"Never Mind"

I'm gonna do my best just to let this day go by without too much analysis.  I thought maybe I was just a bit mentally tired (or lazy if you will),  but by the end of my workout I was convinced it was physical as well.  I just couldn't get it out of second gear all day long.

The wind was from the east which necessitated heading out on my least favourite roads.  That was a mistake I won't make again for a while.  There is nothing I hate worse than butt thumping pavement that has sprouted a crack every 10 or 20 metres.  The worst thing about those vicious cracks is that it's very hard to relax and stay down in the aero bars. The next time I will ignore the wind, and opt for good roads.

And that's really the only excuse I have today.  I generated just over 140 watts and a speed of 28.4 kms/hr.  My attempt at a run afterwards was futile.  I walked/jogged 2 kms, and left it at that.

Like I said.  Never mind!  Tomorrow is another day, and there will be another after that one.  Maybe I'm not in as great as shape as I'd like, but at least I'm still in damn good shape.  Life goes on.

ride 150 kms, run 2 kms

"The mind is everything. What you think you become."---Buddha

Love
Peter

"Smashed my Finger"

While working on one of my projects.  It hurt like effin hell, but all I could think about is, how's this gonna affect my training?

But I think I'm gonna be okay.  I don't need to swim for a few days, and I think that will be the only problem.  It turned blue right away, but I quickly drilled a hole in my finger nail (old toolmakers trick) and that helped a great deal by letting some of the blood out.

I also iced it several times, and then wrapped it very tight.  Probably too tight, because 10 minute later it was throbbing even worse.  So I took the wrapping off and started over.  The second time it felt so much better, til I realized that the finger beside the one I wrapped still felt like hell!!  I laughed out loud, and started over again!

And it was a totally productive day again.  I think I got even more done than yesterday.  I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep, and right after I drop Colb at the Y in the morning, I'm heading out for my 150 kms.  Woohoo.  They promise sunshine all freakin day!  Woohoo!!

swim 1500 metres

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."---Mel Brooks

Love
Peter

"Productive Day"

Along with all the stuff I got done, I also came up with a blog idea.  Unfortunately, productive sometimes means sore and tired, and sure enough that's where I'm at now.  The idea will wait for another day. I'm just too lazy!

Meanwhile I wish to share this special moment with you.  Does it not look like these three are up to no good??

Hills...10 of em!  15 kms total

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."---Jules Renard

Love

Peter

"More Than Half The Man I Used To Be"

It was nearly 20 years ago that I had the fastest 40 km training ride of my life.  Although I exceeded it a few times in races, it was the only time that I ever reached 35 kms/hr over that distance during regular workouts.  That's why I remember it so well.

Today was short bike day, and as such I decided that a 20 km tempo ride was in order.  I told you that me legs were a bit sore the last few days, and although there was still a bit of tenderness this morning they were decidedly better.  Regardless, with my new found emphasis on smart training I was totally prepared to turn it into an easy ride if things didn't feel just right.

After my warmup things felt okay and so I stomped on the gas.  I have a nice little block just 8 kms form home that suits the purpose well, and it was a glorious day for riding, 20 degrees with very little wind.

I rode 20.1 kms, at an average speed of 35.1 kms/hr, and despite my tongue in cheek title, I am totally happy with that.  Everything was perfect. Heart rate at 135 average...perfect!  Cadence at 92 average...perfect!  First half power at 194 watts, second half at 195...perfect!

I can't empathize enough how valuable the power meter is.  It truly allows you to gauge your effort throughout, unlike speed which is completely at the mercy of wind and hills.  I no longer even display my current speed as I ride because I don't want the distraction.  Definitely the most gratifying data from the entire ride was the balance in power from start to finish.  Perfect!!

So, 40 kms twenty years ago, 20 kms today.  Still half the man I used to be, and damn proud of it!!

Oh and today I also did a little 5K run which I certainly did not do after my 40k of yesteryear.

ride 36 kms, 20K tempo,  5K transition run.

"It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project."---Napoleon Hill

Love

Peter

"Overload"

When Roo asked me this morning why I hadn't posted yesterday, I had to think about it.  I was puzzled, because up until that point I was sure that I had.

The good news is that I know why I forgot.  I've got 17 things on the go at the same time!  It's all good stuff, and all stuff that I want to be doing, but never the less I'm feeling just a wee bit stressed.

To compound that, for some inexplicable reason, my legs are sore.

I need to be a bit easier on myself for a few days, get some of the stuff off the list, but at the same time live in the moment.

Which right now means signing off here, getting an ice cream from the freezer, and laying down with my Dickens novel.

swim 1000 metres, weights

"I have a theory about the human mind. A brain is a lot like a computer. It will only take so many facts, and then it will go on overload and blow up."---Erma Bombeck

Love

Peter

"Whoops"!

Thank goodness you can back date the posts.  I figured that out one early morning sitting in an airport in Mexico.  I thought I was on time to post, when I suddenly realized I was in a different time zone.
Just like turning back time!

Love
Peter

"What A Difference A Day Makes"

Or more appropriately "the" day, as in "the" weather conditions.
It was a near perfect day for a bike ride!  Nice and warm but not too hot, with a bit of wind, but not overwhelming.  I had been looking forward to this ride all week, since it was gonna be the first chance at a long effort in decent weather.  Hard to believe I had to wait til the end of May!

And it was a very satisfactory day.  I love my bike, and I was reminded once again why.  Not just does it look very cool, but I can't even imagine going without it's technology again.  The electronic shifting is so effortless, and on top of that I got a very positive reinforcement on the value of my power meter pedals.

