Despite the fact that I have been a competitive swimmer since age 7, involved in running races starting in high school, and have owned a decent road bike for 4 years I have rarely put the three together. Normally training in one discipline for a single sport goal (swimming championships, marathons/half-marathons) or, in the case of my bike, because it is fun. I know how to do all three things pretty well, with varying levels of mastery, but I'm working my butt off to learn how to do all three things at once. Along the way I've learned several lessons from my training (how important good tires are, how important sunscreen is, how important stretching and yoga are, and how annoying old Chinese men who take up an entire lane in a three lane pool swimming horrifyingly slow breaststroke are) but this weekend I think I learned one of the most important lessons of the year. All of the training is for naught, if something happens on race day. Let me set the scene.
I signed up for the Gateway to the Bay Olympic distance triathlon held in Kemah, TX over the weekend as a way to ease (jump) into the tri season. Olympic distance for those not in the know is a 1 mile swim followed by a 24.85 mile (40k) bike and a 6.2 mile (10k) run. Kemah is about 40 minutes from Houston, and the swim was to occur in the Galveston Bay. Because of the distance and triathletes are apparently early risers it was slated to start at 7:00, with the boats taking the contestants into the bay leaving at 6:30 AM. To reduce confusion on the morning of the race officials wisely decided to have packet pick-up, race marking, bike-racking, and all informational meetings the day before. The weather did not feel like cooperating and a soggy morning prompted the officials to forgo bike-racking until the morning and further stating an extra half-hour would be granted to get this done. Meaning the race would start at 7:30 and the boats would leave at 7:00. Asked if this would change if the weather improved (as it was going to) this triathlete was told it would not change. Apparently I should not have taken this to heart (30 minutes extra sleep sounded better than 30 minutes of standing on a cold dock). The bike-racking did indeed occur the morning of, but the times were not changed (or changed back depending on your point of view) and I was unpleasantly surprised to find the transition area closed when I arrived to rack my bike at 6:30. Told an email had been sent out, and a maybe had been used the day before (I heard no maybe, I heard you'll be given an extra half hour) I was less than pleased with my options of going home, or simply competing in the bike/run portion without a timing chip. However, after an hour of simmering I calmed down and realized I didn't really want to swim in the Galveston Bay anyway and the bike/run portion of the tri was my weakest so the more work the better. I set out with the first wave of swimmers to enter transition and completed a wildly successful (in my opinion) duathlon. Finishing the bike leg in 1:19, and the run in 0:48 with a 30 or so minute swim (completely reasonable) I would have been very competitive, and I was quite pleased with my performance. Talking to the officials after the race I found out I wasn't the only one confused in the miscommunication and several others had simply gone home. The take away lesson from all of them was to show up early. Lesson learned, show up 30-40 minutes earlier than you think you need to and bring more water than you think you'll need were my take aways. I will be sure to do both from now on knowing how much it sucks to be turned away at 6:30 in the morning and seeing how badly some people were cramping on the run.
Miles covered so far:
Swim: 41.5 miles
Run: 177.95 miles
Bike: 547.65 miles
Monday, April 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March Madness
I used to like March, it was a pretty good month. Swimming normally wound up finishing at the end of February (giving me an obscene amount of free time), St. Patrick's day has been one of my favorite days of the year even before I began drinking, and March Madness continues to be my favorite sporting event in the world. Then I moved to Houston, and now I freaking love March. Everything that was good about March got better. Swimming ended with college, St. Patrick's day is still in March only now I can spend it drinking on a patio in 72 degree weather in shorts and a t-shirt or poolside getting a tan, March Madness is still around and Houston routinely gets to host one of the regional's and may stand to get the final four in the next couple of years. March in Houston is an awesome time to be outside, and should be a great month for training.
In an unrelated note, I saw Shutter Island this past weekend. It was pretty good, a little over the top (visually) from the beginning, but a great story, fantastic acting, and a killer ending. Checking it out in the theaters isn't really necessary (translation: there aren't fantastical landscapes, awesome shoot-outs/explosions/ car chases/ kung-fu battles where you'll miss something by not seeing it in the theaters) but check out the movie.
