Is worth a whole lot more words.  Thanks  Pundit Kitchen!

see more Political Pictures

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Folsom, August 15, 2010 – Folsom Olympic Distance Triathlon

There is no better time for self-evaluation and a trip to the internal loony bin than during a race. The rollers on the bike course are no match to the rollers in my head that have me selling my bike and going back to Jazzercise by the time I’m halfway through only to leave me wanting to sign up for another longer, harder race by the time I cross the finish line.

Folsom was the same story. I thought my swimming was just fine and I knew I was not last in my wave and that I had passed people from the wave before so that was fine, right? Oh no. I got out of the water and saw that my swim was long by a couple of minutes and immediately decided that there’s just no hope for me. I will never be a good swimmer and I might as well quit fooling myself. Why do I even do these races anyhow? But Oh well – here I am and my bike awaits.

Then on to T1 where I absolutely could not get my wetsuit off – again. It wasn’t enough that I had ripped a giant hole in the leg pulling it on (yes I know you need to tug on it from the INSIDE). Oh no – it would NOT come off. And then it did and I had on my bike shoes and helmet and off I went.

My legs hurt – they were tired and had lactic acid burn (in spite of eating some SportLegs before the start) and I felt weak. I couldn’t get my speed up. I hated myself, hated racing and decided once again there was NO WAY I’M EVER DOING THIS AGAIN!! And I’m certainly NOT going to do Big Kahuna because races that suck are OFF THE TABLE and it WILL suck!

On I rode, trying to give it my best; trying to speed up. When I had about 5 or so miles left I noticed on my bike computer that my average mph was 15.1 NO WAY! And really – there was no way I could have that pathetic performance on the permanent race record so I spent those miles going absolutely as fast as I could trying to rachet up that number past 16 because really – I MEAN REALLY! And I did. I got it up to 16.1 and decided that perhaps there had been a wind/hill issue going out and I wasn’t maybe (just maybe) well enough trained. Maybe.

The run was fine. I felt pretty good and I ran and ran. Nothing notable. It hurt and I wanted to stop but I didn’t.

And then I finished – 2 minutes off my last year time and 16 minutes slower than I wanted to finish. I was certain that divorcing triathlon was the only solution to how crappy I felt about that. No Big Kahuna, no more racing, no more being a poseur. Done done!

A day later, having really looked at my times and my splits it occurred to me that given the training I had done my finish wasn’t so bad. 5 out of 10 in my AG, right in the middle where I always seem to land. My run was 1 minute faster than last year. My swim was what you might expect when you only swim twice a week, if that. My bike split was truly pathetic but what if I put in more time and trained? What if I did some hard intervals on the trainer? What will happen this weekend when I ride 75 hard ones on Saturday and then do a long run on Sunday?

Hmmmm…. guess I’ll figure it out when I race Big Kahuna.

ps – I have done way more training than you can see evidence of in the side bar. I’m just not the numbers junkie I used to be.

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Would you like to win a Garmin 310XT? You would! you would! DC Rainmaker is building his following and rewarding everyone for their help by holding a little contest. Please go here for details.

The man’s blog is both informative and entertaining. You really can’t go wrong!

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

My but it’s been a while.  Many things have happened and many have not.  My ass, for example, is at least as big as it ever was if not a twee bigger.  I was not diligent about doing my rehab exercises, did not get the tight tush I envisioned in my last post but I did get better.  I trained a little and I raced Vineman – sort of.   I had to be in Boston working 12 hours a day the week before the race and had to fly home Friday, drive to Sonoma Saturday, race Sunday and then take a red-eye back to Boston to spend another gruelling week working.  It was brutal.

As for Vineman – the swim and the bike  were okay but the run was cruel beyond description.  I’ve never experienced so much pain in my life as I did that first mile of the run.  I spent the first mile just chanting “just make it to the 1st aid station – come on, you can do it” but mostly telling myself that it would be okay to turn around, turn in my chip and call it day.  But I got to the 1st aid station so I made myself go to the 2nd.  At that point the stretching was making my neck go out and the pain washed over every muscle cell, flogging it like an executioner with a cat ‘o 9 tails warming up the condemned.    I thought about doing a U-turn and then reminded myself that I had committed to  spend 3 miles trying to get my legs under me so I tarried on.  Once I got the 3rd aid station I fired up the Jedi mind tricks – go to mile 4 and you’re home free – you ran 9 miles 2 weeks ago – you can do this!  And on I went and once I got to mile 4 I figured even a U-turn would involve 8 miles of locomotion so I might was well just keep going.  And I did.  3 hrs and 3 minute after I left T2 I finished.  Worst race of my life but under the circumstances not quitting was a major triumph so yay for me!