In the end, my beautiful machine took me for a 140 km tour of Elgin County in 5 hours, 38 mins, at an average speed of 30.2 kms/hr, and an average power output of 152 watts.

That's where the difference of the day comes in, and the reason why I love my pedals.  Two weeks ago I rode 120 kms with nearly the same power, but quite a bit slower (28.4 kms/hr).  Without the data from the power meter I could fool myself into thinking that I worked quite a bit harder today, which is simply not the case.  The difference is a result of the difference in weather, both directly (warm air is thinner), and indirectly, in that the comfort of riding without  gloves and other baggy clothes, allowed me to spend more quality time in the aerobars.

I was also reminded today of the dramatic impact that the toughness of the ride has on any following run.  Last weeks basement ride, that while boring, was quite a bit easier than today (132 watts), and I could tell the difference as soon as I put my running shoes on.  Last week I ran an effortless 7.5 kms, while today it was a somewhat tougher 5 kms.

But I'm still real good with my efforts.  It was a day of positive reinforcement in all regards, and now I move into another hard couple of weeks before my triathlon weekend in Welland on the 14/15th of June.   Game on!

ride 140 kms, 30.2 kms/hr---run 5 kms, 5:02/km

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."---Albert Einstein

Love
Peter

"Guest Blogger"

It's still morning time, but I'll be out most of the day, and not back til late.  In lieu then of trying to initiate some brain activity before lunch time, I give you this excerpt from "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby", by Charles Dickens.

“There are some men who, living with the one object of enriching themselves, no matter by what means, and being perfectly conscious of the baseness and rascality of the means which they will use every day towards this end, affect nevertheless--even to themselves--a high tone of moral rectitude, and shake their heads and sigh over the depravity of the world. Some of the craftiest scoundrels that ever walked this earth, or rather--for walking implies, at least, an erect position and the bearing of a man--that ever crawled and crept through life by its dirtiest and narrowest ways, will gravely jot down in diaries the events of every day, and keep a regular debtor and creditor account with Heaven, which shall always show a floating balance in their own favour. Whether this is a gratuitous (the only gratuitous) part of the falsehood and trickery of such men's lives, or whether they really hope to cheat Heaven itself, and lay up treasure in the next world by the same process which has enabled them to lay up treasure in this--not to question how it is, so it is. And, doubtless, such book-keeping (like certain autobiographies which have enlightened the world) cannot fail to prove serviceable, in the one respect of sparing the recording Angel some time and labour.”

It absolutely astounds me!  Sometime I go back and read paragraphs just to relive my amazement.  How does he gather together a whole bunch of such ordinary words, and then assemble them in such an order?  A gathering and an order that I could not replicate given a lifetime to complete one such paragraph!!  The 'autobiography' line is freakin priceless!!

My niece Rachel is getting married today and I am proud to play chauffeur for the day to a young couple of immense loving potential.  Happy day, Charlie and Rachel!!

"A loving heart is the truest wisdom."---Charles Dickens

Love

Peter

"All's Well In Tennesee"

The governor of that fine State signed a bill to make the electric chair the preferred method of killing, in the event that the big, bad, pharmaceutical companies continue to refuse him the necessary drugs to do the same!  Good job Bill!

And in Wyoming they're considering the firing squad, so I guess somebody's been reading my blog.  I feel kinda bad for the 69 year old guy in that state, who happens to be the only name currently on the "to kill" list.

Only in America could we find a situation where Pfizer et al,  are the good guys eh?!

Anyway.  I'm pretty sue that nobody in the good old US of A gives a shit what I think, so I'll just take consolation in the fact that in my great country, killing anyone, for any reason, by any means, has been against the law for almost 40 years!!!  Since July 14, 1976 to be exact; and furthermore, it has been more than 50 years since any kind of government sanctioned killing has actually taken place  Aren't we just a bunch of backwards northerners "eh"?

....big sigh...

And as in the great state of Tennessee, all is also well at my house.  An easy hill run today and tomorrow completely off again.  The easy week stuff better work, because it drives me up the proverbial wall!

run 6 hills, 11 kms

“I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.”---Mahatma Gandhi

Love

Peter

"Distractions"

I get easily distracted at the best of times, never mind when I don't have a hard workout do do. Today being one of those easy days, my mind was all over the place.  

I was reading a news story about a convicted murderer somewhere in the US, who's execution was delayed  because of a rare illness he has.  Apparently there was some risk that the drugs could cause him to suffocate painfully, instead of dying peacefully.  Oh no!

I don't get it!

Why don't they just chop his head off?

Why don't they just fire a large calibre bullet into his brain.

Or for that matter, why not just put a thick rope around his neck, and drop him about 20 feet?

Any one of these options are relatively pain free because they are instantaneous, and he would be just as dead!!!

Well I'll tell you why we don't do those things.

It's because we're an enlightened race!

We want to pretend that a nice, quiet, bloodless killing is somehow better than the more traditional kind.  The kind that leaves a mess.

What I can't for the life of me understand is why anyone would think that it's a good idea to kill anyone else, for any reason, or by any means?  Especially if you have lots of time to make the decision.  But what totally flabbergasts me, are those who purport to adhere to the ten commandments, and also support capital punishment??  Lord help me!!

Maybe I'm just naive? 

................................ 

But enough doom and gloom.

On a much brighter note I found a beautiful cedar door beside the road today with a "free" sign on it.  The cedar was very well hidden under 4 coats of paint, but I was pretty sure it was in there.  I confirmed when I got it home.  I've been looking for that door for a year!!  I'm growing a cedar hedge around our fire pit, and this is gonna be the access door. Gonna be very cool in another 5 years.  Come on by, and bring the hot dogs.  

