"Aaaalvinnnn!!"

You can't say I didn't warn him to stay out of my house!
But he wouldn't listen.
And when you don't listen this is what happens.
Before you scroll down please know that I love all of Gods creatures, and always try to avoid causing, or being a party to, any suffering.
You of course have the option of going to Roo's Facebook for an earlier photo of Chippy, or as I said, scroll down for a more recent pic.

Trust me it was an instantaneous death.  The trap is so strong I get nervous setting it up.  I will leave it for a few more day in the hopes of catching someone else leaving, and if not then I will do my best to seal everything up.  I don't want to close it up with one left inside cause it ain't gonna be good for him, or eventually for us, if he dies in the walls.
I know how they get in through the garage, but I'm worried there's another place as well.  I need to pull up some boards off the back deck and have a look under there.

easy computrainer ride, 6o minutes

"The first day one is a guest, the second a burden, and the third a pest."---Jean de la Bruyere

Love

Peter

"Perfect!"

No, not me, my wife.  Well no actually, my wife isn't perfect either...believe it or not!!

But she did run a perfect race!   The thirty kms around Hamilton harbour is an extremely difficult race, that gets even more difficult as it goes on.   The hills start at about 19 kms, and don't stop until about twenty seven.  In her case every 10 km split was 30 seconds faster than the previous 10.  Trust me this is a herculean feat.  Even the race winners were a minute or 2 slower in the second half.   Way to go Roo!!!!

And I told you about winter being over, didn't I?  It turned into a very nice day.  Believe it or not I actually got a bit of a tan on my legs.  Woohoo!

As to my own performance it was a  bit puzzling.  I managed to run with Roo until just past the 27K mark when she started to pull away, and at 28 kms I took a wee walking break.  At this pace I should not have had any problems.  I managed to finish with just that one little walk, but I felt quite faint at the end.

I'm hoping it was just stupidity, and right now I'm leaning in that direction.  I may have vastly underestimated my sweat rate.  If that's the case something in my physiology has changed, because  on many occasions  I have run 30 kms faster, in warmer weather, with less fluids.

But I can tell you that after at least 3 bottles of post race water, and 3 tall, post race beers, I still didn't have to pee.  It wasn't until some 5 plus hours after the race that I finally managed to take a leak.  That's a pretty clear indication of dehydration.

Hopefully that was the only problem....and if not, maybe along with stupid, I'm just old, and- out of shape.

Who knows, who cares?  I had a fabulous day with my honey, and my pride in her efforts dwarfs any minor dissatisfaction with my own day.

Besides, I had my own magic moment today.  I think it was around 6 or 7 kms.   The freakin lens fell right out of my glasses!  I had to scramble around on the ground, nearly getting run over, just to get it back and prevent it from getting stomped by one of the other 8000 people.  Why is this magical you ask?  Well because I was struggling with a bit of guilt about getting new ones, even though these are nearly 6 years old.  Prescription sport glasses are quiet expensive, and that little episode immediately make me okay with it!!  Serendipity I say!

And that's it for today.  I have to have some supper, and then go and kill some rodents!  My other declaration.

Run, 30 kms, 2:42:33...or there a-bouts. 

"If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be."---Yogi

Love
Peter

"I Declare"

I declare winter officially over as of now!  I put the snow blower away, and I ain't getting it back out under any circumstances.  Sure enough it looks like it's gonna snow tonite, but I'm just ignoring it.  I have a 30 km race tomorrow morning at 9:30, and there better not be anything left on the ground by then!!  Or else!1

I'm also declaring chipmunk season officially open as of now!  With winter ending the little fockers can just get out of my house, and stay out.  I thought I had the problem handled last fall but they're back.  I'm afraid there's gonna be some serious killing going on cause I've had enough.  And before you tell me I shouldn't be murdering the cute little creatures. please imagine them in your walls, burrowing in the insulation, eating the cables and wires, and shitting everywhere.   Oh, and breeding!

And that's it for today. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.  We are taking the bus which will be an absolute luxury.  We can go straight from the bus to the race start, leave all our stuff, including our beer, on the bus, and then party all the way home!  The race itself is just an excuse for all of the above.

"You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare."---Georgia O'Keeffe

Love
Peter

"Like An Old Laptop"

My life is coming full circle.  You can tell you're on the down side if you're grateful to receive your kids hand-me-downs.  Michael recently bought himself a new laptop, a must for his ongoing work and studies.  He had babied his 5 year old one as far as it would go, and so I got his old one, and was very happy for it.

For Michael's purposes however it just wasn't cutting it any more, and when he explained it's limitations it occurred to me that mine are about the same.  Certainly my batteries run down very quickly, and my memory is just about non existent.  I'm also not very fast, and not very bright.  And just like an old laptop there's not much you can do about it.  Despite the exceptional care one may take of his laptop or his body, when things are outdated, they are outdated!  Old is old!

I like my analogy because it helps me to accept the inevitable, while at the same time encourages me to focus on the things I can control.  And if there's one thing you be said for age it's that with it comes experience.  And with experience coms craftiness.

On that note I take great pleasure in telling you, that after some playing around, and some great advice from Odd John, my old laptop now has a battery that is like new, and twice as much memory.  Lightning fast! Woohoo!   I pilfered parts from Roo's old beer damaged one!   Life is good.  Thanks Mikey!!

And after a few days rest I feel young again as well.  One more day off tomorrow, then the race Sunday, and then it's hell bent for leather again!  (whatever that means??

....and I know I say this a lot but I love this simple little thought and the way it was expressed....

"Create around one at least a small circle where matters are arranged as one wants them to be."---Anna Freud

Love
Peter

"Let The Buyer Beware"

The world is just so full of bullshit.  If you aren't paying attention every single moment someones gonna shove one up your 'you know what'!

I got my new book in the mail today. I was all excited!  The listing on Amazon said,
Lifelong Success: Triathlon Training for Masters (Ironman Edition)

I stopped at the mailbox on the way out today, and I couldn't wait to tear the wrapper off.  I was pretty sure there were gonna be some answers in there for me. I even scanned it quickly in the car before I headed out to do my errands. and while it didn't initially seem to be quite what I expected I was still sure it would be a good thing.

Well one thing led to another, and I didn't get a chance to sit down with it until this evening.  I started flipping through the pages looking for training plans and the like, and couldn't really find anything.  I did think it was pretty weird that they had a section on switching from breast stroke swimming to freestyle, since anyone who would ever consider an Ironman would have been doing freestyle for years?  The next thing I found kinda hokey is that they referred to transitions as changeovers??  WTF??   Something was starting to feel wrong about this book, so I went right to the start.....that's the part where the authors welcome you to the sport of triathlon, and remind you to see your doctor before you begin any exercise program!!!!  The f+*king book is for beginners!!!

I got robbed!

