Saturday, April 22, 2006
Spring Training
Just a quick note to anyone who may be reading this blog - I'll be dissappearing for a week. Sunday I leave for my annual spring cycling trip. This year we're going down to Eminence, Missouri. I'm going to try to write up trip reports and send them from there but it's in the middle of nowhere so I don't know if we'll be able to find internet access. If not I'll queue up the reports and post them when I get back.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Under the Mist
This morning was a beautiful morning for running. One of my training loops brings me through a small undeveloped area (hard to find in the Chicago area these days) with a small forest surrounding a tiny pond. This morning there was a veil of mist hovering over the pond and slipping through the forest. The sun was coming up and the mist was beginning to slowly burn off. As the mist dissipated more and more was revealed - the pond beneath, the wildflowers blooming around the rim of the pond. A wake crossed the pond as some large fish made its way across the pond just inches below the water. Never actually saw the fish but I saw its affects. Under the rays of the rising sun the beauty of the pond and all its surroundings was slowly being revealed for all to see.
This whole scene is a metaphor to our training. Slowly over time the results of our training are revealed to us. Some of the affects are visible - a little more muscle tone in the legs and arms, a little less bulk around the middle. Some things are like the fish in the pond - just below the surface yet still having an impact. The confidence, the determination, the mental strength bred from months of getting up at 4AM and heading to the pool. When the mist finally burns off the triathlete underneath is revealed for all to see.
Workout Summary
Interval Swim - 45 minutes - two rounds of 8x50, two rounds of 4x100 (easy/hard pyramid)
Spin Class - 45 minutes - hills
Interval Run - 3-5 minutes on 3-5 minutes off
20 minutes circuit, core, and stretching
This whole scene is a metaphor to our training. Slowly over time the results of our training are revealed to us. Some of the affects are visible - a little more muscle tone in the legs and arms, a little less bulk around the middle. Some things are like the fish in the pond - just below the surface yet still having an impact. The confidence, the determination, the mental strength bred from months of getting up at 4AM and heading to the pool. When the mist finally burns off the triathlete underneath is revealed for all to see.
Workout Summary
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Thanks
My wife is a saint. I haven't seen her walk on water, but I bet she does when no one is looking. She's not one to show off her sainthood. I consider her a saint because she supports me in my seemingly endless quest for the next goal. Over the years I've continued to raise the bar. What was once a twice a week step video in the basement has become a six day a week habit. She doesn't complain. Well, at least not too much. Nothing outside of reason what I get away with sometimes.
Next week I'll be spending a week away from my family for a "spring training" bicycle trip. She'll have to deal with school drop-offs and pickups, hockey practices and games, dinners, breakfasts, lunches, and a million other things to keep the family running. Then I'll be spending memorial day weekend in Ohio for Triple-T. Between then and November there will be quite a few weekend cycling and triathlon trips with the guys. No question about it, she's a saint.
I tell her this often but she rolls her eyes and shrugs it off. Deep down she instinctively knows that I need these challenges and need these times away to help keep things in perspective. She knows that these goals help shape and define the person I've become. She sees the benefits in these indulgences.
Not to say of course that there isn't a lot of balance here. I try to do most of my workouts in the wee hours of the morning before the rest of the family is up. I try to keep the long bike ride on Saturdays to a reasonable time. There's a lot of give and take. But I know the truth. I know that without her support I would not be able to do any of this. And I also wouldn't be the person I am today.
Workout Summary
Tempo Swim - 45 minutes - 2400 yards continuous
Spin Class - 45 minutes - endurance focus
Tempo Run - 45 minutes - zone3/zone 4 border
20 minutes circuit, core, and stretching
Next week I'll be spending a week away from my family for a "spring training" bicycle trip. She'll have to deal with school drop-offs and pickups, hockey practices and games, dinners, breakfasts, lunches, and a million other things to keep the family running. Then I'll be spending memorial day weekend in Ohio for Triple-T. Between then and November there will be quite a few weekend cycling and triathlon trips with the guys. No question about it, she's a saint.
I tell her this often but she rolls her eyes and shrugs it off. Deep down she instinctively knows that I need these challenges and need these times away to help keep things in perspective. She knows that these goals help shape and define the person I've become. She sees the benefits in these indulgences.
Not to say of course that there isn't a lot of balance here. I try to do most of my workouts in the wee hours of the morning before the rest of the family is up. I try to keep the long bike ride on Saturdays to a reasonable time. There's a lot of give and take. But I know the truth. I know that without her support I would not be able to do any of this. And I also wouldn't be the person I am today.