And I also found a pair of suspenders today, but I had to pay for them.  That's okay though...now I can go to the wedding without losing my pants.  

And cause it's easy day I wore my wetsuit to the pool.  I was out to prove that I can still swim as slowly as last year, but that didn't work out.  I was slower.  Oh well, c'est la vie. (I'm practicing for Quebec).  I did stretch the distance out a bit more, without any difficulty.  

And now to cap off a distracted but otherwise good day, I'm going to get something to eat.  I'm already at my limit for the day but my wife is worried I'm gonna get too skinny, so I better have some cookies and ice cream.

swim 3 kms-1:05:53, weights

"Skip the religion and politics, head straight to the compassion. Everything else is a distraction."---Talib Kweli

Love

Peter

"I Need Suspenders"

The fancy "go to meeting" clothes I bought for Jon and Alisha's wedding last summer don't fit!  Well actually the top parts are fine, but I'm afraid that the pants want to fall down.  I had them out today because I need them for my nieces upcoming wedding.

But I'm okay with this problem, even though I swore at the time that the suit would fit me for the rest of my life. I'm just gonna buy suspenders, and live with it.  And if you've ever worn suspenders, you would know they are actually quite a bit more comfortable than a belt.

But yes, the difference is kinda like being slim.  You don't really appreciate it, unless you've once been  fat.

Today I went out to try to buy a new pair of jeans with a 31" waist.  I'm afraid that they are a rarity, and when you do find them they tend to be too short.  Regardless,  I still really enjoyed looking, and I finally found the perfect pair at the Goodwill for $7.50!  Actually when I got them home, I found they were just a wee bit on the baggy side  :)

And I suspect that the suit pants may fit me once more, sometime in the future, but I'm pretty damn confident that there will never come a time when I can't get them on.  It may mean that I count calories for the rest of my life, but so be it.

I had a fairly easy day today as per the plan, and although I know it's right, it's still tricky for me.  I was actually tired enough to know that easy was the only option, and yet my little voice was calling me lazy.   The next few days will test me even more, but I'm resolved to hang tough.  This is recovery week damn it!!!  I hope I just hope I don't get fat!

And once more my transition run felt so good.  Like I said, I was a bit tired, but I continue to feel so relaxed moving from my bike to the run.  And I'm certain that the improved body composition is a factor!  That feeling is a powerful motivator.

computrainer ride 90 mins, 5 km transition run.

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."---Mark Twain

"Buy clothes the size you want to wear."---Karl Lagerfeld

Love

Peter

"Lean And Mean II"

My weight loss continues to go well, but unfortunately I've also felt a bit mean today.  I woke up in a funk, and then didn't deal with it very well.  I'm afraid that those around me suffered a bit for my weakness.  To my wife, and to the people at Home Depot, I'm sorry.

I was quite tired in the pool today, and actually gave myself the gift of not doing my weights.  I wasn't at all troubled by it however.  I think it's exactly they way I should feel the day after a satisfactory 30 km run.  Which, by the way, was complemented by a 6 km trail hike in the afternoon with my 2 favourite little people.  

So while I may have been weak today, there's nothing I can do about it other than promise that I won't let tomorrow be a repeat.  Cross my heart and hope to die!  (what a weird expression eh?)

swim, 2000 metres, very slow

"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come."---Henri Nouwen

Love

Peter

"Unstoppable!!"

I'm sure I'll still have moments of doubt between now and August 17th, but for today at least, the Thomas in me is but a shadow.

There's a marketing phrase you may have heard called, "surprise and delight", and that's the way I felt this morning.

Last night I had little confidence in having a decent long run, as my legs still felt real dead, to the point that I told Roo that I would probably procrastinate until late afternoon just to give me a bit longer recovery.  This morning I didn't feel any better, but I also didn't relish the idea of finishing my workout at supper time.

With that in mind, and with a firm reminder to myself to keep it positive regardless, I headed out at 8 am.  I committed to at least 18 kms by heading towards Port, and by the time I returned to the mailbox I was pretty confident that I was gonna be able to do the last 12 as well.

It was slow but totally in control, and when I was at about 27.5 kms I was averaging 5:32/km.  I made a decision to try to get that down to 5:30 by pushing a bit harder, and in the end managed to get it down to 5:28!!

So it's not the fact that I ran 30 kms today that surprised and delighted me, it's the way I felt in doing so.  I have done lots of long runs where I somehow forced myself to stay on feet for the last 5 kms, but in contrast, the last stretch today could be called exhilarating.  My last 3 kms were at 5:16, 4:48, and 4:36 respectively.  I could have ran further!  I even think I could have run a marathon today, if there was any good reason to do so.

And now, some 3 hours later, as I sit here and type, I feel totally fine...normal if you will.

Or better yet...surprised and delighted!!!

As promised, that makes my recovery week decision for me, so while I will avoid any sort of a long run next weekend, I will look forward to my next long bike.  Hopefully outside in the sunshine!

run 30 kms, 2:44:14

"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise."---Alice Walker

"You will find truth more quickly through delight than gravity. Let out a little more string on your kite."---Alan Cohen

...and this one because it reached inside me and touched something....

"There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination."---Mencius

Love
Peter

"Like I Said"

An "old" machine!

Being a God fearing man, Sunday is a day of rest for me.  Of course a day of rest means I can get a days work done around here.  Well  half a day at least, by the standard of days gone by.

While the tasks I undertook weren't herculean by any stretch of the imagination, they did involve, bending, squatting, lifting, climbing, and even a wee bit of crawling.  And every wee bit of it hurt!

