Personnel Best
Sunday I had to take advantage of that wonderful weather and run in the sun. I have taken the last 3 days off just to rest my back which has been sore for the past 2 weeks. That is difficult to do, at least for my psyche. Taking time off of any kind feels like slowing down (because it is slowing down) and I get really impatient because I am afraid of coming to a complete stop (me as a couch potato is a complete stop). It is much easier staying active and it is like those laws of physics “Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion; Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest.” O well I was C physics student so maybe that is not the exact quote but you get the idea. It can be frustrating when I don’t exactly know how I made my back sore. So I am not even sure if skipping running or skipping swimming or just sleeping funny will help improve it. I suspect that I am carrying more weight than is beneficial. Coach me is telling workout me that it would be easier if you lost another 11 pounds. I am currently 211 and I think it would help if I could shed another 11 pounds. I am not doing this to lose weight so I have not paid much attention to the fact that I now eat a little more. I will admit I might eat more like a hobbit nowadays. I have 3 breakfasts (I plan on working out today) and lunch (I work out first) and a snack for the way home (I worked out earlier) and dinner (for the kids regular dinners are important to building strong family values) and desert and late night snack or 2nd desert around 9:30 right before I go to sleep.
“I like to eat, I like to eat, apples and banaynays”
I plan on improving my choices and mixing in more vegetables and fruit not in that particular order. In the book I just finished the author talks about having Salad for breakfast and that just sounds insane to me. Breakfast is my favorite meal and should be loaded with Butter and Sugar no matter what the delivery system. Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls, Cap’N Crunch Cereal with butter on top. Who cares as long as it is fried? Yum Yum. This brings up a pet peeve of mine. The importance of eating your meals in the proper order (except Breakfast which can be eaten at any time). My wife, is a wonderful woman, however she often goes straight to ordering lunch before she has had the breakfast and it disturbs me very very much. I live with it but jeez she must have something wrong with her when she can order a sandwich at 11:00 am without having her breakfast yet. Just plain WACKO.
However if I do manage to lose 11 pounds it will make me lighter and therefore less tired when I run. Oh yeah speaking of running, I ran my personnel best today. 5.2 miles nonstop. Oh yes I did! I broke the 5 mile barrier WOW is all I can say. Wow? No what I said was OW. I felt that one. I have a couple of friends who are stepping up their training and inspiring me to start raising my own limits. I have raised the running with that one. In the middle of the 5 miles is a slow gradual 2 mile rise just enough that you wouldn’t notice it much when you drove in a car but enough to make it really suck when you’re running it. I was most happy with handling that sharp pain I get below my ankle on the inside of my foot. I felt it on the uphill (like I usually do) and I just focused on relaxing my ankles. Completely relaxing my legs and staying with that focus made the sharp pain go away and allowed me to finish the entire run. I have been feeling that for the last month or so when I run uphell (oops I mean uphill). If anyone knows what that is let me know so I can treat it better. All I am doing for it now is relaxing my ankles and feet when I run. I ran 5 miles straight. Wow I can hardly believe I ran that far. I think reading that book Born to Run was very inspiring and reading it really helped me have faith that I could finish 5 miles There is something powerful in leaving the house and saying I will run back here to this point without stopping no matter how slow I am going.
If I can run 5 straight miles I think I can call myself a runner now. Good thing I am married to a sexy super jock that runs twice my amount the same day and keeps me humble. Well
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Learning to swim Do - Over
I have 169 days until the start of the Triathlon
• 14,601,600 seconds
• 243,360 minutes
• 4056 hours
• 24 weeks (rounded down)
So I had better get to work. I just re-read some of the Total Immersion (by Terry Laughlin) book and realized I have been swimming harder and not smarter. I am suffering from the challenge of lifting my head when I breathe. This is not my only challenge just the most obviously detrimental one. This results in dropping my legs and negatating my forward momentum. So after reading the beginning drills again, I decided to focus on them now that I have learned to swim a half mile the hard way.
