It is no longer fair for me to start off by commenting on how long it has been since I have last made a post. It seems that these monthly posts are now becoming the trend. A great deal has happened in the life of Greg since I last made a post, and the best part about it is that, for the most part, there has been a great deal of good!
Of the happenings of the past month the one that was not so good involves my wreck at our home crit. Sitting at the front of the break, I rounded turn 1 to sharply, my bike slid out from under me and I felt my body gliding across the pavement. Pavement is not ice, and your body is not supposed to slide across it. Standing up quickly I realized my bike was ok, but as the adrenaline wore off my head was in a good deal of pain and the bruises and cuts I picked up began to hurt. After a couple of sleepless nights and just feeling like a goldfish flushed down the toilet, I finally started to feel better and be able to ride my bike again. The next weekend was Navy race weekend, no big loss, and the weekend after that I would race bikes at duke, and post my best finish of the season, an 11th place finish at the road race. Yes.
The week before spring break which I guess would be two weeks ago now, give or take, I received a phone call from Wake Forest informing me that I had been accepted into their graduate school program of Health and Exercise Science. My elation with this call cannot be put into words and the burden that this has lifted off of my shoulders is monumental. It is nice to no longer worry that I will be living out of a box and slicing meet in the Wegmans deli for the remainder of my life. Pretty sweet.
Spring Break was cool. I have a better than that most people that went the beach which amuses me. The tan lines I have are something of which I am proud, unfortunately the general population does not find them as cool as I, but they are missing out.Anyway, over spring break I didnt go anywhere cause the clutch in my car crapped out. Not awesome at all, and I ended up paying alot of money to replace it. Hard to see a bright side in this one, other than I guess I wont need a new clutch for a while? What I did do over spring break was enjoyable though, it basically consisted of: swimming, biking, eating, watching netflix shows, AND NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN A LATE NIGHT TRIP TO WAL-MART. Be jealous.
This week I started running again. My hip is definitely on the upswing and I put together a pretty solid run on Quarterpath Thursday morning. The Mug-a-rita from the night prior was rough on the stomach for sure, but I still came in under 49 minutes, a solid run for me. Collegiate nationals are growing close and training is getting pretty intense. My swim is finally coming around now that I am getting in the water 3-4x a week. I am starting to feel less like a drowning rat and more like a goldfish with a missing fin. Improvement for sure but a long ways to go.
This season I will be representing both Honey Stinger and Bike Stop. Both of these sponsors have generously offered to support my racing career. Im excited to work with both of them and am looking forward to the season. Oh, and the weather is getting nice to. Kewl.
TRI THIS
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Who ever knew Id learn from Candyland?
So its been over a month since I last posted anything new on here. What is really hard to believe is that I have now been a second semester senior for a month....are you sure I didnt just get back to school last week? I guess it is what it is, I have still yet to hear from graduate school or decide precisely what it is I will be doing after May. It's a work in progress however, and although I am a bit nervous about the change I am working on embracing it. I love it here at W&M, that said I will enjoy things such as not having to share a kitchen with roughly 250 other kids, and being able to go to sleep at 10 p.m. without the rest of the world around me planning on 4 more hours of being awake (which is something I have desired to do quite frequently as of late).
As you probably have guessed by now the main reason I have not been posting daily or evenly weekly blogs is because for the past month I have spent the majority of the time I have been awake either in class or training. Last year I trained by myself, trying to swim, bike and run some each week. It ended up more like riding alot, running some, and swimming one time a week. This year I have Debi Bernardes of Youcandoit coaching kicking my ass. When I found Debi I was somewhat skeptical of the benefit of having a coach, I knew most pros did, that said, who would push me harder than i pushed myself. I now wish I could put my foot in my mouth. Thanks to Debi my training now has much more structure, Im getting in the pool 3+ times a week and I am doing workouts. Although this leaves me in a great deal of pain at the end of the day and when I wake up in the morning, especially after 16 hill repeats, I am looking forward to the dividends in the future.
One thing I have learned is the amount that I can push myself is much further than I had ever thought. Killer workout in the morning? Probably going to be followed by some sort of swim in the afternoon. I am not underrating the importance of listening to my body, that said, I feel like frequently we all can do ALOT more with our bodies than we think possible. This i am learning.
