Book Review - First Triathlons

I recently finished the book "First Triathlons". It was a good book. It was a good book in many different ways.

1. Each of the stories were short, 3 to 7 pages. This allowed me to fit some reading in were I could.
2. It was motivational. If the people in this book could over come such large obstacles (cancer, diabetes, getting hit by a car, being a catholic nun, etc...), then I think I could overcome being fat.
3. It was informative. Each of these people shared what they have learned with the reader. Keep your head out of the water if you swim through a warm section of water while in the group.
4. It also gave a great piece of advice. Just have fun.

I have made a promise to myself. If I get down to 240 lbs, I will sign up for my first tri. I figure this will give me enough time to finish my swim class and add some mileage to my running. Plus if I don't feel ready, I can eat some ice cream.

Weigh-In Wednesday

Doing better. I think the modified bricks are helping.

I almost got hit by a school bus yesterday. I was flying downhill (30mph) yesterday, and a school bus turned onto the street I was traveling on. Anyone who has seen a bus turn knows they have to take up the oncoming lane (the wheelbase is to long). The bus didn't start its turn till I was almost on top of it. I had to lock up the brakes; this caused the bike to fishtail violently. Due to my mad bike handling skills (luck), I was able to avoid becoming a hood ornament or wreaking.

The Last Lecture

I read The Last Lecture. The book is based on Randy Pausch's life and philosophy. At the time that he wrote the book (and gave the actual last lecture), Randy was dying of cancer (he has since past away). His philosophy is simple, live life to the fullest, and don't get stuck on things you can't change.

I found the book to be very inspiring.

Weigh-In Wednesday

260.4 lbs
40.1% Fat

Last week started the Weight Loss Challenge at work. I decided I needed to kick it up a notch.

Thursday I did my 10 miles, on the bike, at lunch, and I had swim class with the sadistic bastard. The sadistic bastard worked us to the point of exhaustion.

On Friday I only did a recovery ride during lunch. A recovery ride is a ride that you spin in a low gear and keep your Heart Rate (HR) below 60% of your max HR. In a nut shell, it is an easy ride.

Saturday I woke up early (9 am, it's early for me), and went for a run. I had decided to run at least two hours. Before you become impressed, remember I am slow (I trudge) and two hours is only about 8 miles. I ran the Kolb Farm trail and the Chettam Hill Trail. All in all, I ran 7.5 miles.

Later that afternoon I rode the Silver Comet. I did a 20 mile tempo ride. A tempo ride is a ride that you keep your Heart Rate between 85% and 90% of you max HR. In a nut shell, it is a hard ride.

I took Sunday off as a rest day, and started back on Monday. I did a 10 mile recovery ride (I was still sore from Saturday) at lunch, and did a 4 mile trail run (Bell Bomber Loop) after work.

Tuesday I did an easy version of a brick. A brick is a type of triathlon training. You basically do multiple workouts together. I started with a 10 mile tempo ride at lunch (it started out as a recovery ride, but I saw some of my colleagues riding, and I had to beat them), then I had swimming class (coach Bob is back from vacation, so no more Sadistic Bastard) for a hour, and after that I did a 2 mile run around the aquatic center's track.

If I keep this pace up, I should lose more than enough weight for the Weight Loss Challenge. Or, I'm going to kill myself with a stroke.

Weigh-In Wednesday

262.4 lbs

39.5% Fat

I know swimming is good for you, and I know it is a good cardio workout, but it's not helping me lose weight. Why, you ask. Well, I am taking a swimming class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and when I get home at night I am two things; famished and tired. I get home, eat everything I can find, and then go to sleep.

Yesterday was the worst case of this. Our normal swim coach, Bob, is on vacation. Bob has been teaching us technique, but Bob's replacement, Mike, has a different approach. Mike (I will refer to him from now on as The Sadistic Bastard) believes in swimming, swimming, and more swimming. My left calf cramped in the first 15 minutes, and my right calf also cramped before we were done (I currently waddle instead of walk).