I would call it back to basics but since I never really had any basics I will call this back to the buoy. The buoy is all about balance and water balance is hard to learn I struggled the first time I tried to learn it. It is sort of like a place in your chest that you push into the water so your hips pop up. I learned it a little when I started but mostly just while I was face down. In the Total Immersion swimming form you spend most of your time swimming on your side so you need to learn to balance on all 4 sides.
Today I picked it up faster and was able to (at times) balance on all 4 sides. This work is hard to do because it doesn’t look like you are doing much in the water. I noticed how it is also a challenge to not care what others in the pool think of what I am doing or how fast I am going or what I look like while doing it. This was a theme in the Chi Running book as well. Being willing to work on your form despite what others might think of you.
So my swimming form needs more work and I am attending to it. I think my form in all 3 areas needs more work. It is also hard to resist the “mileage” = quality mentality that I picked up a little. I thought if I went 20 laps then I must be getting better each time. But really that is just practicing bad form each time. So I need to discipline myself. Follow the expert’s advice. Follow the known method for improving your form and I will be rewarded with swimming easier and more effective. Speed comes after form. Chi running says the same thing, first form, then distance, and then speed. It is funny how I want the instant gratification even in my exercising. I want to run real fast and real far right now. I want to swim real far and real fast right now. Yeah so? So does everyone. So these experts have a proven way to learn that it is time for me to shut up and listen. Just because I can form an opinion on a topic does not mean I should speak about it. Even when I am talking to myself, no especially when I am talking to myself.
• 14,601,600 seconds
• 243,360 minutes
• 4056 hours
• 24 weeks (rounded down)
So I had better get to work. I just re-read some of the Total Immersion (by Terry Laughlin) book and realized I have been swimming harder and not smarter. I am suffering from the challenge of lifting my head when I breathe. This is not my only challenge just the most obviously detrimental one. This results in dropping my legs and negatating my forward momentum. So after reading the beginning drills again, I decided to focus on them now that I have learned to swim a half mile the hard way.
I would call it back to basics but since I never really had any basics I will call this back to the buoy. The buoy is all about balance and water balance is hard to learn I struggled the first time I tried to learn it. It is sort of like a place in your chest that you push into the water so your hips pop up. I learned it a little when I started but mostly just while I was face down. In the Total Immersion swimming form you spend most of your time swimming on your side so you need to learn to balance on all 4 sides.
Today I picked it up faster and was able to (at times) balance on all 4 sides. This work is hard to do because it doesn’t look like you are doing much in the water. I noticed how it is also a challenge to not care what others in the pool think of what I am doing or how fast I am going or what I look like while doing it. This was a theme in the Chi Running book as well. Being willing to work on your form despite what others might think of you.
So my swimming form needs more work and I am attending to it. I think my form in all 3 areas needs more work. It is also hard to resist the “mileage” = quality mentality that I picked up a little. I thought if I went 20 laps then I must be getting better each time. But really that is just practicing bad form each time. So I need to discipline myself. Follow the expert’s advice. Follow the known method for improving your form and I will be rewarded with swimming easier and more effective. Speed comes after form. Chi running says the same thing, first form, then distance, and then speed. It is funny how I want the instant gratification even in my exercising. I want to run real fast and real far right now. I want to swim real far and real fast right now. Yeah so? So does everyone. So these experts have a proven way to learn that it is time for me to shut up and listen. Just because I can form an opinion on a topic does not mean I should speak about it. Even when I am talking to myself, no especially when I am talking to myself.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Running weekend
Friday I did the Linda Lane run which is about 3 miles with a decent (200 yards at 15 % slope) hill in the middle. Probably still show how I am rookie by being impressed with a 3 mile run. Yeah I’m a Rookie. Then Saturday I did a small 1.5 run to tire out my dog “Lulu”. Sunday I ran 4 miles on Heggenes Rd. but had to walk the last 3 blocks of the hill. I managed to run up the 1st block but for those of you who have never been on it let me describe it. Start with a beautiful country road straight out of a Budweiser commercial complete with horses on the right side and cows and dogs on the left. Then take a mile of that road and angle it about 16 %, toss in 3 corners and a nice pretty almost tree tunnel and there you have it. A picture perfect Sunday drive in the country road. Now get out of the car Mr. Pretty face and run that damn hill. Not so pretty or picturesque from your tennis shoes is it? No, in fact it is an ugly hill from my current perspective. Pretty horses and cows leave pretty smelly droppings which when you are sucking wind hard very UN avoidable. Making it worse is that my wife used to run it regularly and now it is smaller and shorter than the hills she has graduated to. Arrgh ! Now I have to learn to run this thing and get it done at least once so I can say I did. It is not so easy because it doesn’t come up until 3 miles into the 5 mile run. This is going to take some Baby steps.