Unfortunately the hardest part of the training, and something that it seems as if I will forever work on is patience. Last week I got a pretty nasty cold which took me out for a couple days. In the meantime I spent my downtime looking up results for professional races. Seeing the times I was immediately invigorated to get back to training because I feel that I can compete with these guys. That said, I am young, 22 is far from prime for a triathlete. Harnessing my energy and learning to accept that these guys would absolutely love to teach me a lesson in humility is a must. Much like Candyland, training frequently involves going forward, then landing on Lord Licorice and having to take a few steps back. Unlike the days of my younger years, I cant cheat here, there is no overshooting the evil Molasses Monster Gloppy (who was probably moving at least 1min/mile faster than me this morning) or escaping the wrath of Queen Frostine. Patience is a virtue goes the old saying. That it is, and that I am still working on.
As you probably have guessed by now the main reason I have not been posting daily or evenly weekly blogs is because for the past month I have spent the majority of the time I have been awake either in class or training. Last year I trained by myself, trying to swim, bike and run some each week. It ended up more like riding alot, running some, and swimming one time a week. This year I have Debi Bernardes of Youcandoit coaching kicking my ass. When I found Debi I was somewhat skeptical of the benefit of having a coach, I knew most pros did, that said, who would push me harder than i pushed myself. I now wish I could put my foot in my mouth. Thanks to Debi my training now has much more structure, Im getting in the pool 3+ times a week and I am doing workouts. Although this leaves me in a great deal of pain at the end of the day and when I wake up in the morning, especially after 16 hill repeats, I am looking forward to the dividends in the future.
One thing I have learned is the amount that I can push myself is much further than I had ever thought. Killer workout in the morning? Probably going to be followed by some sort of swim in the afternoon. I am not underrating the importance of listening to my body, that said, I feel like frequently we all can do ALOT more with our bodies than we think possible. This i am learning.
Unfortunately the hardest part of the training, and something that it seems as if I will forever work on is patience. Last week I got a pretty nasty cold which took me out for a couple days. In the meantime I spent my downtime looking up results for professional races. Seeing the times I was immediately invigorated to get back to training because I feel that I can compete with these guys. That said, I am young, 22 is far from prime for a triathlete. Harnessing my energy and learning to accept that these guys would absolutely love to teach me a lesson in humility is a must. Much like Candyland, training frequently involves going forward, then landing on Lord Licorice and having to take a few steps back. Unlike the days of my younger years, I cant cheat here, there is no overshooting the evil Molasses Monster Gloppy (who was probably moving at least 1min/mile faster than me this morning) or escaping the wrath of Queen Frostine. Patience is a virtue goes the old saying. That it is, and that I am still working on.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
W&M Training Camp 2011
One of the most enjoyable parts of cycling is winter base miles. I say this both truthfully and with a hint of sarcasm. While it is nice to set out on a ride, carefree of numbers and intervals, the low temperatures and strong winds that have greeted me this winter have been less than enjoyable. So far this winter break I have been able to get in some somewhat long solo rides before going into Wegmans in the afternoon to work at the deli and eat everything in sight. Unfortunately the cycling gods have not been with me on the majority of these rides.
The first of these 4 hour rides i did this break I didn't bring enough food, dumb mistake. Christmas Eve I set out for a 50 mile ride and broke my rear derailleur cable in my rear shifter 10 miles from the house. bad luck. The next 4 hour ride I set out for i made sure to bring enough food. There would be no bonking this time...or would there? As I stared at my fallen poptart on the ground before coming out of Occoquan, still 20 miles from my house I decided to avoid disease and hope the food I had eaten earlier on the ride would carry me through. 3 miles from my house, bonk. Im sticking to rollers, least then when I bonk I only must travel up stairs to feast my brains out. Im ready for training camp.
Last Saturday Chris E. and I got in my car on a snow morning and departed for Bridgewater where the W&M cycling team would be held. The drive was a bit slower than initially expected as we got stuck in some snow. Hi-light of the drive was probably the stop to get gas on 81 where in the bathroom I noticed a vending machine selling "horny goat weed". The rest of the drive Chris and i discussed our fascination with the intriguing product.
