2011 Season Starter

I am looking forward to a new season. We have a new buggette so family life requires more balancing than ever. I have altered my goals for the 2011 season and put the Half Ironman on the 3 year horizon. I intend to grow speed and strength this year and really focus on the sprint distances and improve my performance in the international distance as the peak of my season.

I was able to get out for a 4.12 mile run yesterday (finished in 37:38 – 9:07 miles) and a 50 minute bike drill on today (5x 30sec one-footers with 2x 4x 1min high cadence, 1 min med cadence). Hoping for a run at work tomorrow, but I have had little luck with this lately.

Day 91 (Wed - 4/1)

I got a call from my youngest brother (the Mt. Goat) who is back in town for a few weeks. He noticed that our local running club is having its weekly 5K tonight and wanted to know if I could run it with him and my dad. I got a call a little while later from my wife insisting that we all go down to the run so she and the buggo could get in a walk while I ran with my dad and brother. That is the kind of support I keep talking about. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The day was sparkling even though it has been raining for a week now. We all met up at the starting line where the race coordinator made a comment that he “had an April fools joke in mind for the run tonight, but nature seems to have taken care of it for him”. I didn’t pay much attention to the comment until we came down the first hill toward the water. The causeway that we run across had disappeared under the water. What a cool way to start a race. The only thing I could think about was “you never know what race day will bring”.

Despite the wet running shoes I put in a solid performance running the 5K in 22:45 (7:19 miles). Mt. Goat beat me out by 8 seconds. That is pretty incredible for me as he toasted me all last year by 5 minutes or more consistently. His shadow is one that I have been racing around this course all winter (MarioKart style) and it was good to see that the gap is closing.

My dad finished strong and we all got a cheer from the buggo as we passed by which always feels good.

I finished off the night with 25 minutes on the bike for some sprints working between the 18 and 20 mph gearing. I am not sure how this will play out but the right knee is a little stiff.

Day 90 (Tues - 3/31)

Today is the last day of the month. I got in an evening bike trainer session for 45 minutes in my 20 mph gearing. It just felt so good that I couldn’t stop at a half hour.

The month looks a little light. I am looking forward to my coaching session on 4/8 to see how I am doing and to lay out what I should be doing. I am going to get many of the gear purchases and tune ups out of the way in the upcoming weeks so I can buckle down and focus on the training. It is going to start getting real in April.

Day 89 (Tues - 3/30)

I got in an evening bike trainer session for 45 minutes in my 18 mph gearing. A half hour just wasn’t enough. I think I am going to shorten the duration back to 20-30 minutes but try and hit the 20 mph gearings for most of it.

Day 88 (Mon - 3/29)

Back to work. I got in an evening bike trainer session for 30 minutes in my 18 mph gearing. The bike is feeling really good, I cannot wait to get it outside and see how it feels.

Day 87 (Sun - 3/28)

No workout today, just good to be home. My legs are recovering from the walk. I think walking is harder on my hamstrings than running. I have big plans for the bike this week coming up before I drop it off for a tune up.

Day 86 (Sat - 3/27)

Last night we ended up going for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and then to Time Square (and most of the way back). I normally wouldn’t log this as a workout but a 10 mile walk deserves mention. My co-worker who came along had not been in the city before and seemed to enjoy seeing a few of the sights by foot.

I have did not use the elevator at all so I have gotten a fair share of stair workouts; however, fell short of the lofty ambitions I had for getting out for runs and using the hotel pool.

I focused today on making contacts instead of the educational schedule and made a few that I think really made the trip worth going on. Needless to say, it is good to be home.

Day 85 (Fri - 3/26)

The conference was fair today. The EMR full use material was interesting and I was able to make a few good contacts. The instructional seminars were really basic and I found myself bailing on them in favor of re-hearing the full use conversations.

I am meeting up with a really good friend today who lives a short distance from where I am staying. I invited a co-worker to come along and we are all going to get a bite to eat and then walk the Brooklyn Bridge. It should be a good time.

Day 84 (Thurs - 3/25)

I got out and ran to pick up the car today. It was pretty neat to see how far a 10K is if you run point to point instead of a loop. I ran the 6.26 miles in 54:09 (8:39 miles) which is pretty solid.

My feet were buzzing around mile 5. I think it is time for new running shoes.

Anyway, I am in NYC for the conference and missing my family a little. I have determined that although I have great ambitions for travel, I don’t have a desire to do it with out them. I am looking out my hotel window at the Brooklyn Bridge, all lit up and just want to share it with them.

On a side note, I am on the 21st floor so I decided to do some stairs tonight. Around flight 12 I could really feel it.

Day 83 (Wed - 3/24)

I thought I might get out and run to get the car tonight, but it did not happen. I am flexing my work schedule tomorrow to accommodate an evening meeting and the conference that runs into Saturday. With my wife’s encouragement I am now planning to run to pick up the car during the buggo’s nap tomorrow.

Now all I have to do is find time to pack.

Day 82 (Tues - 3/23)

Today was a crazy day at work. I was running from hour one and it doesn’t look like it will stop until the end of the week. This is going push workouts into the evening.

The bike ride I thought I might squeeze in got cancelled due to a flat tire on the family car. The buggo and I put the mini-spare on to the car together. He was a big helper and loved being involved. We set the expectations before starting that he had to listen very carefully and he did. The highlight for me was having him “help” put the spare in place and then turn the lug nuts a few times by hand once I started them on the bolts. He had this big grin on his face as he focused on his task. From an early age and for the rest of our days we all find so much satisfaction in being “useful”.

We hitched a ride with my Dad who helped us drop off the car at the tire shop and we picked up some Subway on the way home. By the time I got the kiddo down for bed it was too late to get on the bike, but I did get in some calisthenics while watching Biggest Looser with my wife.

My right arm is still a little off, but I was able to get in a full set of everything I wanted to do including two sets of front plank holds. This was the first time I really tested it since it came up sore on day 70. I need be better disciplined about working more of these sets into my routines.

On a side note, I finally got my e-mail out to my prospective triathlon coach last night requesting some training sessions.

Day 81 (Mon - 3/22)

Today was a rest day, but a long work day. We are in the second week of a milestone deliverable for work and everything feels like it is clicking. I am gearing up to head out for a conference and need to get my ducks in a row, and my wife is picking up a lot on the home front. I need to keep this in mind as we continue on this week. Balance is the key.

Day 80 (Sun - 3/21)

I wasn’t sure how today was going to go. The buggo dropped another number two in the potty last night and was very excited to go the store to pick up Max and Montey (twin dumptrucks from Thomas and Friends) as a reward. We ended up making pancakes and hash browns for breakfast and got a late start on the day and made our way out to go to the store for Max and Montey and then headed over to the grocery store to do the weeks shopping. We got home later than planned and didn’t get down for a nap until late in the afternoon. As I put him down for nap I started thinking about getting a nap myself, however, once again my network kicked in.

As I was reading nap-time stories Duce called and said he was thinking of a run which worked out perfectly. I met him at the running spot and we headed into a run which was supposed to be a long and slow. As we rounded the first tenth of a mile we met The Dominator finishing off 3.4 miles. He joined us for a short loop cool down (for him) / warm up (for Duce and me). We kept around an 8:15 minute mile pace where we where able to catch up a little without being too out of breath.

When The Dominator split off from us (about 1.4 miles in) Duce and I headed out for another 10K. I was expecting to continue the long and slow pace we were on, but Duce had other plans.

We rounded the corner at a good clip and little way from the mile one marker Duce started opening up the pace a bunch. We crossed the mile one marker in around 7:50 at which point I realized that Duce was setting out to make the first 5K a tempo pace. We ended up running a few intervals of all out sprint followed by recovery pace which had us feeling really good. After one of these sessions Duce commented that he predicted that in the upcoming races we would keep that sprint pace the last quarter mile running neck and neck to see who has more in the tank on that given day. I felt really good about this as it validated that I have improved a great deal as a runner where I can start thinking about challenging Duce.

During the intervals I noticed that I have approximately 6 gears at this point.
- short stride low cadence (recovery pace)
- short stride medium cadence (aerobic pace)
- short stride fast cadence (tempo pace)
- medium stride slow cadence (tempo/power pace)
- medium stride medium cadence (sub-sprint pace - anaerobic)
- long stride medium cadence (sprint pace - anaerobic)
Knowing that I have these gears and that I am able to imprint decent form when using them makes me a smarter runner and makes me want to practice each of them a little more.

We averaged 7:51 over the first 5K and decided to run a recovery pace for the second 5K which ended up being a little slow at 9:58 miles. All in all we put in 7.4 miles in 1:05:00 (8:47 pace). Not too bad. I am looking forward to continuing to build myself up for the longer distances with assistance from my support network.

Day 79 (Sat - 3/20)

I had to turn down a bike ride with Duce and The Dominator in order to spend some quality time with the buggo. We went to the dump and visited the library in town. However, we also got out as a family to a spot where my wife and the kiddo could take a walk while I got in a short run.

When we do this I try to hit a solid race pace so they are not left waiting for me. I ended up finishing the 3.46 mile loop in 26:07 (7:31 miles). I was given some cheers of encouragement from the buggo as I passed them in the last half mile of the run. It is such a great feeling to be cheered on by the kiddo. He motivates so much of what I do.

I feel really good especially being able to hit mid-seven miles over a 5K distance. It is giving me hope that I can get to the 8:20 pace for the half marathon portion of the 70.3. I am due for a long and slow and need to hit the bike in the next few days.

Day 78 (Fri - 3/19)

Today I had an unexpected break in my schedule and headed into the main office for the morning, so I called Flash to see if he was available for a run. He was, but said he had the cold so we would have to take it easy. That was fine with me as I was planning a recovery pace after the sprint yesterday; although I was a little surprised he wasn’t going to kick my rear into gear.

