Spring Break

Time for a quick posting before it's off to hockey practice and then a mad round of packing before our spring break trip. Last October my wife and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. Originally we planned on going to Hawaii for a week to celebrate. We diligently saved our air miles and put aside money for the trip. After researching where we would stay, what we would do there, and where we would send our kids to (probably my parents for the week) we chucked the whole thing.

Instead we opted for a family trip. The kids love being at the beach. My wife and I would have spent a great deal of our time thinking "Man, the kids would really love this". So we opted for the Beaches resort in Negril, Jamaica. Plane leaves first thing tomorrow! We're all completely psyched!

Of course, this will put a bit of a dent in my workout schedule. I'm planning on getting plenty of ocean swims and hitting the health club but I've found that it's tough to follow through when there's a nice comfy pool chair calling your name. We'll see what happens. Have been working hard for a couple of months now so a week break won't hurt.

Unless I discover wireless internet access it's unlikely I'll be posting for about a week. My advice - take a break this week - enjoy the people around you. The mental break will far exceed any physical loss.

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Workout Summary

11.5 mile overdistance run.

Reaching

Today was my long swim day. While learning to swim I found a piece of advice in Terry Laughlin's Triathlon Swimming Made Easy book that helped me refine my swim technique more than anything else I've read or seen on video. Instead of getting overwhelmed by focusing on all the technical details at once, pick a focus point and concentrate on it for as long as you need to. When you're satisfied move on to something else. Today my focus point was reaching.

As I swam the thought occurred to me that triathlon is all about reaching. Reaching for the wall. Reaching for a goal. Reaching deep down inside. Reach, pull, glide. Ever since I began down this path I've been reaching for the next goal. So it seems that for me, focusing on these mental swim focus points has had another positive side effect in addition to improving my swim stroke. By training your mind to focus on a physical act to the exclusion of others, the pathways that are etched in your mind are retraced during the course of your every day life. The way you train becomes the way you are.

Wow - deep stuff for shallow water. It was a good swim today!

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Workout Summary

60 minute continuous swim - 3600 meters.

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Workout Week Review
Long run on Sunday went very well - was able to keep good form and an 8:30 pace. Gotta plug my Garmin Forerunner 301 here - I love it.

For my midweek brick workouts I had more energy than usual. My treadmill runs were surprisingly good - and I'm not a big fan of the treadmill. I've been mixing up the treadmill runs by varying the incline and speed, and using a playlist that also varies in cadence from 85 to 95. Really helps break up the monotony. Did a lot of one leg drills during spin classes as well.

After reading through the Core Performance book I decided to add some cable workouts to help strengthen my supporting muscles and core during my circuit training. Over time I'll add more ideas from the book, but overall I found that their routines really won't fit my workout schedule - would have to add another hour to really do it right and I'm already at 3.5 hours on Tuesday and Thursdays. Any more time and I'll be a puddle for the rest of the day.

Favorite Moments

Someone asked me today what my favorite triathlon moment was. Oooh - that's a tough one. There have been some many great moments. There have also been a couple bad ones.
I was finally able to narrow it down to two.

I was almost a duathlete. Not that there's anything wrong with that. On my second triathlon the swim was so bad that I almost gave triathlon up. It was my first real Olympic distance (my first triathlon the swim was only 1K). The wind was from the north and we were swimming on the south side of the lake. It was very choppy and there was a lake current going against us. I began swimming and with three strokes knew it was not going to be good. A couple of people abandoned right then and there. Another guy was trying to talk someone else into relaxing as he was completing freaking out in the water because he was having so much difficulty swimming in that mess. Panic began to well and the feeling of it caused my heart rate to spike. At the time I was a very weak swimmer. I couldn't catch my breath using freestyle so I switched to breast stroke. It took all my upper body strength to propel myself high enough to clear the chop and get a breath. When I got on the bike I was already exhausted. It was a long day. I vowed that if I ever had another swim like that I was done with triathlon.

Then came my third triathlon. I was very apprehensive going into the swim. Would this be my last tri? I tried not to dwell on it to much. The swim started. I entered the water and started my stroke. Everything clicked. I dropped into my zone and marveled at the mechanics of the swim and the machine like rhythms of my body as I swam. Reach, pull, glide. Everything was smoothness and flow. No thoughts entered my mind - just the physical sensations of the machine at work. It was amazing. It was Zen. The hook was set. That was the moment that crystallized me as a triathlete.

