Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Busy,,,

So I was going to post my weekly weight update this evening but the following happened:

-The file I needed did come through on email

-Had to pack the car and load up the bike since I am leaving to go over to Boston for the weekend. (supposed to go biking at Cape Cod)

-Had to put together a ass kicking Spin list for tomorrow morning...long story...maybe this weekend.

ok off to bed

Monday, August 25, 2008

Back At It

So vacation is over now its time to get back into the routine that is my life ...training.

My internal clock is still *#^&^!%'ed ...I fell asleep about 3:30 am and got up at 9:30am this morning. After stopping at the gym I went into work till I had to leave for an appointment at 4pm

Even though I was tired I went and did the 5:30pm Spin Class....it was so nice to be back on a decent Spin bike. I didn't make it to my class this morning but they were aware that I might not be there since I was getting in from vacation.

So yeah it's back to my rut...I mean routine. Fall classes at the Y start after Labor Day and being an instructor I have a preliminary schedule so I am going to sit down and plan out my exercise classes.

Well I am going to hit the 5:30am class tomorrow so it's off to bed with me...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I Need Your Help

"I swear that I will never lie to you again because now I see the destructive power of a lie they're stronger than truth... cause I'm a liar, yeah I'm a liar I'll rip your mind out, I'll turn you into me I'll turn you into me cause I'm a liar, a liar liar, liar, liar, liar"
Henry Rollins: Liar

So I thought I wouldn't post here while I was on vacation but I had to get this out before the end of the week.

I am considering changing the name of my blog and I need some help... I think recently my Attention Deficit Disorder has kicked in and I need to shake up things up. After my last race I am going to be changing the name of my blog because I am kicking around the idea of starting a podcast to go along with the blog and I want a more catchy name....but I need your help.

So what you need to do is go to the blog site and vote in the poll I have placed on the right side panel.
The choices are for Round 1 are:
  • Lost In Transition
  • Neoprene Dreams
  • Threesome Anyone?
  • Swim, Bike, Run, Rinse...Repeat
  • I Don't Date, I Train
  • iTRI: Season 2.0
  • Stories From the Back of the Pack
  • Me Tri, Therefore I Is
  • No Change from Current title
  • Write in your Own suggestion (leave as a comment and might appear in Round 2)
Round 1 voting is until Sept. 1 then Round 2 will begin based on how round 1 goes.

I now return you back to my other soon to be renamed blog for my exciting vacation coverage

Thursday, August 14, 2008

On Vacation

So I probably won't be posting here while I am out in California unless something very exciting happens Triathlon training related (although the Olympic competition is this weekend).

By the time you read this I should be in California, sitting in the Chicago airport still, or stranded somewhere in the Rockies wondering how long until I have to resort to cannibalism because the plane has crashed. If we have to make a water landing I hope I have enough time to grab my wetsuit out of my carry-on and get it on w/o Body Glide

Anyway I hope to be able to upload pictures and stuff to my other blog (soon to be renamed)

So I got to run and finish packing then try and get some sleep my flight is @ 5:30am

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Weekly Updates

So it was that time of the week this morning for my always epic confrontation with the scales. Going in I was worried since I was over at a friends this past weekend and strayed off the routine, but I did well considering…

Besides nearly killing myself at the gym I have been focusing on watching my food intake. I like to use Gatorade during Spin Classes so I have been using the G2 which is the lower calorie kind. I think I am going to be switching over to PowerAde Zero which has more flavors and no calories and doesn’t taste like it has been watered down. I have also quit stopping at Starbucks after teaching Spin for my venti Nonfat Hot chocolate...it's been tough.

My goal is to be at 215 lbs by the Nantasket race. I can’t go under 200 lbs (which I don’t think I can do in a month anyway) because I am registered in the Clydesdale division. If I can reach this weight, than I will be at least 20 lbs lighter than I was when I did my first race back in July. I have put the chart back up and the pictures below on the wall of my cubicle at work so that when I get tempted to eat or cheat on the diet I will remember:

Yeah scary ain’t it…print it off if you have rats you want to get rid of.

So here is the updated of the schedule for the next month leading up to my races:

August:
15th – 24th : In California
28th – September 1st : Boston

September:
4th – 6th : In Pennsylvania
11th – 14th : In Cleveland
19th – 21st : In Boston for Nanatasket Triathlon
27th – 28th : In Dartmouth, MA for Buzzard’s Bay Triathlon

'Well it's that time again where I go to bed ... 5:30 am Spinning in the morning.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

T-shirts

Nothing much to report on training wise today...

