Life and Times...

New things on the horizon

2009-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

The past weeks have been tough for me. At the same time, though, I've learned a lot about myself. I've spent more time with myself in the last two weeks than I have in years. I have no one to blame for this but myself, but I think that it's probably one of the best things that could've happened to me.

The last couple of days I've beeing doing a lot of thinking. I guess that happens when you ride your bike and run a lot :). It's nice to be able to have this time to get myself into deep thought. I've figured out quite a bit about myself and suprisingly, I've liked a lot of what I've found out.

In the coming weeks I plan on using my time in a few ways. First and foremost, I plan to train my ass off for my last couple races of the season. Combined with the extra time I have for sleep and recovery, I feel that I can really make a good dent and improve on some fitness in the last 5 or so weeks I have left this year.

Next, I plan on committing myself to work. In the coming year, I'd like to get my debt to zero. Often times over the past years, I've spent a lot of needless money and made a lot of bad financial decisions. I have the opportunity in my life right now to work on straightening out my economic woes and start with a fresh sheet. Not many people my age are awarded this opportunity, and I realize I need to make the most of it.

Lastly, I'd like to open up my social horizons. Again, this is the fault of no one but me, but I've been kinda slack in the "friends dept." lately. I've always been the girlfriend guy, which is perfectly fine, but at the same time I started hanging out with the girls more and the guys less. I've been on a few "Man-dates" and "Man-outings" and really enjoyed myself. It's nice to be one of the guys again.

One more thing: I've really found a passion with triathlon. I've sort of played at doing it before, never really committing as much as I could. I would train as hard as I could, but then spend the night out late, drinking too much, and race way under my potential. Several times I even went out and had a few beers the night before a race. It takes a long time to get good, but more importantly, it takes a long time of doing the right thing to get good. Unlike other sports I've played, you can't just show up and be good with triathlon. Talent it certainly part of the game in triathlon, but as far as I've discovered more times than not the guy/girl that put in the hard work over and over again, will come out on top. I know I have some talent with this, and now I plan on putting in the "right work" behind it.

Positive, Positve, Positive.

Rolling Along

2009-08-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Just having a strange couple of weeks. On a personal level, things have been sort of wacky. I'm in a transitional phase, and I honestly think it's the right thing in the long run. There has been a lot of hurt and sadness associated with it, but I think in the end it will be the right thing.

Triathlon-wise, I can't remember a time when I've ever been so focused. It's funny because I haven't been in this sport for all that long, but I feel like it's where I'm suppossed to be. Everything about this sport gives me butterflies. I get pumped up when watching competition videos and cry when I think about what I want out of this sport. From here on out, I'm promising myself to give it everything I have. I will not have regrets. I want to dive headfirst into it, and enjoy every failure and success. There's nothing that I want to leave behind. At this point in my life, I can afford to go all in. There's nothing holding me back and I would be cheating myself if I didn't take advantage of this. This is the time for dedication, and I plan on leaving it all in the pool/on the bike/on the road.

With that, I'm excited and scared at the same time. Time and time again I've let myself get caught up in my head. For all of my college athletic career, I allowed outside sh*t to dictate my performance. This is also something I promise myself NOT to allow to happen.

I'm so encouraged by certain aspects in my last race that it has me bouncing off the wall in anticipation of more. I'm gonna keep doing this until I get it right or I die trying. It's time to get off my knees and live life on my feet! This is it. One minute at a time.

Timberman Race Report...Well sort of...

2009-08-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Race reports take too damned long to report on. If I'm happy and stoked about my race, it's a little easier, but at this distance, I still have a bunch to learn, so this is a little bit of a task to write.

Hands down, Timberman was the best race I've ever been involved in. It's considered a "triathlon festival" and by all means lives up to this definition. It's like a weird cross between Woodstock and triathlon. There are plenty of hippies walking around, only instead of flowers in their hair, they're wearing compression socks with cargo shorts. Very interesting group and I'm proud to be a member.

So the race went well. It was a little hectic at times and I was proud to have stuck to my plan. In short, my swim was mediocre at best (I never thought I'd say a swim around 30 mins in a half iron race was mediocre, but for where I'm at as a swimmer now, I honestly feel that way). I did get kicked in the face 20 meters from the start, but that's just part of the game and it didn't rattle me in the least. The only reason I believe my swim was slow was the fact that I didn't swim in a wetsuit for 2 monts prior to the event. My last race was in June and at that point I was very fast in the wetsuit. Sunday I feel like it actually slowed me down as my shoulders tired prematurely.

The bike was by far the best part of my race. It wasn't the fastest time I was capable of, but I was happy with my pacing overall. I believe my bike split was around the 2:30 mark. I'm impressed because I honestly never got out of breath once on the bike, and at most times was holding waaaay back. My plan was to run like hell and I wanted every ounce of energy left to lay the smackdown on the half marathon.

On to the run. This is where things began to die slowly for me. When I'm fit I can run fast. I'm a teriffic 5 and 10 k runner, but the nature of a half ironman doesn't allow me to run like I'm capable of. My first 5k off the bike was strong. Not fast, as I was holding back, but strong. The next 5 k was also strong, but I still held back. My plan going into the race was to hold back on the first 10k, and crush the second 10k. However, by the time that final 10k came, I had no high gear. In fact, I found myself slowly fading, and fading, and fading.

From what I've read and listened to from coaches and athletes, the third 5k is usually where people fade, but often they come back strong in the final 5k. This is what I anticipated, but I never came back. It was a tough way to end what was otherwise a decent day, but just like all my races this season, it's taught me volumes about what it is going to take to get me to the level I want to be at in this sport.

In talking with my coach the night after the race, it because apparent that I didn't train to race the distance. Many of my longest days consisted of only 4 hours at the most. Simply put, my engine just wasn't tuned for what I tried to make it do. I've always had speed, and coming from explosive sports like football, lacrosse, hockey, and mma, I'm well equiped to sprint, but the long stuff has thus far eluded me. The good news, though, is that I've got time to learn and time to develop as a more complete triathlete.

I have one more half ironman distance race left this season, and I plan on putting in some long days in the five weeks before it. I don't expect this to make a gigantic difference, but I do expect it to change some things. I'm going into this final race with no specific intentions, only to see what the fruits of my labor will be. Six hour days will become a reality for me these final weeks. It'll be a good start.

Finally, self reflection is obviously a very important part of the game for any athlete. I've always been hard on myself because I've always had a lot of talent. I now see, though, that I've been too hard on myself many times. It takes a long time to get good at any sport, and with this one I need relax and work hard. It's not gonna happen overnight, but it is going to happen.

"This is your life...And it's ending one minute at a time."

2009-08-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I've had some personal mishaps lately. It was a rough weekend and the days are only getting worse. Without going into detail, relationships are one of the hardest things in life. Love isn't quantifiable. It's not like a workout we can track, mileage we can clock, or a pace we can set. There are ups and downs that come at the times when you least expect them. I think if you're truly in love (like I am), there is no limit to the suprises (good and bad) that come out of that love. In the end, I just hope everything turns out for the best, no matter how good it feels or how much it hurts.

As far as training is concerned, I've reached the taper. Unbeknownst to my coach (sorry John), I started my taper a bit earlier than planned. Toward the end of my buildup to Timberman, I started to feel like crap on a regular basis. I don't sleep much, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. Also, a few weeks back, I was having INSANE workouts. I felt like I was invincible, and, in hindsight, this was the beginning of what certainly could have been the end for me. I was going out each and every day thinking that there would be no end to my fitness. I was healthy, fast, and felt great, so why stop?

Well, that soon came crashing down as in the next weeks I was totally burned out. It's true what they say about how peak fitness is like being at the edge of a cliff: Control it and you won't fall-push to much and you'll go tumbling down. Luckily, I caught a branch on the side of the cliff on the way down and was able to pull myself back up. It took some good friends to convince me that actually taking a step back was what I needed. So I took their advice, (Plus the wisdom of Lucho and Matty Reed-both of whom were kind enough to comment and leave me some great training advice) took some time to bring the volume down a notch, and now I feel like myself again.
I have no doubt that Timberman will be my best race to date. I've decided to have no specific expectations about this race, only to let it happen. Another major mistake I have made is expecting too much too quickly. I have a lot of talent in this sport, and there is a lot that I will do with it, but it will take some time. As Matt Reed said in his comment, "There are no shortcuts." I've got to do the work and put in the time-I'm still new to this for goodness sake! The strides I've made this season (namely becoming an actual swimmer!) are definately things I'm proud of. I plan on taking the advice I've gotten from others, lay back, and let the race unfold in front of me. ENDURANCE is the name of the game.

So this weekend we'll see where this strategy leaves me. I'm sure that New Hampshire will be a fun time and I'll learn quite a bit. I'm looking forward to the education.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

A lot going on

2009-08-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

So there's been a ton going on for me the last couple of weeks-hence the slowness with the updates.

First and foremost I want to thank Matty Reed for stopping by to check out the blog. He left a comment on the "What Would Matty Reed Do?" post I put up a couple of months ago. Scroll down and check it out!

Training has been going ok lately. I only say ok because I'm teetering on the brink of overtraining. I'm in a tricky place where I haven't raced in over a month and my fitness is definately reaching a peak. I'm still two weeks out from my big "A" race (Timberman) and I'm honestly sick of training. Actually it's not that I'm sick of training, it's that my body is sick of it. Recently I haven't been feeling strong when I train. Almost constantly I'm in a fatigued state. I know that red flags are going up and it's time to slow it down. To put it in the words of my buddy Grant, the bucket is full right now and it's not gonna get more full. The biggest thing I have to do know in the remaining weeks is be smart and not overflow the bucket. Therefore, I'm gonna go off my plan a bit, cut the volume down, and concentrate on quality work.

My swim ain't gonna get better in two weeks and I'm not gonna get much fitter in those weeks either. If anything, I'd rather be slightly undertrained going into Timberman than overtrained like I fear I may be if I keep pushing the envelope with volume.

All this is hard because I really do LOVE training. Given the aspects of triathlon I don't see how any triathlete could not. I mean, we get to perform so few times in comparison to other sports. Baseball players, basketball players, hockey players, and so on, get so many opportunities to demonstrate their hard work. We're only on stage a fraction of the time they are so we really have to make it count each and every time. In some ways it stinks, but in other ways its a huge draw to the sport.

Otherwise life is good. Busy, but good. I'm happy with the way things are and I can feel there are some big things about to happen for myself and the people around me. Fun time to be alive!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Update

2009-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

Been a while since my last post. The sad thing is that I haven't really been doing all that much training lately, so I really have no excuse. I guess I just haven't needed to say much lately.

Life outside of triathlon has been pretty busy. Work, as always, is busy, but on top of that, Kristen and I have gone out to Montauk for some relaxing, and Canada for a wedding within the last month. I'm an anxious traveler, so this was a bit stressful for me, but everything went smoothly so that helped.

The Canada trip was probably the most interesting. It's nice to go to a wedding with someone you love. Looking at Kristen during the ceremony gave me the chills-in a good way! It was easy to picture us up there getting married. I've never felt that way before, so I guess it's a GOOD thing! On top of that, her family (which I had never really met before) were the nicest people EVER! I can't remember ever being treated so nicely by strangers! Maybe it's just the fact that they're not New Yorker's, but wow they were nice. Basically, the trip was just one big smile!

Back to triathlon, I can't believe it's this point of the year. Tomorrow is the first of August, and Timberman is only about 3 weeks away! Getting down to crunch time. I'm excited to race again and make up for blowing up in CT at Rev3. It'll be a good chance to compete with some great athletes and see how all my training pays off. After that it's on to the Mighty Hamptons Olympic race, and then the Mighty Montauk Half Iron to tie things up at the end of October. I'm going to throw some running races in (10k and they NYC Marathon) just to sweeten things up! :)

So that's about it for now. I get back to training hard on Sunday, so I'm going to use this time to get in all the odds and ends that I never seem to get to when training a lot.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Builing my first bike!!!!

2009-07-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've never actually built a bike from scratch before. I've been one of those fakers that knew how to do most stuff, but never actually HAD to build from the ground up.

This past friday, I recieved two giant boxes from the good people at Fed Ex. One contained a sweet black, naked carbon frame, and the other all the components for said frame. Long story short, I had some work ahead of me.

I've started slow and have been patient with the assmbley, finding out that it's really not all that hard. It's all about not forcing things and taking your time. It's gonna be fun to actually ride something that I'm totally responsible for putting together.

The pic above shows what I've done so far. I'm done with the building part, now I just have to cut the fork, route the cables, and throw on the chain (not in that particular order).

Generally, I've chosen this little project as a de-stresser. Training realeases much of my stress, but I've haven't used my hands to build anything in a while. I think that's an important thing for a man. Call me old fashioned, but there's nothing better than getting your hands a little dirty and spending some quality time with your tools. I think it centers me in a way that not many other things can. Also, I stress a lot about my bikes. I guess it's because I couldn't, in the past, control everything about them. My hope with this bike is to learn EVERYTHING I can about bike maintenance and upkeep. A goal in the back of my mind is to never have to take my bike to the shop again to get fixed. We'll see.

I'm happy to take on this challenge and am excited to see how it turns out. Wish me luck!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

What would Matty Reed do? Part II

2009-07-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've been really into training like a pro lately. Not that I'm into putting in insane volume or anything like that, but just generally following the attitude I imagine most pros have. I've gotten very serious about this triathlon thing this year, and I've found it important to think of it in a professional way.

So today was another time I had to ask myself, "What would Matty Reed (or any other pro) do?"

I've been dealing with a bit of sciatic nerve pain this week. Tuesday morning I got a sharp 'ping' at the top of my right ass cheek that hasn't gone away. It hasn't really hindered my training, but I know it's there. Long story short, after running, biking and swimming like I normally would all week, this morning I woke up to a little more pain. It wasn't much more than the day before, but enough for me to notice. A red flag immediately went up. I figured I'd see how it went, and decide on whether or not to do my 2hr 15 min run later in the day.

Work was busy today, and all I could think of when it came time to train was my bed. I decided to head home, take a nice little midday nap, and then go for the run. Well.....I never made it. I was too tired and the sciatic still hurt. Damage control time.

So this is where thinking like a pro comes in. Do I push through and train for the day injuring myself more, or do I lay off for a day, take care of myself, and feel great tomorrow? I went with option number two.

I think anyone (not a triathlete) looking at this situation form the outside would see this as a complete no brainer. However, for us 'type-A tri-types', the answer isn't so simple. We just wanna push and push and push. Resting to most of us is close to blasphemy. We don't think enough of rest as being an ally. Fortunately, today, I was able to think like a pro and take care of myself instead of making a little thing turn into a big thing. After taking a nice 2 hour nap, eating well, and resting my ass cheek, I already feel better. My head is clear and I'm sure that with a good night's sleep tonight, my body will follow suit.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

What would Matty Reed do?

2009-06-28T05:31:00.001-07:00

So out on my long ride yesterday, I came to a direct conclusion: If you want to race like a fast guy, you gotta train like a fast guy! Easy enough right? When I raced the Rev3 trithlon in CT last month, I truly expected to have the race of my life. I went out strong, but got greedy on the bike. I knew I was super strong going into the race, and figured an AG win would be easy. I got out on the bike, hammered for the first 43 miles (in way too aggressive of a gearing!) and blew the hell up before I even got to the run. In effect, my race was over when the bike was over.

The moral of the story is that I learned something. I learned something not only about myself, but about what it takes to be a top pro. Those guys (and girls) are badasses. They know their bodies, they know how to race, and they know how to push it when they need to and lay off when they need to. Their race day execution is an art. I've learned that it's not just about hammering from the start to the finish, but about letting the race unfold in front of you.

Seeing Matty Reed and the rest of the pro field run back from the out and back on the run was inspiring. Those guys looked so damn strong it was unbelieveable. Sure they hurt, but the experience they have allowed them to figure out how to deal with it.

I say all this to say that I want what these guys have. I want the know how and strength to put together an awesome race. I'm putting in the physical work, now I just have to work on the mental game. It's gonna be interesting to see what I can do when that happens.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

1st Wear Testing Official Vid...

2009-06-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the first official vid for the skins video diary. I just got done today with a great 3 hour ride. Timberman is gonna be very very good for me! Off to try and find an hour to swim between now and the end of the day!

Quote

2009-06-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote in a reply on Heather and Trevor Wurtele's blog from ChuckieV. I read it again and again and I can't think of a better way to sum up why I love triathlon so much. This quote says more about me than I can even write about myself.

Teddy says, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Skins Wear Testing

2009-06-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been given the opportunity to be a wear-tester. They sent me some cool shwag and all I have to do is keep a video diary which I believe they will put on their blog. In an effort to give my loyal readers (all 3 of you!!!) a sneak peak, I've uploaded a couple vids from my first ride with the tights! Here you go!

Mighty Montauk Olympic race report

2009-06-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so screw the Rev3 race report. The race itself was absolutely amazing in every way possible, but my performance sucked so bad (relitive to my fitness and how I should have raced), I don't even want to go into it. The only thing I can say is that I need to learn exactly HOW to race. Triathlon is three disciplines. I'm good at each now, but I just need to put that together....it'll happen.

So it was on to the Mighty Montauk Olympic distance tri today. After Rev3, I needed to get my mojo back and decided if I could get into this race, it would be nice to hop right back into the saddle. The race director, Merle, was very accomodating, and allowed me to enter. The only catch was that I wasn't able to start with the elite wave like I should have, but instead I had to go out with the 40-45 AG. Hmmm.

Ultimately I was able to hop in with the 20-25 AG (still not even my AG). Either way I was just happy to be out there.

The swim went well and I finished in about 22 minutes-much better than my previous oly time of 36...I've come a long way. The bike was really good as well, and the run was solid. I never felt SUPER strong durning this race, but I'm sure that it was a result of my legs still being sore and tired from Rev3. I'm not making an excuse, rather stating a fact. Finishing time was around 1:57:50 (unofficially).

Overall I'm happy with the race. Unfortunately the chip they gave me didn't register at ANY of the checkpoints, so I'm going soley with what my watch said. The effort today was a little on the conservative side. The goal was to put together a complete race and see what would happen. I finished strong and that was what I wanted. If I had been able to race with the rest of the elite wave I'm sure it would have been an all-out effort from start to the finish, and most definately a faster finish.

There are two things that I am going to take away from these last two races. First and most importantly, I'm still very new to this sport. I would really consider this my first year competing. The previous year really was spent hammering away aimlessly without a clue in the world. Secondly, from today's performance I've retained a large part of my confidence. I KNOW I'm fast, and I KNOW I'm going to get faster. The biggest challenge I have is learning to race. When I combine the speed I will have from smart training with the knowledge I'll gain from race experience, things are going to come together nicely.

In the end, it's all a journey. I'm extremely happy I've learned what I have. I'll take these lessons and grow from them.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Rev3 Race Report

2009-06-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

All I can say right now is that it's easy to be happy when things are going well. It's the times, however, when things don't go your way that you find out what you're really made of. Today was that kind of day for me.

More to come later.

The Taper Blues

2009-06-05T03:40:00.000-07:00

So this is the first taper I've attempted...EVER! Hiring a coach has done wonders for me and this is one of them. I always heard about this taper thing, but didn't know quite how to do it. I didn't know for how long, to what extent, and exactly what the hell I should be doing. Not exactly a good plan going into any race.

I would have to say though, this is the first time that I've actually NEEDED to taper. It's not like I've been doing this sport for all that long, but since being coached, I've never trained so much and expected so much from my body. I can literally feel myself getting faster and more well tuned by the day. Such a good feeling.

Now this week has been putting the finish on. I'm antsy and ready to go. I have a sort of calm fury building in me, and my hope is that on Sunday I will be able to let it go. The closest thing I can think of is a caged lion ready to attack some poor zebra. It's like the lion's been caged, watching the zebra run back and forth in front of his cage for 6 days, and on the 7th, BAM! The lion gets out and unleashes hell on the zebra! Kind of blunt, but you get my point.

I've come to realize two things about myself in the lead up to this race. The first is that I absolutely love everything about triathlon. The people (some I could do with out), the equipment, the venues, the training (especially!!!), the websites, the flashy aero gear, and most of all the healthy attitude! Secondly, I believe I've found who I truly am through this sport. Even through highschool and college, I never was able to carve out a niche for myself in the activities I choose. Sure I was an athlete, I was popular, and I was very good socially, but on the inside I was never able to gather a true comfort within myself for what I was doing. In otherwords, I allowed the group or sport I was in to define me, not the other way around.

Now, I think that I've come to a sport that is me. I get bored with only one focus and triathlon has provided me with three! I'm a bit extreme and triathlon is the original extreme sport! I like to challenge myself and triathlon gives me that, day in and day out! Let's just say that I've always been a triathlete, even though I've only done the sport for two years.

With all these things on my mind I'm ready to let it rip on Sunday. This race is really more of a test than anything else, but I guess when it comes down to it they all are. I'm ready to see if what I'm doing is going to work, and what I need to change going forward to acheive my goals. I have every faith in my coach and the work I've done. It's a good feeling.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Ready for the Fight

2009-06-02T04:54:00.001-07:00

The training is done. The weight has been lost. The expensive bike stuff has been bought. And now it's time to fight.