Arriving at the house of the club president, Adam Harris we got settled and ate some lunch to prepare for the afternoon ride. That afternoon those of us that had arrived, Chris, Emily, Burbey, Andrew, Adam, JOA, Pete, Brian, and I set out for a 2 hour ride over Mole Hill. The mile long climb is a good warm-up for whats in store for the rest of the week, although not the most challenging of the climbs in Harrisonburg, it certainly beats Williamsburg climbing. The temperature was cold and the wind was strong but as it was only the first day, spirits were high. On the ride back JOA, Burbey and I veered off to climb Hopkins, a more steep 1.5 mile climb. During the climb I neared my 5 min watt max, and JOA and Burbey looked strong as well. Arriving back to the house JOA, Burbey and I decided it was a good idea to set out for a short run. Our freezing feet thought otherwise, each step causing a good amount of pain. Let me reiterate, it was cold. Just ask Emily. That night Mr. Harris prepared us a delicious mystery casserole that we ate with gusto
The next day JOA, Burbey, Andrew and I set out to do the previous mornings ride, sans Hopkins climb before the days group ride to the nut (Massanutten). The morning ride Burbey and Andrew decided they were feeling there legs a little from yesterday and Burbey may or may not have forgotten to eat anything solid for 3 hours until he was reminded of the importance of food. Fortunately he feasted his pro-max protein bar and was able to use his mountain climbing finess to ascend the Nut like a pro. Props to new riders Bryan C. and Chris E. for beasting it up this steep, gravely climb. Im really looking forward to seeing what they can do next year! When the group got back to the house, JOA and I feasted lunch quickly and set out in search of 26 more miles and cappucinos at Sheetz. The good news: we got the 26 miles and then some, totaling 103 miles for the day. The bad news: I still have no sense of direction and we never found Sheetz. The other good news: If you ride your bike for 6.5 hours it costs only a little over a dollar to get drunk....The other other good news: Adams dad makes really delicious Chili and rolls.
Monday alumni and RPC team member Cory Scott showed up to ride with us. The gang decided to venture across the gravel to Reddish Knob this frigid morning. And frigid it was. On the ride to the Knob we hit some JOA terrain (gravel) and Cory, JOA, and I took off, hammering across the rugged surface. Arriving at the end of the gravel we waited a bit to see Wilson appear, cursing us for leaving Emily with a flat, apparently watching someone change a flat makes them change it faster because Wilson was not pleased with us for not being there to watch Emily's flat be changed...or something like that. Anyway, the group made it to the knob and for the most part everyone made it to the top. Unfortunately Adam's roomate Pete only had a single gear which made climbing difficult. This day he rode Adam's dads touring bike and was able to get in a solid effort up the knob. Although not able to summit, Im pretty sure it will only be a matter of time before Pete is handing a good many people their asses. The guy is one focused dude and I was stoked to hear that he was looking for a bike to race with us this season!
The next day Cory and I set off to do the Triple Crown, the nut, hopkins, and reddish, all in one day. The rest of the gang split up, some going to the gym to swim and lift from x-training, and others going to the knob to mountain bike. The thing about Tuesday was the forecast was for snow. At about 230, Cory and I had only the knob remaining, by far the longest of the climbs, a 10 mile category 1 climb, similar to the Alpe d'Huez in the tour de France. All was well until 2 miles from the summit. The sky opened and the snow began to fall....or dump. 1 mile from the top Cory looked at me and asked what I wanted to do. "TO THE TOP" I said, up we went. Reaching the saddle we zipped up and agreed to stay close and be careful. "I really hope we make it down without crashing" I said, "Insallah" Cory and I said to one another, the Arabic word for "god willing. The way down was rough. The snow came fast and hard, the group was covered and slick. The sound of our squeaking breaks was consistent and the snow came harder and harder. About 2 miles from the bottom I had the problem of the snowflakes sticking to my eyelashes. The clung to my eyelashes, severely f****** up my vision. Reaching the convenience store at the bottom of Briery Branch Cory and I happily went in to warm up. Fortunately pro-mtn biker Jeremiah Bishop and Trek-Livestrong U23 team rider Joe D, just finishing up a mtn ride at the knob saw our bikes outside right as we were about to get kicked out of the store and offered us a ride back. The rest of the night went as such, beer, all u can eat buffet, sleep.