I had a few appointments after work so I had to miss the gym and the Crystal Lake simulator this evening. I was going to ride he bike this evening but my knee has been hurting again and I am rationing my patches since my insurance is run by a bunch of pinko commies and won't cover them...

So I am sitting here at home in the dark...trying to motivate myself to start packing. I am surfing the internet looking at triathlon shirts. T-shirts are the extra bonus of doing a race. I was think about designing one to commemorate Season 1 but I have no artistic talent. I am so bad I can't even draw a stick figure...
Apparently they look something like this according to a Google search:
Now I have been here for the past hour and this is the best I can come up with(even using MS paint):
Poor guy looks like he is in pain....

Anyway here are my Top 5 favorite designs:
5.4
.3.2.1.
So it looks like all the good ideas are taken...I might need professional help
Well I have wasted enough of your time hopefully so I better get packing since I have to teach in the morning.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Not That Anyone Cares....

but I am trying to decide how to get my wetsuit out to California so I hopefully get in an ocean swim or two while I am out there on vacation.

Now normal people would probably take it easy if they were on vacation...not me.

I have already located a YMCA which is about 2 mies from my relatives house and have already called and got the Spin schedule...which means I will be packing my bike shoes along with my swim gear.

I was going to ship everything out there in the mail but that would mean I would have to teach my Wednesday class w/o my shoes which is not going to happen plus if I mailed it I would have to insure the thing since I paid a pretty penny for both my bike shoes and wetsuit.

I think I am just going to take the wetsuit in my carry on and pack the rest of my gear in my checked luggage.

I guess everyone can sleep easier now....

This morning's Interval Spin workout playlist:

Well got to get ready and head to bed...4:30 am comes early

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Workout: August 3rd -9th

So it's a 2 post day...the one I did earlier today was supposed to be posted last night but I was tired.

Sunday:
Lake Placid
Swim - 1.2 mile

Monday:
Taught 5:30 am morning Spin Class (Strength Workout)
Evening: Spin/Run Brick

Tuesday:
5:30am Spin Class
Open Water Swim (.55 mile) @ Crystal Lake

Wednesday:
Taught 6:15am Spin Class (Strength Workout)
Evening Master Swim:
500 yd warmup
50 yd kick (8 on 1m 45sec)
150 yd swim (6 on 2 m 30 sec)
100 yd Pull (8 on 1m 30 sec)

Thursday:
5:30am Spin Class
5:30pm Spin Class*
*supposed to be a Swim/Spin Brick but pool closed due to weather

Friday:
REST DAY

Saturday
1 mile run
Ocean Swim
---------------
This coming week is going be a busy one since I am leaving for vacation on Friday.

Well off to bed gotta teach Spin at 5:30 am

Nantasket Race Scouting Trip

So I am over in Boston for the weekend...

Besides getting out of Albany and visiting friends, the main reason for the trip over here was to checkout the course for my upcoming race.

The original plan for yesterday was for me and a friend to do the Brewster Brew Run, which is a 5.2 mile run then go down to Hull on Sunday. However, after much thought we decided that driving ~2 hours or so and the thought of having to deal with all the people down at the Cape then it would have been more of a headache then fun.

So instead we headed over to Hull yesterday afternoon. The first thing we did was drive the bike course which looks like it is going to be a super fast one. The word "flat" is kind of an understatement, and there are only two small and short inclines which should be no problem...especially after biking in Conn. The only thing that concerns me is that the roads are really not that great in some places with cracks and grooved pavement. Other than that it is a very scenic route and should be fun.

After we drove the course we went for a run on the beach so I could get a feel for what the run is going to be like. It was not as bad as I thought it would be and actually found it better than running on the pavement. We only did about a mile or so because there were people on the beach which turned it into an obstacle course...I almost got clocked in the head with a football.

So after the quick run on the beach it was time for the main reason I wanted to check out the course: the Ocean Swim. Now I hadn't swam in the ocean since I was 13 years old and have never really been a big fan of the ocean anyway...maybe it was seeing JAWS at a young age or something like that.

Anyway...so I got my wetsuit and swim gear and headed down to the beach. After suiting up( Sorry battery ran out on camera) I ventured out into the water. I was hoping to have a chance to do some more reading online about proper technique for an ocean swim. So my goal was to get used to the feel of the water and surf. I swam out a bit to get the feel of swimming hrough the waves and looking in the water which is perhaps the most uncomfortable thing for me. I guess I kept expecting to see a shark or something but nothing. I went back to shore and got a drink of Power ADE to get the salt taste of of my mouth before going back in to the water.