Since my fighting days, I like to approach competition like a fight-it just works for me. There's nothing like the lead up to a fight. Much like training for races, it takes a LONG time to get in shape. Hours and hours are spent working on form and technique, and sweating your ass off when no one is looking. Some days are great and others are not, but consistancy is the thing. You have to outwork your opponent way before the day you see them in the ring. The fight is really you vs. yourself vs. them.

So I've found the same holds true for triathlon. I've spent so many hours sweating it out all alone. I've been in the pool dozens and dozens of times when I didn't want to be there. I've run in hail storms and trudged through muddy trails. I've ridden my bike until my hands and feet have become so numb I can't walk or tie shoelaces. All of this I've done when no one was watching. There was no one there to impress. There was no one there to push me. Desire to be better was my only 'real' training partner.

I was talking to Kristen the other day about something that happened in her life that was ridiculously unfair. She had done all the work, put in the blood sweat and tears, yet got minimal recognition for her accomplishments. Naturally, she was pissed. In trying to comfort her, I explained that she shouldn't let it get to her because she A) can't control other people's decisions, and B) should know in her heart that she did everything that she could possibly do. In my eyes (as well as many others I'm sure) she deserved much more than she got. The only thing she didn't get for it was the papers and plaques telling her that other people recognized her accomplishments.

So that got me to thinking about why I train and what my motivation to race is. When you break it all down, I train and race to find out what I'm made of. I want to progress and to keep wining and placing high in races, but I LOVE the feeling of pushing when there's no one there.

I used to do all my running around the downtown section of my town. I believed that running in front of people would make me run harder, and therefore faster. Now, though, I'm all about the trails and backroads. If no one sees me, I just have myself to be accountable to-and I'm NOT lying to myself.

I don't know if this is how others feel, but this is my take on it. I'll bethinking about all those solitary training hours when I'm racing this weekend. I won't lie to myself then, either.

Push 'till ya puke...always.

Life Advocate

2009-05-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I learned something about myself yesterday when I was out doing yardwork-I am an advocate of life. Not just experiencing it, but really being healthy and living with more "primitive" attitude than most.

I realized that material things really mean nothing. Not the car we drive, the clothes we wear, or even (and this will be a shock for triathletes everywhere) the bike we ride! I've come to the firm conclusion that material things will be the downfall of our species. We're so concerned with how much money we make and generally what we own, that we forget we're here to SURVIVE!

Survival is our first and foremost concern and most all of us forget about it. We forget about it when we eat badly. We forget about it when we drive our gas-guzzlers. We forget about it as we type on our computors. It's sad but true. The invention of pockets has changed our species forever.

One of my favorite pasttimes is running. Thinking about it, I've always loved to do it. Even as a child I can remember times when I would run in parks during family barbeques just for the fun of it. Visiting cousins in upstate New York, I'd convince them to go out on these day long hike/runs through the woods. I knew they hated it, but I loved every second of it!

A lot goes through my head when I run-past the blaring music in my ears from my ipod. I've realized that the reason I like it so much is that it's REAL. There's no machine, no engine, nothing between my feet and the earth (except maybe a thin EVA sole). This is what we we're meant to do. My ancestors did this. Their ancestors did this. If you believe it, Adam and Eve did it too! This is the ONE thing we share with EVERY single human the earth has ever seen. We've been blessed with immediate transportation straped to our legs. These beautiful feet to get us from one place to the next. Simply marvelous.

It saddens me though, that so few of us these days choose to use what God gave us. We have our big shiny cars, trains, and airplanes to get us from A to B. Most people these days are frieghtened to go 1 freakin' mile on foot! ONE MILE! That's a 20 minute walk if you're moving at a turtles pace! Then you hear of all the dangers of running-"You'll ruin your knees" or "I'm too heavy to run". Why do you think you'll hurt your knees and you're too heavy??? Because for your whole life you've been sitting and riding!

The bottom line is "F" technology. "F" all the things that we think we need. The truth is, we're born with only one possesion-our body! As ChuckieV says, it's the only thing that we'll truly have and own. Let's start using and caring for it. Think about that as you go through your day. I garauntee you'll see the world in a different light.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Key Workout

2009-05-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I complete a very key workout in my training for the Rev 3 tri. I was basically to do a race simulator, envolving a 56 mi, race-pace bike ride, followed by a 11 mi race-pace plus :30 run. To put it in words, I KILLED IT! and I had to stop a bunch for cars on the bike!

I decided to do the hilliest bike and run loops I could find. Generally, I wanted to tourture myself beyond belief, mentally preparing myself for the course up in Connecticut. I felt that if I can handle the torture I'm putting myself through on my own, I can handle ANYTHING in the race. What I've found through this is that I really have an iron will to demolish myself. There must be some subconcious thing about myself that I hate and this is how I choose to get it out! :)

I also suprised myself with my level of current fitness. I'm so far ahead of where I thought I would be it's scary. Running as well as I did off the bike yesterday made me feel like a Spartan. Especially as my nutrition on the bike was equivalent to an elephant dining on a mouse. In other words, I need to learn that nutrition is not an option, it's a MUST!

Overall I'm happy with the outcome of yesterday's performance. I'm going to do the same workout in a week, so we'll see how much better I do with nutrition then. I'm NOT going to measure this workout, however, I'm only going to do it by feel. I'll do the same course and the same run, but without a watch. Knowing my gentle and fragile psyche, I don't think it would give me a big boost to see declining numbers (if that's the case-and hopefully it WON'T be) the week before a big race.

With that I'll leave you with my checklist for the Rev 3 triathlon-personal checklist that is:

-Lot's of lube-my TAINT killed me yesterday as I forgot to 'lube up' before the ride. Usually I use Body Glide, but forgot yesterday. I will definately be using it liberally next week and for the race!

-Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition-need I say more?

-A good attitude-several times yesterday on the beginning of the bike I lost it mentally and got frustrated with the wind, hills, etc. I HAVE to keep that in check and just keep smiling!

-Testicular Fortitude-my highschool football/lacrosse coach used to use this phrase and it's stuck. You gotta have Balls! No doubt about it. "It's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can GET hit and keep getting up"-I love that quote.

So that's it. Training and getting ready for the test. I have to say, this is the FIRST time I've actually done my homework! Feels great! Too bad school wasn't that way!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Rollin' Along

2009-05-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

So the days here are rolling along quite nicely. I've been training a lot and working a lot, not to mention seeing Kristen and trying to get some sleep. Nothing much new, just plotting along until Rev3 in a couple weeks.

I got the oportunity to demo the new Argon18 e-114. All I can say is this is a DANGEROUS bike! Not in a bad way, but in a "Holy Sh*t!" way. What a faaaaast bike! The one I've been riding is a equipped with a Zipp 404 front wheel and an 808 rear. Very fast. I never realized what it was to slip throught the wind, but this bike does it! Not like my Trek TTX isn't the sexiest bike known to man (well to me at least), but this bike definately rocks! Maybe one day I can afford one!

Otherwise, Kristen graduated from grad-school yesterday, getting her Master's Degree in Physical Education. I'm so proud of her! She really looked great walkin' across the stage in her 'poo poo brown' graduation gown! Good look babe!

So that's about all for now. Long open water swim on tap for today and a super hard race simulator for tomorrow. 5 hour ride on Sunday and then it starts to get scaled down for the race June 7th. I'm nervous for the race, but in a good way. It will be great to see how I race now that I've officially been coached through this process. This race will be a good dress rehersal for the real fireworks later in New Hampshire in August.

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

Doubles Table Tennis!

2009-05-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Watching doubles table tennis on Universal sports right now and I have to say these girls are some freakin' athletes! Not only do they NOT take one another out, but they hit that damn ball as fast as I've ever seen anyone hit a freakin ping-pong ball! I'm sloppy enough playing table tennis by myself, but if I played with a partner on the SAME side of the table someone would be missing teeth!

Anyway, I got in a really great ride yesterday. As I'm gearing up for my first 'A' race of the year, my coach had me do a race simulator yesterday. It was to be a race-pace 60 mile ride followed by a race-pace plus :30, 7 mile run. Fun stuff! I did the bike in great time and added some killer climbs in the mix. Total climbing was around 3700 feet-tough to find on Long Island!!!!

The run was a game time decision. Since banging up my toe during last Sunday's race, I've only done one run for about an hour and 40 mins. That's it. During that run, the toe felt a little achy, but I managed. The next day, however, was a different story. Swollen and busted the f up, I could barely walk on it. So I gave it some rest and decided only to bike yesterday...no run :(.

After the ride I got together with a friend and went for a little open water swim. The water here in Long Island sound is about 52 degrees-not fun! It did feel great to get in though after the bike-my legs were shot!

So today is another open water swim. Wetsuit, neoprene cap, and goggles! The air is warm and the water is cool, but calm. Great conditions! I'll stay in as long as I can tolerate it, but I'm hoping to get in about 3000 yards. Wish me luck!

Gotta go, Beach Volleyball is on! BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD!

Push till ya puke...always!!!

The Cocky Triathlete

2009-05-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've come to a conclusion. I'm sick of people who have no idea as to what fitness means or how to truly achieve it, telling my WHY it is I do what I do, or WHY it is I look the way I do. I work in a gym, so day in and day out I'm faced with people asking me fitness questions, diet questions, and the like. Most often, when people come up to me, I give them straight answers, using the knowledge I've aquired over the years.

But now I'm sick of it. Today I was TOLD that the reason I'm so skinny is because I drink coffee! Can you believe it, COFFEE!!!??? Really??? Everyone is so obsessed with looking for the 'magic bullet', that they are not willing to account for the hard work and consistancy I've been putting in for YEARS!!! No one gets it. It's not because I drink coffee, or take a pill, or use a TV-bought exercise machine-My physique comes from hard work, eating right (most of the time), and consistancy...THAT'S IT!!! There's no magic potion, no bells and whistles, and CERTAINLY NO FREKIN' PILLS!!!

I've been thinking about this all for a while now, and it's really time to start a new movement in fitness. People need to truly know that there are no shortcuts. Anyone that has achieved a certain level of fitness (note-I did not say a certain LOOK), has put in consistant hard hours of labor to get what they have. Unfortunately, Americans are so obsessed with IMMEDIATE RESULTS that they don't stick with ANYTHING. we have instant gratification EVERYWHERE we look. Blackberry's, emails, television...EVERYTHING!!!

I just need to vent today. I'm tired of people thinking this way. WE NEED TO CHANGE! I used to think that many very fit people were just cocky a**holes... Well I guess I'm one of them now because I cannot deal with this anymore! I'm now on a mission to change everyone's perspective!

Let's do it!!!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!!!!

The day after...

2009-05-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning feeling like I was a hundred years old. After my little transition mishap (see yesterday's post), I'm feeling the effects of the fall. Luckily, after taking the bike to the shop to get checked out, it seems no worse for wear. I, on the other hand, am feeling it. This is the first time I've put out such an intense effort and feel absolutely no effects from the race. However, my elbow, right thigh, knee and toe, are feeling the impact of the fall. Such is racing I guess...

So today has been all about taking it slow. Monday's are usually my rest day's anyway, but today I'm making an extra effort to stay off my feet. It's not working out! I've been super busy at work today, which means standing for hours at a time training clients. I love what I do so it's not excruciating, I just know that I'm not getting in as much true 'rest' as I need.

On another note, has anyone out there ever NOT been able to control your appetite on rest days? What I'm trying to get at is why I am STARVING on the days that I do no training, but on the days I do train, I'm never hungry. I could ride for five hours and not feel at all hungry when I'm done, yet when I sit on my butt all day, I can't get enough food in my mouth. I know I'm repairing in this down time, but I still just find it strange!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back to training tomorrow and working harder. It's nice to have a win already under my belt this season, but in order to get the results I'm looking for this year, I have to get back to the grind. I LOVE THIS SPORT!

HTFU before you get KTFO!!!!

Carl Hart Mother's Day Duathlon Race Report

2009-05-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Great race!!!! That's really the first thing I can think of when I try to account for today. Great weather (a little windy, but hey, we all have to deal with it!), great people, lots of fun!

Today was a HUGE benchmark for me. As written in my post yesterday, I wanted to win this race-no if, ands, or buts. I would be happy with besting my previous time from last year, but in my heart, this race HAD to be mine. I've trained hard, rested hard, eaten right, and desperately wanted the win. Ok, so on to the report:

1st run (1.8 mi)-I wanted to go out at a moderate pace. Seeing a friend of mine (who happens to be a pretty hot shot cross country runner) got me nervous. This kid is fast. He's young, and has run forever! I on the other hand have been a lacrosse and football player type my whole life, at one point weighing in at 250 lbs. Needless to say I was worried. We took off pretty quick after the gun. I'm not sure of our exact pace, but I'm sure it was in the mid to lower 5's. Not bad for me, and at my present fitness, it was definately sustainable. So we get moving, and I'm in the top three-just where I had imagined myself. Suddenly, there's a surge from behind me, and one of the local tri-studs is making his way past me. Immediately I think, 'Not today, this is MY race!' So I caught and passed him and my cross country buddy, leading the race into the first transition.

Bike-Now here's were things geat tricky. I got into transition quickly, slipped off my running shoes, buckled my helmet, and I was off. Being that I haven't done a flying mount in a quite a while, I muffed it and fell hard on the road. Just as everyone who's ever loved their bike knows, YOU PROTECT THE BIKE FIRST! :) My sweet, new Trek TTX went down hard so did I. Without missing a step, I got up, dusted Susan (that's my bikes name) off, re-mounted, and we were off. Functionally there was nothing wrong with the bike, but I had unknowingly lost a perfectly good toenail in the fall-more on that later. By this time, XC buddy had pulled ahead of me on the bike. After regaining my composure, I reeled him in, and never looked back. I led the rest of the bike, fought off the 25-30mph wind gusts on the flat course, and finished the 10.5 mi. course in about 28:30.

2nd Run-I got into the second transition with a fairly comfortable lead (about 45 seconds). I had a flawless transition this time, got the sneaks on, and headed out for the final 1.8 mile run. I was feeling it by now and definately redlining, but the lead I had built on the bike helped as I was able to stay relatively comfortable on the run. As a testament to my fitness, I was actually able to build an even bigger lead on the run, and finish 1st overall.

My first 1st place finish!!! Very happy with the result and very happy with where I am right now. It's amazing what dedication and coaching has given me this year. Not only do I have confidence in what I'm doing, but I feel like I can seriously go to such a higher level! I would consider myself fit right now, but I by no means have peaked yet! This looks like it's going to be a very good season and I look forward to accomplishing a lot. From here on out, the races are within myself. I've learned that putting the time and miles in absolutely works. I just have to keep it up! Thanks for reading!

So for the toenail...I didn't realize it at the time, but during the second run, by foot had been bleeding like a faucet from my lost toenail. As I crossed the finish line, I looked down at my foot to see my beautiful Nike Lunar Racer soaked in blood! I can't wait to see the finish line pic. That's gonna look badass!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!!!!!

Oh, and by the way, my coach said to have a beer or a candy bar to celebrate the win! I think I'll have both! Happy Mother's Day!

Welcome Race Fans!!!

2009-05-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is my second real race of the season. It started with the Suffolk County Half Marathon at the end of march, and now we've come to the first Multisport event of my year-The Carl Hart Mother's Day Duathlon. This is a fun little, local duathlon that I've done twice before. The distances are 1.8 mi run, 10.5 mi bike, 1.8 mi run. Flat and fast is the best way to describe this course.

In doing this race last year I placed third overall and am definately looking to improve on my time from last year. It's important for me to place well, but I'll be happy as long as I beat my time from last year. You never know who's gonna show up on race day, or how you're going to feel so it's only fair to myself to concentrate on my time. This race is really not a major priority for me, and is only a tune up and time to work on my transitions.

I say all this, but in my heart I'll be going for the win. After all, what the hell am I doing all this training for? Sure it helps my head, my body, and my business, but in the end, you TRAIN TO WIN THE RACE!

I'll have a full race report on this little gem of a race tomorrow.

Push 'till ya puke! Always!!!

Thursday-Off

2009-05-07T09:45:00.001-07:00

Today is another rest day. After doing an easy hour run yesterday, followed by an afternoon spin for 45 mins, today is completely off-as well, so am I. For some reason I just find myself HATING people today. What's up with that right? I mean, I'm a very easy going person, happy most of the time, but today I'm totally miserable. I really don't get it.

It's not my clients or the people I work with that are bothering me today, just the general public. Maybe it's the rain that makes people this way, but everyone seems to just be pissed at life. It could also be the fact that I'm not allowed to train today. Not having my daily dose of endorphins really messes with me. I know I'm SUPPOSSED to rest and absorb all the work I've done, but I just feel useless if I'm sitting around.

It's funny to think about these trivial things when people around the world are dying from poverty and disease, but I just can't help myself today. Maybe an afternoon nap and some healthy eating will help me get out of this funk. That or a five hour bike ride! Oh, well...time to catch up on the odds and ends I guess...

Push 'till ya puke...Unless it's your day to rest, in which case be miserable and think about training...Always.

Disclaimer on the pic: I have no idea why I posted this pic, I just happen to like it quite a bit. Also, maybe it's to ease my mind after seeing ChuckieV's lovely blog post pic today! :)

30 min swim...

2009-05-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

This recovery week is probably the first one that I've really really needed since I've started working with my coach. Every third week we take a step back and lighten the load to let my body adapt, and to be honest, before this week I thought I was wasting my time. Not that I was oppossing anything that he's had me do so far-it's made me into a much better triathlete-it's just that I never thought I NEEDED it. Well, that's far out the window now. My body had reached it's limit this past weekend and it's time to reel me back in.

This week is REDICULOUSLY simple. Very easy workouts, with very easy intensity, and the option to take any day off where I feel I need to. So yesterday was completely off, and today was a half hour swim...that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. One half hour of drills, drills, drills. Honestly, by the time I was done warming up, I felt like I was almost done.

Mentally this is a tough week for me. I LOVE training. In fact, I'd almost say I love it more than racing. There's just something about the alone time of it all that I find very pleasing. Usually it's just me and the road. Solitude at it's greatest! Racing is nice and it's definately fun to see the result of all that hard training, but it's really the training that not only draws me to the sport, but has been a great discovery for me in terms of my own personal development. I'm thankful that I've found this sport, and I love every second of it.

Off to bed for now, but I'm sure with all the down time I'll have this week from recovering, I'll be able to post quite a bit! Maybe I'll even try to figure out how to put up some video on this thing!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

Oh, and I have no idea why the picture of Mini-Me...I've just been in an Austin Powers kind of mood lately!

"Cross-mojination" Yeah baby!!!

2009-05-04T07:25:00.002-07:00

I got it back yesterday! And all it took was a ride in the pouring rain!

So after about a week or so of feeling like crap in my training, I took a little bit of extra rest and got back on the horse. Saturday was an easy 3 hour ride, and Sunday was killer! Thirth minute swim, 3hrs 30mins on the bike, and 45min hard run. Crushed it.

I was wet from the moment I got in the pool to the moment I finished the run, but it all came back together and I can't be happier. I never thought a miserably cold bike and run was what it would take, but I guess the elements provided me with the energy necessary to get it done.

Riding and running I felt like one of the Spartans from the movie '300'. I even yelled out, "This is Sparta!" while riding(I think I scared some squirrells). All in all a great day, and just what I needed to get my head back in the game.

Today (and the rest of this week for that matter) is all about resting. There will be plenty of self massage, foam rolling, and sauna in my life for the next 6 days. That's good too, because the weather is gonna stink here this week...rain, rain, rain!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

"Cross-mojination" Yeah baby!!!

2009-05-04T07:25:00.001-07:00

I did it...

2009-05-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm officially an ass. I'm overtrained and I have no one to blame but myself. I've been walking that fine line the past few days, looking at all the symptoms-fatigue, depression, lack of motivation, etc.-and I've just waded through and ignored the right things to do. Namely, I should have rested, eaten properly, and rested again. But, of course, like every other type-A triathlete, I just couldn't get enough.

I got a sweet new Trek TTX the other day and I just couldn't resist the urge to ride more than I should have. I figured it would just be a nice cruise on a sunny day, but after hammering and really 'testing' the bike (like it needed it...), I found myself today sloshing through the pool, having an overall bad attitude, and too tired to walk out of the car and into the house. Needless to say, I passed out from 3 to 6pm this afternoon, and I'm still the walking dead.

Anyway, that's what's up. It's going to be raining here all weekend, so maybe that'll give me a good excuse to rest. God knows I really need it. It's amazing how the body works and what we do to achieve top fitness. Just as I was really starting to come into form, I go and push it just a little bit and BAM! here comes overtraining. I'm learning...

So it's early to bed tonight and REALLY PROMISING myself to take it easier this weekend and stick to the plan. The HR monitor will be my best friend and when in doubt, I'm taking it slow. No need to blow up yet, REV 3 is still a month away.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Flirting with danger..

2009-04-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

I'm flirting with the line of overtraining in the last few days. It's been hot here, and since last weekend, where temps were in the high 80's, it's been a struggle to get used to the weather. It felt great to train in the warmth, but my body SERIOUSLY isn't accustomed to it yet. I usually do very well the hotter the temperature is, but this took me by suprise. Needless to say, I crushed it this past weekend, but am suffering the consequences in training now.

So I decided to scale it back today, and do my workout, but lower the intensity. That, and I added a 90 minute, dumb-easy spin to loosen up my legs and heighten my mood. It seemed to have worked as I feel much better now (writing this as I go to bed) and am in better spirits overall.

