25 Random Things About Myself

I've seen that this is going around lately. I was tagged on Facebook, but I wanted to post it here too. It makes for some interesting reading if nothing else. So have fun!

1. I don't get to sleep as much as I would like.
2. I dislike my job, but I'm glad to have it right now. 
3. I have always set lofty goals for myself, in running and in life. I've managed to achieve (somehow) my goals in running so far. In life, I'm just winging it.
4. I LOVE Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! The only things better are Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas Trees, Easter Eggs, and Valentine's Hearts, because they're bigger and contain even MORE peanut butter!
5. I've been blessed with a wonderful family and great friends and I am very thankful.
6. I will finish an Ironman triathlon sometime within the next 3 years. It's something I've wanted to do since high school and I think I'm finally putting myself into a position to make it a reality.
7. I'm an avid reader, but I find it hard to read as much as I would like. 
8. I think the Great Lakes Brewing Co. makes some of the finest beers in the world.
9. I'm a Walt Disney World nut. I could live and/or work there.
10. Sometimes I come across a quote, or a line from a book, song, or movie that I find to be so profound that it feels like I've run into a brick wall.
11. Today I read this, "Her existence alone was excuse enough to justify the creation of the entire world." However, I won't say where it's from or by whom. Some of you may know.
12. One of my favorite movies is Joe Versus the Volcano. 
13. I'm fascinated with what the meaning of life might be. If there even is one.
14. I'm not looking forward to shaving my legs once spring arrives.
15. I constantly make new word contractions because my brain combines two different words that I'm thinking of at the same time.
16. I need to wash the dishes at home.
17. Inattentive drivers upset me. Especially when I'm stuck behind them.
18. I'm very mild mannered and patient, but when I get upset, I really get upset.
19. I'm extremely proud of my son for how well he's doing in school and how well-rounded a kid he is.
20. I'm tired of shoveling snow.
21. I'm having a hard time coming up with 25 random things about myself.
22. I tend to think about things too much.
23. I derive a perverse pleasure from killing insects.
24. I'm addicted to Hershey's Bliss Dark Chocolates.
25. I would love to win the lottery so I could spend my time doing the things I WANT to instead of the things I HAVE to.

1/27/09

I was all set to head up to the pool tonight. I had my bag packed. I had my boots and coat on. I even put my winter hat on. But just before I reached for the doorknob, I thought it might be wise to check the pool schedule to make sure nothing was going on tonight. I'm glad I checked. I wish I would have checked earlier, before I decided to swim tonight. Medina was having a swim meet against Wadsworth tonight and the pool was closed. I had eaten a large dinner so running was out. So I jumped on the bike trainer for 10 miles. Not as long a workout as I was hoping, but better than nothing. Oh, and the snow is back. We're supposed to get up to 12 inches by tomorrow afternoon. At least it's possible for me to do everything inside now.

100th Post!

100 already? I guess it has been nearly a year since I first started writing so I shouldn't be surprised.

Yesterday went well. I went to the running club meeting and was glad to see a large turnout. I was a little worried about finding the library in Hinkley as it was dark and I had never been there before. But I found it just fine. There was a guest speaker from a full and half marathon training group. She had a good presentation, it just wasn't geared for me or for where I'm at right now. Heather would probably find a group like that very beneficial. But she's doing pretty good training on her own. I brought my logo concepts and they seemed to go over well. There were six or seven that were picked out to take a bit further, including one by Marsha. I'll work some more on them, clean them up, and get them to her so she can include them in the club newsletter. Then everyone can vote they're favorite.

After the meeting I went straight to the Rec. to run. I needed to run. I started a little after 8:00 with a mile warm-up. Then I ran 6 miles at tempo pace, which ended up being 7:30 on the nose every time! Finally a mile cool down to total 8 miles for a Monday night. I had my new shoes out for they're second run and they felt wonderful! I'm hoping to have more weekly mileage heading into Rite Aid in May than in any race I've done yet. If I can just start to maintain some consistency, I think I'll do just fine.

House Painting

Nothing to report from over the weekend. What? Nothing? Well, not exactly nothing. Just nothing training related. We were painting this weekend. From the time I got home Friday afternoon till Sunday night, I have been painting. We bought a ton of paint from Home Depot when they were running they're sale over the Martin Luther King weekend and we finally got started. The ceilings in the dining room and the kitchen are done, along with the front and rear entry ways. The trim is done throughout except for the living room. The dining room even has a coat of paint on the walls, thanks to Heather.

