Word: consistency
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Motivation found
Well, motivation was found for a ride. Thanks, Joel. Nice ride with a bit of tempo work. We were rained on a bit but who cares, that is training in early spring in Portland. Okay, I have a pile of lasagna to eat. Good night.
Word: consistency
Word: consistency
Training
I have had a good full week of training and I am trying to find the motivation to ride today. It is a little cold out, no rain yet. Honestly sometimes I wonder what the hell I am doing. My main motivation has been how I feel after a work out. I always feel better post work out, accomplished satisfied, must be the endorphins. After a work out I am usually excited, giddy and feel like I am on target for accomplishing my goals. The running and cycling are always rewarding and I feel good about those disciplines. Swimming has me feeling humble, something I talked to Malia about the other night. She actually used the term humbling first and she was right on. The thing I really like about swimming is when I get in the water and start practicing, everything else in my life disappears because I am concentrating on what I am doing. My life is not so complicated that I need to forget everything but the focus I need for swimming just crowds everything else out. I find myself really enjoying being in the water, it is warm and easy on the body and I like the focus that comes from working on developing this new skill. When I ride or run my mind tends to wander more and I become a bit contemplative. I tend to process the things going on in my life; both situation are good and beneficial.
Swimming is testing me a bit, it is all about technique, I continue to go to practice and have generally been able to get to the pool a couple other times a week. I believe I am making progress, at least that is what I think until I go to practice and I get humbled. That is fine, it does not bring me down, just shows me I have more work to do. When I first started the swimming lessons I sometimes would leave practice a bit frustrated which would inevitably turn to motivation to go practice on my own. Most of my tri-friends tell me I will be fine, and I know I will be able to get through the swim. Don suggested when I do a race let the gun go off and let the pack of swimmers go and then follow in behind them go wide of the buoys and take my time, don't worry about that part of the race, which has been my plan all along. At this point my first race will be at the end of May. I have not registered yet because I am continuing to monitor my swimming progress. I am not afraid but I don't want to get in over my head. The challenge to get it together in time for that race keeps me going. Ultimately that is why I am training, the challenge. I committed to this and have made time in my life to take it on and I will not give into any negative messages. I am having fun, which in the end is what it is all about. Now, where is that motivation for a ride today.
Word: motivation
Swimming is testing me a bit, it is all about technique, I continue to go to practice and have generally been able to get to the pool a couple other times a week. I believe I am making progress, at least that is what I think until I go to practice and I get humbled. That is fine, it does not bring me down, just shows me I have more work to do. When I first started the swimming lessons I sometimes would leave practice a bit frustrated which would inevitably turn to motivation to go practice on my own. Most of my tri-friends tell me I will be fine, and I know I will be able to get through the swim. Don suggested when I do a race let the gun go off and let the pack of swimmers go and then follow in behind them go wide of the buoys and take my time, don't worry about that part of the race, which has been my plan all along. At this point my first race will be at the end of May. I have not registered yet because I am continuing to monitor my swimming progress. I am not afraid but I don't want to get in over my head. The challenge to get it together in time for that race keeps me going. Ultimately that is why I am training, the challenge. I committed to this and have made time in my life to take it on and I will not give into any negative messages. I am having fun, which in the end is what it is all about. Now, where is that motivation for a ride today.
Word: motivation
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Swimming, Running, Trainer... oh my
So, I am little giddy right now. I had swim practice tonight and spent over and hour in the water. It felt good, tiring, but good. A couple of weeks ago we were introduced to a new coach. His name is Emerson. He is an older gentlemen with a wealth of swimming training, including being a college champion swimmer. He is a great technician and is definitely a better fit for me and my swim class partner. The previous coach hired Emerson to take on some of his load and it has been a big benefit. I think some things are just starting to click for me as well. The way he explains stroke form and gives little hints has really helped me. We did a real work out tonight. Lots of kicking, stroke technique with the fins. Also did some repeats, some of them with a closed fist. That will make you kick more. I am starting to get the reach and glide down better, bilateral breathing is coming together and I don't have to think about it as much which means I can think about other techniques in swimming. Great night in the pool. I have been trying to get to the pool two or three times other than lesson night. New skills take practice. You just have keep doing it to get muscle memory working for you.
Another accomplishment this week was running the 15K in The Portland Shamrock run. Lots of people, luckily the field for the 15K is a little thinner. I hit what I believe is a milestone for me. I was shooting for a sub 7 min/mi pace and did it. I was able to do the run in 1:05. Sweet sauce. Half of the run is up hill along Terwilliger Blvd, but once you reach Barbur Blvd, just past the 5 mile marker, it is all down hill, let the legs stretch out and take you home. I broke stride briefly to flash my ass for which I was rewarded with a swig of green Pabst beer. There is a group that sets up about a quarter of a mile from the finish and hands out beer if you moon them. So I strode through their set up, dropped the back of my shorts, grabbed the cup of beer, slugged it down and kept on running. I picked up the pace as much as I could as I saw the finish come into view. Good run, good finish and I believe I left it all out on the course.
I have not been on the bike much this week except for my bike commuting. It was a run focus week due the race and I am always focusing on swimming so riding was crowded out a bit. I did have some good saddle time the previous week with a nice long ride a couple of Sundays ago also spent some time on the trainer I bought about a month or so ago. A co worker has lent be some CTS training DVD's. Mainly I have done the Time Trial DVD. Good work out. I will get in some more bike time this weekend and coming week.