No matter how Ironmanish I manage to get myself, the realities of age will not go away.  I alternate between resenting this reality, and being grateful that I have managed to offset some of it through my efforts.  I can't even imagine what my life would be like if I were sedentary.

And regardless of whether I manage to keep my attitude in the positive, I am amazed by the deterioration over the last 7-8 years.  Wrestling with an extension ladder is a special feat compared to when I was fifty.  And although I still don't really have any fear in climbing up the thing, I have to do it slower and more carefully.  I can tell that my dexterity is not near what it used to be, and this new state simply calls for more caution.

I probably have to admit as well that while Ironman training is all very much fun, and very impressive to the public, it is probably not the very best way to treat your body.  I know I would be better served by doing half as much of this stuff, and quite a bit more strength and flexibility training. Perhaps that will be my my next life?  I can do the half iron distance with my eyes closed, and it would allow me the time and energy to commit to those other good things.  My upper body especially would benefit big time.  We shall see.

And that's it for today.  I'm excited to get out for my long run tomorrow.  I really don't know what's gonna happen, but I have promised myself that either way I'm not coming down off my high!  If the run is good then I will continue cycling hard through the recovery week, and if it's not so good, then I will back off all disciplines.  We shall see about that as well.

And finally I should correct my opening statement.  I'm actually not a God fearing man at all.  That idea just doesn't make any sense to me.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."---1 John, 4:18

Love
Peter

"I'm a Freakin Machine"

An old machine for sure, but still a machine.  My bearings are pretty loose, wheels and pulleys are wobbly, drive belts are fatigued and brittle, but my oil pump is in pretty good shape!

I must be a machine, because only a machine could pedal in circles 25,000 times over a period of 5 hours, and then go outside and run 7.5 kms without breaking a sweat!!

Because I have never gone so long in the basement I took it very easy, and despite the boredom, I survived the 5 hours uneventfully.  I managed a slow but acceptable, 131 watts.

For the same "new territory" reasons I  didn't know what to expect on my run. I had originally planned on going 7, but by the time I headed out I had already given myself permission to leave it at 5 kms.  Again I took it very easy to start out, and indeed felt pretty good.  That's not a new experience however, and it's not uncommon for the overall fatigue to catch up with you in 10 or 15 minutes.  I kept waiting for it...and waiting...and waiting....and waiting

And it never freakin came!!!  I ran faster as the run wore on, and my heart rate was excellent.  I was in awe!  It barely got over 130, and that was only at the end, by which time I was running almost a min/K faster than when I started out.

Unbelievable actually.  I can honestly say that I have no recollection of ever having felt so together after a long ride.  It was a hugely powerful learning experience for me.  It really reinforces my intention to keep my rides in control, both in training and in racing.  I want to feel the exhilaration that I did today, come Aug 17th.  For the first time ever, I believe in my heart that it's possible.

I'm a freakin machine!!!!

And reflecting back to yesterdays thoughts about not doing enough, forget all that.  The Ironman is about endurance above all, and today I proved to myself that I'm right on track in that regard.  I am now very interested to see how my long run goes on Monday, and I will make my decision about the upcoming recovery week at that time.  If indeed I feel okay, then I will probably back off on the running next week, but not the cycling.   Game on!

Damn I feel good!!  What a high!!  Thanks for all the positive thoughts you must have sent me.

ride 5 hours, 128.5 kms, 131 watts----run 7.5 kms, 40:15

"Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself."---Leo Tolstoy

Love
Peter

"Too Easy?"

I got the heebie-geebies real bad today, and it scares me that maybe it's because I'm taking it too easy.  With 2 easy days each week, and one day completely off, it doesn't seem like Ironman training.  I think what compounds my fear a bit is the lack of outdoor riding, and as such, tomorrow isn't gonna make that go away.  I counted them up, and according to schedule, after tomorrow I have only 6 long efforts left!!  How can that be?  It feels like I've barely started.

And on top of all that, next week is supposed to be a recovery week.  I will see how tomorrow's ride, and Mondays long run go, and then re-evaluate depending on how I feel.  I think it would be unwise to skip the recovery week altogether, but it may make sense to cut back only my running.  The other option would be to try to change my recovery weeks to every 4th instead of every 3rd.

And I know what you're thinking.  Here he goes again rationalizing himself into overload!  But I truly believe I've learned that lesson, and I don't think I'll let it happen.  The one non-negotiable however is my weekly long ride/transition run, and if necessary I will cut back somewhere else in order to get those in effectively.

So wish me luck for tomorrow.  I have my head on straight, my tires are pumped, my Lord of The Rings movies cued up, and my diet planned.  Unfortunately I'm out of cool whip (thanks anyway Elly), so it's gonna be primarily bananas, and nutrigrain bars.  Game on!

And lastly I would like it to be known that on this the 16th day of May, 2014, I am grateful one more time to my friend Dr Hammond and his radiation machine.   His machine remains the  number one reason why I manage to manage my weight.  What triggered that you may wonder?   Well I just went to the cupboard to get some Doritos for Kylie, and as I opened up a brand new, giant, bag this amazing smell wafted out.  Somehow I just knew that this time they were gonna taste wonderful!  So I popped one in my mouth.  Dorito flavoured sawdust!!  Woohoo!!

Think about that for a moment.  What a blessing! I love the taste and texture of broccoli, and hate the taste and texture of Doritos.  Wow!!  God is good!!