So I start to get my stuff together to try to get my $7 back, since they obviously shipped me the wrong book.  I couldn't find a reference to ironman anywhere on the cover, or inside it for that matter.  While researching it I found other books by the same authors, and then suddenly I figured it out.  What a bunch of assholes!  Ironman edition means it is an Ironman branded book.  It could be about knitting and it would still be the "Ironman Edition"   Sure enough, when I looked again, it has the Ironman logo right on the top of the front cover!  The one and only reference to an Ironman!  Let the buyer beware!!

Oh well.  Such is life.  I'm glad I bought it used, and if I donate it to the local library maybe it will find it's way to a good home.  Either that, or I'm gonna throw the effing piece of crap in the burn barrel tomorrow!!

Anyway, other than that I had a nice day just hanging out at the bike shop, and then the eye glasses store.  I picked up  a very nice running jacket for Roo at a very good price.  This to replace the one she recently set on fire at the very same burn barrel(idiot!).  And I need new running glasses as mine are on their last legs.  They are 5 years old, and amongst other incidents, they barely survived the face plant in Mont Tremblant.  If it's one thing I never cheap out on it's a proper pair of prescription sport glasses.  The last thing you need after 10 plus hours is a pair of glasses that keep sliding down your nose.  I'm probably going with a similar pair of Adidas to my old ones since they proved very durable. Today was just research on that front.

Other than that, I'm just trying to stay relaxed.  As promised I didn't do a thing today, but I may need to do just a quick something tomorrow.  If I don't I may not survive until Sunday, because I can tell I'm getting antsy already.

ttyl

"The buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller not one."---George Herbert

Love
Peter

"In Control"

The renewed commitment to monitoring my diet couldn't have come at a better time.  It's not easy, but I know it's the reason I'm staying sane right now. I definitely need this break, and while I still have lot of aches I suddenly feel a bit better.  I felt almost no discomfort in my hamstring during today's run, and I also realized that the break from swimming and weights has left my shoulder feeling better than it has for weeks.  I have decided that I'm done running for the rest of the week,  and the shoulder improvement has me thinking about doing nothing!  I want to go to Hamilton on Sunday relatively pain free, just so I can enjoy the day without stressing about pain or injury.  And in the mean time maybe I'll even get a few nights sleep.

Which brings me back to my diet and my relative sanity.   I know that if I'm not eating like a pig, that I will be able to cope with the downtime, just because I won't be stressing over weight gain.

So if I make the choice to rest for the rest of the week, that leaves me with lots of time on my hands.  I'm pretty sure I can fill it, and if not all I have to do is ask Roo...

run, 7.5 kms 

"Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him."---Groucho Marx

Love
Peter

"Vegetating"

I think that's okay to do sometimes.  Occasionally I get into a bit of a lull where I don't feel like doing much of anything, but I've learned to accept it.  Experience tells me that I'll come back out of it naturally.

I am looking very much forward to the race on Sunday.  Not because of the race but because it will be a Roo & Pete day.  An entire day with nothing too worry about except 30 kms, eating and drinking, and being in the moment together.

My body needs the recovery period in advance of the race as well.  I can't believe how beat up I feel everywhere.

computrainer, 90 mins

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."---Buddha

Love
Peter

"Still Mending"

I ran today, but it didn't feel real good.  Not real bad either, so I just have to be patient.  I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile I'm just trying to live my life as best I can.

run 7.3 kms

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ---Oscar Wilde

Love

Peter

"Sunday Evening"

I feel a pretty good kind of 'Sunday evening' tired.  Although it seems I'm tired a lot, I think it's just the reality of my post cancer sleeping habits, combined with my training.  Yesterday evening I had 2 beers and that really exacerbates the sleep problem.  I find that a bit frustrating, while at the same time I'm grateful.  After all, alcohol is just empty calories, and while it feels nice to get a little buzz on now and again, it doesn't really add much value to my life.

And speaking of the calorie thing I'm feeling quite good about my 2500 limit.  I can tell that it is about right, because I'm generally just a wee bit hungry, without feeling too stressed over it.  The only thing I need to still focus on is getting enough of the calories during the day.  It's not because I'm not hungry during the day, I just have this all too common problem of trying to save up the calories for the evening.  I know it's counter productive, and yet I still crave that evening "comfort" eating.  I'll keep working on that.  Of course it's still way to early to see any evidence on the scales, but I feel confident.

In keeping with my interlude theme I had a fairly easy workout again today.  I picked one of the earlier bike workouts and completed it with ease.  It's amazing really how much easier on the body riding is than running, at least in moderation.  It actually helps to ease the aches of running.  It is essential that I get all of the residual stress out of my legs before next weekend or I'll get myself in trouble again.  The Bay Race is extremely hilly, and as such very hard on 58 year old bodies.  I will probably try an easy run tomorrow, but will stop quickly if it doesn't feel right.

And that's all for today.  Gotta get my bedtime snack ready, tuck the grandchildren in bed, and then crawl in with my book.

computrainer, 75 mins

"If God hadn't rested on Sunday, He would have had time to finish the world."---Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Love
Peter

"Interlude"

That's the part in the play or the performance when everybody takes a little break from the serious stuff, and perhaps they play a little light music.

I'm appreciating this little interlude in my Ironman preparation, and for my music I'm just humming to myself.  

I fully intend on taking it real easy for the entire next week, and then once the Bay Race is over we can get on with Act Two.

Of course part of me is worrying that I'm wasting valuable time, but that's just the stupid part!

Today I didn't do anything, except eat, and visit with Miguette, Alisha, Jonathan, Colby, Kylie, and of course Roo.  We had tacos!  Life is good!

And I thought I could let it go by, but in the end I'm gonna succumb and mention the passing of my dear friend Fred Phelps.  I wish Fred the very best in the next world, and wish also to thank him for his contribution.  I absolutely believe that maniacs like Fred are good for our society.  The very nature of his absurd preaching compels all reasonable people to turn away, from his way.  And I happen to believe that the vast majority of the worlds people are reasonable.  So good night Fred.  I hope you meet my God because my God will take good care of you, despite the way you lived your earthly life.  

After all Fred, no matter what I think of your "preaching", you have certainly lived a life of sacrifice.  How painful it must have been for you, that despite all of your efforts, the world progressively, and consistently went the exact opposite direction to what you were advocating.  I hate to tell you this Fred but….EPIC FAIL buddy!!!

Oh and I also put a light on top of my flagpole today, cause I like my country a lot.

"Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematics of not being. And a subtle flavour - we're more like celery as a flavour."---Mike Myers

Love

Peter

"When The Going Gets Tough"

Well…..then the going just gets tough!!

Sometimes the only choice you have is to take a few more steps.

That's what I did today, and whether it was smart or not I don't really know.  I just know that I didn't feel like I had a choice.  To not complete the run today would have been pretty demotivating.