The next day I rode mountain bikes while others went to do some X-country skiing. Somehow I enjoyed it. Great, another thing for me to spend my money on. Fortunately right now Im so broke I can't even entertain the thought of buying a mountain bike. Welcome to college. There are some things about college I wont miss, being broke is one of them. There are other things about college i will really miss. One of the things that I think I will miss the most is the W&M Cycling Team. There is little better than being able to hang out with such an awesome group of people. As corny as this sounds I really mean it. So many laughs and good times. Works bombs and 40's and "insert sex joke here" jokes, what a life it is to be young. How fortunate I am to know you all.
The first of these 4 hour rides i did this break I didn't bring enough food, dumb mistake. Christmas Eve I set out for a 50 mile ride and broke my rear derailleur cable in my rear shifter 10 miles from the house. bad luck. The next 4 hour ride I set out for i made sure to bring enough food. There would be no bonking this time...or would there? As I stared at my fallen poptart on the ground before coming out of Occoquan, still 20 miles from my house I decided to avoid disease and hope the food I had eaten earlier on the ride would carry me through. 3 miles from my house, bonk. Im sticking to rollers, least then when I bonk I only must travel up stairs to feast my brains out. Im ready for training camp.
Last Saturday Chris E. and I got in my car on a snow morning and departed for Bridgewater where the W&M cycling team would be held. The drive was a bit slower than initially expected as we got stuck in some snow. Hi-light of the drive was probably the stop to get gas on 81 where in the bathroom I noticed a vending machine selling "horny goat weed". The rest of the drive Chris and i discussed our fascination with the intriguing product.
Arriving at the house of the club president, Adam Harris we got settled and ate some lunch to prepare for the afternoon ride. That afternoon those of us that had arrived, Chris, Emily, Burbey, Andrew, Adam, JOA, Pete, Brian, and I set out for a 2 hour ride over Mole Hill. The mile long climb is a good warm-up for whats in store for the rest of the week, although not the most challenging of the climbs in Harrisonburg, it certainly beats Williamsburg climbing. The temperature was cold and the wind was strong but as it was only the first day, spirits were high. On the ride back JOA, Burbey and I veered off to climb Hopkins, a more steep 1.5 mile climb. During the climb I neared my 5 min watt max, and JOA and Burbey looked strong as well. Arriving back to the house JOA, Burbey and I decided it was a good idea to set out for a short run. Our freezing feet thought otherwise, each step causing a good amount of pain. Let me reiterate, it was cold. Just ask Emily. That night Mr. Harris prepared us a delicious mystery casserole that we ate with gusto
The next day JOA, Burbey, Andrew and I set out to do the previous mornings ride, sans Hopkins climb before the days group ride to the nut (Massanutten). The morning ride Burbey and Andrew decided they were feeling there legs a little from yesterday and Burbey may or may not have forgotten to eat anything solid for 3 hours until he was reminded of the importance of food. Fortunately he feasted his pro-max protein bar and was able to use his mountain climbing finess to ascend the Nut like a pro. Props to new riders Bryan C. and Chris E. for beasting it up this steep, gravely climb. Im really looking forward to seeing what they can do next year! When the group got back to the house, JOA and I feasted lunch quickly and set out in search of 26 more miles and cappucinos at Sheetz. The good news: we got the 26 miles and then some, totaling 103 miles for the day. The bad news: I still have no sense of direction and we never found Sheetz. The other good news: If you ride your bike for 6.5 hours it costs only a little over a dollar to get drunk....The other other good news: Adams dad makes really delicious Chili and rolls.