Miles Covered so far:
Biking: 338.8
Running: 132.95
Swimming: 31.5
In an unrelated note, I saw Shutter Island this past weekend. It was pretty good, a little over the top (visually) from the beginning, but a great story, fantastic acting, and a killer ending. Checking it out in the theaters isn't really necessary (translation: there aren't fantastical landscapes, awesome shoot-outs/explosions/ car chases/ kung-fu battles where you'll miss something by not seeing it in the theaters) but check out the movie.
Miles Covered so far:
Biking: 338.8
Running: 132.95
Swimming: 31.5
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Of Puppets, Bad Movies, and Actors
I found myself watching "The International" the other night, I stumbled across it mid-way through and decided to watch it On Demand from the beginning. The movie was not that great, the writing was poor and the acting seemed forced. The shots were often really beautiful, lots of cool locations to shoot in, and that's what really kept me tuned in. I began to think about how terrible a job the actors did, I mean very few of the emotions were believable, the lines were delivered over the top or way way under the top (if that makes sense), but then I wondered if it was their fault. The dialogue was atrocious (cliché, cliché, cliché, predictable response, cliché), the plot wasn't really that great either, and actors are really not much more than puppets, needing a master puppeteer (great director) to get the best out of them. Some actors are better than others (See Daniel Day-Lewis), able to adapt to different roles and make you forget that they are Joe Hollywood making millions of dollars and not the starving artist/drug addict trying to care for his two children with music and bread stealing as he wins the heart of a beautiful heiress to a fortune (etc. etc.). Matched up against Paris Hilton, this is no contest, though to be fair I think Paris is only rarely considered an actor. In the same way some puppets are better than others. Take off your sock, insert hand, draw eyes, boom goes the dynamite you've got the Paris Hilton of Puppets. With some great direction and incredible lines your sock puppet can probably captivate an audience of a few kindergarteners for a while, but no adult is going to forget that you are merely a wierd, possible perverted, man with his sock on his hand and only one shoe on standing a little to close to their child. On the other end of the spectrum are the Muppets. Watch a Muppet's Christmas Carol sometime. Shortly into the film you begin to forget that Kermit is a puppet, the dude is articulate, shows feeling, and moves fluidly. Keep watching and you begin to forget that he's a walking talking frog married to a walking talking pig, he's Bob Cratchit and Michael Caine turns in his greatest acting performance of all time working and interacting with these puppets. Is this because Kermit is a great actor, no he's a great puppet, but the people pulling the string are some of the best in the world, and the adaptation of Charles Dickens's masterpiece is a masterpiece in itself. So I'll put the blame on the writers and the director for The International, for now.
Got in a good ride last weekend as the weather finally turned for the better, and found a nice little loop to ride on. I have been critical of riding in the city of Houston (the drivers are dangerous, the roads are awful, the bike lanes are narrow and laughably maintained) but biking in the Heights is pretty awesome. The 2.5 mile stretch of road on Heights Boulevard between Washington and 20th street, is lovely, and then from 20th back to Washington on Studewood/mont is also a treat. This loop is only about 5.75 miles, but it's the most enjoyable 5.75 miles I've biked in Houston yet.
Miles Covered So Far:
Biking: 303.7
Running: 84.85
Swimming: 23.2
Got in a good ride last weekend as the weather finally turned for the better, and found a nice little loop to ride on. I have been critical of riding in the city of Houston (the drivers are dangerous, the roads are awful, the bike lanes are narrow and laughably maintained) but biking in the Heights is pretty awesome. The 2.5 mile stretch of road on Heights Boulevard between Washington and 20th street, is lovely, and then from 20th back to Washington on Studewood/mont is also a treat. This loop is only about 5.75 miles, but it's the most enjoyable 5.75 miles I've biked in Houston yet.
Miles Covered So Far:
Biking: 303.7
Running: 84.85
Swimming: 23.2
Friday, February 19, 2010
Mardi Gras leads to Len-(ien)-t training
Went to Mardi Gras last weekend, which was great fun, but a terrible blow to my internal organs and training. The weekend before, Superbowl weekend, I had a pretty good training weekend despite the festivities (mini-tri, good miles on the road bike, and a swimming Sunday). Watching the game knowing I was headed to New Orleans for Mardi Gras the next weekend I had to cheer for the Saints, and the greatest Mardi Gras ever, despite the fact that I was pretty sure they were destined to lose. But after the first quarter they got their legs under them and didn't look back. The following week was full of pretty lax training, dreams of Mardi Gras dancing in my mind, picking up folks from the airport, and then Mardi Gras (which did not disappoint). So I'm dedicating this post to helping those thinking of hitting up their first Mardi Gras to do it, and do it right.