Workout Summary
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Opportunity in Frustration
Another day, another visit to the rink. This time it was two visits - a game in the morning and then a practice in the evening. Overall the game was pretty bad. We lost 4 - 1 against a team that we could have beat but the team didn't seem to be clicking today.
My son overall had a pretty good game. When he came off the ice he was pretty frustrated. The frustration was due to some of the players on his team not knowing how to play their positions, particularly the defense. At this level a lot of kids just want to skate the puck up the ice and score. When defensive players do this it creates breakaway opportunities for the other team. At that point it comes down to our goalie. Our goalie is not shall we say very talented.
To compensate for this my son started keeping track of all the players on the ice. If the defense players started playing offense he drifted back to cover their positions. When they would come to their senses and start playing their positions my son would shift back to offense. This meant that he let up on the offensive side but he also prevented a lot of goals as a result of his creativity. His heads up playing setup our teams only goal and he got the assist so I guess he didn't let the offense slide that much.
My son's frustration motivated him to change tactics to address the problem. His switch from strictly playing his position to keeping tabs on what was going on in the bigger picture may have been a fluke or it may have been a step down a path that will serve him well if he continues to use it. The best hockey players aren't the ones who score all the goals. They're the ones who know how to read the situation on the ice and make the plays.
Sometimes we need a little frustration to motivate us to travel down a different path. Often this unintended path will allow us to grow in some new and completely unexpected way. My initial frustration with cycling started me down the path of running, which lead to triathlon. This small frustration resulted in a direction change that has had tremendous impacts on all areas of my life. Had I not traveled this path I truly believe I would be a lesser person as a result. The next time you're frustrated look for the opportunity to grow within that seed of frustration. You may be amazed by what you find there.
Workout Summary
50 minute swim - unbroken 2500
2 hour bike ride - zone 2-3 for 36 miles
Workout Week Review
Started to feel a bit more energy this week. Run form seems to be coming back - I'll know for sure after tomorrow's long run. I added circuit and core work back into my Tuesday/Thursday lineup because it just makes me feel better. Something about doing circuit seems to pump me up for some reason. Just have to be careful that I don't injure something as a result of lifting after doing a tri-brick.
It was great to get out on the bike today. After tuning up my bike last night my friend looked at my position on the trainer and made some adjustments. He also recommended that I start pushing my chest out a bit (similar to "pushing the buoy in swimming"). This helped push my hips into the saddle more firmer which improved my spin and also helped my "reach" to the handlebars. I don't feel that I have to reach out as far now - the reach to the handlebars feels more natural. The new upgrades are working very well. The Dura-ace shifting is incredibly crisp. I also really like the speedplay pedals, though I still need to get used to the slightly different exit twist then my Look pedals.
My son overall had a pretty good game. When he came off the ice he was pretty frustrated. The frustration was due to some of the players on his team not knowing how to play their positions, particularly the defense. At this level a lot of kids just want to skate the puck up the ice and score. When defensive players do this it creates breakaway opportunities for the other team. At that point it comes down to our goalie. Our goalie is not shall we say very talented.
To compensate for this my son started keeping track of all the players on the ice. If the defense players started playing offense he drifted back to cover their positions. When they would come to their senses and start playing their positions my son would shift back to offense. This meant that he let up on the offensive side but he also prevented a lot of goals as a result of his creativity. His heads up playing setup our teams only goal and he got the assist so I guess he didn't let the offense slide that much.
My son's frustration motivated him to change tactics to address the problem. His switch from strictly playing his position to keeping tabs on what was going on in the bigger picture may have been a fluke or it may have been a step down a path that will serve him well if he continues to use it. The best hockey players aren't the ones who score all the goals. They're the ones who know how to read the situation on the ice and make the plays.
Sometimes we need a little frustration to motivate us to travel down a different path. Often this unintended path will allow us to grow in some new and completely unexpected way. My initial frustration with cycling started me down the path of running, which lead to triathlon. This small frustration resulted in a direction change that has had tremendous impacts on all areas of my life. Had I not traveled this path I truly believe I would be a lesser person as a result. The next time you're frustrated look for the opportunity to grow within that seed of frustration. You may be amazed by what you find there.
