Run/Swim/Bike

Another beautiful spring day in Portland begged for a run before work. A nice easy 6 miles. Felt good. Part of my run took me through Wilshire Park where some charming wild crocus are blooming. It is starting to get colorful and green around here; looks good, feels good, is good.

Croci

So swimming, another lesson tonight. I am still trying to go too fast. I need to feel "the glide" as my friend Jon says. I am trying to slow it down and put a slight hesitation in so I can feel that glide. Exaggerated stroke movements with hesitation seems to help until I forget myself. I also need to relax the upper body. Coach had me use flippers tonight so I could get plenty of propulsion from my kick which should help my arms relax and not have to work so hard. Hopefully this will loosen up my upper body, relaxing my shoulders and arms. I need to loosen up and not try to drive so much power into it. Slow, gentle, easy will carry the distance. Also worked on incorporating proper rolling posture of the upper body during the stroke. I seem to hit my groove best when doing single sided breathing. It just seems to flow best there now. I will get the bilateral breathing down, but if it takes single sided breathing to control my stroke form then that is what I will do for now. It also helps that I am getting to the pool at least two other days a week besides lesson day.

I am feeling good about my training. The weather as of late has been a big help. On most of my swim days I have been able to fit in another work out, running or biking. Sometimes the biking is just commuting but I try to work in some interval work, it is not just a casual ride.

Bike commuting has been great. I have been cycling into work 3 to 4 days out of the week most of the time and usually 5 days when my son is with me. Since my son obtained his license in December, I let him take the car so I don't have to commute him to school in deep SE. When I did commute him I spent over two hours driving. Screw that. Drive yourself kid, daddy is going to ride. The great thing is I can swing by the community center on the way home from work and hop in the pool. And if I want, and I have, I can tack on a post swim ride and make it a brick. With it getting lighter later and the warmth coming it will only get easier.


Word: easy

Work

They say they are going to be more mindful of Holidays, they are going to make scheduling more predictable, less weekends, plan more downtime, less overtime. They want to shift the work culture from "do whatever it takes" to "we are not machines". They acknowledge we have lives and need our personal time. They acknowledge many of us have been redlining far too long and it has come at a cost to employees personal lives, moral and productivity. I really hope this comes to pass. One of the new managers notes that one of his qualifications is that he is married and has two children, which means he needs to have a life and they need to know when he is available. I really feel like they are starting to listen to what many of us have been saying for a long time. It should have happened sooner and we should have spoken up sooner. It is gratifying to know that I wasn't crazy. I was losing myself and I bought into the work culture. I played my part. I know I did not always roll with the past culture well, especially in the last year. I felt I had to give my all to work, many times it seemed as if there was no other choice, I should have said "no" more. I kept going, hoping it would pay off. In the last year I thought I had been doing it for nothing. I felt like I was not getting payback, advancement or opportunity. Many of us felt this way. In the end they appear to be listening. Many of us now have new opportunity. I believe they realized that we were pushing back and we were not going to keep going at the past pace, change had to happen and it has begun.

This should give me time to concentrate on outside interests. I have already experienced some positives from a calmer schedule. In the last two plus months I have not had to work weekends outside my occasional routine weekend duty, overtime has reduced significantly, and soon I will have a steady shift without rotation. I actually find myself with some extra time on my hands. I believe I will have some fuel in the tank for outside interests, adventure, family and friends. Here is to change, new opportunities and life.

I think I will go throw a keg.


Words: opportunity and change

Six miles and... The Clash, Johnny Cash, Blues Traveler, Tool, Cold Play, Allison Krauss, Clapton, Nickel Creek, BoDeans...

Beautiful day out, I feel spring coming. The dark days of winter are gone. Went for a run in the the neighborhood today with my ipod shuffle. I always have an eclectic mix, makes the run interesting. I don't always wear my ipod when I run, but today felt like a good day to do that; lost myself in the music and pounding the payment. I always come away from a run feeling so much better; calmer, relaxed, refreshed. My outlook always seems clearer. I thought I was pushing a pretty good pace. I checked my mileage and time when I returned home and wow. I am ahead of where I want to be this early in the season. That will just let me concentrate on swimming more. I think I should run with the music more often. Enjoy this awesome weekend weather Portland. Cycling tomorrow for sure.