I suppose we made good time, considering the amount of trim and doors we have downstairs. I also needed to patch two large holes in the kitchen ceiling from when we had a leak in the bathroom upstairs. Then, I also needed to make a quick repair to the PVC drain from the same upstairs bathroom which Heather had unknowingly driven a nail into to hang a picture from when we moved in. My suspicions were aroused when I noticed the nail had a funny wiggle to it, even though it was still anchored. Anchored in something that wasn't a stud. I filled it with Goop for Plumbers. Hopefully it won't leak on me.

I don't know how much more I'm going to do during the week. I feel guilty for not getting ANY training done this weekend, so I may focus on that after work this week. I will be attending the running club meeting tonight and will be bringing all my logo concepts with me. Hopefully there will be a few in there that people like.

1/22/09

Today's photograph is of some Maple tree leaves I shot in 2007. Without checking, I'm not exactly sure where it's from, but I would venture a guess that it's from somewhere on the Walt Disney World Property. I chose it because I've got some spring fever starting, even though we're supposed to top 40 degrees today. But it's supposed to head back into the teens overnight and during the day tomorrow. I could just really go for some summer right now.
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When I woke up yesterday, my legs weren't as sore as I thought they would be after riding 20 miles the night before. So, as much as I would have liked to lay in bed, I got up and lifted for half an hour. I've been able to increase my amount of activity in the three disciplines, however my strength training has fallen off as a result. I'm going to need to find a way to fit in more time with the weights.
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Last night was busy. After waiting at the vet. to pick up some supplies for Penny, I had an errand to run before I could get to the Rec. to run. When I finally got there, around 7:15 or so, I was able to get right down to business. I chatted with our neighbors for a few seconds as I was doing a warm up mile. I then ran 5 miles with a mile cool-down. My time was 52:17 including the cool-down mile. Not real fast, but fast enough. My mile splits were: 7:18 / 7:12 / 7:15 / 7:36 / 7:19 / and 8:09. Now that I look at it, that was pretty fast. Fast for January anyway. Of course I was sweating buckets because it is so hot in there with minimal air movement. It's almost as bad as running on one of their treadmills.
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I was hoping to swim tonight but the pool is closed due to a high school swim meet. I will try to fit in some time on the bike instead. Maybe when I'm ready to take a break from painting the first floor. Yes, after almost 5 years of living in our house, we're finally getting around to painting it. Just what I need on my plate, more work.

1/21/09

Tonight I needed to substitute my swim for some bike miles because Heather was out on the town doing business stuff and being elected to the board of Main Street Medina or some such thing that sounds like that. So I ended up riding 20 miles on the bike trainer in an hour and twenty-four minutes. Pretty decent workout. Now my rear is sore and I have a craving to have another maple creme cookie from downstairs.

Some good news: The temperature is supposed to be working it's way back up towards freezing. Yahoo! That means the outside runs won't be so painful. As Bailey and I were driving from the post office to the day care this morning, I was watching someone running past the square. I looked down at the temperature reading in the car and just shook my head. 6 degrees. Too cold to run in for me. But not for everyone, I guess. 

1/20/09

I'm tired and late for bed because I was running later tonight than I'm used to, so I'm going to try to be brief. Cold and snowy again so I was inside tonight running intervals on the track. I was also deflowering my new pair of Asics Gel Stratus running shoes. One pair. You see, I bought two pairs today because they're going to be replaced soon and I really like how they fit. And they were on sale at Second Sole for $69. Hard to beat that.

Here's tonight's breakdown:

1 mile warm-up - 7:17

1 mile - 6:43

800m rest

800m - 2:55

800m rest

800m - 3:13

800m rest

1 mile - 7:39

1/2 mile cool down - 4:11

A nice short workout for a total of 6 miles. Now my right hamstring and left quad are sore, so I think I'll pass on any more running until Thursday at the earliest.

Also, this morning, I logged another 10 miles on the bike trainer. It's not as annoying when I've got a good book to read.

1/19/09

I was a little tired (hungover) yesterday morning from having some monstrous beers Sunday night. Nothing too bad, just a bit of a headache. So I decided to forgo any workouts on Monday morning. Just a note, do NOT underestimate the potency of Double Bastard from Stone Brewing Co. 10% ABV WOW! It comes in a large bottle so be sure to share.

