Birthday card received from my parents:
September 2003 Archives
"Act your age!" was a popular scolding growing up. I went to sleep last night wondering if I act my age. Am I really 28? I definitely don't feel that number. Age just chronicles the number of years since my birth. Nothing says that it has to be a guide to how you're supposed to act. If that were true today, and my mom were to scold me, I would have to instantly spawn two and a half kids, relocate to the burbs to mow the lawn of our three bedroom starter house.
Instead, I live in swanky downtown apartment with my wife, attend Badger football games in the student section, and binge drink until 3 in the morning with the best of 'em. I enjoy the ability to attend movies on a moments' notice, leave for the weekend, and host friends on a weekly basis. All without the stress of finding a baby/house sitter.
There will come a time that beer consumption will go down, increase in the generation gap, and kids -- but not right now. I enjoy acting like myself, and will continue to let my age reflect the number of years since I was born.
The pool was busy. I shared a lane with an Ironman Finisher. I felt a bit meek swimming next to him, but soon realized that I was keeping pace.
250 Warm-up
4x200 on 3:00
4x100 on 1:45
4x50 on 1:00
8x25 on :30
4x50 kick, no board, free/fly.
200 down
2250 total. 211.7 lbs on the scale.
It was the guy that nearly jumped on top of me that gave this workout a sour note. It's not too pleasant to finish a hard swim and look up between the legs of a hairy man, who's too eager to get in the water. I told him defiently to wait five minutes, and I'd be done. Turns out, the two women in the next lane left at that time. Patience is a virtue indeed.
As I promised myself, I am geting in shape. I am currently working on the first phase; swimming. I of course set up a blog to keep track of how things go. I will keep candid entries about my workouts, keep track of distances, and monitor weight loss/gain for at least the next year. I am training in phases: swimming for the Alumni Meet (December 23, 2003), running for Crazylegs (late April, 2004), biking to put it all together for some sprint trialthons next summer. That should give me a good idea of what my body can take and if the Ironman is appropriate for me. If it's a go, then training starts at the end of next summer exclusively for Ironman Wisconsin 2005.
I over extended myself a bit tonight:
400 Warm-up
10x100 on 2:00. Build each group of five
200 Down
That's it. 1600 total. But I built the final two hundreds in each group to a 1:05 pace. Pretty good for an old fat man like myself. But I was paying for it at the end. I decided to end it while my arms were still attached. The worst part was swimming by myself for a good three minutes. That doesn't leave much opportunity to pee when all the lifeguards are looking at you.
11,400 so far. Still wighing in at 211.7 lbs. Tomorrow will be a day off, and Saturday's game should keep me out of the water, too. Maybe Sunday morning, depending on Saturday night.
Finally got back into the pool after two days off tonight. It was back to its normal temperature, which was shocking at first. Warm-up turned into something longer and I went with it for a nice long first set.
200 Warm-up,175,150,125,100,75,50,25
Rest
25,50,75,100,125,150,175,200
8x50 kick, no board, free-fly on 1:15.
200 Down.
I tried to keep the "valley" swim as long and strong as I could, averaging about 20 seconds per 25. I think it was on the 125 on the the way down that someone joined me in the lane. I noticed that every swim after that was a little bit harder and stronger. I didn't want to race her, but I did want to make sure I was holding my own.
2400 here, 9800 so far. 211.7 on the scale.
Piling in close, unkept quarters with thrity people I don't know, peeling my shoes off the floor shuffling in line for the keg is rather undesirable. How could I've like doing this? The largest improvement 'since I was a kid' was the in the beer bongs. Multiple story ones were impressive. Now, they at a minimum two stories, with a pair of valves dispesning vast amounts liquid food to your lips, chin, and chest. I thought, wow, impressive, but not for me. I must be old. I must be approaching 30.
Today, it was the arrival of our new washer and dryer moving us closer to receding hairlines and station wagons. (Minivans, I'm told, are not even an option. Ever.) It's not really the fact that we now own a washer and a dryer, it's the fact that we're excited to have them. It's free laudry! We can do it whenever we want! How liberating! We can stay at home now!
I am sure we will still go to bars and an from time to time. It will just have to be right before dinner at 3 in the afternoon.
After the horrible game in the rain, my feet were feeling it today. It didn't help that the water was a good three to four degrees warmer than Friday. It's like running in 85° weather when you're used to 65°. But, I made do and had one of the best workouts yet.
200 Warm-up.
8x100 on 1:45, held 1:15 througout
8x75 on 1:15 build-up each one
8x50 kick, no board, alt. free/fly (these hurt)
8x25 on 0:30
2400 yards this workout, 7400 in four workouts thus far. 213.4 on the scale. (Taco Bell was in the belly, which is something I will avoid from this point forward.)