Dear Mardi Gras Virgins,
Everyone needs to experience New Orleans at least once before they die. The architecture, culture, cuisine, music, laissez le bon temps rouler attitude can be described (poorly) second-hand but there is nothing like seeing the city for yourself. I first saw New Orleans during Jazz Fest (A music and heritage festival spanning two weekends that is a total blast http://www.nojazzfest.com/) 3 years ago, and immediately fell in love. Any weekend with decent weather (Spring or Fall would be best, it can get stifling hot and sticky there in the summer) is a good weekend to go, but to truly appreciate the heartbeat of the city is to participate in one of its festivals (Jazzfest, VoodooFest, and Mardi Gras to name a few).
There are some great cities across America, and some great places to celebrate life, but none of them can touch NOLA. You're not celebrating until you celebrate in New Orleans. Vegas is a great town to party in, but Vegas lacks something that is prevalent in every restaurant, every bar, every street corner in New Orleans. Soul. You'll leave Vegas with more or, most likely, less money and you'll judge your trip upon that. Friends will ask, "How'd you do?" you'll reply with your winnings or losing and maybe a tale of one kind of debauchery or another, but the trip will have left you empty. A trip to New Orleans will only leave you richer, no matter what you spend, with memories that come to life when you close your eyes. Having said that Mardi Gras is when the true heart and soul of a city that is back from the brink is on display, so here are some tips to enjoying your stay.
Plan early, get your shit together and just do it, the less you have to worry about leading up to the trip the better. That will allow you to get into the proper frame of mind, let the good times roll. Pack accordingly, get the weather reports and bring whatever you need to be comfortable, the more time outside in NOLA the better. Also, bring shoes that you wouldn't mind throwing away, all the revelry causes quite a bit of refuse and I wouldn't want you losing a pair of blue suede shoes over a Mardi Gras puddle.
I advise getting in Friday morning and staying until Monday, at the very least Saturday morning to Monday, that is if you can't stay through Fat Tuesday. If you're driving leave as early as possible, if flying grab a few drinks on the way in. Stay near the quarter, and spend whatever time you have on Friday seeing the city, Bourbon street, The riverfront, Garden District homes, and cemetery tours. Immerse yourself in the music, food, and fun of the city. Friday night, Bourbon street, just do it. Find a bar out of the multitude of places that suits your style and enjoy yourself, or bounce around the street looking for buxom lasses that will bare their chests for you with a hand-grenade or hurricane in your hand. Get to bed eventually. Saturday morning/afternoon grab some grub at any of the amazing restaurants around the city Mother's Cafe, Elizabeth's Cafe, and Cafe Du Mond have some pretty good breakfasts. Get whatever you need to refuel the party machine and hit up Harrah's, or the Quarter for some afternoon distraction, but keep close eye on the clock. Find some place to watch Endymion (Saturday's big parade) by 5, I suggest getting a little out of the city. Have a cab take you up to Carrollton and Orleans, and find a hospitable group of tailgaters to make friends with. CCR said it right "People on the river are happy to give" tell them it's your first Mardi Gras and you will be shown the time of your life. Just remember to try to catch some beads as the parade rolls by. Afterwards getting back to the Quarter will be difficult/impossible so find a neighborhood bar to throw a few back in before making the trek back to Bourbon street. If you don't mind crowds of epic proportions, "walk" bourbon, otherwise use the side streets to get to a bar down there (Laffite, Pat O'Brien's, Gold Mine, etc. etc.) and party until you can't. Or, head to the Warehouse district and hit one of the bars down there (the Red Eye is one of my favorites). Wake up Sunday, recover, grub, gamble, and find a place to watch Bacchus (the coolest of the weekend parades). I'd stay closer to downtown for this one, but anywhere really where you can see it go by is good. Repeat Saturday night's performance and get yourself to bed eventually. Monday, if you have to leave, try to make sure someone else is in charge of getting you from A to B, the trip is much more enjoyable that way.
