Posts from — May 2006

Memorial Day Weekend (MDW) started out with a quick Friday evening ride over the Brooklyn Bridge for an appointment in the city. I hadn’t worked out on Friday, so by traveling to the city on bike, I was able to improve my fitness, commute and take care of business all at the same time. I was a little worried that such a late ride would tire myself out for the 100 miler I had planned in Harriman with Todd and Walter (of the injured meniscus). I needn’t have worried though as I didn’t have a problem knocking off this ride on Saturday. I was more relieved than happy that I was able to do a strong 100 miles. I feared that my bike fitness had completely left me. However, the only thing that left me that day were my companions as they were too tired (Todd) or too injured (Walter) to complete all of the loops with me. I did the last 14 miles on my own, which may have been the most satisfying. I did it in good time, without the urge to keep up with anyone.

When I returned home, I looked at my training log from exactly one year ago and I was then happy to see that I appear to have about the same level of fitness between the two years. Just like this past Saturday, a year ago I did a 100 mile ride in Harriman State Park. My seven trips around the loop were very similar in both time and HR. The following chart is a comparison.

I may even be a little stronger. I saw that on the Sunday of last Memorial Day weekend, I only managed a 15 mile run, whereas this year I did a 20 mile run. It wasn’t my fastest training run, but the most important thing was its completion. I must not be in as bad of shape as I feared. Later on Sunday I took my children to my brother’s, where we spent time at his pool club. Afterwards, my brother got me to build a movable basketball hoop, the kind you find in many driveways. I was exhausted at this point, but I had to do it otherwise he would never leave me alone until I did it. It was completely dark outside by the time I finished.

For Monday, I also repeated my year ago workout by heading down to Coney Island for a swim. This workout was almost aborted, since my partner for the swim Robert had already left his house for a run, since he hadn’t heard from me earlier. When I called his house, his wife answered the phone and told me he went out running. I decided that my only course of action was to grab my bike and try to find him in the park and talk him into going.

Fortunately I found him quickly and talked him into going for the swim. At the end of it he was very glad that I went after him. The water was so still and clear that it had the appearance of green tinted glass. It made for a quite pleasant swim.

To round out the weekend I took my family to Floyd Bennett Field for a bike ride in the afternoon. Unfortunately it was very windy, so the kids weren’t enjoying tooling around the abandoned runways. Actually, I think they couldn’t focus on bike riding since I told them that they could sit in my lap and drive our car for a while. The end result was a lot of complaining about riding their bikes, when a much more exciting experience awaited them. The place is wide open for miles around so I had no fear of letting them steer the car. As far as I am concerned, it is my god given right as an American to let my small children steer the car while it was moving. My father did that with me, and I was going to do it with my kids. Afterwards, we drove over to the bay where my kids played in the salt marches.

It was a long and fulfilling weekend.

My friend and fellow triathlete Walter was just diagnosed with a torn Meniscus. He is scheduled to go under the knife for the repair sometime during early June. This means he is out for IMLP this July. I can imagine how crushing this must feel. Suddenly, you can no longer train and you find yourself with all this time on your hands. You don’t know what to do with yourself and you start to feel lost. You start thinking how you can maintain your fitness level if running and for the most part, biking is out of the equation. Do you really just want to go to the pool all of the time? It’s a terrible situation to be in, albeit no where near the worst thing in the world.

Walter knows how I have been struggling this year with my training. He said it’s up to me to carry the torch into Ironman Lake Placid in July. I will keep his words in mind, train with purpose and get as fit as possible for the big day. This year will definitely be different; from my training and racing strategy to the fact that my wife has decided that she and the kids will stay home this time around.

I didn’t get into an argument with her about not going. I know she can’t stand the Ironman environment and I just as soon not have to deal with it. It wasn’t worth the energy or the pain in trying to get her to go. I will miss my children while I am gone and most of all running down the finishers shoot with them. At least I won’t be worrying about finding them as I make the final turn to the finish.