Actually I thought it was over when it had barely begun.  I didn't like the way it felt right away but obviously I needed to give it a fair shot.  It was only what I would call mild discomfort. Then just before 2 kms my hamstring suddenly grabbed so badly that I actually stumbled.  Immediately I knew it was over for another day, but as soon as I processed that, I also decided to try just a few more steps.  Somehow I kept moving despite what was now more like major discomfort.

I kept going with the intention of at least completing the block. (7.3 kms) Every step was extremely stressful, but not incapacitating.  By the time I got back to the mailbox with only one small re-occurrence of the severe cramp, I decided maybe another block.

That is the way I kept plugging away, although very slowly, and very unhappily.  It was hard to even take pleasure in the glorious sunshine.  Normally I would just have given it up, because running should be fun,  But like I said earlier….I needed to do this one.

Strangely  enough at about 20 kms I realized that the pain was not near as bad, and by 24 kms it was almost gone!  Wow!  Was I ever glad I kept going.

Unfortunately, for some reason, at this point I totally ran out of fuel.  I didn't know for sure what happened but at the time I just chalked up to the stress I was running under.  It wasn't til later that perhaps I hit on the real culprit.  Of course getting home was the only thing on my mind at that point, and it really became a case of survival.  I probably walked half of the last 6 kms, but I did get my 30 kms in.

I needed a bit of help to get stabilized once I did get back, but fortunately Roo was here to bug me into eating and drinking.  I did pretty well as I got a big protein shake, a banana, and some toast into me before I crashed.  It was several hours later that the other clue kicked in.  I decided to shower, and hopped on the scale first.  Much to my surprise I was at least 6 pounds under what I should have been!!  I think I was dehydrated!  I had dressed quite warmly because I needed to keep my legs warm and I didn't drink near enough to compensate.  You would think I would know better by now eh?

But it's over, and while I still don't know if it was smart I'm gonna sleep the sleep of the just tonite.  Rest day tomorrow.

Run 30 kms...very slow

"When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you"---Zig Ziglar

Love
Peter

"Tired and Listless"

I suppose that's to be expected but that doesn't mean I like it.  I have beat the shit out of my leg for the last 24 hours and while it has improved immeasurably, it's probably not gonna be ready for tomorrow.  Right now it feels very bruised from the muscle stripping I've been self administering.  In case you've never heard of that it's a very aggressive massage kind of thing, wherein you drag your fingers/thumbs/palms along the length of the muscle while applying a lot of pressure.  I learned how to do it from a physiotherapist a few years ago.  It hurts like mad, and is very hard to do to oneself for that very reason.  Never the less I did it, and while it has clearly removed most of the cramp, it has also left me sore in a different way.

But I do intend on trying it in the morning, even though most of the promised sunshine seems to be a little in doubt now.  We shall see.  If I can't get it in the tomorrow so be it, and I won't try again before the race…that's a week Sunday.

I did have a nice little swim today.  Enough at least to reduce my inactivity anxiety to a manageable level.

I'm going to bed now.  Peace, joy and happiness!!

Easy bike, 45 mins, swim 2000 metres

….and ain't this the truth??

"A man grows most tired while standing still.'---Anon

Love
Peter

"Epic Fail"

I've probably told you before that I learned that expression from my grandson.  Although it sounds like a pretty significant screwup--- this epic fail---it really depends on the context you use it in, or the setting where you're applying it.  When you're playing a video game and your guy explodes it's very much a laughing matter (especially if it's the other guy's guy),  as opposed to hitting a tree with your toboggan in real life, which is a pretty serious 'epic fail'.

So where does today's long run fit into this continuum of epic fails?  I suppose, much like the video game, or the tobogganing for that matter, it kinda depends on your perspective.  Even a toboggan hitting a tree can be pretty funny if you're watching it on TV, where as if you're the guy on the toboggan it just plain sucks!  Perspective tends to change over time as well, which explains how we can look back to the past and laugh at the day we near killed ourself doing something dumb.  Of course the bigger the failure, the longer it takes before we can put it in perspective.

So back to my long run, or should I say the lack of one?  I managed 6 kms before I was walking, and at that point I turned around and walked all the way back.  The wind had really freshened by then and I had to walk directly into it on the way home, and as such, damn near froze, especially my fingers.   The frustrating thing is that I actually felt fine except for my right hamstring which completely and totally shut down.  I don't really understand why, other than my usual tight muscle condition.  Even then, why it chose today to become a problem I will probably never understand. I can't recall the last time I had any kind of an upper leg cramp.

As much as I tried to walk it off, or stretch it out, it just wasn't gonna happen.  I knew from experience that continuing to run was going to cost me big time in terms of injury, so I settled in for the 45 min walk back home in the cold.  I was pretty damn discouraged, and especially annoyed by the walk itself.  Epic fail!!

But by the tine I got home, while I sure wasn't laughing, I felt quite a bit better.  Certainly the time passing helped in and of itself, but I think passing the time walking was also a factor.  I have always believed that walking is about the healthiest forum there is for positive thoughts, and while I may not have gotten completely to positive, I did manage to dispel most of the negative.  At the very least I stopped being annoyed by the long walk home, as I began to realize that at that point it was the best medicine.

So here I sit, with the heating pad and the massager, trying to get rid of this lump in my leg. It's still pretty tender but I will continue to work on it and then sit in the hot tub at the gym tonite while I wait for Colby.  Hopefully I'll get it back in shape quickly and take Roo's advice to try again in 2 days.  Currently the weatherman is predicting some sun for Friday.  Probably I will have a glorious run, and be able to look back at today as barely a speed bump.  Either way, I know that the choice of which end of the fail continuum I put today's effort is entirely up to me.  How does it go? We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control our attitude in response to what happens.

Run 6 kms, walk 6 kms

"A man can fail many times, but he doesn't become a failure until he begins to blame somebody else."---John Burroughs

Love
Peter

"Getting Old"

So I listened to Odd John and ordered a new book.  Well actually it's a used book, and it only cost me $0.47.  Shipping was 6 bucks!!

It's called:  Lifelong Success,Triathlon: Training for Masters: Ironman Edition

Of course masters are generally considered as anyone over 40, but perhaps it will be valuable.  If not, it was only 47 cents, and I can use it to start camp fires.

And my grandchildren have just arrived after a 4 day absence so that it will be it for today.

I barely did anything today, and tomorrow's my long run day.  Wish me luck!  I may need it.

easy bike, 45 mins

…I like this one too…

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."---Albert Einstein

Love
Peter

"Motivation"

One of the joys of my passion is the opportunity to explore new gear and equipment related to the sport.  I admit that I like cool stuff, and I also like it when I can get it all to fit together and match.

There is however an element of justification necessary in order to actually spend the money.  After all, while I say I like exploring new stuff, the real truth is that I like to buy new stuff.