Running from a by gone era, have to love the David Cassidy style hair.

circa 1981

Word: perspective

We just may have a swimmer.

Houston we have ignition. Looks like the swimming mechanics are coming together. After my last practice I went to the pool on my own and worked on some of the techniques the coach suggested. I was not sure if I was getting anywhere, but looks like they paid off a bit. Tonights practice went well. The stroke form is coming together. Working on the breathing, stroke, stroke, stroke and breathe. (Get your minds out of the gutter, I am swimming here. It is self gratification of another sort.) I was actually moving through the water with some efficiency. I do need to slow down, relax, steady fluid movement, breathe. This is going to be fun. I can really see this coming together and it gives me another athletic skill for release. Whoop!!

Swimming has me contemplating swim suits.

My current choices:

Colorful















Simple square leg















The Classic banana hammock

















Word: Fluid

The Zen of Swimming, Lessons in Life

Second swim lesson tonight. More basic mechanics, stroke form with some breathing brought in. We did some basic breathing exercises to find our individual breathing rhythm. Mine appears to be, blow blow blow blow breathe. More basic kick board exercises, need to keep the legs loose, floppy ankles, toes pointed. Worked on how to properly stroke, where and how the hand enters the water at the appropriate angle in order to efficiently drive the body forward on the stroke and not force the body up. Learned about bi-lateral breathing. Three strokes and breathe, three strokes and breathe, causing you to breathe on both sides. Things to work on; head down do not turn unless going for a breath. Rock upper body to side as I stroke forward while still keeping chin tucked and head down, look at the bottom of the pool. I like to turn my head. Stop turning head. I usually kick without thinking and probably too much. I was concentrating on all the other things so much I had stopped kicking. Damn there are a lot of things to coordinate. Short lecture on slow and smooth, create fluidity. Fast and jerky will make you sink. Slow, steady and fluid will keep you floating and you won't wear yourself out. It all needs to be relaxed and Zen.

The slow and steady part I knew would be something I would need to work on. When it comes to athletics I think fast. The distances I plan on tackling in the water are not short. This is not a sprint. Relax and breathe. Good words for everyday. We all get amped up at times and are so in the thick of it, we forget about the people and world around us. If you are going to stay afloat you have to slow down and look around, breathe and relax. Sure sometimes it is crunch time and you have to dig in, but those times should be less than more. Operating in crisis mode constantly or making things critical when they don't need to be will wear you out. The mechanics and zen of swimming is all about efficient forward movement. The mechanics and zen of life can be the same. Dig in when you have to, but reserve those times for absolute necessity. I am generally pretty chill but I get wound up, a condition I usually lament and wonder what I was so in knots about. I think this swimming thing will be good.



Word: steady

Work, Praise Jesus, Can I get an Amen

I did say this Blog would be about my life as it comes to pass. So now for something non athletic. I can not elaborate, but some things I have wanted to happen in regards to my workplace are on the verge of coming to fruition. It will likely bring more simplicity to my life amongst other things. I would take the simplifying factor over the other up sides that are forthcoming just to be more stable. So, praise Jesus or who or whatever you praise. Have them or it put in a good word for me.

Life just gets interesting, and hopefully less complicated.

Amen

Work related photo, Hops



Word: perseverance

Swim Lesson

Well, first lesson down. Basic mechanics; kicking with a board, stroke mechanics as far as I can go with out breathing and repeat. Kind of funny picture I imagine, me, a tall slender athletic guy with a kick board in front of myself kicking away like I was a new little swimmer, well new is true. Did some of the exercises with flippers, damn you move fast with those. The instructor wants to bring breathing into it a little later after I get basic mechanics down. Looking forward to this experience, challenges are always good.