We set out for our 4.09 mile loop at an aerobic pace where we could carry on a conversation. The run felt really good and the conversation made the miles go by quickly. The best part was that we were running an aerobic pace and hit the first mile in 8:23.

We wrapped up the run in 34:15 (8:22 miles). My goal is to run the half marathon portion of the 70.3 averaging 8:20 min/mile. Being able to run an aerobic 4.09 at nearly that pace is a great feeling.

I seem to be doing well in the run department, now I need to start working in the swim and bike a little harder. (In the case of the swim – I just need to start working it in.) Also, I must get my request for training into my coach this weekend.

Day 77 (Thurs - 3/18)

I talked with Flash regarding a work related issue and asked if he had been able to get out for runs this week. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he had been out 3 times this week and was planning on kicking my rear into gear next time we got out for a run. This was the last straw.

I have read that you start loosing performance in as little as 2 days off from training and it has been 3. I talked with my team and determined that I would be able to get out for 30 minutes for a quick run. I plotted a 3.48 mile loop near the remote office we are working at and set out to eat it up as quickly as I could. My cumulative splits were the following:
-Cumulative Time          Cumulative Distance        Cumulative Pace
- 0:05:56                         0.81 miles                       7:20 min/mile
- 0:07:43                         1.05 miles                       7:21 min/mile
- 0:16:53                         2.22 miles                       7:36 min/mile
- 0:27:00                         3.48 miles                       7:46 min/mile

It felt good to get out and even better to finish the 3.48 miles in 27:00 (7:46 miles). I am getting used to these sub-eight minute miles over 5K distances and I think the cold has been vanquished. Thanks Flash.

Day 76 (Wed - 3/17)

Tonight was my late night at work to help get us through our milestone week and it was another no workout day. I am starting to feel the rust settling in but don’t have the energy at the end of the day to get down to the bike. I have to kick this cold.

Day 75 (Tues - 3/16)

No workout again although I got home with enough daylight for my wife to take a walk and for me to spend some quality outdoor time with the buggo. We fished for leaves in some puddles in our back yard, checked out the buddies (the tree buds), and took a half mile walk (pretty far for little legs). The cold is continuing to linger so more sleep tonight.

Day 74 (Mon - 3/15)

No workout, but day one of our milestone week went very well. My only complaint is that I am just a little late coming home. I am going to have to focus on the work balance to make this sustainable during these milestone weeks which are going to become more frequent in upcoming months.

Day 73 (Sun - 3/14)

The cold is still with me but I had a green juice smoothie and Duce got me out for a run and as a result I am feeling much better. I was about to pull myself down to the bike trainer when Duce called me to get out for a run. That was a miracle call for me the way I am feeling right now. We took it slow and paced out 6.49 miles in 1:01:10 (9:25 miles). The distance felt remarkably easy for having such a strong cold. We were both able to easily carry on conversation during the run discussing work, kids, training, and the warmer weather that is now settling in.

Tomorrow is the start of a milestone week for my project at work. We will see what I can get in as far as workouts go this week. I hope to simply kick the cold.

Day 72 (Sat - 3/13)

I got whacked with the cold. Not much to complain about, it is my own fault. Too much work, not enough sleep. I have been saying I need to adjust my sleep schedule, now my body is making me do it.

The kiddo is feeling better, my arm is about 80% and I feel like I could do something tomorrow. The weather is looking like the bike trainer might be my best bet.

Day 71 (Fri - 3/12)

No sprints, no run, and too much work. I almost got away with the run I had planned but received a call from one of our customers that needed attention. That’s the way it goes. Work has been keeping me up too late and I think I feel a cold coming on. The buggo has had a runny nose for a few days now. We will see what the weekend brings.

Day 70 (Thrus - 3/11)

My right arm is feeling much better today, but still needs some rest. Flash and I got out for a run this afternoon. We attacked the 4.09 looking for me to post a personal best for the distance. I was hoping to better yesterday’s time and get in under 31:00. Well, we ended up coming in at 29:41 (7:15 miles). I am very pleased with this pace as it is a personal best and would have me finishing a 5K in 22:30.

The first mile was great and was a sub-seven. We didn’t let up as much as we normally do through mile 2 and then picked it back up in miles 3 and 4. We had to stop twice during the run for cross walk signals and ended up running into my wife and the buggo as they were heading home from lunch with my wife’s aunt around the 5K distance. It was so nice to see them even if it was quick. Flash got to meet them briefly and we were all on our way. I should note that the stopwatch stopped when saying hi to the family and while waiting for the walk signals.

Here are the cumulative splits for this run:
-Cumulative Time        Cumulative Distance          Cumulative Pace
- 0:07:05                      1.02 miles                         6:57 min/mile
- 0:15:06                      2.09 miles                         7:13 min/mile
- 0:17:28                      2.39 miles                         7:18 min/mile
- 0:20:22                      2.77 miles                         7:21 min/mile
- 0:27:23                      3.74 miles                         7:19 min/mile
- 0:29:41                      4.09 miles                         7:15 min/mile

I had intended to set a goal to run this loop in under 30 minutes by July. It appears that I will have to set a different goal. I am feeling really good tonight after some stretching and coconut water.

Tomorrow is going to be a recovery run, but if I am feeling as good as I do now I might do some sprint intervals. The weekend weather looks bad so I am planning a long and slow bike trainer session while watching Transformers 2 during nap time to replace the long and slow run I should get out for.

Day 69 (Wed - 3/10)

This morning I woke up with a very sore right arm. It feels like I slept on a small marble on upper front of my arm which caused a deep bruise between the muscles. It hurts a bunch if I reach back and circle my arm overhead (as if swimming). I am going to rest it and treat it with some heat. I can’t think of anything that would have caused this except for sleeping on it funny. Oh well, better to feel it now while I have months to go before the first race than later.

Today was another beautiful day and this time I protected enough time to get out and run. It felt really good, but not until I had traveled the first quarter mile. Prior to that I had a few thoughts along the lines of “Will I make it through this run?” which I am attributing to my current lack of sleep. It seems these thoughts sneak into my mind more easily if I am tired, but fortunately I have a support network that keeps me motivated and mentally tough enough to fight through the self defeating thinking. After hitting the half mile marker the run really picked up for me.

My cumulative splits were the following:
-Cumulative Time        Cumulative Distance        Cumulative Pace
- 0:07:12                       1.02 miles                       7:04 min/mile
- 0:15:39                       2.09 miles                       7:29 min/mile
- 0:18:07                       2.39 miles                       7:35 min/mile
- 0:21:27                       2.77 miles                       7:45 min/mile
- 0:29:01                       3.74 miles                       7:46 min/mile
- 0:31:38                       4.09 miles                       7:44 min/mile

What a great run for me. 4.09 miles in 31:38 (7:44 miles) is a great 5K distance let alone tacking on an extra mile. I am planning on repeating this run tomorrow and sneaking in one more on Friday with Flash.

Day 68 (Tues - 3/9)

No workout tonight, but plenty of work to keep my up way too late. Hopefully I can stop this trend so I can recover properly from my workouts. Sleep must be a focus this weekend into next week.

I am going to have to get creative over the next few weeks as my project at work heads into another milestone week next week.

Day 67 (Mon - 3/8)

What a beautiful day. I had these dreams of pulling a double tonight (run in the afternoon and a bike ride tonight). I wasn’t able to protect my time at work this afternoon and ended up spending the 30 minutes I had available for a run sending out some e-mail and getting prepared for an evening installation that was planned with the vendor. By the time I pulled myself away from the desk it was too late for me to get in a run and for my wife to get out for a walk when I got home.

The buggo and I played trucks and colored while my wife went out for a walk. We both had a really good time. He keeps asking me “How your run go?” to hear the story of Saturday’s run. My reply, which is quite rehearsed at this point: “My run was awesome. My favorite part was turning the corner to see mommy and buggo taking a walk. The geese flew right over your heads and when I passed you I heard my buggo saying: ‘go daddy go, you can do it’ which made me feel so much better.” Seeing his face light up every time we have this exchange is well worth the repetition.

Although there was no run today I did get on the bike tonight. I spent 46 minutes on the bike which broke down to:
- 10 minute warm up
- 5 sets of one-leggers plus two leg sprints (4 minutes each)
- 10 minute solid race pace work
- 6 minute cool down.

By the end I was working hard and moving the chains in gearings I have never spent a lot of time in other than going down hills. I am looking forward to hitting the streets and seeing what these gears translate to. For training log purposes I am going to estimate an 18 mph average.

I feel like I have moved through the first plateau in my training (which started on Day 45) and am starting to feel another pick up. My legs feel really good after these sprints and I am starting to be able to work harder over longer durations. The improved sleep schedule is helping tremendously.

There have been many days I felt like just dropping the goal, but am so happy that I have stuck with it. Again, nothing magical about this, it is all about your support network. Speaking of which, it is definitely time to add a coach to my network. I must get an e-mail out to my coach this week.

On another note Flash did buy the bike. I can’t wait to see it and I am really looking forward to some rides. He also said he was going to try and get in a triple today (a run, bike ride, and swim).

Day 66 (Sun - 3/7)

Last night we went out as a family for dinner and then went to the mall to run some errands. The kiddo and I were checking out the Thomas the Train section of one of the stores when a clerk started putting up some 40% off signs that went into effect that night. It was like hitting a jackpot. My wife and I bought a few items that are sure to be a hit with the kiddo. We aren’t sure when we should break them out. Perhaps for potty training motivation or for when the buggette comes along. Anyway, it is pretty neat to see what excites you when children come into your world.

