Signed up for an Ironman distance race this year... much has happened and much will happen. ChesapeakeMan in September! Going to be an interesting year both and work and home. Follow my workouts here: http://www.mapmyrun.com/profile/317295/
Read more...Thanksgiving is typically about 2 things, being grateful for what you have and eating! The eating part didn't come at a great time for me with my new diet focus, but as I mentioned previously, I've been more interested in habit changes rather than fast progress. The immediate drop was tremendously gratifying, but it hasn't lasted. The good news is that even with the holiday I've been able to maintain some focus and keep my weight right were it was before.
I've taken a few weeks off to rejuvenate a bit and let my ankle heal. As most of you readers know, I've been whining about my sprained ankle for the last few months as I've struggled to get my form back and mostly failed. (One could argue that my form consists of struggling, but I digress...)
I'm back in that mood again... I took a week or so off from the gym with the intermission of Volleyball league, but I was happy to be back again. I always feel better leaving the gym then I did entering it, although that's sometimes difficult to keep in mind at 4:30 AM!
I need to make up my mind about Mooseman vs Tinman... what do you think guys??
This past weekend, I was thinking that it was getting close to rideable in the woods again with some of the snow melting, and a few weeks worth of other traffic. I'm guessing with the snow and ice we got today that riding point will be pushed back a couple weeks again. I'm in a bit of a lull with riding, spending time in the basement staring at the wall isn't all that entertaining even if I try a movie or training video... oh well.
Read more...Crazy time at work this week, I had 3 vendors for 2 different projects come in for a total of 8 days worth of presentations... all jammed into 4 days of work time. After the relaxing day off on Monday for a company holiday, the next four days were spent with overlapping presentations and sales pitches where sales weenies spend hours droning on about their company and how they can solve all your problems! Even worse... my normal job still continues on, so after 8 hours plus of presentations I go back to my desk and try to put out the fires that sprang up during the day. Bottom line, late days all week long!
It's definitely a relief to have the week over, and I chilling at home today. My workouts suffered for sure, but with Volleyball on hiatus for a couple weeks it should be easier to get to the gyms in the morning again. I also talked to a new triathlon convert today, a friend from here in town who has helped with track in the spring and he's anxious to do some riding together. Looking forward to it!
It's been a while since I shared monthly or weekly totals, mostly because I'd gotten pretty lazy about tracking my workouts. With my bum knee and apathetic attitude I really hadn't been writing stuff down consistently since April. Getting back in the swing of things a bit at the gym made me think of updating it this morning and I was pleased to see that even with all the stuff I missed I was still at over 170 hours for the year.
I did add the racing I did to the sheet since I remember those dates, but had to guess at a few other things. My running has really been pathetic this year, no real surprise but I would like to get it dialed back up again. I suppose I will have to get out at least once a week from work during the day to really make a difference. I've done a long run the last two Sundays, and that really fits well in my schedule, but I need to get out during the week a couple times as well.
August is shaping up to be a big month, again mostly because the rest have been weak but in any case it is encouraging to see.
Good and bad, it's been a crazy week. Swimming practice started (good), I discovered more issues with wheels (bad), track practice has gotten my running back on track (good), running hasn't helped my knee any (bad).
I'm gearing up to start commuting to work via bike again, but I had trouble with my road bike the last time I took it out. Investigating a little further last time, I'm afraid that the hook on the edge of the rim that keeps the tire on is worn out. The tire doesn't stay seated on the rim correctly, and this has created bumps when fully inflated. Nothing like a constant steady thumping every time the wheel goes around to drive you totally nuts! I gotta run it up to the bike shop again and get it looked at a little closer. Hopefully I'm not looking at another new wheel! In other commuting news I ordered a garment bag that clips onto my bike rack for transporting my clothes. Hopefully, I can get some rides to work in starting next week.
The other problem that I mentioned is my knee bothering me which it tends to do with any significant change in running volume. I've learned that it usually goes away if I work through it and also increase my biking to help straighten the area, so I'm optimistic. Hopefully the swimming will also help as I work on leg strength without any pounding at all.
Well... it was a good and bad weekend, productive and fun, stimulating and painful. I got a solid workout day in on Saturday, starting by dipping my toes in the lake early in the morning. It was too cold to do more than that, and we decided on a bike ride instead. We got in about 20 miles but with a lot of climbing, including the notorious Plains Rd in Tolland which is just a brutal hill. I didn't have my phone with me... I'd like to take some pictures of it next time to show just how much fun can be had!
After the bike ride, I got home in time to get my kids to track practice and some longer runs with the kids (I'm guessing about 4-5 miles total with them), and ended with some sprints across the football field. I was nicely warmed up, so I let it rip on the sprints and felt good. I was a bit sore, but felt good the rest of the day. I also managed to get some yardwork done, mostly landscaping and getting ready for planting the garden.