It's been a tough couple weeks for me emotionally, but things on that front seem to be coming together. It's amazing how even though you're not taxing your system physically, it can still be very effected by what happens in your head. Interesting...

I'm back at it tomorrow with 4k in the pool and a possible bike in the pm-depending on the weather.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Crazy what a difference a day can make...

2009-04-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

It's awesome how much things can change from one day to the next. I rested today, which gave me even more time to contemplate my life as I've known if for the last week. I've come to the conslusion that there is no conclusion. Just when you think things are headed one way, they swing back and take another, entirely.

I've realized that I really love Kristen tonight, and, like most guys, a lot of the problems that we face come from me! That's right, I admitted it. That's certainly NOT saying that NOTHING is her fault, but this time a large part of the issues we faced dealt with the fact that I can't communicate worth a damn. So there you go...

Everything is fine in Happyland, and I'm off to bed. Big day of running on tap for tomorrow and I need some shut eye.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Water, Two Wheels, Hills, Running Shoes, and more life thoughs

2009-04-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Another productive day in the books. Started at 4am when I woke up to nothing other than the urge to piss like a race horse. This could be because I'm getting older (haha, yeah right at 28?), or, more likely, because I went to bed at 8:30pm the night before. With all the trouble I've been having recently in my relationship, I've been able to sleep like a baby. Ok, well not Friday night-had a migrane all night (which I'm sure was brought about from stress with Kristen, work, and training)-but every other night has been asleep early, up early. I feel like I'm 80:).

So today started with a half hour swim, and then off to the Verizon Wireless store for my new toy. With the nature of my business being the way it is, I NEED a PDA. Otherwise, I'd be completely screwed with all my client contacts, reminders, appointments, etc. I never thought I'd come to rely on technology so much, but alas, I've become a techie.

After the trip to the toy store, a.k.a. Verizon, it was off on the bike for a 3 hour ride. Nothing big, but after the effort yesterday, I was tired after only an hour in the saddle. Not to mention the fact that it was blazing hot outside today-in the 90's here!

So after the bike, I staggered home, placed my bike gingerly against the wall of my living room, and collapsed on the floor. I'm being a little over-dramatic, but I definately had a good lay down on the floor while the dog licked the sweat from my brow. After a little while, I realized I still had to get out for a hilly 30-45 min. run. So I Manned-up, took it on the chin, and headed out the door.

I got in about 35 mins before calling it quits. Tired and done, I made it home, stretched, and downed my recovery drink. Tomorrow will be a great and deserved day off.

Now I'm off to try to avoid the swine flu...Isn't this nuts??? Every time I look at the news it's getting worse. Scary, Scary, Scary. I'm definately going to the doc as soon as I get ANY symptoms!

Oh, and life thoughts... I'm scared with where I'm at right now. It's a definately turning point not only in my relationship, but possibly my life as well. There are a lot of things I have to 'get together' in my life. I've never been good at organization, and I'm worried that if I was to continue down my current path, I may regret some things. Family is becoming more and more important to me, and it's been getting a backseat lately. That scares me. Family is all you got. Without it, you're on an island, and I ain't Gilligan (maybe the professor with his studly looks though :) ).

Push 'till ya puke...always!
oh, and HTFU!!!!!

Hills again...this time on two wheels.

2009-04-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hills, hills, and hills. All on the bike today for 4 hours. GREAT ride! Had a ton of fun with a good friend and really had time to think about a lot of things. I think this is why I love endurance sports. There's something about that point at which your body is being worked to the max that makes you think as clearly as you ever have.

So anyway, during my ride today I thought a lot about life. My life in particular. Have you ever noticed that when parts of your life are going ahead full speed, something gets lost in the dust? It's like there's only so much you can take with you at any given time. There is a big part of my life that I feel I'm losing, but other's are being reborn. I'm scared though. Do I really want this loss? Do I need this loss? What is the cost of this loss? So many questions.

In many regards, I'm happy. But I wonder what can still be. Am I making the biggest mistake of my life, or am I doing what fate intends? I guess they're right-life is what happens when you're making other plans. I'm just gonna go with it and see where it takes me. John Blaze said, "Life is not a dress rehersal," and he was 100% right. We only get one shot at this, so we better get out of it what we want...we'll soon be dead and "you can't come back from that".

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Hills

2009-04-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

Worked it in the hills today. Tough workout. Probably the fastest run I've done in training so far. Something about hills really makes me wanna kick hard. The legs felt good. A little tired from Tuesday's Long run, but I'm very happy with my running right now. Never run so well.

Tough times

2009-04-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Been having a tough time lately. With the car breaking down and things between Kristen and I not so good, it's been a rough week. I wonder why we go through these ebbs and flows...not just Kristen and I, but people in general. It really makes me question things that aren't in my (or any of our) control. What is the higher power? Is it God? Karma? Something/someone else? I don't know exactly what, but boy is it much bigger than I am.

Just when we think we have things all set, a punch in the face comes along to set us straight. Mike Tyson said it best (I can't believe I just said that), "Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face." Truer words have never been spoken Iron Mike.

Just got off the phone after a heated convo with Kristen...

So now life is even tougher. It's difficult enough when things are going well to focus sometimes, and now it's even harder. I know that controversy and adversity is what makes good people great, but it's sure hard as hell to go through.

I'm so scatter-brained right now I can't even think. And I gotta take the dog out for a poo:).

Push 'till ya puke...always.

Ever wonder...

2009-04-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder where everlasting love comes from? I mean the REAL THING...the kind of love that is unconditional in every sense of the word. I think I have trouble accepting love sometime. I wonder how someone can really care THAT much about me. It sounds silly but it happens.

Tonight I saw a demonstration of that unconditional love. So my car breaks down in not so good part of town-about 20 yards from a strip club (see where I'm goin'?). It's pouring rain, my cell phone is just about dead, and there's no one around to pick me up. So I manage to get a hold of my Dad. He's in his mid seventies, struggling with various ailments, among which could be lung cancer, and without hesitation, he asks me how to get to where I am so he can pick me up. Keep in mind, it's 12am and he's been asleep probably since 9pm. To say I'm not crying while I write this would be a total lie. I'm so blessed and fortunate to have the parents I have and this is just one shining example.

I truly don't deserve such a good father, yet he never EVER has let me down-not once. There's no possible way that I can repay him for all that he's done for me. As if I needed another example, tonight I realized just how much I'm loved. I don't think I've ever looked forward to telling my Dad how much I love him. Thanks Dad! You mean so much to me, I just hope I've made you proud in some way!

I love you Dad!

Pissed Beyond Belief...

2009-04-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

So today, after conducting a running class in which NO ONE showed up, I go to work with a client at their house, only to find that I can't get there. No, not because my car broke down. Not because I had a family emergency. I was unable to get there because the road were blocked for a run/walk in the town I live in.

Now, obviously, I'm all for these run/walks. Usually they benefit a charity of some sort, so that's a good thing-not to mention that I LOVE running, biking and swimming and have surely put other people at an inconvenience for my passion. But, being as I live in this town, there were no postings warning residents of the event and possible road closures, nor were there 'polite' people shutting down the roads. As I tried to get to my clients house (and even to my own), I was told to go this way and that, none getting me to where I needed to be. Then, in desperation, I began to argue with the Constables. All in all, the event wound up costing me time with a client-whom I feel terrible about standing up-as well as money from my pocket.

It's unfortunate that things like this happen, not only because it causes people trouble, but because they more importantly get turned off to the idea of holding events like this in their village. They would be much better off planning for the road closures and awaring residents of these closures well ahead of time.

To say I'm mad is an understatement. I'm not one to complain, but this is just plain ridiculous.

It's official

2009-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today it's official. I've signed up for both my "A" races and I couldn't be happier. The butterflies are doing loops in my stomach right now and I'm super psyched to continue killing it in training and working toward some good race performances.

Taking triathlon seriously this year has really changed me as a person. I've always been a focused athlete, but something about this sport really makes your life different. Triathlon, moreso than any other sport I've ever played, is a lifestyle sport. Everything in your life has an influence on performance. If you go out for a night and drink too much, you suffer. If you eat the wrong things, you suffer. If you don't sleep, you suffer. Everything down to the way I cut my toenails has changed because of this sport-and only for the better!

My organizational skills, while still far from perfect, have become more concise. I'm able to get more things done in a day than I ever thought possible...and train well on top of that! Of course I could get more sleep, and at times eat better (or less for that matter:)), but overall my life has been improved beyond belief.

I think a big part of this has also resulted from meeting Kristen. She's really a great catch. Things can be difficult at times (and what relationship isn't!), but at the end of the day, she doesn't take any of my shit. And that's a good thing! I know there's no bullshitting her. She tells it like it is and that's something I've been missing in my life for a long time. I love you babe!

So the races this year will go well. I'm planning on being healthy, happy, and fast! Hard work yeilds results and I've been lucky to learn that this year. I plan on keeping with that philosophy.

HTFU!!!!
(and push 'till ya puke)

New bike, hard training, and a dog

2009-04-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie as I'm about to head out the door to Kristen's for Easter dinner...

So I took the new CARBON tri bike out for a spin and loved every second! Even with everything that I said about how good my bike was in my last post, nothing truly compares to carbon! I'm a convert! It's amazing how fresh my legs were for my run afterwards! It could all be psychological, but even so, if that's enough to make me run faster, that's all I need.

So the dog...

On the Trek's maiden voyage with yours truly as pilot, I got chased by some HUUUUGE freakin' dog... No I know what your thinking, just ride faster right? Nope, I just so happened to be on one of the steepest climbs around. So I'm trying to stay calm, accelerate and ride away, just when he catches me. I thought it was over-and honestly, my first instinct was to protect the bike:). So just as he's about to sink his frothy, slober-filled mouth into my leg, I get a huge sloppy tongue instead! Talk about relief... I was so happy I even stopped to pet the pooch for a bit before going ahead. Not all dogs are all that bad-they just scare the crap out of you from time to time.

Anyway, Happy Easter and Push 'till you Puke, always!

Need vs. Want

2009-03-31T05:01:00.001-07:00

Recently I've been struggling with the idea of buying a new bike. Keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with the THREE that I already have, I'm just interested in upgrading my current tribike to a sexy carbon model. I have probably the best aluminum bike availible, I just want to 'look' faster than I am.

I've tried to justify all the different reasons for upgrading-more comfortable on long rides; stiffer; more aero; etc. The simple truth is that I've never riden ANYTHING stiffer than my aluminum tri bike (including my carbon Specialized Tarmac), and the bike is extremely comfortable, even over rough terrain.

I've talked to my coach about this and he has confirmed to me that I don't need the bike. With the distance I will be covering in my races this year (nothing longer than Half Ironman), along with the fact that I'm young, the advantage gained in buying a more exotic bike will be minimal.

Along with all this, the thing that sticks out most in my mind is something that was written in my coach's blog. He mentioned something to the effect of 'earning' your equipment. That really struck a cord with me. I haven't EARNED anything yet. I'm good, but not good enough yet to really 'deserve' exotic stuff. Once I begin to consistantly place high and win the local races overall rather than just win and place in my age group, I'll make the upgrade. It's all about the engine and not the machine.

Finally, the simple fact is that I should be happy with what I have. Many people can't afford one bike, let alone the three that I have. I'm lucky and extremely blessed. Now I just have to put in the work to make the most of what I DO have!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Race Report-Suffolk County Half Marathon

2009-03-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

So I've got some work left to do.

That's the main lesson from today's race. Well, that and the fact that I know shit about pacing. I went out like a bat out of hell which left me no room to spare come the end of the race. I've never been a runner, and the sports that I've played through college required brute force and bursts of energy...in other words, I ain't exactly a patient athlete. I'm still learning.

So I went out and ran a PR for the first 5k, and then another for the 10k mark. At the midway turnaround I started to hurt. Not bad, but just that kind of hurt that you know you went too hard and the energy you will need won't be there. So I manned up, soldiored on, and finished up in about 20th overall. I made my goal of breaking 1:30, but only by about 5 minutes.

I'm happy for the lessons I've learned today, and I know I can do much much better. Again, this WAS my first stand alone marathon in which I've RACED, so it's a good starting point. I just gotta keep logging my miles and staying positive. It was a good day and an exceptable finish.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Suffolk County Half Marathon Tomorrow!

2009-03-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

First race of the season for me tomorrow and I'm totally nervous as hell! As I've now mentioned countless times, I'm coached now, so with that comes new expectations. With the past races I've done, triathlons, marathons, 5k's, 10k's, etc., I've always run out of sheer determination. I've done well, but never really had a specific plan going into any of them. It's always been more like, 'Well, I guess I'll run today' as a training philosophy.

Now that I've been coached for the last 5 or 6 months, dramatic increases in both fitness and confidence have occured. Most importantly, every day that I get out to train, there is a specific plan. There's a goal to reach for the day, and I feel more and more confident every time I reach it. Gladly, I now feel that I'm no longer just spinning my wheels. Coaching has been worth every penny that I've put into it, and thankfully I have a great coach that doesn't break my bank!

So with that, today I find myself not quite itching to get out the door to do a simple 15 minute workout. Ironic right? I can get up for a 2 and a half hour run, but a simple 15 minute jog with some pickups....it's like pulling teeth. I just want to race damnit! Ok, sorry, just had to get that out.

Ok, so that's where I'm at. As for the race tomorrow, I'm trying very hard not to put any expectations in place. Of course I expect it to go well, but I'm not going to hold myself to a specific time goal. I've run only one other stand alone half in my life, and paced a friend and finished around 1;30 super comfortably. Not to mention the fact that I weighed about 200 lbs at the time and had put in zero quality weeks of training. I'm now at about 175 and fitter than I've ever been. So I guess that is putting a time expectation in place isn't it? Ok, so anything under 1:30 and I'll be happy.

So that's it. I'm going to post my full report on the race tomorrow (as if anyone really cares because no one actually reads this blog!). I'll hopefully be happy and bloated with Thai Food!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

I never thought I could do so much

2009-03-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks for me have been nothing short of unbelievable to say the least...and I don't mean that in a good way. It all started three weekends ago when my Father had to be hospitalized for a 50% collapsed lung along with some fluid between his lung and the chest cavity. Then, the very next weekend, after waking up to a flooded apartment-and I mean seriously freakin' flooded!-I find out that my Mother is now in the hospital after having suffered somewhat of a mini-stroke. Then, as if by some act of who knows, my car breaks down. I'm pretty sure bad things happened in three's right? What the hell? This is FOUR! Don't I get a freebee somewhere in there?

So to compound things, I'm currently in some of the biggest training weeks I've ever seen. As I've stated before, having a coach has been the best thing I've ever done, and the results just seem to come out every single day. Now, most people would probably have shut down with training and focused on the events happening. Nope, not this type-A psycho. I decided to push through, continue training, and take on the obstacles that had been presented me. As it turns out, I have been more productive with my time, trained hard, and still managed to gain quite a bit from this whole experience.

I've learned that I can do just about anything I put my mind to and that fatigue, in a large way, is all a state of mind. Sure there were times in between hospital visits, insurance calls, cleaning out my apartment, and of course WORK, that I was dog tired. But I pushed through, Manned Up (or Hardened the Fu*k up-my new favorite) and did what had to be done. I'm a lot stronger than I though and I proved it to myself this past month.

Adversity is my new friend. It's been, and will continue to be the cornerstone of my work, both as a professional and as an athlete. It's tough as hell, but it's a sweet reward to get through. Sweat doesn't lie and neither do the lessons learned in facing adversity.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Stress

2009-03-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one as I'm headed to bed...

So this has been the toughest week of my life without question. It included not only tough, but trivial things like training for my silly races, but visits for both of my parents to the hospital, little sleep, and insane amounts of work with my business. I now know that if I've made it through this week alive I can make it through just about anything.

On the training front, things couldn't be going much better. I'm consistant, motivated, and getting in the best shape of my life. Fitness before now has been something I've contemplated, but never actually realized. I can't believe the sense of overall well-being that I have from having an incredible base. It's like I'm high all the time. It's a powerful feeling to know that you're capable of doing so much. I look back at my training journal at the end of every week amazed at what I was able to accomplish. Not to mention the fact that I was able to do it with everything that's been hanging over my head this week.

Adversity is what makes good people great and takes great people to another level entirely. Being tested by fire is a real thing that I suggest everyone go through. Not only do we find what we are capable of doing under pressure, but more importantly, we find what we are made of. And what that is, no one can ever take away from us.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

I love to K.I.S.S.

2009-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

...as in Keep It Simple Stupid.

I've realized over the past year or so, that keeping things simple is one of the key concepts needed for success. When things get too complicated disaster strikes. It's not like everything can be simple in life, but when we make the effort to keep it simple, usually things go better than planned, and less crap gets in the way of our ultimate goal.

I'll make a sports analogy because that's basically all I know. From the time I've been competative (since birth really), I've played just about every sport possible in America. Football, baseball, soccer(for like a day, but it counts!), ice hockey, lacrosse, mixed martial arts, boxing, etc. I usually excelled in the sports that I didn't care as much about, with the exception of hockey. For some reason, mentally, when I didn't wrap myself around every little aspect of the sport, I found myself able to 'leave it on the field'. In otherwords, a single poor performance did no carry over into the next time I played that given sport.

In recent years, since my college athletic career has ended, I've tried to make a habit of being mentally stronger. Not only in sports, but in life as well. I don't let things get to me. People, performances, etc. are not allowed to bring me down. I guess you could just call it positive thinking, but it's really more than that. I've changed my outlook on things, and besides success, it's brought me an inner peace that I previously never felt. Sure there are times when you'll be dissappointed, but you have to find the good in those things and focus on that. Negative energy is a very real thing. It brings with it only inner turmoil and ultimate failure.

Sure there are some that thrive off of negative energy, but I ask, do you really truly succeed, or is it rather a temporary victory? I see it as immediate recognition that will undoubtedly leave you with a void once the fake 'high' has worn off. It's kinda like popping a zit-you'll be immediately satisfied, but you'll be pissed off later about that scar on your face.

That's just the way I see it and that's what has worked for me. Obviously we never stop learning about ourselves and how we tick. If we do, then what good is life anymore? I believe we should be constantly challenging ourselves in order to discover what we can do. I never want to allow myself the complacency of settling for who I am. I hope to learn more and more about myself until the day I shut my eyes for good. Keep learning!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Coaches Rock!

2009-02-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

So a while ago (November I believe), I hired a coach to help me along in my triathlon journey. I've always been a pretty high level athlete, so since becoming envolved with triathlon, I've been licking my chops to get better. Being that it's an entirely different sport than any other that I've ever participated in, I definately saw the need to get a coach. Long story short, I have made gains that I never thought I would see so quickly.

When I got into running, biking, and swimming, it was through sheer force and determination that I found the success I did. I was able to place in my age group at every event I attended(with the exception of one-I blame a major hangover), and I saw gains coming on quickly. The more I raced the more I wanted to do better, so when I finally placed third at a duathlon last spring, I knew that if I seeked the guidence of a knowledgeable coach I could do very well.

So the hunt was on and after looking at many different candidates, I decided for a the best coach I could get. Since that decision, I haven't looked back. He sent me my workout schedule and I was off.

I have to say that I really couldn't be happier. I'm just as fit now as I've ever been, and I still have months to go before my first race! Not to mention, the fitness has come on much easier this time! In the past, when I was training blindly, I would just do whatever I felt like on a given day, and try to hammer as hard as possible with the belief that I would get better that way. There were no easy days and the only days truly off were the ones where I was literally to sick to train. Not smart.

Now though, as evidenced in my long run this morning, things are moving easily and effectively. I'm still building my base, but man do I feel great. For example, this morning I ran 10 miles at a very easy pace and felt like I could easily do another 10 as soon as I was done. It sounds silly, but that's never happened to me! No matter what the distance, I've never actually felt anything but totally worn out after a run. I had one speed, and it was pushing to the verge of vomitting. With guidence though, that's changed and I'm so thankful for it.

Thanks coach!

Push 'till ya puke....Always. (but listen to your coach if he says not to!)

Takin' a day...

2009-02-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad that there is a saying that training plans are written in pencil and not pen. My life is hectic (probably because subconciously I make it that way) and weekends are usually the worst of it.

When I started taking my training super serious this year, I decided that no matter what, I was not going to let it effect the rest of my life. Long story short, I don't want to become some super ocd triathlete with no life and no concept of what's real. I already do that to a certain extent, but in order to keep the few people around me sane, I sometime's choose to miss a day of training here or there in order to have fun and live life.

So today is one of those days. After having a very good training week in which I began my run focus, I decided to take today off, and do the long run designated for today tomorrow. In other words, I'm switching my rest day (Monday) for today and running long tomorrow. I had to convince myself it was the right thing to do, and now that I have I'm happy. I think sometimes we get in our own way in pursuit of our goals.

In all truth, my foot has been a problem for me, my shoulder is banged up, and averaging about 5 hours a night of sleep hasn't been cutting it. Today is a needed rest day and I'm positive I will only gain from taking it.

