Jan 15 2009
This may not mean much to anyone else, but I covered 2.2 miles in 30 minutes today. That included 15 minutes of actual running even though I walk about as fast as I run right now. Heart rate was good, averaging about 115 with a high of 156. It seems like it was about equivalent to cycling in 40 degrees at an easy 17 to 18 mph. I probably should be adding something. This running stuff makes you pretty hungry too!
Jan 15 2009
You don’t have to be crazy to be here, but it helps!
Usually, stories about guys that set off on some sort of major undertaking begin with, “Well, we were just sitting around having a couple of beers and then…” The reason for suggesting to the guys that we embark on this mission still is pretty unclear to me. It seemed like a good idea at the time though. We definitely have some athleticism in the group: I was a college athlete, sort of, and have been involved recently in cyclng; Jett has run multiple marathons; Colin was an excellent competitive swimmer and started cycling last summer with me; Schuyler has always had athletic ability beyond his willingness to exhibit it (unless marching to the beat of a different drummer counts). So, the idea that we might be able to perform the events in a triathlon wasn’t all that far-fetched. The idea that we might all converge on a single, competitive Ironman-length organized event is where it began to get interesting. No alcohol was consumed until after we realized what we had agreed to do.
Colin says that laughter ensued when I mentioned it. He might have said that “derisive laughter ensued”. The fact that Jett almost automatically agreed to do it, even if his brothers didn’t, may say more about the effects of Chicago winters on a person’s brain than it does about anything else.
Enough history for now, though. With only 103 days until my 56th birthday, we’ve wasted the better part of a year talking about this mission, but doing little more than routine training and living. Agreed, Jett has started swimming and is on a schedule as his marathon training continues. I’ve continued my cycling regimen and am happy with it. I’ll let the other guys speak for themselves about their activities. The only other comment I have is that I’m at the beginning of Week 2 in a running program.
Running is my weakness. (I almost wrote Achilles heel, but that would have been very poor, don’t you think? My self-editing will probably never be that tight again.) Hopefully, using Hal Higdon’s book “Masters Running” will help get me through this discipline. So far, so good.
Jan 14 2009
Jett's car, with snow
My week in training was going so well. On Monday, I swam a mile–the first time I’d ever gone that far. Granted, I’m slow, and have to take a lot of pauses, and have terrible form, but I made it through 72 lengths of the pool.
Yesterday, as the Arctic blasts were beginning to hit us, I hit the treadmill for a quick 4-miler, and did some upper-body stuff in the weight room after that. (The run took exactly 37:02, for those of you who care about that sort of thing.)
Today, I was scheduled to do 8 miles. But four more inches of snow, contributing to what is now a 15-inch snowpack, made my car quite impossible to move. Continue Reading »
Jan 14 2009
Today I had my first bike ride to start off my training for the triathlon. Colin and I rode for about two hours, going from our apartment to the beach and back (a total of about 12 miles). It wasn’t as difficult as I had expected, especially considering I did an hour of TRX last night. The worst part was definitely the beginning, when we climbed a hill for about three or four blocks. I’m not entirely sure the route we took, but I mapped out this approximation on Google Maps:
View Larger Map
All in all, it was a good training day, and I don’t think it will be long before my rides lengthen considerably.
Jan 14 2009
Perfect day to get out! Today was Schuyler’s first time climbing some real hills, and he was a champ about it. We went through the park as planned, and made plenty of stops to take in the scenery. It ended up being closer to 13 miles, expect a Google map of the ride from Schuy soon. Not what I’d call a training ride, but hey, my legs are still tired! A few pics after the jump. Continue Reading »
Jan 14 2009
Today’s the day! Ok, not really, but Schuyler and I are at least gonna get out for a bike ride. The weather here in San Francisco is perfect (suck it, Chicago!) so we’d be crazy not to enjoy it. We’re planning to ride through Golden Gate Park, hopefully to the beach and back for about a 10-mile round trip. Not much, but the journey of a thousand miles and all that…
I got a membership at 24-Hour Fitness, so treadmill and weight training begins tomorrow (maybe even tonight—we’ll see).
Jan 13 2009
April 28, 2008: Lou, the patriarch, decides that for his 60th birthday (April 28, 2013) he wants to do an Ironman triathlon. What’s more, he wants his three sons (Jett, Schuyler, and yours truly) to accompany him. Laughter ensues.
A few days later: I get a voicemail saying something like, “Well, your brothers are in! Are you gonna do it or what?”
So we’ve set up this blog, hoping to chronicle our metamorphosis from couch potatoes, video gamers, weekend cyclists, and crazed marathoners into hardcore Triathletes. Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy the read!
Photo: This makes me want to watch Hackers. I like this fictional archetype a lot more than the reality (a... http://t.co/CSIIXUKM Photo: Layer 1 complete. Time to sit back, contemplate my mistakes, and think of solutions. Fun times!... http://t.co/cFhGVgtm Photo: Gouache: Because This Shit Isn’t Hard Enough Already© http://t.co/q0XCGV4w The next 96 hours are going to suck. At least it's a short tunnel with a very bright light at the end. How is it that the ever-dwindling number of people who think plastic bags are acceptable still includes all cashiers, everywhere?
