My training load has picked up recently. After last season I've committed to be serious about next season and have laid out some goals. I feel like I'm starting all over again, which isn't 100% true as I have years of racing experience and training under my belt.
I'm committed to following the plan I've written out for myself and following some general nutrition guidelines which have worked well for me in the past. The elimination of grains and processed foods has already impacted my energy level. I've considered hiring a coach and have talked with one in particular. I've only used two coaches in my 20 years of racing (one for less than a month) but I keep telling myself that if I want different results I need to train differently. A different perspective may be good for me but I digress........
I've felt a bit sluggish lately in the water. In fact, I feel like I'm swimming with a piano on my ankles. I can't get my hips up and have been falling apart in the middle of sets. Some of this is attributed to the weight lifting I have been doing but the form issues baffle me. I asked Matt Beck, my masters coach to look at me this morning. I moved done 2 lanes from where I normally swim because I had convinced myself I had lost my form and needed to slow down to concentrate. I arrived 20 minutes early to masters and did drill work until the beginning of practice. We started the set and again I felt sluggish. No feel for the water, my arms fatigued and I felt like I was dragging myself through the water. About 20 minutes into class Matt looks at me and asked me if "I think about putting my fork in my mouth when I eat or do I just do it". "I just do it"..... QUIT THINKING AND JUST SWIM..YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM...NO GO... And with that my issues were solved.
As athletes we tend to over analyze and create issues in our mind. I manifested an issue in my head that wasn't there based on a couple of poor swims. The reality is, poor workouts happen and I coach people on this topic all the time yet I failed to realize it myself. Thus the need to consider someone else to chart my path.........
My mantra for the day became, Don't think, just swim........It was that simple.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Journey Begins
First of all, Jay, thanks for making me laugh this morning. What a great way to start out the day. Kathy and I went and saw a comedian last night and one of the things he said was "People Don't Laugh Enough".
Official starting weight 168.8. (7:01 a.m.) In the process of downing my salt water drink. UMMMMMM
10/21
12:20 pm.... Have had three drinks and I'm not doing too bad. Have a dull head ache which I had for a day or two last time. Watching football with the cat asleep on my lap. Major snow storm hitting Denver so I'm not feeling the urge to go outside and ride. Stomach starting to growl but I knew the first two days would be the worst. Tomorrow mornings master swim class should be interesting, I'm definitely moving down a lane or two.
4:47 pm... Had/have a massive head ache so decided to go run and then lift weights. Don't ask me the reasoning behind this. I haven't eaten in 24 hours and I have no valid reason for anything I do right now. The running was slow and I felt as I was going to pass out. I thought to myself, I've felt like this in a race before so suck it up. The weights hurt at first but I was surprised I felt better the further I got into the session. Came home, whopped up on the boy in a game of darts and here I sit. Damn, my head hurts. Almost like a hang over head ache. My body is going through detox and it hurts.
10/22
4:42 am 162.2 (-6.6 lbs) Had a massive head ache last evening that wouldn't go away. My wife told me I hadn't drank enough energy concoction drinks. I pounded a double just before bed while watching game 7 of the ALCS and actually slept better than I thought I would. I actually feel pretty good this morning and thought about going to masters swim but with the kids in school I thought I would just drink my salt water flush and get started with work early.
2:46 pm. for a guy who hasn't eaten for almost 48 hours I feel pretty good. As your body rids itself of the toxins you develop a white pasty coating on your tongue. I know, sick... At least you don't have to sit here and feel like you swallowed hair all day long!! When the tongue turns pink again the cleansing is over. The first day was difficult, today not so bad. I even made breakfast and lunches for the kids and didn't once think about sneaking in some food.
10/23
6:30 a.m. 161.2 (7.7lbs). Not feeling too bad this morning. The morning evacuations are the worst. The salt water flush works quickly...........Woke up feeling energized but feel a bit sluggish now. Plan to lift weights and try and run this morning for a few miles. Yesterday I didn't do anything so I felt stiff when I woke up this morning. Besides day one's headache this cleanse has been a lot easier than the first time. My sense of smell is tremendous.