So anyway, that's today. Otherwise, it's on for the Oscar's tonight! I'm rooting for Micky Rourke to pull through. Somthing about that guy really gives me a lot of respect for him. Either he's the biggest idiot in the world for shunning Hollywoood and millions of dollars for years, or he's got balls the size of canteloupes! I really admire him for sticking to his guns and giving the finger to what people thing he 'ought' to do. Follow your heart and pursue your dreams. Life should be on your terms. We only get one shot so we better make it a good one.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Tough day at the office

2009-02-20T12:50:00.001-08:00

...and by office I mean the pool.

So I'm done with my swim focus and it's on to the run focus. I really enjoyed the swimming and am sorry to see the focus go, but I've gotta stick to the schedule...I mean that's what I'm paying my coach for right?

This week has been tough as I've run more than I have in quite a while. We're not measuring miles yet, just time. And by the end of this week I will have logged about 5-51/2 hours of running. I'm guessing it's about 40 miles of running, give or take. I know it's slow as tar, but that's where my coach wants me right now so I'm not arguing. So, that amount of running along with the swimming and biking I've done this week has been a big week for me. Not my biggest ever, but certainly a biger week than I've done in a while.

And I'm pooped. My swim today was suppossed to be abou 5000 yards, but turned into more like 2500 as I just couldn't stand to flounder in the water anymore. Everything was tired, my shoulder hurt, and I had noooo motivation...none. I guess this happens and it's important for me to realize that in the big scheme of things it's just a measly 2500 yards I missed out on. I have a habit of being extremely hard on myself and I won't let that happen now. I have to remember that I'm in this sport first and foremost to be healthy and happy.

So now I'm home from work and going to take a nap before a meeting in a little bit. I'm gonna turn on the Tour of California and let the great cycling fill my brain as I drift of into la-la land.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

War has been declared

2009-02-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

I'm declaring war on everything in my life. Triathlon, business, and especially debt. I'm currently reading "The Art of War" and it's got me to thinking a lot about how I approach things. I'd like to say I'm a 'go-getter', but to be honest it's only when there's something that I really want. I'm not the type to easily take on things that don't interest me, or are things that I don't really want to do. Well, right now, in order to hold myself truly accountable, I'm going to declare war on everything. There will be no more easy, only doing what needs to get done when it needs to get done. I will be successful and there will be no excuses. Likewise, I will take no prisoners in my endevor. Winning is the only option here and I have no doubt that I will be successful in this campaign.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Wonderful Weekend

2009-02-17T20:34:00.001-08:00

Now I know what my clients are talking about when they see me on Monday and tell me about their 'Wonderful Weekend'. Things couldn't have gone better this Valentine's day!

So it started Friday night, with dinner made by yours truly and a movie. Great dinner-Chicken Stirfry with yams and no rice-and great movie-"He's just not that into you". I know it's a chick-flick, but man, there's some real stuff in there! I learned things about myself that I didn't even know I knew before I knew I knew them....I've just gone crosseyed.

On to the good stuff...
Saturday morning we set off to Eastern Long Island, Montauk to be exact. I had booked us a room and dinner for Saturday night at a really nice spa/resort. Being that it's winter here, and most things on the eastern end are closed or dirt cheap, I was able to set us up nice in a place I'd have to spend much more for if it were summer. So anyway, we got in, had a wonderfully romantic dinner, and managed to get in some good trouble, which I WON'T elaborate on...gotta keep the juicy stuff to ourselves! :-)

And....one of the best parts of the weekend, other than the fact that I spent it with a wonderful girl I'm madly in love with, was that I actually got to train a little on Sunday! Kristen went off to get a pedicure and I headed down to the sweet little saltwater pool they had. This was only the second time I've swam in one, but honestly, all pools should be salt water. Not only did I not have that nasty chlorine stink when I got out, but I felt so much more relaxed than normal. Granted, I only got in about 2k yards before she was done, but man was it great!

So that's about it, great weekend and awesome time away to spend with someone I've found such true love with!

Today it was back to the grind of training as my run focus got underway. I have to say, swimming so much and getting so much better at it has really not made me miss running all that much. Only an hour run today, but it felt much longer than that. I guess it's gonna take a couple weeks to get my body back into the swing of things, but I'm missing the pool already! Also, my foot has been giving me some issues, so I'm going to experiment with some more substantial footwear tomorrow. I've been going 'barefoot' on the trails and treadmills with my Vibrams all winter, so I guess it was bound to catch up to me at some point or another.

Alright, bed time.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Ready for Valentine's day!

2009-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's day! Wonderful holiday right? I think a lot of times (as a guy) I really don't look forward to this "holiday". I don't know if it's because I've never really spent it with someone I've been super crazy about, or if it was just the sheer fact that I was usually spending money I didn't have. But, this time is different.

Kristen and I have been together for a year, and technically this is our second Valentine's day, but it really feels like the first...at least I think so. Last year we were still in the 'getting to know you' process of things. It was exciting of course (and still is), but I don't think we really had a ton of background on one another. In other words, I think the holiday then was more about the lust of the relationship-which isn't a bad thing, it's just usually where things are at that point.

This weekend, though, definately has a different feel about it. I've been planning it for some time, and I really think it should be a lot of fun. It's going to be a suprise so I'll have to post the details later. I'm positive that no matter what it will be a very fun and very romantic weekend.

The only problem, however, which really isn't a problem at all, is that I'll have to take off from training while we're away. Of course I'd rather spend plenty of alone time with a beautiful woman than scortch my crotch for five hours on the bike, but I'll definately miss a good two days. I know it sounds like I'm just another OCD triathlete, but I'm just not into messing with consistency. I've had a tough couple of weeks with injury and sickness, so my consistency has been somewhat effected. I'll have to be a little mentally tough though and suck it up, knowing that two days in the big picture is really nothing! Not to mention that this is really suppossed to be a recovery week before a nice run focus that starts next week. So, let me stop complaining and Man the Fu*k up!

Gotta get some shut eye, so that's all for now. I slept like dog crap last night and it showed in the water an on my bike today. Insomnia is a bitch! Anyway...

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

It's funny...

2009-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

It's funny how things work out.

So yesterday I went to a swim clinic up in Connecticut. I have to say that this is my first swim clinic. I've never been a swimmer (the only professional instruction I've ever recieved was from the folks at Waterbabies about 20 years ago), but since hiring a coach and being forced into the water, I've come to find that it's now my favorite of the three disciplines of triathlon. I know this will sound obvious, but it's the fluidity of swimming that I love. I get a 'high' from running just like everyone else, and cycling is great for really working my mind and body, but I've never gotten such pure joy out of excercising as much as I do when I'm in the water.

This isn't all to say that the first couple of weeks being in the water were all fun and games, but when I found my stroke and have since refined it, I find that I'm gliding through the water with an uncanny ease. I've gone from being the guy thrashing in the lane, using 30 strokes to get to 25 yards, to the guy who now gets there in 15. The other day I swam 3000 yards-as a warm up! Then drills, then some more long stuff, and still felt great after getting out of the water.

My point is that even though you may dispise something, get to know it a little, make friends with it, and you may be suprised by what you find. For me it's been the water. I've gone from hating every second of pool time to wanting never to leave! I'm amazed and super happy with this revelation!

People often say that there are certian life lessons that you aquire as you move through life. I've had many, and some have been important, but this is one of the few that I really cherish. I know that I can use and apply it to so many areas of my life. Kinda pisses me off to think that I spent all that money on college when one of the most important things I've ever learned was taught to me in the water for a gym fee of 50 bucks a month. Such is life.

Push 'till ya puke...Always. (Just not in the pool)

Silly Injury F's up my training...Sort of.

2009-02-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

So as I've posted a couple of days ago, I've gotten back into playing my first love, ice hockey. It's been a blast to get back out there (although I'm no where near as good as I used to be-just gotta knock off the rust I guess), and I'm enjoying the little bit of extra cross training. I don't know if it's been explored, but ice skating must be one of the best alternatives to running there is. My hips and glutes have never been stronger than when I was skating everyday. Not to mention all the upper leg development that happens with skating. All that and no impact! Good stuff.

Anyway, I've been playing quite a bit and the other day I pulled the hell out of my left quad...so much for it being the "perfect" cross-training activity for runners:). The injury happened actually from my first step out on the ice Tuesday. I felt a pull, but decided to gut it out for the next two hours and probably wound up doing more harm than good. It hurt so bad, infact, that for the rest of the day and into today I've done nothing but limp around. Running and biking at this point are not even close to an option.

Not all is lost, though. Luckily, I'm still able to swim, just without to strong of a kick. So....being that this is coming into the last couple weeks of my winter swim focus, I guess if I had to have an injury, this would be the one to get. I'm sure it will heal rather quickly, and I can get a couple of real focused extra swim days out of it. I'm not saying I'm happy to be injured, as I've taken about all the pity I can get at the gym, but on the bright side, all is not lost.

On another note, I've been very stressed lately about money. I've never been one to be obsessive over anything but excercise, but there are times lately where I've stared at the ceiling in bed and lost sleep over dollars. Now it's not like I or my business is struggling-I've actually never done better-it's just that I'm waiting for the bottom to fall out. I guess when I was a poor college kid and barely had 20 bucks to my name, money didn't stress me because there was nothing there to stress over. That or I was just too drunk all the time to notice...:).

I guess it's just all part of growing up. Which reminds me...I turn 28 tomorrow!!! Wow how time flies! I really feel like the time between 18 and now has been merely the blink of an eye! Unbelieveable. I'm told the next twenty years will go equally as fast. On that note, why do the years go by so fast, but when you're on a treadmill or trainer, it seems like 1 hour is an eternity? Why can't weekeneds be like treadmill and trainer time? That would be awesome! Happy hour would feel like all day! Love it!

So that's about it for now. I've had an early finish to my day today so I'm gonna go sit by the fire (or Yankee Candle-but who's counting) and read a book with Lucki Doggy.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Got a good 'ole ass-whupin' today

2009-02-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a day. I managed to work for twelve hours on 4 hours sleep and have absolutely zero enegy left to train! Good work! (heavy sarcasm). So like I said, I got a lot done work-wise today, but what amounted to a poopy flavored lollipop (name that movie) as far as training was concerned. As I got in the whater today sometime after 1:30pm, all I could think about was how much I really didn't want to be there. I managed to get in somewhere around 3k worth of sloppy swimming in before calling it a day and heading back to work. Then, after work, I had planned on getting in a nice little two hour session on the rollers...well, suprise suprise, not able to do it. I basically came home, crawled in bed with my dog Lucki, and passes the F out. Nothin' left.

I don't look at today as a total loss though. I'm looking at it as more of a learning experience. I've been able to string together a consistancy with training that has surpassed anything I've ever done since I've started triathlon. For that I'm very happy. I have to remind myself that my health must come first. It doesn't help to train and race if my immune system in severely compromised. So I'm happy for today and the lesson it's taught me. I guess that's why they say training plans are written in pencil and not in stone. Next time I'll plan better.

Now on to a rant.....

So I work in the fitness industry-as you can see in my profile-and there are a TON of things that bother me about it. When I first began as a Personal trainer, it was really out of a desire to make some money doing something I love-training to be a body builder. I have always been an athlete, from the time I was playing peewee hockey all the way through playing an NCAA div. I sport. Let's just say I've been around the block. After college I persued many different sports, including, as previously mentioned, body building, mixed martial arts, and now endurance events. I like to think I'm well rounded. So.....what bugs me the most about the fitness industry is this constant desire for instant gratification. I understand the everyone wants that perfect body, and wants to look a certain way, but it's amazing to me how little long term health means to some people. When I work with someone, I try to impress apon them the long term benefits of a good diet and exercise program and what it will do for them now and 20 years from now. Luckily though, I've been blessed to have just about all my clients come to me already knowing this and just needing someone to show them on their way.

My biggest point of frustration, though, through all of this, is that the biggest culprits of this 'instant gratification' sensation (wow, I sound like Al Sharpton with the rhyming :) ) are the "fitness professionals" themselves. I put them in quotes because I generally have no respect for these people. These are the ones that have chosen to make a few bucks off of what should be a very noble industry. Instead of helping people who really genuinely want to and need to be helped, they take their limited knowledge and speak it as gospel. They tell people all about the latest fad diet, and send them on their way. Now, I'm sure that whatever fad diet they are speaking of is generally healthier that whatever these people are eating previously, but is it really a healthy diet? Or is it just a means to achieve that quick gratification their looking for?

Don't get me wrong, we all want to see results, but is they way to results starving our body of a food group that it actually needs? Shouldn't we be educating these people who have come to us? I mean really educating them?

As fitness professionals we need to accept the fact that just because we took a course or courses in exercise and got that little silly paper that says we're certified (or certifiable for some of us), we are not the end all be all of the fitness world. Whatever background we come from is NOT all there is. Physical fitness is such a vast and changing entity that we could all spend a lifetime learning, and still not know everything. We need to allow ourselves to open up and accept that there is more than one way to get from point A to point B.

I firmly believe that education is the simple biggest factor missing in personal training and fitness today. It is our duty as coaches, traininers, and nutritionalists, to not only show our clients the way, but to allow them to learn it for themselves while they're involved. They need to be aware that there are many options, and the road to looking good and feeling great will be a tough one, but it's doable. More importantly they will learn something about themselves while they are at it.

So that's just my two cents. I'm not going to look over what I just wrote or edit it in any way before I post it, so I'm sure at times it may be a bit rambling and vague. Sorry for that. I just needed to get it off my chest. I see it everyday and it has become quite a thorn in my side. So if you've made it to this point, thanks for reading.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Saturday the tough

2009-01-31T22:42:00.001-08:00

Tough training day today. Not that the hours were long, just that the motivation wasn't necessarily there. I love days like this, though, as they really test my mental toughness. I've learned a long time ago that all the talent in the world can't make up for being a headcase. If you're going to get out there and be consistant, regardless of the sport or job or whatever, you've gotta have that mental toughness to say 'things gotta get done regardless of how I'm feeling'.

I wish I had learned this lesson earlier, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Luckily, I'm not quite yet past my athletic prime (although I'm knocking on it's door in a big way), so I think I can still use the lessons I've learned to my advantage.

Today started with a speed workout in the pool. 2800 measly yards. Nothing right? Well, I really had to do some soul searching to get it all in. The warm-up by itself was just an easy 1000 yards. Simple-worked on stretching out and getting into my stroke. Then came 16 sets of intervals ranging from 100yds to 50yds. By the time I was into my 200yd cool down, my shoulders were cooked, my traps were shot, my lats were screaming, and my lower back was on fire. Great day!

So then it was home and onto the rollers for a nice and easy 2-3 hour ride. Ok, so I've been training quite a bit indoors lately (again working on some mental toughness), and have come to love the control factor that comes along with being on a machine and not on the road. No cars or unneeded stops to get in the way of keeping my Heart Rate constant. I really feel that I get a better and more concise workout this way. However, being in the mental state in which I found myself today, after about and hour indoors cabin fever struck. I HAD to get out! There was no negotiation. I got off the rollers, hopped into some tights, threw on the jacket and the beanie and was out the door for another hour and change. By the time I came back there was frost on my eyelids (it's 20 degrees here, 8 degrees with the windchill), my fingers were basically useless on account of the numbness, and I had a HUGE smile on my face! Good times! While I'm jealous of all the people out there that can train in warm climates all year long, I don't feel bad for myself. I've grown a little tougher for all the cold workouts and near hypothermic situations I've put myeslf in. I hate the cold but I've definately learned to embrace it.

So that was today. I got in what needed to be done and now I can do it all again tomorrow! Like I said, it's not a lot of hours, it's just getting done what needs to be done, and that's something we can all do, regardless of if it's triathlon, work or whatever.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

First in a long while....

2009-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

So this is my first post in quite a while and I'm gonna keep it short. Not because I'm lazy, but because of the fact that it's nearly 1am and I have to get up in 5 hours to be at the pool in tomorrow morning.

I've been down on the blogging front for a bit as a result of my business picking up quite a bit. This is the time of year for us personal trainers to make a killing picking up new business as well as keep our current clients motivated and headed in the right direction for the new year. Also, I'm in the beginning stages of starting up some really neat internet training stuff so I'll keep anyone interested up to date through this blog.

The internet training will be similar to that of most triathlon coaching websites, including e-mail and phone comunication, packages, routines, video postings, etc. I'm looking to get this off the ground in the next few weeks so if you're interested, please feel free to e-mail me at Davidspike1@hotmail.com. I'll get back to you ASAP and have some packages pricelists all set to go along with some more info.

On the personal front, I've been training my butt off. Having a coach set up my schedule and go through things with me has been the best thing ever. At this point in my year I'm already light years ahead of where I've been in the past with triathlon. Granted, I'm only in the sport for a grand total of about a year and a half, but I can really see that I can do some damage in my coming races this season.

I've also gone back to playing my first love, hockey. No, not that dinky roller or deck hockey crap, but real blood and guts on the ice type of hockey. I played since I was a kid and probably could have gone somewhere if I didn't choose to go with lacrosse instead. Don't get me wrong, lacrosse was good to me and paid for a large part of my education, but I should have stuck it out and stayed with hockey. All the guys I grew up with that I doubted would go anywhere in the sport now play professionally somewhere (most in the NHL), not to mention that one of them just started in the friggin' NHL All-Star game last week! Good job fellas and keep up the good work!

So I've started to play again and I'm happy. It keeps me balanced in between long sessions at the pool, on the bike, and running on the treadmill.

So that's about it for now. I'll look to start posting more consistantly now that things have calmed a bit with work.

Happy training and.....

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today is the first day that I've really felt the Christmas spirit! It's rainy here on Long Island, and cold as hell, but I'm still into that White Christmas feel! I wish I could just sit and relax all day, but I have some clients to see this morning and then some shopping to finish up on-that's right, I left it 'till the end! Kristen was killing me about this last night (she's super organized and very on the ball with things like this and I am anything but that). I know she's right, but I just can never seem to get everything I need done in a timely fashion! She's rubbed off quite a bit on me, and I'm better than I used to be, but it's still like pulling teeth for me to get everything done on time. I need 28 hour days! Then I can get work, training, and everything else done on time.

Trianing wise I'm only doing a nice easy hour run on the trials today. It should be fun as I'm going to again wear the Vibrams (the insulated Flow for today's mud and ice). I really can't get enough of these things. I've gone full bore into them, pretty much ignoring the warnings to slowly adapt to them. I've been wearing them pretty consistantly to work and around town (wore them to the mall yesterday and got some interesting looks!), and my feet really don't have any pain or discomfort. That says a lot because yesterday's mall outing was all on concrete and hard floors. Most times, I would find myself running across the parking lot because it was so cold outside! I probably got in at least an extra mile or two doing that alone!

So that's about all for today. Just little odds and ends to pick up on. I'm excited for tomorrow (especially to sleep in!), but at the same time bummed I'm not going to be able to swim. Apparently the people at the gym don't think people like to work out on holidays...what about our Jewish and non Christian friends? :) Anyway, have a Merry Christmas Eve!

Push 'till ya puke...Always (just not on Christmas because the gym is closed:) )

Rest day

2008-12-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

Ah, I love this day. Super busy with work and holiday stuff, but it's very nice not to have to train for a day.
Recently my swim training has taken priority. I'm in the beginnings of a swim focus-which I desperately need-and it can't be going better. It's not the work that I mind, I love the work, it's the damned boredom I can't deal with. I absolutely love the solitude of training, but I just can't deal with only hearing the water pass through my ears and staring at a black line for all that long. During long sets, I've tried to do math in my head. However, I quickly loose my head because, oh yeah, I suck at math!!! So then I think about my form, realize that it can do better, but that only lasts for so long. So then I get to thinking about the day and what I have to do, get stressed, and stop thinking about it. I'm at a loss. What do you do to get rid of the boredom? I may try to get a swimp3 player, but I really don't want to spend the money, especially around this time of year. I really don't have the luxury of swimming in a master's program (the only one's I know of around here start at 6 am and I begin work at 4:30am. So what do I do about this boredom? If anyone reading this has any suggestions, please feel free to comment.

So that's about it for now. I'm just trying to get my training in between work and holiday stuff. Oh, and I've discovered that mountain biking in the snow with me new 29'er is this sh*t! I crashed a few times, but there's nothing like getting out in the rain and snow in the 20 degree weather we've had around here this week! Much more fun than riding indoors on rollers. While most people around here hate the bad weather, I looooove it! I really believe it makes me tougher than my competitors. I'm the guy out there in the rain, sleet and snow, running and biking with people yelling at me that I'm nuts. Gotta love it!!!! Between that and running ten miles "barefoot" in the snow on Friday in my Vibrams, I believe I'm becoming somewhat of a badass! Hahahaha, gotta love it!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

Shoes Suck!!!!! And I'm not kidding!

2008-12-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so for some time now, I've been experimenting with more and more minimal footwear while running. I, like many runners out there, began my running journey with the pricey, pretty, and un-freakin-fuctional, cushy trainers you see in every running shop from here to Zimbabwe-ok, maybe not there, but you get my point. Anyway, this led me to knee pain, hip flexor problems, plantar facitis(sp?), and a host of other stupid injuries. I always thought it was something I was doing wrong in training. 'Maybe I'm not giving myself enough time to adapt?' 'Maybe I'm running too much on pavement?' 'Maybe I'm too heavy and I need to loose weight?' All these thoughts and more plagued my mind as I kept getting injured.

Then it was on to form. I always thought I had a good, natural running form, but left with nowhere else to go, I researched chi and pose running, buying books and videos regarding the techniques. I did drills, videotape, and so forth, not finding all that much wrong with what I was doing naturally.

