Already slacking

Well, I started this blog with the intention of keeping track of my training for the 70.3 and already it has been two weeks since my last update. Part of the reason is time, or lack thereof (read: work), and part of it is my lack of actually training (read: lazy). There really should be no excuse for me to not do at least something every day. I did really well at the beginning of the week. I went to the gym the morning before class and the morning before the WPI info session, but then nothing the rest of the week. That is pretty lame and entirely unacceptable.

Even with my lack of physical activity, I recently registered for the Maine half marathon this weekend. The race is on Sunday 10/4/09 in Portland, Maine. I was supposed to run the half marathon with my friend, KG, but she backed out to drink at the Harpoon Brewery Octoberfest this weekend. So I'll be running alone. One of my coworkers is running the full marathon! Good for him I say. I have not been running very much, so the Maine half should be interesting. I hope to basically use this as a forced run this weekend. Probably not the best for my body in terms of slowly increasing mileage but that's ok. And I definitely will not be setting any records. I am not nervous about this weekend yet, but with 3,000 other runners, I am sure that race day will be overwhelming.

I've realized that with the end of the triathlon season, I'm beginning to long for my next one already. The whole triathlon way of life really does seem to be addicting. Just knowing that I am able to complete even the smallest sprint tri gives me such a great satisfaction that I just do not get walking out of the gym. I mean going from the end of my freshman year (picture) to the finish at the Marlborough tri this past season, I have definitely gone through a transformation (picture). The feeling is next to impossible to explain to someone who has been athletic, or at least slim their whole life, but it is simply an incredible and euphoric experience.

Unfortunately, living in the northeast, the next triathlon for me will not be until the Oceanside Ironman 70.3. The tri is months away, yet I already feel like I am not ready for this. I try to become motivated, but life is just such a big distraction (and so is the interwebs). It's so important that I somehow find my inner drive to continue, or should I say begin, my training.

Things to do this week:

• Sign up for masters swim league 
• Complete the Maine half marathon
• Call to replace Mazda's tires (they are balding like my head)
• Start tracking caloric intake using Dailyburn and Foodscanner
  

Time for bed, again...I wish there were more hours in the day.

 Swim, Bike, Run....LIFE

The confusion has set in

My goal tonight, after I got home from our work BBQ, was to review a training schedule that my buddy Dan has put together using his knowledge of previous training experiences and through the help of a book that I bought but never read, "The Triathlete's Training Bible." Well the night is slowly progressing and this training schedule is just too confusing for a lay-trainer such as myself.

The training plan has 9 different stages. Right now, at the onset of the training regimen, we are in Prep, in two weeks this progresses to Base 1, etc.. All of these stages focus on different areas of training in the area of swim, bike, run and weight lifting with different time requirements and focuses for each day of the week.

Herein lies my problem...I can barely get myself to the gym (which I realize is bad news) but then I have to tailor my workout for something specific. Well, I am not very good at this. I like to just get something done when I want to do them. For instance, this morning I went to the gym at 6am and was supposed to have an easy run for an 1 hr and lift weights for half an hour. Well first off, I was only at the gym for 1 hour total and to top it off, I did interval running for 15 minutes and swam for 20. Nowhere close to my scheduled workout. But, I went to the gym...good news! And I'm slowly starting to teach myself and my muscles how to breathe from my right side as well as my left side while swimming. I do not want to end up like Zoolander and only be able to turn one direction. Currently, about 80% of the time when breathing from the right, I end up just breathing out and not back in. This method does not prove useful for the sustainability of critical life functions.

Moral of the story, training schedules are difficult to understand and follow, but a necessary evil to focus my attention and blood, sweat and tears.

Ok time to figure this training plan out for real.

Swim, Bike, Run....LIFE

Out with the old, in with the new...a beginning

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." ~Semisonic

The era of laziness and overall apathy has come to an end and the time for hardcore training and fitness is upon us.

For those of you who may not know, about a month ago I decided to start training for Ironman 70.3 in Oceanside California in March. Now I may not be the most fit 25 year old out there, but I see no reason that I would not be able to complete this event given more than 6 months to train.

Speaking of training, I need to get to sleep so I can swim in the morning. More posts to come...thoughts on sacrifices, troubles, tribulations as well as the successes and triumphs. Should hopefully be entertaining!

I'm trying to think of a good sign off, but in the mean time....gnight