Monday alumni and RPC team member Cory Scott showed up to ride with us. The gang decided to venture across the gravel to Reddish Knob this frigid morning. And frigid it was. On the ride to the Knob we hit some JOA terrain (gravel) and Cory, JOA, and I took off, hammering across the rugged surface. Arriving at the end of the gravel we waited a bit to see Wilson appear, cursing us for leaving Emily with a flat, apparently watching someone change a flat makes them change it faster because Wilson was not pleased with us for not being there to watch Emily's flat be changed...or something like that. Anyway, the group made it to the knob and for the most part everyone made it to the top. Unfortunately Adam's roomate Pete only had a single gear which made climbing difficult. This day he rode Adam's dads touring bike and was able to get in a solid effort up the knob. Although not able to summit, Im pretty sure it will only be a matter of time before Pete is handing a good many people their asses. The guy is one focused dude and I was stoked to hear that he was looking for a bike to race with us this season!
The next day Cory and I set off to do the Triple Crown, the nut, hopkins, and reddish, all in one day. The rest of the gang split up, some going to the gym to swim and lift from x-training, and others going to the knob to mountain bike. The thing about Tuesday was the forecast was for snow. At about 230, Cory and I had only the knob remaining, by far the longest of the climbs, a 10 mile category 1 climb, similar to the Alpe d'Huez in the tour de France. All was well until 2 miles from the summit. The sky opened and the snow began to fall....or dump. 1 mile from the top Cory looked at me and asked what I wanted to do. "TO THE TOP" I said, up we went. Reaching the saddle we zipped up and agreed to stay close and be careful. "I really hope we make it down without crashing" I said, "Insallah" Cory and I said to one another, the Arabic word for "god willing. The way down was rough. The snow came fast and hard, the group was covered and slick. The sound of our squeaking breaks was consistent and the snow came harder and harder. About 2 miles from the bottom I had the problem of the snowflakes sticking to my eyelashes. The clung to my eyelashes, severely f****** up my vision. Reaching the convenience store at the bottom of Briery Branch Cory and I happily went in to warm up. Fortunately pro-mtn biker Jeremiah Bishop and Trek-Livestrong U23 team rider Joe D, just finishing up a mtn ride at the knob saw our bikes outside right as we were about to get kicked out of the store and offered us a ride back. The rest of the night went as such, beer, all u can eat buffet, sleep.
The next day I rode mountain bikes while others went to do some X-country skiing. Somehow I enjoyed it. Great, another thing for me to spend my money on. Fortunately right now Im so broke I can't even entertain the thought of buying a mountain bike. Welcome to college. There are some things about college I wont miss, being broke is one of them. There are other things about college i will really miss. One of the things that I think I will miss the most is the W&M Cycling Team. There is little better than being able to hang out with such an awesome group of people. As corny as this sounds I really mean it. So many laughs and good times. Works bombs and 40's and "insert sex joke here" jokes, what a life it is to be young. How fortunate I am to know you all.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Embracing the inevitable
I can’t exactly admit to embracing this whole “getting older” process with open arms. It often scares me to think about the changes that the future will bring. I am a creature of comfort, as evidence look at the fact that during my first year on the bike I only rode 2 routes. One was out to the race course (4 turns?) The other involved riding down route 5, veering off a bit, then turning and coming back…on route 5 for umpteen some miles. This year in particular I admit to being a bit concerned with the prospect of the future. In the coming year I will leave my undergraduate school of William and Mary and either go to graduate school or find some sort of employment. Some sort of anxiety is to be expected, however in reflection my fear is foolish. I realize now that for the past 22 years of my existence, simply by living I am risking change. Every second I am alive, something new comes to be. The year of 2010 has been 365.24 of the best days of my life and why should I expect the next year to be any different?
Later, when I have time I will try to do a synopsis of the past year. Now it is time to drink and be merry with the family. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Later, when I have time I will try to do a synopsis of the past year. Now it is time to drink and be merry with the family. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Using the little ring
As competitive endurance athletes many of us are extremely type A. I admit whole heartedly that I fall victim. My friends frequently have to remind me that not everything is a competition. For example, the other day my good buddy Ben and I were discussing our obsession with the sport. I proceeded to try to make my point that my passion for the sport was greater than his by discussing how much I loved training. Ben then proceeded to tell me that he woke up at 5 or 6am on the weekends to watch ITU races on TV. Quickly we realized the foolishness in our debate as Ben reminded me that it was no competition. When you are as competitive as we are, anything can be a dick measuring contest.