On the bright side my father said he would go up with me. It will just be the two of us. We have never been on a trip alone together and it should be an earnest father-son bonding experience. I am very much looking forward to it. I will have no pressure to do anything except get ready for the race and I’ll have someone that will help me do so. The only thing I have to do now is break the news to my children that they are not going this year. I can’t bring myself to do it.

I was given a book at work called Change the Way You See Everything Through Asset-Based Thinking. The premise of the book is to focus on the positive rather than the negative. It defines it as a concrete, cognitive process aimed at identifying the assets (e.g. strengths, talents, synergies and possibilities) that are immediately available in yourself, other people and any situation.

It kind of reminds me of an episode of Sesame Street where the number 0 was feeling depressed because he basically amounted to nothing. One of the characters was able to cheer him up by pointing out that he had 0 boo boos, 0 problems, etc. This made him feel much better because he was able to focus on the positive side of things.

While I didn’t yet finish the book, I took the opportunity to apply ABT to my ride this morning. I had met Todd in the park and my legs were feeling quite sluggish. My feeling were along the lines of I can’t believe how awful I feel, I am so slow, I can’t believe how week I am compared to last year. All types of thoughts such as these were going through my mind when I decided to give ABT a try. I started to look at it from the point of view of – look how good I am riding considering how little training I am done; the good thing about riding today is that I am getting to do it with a friend; fortunately my accident yesterday wasn’t worse and I am able to enjoy another day on my bike. I decided to forget about the two flats I had this morning even before I walked out the door (I really did, my rear tire was flat and the spare I put on was defective.)

By using these thoughts I started to feel better. Of course, it could have been that I was warmed up now, but that is deficit based thinking. I am going to attribute it to my positive thoughts. I started to feel so good, that I managed to zip off a 30 mile ride with relative ease in what seemed to be a very short time. I arrived back home feeling energized and refreshed.

On my subway ride to work, I was able to use ABT to look on the brighter side of a message I received from a friend/vendor telling me he wanted to cancel our lunch date today. Deficit-Based Thinking would have me lamenting the fact that I didn’t pack lunch today and I’d have to go out and buy something. However, ABT, got me thinking that I now have an opportunity to do a lunch time run, instead of having to wait until this evening to get it in. I am so glad I took my running gear with me.

As mentioned in my previous post, my daughter skinned her knee while bike riding with me over the weekend. It appears that this is becoming a problem of epidemic proportions. Last night I took my son out for a run/ride and as we were leaving the park, he fell and skinned his knee. He went down pretty hard; hitting is head against the ground. Fortunately we always wear helmets when we ride our bikes, because his helmet was clearly smashed in the front. He complained that his head hurt a bit and I can’t imagine how much worse it could have been without the helmet. He didn’t want to ride home, but I insisted he get back onto his bike if only to show himself that he can still ride. We ended the day with him racing me down our block to the front door.

This morning I suffered my own skinned knee. I also suffered two very fat lips and a cut along the upper. While riding in the park at 6am, some guy unexpectedly walked into my path and we both went down pretty hard. I suspect alcohol was involved. He appeared ok, but he wanted to wait around for an ambulance. I was fortunate to have my face break the fall. After about 20 minutes it finally arrived, whereupon he got up and easily walked over to it.

I debated on continuing with my ride, but decided it might be best if I went home and iced my lips. To add insult to injury, I slipped on the steps leading to my basement entrance and scraped my hand along the wall and smashed my lower back on the steps. Once inside, I was relieved to see the cut on my lip wasn’t too bad. Hopefully it won’t leave a scar. After I cleaned and iced it, I considered going out for my scheduled run. I figured I’d had enough cycling for the day, but I could still get in a decent workout. My wife recommended that I just forget about it for the day.

