2017 - Week in Review - 29 Jan - 05 Feb

I remember this moment. I am exiting t2 and starting to groove here. I couldn't feel my feet after a 1.2 mile swim and almost 57 miles on bike in grueling rain and wind. I still cut over 2 hours off my previous year's time in this madness. I post this hoping amidst the turmoil of today that hearts and minds can come together and not just imagine something greater but take action and become better. In this moment, my father captured a bit of my discouragement, that's right a moment of not being positive, it allowed me to think about how I could have just stayed in the porta potty because I couldn't figure out my zipper and forgot about the simpleness of how to pee. Anyway, negativity is a great tool if used as a proper measure. I had just completed something many pro triathletes and others couldn't or chose not to complete on this day. I was en route to completing 13.1 miles after this photo, something that destroyed me the previous year. I remember telling myself, look strong for the camera and my family. This freaking sucks, but I have to be ready for more suck and pain for the next 7 miles, it turned out being 8 due to the course change,but point is,without knowing the opposite of the reward, I wouldn't appreciate the reward. Sick of this pro positivity only philosophy, and if your are negative I am cutting you loose stuff. I may not listen to your message but I still value you as a human and appreciate your friendship. Thru fb and other social media tools, I have been able to reconnect and observe old friends, acquaintances, and some I ignored. I have seen many beautiful triumphs and nasty trials. The integrity witnessed has given me hope. Hope that this current nightmare we are witnessing will eventually pass. This current night terror will be but a moment. The problem with disruptors and wreckers is it will take a long time to rebuild. One thing is clear about the human spirit, its ability to adapt, persevere and overcome. If that makes me believe in unicorns that fart rainbows. So be it. Thanks to my wife for allowing me to rekindle a fire inside. May it never go out. I am a rebel, always have been, I have tried to conform but I always Rise Above (black flag). And now I continue to reach for the sky (SxDx). Yup, a glimpse.

Weekly Reflections and Focus

NEW PODCAST I am now following:  Crushing Iron - Solid material, I like their topics and their dynamics.  It's a good solid compliment to Endurance Planet.

"FEEL".  What is it?  I can't find a good definition.  Maybe I will come back to it.

For me it is something more than just being unconnected from gadgets and such.  Not being connected is the first part for sure.  But then the reality of being mindful and present in your activities.  Purpose and motivation need to align and come together.  Every step, every pedal and every stroke should have purpose and not be wasteful.  Knowing how to not wreck oneself thinking that one epic workout will make up for everything else.  I am finding that consistency is vital.  Volume is also vital.  Life balance is key and stress management is necessary.  The unspoken and 4th discipline of nutrition is part of the equation and required in order to be successful along the journey.

So, I have been trying to connect more to feel.  Trying to understand my body and listen.  I want to push and extend but not over reach.  This week while travel I was trying to pay attention to things and the first thing that bent me was the need one night to use the hotel gym equipment.  Bammer.  I was able to get a set in on the recumbent stationary and then strength training with weights.  But that was like a 6 punch combination to the gut (Move Reference - The Power of One) and it was a bit disruptive.  But low and behold, a messy work week pushed me back into needing to get out and do something.  I have been using Elite HRV on Android  and trying to get a baseline and measurement of things.  Heart Rate Variability wikipedia and simple explanations.

Anyway, I got some good pictures on my phone shared below.  Using my Light streak vest by Nathan and another flasher.  I had fewer skunk sighting gratefully so I wasn't having to manage that, and had one night of a light Irish mist to bring some 'feel' back to my running.  I really periodized and focused on swimming last week and it was awesome but it got me out of the running groove.  I need to up my running volume to overcome the gap that will present itself in this build up especially if I start traveling more coast to coast.  I am looking forward to running in Central Park again, but we'll see how that will be.