Cute, but not me --------->

I can't say that I am nervous about it just probably impatient. I want it to be right, right away, but I am willing to dig in, make my mistakes etc. It is just a little odd how much I have to think about all the different things my body needs to do to get it right; chin tucked keeps body horizontal, drag fingers across water as I move arm forward for next stroke, power/flick through the final part of stroke to give momentum, roll upper body sideways as you take in breath, don't kick too strong just gently power forward keeping legs afloat, blow blow blow breathe. There is a lot of mechanics to coordinate in order to create a solid efficient rhythm. Rhythm really is the key. I sat there and watched a couple of other people swim while I waited to get started with the lesson, they just have this rhythm and fluidity that is beautiful to watch. I and the instructor believe things will move quickly for me. Patience is the mantra in this current skill acquisition.

I thought I was going to have lessons Monday nights but he wants to move me to Wednesdays, which would not be my first choice since that is Tri-club cycling night, I like riding with that group. We will see what happens. I guess I will have to spin or ride on Monday nights.

After the swim lesson it was off to Tri-club meeting. Topics, were shoes and and fixing a flat. Shoes I understand. Luckily I have flatted a couple of times on rides and have had good instruction from a good friend. So, I have a good understanding of getting it done well and quickly. I good skill to know and understand. You don't want to spend time on the side of road not knowing what the hell you are doing when you could be peddling away to T2 or just taking in a good ride with good people.


Word: patience

Who am I and what is this all about.

So, it is the first day of February. You are asking yourself, "what does this guy have to say that I want to read?" Well good damn question. There will be musings, ruminations and ramblings, miscellanea, events and adventures, basically life as it comes to pass in my world.

Right now my focus is on preparing for the upcoming Triathlon season. I have yet to actually compete in one, due to the lack of effective swimming skill. But that is soon to be remedied, lessons start Monday. Should be fun and interesting. Now you are asking yourself, "why does a grown man have to take swimming lessons?", because I have never have had them. Spent loads of time in the city pool growing up in Walla Walla but no lessons and it shows. I am what they call a wind miller. I get from point A to Point B but it ain't efficient or pretty and swimming is about technique, so to lessons I will go.

Running; I have been a runner since 5th grade, mainly middle distance in track and 5 K's in Cross country. I participated in last year's Hood to Coast, an adventure I had long wanted to tackle. Running is something I have done on and off throughout my adult life. It is something I always have come back to doing. Running has provided me stress relief, time to contemplate, and ultimately it feels good. Sometimes I refer to it as my church.

Cycling; I use to bike commute when I came to Portland in 94 and recently have taken up that practice again. Started serious cycling last year due in part from a long held desire to get a bike and ride (I bought an orange Motobecane Sprint in January 07) and meeting Lindsay and all her cycling tri-athlete friends.
Good people.
Good times.









Apparently the cycling thing was a bit a natural fit for me. I logged lots of miles last year, including tagging along on the occasional TNT training rides, various group rides, Summit To Surf, and a few solo rides in the West Hills. Cycling was capped off by riding the 20th anniversary of Cycle Oregon. Cycle Oregon provided lots of miles, over 400, lots of hills, lots of beer, plenty of fun, and stunning Central Southern Oregon scenery.

















So, running... check, cycling... check, swimming...., I will get back to you on that one.


Since I had yet to acquire the necessary swimming skills, I had planned on trying a couple of Duathlons last year. Unfortunately that did not come to pass. My dog suffered an untimely bout of pneumonia which was accompanied by the obligatory large vet bill that involved pulling out the credit card and consequently putting a crimp in my race budget. Repeat after me. I love my dog... i love my dog... i love my dog. You get the picture. Besides all that training prepared me for the previously mentioned adventures I had last summer.


There he is.. Buddy, no really that is his name not just his vocation.

Good dog, good dog, Buddy.



I will let you know how the swim lessons go.


Word: engaged