Just Show UP!
I don’t know if any of you real Triathletes ever feel like this? Some days it seems like the only thing good about my workout was just showing up. Today’s swim went that way. I seemed to forget everything I ever knew in the first 2 laps and then struggled to remember it the rest of the way.
What is starting to happen now days is when I get in the pool and start down the lane on the first 25 yards me just “feel” the water as I glide softly through it. I feel like I am slipping through the water without much effort. Letting my body begin to remember what it is supposed to do here. It is a cool feeling, leaves the worries of the day behind and allows me to be present to that exact moment. It is not Nirvana but it is a step closer. Then I start to “do something” because I think I have too and my body doesn’t do what I want and so I struggle to make it do what I think it should. The interesting thing is the struggle is sort of with me because if I relax and just stop trying so hard it usually goes better.
When you watch some of the good swimmers they look almost effortless and are traveling down the lane as fast as the swimmers “slamming” their way down the lane. I aim to become one of those graceful swimmers.
One of the aspects of training for Triathlons is if I get tired of running I can elect to swim or bike that day instead. It makes it easier to train because you have multiple disciplines to practice. I should go spinning on Friday but I am not too excited about doing that. So maybe I will swim or run instead. I am so so happy it is getting light out again for longer time during each day. I love the lengthening of days during this time of year.
Yesterday I had to put in 10 hours at work so I didn’t manage any training, but we are getting closer now and once we get half way I expect to be doing some form of training 6 out of every 7 days.
I want to work in Yoga again because it feels good getting the stretching in on a daily basis. I hate that the only time I can work it in to my schedule is at 4:00 am. Alas! Yoga feels good but getting up then does not. I need to stretch my muscles but I also need to sleep as much as I can. I am already at best getting 6 hours of sleep most nights. This is where I can’t decide if I need to exercise more discipline with myself and just do it. Do I need to carve some time out of other parts of my day? That does not seem realistic (carving out time).
As I exercise more I haven’t really lost much weight. Surprised? Wait, I think I have been eating twice as much and often at 9 pm right before bed. So I need to learn to be hungry more and avoid eating after 8:00 (two hours before bed time). I have been thinking about tracking everything I eat for 1 month. Not to count calories, I hate doing that but just to become aware of what I am eating and how much I am eating.
So for February I am going to raise my own bar. I will train 6 out of every 7 days. Do yoga 6 out of 7 days and write down everything I eat for the entire month. Oh my other personnel goal is to learn more about my Thyroid. Oh Yeah! I promise to blog and bore the hell out of anyone reading these juicy exciting morsels of my existence, once every day.
Wahoo.
“Some where someone musta kicked you around some. Baby. It don’t really matter to me. Everybody had to fight to be free but ya don’t have to live like a Refugee.” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Spin Wheel SPin - Ed Grimley the last of the real motivators.
174 days since I announced I would enter the “Race the Rock” Triathalon and 193 days left until I have to take the final action in fulfilling that promise to myself.
I am getting close to mid way in my transformation from Couch Potato to Triathlete anf I feel like I am making decent progress. Undecided if I should be counting up still or start counting down.
Today I can swim one half of a mile in around 22-23 minutes (in a pool at least). I can run 4 miles in 53 minutes, and I have no idea what it would take me to ride for 20 miles; but I bet it would be an hour and half to two hours. So my current estimate is that I will be able to finish the race in daylight and who know maybe even in a respectable time. Just finishing the swim part will be a major accomplishment
The biking is the last of my training I need to incorporate and so I have begun spinning classes. Well if you ever wondered, “Where do all the masocist go to meet other masochist?” Most of them are in spinning class. The Saddist are out encouraging other to take up running but the Masocist are busy smei-bonding in spinning classes all over the world. I mean what the heck ever happened to riding a bike? When did it become so intense that walking in and selecting your torture device (doh! I mean your spinning bike) is like forming up at a military formation. Spin class has become this den of half deaf, scantily clad athletic pain lovers who are not really polite to each other but sort of co-recognize each others existence. This I describe as “Semi-Bonding” Strange even though we will spend the next hour sweating and stinky and suffering together I not supposed to pat you on the butt ? What ? All the T.V. athletes do it. I was just trying to encourage him? What was I supposed to say? Nice Salmon colored skin tight shorts they make your ass look firm? Doh can’t talk about the ass. Nice skin tight top. Oops Nice Bulge ? Doh. What ? Oh I mean nice package. No! I mean nice padding in your shorts. Ahh I guess I will just be quiet and stand over here in the corner until it is time to mount my own torture device. But hell I look good in my skin tight ass firming, package wrapping, baunch padding shorts. So I’ll just slap my own bottom in encouragement as we ride the imaginary ride from hell. I am not the most popular guy in class. He he he
This brings up another point, if this an imaginary bike ride why are there so many Damn hills? This is imaginary land isn’t it? Let’s imagine a flat road or the downside of the hill. Why does this imaginary landscape only have hills that go up? So this must be where my parents walked to school. Ah I finally solved that mystery. Maybe the point is to make imaginary land so unappealing we will all go outside and ride in the real world where there is the back sides of hills. After class is over everyone politely wipes down the torture devices for the next poor souls.
