I had the best bike ride the other day. A buddy of mine came over and we set our trainers up in the playroom upstairs and watched "Breaking Away" for the 500th time. It was too cold, dark, and rainy to want to ride outside, and I have never had a ride end up being that much fun. It's always easier to train with a friend, and when you decide to do something out of the ordinary (like running in the extreme cold or rain) it really makes for a memorable event. Especially if you can get your mind off of competition for a while and just enjoy the moment.
I started receiving "Lava" magazine in the mail this year. It was a surprise to me... I didn't order it. But I am enjoying it. It is a large magazine distributed every two months. It has thicker pages and seemingly more "photography focused" articles than a lot of other magazines. I do subscribe to one magazine... "Triathlete". I am enjoying their new format and likewise their new focus on the "images" of triathlon. Everyone likes pictures of fancy bikes and underwater shots of an open-water swim start. If Lava is sending me their magazine because of my subscription to "triathlete" in hopes that I will fall in love... enough to start paying for it... then they are simply brilliant, because it just might work. It really does the job of getting me motivated for my workouts. In the words of Belle and Sebastian, "Stars of track and field you are... beautiful people." Triathlon is like no other sport in the world. Where else can you pay your fee, show up, and race the same course the pros are racing... possibly even get passed by one (if your course has multiple loops). As far as total fitness is concerned there are no better examples than those seen in the world of Triathlon.
But don't get too excited and go "all-in" just yet. This world has too much to offer and there is way too much to lose if your priorities are not straight. Many people have jumped head-first into triathlon and ruined jobs, marriages, and friendships in the process. If you are not being paid (or hope to get paid one day) to race triathlons, then you need a quick reality check... triathlon is a great hobby. Period. Your job... your family... your wife... and your relationship with God are the only things in this world that truly deserve your affection. I'm not saying you shouldn't drop a couple grand on a tri-bike if you have the means... but I am saying that maybe you should also have a bike that you can chain up down at the park while you're getting dizzy on the merry-go-round. If you simply don't have time to spend with the family because of your required mileage... something has to change, and if you can't find time to spend alone with God or at Church because you can't afford to miss that long ride. Then consider this... what are you trying to prove? What is so important about that next race? Can you step back and ask yourself if this verse... Jeremiah 9:23-24... applies to you? Can you say that about yourself? I think I've finally asked myself that question, and I didn't really like the answer... so that... my friends... is my personal training goal.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010 Year-End Winter Survival Guide
It's the week between Christmas and New Years, and if you're not on vacation you're not getting much done at work, because everyone else is. So, what do you do? Well my friend. You've come to the right place. Here's my 2010 year end winter survival guide.
#1. TV - The stalwart of time wasting devices. Tried and true. New and improved. And now more accessible than ever. You can watch your favorite shows at home on your 50 inch-3D-HD-LED-TV at your convenience on your DVR or On-Demand. But what should you watch. If you're like me, you're sick and tired of the manufactured drama of "Reality TV", disgusted with the ever-lowering content standards of prime-time programming, and tired of sitting through hours of commercials only to be continually bombarded with product placements in the few positive programs that ARE out there... i.e. "The Biggest Looser" and "Extreme Home Makeover". Sometimes you just want to laugh without being shocked. If this is you then you need to check out Psych. A show about a couple gumshoes who masquerade as psychics while using their intellect to solve crimes on a contract basis for the Santa Barbara police department. Watch it and try not to laugh... and instead of product placements, see if you can find the randomly placed pineapple in each episode.