No work out today, but had some quality time with the buggo. My wife had an event to go to so it was a boy’s afternoon. We took a walk, played in a frozen sand box, and ended thing off with some jumping in mud puddles. There were the minor battle of wills that came up during the day, but the battles I picked I made sure I won. I try not to pick too many, but think it is important that once I take a stand with him I shouldn’t back down. I think the consistency is important for his development.

The weather is getting nicer and I am looking forward to working in some bike rides. I missed a cross training mountain bike ride with Duce this afternoon. I wonder how he made out? Also, I wonder how Flash made out with the bike he was going to look at.

Day 65 (Sat - 3/6)

What a beautiful day. My wife and I took the buggo out at ten this morning. My wife and the kiddo took a nice walk while I got in a quick run. I decided to time trial a 3.46 mile run. The highlight was coming over a crest to see my wife and the buggo taking a run on a smaller loop about a quarter mile ahead of me. They stopped to see some geese that ended up flying right over their heads. I could hear the kiddo laughing as I started tracking them down. Then, when I caught up and passed them my buggo yelled: “Go Daddy, Go… You can do it!” How much more motivation can a person get? It was a pretty incredible moment.

After I finished off the distance I headed back and walked with the kiddo and my wife until they finished their loop. Then we let the little one loose to throw stones, check out bugs, call to ducks, break ice in puddles, and tromp through some mud. We spent a good hour and a half just hanging out and enjoying being outside.

As for the run, my splits were really encouraging. I tracked them as cumulative splits and average paces from the start:

-Cumulative Time      Cumulative Distance      Cumulative Pace
- 0:05:46                    0.77 miles                      7:29 min/mile
- 0:07:50                    1.13 miles                      6:56 min/mile
- 0:12:26                    1.64 miles                      7:35 min/mile
- 0:17:35                    2.28 miles                      7:43 min/mile
- 0:26:38                    3.46 miles                      7:42 min/mile

So in the end it was 3.46 miles in 26:38 (7.42 miles). Not bad. If I was able to do this on a 5K race day it would be a personal best for me. This has blown away my expectations for 65 Days worth of effort, so I am going to set a goal to be able to run a 5K in under 20 minutes. I think it might be possible if I can continue the training and stay smart about it.

Day 64 (Fri - 3/5)

There was no run or bike ride today. I got home from work late, but it was the best day of work all week. I feel like our project has momentum that can be sustained to make it a success. I am trying to get ahead in planning and hope to be at least one week ahead by the end of the month so that I can produce clear task lists to our team on a weekly basis. It is about to get a little crazy and I need to get on a better sleep cycle. The late nights are not helping my training or work.

I took a few minutes to shop for some bike shoes and think I have them narrowed down to the following:
- Shimano TR-51 (the dream pair but too expensive)
- Shimano TR-31
- Louis Garneau Tri Speed (the front runners but would like to try them on)

On another note, it sounds like Flash may have found a nice used bike. He is going to check it out this weekend. The weather is starting to get really nice and I am pretty excited to get out for a few rides and see how the work on the trainer translates to the road.

Day 63 (Thurs - 3/4)

I got on the bike tonight. I was in the saddle for 35 minutes where I did a 10 minute warm up followed by 5 sets of the following interval:
- 30 seconds one-legger at 16 mph gearing with the right leg
- 30 seconds one-legger at 16 mph gearing with the left leg
- 30 seconds of passive rest
- 2 minute sprint at 20+ mph gearing with both legs
- 30 seconds of rest at 18 mph gearing with both legs

I finished off with a 5 minute cool down and feel good about the work out. The legs are tired but not abused and I feel like I really worked as it took quite a bit of effort to get all 5 sets in.

What I noticed during the one-leggers is that I am sloppy around the top of the cycle (from about 11-1). There were a couple of times where I almost didn’t make it over the top and I had to make sure I focused. What this tells me is that during my normal cadence one foot (the one pressing down on the crank) is lifting and pulling the other though 11 to 1. This is wasted effort that could be transferred into the crank every revolution if the leg at the top of the cycle was trained to at least carry its own weight. I started getting some really efficient 2 leg sprints in after making this adjustment. Now I just need to do enough one-leggers to imprint it into my natural cadence.

The bike was good for me as work was a bit stressful today. We had some unexpected issues as we approach our next big push in one week. The other thing that really helped was playing blocks with the buggo. There is nothing like building a tower and knocking it over to help refocus the mind.

Perhaps if I get really lucky tomorrow I will get an afternoon sprint in.

Day 62 (Wed - 3/3)

Today ended up another rest day. Desk built, taxes done. Now for that wet suit.

I tried it on and it fit like a glove. I am happy that I went with the larger size. Being between sizes I thought my legs would appreciate the extra room and they do. The full suit is fantastic. I don’t fully understand why but the flexibility in the arms on this suit is so much better than the one I tried on in the pro-shop the other day. I was also a little worried about tightness in the neck (a common complaint with Xterra wetsuits from what I read) but this is not an issue for me. I will be keeping the full no question about it. I am very happy with the purchase. Now, I just need a good swimming day to get in the water with it so I can officially endorse the Xterra Vortex 3 (especially during a 50% off sale).

Day 61 (Tues - 3/2)

Today was a rest day. I got most of the taxes done last night and finished them off this morning. I will give them one last review this evening then out the door they go (or over the wire they go). It was nice to work on the desk downstairs.

On another note, the wetsuit arrived today. I haven’t had a chance to try it on yet, but can’t wait to see how if fits and feels.

Day 60 (Mon - 3/1)

To run or not to run? That was the question today. I had a planned run with Flash during lunch today which looks like the only day this week we will be able to get out. However, with the 10 miles yesterday and my back feeling questionable I wondered if it is smart to go out for a run today. Well, smart or not I decided to go ahead. I didn’t make up my mind until I walked into the office after an offsite meeting and felt the spring like weather in the air. That did it. I had to get out today.

I told Flash that it was going to be a recovery pace and that I would like to take a shorter less hilly route. He was fine with that and off we went. The route was really nice. We traveled along a river for a while then across a busier intersection which leads to a bike path where we looped back to the office. The pace was perfect and I think it did indeed help with the recovery. Just getting out and moving seems to help loosen up the muscles. We finished off the 4.09 miles in 35:46 (8:43 miles). Not too bad for a recover pace. In fact a year ago I would have fought tooth and nail for that pace over 4 miles.

Thanks Flash for keeping me moving. Now onto the taxes.

Day 59 (Sun - 2/28)

I was feeling a little bad about the number of rest days in a row I took. However, I am feeling great that the desk is in place and we are starting to develop some household management streams around it. (i.e. mail, bill paying, phone set up, etc.) So I wanted to make sure I got a run in, and seeing that it is the last day of month two I decided it should probably be a long and slow.

The run felt pretty rocky. I could feel that I had taken a little too much rest time (I have read that you start loosing fit after around 3 days of inactivity) and I mistimed eating lunch that lead to food cramps 1 mile in. My 5K split was honest, nothing to write home about, but I had to pull way back on the second 5K split (like 10:00 miles for the second 5K).

After wrapping around the last bend finishing off the 10K I had planned I decided to try and bring my average mile back to respectable by tacking on an additional 1.2 mile or so which I finished off nicely. That led to another and another. I got a little carried away and really pushed the distance.

In the end it was 10 miles in 1:35:00 (9:33 miles). My first double digit run, but it was a big stretch. I won’t be attempting another run like this for a couple weeks. No complaints from the legs other than general soreness. The right Soleus / Achilles area is feeling just fine, but after I cooled down my back started acting up. Most likely because I hadn’t built up appropriately to this distance (and because I spent the better part of my rest days either shoveling snow, lifting/assembling/moving furniture, or lifting/playing with the buggo).

10 miles sounds great, but I need to stay smarter than to go out so big so fast. The next time I run this distance I will be ready for it and it will feel great too.

Day 58 (Sat - 2/17)

Today was a great day with the buggo and my wife, but there was no workout. I was going to try to get on the bike during nap but ended up taking a nap myself. I need to get on a better sleep schedule in order to make my training work.

My dad came over after nap time and we assembled the desk and moved the computer down stairs. We all think this will work out very well in our home. Installing the child proof locks on a few of the cabinets was the hardest part. I think they make the installation instructions parent proof.

Tomorrow will be a turning point day now that the desk is together. I need to either get out for a run, or let the momentum slip away. If I can get out for a run and get the rest of the laundry done, it will be a very productive weekend indeed.

Day 57 (Fri - 2/26)

The desk arrived on schedule and my pop brought over a pick up truck to help load it off the freight truck and bring it into the house. It was in 3 packages and loading it into the house went smoothly. The heaviest piece was very manageable with two.

That lifting was all that I was able to get in today. Assembly and moving the computer and files out of the office and into the new desk will take most of my focus this weekend. I am starting to feel rusty.

We had a U-Mass MBA class come to the hospital today to discuss technologies and their application in healthcare. This is the second year they have come for a visit. The presentation and resulting conversation was good and I thing everyone got something out of it.

Day 56 (Thurs - 2/25)

Today was a planned rest day. I had an evening meeting scheduled at one of the provider practices. The meeting went well, and I am encouraged at the possibilities for the project at work.

Tomorrow will be difficult to work in a workout. The desk we ordered on Day 49 is going to arrive tomorrow so there will be some lifting and assembly, but there will be no biking or running.

Day 55 (Wed - 2/24)

The recovery ride I had planned today was replaced by a full body workout. We received several inches of wet heavy snow. So I tried to turn my shovel into a full body gym. I fell asleep early on the couch. My legs feel good. No soreness, but my legs and arms are feeling a little tired.