So finally it was on to the footwear itself. After reading some good blogs from Chuckie
V. and Matt Fitzgerald, I decided to go the racing flat route...what else did I have to loose right? So I broke out the flats and started to train normally again. Things went great. Not every issue was gone, but it was definately better. In addition to the flats, I began to run more on trails as well. About 90 percent of the time, things were fine. No issues. But, like always, there was that nagging little injury or two that kept creeping up.

So that brings me up to today. As I've now started in on my base training for next season (having a coach is a wonderful thing!), I wanted to take it one step further. So I bought, what I thought was the most minimal shoe I could find-the Nike Free 3.0. Ok, so I used them and things were good. Once again, not great, but good. Then, I stumbled onto barefootrunner.com. All I can say is wow. This has forever changed my running life! As I read more and more of the site, I saw the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. Now, to say they are shoes is probably saying too much. I'd say at best they're more like gloves for your feet, providing just enough protection to run and walk off-road and on road. So I bought a pair.

The Vibram's came the other night and I have literally worn nothing else since I got the box in the mail. They are truly an amazing product, and definately the closest thing to a barefoot feeling you can have. Imagine this: They make the Nike Free 3.0 feel like a hiking boot.

Ok, Ok, so where am I going with this....Today I took them out for their first run. What an eye-opener! I never, ever, ever dreamed of running barefoot ( and for that matter thought people that did so were nuts) but I loved it! I believe that the gradual changeover from trainers to racing flats gave me a good base to work from, making the transition to 'barefooting' that much easier. I had an hour run scheduled, and figured I'd where the Vibram's for half of that, then switch over to my Free's. At about 40 minutes, almost as planned, I ran back to the trail head, took the Free's out of my car, slipped them on and cruised off. NO FREKIN' WAY! I thought. I made it about a half mile in the Free's before I turned around, slipped back into the Vibram's and finished the last few miles of the run.

Today was just an amazing expierience. I'm so excited about this new discovery! Truly FREE running, and I feel great! My heart rate was lower during the run, and I even managed to run a bit farther today in the same time as I did on my last run with the Nike Free's on. I have no pain, feel fresher, and am more psyched about running than I've been in a long time. I'm definately all about the barfoot running now!

But where does this leave me? I'll continue to run in the Vibrams for my trail runs, and maybe for a little bit on the pavement if the urge strikes me. All told though, I'm going to go easy with this new discovery. Today was about 8 miles on trials, not a marathon on pavement. The process will be slow and careful because the last thing I want to do is get injured. But I do have to say that a new chapter has been opened in my running life, and I'm very excited to see where it leads!

Push 'till ya puke...Always!!!

Another day, another dollar...out the window!

2008-12-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

Another sweet day today. I worked hard in the morning and had a good workout in the pool in the afternoon. The thing I love about swimming is the non-impact aspect of it. I can work harder and harder, but without the beating I take from the run. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE running, but swimming has a calming effect on me. I think cycling does as well, but the weather has been so crappy here I haven't had a chance to get out on the road in the last couple weeks. My coach has me doing shorter rides anyway (2-3 hours at the longest, real low intensity) two days a week, so that's not much cycling.

So, anyway, about getting outside to ride...I picked up the above pictured bike today. I realized that I'm not an indoor trainer/rollers guy. I can do it in a pinch, but the truth is I need to be outside. One of the forgotten aspects of triathlon is the fact that you get to spend so much time in the beautiful outdoors! I never realized it, but I absolutely love nature and the elements. When it rains, snows, etc., I can't help but want to get out for a run. Now, with my new bike, I can really get out in the weather. I'm looking forward to some cold and muddy rides.

So after my sweet swim today (all 30 mins of it), I hoped on the treadmill for a mile run. Basically I wanted to just move my legs a bit (in my new Nike Free 3.0's-more on that in a minute). Mission accomplished. Post run I hopped in the sauna for five minutes before I started to hear voices and see pretty colors...Time to get out! So I took an ice cold shower and peaced out.

Ok, so the Nike Free's...

I've been looking, no, searching for a minimalistic shoe to wear for everyday training. I've encountered some problems wearing the basic "training" shoe, and have done some research on shoes. To make a lot of research short, training flats and minimalistic shoes are the way to go-period. Packed dirt and grass seem to be the best surfaces (along with synthetic tracks). 'Nuff said. So after buying some pretty tiny little flats-and enjoying them-I came across the Nike Free 3.0 on Matt Fitzgerald's blog. From what I can gather he trains in them everyday. I like that, and I respect his opinion so I ordered a pair. Couldn't be more happy. They are so minimal they make your feet (pardon the pun) free of the obstruction they often face with overdeveloped shoes. However, at the same time, they provide enough cushion to protect your feet from the ground. I'm looking to mostly use them on the trails and golf courses I run, but I'm sure a couple road runs will be okay as well.

So that's about it for today. I'm just about to retire for the night with Lucki Dog-haha, I said RETIRE. I'm going to try to blog on a more daily basis as it really is a great form of therapy for me. Even though I'm sure all this blabber doesn't make much sense and isn't too cohesive, it helps me get the crap out of my head. So if you're reading, thank you for the interest and I hope this is a decent look into my life.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you

2008-12-02T20:54:00.001-08:00

Today was a rough one, training-wise I mean. Simple day on the schedule, 45 minute swim with drills. Easy right? NOPE! Someone forgot to tell the rest of my body to show up at the pool. After a series of the some of the best swims I've had in my life, I all but forgot how to swim today! Now there are two things that could've gone wrong today: 1) I could just be getting so much better at swimming that today's mediocre workout seemed, by comparison much worse than it actually was, or 2) I was dead tired from not sleeping AGAIN the night before, and my workout suffered because of it. To be honest, the answer is a combination of both numbers 1 and 2.

Recently I've been more motivated than ever to train. This is in large part due to the fact that I now, for the first time, have a structured workout plan put forward by my coach, John. This has helped me tremendously. I don't have to think about what I'll be doing on any particular day-I just get out and go. This has proved invaluable as I often have a tendancy to overdo one sport and burn out on it. Remember, triathlon is ONE sport involving three sports. It's sort of like Subject A, with subtitles a, b, and c. Nevertheless, the schedule I'm on makes it such that I'm pumped each and every day to train!

Okay, so back to the 1 and 2 thing. So I've become a better swimmer and my off days (that used to be my best days) now suck and I'm pissed. Secondly, sleep is not a friend of mine right now. Even as I write this, in the bathroom no less (I'll leave the particulars to your imagination) I should be getting in bed and nodding off to dreamland. For some reason though, I have suffered from some minor insomnia lately. I don't know, maybe it's the coming holidays, maybe it's work, but whatever it is, it seriously needs to stop before I go nuts. Maybe I'll cut down on the coffee. Note I said CUT DOWN and not cut OUT. Coffee is much too important to me right now to just go and abandon her. We have a very SERIOUS and COMMITTED relationship. :)

So anyway, that was today. I got my ass kicked (or better yet-kicked my own ass) in the pool. Let's hope that my next swim on Thursday is better. Tomorrow is an easy hour-long run and on my worst days I can put one foot in front of the other so this should be no problem. Plus I'll have Lucki dog out there for some added support. Anyway, rock on, kick ass, get out and go, and all that jazz. I'm gonna take some Melatonin and hopefully drift off.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Tired again...

2008-12-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Tired again. Holidays really zap the life out of me. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, it's not necessarily the food that kills me, it's all the damned alcohol. I know I shouldn't say it, but I really love to drink. I'm no alcoholic-at least I hope not:)- but I think it's the social aspect of drinking I like. It's jut so much freakin' fun! No wonder I like to dance when I drink!

So being tired, not to mention hung over, I wasn't able to train Sunday. Only missed an easy 2-3 hour ride, but nonetheless missed it. Pissed me off to no end. I hate missing workouts period, but missing them because I couldn't control myself the night before is unacceptable. This is definately the last time that will happen.

So I took my rest day today to do the ride I missed yesterday. Easy and fun, minus the crazy wind that almost blew me off the road. It's funny how slow you travel when you have to cap your heartrate to a certain low number. Rides that would normally take me an hour to complete now take and hour and fifteen to twenty minutes to complete-totally throws off my natural bike computor range. Anyway...

That's about it for today. Good day at work, good day training. And now I get to go see the best girl in the world when she's done with class! Not a bad life! If I can just stick to my 'Simplicity Plan' I should be all good!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

So yeah, it's Thanksgiving. Finally a day for me to rest and relax all by myself with nothing to do, and no place I NEED to be. Notice I said NEED. I did manage to swim this morning (albeit hung over really bad from drinking more than my fair share of wine last night). Other than that, the only plan for today is to chillax, read a bit, spend some time with Lucki Dog, and hopefully see Kristen later.

It's nice to take a rest and spend some time alone. Being an only child, I really value this time to myself. I often squander a lot of time, but this is a stress-free squandering zone. And speaking of squandering, what's up with the Lions game on T.V. today? Sorry if there are any Lions fans out in internet land, but this game sucks! It's not even halftime and the Tennesee has run up the score on these bums. What a waste of a good 'ratings day' game.

Anyway, I'm a bit scatterbrained as I write this, I'm still miserably hung over, and trying to recover for a swim workout today. Ah, that brings me to a point I wanted to make. Since starting in triathlon, it's been evident since day one that I'm not a good swimmer-or let me correct that, I WASN'T a good swimmer. Now though, through some good self-coaching (meaning reading and watching every bit of material out there on swimming-btw youtube.com is awesome for swim instruction vids, and free too!), I'm proud to call myself a swimmer! Don't get me wrong, I'm no Michael Phelps, but I can definately hold my own at the local gym pool. I've literally gone from being one of the 'wet dog' swimmers in the pool, to a guy who looks like he's suppossed to be there. Very exciting! And it justifies my sweet little speedo! Don't ask me why I like to wear one when I swim, but for some reason it's just a lot more comfortable...also, it's not bad getting hit on by the older women checkin' me out! Hahaha, yeah right, they're probably laughing at me on the inside! Ok, so anyway, I really feel like I'm making some drastic improvements. Once I get a chance to meet with my coach and get some real coaching, I may actually be a fast tri swimmer! Good stuff!

Let's see, what else. Training is going very good right now. I'm still very motivated and can feel my improvement everyday. Having a coach and a scheduled program has really made a big difference. Taking away the stress of what to do everyday, and whether or not what I'm doing is correct, is well worth the money. This coming season should be a good one. I'm gonna be dangerous out there.

What else.....Not really much I can think of right now. Oh, I know. I met Kristen's cousins Mark and Allison for the first time last night. They have overcome a tremendous amount of obstacles in their lives, having been involved in a serious car crash about two years ago. They are truly some of the nicest and warmest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. After hearing their story, I feel inspired to live every day to it's fullest. I know people say that so much, and it's become a terrible cliche, but these folks are truly amazing. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet them!

So that's about it for now. I've got a couple of hours left of daylight to enjoy-not to mention a good book to sit down and read. Have a happy Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful and live life to it's fullest each day!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Had to post this...I love Stella!!!

2008-11-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.adgabber.com/video/video/show?id=546804%3AVideo%3A135741

I feel like a fat, lazy, slob.....

2008-11-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today was an extremely slow day. Training wise it's an off day (which like most ocd triathletes I hate!), so I knew I was gonna have some extra time on my hands. However, when I had about 50 calls from clients cancelling their appointments, it got really muddy-slow! In fairness to them however, they all had valid excuses, and I realize that we're getting into the time of year where people are thinking about other things than working out.

Typically, the holiday season is super slow in the world of personal training. I've contemplated taking the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas completely off, but I just don't have the balls to do it. Not only that, but there are some die-hards out there that want to work hard throughout the winter. As my clients will tell you, who am I to get in the way of their suffering ;).

So today....

I had my usual 415 am wake up, followed by my super, duper, strong coffee. Take the dog out. Hurry to get 10 things done in the time it should take 2, and then head out the door, surely forgetting something. Well today I had all of that, and 3 cancellations before 10am. Not my worst day, but definately not my best.

So after my now half day, I headed home to take a nap, hang out with Lucki Doggy, and get some work done. Well, there was the problem. I can't have unscheduled time in my day...it just doesn't work for me. I'm the King of Time Wasting. I really don't know what it is, if I don't follow a plan for the day, I just sit and stare at the walls-LITERALLY! What the hell? I guess I'm just such a profound thinker I ponder and plot all day long without something to fill the hours. Either that or I've developed adult ADD and can't focus on any one thing for too long. Either way, it sucks to have time with nothing to do.

So this all brings me to now. I'm sitting here posting this, having done what feels like NOTHING all day, and I can't stand it! Wait....before I get all bent out of shape even more, let me step back into reality for a moment. I did have a very productive day by most standards. I worked from 5 am to noon, hopefully made people smile and feel good about themselves, took care of some business stuff, took a nice healthy nap, and cleared my head. Kinda feels good. But then there's that nagging overachiever in me (that comes out for nothing but what I want to do by the way) that makes me feel like I've been a failure all day. Wow, such a vicious cycle.

On a better note, I taught myself to ride my bike on rollers today! I ordered them about a week ago and nearly cracked my head on my coffee table the first time I had them out of the box. I had no idea how hard they'd be to ride. With a little perserverence though, I was able to get up and riding today in no time. I didn't do a workout on them, but talk about fun! Unlike a starionary trainer, the rollers force you to generate your own balance. A little tricky at first, but it really makes you such a better rider! I can't wait to do some workouts on these babies! Good stuff!

So that was today in a bit more than a nutshell. Not sure if any of what I wrote is coherent, but that's just about all I did today! Looking back, I guess it wasn't so bad. Simplicity, as I'm learning, is one of the greatest things in life.

The cup of coffee I just had is kickin' in, so I'll go on one more tiny rant. Simplicity is a wonderfully underrated thing. I've learned a lot about myself in this past year (thanks in enourmous part by Kristen-I love you sooooo much honey). I've never had simplicity in my life. I've always cluttered my life, both figuratively and literally with junk that's just got in the way of making things easy for me. So often I've wanted more more more. It just never ended. It was to the point that I couldn't just sit back and enjoy the things I was blessed enough to have. Now though, I'm learning to enjoy what's in front of me like never before. It's really liberating to feel so free. I'm a long way off from perfecting the simple life, but I'm on my way.

Ok. 'Nuff said.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Slowtwitch...and David Goggins type motivation (almost)

2008-11-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to write about lately. Just the normal fodder going on in my life. I think I've actually gotten a bit testy since not writing. This seems to be a great therapy for me, which I think subconsciously was the reason I started this blog in the first place. I really love the opportunity to share my thoughts, if with no one but myself. It provides me with a forum I would otherwise only have in my head. That said, it's nice to go back and read things I wrote, and understand a little bit more about myself through the feelings I may have had when I did.

So this brings me to today. It's about 8:30 in the morning, and I'm waiting at the gym for a client to show. So, like all other Americans with access to a computor at work, I start wasting time surfing the web. In my web travels, as I often do, I came upon Slowtwitch.com. I really love this site. I'd guess that on average, 25% of my web time is spent there. The articles, interview, and general info are great. Recently, though, I've started to get hooked on the forums. I haven't posted or responded there yet, but I have some kind of addiction when it comes to reading them. So, over the course of the last couple weeks, I've come to the conclusion that 99% of the crap posted there is complete B.S. The content is purely reflexive of what is dangerous about triathlon. It comes down to a bunch of people talking more about the things that don't matter vs. what does matter. Example: There was a debate I was reading about the Pose method of running and whether or not it was a good idea. From the posts I read, people were getting completely bent out of shape. Some were saying it's good, others said it was bad and so fourth-but the thing that got me was that people were personally attacking each other and the method's founder...What the hell? Who the heck cares if it's good or not? If it works for you, than use it! If not, then don't. This example is just the tip of the ice berg there. It seems every discussion boils down to personal attacks and other critical views about a sport that should bring us all fun and enjoyment. The fact is, most of us are not getting paid for this 'hobby'. Therefore, it should be a positive part of our lives. I'm worried that forums like these bring such a negative connotation to a sport I love. Now, with that said, I completely intend to continue reading the forums....what can I say, they're addicting :).

On to better things....

Today (yesterday actually-I started writing this post yesterday morning and am now finishing it 24 hrs later), I had a 2 hour ride to complete as part of my training schedule. For some reason or another, I had no motivation. I mean, come on, it's a measly little 2 hour ride, done at such a low intensity it's almost laughable. But did I want to get my fat ass out on the bike? Nope! Then I remembered an article I had read about Navy Seal and Ultra Running Psycho (said with the utmost affection) David Goggins. For those who don't know, Mr. Goggins is an absolute animal when it comes to endurance. He's run Badwater, Western States, come in 2nd at the Ultraman Tri, and a million other ultra distance events. He's so badass that he finished his first 100 miler while going into kidney failure and with broken feet-I'm never complaining about blisters again! So the man's done all this, admitting oddly, that he HATES running!!!! That's right, HATES running! How the hell does he do it then? He explains that in order to see what he's really made of, he gets out there and does what he does. Not to mention the fact that he raises money for deceased soldiors families. Either way, both are more than noble causes.

So....as I remembered this man and what he does, I felt more than a sense of shame as I came up with reasons in my head why I should not do the ride I had on my schedule. I mean, really!? What's wrong with me that I can't suffer in the cold for 2 little, tiny hours? With this on my mind, I got on the damn bike, and proceeded, at least in a small way, to find out what I was made of. Doing what you don't want to, even when it's something you like, in many ways tells you more about who you are than many other things. Even though the hardest part was getting out the door, I realized that I CAN do it, and that I SHOULD do it. If getting out the door is the hardest thing you do all day, you're one lucky S.O.B.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Runnin' down a mystery...

2008-11-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

Been doing a lot of work lately. I just seems there's not enough time in the day to work, sleep, train, see Kristen, pay bills, run errands, clean, and do all the other stuff that we cram our lives with on a daily basis. I'm going nuts, but in a good way. I'm still suprised each and every day that I go to work that my business has remained so fruitful over the past few months. I would have sworn that with the economy being the way it is, people would batten down the hatches, fire me, and go about their business. Hopefully, my clients can see that I really have a passion for what I do. If this comes through, than I'm sure that this is the reason why I've been able to not only retain the people I work with, but pick up new clients quite frequently. I really have a special job and I've decided to truly make the most of it. I always thought I had to be great at what everyone else is, but I've discovered that if I can be the best at something I'm good at and have a passion for, I'll be more fulfilled than I could ever hope to be chasing empty dreams.

So on the training front, things have been super consistant. I'm working with a coach now and that has made one hell of a difference. In choosing a coach, I wanted someone that understood not only my passion for triathlon, but was someone that had worked hard and achieved success while doing other 'life' things as well (such as go to school and have a 'real' job). Also, I wanted someone that was easy to get in touch with, and close in location to where I am. So.....drumroll.....I hired pro triathlete John Hirsch to coach yours truly. We've talked many times through email and once on the phone, and I feel more than confident I've made a good choice.

So that's it for now. I'm super psyched with my job and working hard in training. I really think that many good things are going to come out of the hard work I'm putting in now, both in work and in triathlon. Hard work is the key to all of this and I can't forget that. Well hard work and consistency. That's where it's at!

On a side note: Kristen just left and I'm secretly watching Sex and the City! I don't quite know how this happened (sure I do but I'm not telling), but I just watched my first full episode and it's really not that bad! I mean, what show is really gonna be all that bad with a bunch of hot broads living in Manhatten and talking about sex all the time!? And with that, I've discovered that women talk about sex waaaaaay more than guys do. WAAAAAAAY more! Interesting right? I can go on a six hour bike ride with a bunch of guys and sex talk may never come up...put a couple girls together for 20 minutes and they know all about each other's relationships and everything else. Now I'm generalizing a bit here, but I'm honestly not that far off. I love these little differences between the sexes...very comical!

Anyway...

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

I got demons.

2008-11-10T15:30:00.001-08:00

But then again, who the hell doesn't. There are many things I wish I'd done in my life so far. Many decisions I'd like to have back...yadda yadda. Sometimes I get really down because of this. Sometimes I get those voices of regret in the back of my head telling me that if I'd only done this, or said that, or changed something, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now.

I never imagined myself being where I am at this point in my life. When I was 17, I imagined that in ten years time, I would have been married and most likely looking forward to my first child. Wow, couldn't have been more off! Neither of the two have yet to materialize, and that's probably a good thing.

I've learned a lot in my 27 years on this planet. Some good, and a lot bad. But more importantly, I've learned them all. Sure there are a lot of things I'd take back and change if I could. Those are my demons. I guess those are the things I really need to work out in my head. I'm the only one that hears them right?

I find that most often I get into these ruts on the end of having done something great. At this point, I'm guessing I'm in a bit of a personal rut because work and training are going great. I'm busier than I've ever been with work, and my client list continues to grow. Training is going great as well. I'm focused and motivated like never before. Having set out specific goals and going about completing them has really given me a valuable lesson that can cross over to other areas of my life.

So why are my demons getting in my way now? I don't know. I guess it comes with success. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to competition. I'm constantly comparing myself to others around me. In this case, it's the friends I have that are doing better than I am. I have friends that are professional athletes, stock brokers (don't want to be that right now:)), and lawyers. I have friends that own a home, have a wife, and are putting money towards retirement. All this by 30. Wow, what the hell happened to me?

