WARNING - LONG POST AGAIN
As most of you know from recent posts, I went to Texas this past weekend because several weeks ago, my Mom called me asking if I would come to Texas to help her boyfriend work on constructing a massive deck that surrounds her new pool in the backyard. Of course, I am always up for a construction project, so off to Texas I went.
I arrived in Austin late Friday night, unpacked, and was excited to get going Saturday morning. Her boyfriend (also named Michael) had to work until 4:30am in the morning on Friday night to meet his deadline on another construction project. So, he was a little slow waking up on Saturday, understandable. But we still put in a few hours, dug post holes, poured concrete, etc, etc and we stopped around 4PM because we needed some more material and I didn't want to kill him. We cleaned up, went to Home Depot, went out and had a nice dinner at a local restaurant, rented a movie and called it a night. Sunday morning I was awaken by a nasty thunderstorm at 7am, I said I guess we won't be getting an early start today? Around 8am I rolled out of bed and checked the weather, "rain until noon today". When mom woke up, we headed out to run some errands and scope out the triathlon course that I will be running REAL SOON! Nice course, didn't seem too bad. Got back to Mom's around 1pm and Michael was still too tired from yesterday to work today. So, the remainder of Sunday was shot. When I woke up on Monday morning and I was motivated to put in at least a few hours of work, by myself if I had to. After all, Mom paid all this money to fly me down there I hadn't done much work. I began working (and eventually got help) and before I had to catch my flight home we were able to finish framing a 16x16 area of the deck.
The flight home was terrible! I had to take a puddle jumper from Houston to Dulles (no not Dallas, Dulles - a 2.5 hour flight. That was the worst flight I have ever been on. Bouncy, bumpy, loud, ugh! But I made it home safe and sound.
Also, while I was in TX, I did mange to workout on Sunday (since I wasn't constructing anything) I worked out at a local gym. I told them that I was in town and considering relocating to the area and they game me a week pass. Really nice gym and they are open 24 hours. Pretty cool. So Sunday night I went for a swim. During my swim, I meet 2 Ironman finishers! WOW, talk about intimidating. But like most triathletes that I have meet, they were really nice. One guy even took a few minutes to help me with my swimming. Good people.
A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I had taken the CISSP exam and was worried about the results. Worry no more, I PASSED! YAY! I found out yesterday that I had passed that horrid exam. I am so glad because I didn't want to sit through another 6 hour exam.
I the midst of everything else going on, I still have been training hard. The training sessions are getting much longer and more difficult to fit in my schedule. But with only a month to go and CISSP the exam behind me I am not letting up now. My swimming is getting a little better. I actually have 2 swim coaches...one cheap one expensive. This allows me to gain the news skills I need from the expensive coach and work on strength and endurance with the other coach. I am improving, so I hope it really pays off over the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for reading,
Michael
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wetsuit
Mike's in Texas this weekend helping his mom build a gazebo in her backyard, so this is Angela posting. He asked me to post a picture of him in his new Team in Training wetsuit. You would think he wouldn't need it in Texas in May, but the water is still pretty cold. The air won't be, but the water will be!
Does he look like a triathlete now?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Bike Porn
People in the biking community call it Bike Porn when you post a picture of your new bike.
I actually purchased this bike a few months ago and forgot to post a picture.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Swim like a fish? LONG POST
So much has happened since I last posted (WARNING THIS IS A LONG POST).
First I appolgize for not posting in such a long time but there wasn't much going on - just logging the miles, one after another after another after another...you get the idea.
But recently there has been quite a bit of activity. One example, I got my wetsuit. It is black with the Team in Training logo on the front - VERY COOL! I tried it on and while I wouldn't say it was slimming but I was able to squeeeeeze my big butt into it. Wetsuits are supposed to fit tight, but holy cow. It was like someone painting this thing on and let it dry.
Speaking of swimming, I have taken a new approach to improving my swimming skills. A months weeks ago I hired a personal swim coach. I only took one lesson with him because I didn't feel that I got much from the lesson and there didn't seem like a lot of coaching happening, just seemed like the coach liked to talk and got the "opportunity" to pay for it. I didn't know if it was the coach or the student. Either way, I was really gun shy about hiring another swim coach. Based on a recommendation I read from another triathlon website I gave a different coach a try.
WOW! What a difference. This coach was a no-nonsense guy. We met, hello my name is Kevin, we got in the pool and he said, "show me your skills". What? Oh, you want me to swim ok. I swam a few laps and we went directly into correcting my (many) faults and reinforcing them with several different drills. The lesson was fast paced, I learned a lot, and he was able to make several immediate improvements. I thought man, I wish I found this guy months ago, oh well. That was Saturday. On Sunday, I wanted to continue practicing the drills he showed me so after my grueling 6 hour exam (see below), I needed to vent. So, I went to the pool and swam slow, very controlled laps using the drills I learned yesterday. I liked him so much I am going to schedule another session on Wednesday.