Monday night I gave the dog her fluids, which were a bit overdue. It's a long story which I haven't mentioned here yet. Our 11 year old Golden Retriever was diagnosed with kidney failure late last summer. We've been administering sub-cutaneous fluids to her since then. That, combined with a couple medications seem to be helping her. I was able to get that done, then have dinner. As I was still a bit sore from Sunday's run I knew I wasn't going to run yesterday, but I was able to get on the bike trainer for 10 miles last night. I decided to take a book with me and the time passed very quickly. I guess it helps to have a good book, because I hate riding indoors.

1/18/09

I finally got back outside this morning. I've been itching to run outdoors after only 2 runs inside last week. Granted, the conditions were not ideal, but beggars can't be choosers, right? The temperature was low to mid 20s, which is balmy compared to sub zero, with a bit of a breeze out of the west. We had more snow overnight, a couple inches, to add to the foot or so base that's already on the ground. I was planning to get out early, before too much car traffic hit the roads, but the fresh snow had me reevaluating my intended route. With no traffic, the plan was to stick to the streets where the snow had been removed. With new snow, I was worried about me slip-sliding as well as any cars I might meet. So Plan B evolved. I would hit as many cul-de-sacs and side streets as possible, where I could stay on the street, and trudge through the deep stuff along the busier ones.

I added an extra section of residential streets to my usual route and ran most streets twice, going out and coming back. The run went fine. I did 9.7 miles with light flurries coming down. The street sections went from snowy, to slushy, to wet, allowing me to get enough traction at times to increase my pace to near normal. Otherwise I was running slow. Now the sidewalks were a completely different story. Some people cleared theirs, and some did not. Now that I think about it, MOST did not. I had long sections of high-knee drills getting through the deep stuff, making for one tough run. My time of an hour and a half broke down to 9:19 minute miles. Definitely below average pace, but great to get back outside.

1/17/09

I set a goal for swimming today, and I met it. Two miles. That's 128 laps. If you're saying to yourself, "that's a lot of laps", you would be correct. It was a lot of laps. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. You see, I tried something new today. Instead of wearing my all-purpose swimming trunks, I wore my tri-shorts. What a difference! I felt like I was gliding through the water. I don't think I'm going to be able to wear my trunks to a training workout ever again after today. I clocked my first mile at about 52 minutes, which is pretty good for me. My two mile time was 1 hour and 50 minutes. A little slower on the second mile, but I was getting pretty tired. I look forward to some more swim workouts like this one.

Earlier today we had to run up to the Brunswick Home Depot to buy paint because the one in Medina ran out of the base we needed. We stopped for lunch at the Winking Lizard while we were up there. I had a tasty turkey and bacon wrap with lettuce and tomato and two bottles of Imperial Stout by the Thirsty Dog Brewery. What a tasty beer. And with 9.? percent alcohol, it hit me hard enough that I couldn't drive home. Now that's what I would call carbo-loading!

1/16/09, or That's REALLY Too Cold!

-12. We hit -12 at the airport. I had -8 in the car this morning. Now that's REALLY too cold! I can't wait till we get some warmer temperatures. Like something in the 20s. That would be really nice!

So I was stuck indoors yet again. Which is alright. There's plenty I can do indoors in January. One is swimming. But I wouldn't have been able to get into the pool until right about now, so I ended up running again. It turns out that the Mrs. had managed to log more running miles than me so far this week. Of course I had to do something about that. I ran 7 miles on that little 1/10th of a mile track. That would be 70 laps for the mathematically challenged. Same process as last night. My splits were: 7:45 / 7:34 / 7:18 / 7:31 / 7:17 / a 3:40 half / a 3:16 half / and an 8:28 cool down. I don't know why running in there makes me want to run intervals, but it does. I still can't wait to get back outside. Maybe Sunday.

The photo today is from the Gladstone, Michigan boat harbor. I shot it in July, 2008. There was no swimming today, but there will be some this weekend. I'd like to go for 2 miles, but I'll have to see how things work out.

Oh, one more thing. Now I'm 2 miles ahead of the Mrs. for the week.

1/15/09, or That's Too Cold

Yesterday we had -5 degrees on the car thermometer in the morning. That's cold. That's TOO cold. Going outside to run isn't even on my radar in this kind of weather. So I went up to the Rec. last night and ran on their indoor track. 6 miles. That's 60 laps in the outside lane. Hard to keep count of 60 laps. Only have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs. So I counted off each lap to a mile and took a split on my watch. That made it easier. I can't wait to get back outside again though. Maybe Sunday? We'll see.

