2017 - Week in Review - 28 Feb - 05 Mar

2 coasts in 2 weeks

Weekly Reflections and Focus

So this week. The time has come to up my volume. Well intensity followed for the first half of the week. My runs were well on point and things were good until I got home. I just cruised the run in the canyon for fun and didn't go to hard, and the downhill was a pain after being flat landed most of the week, well elevation was net flat.

The pool was interesting as I showed up on Saturday a bit earlier than normal to a full pool. So I just sat there and watched. A great lot of swimmers. One gal was like you can split my lane, and I was like "you are killing it". She Smiled and said thanks. I then said I am swimming slow and long. Well, one of the swimmers when I got in was like, you aren't slow, but have to work to get fast. So I swam about a 1:48 100 yard split for my 1 mile. I was planning on a paced run later so, I didn't over do it.

My nutrition is out of whack. I am holding at 198 - 201 lbs and its a bit disappointing. I am not as focused as I was in my discipline as last year, but had a great week with an increase in volume. So I need to figure that out as I'd like to get back down to around 190 for May 6.

I think I need to say I am switching on my fave podcast. But needless to say, this podcast is the best thing I heard all week amidst the chaos of corporate chaos:

Again, I think why I like this set of podcasts is that it seems like this could be me and other buddies just shooting the proverbial breeze about life balance, our triathlon obsession/hobby and other things. It's not anything life altering per se, but it is indeed honest, straight forward and fun of honesty from heir perspective. So I guess, it's time to reflect a bit.

Why do I triathlon? Well, for one, it's where I am able to unplug and displace stress and other things I would off load previously on my family which is not fair at all. When I was sitting on the plane flying my family back and forth to Strasbourg France and looking around. I realized I had become the rat, in the rat race. I was not set apart nor different. I had become common. I became fat. I was no longer me. I had been desensitized far too long to not even really care. Sure I would walk and think, hey I am doing just enough. Barely enough, I was pushing 240 lbs. Crazy. I think I really saw it when i was looking through the photos after our travels. I saw the picture of Dennis on my shoulders at Jackson Hole, and it was not me. So, glad my wife invested in the risk of letting me buy a bike. A simple carbon Kestrel Talon 105. And I got to work not he engine. That's me. I can't afford short cuts in the bike or other things. I have to work on me. I think with all the infertility stuff Liz and I were also dealing with, I needed a place to displace everything I wasn't even able to help Liz or me with. I mean I just always take the route I am not right, I am not wrong, but I am just here. Liz needed more. Getting out on the bike helped me feel alive. When I made the wrong turn at the Gran Fondo (Click Here for Strava) persisting had nothing to do with anyone but me. My wife and father were frustrated, but I think they also began to understand that was a journey to find me that day. I grinned. I ended up taking a ride for 3 miles, but I pounded and gutted the rest out. Heck, I woke up to only do a 50 miler that day (Gran Fondo reflections). After, the wake up call, I got to work and chasing the 70.3 St George. The first one was a wreck although I finished it. Liz was great although she was absolutely a wreck too. This past year I have been doing a lot of running. Building up my body correctly and still maintaining life-balance has been a juggle. Realizing that a 3rd child is coming, means that doing triathlons is ever more critical. The journey and lifestyle will save me long term from a tragedy I was heading toward.

Anyway, A lot more could be said about those things, but I will keep it to an abbreviated version to spare anyone actually taking the time to peruse my ramblings.

Next week will be interesting as I am heading back to NYC and I need to run more in CP and out on the Hudson. Things are getting a wee bit more complicated with the client in the short term as we need to focus on some heavy deliverables to get in front of timelines and garner trust.

Anyway, as this is mainly a journal for me, this has been a strong week but was frustrating too. What I mean is my weight is not wear I want to be. At this time I was already hating near 193 or so. I have to find the new recipe that will help me. Maybe Liz is right and I need to focus on macros, but that is tedious. Again, this last week I thought I did well, I was just in eat all the tings mode albeit healthy except for the one meal at the Italian place with our team. Everything else was heavy focus on veggies and fruits and eggs int he morning. Unless the reconstituted eggs at Homewood suites were GMO'd to the hilt. I did feel bloated all week, and I think that is what I need to pay attention to using the new Garden of Life Sport Line stuff. i was using the recovery drink within 30 minutes post workouts and was liking it. Last year I was doing heavy BCAA's and maybe that is a game changer for me too. Anyway, just trying to figure things out.

I am getting a bit excited in the last 60 days building up tot he event. I am ready to sign up and now to figure out how to pay for it. That in itself will be a bit of a thing for us as a family. Anyway, life is good and I will end things on these thoughts.

At Lands End this week while running, it was wetter than normal so I just slowed down a bit and grinded in miles. I didn't pay too much attention to my watch as I was going way quick the previous few days. Anyway, I just sat there after my run and took in the darkness as the moon and planet coming into view. I was able to call and talk with Liz and hear Juniper and Dennis excited for a daddy phone call.

I posted this on FB earlier today:

So, family time after dinner... Juniper and Dennis going crazy... Prego momma on the floor trying not to die.... Me reveling in the two siblings having time together... Are we really ready for another... This is how we do.... Grateful and fulfilled... Hoping this week away isn't too explosive.... Central Park runs will be my sanctuary.... Approx 2 inches of new snow gathered on our lawns when they were pretty much naked this afternoon.... Crazy weather. Be safe folks. Being in the moment and mindful of simple blessings... Thats us, the Livingston family....

Activities - Strava Logs (Shane's Strava link)

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

Monday
Activity 1 - RUN
Tuesday
Activity 1 - RUN 1, RUN 2
Wednesday
Activity 1 - RUN
Thursday
Activity 1 - RUN
Friday
Activity 1 - RUN 1, RUN 2
Saturday
Activity 1 - SWIM 1, SWIM 2, RUN