#2. Internet - you can use the Internet to watch TV, but I like to watch my TV on my TV... the old fashioned way. That way I can multitask and keep the TV running in the background while I use my bandwidth for some good old fashioned surfing. Every cyclist can appreciate the revolution that the Internet has brought to the cycling community. Internet based cycling shops are a dime a dozen and force your local bike shops to keep their prices reasonable in order to keep your business. I always recommend supporting your LBS. Where would we be without them? Can you remove and clean an Italian-threaded bottom bracket on that fancy bike of yours, and do you have the proper tools? Probably not, so visit your LBS today!!! That being said, if you just simply don't have the money to pay retail for your dream bike or bike parts, and you don't mind buying an item that's had a previous owner, you can save some serious coin online. Ebay is always a fun place to search. Check out this nice set of wheels. Good solid wheels... great for the person trying to save some cash and still have a nice quick ride with the flashy look of a carbon aero wheel. Here's a tip for buying on Ebay. look at the feedback score, you can see this guy only has one previous sale on Ebay. So, either he just isn't a big Ebay seller, or there's something fishy about the sale. You can see that he is located in NJ.. that's good... it's not a foreign country... and Ebay has certain rules and policies to protect buyers. So, if you've paid with Paypal and haven't obliged any "special" requests from the seller you can be relatively certain that he won't run off with your money without giving you the product he has advertised. Rule number one on high-priced items like this... ask a few questions so you know he's a regular guy selling his own wheels. If he doesn't know anything about them, they are probably stolen, and if he doesn't respond to your questions at all, don't pay him.... period. Craigslist is another fun way to look for cool bike stuff, but the quality and variety of things you find there are usually a little less... let's say... regulated. These are usually local sellers, and it resembles a neighborhood rummage sale more than it does an on-line store. And these transactions usually mean you will have to arrange to meet and pay the seller somehow in person. That is the safest way. If you send money to anonymous people you have just met on the Internet... then you deserve to be ripped off... because that's just not very smart. But you CAN find some great deals. Like the one-year-old Cycleops Fluid trainer I got for my birthday a few weeks ago for $200. I love it. And like your local rummage sale, it's the best place to go when you really don't have anything specific you need to buy. Because its times like that you will find items like this motorized bike. ( Disclaimer: these are real ads... so I'm not sure how long these links will stay active.)
#3. Creative Cross Training - use this time to do some creative working out that you wouldn't otherwise have the time or freedom to do. I am not a type A trainer. I do not find comfort in a schedule. I do not get satisfaction from establishing a routine and sticking to it. Whenever I get the chance to mix it up... I do. Last night I knew I needed to get in some cycling and running. Normally I would push to make it home early so I could squeeze in one or the other and then work the remainder of the workout in around dinner and kid's bedtime. But not yesterday. I pulled the bike and the trainer into the house so I could watch a movie with my wife while spinning for an hour or so, then as soon as the movie was dying down, the wife grabbed a book and started reading while I went running for an hour... at 11p.m. That was fun. It was pitch black, misting, cold, and not a car in sight. My buddy and I ran for over an hour... talking and praying as we ran. The novelty of running in the middle of the night made it fun. We have also been know to put on our old shoes and pull off a 6 mile run in the pouring rain. In the heat and humidity of Houston Texas, I have had some of my more memorable runs and best running splits when it's raining out. A few rainy runs a year are a must... in my opinion. If it's cold out, wear a good ventilated running rain jacket, you don't want to get sick.
So spend this week having fun and dreaming of what you want your life to look like this next year. And when you make your resolutions, do yourself a favor and consider resolving to make yourself available to God. If you consider yourself a good person who values truth above all else, then ask Him to reveal it to you... and then resolve to be honest with yourself. That's one prayer you can count on him answering... every time. The process of making things right in your life is hardly ever easy, but the finished product is worth it. So press on toward the mark of the high calling my friends!
Have a Wonderful New Year!!!!
Soulrider
#1. TV - The stalwart of time wasting devices. Tried and true. New and improved. And now more accessible than ever. You can watch your favorite shows at home on your 50 inch-3D-HD-LED-TV at your convenience on your DVR or On-Demand. But what should you watch. If you're like me, you're sick and tired of the manufactured drama of "Reality TV", disgusted with the ever-lowering content standards of prime-time programming, and tired of sitting through hours of commercials only to be continually bombarded with product placements in the few positive programs that ARE out there... i.e. "The Biggest Looser" and "Extreme Home Makeover". Sometimes you just want to laugh without being shocked. If this is you then you need to check out Psych. A show about a couple gumshoes who masquerade as psychics while using their intellect to solve crimes on a contract basis for the Santa Barbara police department. Watch it and try not to laugh... and instead of product placements, see if you can find the randomly placed pineapple in each episode.