When I arrived at the Rec. last night, the car said 8 degrees. When I left, it was 2 degrees. And the wind had started. When I stopped at Applebee's to pick up a couple burgers for dinner, I found that the window was frozen shut. That's too cold.

1/14/09

10 miles on the bike trainer this morning and 1 mile in the pool tonight. It took me 1:10 to do it. I don't know why I was so slow tonight. Maybe because I lifted last night. Whatever the reason, I got a swim in and that's what's important, I guess. The thermometer in the car said 16 degrees on the way home from the pool and schools are already canceling for tomorrow. There's a mushy slush all over the roads because it's too cold for salt. The car is all over the place. I'm not getting outside for a while, so I'm planning to do some running up at the Rec. soon. Now it's off for a late snack and to bed.

1/13/09

So yesterday was Tuesday which means speed work. Not this week. We have more snow and now really cold temps to go with the snow that's already on the ground. Had a very good dinner of homemade potato and sausage soup and then had to decide what to do for an evening workout. It was too late to hit the pool and get a very meaningful swim in. Could have run at the Rec. but that would mean driving over there. Could have got on the bike in the basement. But I settled for 45 minutes with the weights instead. It had been a while since I did any strength training. And it felt like it too.

1/12/09

I am not a world class athlete. I do not win races. I don't even win my age group unless I get lucky and the competition doesn't show up. But I know I'm a decent runner. I'm better than average. Tonight, however, I felt like everyone at the back of the pack. The ones just trying to reach the finish line. I went to the track to run because I thought it would be the best place (outside) to run with the amount of snow we received. I still stick by that reasoning too. I wanted to get some miles in. And I did. Just not as many as I was hoping for.

Tonight I ran 4 miles in 46:36. That's nearly a 12 minute per mile pace. And I had to work to run that fast! There was about 7 to 8 inches of pristine snow on the track. Heck, I wouldn't even call it a track. More like just a large white space surrounded by some fence. I could just make out where the track met the grass. I ran mile one in 11:45, blazing a trail of footprints along the way. Mile two passed in 11:49. Whew, I was flying. Mile three was an amazing 11:55! And that was where I was going to stop, until I decided that if I could run mile four with the fastest split I could have a beer with dinner. So I did the last mile in 11:06. And I'm finishing up my mug of Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. MMMMMM, it's good! Of course my legs are feeling more tired the more time passes and I'm probably going to go to bed early, but it was worth it.

Last night I ended up going to the pool and swimming another 1.25 miles. (That's 80 laps for those of you counting at home.) Maybe I'll swim again tomorrow night because I don't think I'm heading back to the track for speed work. I wouldn't call busting out 5 minute 800s a speed session. Plus the weather is supposed to turn really crappy, so Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's indoors I go!

2008: The Year in Review

I knew this one was coming, I just thought I would have done it a little closer to the first of the year. As I'm writing I can glance out the window and see two things: snow and more snow. And a third thing: THE SUN! After a good 24 hours of solid snow, the sun is back. You've gotta love Cleveland weather. It makes me think about the run I'm supposed to do today. I think my marathon training starts this weekend. I'm going to have to check on that. The street's finally clear but the sidewalks aren't. I don't think I'm up for running in 10 inches of snow, which is about what we've got. And I don't trust drivers enough to run in the street as there aren't a lot of side streets that run into each other here. They just branch off of more heavily travelled ones. I did another 20 miles on the bike trainer this morning and should try to fit something else in this afternoon. A run is what's scheduled, but I may just hit the pool. Maybe I'll flip a coin!

And now on to the 2008 season recap. 2008 was I think, hands down, the most successful season I've had in 12 years of competing. I set 6 new personal records: 37 story stair climb (5:48), 4 miles (26:26) , 5 miles (34:31) , 10 miles (1:15:09) , the half marathon (1:33:59) , and the marathon (3:34:08). I set one PR for a new distance, 15 miles (1:58:22). I also had 3 successive PRs for the half marathon in 2008: 1:38, 1:37, and 1:33. I made two attempts at a new 5K PR but was thwarted by road conditions (ice), weather (wind, cold), a course measured too long, and getting off course. My duathlon season was successful (I placed second for the HFP sprint series), I was just weak on the bike still. Something I'm working on correcting right now. I finished the year running 601 total miles, the most I've ever run in a year. As for the bike, only 427 total miles, which is where my poor performance comes from.