I am so disgusted with how things have been going with my training. It is not like I am just blowing off my workouts. Something just keeps getting in my way to accomplish them. I am starting to feel tired and demoralized. Maybe that is just what I need so I can get angry about it. Anger does tend to spur people into action.

I find myself getting foiled to get in my cycling or longer workouts. This is especially true since this past Thursday when I left work for my ride home and I discovered a flat tire once I mounted the bike. I had an evening affair to get to and the sky was imminently threatening rain, so I just bailed on the ride and took the subway home. I figured I wouldn’t miss the ride much, since I was scheduled for a 100 miler in Harriman with Todd the next day.

Friday morning however, I awoke to steady rain under a severely clouded sky. I watched the weather channel for about an hour before I finally succumbed to the fact that a Harriman ride was just not in the cards for the day. Instead I went to the pool with Todd where I swam around 3300 yards. It was an ok swim. I really couldn’t have done much more as I was slightly fatigued from swimming on Thursday morning. I took the rest of the day off and helped my wife with some errands.

I really had to get in a quality long ride, so I had not much choice but to go to Harriman on Saturday. For me to get in close to 100 miles, this meant leaving my house by 4:30am in order to start riding by 6am so I could be home for a 2pm soccer game. I sort of came close to that time, by starting my ride at 6:40am. The early start meant I was going to miss my daughter’s 10am soccer game, but I had to be home for my son’s for which I am the team’s coach. All during 80 minute drive I kept thinking how I just should have stayed home so I could have spent the time with my kids and seen both soccer games.

The only thing that kept me from turning around was the fact that I arranged with my friend Walter (WALTA!) to meet me up in Harriman. Walter had the luxury of a later start, since he was free from parental obligations until after 5pm in the evening. I was looking forward to the company, but I feared that I would probably be holding him back, since I knew he was in excellent shape this year.

I was climbing up to Tiorati Circle for the second time when Walter rode by me in the opposite direction. He came this way in order to meet me sooner rather than later. I was pleasantly surprised how early he was since I didn’t expect him for a while. I was also very impressed with how easily he started climbing the hill. I felt like I was towing a trailer full of bricks and Walter looked like he was being pulled up by a (skier puller). I rode with Walter several times last year and I could immediately sense how much stronger he is this year. I think he stands a good chance of qualifying for Kona this year.

During the 3.5 loops (45 miles) I rode with him, Walter would easily pass me when climbing. I would usually catch him on the down hills and at first when I passed him, I wondered if I was getting too far ahead of him. These illusions were quickly shattered. Every time I started back up a hill he would zip by me just as that thought was completed. I couldn’t even hang on his wheel during the straightaway’s.

Walter was encouraging throughout and I greatly appreciated it. After 5 loops and 70 miles, I’d had enough and was running out of time. I finished around 11:25. I could have squeezed in another loop, but then the stress of making it back in time for my son’s game would have been very high. I decided that it was best to end it early, rather than end it a little late. I felt an immediate psychological relief once I came to this conclusion. I was able to relax and drive home, instead of getting all stressed out trying to make it home on time.

After the game, I took my daughter to get a new bicycle. She graduated from a 16” wheelbase to a 20”. We didn’t have much time to ride it, since we all went to a Red Bulls game at the Meadowlands. All the kids that were part of Brooklyn Ayso got to walk on the field. Since I am a coach, I was able to join them. It was pretty cool to walk on the field. The Red Bulls won, which capped off a long and fulfilling day.

Sunday I set out to do a 20 mile run. My daughter wanted to join me on her new bike, but I was leaving a bit early for her. I couldn’t wait for her since we had a family affair to attend that started at high noon. I went ahead of her and told my wife to call me when she was ready. I ran about 8 miles when my phone rang. Fortunately I was close to home and after 10 minute delay to get her out the door we headed back for the park.