Sunday morning was set up for a nice mountain bike ride, we had plenty of time for a nice long ride. However, it got pretty ugly as we headed over the top of Soapstone! My legs were a bit sluggish still, but I made it to the top. Unfortunately, my ride ended soon after on the way done as I crashed hard, whacking my head against a tree, and snapping my front wheen almost entirely in half! It's pretty hard to ride on just a back wheel, so I spent the next half hour walking out to a point where I could get picked up. I'll post a picture when I get a chance, the wheel is bent up nicely!
Volleyball finals tonight...
News and notes...
My new doors came yesterday, so I'll be spending the next few days staining them to get them ready for hanging. It will be nice to have the closet finished so that we can start moving stuff over and I can begin on the bathroom...
Track went well on Wednesday even though the coach wasn't there since he hadn't returned from vacation. The other assistants and I handled it pretty well I thought, making sure the kids had fun and keeping them running. I felt pretty good on all of the runs we did, leading the older kids through their paces and keeping them going. It's tough to get some of the kids to keep moving at times, they want to stop, but with a bit of encouragement and occasional beatings :), I manage to keep them going...
Swim practice starts back up in a week and a half for the month of May, and probably into June. I'm looking forward to getting back in the pool and outside in the lake in the next few weeks...
Bike and run on tap for tomorrow...
Spin class this morning was pretty good, it really makes my day much smoother when I start at the gym. I feel better and I tend to eat healthier as a result as well. Not a real tough class, but 45 minutes is much better than nothing... a nice run tomorrow morning, perhaps mountain biking Sunday and consistency is only a few days away. Volleyball has no more than 3 weeks remaining so I won't have the late night to contend with anymore.
In terms of tri content, it looks like I may become a USAT official this year. There aren't a lot of bennies, but you do get a free USAT membership. I will also definitely learn the rules I suppose, and I think it would be kind of fun. I'm trying to find a clinic and races that work for me, hopefully without impacting my family schedule too much.
Sorry for the lack of a volleyball post this week, I did not go because I needed to stay home and watch the kids and also because of injury :) Two "injuries" to be precise, my thumb is STILL not quite recovered from jamming it during the race on Sunday, and I had dental implant surgery on Monday. Neither will have long-term implications I hope, but between the three reasons it didn't work out to go to volleyball on Monday.
We have one more week before the playoffs start, and I'm pretty sure we're guaranteed the top seed at this point. Hopefully next week will be a good tune-up. It should also be a fun week as I'm off work while the kids are on school vacation. I have a lot of project work at the house to do, but I'm hoping to get some long morning bike rides as I start focusing back on triathlons for the summer.
I'll try and post house before and after updates as I go if only to keep myself honest...
My uncle pointed out that we have less than a 100 days to go until Mooseman, I guess I'd better get serious.
I've just this week made some serious changes to my diet, it's time to refocus and take the next step down. I've plateaued over the last year around 220, and I need to make a significant effort to change this. I'm doing a sort of South Beach diet approach where I cut almost all carbs for a couple of weeks to try and break my sugar addiction. This approach worked to get me started almost 4 years ago when I dropped from 260 plus to where I am now.
I also need to start riding more regularly and running consistently now. Over the winter I've done what I could to stay active and enjoy myself. The swimming and mountain biking have kept me going and I've enjoyed it. I don't want to get too serious, but with an Olympic and 1/2 Iron distance triathlon back to back I need to be in significantly better shape. It's time to get back to consistent morning workouts at the gym in addition to riding and volleyball.
Good solid month, lots of swimming and biking. Pretty weak on the running, my challenge didn't inspire anyone else, and it didn't work on me either. I also had 8 hours worth of aerobic exercise tracked this month, primarily Volleyball. I think that has helped my conditioning overall, and gotten me to the gym consistently.
Swim 12,600 yd - 6 1/2 hours
Bike 137 mi - 8 hours (MTB primarily)
Run 12 mi - 2 1/2 hours
Other - 11 1/2 hours
Total - 26 1/2 hours
The swimming was all at Suffield with the Master's group which unfortunately is going to end this week. I'm hoping he starts up another session again soon, as I probably won't swim much more unless I get in the pool at the gym. The gym pool is way too small to really swim effectively in though, so I will probably only jump in occasionally to try and keep my feel for the water. On the plus side, I should be able to ramp up my morning spin sessions again now that I won't be headed to the pool.
Things have been a bit hectic this week at work and so I haven't gotten a lot of workouts in. No time to cut out for Yoga during the day, and I've missed a few swim workouts. Next week is the last week of Master's swim in the morning for this session, we'll probably start up again sometime in the spring. I'm hoping to be back on track a bit next week, and ready to go for another Volleyball session as well.
Read more...It's been about 6 months, but I restarted my Yoga program yesterday. The gym at the office where I work offers Yoga classes during the lunch hour a few days a week, and I've really enjoyed it in the past. I'm not entirely sure why I stopped going, it was a combination of the session I registered for expired, I got busy, it was summer so I wanted to be out side, yada yada yada...