So I do try to attach some extra bit of work or sacrifice to a purchase decision that will hopefully leave me feeling guilt free.  Most recently I committed to cleaning the grout between all of our floor tiles, in order to justify my pedals.  That worked pretty well for me, even though I bought the pedals first and then proceeded to work on the floors.  I think this approach works best  simply because my sense of obligation is a powerful one, once I've given my word.  I'm not quite done all of the floors, but damn close.

It was a very nice win/win because I really, really wanted the pedals, and Roo really, really wanted the floors cleaned.  I do however feel like it was a win/win just for me because I didn't mind doing the floors, and as I previously told you, I absolutely love my pedals.

You may recall that I also bought a new helmet recently, but I felt no need to justify that.  After all, I already paid big time for the previous one, by smashing it into the pavement in Quebec!

So with those two acquisitions I figured that I was pretty well set for race gear, as my wetsuit is still in first rate condition, and my my tri suit also had very little use.  But then….I seen this!!

The perfect match to this

And this...

And these as well…

And although it occurred to me briefly that the shoes didn't have the token bit of red, I soon realized that indeed it's there.  Here's a better pic of it…

Or at least it was red when it was leaking out of my face last August!!  Believe it or not I had no idea this blood stain was there, as these shoes haven't been used since the fateful day.  I'm gonna see if I can get that out, and then maybe I'll even see what I can do to add a little red in a more conventional manner.  Actually, I just got it.  Red socks!!  Keep your eyes open for me.  Socks I don't need to pay extra for  :)

So the long and the short of all that is that I needed to come up with some way to make the purchase of the tri suit an acceptable one.  I could lie to you and tell you that the first thing I considered was doing something for Roo, but the truth is that a very selfish idea came to mind right away.  That's the deal with the devil I mentioned yesterday.  

I need to lose some weight! 

Not for any good reason other then it's free speed come race day; but that damn it, is a pretty good reason.  I wish to get below 160 pounds, so that means a good 10 pounds has to come off.  And while there is no win in that for Roo, I did engage her as my devils advocate.  I'm allowed to buy the suit, and in turn I have to be below 160 pounds in 3 months.  Thank you dear for agreeing to hold me accountable.  Game on!!

So I started counting calories a few days ago, and will continue to do so for the for the foreseeable future.  I think this is imperative, not just to keep my calories down, but also to keep them up.  It's a pretty fine line when your'e training a lot to find that spot low enough that you manage to burn some fat, and yet high enough that it doesn't  negatively affect the training.  I may tweak this as I go, but to start I am trying to stay just under 2500 calories per day.  Experience tells me that this should be about the right number.  Mind you, calories I consume during my long workouts will be above and beyond that number.  We'll see how it goes.  

On the current training front I managed to take it fairly easy again today with a token run around the block, and tomorrow will also be quite easy, but on the trainer instead.  Everything right now is geared to having a confidence building 30 km run on Wednesday.  The weather man says 5 degrees and rain, and I'm good with that.  

run 7.3 kms

And all this talk about material things that I would like to have brings a recent personal reflection to mind.  I wish to share it with you.  Sometimes I'm pretty selfish with both my time and my money.  I want to become more generous with both.  While I didn't like everything about my father, this is one area in which I should try to emulate him.  So here's a little story that Roo hasn't even heard, and will probably be surprised by.  When this happened the other day I was pretty taken aback.  

You see we had this beautiful bit of broccoli in the fridge that unbeknown to Claudette, I had intended for my supper.  It was getting to be about that time, and just before I started to prepare my meal she asked me if I would mind if she ate the broccoli.  My immediate reaction was that no, I was  planning on eating it, and I told her so.  Thankfully I quickly managed to amend that, and encouraged her to go ahead, I would have green beans.

That's what my external voice said.  My internal voice resented it!  A lot!  So much so that it was hard for me to not let my true feelings show.  I had bought that broccoli, I had learned the best way to prepare it, I deserved it!!  I quietly stewed while I got my greens beans ready.

And then it hit me.  For some reason I can't explain, I was transported back to my youth and imagined the same scene played out between my parents.  The shame that hit me was palpable.  I had to go hide in the bathroom for a few minutes so that Roo wouldn't sense my stress.

You see, if my Mom wanted some broccoli my Dad would had walked to town to get it.  But most importantly he would have seen it as privilege, not a sacrifice. 

And although Dad kept his life partner on the pedestal she belonged, that is not actually the point of the story.  It's not about my parents relationship, or for that matter not about Roo and I either.  It's about choosing to live one's life centred around one's self, or centred around others.  Not just that, but being able to instinctively and without thought, make the selfless decision.  I'm afraid I'm not there yet, but tomorrow I'm gonna be better at it than I am today.  Wish me luck!

And all that speech making was triggered but this little quote I found.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  

"The devil lies brooding in the miser's chest"---Thomas Fuller

Love

Peter

"Beliefs"

"If the results of your actions do not meet your needs over time, then there is an incorrect principle on your belief window"

I learned this little bit of wisdom from a guy named Hyrum Smith, who is an author and self help kind of guy.  I had the pleasure of meeting Hyrum on several  occasions, and despite being a Mormon he's a pretty decent guy.  He developed this "belief window" concept, and in fact it is probably the centre piece of most of his writing and speech making.  The theory is that we all have a belief window through which we see the world, and when there is something not quite right on that window, we don't reap the rewards we want…over time.

I liked his theory from the first time I heard it, and have at times tried to apply it to relevant parts of my life.  Usually that meant very altruistic things, like peace of mind, stress levels, or just plain happiness in general.  Those things are of course very complex, and like every other miracle cure out there,  Hyrum's belief window, by itself, only goes so far.

But it occurred to me today that applied to more mundane, less complicated, things, it could perhaps have a greater relevance, and in turn a bigger impact.  The simpler the issue at hand, the easier it might be to take advantage of the theory.  

And I hope this isn't too much of an indication of my obsession, but of course I'm talking about Ironman training.  And while I wouldn't normally call what I do uncomplicated, certainly everything is relative, and compared to the daunting task of achieving peace of mind, this swimming/biking/running stuff is pretty simple.

So here's the little epiphany I had today.  On my belief window it says….

"If I can finish a workout, it was not too hard!!!"

And while I try my best to have easy days,  I know I think this way on a regular basis when it comes to my hard efforts. If I'm not totally exhausted by the time I'm done, then it wasn't hard enough!!

Maybe, just maybe, you're not supposed to be near death's door every time you finish a training session??  I'm gonna think about that.

Of course I know it's a very fine line, but looking back at some of my reading material there's lots of warnings about what can happen if you constantly live in the danger zone.  Also I think Odd John maybe had a point about my age and experience being an issue that most of the training plans don't consider.  The primary target audience is more likely to be in the 35 to 50 year age groups, as that is where you will find the bulk of amateur Iron man competitors.

So where does that leave me?  Somewhere in the middle I suppose, because I still have a strong belief that "you need to do some suffering to get better", but I'm gonna try to temper it with the belief that, "you can get too much of a good thing".