My February goals have completely fallen apart in that I have not recorded what I eat every day and I have not done any Yoga but I have managed to keep exercising 6 out of 7 days. So one out of four is not bad.
I watched an Oprah show about Diabetes and it was amazing how much sugar we eat annually. Dr Oz was showing that Americans eat in total about 120 pounds of sugar each year. And about 40 pounds of sugar every year more now than when our parents were walking up hill both ways to school. Waow is all I can say. I also saw on “The Biggest Loser” this famous chef saying if you want to sweeten things you caramelize them to bring out their natural sugars. Caramelized doughnuts might taste pretty good. Seriously one doughnut had on average 13 teaspoons of sugar. That makes me sad and I am trying to forget that fact as fast as I can. Where is that good old American denial when I need it? Doh !
What is life without doughnuts? No life at all that’s what! Maple Bars probably have 17 or 18 teaspoons of sugar. But wait! Maple is natural so then Maple Bars are natural and that must mean they are good for you. There it is my friends. Justification for while the maple Bar is better than any other doughnut. Take that to the bank of “WhyMeAssGettinBigger” and stick it. I love my denial, it is a very ancient soul.
I swam today and did my 1000 yards and it felt stronger than ever before. I did not need to roll on my back and play gasping for breath as much as I usually do. I may not need those water wings with Lightning Bolts on them for race day.
My February goals have completely fallen apart in that I have not recorded what I eat every day and I have not done any Yoga but I have managed to keep exercising 6 out of 7 days. So one out of four is not bad.
I watched an Oprah show about Diabetes and it was amazing how much sugar we eat annually. Dr Oz was showing that Americans eat in total about 120 pounds of sugar each year. And about 40 pounds of sugar every year more now than when our parents were walking up hill both ways to school. Waow is all I can say. I also saw on “The Biggest Loser” this famous chef saying if you want to sweeten things you caramelize them to bring out their natural sugars. Caramelized doughnuts might taste pretty good. Seriously one doughnut had on average 13 teaspoons of sugar. That makes me sad and I am trying to forget that fact as fast as I can. Where is that good old American denial when I need it? Doh !
What is life without doughnuts? No life at all that’s what! Maple Bars probably have 17 or 18 teaspoons of sugar. But wait! Maple is natural so then Maple Bars are natural and that must mean they are good for you. There it is my friends. Justification for while the maple Bar is better than any other doughnut. Take that to the bank of “WhyMeAssGettinBigger” and stick it. I love my denial, it is a very ancient soul.
I swam today and did my 1000 yards and it felt stronger than ever before. I did not need to roll on my back and play gasping for breath as much as I usually do. I may not need those water wings with Lightning Bolts on them for race day.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Day 184 – Something felt right.
February I have yet to do any Yoga so that is still a goal I need to work towards. Spinning class is not sounding very attractive too me right now.
I ran last Sunday 3 miles with a friend who has not run in a long time and he did really well. He went farther and longer in a quick time (we did 3 miles in 35 minutes) than I could have done when I started. Nice going Brian you really know how to punish yourself. When I started I really sucked in the beginning, I mean like I would run 100 yards and then walk. I sort of still suck now but because I have been here the whole time I have a hard time seeing it. I have come a long way and completing the Triathlon seems like something I can actually do. I mean I realize I am not ready yet (I have a lot of training left to do) but I no longer see it as impossible task. Just a really really difficult one. This mostly has to do with I no longer think I am going to drown in the lake.
So Report Card:
Sunday 3 mile Run,
Monday Ran for 50 minutes with Donnie (estimate about 4+ miles)
Tuesday Swim for an hour.