I guess when you take things into perspective, I'm not doing bad. I have a girlfriend who I'm madly in love with, I love my work, I love my training, and I'm most importantly blessed to have a family that puts up with all my bullshit, no questions asked. So again, why the demons? Because I'm cursed with competitiveness. I'm determined never to be complacent. I guess this is a good thing, but where is it gonna end? A football coach once told me to never be content with anything-and I've tried to live that way since. But my question now is, where does it end? And does it end? Am I going to go to the grave yearning for more out of life? I don't know.

There are many things I've learned so far, and even more that I haven't. As I search for the answers, the one thing I do know is that I'm always going to strive to be the best, not MY best, but THE best. Will I always get there? Probably not. Am I going to have more failures in life than victories? Probably. But I don't know, I just can't help it. I'm not going to let my demons get me down. I can't say that they won't always be there, but my hope is that I can beat them down into the basement and tie them up. Control is the key here, and I'm workin' on it.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

President Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

What an historic election. I can't say enough about how much it means to me, being a mixed raced American, to have someone that looks like me in office. While I certainly agree on the policies of President Elect Obama, as well as the direction he wants to take this country, I can't help but feel a tinge of pride as he gave his acceptance speech last night. It was amazing to see an African American Family take the stage as America's next first family. Tears came to my eyes as I read an interesting sign shown on the news. It read:

Rosa sat,

So Martin could stand,

And Barack Obama could lead.

I'm crying as I write this. Not because of the change it will bring. Not because of the story of one man. I'm crying because of the story of so many that endured so much. So many men and women that gave their lives, both literally and figuratively so that we can live in a country where EVERYONE is EQUAL. Less than a century ago this wasn't true. LESS THAN A CENTURY! Now we can say that we are all on equal footing. It happened, and whether you believe it or not, the world will be better for it. I've never been more proud to call myself an American. May God Bless America!

Got a new toy...

2008-11-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

So today I bought a fixie...to those out of the know (as I was 12 hours ago), that's a fixed gear bike. Now, I absolutely LOVE bikes. Since starting to race triathlons, I've found a true love for just getting out and riding. Looking back, it makes plenty of sense. Since I learned how to ride a two wheeler, I rode everywhere. There was literally not a time I can remember before I got my driver's license, that I was not going somewhere on my bike.

Growing up in the 80's and 90's, I was mostly subjected to skateboarding as a form of rebellion. This was way before Tony Hawk was a household name, and the X games were not even a passing thought. There was a real rebelious feel to riding a skateboard, and I definately embraced it. However, I still loved bikes.

I remeber all the bikes I've ever owned. I had an intimate relationship with each one I've ever had. From my first, white Mongoose BMX bike I got for Christmas, to the stealthy black department store mountain bike I begged my Dad to buy me. Through the years, I've always had a bike, even if I didn't ride.

So today, with my tricked out, carbon, aluminum, and spaced aged whatever triathlon and road bikes, I decided it was time to go old school. I found a Steel Fixed Gear bike on ebay (for a fraction of the price I've spent on my recent bikes), bid on it, and won. I'm so excited!

Thinking about this, I can't help but think of the beauty that comes with the simplicity of the new fixie. No gears, no brakes, nothing but steal and rubber. I can't wait to feel the road on this machine.

But don't get me wrong. I still LOOOOOVE my racing bikes. There's really nothing like speeding down a hill at 50 mph's, knowing you can still stop on a dime if you have to. Also, nothing sounds as delightful as the cranking of your chain as you make an impossibly steep climb. I love those things and will definately enjoythem for years to come.

What I'm getting at here is the romance of bicycling. There's something primitive about it...not quite so much as running the trails, but certainly moreso than turning the key to start the Ford in my driveway. There's a connection with the world, the road, and yourself that you get from cycling. It's something I can't quite describe, but at the same time don't ever want to. I want to ride because I like to. I want to ride not because I have to ride a certain time or milage, but because it soothes me. I really love this stuff and can't wait to get on that thing. I'll keep you posted.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Endurance events...Is it ok just to finish, or does everyone have to race?

2008-11-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

After watching the New York City Marathon yesterday, I questioned the intentions of the 38,000 plus runners that took place. Sure, for many of them it was a race in every fashion of the word. They, like so many of us, had done the training-long runs, tempo runs, speed work, etc.-just to get ready to set a PR. Others, though, had decided that simply by finishing, they were winners. Now while I'm not disagreeing with either motivation, I do think it's important to quantify exactly what deserves to be called a race and what doesn't. I'm super confused myself on this issue, so I hope this makes some sense.

I believe that most of the confusion that not only myself, but that others have concerning the issue of whether or not someone is a success just for completing a marathon comes from the fact that in some areas of our lives we are intensely competitive. We all strive, in life, work, play, or whatever, to be the best. Will many of us realize the ultimate goal of actually being the best? Probably not. However, that's no reason to stop doing what we do.

I think that we all get into sports for some reason or another, but end up leaving with the same lesson learned. In the end, it's not about being the best, it's about performing to the best of your abilities. If you just happened to have the talent, determination, and discipline to become the best at your given sport, that's great. But, I truly believe that we all participate to make ourselves better, and maybe, just maybe, have that bright, shining day were we stand alone as the best. Wishful thinking I guess.

Ok, so back to the subject. I think that I get most upset when people, who have no idea what it is to run a marathon, much less run it in a specific time, lump me in with people like Oprah and P. Diddy (or whatever the hell he's calling himself these days). It angers me because these people, although insanely successful, will never come close to running the times that I have for a marathon. That's not to be cocky or egotistical (trust me, I have NO reason to be those with my modest times), but I would still like to be recognized for my accomplishment.

Ok, so here comes the problem with that: Who am I to belittle THEIR accomplishment?! Why SHOULD I be pissed that people lump me in with them? After all, we did complete the same distance-only I was drinking a beer and had eaten lunch by the time they finished.

Maybe it comes down to jealously, pride, or just being a baby. The major issue here is that I, and others like me, really just need to get over it. The truth is that the marathon, as well as other endurance events, are hard. Sure there are more people doing these things than ever before, but isn't that the point? At some point, we're all looking to push the limits of what the human body is capable of. Endurance sports, by their very nature, push us to the brink of quitting. They let us know just what we're made of. That's why I love running, biking and swimming.

Every day, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I can push it. I can get out there and see exactly what I'm made of. Sometimes it takes 100 miles to do that...Sometimes it just takes getting dressed and out the door. What I'm saying is that the rush of endorphins I get every time I get out there is more than just a chemical reaction in my brain. It's life. It's the stuff that flows through my veins. That feeling, and the knowledge that comes with getting out of yourself what you didn't think was possible, keeps me going. It makes me happy and sad at the same time. It lets me know I'm alive! It's a notch on my belt that no one can take away from me. Sure I like bragging about what I've done, but I've deserved it. I'm not a blowhard, but at some level, I love seeing the look on people's face when they ask me what I did this weekend.

So to get back to my original intention for this passage, I'll answer the question of whether or not it's ok to run a marathon just to finish it...Damn straight it is! At no point can we take away anyone's accomplishment. If I can do it in 3 hours, and you can do it in 6, I really don't care! You know what, you did it! You worked just as hard (if not harder) at getting done what you set out to do and you should feel amazing about that! I hope that everyone can feel that sense of accomplishment one day, because it is without a doubt, something that changes your life forever!

Keep pushin' till ya puke...Always!!!!!

I don't know....

2008-10-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here Sunday morning, hungover like a mofo, thinking about an argument that Kristen and I had last night-just about ALL night. Unfortunately, things come up, diferences in opinion happen, and people fight. That's a fact of life. Now, we're not a fighting couple. We have healthy disaggreements, but we're not one of those fight-all-night in public couples we've all seen.

Long story short, the fight centered around public vs. private educations. Obviously, being that we both come from different educational backgrounds (her's being public and mine being private), we both have differnt things to bring to the table. From our argument and it's fiercity, I'd say that we are both more than passionate about our beliefs and educational values. The problem arouse, however, when we were not able to see eye to eye on one simple subject. While we agreed almost exclusively on every front, one tiny aspect of the argument left us in argumentary purgatory for the remainder of the otherwise fun night.

So my question is this: When two people, both from different backgrounds, be they educational, cultural, economical or otherwise, fail to interperet each other's arguments for what they are, can they ever come to a cohesive middle ground? I may not be explaining all of the argument we had (mostly for the sake of keeping things totally objective here-I don't want to say that either of us were right or wrong), but I wonder about the bigger issue of people being able to see another's point of view. I'm not sure that people truly open their heads and wrap their minds around issues. My thoughts on this issue, perhaps, are influenced by the coming election. The argument has just made me think.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty upset about the argument we had-not because we disagree, but because we failed to act like the educated people we are. Instead, we allowed emotion to dictate too much of what came out of our mouths. I truly believe that we could come to a middle ground on this, but what we did was create a gap. I'm sure we'll fill it (now that we're both a bit more sober), but why did it take such a long and dramatic argument to do this?

So anyway, I needed to get this out. The beauty of this space is that it provides me an avenue in which to speak my mind and really not care what anyone else thinks. I enjoy comments, and love to hear other's points in counterpoints in response to my rambling. Thanks for contributing to my self-therapy! :)

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

October's almost over!

2008-10-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

It's amazing but October is almost over! It seems like Summer had just started and now we're stuck deep into fall. All the leaves here in New York have changed, the air has a disctinct chill, and the days continue to get shorter and shorter. With these changes come several other important changes to our lives. We get sleepy quickly-at least I do! We eat more-I'm sure everyone does! And our motivation to exercise slowly flickers out. It's not that we don't want to work out, we just have a difficult time finding the desire as the cold weather tells us to stay inside, bundle up, and enjoy more food!

I'm completely into the theory that our ancient ancestors are at fault for this winter weight gain. They must have put on several pounds as the winter approached, obviously providing them with the extra 'insulation' to endure the lower temps in the cave. What the hell dude?! I mean really? Why ya gotta go eatin' so much! Don't you know I have to keep off my weight for my next tri season! What's with this survival stuff? Didn't cavemen wanna have ripped abs too? Maybe if they would have shaved all their body hair off too they would have been able to not only swim and run faster, but perhaps even set a PR in getting away from those damned Sabertoothed Tigers!

All kidding aside, I'm not looking forward to putting on weight this winter. I usually fluctuate between 180lbs in the summer, to somewhere around 200-205lbs. in the winter. Every year I tell myself it won't happen, but sure as a swiss watch, my belly grows, my abs go, and my fat ass has to work even harder to get in shape come the new year. Well here and now I'm making a commitment to staying as lean and thin as possible in the offseason. If that means training a little extra to keep the pounds off, then so be it. However, I'm not giving up my beer and dessert! No way buddy, no freakin' way! I'll gain 5-10lbs., but no more! I promise!

Ok, so I'm at work now and I should probably devote my time to something better than blogging, so I'll sign off for now. Remember:

Push 'till ya puke...Always!

Motivation

2008-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

My motivation is really at a low right now. I've been resting quite a bit since my last race, and it really makes me feel lazy. My training before American Zofingen was great. Everyday was train, work, train, work, train, see Kristen. I felt very efficient in everything I did and motivation was at a super high. Now, however, I feel like a fat, lazy sloth. I've been riding the bike-about an hour or so a day (with a hundred miler a few days ago), but I still feel useless. My weight is definately up, and I feel like crap.

I know my body needs it, but I feel like a fat piece of lazy crap whenever I take prolonged periods of rest. My entire attitude is effected when I don't get that sweet, daily dose of endorphins running through my veins. I truly LOVE to exercise and push my limits everyday. It's the best drug there is. I can definately understand the need for athletes like Brett Farve and Lance Armstrong to continue competing at an elite level into their late 30's.

There's nothing like being in top physical condition. It makes EVERYTHING easier! Work, dishes, cleaning-anything is easier when your resting heart rate is nice and low and your muscles and central nervous system are at their peak.

I find that during periods such as these, I'm a freakin' coffee junkie! I've been drinking enough coffee and energy drinks to kill a mule and I only feel more and more tired. It's truly a viscious cycle. I get up, I go down. I get up, I go down. I freakin' hate it! I just wanna get out there and push it! I wanna run hard through my favorite trails. I wanna climb some tough hills on my bike for hours. I even wanna swim! Who says that? I can't believe it but I even wanna SWIM!!!!

Ok, enough complaining. I'm gonna take a nap because I'm fat a lazy. Then I'll do some work, go meet with some more clients, eat fatty food, and watch Biggest Loser with Kristen, knowing that I'm only gonna be a few pounds away from being a star on that show!

Push 'till ya puke...Always. (even when your a lard ass like me right now!)

Ok, now I'm pissed

2008-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I heard through the grape vine that someone said it 'served me right to get hit by a car last week because of where I was riding my bike.' What the hell!? I mean really, what the hell is wrong with people??? Are they really that dumb that they don't realize it doesn't serve ANYONE right to get hit by a car while cycling? I don't care if you're riding on a freakin' highway on the wrong side of the road, getting struck by a car while riding or running is the worst expierience any of us could have. I ask you, douchebag that said that, to hop on a bike (I have an extra because I'm sure you don't own one) and let me drive my car at you. I promise, I won't go anywhere over 20 miles an hour. Let's see if you don't sh*t your pants by the time I get 5 feet from you.

People like this idiot really piss me off. How dare you say something like that. So you're telling me that all the cyclists in all the major cities of the world should cease cycling and be a fat, out of shape, jackass like you? We should all put our bikes and health away, so that you can continue to pollute the environment and hog up the road with your big, unecessarry SUV? Oh, and since you have that big ass 'truck', have you been off roading anytime lately? Have you hauled anything in the recent past? My guess is that if you ever did bring that gas guzzling beast off of the nicely paved roads you usually drive, you'd be horrified at the very thought of any mud or dirt getting on your precious 'truck'. My advice to you would be to stop being such a winey little bitch, get off your fat ass, and get some exercise. Oh, and by the way, I could tell you where to go, but I'm sure you're already headed there.

I'm sorry for the rough tone of this post, but I'm more pissed now, at this moron than I was when I was hit and thought my bike was totalled. Seriously, to say something like that really takes a stupid person. I have no respect for anyone that feels that way. Just think a little before you say something...is that so hard?

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

One Hundred Miles

2008-10-18T11:46:00.001-07:00

So today was a hundred mile bike ride. We left in the cool air of daybreak, around 7am, and rode and rode and rode. Talk about some beautiful scenery! I always knew there were some nice parts out on the Eastern end of Long Island, but these were back roads I've never been down.

The day started off pretty cold. I was bundled pretty good, but as I have yet to purchase my 'winter biking wordrobe', I was left without gloves. I'm still a little banged up from the crash last week, so the cuts on my hand were singin' to me for about the first 40 or so miles. After that, though, it was smooth sailin'.

So all in all it was a great ride. I'll explain a bit more of it in a later post, but right now I'm off to take Lucki to get some good 'ole doggy food, and then I'm taking a nap and watching some trashy tv. So until next time...

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Politics

2008-10-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

What an interesting time to be alive. There's so much going on right now it's impossible to keep your mind idle for more than 2 milliseconds. I find that these days I'm constantly in a state of deep thought. I try to stick to the easy things, Kristen, training, my clients, trashy tv :), but no matter how hard I try, my thoughts drift back to the economy and the upcoming elections.

The future is never garaunteed, but at times like this it seems like wishful thinking. No one ever knows what going to happen tomorrow, and at this point I'm just hoping tomorrow will come. I've never invested in the market, and I don't know the first thing about it, but we will all be effected by what happens in the coming weeks no matter what. It's scary to think about. Life will be changing quite drastically.

Then there's the election. Both parties seem to have very valid points regarding the various, important issues this country will face. However, the thing that scares me most is the generous amount of bullsh*t that's out there. Even more so, the people that believe it! In my previous post, I wrote about ignorance. It's a dangerous thing. Especially when ignorance is spread-and it usually spreads like wildfire.

Being uneducated is a very dangerous thing. I don't believe that people realize the power they possess with the right to vote. Not to use a terribly overused cliche, but every vote really does count. No matter how insignificant you think you may or may not be, voting is powerful. Don't believe me? Think of this: People in this very country have DIED, literally, for the right to vote. Voting has been so important, that until recently (the last century), not everyone has had the right to vote. Needless to say, it means something.

So what I'm writing about today is the uncertainty facing us as a country and society. I'm scarred because today, as well as yesterday, and the days before, I've heard misinformed people inform others who are now misinformed as well. Agendas here, are being pushed in very scary ways. There no longer is a regard for the greater good, but rather the good for you and your own bunch. It's frightening to think that people think only about themselves and not their fellow countrymen and women. Maybe it's just not having the same life experience as others. Or maybe its not having the same opportunities to learn as others. Maybe it's the media and the ongoing slanted reporting they put out (I'm talking liberal and conservative here-we're all guilty). No matter, things need to change and get better. We need to make the individual sacrifices that will make life better for those around us who are not so fortunate. We need to really educate ourselves on the issues-REALLY educate ourselves, not just hear what we want to, but hear what we don't want to as well. We need to be more objective in what we see and hear. Allow for others to speak their mind. Make a REAL decision on what you feel in your heart-not on what others tell you. And never discount what ANYONE has to say. Take it in, think about it, and then make a decision. When you look at issues from different angels, suddenly they may take a different shape, therefore causing you to make a different decision.

Most importantly, THINK BEFORE YOU REACT! Think about what it is your voting about. Think about the future it will give to the children of this country. Think about those around you and not just yourself. Think, Think, Think. Thinking may not be the entire remedy, but I bet you it's a damn good start.

I could say that I really don't mean for this blog to have any political 'feeling' associated with it, but I wouldn't be telling the truth. The truth is that we really need to be aware of what's happening in this country. We need to change things and regain the respect that we've had before. We've all been given the freedom to think and choose as we see fit. Let's make the most of it in this coming election. Let's rediscover the reason we're all here. Let's bring it back to the "Land of the FREE, and the home of the brave." We can do it, but it's gonna require that we grab the bull by the horns and learn for ourselves, take into account all things, and make EDUCATED decisions. Let's get it done.

Push 'till ya puke...Always. (In everything you do!)

This world we livin' in...

2008-10-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's crazy, this world we live in. It seems like I'm reminded of this fact daily. With the currrent state of things-the economic crisis, the coming elections, etc.-I find it increasingly difficult to be truly happy. Stress has become a big part of all our lives as none of us are immune from the things happening. I wish I could say that I wanted to move to a cabin in the woods to escape it all, but somehow I think the stressmonster would find me there too.

A funny thing happens as we move from childhood, to our teenage years, and into adulthood. I've felt, for the most part, that things have progressed quite nicely. More freedom, more responsibility, and new decisions are some of the great rights of passage into being considered an adult. We move through school, on to college or a profession, and then live our lives as we see fit. Fortunately we're given the right in this country to do almost as we want-"Keep your nose clean and you'll be fine in life" a client once told me. For the most part, I think he's right. However, things do happen. Things that are completely out of our control. Things that have no right to happen to us, but they still do and we have to deal with them. Now, I'm not going to give any example from my own life-I'm sure we all have enough to fill cyberspace tenfold-but I do know that the more I know the more I wish I didn't.

They say ignorance is bliss. Not so, say I. Bliss lives in knowledge. Bliss, as you may choose to define it, comes in any form you choose. Knowing what is right for us and choosing what makes us happy is exactly what creates bliss. My bliss is my family, my girlfriend, and pushing my limits each and every day. I enjoy the feeling of being out of my comfort zone, and I embrace it. It is here where I am most at home. I know that I have this urge and it is with this knowledge that I live in bliss every day. If I were ignorant to this and all things, I would never find what allows me to disconnect from the learning I wish I didn't know about.

This is difficult to follow, but I'll sum it up like this:

Ignorance is bullshit. There's no such thing. Unfortunately/Fortunately, we were given these big ol' brains, skills of communication, and the smarts to use what is around us to make our lives easier. These components of life are both blessings and traits of our downfall. We know full well what is around us. We know both the things we need and we don't need. It's what we choose that make us who we are-though the other stuff still remains elsewhere. We make our own bliss.

Ok.

So I'm sorry that most of this probably doesn't make any sense. I've not edited this or even re-read it before posting. This is just what's in my head. I may not have done a good job communicating it, so don't hold that against me. Maybe one day soon I'll sit down and make this a bit more consice. Sorry, but hopefully you get what I'm trying to put down. I think the major theme is to enjoy life and make the most of it. Push the limits you have, and never be satisfied with your position. No matter what your station in life, make things happen daily. Don't sit back and relax. Don't be content. Do move forward. Do strive harder. Do what makes you and others around you happy. Live your life because you may not get another.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

American FREAKIN' Zofingen!!!!!

2008-10-13T16:32:00.001-07:00

Wow! That's all I can say. What a race. There has to be something to these small, cultish races that just get me. A fantastic, beautiful course, great people, and a wonderful challenge...What else can you ask for?

I have to say that this was by far the toughest race I have ever done. The hills/moutains were something I have never done in training before. Living on Long Island is SUCH a disadvantage when it comes to this race. We have nothing that even comes close to the MOUNTAINS I saw yesterday.