As I look forward to the 2009 season I'm aware that I shouldn't expect similar success with PRs falling left and right again. But I shouldn't count out that possibility either. I'm planning on racing longer distances with 2 marathons and switching from duathlon to triathlon with my A race being a half Ironman in August. It should be an interesting season. And it all starts next month with the stair climb.  

Let it Snow

This is the kind of weather that would have been amazing to wake up to on Christmas morning. A light fluffy snowfall. 10 inches of light fluffy snow! I shoveled twice today and aside from those forays outdoors, we didn't go anywhere. I should have turned the news on at some point, but didn't. From what the evening news reported, most of the counties in the area were asking people to stay off the roads unless they absolutely had to. We didn't have to go anywhere so I was happy to stay home. I was able to get a 30 mile ride on the bike trainer in around lunch time. Had to stop half way to climb the stairs in my cleats and grab some cookies because I got a little hungry. (Don't worry Hunny, these cleats are indoor friendly as they have rubber pads to walk on. Not like the previous pair that would have permanently gouged the wood floor!) The bike ride, coupled with the shoveling has left me exhausted tonight. I crashed on the couch for a bit before making dinner. But as I sit here writing and drinking my last bottle of Great Lakes Imperial Dortmunder, I'm still a little groggy. I'm either going to bed early or will hit my second wind and have a hard time falling asleep. 

1/9/09

One new thing I would like to start doing with my blog is begin to incorporate some of my photography from time to time. Today is a photo of Penny our 11 year old Golden Retriever. It's from August of 2008. She likes to lay at the end of the sofa and on this particular afternoon I caught her basking in the afternoon sun.

As for today, I got my run in this afternoon. Nearly 5 miles in 40 minutes. Not bad for a steady snowfall and a wind out of the south. I ran around Lake Medina which is just behind where I work. It was a really nice day for a run, although no one believes me when I tell them that. Yes, it was a little cold, but not unbearable. The snow was awesome to run in. I would have stayed out longer but I had to come in and warm up. Warm up certain parts that is (no names please!) I've had this problem one other time and I need to find a way to solve it. I like my Mizuno running pants but if I can't get some insulation in certain areas, I'm just going to have to stick with my tights.

We're supposed to get up to a foot of snow overnight and into tomorrow and the Mrs. doesn't get back till Sunday, so I'm not planning any additional runs for the weekend. I'm hoping to get some miles on the bike both Saturday and Sunday. Then later on Sunday I'll see what else I can get in. I think my 18 week marathon training is supposed to start this weekend.

This week I was light at work so I was able to spend a lot of time on the logo for the running club. I don't think I've mentioned that here yet. I'm involved with designing a logo for the Medina County Road Runners. Whether something I design gets used or not, I don't know. But I'm enjoying coming up with loads of variations and different ideas. At least we'll be able to go to a printer or whoever with some artwork. And it's fun!

One other thing of note for any wine drinkers that may be reading this. Tonight I'm enjoying a 2005 Zinfandel by Seacliff Winery in Santa Rosa, CA. I think we picked it up at either Trader Joe's or World Market and it didn't cost very much. It's really good! I wholeheartedly recommend it and will put it on my list to buy again. And there's a red blend from Australia I picked up at Buehler's that had dust all over the bottle and everything. It was magnificent! I need to get back up there and buy whatever they have left.

1/8/09

Nothing to report for Thursday. The Mrs. is out of town so I decided to take a day off. It's a little overwhelming for me to get a workout in as well as take care of all the things that need to get done at night. I'm hoping to get a run in after work today as weather is supposed to move in tonight followed by some bitter temperatures early next week. Might be my last quality run for a little while. Good thing I cross train!

1/7/09, or Tri-Dreams

I don't make a habit of writing about my dreams. Not "hopes and dreams" dreams. I mean the sleepy dreams. But I had a particularly vivid one last night. I'm not a dream analyst or anything, but if I had to play one for the duration of this blog, I'd say I'm suffering from some subconscious fears about the swim portion of the triathlon. And after making this diagnosis, I would say, "You're right!"

