More pics from yesterday...

A good day 5...and yesterday, too

Had to go to Laurel, MS for work. Not a bad trip, and the bank down there has this lady who caters lunch, and she has probably fixed a few of the best meals I've ever had. Yesterday we had red beans and rice, gumbo, muffalettas, and... the best bread pudding I've ever had. I felt like I needed to convert to Catholicism and go to confession after eating it. Second best part of the day was getting back around three and not going back into the office. I took off to a wildlife refuge while Jenny tutored a student. The best pic I took, at least I think so, was actually of the little shack they have set up so you can take pictures. There were a bunch of ducks out, and in the summer, I get there will be lots of gators, but here is the shack:


I only got a three mile run in yesterday. It was raining, which was excellent, since I love running in the rain. But then it stopped raining and it was in the high 60s with 95% humidity. Bagged it after 3 as the sweat was coming off me like I was a faucet turned on full blast. Still a good run, even though my plantar fasciitis is starting to act up.

Gonna do some trainer work while watching a Dexter episode followed by a three mile run here in a few minutes. This weekend I hope to get a long outside ride in Saturday morning, bowling and beer Saturday night, then run Sunday morning. Jenny is taking her Praxis Math Exam to get certified to teach. Big day for her.

Day Three...

and will I be able to count the days until... whenever the first race is. Might be the Heatwave in June in Ridgeland, MS. Might find one before then. Who knows.

A trainer workout and three mile run down, busy work before going to Laurel (not Hattiesburg), MS upcoming, and another pic I took in Memphis the first day we got our new camera. Just feeling my way through this camera. I'll get there...

A little more....

This blog won't just be about me training for triathlons, although there will be a good bit of that. Maybe it'll help others who want to do this stuff, but like me have no desire at the moment to do an Ironman. I'm here for the enjoyment of swimming, biking, and running as well as to get faster at the sprint distance.

I'll also be posting some pics I take. My wife, Jenny, and I got a sweet new Nikon D5000 for Christmas, so I'll be an experimenting, beginner photographer.

We're also trying to make a conscious effort to eat better this year. My wife can cook, and I like to experiment. So we clash and collaborate a lot in the kitchen. It's made for some great meals, and cool ideas. I'll post some recipes, menus, etc. as I go along.

That's all for now, and I'll leave you with one of my first pics I took that I really like for some reason. This tennis ball is actually on the antenna of Jenny's grandparents car.

New Approach

Yesterday began a new approach to the tri training. I'm trying to find that mix of "hippie-ness" and structure that keeps it fun and light, but also gets me faster. I do care about the races over and above the social aspects, but I still like the camaraderie of the tri club, the pomp and circumstance that accompanies events, and just being out there with like minded people cheering for each other. I can still do all that and get faster, because let's face it... faster is fun.

So, away we go in an effort to climb closer to the fast guys. I have no realistic shot at finding myself on the age group podium, but I've decided it doesn't mean I can't train like I do. That's why I'm taking the advice of Justin Daerr, a pro who spoke at our tri club. He laid out his repetitive week schedule for us, and basically said, "to get faster, you have to do this stuff over, and over, and over, and over, and over..." Thus, the following plan was born:

Week 1
Monday: Bike/Run Brick
Tuesday: Med. distance Run
Wednesday: Bike/Run Brick
Thursday: Med. distance Bike
Friday: Bike/Run Brick
Saturday: Long distance Bike
Sunday: Med. Distance Run

Week 2
Monday: Bike/Run Brick
Tuesday: Med. Distance Run
Wednesday: Bike/Run Brick
Thursday: Med. Distance Bike
Friday: Med. Distance Bike
Saturday: Long distance Run
Sunday: Rest or Recovery w/a short bike ride

and... I do that over and over and over and over

As the first race of the season nears, I'll get back in the pool, and the weeks will change in structure, but I'll keep doing them over and over and over and over. I'm blessed enough to be an above average swimmer (disclaimer: for triathlons), so I don't so much need to work on it as hard as I do my running and biking. I can get in the pool tomorrow and pound out a mile and half if I had to, so I'm figuring 1.5-2 months will be ample time to find my old speed, or at least get close to it. I've been top 10% out of the water at the local races, and top 1/3rd at the New Olreans 70.3, so I'm pretty confident I can manage this.

And so it began yesterday with a 17 mile trainer ride, accompanied by an episode of Dexter, followed by a three mile run. This morning I got in a 29 mile trainer ride. Yeah, I realize it called for a run, but I swapped Thursday and today. I gotta travel for work early on Thursday, so it'll be more logical to do a 40-50 min run that morning as opposed to an hour and a half bike ride. You gotta do what ya gotta do to work around real life, as long as you get the volume in.

Testing...

Monday, January something or the other will be go time for this blog. That's MLK day right? Awesome. As a corporate drone I get the day off. Maybe I'll start earlier. Who knows... If Paul Blart Mall Cop turns out to be a spectacular movie, I might just have to share my thoughts. I'll be watching it while I ride the trainer in the morning.