“For those about to ROCK. We SALUTE YOU ! Good down home AC/DC always warms the belly and lightens the load.
I am getting close to mid way in my transformation from Couch Potato to Triathlete anf I feel like I am making decent progress. Undecided if I should be counting up still or start counting down.
Today I can swim one half of a mile in around 22-23 minutes (in a pool at least). I can run 4 miles in 53 minutes, and I have no idea what it would take me to ride for 20 miles; but I bet it would be an hour and half to two hours. So my current estimate is that I will be able to finish the race in daylight and who know maybe even in a respectable time. Just finishing the swim part will be a major accomplishment
The biking is the last of my training I need to incorporate and so I have begun spinning classes. Well if you ever wondered, “Where do all the masocist go to meet other masochist?” Most of them are in spinning class. The Saddist are out encouraging other to take up running but the Masocist are busy smei-bonding in spinning classes all over the world. I mean what the heck ever happened to riding a bike? When did it become so intense that walking in and selecting your torture device (doh! I mean your spinning bike) is like forming up at a military formation. Spin class has become this den of half deaf, scantily clad athletic pain lovers who are not really polite to each other but sort of co-recognize each others existence. This I describe as “Semi-Bonding” Strange even though we will spend the next hour sweating and stinky and suffering together I not supposed to pat you on the butt ? What ? All the T.V. athletes do it. I was just trying to encourage him? What was I supposed to say? Nice Salmon colored skin tight shorts they make your ass look firm? Doh can’t talk about the ass. Nice skin tight top. Oops Nice Bulge ? Doh. What ? Oh I mean nice package. No! I mean nice padding in your shorts. Ahh I guess I will just be quiet and stand over here in the corner until it is time to mount my own torture device. But hell I look good in my skin tight ass firming, package wrapping, baunch padding shorts. So I’ll just slap my own bottom in encouragement as we ride the imaginary ride from hell. I am not the most popular guy in class. He he he
This brings up another point, if this an imaginary bike ride why are there so many Damn hills? This is imaginary land isn’t it? Let’s imagine a flat road or the downside of the hill. Why does this imaginary landscape only have hills that go up? So this must be where my parents walked to school. Ah I finally solved that mystery. Maybe the point is to make imaginary land so unappealing we will all go outside and ride in the real world where there is the back sides of hills. After class is over everyone politely wipes down the torture devices for the next poor souls.
“For those about to ROCK. We SALUTE YOU ! Good down home AC/DC always warms the belly and lightens the load.
Monday, January 25, 2010
NOOKACHAMPS 5K - My first
Offical time = 32:15
Official rank = 75 out of 194 participants.
This is the official time listed on the Nookachamps website of my first 5K.
I am happy to have been a participant and I look forward to doing more races in the future. I am very glad that Amanda ran with me because this is the farthest I have run without walking or stopping in the middle. When she stayed with me I knew I would not stop or even try to rest because she wouldn’t let that happen.
This race was really fun and a major accomplishment that I am proud of. Looking at the list of racers I am humbled by some of those who finished ahead of me.
Emmie Sullivan who finished in 28:43 was the seven year old who passed me around the halfway point. – Well the youth have the advantage of youth. As I watched her run I thought “she is not running for anything more than fun and because her dad and sister are. By the way her 11 year old sister ran it in 22:26 which placed her at 22 out of 194.
It is not restricted to the young either for instance, 63 year old CB Crouse finished 14th at 21:40. Wow 59 year old Steve Hamilton placed 10th overall with 21:12.
Maybe you runners out there are used to this but it is new to me. People are freaking amazing and inspiring. This is one of the reasons I like watching TV shows like the “Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” because of the stories of the people. Because I find average everyday people amazing and incredible. They are all around every day, sitting next to you and people you have known for years.
As I was struggling between mile 1 and 2 I couldn’t help but think of those contestants on the biggest loser running a Marathon as they are 50 to 150 pounds overweight. You might say they walked parts of it but I say they are all freaking awesome and they inspire me. I have to ask myself am I really pushing as hard as I could?
Official rank = 75 out of 194 participants.
This is the official time listed on the Nookachamps website of my first 5K.
I am happy to have been a participant and I look forward to doing more races in the future. I am very glad that Amanda ran with me because this is the farthest I have run without walking or stopping in the middle. When she stayed with me I knew I would not stop or even try to rest because she wouldn’t let that happen.