Oh, and speaking of easy, I swam 2500 metres today, all on a 5 stroke breathing pattern.  Only boredom stopped me at that point.

swim 2500 metres, weights

"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small."---Lao Tzu

Love
Peter

"I'll Never Know"

Sometime when I do tedious workouts I purposely zone out by thinking about one of the many projects I have on the go.  My favourites are construction projects of some kind, because I can puzzle out all the steps necessary, and picture them in my mind.  I find it hugely distracting, and the bonus is that it actually helps me with project related decision making.  Today I set out to do my hills, and knowing that it wasn't gonna be any fun in the wind and the rain, I determined that I was gonna think about a little patio roof that's in the planning stage.

And that's why I'll never know how many hills I actually did.  I was cutting and drilling away in my mind, when I suddenly realized I was already on my 6th hill.  Cool I thought, especially since I had started out feeling a bit sluggish.  For some reason though, after I turned around to head back down the hill I started to have serious doubts about the 6?  All the way down, and all the way up the next one, I still couldn't place it firmly in my mind where I was at.  I finally gave it up as lost knowledge.

I think in the end I did ten!  But I'm not sure.  Because I do them in sets of two, (I run back and forth through a valley), if it wasn't ten, then it was eight.  I briefly considered doing two more just to make sure I had ten, but that would have been dumb.  Regardless, 10 is now the new standard.

And speaking of tedious workout's, it's pretty clear that Saturdays 5 freaking hours are gonna be in the basement.  They are promising 12 degrees and rain.  Riding in that would hurt even more than the basement.  And because I can't think about construction projects for 5 hours without going batty, I suppose I'm gonna have to come up with some other kind of diversion.  I'm thinking maybe Lord of the Rings movies.  The good thing about riding downstairs is that I can fill my face with normal food, rather than my carbo drink.  Maybe I'll dream up something special just to treat myself.  Got any ideas?

hill run, 13 kms or 15 kms?

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."---Socrates

Love
Peter

"Feeling Lean and Mean"

Well actually that's not completely true.  While I do feel quite lean, I actually feel the exact opposite of mean.
It's one of those "what a difference a day makes" kind of things.
Because I was so tired yesterday I was worried about overtraining again, and so I decided this morning to be very careful with my bike ride.  I simply chose a relatively easy workout, and did it on the trainer.  It was not even taxing.
But the real lean feeling didn't come til I headed out for my 5K transition run.  I felt excellent!  Every km was faster than the previous one, but regardless of time, it was the fact that I felt almost rested that put me on a high.  I felt like a 50 year old!!  In hindsight, I probably should have rode harder.
But no worries.  Better safe than sorry, and I hope it's a positive sign that I'm finding the right balance.  I should be able to smoke my hills tomorrow!  We shall see.

And I'm hoping for a decent day for my next long ride on Saturday, but it doesn't look very hopeful.  In that regard its been a totally shitty spring.  I have not had a long ride outside yet without gloves! I'm not sure at this point what I'll do if it's cold and rainy as they predict, but one thing's for certain.  NOT doing it, is NOT an option.

comptrainer 70 mins, run 5kms- 22:45

"If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it."---Andy Rooney

Love
Peter

"Very Tired"

I was quite slow in the pool this morning but still generally felt okay.  It wasn't til I was playing soccer with the grade threes that I realized just how bagged I am.  I have to be careful now.  My long runs may be too long!!

swim 2000 metres, weights, grade 3 soccer

"Life is one long process of getting tired."---Samuel Butler

Love
Peter

"Meeting My Commitments"

It was on March 17th that I committed to getting my weight down to 160 pounds within 3 months.  I started out at just over 170, and am proud to tell you that I achieved success in less than 2 months.

I have never felt so in control when it comes to managing my body composition.  And as odorous as it is--this daily monitoring of all my calories-- I have to credit that attention to detail as the biggest factor.  I know everyone is different so I won't draw any generalities, but I know for me that there's a very fine line between losing and gaining weight.  The line is so fine, that inevitably, I am doing one, or the other.  Some people just eat whatever they want and seem able to stay at a constant weight, but not me.  I suppose it has something to do with genetics.

Alas, we are all offered different challenges to conquer in this life, and this just happens to be one of mine.  I don't know what I will do in the long term, but for now I intend on continuing the daily charting.  I do believe however that I'm gonna up my limit a wee bit, as I already find myself exceeding it quite often.  I still have the bad habit of saving my calories for later in the day, and so if I start out with a higher number, it may encourage me to eat more in the morning, as well as mid afternoon.

And now that I have met my commitment a bit early, I'm gonna revise the over-all 3 month goal to 155 pounds.  I have 35 days, which is one pound every 7 days....should be doable.

As to my run today, it went very much as expected.  I was petty sure it was gonna be a bit tough as I was clearly still tired from my long bike.  Regardless, I toughed out the 30 kms with several short walking breaks over the last 5 kms.  That last 5K probably didn't add any value, but I also don't believe it was hurtful.  I didn't go over the edge.

run 30 kms, 2:45

And my quote today is totally unrelated to my post, but it is too good to keep for another day.  I wish desperately that I had said it myself.

"How do I explain Michael Sam to my kids?" A man with TWO first names?"---Andy Kerman
Love and "kisses"!

Peter

"Happy Mother Freakin Day"

The only mother in this house has been off visiting her mother most of the day, and my grandchildren are off taking care of their mother, and as a result I had a peaceful day at home.  I spent it all outdoors doing stuff that I could call work, but the pleasure I took in it would make that a lie.  From a weather perspective today qualifies as a perfect day.

My body feels quite good with the exception of my right shoulder, and I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow's long run brings.  Although I say I feel good, I can also tell I'm not over yesterday's ride yet, so we shall see.

That's it!  I hope everyone had as nice a Mothers day as I did.

Happy Mothers Day Mom.  I miss you!!

Love
Peter

"Revising Expectations"

I'm afraid that the natural aging process  is undeniable.

