If at first you don’t succeed, you’re running about average.
M.H. Alderson
Friday, June 15, 2007
20 dollar workouts
Cascadeds Edge, the Olympic Triathlon is this Sunday (the 17th)!...and that means, that..(gulp)..the Pacific Crest Half-Ironman is one week away. Excuse me for just a second...
Ok, so one week, that's fine, I'm ready. To prepare for the Olympic Tri this weekend I signed up for an open water swim clinic I attended on Wendesday (seriously, is Wednesday not the most rediculous thing to spell?),
So I paid 20 bucks to attend this clinic up in Enumclaw at Nolte State Park (where the tri is being held), and I showed up with probably 7 other people and a swim coach. The thing is, most of the people had little practice swimming in open water (like, none so far this year), and a couple people had never swam in a lake. So the coach talked for a few minutes, but all the tips were for total beginners, tips on how to get in the water and site and such.
I'm not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I didn't really get it. I guess I went in hopes of learning some tricks that allowed me to stay with the pack, or maybe discover what I was doing wrong.
We all walked down to the water, I swam a little to get used to the cold, and then joined the group at the start of the swim. They set up a buoy 400 yards away, on the other side of the lake and we were to swim to it and back, ready, go!
It was at this point that I figured it out: No, I didn't figure out the secret to open water swimming, I figured out, Hey! I should start holding swim clinics! I mean, I'm out here swimming anyway, why not hold a clinic? I'll get my workout, even get to swim with some people and make a little money... if I hadn't been swimming I would have rubbed my hands together like Homer Simpson's boss (Excellent Mr. Smithers, Excellent),
I started swimming out a little ways, kind of watching what other people were doing, and two people seem to be swimming much quicker than the others, so I went with them and drafted on their feet. By the turn-around, one of them slowed down and so I drafted the other one the whole way back, and I was a little nervous that she would be pissed off because I kept accidentally hitting her feet the whole time, but when we reached the shore she gave me a big high five and said I was terrific (the unexpected can be so nice sometimes). Turns out she thought I was a pretty good swimmer (which was news to me), and she, along with the coach, both seemed to be pretty good swimmers, so that was exciting.
All in all, it turned out to be a really good thing attending the clinic. I was able to focus on drafting, even stopping at one point and letting the two people on the way out get away from me and then working really hard to catch up. I was able to take it easy at points and watch what other people were doing and figure out what I wanted to do (which was really key, because in triathlons so far I haven't done this, I just go swimming along hoping not to get kicked anymore and hoping not to lose too much time). And finally it even gave me a little more confidence being told I was a pretty good swimmer, which, again was news to me.
So, here's to hoping this Sunday's race is a huge success. I'm going to race without a watch this time and just go as hard as I possibly can in each part of the race,
Have a great weekend, and if you weren't planning on it, go find something to do outside!
Ok, so one week, that's fine, I'm ready. To prepare for the Olympic Tri this weekend I signed up for an open water swim clinic I attended on Wendesday (seriously, is Wednesday not the most rediculous thing to spell?),
So I paid 20 bucks to attend this clinic up in Enumclaw at Nolte State Park (where the tri is being held), and I showed up with probably 7 other people and a swim coach. The thing is, most of the people had little practice swimming in open water (like, none so far this year), and a couple people had never swam in a lake. So the coach talked for a few minutes, but all the tips were for total beginners, tips on how to get in the water and site and such.
I'm not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I didn't really get it. I guess I went in hopes of learning some tricks that allowed me to stay with the pack, or maybe discover what I was doing wrong.
We all walked down to the water, I swam a little to get used to the cold, and then joined the group at the start of the swim. They set up a buoy 400 yards away, on the other side of the lake and we were to swim to it and back, ready, go!
