training results are finally showing

Its amazing really, how fast the positive results from training can come.  In my case its not weight loss, which most people (including myself) are looking for.  Its the other things like stress relief, and the simple mental break from a long work day.  For me this is extremely important.  This past year I had taken a break from serious training since I was not doing triathlons.  The result was that my training was not quit regular.


As a result of this lapse in my training,  I have gained weight, and have for the first time EVER had to go on medication to regulate my blood pressure.  Up until a few weeks ago, even the meds were not completly controlling my BP.  I was thinking of going back to the dr to re-assess the meds.  However, Since I resumed my training, my BP has now suddenly settled itself.  It is down to normal.  I am still taking the meds but with the assistance of the workouts my BP is finally under control.  With a few more months of this, If it remains the same, I will see if I can get off the meds completly.  I expect my BP may be something I have to battle if only because its a family issue.  But I have thus far never been affected by it until I stopped training.

Anyhow it was real nice treat to see a real positive effect from my training.  In regards to weight its also headed in the right direction.  Not that I am out of control weight wise, but still I can be categorized as overweight.  I have gained almost 15 lbs in the past year and a half since I stopped training. Since resuming my training I have lost 3 of those, so I still have a long way to go.  But its looking good.

Sometimes when you train for a goal like triathlons, you forget about the real positive side effects about that lifestyle.  This was a nice reminder.

Good week

Well this was a pretty good week for getting back into training.  I have been away from full out tri training for more than a year.  So this week I just made sure to get in 2 bikes on the trainer and a couple of runs in.  Doing this made me realize I have been so completly out of touch from training.  It took me an hour to get the gear I needed for the trainer.  The pain in rump from riding that lasted a week also told me I have grown "soft".  None the less, it felt great.  Thats the funny thing about training, before I resumed I figured I am training for only some sprint tri's or Oly's at best.  By this mornings run I was thinking of the REV3 full distance LOL  I guess once an ironman,....

Anyhow, amongst the other things that this training has brought on is this.  I go to do christmas shopping and end up with MORE workout clothes and only like 2 things for other people.  WTF?  Does Tri training invariably make us selfish?  Or is it that I am just really feeling a pull to get back into the sport?

Cant wait to see what else has changed in the tri world.  Its almost like starting all over, with a little experience under my belt.  Hmmmm maybe should check out the latest GPS tools available....

Ciao

The trainer revisited

It has been well over a year since I was on a trainer.  I was awaiting this day with great anticipation. For me there is nothing that represents being in "Training" more than riding a trainer.  Why?

Well because if anyone is willing to inflict such a mind numbing experience as sitting on a bike for an extended period of time, then you had better have a serious goal!

Well my first "ride" did not disappoint!  It was about as dull as a watching leaves turn color.  But IT FELT GREAT!

It was only 60 minutes.  But it was enough to make me realize I have to get my bag of tricks out for longer rides.  But none the less it felt great to be back in training.

Brazil is being accomodating

So here I am again, travelling.  This time I am in Sao Paulo Brazil.  Oddly enough desoite being several Thousand miles from home in NYC, I still end up in Brooklyn.  No Kidding!! The office and hotel is located in the "Brooklin Novo", or "New Brooklyn" neighborhood  :)

Anyhow, I had plans to resume triathlon training once I returned late in November.  I was especially looking forward getting back in the pool.  Which is why I was so pleasntly surprised to find THIS!!

Yes!! its not only a pool...its a LAP POOL!!  I was so psyched!!  This is not normal in a hotel.  At least not the ones I have stayed in.  And this was s surprise because the hotel does not have a whole lot of information on its website.

Now of course its not perfect, its only about 15 yards long and only about 2 1/2 feet deep ( my fingers touch bottom during my swim stroke)  BUT it works for what I need now which is to get conditioned again.

Now don't get me started on why an organization would build such a small and clearly not well though out pool.  You need at least 20 meters/yards to be acceptable for lap swimming.  And should be deep enough to not interfere with your swim stroke.  And yet these are all over the place.  I dont mean just in hotels.  In NYC the NYSC has a club with a 15 meter lap pool also.  Why?  Who the heck knows.  I cant believe it but I think the people building these gyms simply dont do any research.  The best example was a Gym in NYC, that advertised it had a lap pool.  I called over the phone and of course they would tell me nothing about price over the phone, and the guy I spoke to could not tell me the size of the pool.  So I went to check it out.

Low and behold they had a pool that was 10x 15 yards.  But here is the amazing part, the lanes were set to go ACROSS instead of length wise, so the lanes were 10 yards long.  It was actually built that way because the lanes were actually tiled in on the floor and the ropes built in to match.  What a WASTE!!

I mean folks, if you plan on building a lap pool all it takes is TO DO SOME FUCKING RESEARCH!!


OK, griping over.  Back to Brazil...Its decent as hotel pools go, and I already got in and did 45 minutes of swimming.  It was GREAT!   The work here will be a BIATCH, with a giant workload, but at least I will get to relax and get some workouts in the pool.  SO I am happy about that.

Anyways, Im out for now.  Ciao

Lost in my own world

Its funny, I have been doing Triathlon for 5 years, I am a certified triathlon coach, an Ironman.  Yet as a Seek to resume triathlon after a 1 year break, I actually feel a bit out of my realm.  Very strange.  And also kind of exciting.  I guess much has to do with the fact I have moved since I last trained so finding the polls and such is different.  Cycling is different.  I now live in cycling route restricted Manhattan, as opposed to Westchester with all the open roads.  Seriously, no comparison.  LOVE riding in Westchester..HATE riding in Manhattan.

Its just different.  Just the same I enjoy this feeling.  This is again an adventure. This is what I had hoped to recapture.  I want the joy and spirit of entering an adventure.  I want to feel the thrill when looking out at the open water as I wait for the starting gun.

My main challenge this year is that I am a bit short on cash.  But come to think about it, that has always been the case haha.  I have always been the"low tech" triathlete amongst my friends.  So I had a challenge finding low cost pool alternatives in NYC. The best public pool in teh city , riverbank, is on the west side and I am on the east side.  it would take 30-40 minutes for me to get there.  When tight on time, thats alot.  Asphalt green is great, but expensive.  So I found 2 options I am using.  Through groupon (groupon.com) I got a 1 month membership to the 92nd st Y for only 29 bucks! So I am starting off with that after I return from my business trip to Brazil.  Then after that I will head to Baruch college where they have a membership for $300 for 6 months.  Just long enough to get in proper shape, and cheap enough to give me a chance to budget for it.  Which will work well.  I am excited.

Triathon, Im coming home.