spare times I try to get through blogs as I can. Being a rather OCD guy I tend to go alphabetically so the A-K get read much more than the rest. Trying to remedy that.
Have a great weekend dear friends.
My Sunday is a 1 hour run in the canyon, followed by a 3,000 yard swim. All over by 0830. Then a steak dinner later for dinner.
For my first three weeks of base training I have been averaging 8,000 yards swimming, 90 miles cycling and 26 miles running per week.
I have not been without conflict or issues, like for instance a front and rear flat today up through the first half of my ride and not having the gear to finish the second half. That'll happen.
So its not hard for me to apologize and know you all understand. When I have my spare times I try to get through blogs as I can. Being a rather OCD guy I tend to go alphabetically so the A-K get read much more than the rest. Trying to remedy that.
Have a great weekend dear friends.
My Sunday is a 1 hour run in the canyon, followed by a 3,000 yard swim. All over by 0830. Then a steak dinner later for dinner.
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