But if only I did more weight training, or if I lose a bit more weight, or if I train smarter, eat healthier,   or just plain work harder, I would be able to delay the process......NOT!

As an amateur athlete that aging process can be measured by slower times in everything you do.

But if only....

My first Ironman was in 2009 and I finished with a time of 11:36.  In 2012, I was 11:39, and at the time I was a little disappointed.  I now know that it was actually a good accomplishment.

After most humans reach 50 years of age the downward spiral is quite quick.

I had a brief  look at the 2013 Tremblant results, and just searched for athletes in relevant mens age  groups that finished under 12 hours.

Here's the numbers!

45-49.......137
50-54.......93
55-59.......17
59-60........3
65-69........0

For me to expect to be faster 5 years after my first Ironman would perhaps be reasonable if I had started out when I was 40, but as I approach my 59th birthday.....well enough said I suppose.

But armed with this data I'm still only relaxing my expectations as to finish time.  I'm actually gonna increase my self imposed expectation  to have an exceptional race.  The measure of that will be how I feel in the marathon.  Believe me it will be a big challenge because the key to the whole thing will be forcing myself to go slower on my bike than I actually could.  Going slower at that point, is decidedly harder than going faster!

Today I practiced going slower, although it wasn't easier.  It was my first semi-serious ride outside this year, and unfortunately the speed continues to erode.  For years I set the standard for a long ride at 30 kms/hr, and yet on a reasonable riding day like today I could only muster 28.4 over my 120 kms.   To top that off, I struggled through my transition run, and ended up walking part of the last km.  That's not the way it's supposed to be, and indicates that I rode too hard

So I actually think it's important to come to terms with my revised expectations very quickly, so that I keep my long efforts at a reasonable pace.  If I kill myself in training it will only be counterproductive.  The wonderful thing is that with my new pedals I can focus on power instead of speed, and today I decided that my long ride standard will be to average 150 watts.  Let's see how that goes.

And I also have to report that I am suffering from the cyclists worst nightmare, a skin infection next to my right testicle.  It's occasionally been a problem area for me, but with good hygiene I generally managed to keep it in check.  If anyone knows a surefire quick solution for boils I sure would like to hear it.  I would post a picture but I have few enough readers as it is.  Help please!!

But that's not the only thing I learned today.  I had a nice chat with brother Terry, and now I know everything he knows about septic systems.  I have a plan!!  Game on!
,
bike 120 kms, 28.4 kms/hr, 149 watts---run 5 kms

"My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations."---Michael J Fox

Love
Peter

"Easy Day"

Normally I swim and do my weights on Friday but today I chose to spend the day learning about septic systems.  After an entire day of learning all I know for sure is that mine don't work!!

That bit of learning has however left me very tired, since it involved lots of shovel work, and lots of heaving sewer auger parts around.

Tomorrow is long ride day, and it's gonna be outside....no matter what!

"Life is like a sewer: what you get out of it depends on what you put into it."---Tom Lehrer

Love
Peter

"Mellow Out A Little"

I've been a bit fanatical lately, and it kinda came to a head tonite when it took me an hour to allow myself a beer.   Empty calories you see.  I would be better off with a cookie or two.

But I opened one and now I'm gonna have another.  Tomorrow is easy day, which is just as well because I just found out that we have an ugly plumbing problem at the farmhouse.  The septic system is older than I am.  Gonna be a shitty job.....

Turn up the music and relax Peter!

hills, 13 kms

"Good habits are worth being fanatical about."---John Irving

Love

Peter

"New Skills"

I've always said that any day that I learn something was a good day.  And it may surprise you, given my stubbornness, that I have had many such days.

You see, along with my stubbornness I also have this strong sense of curiosity, and at least when I'm awake, I am usually very aware of my surroundings and how I fit in them.

So today while waiting for Colby at the dentist office I learned a new way to measure my pulse.  You may want to try it.  If I cross my legs I can watch my foot move in time with my heart beat!!  I think it's a sign of a healthy heart.

But as so often happens the most important thing I learned today came from my grandson.  And while I think he's a special kid, and I brag about him often, I also acknowledge that I learn many things from him simply because in my old age I've finally learned to listen to children.  I suspect that many of the things he knows, all kids know instinctively, and they continue to know them until they "unlearn" them from us.

On the way to the dentist, Colby said to me,

"Grampa, did you know there's no point to anything"

"What do you mean?"

"Today I watched a video that said there was no point to Minecraft (a very popular online building game).  And if there's no point to Minecraft there's no point to anything.  If you build a real house it don't last forever.  And nothing else you do lasts forever either.  No matter what you do, in the end you just die!"

"Wow!  I get it Colb, and I agree.  But if there's no point to anything, what else is there?

"Well the only thing Grampa, is to live a good life"


Holy  Holy Holy shit!!!  I felt this amazing sense of gratitude.  I will remember the moment, and hopefully the wisdom for many years.

Computrainer 90 minutes, 5km transition run

"All there is Grampa, is to live a good life"---Colby Andrew Rooyakkers

Love
Peter

"Just Like Walking"

I had a special little breakthrough at the pool today.

When I first learned to swim a little over 20 years ago I used a traditional 2 stroke breathing pattern which has you always breathing to the same side. Before I discovered corrective swim goggles this breathing, and thereby seeing on one side only, caused me major problems out in the lake.  So I worked hard to develop a 3 stroke pattern, and along with the significantly increased availability of off the shelf corrective goggles, I started swimming in straight lines.

I've used that technique ever since, and while I continue to slow down in my old age, I also continue to swim fairly stress free, and fairly straight.