The other moment chokes me up and brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I think about it. I had just hit the turnaround point at around mile 18 on the marathon at Ironman Wisconsin. I looked up and saw my family on the side of the road. Their original plan had been to drop me off at the swim and then go and do some sightseeing and then pick me up at the finish line. Instead they got reeled in by the whole experience and combed the course looking for me. They had this uncanny knack of showing up minutes before I arrived at a point. I smiled and waved - this was a welcome boost and at that moment I needed one.

Then my 5 (then 4) year old daughter stepped off the curb and walked out onto the run course. Athletes dodged her as she slowly walked towards me. She slowly raised her arms as she walked. Her head was down because she was a little embarrassed and not sure if she'd get into trouble for doing what she was doing. You had to be there to see it to fully appreciate the innocence and beauty of the gesture. I could hear spectators and athlete's alike around me making "awww" sounds. I bent down and hugged her. She gives the greatest hugs. She holds nothing back. Even though I was a sweaty, stinky mess by then. I kissed her on the forehead and she smiled. Then she walked back to the curb. I paused in stunned astonishment and I absorbed every last bit of that magical moment. A couple of people patted my back and smiled as they went by. One spectator smiled at me and wiped tears from his eyes. My spirit soared. The next 8 miles I was running on a cloud replaying that moment over and over in my head. When the going gets tough, recalling this moment always gets me through.

These were the standout moments. There have been many others to be sure, but these are the ones that stand head and shoulders above the rest. These are the ones that make it all worthwhile.

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Workout Summary

40 minute drill and form swim.

45 min. spin class

30 min (3.5 mile) treadmill run

30 min machine circuit, core and stretching

Overcoming Fear

Hockey tryouts were held over the weekend for the spring travel season. My son was not happy with the team he got placed on. Of the four kids from his fall travel team that tried out, the other three were placed on another team. The tough part was that my son's best friend is on the other team. His best friend is a great player, and him and my son have amazing chemistry on the ice. Throughout the season they were referred to as "the dynamic duo". Unfortunately keeping them on the same team created too much of an imbalance, so they were separated. So now my son is on a team of 13 kids, none of whom he knows. He wasn't very happy.

Before the first practice last night he said he didn't want to go. He came up with a few excuses. So I countered with logic. Each excuse offered up was picked apart and crumbled under the weight of my logical scrutiny. I'm a software applications developer so I've got some big time logic in my guns. Dissecting the excuses always reveals the underlying problem. Logic is my friend here. The underlying problem was fear.

Fear is often a multidimensional beast. It is often very complex to identify and even harder to confront. It's the real why behind the can't. It is the random excuse generator. It is often rooted in the very core of our being. My son's fear is often rooted in his perfectionism. He also doesn't deal well with change and unpredictability. He doesn't like change because he can't predict what will happen and thus can't be perfect. He knows that in uncertainty there is great opportunity to make mistakes.

I've learned that in uncertainty there is definitely many opportunities to make mistakes. I've also learned that in uncertainty there is tremendous opportunity to grow and develop. Growth is often a painful experience. Pain is something we instinctively try to resist. But in triathlon we learn that pain is often necessary component of growth. Your legs hurt after a 6 mile run. The following week you do 8 miles - more pain. The following week you do 10 miles - even more pain. Then you go back and do a 6 mile run and it feels like 3. Growth.

Progress through pain. This is my formula for dealing with fear. Identify it. Careful - it's slippery and sometimes difficult to properly identify. Confront it. It's painful. Push through it. It hurts. Push anyways. Grow. Some fears you will not conquer. The more close it is to the core of your being the harder it will be. But you need to exercise your fear like you exercise your body. By exercising it you will minimize it's controlling affect on you. If you don't it will control you. You will miss out. You will regret.

My son skated reluctantly on the ice. His fear fought hard to control him. Physically this manifested as tears that he tried to hide. It broke my heart but I knew it was necessary. He pushed through. On the ice he made a couple of new friends. He did absolutely great in practice. The coaches were very impressed and told him so. After practice he was a little more energetic and excited than usual. Growth. The next time he will be a little afraid, but now it will be easier to push through. He has more control.

I often tell my son that being brave does not mean that you are not afraid. Instead being brave means doing something even though you are afraid of it. Be brave. Be very, very brave.

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Workout Summary

30 minutes Pilates and Yoga

The Great Capture

Nibbles is back safely behind bars now - much to the relief of myself, my wife, and my son! I think Nibbles is secretly relieved as well.