Lets see how it goes.  For the next few days I'm gonna practice my softer skills as I want to get a good long run in either Tuesday or Wednesday.  One more time the weather will probably make the decision which of those it will be.

I've also decided to refocus on my diet and towards that end I made a deal with the devil.  In this case the devil is yours truly, but the she devil in the house has agreed to be my guardian angel.  Of course she has to approve all deals around here anyway, so getting her participation was not optional.  I'll tell you about that tomorrow.

Today was a bike workout and in the spirit of backing off a bit I simply picked a workout from the first week of the program.  I suppose it means something that it was pretty well effortless, since it was structured based on my fitness at the time…about 4 months ago.  

So that's it for today.  What's on your belief window that's preventing you from getting what you need?

computrainer, 75 mins

"I work very hard, and I play very hard. I'm grateful for life. And I live it - I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it."---Maya Angelou

Love

Peter

"Back in Control"

Well of my heart at least.  Or perhaps I should qualify even that, by saying in control of my heart 'rate', as in beats per minute.   Control of my heart is a much bigger challenge, one that, being a parent, I'm not sure I will ever conquer.  But for today at least I will settle for being in control of my heart rate.  And I say for today, as experience has proven that I've lost this control before, and if I'm not careful I may lose it again.

I knew I needed to get outside today one way or another, and for once the weather was almost co-operative.  Despite a stiff breeze the temperature was above zero, and all the snow was gone off the shoulders.  My legs felt a whole lot better this morning but I still headed out to do the block with some trepidation.  By 2 kms that wasn't dispelled, as my heart rate had not gone over 120 bpm.  I was however running quite slowly so at that point I thought I should play with it a bit to see what happened.  I was very relieved to see that I could bump it up to 130 with just a minute or so of effort.  Phew!

So I also decided to immediately back right off, as today's effort was solely to get my feet wet again, with the intention of gradually increasing the duration and intensity over the coming days.  That's not quite how it worked out however, as my internal coach told me to keep it up for a bit.  Here's the data.

You can ignore the early party of the heart rate graph because that's before I got sweaty enough to get a good connection.  Also the little blip you see just before 3 K is the surge I put on to see if I could get my rate up on demand.  Beyond that you can see the near perfect parallel between heart rate, and pace.  That's the way it's supposed to work!!

So while I did up push it a bit towards the end, it was quite a short run, and I'm pretty sure I didn't overdo it.  I'll know tomorrow for sure, and while at this point I don't yet know what I'll be doing, I will try my damndest to err on the side of caution.  Of paramount importance is that I get a 30 km run in this coming week, as the Bay Race is 2 weeks from tomorrow.  By Tuesday or Wednesday they are promising normal March temperatures, so I may let the weather determine which day it will be.

run 7.3 kms, 37:30

"The will is a powerful ally and desperate enemy. When not subdued by self-control, it becomes a tyrant of selfishness. Under the yoke of self-control however, it is a driving force of perseverance."---Natasha Vanderlinden

Love

Peter

"Keeping Amused"

I told you I would decide today, and it didn't take me long to commit to toughing out another day without exercise.  It's really quite amazing what happens to the human body when you push it too far.  I could still feel the effects of last Tuesdays run when I got up this morning.  For me to be sore 3 days after what turned out to be quite a short run, is indeed unusual….and not very amusing!  I can't tell you for a fact, but I would bet that if I had just walked all the way home that day I would be much better off today.  I'm not sure of the physiology of it, but it seems to me that when you go beyond a certain point, that you're actually damaging tissue beyond it's ability to bounce back in a normal manner.  Probably there's some research out there to support that, but I'm too lazy to look for it.

Meanwhile I'm just trying to stay amused and relaxed, so I thought a nice quiet swim might be in order.  Roo took the kids to the Adventure park, and so I had the afternoon to myself.  It wasn't until I had arrived at the pool and received a text from Roo about how busy the play place was, that I remembered…..March break!!!

So a quiet swim was definitely not in the cards, but I didn't really care since it wasn't gonna be anything serious anyway.  I amused  myself by experimenting  with my lousy stroke, including doing some no breathing lengths.  The rationale behind "no breathers" is that you can focus on your body position and your stroke, without the distraction of turning your head to breathe.  Some people even believe it is a good way to develop fitness, but I don't think there's much logic in that.

After I had done a few 25 metre lengths like this I got to wondering how far I could actually go without breathing, since I still felt quite good after 25 metres.  So I went down and back!  Yup!  Fifty metres!  No problem either.  I didn't think it was a wise time to stress my body too much so I left it at that, but I know I could have done more.

Then I sat in the hot tub for 15 minutes before coming home to clean a bathroom.  Just for you John! And even if it is good for me, it didn't amuse me at all

Tomorrow I know I will have to do something more but I don't know what that is yet.  Unfortunately all this  nonsense has made me realize that perhaps I'm not a very good judge of what's too much?  I'll try to be careful.

swim 1000 metres

"A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused."---Shirley Maclaine

Love
Peter

"I suppose I Should Listen"

When your big sister (Elly), and your little brother (John), and your extra sister (Cathy), and your adopted sister (Gail), are all telling me basically the same thing, I suppose I should pay attention.   Especially when 3 of them are older than me, and the other one purports to know everything!! So yes Elly, I should be grateful for my great life, and yes John this is identical to last year although much earlier, and yes Gail I need to think long term, and thanks Cathy for agreeing with John, and further encouraging his attitude!!  NOT!!

Regardless, I probably know all of those things to be true.  What no one has given me is any advice on how to actually cope.  Well actually amongst his very kind words John did suggest more housework, but I'm pretty damn sure he hasn't gained that bit of wisdom from first hand experience!

And you may be surprised John to know that in this particular case Roo would not necessarily be agreeing with you.  She worries when I don't work out, for reasons I'll explain later.

To help understand, and as a from of confession, I probably need to explain one of the big reasons I get so stressed when I don't work out.  I'm willing to bet that each and every one of you can relate, and I know for sure that my wife can.  You see, crazy as it seems, I worry about managing my body composition.  Since my illness I have gradually learned to eat again, and I have gained a wonderful appetite for ice cream, cookies, pasta, doughnuts, etc.   As well, food is an integral part of my life balance, as I eating is one of the biggest ways I deal with anxiety and depression. Sound familiar to anyone?  Yah, I know…not a very healthy attitude, and I'm not proud of it,  but it is, what it is.  Now can you imagine when I remove the other big stress reliever from my life.  The one that offsets both the extra calories I consume, and the twin curses of anxiety and depression. Again, I'm know my wife understands totally, because despite the differences in our personalities, that's one area where we are practically related!!  Try telling her she can't run for a few days, and I can promise you the worlds gonna end abruptly!!!