8:21 p.m. Today was probably the easiest of all the days. I should have decided when I started what my goal was. I should know better than this. I feel good and my only complaint is the "drink" is getting stagnant. I switched to lime in the drink from lemon and hopefully my taste buds will be happy. The only difficulty I have is when I open the refrigerator and see food. It has taught me that I can have will power. Staying busy helps keep me focused on not wanting to eat. I eat because I'm board not because I'm hungry. I need to remember this once I end the cleanse.
10/24
Down to 161.0 (-7.8lbs). Felt great waking up this morning. I seem to have more mental clarity. My tongue is starting to turn pink again on the outside which is an indication that I'm on the down side of this fast. I have a busy day ahead of me including a athlete test session, a run and a bike so that should help me focus on not eating. Day 4 and counting.
5pm. It's been 4 days with no food. This is my second cleanse in the last 12 months. I decided that tonight would be my last night. I've accomplished what I wanted to on this cleanse. 1.) lose weight so I may begin a healthier eating habit 2.) follow through on a promise I made myself at the beginning of the year to do one 3 day cleanse each year 3) Remind myself that I eat when I'm board not because I'm hungry. I still will go a day or two with no solid foods. Juice, vegetable soup and perhaps a salad or two for the next few days.
10/25 160.5 (-8.3lbs) And with a mouthful of Cage Free eggs the diet was over. Actually I had some juice and a few nuts last evening to prepare my stomach for what was going to occur in the morning. I feel great, did a spinerval tape this morning with Kathy and lifted weights with Matt after getting the kids off to school. I expect to put half the weight back on but will more vigilant in following a diet based on the paleo principals.
Official starting weight 168.8. (7:01 a.m.) In the process of downing my salt water drink. UMMMMMM
10/21
12:20 pm.... Have had three drinks and I'm not doing too bad. Have a dull head ache which I had for a day or two last time. Watching football with the cat asleep on my lap. Major snow storm hitting Denver so I'm not feeling the urge to go outside and ride. Stomach starting to growl but I knew the first two days would be the worst. Tomorrow mornings master swim class should be interesting, I'm definitely moving down a lane or two.
4:47 pm... Had/have a massive head ache so decided to go run and then lift weights. Don't ask me the reasoning behind this. I haven't eaten in 24 hours and I have no valid reason for anything I do right now. The running was slow and I felt as I was going to pass out. I thought to myself, I've felt like this in a race before so suck it up. The weights hurt at first but I was surprised I felt better the further I got into the session. Came home, whopped up on the boy in a game of darts and here I sit. Damn, my head hurts. Almost like a hang over head ache. My body is going through detox and it hurts.
10/22
4:42 am 162.2 (-6.6 lbs) Had a massive head ache last evening that wouldn't go away. My wife told me I hadn't drank enough energy concoction drinks. I pounded a double just before bed while watching game 7 of the ALCS and actually slept better than I thought I would. I actually feel pretty good this morning and thought about going to masters swim but with the kids in school I thought I would just drink my salt water flush and get started with work early.
2:46 pm. for a guy who hasn't eaten for almost 48 hours I feel pretty good. As your body rids itself of the toxins you develop a white pasty coating on your tongue. I know, sick... At least you don't have to sit here and feel like you swallowed hair all day long!! When the tongue turns pink again the cleansing is over. The first day was difficult, today not so bad. I even made breakfast and lunches for the kids and didn't once think about sneaking in some food.
10/23
6:30 a.m. 161.2 (7.7lbs). Not feeling too bad this morning. The morning evacuations are the worst. The salt water flush works quickly...........Woke up feeling energized but feel a bit sluggish now. Plan to lift weights and try and run this morning for a few miles. Yesterday I didn't do anything so I felt stiff when I woke up this morning. Besides day one's headache this cleanse has been a lot easier than the first time. My sense of smell is tremendous.
8:21 p.m. Today was probably the easiest of all the days. I should have decided when I started what my goal was. I should know better than this. I feel good and my only complaint is the "drink" is getting stagnant. I switched to lime in the drink from lemon and hopefully my taste buds will be happy. The only difficulty I have is when I open the refrigerator and see food. It has taught me that I can have will power. Staying busy helps keep me focused on not wanting to eat. I eat because I'm board not because I'm hungry. I need to remember this once I end the cleanse.
10/24
Down to 161.0 (-7.8lbs). Felt great waking up this morning. I seem to have more mental clarity. My tongue is starting to turn pink again on the outside which is an indication that I'm on the down side of this fast. I have a busy day ahead of me including a athlete test session, a run and a bike so that should help me focus on not eating. Day 4 and counting.