Then the other day I read something about breathing and relaxing, and so I experimented a bit with breathing every 4 strokes, but still occasionally switching sides in order to watch my line.  That kinda worked, but I never could quite get in a rhythm as I would get messed up every time I switched sides.  So I experimented with an alternating 4 and 3, and even tried 5 on for size.  That felt really, really good actually, but unfortunately I couldn't maintain it.

Or could I?

Today I decided to try.

 Eureka!!

I still can't quite believe it, but like the article  suggested, for some people this would actually work.

I swam my entire 2000 metres on a 5 stroke pattern, and while I was wearing my buoyant pants, and while I was no faster than ever, I believe this is a minor breakthrough for me.  After I got in my rhythm it truly was no more taxing than walking.  And while at this point I don't expect any speed dividends, I also ain't ruling it out.  Less breathing definitely allows me  to focus on my stroke more, and also come race day it's okay if it feels a bit harder than walking.

And armed with this new technique I may even revisit swimming without a buoyancy aid, simply because I could always swim reasonably well if I didn't have to breathe.  Like many people, the act of turning to get a breath is what screws me up!

All in all a very nice feeling.  A feeling of potential.  A feeling of success through persistence.

And everything else continues to go along fine.  I was delighted to get out for an easy 25 kms on my bike today, but I made sure to take it easy.  Tomorrow is bike interval day, and as crazy as it may seem, I will probably continue to do that inside, regardless of the weather.  It's just so much easier to do what I'm supposed to do, as the computrainer does all the thinking for me.

And that's all folks.  Life is good!

easy bike 25 kms, swim 2000 metres, weights

"I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success."---Joyce Meyer

Love
Peter

"Dreams"

I use to think there were two kinds of dreams.  Those that happen by themselves while we are sleeping, and which are thereby out of our control, and the daytime fanciful dreams for the future, that we can control.

But!

I hadn't learned my latest lesson from Colby.  Thanks to our road trip yesterday he had some time to teach me a thing or two!

Turns out there's another kind of dream that happens at night called a lucid dream.  In this type of dream, even though you are sleeping, you're actually aware that you are dreaming.  Wow!  Who would have thought?  But wait!  There's more.  Apparently you can control this kind of dream.

I was amazed!

The whole discussion took place because I was telling him about my latest Ironman dream, and thankfully he helped me understand what much of the dream meant, and also explained how to influence it next time around.

And I wish I had all these insights a  couple of days ago because I may have saved myself some grief.  I don't remember all the details of the dream (nightmare) but a few are still very, very clear.  From a general perspective I remember that everything was going wrong, most notably things I had forgotten to do, or to bring.  More specifically I totally forgot my nutrition, and sometime between the swim and the bike I was scrambling to borrow, and also to prepare, some carbo powder to take on my ride.

In the end I managed to beg about half of what I needed from a fellow competitor, but I never even got it mixed properly.  It was more of a big lump of half dissolved powder floating in my bottle of warm water.  Disgusting!

But somehow I was planning on carrying on and despite quite a bit of anxiety I got on my bike.  Things were  going along in this terrible state until they actually got worse!

I ran out of gas!

No not the kind of physiological gas that I often refer to, but rather petroleum gas!  WTF!!  Yup I needed to stop for gas!   Within the dream there was no explanation for this irrational incident, I just know I needed gas.  But if you think that was bad wait til I tell you what they did with the gas when I purchased it.

They poured it into my disgusting half dissolved carbohydrate solution!!

At about the time I was considering whether I would still be able to drink it, I thankfully woke up.

Wow!!

Anyway, with my new learning from Colby I approached bedtime last night with an open mind.  I woke up at least 10 times, and I'm pretty sure I had a different dream each time.  In the last and most vivid one I was running around a slum area somewhere in Mexico, trying to avoid being robbed.   Just as I was finally cornered by 4 very determined street hoodlums I woke up!  And believe it or not.

I'm pretty sure I woke up on purpose!!

Lucid dreams.  Who would-a thought?

This week was a cutback week for my long run, and so I did a very nice, very comfortable, very snappy, little, half marathon.  I feel like a million bucks right now and it just keeps on coming.  I'm confident that the feeling is gonna remain, even as I start building the distance significantly.  Game on!

21.1 kms, 1:47:14

"Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real."---Tupac Shakur

Love
Peter

"Keep On Keepin On"

Ttyl

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." ---James Barrie
Love
Peter

"Booorrrinnng"

I read a little. listened to a little music, thought a little, dreamt a little....and survived 20,000 revolutions!

What amazes me is that professional cyclists and triathletes regularly do more inside riding than outside, just because of the controlled environment.  They can construct workouts exactly as they want them, and they don't have to worry about stupid stuff like weather and traffic.  I suppose it's their job and as such I don't feel sorry for them, but trust me, I don't envy them either.

I don't think I could cope with anything longer than I did today so I sure hope the weather improves.  Not that I worked that hard, and as a matter of fact I took it quite easy, but it's still four hours of sitting on your ass in a bit of discomfort.  Imagine sitting on the arm of a kitchen chair with the arm between the cheeks of your ass.  Now imagine lifting your feet off the floor and making pedalling motions.  Then imagine choosing to do it for four hours!!!  You'd have to be stupid!

Because things look a bit better by Monday I did initially consider switching up my Saturday bike with my Monday run but decided against it.  It never worked last week, and I wanted to get back on my schedule anyway.  That's another reason why I took it  bit easy today.  It's only been 5 days since my last long ride.

And tomorrow is totally off!  I still can't really get my head around that.  As I sit here typing I feel just fine, so somehow I know I'll feel like I'm wasting my Sunday.  But only from a training perspective mind you, as Colby and I got a road trip planned.  We're off see the wizard!   Should be fun!  I'll tell you all about it.