I ordered a wetsuit tonight. I was torn between the full and john, but ended up ordering the full. I figure that I will try out the full and if I don’t like it I will exchange it for the john. Today was the last day of the Xterra 50% off sale and my folks were able to pitch in for a birthday gift, so I was able to go for the Vortex 3 – full suit. I ended up between sizes and went for the larger size due to my legs which are not exactly small. I am excited to try it on. Xterra has some of the best exchange practices in the market. I have 30 days to return/exchange it and can even take it for a few swims. Too bad everything is covered in snow and ice. The shower will have to do for the trial.

Day 54 (Tues - 2/23)

Well, even with the longer than expected bike ride Flash and I got out for a pretty solid run. We hit the first mile in 6:57 (benchmark one achieved). We put it into a climbing pace to tackle the first of 3 steep short hills and then settled into a recovery pace for 4 minutes. We finished off mile 2 in 8:49. I tried to pick up the pace for the final mile of the 5K distance but the second of the three steep hills slowed me down. We finished off mile three in 8:33 which gave us a 5K time of 24:19 (8:06 miles). We picked up the pace and finished mile four in 7:55 and the last .42 in 3:00. The last mile is primarily flat after steep hill three, and it is pretty amazing how a sub 8:00 pace feels different after working up a hill. Our total time for the full 4.42 miles was 35:14 (7:58 miles – benchmark 2 achieved).

I am not sure, but I think Flash got something out of today’s run. He lead the pace most of the run, but he wasn’t as talkative. Maybe in the next 50 days I will be able to push him once or twice.

My legs are sore tonight especially on the outside of my right Achilles tendon area (just up and back from the ankle bone). Similar to Day 25 I think it is actually the Soleus (lower calf that runs in to and in back of the tendon), but I will be keeping a close eye on this area. The left area that bothered me on Day 25 is feeling fatigued but not sore. In light of this I am planning a slow and short recovery ride tomorrow and a rest day on Thursday.

I am getting back into Thrive and reading up on alkaline forming foods and the benefit to managing pH in the body. Much of the material revolves around a general principal I believe: “Take steps to allow your body to correct itself.” In this case, if you help keep your pH in balance you reduce the stress on other systems allowing them to focus on correcting as they were meant to instead of maintaining which can lead to burn out.

I feel really good about being able to run a mile distance under 7:00 and continue at a sub 8:00 over a 4+ mile run. That was an impossible dream 54 days ago. I guess it is time to do some work in the visualization department.

Day 53 (Mon - 2/22)

I talked with Flash today while we set up a friend with a training bike who is planning on participating in her first triathlon this season. We discussed some goals for our scheduled run tomorrow. I told him about the first mile split I had a few days back and we decided that even with the hills we should look for the following benchmarks on our next 4.42 mile run: another first mile split under 7:00 and an overall pace of under 8:00 miles.

I was so excited that I decided to make the bike ride I had planned for this evening a short and fast ride. I planned to push hard and finish up in 20 minutes so the legs would be fresh for tomorrow. Well, the bike is my favorite event, and it felt pretty good to be pushing hard, so the next thing I knew an hour had gone by. So I got in an hour ride in the 20 mph plus gearing. The ride felt really good, but I wonder what I will have in my tank for the run tomorrow.

Speaking of milestones, the buggo put his first poopy in the potty today and earned himself a Cranky the Crane. We put Cranky on display last night to help motivate him and motivate him it did. I have never seen an individual so inspired to drop a duce in the porcelain basket. Congratulations to him and hopefully my wife and I can build some momentum with him to making this a regular occurrence. Here is a toast to breaking down barriers and hitting milestones.

Day 52 (Sun - 2/21)

I stretched the legs a bit today and decided it should be a rest day so I can hit the bike hard tomorrow (although I should really hit the core).

It is the last day of the staycation and I organized our book shelves by creating a list of all the books we are looking to sell/donate/recycle. We pulled them off the shelves and re-arranged things a little. The kiddo was happy to play at the house in the morning and after his nap we went to the “book store and the DVD store” (AKA Barns and Nobel) and then got Pizza for dinner. It was a happy end to a great vacation.

I am not necessarily rested, but am certainly reframed and ready to work through this career growth milestone with renewed intensity.

For now it is time to kick off the week with some sleep.

Day 51 (Sat - 2/20)

We are getting together tonight with a group of friends that have not been all together in a few years. I am really looking forward to it. My mom and dad will be watching the buggo tonight so we wanted to be sure to get out with him this morning.

We set off for the dump later than expected and earlier than needed. We then headed over to Staples to purchase the fireproof safe and then headed over to the running site where we were to meet up with Duce.

My wife and the buggo were going to go for a walk while Duce and I went for a quick and short run. I wanted to be sure I hit the first mile in under 8:00. I accidentally go my markers mixed up and hit the 1.13 mile mark at 7:50 (6:56 miles) which is redefining my perceptions of what I can do in the running portion of the triathlon. I guess next time I should look to make sure I hit the first mile in under 7:00. We continued on and Duce started letting me go so he could reel me in while he worked some intervals. I eased up for the next two minutes and started in on another solid pace for 8 minutes. I eased up for two and then took it home to the end of the 5K marker (which ended up being 3.4 miles from our extended start). We finished off the 3.4 miles in 26:16 (7:44 miles) and slowed it into the aerobic zone for a 1.35 mile cool down which we finished in 12:19 (9:07 miles). The overall run finish was 4.75 miles in 38:35 (8:07 miles). I feel really good about this. I think Duce got something out of the pace also which felt good. This was the first time I felt like I wasn’t really slowing him down.

During the 1.35 mile cool down Duce gave me some really good organizational tips and offered to send me some of his tools for work. I can wait to start putting them in place. I love the fact that my support network for training is the same as my support network for every aspect of life.

We hung out for a while talking and playing with the kiddo (throwing stones on the ice and talking about where the turtles live in the winter). It was a really nice time and set up the rest of the day beautifully.

Day 50 (Fri - 2/19)

Staycation day 2 started with a twist. Instead of staying home and painting I drove my wife and the kiddo to a gathering and went out to run some errands. I picked up some organizational containers at Target; shopped for wireless print servers and fireproof safes at Staples; tried on some running shoes at Dicks and watched Tiger apologize; tried on some wet suits at a local bike shop; and hit the super market before heading back to pick up my wife and kiddo. It has been so long since I did so much shopping in one outing. Those with kids will understand.

It was all very productive, especially the wetsuit fitting. I really like the mobility in the farmer john style suites as opposed to the full suits. I also learned that I am a ML and just outside a MT (the MT was a little hard to breathe in). I did a little online shopping and it looks like I could get a suit for $180.00. I have no budget for this but my wife told me that she would be willing to look at this after we get our taxes done. I now really want to get them done.

The shoes were OK, but nothing worth jumping at. After talking with the staff there I learned that the wear on the bottom of the shoe can be used to indicate if you pronate. We flipped my shoe over and there was a defined wear line running from the outside heal to the ball of the foot and through the big toe area (very central in the shoe). I was told this indicates that a neutral shoe would be best. I tried a few on and liked the feel of the sole, but did not like the way they cut across the toes.

I hit the bike for a recover ride and moved in the 18mph gearing for 30 minutes. I was expecting to be sorer than I am after yesterdays run. That is good news as Duce called and is looking to run tomorrow.

Day 49 (Thurs - 2/18)

Today was the first day of our staycation and what a day it was. We ordered the desk from an online retailer. Same model as the one at the local furniture shop, just $400.00 less. It means that we will have to arrange to unload it from a freight truck, but in order to save $400.00 I am willing to do some lifting, and thankfully my dad is also.

I got out for a run after the kiddo whet down for a nap. I wanted it to be a slow and long and wanted it to be really long. I ended up doing 8.8 miles in 1:20:52 (9:10 miles) which is another “longest run ever” and it felt great. The trail was really muddy and there were snow dirfts to maneuver around every 10 feet on the back section. It felt like fun.

I can now say with little doubt that my aerobic pace is between 9:00 and 9:10 depending on the day and conditions. I am feeling really good about that it is below the 10:00 mark that I though it was and that I now have a base line to improve. The goal is to get this to 8:20. I hit the “growth” section of the run at around the 7.4 mile mark (this was back at the 5 mile mark in January). I am beginning to believe that a 13.1 mile run is not as daunting as it seemed on day one.

If I keep the growth up I will hit my first 13+ mile run sometime in April. In past years this is when I started my training for the season. I feel so much more prepared. I think there are a few keys that have been critical so far and I plan to continue dialing them in:
- Support network
- Nutrition and recovery
- Training methods and form

I read a really interesting article about visualization training. Apparently there is a good deal of research regarding how your body responds to stimulus from a subconscious level and that by using visualization training you can begin to adjust what your subconscious considers to be “normal”. For example, if you have always visualized yourself as a sprinter and not a distance runner (as I have). Then your body responds differently when faced with a 3 mile run than if you have always visualized yourself as a distance runner. Your subconscious responded differently depending on your perception of yourself. Now there is plenty of physical training that is required also, but it is important to no neglect the effort that is needed in reframing your subconscious as your training takes effect. The more relaxed athlete typically has the better performance and that edge might just come from the subconscious.

I am starting to visualize that 70.3 clock as I cross the finish line “5:43:20”.

Day 48 (Wed - 2/17)

I packed my clothes hoping I would be able to get out for a run at work, or at least a chance to work out a bit at the health center. However, deep down I knew that with the short week there would be little chance to break away. It was overall a pretty productive day and last night I came to a new realization.