5pm. It's been 4 days with no food. This is my second cleanse in the last 12 months. I decided that tonight would be my last night. I've accomplished what I wanted to on this cleanse. 1.) lose weight so I may begin a healthier eating habit 2.) follow through on a promise I made myself at the beginning of the year to do one 3 day cleanse each year 3) Remind myself that I eat when I'm board not because I'm hungry. I still will go a day or two with no solid foods. Juice, vegetable soup and perhaps a salad or two for the next few days.
10/25 160.5 (-8.3lbs) And with a mouthful of Cage Free eggs the diet was over. Actually I had some juice and a few nuts last evening to prepare my stomach for what was going to occur in the morning. I feel great, did a spinerval tape this morning with Kathy and lifted weights with Matt after getting the kids off to school. I expect to put half the weight back on but will more vigilant in following a diet based on the paleo principals.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Master Cleanse Begins Tomorrow
Following is a copy of a blog I put on my athletes page. When I began this process, one of my thoughts was to not duplicate posts on both sites. I want to separate my triathlon life from my business. This is a topic that interests a lot of people so I opted to stray from my own rules. I plan to discuss my day to day experiences on the cleanse on this site. Enjoy and feel free to ask questions.
While conducting year end meetings, a number of you expressed a desire to lose weight and improve strength in the off season. Improving your strength to weight ratio is one of the keys to getting faster. The off season is the perfect time to lose weight since you aren't placing the extra demands on your body that you do during the race season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays just around the corner the time to start a diet is now. I've mentioned to many of you "The Master Cleanse Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" which Kathy and I have used over the past three years with success. As with any diet, you should consult with your physician before beginning. Do your research and know what you are getting into before beginning. Be committed to your goal as you will find that sticking to a diet can be one of the hardest things you do. Almost everyone I know who has completed a cleanse and improved eating habits has been satisfied with the outcome. I won't lie to you, the cleanse is not easy to do, especially when others are eating around you, but well worth the end results.On Sunday, 10/21 I will begin my second cleanse in the past year. I will follow the guidelines in the book, The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. A second book How to lose weight, have more energy and be happy by Peter Glickman is another good reference book when completing the cleanse. When I am finished with the cleanse I will begin following the guidelines in the Paleo Diet for athletes written byLoren Cordain and Joe Friel. Kathy and I first completed the Paleo diet in 2004 while preparing for Ironman Canada and have maintained the principles of the diet ever since. When I stray from the principles of the diet I gain weight (grains and processed foods are my downfall).The cleansing diet is fairly simple. Every morning you begin with an internal salt water bathing by drinking a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. This drink cleanses the colon track and begins the cleansing process. You don't want to be too far away from facilities for about an hour. For the remainder of the day you drink a concoction which consists of 8 -10 ounces of luke warm water, 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or lime, 2 Tbsp of Grade A or B dark Maple Syrup and 1/10th of Tsp of Cayenne pepper. You have the drink whenever you find yourself getting hungry.Why do the cleanse?
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body .
To eliminate all usable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
Besides the weight loss , I noticed an improvement in my sense of smell, taste and hearing. I started today at 166 and plan to chronicle my journey through the completion of the process.
Let the journey begin!!!!
While conducting year end meetings, a number of you expressed a desire to lose weight and improve strength in the off season. Improving your strength to weight ratio is one of the keys to getting faster. The off season is the perfect time to lose weight since you aren't placing the extra demands on your body that you do during the race season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays just around the corner the time to start a diet is now. I've mentioned to many of you "The Master Cleanse Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" which Kathy and I have used over the past three years with success. As with any diet, you should consult with your physician before beginning. Do your research and know what you are getting into before beginning. Be committed to your goal as you will find that sticking to a diet can be one of the hardest things you do. Almost everyone I know who has completed a cleanse and improved eating habits has been satisfied with the outcome. I won't lie to you, the cleanse is not easy to do, especially when others are eating around you, but well worth the end results.On Sunday, 10/21 I will begin my second cleanse in the past year. I will follow the guidelines in the book, The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. A second book How to lose weight, have more energy and be happy by Peter Glickman is another good reference book when completing the cleanse. When I am finished with the cleanse I will begin following the guidelines in the Paleo Diet for athletes written byLoren Cordain and Joe Friel. Kathy and I first completed the Paleo diet in 2004 while preparing for Ironman Canada and have maintained the principles of the diet ever since. When I stray from the principles of the diet I gain weight (grains and processed foods are my downfall).The cleansing diet is fairly simple. Every morning you begin with an internal salt water bathing by drinking a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. This drink cleanses the colon track and begins the cleansing process. You don't want to be too far away from facilities for about an hour. For the remainder of the day you drink a concoction which consists of 8 -10 ounces of luke warm water, 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or lime, 2 Tbsp of Grade A or B dark Maple Syrup and 1/10th of Tsp of Cayenne pepper. You have the drink whenever you find yourself getting hungry.Why do the cleanse?