But that’ s  not the blog thing I’m talking about.  I’m talking about  blogging  and time.  Not that it’s been months since I posted but that  it’s been years since I started doing this.  I just finally took a look at my Bloglines and many of my fave blogs had double digit unread marks approaching 100. I went and read an old favorite, Laid off Dad and he’s talking about how his youngest son likes to ride his bike and run stuff over and I was struck by how the passage of time never fails to deliver a sucker punch.  When I started blogging,  Laid off Dad really was laid off (he is no more), he was married and had 1 small son. Then another one was on the way and then son #2 (named 2Bert since his brother’s name is Robert) arrived, then the marriage hung a left and dissolved (the wife is a big name blogger, too and that may or may not be causative – LoD is too much the gentleman to have ever told), and now Robert writes comic books and 2Bert plays demolition derby on his bike.

I might wonder how that happened but I know how it happens.  Time goes by leaving us staring in the mirror,  squinting to inspect our  wrinkles and grey hairs.  And then it keeps happening – over and over and over again – sucker punch after sucker punch.

I guess the message here is that stuff is kicking my ass.  My job (and I do have a regular, full time job with a regular pay check), my training, my races, and time.  I guess I’d better get my ass in shape so it can take it.

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

I don’t think I can make lemonade out of lemons quite they way Runner Susan can. She turned a 3 hour traffic jam, a full bladder and a missed race start into running an ultra marathon and getting a marathon medal but I digress.  My particular brand of lemons come in the form of non-running, rather than running so there’s less to be done with them.

My lemons are known as ITB syndrome  and it all started with a bicycle seat in the wrong position.  I’ve been battling the demon for a couple of months and I finally got out the big guns and went to a physical therapist who treated it.  We talked about training through the pain (a fairly common methodology for triathletes) and that just didn’t work.  I tried to run off the bike and the pain was intense and I was defeated so he said he thought 6 weeks of rest along with some glute strengthening exercises he gave me would do it.
Excuse me – did you say 6 weeks?

SIX WEEKS???!!!

Holy mother of God – I can’t NOT train for 6 weeks and oh, by the way, I have a race in 4 weeks.

But the gig was up – if I can’t run off the bike then I can’t very well do a triathlon so bu-bye Oceanside.  You were a great idea a few months ago.

So where is the lemonade?  I have a bunch of glute strengthening exercises to do and although they aren’t difficult and they aren’t too terribly painful to do my buns get really sore from them.  I can also do core work as well as a little upper body work.  So – in however many weeks I can hold out (I’m committed to 4 at this point) I will do my glute and ab hardening work and come out of this with a great butt and a six pack!  Or a 4 pack!  Or no pack at all but a nice flat, hard tummy.   Just look at the physique in this picture of a person suffering ITBS. I think that says it all.

So there’s your lemonade.  Or maybe it’s not lemonade – maybe’s just an Arnold Palmer because it will be a cold day in hell before my butt ever looks that good but it will look better and I loves me an Arnold Palmer (the drink, not the man) so, in the parlance of the 21st Century, it’s all good.

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

It’s been over a month since I updated this blog because frankly, I can’t imagine you care and aren’t we all too busy on FaceCrack and (for some of you but not me so much) Twitter?  Blogging is so last year!  But I think of you internet people and I think of stuff to write all the time and you can count your blessings that I almost never do because mostly it’s the aimless, useless ranting of someone in cranky pants.  But mostly things are great so here’s an update.

1).  I was tagged by Juls with the Sunshine Blogger award

I’m supposed to tag 10 other people and tell them that I did that. Only problem is I’m kind of out of the blogging loop so I’m tagging you all and thanking Julie for thinking of me.  Here are the rules:

• Add the logo to your blog
• Pass the “Sunshine Award” to 10 bloggers
  • Link to your nominees within your blog post
  • Let them know by commenting on their blog

I’m sorry I’m not doing a better job of playing along but at least getting this award prompted me to create a post and that’s  something, right?

2).  My friend Cindy won the swag for the not-an-internet raffle.  I made a spreadsheet and had as many lines for each person as they got based on their contribution level.  Then I used a random number generator and it gave me a number and the person whose name was on that line won.  And that was Cindy which made me very happy and it made her happy, too!

3).  I got a job.  A real job. The kind that pays a salary and has benefits and stuff.  Very excited about that.  I will start on March 8.