Here's a brief telling of the dream I had: I arrived for a triathlon the day before so I could sign in and pick up my race packet. The family wasn't with me for this race. But that's not unusual as I've raced a few duathlons in the past without any support crew. As I'm trying to find my way to the check in area I find that I'm walking down a narrow path beside a narrow waterway. I wouldn't call it a creek even, though it looked deep. I couldn't see any current in it at all. The path and the water enter into a series of tunnels or very long underpasses of sorts. I begin to notice how many fish are in the water. They're everywhere. And then I notice larger things in the water. At first I thought they were baby hippos but eventually decide they are manatees. And they're everywhere too! The water, which of course is very muddy and hard to see through, is literally filled with fish and manatees. And then I see exactly what I'm now worried about. There are dudes swimming towards me from further in the tunnel. This is where the swim is going to be in the morning. I can remember hoping that I brought my wetsuit with me to give me some kind of protection from the wildlife. I did eventually make it to the check in table, but left it without being reassured of having a safe swim leg. Gulp!

Of the three sports, I am least confident in my swimming. But sometimes, when I'm in the water, I think that maybe, my greatest potential lies in the swim.

9:44 PM: Just got back from the pool where I squeezed in a mile and a quarter before they closed it. First half of the swim was rough. My head was too high in the water and I kept getting water leaking up my nose. Not enough to choke me. Just enough to start trickling down the back of my throat, triggering my swallow reflex. I figured it out eventually and had a strong second half. Guess I need to keep working on my form.

1/6/09

I logged another 10 miles on the bike trainer this morning, but speed work was cancelled tonight due to freezing rain. I almost didn't even go because it was already starting to freeze when I left work. Conditions deteriorated rapidly after I got to the track. Marsha and Lisa were there as well, but decided to reschedule. I managed 2 miles and that was all. From the time I started to the time I stopped, the track went from wet to very slick. Speed work was out of the question due to no traction and any additional miles were out due to wanting to get home before the roads got too bad. Unfortunately the roads WERE bad. I slid quite a ways heading towards one intersection, only to stop just before reaching it, but had no serious mishaps. I hope everyone made it home safely.

1/5/09

Nothing very interesting to report as today was more or less a recovery day. I'm just trying to keep on top of that resolution of mine to report daily if possible. I did some cross-training after work: 30 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes on the elliptical. My legs still retained some of their "jelly-ness" from yesterday's triple session.  Best to let them rest a bit as tomorrow night is time for more speed work.

Today I also found the marathon training plan I intend to use for both the spring and fall events. I'm going with the Advanced Plan from Hal Higdon, with some minor modifications. Like I don't plan to run 6 out of 7 days. And I don't plan on doing two nights of speed work a week. And I need to fit in time to swim and bike. So I'm starting with his plan but I'm going to do some customizing. But man, there's still going to be a lot of running going on. I'm interested in what my results will be if I can stick to it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Happy New Year!

A little late, as it's currently January 4, 2009. HA! That was the first time I had to write 2009 and I didn't goof it up! I've been a bad boy. I haven't been keeping up on my blogging over the Holidays as I would have hoped. Nothing too new with training. It's still technically the off-season so I'm just plugging along with the three sports. I've been consistent in getting to the pool and putting in my time and distance. I'm actually starting to see some improvement and noticing where my form is good and not so good. Running is what it is. (I really deplore that phrase!) I've done what I could with the weather we've had. On the nice days, I've tried to go a little further than planned. The bike is a bear, but I'm putting in my mileage there too. It's not fun, but it's getting done.

I took a few days off, like 4, as we went up north to visit my grandmother over New Years. I went to the speed workout Tuesday night before we left and got in over 9 miles. That was on top of 23 miles on the bike earlier that day. That was supposed to carry me through the trip, but alas, I still managed to pack on some pounds.

Today I was exorcising the demons of my partying by doing triple sessions. It wasn't a brick workout because I took some rest time between each workout, but I did cover the three disciplines. First I did a mile and a quarter in the pool. My overall time was 1:10 but my mile split was in 55 minutes, which is about the quickest I've done it yet. Next up was the bike where I logged another 20 miles in 1:21. Nothing too hard as I knew I was going to run afterward. As for the run, I did 3.5 miles around the house in 28 and a half minutes. That's just over an 8 minute per mile pace. The weather was moist. Not raining but foggy and humid. And much warmer than I anticipated. It would have been nice to go further.

One of my many resolutions for 2009 (got it again!) is to post updates more often. I would like to post daily regarding workouts, even if it's just a few sentences. We'll just have to wait and see how that works out.

That's all for now. I have a lot of other work to do like creating my spring marathon training plan, that will morph into my summer triathlon training plan, which will morph into my half Ironman training plan, which will morph back into my fall marathon training plan. When you look at it that way, it looks like I'm going to have a lot to do this year.