Workout Summary
Workout Week Review
Started to feel a bit more energy this week. Run form seems to be coming back - I'll know for sure after tomorrow's long run. I added circuit and core work back into my Tuesday/Thursday lineup because it just makes me feel better. Something about doing circuit seems to pump me up for some reason. Just have to be careful that I don't injure something as a result of lifting after doing a tri-brick.
It was great to get out on the bike today. After tuning up my bike last night my friend looked at my position on the trainer and made some adjustments. He also recommended that I start pushing my chest out a bit (similar to "pushing the buoy in swimming"). This helped push my hips into the saddle more firmer which improved my spin and also helped my "reach" to the handlebars. I don't feel that I have to reach out as far now - the reach to the handlebars feels more natural. The new upgrades are working very well. The Dura-ace shifting is incredibly crisp. I also really like the speedplay pedals, though I still need to get used to the slightly different exit twist then my Look pedals.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Limitations
Ok, so I'm mechanically challenged. I admit this openly and freely. It is a bit tough - being male I'm expected to be mechanically inclined. However, I am not. Last night was proof of this. My buddy and I got together to continue putting on some new components on my bike. On the bottom side of the frame there are two cable guides that we took off in order to clean things up. I figured I could probably handle putting the two guides back on. Couple of screws attached to the frame. No more difficult than putting on a water bottle cage. This was the beginning of the problem, though we didn't realize it until an hour and a half later.
While putting on new pedals I noticed that the cranks no longer turned freely. In fact it was like the whole bottom bracket was rubbing on something from the inside. We took it apart. We relubed it. We put it back together. The problem still remained. After yanking it apart for the third time by buddy looked through the opening trying to figure out where the problem was. He's mechanically inclined. He found the problem instantly. One of the screws I had tightened to put the cable guide on was protruding into the bottom bracket housing. This pushed up against another piece which when inserted caused the rubbing. After backing off the screw a bit all was well.
After that I stayed clear of any tools. Though I try hard I am mechanically cursed. This is one of my many limitations and I accept it. Training for triathlon has taught me often brutally that I have limitations and that to continue in this sport I must accept them. I am not the best swimmer, cyclist, or runner. There are times when I feel like the best. Cockiness creeps in when I shred the legs of my friends during an evening club ride. Then some 50 year old bow-legged guy blows by me on the next uphill. The cockiness evaporates immediately. I'm just another guy in the pack again. Triathlon has taught me a lot about humility. Triathlon has also taught me to accept my limitations gracefully and focus on just being as good as I can be in that moment. Apparently I am not permitted to be very good with tools.
My buddy and I had a great laugh about the whole thing. He will likely tell the rest of the gang. I will hear about this for the next month. I will laugh at myself each time I hear about it. A good dose of humility is often balanced by an equal dose of self deprecating humor.
While putting on new pedals I noticed that the cranks no longer turned freely. In fact it was like the whole bottom bracket was rubbing on something from the inside. We took it apart. We relubed it. We put it back together. The problem still remained. After yanking it apart for the third time by buddy looked through the opening trying to figure out where the problem was. He's mechanically inclined. He found the problem instantly. One of the screws I had tightened to put the cable guide on was protruding into the bottom bracket housing. This pushed up against another piece which when inserted caused the rubbing. After backing off the screw a bit all was well.
After that I stayed clear of any tools. Though I try hard I am mechanically cursed. This is one of my many limitations and I accept it. Training for triathlon has taught me often brutally that I have limitations and that to continue in this sport I must accept them. I am not the best swimmer, cyclist, or runner. There are times when I feel like the best. Cockiness creeps in when I shred the legs of my friends during an evening club ride. Then some 50 year old bow-legged guy blows by me on the next uphill. The cockiness evaporates immediately. I'm just another guy in the pack again. Triathlon has taught me a lot about humility. Triathlon has also taught me to accept my limitations gracefully and focus on just being as good as I can be in that moment. Apparently I am not permitted to be very good with tools.
My buddy and I had a great laugh about the whole thing. He will likely tell the rest of the gang. I will hear about this for the next month. I will laugh at myself each time I hear about it. A good dose of humility is often balanced by an equal dose of self deprecating humor.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Parting
Spent the evening last night with a friend drinking Guinness (responsibly of course) and installing a new drive train (the reason for drinking responsibly) on my bike. My existing drive train had around 4000 miles on it so it was due for a replacement. I can't wait to give it a test ride tomorrow - hopefully it will prove to be worth the $$.