We were keeping a pretty good pace, when we happened upon a classmate of her brother’s, who was riding his bike with his parents. His mother rode, while the father ran. I started talking to them about getting the boys together for a run/ride when the boy’s father ran in front my daughter, whereupon her front wheel hit the back of his foot. She pooped off the bike and skinned her knee. This pretty much ended the run. She howled in pain for the slow ride back to our house. By the time I dressed her wound, I was stiff, sore and didn’t have much time left. The 12.3 miles I got in would have to do.

I spoke to my coach later in the day to explain why my run was shortened. He told me not to worry about it and that as long as I felt good while I ran, that the lack of distance really didn’t matter. At some point though, I really have to get in my longer workouts. If only just to prove to myself that I can still do them.

I noticed on the subway car this morning a sign announcing the Holiday Bonus from the MTA. This is a discount on the subway and bus fares between Thanksgiving and New Years. Oddly enough, a mother was on the train this morning with her daughter who was holding a snow sled. Perhaps winter will come early this year.

If so, then I suggest to the woman sitting opposite me that she refrain from tweezing her chin/neck hairs as they would undoubtedly offer her an extra layer of warmth.

Sorry. This is gross, but I felt I had to share.

This morning I was presented with no rain or flat tires to prevent me from getting to the pool. It is a perfectly clear, calm and beautiful day. It was such that I had to stop to take a picture of the sunrise as viewed from the Manhattan Bridge. In the background you can see the Williamsburg Bridge. The other picture is a view towards Manhattan. If only it was this perfect everyday, I am sure I would have much less trouble getting myself out the door in the morning.

My swim was also as close to perfection as it gets for me. My coach was there and he remarked how I was starting to look like a swimmer. The pool was configured for long course meters and I was hitting 500’s on the 10 minute mark over the span of 4000 meters. It was the best and longest I’ve swam all year. I am starting to feel like an Ironman again; at least in the water. Now I just have to get myself into cycling shape.

My one complaint for the swim was the couple of zombie swimmers who entered my lane. I just cringe when I get a snorkel swimmer paddling along side me. At one point I was trying to pass one of these sea slugs when a person in the opposite direction towing a pull buoy approached. As we went by each other, my left arm scraped alongside the buoy causing an annoying abrasion. It looks small but the sucker stung. I hoped the stinging chlorine would disinfect it so I wouldn’t get a case of flesh eating bacteria.

Tomorrow Todd is promising me an ass whooping as we once again head for Harriman State Park. He can kick my ass all over the place tomorrow as I know I’ll do the ass kicking when it really counts.

Several months back I heard of a new law being passed in NYC that made assaulting a Transit worker be a greater offense than it had been previously. Evidently, the punishment had been escalated to the level of assaulting a police officer.

Today while riding the subway, I saw a sign that stated “Assaulting MTA New York City Transit Subway Personnel is a felony punishable by up to 7 years in Prison”.

Now to me, this whole thing begs several questions. Is it less punishable to assault bus drivers? Does this mean that if I get assaulted, the person would get punished for less than 7 years and if so why? Aren’t we all human beings? Why is assaulting me, less of a crime than assaulting a subway conductor who probably deserved it for closing the door on a poor old lady just as she was about to board the train? How about those subway conductors who announce the train will be making express stops AFTER the doors are already closed thereby forcing hundreds of people to ride past their stops?

This is America where all men are created equal. Sounds a lot like “Some animals are more equal than other animals”.

Due to my lack of exercise this morning, I found myself around the lunch hour feeling nervous and cooped up. I desperately needed to get out of my office and do something, but I wasn’t sure what I could do. Eventually I decided to say damn the rain and went out for a lunch time run around Central Park.

It is really no wonder why people tend to feel calm after exerting themselves in exercise. The energy required to move your body sucks out the pent up excess leaving you too fatigued to feel nervous or worry when you finished. To make extra sure this would happen to me, I pushed myself around the lower 5 of the park at a crisp marathon pace.