Hopefully you make it one of these days, and if you do, call me, I'll probably be there.
Love,
Robert
Miles covered thus far:
Running: 84.85
Biking: 250.2
Swimming: 17.5
Dear Mardi Gras Virgins,
Everyone needs to experience New Orleans at least once before they die. The architecture, culture, cuisine, music, laissez le bon temps rouler attitude can be described (poorly) second-hand but there is nothing like seeing the city for yourself. I first saw New Orleans during Jazz Fest (A music and heritage festival spanning two weekends that is a total blast http://www.nojazzfest.com/) 3 years ago, and immediately fell in love. Any weekend with decent weather (Spring or Fall would be best, it can get stifling hot and sticky there in the summer) is a good weekend to go, but to truly appreciate the heartbeat of the city is to participate in one of its festivals (Jazzfest, VoodooFest, and Mardi Gras to name a few).
There are some great cities across America, and some great places to celebrate life, but none of them can touch NOLA. You're not celebrating until you celebrate in New Orleans. Vegas is a great town to party in, but Vegas lacks something that is prevalent in every restaurant, every bar, every street corner in New Orleans. Soul. You'll leave Vegas with more or, most likely, less money and you'll judge your trip upon that. Friends will ask, "How'd you do?" you'll reply with your winnings or losing and maybe a tale of one kind of debauchery or another, but the trip will have left you empty. A trip to New Orleans will only leave you richer, no matter what you spend, with memories that come to life when you close your eyes. Having said that Mardi Gras is when the true heart and soul of a city that is back from the brink is on display, so here are some tips to enjoying your stay.
Plan early, get your shit together and just do it, the less you have to worry about leading up to the trip the better. That will allow you to get into the proper frame of mind, let the good times roll. Pack accordingly, get the weather reports and bring whatever you need to be comfortable, the more time outside in NOLA the better. Also, bring shoes that you wouldn't mind throwing away, all the revelry causes quite a bit of refuse and I wouldn't want you losing a pair of blue suede shoes over a Mardi Gras puddle.
I advise getting in Friday morning and staying until Monday, at the very least Saturday morning to Monday, that is if you can't stay through Fat Tuesday. If you're driving leave as early as possible, if flying grab a few drinks on the way in. Stay near the quarter, and spend whatever time you have on Friday seeing the city, Bourbon street, The riverfront, Garden District homes, and cemetery tours. Immerse yourself in the music, food, and fun of the city. Friday night, Bourbon street, just do it. Find a bar out of the multitude of places that suits your style and enjoy yourself, or bounce around the street looking for buxom lasses that will bare their chests for you with a hand-grenade or hurricane in your hand. Get to bed eventually. Saturday morning/afternoon grab some grub at any of the amazing restaurants around the city Mother's Cafe, Elizabeth's Cafe, and Cafe Du Mond have some pretty good breakfasts. Get whatever you need to refuel the party machine and hit up Harrah's, or the Quarter for some afternoon distraction, but keep close eye on the clock. Find some place to watch Endymion (Saturday's big parade) by 5, I suggest getting a little out of the city. Have a cab take you up to Carrollton and Orleans, and find a hospitable group of tailgaters to make friends with. CCR said it right "People on the river are happy to give" tell them it's your first Mardi Gras and you will be shown the time of your life. Just remember to try to catch some beads as the parade rolls by. Afterwards getting back to the Quarter will be difficult/impossible so find a neighborhood bar to throw a few back in before making the trek back to Bourbon street. If you don't mind crowds of epic proportions, "walk" bourbon, otherwise use the side streets to get to a bar down there (Laffite, Pat O'Brien's, Gold Mine, etc. etc.) and party until you can't. Or, head to the Warehouse district and hit one of the bars down there (the Red Eye is one of my favorites). Wake up Sunday, recover, grub, gamble, and find a place to watch Bacchus (the coolest of the weekend parades). I'd stay closer to downtown for this one, but anywhere really where you can see it go by is good. Repeat Saturday night's performance and get yourself to bed eventually. Monday, if you have to leave, try to make sure someone else is in charge of getting you from A to B, the trip is much more enjoyable that way.