The race started out easy enough with a nice little 5 mile trot through the woods. Easy enough right? Well, after 'dry humping' a car on Tuesday, my knee was throbbing. I knew it was going to be a long day when I came into transition and felt like I just wanted to go home. But I soldiored on, mounted the bike and headed out on the mountonous course.

I have to say that the bike felt too easy. I expected it to feel somewhat easy, as I was not pushing too much because of my injuries, but there was only really one time all day where I felt, 'damn, this is tough'. It was a nice course, consisting of three loops totaling more than 8,000 feet of climbing. However, the beautiful views more than made up for any discomfort I was feeling.

So after the 84 miles on the bike, in which I saw many interesting things (more on that later), it was on to three loops of the 5 mile trail run. The first loop felt like hell. I was cramping like crazy and my legs just couldn't handle the uphills. Now remember, I was not stuggling, my legs were not working. I do not think that I went anerobic the whole day, my body just got tired of moving for 8 plus hours. In a good way, each successive run was easier. I took my time on the first loop, a little faster on the second (although my split didn't show it), and then finally on the last it was pushing it a bit more. I managed to finish in about 8:45.

I have to say that I was pretty happy with the way things turned out. I was looking to go pretty easy for the day, and managed to do just that. Being driven off the road by a car and crashing pretty hard does leave you with a few sore spots. I definatley felt them. However, I managed to do the race, have a good time, and take in some pretty awesome sights during the journey. I was able to ride with some pretty cool dudes and have some kick ass conversations. I'm glad I decided to do the race, injuries and all, and can't wait for next year. Things will hopefully be different then!

Onward.

So, interesting things I saw on the bike:
1) A couple of bloodthirsty dogs, ready to take my legs off if I was not moving as fast as I was
2) My buddy (just met him that day on the bike-riding for about 20 mins together), John, slumped over a guard rail on the last loop of the bike totally bonking his ass off (I gave him a couple of gels, but don't know if he managed to finish)
3)A car parking directly behind me as I stopped to take a piss on the side of the road-I don't know what they thought I was doing as they pulled up, but I'm sure they figured it out when they saw my 'man' hangin' out of my bike shorts :)
4)Plenty of dead animals. This had to be the worst of all. Not only are they dead, but they give off that 'death' smell. I hate when I'm breathing hard and get a good wiff of that stuff. YUCK!

So all in all, I have to say that it was a great race and a great day. I feel pretty acomplished, and definately pumped for next year's race. Let's hope that next year I don't decide to have a horrible crash the week of the race!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Race Weekend

2008-10-11T05:52:00.001-07:00

So it's finally here! American Zofiningen is tomorrow!!!!! Time to let all the training do the talking.

We went up last week to do some recon work and scout out the run and bike courses of the race. All I can say is that this is gonna be a hell of a race. There are virtually no flat sections on this racecourse. There are some amazing climbs and some sweet, fast decents. All in all should be a long, painful, but accomplish filled day!

The one regret I have going into the race is my bike crash earlier this week. I was really looking forward to racing hard this weekend, and am very concerned that I'll be in pain for most of the day. The crash was this past Tuesday and I have only gotten stiffer and sorer (is that a word?) since. My hand and shoulder are the biggest sources of discomfort, but my knee gave me a little bit of trouble in the last couple runs I've done. I'm gonna soldier through the race, but I'm sure it won't be as fast or fun as it would have been had I not been injured in the crash.

Stay tuned as I will have a full race report coming Sunday night/Monday morning! (Depending on how beat up I am!)

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

One of the best things to ever happen to me...

2008-10-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

So in reflection, my bike crash was probably the best thing to happen to me on two wheels since...well, ever! Sure I'm banged up, sore, and missing some flesh, but the lesson learned is worth all of that and more. Having never crashed, I used to take a lot of chances out on the road. I had the 'this could never happen to me' outlook, and figured it really never could. Well, I took chances, rode where I probably shouldn't have, and I got tagged for it. Luckily no one was hurt badly, I learned a lesson, and hopefully the driver of the car learned one as well. And...the very next day I went to the bike shop and got one of those oh-so-flashy day-glow bright yellowish green bike jerseys. Sweet Ass!

Onward.

I need to rant about something that really bothers me here in this space. With the upcoming election and economic crises, we're all on edge a bit. Who really knows where our country is headed, and to be honest this couldn't be a much scarier time. With that said, I'm sick of people forcing their political opinions on me. Look, regardless of your values, beliefs, and morals, we all have the right to vote for who we feel will do the best job. For goodness sake, that's what this country is founded on! Freedom of thought, religion, decision, and whatever else you can think of is why we're all here! Sure we've had our hiccups (don't get me started on slavery and equal rights for ALL men AND WOMEN!), but we must not forget the very basis and foundation of our great country.

With all that said, I truly HATE it when people try to force their political beliefs on me. Who are you to tell me who I should or shouldn't vote for. Am I not an inteligent human being, capapble of making my own decision? Obviously I put my shoes on the correct feet so I must have some level of smarts! Democrat or Republican, you're still a person, and that's the most important part. Sure we're all conservative on some things and liberal on others-that's the beauty of our system. We can all come together, theoretically, and make a decision based on the majority. We decide for ourselves and are allowed to voice that opinion in the form of a simple vote.

So sorry for the rant, but I had to get this off my chest. Don't be the one to force what you think on another person. Sure it's fine to share your opinion if asked to, but simply provide information. I garauntee you, whomever you're talking to will appreciate it, and in the end, you may convince them to see your points more than if you're force-feeding them.

More importantly than anything I just wrote: GO OUT AND VOTE!!!!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

She's gonna live!!!!

2008-10-08T21:03:00.001-07:00

As I know all of you have been on the edge of your seat regarding the condition of my bike (insert cheesy applause/laughter here), here's a quick update as to what she's going through:

The good people (Fred, Darren, and Brian) down at Carl Hart Bicycles - my new favorite shop - have given me the green light to start riding the bike again. After a thorough inspection, they've deemed nothing to be wrong with the structural integrity of the frame. All that was needed was some truing of the wheels and rear derauliur (sp?) adjustment and away I went!

Amazingly, there were no scratches/scrapes on any part of the frame of the bike. It seems that my body took most, if not all, of the impact from the crash. I'm psyched at this as I will definately heal, the bike, and not to mention my wallet, would not have!

Now you may think I'm being materialistic with this and I should be happy that I made it out of this ordeal alive. Well, you're absolutely frickin' right I'm being materialistic! As soon as I could wiggle my hands and little pinky toe, my first thought was for my bike! Actually, come to think of it, I think I was probably thinking of my bike more than my own safety as I crashed. I remember thinking, 'protect the bike...protect the bike...' I know, I'm sick, but hey, these damn carbon bikes ain't cheap!

All in all several good things came about as a result of this crash. I'm safe, sore as hell, but I'm safe. The bike looks and feels fine (I did a forty mile ride today to a)make sure the bike was ok, and b)get back up on the horse) And finally, I hope the dumbass that was driving the car learned that she doesn't own the damned road and to be more careful-there are lives at steak here...LITERALLY!

Thanks for reading.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Another thought on my crash...

2008-10-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

After some more reflection on what happened to me this evening, I've come to two conclusions. First, I'm very concerned about the level of attention drivers pay the road. It seems (in the last two weeks) that things have gotten worse and worse on the road. Sure I've been riding a lot more in those two weeks than just about all of the summer, but I'm still shocked at the level of road rage and ignorance displayed by drivers here on Long Island. It really is true that they hate anyone taking up the road with anything other than a gas guzzling, environment killing SUV.

I just don't get it. As cyclists, we really don't take up all that much room-those of us that are respectful, that is. Of course there are some jackasses out there on bikes, hogging up the road, and making drivers hate us. Listen guys, we appreciate that you feel the need to demonstrate our rights as bikers on the road, but no matter how you cut it, cars will always win.

There just aren't enough of us out here. Either that or people driving on the roads just have no conscience. They could care less if they run us down. As far as their concerned, we don't deserve to share the road with their big bad trucks and cars.

On the second note, I realized I'm definately not invincible. I think because of the fact I had never crashed, I pushed and pushed the limits as if there were none. I really didn't have any idea what it was like to feel the pavement strip your flesh away. Luckily, I got that education tonight and lived to tell the story. My bike however...well that may just be collateral damage.

So that's it. Driver's out here are nuts, and I need to be more careful. Unfortunately the likelyhood of me changing any drivers' opinion is about nil, so I'll work on me. Thank the Lord I'm still here to do that.

Push 'till ya puke (safely)...Always.

Bike Crash

2008-10-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Just got into my first gnarly bike crash. I've been riding for a couple of years and had some close calls, but this was the first. Let's just say I hope it doesn't happen often. To make a long story short, a car failed to yeild right of way, clipped my rear wheel, and I was sent flying off my bike and onto the sidewalk at 35 mph....not to mention the fact that my neck and head stopped me as they struck a signpost. Good times!

Luckily, all this was witnessed by one of Port Jeff's finest, and emergency personel were on the scene immediately. Now the worst part about this wreck was not the ambulance ride; not the bad cuts and bruises; but the fact that this was only the second day I was riding my new bike...

Yesterday I picked up a new Specialized Tarmac, my first real road bike. I put about 80 miles on it between yesterday and today and wanted to get a few more miles in before my last client of the day. Anyway, as you can guess, things did really go to plan.

All in all, I'm a little shaken and a little beat up. Now that I'm ok, I just really want my poor bike to be as well. This being my first true carbon ride, I'm a little worried about cracks. She'll go into the shop tomorrow to get inspected and hopefully pieced back together. She's just too young to go!!! :-(

Well that's all for now, I'll keep the updates going on condition of my bike. Wish her well!!!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

There are hills and there are mountains...

2008-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

There are hills and there are mountains. I'll start with the obvious, and then work my way into a sweet metaphor. Ok, so yesterday was 'race course preview day' for a couple training friends and I. A week from today we tackle the American Zofingen long course duathlon in New Paltz, NY. From everything I've heard, both from the website and from people who have raced and trained in that area, this is a kick ass race. Full of great climbs on the bike and technical trails on the run. All in all, a great way to spend a sufffering Sunday.

So we traveled up to New Paltz yesterday to get a feel for the course. Now, I really haven't done much racing and/or training outside of Long Island in my short career in endurance sports, so I'm not sure what to expect as we make the 2hr and change ride up. WOW! That's really all I can say! As we came into town and over to our race site, the only thing I could think as I drove up the massive 'hills' (more like mountains!) was, "Holy sh*t, I'm gonna ride my bike for 84 miles on this?!? What have I gotten myself into?"

The temperature was pretty cool as we pulled into the parkinglot at the trailhead of the run-probably about 42 degrees. Of course I brought the shortest pair of running shorts I own, as well just a t-shirt, so saying I was chilled is an understatement. Anyway, ran one loop of the 5 mile run course. During the race, we will run this loop 4 times total, once before the bike and 3 times after. It was beautiful to say the least. plenty of singletrack, wonderful sights, and just overall peacefullness. While running the only thing I could think was that I never wanted to leave that place. Unbelievable.

So after getting 'lost' for a bit on the trail (and compiling more like 7 miles rather than five-all the while taking in some gorgeous views) we got back to the lot and got the bike stuff ready. Ok, back to the hills and mountains thing. I learned yesterday that Long Island is absolutely FLAT AS A PANCAKE! Yeah there are some pimples we call hills, but nothing at all like New Paltz. These are frickin' mountains! We talking climbs that go on for miles and miles. I love it!!!! It's so amazing to get to the top of a climb, your quads burning, lungs screaming, sweat pouring down your nose, and see the wonderful view from the top. All that work getting to the top to be rewarded by the view...that's really all I needed. Simple. Gorgeous. What more could you ask for?

All in all we did one loop of each course. On race day it will one loop of the run, three of the bike (84 mi), and then another three loops of the run (15 mi). I'm scared but pumped at the same time.

On another note, I'm definately using my new Specialized Tarmac road bike for the race. Riding my tri bike was a little scary on the decents. I'm sure it's a little faster, but I just don't have the control I'd like to at 50mph. I think it's important to finish the race with clean shorts and in one piece.

Now back to the metaphor. On the bike yesterday I had a lot of time to think about hills and mountains and life. The obvious would be that hills and moutains represent obstacles in our lives. Hills being the small, easy to overcome problems that arise-Mountains being the large, seemingly impossible problems. But I think there's something deeper here. For this race, I've trained in the hills. Sure I've busted my ass, sweating and grunting my way up in the beginning, only to conquer what I onced feard (the hills that is). The mountains have given me a new purpose and a new drive. I'm not intimidated by them, just calmly interested in their pursuit. The hairs on the back of my neck are up, my senses are hightened, and I'm ready for the fight. The mountains look to me now like the hills once did-scary, painful, and almost undoable. But I've conquered the hills. They've beat me down, but each time I've come back for more. I continue to show up, each time knowing full well what I'm in for-but I'm still there. Mountains will become hills one day, and I'll be standing at the top.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Punk Ass B*tches!!!!!

2008-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now that I've calmed down, I can write this like the intelligent, rational, human being I am. Had this been a couple of hours ago, this would have been a swear-laden, x-rated post, bound to turn away any of the loyal readership I've collected. So here is the PG version of what happened to me out on a bike ride today:

So this afternoon, as planned, I headed out for a nice hilly 3 hour ride. The weather here has been pretty muggy and rainy, but today the weather turned cool and the sun was out-perfect for riding. So I finish my morning clients by twelve, take a quick nap, get on my gear and head out the door on the bike. The first twenty mile or so were nothing short of super. Cool air, no traffic, and plenty of nice rolling hills. Until it hit me-literally! Coming up one of my favorite climbs (I dare to call it a climb as it only goes on for about 2 and 1/2 miles-you guys in Colorado and California are probably laughing at me right now:-) ), I was hit in the side of the head with eggs and a cup of coke from a passing car! WTF!!!!???? All over my back and the side of my face were sticky cola and egg yolk! Not to mention my poor Cervelo! My dear sweet bike had this sh*t all over it!

Now I'll get to the part that pisses me off, but first a little history about yours truly. When I was in highschool, I was TERRIFIED of any physical interaction. I would go out of my way to avoid anyone even being mildly agitated at me. I was a little fat, porky kid, afraid of his own shadow. Then I found sports, namely ice hockey and lacrosse, that made a tough guy out of me. From There it was on to college, where I played lacrosse and found a job bouncing at one of the local bars near campus. This is where I got my first taste of fighting. Basically I learned that it doesn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it did to take a punch to the face. After college, I got into Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, and Mixed Martial Arts (Ultimate Fighting). And guess what? Not only did I really start to like fighting, but I found I was actually pretty good at it!

Ok, so I tell you all this to get to my point. Do I condone fighting? No. If it's in a ring and for sport, I think there is no purer compitition. However, in the street, it's one of the dumbest things you can do. In just about every situation, there's a way around it-except for this one! Getting cheap shotted, whether by an egg and a soda, a fist, or whatever, is clear grounds for throwing down. If you hit me when I'm not looking, you better be ready to throw hands with me, otherwise, I have no respect for you, or the punks you're rolling with.

So these douchebags in the car that threw stuff at me are the true definition of Punk Ass B*tches. As they drove off, I screamed for them to come back. At least give me the respect to come back and fight me. I have no problem getting my hands dirty every now and then, especially, as I said before, if I'm cheap shotted. So to me, they are (excuse the language) pussies of the highest order.

There are two very definate realities you have to face when you cheap shot someone:
1) Are you sure your ready to fight? and
2) Do you know how to fight? Because I do and if you and your friends don't, it's really not going to end well for you.

Ok, enough said about the worlds biggest va-j-j's. Sorry for the derogitory term, but that's just how I'm feeling right now. I told you this is the PG version, not the G version. So anyway, the rest of the ride was great. With my new-found anger, I was able to fight the fatigue from yesterday in my legs and really get some good miles in. The only bad part was the egg smell, but hey, it can't all be daisy's and daffodills now can it?

Ok, I'm off to finish up with my last client.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Another Monday...

2008-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I work so much I have no idea what day it is. I literally would still have no idea if it weren't for my Trio. That thing is more than just a phone, it's my life! All kidding aside, my clients have called it my Holy Grail, and I can't say that they're wrong. Today, however, DEFINATELY felt like a freakin' Monday though!

I have been tired and cranky all day. No reason whatsoever, just tired and cranky. I didn't sleep very well the night before, but let's face it, I never sleep very well. I thought I might excercise to get rid of some of the cobwebs between clients, but that got me no where. So I went about my day, seeing some clients, being cranky, and probably-unfortunately-showing it.

On a good note, though, I did have a great training day. I did a killer session on the indoor trainer, hammering my legs into oblivion for an hour and a half with some of the hardest intervals I've ever done. Then it was out for a run, again hammering my legs with some hard pickups and finishing with eight 400's, all under a minute. Then, as if that weren't enough, I headed back out on the bike to ride in the hills for another hour and a half. Everything today was at a pretty uncomfortable pace, making me feel pretty beat up and wasted for a long ride tomorrow. Something about the suffering really gets me going.

So after all this shinanigans (love that word!) it was off to see my favorite girl in all the world. Now this, by far is the best part of the day. Just sittin' back, relaxin', and watchin some quality TV. You really know you love and enjoy someone when you can be comfortable in any situation with them. Kristen and I love to go out dancing and partying, but we're just as comfotable having a quiet evening together doing next to nothing. I'm such a lucky guy!

Ok, so that's it for today. I'm about to head off to bed, but the damned new channel I just found on TV is killin' me! If you have it availible, I really, really, really suggest you watch Universal sports. I believe it's one of NBC's channels, but it has all the cycling, track and field, and TRIATHLON events that we usually don't see in this country! Right now they're replaying some of the Summer Olympics-which I'm a total sucker for! Really, it doesn't matter if it's water polo, handball, basketball, fencing, anything! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Olympics!

So as I go, enjoy your life because it's just too short not to!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Late night post

2008-09-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

Just got home from Kristen's. We spent a lovely evening together, eatin' dinner, watchin' tv, and generally relaxin'. The plan was to hit the town for a night of dancing and drinking. We haven't gone in a while and it'll be at least another week before we get to do so. We're both a little under the weather so I'm sure it was better to stay in than to go out. Either way, a night spent with her is fantastic, whether it's dancing or just sitting around.

The day was a pretty boring one, just mostly laying around as the weather is pretty crappy here. Lots of rain and clouds for the past couple of days. The forecast says it's going to stay this way for a couple more days, but it looks like we're getting a little break.

Ok, just a quickie tonight, I have to wake up for a client and a running clinic I'm putting on tomorrow at the local high school. Should be fun even though technically it's working on a Sunday! Plus, I get to have a nice brunch with Kristen and her fam shortly after! Nothing like good food on a Sunday morning before the football begins!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Keeping up...

2008-09-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm posting today-or tonight rather-just to keep up with my writing. I actually don't have much to talk about right now, other than the fact that today has been super long! I woke up for work nearly 24 hours ago, and have not stopped moving since. There were clients all morning, shopping in the afternoon, and then happy hour with friends and cooking my chili with Kristen at night.

Training-wise, not much was accomplished today. I'm still getting over being a bit sick, so I guess the four mile run with a client and hill repeats will do for today. I did feel awesome in training today, which seems to be the theme of the limited training I've done this week. My legs feel super fresh and my mind is in a good place.

Dinner was good and the chili didn't come out half bad. It was the first effort of the season, so I think I'll only get better as the weather gets colder! There's nothing better than a nice bowl of warm chili as the days get shorter and cooler! Live for the chili!

So that's about it for today...nothing too special to note. Just the same ole' stuff going on. This weekend should be nice, with some good rest and hopefully some decent training sessions mixed in. Like I've learned in about all aspects of my life, success is about consistency. If you don't show up everyday, someone else will, and they will beat you! I like that. Not someone else beating me, but showing up everyday. It really makes you accountable for your own success. Ok, off to bed!

Push 'till ya puke...Always

Sick

2008-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

So what I thought was going to be a little head cold has now floored me for the better part of this afternoon. As mentioned yesterday, I dragged myself on a bike ride-which at the time felt great, one of the best this season-that I believe set me back a bit. Now, I usually never get sick, so attacting this little 'head cold' and knowing if it's ok to train are foreign to me. I've heard that when the symptoms are above the head, it's ok to train. No freakin' way! I think that simple bike really put me behind the eight ball for today.

Fortunately, I really didn't miss much training. I had an easy run planned for today, and I could probably use the rest as I've had a tough week at work and haven't slept well in days. It's not a major lost day and it was nice to spend my afternoon loungin around the house with Lucki Dog, my Jack Russell.

I'm still a bit hot about the whole ordeal at my high school. It just really hits home and bothers the hell out of me. When did this become commonplace? It seems like ever since the tragedy at Columbine, kids have felt that violence was an acceptable outlet. Who's to blame for this? I think the answer to that is so vast its unapproachable. There's the media, the television, the newspapers, the internet, the kids (yes, the kids), the parents, and so on and so fourth. Further, I believe that people make excuses for kids-whether they're right or wrong. No one puts their foot down and either assigns blame or takes blame. I'm guilty of it and probably so are you. We're all so politically correct we've forgotten what it is to have an opinion! Opinions are the old assholes-political correctness has found it's way to the top.