Another example is when I go out for rides frequently it is hard for me to, in the words of Stingle "chill." When Savage and I ride we constantly find ourselves pulling at 23mph, crushing one anothers legs and sprinting up hills. We may be some of the worst offenders of pointlessly massacring each other. Even if there is no race in sight, and no point at all to be going anaerobic, that inner desire simply drives us to constantly try to "one-up" each other.
The need to constantly compete against one another is simply part of being a competitive athlete. It is this desire that gives us the motivation to spend an ungodly amount of hours in the saddle, or get up before sunrise to get a workout in. HOWEVER, we must understand when it is time to shift to the little ring. Ironically, our competitive edge is one of our greatest faults as well as one of our greatest assets. As during winter training on the bike, we cannot always be riding around in the 53x11 (the biggest gear combination on a typical bike). There are times for hammering and there are times for "chillin'." It is being able to balance ourselves, and knowing when to use the little ring that is important. There is nothing wrong with Jon and I's weekly hammerfests we enjoy them, and that is what it is all about. On the other hand, there are times when life dictates down-shifting as well. It is critical that we pay attention to these times in our lives as well. I admit that to frequently I fall victim to the constant hammer philosophy. This week, and in the future I will work on knowing when to sit up and spin easy.
Another example is when I go out for rides frequently it is hard for me to, in the words of Stingle "chill." When Savage and I ride we constantly find ourselves pulling at 23mph, crushing one anothers legs and sprinting up hills. We may be some of the worst offenders of pointlessly massacring each other. Even if there is no race in sight, and no point at all to be going anaerobic, that inner desire simply drives us to constantly try to "one-up" each other.
The need to constantly compete against one another is simply part of being a competitive athlete. It is this desire that gives us the motivation to spend an ungodly amount of hours in the saddle, or get up before sunrise to get a workout in. HOWEVER, we must understand when it is time to shift to the little ring. Ironically, our competitive edge is one of our greatest faults as well as one of our greatest assets. As during winter training on the bike, we cannot always be riding around in the 53x11 (the biggest gear combination on a typical bike). There are times for hammering and there are times for "chillin'." It is being able to balance ourselves, and knowing when to use the little ring that is important. There is nothing wrong with Jon and I's weekly hammerfests we enjoy them, and that is what it is all about. On the other hand, there are times when life dictates down-shifting as well. It is critical that we pay attention to these times in our lives as well. I admit that to frequently I fall victim to the constant hammer philosophy. This week, and in the future I will work on knowing when to sit up and spin easy.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The hardest pill to swallow
I am trying to get the hang of writing entry's without discussing races, as if I only wrote about racing there would be a large gap in my blogging between the months of September-February. Just last week I discussed a revelation that I believe I have undergone since beginning endurance athletics. Coming into the sport i was extremely focused on being number 1, overly so. This is a common trap many of us fall into. It is easy, when we really want something, to put on the blinders to the world around us. Some might call this a "one-TRACK mind" (ha,ha,ha).
I apologize for the pun, hopefully you are still reading. I guess I have become quite the comedian in my old age, I have to attribute the puns to my mom and her boyfriend Mark, as they dwarf me in their linguistic abilities.
To get back to the point, I would like to believe that I have gotten BETTER at pulling off the blinders and looking at the rest of the world around me. I do believe that being surrounded by so many like minded individuals we can help each other to see the world in a more holistic manner. I do spend a fair amount of time discussing training and racing with my friends but this is what I like to do, there are much worse things that is for sure. One of the biggest parts of training, that I discuss nearly ad nauseum is setbacks. Setbacks are inevitable with endurance sports, and it is these setback that make victory taste so sweet.
Last week I discussed that it is during times when we cannot train because of injuries that we can grow the most. Maybe I should have knocked on some wood because a week later I find myself completely out of commission for running (peroneal tendinitis). I have been fortunate over the past year to undergo very few injuries, which has been phenomenal for my training. I have seen friends around me suffer from numerous setbacks and injuries and I have been quick to reassure these individuals that if they are smart and focus on recovering they will be back in no time. Now that I find myself in their position I find myself antsy as hell to get healthy again just as they were.