One thing that I was quite pleased about again today is how I felt after my bike.  Yes I took it a bit easy, but it's still a lot of pedalling, and when I headed out on my run afterwards I felt good.  That's been the case now with every transition run (after riding) that I've undertaken this spring.  It's a very comforting feeling, because in every triathlon that is always the defining moment.  How one feels in the first 5 minutes off the bike is generally an indicator of things to come.  Game on!

computrainer 4 hours, 5 km run

"A finished person is a boring person."---Anne Quindlen

Love
Peter

"I Hated To Do It"

But I did it anyway!

I took it easy today.  I can't believe the discipline I'm maintaining.  My shoulders were a bit sore from the massage, and so I decided to skip my weights altogether.  I was hesitant primarily because I feel so good about where my metabolism is right now.  I don't know how to explain it, other than to say it's a feeling.  I think it's the magic combination of good nutrition, and enough, but not too much, exercise.  An essential part of that exercise is of course strength training.

And I know it's the same old story with me but after years of listening to, but ignoring Roo,  I now understand the power of metabolic rate when it comes to weight management.  And because it works for me, I also understand how difficult it is for others who are limited by physiological complications, that in my good fortune, I don't have.  Regardless, I believe that many people have an unexploited opportunity to increase their metabolic rate through diet and exercise.  If you have any questions, ask Roo!!

And I'm not gonna test it but I'm pretty sure I could eat quite a bit more right now and still maintain my weight.  I may however just let the calories creep up a little.  I'm half way to my 15 pound fat loss goal, and from years of screwing up I know that the slower I lose it, the better the odds of keeping it off.

Besides, tomorrow will be long ride day, as I get back on schedule.  Since the weather clearly is not gonna cooperate, I'll be spending 4 hours in the basement!  I need to get my head ready for that an entire day beforehand.  I'm really, really, hoping that it's the last time.

I did get in the pool this morning, and although I continue slow, I also continue steady.  If I so chose I could easily have swam the distance today.  I settled for a nice comfortable 2500 metres.  My Lava pants (half wetsuit), have been an absolute godsend from a stress perspective.

So feeling pretty good with 15 weeks to go.  I'm trying really hard to keep the focus on an enjoyable Ironman, if that doesn't sound like too much of a contradiction.  That vision is one of the things that keeps me pumped on my weight loss initiative.   If I can get rid of another 7-8 pounds of baggage, it may just be the difference maker come race day.

swim, 2500 metres

"I believe that behind both the person who weighs 400 pounds and the one who weighs 85 there is a lot of baggage, and it has nothing to do with their bodies."---Kirstie Alley

Love
Peter

"Always Tired, Always Hungry"

Don't you feel sorry for me?  I can't get enough rest because hunger wakes me up, and I can't get enough food because I fall asleep!  Okay, okay, the second part's not true.  I'm just hungry because I don't eat enough to feel satisfied.  The end result is still the same.  Always tired, always hungry!

But I'm pretty sure that no one has even the slightest bit of sympathy, and that could either mean that you're a bunch of bastards, or that I don't deserve any sympathy.  Or more likely, both!

Of course I need to concede that my problems are generally self inflicted.  But that can apply to most of the nonsense in my life, and yet sometimes people still feel sorry for me.

I guess the most important thing with my hunger, and my fatigue, and for that matter any other problems whether self inflicted or not, is that I don't feel sorry for myself.

And I don't.  There's a certain kind of satisfaction in denying oneself those things that the body calls for, with of course, the bigger picture in mind.  It must be the Catholic in me.  When's Easter?  Maybe I'll give something up for Lent!!

Of course I would never really do it, because as I was taught you're supposed to give up something that's important to you.  I would have to give up my training, and that just ain't gonna happen!  Not even for the Easter bunny!

Anyway, I remain motivated to remain tired, and committed to remaining hungry.  Both are right on the edge, but okay I think.  I really struggled with my workout decision this morning as my heart rate was up just a wee bit when I woke up, (55 compared to the usual 48), and I could feel that I was on the aforementioned edge.  Thursday is hill day, and I promised myself that I would cut it short if necessary.  In the end I did all 8, but I did them very gently.  Tomorrow is easy day!

I still have one bad habit with the eating thing, and that occurs in the afternoons.  I always get hungry around 3 pm, but always resist because I'm trying to save my calories for the evening.  That's a mistake, and I know it, but old habits die hard.  I'm so afraid of falling apart before bedtime.  I'm gonna do my best to work on that.

I did finally break down and got a massage today, and quickly realized how badly my shoulders needed it.  I hate spending the money, but I think I'm gonna go a few more times.  In the old days Mother Magna paid for it but alas, no more.  I'm on my own.

Fortunately I'm not on my own when it comes to the really important stuff in life.  I have such a supportive circle of family and friends who I continue to learn from.  Just in the past week, I've learned about making my brain tired (John), about being careful what I value (Mike), and about retaining my written words (Gail).  Believe it or not I actually listen to that stuff. Thanks!

And that's it for today.  I'm excited about going to see my big sister Cory on the weekend, and if the past is any indication I'm gonna learn lots from her as well.  She's forgotten more useful stuff than I know :)  And if that isn't enough, Colb is gonna go with me, and even at 11 years of age he knows considerably more than me, and is never reluctant to share it.  I should be a vastly more knowledgeable man come next monday....ya think?

run hills, 13 kms

....I can still see the horizon....

"The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon. We are never tired, so long as we can see far enough."---Ralph Waldo Emerson

...but sometimes I've been guilty of this....

"Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things."---Horace

Love
Peter