Hopefully you make it one of these days, and if you do, call me, I'll probably be there.
Love,
Robert
Miles covered thus far:
Running: 84.85
Biking: 250.2
Swimming: 17.5
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Movie Review - February
The weather in Houston recently has been uncooperative as of late, and after I found out my game was cancelled yesterday evening I couldn't bring myself to do anything. Which hopefully is not a recurring theme, but in any case I got to check out a decent sushi joint and a terrible movie. Which makes two terrible movies in as many weeks, so if you're thinking of seeing a movie this month. Don't.
The Book of Eli
Denzel Washington as a bad ass, Gary Oldman as a bad guy, Mila Kunis as a cast member, what else needed to said. I was in, and excited even for the somewhat ridiculous premise (Denzel as Eli protecting the last copy of the bible from falling into the wrong hands ,Oldman as Carnegie, in post nuclear-apocalypse America) I was excited on the way to the theater, getting the tickets, finding a seat, excited. Then the movie started, and lost me immediately. I'll give you the movie in a nutshell, Eli has the last bible on earth and is on a journey with the protection of God to go somewhere with it, Carnegie runs a town but dreams of more and wants the bible to control people (most of whom seem to be illiterate) through religion (the oldest trick in the book). They cross paths, Eli gets the best of Carnegie, then Carnegie gets the best of Eli and the book, but Eli continues on and completes his journey.
Glossed over a lot there, here are the more ridiculous parts of the movie. Eli basically killing people at will if they attack him, despite being absurdly outnumbered (becoming even more ridiculous with the twist at the end). Being able to cover an amount of ground on foot that motorized vehicles couldn't cover in the same day (really the part of the movie that I lost all hope, they can't track him down in their cars despite the fact that he's travelling on roads and through areas they know well). The cannibals not just devouring Eli and Mila Kunis once they are trapped, but inviting them in for tea, and then the arsenal they keep under their couch cushions. Then Eli, after evading Carnegie and his men for two days and having an epic standoff against them with the help of the cannibals gives up the bible to save Kunis's life. Turns out he's been reading it long enough to have it memorized (why didn't he just give it up earlier? I don't know). He continues on his path after being shot in the stomach with no medical care around and makes it from a Desert to San Francisco on a single tank of gas. This goes along with him being able to cover immense distances in too short a period of time throughout the entire movie, ridiculous. Continues surviving the abdomen bullet wound, and finds a rowboat (miraculously) and rows to Alcatraz (on a whim and against some very strong currents in the San Francisco Bay) to find the cradle of civilization (a group of folks trying to restart civilization one work of art and book at a time). Then the twist of the movie (skip down or stop reading if you don't want to know) Eli is blind, and the bible that Carnegie got his hands on is in Braille and is therefore worthless to him. Which just opens up more questions like, how is Eli such a good fighter/hunter (don't give me that echolocation bullshit), why didn't he give up the bible sooner if he knew it was worthless to Carnegie, how had he survived initially following the blast, how did he find the guy to recharge his battery, how had he not fallen into a hole walking around for 30 years, how did it take him 30 years to find San Francisco. Stupid. I don't care if you think it's a good message about how faith and religion can be used for good or evil depending on how you use it, this movie was bad, waste 2+ hours of your life doing something else.
Legion
Going in I had really low expectations for this movie, really low, but I thought it would be entertaining. Rogue angel defies God and tries to save humanity from the apocalypse by ensuring the safety of an unborn unwanted child of a relative loser in the middle of nowhere. Sounds like it could be fun. I'll save you my analysis and give you Jackie's. "I wish I had lit my $20 on fire." You've been warned.
Miles travelled so far:
Biking: 173.7
Running: 58.85
Swim: 13.25
The Book of Eli
Denzel Washington as a bad ass, Gary Oldman as a bad guy, Mila Kunis as a cast member, what else needed to said. I was in, and excited even for the somewhat ridiculous premise (Denzel as Eli protecting the last copy of the bible from falling into the wrong hands ,Oldman as Carnegie, in post nuclear-apocalypse America) I was excited on the way to the theater, getting the tickets, finding a seat, excited. Then the movie started, and lost me immediately. I'll give you the movie in a nutshell, Eli has the last bible on earth and is on a journey with the protection of God to go somewhere with it, Carnegie runs a town but dreams of more and wants the bible to control people (most of whom seem to be illiterate) through religion (the oldest trick in the book). They cross paths, Eli gets the best of Carnegie, then Carnegie gets the best of Eli and the book, but Eli continues on and completes his journey.