So perhaps that helps you to understand (I know it did for me as a wrote it),  or perhaps it just sounds like an excuse.  Either way, it is so nice to hear your feedback, and you all make me feel loved.  Your comments inspired me to at least take this day completely off, and I now await your advice on how to manage my anxiety, (don't say exercise) and how to mange my eating.

I do believe some spring weather would go a long way since it encourages lots of other activities that I find helpful.  There's no shortage of stuff that needs repaired, pruned, rebuilt, or at least re-organized around here, but it needs to be outside to have the right affect.  And blowing out the driveway got tired a long time ago!!  Also, maybe it's old age, but I find working in the cold to be just plain aggravating anymore.

Oh, and my heart rate is back to a nice, strong, steady 50 BPM.  I will decide what I'm doing tomorrow, tomorrow!

Thanks for everything my friends!!

"Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive."---George Bernard Shaw

Love
Peter

"A Day of Reflection"

It's been kind of a weird day.  I woke up in a bit of a funk, both mentally and physically.  Even though at the time I was okay with it, my crappy run caught up to me I think.  Of course the run itself doesn't matter, but my ego keeps telling me that I should be able to handle the current workload without trouble.  And physically I just felt strange.  My heart rate was doing new things this morning, and then on and off for most of the day, although it seems to have settled down now.  It was quite slow (down to about 45) and also doing this strange one fast beat, one slow beat. thing.   Don't anyone dare worry about that cause I sure ain't.  It was just kinda weird, and like I said, left me feeling a bit out of sorts.

My visit to the pool this aft while Roo took the kids to a movie really settled me down though.  I swam with my wetsuit,  (well actually I swam in it, not with it) and that always gives me a sense of confidence.  I also went 2 kms which is the furthest I've done this time around, and it was no problem at all.  I'm pretty sure I could already do the distance (4 kms) without any serious stress.

The reflection part of the day was mostly around Elly and Gail's feedback about keeping it in perspective.  I think part of my problem is that I still need to prove something to myself after the epic fail last time out.  I suppose it's not healthy to want something as badly as I want to conquer Mont Tremblant, but for right now my obsession is gonna be allowed to reign.  But I am thinking that if things go reasonably well in August I may take  a whole new approach to future endeavours.  If I'm prepared to accept a 14-15 hour Ironman, I know I could do it on half the training, and perhaps be healthier and happier in doing so.  Still thinking.

And healthy and happy is what it's supposed to be about isn't it?  Actually I have this theory around that.  I believe we have a responsibility to be happy, and that we should feel guilty if we aren't doing everything necessary to achieve that state.  Kinda backwards to what the nuns taught me, but then again that probably proves it's validity!!

Tomorrow, I'm supposed to be back on my bike, and right now I don't know how that's gonna go.  I do have a plan however.  I will wear my heart rate monitor, and if I can't get my rate up where it belongs then I will pack it in early….I promise!

And I'm glad it's the basement tomorrow, because this winter thing has just gone beyond!!  There are no words!!

swim 2000 metres, weights

"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection."---Thomas Paine

Love
Peter

"Nice Day For a Long Walk"

Laugh out loud.

Shocking how quickly it can sneak up on you.  Within a half hour I knew I wasn't right.  By 7 kms I took my first walk break; initially only to have a drink, but I stretched into a full minute.  Shortly after I got going again I turned right so as to not get too far from home.  By 8 kms I was walking again, and this time the game was up for good.  I walked for an entire kilometre.  My freaking heart rate was dipping close to 110 bpm while running, and yet I was gasping.  I walked/jogged back home for a final count of 14 kms.

I thought I had backed off enough to get me back on track, but apparently not.  I am still hoping that it's just from trying to do a long run the day after a hard bike workout.  The same thing happened 2 weeks ago, and yet last week when I backed off on my bike workout, the long run was fine.  Time will tell.  The hardest thing for me to do is rest.

At the very least I am going to an 8 day schedule in the short term.  I have 3 hard bike workouts per week, and one long run.  The 8 days will allow every second day to be easy.  At least until the Bay Race is over, and then I will reassess.

Anyway, it was indeed a great day for a run or a walk.  At one point it reached 9 degrees.  Lots of snow melted today, which is great.  It makes room for the stuff that's apparently coming tomorrow!!!  Along with minus 18 temperatures!  Woohoo!!

run/walk, 14 kms

…and I like this quote a lot…

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success."---Henry David Thoreau

Love
Peter

"Rocky Syndrome"

Sylvester Stallone had it ! Mark Spitz had it! Brett Favre had it! And my son's high school wrestling coach claimed to have had it as well. This idea that you can somehow cheat time and aging just by being smarter, and working harder.  While certainly I believe there is an element of experience that makes us better qualified for many things as we age,  the unfortunate reality of deteriorating muscles, tendons, nerves, etc, trumps all that experience.  At best our wisdom probably helps to offset the losses a bit.

Sitting on my bike today, I was pondering what my approach to the Ironman would be this time around.  In  my mind I was comparing my fitness to the same point in  previous attempts, and although I feel pretty good, when I look at the numbers they really don't add up that well.  I run slower than I used to,  I swim slower, and I ride with less power.   Some of that is intentional as I try to train wiser, and yet I can't help but think maybe I'm getting older……and weaker…..And to top it all off,  I also need to admit that my body composition is slipping a bit.

My first race was in 2009 when I finished in 11:36, and then three years later was a bit disappointed to be 3 minutes slower.  Since I had come all the way back from my illness the first time, I thought it was a reasonable expectation  to be somewhat faster the second time around.  Perhaps that attitude wasn't quite fair considering that I was indeed 3 years older.  Of course I thought I would answer all those questions last year in Mont Tremblant, but somehow that didn't work out that well.

So although it's not urgent yet by any means, I would like to develop my race strategy sometime in the near future.  And while some may say, why don't you just relax and enjoy the day, I'm not sure this is possible for such a long race.  At least not for me.  Without a clear plan, and one that's reasonable based on ones ability and fitness, the risk of a blowout is significant.

While I haven't quite finalized it in my mind, I am still quite committed to the same run strategy as I had intended last year.  I will be initiating a run/walk approach right from the get go, and at least as of now I still want to run a 4 hour marathon.  I believe this is do-able, assuming the rest of the race is handled properly.

The swim will be a no-brainer, which really brings me down to the big unanswered question.  How to approach the bike?  I believe I do have a significant advantage this time, namely my fancy new pedals.  Once I get my bike outside and get a better handle on how much power I can generate on the road, things should become clearer.  The advantage I mentioned is that come race day I will be able to measure how much energy I'm expending, rather than how fast I'm going.

Funny enough, I was at the triathlon shop today where I bought my bike.  I happened to mention my new pedals and much to my surprise they had no use for them.  They claimed to have experimented with them, and gave them up as a bad thing.  That's okay, because I gave up on their technical knowledge as a bad thing some time ago.  But just for my own peace of mind I checked out  more reviews when I got home, and could not find a bad one anywhere.

So there!