Wed hide behind getting a lot done at work to avoid going to spinning class.
Thursday Swim for an hour.
Friday – Planning on a run.
Today I was swimming and at one point well into the swim I realized things had been going smooth for the entire lap. For about a length and half I forgot what I was doing and concentrated on breathing with only one eye out of the water and I found my pace. Wow I would like to find that place every time I swim. I need to go read “Total Immersion” again and improve my form.
The problem is I have been reading “ChiRunning” and focusing on improving my running so that I can continue injury free. I will have a harder time remembering what I have read if I read both books at the same time. I want to complete my training for this Triathlon without injury to slow me down. I can only focus on so much Loop and Lift at one time. I think it is the hardest in the pool but I like the pool the best.
Swimming is a challenge but I am seeing improvement and it doesn’t make me as sore. I get tired all over but it is a gentler tired compared to running or spinning. I like the feeling of swimming now, it is really nice to slide into the water heading into that first 200 warm up. Letting my body just remember how to move best in the water. I really can let go of the rest of my day. Today was a great example of that, I crammed to complete a top issues document on the way into work. Handled email and other small issues for the first 45 minutes, then into a meeting at 7:30 am then right after that I had to conduct a high risk stress filled 90 minute window of work. Then I raced up to the pool to have more time swimming. Once I slipped into the water and down the first 25 yards all of that sort of melted away. NICE.
I was talking with Donnie about how if you want to find the time in a busy schedule you just find the time to exercise. Once you make it a priority or make the Decision. A definition I once read somewhere “To Decide = to cut off all other choices”. I have decided to train today and so I find the time in my schedule.
“Always there with the free advice. Just another Day” John Cougar Mellancamp
I ran last Sunday 3 miles with a friend who has not run in a long time and he did really well. He went farther and longer in a quick time (we did 3 miles in 35 minutes) than I could have done when I started. Nice going Brian you really know how to punish yourself. When I started I really sucked in the beginning, I mean like I would run 100 yards and then walk. I sort of still suck now but because I have been here the whole time I have a hard time seeing it. I have come a long way and completing the Triathlon seems like something I can actually do. I mean I realize I am not ready yet (I have a lot of training left to do) but I no longer see it as impossible task. Just a really really difficult one. This mostly has to do with I no longer think I am going to drown in the lake.
So Report Card:
Sunday 3 mile Run,
Monday Ran for 50 minutes with Donnie (estimate about 4+ miles)
Tuesday Swim for an hour.
Wed hide behind getting a lot done at work to avoid going to spinning class.
Thursday Swim for an hour.
Friday – Planning on a run.
Today I was swimming and at one point well into the swim I realized things had been going smooth for the entire lap. For about a length and half I forgot what I was doing and concentrated on breathing with only one eye out of the water and I found my pace. Wow I would like to find that place every time I swim. I need to go read “Total Immersion” again and improve my form.
The problem is I have been reading “ChiRunning” and focusing on improving my running so that I can continue injury free. I will have a harder time remembering what I have read if I read both books at the same time. I want to complete my training for this Triathlon without injury to slow me down. I can only focus on so much Loop and Lift at one time. I think it is the hardest in the pool but I like the pool the best.
Swimming is a challenge but I am seeing improvement and it doesn’t make me as sore. I get tired all over but it is a gentler tired compared to running or spinning. I like the feeling of swimming now, it is really nice to slide into the water heading into that first 200 warm up. Letting my body just remember how to move best in the water. I really can let go of the rest of my day. Today was a great example of that, I crammed to complete a top issues document on the way into work. Handled email and other small issues for the first 45 minutes, then into a meeting at 7:30 am then right after that I had to conduct a high risk stress filled 90 minute window of work. Then I raced up to the pool to have more time swimming. Once I slipped into the water and down the first 25 yards all of that sort of melted away. NICE.
I was talking with Donnie about how if you want to find the time in a busy schedule you just find the time to exercise. Once you make it a priority or make the Decision. A definition I once read somewhere “To Decide = to cut off all other choices”. I have decided to train today and so I find the time in my schedule.
“Always there with the free advice. Just another Day” John Cougar Mellancamp
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