It was at this point that I figured it out: No, I didn't figure out the secret to open water swimming, I figured out, Hey! I should start holding swim clinics! I mean, I'm out here swimming anyway, why not hold a clinic? I'll get my workout, even get to swim with some people and make a little money... if I hadn't been swimming I would have rubbed my hands together like Homer Simpson's boss (Excellent Mr. Smithers, Excellent),
I started swimming out a little ways, kind of watching what other people were doing, and two people seem to be swimming much quicker than the others, so I went with them and drafted on their feet. By the turn-around, one of them slowed down and so I drafted the other one the whole way back, and I was a little nervous that she would be pissed off because I kept accidentally hitting her feet the whole time, but when we reached the shore she gave me a big high five and said I was terrific (the unexpected can be so nice sometimes). Turns out she thought I was a pretty good swimmer (which was news to me), and she, along with the coach, both seemed to be pretty good swimmers, so that was exciting.
All in all, it turned out to be a really good thing attending the clinic. I was able to focus on drafting, even stopping at one point and letting the two people on the way out get away from me and then working really hard to catch up. I was able to take it easy at points and watch what other people were doing and figure out what I wanted to do (which was really key, because in triathlons so far I haven't done this, I just go swimming along hoping not to get kicked anymore and hoping not to lose too much time). And finally it even gave me a little more confidence being told I was a pretty good swimmer, which, again was news to me.
So, here's to hoping this Sunday's race is a huge success. I'm going to race without a watch this time and just go as hard as I possibly can in each part of the race,
Have a great weekend, and if you weren't planning on it, go find something to do outside!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Quote of the day!
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
President Theodore Roosevelt
1858—1919
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Do you need a lift?
I went out to the lake this morning again, to swim a mile and run. I ended up running eight miles, but it was tough, especially the beginning, my legs feel very fatigued, so I think I'm going to take a day or two off from running.
In any case, as I was running a very funny memory came flooding back to me (Well, I guess it's funny now, in retrospect, but at the time it was just depressing). My first ever Half Ironman was last year on September 1st, the Umpqua Ultimate in Sutherlin, Oregon. And it was toughhhhh. Blazing hot and hilly, very hilly. I had a flat tire during the bike and didn't even notice (I thought it seemed awfully hard for a while) until 7 or 8 miles from the end at which point I decided to just ride it out (I don't know what I was thinking). On top of that, I ate nothing all day.
I thought there would be nutrition on the course, but nope. So I had my three Granola bars with me, one of which I dropped on the bike and sadly waved good-bye to saying 'I'll miss you sweet nectar of life, I'll miss you....'.
While I was on the run...ok, ok, while I was on the walk, I was at about mile 6 or 7 when an old woman slowed down on the road and said, 'do you need a lift young man?', to which I replied, 'errr, no thanks, I'm in a....race'. To which she said, 'oh, yes, I noticed other people running, but they were all moving much quicker than you, are you sure you're ok?', 'yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you'
And she drove off. Leaving in her wake a bitter, broken man. Seriously, what could be worse? Oh, that's right! Only one thing! At an olympic tri in July last year, Audrey, my wife, arrived a little late, after the swim start. I guess it took her a while to get parked and drag the kid over. So here I come out of the water, stumbling, tired from swimming for a very long time (yes, it was only a 1.5 K swim), and my wife says to me, 'Oh! Thank God! I thought something happened to you, everyone else is gone! I only saw your bike there and I got scared!'
'No, nothing happened, and thanks for that, I'm going to go hang myself now'.
Ouch, huh?
Well, I'm all better now. I'm looking forward to blazing my next half-ironman run, I'm looking for 1:30 or better.
Lastly, on a different note. I worked a little more on my Motivational Fuel book proposal today, revising it to send it out to more literary agents. I'm considering sending it directly to some publishers as well, not sure, but I'm going to get sending it out again tomorrow. So far, I sent it out to just 4 literary agents, and they all turned me down for various reasons. So I've changed some things and I'm going to try again, here's hoping!
In any case, as I was running a very funny memory came flooding back to me (Well, I guess it's funny now, in retrospect, but at the time it was just depressing). My first ever Half Ironman was last year on September 1st, the Umpqua Ultimate in Sutherlin, Oregon. And it was toughhhhh. Blazing hot and hilly, very hilly. I had a flat tire during the bike and didn't even notice (I thought it seemed awfully hard for a while) until 7 or 8 miles from the end at which point I decided to just ride it out (I don't know what I was thinking). On top of that, I ate nothing all day.