When I returned to my office building, I stood outside feeling calm and pleasant. I distinctly felt a bit naked wearing just a sleeveless running shirt and short running shorts. Everyone around me was wearing an extra layer due to the cool breezes and slight rain. I just stood around in clothes that were skimpier than basic underwear and T-shirts. I really didn’t care and just hung around the sidewalk along Madison Avenue while all the suits, skirts and coats walked by. Eventually several coworkers came across me and pondered about my sanity. It was the best I felt all day.

The last thing I wanted to do this morning was to wake up at 5am for my bike ride to the pool, but I did it anyway. I didn’t so much struggle with myself as I was simply resolved to the fact that I have to go in order to get into Ironman shape. As always, I took too long to get ready in the morning, but part of today’s reason was the extra preparation I needed to take to deal with the rain outside my door.

I broke out with my 15 year old rain gear. I never like wearing it, because inevitably I am still soaking wet by the time I take it off. I am not sure if that’s because the rain leaked through or I just get extra sweaty from wearing it. The rain jacket had a foul order about it, perhaps from being stuffed in a draw for so long or maybe from old sweat. It seemed to be working well this morning as I felt mostly dry for the first few miles of my ride.

It was raining pretty steadily, but I was comfortable and feeling ok. After 16 minutes I had made my turn to get onto the Manhattan Bridge when I felt my rear wheel sort of slip out from under me. Within about 30 more yards I realized I had a flat tire. Fortunately I was right under the bridge when the flat happened, so I had shelter from the rain in order to change it.

I’ve written about being around this area of the Manhattan Bridge during the hours of darkness. Being at this location when it is still relatively dark and in the pouring rain really does give the whole area a post-apocalyptic feel. The noise here is thunderous from the passing trains overhead and the rumbling trucks on the expressway and street. Hanging around this area in these conditions is like being in a scene from a Terminator movie.

I hate changing flat tires in the rain. The tires and wheels get so wet and dirty that it is impossible to get a good grip on anything or make sure you clear out the offending item that punctured your tube. I pressed my lap timer to see how long I would take to fix the flat and then got to work.

The entire sequence of fixing the flat had a surreal and dreamlike quality. Water was pouring down the walls of the MB overpass, causing giant streams to flood all around me. I was able to find a dry patch of ground to take off my garment bag panniers and set my bike upside down to remove the rear wheel. I only had one tire lever to pull off the tire. Fortunately it came of rather easily. I didn’t find anything poking through the tire and I set the new tube in place. The tire was stubborn in going back on. I wished I had a second tire lever to assist me. Every time I got one side on the opposite side would pop off the rim. Finally, it was back in place and I used a mini pump to inflate the tube. I wish I had packed a CO2 charger, since it took forever to pump it up to an acceptable level.

Once the bike was back together and I re-hitched my panniers, I notice that my watch read 18 minutes. For a second I thought it took me only 2 minutes to change fix the flat and I felt momentary surprise and happiness. This is when my dreamlike state end and I quickly realized that it was my lap timer showing 18 minutes, not the total time. It was also now pouring rain. I was worried about continuing on, since I was afraid the panniers would soak through and my laptop would get wet. Even if I continued onto the pool, I would hardly have time to get in a swim. The pool closes at 8am to switch configuration and I wouldn’t make it in until well after 7am. Rather than risk another flat (for which I had no additional spare), I decided to just head home and play it safe. At least I’d be able to see my kids before they headed off for school. I’ll just have to get a run in later.

Post Script: I had taken a couple of pictures of myself under the bridge in the pouring rain, which I intended to post to this entry. However, on my way to work by subway later on, I lost my camera cell phone. My annoyance wasn’t so much that I lost the phone, but more because I lost the pictures I took with it.

Fortunately, when I called the phone someone answered it and we arranged for its return. While it was missing though, I sent a command to it so that all my personal contact information would be erased, in the event that the person wasn’t an upstanding citizen. This apparently erased all of my photos as well. Ugh!