This race was really fun and a major accomplishment that I am proud of. Looking at the list of racers I am humbled by some of those who finished ahead of me.
Emmie Sullivan who finished in 28:43 was the seven year old who passed me around the halfway point. – Well the youth have the advantage of youth. As I watched her run I thought “she is not running for anything more than fun and because her dad and sister are. By the way her 11 year old sister ran it in 22:26 which placed her at 22 out of 194.
It is not restricted to the young either for instance, 63 year old CB Crouse finished 14th at 21:40. Wow 59 year old Steve Hamilton placed 10th overall with 21:12.
Maybe you runners out there are used to this but it is new to me. People are freaking amazing and inspiring. This is one of the reasons I like watching TV shows like the “Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” because of the stories of the people. Because I find average everyday people amazing and incredible. They are all around every day, sitting next to you and people you have known for years.
As I was struggling between mile 1 and 2 I couldn’t help but think of those contestants on the biggest loser running a Marathon as they are 50 to 150 pounds overweight. You might say they walked parts of it but I say they are all freaking awesome and they inspire me. I have to ask myself am I really pushing as hard as I could?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What happend?
I know many of you in my world are wondering sone of th following
Did he quit ?
Did he get trampled by a horse?
Eaten by a pack of wild island coyotes?
Sucked into the vortex that is Holiday time. BINGO !
So Here Me AM ! Still here, still exercising and still on the path to Triathletedom (I don't think that is a word but when has that ever stopped me from saying something).
I did a lot of swimming in December the 14th thru the 18th I swam everyday and I even had a lesson from my wonderful "masters swimmer" wife who gave me a lot of help with my form and lots of stuff to work on.
If I were to complain (and we all know I never do) then it would be that I always hear "Engage your core." or "Loop and Lift" why does everything begin in the core. My core is so weak. (imagine here the royal we breaks out into Paul Simon song) Why am I soft in the middle, soft in the middle why my life is so hard, I want a shot at redemption ....." stop singing Mr tone deaf.
Okay well January and I have not been swimming al year so far but I have been running. Not very well but I have been doing it. It is a struggle these days, over New Years weekend I ran 4 miles (very hard and had to stop and walk a couple times) then after a day I ran 3 miles (still hard) then another day I ran 1.5 and that was still hard. Sucky sucky sucky. IT is supposed to get easier but it is not happening.
All my damn leg hair is falling out again which tells me my Thyroid is going wacky. Just great. Blood test show I am taking too much medication so Doc says cut it back. I have the test saying I am over medicated and sympthons saying I am under medicated. Pah I just want to not think about it but I am sot of sore and I think more tiored than I ought to be except at bedtime(when I am starving and wide awake). That leads me no where, Sooooo time to become my own Thyroid expert.
I am not a Triathlete now and I am not a couch Potato now but I am stuck in the middle.
Shout out to NOTA the winners of the show on ABC called Sing Off, those guys have MAD SKILLS.
Did he quit ?
Did he get trampled by a horse?
Eaten by a pack of wild island coyotes?
Sucked into the vortex that is Holiday time. BINGO !
So Here Me AM ! Still here, still exercising and still on the path to Triathletedom (I don't think that is a word but when has that ever stopped me from saying something).
I did a lot of swimming in December the 14th thru the 18th I swam everyday and I even had a lesson from my wonderful "masters swimmer" wife who gave me a lot of help with my form and lots of stuff to work on.
If I were to complain (and we all know I never do) then it would be that I always hear "Engage your core." or "Loop and Lift" why does everything begin in the core. My core is so weak. (imagine here the royal we breaks out into Paul Simon song) Why am I soft in the middle, soft in the middle why my life is so hard, I want a shot at redemption ....." stop singing Mr tone deaf.
Okay well January and I have not been swimming al year so far but I have been running. Not very well but I have been doing it. It is a struggle these days, over New Years weekend I ran 4 miles (very hard and had to stop and walk a couple times) then after a day I ran 3 miles (still hard) then another day I ran 1.5 and that was still hard. Sucky sucky sucky. IT is supposed to get easier but it is not happening.
All my damn leg hair is falling out again which tells me my Thyroid is going wacky. Just great. Blood test show I am taking too much medication so Doc says cut it back. I have the test saying I am over medicated and sympthons saying I am under medicated. Pah I just want to not think about it but I am sot of sore and I think more tiored than I ought to be except at bedtime(when I am starving and wide awake). That leads me no where, Sooooo time to become my own Thyroid expert.
I am not a Triathlete now and I am not a couch Potato now but I am stuck in the middle.
Shout out to NOTA the winners of the show on ABC called Sing Off, those guys have MAD SKILLS.
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