#2. Internet - you can use the Internet to watch TV, but I like to watch my TV on my TV... the old fashioned way. That way I can multitask and keep the TV running in the background while I use my bandwidth for some good old fashioned surfing. Every cyclist can appreciate the revolution that the Internet has brought to the cycling community. Internet based cycling shops are a dime a dozen and force your local bike shops to keep their prices reasonable in order to keep your business. I always recommend supporting your LBS. Where would we be without them? Can you remove and clean an Italian-threaded bottom bracket on that fancy bike of yours, and do you have the proper tools? Probably not, so visit your LBS today!!! That being said, if you just simply don't have the money to pay retail for your dream bike or bike parts, and you don't mind buying an item that's had a previous owner, you can save some serious coin online. Ebay is always a fun place to search. Check out this nice set of wheels. Good solid wheels... great for the person trying to save some cash and still have a nice quick ride with the flashy look of a carbon aero wheel. Here's a tip for buying on Ebay. look at the feedback score, you can see this guy only has one previous sale on Ebay. So, either he just isn't a big Ebay seller, or there's something fishy about the sale. You can see that he is located in NJ.. that's good... it's not a foreign country... and Ebay has certain rules and policies to protect buyers. So, if you've paid with Paypal and haven't obliged any "special" requests from the seller you can be relatively certain that he won't run off with your money without giving you the product he has advertised. Rule number one on high-priced items like this... ask a few questions so you know he's a regular guy selling his own wheels. If he doesn't know anything about them, they are probably stolen, and if he doesn't respond to your questions at all, don't pay him.... period. Craigslist is another fun way to look for cool bike stuff, but the quality and variety of things you find there are usually a little less... let's say... regulated. These are usually local sellers, and it resembles a neighborhood rummage sale more than it does an on-line store. And these transactions usually mean you will have to arrange to meet and pay the seller somehow in person. That is the safest way. If you send money to anonymous people you have just met on the Internet... then you deserve to be ripped off... because that's just not very smart. But you CAN find some great deals. Like the one-year-old Cycleops Fluid trainer I got for my birthday a few weeks ago for $200. I love it. And like your local rummage sale, it's the best place to go when you really don't have anything specific you need to buy. Because its times like that you will find items like this motorized bike. ( Disclaimer: these are real ads... so I'm not sure how long these links will stay active.)
#3. Creative Cross Training - use this time to do some creative working out that you wouldn't otherwise have the time or freedom to do. I am not a type A trainer. I do not find comfort in a schedule. I do not get satisfaction from establishing a routine and sticking to it. Whenever I get the chance to mix it up... I do. Last night I knew I needed to get in some cycling and running. Normally I would push to make it home early so I could squeeze in one or the other and then work the remainder of the workout in around dinner and kid's bedtime. But not yesterday. I pulled the bike and the trainer into the house so I could watch a movie with my wife while spinning for an hour or so, then as soon as the movie was dying down, the wife grabbed a book and started reading while I went running for an hour... at 11p.m. That was fun. It was pitch black, misting, cold, and not a car in sight. My buddy and I ran for over an hour... talking and praying as we ran. The novelty of running in the middle of the night made it fun. We have also been know to put on our old shoes and pull off a 6 mile run in the pouring rain. In the heat and humidity of Houston Texas, I have had some of my more memorable runs and best running splits when it's raining out. A few rainy runs a year are a must... in my opinion. If it's cold out, wear a good ventilated running rain jacket, you don't want to get sick.
So spend this week having fun and dreaming of what you want your life to look like this next year. And when you make your resolutions, do yourself a favor and consider resolving to make yourself available to God. If you consider yourself a good person who values truth above all else, then ask Him to reveal it to you... and then resolve to be honest with yourself. That's one prayer you can count on him answering... every time. The process of making things right in your life is hardly ever easy, but the finished product is worth it. So press on toward the mark of the high calling my friends!
Have a Wonderful New Year!!!!
Soulrider
Friday, December 17, 2010
It Hurts So Good!
Wow, after months of virtually zero activity, I am finally getting back after it, and boy is it painful. I am amazed at how much fitness one can loose in such a short period of time. Even more surprising is how much more time it seems to take to get it back than it does to lose it. I haven't completely rebuilt my bike after the accident (because wheels are quite expensive... in case you haven't heard) but it is functional, and even though it is getting cooler outside I've been able to jump right back into the saddle with my new trainer. I have a feeling this will end up being one of the best birthday gifts ever. When it's freezing outside and dark when I get off work I can still hop on my bike without giving it another thought. Better yet, no cars to worry about. The other night we were watching "The Biggest Loser" finale and I didn't want to miss it, or time with the family, because I needed to get in some time on the bike. So I wheeled the bike into the kitchen, laid down a towel, and sat on the bike instead of the couch. It was great. It's so quiet that it didn't even interfere with the show or any of our conversations. The biggest hurdle is going to be fitness. May 21st and the Ironman is just around the corner, and in exactly one month the marathon will be here. I don't doubt that I will be able to complete both of these events. Will it be tough? Yes. Will I walk a bunch... absolutely. But to keep things in perspective, whose asking me to do it? Nobody... that's right. So, the only thing I'm going to stress out about is how I can maximize my level of enjoyment while participating in these events.