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body .
To eliminate all usable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
Besides the weight loss , I noticed an improvement in my sense of smell, taste and hearing. I started today at 166 and plan to chronicle my journey through the completion of the process.
Let the journey begin!!!!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
October
Most of my training these days is spent in the pool and in the weight room. My goal for the next two months is to improve my efficiencies in the water and improve my overall body strength. I've asked a friend to meet me in the weight room every Tuesday and Thursday morning (add a 3rd day by myself)and so far the accountability of "having to meet someone" is proving beneficial. It has become too easy to stay at home and do some work or answer e-mails. The weight routine for this month is adaption. I'm getting my muscles and ligaments ready for the harder work which will come.
In the pool I have incorporated a lot of drill work. I purchased a snorkel from Finis and have used the aides to allow me to focus on the benefit of each drill. With very little work I have noticed a dramatic improvement in the manner in which I move through the water. The combination of strength training (which includes core work) has already shown benefits in my average 100 pacing and I haven't even worked on speed.
I also plan to bike 2-3 times a week. The weather will dictate what type of riding a do (indoors on the computrainer) or outdoors. My goal is to improving pedaling efficiencies and build base (same as it is most years).
No running this month as I'm still dealing with some side effects from the medication I took. The antibiotics I was on has a side effect of severe muscle cramping. A bunch of the local triathletes play on a kick ball team and while I was running to first the other night both my quads seized on me. I'm off the meds now but the quads still aren't happy. I'm trying to decide what to do next.
Kona is this weekend and we had our annual Kona send off bash for local athletes going to the race. The event was well attended and based on the number of bottles of wine (20) and beer bottles (48) everyone had a good time. This affair is a great way for the local athletes to come together one last time before going into hibernation for the winter.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Why Can't We Be Friends
This morning I woke up before my alarm as I had a lot on my mind. I've had problems sleeping my entire life and when I'm stressed, facing an important decision or some thing critical is going on in my life I tend to have an over active mind when I sleep.
I headed down to the pool and was on deck at 5 am. Masters doesn't begin until 5:30 and with this being "stroke day" I wasn't overly eager to get in the water. I decided to stretch and went outdoors onto the patio and listened to songs on my I-Pod. It was a glorious fall morning in Colorado, the sky was clear, the moon and the stars were bright. I laid on the deck stretching and the old song by War came on "Why Can't We Be Friends". I laid there and thought about a conflict I have going on in my life. I'm fairly confident that Highlands Ranch, Colorado has more coaches per triathlete than anywhere in the USA. Perhaps San Diego has a different ratio but it is close either way. Regardless of the industry, competition brings out the worst in some people. Since becoming a coach I've been shocked at the things I hear about me and my business from others in the triathlon community. I've always attempted to be a good corporate citizen. Prior to becoming a coach I started a local tri club that grew to win several national championships, started races, given free advice, donated my time to various races and spoke for free to different clubs in the area to name a few.
As I stared up at the stars I wondered why certain people have to live in a life filled with conflict and deceptive lies? I've done plenty of stupid things in my life. I've said things I should have said and acted without thinking at times. I'm human, I error. However, I've always taken ownership for my actions. As the stars winked at me from above I pondered my current dilemma. I despise when peoples own personal agendas conflicts with loyalty to a friend. I'm a loyal friend, someone does something to harm a "good" friend of mine and my alliance is to my friend. I think as a society we lack good old fashion loyalty to our friends. I think back to my father who has played cards with the same group of friends for the past 55 years. Every month they travel to a common place to play cards. There are 10 of them and never in my entire life have I heard my father utter a negative thing about one of them. Through illness, death and distance they have remained good and loyal friends. I'm confident that at some point in time someone had to do something that pissed someone off, yet they remain friends. I've been told I expect too much of others and that my expectations are too high. I've thought about this a lot but it is who I am and who I choose to be. If my expectations cause my own sorrow or disappointment I have no one to blame but myself.