Anyway, I signed back up and was looking forward to the first class all week. It's hard to totally quantify the benefits, because in addition to a fun workout and added flexibility, it just seems to make my body feel better. I don't feel as stiff and awkward, my movements just seem to feel better and I suspect it helps my running a lot since it loosens up my legs and hips. The Thursday class is a Power Yoga class and tends to be more rigorous than Mondays, and it proved to be again yesterday. We do quite a bit with Sun Salutations, sometimes staying in downward dog or high push up which can be quite taxing on the arms, at least for me. The teacher likes to refer to downward dog as a resting position, but he's clearly crazy!
In any case it was enjoyable and I felt good for the rest of the day, I only wished I could do more than 2 days a week. I really have to try and find a way to fit it in sometimes at home.
Well, 2007 was a great year both personally and from my athletic endeavors perspective, capped most certainly by finishing the Ironman in Lake Placid at the end of July. Ironman was a goal I thought about almost 4 years ago, and it felt pretty great to achieve it. In fact, it was such a relief that I spend much of the rest of the summer in a bit of a lull trying to find something next to pursue. Much like my wife called post-partum depression, although I will probably get in trouble if she thought I was denigrating what she went through :) In some respects, I still don't entirely feel back on track but I've started to get some consistency back with my workouts which will help I'm sure.
With the Ironman looming over much of the year, I achieved my highest totals in workouts since I started tracking them.
Swim -- Bike -- Run
102,500 yds, 44:28:00 hrs -- 3,057 mi, 176:35:00 hrs -- 335 mi, 59:43:00 hrs
Total Time
371:14:00 hours
Here's 2006 for comparison
Swim -- Bike -- Run
43,200 yds, 13:26:00 hrs --2,046 mi, 121:21:00 hrs -- 463 mi, 86:36:00 hrs
Total Time
276:51:41
Almost a hundred more hours overall, one thousand more miles on the bike and a doubling of my swim mileage! Not too bad. As I've mentioned previously, the running is down and I attribute it to not staying consistent with running after the race in July. I hope at some point these numbers will be an inspiration to myself or someone else and help in putting my year in perspective.
Overall, I would consider 2007 the year of reconnecting with my family in sport. There was not a single race or competition that I participated in where there was not another family member present, and the group has gotten larger. It's no longer just my brother-in-law anymore, more uncles have gotten involved with both triathlons and hiking trips, my brother has done a lot with me as well. Cousins, friends and other relatives have also joined me at different points to mountain bike, ski, play volleyball and hike and it's been really great. I've reminisced a bit in the past about my childhood spent playing sports or other games with family, and I feel a bit of that has come back this year.
I haven't posted a lot of summary information in a while since it's been essentially a month or two off since my racing season but it's occasionally nice to do some comparisons to get a feel for how much things have changed in my life the past few years.
Some exciting number differences:
| 2006 total | 2007 - 11 months | % Difference | |
| Swimming | 43,000 yards | 90,000 yards | 110% |
| Biking | 2,000 miles | 2,800 miles | 40% |
| Overall hours | 278 hours | 338 hours | 22% |
Masters swimming has restarted, and I finally managed to get up and head to the pool this morning. It's tough to get out the door at 4:30 am, but I usually feel pretty good about it after I'm done swimming and headed to work. There were a couple new faces at the pool, but it's still mostly about swimming the laps for me.
I didn't feel a significant drop off from the spring when I last swam there, but I did start to get tired at the end of the practice. I also reaffirmed that kick-sets are really miserable, once I lose momentum in the last five yards it's like I'm kicking in pace. My coach is always cracking up at me since he thinks its funny how slow I get at the end. I can definitely feel the leg burn though, so I'm pretty sure it's working.
Lastly, it's going to be interesting to see how swimming affects my shoulder. Since I hurt it playing volleyball this summer it has never quite been the same. As I posted earlier, there isn't a permanent damage based on the MRI, but I do have some strained tendon issues. Rest has been a significant improvement, so I'm hoping that getting some regular exercise in the pool will strengthen it and it will get better.
I've gotten complaints that I'm letting down my vast legion of fans by not posting often enough, so with that prompting here you go!
It's really been a month of the blahs, but things are starting to heat up. I'm eager for the start of the Volleyball league that I've joined, and I'm going to be playing tennis again for the 3rd time in the last few weeks with some guys from work. They sucked me in after blathering on about how much fun it is all summer, so I've agreed to play a few times. In return, I'm expecting a mountain bike trip!
I've also starting gearing up for the start of my Long Trail adventure next week. I've gotten most of the stuff I need so far, with the exception of food. I'm trying to decide whether I should go with the fancy trail stuff or if I can just find something easy to make that is portable in the regular grocery store. It's going to be a relatively short trip, my uncle and I are mostly interested in working out the logistics for longer trips later on, and to see how we do pace wise and such. We are doing the first division, starting just inside the MA border, and walking into Vermont ending up at Route 9 after a hike of around 14 miles.
So that's the latest from here, not much to speak of but I've started getting restless.
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