35 mile bike

35 miles on SCT. Frozen toes, junk destroyed, totally alone.

Great stuff...,

Damn rain

Yes-I know we need the rain but just DAMN.

Enough already.

I want to get on my bike and ride outside, in the sunshine and wind. Not staring at Coach Troy with his peppy ass telling me to stand up and get in the drops.

I think today will bring a litmus test of my baseline fitness. I'll head over to KSU's gym and run on the treadmill for 60 minutes and see how far I go.

That should be interesting. What should be even more fun is getting in the pool.

Did I mention I hate to swim?

Good times. I'm glad to be healthy enough to do these things.

Beach2battleship Journey

I did IMFL in 2006. I too suffered from depression after such a huge event. And I always thought that I would someday do another iron-distance race.



The time commitment is huge. The price tag is outrageous. My body is a little worse for the wear.



But the siren song continued. So, I'm going long again.



I'm racing Beach2battleship this year. I say racing because IMFL was about survival. I guess they all are on any given day. But, I've learned a lot since then and think this year will go better.

I've let myself get unfit and now it's a long road back. But, I need to get on that road. If you follow this blog (all two of you), you know my knees are in peril. That hasn't changed. They're still sore and tender but nothing structually wrong.

I haven't swam in 6 months. Good times.

I haven't rode my bike outside in 7 months. Good times.

I have ridden my trainer throughout the winter and I'm hopeful my bike is still there.

Let's not talk about running.

I feel like I'm in the last Rocky movie where his trainer tells him everything is gone and they have to work with what's left.

That's me.

In the end, I'll have it together and be ready to rock a good race. So, I need a good plan:

Brasstown Baldbuster (May)
Chatt Waterfront Tri (July)

That's it so far.

Michael

Humbled

Wow.

Life can really let you know who is in freaking charge. I started the doctoral program and it's hard.

Really hard.

So, the prof says read this article and write an analysis. No big deal except the article is 250 pages long, complete with statistics and other nonsense. That article is in addition to the other 300 pages from the overpriced, dull as dishwater textbooks that I have to absorb. That's one class. The other class has a prof who believes that I have NOTHING else to do but sit around and think about possible dissertation topics.

Yeah.

The truly crappy thing about all of it is that I can't mail it in. In two years, I sit for the qualifying exams-a total review of the program. So, to not do the work 110% is simply not an option.

The great thing? My ray of hope? It will be over in FOUR short years.

Training? Are you kidding? My tri bike has a new wheelset and dust on the frame. It hangs in the man-cave that I built using entry fee money earmarked for Gulf Coast. Why build a man-cave? I have so many materials, they require their own room. Running and swimming are a dream.

I suppose I'll get things under control but I'm not sure my liver can take the assault. So, all of you that are about to get started for the new season-be thankful.

I'll get out there soon. Maybe I can mount a bookstand on my aerobars and read while riding the SCT? I bet Reger can design one...,

I gotta go read.

Last week of school

Pray for the little people...,

Ran just to run yesterday. Felt good. I feel the motivattion slowly returning.

Slowly.

Bottom bracket on my tri bike picked up some grit/sand/road debris. Gotta hit Roswell Bikes and get that fixed. Maybe I need to upgrade my crankset?

Just kidding, Charlotte, just kidding...,

The streak starts today...,

Joe Reger streaks. Paul Kindzia streaks.

Why can't I streak with them?

Okay, so it's not the type of streaking that made Ray Stevens famous but it sounds really close. Especially the "don't look Ethel!" part.

Streaking is an synonym for consistency in the tri world. Or, in plain English-getting in a workout everyday. So, I'm gonna streak. As much as I hate to admit it, the NSAID for the knne(s) has worked wonders and they feel ready to go.

Which screams for me to use my brain and NOT train into another overuse injury. I've still got some IT issues but I can deal with it with stretching and ice. I, like Kindzia, am a huge fan of Active Release Therapy. My 2009 season is quickly taking shape so it's time to make some hay. I've mutated into somewhat of a fat bastard so I have that immediate goal. Plus, I've got some new wheels on the Kuota. Fast. Very fast.

I think I'll send those guys an email and throw a challenge at them. I can't even get begin to tell you how better athletes they are than me. They (Reger and Kindzia) are the REAL DEAL. I'm just visiting.

So, today the streak begins. In earnest. Big Time. Like for real.

Knee Update

Okay, here's the deal...,

In my neverending quest to figure out what the hell is wrong with my knees, I went BACK to another doctor. Seriously, don't these guys have a clue? Enough.

So, this guy takes x-rays. Lots of them. Hell, I started to glow like Homer Simpson there after a bit. I was thinking we might be on to something. Maybe.

I get back into the room, in walks God( I mean the doc) and he says...,

"Your knees look great for someone with an endurance sport background. Nothing structually wrong."

"Where's the pain coming from then?"

He puts his thumb over something in my knee called a plica and says, "does this hurt?"

"Yeah."

He smiles benevolently and says I have Plica Syndrome. Another overuse injury excerbated by the other overuse injuries.

I think they're all full of shit. But the game goes on. More NSAIDS, more ice, more pain.

This guy wanted to inject me today (the first time I saw him) with steroids. Uh, no thanks.

So, I'm running the Atlanta Half and I guess I'll just keep running. After all, God (I mean the doc) said my knees were "great."

You know they're never wrong.

Ever.