So I think that I still have a lot of work to do but I think that come race day I will have no problem with the swim.

As I was on the beach taking my wetsuit off this guy asked me why I had a wetsuit on so I explained to him what I was doing and talked to him for a bit about before we left and came back to the house for dinner.

Overall the trip calmed some of my apprehension about the race but I still a bit nervous ...hopefully they won't chum the water before teh start of the race.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

Masochism
1. gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one's own actions or the actions of others, esp. the tendency to seek this form of gratification.
2. the act of turning one's destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself.
--------------------
So after much thought I have decided that my race on September 21st is not going to be my last race of the season. Remember back after the Pinebush I was trying to decide between the two races over in Massachusetts and I picked the NANTASKET SPRINT? Well at the time I picked that race because I thought I would possibly beoing over to Cleveland to see an Indians game. Well this week I was checking the schedule and it turns out I was wrong and they do not have a game the weekend of September 28th.

So I was thinking what can I do??? Then I remembered that the Buzzard Bay triathlon was that weekend. Tuesday I rode with my tri-coach to the Crystal Lake practice and told her about my next race and about the Buzzard Bay race.

So Wednesday and Thursday I started batted around the idea of possibly doing the second race but was wondering if it might be too much since they are one week apart. So I asked my coach last night and she said it would be fine since they are both Sprint races and I could do the Buzzard's Bay as a simulator if I wanted.

So the race is:
1/3 mile Ocean Swim
14.75 miles Bike
3.25 mile (5k) run


So it should be a challenging race

Maybe I could find a race in October....Yeah I am a glutton for punishment

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Building a Better Triathlete


A want to be triathlete - barely in shape. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

---------------------------------------------------------
So two weeks into my weight lose program here is where things stand:

I will admit not bad but still along way from my goal of 200. I guess practically living at the gym is beginning to pay off somewhat, also made changes to my eating habits...tuna and jalapeƱos mustard or spicy mustard is the best wrap ever.

I have been thinking about what I will do after my race in September during the off season. Then again what is this thing called “off-season”?

I am toying with the idea of getting a personal trainer to help get me in shape for next season since I would like to do The Spirit of Morgantown, which is an Olympic distance race. In order to do this I need to drop weight, build muscle, and improve my cycling and running.

In a perfect world I could do this on my own but I need someone there cracking the whip and pushing me and making sure I do it correctly.

The following needs to be done:


  1. Work on strengthening the CORE and dropping weight
  2. These have got to go
  3. Flabby arms into lean muscle
  4. Work on building strength in legs and knee
It's doable just going to take some work.

Well off to bed...might do the 5:30am Spin class....

Beat

Tired...just got in from Crystal Lake...going to hang up wetsuit...then bed...must teach Spin in morning

Monday, August 4, 2008

Neoprene Dreams: Director's Commentary

So if you don’t know by now I am not taking up residence with the fish at the bottom of Mirror Lake... sorry to disappoint some of you

So I got up Saturday morning as planned and hopped in the car and began the long trek up to Lake Placid. I stopped to get gas and Starbucks hot chocolate. Sitting in the parking lot of Price Chopper I input one of the shops that I was going to stop at only to have the GPS tell me that there was no such address. So I just told it to take me to Main Street and I would just find the shops from there. The drive up was uneventful once I got off the Interstate and headed towards Lake Placid then it began pouring down the rain then slacked off to a sprinkle.

The first stop I made was High Peaks Cyclery since they were right there as I made the turn onto Main Street. I tried on two different large wetsuits: a ZOOT (which was the high end suit) and a 2XU which was a basic model. I have never sweated like that before in my life. Getting the suits on was especially difficult in a 3 x 3 dressing room and trying to be careful enough not to tear the thing. The owner was nice, maybe a bit too nice. He kept telling me how great the ZOOT was, how he used one, and that he would give me an extra 25% discount. The 2XU just felt like I was incased in rubber. So after trying on the two different suits I said that this was the first place I had stopped and I wanted to check out the other place I had researched on the internet. The one really cool thing was that they had weekly mini triathlons.

So I left there and went on to Placid Planet where I tried on a ROO and two different NINETEEN wetsuits. I first tried on the XL just so I could see how it felt compared to the Large. By the time I had tried on the last wetsuit I noticed that the tip of my middle finger on my right hand hurt and when I looked down I noticed that I had a huge blister on the tip of my finger (my first Neoprene induced injury).

