Monday, November 29, 2010

Taking the Thanksgiving holiday in stride

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday.

I see Thanksgiving (from a triathlon perspective) as the beginning of a season where there is lots of partying, eating, staying up late night, couch surfing, tons of football (for you football fanatics), traveling, family/friend/significant other obligations... In short, lots of stuff to distract you from your off season training.  As for my training, I definitely missed some workouts over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but I don't really mind.  I know that this is going to happen throughout this holiday season, so I am just going to do my best to stay the course and if I miss or need to move a workout here and there due to some sort of holiday season shenanigans, then so be it.  No need to stress out about missing a work out here or there for an event that is almost a year away.   :)

I feel that taking this attitude takes away most of the stress of training during this time of year, and lets you focus on the more important things in life.

Back to a normal week this week.  Tonight I have my short run of the week, and then tomorrow it is a 2x day of swimming and cycling.  I am trying to get back into the spin class gig, but since I don't have a LAFitness right next to me anymore, I have lost the motivation to go.  Same goes for swimming as well, since that is also the place where I do my laps at.

I also want to get some strength training in this winter.  This will help with my weight management, as well as overall interval training.  That's pretty much it for today, short and sweet.  Will have more for all of you later this week!


Murtha...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

10,000 unique viewers, and other news!

Hello Everyone!

     I hope that everyone is having a great Turkey week!  Mine started on Friday evening when I began preparing for our annual "Friendsgiving", which my roommates and I were hosting this year.  Between the setup, breakdown and cleanup (on Sunday) and the actual event on Saturday night, there was not much training to be had.  Ergo, no training at all.  Oh and there was the alcohol.  Holy crap can my crew ( of 55 pepole) drink some alcohol.  That goes for me as well.  Although I did not have an official hangover on Sunday, I did feel a bit off, and we still have a keg to finish (people brought way too much alcohol anyways), so I have been downing about 4 pints a night.  Not that healthy, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Thankfully my roommates are helping me, so we are taking out about a 12 pack a night on the keg.  When I get home tonight I will be getting back on the horse and running, in the rain.  Yup.  Memories of CDA will come back to haunt me... just kidding, I can use the motivation of how I bested the course in the crappy wind, rain, and cold to get me through a measly 40 minutes around the park.

     So I am really excited that about two weeks ago, I hit 10,000 unique views to my blog!  Yeah, it took me 4 and a half years to get there, but it has been a journey.  I have met many new friends in the blogosphere as well as in person.  Some have come and gone, moving on to other things in their lives.  But I have had great experiences with all of them, and all of you who are still here with me.  I need to do another semi-annual review of all the blogs I follow, as a few people have fallen off the radar, and I have a few new people to add! 

     I will also be adding my posts on a regular basis to Facebook as well, so for you who are linked to me via facebook, you will be able to see my new posts in you live feed on your home page.  I am going to get this RSS thing figured out as well, so I am not actually having to go to 50 different sites everyday to read people's blogs, I will have those 50 different sites push the content to me instead :)  I am also officially commenting on BeginnerTriathlete.com now so you may see me in the threads from time to time.

I have gotten the calendar together for 2011, I just have not decided on which races (except IMFL) that I will be competing in.  I also have my training calendar template figured out for the next 12 months, and I have through new year's already planned out.  Should be exciting.  I hope all of you have a delightful Thanksgiving holiday, whatever your plans. 

Train hard, train smart, race excellent,

Murtha...

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The end of one season, and looking to the beginning of the next...

Good Morning Everyone!

     The first thing I did this morning was go to my blog, and noticed that the last post that I put up was on May 12th, 2010.  Wow, what happened to all those asiprations of going to back to the old days of blogging, reporting, and changing?  Life, I supppose, is the easiest and most accurate answer.  Between losing my job Memorial Day weekend and coming to where I am now in my career, beginning an accelerated graduate school program in accounting so I can take the CPA next year, girlfriend moving away and doing the long distance thing, triathlon definately took a back seat.  This was somewhat disheartening since I was committed to get back into the sport, give to the sport, do some charitable activites while I was at it, and tell my story just like I have always had.  It got so bad that I have now successfully completed a sprint, olympic, and now half iron distance event without any training.  I don't think I am going to try to catch up on any blog posts, except I may do the race reports for Chattanooga, Peachtree City, and Augusta, just so that I have them logged on my blog for my records. 

     However, there is always a new day, and a reason to begin anew.  The year is fast coming to and end, and one looks to the future to see what is in store for them.  I have a "golden ticket" for Ironman Florida next year via volunteering with my friend Mike this year.  This was also my first time really spectating at an event as well as volunteering as a wetsuit stripper.  For those of you who have been on this side of the fence (outside looking in), as well as triathletes that have sat on the sidelines for one reason or another, I have a complete new respect for this perspective.  I just plod along in my races, maybe have had a few GI issues and cramping, but no problems with my equipment, no injuries, no potential death.  I witnessed all of this and more while spectating the event this past Saturday. I saw the full range of emotions that occur during this race, and then thinking myself of when and where I was when those emotions overcame me while racing.

     I spent the weekend (when I got home) sleeping and reflecting on my triathlon career.  I mean, I am not making any money off of it, but it is the longest standing activity that I have undertaken (and plan to continue).  Longer than any job I have had, relationship I have been in, and has been about a 1/5th of my life.  It has been my drug, my therapy, my escape, my joy, my sorrow, in essence, the sport has in one way or another embodied me.  Few other people and things have affected me in this way, and I am thankful for all of them.  I mean taking the two weeks up to November 6th, I was actually sleeping in the evenings so that I could pull all nighters for grad school to complete 2 exams, 1 final exam, a paper, and a project, and then head straight to Panama City on 3 hours of sleep so that I could be at a mandatory meeting for volunteers. Yet.............. that damn stupid grin reared up and showed itself on my hotel room  balcony Friday night and followed me through the rest of the weekend.  All of you know this grin.  It's unexplainable, yet makes complete sense when it comes out from hiding.  This is why I am here, and this is why I love doing what I do.

     Looking forward to 2011 brings me lots of opportunities.  Graduating with a Master's Degree, hopefully having a job in accounting, taking the CPA exam, potentially living in a new city and state, and what I would like to accomplish as a triathlete.  For a change I have begun winter base training/maintenance, something I have never done before.  I am also rekindling some old tri-friendships that I have let go astray, as well as foster new ones.  I hope all of you have had a great 2010 (and season), and I hope that all of your dreams, aspirations and visions for 2011 come to light! 

Murtha...