The plan was executed perfectly. My wife started in the afternoon by laying out food dishes with cheese and peanut butter and then sprinkling flour around them. That way if he came out for a bite we'd know what room he was in and which direction he went. Unfortunately the only one we were able to successfully track was my daughter who kept "forgetting" the flour was there. My daughter is the "Mistress of Messes" so we were not surprised by her forgetfulness. My wife spent the afternoon looking room by room in the basement, but couldn't find any sign of him. When I got home I began my search.

One of my unofficial titles at home is "The Finder of Lost Things". I seem to have this knack of locating whatever trinket the kids have misplaced. Sometimes it's a gift and sometimes it's a curse. Pressure was heavy on me to deliver for this effort. It's a heck of a lot easier to find something that isn't mobile.

On a hunch, I pushed back the 300 lb entertainment center. I got down on my hands and knees and aimed the flashlight into the dark recesses underneath the entertainment center. There he was - staring back at me with that "damn you found me" look. The look would have been better if he had eyebrows, but it was there just the same.

Then the second surprise - sitting right next to him there was a big pile of hamster food. Food? Where the heck did that come from? Then it dawned on me. This was premeditated. He completely planned this. The hamster cage is on top of a small train table. When he got out he must have decided that he was going to jump off the table. He prepared for this by going and loading his cheek pouches full of food. Then he made his big break. Amazing!

Nibbles and I have yet another thing in common now (aside from our treadmill/hamster ball relationship). My escapes are also generally premeditated. On club bike rides I'll coast along with the group thinking carefully about when, where, and how I'll make my move. The group expects this. I've done it before, I'll do it again. Much the way Nibbles is probably already planning his next big escape. When the moment is right I'll launch. Eventually I'll tire and eventually I'll be captured, but the moment of escape brings a dizzying rush of andrenaline, exhilaration and freedom. It is ironic now that my biking buddies sometimes refer to me as "The Mouse" for my tendency to dart out in this manner. "What are you waiting for?". "I'm waiting to see if The Mouse will make a move first....". At that point I'm already gone....

I'm sure Nibbles feels the same rush of excitement as I do. As we all do. I'm sure he's addicted to this feeling. As we all are. I'm sure he'll try it again. As we all will. It's just a matter of time.

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Workout Summary

40 minute continuous freestyle - tempo swim

45 min. spin class

30 min (3.5 mile) treadmill run

30 min cable circuit, core and stretching

The Great Escape

I suppose it was inevitable. I went down to the basement this morning to resync my podcasts and glanced over to the hamster cages. I had to do a double take. Then came the sinking feeling. One of the hamsters cage doors was hanging open. No sign of the little guy anywhere. A quick panicked look around the basement revealed no clues. The little bugger could be anywhere. If he figured out how to climb the stairs he could quite possibly be inside my cat. Not good. My 8 year old son is not going to take this well - he has not yet learned how to handle adversity well.

Me, I've learned through triathlon to handle adversity very well. I've learned it through training, and I've learned it through events. I've learned it through living life. When the picture on paper doesn't match your reality you step back, make adjustments, and then proceed. Somethings you can control - worry about those - do something about those. This is where you need to focus your energy. Somethings you can't control - let those go. For the things you can't control make appropriate adjustments to what you can control. Then proceed. Be ready to adapt and adjust. Focus and mindfulness. Zen rocks.

So I regrouped. The part of this I can control is the searching part. I came up with a comprehensive plan for the search. Quarantine the basement - no cat allowed, no kids allowed. Only people allowed will be those participating in the search effort. The search will commence with a systematic room by room search. I'll do this from a hamster perspective - getting down on my hands and knees. Where are the little holes in boxes, furniture, etc. Where would I go if I was scared and looking for a place to hide, or a place to sleep? I'll mark off areas with strips of cornstarch that he'll have to smear if he goes by. I'll leave out pieces of food in strategic places in order to narrow down what room he's in and to hopefully verify that he's alive. I'll use the other hamster to simulate where he might have gone, spaces he might have gotten into - could he really get up stairs, could he get underneath a door, etc. I'll search as much as possible at night since they're nocturnal and that's when he'll be about looking for food. I'll pause often to search with my ears as well as my eyes.