In our culture, when we are asked “what do you do” (AKA: “who are you”) we typically answer with our job title or a brief description of our current occupation. I was meditating on that question and came to a new conclusion. What do I do? Well, I am a father, a husband, and an amateur athlete. Making that statement or reframing my perspective on this provides me with a feeling of freedom. If I loose my job or decide to peruse other interests I will not loose “what I do” or “what I am” in the process because “what I do” is more central (core) than my occupation is.

I know it seems small, but it is amazing what impact a small shift in our perceptions has on our realities. With the personal cost of risk being lowered at work I can shift from a protectionist posture (“we can’t do that because…”) to a more risk taking “move it forward” leader (“I will clear the barriers to move this forward despite the risk it may not be perfect”).

This is not to say that all of a sudden I no longer care about my job or am cavalier about the decisions I make. On the contrary I need to work in order to support what I do and being an athlete I naturally want to excel at whatever I spend my time doing (and 40 + hours a week is no small amount of time). My occupation must fulfill the requirements to be placed in my window of success (time with family, impact on organization, provisions for family) and this job does that. I am motivated by my project and the room for growth. It is simply a relief that as I grow and make mistakes I will not risk loosing myself in the process.

I have had the ineffective, disorganized, and delegation conversation with two trusted mentors who both gave me sound advice and their votes of confidence that I am not ineffective, just going through a process that sometimes hurts like change does.

I am looking forward to my staycation when I plan to get myself rooted in my new framing. Chalk today up to a rest day.

Day 47 (Tues - 2/16)

Only two days of work this week and already I am feeling overwhelmed. Actually I am feeling ineffective; disorganized; and am struggling with delegation. I recognize that I am hitting a phase in my career where I stop being the one actually doing the work and start becoming the person looked to in order to “get things done” by my staff/team/etc. This process is not without pain and I am no exception to the process. It is a positive that I am going through it, but change feels like… well sometimes if feels like that first run, it hurts like hell.

I stopped in to see my manager to discuss these items (ineffective, disorganized, and delegation) and asked if I could set up a meeting to discuss methods used by others in our organization who seem to have it together in these respects. She said that would not be a problem, however, her feedback indicated that she felt I was being too hard on myself.

I got out of work late and tried to keep thing at home moving toward getting the house in order. Essentially what we are doing is transforming our office upstairs into our kiddo’s room; moving the office downstairs; and keeping bedroom 3 open for the buggette when she arrives.

Day 46 (Mon - 2/15)

It was hard, but I was able to keep myself off the bike tonight. We spent much of the day catching up on housework and my wife and I went furniture shopping for a desk. We left the kiddo with my mom and dad and went looking for a nice piece of furniture to “hide/lock” our computer in that can be downstairs with young ones running around. My requirement is that it has to hide all wires and act as the central station for all communication in and out of the house. That includes e-mail; snail-mail; telephone; etc.

We found a nice piece at a local furniture shop but it was a little out of the price range. After spending some time looking at Staples for less expensive options we decided to grab lunch and think the purchase over for a few days.

The legs feel pretty good, but the rest of me is tired.

Day 45 (Sun - 2/14)

I got in a 10K (6 miles) run this afternoon. I planned to run it as a fast pace and see what I could do expecting to be in with a 8:30 pace or so, but my legs felt like bricks. The first 5K went well, but I was definitely off pace and feeling like there was little left in the tank to pick up the second 5K. I ended the 6.05 mile run in 54:29 (9:00 miles). I think I may be hitting my first training plateau. Either that or I am overdoing the training and I am in danger of falling into grey area training (where little is gained since your body is in a constant state of recovery).

I think I will stay off the bike tomorrow and get the house reset for the week. I am due for a couple of rest days; I have the day off from work and will be taking Thursday and Friday off as a miniature staycation with the family. We are working on getting the house in order before the arrival of our second buggo, or should I say buggette.

Day 44 (Sat - 2/13)

It was a great rest day. The kiddo and I got out to the dump and met Popi at the library. We took a family trip to the grocery store and stocked up on nutritional staples and had dinner out. The only thing that could have improved the day is if there were a few more hours so my wife and I would have time to watch short track skating and get to bed early.

The legs really appreciated the rest day. We will see if I can get them moving tomorrow.

Day 43 (Fri - 2/12)

Flash and I got out for a 4.42 mile loop which we finished in 37:30.

I took mile splits and this is how we shaped up:
-Mile 1: 7:52
-Mile 2: 8:37
-Mile 3: 9:09
-Mile 4: 8:02
-Last .42 miles: 3:48

My legs felt like jelly after the first mile. This has been the most intense and longest week of training yet. Tomorrow will definitely be a rest day. I had personal bests at the 7+ mile loop (8:49 miles) and the 4+ mile loop (7:58 miles); logged 16+ miles of running on the week; got in 1:40:00 on the bike with sprints.

It has been a good week but I feel like my nutrition was a little off due to the stress levels at work. I have a few days off next week, so I can recover then. The Olympics start tonight, so I am pretty sure I will be receiving a good dose of motivation.

Day 42 (Thurs - 2/11)

I got on the bike for close to an hour. It felt a little like a recovery ride. I felt steady in the 18 mph gearing and jumped into the 20 mph for a minute sprint here and there. I felt a little sluggish in the legs, but I think that is coming from not getting to bed early enough. I have been up late getting some extra work in. I can’t let this become a habit.

The kiddo learned a new trick. My wife taught him that climbing on my back while I do push ups is “helping” daddy. He gets so proud when he does it that I can’t stop smiling even though push ups are an area where I am really weak.

Day 41 (Wed - 2/10)

Flash and I got out for a run today, and it was a fast one. I tried to let the volume of work I feel piling up around me motivate me to get out hard today. We covered the first mile in 7 minutes 20 seconds (the fastest mile I have on record ever). The rest of the run felt good with a recovery pace between miles 1 and 2 after pushing hard up the first hill. At mile 2 I tried to pick up the pace again. At this point Flash asked if I wanted to push it to the stop sign again. I smiled and told him that I thought I had just picked up the pace, but found a little something extra to give us a solid pace through the stop sign. While going up the second hill I needed to shorten up my strides but was able to up the tempo to keep pace with Flash. We turned onto the last mile with 9 minutes to hit our goal pace. In the end we finished off the 4.42 miles in 35:14 (7:58 miles).

I can’t tell you how happy I am to have hit a run like this averaging sub eights. Switching between long and slow runs and short and fast seems to be paying off. I wish I didn’t have to cancel the run I had scheduled for tomorrow, but sometimes work happens.

Day 40 (Tues - 2/9)

We had a hectic day at work today with no run. Our planned run tomorrow might get snowed out. If it does I am going to do some weight training instead.

I got in a solid hour of trucks with the kiddo. His play is developing to a really fun point. I just put him down for bed and it is now time to go watch the Biggest Looser with my wife and get some core training in.

On a side note: Flash continues to post sub 15 minute training swims.

Day 39 (Mon - 2/8)

I got on the bike tonight. Everything felt really good after the run yesterday so I decided to push a little on the trainer. I spent 30 minutes in my 18 mph gearing then dropped into a sprint interval set. I shifted into the big ring and performed 8 sets of 20 second all out push with 10 second passive rest. When I finished that I was burning so I dropped to the middle ring and set into my 20 mph gearing for a 15 minute cool down. The 20 mph gearing felt really comfortable after sprinting in the larger ring.

I am very encouraged by the way my body seems to be recovering lately from the longer and more intense workouts. I think the diet might be taking affect. I need to hold back just a bit though. I am still in the building part of the season.

Day 38 (Sun - 2/7)

Duce was able to meet me during nap time for a run today. I was ten minutes late which counts as a miss on my new month resolution for meeting within five minutes of a meeting start time. He let me off the hook easy.

I told him that today was my long and slow day and that I was looking to log the 7.4 mile route. So, we took off talking about work, home, sports, etc. I kept up the conversation for the first quarter mile or so then started loosing wind and fading behind his pace. As we circled the 1.5 mile marker I realized we were in the high eights, not the low nines. Duce started to widen the gap and I had to hold back the urge to try and catch him. I knew we were setting a fast pace for me to finish and he was most likely getting in some intervals on the run. Sure enough he held up for me just after the 3 mile marker which we hit at 25:40 (8:33 miles for the first 5K). He ran with me side by side as we talked a bit more for the next mile then started in on another interval set. I felt his tempo increase and again had to resist running too far outside of my pace. (I can’t wait until I am right there with him.) We crossed the 6.07 mile marker at 53:28 (8:49 miles for the 10K distance). That meant the second 3.07 was finished in 27:48 (9:03 miles for the second 5K). Duce finished ahead of me by 2 minutes or more and peeled off so he could make it home in time for the Bruins game. I took the corner and headed out for the last 1.33 miles. I opened my stride, engaged my core, and felt very strong over that last loop. I was back around in 11:47 (8:52 miles for the last sprint). I felt really good to have sub nines in my legs at the end of the run.

Total stats on the run: 7.4 miles in 1:05:15 averaging 8:49 miles. It always amazes me to see what Duce can pull out of me. On a much windier day I ran my average miles 18 seconds faster which lowered my total time for the run by over 2 minutes simply by chasing a running partner willing to get out with me. Nothing beats a good support network.

On the family front, we had a family outing in the morning which the buggo really enjoyed and invited my Dad over for the first half of the big game. He had gotten out for a training run today also and felt really good. Hearing about him getting out just makes me more motivated to get in the work and the recovery needed to perform well this season. After all, goal 1 is to get to the starting line healthy. If done correctly everything else will fall into place.

Day 37 (Sat - 2/6)

It has been a good rest day. I got in around 30 minutes of core this evening while watching Kitchen Nightmares with my wife who earlier in the day said I could get a wetsuit.