While upgrading my friend asked what he should do with the old parts. I told him to throw them into the box and I'd take them home. Later I wondered why. In my opinion they're too worn and beat up to be resold on ebay. I suppose they could be used for spare parts, but since the new drivetrain is 10 speed the 9 speed stuff won't be of much use to me.
Yet for some unexplainable reason I can't bring myself to just throw them away. So many miles, so many memories. It just doesn't seem right to discard the drivetrain parts that got me from my first triathlon to an Ironman. This is completely irrational for me. At home I'm the one who gets rid of every single item that is no longer useful. I can't stand clutter. The elimination of clutter in my house borders on an obsession for me. And yet, I can't bring myself to chuck an old, beat-up, worn-down, greasy, oily drive train. I have to laugh at myself as I come face to face with my hypocrisy.
So I guess I'll have to start an "old bike part" museum. That way I can justify hanging on to things of no use because they still have value to me at some level. Eventually I probably will end up chucking them but for the time being I can't so I have to find some way to rationalize the irrational.
I won't tell my kids about the reason for the museum though. That's a can of worms that needs to remain firmly closed.
Workout Summary
1.5K interval swim
45 minute spin class - endurance focus
30 minute interval run - 3 minutes on 3 minutes off
20 minutes circuit training, core, and stretching
While upgrading my friend asked what he should do with the old parts. I told him to throw them into the box and I'd take them home. Later I wondered why. In my opinion they're too worn and beat up to be resold on ebay. I suppose they could be used for spare parts, but since the new drivetrain is 10 speed the 9 speed stuff won't be of much use to me.
Yet for some unexplainable reason I can't bring myself to just throw them away. So many miles, so many memories. It just doesn't seem right to discard the drivetrain parts that got me from my first triathlon to an Ironman. This is completely irrational for me. At home I'm the one who gets rid of every single item that is no longer useful. I can't stand clutter. The elimination of clutter in my house borders on an obsession for me. And yet, I can't bring myself to chuck an old, beat-up, worn-down, greasy, oily drive train. I have to laugh at myself as I come face to face with my hypocrisy.
So I guess I'll have to start an "old bike part" museum. That way I can justify hanging on to things of no use because they still have value to me at some level. Eventually I probably will end up chucking them but for the time being I can't so I have to find some way to rationalize the irrational.
I won't tell my kids about the reason for the museum though. That's a can of worms that needs to remain firmly closed.
Workout Summary
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
A Friend Returns
Today an old friend return after a prolonged absence. I heard him this morning while getting logged into work. For me he represents spring and everything it stands for. Rebirth. Renewal. A time for shaking off winter and getting on things put on hold for far too long. Spring officially starts in March, but my spring doesn't start until he arrives.
My friend strikes me as the king of his kind. He sits at the top of the tree proudly surveying his domain. He calls out in a loud, piercing, and proud voice announcing his arrival. All others of his kind pale in comparison. He is flashy and flamboyant. He rocks and he knows it. He is the cardinal that lives in my neighbors tree.
I'm normally not one to admire the flashy and the flamboyant. But him, him I admire. I admire him because in his shrill voice and flashy display he fully embraces his nature and lays it out for all to see. He doesn't hide any part of himself under a blanket of fear or self consciousness. He doesn't filter his responses through a veneer of political correctness.
He strikes me as the type that does what he does because he is what he is. He doesn't strike me as one to suppress his nature for fear of failing in others eyes. He puts it all out there for all to see. He is what he is and if you don't like it shut your windows and close the curtains. He inspires me in this way. He's what I want to be when I finally figure out how to grow up.
My friend strikes me as the king of his kind. He sits at the top of the tree proudly surveying his domain. He calls out in a loud, piercing, and proud voice announcing his arrival. All others of his kind pale in comparison. He is flashy and flamboyant. He rocks and he knows it. He is the cardinal that lives in my neighbors tree.
I'm normally not one to admire the flashy and the flamboyant. But him, him I admire. I admire him because in his shrill voice and flashy display he fully embraces his nature and lays it out for all to see. He doesn't hide any part of himself under a blanket of fear or self consciousness. He doesn't filter his responses through a veneer of political correctness.
