Posts from — August 2006

So I decided to just skip my workout this morning, even though my coach told me to make sure I get something in everyday this week. I was tired from the night before and I just felt like taking the pressure to train off of myself for once. I think that is why I haven’t been enjoying it so much. Too much self induced pressure to train, like it’s a job I have to do in order to pay my mortgage and support my kids.

My fear in letting myself slack off with training is that I will eventually stop doing anything if I don’t keep the momentum going. I’ve done this before, so I’d likely do this again. History repeating itself and all that. However as I look back at it now, I think the reason why I failed to keep my training regimen going in the past was because I was just tired of the pressure I put on myself to get up every morning to workout. Perhaps I am finally learning from my history and kind find a way to give myself a break without feeling as though I am going to be a big fat slob again. It’s ok to goof off every now and then, especially without any big race commitment coming up, right?

Maybe I just need to get to bed earlier so I don’t feel so darn tired in the morning.

This evening my company had an outing at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. It is a very nice venue with sweeping views of the city. It had an outdoor terrace and the evening breeze was cool and refreshing. We were even given souvenir binoculars for our viewing pleasure.

Of course I wasn’t there to just admire the view so I made my way through the crowd to begin socializing. At one point I stopped to talk to someone I know. While talking, some spittle accidentally shot out of his mouth and landed on the lapel of my suit jacket. He saw it happen and got horribly embarrassed. He started to clean it off and began to apologize profusely. While he was apologizing, some more spittle shot out of his mouth and landed on my tie. I wished he would just stop talking and leave me alone.

Fortunately, I was spared from any more spittle for the rest of the night as well as from anyone with bad breath. The party was festive and restful enough and I wasn’t harassed by anyone asking me inane computer questions all night long. I mostly received accolades on a project I just completed as well as asked running and training advice. It wasn’t a horrible way to spend an evening, but I think I still preferred to spend it at home with my kids. I probably drank a little more than I should have, so hopefully I won’t feel any ill effects in the morning.

Ah, the lazy days of summer. Too bad I have to work or I would really take advantage of just laying around. This morning I was scheduled for a swim and run, but I really didn’t feel like either. I woke up a little late once again, so I figured I would go to the pool. At the last minute though, I decided to just skip it and to go wake up my kids instead. That seemed infinitely more pleasurable than dragging my tired ass to the pool.

Once we were all downstairs in the kitchen to eat, I reached for the carton of soy milk to pour onto my cereal. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the carton was virtually empty and yielded a miserly trickle followed by only a couple of drops. This got me aggravated so I figured I may as well go out for a run, while another container of soy milk cooled off in the freezer.

The run turned out to be very enjoyable. I ran smoothly and easily and was very happy I got out the door. I’ll have to “run out” of cold soy milk more often. I ran 6.4 miles, which was just enough time for the container to cool down to a level suitable for pouring into a bowl of Life cereal with Hammer Whey protein powder sprinkled on top. There is no substitute for a healthy and nutritious breakfast after a morning workout.

That’s what I’ve felt like for the last two days. Just taking a big yawn and heading to bed for a nap. I don’t know why I feel so tired lately. Maybe I am just getting to bed too late. I feel like lounging around at night rather than hitting the hay to wake up early to train, so that’s been cutting into my sleep.

Yesterday morning (Monday) I didn’t stand a chance of making it out the door in the morning. I woke up to get ready for my run, but couldn’t resist the lure of my couch to lie down on it. I succumbed to its call and said to myself I could do the run at lunch or after work.

Of course, I couldn’t get it in during lunch (dentist appointment) and on the way home all I could think about was eating dinner and vegging out. Fortunately, I asked my daughter in the morning if she wanted to go for a ride with my while I ran in the evening and she was eager to go when I walked in the door. Otherwise I almost certainly would have skipped it. I was very glad for her company as she made me keep a decent pace and the run felt cathartic and rejuvenating.

I didn’t feel like going to bed at my normal time though. I wanted to sit on the couch and watch TV with my wife. This got me to bed later than I should have in order to wake up early enough to get in my ride this morning. I still forced myself out of bed and out the door for the ride.

Perhaps I should have just stayed home. I am never any good when I am overtired. This showed just as I was entering Prospect Park, where I had to navigate around a barrier that was for some reason placed in front of the entrance. I didn’t do such a good job of navigating, since I fell onto my elbow when I tried to get around it. I was very fortunate, since after I got back up and started to ride again, I realized I forgot to put on my helmet before I left.

I went home to retrieve it and then proceeded to ride a very sluggish 11.5 miles. I barely had the energy for that, but at least I was pleased with myself for making sure I did something. Maybe a good night’s sleep is all I need to get myself moving again in the morning.

I was pretty relaxed on Sunday and had a full day. The morning started out with breakfast with a friend of mine at a local joint where we shot the shit and then took a walk in Prospect Park. We had been planning on getting together for a while and it finally happened.

Later that same morning I stopped by fellow runner and blogger Cris to help him move furniture into his new house. The move was quite easy and he was moving literally next door. It didn’t take that long to move the big stuff and I was ready to do some more, but it was all over quickly. The only think left to do then was to go home and get in my scheduled bike ride.

I was strong on my bike and averaged over 20 mph for a distance of 24 miles. I wasn’t even trying hard and I felt satisfied when I got home. In fact I felt like I should have done more, but decided not to push too much too soon. My wife and kids were out ice skating during this time and I got to relax at home alone for a while. That is always a rare treat. They arrived home just after 4pm, whereupon we soon left to see the Brooklyn Cyclones game at Keyspan Park in Coney Island.