If a friend of mine had come to me and told me they were having the pain I was last week I would have told them to make sure NOT to run on it, and ice and stretch well. Why then is it that I feel that I should do anything different? Of course I tried to run through the aching foot for two days before I decided to take a few days off completely before resuming biking and swimming. During my drive to and from Philly Evrett and I discussed for some time the irony in the fact that it is the advice that we are the quickest to give that is the most difficult for us to follow. It is difficult for us as imperfect human beings to look at the situation from an outside point of view. It is our own medicine that is by far the least palatable for ourselves. Fortunately, it is November and there is a long time until next season. This will give me the chance to put some much needed work into my swimming. It is important for us to realize our imperfections and be patient and listen to ourselves. Frequently, the answers for the most distressing issues we deal with are best answered by the one-and-only you.
I apologize for the pun, hopefully you are still reading. I guess I have become quite the comedian in my old age, I have to attribute the puns to my mom and her boyfriend Mark, as they dwarf me in their linguistic abilities.
To get back to the point, I would like to believe that I have gotten BETTER at pulling off the blinders and looking at the rest of the world around me. I do believe that being surrounded by so many like minded individuals we can help each other to see the world in a more holistic manner. I do spend a fair amount of time discussing training and racing with my friends but this is what I like to do, there are much worse things that is for sure. One of the biggest parts of training, that I discuss nearly ad nauseum is setbacks. Setbacks are inevitable with endurance sports, and it is these setback that make victory taste so sweet.
Last week I discussed that it is during times when we cannot train because of injuries that we can grow the most. Maybe I should have knocked on some wood because a week later I find myself completely out of commission for running (peroneal tendinitis). I have been fortunate over the past year to undergo very few injuries, which has been phenomenal for my training. I have seen friends around me suffer from numerous setbacks and injuries and I have been quick to reassure these individuals that if they are smart and focus on recovering they will be back in no time. Now that I find myself in their position I find myself antsy as hell to get healthy again just as they were.
If a friend of mine had come to me and told me they were having the pain I was last week I would have told them to make sure NOT to run on it, and ice and stretch well. Why then is it that I feel that I should do anything different? Of course I tried to run through the aching foot for two days before I decided to take a few days off completely before resuming biking and swimming. During my drive to and from Philly Evrett and I discussed for some time the irony in the fact that it is the advice that we are the quickest to give that is the most difficult for us to follow. It is difficult for us as imperfect human beings to look at the situation from an outside point of view. It is our own medicine that is by far the least palatable for ourselves. Fortunately, it is November and there is a long time until next season. This will give me the chance to put some much needed work into my swimming. It is important for us to realize our imperfections and be patient and listen to ourselves. Frequently, the answers for the most distressing issues we deal with are best answered by the one-and-only you.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The See-Saw of Life
So i realize that it has been way over a month since I last made an entry. I have been busy, life gets like that sometimes. Also, I have not been racing except for a 10k I did last week that was just for fun. I realize though that just because I am not racing does not mean life ceases. There is far more to life then just racing, in fact, the amount of time that any of us actually spend racing, no matter how much we do so truly accounts for a very minute amount of time in our lives.
4 years ago I was in my senior year of high school. A run-a-holic, I was a racing nut. I lived to race. I devoted every waking moment of my life to running XC/Track for my high school. I was dead set on running in college, regardless of where I would have to go to do so. Therefore, when I received an offer to attend the University of Miami where I would run XC and Track for the Varsity program ecstatic only began to describe my state. As most of you know that did not work out for me so well. In addition running lost its "fun."
The other day after an hour on the rollers on a rainy day I laced up my shoes and set off for a run in the rain in 60 degree weather. As I cruised around the campus, people carrying umbrellas gave me disdaining looks as I flew past them over the brick covering the campus sidewalks. The weather perfect, my body perfectly in-tune with itself I realized that I was smiling. Smiling and running? What the hell is this, training isnt supposed to be fun....right?