Thoughts from FRIDAY -

Although I am following a structured plan and approach in my triathlon journey and build up to May 6, 2017 (70.3 Ironman St. George).  I am relearning my 'feel'. Today was about consistency as I hope to swim tonight then spin and run tomorrow. I only looked at my watch to make sure i made my flight. I ran a 7:46, a 7:36 and 7:29 and got almost 3.5 miles in. It was all i could squeek in and well.  I went up to the tempo/threshold cliff but didnt jump off the cliff.  SO, I'm learning.  I recognized my 'feel' not b/c of some gadget or bio feedback mechanism.  I felt it.  It's invigorating.  Now to find that in life balance.  Its not easy with all the noise and disruptors i have no control over.  So, if folks think I am not being me. I am refocusing and adapting and evolving.  I can only hope others may be bold and brave and take the leap and do the same.  I have been disappointed recently by many different things and for those that dont understand, this is for me not you.   This is an internal observation and growth.  I am grateful to my wife who allows me to grow and changes and adapts her expectations of me and encoragements to stretch but not over reach.  I see a lot of flaws recently, but hope the diamonds in the rough hold strong. I understand this for me and if you see this and dont understand it wasnt meant for you.  Empathy and sympathy are not the same, nor is direct experience compared to vicarious experience.  End introspection after a long first half of the travel day.

Apparently I lost my initial thoughts about the end of the week and I will try to kinda capture what I posted.  That being said, I had a good solid and consistent swim session.  It wasn't epic as it were but very solid.  I wanted to get there early, but Liz had slightly different plans.  So finally around 1 pm or so I made it out the door.  The pool was quite busy and it was good that I was able to take a bit of time.  There were about 7 lap swimmers and at SARC, that is quite busy given that normally it is only busy when I go from time to time.  There was one swimmer, that was a triathlete.  It was nice to  just watch.  To visualize what I was watching and compare it tot he Adam Walker "Ocean Walker"  technique I have been modeling stuff on.  To see the breathing, the bi lateral stroke with breathing, the roll on the breath etc.  It was a good moment of pre workout visualization.

I was able to just get in finally and swim.  I didn't throttle right in for once.  I was loose and took my time.  I concentrated on what I had seen the fella next to me doing.  We were on similar cadences and it was nice that I was not trying to motor beyond him and it appeared he was maintaining too.  I did not over exert or go out to early, which is something I tend to do regardless of discipline.  I just swam, concentrated on form and breathing and made sure I was exhaling fully.  I even ditched the pull buoys for some 500 yards, something I am growing over time.  The only red flag I noticed was somewhere around 2100 yards my right foot was trying to cramp a bit.  I actively stretched it while swimming and stayed in front of it.

One of the things about 'feel' is paying attention to the various things going on.  I was able to identify a rhythm and could tell when I was going a bit harder or backing off too much.  The only thing that was a bit annoying at the pool was a few kids running on the deck, and one of them diving into the 4ft area of the pool head first and vertical.  It's not my problem but I still feel obligated to help when the younger life guards aren't focusing on guarding.

Even though this week was a bit light in the overall time spent moving, each step, pedal stroke and swim stroke served a good purpose this week.  I spent some time off book as it were doing knee and biomechanic stretches and 22 push ups each day before heading to work.  I made sure that the things I ate were good and been upping my water intake.  I took my Garden of Life Sport  with me and starting to notice my gut settling down.

Anyway, here's to next week, I weighed in at 197.3 today and well, its going in the right direction.  Good luck folks.  Cheers!

Activities - Strava Logs (Shane's Strava link)

(Look for rollover links if you are Strava stalking me :) )

Monday
Activity 1 - RUN
Tuesday
Activity 1 - SPINNER,  WEIGHTS
Wednesday
Activity 1 - RUN
Thursday
Activity 1 - REST DAY
Friday
Activity 1 - RUN Pt1, RUN Pt 2
Saturday
Activity 1 - SWIM

STATS

Monday morning weigh in 197.7

Targeted Activity and Focus Points

SWIM

Feel, that is the focus

BIKE

Recumbent Spinner at Doubletree.  It sucked.  I can't stand the recombant.

RUN

Feel, that is the focus

Nutrition

Update

Weights and Strength

Using free weights in the hotel gym.

Weekly Pics

Brussel sprouts! YUMMY!  Who d'a thunk!

ATT took over the parking lot at the hotel even when their vehicles were not there.  It was annoying, inconvenient and rude.

Game face on for skunk avoidance - oh and it's a light irish rain here.  No skunks, but my shirt is 'fresh'.

A trail marker where I run

Reflections of Oyster Point Bay

Capturing the lights across Oyster Point

Most trail, but I am not, just missed the downpour.

OMG.  A plane buzzed me, like right over my head.  I'm going to die!

Getting back after it after doing some glute activations stretching.

Getting serious, have to make the flight.

I feel like I have run to the edge of the world when I come on this pier at Oyster Point.  It's inland but still.

Grafiti, art or?

A seemingly lonely corner at the end of the pier.  I like it.