I thought there would be nutrition on the course, but nope. So I had my three Granola bars with me, one of which I dropped on the bike and sadly waved good-bye to saying 'I'll miss you sweet nectar of life, I'll miss you....'.
While I was on the run...ok, ok, while I was on the walk, I was at about mile 6 or 7 when an old woman slowed down on the road and said, 'do you need a lift young man?', to which I replied, 'errr, no thanks, I'm in a....race'. To which she said, 'oh, yes, I noticed other people running, but they were all moving much quicker than you, are you sure you're ok?', 'yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you'
And she drove off. Leaving in her wake a bitter, broken man. Seriously, what could be worse? Oh, that's right! Only one thing! At an olympic tri in July last year, Audrey, my wife, arrived a little late, after the swim start. I guess it took her a while to get parked and drag the kid over. So here I come out of the water, stumbling, tired from swimming for a very long time (yes, it was only a 1.5 K swim), and my wife says to me, 'Oh! Thank God! I thought something happened to you, everyone else is gone! I only saw your bike there and I got scared!'
'No, nothing happened, and thanks for that, I'm going to go hang myself now'.
Ouch, huh?
Well, I'm all better now. I'm looking forward to blazing my next half-ironman run, I'm looking for 1:30 or better.
Lastly, on a different note. I worked a little more on my Motivational Fuel book proposal today, revising it to send it out to more literary agents. I'm considering sending it directly to some publishers as well, not sure, but I'm going to get sending it out again tomorrow. So far, I sent it out to just 4 literary agents, and they all turned me down for various reasons. So I've changed some things and I'm going to try again, here's hoping!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
PERSEVERENCE!
Yes! Perseverence my friend. That's what it's all about. (That and the ability to enjoy the present, accepting what you don't have and appreciating what you do have). But Perseverence, that's the ticket, because it's hand-in-hand with patience, a virtue (I heard that once..), which we seem to be utterly lacking in these days.
I'm guilty too, so don't think I'm pointing any fingers here; it's just so dang hard to keep yourself focused on what you are trying to achieve, and believing that anything is possible, when you don't see the results instantaneously. I think that's probably a lot of people's problem.
I was listening to competitor radio today (you can subscribe to their podcasted shows on itunes), and I was listening to an interview with Chris Mccormick, the guy that placed 2nd at Kona (Ironman world championships) this last year. And he talked at length about how he and his best friend had dreamed that someday they would be racing in Kona and winning. They had a list they made together of all the different races they wanted to win, and Chris says 'it's amazing, but back then, we were down at the post everyday, bugging them, is it here yet? Is the new issue of Triathlete magazine here yet? ...And now I'm in the magazine. How amazing! Too often these days people are saying 'ahh that kids a dreamer, he needs to forget about those silly things (whatever those things may be). But I say, buggers (he's from Australia), you follow your dreams, I'm living proof that you can live out your wildest dreams if you just want them bad enough."
It went something like that anyway, but the point is this, as you probably already figured, Anything is possible! We have to stop allowing ourselves to become discouraged and overwhelmed with self-doubt. Just work hard and believe in yourself, and it will happen mate! (oh, sorry about that, but I just love the way australians talk...I think I should move there).
It can happen. Whatever it is your striving for (or thinking about striving for), just go for it and believe. Believe that you are as good as anyone else...believe that opportunity is a bi-product of effort...believe that with enough focus any height is achievable, for God sakes believe!
It's at this point that, if you were standing in the room with me I would slap my palm on your forhead and say 'you're healed!'.
But, since that's not an option, I'll just continue to peck away at the keyboard.
I recently heard (don't know where) that you write the book you need. I thought about Motivational Fuel when I heard that and thought, 'well that pegged me'. Every time I pick up my book I get drawn in, I'm a real sucker for being reminded how to think right. I lose perspective on an almost continual basis.
And patience? Forget about it, I'm like a starved chimpanzee staring through the bars at a flock of bananas (that's right...flock, I don't have a clue what you call a bunch of bananas...or is it a bunch?). In any case, I really need to work on honing my patience. For when you're doing the right things, it's just a matter of time. And I know that.