This is where many of us are wrong. Some of you know Jon Grey, the all-american runner at the college as a 28 10k guy. This is one hell of a feat. Unfortunately, Jon tore is labrum last year and has been suffering with mis-diagnosis and will now have to undergo surgery. The other day Jon and I were discussing being injured and having to take time off. Jons time away from running has been tough for him. When I was injured in Miami, or last year when I thought I had torn my ACL, my friend and family had me on suicide watch (almost no joke).
Surprisingly enough we decided that it is the time away from the sport that allows us to step back and take a different perspective of who we are and where we are going. It gives us a chance to put our athleticism into perspective. Both of us have aspirations to be professionals in our disciplines, but you must be ready for the worst. That means living life today in a way that you would be proud if there was not a tomorrow. This balancing act is tough but being injured/not able to do what it is we love gives us perspective and makes it easier to balance ourselves out. On one hand we want to be the best athletes we can, but we also must enjoy ourselves while we are doing so. Keeping this "see-saw" balanced is no easy task, especially because there is constantly new things being thrown on either side. However, we are people, I am NOT just a triathlete, Jon is NOT just a runner, and it is important for us to remember this. We as athletes must be careful to avoid this trap. We should be encouraging of other to try out sport and getting them into it and realize that after all, it is about enjoying yourself. If you see someone who needs a new tube on the side of the road please do not ride past them. Lets be accommodating to the rest of the world too, we are all homo-sapiens, dependent on air, food, and water, lets not forget that! I hope this does not come out as preachy, as i write this as a PERSONAL revelation NOT to be a dick.
A special thanks goes out to my buddy Jon who has helped me to understand this. Best wishes to him for his pre-consult next week and surgery Nov 1st!
4 years ago I was in my senior year of high school. A run-a-holic, I was a racing nut. I lived to race. I devoted every waking moment of my life to running XC/Track for my high school. I was dead set on running in college, regardless of where I would have to go to do so. Therefore, when I received an offer to attend the University of Miami where I would run XC and Track for the Varsity program ecstatic only began to describe my state. As most of you know that did not work out for me so well. In addition running lost its "fun."
The other day after an hour on the rollers on a rainy day I laced up my shoes and set off for a run in the rain in 60 degree weather. As I cruised around the campus, people carrying umbrellas gave me disdaining looks as I flew past them over the brick covering the campus sidewalks. The weather perfect, my body perfectly in-tune with itself I realized that I was smiling. Smiling and running? What the hell is this, training isnt supposed to be fun....right?
This is where many of us are wrong. Some of you know Jon Grey, the all-american runner at the college as a 28 10k guy. This is one hell of a feat. Unfortunately, Jon tore is labrum last year and has been suffering with mis-diagnosis and will now have to undergo surgery. The other day Jon and I were discussing being injured and having to take time off. Jons time away from running has been tough for him. When I was injured in Miami, or last year when I thought I had torn my ACL, my friend and family had me on suicide watch (almost no joke).
Surprisingly enough we decided that it is the time away from the sport that allows us to step back and take a different perspective of who we are and where we are going. It gives us a chance to put our athleticism into perspective. Both of us have aspirations to be professionals in our disciplines, but you must be ready for the worst. That means living life today in a way that you would be proud if there was not a tomorrow. This balancing act is tough but being injured/not able to do what it is we love gives us perspective and makes it easier to balance ourselves out. On one hand we want to be the best athletes we can, but we also must enjoy ourselves while we are doing so. Keeping this "see-saw" balanced is no easy task, especially because there is constantly new things being thrown on either side. However, we are people, I am NOT just a triathlete, Jon is NOT just a runner, and it is important for us to remember this. We as athletes must be careful to avoid this trap. We should be encouraging of other to try out sport and getting them into it and realize that after all, it is about enjoying yourself. If you see someone who needs a new tube on the side of the road please do not ride past them. Lets be accommodating to the rest of the world too, we are all homo-sapiens, dependent on air, food, and water, lets not forget that! I hope this does not come out as preachy, as i write this as a PERSONAL revelation NOT to be a dick.
A special thanks goes out to my buddy Jon who has helped me to understand this. Best wishes to him for his pre-consult next week and surgery Nov 1st!
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