Glossed over a lot there, here are the more ridiculous parts of the movie. Eli basically killing people at will if they attack him, despite being absurdly outnumbered (becoming even more ridiculous with the twist at the end). Being able to cover an amount of ground on foot that motorized vehicles couldn't cover in the same day (really the part of the movie that I lost all hope, they can't track him down in their cars despite the fact that he's travelling on roads and through areas they know well). The cannibals not just devouring Eli and Mila Kunis once they are trapped, but inviting them in for tea, and then the arsenal they keep under their couch cushions. Then Eli, after evading Carnegie and his men for two days and having an epic standoff against them with the help of the cannibals gives up the bible to save Kunis's life. Turns out he's been reading it long enough to have it memorized (why didn't he just give it up earlier? I don't know). He continues on his path after being shot in the stomach with no medical care around and makes it from a Desert to San Francisco on a single tank of gas. This goes along with him being able to cover immense distances in too short a period of time throughout the entire movie, ridiculous. Continues surviving the abdomen bullet wound, and finds a rowboat (miraculously) and rows to Alcatraz (on a whim and against some very strong currents in the San Francisco Bay) to find the cradle of civilization (a group of folks trying to restart civilization one work of art and book at a time). Then the twist of the movie (skip down or stop reading if you don't want to know) Eli is blind, and the bible that Carnegie got his hands on is in Braille and is therefore worthless to him. Which just opens up more questions like, how is Eli such a good fighter/hunter (don't give me that echolocation bullshit), why didn't he give up the bible sooner if he knew it was worthless to Carnegie, how had he survived initially following the blast, how did he find the guy to recharge his battery, how had he not fallen into a hole walking around for 30 years, how did it take him 30 years to find San Francisco. Stupid. I don't care if you think it's a good message about how faith and religion can be used for good or evil depending on how you use it, this movie was bad, waste 2+ hours of your life doing something else.
Legion
Going in I had really low expectations for this movie, really low, but I thought it would be entertaining. Rogue angel defies God and tries to save humanity from the apocalypse by ensuring the safety of an unborn unwanted child of a relative loser in the middle of nowhere. Sounds like it could be fun. I'll save you my analysis and give you Jackie's. "I wish I had lit my $20 on fire." You've been warned.
Miles travelled so far:
Biking: 173.7
Running: 58.85
Swim: 13.25
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time is Fleeting
There are not enough hours in the day to train for an ironman, have a job, have a girlfriend, and have a life. At least it seems that way, an unemployed friend of mine joked about being lucky because he can hit the gym whenever he cares to, which would be really nice, however I think my biggest hurdle will just be to give up a little bit (or a lot) of fun on the weekend and get myself in gear with some long training rides and runs. The week just holds too many things that need to get done, and not enough time to do all of them.
I'm also a big fan of sports leagues, currently playing in a flag football league and a basketball league, however I'm not sure how to quantify the training benefits of such activities (if there are any). Which is giving me trouble, and will most likely result in me dropping them after this season, or maybe after the next, or the one after that, but definitely at some point. This same inability to quantify benefits is making it hard for me to decide to buy a Triathlon Bike. Here is a link to a decent article explaining the differences: http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/difference.shtml
Well written, and semi-informative but the claims just seem vague to me. So my fellow ironman cohorts and I went to a bike shop to talk to some experts. I got pretty much the same sort of vagaries from him as I did from the article. This exchange summed it up pretty nicely:
Me: "So all in all, does a tri bike make a huge difference in a triathlon."
Bike Guy: "I wouldn't say it makes a huge difference."