And coming back to the race strategy that I said I didn't have…. I think I just outlined it above.

Swim as fast as I can…which is not very…
Then ride easy enough that...
I can run a 4 hour marathon!

Woohoo!!  Game on!!

And while I again faced the days bike workout with some trepidation, I took the approach I had promised.  To complete the workout, but without a serious commitment to the aero bars.  And while that's the way it started out, I actually gained a bit of enthusiasm as it wore on.  I did the first interval sitting up, but then did 4 of the remaining 5 on my elbows.  I feel pretty good about that.

And I tried an interesting little experiment today as well.  To get me through the hard parts I often count my pedal strokes, knowing that every hundred or so will get me through a minute of pain.  When I consciously switched my counting from my right leg to my left leg, the left got seriously tired very quickly,  Weird eh?  It's as if the counting actually affects my effort somehow.  Is it possible that I am actually exacerbating my right leg dominance simply by the metronomic effect of my counting ritual???  Hmmm.  Interesting.  I will experiment with this a bit more and let you know.

Long run tomorrow.  And I need some decent weather, or I'm gonna be pissed!!

computrainer short intervals, 90 mins

“'Rocky Balboa' is about everybody who feels they want to participate in the race of life, rather than be a bystander. You're never too old to climb a mountain, if that's your desire.”---Sylvester Stallone

Love

Peter

"What Day Is It?"

Oh yah!  Sunday.   You know what's really cool about being retired?  It's the mondays!  Nothing wrong with Mondays!.

And today was a very good Sunday.  I got my taxes all filed, but even better then that, I sat with my 2 sons and showed them how to do theirs.  I know I should have done this years ago, but you know how it goes.  Old habits, and all that.  And just to be clear, the special part was  sitting and spending time with them…never mind the taxes.  Roo and I truly are blessed to have these 2 special boys in our lives.    I'm proud of both of them.  I know they're not perfect, but I have always believed that a person's friends are a reflection of how they live their lives, and both Michael and Adrian have a very extensive group of kind, decent people around them.  Game on boys!

It was special for another reason.  We ordered pizza tonite, and somehow I managed to chow down 6 pieces, along with 2 tall beers.  The calorie free dressing that Elly introduced me to makes a ton of difference.  I can generously dip the pizza in this stuff, and it all goes down quite well. I know I'll regret this extravagant eating and drinking  at about 2 am (or is that 3 am?), but such is life.  Right now I just feel good.

I did very little training today and yet I still feel a little off.  I'm not quite sure what's going on, but I ain't gonna worry about it either.  Life goes on.

ttyl

run, 7.3 kms

"A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be."---Frank A Clark

Love
Peter

"I almost Cut My Hair"

I came across this rather obscure David Crosby song while I was researching the origins of a quote within a quote, that Elly had used on her blog.

"I almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It was gettin' kinda long
I could-a said, it was in my way
But I didn't and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
And I feel like I owe it to someone"---David Crosby

The relevant line in the song, and the one that Elly's quote referenced was, "letting my freak flag fly." Much to my grandsons chagrin, I have adopted it as one of my current favourite expressions.

"LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY"

Apparently Crosby was referencing his long hair as his freak flag.

And while I have come very close to cutting my hair over the last few weeks, I have still not quite got to the act.

It has been 10 years now since I started shaving my head, ever since I went to work in the desert in Mexico, and I've been quite happy to keep it that way. Then for some reason at the start of the year I thought I may let it grow for a bit, and see what would happen.

This is what happened!!!!

Without a word of a lie this is a natural condition.  It's the way I wake up every morning.  I took the picture just before I got on my bike today.  This disaster is not however the reason why I almost cut it.  It's cause it drives me absolutely bananas.  I actually like the way it looks, even when I get up in the morning, and on top of that my wife tells me almost daily that she likes it as well.  If it wasn't for that, I'm pretty sure it would be gone already.

Besides, when I ride my bike really fast, it all seems to fall into place!

So we'll see how much longer it lasts.  I know for sure it will have to go once triathlon season arrives, but maybe til then?  Who knows?  Letting it grow has allowed me to realize that I have just a wee bit less of it than I did ten years ago.  It's maybe not quite as full as it once was, and certainly my forehead is a little higher.  But the change in 10 years is so minimal that I'm pretty sure I'm going to my grave with most of it.  I wish I could say the same for my teeth.  :)

Another expression akin to Crosby's, and that I have always liked is "whatever makes your hair blow back".  Please know that riding in the basement doesn't do that for me any more;  not literally, and unfortunately , no longer figuratively either.

I have 2 long rides left in the schedule, which will get me past the Bay race, and after that I'm going outside….no matter what!

Oh, and don't forget to get up an hour earlier tomorrow.  You can rest assured that I ain't gonna!!  Nor the next day either….

Long ride 3:45

"There's many a man has more hair than wit."---William Shakespeare

Love
Peter

"Some People Have All The Luck"

It was my wife's long run day today.  Thirty kilometres of sunshine!!  It was just below freezing when she headed out, and up to 4 degrees when she was finished!  Not a wonder she had a good run. I would pay money for such a day.  Unfortunately for me it was easy run day, but I still loved everyone of the 36 minutes I spent out there.  Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

Just 3 weeks til the 30 km Bay race, and the furthest I've gone is 26.  Hopefully I'll be able to get 2 more decent ones in.  We are planning on making it a Grampa/Roo day, as we will take the bus there and back, and we will run together regardless of what that means for either one of us.  I think it's gonna be great.  The bus is a proper highway coach arranged by the local running store.  Along with having the tremendous advantage of a bathroom, it frees up any worries about parking, and you can leave your warmup gear on the bus while you race.  But the very best part….you can drink all the way home!!!  If you've never had the opportunity to get drunk after a long, hard, run you haven't lived.  You only need about 2 1/2 beers to get completely sloshed! Game on!!

I hope it snows tomorrow….I'll be in the basement!!

run 7.3 kms

Your luck is how you treat people"---Anon

Love
Peter

"Pain And Pleasure"

We decide to do things, or not to do things, based on the pain or pleasure we associate with the doing, or not doing.

When I first heard that theory it made sense right away, and I have often consulted it when faced with a decision.

The problem is that while the theory is simple, the subjectiveness of the "associate" part still leaves you depending on past experience to give you a feel as to what situation may bring pain or pleasure, and to what degree.

The biggest challenge is of course short term vs long term.  Its easy to know when something hurts a lot, or feels really good, in the short term.  Then you automatically associate the activity or the decision with the appropriate pain or pleasure, and as such you do, or do not, act.

Conversely, associating pain or pleasure with long term, or future situations is much more difficult.

Put the two ends of this spectrum together, and how does one decide what to do today to give one the pleasure you want in the future.  How do you make the wise decisions to suffer a little in the short term, in order to get rewarded in the long term.  And how do you know that todays pain will even bring you the gratification you desire over time?