The wind began to increase and the air was crisp. I went inside and the smell of the chlorine brought me back to reality. The water offers a wonderful hiding place from the conflicts we experience in life.. No phones, no e-mails..........nothing but the sound of water churning. I didn't swim particularly well today but I was grateful for the hour I had away from my problem. I have many things to be grateful for and need to do a better job of remembering this. A beautiful and talented wife who loves me even with my faults, my children, a wonderful triathlon community (the best in the land if you ask me and I will argue this point until the day I die), a roof over my head, a loving family and the list goes on....
I'm not sure how my current situation will be resolved but I know that I have an impact into how I let this affect me mentally. My wife tells me that there are periods in your life when you need to weed the garden. As a gardener I'm aware that getting rid of the weeds allows for roots to grow deeper and offers an opportunity for the healthier plants to develop and grow. I believe the same process applies with friends and business acquaintances. Life will go on and new friendships will be formed, some friends will become acquaintances and others will develop and grow, but I can't help but think.......Why Can't We All Just Be Friends?????
I headed down to the pool and was on deck at 5 am. Masters doesn't begin until 5:30 and with this being "stroke day" I wasn't overly eager to get in the water. I decided to stretch and went outdoors onto the patio and listened to songs on my I-Pod. It was a glorious fall morning in Colorado, the sky was clear, the moon and the stars were bright. I laid on the deck stretching and the old song by War came on "Why Can't We Be Friends". I laid there and thought about a conflict I have going on in my life. I'm fairly confident that Highlands Ranch, Colorado has more coaches per triathlete than anywhere in the USA. Perhaps San Diego has a different ratio but it is close either way. Regardless of the industry, competition brings out the worst in some people. Since becoming a coach I've been shocked at the things I hear about me and my business from others in the triathlon community. I've always attempted to be a good corporate citizen. Prior to becoming a coach I started a local tri club that grew to win several national championships, started races, given free advice, donated my time to various races and spoke for free to different clubs in the area to name a few.
As I stared up at the stars I wondered why certain people have to live in a life filled with conflict and deceptive lies? I've done plenty of stupid things in my life. I've said things I should have said and acted without thinking at times. I'm human, I error. However, I've always taken ownership for my actions. As the stars winked at me from above I pondered my current dilemma. I despise when peoples own personal agendas conflicts with loyalty to a friend. I'm a loyal friend, someone does something to harm a "good" friend of mine and my alliance is to my friend. I think as a society we lack good old fashion loyalty to our friends. I think back to my father who has played cards with the same group of friends for the past 55 years. Every month they travel to a common place to play cards. There are 10 of them and never in my entire life have I heard my father utter a negative thing about one of them. Through illness, death and distance they have remained good and loyal friends. I'm confident that at some point in time someone had to do something that pissed someone off, yet they remain friends. I've been told I expect too much of others and that my expectations are too high. I've thought about this a lot but it is who I am and who I choose to be. If my expectations cause my own sorrow or disappointment I have no one to blame but myself.
The wind began to increase and the air was crisp. I went inside and the smell of the chlorine brought me back to reality. The water offers a wonderful hiding place from the conflicts we experience in life.. No phones, no e-mails..........nothing but the sound of water churning. I didn't swim particularly well today but I was grateful for the hour I had away from my problem. I have many things to be grateful for and need to do a better job of remembering this. A beautiful and talented wife who loves me even with my faults, my children, a wonderful triathlon community (the best in the land if you ask me and I will argue this point until the day I die), a roof over my head, a loving family and the list goes on....
I'm not sure how my current situation will be resolved but I know that I have an impact into how I let this affect me mentally. My wife tells me that there are periods in your life when you need to weed the garden. As a gardener I'm aware that getting rid of the weeds allows for roots to grow deeper and offers an opportunity for the healthier plants to develop and grow. I believe the same process applies with friends and business acquaintances. Life will go on and new friendships will be formed, some friends will become acquaintances and others will develop and grow, but I can't help but think.......Why Can't We All Just Be Friends?????
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