Tomorrow night is track night, whoop, I love the track.
Word: progress
Another accomplishment this week was running the 15K in The Portland Shamrock run. Lots of people, luckily the field for the 15K is a little thinner. I hit what I believe is a milestone for me. I was shooting for a sub 7 min/mi pace and did it. I was able to do the run in 1:05. Sweet sauce. Half of the run is up hill along Terwilliger Blvd, but once you reach Barbur Blvd, just past the 5 mile marker, it is all down hill, let the legs stretch out and take you home. I broke stride briefly to flash my ass for which I was rewarded with a swig of green Pabst beer. There is a group that sets up about a quarter of a mile from the finish and hands out beer if you moon them. So I strode through their set up, dropped the back of my shorts, grabbed the cup of beer, slugged it down and kept on running. I picked up the pace as much as I could as I saw the finish come into view. Good run, good finish and I believe I left it all out on the course.
I have not been on the bike much this week except for my bike commuting. It was a run focus week due the race and I am always focusing on swimming so riding was crowded out a bit. I did have some good saddle time the previous week with a nice long ride a couple of Sundays ago also spent some time on the trainer I bought about a month or so ago. A co worker has lent be some CTS training DVD's. Mainly I have done the Time Trial DVD. Good work out. I will get in some more bike time this weekend and coming week.
Tomorrow night is track night, whoop, I love the track.
Word: progress
Saturday, March 1, 2008
12:30 am Hill repeats
I made Thursday a rest day. It seems, I get over the hump of the week and my body is tired and training seems to lose a certain appeal, so I have fallen into the habit of Thursdays are a rest day. Getting back on the horse on Friday is the trick though.
Friday morning comes, I am at home. I am on the last day of what should be my last semi regular rotation of working nights. (Give me an Amen, Praise Jesus.) I am putzing around the house, making a Honey Do list for the weekend (I am my own Honey), painting a door, figuring out when to pick up my son, looking at the dishes that need to be washed, laundry, fix the flat tire on my bike. You get it, accomplishing tasks but also procrastinating the workout. So afternoon comes, Alex, my son, has been retrieved from the outer darkness of SE Portland. It is time to pedal to work. Oops no work out.
I am at work, it is going well. I should be out by mid-night. I actually like my late night rides home. It is usually quiet and cool. I don't use main thoroughfares, anyway I digress. I am at work and there is this little nagging in my head, "you need to get some exercise and it really should be more than the usual push it hard home." I light on an idea, hill repeats. There is a bit of a hill on a quiet side street I ride on to get home. It is a little short but it will suffice, it has a decent incline. You see, this week, I have swam, I have run, bike commuted, but nothing of high intensity on the bike.
By the time I punch out from work the rain has let up. Good, I was caught in a a bit of a down pour on the way into work, which left my socks and back side a little damp. My back side dried out but my socks are even wetter, given certain work condition. (Note to self take extra socks to work) Off I go toward home, some decent spinning to get the legs warmed up as I head to my destination, a little more than half way to home is the hill. There I am, quiet side street, my flashing head light, the porch and street lights of lower Alameda Ridge illuminating my way. Yep, 12:30 am and I am pedaling up and down this bit of hill. Hard up, light spin down for rest and back up. It is a brief work out as far as workouts go, but high intensity, and I can put something in my training record. Mission accomplished. Sometimes you just have to fit it in where you can.
Word: practical
Friday morning comes, I am at home. I am on the last day of what should be my last semi regular rotation of working nights. (Give me an Amen, Praise Jesus.) I am putzing around the house, making a Honey Do list for the weekend (I am my own Honey), painting a door, figuring out when to pick up my son, looking at the dishes that need to be washed, laundry, fix the flat tire on my bike. You get it, accomplishing tasks but also procrastinating the workout. So afternoon comes, Alex, my son, has been retrieved from the outer darkness of SE Portland. It is time to pedal to work. Oops no work out.
I am at work, it is going well. I should be out by mid-night. I actually like my late night rides home. It is usually quiet and cool. I don't use main thoroughfares, anyway I digress. I am at work and there is this little nagging in my head, "you need to get some exercise and it really should be more than the usual push it hard home." I light on an idea, hill repeats. There is a bit of a hill on a quiet side street I ride on to get home. It is a little short but it will suffice, it has a decent incline. You see, this week, I have swam, I have run, bike commuted, but nothing of high intensity on the bike.
By the time I punch out from work the rain has let up. Good, I was caught in a a bit of a down pour on the way into work, which left my socks and back side a little damp. My back side dried out but my socks are even wetter, given certain work condition. (Note to self take extra socks to work) Off I go toward home, some decent spinning to get the legs warmed up as I head to my destination, a little more than half way to home is the hill. There I am, quiet side street, my flashing head light, the porch and street lights of lower Alameda Ridge illuminating my way. Yep, 12:30 am and I am pedaling up and down this bit of hill. Hard up, light spin down for rest and back up. It is a brief work out as far as workouts go, but high intensity, and I can put something in my training record. Mission accomplished. Sometimes you just have to fit it in where you can.
Word: practical
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