Swim Progress

I got into the pool for an hour at lunch today.  I really want to think that my stroke is improving.  I feel way more slick in the water and there's a nice rhythm to my swimming all of a sudden.

For the first 100 yards.  Then it kind of falls apart.  But I'm not discouraged the way I was a couple weeks ago.  I'm doing drills for the first 1/2 hour or so and they really seem to be helping.

For the first time I'm doing consistent sub 2:00 100 yard sprints and I'm not puking exhausted at the end of them.  I'm looking forward to being able to string a few of them together.  Maybe I'll do an LT test Friday and see where I stand.

Is it just me or is this kid cute!

 

My first rest week...

I am entering my first rest week of 2010 (not including the 3 weeks I was off from my surgery).

Last week went really well I think.  I would have like to have squeezed in another swim.  I am going to have to redouble my focus to find another hour during the week.  I did two very nice runs.  Friday I ran 8 miles to Mike's house in the morning before work and we carpooled from there.

Saturday I joined Doug and Matt for our Saturday ride.  A great time around Rio Verde.  Doug is strong as ever and Matt has used his layoff to his advantage.  I am now the weak link in this group.  Fortuenately Mike is out of commission with a cold and Ken is still recovering from a broken thumb or I would have had 2 more people pass me on the hills.  I got 80 in when all was said and done.  It really beat me up though and I decided to skip the run on Sunday.

I am still undecided about travel to San Francisco in April.  If I drive it will take longer.  A nice long weekend would be nice but I don't know how that will play at home.  Paige can't miss any more school.  I could fly but I'll have to either pay a hundred bucks to fly with me or at least that to have tri-bike transport move it.  Plus car rental and maybe hotel. 

Florida is still an issue as well.  Same problems but driving is not a possibility.

I haven't had a chance to check out bike rental shops.  That would solve a lot of problems.

Pretty good day

I caught a swim at lunch today.  Good times.  I'm really focusing on drills.  We'll see if that makes me faster.

Katie had the kids on the other side of town tonight so I ran on the treadmill right after work.  I remember when I could actually motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning and run, OUTSIDE!  Now I'm like "Treadmill guy".  I don't get it.

Afterwords I ran out to Total Wine and grabbed some beer that should last through the week.  One week to go until Lent.  I think I say this every year around this time but I think I need lent this year.  I'm really looking forward to some good workouts and some good nutrician and some serious weight loss.

Stupid fun stuff

Another picture from Lance’s new book.

I blogged back in 2006 that a hotel we stayed in was the nicest hotel I’d ever seen (http://marcstdf.blogspot.com/2006/07/7202006-day-4-col-des-aravis-to.html)

It’s so nice that it turns out that when the tour went through Annecy last summer it’s where team Astana stayed. 

The tour guide from Trek Travel told us that the hotel used to be a castle that dated back so long that the legend is that it was the inspiration for Cinderella's castle.  My wife pointed out that Cinderella was probably a German, not French fairy tale.

Today

Good time yesterday.

I got everthing set up and started running while watching "Supersize Me."  I couldn't watch "Role Models" because I only have it on Blu-Ray and my computer won't play that.  Instead I watched the first 20 minutes of "On a Clear Day."  If you have never watched this movie you should. 

Ened up getting in just under 13 miles.  I must admit that it was very tortuous to go that long on a treadmill but I can say I've done it now.  I don't know how people in colder climates do their long rides on wind trainers though.

Tonight

Normally I would blog on and on about a great time this weekend or drone on and on about a rotten weekend I had feeling sorry for myself.

Not tonight. 

Had a decent weekend.  Had a lot to drink and a ton of wings at my brother's house during the game but I am going to run for 2 hours on the treadmill watching "Supersize Me" and part of "Role Models", if I have the time.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Why we work out

A bullshit ride is when you ride up a hill; sometimes hill after hill until somebody in the ride (usually me) screams out, "This is bullshit!"

In March 2007 I went for a three hour run and halfway through my knee collapsed and by the time I got home my leg was completely locked up.

Training for IMAZ April 2008 I got really bad shin splints and every time I went running it hurt so much I wanted to crawl.  I ended up walking the marathon at that race.

I suck at swimming.  Imagine that every time you put your face in the water you felt like you were going to drown.  That's what I feel like now.

It's been so hot sometimes on the bike that my handlebars hurt to touch.

I've run out of water, bonked, felt like shit, crashed, gotten hurt, had to replace equipment, ridden into the teeth of 40 mph winds, and just had all around rotten rides.

When it was finally over I've never, never, not one time, ever thought to myself, "Boy, I wish I had just stayed home."

Been a good week so far...

Except for swimming that is.

Don't get me completely wrong, I've gotten in the pool a couple times this week and I plan to do another.

It's just that I'm really bad at it.  I've gotten in a couple decent runs.  I did four really strong intervals on Monday and 30 minutes at threshold this evening.  I rode to and from work yesterday and I'm hoping to haul my butt out of bed tomorrow in time to do it again.  I didn't do the best workouts on the bike but it was better than not riding which is what I've mostly done this year.

The swim is what is bad.  My buddy Matt is a pretty strong swimmer and he's thinking of doing a triathlon race later this year.  I'm going to try and get some tips from him and join a Master's class at the gym in addition to getting down there a few times per week.

I am going to work on posting more pictures.  I think it's more fun to read blogs with pictures.  I think it's more fun to read just about anything with pictures.  But that's just me.

Ken running 6mph at the zoo

Ken running 10 minute miles at the zoo.

He got up to 7 mph or roughtly 8:30 miles for a short distance.

From this weekend

I found Ken up on the counter in the kitchen trying to get a glass of water.  I asked him how he got up there.  He showed me instead.