Like I said…the theory sounds simple, but the reality depends heavily on experience.

And that's the way I thought out today's decision; to take the edge off my training for a few weeks.  The workouts have just been too painful over the last while, certainly on a physical level, but even more so, psychologically.  My heart is simply not in it.

Experience tells me that the only solution to mental burnout is rest.  Experience also tells me that with over 5 months to go there's tons (or I guess that's tonnes…I'm Canadian) of time, and peaking too early would be counterproductive.

When I headed down to the basement today I knew that I would have to do something different.  I simply couldn't find any passion.  So I choose to do the workout, but without any attempt to spend time in the are bars.  I still sweated my ass off, but compared to the usual pain, it was ordinary.

So that will be my strategy until such time as I feel a little more vigorous.  Continue to do all my workouts, but with a little less intensity. I'm confident my enthusiasm will return if I'm just good to myself for a few weeks.

And this effin, effin, winter's gotta end soon!!

easy run, 6 kms
Computrainer long intervals, 90 minutes

"Beyond a wholesome discipline, Be gentle with yourself"---Desiderata

Love
Peter

"Time Out"

Swim, 1500 metres, weights.

Love
Peter

"She Loves Me"

"She loves me not."

It was like pulling pedals off a daisy today, the decision to run, or not to run.  I knew I wouldn't be able to go until after lunch because I had my volunteer stuff this morning, and by the time I left the school at noon it was of course snowing again!!  I went back and fourth about 20 times, but in the end the daisy said, no run!  So I sat down and had a big lunch, with full intentions of going to the pool, and then getting my long run in tomorrow.

Then one last time I checked the weather report for tomorrow….and changed my mind!  Daisies be damned!  More snow tomorrow!

And it went reasonably well.  Remarkably the snow stopped by the time I got out there, and although the shoulders were mostly snow covered, the pavement was at least fairly dry.  That meant of course that I pissed off  a few motorists, but not really that many in the big picture.  Most people are glad to give you some space when they can.  And of the 10% that choose to force you off the road, only half of them do it on purpose….the other half are simply stupid!

So I managed a decent 26 kms, with the only unsettling (literally) part, being my stomach.  I paid heavily for that big lunch that I decided upon.  My stomach is still a bit upset this evening.

The good news is that none of my multiple injuries was much of a problem.  Now I just have to stay motivated to continue my home therapy.  I know damn well that if I don't, I'm gonna end up back at the same place, at least with my achilles.

So that's it folks! Because of my efforts today I get to take it easy tomorrow.

Oh wait!  I just about forgot.  Very exciting news.  I spoke to the principal today and she's gonna let us hatch chickens at school.  I am very excited for this opportunity to interact with the kids.  Subject to approval from Kylie's teacher we will do it in her class.  Pretty cool eh??  We just need to wait for the weather to warm up a bit, so that our few remaining hens start producing a bit more regularly.  And I hope that rooster's been doing his job with this ridiculous weather.

run 26 kms

"Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny."---Bob Marley

Love
Peter

"Brown Out"

Not that I'm anxious or depressed about it, and I know it's just this never ending winter.  As soon as I start spending more time outside I know I'll get a burst of energy.  Heading to the basement today I just couldn't muster any courage, and I ended up doing my workout the easy way.  The easy way still meant I did the entire workout, but I did it by splitting up the time; standing, sitting, and in the aero bars.

And I'm hoping to get a long run in tomorrow.  I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to run, the only consideration will be as usual---the freakin weather.  I just need  some decent traction.

computrainer, short intervals, 90 minutes

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have."---Dale Carnegie

Love
Peter

"God Grant Me The Serenity"

I've always said that the hardest part of the old serenity prayer is the last part….the part about figuring out what you really can, or cannot, change.

Yes indeed!

Sometimes it sneaks up on me----the fact that I'm 58 years hold---and counting.  I think that maybe when I hit 60 it will click in, and it does sometimes now, but for the most part I don't think about the fact that my life is probably 3/4's over.  And when I do think about it I don't lament the fact, but the reality is still there, and as such I gotta accept it.

The problem is that it's a bit of a catch 22.  Not acknowledging my age keeps me doing things that are good for my health, and ironically, it also keeps me doing things that are bad for my health!!

And while the net tradeoff is probably still in the positive, I find it difficult to cope when I'm paying for stupid behaviour that I only recognize after the fact.

Certainly in hindsight it was not very smart to see how high I could get the bike power meter to go, especially after already being on the machine for 3 1/2 hours.  You're supposed to ride easy for 15 minutes at the end of any workout in order to let the muscles cool down, and to flush out any lactic acid buildup.  You are definitely not supposed to see how hard you can ride, even for a very abbreviated time.

 And the worst part is that I did it twice, just to see if the computrainer and my pedals showed the same result!!

It took me a while this morning to associate my little experiment with the pain that my body was experiencing, because it showed up in an unusual spot;  my lower abdomen, almost to my groin. And while it may all be better by tomorrow, right now it's pretty uncomfortable. And of course my usual paranoia about injury tells me it's gonna be days or weeks!!

And while climbing on the roof for 2 hours afterwards didn't help any either, I'm pretty sure it wasn't the culprit.  And with a new batch of snow overnight, I'm at least glad I got that done.

On the positive front, I again learned more from my pedals.  It seems that my left/right imbalance is even greater on my long rides, than it is on shorter, harder efforts.  Yesterday it was 42/58, and when I looked back at other rides the confirmation is there.  And while it is certainly a concern, since long riding is what I do, it also highlights an even great opportunity.  Doing a little testing at the end of my workout just reinforced the inability of my left leg to do anything in circles, especially when I'm already tired.  I can get about 10 cycles, and then I can no longer come over the top without a big clunk!

I'm gonna try to get on the trainer every day for at least 10 minutes to focus exclusively on single leg drills.  I'm pretty sure that it will take an ongoing effort, since it took a long time to get the way it is.  The problem lies in my hip flexors, the muscles that lift the leg, and that then support it while you come over the top of the stroke.  And while I haven't  actually tested this, I'm willing to bet that the problem is even worse when I'm in the aero bars.  Like I said….an opportunity.

And it occurs to me that maybe I'll even think about raising my saddle a few millimetres.  Actually I can probably test that first by adding a towel under my butt.

Wish me luck!

And while I'm not sure if I could run today or not, I decided to not even try.  If I  went to the trouble of getting dressed, I'm sure I would try to do something…wise or not…  
I need to be proactive in avoiding dumb decisions.

Oh by the way…628 watts!!!

"Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm."---Anon

Love
Peter

"Up and Down"

Or "down and up" I suppose, as I first spent 3 1/2 hours riding in the basement, before another 2 on the roof. I didn't really enjoy either. But that's life! It goes on!

computrainer long ride.

"I don't generally like running. I believe in training by rising gently up and down from the bench."---Satchel Paige

Love
Peter