At one point during the game a foul ball was hit directly at us. Unfortunately, the person just in front of me caught the ball and gave it to a kid nearby. My son saw that and for the next 45 minutes started to sulk that he wanted a ball as well. I was reminded of the time when I was about his age and a ball was hit next to my father and me, but the person right behind me got the ball. I thought how this was history repeating itself all over again. Fortunately the baseball gods took pity and caused another fly ball to enter the stands right next to us. This time someone else retrieved the ball and handed it right to my son. For the rest of the game he was smiling ear to ear and kept stating how he was one the luckiest kid around. My daughter later on got a souvenir foam victory ball that was thrown in the stands by the players after the Cyclones won. They even got them autographed by the catcher of the team. The night ended with all of the kids in the stadium running around the bases. It was definitely a great family place to go. We all left there wanting to come back for more.

I had a pretty good run this morning. It was fueled by anger which is always a good motivator. I forgot how easy it can be to move when you have raw emotion coursing through your veins. I was relishing in it and felt my body being carried away by my heart, legs and arms. Perhaps I can find someone or something every morning before I train or race for primal motivation. I am sure it would improve my performances more than a simple long training day.

Secured the Option

I bought the option to race in IMLP 2007 today. This means that I am officially registered, but not necessarily doing the event. I will see how it goes over the course of the coming year. If I feel mentally and physically up to the challenge I will do it, if not, I’ll go do something else. Ultimately I wanted the option to do the race and didn’t want to be disappointed by being shut out. It will just be a bummer dumping such a chunk of change on something I am not going to do. I could have spent that money on sex, drugs or rock and roll or maybe even towards my children’s college education fund.

I did make a list of the pros and cons of signing up for the race. My personal favorite pro was the Magic 8 Ball said yes. I shared both sides of my list with my coach. He said they were vague and ill defined which in truth is correct. I couldn’t think of a good reason either way to do the race. Maybe it is just too early to decide whether or not I should do it. But at least I now know I have the option to do it and the money I just parted with will not send me to the poor house. I can be very grateful for that.

Today’s training notes: Swam 1980 yards. Was supposed to swim 1500, but felt good so went longer. Did yesterday’s workout and cycled 18.3 miles. Felt good again, but wanted to get it over with. I am not quite back yet, but getting there.

It’s another hot day in the city and waiting for a subway train is like taking an excursion into hell. Fortunately, I do not mind the heat so much so I am making it through ok. What killed me though was yesterday’s interminable wait for a subway train, since it appeared that they were taking a break. The platform was mobbed and filled with hot and sweaty people.

To make matters worse, once I finally boarded a train, I found myself standing next to a pair of overweight, classless, gum cracking lesbian latinas. They were standing practically on top of me and I was treated to a close up view of them playing with their gum and brushing up against each other. At one point, the larger of the two dropped her gum as she was trying to stick it to the ceiling of the train. It narrowly missed me and fell between my feet and that of another passenger.

Eventually the seat next to me opened up and the pair of them sat down right beside me, with one sitting upon the lap of the other. I could only be amused at my fate as I listened to them cackle and make fun of just about everything.

The site of their plump overweight bodies should have inspired me to get up and exercise this morning, but for some reason I just didn’t feel like it. I asked myself which would give me pleasure; going back to bed or riding 18 miles in the heat. I opted for the air conditioned comfort of my bedroom and blissfully fell back to sleep. I just completed an Ironman a week previously and I deserved to goof off a bit.

I’ll get back on track tomorrow, I promise.

Perhaps I will be able to focus more on my training now that I have gotten a giant monkey off my back. A long delayed and problematic work project has finally launched which is a tremendous relief. A great weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I can finally concentrate on other items.

I managed to get in my workouts for the past 3 days. Monday evening was an easy 3 mile run in which my children accompanied me on their bikes. My legs felt pretty good and better than they have in weeks. We went out to Prospect Park and played a game of Cave Monster after we circumnavigated the loop. Cave Monster is a game where I yell at the kids “Back to Cave” and make them stay/hide in a designated spot; usually under a tree or some other partially enclosed area. They wait for me to look away and then run away from the spot whereby I have to chase them back into the spot all the while yelling Back to Cave!

Tuesday morning I did an easy 4 mile run. I was supposed to meet my friend Chris, but he was running late, so I did the loop by myself until I ran into him coming from the other direction when I only had a mile left. We stayed together for the last mile and talked about the project I was launching at work later that day. I expressed how I feared it might not go well, but he left me with the thought that it could also be a tremendous success. I went into the day trying to keep that positive thought in mind.

This morning I swam 1530 yards in the Red Hook Municipal Pool. I felt extremely sluggish; almost as though I forgot how to swim. It was annoying but I stuck with it and did the scheduled distance. Usually the water is nice and cool, but today it felt very warm. I guess the recent heat wave has warmed the pool a lot. It’s hardly something that I would feel like lounging in to beat the heat.

The one concession I am making to myself while going to work the last couple of days is to ditch my tie. I just don’t see suffering through the abuse of wearing a buttoned up shirt and tie in 100 degree heat. I don’t actually feel like I am suffering too badly from the heat, but then again I’ve spent most of my time indoors and my workouts have been hardly strenuous. Maybe I’ll take a walk during lunch to get a feel for the predicted hottest day of the year.