There's that word again... perspective. I challenge you to think about that word for a while. Apply it to every situation of your life that you find stressful. In the grand scheme of things, how important are these things that we commit our selves to? The Bible tells us to cast all of our cares upon Christ because He cares for us. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? If you do, then how does your life reflect that? The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understand but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Instead of being discouraged, or stressed, or upset, have hope in a savior that really does love you and has a great plan for your future.
There's that word again... perspective. I challenge you to think about that word for a while. Apply it to every situation of your life that you find stressful. In the grand scheme of things, how important are these things that we commit our selves to? The Bible tells us to cast all of our cares upon Christ because He cares for us. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? If you do, then how does your life reflect that? The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understand but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Instead of being discouraged, or stressed, or upset, have hope in a savior that really does love you and has a great plan for your future.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Waiting Game
After taking about a month off of training, you can probably imagine, I'm ready to get back at it. The Ironman is steadily drawing nearer and I'm not making any fitness progress sitting around the house. And right when I think it's about to get better... I start mixing in some quality 20 minute workouts and light strength training... then... I get yet another setback. I started having some strange stomache cramps with body aches and fever after my workouts. I stop working out... again... to make sure it's just a bug and give it time to pass. But it doesn't pass. So, two weeks later, I go to the doctor... again. This time the doctor sends me straight to the emergency room. Four hours later I'm changing into a surgical gown and getting prepped for surgery. Now... two weeks later (minus my appendix) I am about to crawl out of my skin. The doctor says I need to wait yet another couple of weeks before I start working out again. This is going to be brutal... I can't wait to feel the pain of training again.
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Teach me Lord to wait.
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Teach me Lord to wait.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Are You Listening?
What do you do when you hear bad news? Do you dwell on it and let it affect your future? Does it make you want to fight even harder for what you want? What should you do? I think you have to find a healthy balance. You can't let your life and attitude be affected by things you can't control, and yet you must develop the skills of a good listener. History is filled with examples of leaders that pressed on in the face of adversity to accomplish many amazing things. Likewise, there are many examples of people who ignored the voice of reason and forged ahead... straight to their own destruction. This is the same in life and triathlon. God has a purpose for you and allows you to suffer trials so that you can be refined like gold being refined by the fire. His spirit, at the same time, is speaking to you. If you are not inclined to believe that, you might miss a blessing, or worse, plod headstrong into even more suffering. If you stop running the first time you get a stitch in your side, you're going to miss the fitness benefits that are gained when you push through the pain. And if you keep pushing through that strange little twinge in your knee run after run without giving it a rest, you might risk the possibility of not being able to run in the future. You must be able to listen.
I'm struggling right now with exactly that. I've set a goal of ironman texas on may21st. After being hit by that car during a training ride back in June, the doctor has told me to temporarily stop riding my bike and limit my running to a slow-paced 20 mins at a time. We don't exactly know why my hands go numb when I'm riding my bike, and apparently the doctor sees some lingering concussion symptoms even 5 months later. At what point do I decide that the ironman is no longer a realistic goal? I still have 6 1/2 months of training left , and I have already built my base level of fitness to a greater level than ever before. But... If I don't spend a TON of quality time on the bike over the winter, I will be in serious trouble come May. I guess I'll just wait and see... or... I guess I should say... hear.
I'm struggling right now with exactly that. I've set a goal of ironman texas on may21st. After being hit by that car during a training ride back in June, the doctor has told me to temporarily stop riding my bike and limit my running to a slow-paced 20 mins at a time. We don't exactly know why my hands go numb when I'm riding my bike, and apparently the doctor sees some lingering concussion symptoms even 5 months later. At what point do I decide that the ironman is no longer a realistic goal? I still have 6 1/2 months of training left , and I have already built my base level of fitness to a greater level than ever before. But... If I don't spend a TON of quality time on the bike over the winter, I will be in serious trouble come May. I guess I'll just wait and see... or... I guess I should say... hear.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Joy and the Pain
At some point you're gonna have to learn to enjoy the suffering. As these old sayings go, "Nothing worth while is easy... If it were easy everyone would be doing it... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." The burning in your chest when you try to breath after finishing your very first 5-mile run doesn't mean you dying... It means you're finally living. And the funny thing is, that feeling eventually goes away. And that means you're getting stronger.
This is a concept that every successful triathlete is familiar with as well as every saint who has a rich and rewarding walk with Christ.
