First, the important stuff...I am no long "weary." My brief "unload" of training stress was great and my homeostasis has returned. I will admit that I miss the needing more sleep part. It was kind of fun to sleep 8.5 hours a night. It didn't feel very productive but it did feel a bit decadent.
A long time ago, Coach and I started having "State of the Unions." We usually conduct it over dinner and discuss everything that we value in our relationship and grade it. Usually, we are on the same page but once in a while we are in completely different sections of the book. It isn't always pretty, but it does bring us together. So, let's do a quick State of the Union for me and in no order of significance:
*I am incredibly proud of Coach. When she retired from Division I coaching, many people doubted her ability to make the transition. After a year or so of retirement, Coach asked for and received a position in our best friend's company. She loves it and was a rock star last year.
*Swimming. Oh how I hated ye. I could never list all the profanity laced descriptions I have developed through the years for swimming. Well, I could list them but the blog would probably get shut down. After swim camp, and lots of 4000m (2.4 miles) days, I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel (no, not the same light I see at the end of the tunnel after a hard interval when I think crossing over would be easier). No, the light now is that swimming feels easier. I feel lighter. I feel faster. Hell, I am faster. I am no longer blitzed after swimming 4000. The work is working and I am invested in continuing.
*Running. I just finished run camp and it was a pain in the ass. Not literally (I swear most my friends and family members have periformis!). No, it was annoying to structure two 30 minute runs in one day. It was helpful to find out that it wasn't a big deal and it is an easy way to add some extra durability to my legs. I reached my goal with 30+ hours of running and approximately 200 miles. Back to Coach, thanks to her, she does a great job of protecting me from myself. Coach knew that camp was the perfect venue for my OCD tendencies. I am quite convinced that she purposely made me miss a run in the middle of camp so that I would not become streak obsessed. Unlike most people, streaking (not the naked kind) is the perfect activity for my personality. I read those articles of people who have run 15 bazillion days in a row and I know to stop and not even consider it. As odd as it sounds, I have to be OCD to not be OCD!
*Cycling has been saved by the Pain Cave Crew and Bobby V. They make me laugh and they support me in my random workouts. I am way ahead of the game in terms of my endurance and I continue to see improvement in my capacity to do the work. My cadence has increased as has my watts in the steady zone. I am getting closer to reproducing the heart rates I see in hard runs on hard bikes (this is a good thing!). Speaking of which...
*I am a genetic freak. Although I lack talent, I have a body that can do a lot of consistent work with little to no damage. I started to think back on my athletic involvement through the years and I realized that I was almost never injured (four sports in high school and one in college). I had two small injuries in college but both were collision injuries (bursa on my heel from getting hit with a ball and a small tear in my rotator cuff from someone falling on me). I have no pain, and I almost never take Advil or Tylenol. Fortunately, Gordo provides me lots of consistent work!
*I decided to change up some things in my life. It is still an experiment and I plan on writing much more about it in another post. One of the things I would like to mention is that I decided to study a language with a tutor once a week for two hours. Which language you ask? Why I am happy to report that I decide to learn Geek. Yes, Geek aka the Universal Language. Why you ask? Two reasons; I love technology and I did not want to attend South by Southwest Web Interactive in March without spending some time in the native language. So, today I learned how to code in html and create a css file. I love it and the two hours flew by. Don't get me wrong, I will not pretend to be competent and I will always put a premium on paying the experts what they can do better and faster than I! Having said that, I am using my brain in different ways and I am excited to spend some time in a new classroom! Which brings me to my next point...
*Technology. Oh, I love you so. I love coding. Today, the most important code I learned was how to fix the one thing that annoys me on many websites; the dreaded link that does not open into a new page in your browser. I HATE when a link opens in your current browser window and you lose the website you were currently visiting. The code is so easy that I realized it is actually the webmaster's passive aggressive plot to annoy their non-geek visitors!
*Nutrition. This is not really about me but Coach has decided to embrace a healthier more organic based diet. Now, if you have ever seen Coach she looks like a triathlete without ever working out. Did I mention she can eat more candy and potato chips than a 16 year old boy and maintain her incredible girlish figure??!??! Yes, I am bitter. Speaking of genetic freaks. She does however have a family history of heart disease and some other unpleasantness. Improving her diet can't hurt and I am excited to help her! My nutrition is going well. I have added some coconut fat and Omega-3 supplements to my diet along with natural nut butters. I think the increase in good fats is helping energy etc.
*My best friend. She is amazing. The last few years have been a test of love, faith and determination for her. How does your child die and how do you come out the other side? Well, there is no easy way. She has amazed us all with the fact that she even found the other side. In the meantime, she has become a runner and totally embraced technology. Who are you and what have you done with Ann? We now meet twice a week to discuss life, business and technology for our companies (this does not include social gatherings). Ann does not have a middle name but if she did it should be Evolution! Thank you Ann for not embracing the status quo and supporting my evolution. I don't want to get too carried away. Ann is not an angel and I am still counting on her to be the bitter drunk lady in the back seat of the convertible (think Shirley McClaine in Steel Magnolias).
*My daughter Willa decided to play basketball out of the blue a couple of years ago. In Indiana, it is your family birthright to play basketball from the time you are released from the womb until the day you can no longer walk. Needless to say I was shocked after trying to talk her into it for years. Well, surprise, surprise but she not only made JV but also Varsity. They are now 19-2, conference champs and she absolutely loves it. She also started weight training and has become an amazing physical specimen. Track starts for her soon and I am excited to see how she performs with her new found body. On a personal note, Willa chose to find her birthmother this winter. She continues to amaze me with the love and grace she lives her life. In the process, she has brought us all back together again. Her birthmother has been wonderful and welcoming to Willa. Another circle completes itself and reinforces that it does take a village. The downside, is that Willa's family section is the largest one at her games!
*Anything else? Yes, I will get an iPad. If nothing else, I can at the least get my daughter to manage her extensive iTunes library without my laptop. I am still waiting on the Saris Joule (a Christmas gift from Coach). My bike guy, Ryan (an amazing triathlete), wants to change my fit again. He has been watching me in the pain cave and we are going to make a few adjustments towards Levi Leipheimer's fit. Bring my elbows in a bit and hands up a bit. I am going to make these adjustments slowly to see how comfortable they are for 6+ hours of riding. New swim camp starts today and lasts for 8 swims over two weeks. This one is all about speed...
Run, Bike, Swim, Live, Laugh, Love