I'll close with my race recap from the Issaquah Sprint Triathlon on Saturday.
I was up a 1 a.m., pretty typical for me before a race, even a small one, I can't sleep from all the excitement in me. Audrey and Isaac came up to Issaquah with me (Jack was with his dad), and we got there in plenty of time. Well, I should say, we got real close to there in plenty of time. Then, with an hour before the gun, we got stopped in traffic a half mile from the beach where it was staged. And we stayed there.
Finally, I unloaded my things and followed the other athletes on foot to the staging area and got set up. But by this time I was in a big hurry. I barely got situated and Chris (workout buddy) was saying we needed to get down there. So we went down to the water and got in to warm up (or cool down, however you want to look at it).
The water was nice and after swimming about 50 yards I was ready, they funneled us over to the starting area (where I was awaiting some sort of talk which was not to come). I had my goggles off and was rinsing them, with my nose plug in my other hand, when a guy said 'swimmers ready' bahhhhhhhh (horn). It was like the span of 2 seconds, and so I hurriedly threw my goggles on and my nosepiece and rushed after all the other athletes in the 'elite wave', most of which were probably elite enough to expect the gun to go off when I did not.
The swim was terrible. Terrible. TERRIBLE. Not to mention the elbows, knees and feet hitting me in the head and everywhere else, I couldn't keep up. At first I was fine, I found some guys feet and starte swimming behind him, but after the first turn buoy he somehow sped up (and I didn't). I ended up getting out of the water like 2 and a half minutes behind the big group (a 2 1/2 minutes I was never to see again that race).
ON the bike, ohhh look out. Man, my new race wheels are amazing. I averaged around 24 mph for the 15 miles, and had a great time. It was really funny in fact, my buddy Chris got out of the water only about 20 seconds ahead of me (a testament to our stellar training plan I suppose), and when I passed him on the bike going 26.5 mph, I said 'hey Chris' and thought to myself, 'I won't see him again'. Well, that wasn't so much the case. We ended up passing each other about 8 times, each time giving the other person a hard time, like 'hey buddy, have you seen my friend Chris?'
It was pretty funny, we ended up getting off the bike seconds apart and heading out on the run together. But that was about it, the heading off part, because I watched him slowly dissapear in front of me as I hobbled across the horrible bumpy grass trail they had us running on, thanks Issaquah Tri planners! I can't run on anything but hard surface, pavement or whatever, so my pace was like 7;10 per mile, pretty miserable considering what I can run.
So...for the second time in a row Chris has beaten me. But no more! I have an Olympic Tri in Enumclaw on the 17th (which Chris isn't signed up for), and then Our first Half Ironman of the year one week later. That's where I want to take the race to him, we'll see.
All in all, it was a great time, and a lot of motivation to go swimming (which I've done, along with running, every day since).
That's all for now I suppose, take care and Persevere, your dreams are but the whispers of a future that is all too achievable if you will only believe in yourself and have faith.
I'm guilty too, so don't think I'm pointing any fingers here; it's just so dang hard to keep yourself focused on what you are trying to achieve, and believing that anything is possible, when you don't see the results instantaneously. I think that's probably a lot of people's problem.
I was listening to competitor radio today (you can subscribe to their podcasted shows on itunes), and I was listening to an interview with Chris Mccormick, the guy that placed 2nd at Kona (Ironman world championships) this last year. And he talked at length about how he and his best friend had dreamed that someday they would be racing in Kona and winning. They had a list they made together of all the different races they wanted to win, and Chris says 'it's amazing, but back then, we were down at the post everyday, bugging them, is it here yet? Is the new issue of Triathlete magazine here yet? ...And now I'm in the magazine. How amazing! Too often these days people are saying 'ahh that kids a dreamer, he needs to forget about those silly things (whatever those things may be). But I say, buggers (he's from Australia), you follow your dreams, I'm living proof that you can live out your wildest dreams if you just want them bad enough."