4).  Oceanside is in 28 days.  Holy Hell.  I’ve been benched since the end of December on and off so the training has been sporadic at best.  It’s an ITB problem and it’s getting better but, as anyone who has had one of these issues knows – it’s an on-going battle.  PT, foam roller, ice, ibuprofen and rest.  I’m doing it all.  The PT told me that I can’t inflict permanent damage by training through it (and he said most triathletes do) so I’m going to train with pain and treat it after and just do what I can do.

5). I love Chipotle.  Really love it.  My new favorite dish is the chicken burrito bowl with 1/2 the rice, black beans, pico de gallo, hot sauce, guac, cheese and lettuce.  That’s about 690 calories and Jimmy Crack Corn and I don’t care.  Delicious!

6). Did I mention that Oceanside is in 28 days and I’m not ready? I guess I did.  Oh well – it will be what it will be.

7).  I am so ready for the Olympics to be done.  Fie on you NBC for not airing stuff until 8 PM.  Could you not have started at 6:00 so you got your prime time slot but so we could have gotten to bed at a decent hour?  My god.  I know 6-8 is news stuff but I think most people would have been happy with greatly compressed news during this important time of obsession with sports about which we know almost nothing.  I mean come on!

8). It’s starting to be light out until 6:00!! At the end of March when we change the clocks life will be bliss again. Can’t wait!

There was more… oh so much more.  And now I’ve forgotten and that’s okay.  I’m sure you have better things to do than read this.

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

I got these today in email from the very fabulous Rocktape company and I love  them so much I might have to have them made into a big poster to put on my wall.   Thanks Rocktape!

1) Two Minute Rule. Don’t get scared by the seven-syllable word in this tip…but physiologically, several changes take place in your body during the first 120 seconds of exercise. Namely, at about that 2 minute mark, your cells begin to more easily utilize oxygen as a fuel, muscle temperature begins to rise, and exercise suddenly becomes easier.

2) Use Irrational Psychology. This is a powerful trick for triathlon motivation, and involves affecting the appeal of one workout choice by comparing it to other choices. Here are some examples. Say it’s time for a 90 minute hard cycling session, and you just don’t have the triathlon motivation to get on your bike and head out. So give yourself three choices, and make two of those choices more unpleasant: Choice #1 – go on a 5 hour easy bike ride; Choice #2 – Do a 90 minute interval run on a treadmill instead; Choice #3 – do your 90 minute bike ride. The 90 minute bike ride suddenly seems relatively not all that bad.

3) Use Very Small Goals. In the middle of a race and feel like giving up? This trick works very well. Tell yourself that you’re going to take just 200 more steps, or 100 more pedal strokes, or get to one more buoy. Promise yourself that at that point you can either A) stop or B) keep going. By giving your brain the reward of having completed a small, intermediate goal, there is a slight infusion of dopamine that occurs which drives you to keep going when you get to that point.

4) Use Extrinsic Motivation. Humans have an innate desire to be accepted, and an innate detest for being rejected. We internally fear being judged by our failures, and crave to be accepted for delivering on our promises. Here’s how to use this principle for triathlon motivation: the next time you’re waffling on a workout, go to Facebook, go to Twitter, go to your blog, or call your best friend or spouse and tell them, “I’m just about to go to workout ______ (you fill in the blanks) Should be fun!”. This tiny social expression will instantly give you a powerful urge to deliver on your promises.

5) Re-Train Your Brain. There is a big difference between wanting something and being prepared to receive it. In other words, it’s not enough to have triathlon motivation goals and want to achieve them. Instead, you must actually train your subconscious to realistically see yourself achieving your goals.

ps- don’t forget to check out my fund raiser with drawing for cool stuff!  1 of the items in the prize basket can not be gotten any other way!  Don’t miss out on a five dollar chance on getting a very rare, sold out Chico Bag from the inaugural Levi Leipheimer Gran Fondo!!

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Do you like cool stuff?  Do like winning?  Read this post and see how you could become the proud owner of some cool stuff and have a feel good moment in the bargain!

Giving is a theme in everyone’s lives right now with the horrifying disaster in Haiti.  It’s not a great time to be raising money for health related causes and yet, these diseases continue to plague us regardless of whatever else is going on in the world and we must continue to fight back.

I am participating once again in the ALS Spin-a-thon  but instead of just asking for money I’m holding a drawing!  I have some really fun stuff that I will be giving to some lucky donor.  This includes

1)  A Chico Bag from Levi Leipheimer’s Inaugural Gran Fondo (this is a sold out item, people – this is your ONLY chance to get one of these!!)