More on the training front, Sunday night Angela and I went to a triathlete team meeting. The team is called Team Z (http://www.triteamz.com/). They are a group of triathletes that train, race, and socialize together led by Coach Ed. Coach Ed is a former Team in Training triathlon coach that went off and started his own training program at the request of about 20 of his (now)clients. He has raced many races including IronMan Lake Placid but now mainly focuses on the group training aspects of his clients. His program is like a gym membership, where you pay a monthly fee and train with the group and receive coaching instructions during the training. I am still on the fence on whether or not to join but either way it seemed like a great program.
The past week or so has really been tough on me. Several weeks ago I signed up for the CISSP exam. It is a 250 question, 6 hour, mind boggling exam that makes you wonder why anyone would subject themselves this torture. The answer is, no sane person would but there is a Government requirement - so on with the test. I have been studying for sometime but really needed to make a big push to properly prepare myself. The test itself is so obscure that even the people that pass leave the exam wondering if they passed or not! So, whether I passed or failed at least I tried. I won't know the results for about 2 weeks.
UPDATE -
Last night I had my second swim lesson. Man, he kicked my butt! The coach said we are going to warm up, hold your breath, swim the length of the pool underwater, using only your legs. WHAT?! To my amazement I was able to do this, again, and again, and again. Our warm up ended up being swimming 10 laps of this. My lungs were on fire! I was starting to think this coach was just trying to practice his CPR skills. Thankfully I didn't need them, but there were a few moments that I wasn't so sure. From there we did several drills and ended with another good practice.
First I appolgize for not posting in such a long time but there wasn't much going on - just logging the miles, one after another after another after another...you get the idea.
But recently there has been quite a bit of activity. One example, I got my wetsuit. It is black with the Team in Training logo on the front - VERY COOL! I tried it on and while I wouldn't say it was slimming but I was able to squeeeeeze my big butt into it. Wetsuits are supposed to fit tight, but holy cow. It was like someone painting this thing on and let it dry.
Speaking of swimming, I have taken a new approach to improving my swimming skills. A months weeks ago I hired a personal swim coach. I only took one lesson with him because I didn't feel that I got much from the lesson and there didn't seem like a lot of coaching happening, just seemed like the coach liked to talk and got the "opportunity" to pay for it. I didn't know if it was the coach or the student. Either way, I was really gun shy about hiring another swim coach. Based on a recommendation I read from another triathlon website I gave a different coach a try.
WOW! What a difference. This coach was a no-nonsense guy. We met, hello my name is Kevin, we got in the pool and he said, "show me your skills". What? Oh, you want me to swim ok. I swam a few laps and we went directly into correcting my (many) faults and reinforcing them with several different drills. The lesson was fast paced, I learned a lot, and he was able to make several immediate improvements. I thought man, I wish I found this guy months ago, oh well. That was Saturday. On Sunday, I wanted to continue practicing the drills he showed me so after my grueling 6 hour exam (see below), I needed to vent. So, I went to the pool and swam slow, very controlled laps using the drills I learned yesterday. I liked him so much I am going to schedule another session on Wednesday.
More on the training front, Sunday night Angela and I went to a triathlete team meeting. The team is called Team Z (http://www.triteamz.com/). They are a group of triathletes that train, race, and socialize together led by Coach Ed. Coach Ed is a former Team in Training triathlon coach that went off and started his own training program at the request of about 20 of his (now)clients. He has raced many races including IronMan Lake Placid but now mainly focuses on the group training aspects of his clients. His program is like a gym membership, where you pay a monthly fee and train with the group and receive coaching instructions during the training. I am still on the fence on whether or not to join but either way it seemed like a great program.
The past week or so has really been tough on me. Several weeks ago I signed up for the CISSP exam. It is a 250 question, 6 hour, mind boggling exam that makes you wonder why anyone would subject themselves this torture. The answer is, no sane person would but there is a Government requirement - so on with the test. I have been studying for sometime but really needed to make a big push to properly prepare myself. The test itself is so obscure that even the people that pass leave the exam wondering if they passed or not! So, whether I passed or failed at least I tried. I won't know the results for about 2 weeks.
UPDATE -
Last night I had my second swim lesson. Man, he kicked my butt! The coach said we are going to warm up, hold your breath, swim the length of the pool underwater, using only your legs. WHAT?! To my amazement I was able to do this, again, and again, and again. Our warm up ended up being swimming 10 laps of this. My lungs were on fire! I was starting to think this coach was just trying to practice his CPR skills. Thankfully I didn't need them, but there were a few moments that I wasn't so sure. From there we did several drills and ended with another good practice.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Oh what a feeling...
Last night was a brick workout. For those dedicated blog readers you know from previous posts that a brick workout is where 2 disciplines are practiced back to back. Last night it was a swim and run. I jumped in the pool, knocked out my laps (slow as usual), quickly changed, rehydrated with some Gatorade, and hit the road to start my run.
