It drives me crazy

I used to be one of them. A smoker, a drinker a fast food eater. Recently I had the unfortunate opportunity to have to work in close proximity to some of these people. I hate to be one of those people who complain about what I used to be but..........Do they not know that if you are working in a small office and you stink like smoke it may annoy people? Do they think if they are sneezing into their sleeve and hacking two feet away from others at a table, maybe a day off is in order. Complaining that you're sick and then continuing to smoke makes me want to scream..................anyhow,

Not a bad week really. I'm working with a person now that is helping me with my training and it is definitely interesting. This guy is a rock star triathlete and has me a great workout schedule, much more regimented than I'm used to with a lot more lower zone workouts. It's a new form of discipline for me.

Had a chance to meet a fellow blogger at swimming this week, check out his blog. Running2getfit
Not a whole lot to say today but I had to get my whining off my chest.

Dave

The beauty of rest days

Ahhhhhh. Rest day. I usually enjoy my rest day and today was no different. On my rest days I usually do a little strength training and that's it. Tonight was simply 30 minutes of body weight exercises in my living room after the princesses had gone to bed.
I've already mentioned my 5k this weekend but I failed to mention that Olivia is running a kids dash. I think the running store said it's a 200m run. Each child that participates gets a medal. I will post pictures from the events next week.

Later

Dave

I've been tagged

Just to let people know Ive been tagged by Cuencano in MO.

I guess now I'm supposed to list seven random things about myself.

1-I won a 6th place ribbon in eighth grade high jump.

2-My second toe is bigger than my big toe (therefore making big toe a misnomer)

3-Wonder if the other people I swim with pee in the pool because I'm the only one who seems to get out to go to the bathroom.

4-I have never been fired from a job

5-I proposed to my wife on our first date when she asked if I wanted to split a pitcher of beer.

6-I am adopted

7-Cried every day in kindergarden because I thought the bus would not come back to get me.


I am going to tag 7 very lucky people and they are in no particular order.

Shelley-
Triboomer-
Sara-
Joseph-
Kurt-
Donald-
craig


The rules of the game:

# Link to the person who tagged you.
# Post the rules on your blog.
# Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
# Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
# Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

Happy Birthday to my Wife

Today was my wife's birthday. My poor darling had to work today, 12hrs. I got out of bed at 6 am to warm up her car. She is a labour and delivery nurse (a damn good one at that)and said it was one of her busiest days in memory. When she got home the two princesses were waiting for her at the door with presents in hand. Not a really fancy birthday but another one just the same.

Long run tommorow. Probably do 1:50 or so, at a slow pace. I'm trying something different on my long runs now. I'm doing 10 minute run and 1 minute walk. It really drives me batty because I feel that I'm going to slow but I know I'm laying down some big base. I have to do another long run this week, probably on Friday because I'm running a 5k next Sunday with my brother in law who just got into running. I'm looking forward to seeing if my tripled mileage from last year will improve my time.

I love running

I really don't think there's much I enjoy as much as running. I just got back from a 1:05 zone 3.5 and lower run couldn't believe how great my life is. It's cold here, really cold but dressed properly, it's not bad. In my past life, a Friday night would have included a case of beer, pack of smokes and two buddies in my wood shop getting juiced and telling lies. There's nothing wrong with that I Guess if you don't mind missing life. I have two little girls that I prefer not to see there Dad as a drunken bum who smells like stale smoke.

Tonight I tucked the angels in, kissed my wife goodnight, and left for my run. I'm typing this now getting ready for bed, knowing tomorrow will be a great day. By great I mean no hangover, no hacking cough and no excuses to the princesses as to why I don't want to take them swimming.

God I love my life.

Dave

Kicking my core's ass

Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve discovered a program called Core Performance for the Endurance athlete. This book is kicking my ass. While I was reading the book over a week or so I thought to myself “Self, I may have wasted twenty bucks”. After the first time I put the program together however, I had a sweat going and core burn like there is no tomorrow. I have to tell you as well, I’m in pretty decent shape. I am fairly strict with my diet as well very dedicated towards my training. I need to tell you, this is 30 minutes well spent. The program is too complex to get into here but go to their site and see if you like.

Just one guys opinion.

Dave

5 AM

Have you ever wondered why masters groups swim at 5 AM?????????????? I'm off to become more fish like.

Had a great night out with my wife last night. Spent the evening talking about life and rarely mentioned the kids. The balance that is so important for me begins at home. As long as my wife is happy, my training and racing is not problematic. When it is getting in the when, that's my mental warning to get my head out of my selfish ass and check my priorities. Usually when that is done, everything rights itself again.

Later
Dave

The longest run

The long run. If you add the word treadmill to that phrase it fills most of us with dread. The treadmill used to be my nemesis. My wife is a nurse who works 12 hour shifts with many weekends so many of my runs are on the treadmill. The gym has a daycare so if I’m going to run, I must run inside. I run in snow, as seen here in a Half Marathon last weekend in Sarnia Ontario, -30c with the windchill. I run in the heat, dark, morning or night. But I cannot run with my two beauties in tow.

The treadmill run used to beat me every time. I’d go out for 40 minutes and I’d run 32. I’d set out for a long run of 90 minutes and suddenly I would have a hamstring pull that would get me off the machine.

The treadmill runs were simply a continuation of my life full of half measures. If I am going to succeed at my endurance goals I must do things that I do not like. One day around six months ago I broke through. I did 1:50 on the treadmill and have never felt better. I defeated the dragon of doubt that crept into my brain whenever I revved up the treadmill. I felt like a new man. I beat the toughest person that I have to face when running; myself.

Today I did an easy 90 minutes. I went there to do 90 and did it. Another check in the spiritual growth column.

Dave

Welcome to my world

Hello out there in Blogger Land. This is my new blog to track my progress (or lack thereof) in the sport of triathlon over the next year. I was bitten by the bug last year after finishing last in my AG at the Windsor triathlon. Somehow the fact that I finished last was what thrilled me the most. I have always been a person to who excels at most things I set out to do. This whole endurance thing has kicked my ass in the last year however.

A little about me, I quit smoking after 20 years on New Years Eve 2006. I was 40 pounds overweight and in terrible shape. I have two beautiful little girls and a gorgeous wife (whom I adore). For the majority of my life I was an asshole who took everything in my life for granted and almost lost it all because of that attitude. Around 5 years ago my view on life changed and now in the last year I have transformed physically as well. I lost the forty pounds (last body comp had me at 10.8 body fat) and discovered run, bike, swim, repeat.

Running has connected me spiritually more than any other activity in my life. When the stresses of life weigh on my shoulders, I find that each step on the road lightens the load. It allows me time to reflect on how lucky I am that I have a healthy family that loves me, a job and a little money in the bank.

Getting up at 5 am to swim with my group at the college reinforces a self discipline that lacked in my world my entire life. Setting an example for my children of how to live a healthy and HAPPY life is a miracle that I get to live every day.

The biggest thing that triathlon training is teaching me is for me to find peace in my training I must meet the needs of my family first, my training second. It is hard to train effectively when I know I sold my family short today in order to pursue this selfish sport.

I look forward to sharing more of myself over the coming months.

Dave