Actually, what she said while day-dreaming about warmer weather was “with your wetsuit you will be able to get in to open water swims earlier in the season, so we should plan to start going to a beach as soon as it is warm enough”. I took that to mean “you should start shopping for a wetsuit”. I have a feeling it will not fit into the budget this year, but since we were day-dreaming, I might as well do a little window shopping.

We stayed up late discussing our triathlon goals for future seasons which was really exciting. As for this season, I have a run planned with Duce tomorrow and am looking forward to it.

Day 36 (Fri - 2/5)

Everyone is feeling much better today. I went into work feeling good, even though my stomach isn’t one hundred percent. I packed my running clothes not knowing what to expect, but I felt like I had at least a 1 mile run in me and I knew Flash would understand if I didn’t have the energy for our normal route.

Just before lunch I checked in with my wife and everyone at home was feeling good, I had caught up on some important work items, and was feeling very positive about the run, although still a little apprehensive about how much energy I was going to have. Flash and I had to start from a different place as I had forgotten my hat and gloves at my desk (again) which tacked on a little over a tenth of a mile to the route. I thought “well, if I am going to run out of energy quick, might as will kick up the intensity and get the most out of it” and we hit a pretty good pace.

We hit the first mile marker in under 8 minutes and attacked the first hill of the course. We kept the regained our rhythm within 50 yards and were back to relatively quick pace (relative for my previous runs on this course, for Flash I am sure it was a moderate at best pace). At mile 2 I decided to push out for a half mile and opened my stride a little while keeping the same rhythm. For a moment Flash gave me the illusion that I was pushing him. Just so he didn’t blow my doors off I let him know that I only intending to keep this pace to a marker about a half mile up the road. We hit the 3 mile marker in 24:00 exactly (8:00 miles over 3 miles!) and headed up the last of the hills on the route. I had a more in the tank than I normally do at this stage of the run and attacked the hills the best that I could. When we turned the corner for the home stretch I started thinking that we might make it in under 36:57 (my course record without the extra tenth), but even with a last push we missed by 23 seconds.

I was a little disappointed at that miss but realized that because we came so close to a course record and added a tenth that probably meant our pace would calculate to a personal best. As it turns out it did. We finished off 4.52 miles in 37:19 (8:15 miles). I am starting to believe that with training, my body my very well be capable of being in “running” shape. I know I am better built for sprinting and biking, but with the new information, partners, and coaching I think there is room in my calves for “running” to be become a “strength” (50th percentile or better which is between 7:30 and 8:30 miles depending on the race).

I am planning a rest day tomorrow so I can get out for a long and slow run on Sunday.

Day 35 (Thurs - 2/4)

Sometimes life gets in the way. I stayed up way too late doing work and my wife came down with a stomach bug late last night. When we woke this morning I wasn’t feeling very good either. We were not sure if it was something we ate or not, but she had it worse than I did. The kiddo seems to be getting away with not catching it and I have made it my mission that he does not. I stayed home from work to take care of my family and myself. I felt that by doing so I could help my wife recover faster, help myself recover faster, help keep the kiddo well and avoid infecting co-workers.

I was able to get some work done at home and after nap time everyone was feeling much better. Not so good that I had a workout in me, but good enough to consider not canceling the run I have scheduled for tomorrow with Flash. We will see how tomorrow morning goes. One day at a time.

Day 34 (Wed - 2/3)

Tonight I had the kiddo down for bed at a decent hour. This allowed my wife and I time to chat before she headed to bed early leaving me with plenty of time to get in the work out I had planned. However, the late night last night took its toll and I fell asleep on the couch while watching The National Parks: America's Best Idea on PBS. I don’t feel let down at all. As I relaxed I could feel my legs begin a recovery process they were robbed of last night. The extra day of rest may ultimately prove a good thing.

The 30 minute ride and 30 minutes of core will be there tomorrow night. I may even get a quick run it at lunch depending on how well the recovery takes.

Day 33 (Tues - 2/2)

Today was more or less a rest day. I spent the time catching up on my share of the housework and catching up with the family. We baked cookies and brought them over to my folk’s house after dinner. It was a pleasant evening and refreshing in many ways.

However, I am going to be up way too late performing some work that needs to be done tonight. Better get to it.

I am hoping to get in a 30 minute bike ride and 30 minutes of core tomorrow night.

Day 32 (Mon - 2/1)

Last night we had to bail at the last minute yesterday on plans to meet my parents for dinner due to the kiddo getting down for a late nap and cutting it short. It was a tough call, but the right thing to do for the kiddo. He is feeling much better for it today.

The legs are feeling remarkably good today considering yesterdays distance. I followed some of the recovery recommendations made in Thrive and they seem to be paying off. I found some coconut water at a local market over the weekend and have been trying that in place of other sports drinks. Apparently coconut water has more electrolytes and doesn’t come with all the artificial preservatives and sugars. The taste of the coconut water isn’t as good as the sports drinks, but the brand I bought is tolerable as it is blended with other fruit juices.

I took a recovery ride tonight for 30 minutes that kept me in the 18 mph gearing. (Not bad considering Sunday’s run.) I spent an extra 5 minutes sprinting in the 20 mph gearing but that was just for fun.

Also, I have a new month’s resolution. Be at meetings within 5 minutes of their scheduled start time. I have been doing much worse than that and I need to get better at this in order to feel good about work and ultimately be able to get home to my family earlier.

Day 31 (Sun - 1/31)

It is the last day of month one. There have been several starts in the last 31 days. I have started training; I have started removing stress from what I eat; I have started a habit to clean for at least 15 minutes after dinner to help keep the house moving; and I have started the work needed to protect my 22 free hours a week. The benefits of this work are also being felt. I have had a couple of set backs and have not protected my family time as well as I would like to going forward, but all in all this month was a mighty step forward.

Today I chose to go on side of longer distance with lower intensity. I ended up running 7.4 miles over 1:07:32 (9:07 miles). I am thrilled with the pace and with the distance. That is the second time this year that I posted a “longest run ever” and I felt really good the whole way through. There were a couple of spots where I felt my legs itching to drive in a higher gear, but I kept it slow and steady and ended up with a great pace for me.

It was a cold day so there were not many people out but I did pass a trio of walkers (The Trio) in the first half mile and decided to use them as a check point just in case I ran into them again. I finished the first 3 miles in 26:45 (8:55 miles) and ended up passing The Trio again around mile 5 (I had come back around the large loop and caught them on my second pass as they were finishing their 1 loop). The second 3 miles took around 28:16 (9:25 miles). I decided to open it up around the small loop for the last 1.4 miles and finished in 12:31 (8:55 miles). During the last quarter mile I ran into The Trio again and pushed home to pass them for a third time. This was encouraging in the following way: Although I sometimes feel that I could walk faster than I run in the middle of a long run, on this occasion I ran 7.4 miles in the time it took The Trio to walk 3. The lesson, keep running and don't give in. All in all I was surprised how well my legs held up at this pace that a year ago would have been an all out 1 mile run.

The wind was sweeping and pleasant for the most part and the sky was a crystal blue, but the thing I will remember most about the run was the ice. It was settling in the reservoir and was making deep drumming sounds like a stick hitting a water cooler jug. Deep and echoing like large drums keeping a beat that kept me going. I think I will hear those drums for the rest of the season.

Day 30 (Sat - 1/30)

We had a great family day today. The kiddo and I “skated” (really we were walking) on some ice that formed on our front lawn for around 20 minutes this morning before we headed to the dump. Near the end of it he asked that I let him go. I of course was nervous that he would fall, but let him go and followed close. He took nice small steps and when he made it across he was so proud and was grinning from ear to ear. It reminded me that in the development of a person there need to be a series of risks and small victories that build into capabilities. I hope that my buggo is given every opportunity to get out there and see what he can do. I need to remind myself as a father that if I do not give him the opportunity to do it himself, then I am taking away the ability to feel that pride and satisfaction and ultimately the ability to build certain capabilities.

The same principle applies to training. There is a need for small increases to build into greater abilities. I read a little about the grey area of training today. As I understand it the grey area of training is mode that some people fall into (especially those with little time to train) where you feel like “every run should count”. Although every run should count some should be at lower intensity over a slightly longer distance and some should be at a quicker pace over a shorter distance. When you hit the middle where you are going as far as you can as fast as you can every time you end up in a rut where you are neither gaining in your ability to maintain a faster speed or run a longer distance. The theory makes sense and is making me look are some of the runs I have planned for the upcoming weeks.

Today ended up being a rest day. The family went out to do some chores and ended up having lunch out. We got back a little later then planned and when we got the kiddo down for a nap my wife and I spent a few hours chatting and I read to her from Thrive for a little while. She is very interested in health and nutrition and has been so helpful in keeping me fueled. After nap we had a nice dinner and settled in to watch a movie together.

I have a run planned with Duce tomorrow that should take advantage of the rest.

Week 5 summary looks good:
- Run: 12.6 miles averaging around 8:52 miles.
- Bike: 1 hour of indoor biking.
- Still need more core.

Day 29 (Fri - 1/29)

Today I squeezed in a run at lunchtime. I had a meeting in the afternoon that required travel, but Flash came down early and we got out for a quick sprint. We covered 2.2 miles in 16:58. This is a pretty big deal to me since these miles average out to 7:43 miles. That is just about as fast as I have completed anything over 2 miles. It felt good to get out for a shorter distance and really open it up. I really don’t feel it in my legs. That is good seeing as the weekend runs have really been pushing me.

Flash continued on for a longer run as I split off to head back to the lockers. That guy can run like Duce. It would be interesting to get them together for a run. They would probably doubly kick my tail but it would be worth it.