2). A cycling hat from Eleven Gear featuring the Republic of Anaerobia logo   

3). An Aluminum water bottle from Power Flex

4). A copy of  Bike Monkey Magazine, also from the Gran Fondo 

You can have a chance at this fabulous swag for a $5.00 donation!  YOU COULD BE TOTALLY ECO CHIC FOR 5 BUCKS!  How often do you get an offer like that, eh??

ALS is a nasty, pernicous, almost always fatal disesease that robs a person of his or her life inch by inch, month by month.  It is horrible and random and not all that common and therefore not something drug companies feel compelled to try to cure.  It’s up to us to raise the money and fund the research to help eradicate this awful disease.  That’s worth 5 bucks, don’t you think?

Here is a link to my fund raising page. It explains how the drawing will work.   The donation levels were set by active giving, not by me.  I’m happy with 5 bucks.  And for that you get 5 chances to win this cool stuff and the chance to help wipe out ALS.

Thanks!

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

This is that day when we wrap up one year and head in to the next. It’s an arbitrary date but it works out because it gives us an opportunity to put away all of the excitement and decorations and the debt and madness of ‘the holidays’ which started pretty much at Halloween, and move on to the next cycle of annual events. Very tidy.

Athletes can reflect on a year of training and racing and assess it for progress, for inspiration, for opportunities to deal with disappointment, injuries, triumphs and lessons learned.   January 1 is everyone’s time to put down the cookies and candy and pick up the barbells, put on the running shoes and step up to the opportunity of making this year the best one yet.

For some of us, making 2010 better than 2009 isn’t much of a challenge.  I wouldn’t say my 2009 was horrible but it has put me in a fairly precarious place such that 2010 WILL be the year I do something beyond hoping for a great job and farting around training while I await a miracle. I’m happy to say that I read a few status updates today that reminded me that for some people 2009 was a great year. People who had their first child, did their first Ironman (myself included), got a great new job and a beautiful new home -  lots of people had a fine, fine year.    Lots of people did not so here’s to some economic recovery in 2010 and shiny New Year for All!

I have captured my athletic year in graphics:

Hours trained per month

Miles per discipline per month

Swim, Bike, Run distance/pace

So I trained a bunch and the run and the swim are better and the bike – hard to say. It doesn’t look so good on the chart but there are extenuating factors so it looks like the line is effectively flat.  A little disappointing but it’s okay because I found something more interesting.  Here are my training volumes in miles per month over the last 3 years:

2007 Training volumes (note the scale on the left)

Yearly Log 2008

Yearly Log 2009

I don’t know how easy it is to see but on the 2007 chart the ‘distance’ axis goes up to 140 miles and on the 2009 chart it goes to 500 miles.  The 2008 chart goes to 400 miles.  This proves that I have come to love my bike instead of fearing it and of all of things I have accomplished that is one of my favorites.

Wow – boring.  Moving on.

I did an iron distance race this year.  That should be my favorite thing and in many ways it is but more favorite than that was what happened in the process.  I got stronger, I got more confident and I made new friends.  So that was the best part.  I got to share that day with my first born and her husband and that was also the best part.  I finished the race in spite of being in a state of discomfort and that’s admirable but what’s better than that is that there was never a doubt in my mind or my heart that I wouldn’t finish that race.  I knew I could I do it – I knew that.  And that’s the best part of all.

I have to finish cleaning up my desk t make it New Year Ready.  2010 is going to be dramatic and good because I’m going to make it that way either by landing a job I’ve been working on for months or, failing that, something else.  Something good.  And I know I can do it – there isn’t a doubt in my mind or in my heart.

Happy New Year!

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™

I  get a daily update from a group called Story People and today’s read:

What do I get for this? I said & the angel gave me a catalog filled with toasters & clock radios & a basketball signed by Michael Jordan & I said, But this is just stuff & the angel smiled at me & swallowed me in her arms. I’m so glad you said that, she whispered to me. I knew you still had a chance.

I liked it.

There isn’t much ‘stuff’ around here but I am home with 2 of my 3 kids and we are all in good health  as opposed to my big brother who is in the hospital recovering from having one of his legs amputated just below the knee.  The operation was done to put an end to many years of pain and misery brought on by a motorcycle accident when he was a kid so it’s a good thing but it hurts and a hospital, no matter how friendly, is not a great place to be on Christmas.

So Merry Christmas to all and I wish you all a day filled with love and hope where ‘stuff’ is just the icing on the cake.  If you are dealing with illness and heartache I wish you strength and love and some path toward peace of mind.

Bookmark and Share

Powered by Bookmarkify™