Learning has Occurred!!

Following a good week of training last week, this week has be awful. I have missed two training sessions already this week because of a sick dog and a sick little girl. Both nights I have been up most of the night or had very broken sleep. So, finally!!, with a good night of sleep behind me, I was determined to have a good session in ye ole' weight room this morning. I am in base phase right now so I am lifting light weight, high reps with a pretty fun routine. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary and I was still having trouble keeping up. After about half of my workout, I was spent, totally spent. I called it quits and hit the shower. Now I have to sit here all day and reflect on how bad my training was this morning and find some determination to make tomorrow 100% better. I don't think I'll have any issues with that because I am so pissed at my performance this morning. While driving in, I was thinking about what were the causes and how can I avoid a rerun performance. I guess it goes to show that lack of rest = lack of performance. Mental note taken and filed, learning has occurred! Life and training moves forward.

Life

I saw the comic and laughed and thought I would share. I can't say it fits me as the "overweight kid" or "hunky triathlete". However, I still find it funny how life evolves. Anyway, enjoy.

Training is has been good this week. I am still doing base work for now and a few more weeks. I am in the pool 3 time a week, run 3 times a week, cycling/spinning only twice a week for now and in the weight room twice a week. Lately I have be getting in some good skiing in place for running. Its a good break from the treadmill and I can pull my daughter in her Chariot trailer. Have a great weekend, TRAIN HARD and have fun!!

Gains Through Pains

While I was counting tiles on the bottom of the pool this morning, I got to thinking..."Gee, this kinda hurts". No matter if I am racing or training, I always have that moment within the first few hundred meters or so. However, I know that I'll work through it. It's getting to that point that really bites. When I was in the military the saying went, "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY!" (for some reason, it was always yelled). I always thought, weakness can leave all it wants, but does it have to hurt so damn much?? I am not too sure if it is because I workout at 5:30am or that I am just waking up or perhaps both. Whatever it is, it sucks. Once I get past that stage, no problem. I can pick up the pace and get along with business. I have that same time and point when I am riding, get past it and I'm money. Until that point, I feel like I am dragging a boat anchor and the boat. I can't same the same thing when I am running because, to me running always hurts. The weight room is a whole other story. I love to lift and I have lifted pretty regularly since high school. So, when I wake up in the morning and I have to lift, I know that my whole workout it's going to hurt. To tell you the truth, I like it and I kind of get off on it.

I try and think how pain now is going to benefit me come July and August. Last year during a race, I was past inside the finish chute and finished fourth. To say I was pretty unhappy with myself would be a HUGE understatement. That single moment has gotten me through plenty of pain so far this winter. I imagine that it will get me a lot farther too. When it hurts, I think to myself, "4th place huh??".

Yep...It's Cold!!

I was up early on Sunday ready to get out and get my ride in and looked out the window, Yep...still have snow on the ground. Well (I thought to myself), just how cold can it be (I had to ask that question!) and then I looked at the thermometer. Holy Crap!! That's cold!! I guess I won't be riding outside today. I know that there are some out there that will call me some unsightly names for "wimping out", but I have to draw the line somewhere. So, I decided I would do my thing inside. I don't mind the treadmill or the trainer but there is only so much you can take. I can take the treadmill and/or trainer for a couple of hours each but anything longer than that and I had have a good game or movie on the TV. I had images if Jim Carey in "Dumb and Dumber" riding his mini-bike to Aspen, snot frozen to his face, hands frozen to the handlebars, "A little nippy on the pass!".

It was pretty much too cold to do anything outside, even ski. So, my 2 year old daughter ended up taking turns throw cups of hot water into the air. If it's cold enough, nothing comes down. Needlessness, it was cold enough, she got a kick out of it anyway.

Today was a balmy 8 outside. Hummm... maybe, just maybe I'll get to ride outside sometime soon???

A True Wyoming Fact

When I go for a run in my small town I inevitably run downtown and see this sign. I assure you, it is for real and it makes me chuckle every time I see it. I live in Wyoming but we are only 45 minutes from Park City, Utah. Park Citywas the location of the 2002 winter Olympics. The Jamaican Bobsled team is based here. It's our claim to fame in small town Wyoming. To my knowledge, John Candy was never in town to make the movie, Cool Runnings. Every now and again, you do see the bobsledders. It's pretty funny to here a Jamaican accent, in of all places, small town Wyoming. Anyway, thought I would share a little Wyoming fact.

The Scale is My Friend

I got on the scale this morning at the gym and I seriously heard it groan. People tell me all of the time, "You don't look like you weight 250 pounds.". Well I do and so what. My wife says that I shouldn't worry too much about the scale because I am active and lead a "relatively" health lifestyle. Well I do and so what. I raced two years ago at 230lbs after losing a little over 20lbs. I felt great and I hate to admit it, but... I actually started to enjoy running. My new mantra is, "The scale if my Friend". Didn't someone say something about the power of positive thinking?? I hope it works.



So, with this in mind life goes on and as I run down the street at o-dark-30 you can hear me chant my mantra, "the scale is my friend, the scale is my friend." I am sure that my neighbors think I am a certified nut-job. Oh well, I'm a Clydesdale, so what?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I trust everyone had a happy and SAFE New Year celebration. I would love to tell you I did, but I was asleep at 10:30. We spent the afternoon cross-country skiing with the in-laws. All-in-all, we had a blast.

While I was skiing, I got to thinking about past seasons race results and the results, or lack of results, I had this past season. A couple of years back, I had a good year with (3) 2nd place finishes out of 6 races. This past season was s0-s0, to say the least. I can blame it on a whole host of things like moving and getting adjusted to a new environment, no training partners, it's too damn cold, but I won't. This past year really had it's ups and downs. I finished my first marathon (Salt Lake City), which I would recommend, totally cool. On the down side, I was in the finish chute getting ready to finish in 3rd place and collect my medal when I was passed and finished 4th, sucked! So, I have decided, come hell-or-high-water, I will NOT ever get passed for another 4th place finish again. With that in mind I have scheduled an exciting 2007 race season and set some good goals:

2007 Proposed Race Season
May 26, Evanston Wyoming Sprint Triathlon (Evanston, WY)
June 16-17 High Unitas Stage Race (Road Race, TT and Crit) (Kamas, UT to Evanston, WY)
July 14, Zango Echo Olympic Triathlon (Coalville, UT)
August 4, Cache Valley Sprint Triathlon (Hyrum, UT)
August 12, 5430 Long Course Triathlon (Republic of Boulder, CO)
August 25, Jordanelle Olympic Triathlon (Park City, UT)
September 15, Ogden Valley Olympic Triathlon (Ogden, UT)
September 23, Pinedale 1/2 Marathon (Pinedale, UT)
October 20, Escape to Lake Powell (Lake Powell, UT)

2007 Race Season Goals
- Top 10 Clydesdale finish at 5430
- Sub 3:oo finish at Zango Echo Olympic Triathlon
- Top 10 finish in all Olympic distance races
- Top 3 finish in all Sprint distance races
- 2:10 half marathon
- HAVE FUN and don't puke in front of the photographer!!

So, I have put together a great training plan that spans from January until the end of October. It sounds a bit overwhelming just talking about it but I have some built-in time off for vacations and family. All of this should set me up pretty good for a go at IM Louisville 2008. Take care and enjoy the new year. -c