Hopefully the plan works. If not I'll have continue to refine it in an effort to find the little bugger. I'll do everything I can think of to locate the little guy, but I won't sit and worry about it all day as it won't to contribute to the solution. I can't control the fact that it happened. I can't control what my son's reaction will be. I can't control what the ultimate outcome of this will be. For all these things I can't control I'm not going to waste effort in worrying about them. All effort will go into the aspects of this problem I can control.

Wish me luck - I'm going to need it!

Lent Rant

Today I was thinking about Lent. Lent is supposed to be about sacrifice. During the period of Lent you are supposed to give up something in an effort to relate to the sacrifice that Jesus made when he died for our sins (don't worry - not going to go all holy roller at this point).

As I thought about this I came to the conclusion that we'll never be able to sacrifice enough to equal the magnitude of His sacrifice. He sacrificed so that we could be redeemed, so us in term sacrificing doesn't make a lot of sense - who is redeemed by our sacrifice? Ourselves? If so then instead of taking something away from our lives perhaps it makes better sense to add something beneficial to our lives during Lent, and make a dedicated effort to continue that effort past the period of Lent.

So that's what I've decided to do during this period of Lent. Instead of giving up something which I can very likely do without anyways, I'll use my gifts to do something that contributes to those around me in a positive way. In that way I'll be celebrating the sacrifice by doing something with the gifts I've been given instead of pretending that I can ever sacrifice enough to pay for the gift that has been given to me. So Lent for me will now become more of a period of servitude than of sacrifice.

So what to give? Hmm... Nothing monetary - that seems to be the easy way out. Until I can come up with something specific I think that for the time being I'll focus on being mindful of the effect I have on others, and actively look for opportunities to encourage them along positive paths.

On the surface this sounds easy and should be second nature but I think I will find that in practice this is going to be difficult. It's the "actively looking" part that will make this more about others than myself. It means I'll have to bite my tongue a lot. It means I'll have to see the positive in every situation and look for ways out of the negative. It means I'll have to put others first for a while and not focus so much on me. It means I'll have to do more than pretend to be nice - I'll have to mean it.

My ego will starve a bit. Maybe in the end I'm really sacrificing my ego here. But if I do so with the intent of giving to others then I think that just maybe I've stumbled into what Lent should truly be about.

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Workout Summary

14 mile run

Consistency

Wow!!! Have I been slacking or what?!? Last posting is over a week ago. Needless to say things have been ridiculously busy at work and on the home front. I've recently transitioned to a new department but my old department still needs my time so I've working insane hours to keep all the balls in the air. Things are finally starting to settle down now however so hopefully I can get back to posting more consistently.

One of the many things I've found in training to be a triathlete is that being consistent in your workouts is a key. I especially found this in swimming and running.

Swim form for me goes completely to hell unless I consistently do it - at least three days a week. If I take a week or two off and then jump back into it it's a struggle and it takes at least a week before I find my stroke again. I would think with all the swimming I do that my muscle memory would be better but maybe age has the same effect on muscle memory as it has on mental memory.

With running it's not so much the form as it is my body's ability to cope with the pounding. If I'm running consistently I recover much quicker and an not as sore after my big runs. If I'm inconsistent I know I'll be dipping into the Ibuprofin bottle more than usual.

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Workout Week Review

This week I had a lot less energy in my Tuesday/Thursday workouts then normal. I'm guessing it's the stress at work more than anything else.

The other big negative is that it got cold and snowy again which was a big let down after the spring tease we got last weekend. Due to this I had to go back to the treadmill for my midweek runs. I can definitely relate to my kid's hamsters now - we let them run around for a while and they get the taste of freedom, and then we stuff them into their little hamster balls where they can still run and see the world, but can't experience it first hand.

I picked up a book called "Core Performance" after listening to Jessi Stensland rave about it on the "Simply Stu" podcast. I'm looking to change up my circuit training routine on my Tuesday/Thursday workouts as it's starting to bore me and I'm afraid as I start ramping up my intensity and volume that I'll injure myself since I do this workout after my swim/spin/run brick. Guess we'll see how it goes!

Today's long swim went well, but this weekend's workouts will be a little tricky due to my son's spring hockey tryouts. Still will try to get them in somehow in the interest of consistency - especially the run!

Community

It was a hard fought game. We drew first blood early in the first period. They got even in the second. They then scored early in the third to make it 2-1. We pulled our goalie with 2 minutes to go and they scored on the empty net. 3-1. Given the team we were playing (they are very good) and the effort the boys put in (everyone stepped up and gave their best) we were all pleased with the outcome. It was a very exciting game. While everyone would have preferred to win, second in the state is still a great accomplishment.