At first, the run was slow and painful. My left calf was causing me some pain early in the run but I decided to try to work through it. Because you never know what can happen during a race. As my run continued, I passed mile 3 the pain in my calf began to subside (but still there) and I began to hit a comfortable stride. I cruised through the next 3 miles or so without much difficulty.
As I was finishing up my last 3 miles, the sun was setting, and I began to think. No, I was not thinking about gasping for the next breath of air, or tripping over a pebble on the road because I can't lift my foot to take another step. No, I was thinking of the fact that I had been training for nearly 2 hours straight and I was still feeling....strong. Yes, strong! Strong in the since that I still had a lot more power remaining, good rhythm, and enjoying my workout. Then my thoughts began to shift into thinking, "What makes an athlete well, for lack of a better word, an athlete?" When is a person who runs become a runner? Is it when they complete their first race?, first 10K?, or a marathon? And in my case, if I finish my triathlon, does that make me a Triathlete? Oh, the things that one considers while putting one foot in front of another. :)
A volleyball league that Angela and I play in (separate teams) started last night. After my 2 hour workout I thought it would be a good idea to play another hour of volleyball. Angela's team played first, I started training early so I could watch/coach/cheer Angela's team. They played well, especially Angela who has not played volleyball in over a year. You go GIRL! Afterwards, I my team played. We played well also.
The big question is How do I feel today? I actually feel pretty good, a little tired (we didn't go to bed until midnight) but not too sore yet....it might come later....then you will hear me say OH, WHAT A FEELING!
Have a good weekend.
At first, the run was slow and painful. My left calf was causing me some pain early in the run but I decided to try to work through it. Because you never know what can happen during a race. As my run continued, I passed mile 3 the pain in my calf began to subside (but still there) and I began to hit a comfortable stride. I cruised through the next 3 miles or so without much difficulty.
As I was finishing up my last 3 miles, the sun was setting, and I began to think. No, I was not thinking about gasping for the next breath of air, or tripping over a pebble on the road because I can't lift my foot to take another step. No, I was thinking of the fact that I had been training for nearly 2 hours straight and I was still feeling....strong. Yes, strong! Strong in the since that I still had a lot more power remaining, good rhythm, and enjoying my workout. Then my thoughts began to shift into thinking, "What makes an athlete well, for lack of a better word, an athlete?" When is a person who runs become a runner? Is it when they complete their first race?, first 10K?, or a marathon? And in my case, if I finish my triathlon, does that make me a Triathlete? Oh, the things that one considers while putting one foot in front of another. :)
A volleyball league that Angela and I play in (separate teams) started last night. After my 2 hour workout I thought it would be a good idea to play another hour of volleyball. Angela's team played first, I started training early so I could watch/coach/cheer Angela's team. They played well, especially Angela who has not played volleyball in over a year. You go GIRL! Afterwards, I my team played. We played well also.
The big question is How do I feel today? I actually feel pretty good, a little tired (we didn't go to bed until midnight) but not too sore yet....it might come later....then you will hear me say OH, WHAT A FEELING!
Have a good weekend.
Monday, April 7, 2008
One Year!
Yesterday, was the day the changed my life forever. It was the day that Angela and I received the news that she had cancer. The imaged is burned in my memory forever and I still get chills when I think of the doctor telling Angela "You have lymphoma."
And rather than celebrating the anniversary in sadness, a toast, or other traditional methods. No, not us. We wanted to celebrate in way that showed Angela's strength, determination, courage, and perseverance. Therefore, yesterday we ran the 2008 Cherry Blossom 5K / 10 Mile race. The course weaved through the beautiful tidal basin in Washington, DC where there are hundreds of Cherry Blossoms trees that tourist flock too every year. Angela has never run a race before and has spent the last 2 months training for this event. She finished in the top 1/3 of all the 5K'ers - that is awesome for her first event. While she was running her 5k, I ran the 10 mile event. I have never run that far before and pleased to say I completed the race without walking. A big thanks to Sandy (a friend that we meet in Metro on the way down) "pulled" me across the finish line.
So, CONGRATS to Angela for kicking Priscilla’s (cancer) butt and starting this new year with a new attitude and new outlook on life!
And rather than celebrating the anniversary in sadness, a toast, or other traditional methods. No, not us. We wanted to celebrate in way that showed Angela's strength, determination, courage, and perseverance. Therefore, yesterday we ran the 2008 Cherry Blossom 5K / 10 Mile race. The course weaved through the beautiful tidal basin in Washington, DC where there are hundreds of Cherry Blossoms trees that tourist flock too every year. Angela has never run a race before and has spent the last 2 months training for this event. She finished in the top 1/3 of all the 5K'ers - that is awesome for her first event. While she was running her 5k, I ran the 10 mile event. I have never run that far before and pleased to say I completed the race without walking. A big thanks to Sandy (a friend that we meet in Metro on the way down) "pulled" me across the finish line.
So, CONGRATS to Angela for kicking Priscilla’s (cancer) butt and starting this new year with a new attitude and new outlook on life!
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