He strikes me as the type that does what he does because he is what he is. He doesn't strike me as one to suppress his nature for fear of failing in others eyes. He puts it all out there for all to see. He is what he is and if you don't like it shut your windows and close the curtains. He inspires me in this way. He's what I want to be when I finally figure out how to grow up.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Resistance
Today during spin class I had a bit of an epiphany about cycling. Normally for me these little epiphanies come to me while swimming. I've discovered a lot the "way" of swimming and it's full impact on me through these revelations. They give me penetrating insights into my life and how I live it. They help me understand my "way". They come out of the blue with no warning. I guess it gives my mind something to do in order to achieve balance over the effort I put into the physical aspects of training.
Part of the way of cycling is the way of resistance. Whether it's grinding up a hill, pushing into a headwind, or spinning out the big ring on a flat, cycling is about you powering yourself against sources of resistance. The harder you work the more the resistance increases against you. Your side of the equation is your resistance to that resistance. Action and reaction. Yin and Yang. Training on the bike trains you both physically and mentally to resist resistance. Off the bike the affects of that mental training remain. You learn to persist. You learn to overcome. You learn to resist and persevere.
Wow. From deep thoughts in shallow pools to big thoughts in small rings. I can't wait to see what running eventually reveals.
Workout Summary
45 minute continuous swim
45 minute spin class
50 minute run
Part of the way of cycling is the way of resistance. Whether it's grinding up a hill, pushing into a headwind, or spinning out the big ring on a flat, cycling is about you powering yourself against sources of resistance. The harder you work the more the resistance increases against you. Your side of the equation is your resistance to that resistance. Action and reaction. Yin and Yang. Training on the bike trains you both physically and mentally to resist resistance. Off the bike the affects of that mental training remain. You learn to persist. You learn to overcome. You learn to resist and persevere.
Wow. From deep thoughts in shallow pools to big thoughts in small rings. I can't wait to see what running eventually reveals.
Workout Summary
Monday, April 10, 2006
Throwing Like a Girl
Today we finally got some weather that actually felt like Spring - yipee!!!! Being my recovery day I limited my physical activity to playing catch with my daughter. She throws like a girl. Really - the stereotypical girl throw - she's the poster child. If you want to teach your kids how not to throw she's the model. She does it with a smile. I think she knows she throws like a girl. She doesn't care. For her the only point behind any activity is to have fun. She is far wiser than I give her credit for sometimes. I hope she never grows up and embraces adult wisdom. We've got it all wrong sometimes.
Playing with my kids balances me and helps me keep things perspective. They run the wrong way around the bases. They hold the bat upside down and look serious as they stand at the plate. Then they burst out laughing. They put cards in their spokes and then tear off down the street like Harley riders. They don't obsess over the air pressure levels in their tires. They don't watch the weather channel before they go out and then go through three wardrobe changes. I play with them because it allows me to abandon my usual obsessions and just go out and have fun for the sake of having fun.
I'm always surprised at how few parents come out to play in my neighborhood. Most seem content to sit on the couch and watch the latest reality TV show - watching life instead of living it. Meanwhile their kids are following their example and sitting around playing video games while snacking on Oreos.
Me, I'm going to play with my kids every chance I get. It keeps me young. It keeps me balanced. It sets a great example for my kids. It makes for great memories. It's just plain good fun. It reminds me that the whole point to keeping fit and having an active life style is to enjoy it, not to kill yourself over a monster weekend warrior workout that you do for bragging rights and then spend two days on the couch because your body is wrecked. All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. Of course, all play and no work makes Johnny a slow boy. It's all about balance.
Thursday is the first group road ride of the season. Time to see if I've been putting in quality time during the off season. Time to see if the upgrades on my bike will pay off. Time to have some fun. I'm going to look for some clothes pins and a deck of playing cards now.
Playing with my kids balances me and helps me keep things perspective. They run the wrong way around the bases. They hold the bat upside down and look serious as they stand at the plate. Then they burst out laughing. They put cards in their spokes and then tear off down the street like Harley riders. They don't obsess over the air pressure levels in their tires. They don't watch the weather channel before they go out and then go through three wardrobe changes. I play with them because it allows me to abandon my usual obsessions and just go out and have fun for the sake of having fun.
I'm always surprised at how few parents come out to play in my neighborhood. Most seem content to sit on the couch and watch the latest reality TV show - watching life instead of living it. Meanwhile their kids are following their example and sitting around playing video games while snacking on Oreos.
Me, I'm going to play with my kids every chance I get. It keeps me young. It keeps me balanced. It sets a great example for my kids. It makes for great memories. It's just plain good fun. It reminds me that the whole point to keeping fit and having an active life style is to enjoy it, not to kill yourself over a monster weekend warrior workout that you do for bragging rights and then spend two days on the couch because your body is wrecked. All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. Of course, all play and no work makes Johnny a slow boy. It's all about balance.