At the end of class I was so tired, I had trouble climbing out of the pool. I did a two hour tempo (85% - 90% Max Heart Rate) ride last Saturday, and I wasn't as tired as I was after class. I got home from class and ate a half of a pizza, a container of almonds, a yogurt, and a couple of cheese sticks. The only reason I didn't continue eating was that the Tylenol PM kicked in, and I went to sleep.

People Suck

I hate people. Today I've been running into rude or stupid people. Here is a list of some of the people I've seen today:

The Door Blocker

This is the person that stops in front of the door to have a conversation. They watch you walking up to the door with your hands full, but will not move till you say something (you may be surprised to know that I usually say "excuse me" instead of "get your ass out of my may, you cow"). When they move it is not as helpful as one might think; they take a half a step. Enough to open the door, but not enough to squeeze by them without nudging them. This will always get you a look or a comment. Like it is your fault that they are blocking a door.

Is it wrong of me to want to sterilize people?

The Cell Phone Driver

I know everyone has had to deal with one of these people, so I won't go on about it, except to say:
Get Off the Phone and Drive!

I sometimes fantasize about driving a tank. Is that wrong?

The Lazy Worker

While I was driving, I came upon two city trucks cleaning up debris on the side of the road. One of the trucks had a claw, picking up the debris, and the other was a dump truck that the debris was being thrown into.

So both trucks were sitting next to each other; taking up a lane and a quarter of the two lane road. That left three quarters of a lane to get through. That would have been OK, but the worker assigned to direct traffic was standing in the lane not doing his job. The guy was a big guy (I am small by comparison), at least 350lbs. He took up at least another quarter of the lane and gave everyone dirty looks because they were so close to him with there car (like they had a choice).

What was even worse than the fact that he wouldn't stand in front, or behind the trucks, giving everyone more room; was that he wouldn't put his hands up to stop a car or tell a car to go until it was absolutely necessary (meaning preventing two cars trying to go through the same half of a lane).

I find it sad that the city probably laid off someone that was a good worker and kept this guy. Our tax dollars at work.

The Parent With No Parenting Skills

On the same street as the great city worker above, I saw a parent walking with her small child in the street. I understand you have to walk in the street there; their are no sidewalks. But, you put your child on the outside of the lane so you are closer to the traffic that the child. You also hold the child's hand, and you get off the cell phone and pay attention to the child.

I still think people should have to take an intelligence test before they are allowed to breed.

People suck!

262.8 lbs

39.2% Fat

I've gotten back on track this week. Alot of it has to do with the fact that it has been nice out for the last week. The days it did rain, it waited till after my bike ride. Other factors were being able to go for a hike on Saturday and starting my swimming class this week.

RIDING
I was able to ride at lunch all week except Friday (I had worked at night that day). Last Wednesday and Thursday I snuck my rides in before the sky opened up. The rides were nice because the temperature was in the low 70s, but that changed on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday and Tuesday the temperature was in the upper 80s, and I was sweating like a pig.

My pace is getting better. It now takes me 40 minutes to do my 10 mile lunch loop. If I can consistently get it under 35 minutes, I will increase my mileage to 12.5 miles.

HIKE
On Saturday, I went for a hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park with my sister and Gretzky (The Great One). Because Gretzky is a Great Dane, he gets alot of attention on the hikes. My sister is always getting questions like, "Do you have a saddle for him?", "Can he carry me up the hill?", and many other questions like this.

During this last hike we got alot more of the requests for him to carry people up the hill. You see, they were having a 50K trail run race Saturday, and we caught the end of it. We were passing people that had the same facial expressions as the zombies from bad horror movies. The only reason we knew they weren't zombies, was that they asked if the could ride Gretzky to the finish line, and not if they could eat our brains.

All in all, a very nice hike. I was tired after it. I can't comprehend how the zombie people ( the racers) were able to run the trails for over 30 miles, when I was as tired as I was after only hiking 5 miles.

SWIMMING CLASS
I started my swimming class yesterday, and it was OK. I did have some guy with a peg leg throwing pointy things at me, and I don't know why.

By the end of the class my calf started locking up. It is still a little sore today, so I will take it easy on today's ride. I am looking forward to tomorrow's class.