It went something like that anyway, but the point is this, as you probably already figured, Anything is possible! We have to stop allowing ourselves to become discouraged and overwhelmed with self-doubt. Just work hard and believe in yourself, and it will happen mate! (oh, sorry about that, but I just love the way australians talk...I think I should move there).
It can happen. Whatever it is your striving for (or thinking about striving for), just go for it and believe. Believe that you are as good as anyone else...believe that opportunity is a bi-product of effort...believe that with enough focus any height is achievable, for God sakes believe!
It's at this point that, if you were standing in the room with me I would slap my palm on your forhead and say 'you're healed!'.
But, since that's not an option, I'll just continue to peck away at the keyboard.
I recently heard (don't know where) that you write the book you need. I thought about Motivational Fuel when I heard that and thought, 'well that pegged me'. Every time I pick up my book I get drawn in, I'm a real sucker for being reminded how to think right. I lose perspective on an almost continual basis.
And patience? Forget about it, I'm like a starved chimpanzee staring through the bars at a flock of bananas (that's right...flock, I don't have a clue what you call a bunch of bananas...or is it a bunch?). In any case, I really need to work on honing my patience. For when you're doing the right things, it's just a matter of time. And I know that.
I'll close with my race recap from the Issaquah Sprint Triathlon on Saturday.
I was up a 1 a.m., pretty typical for me before a race, even a small one, I can't sleep from all the excitement in me. Audrey and Isaac came up to Issaquah with me (Jack was with his dad), and we got there in plenty of time. Well, I should say, we got real close to there in plenty of time. Then, with an hour before the gun, we got stopped in traffic a half mile from the beach where it was staged. And we stayed there.
Finally, I unloaded my things and followed the other athletes on foot to the staging area and got set up. But by this time I was in a big hurry. I barely got situated and Chris (workout buddy) was saying we needed to get down there. So we went down to the water and got in to warm up (or cool down, however you want to look at it).
The water was nice and after swimming about 50 yards I was ready, they funneled us over to the starting area (where I was awaiting some sort of talk which was not to come). I had my goggles off and was rinsing them, with my nose plug in my other hand, when a guy said 'swimmers ready' bahhhhhhhh (horn). It was like the span of 2 seconds, and so I hurriedly threw my goggles on and my nosepiece and rushed after all the other athletes in the 'elite wave', most of which were probably elite enough to expect the gun to go off when I did not.
The swim was terrible. Terrible. TERRIBLE. Not to mention the elbows, knees and feet hitting me in the head and everywhere else, I couldn't keep up. At first I was fine, I found some guys feet and starte swimming behind him, but after the first turn buoy he somehow sped up (and I didn't). I ended up getting out of the water like 2 and a half minutes behind the big group (a 2 1/2 minutes I was never to see again that race).
ON the bike, ohhh look out. Man, my new race wheels are amazing. I averaged around 24 mph for the 15 miles, and had a great time. It was really funny in fact, my buddy Chris got out of the water only about 20 seconds ahead of me (a testament to our stellar training plan I suppose), and when I passed him on the bike going 26.5 mph, I said 'hey Chris' and thought to myself, 'I won't see him again'. Well, that wasn't so much the case. We ended up passing each other about 8 times, each time giving the other person a hard time, like 'hey buddy, have you seen my friend Chris?'
It was pretty funny, we ended up getting off the bike seconds apart and heading out on the run together. But that was about it, the heading off part, because I watched him slowly dissapear in front of me as I hobbled across the horrible bumpy grass trail they had us running on, thanks Issaquah Tri planners! I can't run on anything but hard surface, pavement or whatever, so my pace was like 7;10 per mile, pretty miserable considering what I can run.
So...for the second time in a row Chris has beaten me. But no more! I have an Olympic Tri in Enumclaw on the 17th (which Chris isn't signed up for), and then Our first Half Ironman of the year one week later. That's where I want to take the race to him, we'll see.
All in all, it was a great time, and a lot of motivation to go swimming (which I've done, along with running, every day since).
That's all for now I suppose, take care and Persevere, your dreams are but the whispers of a future that is all too achievable if you will only believe in yourself and have faith.
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