Thursday is the first group road ride of the season. Time to see if I've been putting in quality time during the off season. Time to see if the upgrades on my bike will pay off. Time to have some fun. I'm going to look for some clothes pins and a deck of playing cards now.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Catchup
Argh, another slack fest from the blogging perspective this week. Actually it's been a pretty insane week for work. Still trying to transition my old product to a group of fresh out engineers in Poland. They're finally beginning to understand what they've gotten themselves into. They're very afraid.
This week I've dropped circuit training from my Tuesday/Thursday brick workouts in order to make room for more running time. My running lately has been really sluggish so I want to up the mileage and intensity a bit to get over this hump.
Currently at the hockey rink watching my son practice. They've got free wireless internet which is awesome! My son recently got moved up from defense to forward and is playing center. The coaches like his speed and work ethic and think he'll gain some confidence by playing up. Plus, he's a small kid so he's not going to last on defense for too much longer as the kids start shooting up like weeds. He's doing a great job despite being well outside his comfort zone. Exercising the particular demon for him is working out. They played their first game Tuesday and lost, but they played well and my son handled his fear of the whole situation very well. Despite knowing next to nothing about how to play center he did an excellent job, won a majority of his face offs and had several solid scoring opportunities. Progress.
Started detailed planning for the spring training trip to Missouri this week as well. Bought a new software package - DeLorme Topo. This stuff rocks! Within an hour I had 6 routes planned going from 30 to 120 miles. Elevation profiles, turn by turn listings, this stuff is great. From the profiles it looks like we're going to be doing quite a bit of climbing.
Workout Summary
10 mile zone 2 run
Workout Week Review
Run has felt very weak lately and Triple T is looming so I decided to bump up my brick runs on Tuesday and Thursday to 5.5 miles. Will probably do another week of that and then bump it up again to 6.5. Overall the runs went well - though it's still freakin' cold in the mornings here. Weather looks much more promising next week.
Tuesday/Thursday bricks went well this week despite the week off.
Friday long swim had to cut short due to work. Ended up with 2250 meters.
Finally got out on the road bike on Saturday. It was a bit cold and windy and took a while (5 or so miles) to warm up and find my rhythm. Still have to do a little more tuning on my position - doesn't quite feel dialed in for some reason. Good excuse for some upgrades! Overall the ride went well and it definitely felt good to be cruising on roads again.
Long run this morning was a little rough - cold start plus I haven't slept well over the last week so energy levels were pretty low. Due to this I dropped the cadence down to 80 and focused on form.
This week I've dropped circuit training from my Tuesday/Thursday brick workouts in order to make room for more running time. My running lately has been really sluggish so I want to up the mileage and intensity a bit to get over this hump.
Currently at the hockey rink watching my son practice. They've got free wireless internet which is awesome! My son recently got moved up from defense to forward and is playing center. The coaches like his speed and work ethic and think he'll gain some confidence by playing up. Plus, he's a small kid so he's not going to last on defense for too much longer as the kids start shooting up like weeds. He's doing a great job despite being well outside his comfort zone. Exercising the particular demon for him is working out. They played their first game Tuesday and lost, but they played well and my son handled his fear of the whole situation very well. Despite knowing next to nothing about how to play center he did an excellent job, won a majority of his face offs and had several solid scoring opportunities. Progress.
Started detailed planning for the spring training trip to Missouri this week as well. Bought a new software package - DeLorme Topo. This stuff rocks! Within an hour I had 6 routes planned going from 30 to 120 miles. Elevation profiles, turn by turn listings, this stuff is great. From the profiles it looks like we're going to be doing quite a bit of climbing.
Workout Summary
Workout Week Review
Run has felt very weak lately and Triple T is looming so I decided to bump up my brick runs on Tuesday and Thursday to 5.5 miles. Will probably do another week of that and then bump it up again to 6.5. Overall the runs went well - though it's still freakin' cold in the mornings here. Weather looks much more promising next week.
Tuesday/Thursday bricks went well this week despite the week off.
Friday long swim had to cut short due to work. Ended up with 2250 meters.