Me: "Ok"
Bike Guy: "But the difference is drastic, you'll definitely notice"
Not sure how to quantify the difference between a drastic change, or a huge change in performance, but I can say that having a perfectly good road bike already is making me hesitant to drop about 2 grand on a tri-specific bike. Maybe I'll just train on the road bike and rent a tri-bike, or pull the trigger later in the year. At the distances we'll be covering a drastic improvement may be what I need to complete the event.
In other news, New Year resolutions continue to piss me off, my basketball skills are improving, and I'm enjoying bike riding around this city so far. Stay tuned, 3 weeks down 45 to go.
Miles covered:
Biking: 154.7
Running: 38.8
Swimming: 10.25
I'm also a big fan of sports leagues, currently playing in a flag football league and a basketball league, however I'm not sure how to quantify the training benefits of such activities (if there are any). Which is giving me trouble, and will most likely result in me dropping them after this season, or maybe after the next, or the one after that, but definitely at some point. This same inability to quantify benefits is making it hard for me to decide to buy a Triathlon Bike. Here is a link to a decent article explaining the differences: http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/difference.shtml
Well written, and semi-informative but the claims just seem vague to me. So my fellow ironman cohorts and I went to a bike shop to talk to some experts. I got pretty much the same sort of vagaries from him as I did from the article. This exchange summed it up pretty nicely:
Me: "So all in all, does a tri bike make a huge difference in a triathlon."
Bike Guy: "I wouldn't say it makes a huge difference."
Me: "Ok"
Bike Guy: "But the difference is drastic, you'll definitely notice"
Not sure how to quantify the difference between a drastic change, or a huge change in performance, but I can say that having a perfectly good road bike already is making me hesitant to drop about 2 grand on a tri-specific bike. Maybe I'll just train on the road bike and rent a tri-bike, or pull the trigger later in the year. At the distances we'll be covering a drastic improvement may be what I need to complete the event.
In other news, New Year resolutions continue to piss me off, my basketball skills are improving, and I'm enjoying bike riding around this city so far. Stay tuned, 3 weeks down 45 to go.
Miles covered:
Biking: 154.7
Running: 38.8
Swimming: 10.25
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Just Like riding a Bike
Just like riding a bike is such an incredibly true statement that many of us take it for granted. "Just like riding a bike huh?" one quips to a friend as they sink a ball in pong, or beat Super Mario Bros. 3. I never really thought about it all that much until I got my bike back from the shop and went on a ride over the weekend. Wow, it really does come back quickly, after 2 miles it felt like I hadn't been away from my bike for nearly 2 years, but more like 2 days. Immediately comfortable jockeying for position against the ghastly driving skills of most of Houston as I made my way to the bar to watch the NFL playoffs over the weekend. Aside from some minor seat height adjustments I need to make I'm about ready to get some serious rides under my belt.
On the other side of the coin, do you know what is not just like riding a bike? Playing basketball. Being away from that sport turns you from a potential globetrotter into a 4 year old girl. Seriously one of the most difficult sports to pick back up after being away from it for a while. In my case it had been three and a half years since I played a serious amount of basketball, and it showed. Playing with a few other guys who've been away for about as long as myself didn't help matters any. Long story short we got trounced by a group of guys that had no business playing in a rec league, getting run out of the gym (in some hilarious cosmic joke being in half-marathon shape does not equate to being in basketball shape) and having the game basically decided at half time. In this situation "practice makes perfect", or at least "practice makes better", hopefully this proves true as the season progresses.
2 weeks down 46 to go
Miles covered so far:
Biking: 109.2
Running: 31.05
Swimming: 4.8
On the other side of the coin, do you know what is not just like riding a bike? Playing basketball. Being away from that sport turns you from a potential globetrotter into a 4 year old girl. Seriously one of the most difficult sports to pick back up after being away from it for a while. In my case it had been three and a half years since I played a serious amount of basketball, and it showed. Playing with a few other guys who've been away for about as long as myself didn't help matters any. Long story short we got trounced by a group of guys that had no business playing in a rec league, getting run out of the gym (in some hilarious cosmic joke being in half-marathon shape does not equate to being in basketball shape) and having the game basically decided at half time. In this situation "practice makes perfect", or at least "practice makes better", hopefully this proves true as the season progresses.
2 weeks down 46 to go
Miles covered so far:
Biking: 109.2
Running: 31.05
Swimming: 4.8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)