The Bible tells us that if we are to be transformed into something pure, righteous, and holy, then we are to be refined with a purifying fire. So... don't look at your life and let fear overwhelm you when you consider your future, don't stress about the things you can't change, and don't check out at the first sign of adversity. Lace up your shoes a bit tighter and listen to the voice of your trainer who promises he's not going to push you past your limits.
So whether in life or in your triathlon training, you should look at the pain as part of the process of becoming an endurance athlete. Like I said, this is not a new concept. Just check out this passage of scripture written thousands of years ago.
The book of James, Chapter 1, verses 2-3. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
That brings me to this week's training. I finally got an MRI on my neck after being hit by that car back in June. I'm trying to figure out why I keep getting headaches and why my hands keep falling asleep when I ride my bike. After seeing the films, the doctor is referring me to the same neurosurgeon that did my lower back surgery this time last year stating, "near spinal chord contact". I know... kinda makes me nervous. I should be finding out this next week if I got something bad going on in my neck. So... no swimming this week, for obvious reasons. I've run about an hour every day and felt pretty good doing it. By the end of the week my knees were giving me some indication that they wanted a rest, so I took Thursday and Friday off. Today (Saturday) I went on a 4 1/2 hour bike ride and have been trying to shake the tingling feeling out of my hand for the past 4-5 hours, and since then my quads and I aren't on speaking terms... they say they no longer want to be my friends. This Ironman is truly going to be one of the most difficult things I've ever done. OH JOY!!!!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Finding God in Triathlon
Ok, so I haven't posted in about three weeks. That's not because I haven't been training... or I haven't had anything interesting to write about... because I have. As far as workouts, just copy and paste the weekly routine and swap the weekend bike rides out with long weekend runs and that's basically what I've done for workouts. This past Saturday I ran the ten mile 10 for Texas in 1:23. Pretty happy with that. However, later that day I got sick. I rode the bike for an hour and ran 3 miles the next day to try and shake off the weakness and that pretty much laid me out for the rest of the weekend. So I've taken Monday and Tuesday as rest days, I've eaten a bunch of junk food, and now that I'm feeling better I'm gonna hit the road again today. But that's not why I haven't blogged. Not because I've been sick, and not because I haven't had anything interesting say. Believe me, I've thought about writing about the shin splint that I feel creeping in on my right leg and how I'm going to go about heading it off at the pass and keep it from derailing my training. No, I haven't written... because... I'm questioning the purpose behind the blog. I don't want to write a bunch of words that just a few people read and appreciate. I want to write something that is going to change people's lives. I don't say this to be arrogant. And I don't say this because I think triathlon has the power to change some one's life. If you do not apply yourself to triathlon and are not able to call upon some inner strength to be a success, triathlon will remain another sport or pass time that you used to think was the answer to all your problems. Much like that Solo flex machine or ab-lounger gathering dust in your garage. I don't want to be like Tony Little on his "Gazelle" and make you think that all you have to do is hop on this thing we call triathlon and all your problems will be answered.
I write about triathlon because it's a great way to recognize and have your life changed by the power of God. There is no greater metaphor in the wide world of sports for the idea of the trinity... Father, Son, Holy Spirit... than the triathlon. Three separate entities coexisting as one powerful being. So, If I am to continue writing about triathlon, I will not be writing so you can think that I am something special for attempting to race an Ironman. And I will not be writing so as to mislead you into thinking that this might help you medicate your particular emotional, physical, or spiritual needs. Much like planting a flag on a mountain, it represents a journey. This is my testimony of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the race that I am training to run victoriously. The opportunity that was made available to me is also available to you. Not just an opportunity to get in shape and do something that a lot of people will never do, but an opportunity to change your life and live for something bigger than yourself, a chance to live your life with purpose... whether you actually run a triathlon or not.
I write about triathlon because it's a great way to recognize and have your life changed by the power of God. There is no greater metaphor in the wide world of sports for the idea of the trinity... Father, Son, Holy Spirit... than the triathlon. Three separate entities coexisting as one powerful being. So, If I am to continue writing about triathlon, I will not be writing so you can think that I am something special for attempting to race an Ironman. And I will not be writing so as to mislead you into thinking that this might help you medicate your particular emotional, physical, or spiritual needs. Much like planting a flag on a mountain, it represents a journey. This is my testimony of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the race that I am training to run victoriously. The opportunity that was made available to me is also available to you. Not just an opportunity to get in shape and do something that a lot of people will never do, but an opportunity to change your life and live for something bigger than yourself, a chance to live your life with purpose... whether you actually run a triathlon or not.
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