Transferring to Wordpress

Hey all!

I hope you continue to follow me at my new site:

http://fightingwithiron.wordpress.com/

Blogger just isn't giving me the kind of customization/features I need. :(

See you then!

General update!

(at the Ironteam viewing party)

Thursday:
Running track intervals + swim sets

Running intervals as hard as you can and then getting into the pool to do a full set of laps workout is kind of silly. No wonder the Ironman goes from swimming -> biking -> running! Can you imagine the amount of people who would drown?

Friday:
Rest!

Awesome. My body definitely needed some time to refuel.

Saturday:
Cycling drills with the team!

We learned how to 1) change a tire 2) use a C02 pump 3) take the rear tire off. Our coaches and teammates are awesome! It's great to be training with people who know what they're doing and are great teachers, too. I'm starting to get to know more people on our team (there's around 60 or so of us, though!) and as the training gets more intense, I can definitely feel why there's such a bond between those who have previously completed an Ironman with the same team.

You really do become a family.

On Saturday afternoon we headed to a fundraiser in Pasadena and watched the previous Ironteam finish their race, Vineman. I was so excited to watch people cross that finish line! The coaches weren't lying- the entire team completed the race! Go team :)

Sunday:
9m run.
Best. Run. In. Months.

I'm not sure what it was: sleep, eating habits, or maybe the training's just kicking back in after being sedimentary for two months, but this Sunday's run was fantastic! I finally started getting back into my old running grove! I can't wait until I'm back up to running 40-50m a week.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

(oooo pretty.)

Tues: Team swim.
Weds: Cycling!

I didn't know you could pass people in the pool! I thought there was some sort of "swimmers etiquette," but the girls in my lane told me to go right ahead... so I ended up lapping everyone in my lane twice!

Biggest swimming weakness: counting laps.

I'll either stop too early or do an extra lap, which pisses everyone in my lane off because I was leading. Oops. I finally got in the habit of speaking the distance every 50 on the last 400, but that was after one of my teammates told me off twice. I learned, though!

Over-thinking during a swim = completely detrimental to potential progress. Must remember that. I lose balance and even my breathing rhythm when I think about something too hard. Crazy how that's just like biking or running! There's a life lesson there, I'm sure of it :)

I've taken two showers AND washed my hands, yet my knuckles still smell like chlorine.

"Overdoing it"

Sometimes it's hard to stop.

I've been getting back into running, feeling better about swimming and just now understanding how road cycling works, so the excitement about completing an IRONMAN next year has me doing a bit more training than our coaches have asked for. I definitely felt that on my run this morning.

I can look at this objectively now and say, "oops, I was overdoing it" but in the excitement of the moment it seems impossible to stop. It's the same if there's a problem to solve within a time limit: the player will utilize those last few seconds to try just one more method to finding the answer. Persistence, stubbornness, or just a general feeling of optimism that it will happen is what some people will describe as "digging deep"- great for short bursts but can cause serious regression when trying to build a foundation.

Training's not about the goal, it's about the process.

Patience, patience, patience.

--

Sunday: 1 hr cycling + 45min weights.
Monday: 7m tempo run w/running partner.

Running in the rain

My trusty Garmin reports that I just ran 8.39m in the rain.

I missed running with the team this morning (silly oversleeping!) so I ran by myself. I can count the amount of people out running this afternoon on one hand. I'm not really sure why people are so adverse to running in the rain- I think that was one of my favorite runs yet without the iPod. Sweat and rainwater run together, the cool air restores aching muscles, and who doesn't like to splash in puddles?

I wish it rained in LA more often.

Week update!

Here's the training progress so far:


Tuesday: Team swim.
I can feel myself getting a bit more elongated in the water, so progress is being made! I immediately sped up after hearing one of my coaches remark on how I had improved. Amazing how a bit of positive reinforcement can affect training.

Wednesday: Cycling class.
These one hour cycling classes have really helped me find my limit with sprints and hills. I had never really been much of a cyclist, but it's fun.

Thursday: 8m run.
I needed this run! I miss my daily running schedule. My running partner's out of town until Sunday, so I've been less motivated to do runs alone (and without music! My mentor told me to drop the iPod since we can't use it on race day) which has killed some of my training.

Friday: 4m run this evening.

-
On a side note, I've noticed how easy it is to get absorbed in over-thinking and lose all ability to complete something. As a teammate told me last week: "It's all in your head"- whether it's about over-planning/thinking a project, making excuses to procrastinate for those last few minutes, or mentally agonizing to the point of paralysis.

Sometimes the best fuel is taking the first step.

Picture from Ubergizmo.

Something to Prove

A friend of mine got angry at me when I told him I was training for an Ironman.

"Why would you do that? What are you trying to prove?"

Why does it have to be proving anything? I understand that many triathletes suffer from major extremist habits, but I think this addiction personality quirk can be moderated by looking over a training

plan and adjusting life accordingly. I mean, pushing one's boundaries is excellent- provided you already have them set. I don't expect everyone to sign up for intensely physically straining activities, but I'd like to think that everyone relates to that human desire to push/grow beyond day to day activities. It's fundamentally about people realizing how they work, defining personal goals AND boundaries that fit their path, then finding ways to grow and change that ultimately make them happy.

Besides, it wasn't as if I rushed into this:

1. I have time to train.
2. I'm young.
3. I'm already in decent running shape.
4. I'm training the "right" way: with a group of people, two coaches, and a mission.

So ultimately, why not? What are the big cons? Having both the will and the way in hand helps to put everything into perspective.


The workouts:

Saturday:

I wasn't able to ride with the team (no bike yet) so I ran with one of my teammates, Gus, for about 5.5m with hills. Not too bad considering the 9m I ran on Friday! I like the challenge of running hills instead of just plateaued concrete.


Sunday:

Took today off! I was going to go to a Bikram class down in Costa Mesa, but I ended up getting sidetracked by helping my mom with holiday cooking at my parents' place.

Picture taken from here portraying Gregory Reade's sculpture entitled "Pushing the Limits."