By this time it was raining steadily again and I was seeing my chances of swimming the course slowly go down the tube. I left Placid Plant because I needed to think about the different suits. I decided that if I could find a cheap motel room I would just spend the night and hope the weather was clear enough for me to do the swim in the morning. I finally found this place just outside of town for $65 for the night, nothing extravagant just something functional with no bite marks in the soap. So after reserving my room I went back to Placid Planet and bought the large NINETEEN wetsuit (obviously the one I had in the clips I posted last night) and I also bought some BODY GLIDE…that stuff is wonderful. The selling point for me was the red material in the arm area just made it easy for me to move my arm and an added bonus is that 19 in Stephen King’s Dark Tower saga (some of my favorite books) is a mysterious and important number which is used as a powerful key.

As I was checking out I asked if they could give me the bike route for the IRON MAN race.

Before I set out to drive the Bike course I stopped by the lake just to check out the facilities there and see if there was somewhere I could stash my stuff while in the lake. When I got there the guards were still there sitting out of the rain and I asked them about the course and if there was a place for me to put my gear. So I talked to them for about 15 minutes before starting my drive of the bike course.

The course looked challenging in places especially where it went up hill and around the mountains…given time and more biking experience I could probably do it. It took me about an hour to drive and entered back into Lake Placid right by my motel so I stopped off and put my wet suit and gym bag in the room before heading to the Lake Placid Brew Pub. Before heading to dinner I walked down Main Street…too many people and shops for my taste. Anyway I went over to the Brew Pub and had dinner then went back to the room and went to bed…yes an exciting night in Lake Placid for me…

So the forecast was for showers in the morning and T-Storms in the afternoon but as usual I kept waking up during the night and I would look out the window to see if it was raining and it wasn’t until about 6 or 7 AM. So I got to the lake and suited up, had to have one of the guards help zip up the back of my wetsuit.

The water really wasn’t that bad temperature wise even on my feet which weren’t covered by the wetsuit. I waded out and flopped around in the water for awhile, getting used to the feel of the wetsuit before starting the course.


So I started out at a good clip but pulled back and started working on taking long strokes and gliding in the water. I was following the line underwater which the buoys on top were attached to for my sighting. After awhile I lost the line in the water and decided to start sighting on the buoys floating on the surface which is a good thing I did because I was drifting to the right away from the course markings. So after a few times bringing my head out to sight my goggles started to fog so I stopped, rolled over on my back, and wiped the lenses.

Actually looking back this is what went through my head:
-wow I have swam that far already and I am not that tired
-holy crap I can’t see the beach
-if I get a cramp or BONK I am SOL
-!COOL! (brief exhilaration of life on the edge)
-I can probably make it to the side of the lake if need by and this wetsuit is keeping me up pretty well
-I had a somewhat decent run

Now would be the time to mention that the course is SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. There are no lifeguards in canoes patrolling the area like there are at Crystal Lake or divers at the corners to assist swimmers who may get pushed under in the turns like they do during the race.

While cleaning my goggles I also noticed it had started to sprinkle again so I decided to get moving again because with my luck the Thunderstorms would have rolled in early. After the second right turn I was heading back to shore alternating between working on my stroke and short periods of breaststroke. Finally the beach started to come into sight, I wonder if there were people on the shore wondering if that lite green thing out in the lake was some idiot out swimming the course…I hope so. About 40 yds from the beach I looked back and saw that off behind me was another swimmer. I booked the last yards until I started to see the bottom of the lake and looking for a place that did not have any rocks that I would step on or catch the wetsuit on and nick it. After finding a place to stand up I walked up the beach, taking off my swim gear and unzipping the wetsuit as I went back to the Guard Office. NOTE TO SELF: Next time use Body Glide around the neck.

-----

Got home last night about 6pm after running some errands once I got back into town and stopped at the gym and the hot tub before heading home and throwing together the following Spin list that I used for the 5:30am class I covered this morning:

nmnm

It was tough since I went to bed about 9:30 and didn’t fall asleep until after midnight and then was up a few times before pulling my sorry butt out of bed and getting to the gym around 5:10 with just enough time to change and get setup before starting the class.

Well it’s getting late and I am planning on doing the 5:30 class tomorrow morning which means I got some staring at the ceiling to do…I guess I can decide if I am going to do Crystal Lake or Pilates class tomorrow evening...

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Neoprene Dreams

The following clips were found on a camera with upload instructions...





Friday, August 1, 2008

Lake Placid Preview(VIDEO BLOG)

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