Afterwards we all got together (kids and parents) at a local restaurant to celebrate. It was a great time for both the kids and the parents. I will really miss this group. For spring hockey half the kids will move up to the squirt level and others will remain at the mite level. Depending on how spring tryouts go some who move up will be further split amongst the squirt teams. New kids, new parents, new coaches. The thing that will make it easy to adapt to the new group is the shared interest (hockey), and the shared experiences (games, practices, tournaments) we'll share. Strangers will become friends and existing friendships will strengthen.

This is also one of the aspects I enjoy the most about Triathlon. You can immediately strike up a conversation with another Triathlete. Training plans, biking equipment, favorite races, there's an immediate bond formed because of our shared experiences. Add to that podcasts, online forums and blogs, and you become part of an even wider community people that extends world wide. It's a great feeling being part of such a large, dynamic, and vibrant community.

Training with Purpose

Finally feeling back to normal strength after a bout with a mineral deficiency. Swam long today (3K as 5x50, 500, 5x50, 400, 5x50, 300, 5x50, 200, 5x50, 100, 5x50) and felt strong and smooth. We'll see how the long run goes this weekend. Will definitely be bringing some endurolytes along for the ride.

While reading The Book of Five Rings the other night I stumbled across the following passage: "Do nothing which is of no use". I thought about it for a while and it occurred to me that this is a really good way to approach training. Every workout you do should have purpose behind it. Your purpose might be to push your anaerobic threshold through tempo work, or keep your body loose with a nice slow recovery swim. If you have a purpose I think it's easier to stay focused, motivated, and come away feeling like you've accomplished something. Of course I'm a confirmed type A so having some sort of goal or purpose is natural I suppose.

This idea also spills over into every aspect of life. In work I try to use my time effectively so I have time to do things that I want to do, not just the things I have to do. Lately in the evenings I've been trying to get in some reading instead of watching the latest round of pop-star wanna-be's and the other junk on TV (although I still make time for Lost every week!). If you have purpose and reason for everything you do you won't feel like you've just wasted another day of your life.

Tomorrow my son's hockey team plays in the state championship. Some of the kids are really nervous, others are really excited. The team they'll be facing is ranked first and is a very good team. My son seems pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I'm sure deep down he's nervous, but I think that that is balanced by knowing that he's only expected to do his best. I'm a little disappointed that this will be the last game he'll play with this team. It's been a great team, and coaches and other parents have been great. This spring he'll be moving up to the squirt level along with half his team. New players, new coaches, new opportunities. I hope he continues to enjoy it as much as I enjoy watching him play.

The Wrecked Leg Mystery Solved

From my previous post - on Sunday I went on a long run. I'm on week two of a four week cycle so the long run was 12 miles. My legs were sore, I pushed through, and wrecked my legs.

Then the mystery started. On Tuesday, my legs were still wrecked. This was quite surprising as I've been running pretty regularly and it wasn't like I pushed really hard on Sunday so I couldn't figure out why my legs were still so sore. I also began to have an occasional heart palpitation (not sure if this is the correct term but kind of like a heart-hiccup). In any case I played it safe and didn't work out. Wednesday came along - still sore (though not as bad). What the heck?

On Wednesday I had a sudden craving for bananas. This is strange because though I do eat bananas in my cereal on occasion, it is definitely not my favorite member of the fruit family. But, knowing that cravings are normally the way your body tells you that it needs something, I ate one. Then I had another. I stopped at two.

Later on in the evening I was looking some things up on the web about heart palpitations (wasn't bad enough to send me to the doctor, but enough to make me wonder why). Turns out that heart palpitations can be a sign of a potassium deficiency. Hmmm.... Craving bananas.... Bananas have potassium.... Hmmm.... I went ahead and had another one.

Today the legs were much better. Was able to get through my usual workouts without trouble. Heart palpitations seem to be gone. Could be a placebo effect but I'm not taking any chances.

In the winter I don't worry so much about electrolyte and mineral replacement. But thinking about it I should be worried about it. During spin classes and runs on the treadmill and even outdoor runs in the cold, I'm still sweating quite a bit, still losing electrolytes and salts. With my workout schedule I definitely should be replacing this loss but for months now I haven't been. This is what I believe led me to a deficiency.

Looks like I'll be buying endurolytes year round now. That and eating more bananas. At least until I get the urge to start climbing trees. Then I'll have to cut back.