Sorry for the rant, but, well....no, I'm not sorry. Ha! There's a prime example of political correctness creeping its way into the world. I'm not sorry for writing my opinion. Remember, if anyone says you're wrong for your ideas, THEY'RE WRONG!

Ok, off the soapbox. So anyway, today was a wash on the training front, and just about all others for that matter. I had fun at work, as always, but it definately was work to get through my day. It is great, however, to work off of the energy of my clients. They pick me up, I pick them up, and sometimes we pick each other up. It's just a great business for that. I really can't see myself doing anything else right now. I only want to take it to the highest level it can be. I've heard it said that if you find yourself being the best at any particular thing, you'll be a rich man. That is certainly true, but the level of wealth varies. For some it will result directly in money, for some fulfillment, and for some others a balance of both. I definately find myself in the third category. I'm happy, I'm fulfilled, and I'm paying my bills. And, importantly, I can take my girl out for dinner and away for a weekend from time to time! Not bad for right now.

Ok, time to hunker down here on the east coast as we prepare to get smacked accross the face with a Nor'easter tonight. I love this weather!

Push 'till ya puke....Always

Chowda, Orange Juice, New Kids on the Block, and The Stony Brook School

2008-09-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

So I'm sick today. Just a headcold, but I'm really a wimp when I get sick. I guess it's because I really NEVER get sick. Honestly, I can't remember the last time...honestly. But, alas, here's this freakin' headcold, killing me slowly.

So the day started out well. Worked my butt off (all the while thinking how much I love my job and the people I work with), had some breakfast, worked some more, and then some more. Got a nap in the middle of the day, for a whole 20 minutes, but nonetheless a nap, trained another client, and draged my sorry ass onto my bike for a ride with a buddy.

We did about 45 miles on the bike I think. I've done away with my bike computor as I find I only wind up racing myself in training when I should be coolin' it. Either way, today was just an easy ride, pushing it a little on the hills, but nothing more. I actually felt pretty good when I got back home, so I did some yoga before hoppin' in the shower.

Then came the congestion, headache, and sore throat. All back at the same time like I had a freakin' party goin' on in my head and they were all there for the hot girls. Only problem, no hot girls and I felt like crap. So after the shower it was back to the kitchen where I inhaled some chowda and orange juice. Don't ask, it was just what I was craving. Maybe I'm pregnant? Next thing you know I'll be all over the ice cream and pickles.

So anyway, I'm feeling like poop and I'm sure my writing is showing it (I told you I was a crybaby when it comes to being sick). So before I kill you with any more bad analogies, I'm gonna hit the bed early.

Oh, but two more things before I go! I almost forgot. My beautiful girlfriend is spending this wonderful evening with 5 guys who are more famous and richer than I am. No, she's not the newest bachelorette, she's at a New Kids On the Block concert. That's right NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!!!!!!! First of all, I'm shocked that they're all still alive! And second, shouldn't they work on a new name? New Kids???? I think Old Men Around the Corner is more appropriate. I hope the show doesn't go to late, I wouldn't want them to miss their "stories" on the television tonight. Ok, no more hating. But seriously, NKOTB??? And the worst part is, Kristen loves Danny! Danny!? What the hell? He looks like a monkey! I mean, really?

Ok, so the second thing I wanted to get to is a bit more serious. Here on Long Island, I had the privilage of going to a pretty exclusive private college prep school. There were certain things I hated about it, espcially when I was a teenaged fat kid getting made fun of, and many more things I came to appreciate about it after I grew up a bit. I honestly can say that my entire education was based on that place. I really didn't learn a damn thing in college (except some things that I'm not going to mention here!)

So, with great regret last night, I learned that one of the recent graduates from the class of '08 had a 'hit list' of kids and faculty. Apparently, he intended on killing certain members of the school's community. This is all very shocking because of the way I remember the place. When I graduated, I was one in a class of 65 and an entire student body of about 315. It was a small, and tight knit community.

As this event has settled in my head, it has brought two things to my attention. First, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE. Unfortunately, our world has come to this. No place is immune. Technology has made this world smaller than ever, and these are some of the unfortunate side effects. Second, I beg the question, and pardon my French, 'What the fuck is going on!?' When did bullying become such an epidemic? And when the hell did killing someone become the ultimate remedy? Sure, we've all been made fun of. We've all, at one point or another been kicked around. But does it mean we have to kill our tormentors? As I've said before, anything I've learned worth learning has been aquired from adversity. Sometimes you have to get beat around before you become the person you'll be. And almost everytime, you're better for having gone through the trials and tribulations.

Ok, 'nuff said. Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Today

2008-09-23T17:56:00.001-07:00

Another good day in the books. Not much exciting action today, just work, work, and a tid bit of running, stretching, and core work. Not much sleep last night, but for a good reason as I spent the night with Kristen. We, and by 'we' I mean she, made garlic shrimp and pasta-my favorite meal! Then we watched our Jets get trounced by the Chargers. VERY disappointing! I'm not gonna go into it, but I have to say that being a Jets fan for so long has severly deconditioned me to rooting for a loosing team. With the Jets, NOTHING suprises me any more. Last night was just another game for the Jets, the same team that sold its soul to the devil for that one Super Bowl Championship.

Moving forward, I'm still 'in the zone' with work, and things are only getting better. As I mentioned earlier this week, putting my heart and soul into my business has really turned things around for me. I've always been good at what I do, but now I believe I'm at another level. To my clients: Get ready because things are only gonna get better and better! Expect to hear from me in the form of a bi-weekly newsletter coming soon!

I'm moving in the right direction in a lot of aspects of my life. I can't say that I'm used to this feeling as it has not happened often. I think I've been a f*ck up for most of my life and I'm really ready this time to turn things around. I'm happy and motivated. That's a tough combination to stop!

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Balls, Heart, and Soul

2008-09-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

So I was in the bathroom at work this morning, taking care of some "business" (sorry for the abrubt vulgarness of this post, I'm just feelin' kinda squirrelly(sp?) today), and I was thinking about the difference between the motivating factors of "having balls" versus doing what you really have a passion for, putting your "heart and soul" into it. I decided that putting your heart and soul into something is a bit different, and at most times better way to complete a task.

I would describe "having balls" as taking chances that could wind up with you in a jam. Whether spending money you don't have for something you need, or sticking your chin out when it may get smacked Having balls means being aggressive and being a risk taker, albeit for and advance in position-in life, a race, at work, etc.

Putting your "heart and soul" into something means to move toward a goal with every emotion in your body. Whatever your goal is, you move toward it with your whole being. Everything you have is what you give to get you there. To put your heart and soul into something means that even though the world will not end if you do not achieve your goal, it still feels like a very small place when things don't go as planned.

In my short life, I've done both. I've had some balls in some things, and I've put my heart and soul into others. The things that I have found to be more worthwhile usually end up being the latter. Emotion is something we all deal with and it can be an amazing tool. When used correctly, and aimed directly at its target, emotion and feeling can get you where guts never could. In fact, emotion will take the place of the so called "guts" you need to get some stuff done. Passion and emotion are what wins battles and advance you past the point of just wanting to achieve.

I enjoy learning new things about myself each day. I've learned that I have a lot to learn. I only hope that I never stop...this learnin' thing is fun.

And by the way. School didn't teach me shit. Sure I learned to read, write, add and subtract, but everything I've learned that matters in life came in the form of making it through adversity. Figuratively and literally speaking, I've been down and out, kicked around, beaten down, spit on, and discounted, but you know what? I'm still here and I'm stronger than I was yesterday.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Tired and Sore

2008-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how you're body reacts to different stimuli. Today I'm pretty sore and pretty wiped out. After the race yesterday, I felt like superman. All those endorphins buzzin', hanin' out with Kristen and her dad, drinkin' beers at the finish-Good times! Not so good for recovery, but good times none the less.

Anyway, I'm amazed at the fact that my body can be so beat up from putting forward an effort for only 38 minutes. I've been less sore after running 20 miles, much less the 6.2 I ran yesterday. I'm glad though, because to me this is really a sign of pushing myself harder than I do in training. Obviously in any race, the adreniline is gonna kick in, and your competitive juices are gonna flow. The end result is kickin' ass...or trying to anyway.

Onward.

This weekend has been pretty good on all fronts. I'm tired from another good week at work, and am looking forward to the next week. I'm really starting to come into a "zone" as far as work is concerned. I think I'm reaching a new level as a personal trainer. I've been able to harness my efforts, and really come away doing something that I love for work. I think it's been the fact that I've been able to make up my mind that personal training is an honorable profession and career.

I've been chasing ideals for so much of my life. I always wanted to be a professional athlete from time I was a little kid. Whether it was baseball, hockey, football, or whatever, my main goal was being paid to do something I love. Unfortunately, I have not been able to accomplish that goal-NOT YET ANYWAY...the senior PGA tour is still a reality.

Some of my friends have been able to accomplish the goal of making a living being an athlete, and for a long time, especially recently, this has really been tough for me to deal with. It's not that I'm not happy for them, I just have felt like failure for not having reached the same level. Sure I've had many athletic successes, but it still just never reached the level I wanted it to.

It's important though, to realize this has been most of my own doing. I made some bad decisions, and often times took myself out of things mentally. It's not that my friends are better athletes than I am, it's just that they were able to put everything together better than I could.

I say all this to bring my writing today to this important point: I finally accept me for me. I am what I am and I have done what I have done. I can't change any of that. My objective, at this point in my life is to be the best at what I'm doing now. That is, be the best personal trainer I can be, the best boyfriend I can be, and the best person I can be.

I've learned that the first true step to success in anything you do is to be happy with you. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to truly apply yourself to what is important. If you spend dwelling on what could have been or what you didn't do, you're not going to continue to improve in any direction. You'll stay stagnant for as long as it takes for you to make up your mind to pick yourself up, get in the game, and be the best you can.

This has all been on my mind for a while lately and it's great to get it out. Again, I don't know if anyone is actually reading this blog (and to some extent, it really doesn't matter-I'm getting my head straight and it's working wonders for me), but if you are, I thank you for taking a look inside my head. I hope if you're suffering from something similar, this helps you. Stive to be the best at whatever you do and you'll always be fulfilled. You don't have to be the best, just be the best YOU you can.

Thanks for reading.

Push 'till ya puke...Always.

Cow Harbor 10k Race Report

2008-09-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

"Life is what happens when you're making other plans."

This was the definiton of my race today. When I signed up for this race some moths ago, I had every intention of finishing in my goal time of 34:30 (or for that matter any time under 35 mins). Training was ok, save for some mishaps with my work schedual and overall laziness, but a week prior I had run a fairly painful 36:50 on the race course in a training run. Needless to say, I was confident. Then came today.

The first mile and a half felt great. I went out hard, but knew I had some left in the tank. Coming up to the first major climb of the day (and by major I mean what you guys in Colorado would call a small hill) my legs were movin' great. Then it happened. My back freakin' seized up and all I felt from then until the end of the race was tight lumbars and limited hip movement. What a bummer!

I went on to finish is 38 and change (the official results still are not posted), which I still feel is somewhat respectable. I have to keep in mind that Ryan Hall wrecked this course in 2006 with a course record of 28:40 or something like that (sorry for the lackluster records, I'm in a rush as I still haven't gotten in the shower yet!). All in all it was a good day and I learned that ANYTHING can happen in ANY race, so you better damned well be prepared to suffer if you have to!

Congrats to Kristen, my beautiful girlfriend for competing, her Dad, Mr. Hordy, and all my clients for running hard! Good work to everyone! Also, good job to my buddy Doug Moyer for finishing in 34 and change-I'll be up there with you next year!

Ok, time to take that shower and wash off the sweet oniony Mexican foody smell I got goin' on! Thank God my girlfriend loves me cuz I smell like...well, onions and Mexican food!

Push 'till ya puke! Always...

Just a quickie...

2008-09-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post today. The last few weeks have really gotten away from me. Between work, training, and having a life, I've really not had much time for writing. I've come to find though, that without getting at least SOMETHING down every day, my thoughts really begin to get bottled up in my head. Perhaps I think too much about other things on those long bikes and runs!

Anyway, I was going to write a race report on the Mighty Hamptons Tri this past Sunday, but the only problem was that I never made it to the start! For the first time since I've been racing, I made the decision, albeit on the way to the race, that it was not a good idea to race. Looking at the pros and cons during the ride, I decided that it was in my best interest not to race. I was going in tired, I hadn't been in the water in at least a month, and it was pouring rain on the drive in. Now, I know that inclimate weather is usually nothing to bat an eye at, but combined with the other factors, I believe it could have spelled disaster. Not to mention, this race really means little to me at this point. Sure it would have been nice to toe the line with TJ Tollakson (who if I knew was doing the race I may have done it despite my pro/con decision making process), but I'm training too hard right now and am too focused on the American Zofingin to risk injury or illness. All in all, I was a bit bummed to not doo the race, but I went with my gut and did what I had to.

Now, don't think for a second that I didn't go home, take a nap, and then train my ass off! After a nice little slumber and working with a client, I decided to do another layered brick I had planned for later this week. The brick consisted of a 4 mile run, 60 mile bike, and about 8-10 mile finishing run. I did this with time being my biggest guide, as I have abandoned my bike computor and GPS for the moment. The routes were ones that I knew, so the distances should be pretty close. No matter, I had a great volume day. As my fitness grows, I get stronger and stronger the further I go. I'm really hoping for a great race in October!

That's all for now. The first episode of the new season of Biggest Loser just started and I'm off to crack a beer and watch it! The only thing that sucks is that Kristen won't be by my side. She's up in Canada again dealing with some family matters. God, whenever she's gone I miss her like crazy! I'm so lucky! Ok, before I get all mushy....

Push 'till ya puke....

I'm pooped...

2008-09-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

I've been off quite a bit on blogging lately. A lot is happening with work and training. I've been busy all day everyday for most of the last two weeks. I'm pumped that my business has really picked up, but the toll it's taking on my sleep is definately an issue. Poor Kristen has had to deal with me falling asleep constantly on her shoulder every night. I just can't seem to keep my eyes open after 9:30.

This is all compounded by the fact that I've decided to go cold turkey and give up caffiene....OUCH! This sucks. I haven't had a migrane for months and the moment I decide to give it up, BOOM! I'm sure that the next few days will only bring more of the same, but I am looking very forward to that magic day where I wake up and the headaches gone and I'm not nearly as fatigued.

Training has really been great for me mostly because I feel I've been as consistant as I have ever been. My fitness is really coming along and I think it's time to step things back up a notch. I have a race tomorrow so Tuesday will be another big day for me. I'm pumped!

Ok, time to go test out those race wheels and get my bike together.

Push 'till ya puke!

Falling a bit behind...

2008-09-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

So I've been falling off the blogging wagon recently, which I guess is somewhat good because it means I've been training and working more and more. At this point in my training, I'm completely beat down. It's been a real hard three weeks for me and my body is telling me to slow my role a bit. I do love feeling this way though, because it's a result of pushing my body to its limits, and there's something sexy about that.

As I've gotten a little older (and hopefully a little more responsible!), I've been interested in seeing just what I'm capable of. I think that's what attracts me so much to endurance sports. Even though there are times I hate the expierience, I find that the end result gets me as high as a kite. Sure this is mostly a result of all the endorphins, but that sense of accomplishment is really something!

Onward.

Relationships are a wonderful thing. Even when they're going bad, which is CERTAINLY NOT the case with my present relationship, you can learn something from them. A good relationship is one in which both people benefit and learn from one another. I've learned so much from Kristen and so much from our relationship. I can honestly say that I've never felt closer to anyone...ever. I think we've grown so much together in the time since we've met. It's really crazy, but I love every second of it!

On the training front, everything is going well. I've been building and building my fitness each and every day for the last few weeks and things are really going well. As I said before, I do think now is a time to let up on the hammer a bit though. I'm starting to show the wear and tear in that I'm not quite recovering as quickly as I'd like from big efforts. I'll still feel ok the next day, but my legs just don't have that spring in them that I'd like. The process of training is unbelievable. In just three weeks of busting my ass, in a smart way, my body has reacted so well. I'm now capable of distances and speeds I couldn't even approach before...and the best part is, I'm still improving! The angst that I felt when I first signed up for the American Zofingin is slowly being replaced by a cool, calm confidence. I'm not saying I'm gonna win the thing, but if all goes well according to my training, I'll have a good race.

"Impossible is nothing"

Rant

2008-08-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my purpose in starting this blog was to write about what's on my mind. On a daily basis, so much stuff passes through my cranium, it's nice to have a place to get it all down. Most times, I talk about the things I love: Kristen, Triathlon, my Family, etc. Today, well, here goes.....

Elitism.

I HATE elitism. It has to be one of my biggest pet peves. In any arena, it's just so freakin' annoying. Whether it's athletics, politics, academics, whatever, I just can't deal with it. Most often, in my line of work, it has to do with athletics and vanity.

Being a personal trainer and coach, as well as a competitive athlete myself, I see so many people putting one another down in some way or another throughout the day that it makes me want to vomit. I think in a lot of ways, the local triathletes on Long Island are huge culprits of this. So many times, I've seen people become excluded from a group or "team" because of their results in a local race, or the equipment they use. (To that douchebag on the PC3 in Mountauk, if you're better than me, why did I blow you're ass away on my Aluminum Felt with the training wheels on it? Can I borrow your pump now? Sorry, I had to get that one in.... :-) )

First of all, any of us who are successful in the local races are decent athletes. However, we're still big fish in a very tiny pond. Just because so-and-so came in first at the local duathlon/triathlon, gives them no right to knock down anyone else. As it is, I'm sure Mr. So-And-So would get his or her ass handed to them if they were even to train one day with a real pro. However, just because they are faster than the newbie, they feel entitled to ignore the newbie's existance, instead giving them a slight glance of disgust because they finished their first tri on an old rusty mountain bike.

I say, it takes more guts and testicular fortitude to toe the line knowing that at T1 you're going to blast away on your old Huffy. The first timers are what this great sport is all about. We're all lining up to embark on an adventure. Some of us may finish before others, but the essence in the sport lies in uncertainty.

"Can I do this?"
"What have I gotten myself into?"
"Am I going to die out here?"

These are all questions I'm certain we asked ourselves in our first race. The third one came to me 500 meters into the swim of my first race. But you know what? I finished the damned thing and I'm blogging about it right now. Sure I've gotten faster, fitter, and more successful in the sport, but the adventurous nature remains the same. Whom am I ever to discount anyone on their journey in this sport?

Basically, what I'm saying is this: We all need to remember where we came from. Not just in triathlon, or at the workplace, or even in relationships, but in everything we do. Not one of us is better than the other in any way, shape or form. Everyone needs to take a step back, enjoy life, and not be so concerned with those around them.

Go out, kick some ass, and smile while doing it! At some point, I guarantee, you're gonna be the one who's ass is getting kicked. Be just as gracious in losing as you are in winning, and you'll always be a champion.

25,5,25,5,25,5...

2008-08-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of the hardest training days of my life. In all the years I've played organized sports, nothing has ever compared to the pain of yesterday. I would even go as far as to say that if you took all of the accumulated conditioning sessions done in those years, they would not come close to what I did yesterday.

I met up with my training partner Stefan yesterday to do a layered brick workout. For those of you not familiar with the triathlon world, a brick session includes doing back to back workouts, usually in a bike-run format (i.e. a Forty mile bike ride followed by a four mile run). In this case, Stefan and I were to ride 25 hilly miles, followed by a 5 mile hilly run....three times back to back. At the end we would total 75 miles on the bike, and 15 miles on the run. Definately not a workout for the faint of heart.

The day started quite easy, with the first 25-5 combo coming to a close with my legs still feeling quite fresh. The second bike session was more of the same, but I do have to say I was starting to feel my legs quite a bit on the second run leg. The third bike leg began well, but the last ten miles were excruciating! I just kept trying to move the pedals and turn the cranks. Thank God I took that damned computor off my bike before we started, otherwise I think I would have been severely depressed by all the single digit speeds it would have been giving me going up the hills.

The third run leg gets its own paragraph. Now, there are certain times in your life when you feel like you've come to an ultimate point-a defining moment so to speak. This can be anything from your first kiss, to your first child being born, your first job, or a number of things. This defining moment of my life was sponsered by my machine of a training partner, Stefan. Let me tell you, there's nothing like getting your ass kicked by someone who you can smile and joke with the whole time!

I have never known what it means to have such a disconnect between my brain and body. When it comes to sports, I've always been a very competitive person (especially when it's a one on one battle like a running race or a sparring session/fight). I've always been able to will myself to move as fast as I could, or fiight as hard as I could. I may not always have won, but I knew that my body was moving as fast or as hard as it could to get me where I wanted to be.

Yesterday, all bets were off. No matter how fast I wanted them to go, my legs stuck in one speed...SLOW! They kept moving, but it was at a pace similar to refridgerated maple syrup. (If you don't know what that looks like, try it sometime and get back to me....it's freakin' deadly slow!) So I finished that last run session, albeit a bit behind Stefan. I'm proud of myself for not folding during the whole training session. For finishing it and getting the miles done. Very easily, I could have made the excuse that I had been training hard all week and I was done. In the end though, would I realy have been happy? Yesterday was a gut check. I realized that many things are possible if you just stick with them. Even when times are tough, and you're one step away from quitting, don't give in. The prize at the end is worth the suffering to get there.

As Martin Dugard always ends his blog:

Keep pushing, always.
(He's right)