One of the new terms I am reading about in Thrive is the concept of a weight to power ratio. This concept makes sense to me, but is not one I am familiar working with. It is essentially the amount of power per pound you are able to deliver over a distance. I will be looking at this to see if it is a metric I can incorporate into my training or if it is a bit advanced or outside my philosophy of training.

With some serious help from my wife I did well this week removing stress from what I eat. I have had more restful sleep, am feeling a bit more energy, and am feeling really good overall. I hope I can turn this into habit also. The 30 minute clean after dinner is still in effect. There seems to be good balances being made.

Day 28 (Thurs - 1/28)

This month’s Triathlete magazine came in today. My mom gave me a one year subscription as a Christmas gift and I have been looking forward to this issue for a few weeks now since finishing off the December issue. This issue came with a special edition The Road to Kona / The Road to Clearwater. The special edition highlighted all of the qualifying Ironman and Ironman 70.3 distance events for the Ironman world championships in Kona and the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 world championships in Clearwater. It was a lot of fun to read through the various event overviews with my wife and day-dream about traveling, vacationing, and participating in these events. We’ll see how I do with my goal this year of finishing the 70.3, but reading about these events makes me want to swing for the fences and try to qualify. It will be a few years before I will be ready to announce that goal.

There were a few articles scattered in the special edition. One was an exercise set designed to improve swim and be performed 30 minutes per week. Just looking at the core strength involved in the set showed me that I will have to build up for a while before I could effectively use the set. That just made me more motivated to start building up to it. (I can hear Duce: “abs, abs, abs… then some more abs.”)

I decided to get on the bike even though it was getting late. I didn't start until 10:45pm, but the 30 minutes flew by while I cranked in my 20 mph gearing. The rhythm was consistent, but the cadence was just a little shy of my ideal pace. The position on the bike felt really good and the legs responded very well after the day of rest yesterday. I was very happy to stay so comfortable in the 20's.

Day 27 (Wed - 1/27)

My legs felt great today. Not many aches or pains in any area. This was especially good to feel in my left Achilles/ankle area. It was hard to stay off the bike tonight, but I felt it was more important to reap the benefit of a full days rest. So my wife and I watched the state of the union together this evening.

I started doing research this week for running and bicycling shoes. I haven’t found too much on the running end yet (I have a lot to learn regarding available technologies/materials/etc). However, I did come across a sweet bike shoe (Shimano SH-TR51). This shoe is way outside my price point, but when my mortgage is paid off I may take a second look.

Back to the bike and core tomorrow.

Day 26 (Tues - 1/26)

The run this afternoon felt better than expected. I wasn’t sure how the lower half of my left leg (ankle/Achilles area) and the upper half of my right (hamstring) were going to hold up. Flash and I started out knowing we might have to turn back, but the rhythm felt comfortable when I focused on engaging the core and we were past mile 1 in 8:15. Around mile 2 I started pulling layers off as it was a really nice day for January, but by mile 3 I was putting them back on as it started to snow. That weather in New England - got to love it. We finished with a strong last ¼ mile and in with a total time of 37:56 (8:34 average).

This was a really important run to me. I used it to weed out the injury from general burn in the legs and also to see that the Sunday pace (in the mid 9’s) was in fact effected by weather and general conditions and not because I had some dramatic back slide. It was important; however, it may have easily been one of my “runs that never were”. Those are the runs that if I didn’t have a training partner I might have just chalked up to a rest day or found some other excuse not to go. But, Flash was there talking about how he broke 15 minutes again in the pool, and that was all I needed to get started.

I may get in some light core tonight. We’ll see, my wife and I recieved some great news today that we will most likely be talking about tonight. I have a scheduled rest day tomorrow that I plan to make full use of.

Day 25 (Mon - 1/25)

I decided to take a recovery ride tonight to help get over the Sunday run and get the legs loose for the planned run tomorrow afternoon. I am feeling some weakness on the inside of my left Achilles tendon area (just up and back from the ankle bone). I think it is actually the Soleus (lower calf that runs in to and in back of the tendon), but I will be keeping a close eye on this area. I think I did it by trying to throw some lunges in at the end of Sundays run. I need to remember I am building up, no need to rush this process in January.

The ride felt good. The recovery pace felt just right in the 16 mph gearings over 30 minutes. However, I couldn’t help but drop in to the 20’s for a 5 minute sprint. The bike adjustments felt really good during this ride and the knees feel just fine. We’ll see what I have in the legs tomorrow. Now it is time for a good nights sleep.

Day 24 (Sun - 1/24)

Well, I am no good at picking football teams this year, but I did get out for a run today. After some rest and recovery the last 2 days I got the ball rolling again today with a 6 mile run.

Earlier in the week I promised the kiddo that we would take a walk on the “black bridge” this morning. The “black bridge” is his name of a bridge featured on Thomas the Tank Engine and he had been asking to walk on it. So, I thought it would be fun for the family to drive down to the bike trail and take a walk across the old railroad bridge that has been converted for foot/bike traffic. It was a little cold, but the buggo was so excited we hardly noticed. We were fortunate enough to see a bald eagle perched along the river bank and the kiddo enjoyed chasing pigeons on the walk. It was a really nice thing to do together.

My promise required that I say no to a workout with Duce this morning. He called in the morning to get me out and I had to decline. I hate doing that because I always get great workouts with him, but I had a prior engagement. What can you do, it is all about balance and the trip to the “black bridge” was worth it. I am learning that I cannot be in two places at the same time; try as hard as I might. All anyone can do is try and use their 22 hours a week as effectively as possible.

I got out after putting the kiddo down for a nap. By that time a light drizzle was coming down and was making things slick. As I sat in the car at the run site it did pass through my mind to skip the run today. I quickly dismissed the idea of staying dry and comfortable over the opportunity to run. I have been reading so much about the importance of recovery and I wanted a workout to recover from.

It was a good decision. I felt very strong, as strong as I have felt yet on the first 5 miles. The route was much icier than it has been in the past, so I knew right away that my pace would have to be slower to be safe. I spent the first mile and a half chasing a fellow runner who I nicknamed Red (because he was wearing a red shit). My pace through that was around 9:30 miles. I picked it up a little and passed him just before the mile 3 turn. The pass felt good. He was packing it in, I was heading out for 3 more, and I had enough in the tank to pass quickly.

Over the next 2 miles I stretched my stride where I could (over the icy spots I shortened them considerably). By mile 4 I was experiencing the importance of core. I noticed that when I was focused my core was able to keep my top half balanced and my legs were able to focus exclusively on driving me forward. By mile 5 I was feeling very good about my left knee but a little shaky in the right hip. By mile 5.5 I settled into a rhythm that I felt I could keep for an extended duration (however I think it was a 9:30 plus tempo). I have read that runners get into a zone where they can crank out miles. I have never felt this in the past at any tempo, but I am starting to think that perhaps I never ran far enough. I will be keeping an eye on mile 5.5 for a while to see if this continues. The last 200 yards were almost glare ice so I took it as a cool down and finished the run in 57:08 (9:25 miles). I hope Duce got out also.

The nutrition book (Thrive) is turning out to be a very good read. It is well put together for my analytical side and the information seems to line up with other creditable sources. From my reading so far I have drafted a new goal: Remove stress from my diet. No, literally remove stress from what I eat.

A good start to the week. I as setting this weeks goal to just to keep it going with an improvement in the amount of sleep department and getting in some additional reading.

Day 23 (Sat - 1/23)

The buggo woke up on schedule at 7:15AM this morning. We snuck downstairs to try and let the better half sleep in after our late night planning session. We watched the sun peak up over the mountain and I was able to get in 15 minutes of standing meditation which helped the tired feeling go away. We has a nice breakfast and started getting things ready for our Saturday chores (dump, library, and bike shop if possible).

When the better half woke up we made a second breakfast (pancakes and hashbrowns) which was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. The buggo and I got a late start on chores and had to skip the bike shop. We had a good time at the library and took our time picking out some DVD’s (some for the man-cave where the bike trainer is set up and some for upstairs when he needs some down time) and stories.

When nap time came around I determined that I would get more out of the extra rest today than a run, so I took a nap also. I am feeling much better tonight and am looking forward to the week ahead. I spent a good amount of time tonight reading up on managing recovery for better training results (the first chapter of the nutrition book I was given).

Every step is a good one and this is what building is all about, but I need to get a workout in tomorrow to keep up the momentum. Flash is taking me out on at least 2 lunch-runs next week and I hope the rest this weekend puts a spring in my step.

Week 4 summary looks fair:
- 1 hour 45 minutes on the bike (Starting to get into the gears I was riding during the end of last season and took some time to adjusted riding position to a much better fit.)
- 60 minutes of core (Need more of this, I can feel it.)
- I also started throwing a budget together for entry fees and desired gear. It will be good to set a budget for this and start becoming informed regarding what gear is out there.

Day 22 (Fri - 1/22)

I stayed up way too late tonight, but it was good. Me and my wife were discussing goals for the upcoming year and started planning a few things out. I did not get in a run or time on the bike. I am now in a major sleep deficit and will need to think about a couple of rest days to get back on track.

Day 21 (Thurs - 1/21)

Today was primarily a rest day. I had hoped to get out for a short run seeing as it was beautiful outside, but it just wasn’t in the cards. It may have been just as well seeing that I am favoring my knee a bit today.

I had a town committee meeting in the evening, but made it home in time to read the last bedtime story and put the kiddo down for bed. My wife and I had a good time talking and I got in some light core exercises. I estimate I spent about 30 minutes actually doing exercises. This may be an overestimate, but I am feeling good and will give myself the extra wiggle room tonight. One thing is for sure, I have plenty of work ahead of me in this area.