Finally got out on the road bike on Saturday. It was a bit cold and windy and took a while (5 or so miles) to warm up and find my rhythm. Still have to do a little more tuning on my position - doesn't quite feel dialed in for some reason. Good excuse for some upgrades! Overall the ride went well and it definitely felt good to be cruising on roads again.
Long run this morning was a little rough - cold start plus I haven't slept well over the last week so energy levels were pretty low. Due to this I dropped the cadence down to 80 and focused on form.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Back from Break
Back from a week long slack-fest down in Jamaica. I did manage to get in a couple 20 minute ocean swims, but aside from that my workouts consisted of raising my hand to get the bartenders attention and tossing my kids into the pool.
All in all it was a great time. After years of failed attempts I finally convinced my son to try one of those two story convoluted water slide things. After demonstrating that it was totally safe by doing it several times myself and assuring him that he wouldn't die trying, he did it. After that it took another two hours to convince him to stop - he loved it! He's funny that way - can't talk him into anything - he'll do it when he's darn good and ready. As irritating as this is at times I definitely indulge him here. Hopefully this will pay off in resistance to peer pressure later.
Another thing we got to do a lot of was sailing. The resort we stayed at had a small fleet of catamaran style sailboats that were free for guests to use. Again, it took a lot of convincing to get my son out. He finally caved when I took my daughter out and she came back chattering away about how much fun it was. Indulgences aside, I'm not beyond a little underhanded push now and then.
Most of the time was spent going between the pool and the beach. The kids loved the beach - hunting for shells, building sand castles, digging holes, the whole lot. The resort we stayed at was along a seven mile stretch of beach and the water was very shallow for a good 50 feet out even at high tide. Not great for open water swimming but definitely great for the kids to frolic in.
The last night we left the resort and had dinner at a place called Rick's Cafe which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We had a fantastic rooftop table that overlooked a cliff where locals and tourists jumped off the cliffs into the water 100ft below. Great food, great music (live reggae band), and great drinks. Even the kids got along for the entire meal - a rare event for us!
Of course I definitely felt guilty about the break in my workouts but I'm sure I'll get over it. Tough to shake the guilt - once a type A, always a type A. However in the end the break has definitely been good for me mentally. Sometimes it helps to step away from something for a bit to appreciate how much you really enjoy it especially if it has become routine. It's easy to get caught in a cycle of just going through the motions after a while even when you are motivated and focused. Routine dulls motivation and mixing things up occasionally keeps things fresh.
Looking forward to getting back in the swing tomorrow particularly since Triple T is now 2 months away! Now I get to dig through the 300 emails the accumulated while I was away....
All in all it was a great time. After years of failed attempts I finally convinced my son to try one of those two story convoluted water slide things. After demonstrating that it was totally safe by doing it several times myself and assuring him that he wouldn't die trying, he did it. After that it took another two hours to convince him to stop - he loved it! He's funny that way - can't talk him into anything - he'll do it when he's darn good and ready. As irritating as this is at times I definitely indulge him here. Hopefully this will pay off in resistance to peer pressure later.
Another thing we got to do a lot of was sailing. The resort we stayed at had a small fleet of catamaran style sailboats that were free for guests to use. Again, it took a lot of convincing to get my son out. He finally caved when I took my daughter out and she came back chattering away about how much fun it was. Indulgences aside, I'm not beyond a little underhanded push now and then.
Most of the time was spent going between the pool and the beach. The kids loved the beach - hunting for shells, building sand castles, digging holes, the whole lot. The resort we stayed at was along a seven mile stretch of beach and the water was very shallow for a good 50 feet out even at high tide. Not great for open water swimming but definitely great for the kids to frolic in.
The last night we left the resort and had dinner at a place called Rick's Cafe which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We had a fantastic rooftop table that overlooked a cliff where locals and tourists jumped off the cliffs into the water 100ft below. Great food, great music (live reggae band), and great drinks. Even the kids got along for the entire meal - a rare event for us!
Of course I definitely felt guilty about the break in my workouts but I'm sure I'll get over it. Tough to shake the guilt - once a type A, always a type A. However in the end the break has definitely been good for me mentally. Sometimes it helps to step away from something for a bit to appreciate how much you really enjoy it especially if it has become routine. It's easy to get caught in a cycle of just going through the motions after a while even when you are motivated and focused. Routine dulls motivation and mixing things up occasionally keeps things fresh.
Looking forward to getting back in the swing tomorrow particularly since Triple T is now 2 months away! Now I get to dig through the 300 emails the accumulated while I was away....
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