Day 20 (Wed - 1/20)

Today was another good day. I got out of work at a reasonable time (not ideal but reasonable for the stage in the project); stuck to the 30 minutes of clean up after dinner; had some solid kiddo time including a quick dance party; and hit the bike for 45 minutes. I didn’t get to talk with my wife much but she was researching possible vacation spots we could go with the buggo before our new arrival. I am looking forward to day dreaming with her tomorrow evening when she tells me about what she found.

I felt strong but kept feeling a pull on my knees, so at the 45 minute mark I got off the bike and took some measurements. Turns out I was about ½ inch low and ¼ inch too far back. I had tinkered with flipping my stem in November and adjusted the seat to see if I favored that configuration. Well, I didn’t so I set my stem back and must have forgotten to readjust my seat position.

After around 15 minutes of dialing into a position I found that familiar sweet spot. It was kind of amazing, my legs responded to the new position as if I had logged some miles in that position (which I had last season, I was just a little surprised my legs remembered after a few months off). I am just happy I caught this now and not several weeks into training. Bike fit is the most important aspect of bicycling in my opinion.

That bike ride brings me to 1:45 of 2 hours down on the bike. It is supposed to break into the 40’s tomorrow and I am thinking of sneaking in a run between work and home. Something quick, say 2 or 3 miles at the most and then Friday pick up a quick 15 minute sprint on the bike followed by some more core. It doesn’t look like the pool is factoring into this week and that is OK; however, I did some quick calculations regarding cut off times for the 70.3 and my swim time will be close to the cut off time of 1 hour after the last wave. I may need to re-think my target for this event. Flash told me he shaved a full minute off of his swim time this week. I might have to get some pointers.

Day 19 (Tues - 1/19)

After getting home a little later than expected from work (but a little earlier than the last week or so) we took a family trip to the town hall to cast our votes. While we were there the kiddo met a policeman which he though was pretty cool. We had a nice dinner and I stuck to our after dinner clean up habit. I gave our buggo a bath then we made popcorn and watched a little television before I put him down for a late bedtime. I spent around 30 minutes on core exercises while watching the end of the Biggest Looser with my wife and am now heading off to bed myself.

All in all it was a solid, balanced day.

Day 18 (Mon - 1/18)

Monday seem to be working out nicely as biking days. The Bachelor is on in the evenings so I get to get an hour on the bike without sacrificing time with my wife.

I spent 10 minutes warming up (stretching, doing some high steps, etc.) before getting on the bike. I got on the bike for 30 minutes although I felt like I could go longer. My legs felt strong so I spent the time in a higher intensity rather than extending the duration. I spent most of the time in the 18 mph gearing, but took 10 minutes to settle into the drops in the 19-20 mph gearing. I spent 10 minutes at a cool down pace on the bike and finished with a few stretches and 10 minutes of standing meditation.

I felt really good when I wrapped up. The legs felt used but not abused and the workout seemed very manageable.

My wife bought me a book to help with the fueling side of this project. We have been working on eating healthier and with the kiddos allergies to egg and soy have found ourselves eating more vegetarian/vegan over the last year. We have both found ourselves with more energy, less weight, and better moods. I am really excited to start reading the book she selected. It is called Thrive by Brendan Brazer – a vegan Ironman triathlete who has apparently done some homework on the issue.

Day 17 (Sun - 1/17)

I will probably repeat this every week, but it is a common thread for me to be successful. It is great to have training partners and a support network. If you haven’t read the comment posted on Day 16 by Duce, you should.

After a wonderful day with the family I was able to get in 30 minutes on the bike. I kept it really light only spending 10 minutes in the 18 mph gearing. Most if the time I was in the 16 mph rings. My left knee feels like there is a gentle pulling from the inside of my quad, but after the 30 minutes it felt really solid. I don’t feel like this is anything serious, but it might be an early sign of a little overtraining at this point in the season (and considering my starting fitness level). So I will be easing it back to feeling normal by taking shorter duration workouts and spend the extra time building some core strength (especially after reading the sage advice posted on Day 16).

Perhaps I will adjust my goals for the week and see if I can’t hit the pool at least one time during the week so I will be ready for the weekend.

- 1 pool workout (12-18 laps = 0.3-0.5 miles)
- 2 hours of bike time
- 2 hours of core training time
- 6 miles of running

I need to stay balanced, my race is 9 months away and I need to stay healthy in order to train up for the event.

Day 16 (Sat - 1/16)

Although I only got 2 hours in on the bike this week I feel really good. This is mostly due to a milestone event. This morning Duce took me out for the longest run I have ever taken: 6.05 miles. We got through it in 52:39 (8:41 miles). I am pretty proud of this.

We started out with a nice tempo pace and slowed down for some ice patches. Then Duce picked our pace up starting at the 1.5 mile marker through mile 3. At this point I started feeling an energy drag, but we planned a recovery through the ice patches on the second pass of the loop we were running so I picked it up a little to catch up (and Duce let up a lot so I could catch up). On the back side I felt solid through mile 4 then felt my legs hit their lactic threshold. At this point Duce gave me something to chase and I tried to not let him get too far ahead. We split the second loop faster than the first. My legs were burning from mile 4.5 to the end. We finished in a cool-down pace and it felt good to be able to slow it down and still finish with a pace under 9 minutes.

Duce promised that he would get me in running shape this year so I could give him a race. The last triathlon we did together I had around a 30 second lead coming out of T2. Duce passed me like I was standing still about a half mile into the 3 mile run and never looked back. The event organizers caught the moment beautifully on film and I am using that picture as motivation. I finished that run with just under 10 minute miles and decided then that next year would be different. Well, it's next year.

One of the items we discussed was the fact that indoor soccer is giving Duce a chance to get in some sprints. I know that I will need to start working in some speed drills at some point, but not yet.

I thought about getting on the bike again tonight, but my left knee is feeling a little hot and my right calf is a little tight. So instead I spent some extra time working abs and stretching. I don’t want to set myself up for burn out or injury this early especially with such a solid start so early in the year.

I got in the 30 minute quick clean tonight and I am still amazed how nice the house looks with just that little extra effort and discipline. We watched Madagascar tonight with the kiddo and generally enjoyed our time relaxing knowing that the kitchen was clean and the workout for the day was in the books.

The week in review: I got in 2 of 5 hours on the bike (perhaps 5 was too ambitious especially considering I haven’t ridden since September and what is happening at work); Ran the longest distance of my life at a solid pace and ended up with 6 miles on the week; Got some extra sleep; Introduced the 30 minute daily clean with the encouragement of my wife; and implemented a new project at work. Not too bad.

The pace at work next week will be a little less intense but we will still be in an implementation mindset. I am going to set the workout goals to: 3 hours on the bike; 9 miles running. Also, I still need to arrange a date and time for that first coaching session

Day 15 (Fri - 1/15)

We are starting a new routine today. We all clean for 20-30 minutes immediately after dinner. It is amazing how good the house looked after just one day of this. I am looking forward to making this a habit.

It has been a long but rewarding week at work and I ultimately fell asleep on the couch. No biking tonight, but that means my legs will be charged for Saturday.

Day 14 (Thurs - 1/14)

I got on the bike for an hour tonight and it felt really good. The lower back loosened up and the basement chill gave away to a quick 5 minute warm up. I spent my time in my 18 mph gear and felt pretty solid. I had to sacrifice some sleep, but I am confident I will find my balance.

It doesn't look like I am going to make 5 hours on the week. Also, I am slacking a bit in the housework department, so I am going to have to get more disciplined if I am going to keep my training up.

Day 13 (Wed - 1/13)

I did some crunches while watching television, and am now choosing sleep over biking again. I read that getting enough quality sleep is a critical part of training and is something I am not well disciplined in. One of my goals is to improve my sleeping habits and Day 11 didn’t help. There is always tomorrow.

Day 12 (Tues - 1/12)

The implementation at work is going well, except for the network issues. I think tomorrow may be the worst day network wise with things gradually getting better after that. I know I am getting buried in e-mail, but am protecting my family time by not checking them from home this week.

The kiddo is feeling much better which makes all of us feel very good.

My lower back tightened up a little this afternoon. I think it is the hamstrings from the bike ride on Day 11. I stretched them a bit while watching the Biggest Loser and catching up a little with my wife. Tonight I am electing to read a little from my triathlon training book and get a much needed solid night’s sleep rather than put in the 60 minutes on the bike. I will be gunning for a 90 minute ride tomorrow.

Day 11 (Mon - 1/11)

Day 11 started at 1:37AM with a sick kiddo. Our buggo was sick to his stomach and I spent the early morning holding, walking, comforting, rubbing his back, and letting him get as much sleep as he could. I also wanted my wife to get as much sleep as she could, but ultimately you can’t keep a mama from her kiddo. The buggo fell into a solid sleep on my shoulder around 4:15AM and I put him back in his crib around 5:10AM after I was relatively confident he was not going to be sick again.

I was up at 7:00AM and so was the kiddo. He was feeling a little better and my wife and I ultimately made the decision I should head to work. Day one of our implementation project went very well. The staff and management was engaged, willing to change and well prepared. Our core implementation team communicated and worked very well together. I think this week will be very successful at work.

The buggo had a great nap and by the time I got home he was holding down crackers and clear fluids. He got down for an early bed time and I am hopeful he is on the mend. Anyway, the end of the story is that I was getting ready to pack it in and hope for some extra long bike rides the rest of the week so I decided to make my blog entry. That’s when I noticed a comment on Day 10’s entry.

Sometimes it takes just a little motivation from a good friend to get you moving. I spent an hour on the bike and feel so good for doing so. I was able to keep a good cadence in my 17-18 mph gears and felt some of those biking muscles waking up. Time for a few crunches and then off for some much needed sleep. (Did someone say abs?)