In high school, one of my favorite sets was 20x25 on 0:20. The first time I had to do this, as a freshman, I bascially sprinted a 500, doing flip turns towards the end, just to make the interval. As a sophomore, I'd get one or two seconds rest. The final two years, I was able to maintain five seconds between each one, and enjoy the set.
Just as I improved across the years back then, I can feel the improvements from workout to workout. I can feel the water a little more each time. The only thing missing is stamina. Right now, I feel like I did freshman year and cannot hold a strong pace for more than a 50, maybe a 75 early in the set. But I know, within a few weeks, that distance will grow longer as I grow stonger.
Coincidently, I got the official e-mail from Bill saying the Alumni Meet is December 23, 2003. 100 days and counting.
Tonight, the wife joined me in the pool, anxious about the flip turns and which lane to swim in. But we settled in, and got swimming right away. Here's what I ended up doing:
200 Warm-up - Actually starting to feel like a warm up now
8x100 - same thing as yesterday
8x50 kick/swim on 1:15/1:00. Mod. hard. This felt good.
6x75 build up groups of three on 2:00. Pain settled in.
200 down.
Kris was still swimming, and wanted to do more. She felt like she hadn't done that much. That was before she got ready. Walking to the car, she expressed that she felt the effects more.
2050 tonight, 5000 on the week. In high school we'd max our at 6200 in one practice. We'd average close to 10,000 yards per day, 6 days a week. Double ugh. Oh, to be young and innocent. Oh yea, 211.7 on the scale.
Tomorrow's the football game. Three hours of standing in the student section. At least we get to jump around again.
It's so nice to be in a 25-yard pool. That long course stuff is for the birds. Give me my 16 strokes and a flip, and I am happy.
It was busy today. But empty when I got out. Maybe it was all the snot that erupted from my sinus cavaties. It was gross having to swim through your own snot balls floating in the pool.
Here's what transpired.
200 Warm-up (If you could call it that.)
8x100 - Consistantly held 1:15 on the first four, and then reality checked into my shoulders.
6x75 - Kick w/board, kick w/out board, swim, rinse and repeat.
4x50 kinda mediocre. It was tough to maintain :35. (Keep in mind this is only Day 2.)
200 cool down. More like keep the life quards from getting out of their chairs.
Day 2 Total: 1850 yards. Grand Total: 2943 yards, or 1.672 miles. Ugh. 2.4 miles in one swim is a long ways off.
On a dfferent sale than Tuesday, (digital, more precise) I weighed 212.8 pounds. Using the Devine formula, my ideal body weight for my size (5' 11") is 166 pounds. Considereing obesity is 20% overweight, I am obese (more than 199 lbs.) But, I have always had a bigger frame, so let's cut me some slack. The people's choice ideal body weight is 188 lbs. If I stick with that, then I am not obese (225 lbs.), just overweight. Keep in mind, in peak swimming condition, I was 175 lbs. with about 2.3% body fat.
There's nothing like seeing nature flaunt itself. I just wish it wouldn't happen right after I ate breakfast. I had Frosted Flakes. The Crow, however, was having the eye of a rabbit. Or maybe, rabbit brains served through rabbit eye socket. Either way, it was gross.
I set some goals to get in shape and set up this blog to track my training and (hopefully) weight loss.
Today I swam for the first time in a while. I actually thought about the last time I was in the water. I couldn't think of it. It most likely was the 2002 JMM Alumni meet. This past summer I never went to the pool, only once did put on a suit, and that was to ride an innertube.
My first swim was at the SERF. It was set up for long course, which I initially hesitated on, be decided to try it anyways. I should've trusted my instincts. It hurt. I struggled to finish 1000m, alternating 100 swims with 100 kicks. But, I got it done.
Aftwards, with shoes, shirt, and shorts, the scale said 210 pounds of sweet, sweet RobbyB. Keep on trucking.
I woke up this morning to catch the start of this year's Ironman Wisconsin. (I took some pictures, too.)Over 1700 competitors started the race this morning, including my bud, Jenny Welnick and her brother Brad. Seeing these two do it, and knowing My Boy Nelson just competed the Lake Placid Ironman, I get filled with inspiration to complete one of my own. I know I can. It's a matter of doing it.
I started to create a list of goals that I will attempt to complete, which I hope to use to works towards a possible entry into the 2005 Ironman Wisconsin. (Which would coincide with my 30th birthday.) First on the list is this years alumni swim meet. After that we maintain the swim shape and work on the running. The Crazylegs Classic next May sounds good. Then next summer, we concentrate on the bik enter some shorter triathalons and possibly a half-ironman. If that all goes well, I should be a trim 180 pounds and well on my way to the 2005 Ironman Wisconsin. See you in the pool.
Today is the twelve-year anniversary of my brother's death. Every time I think about it, my body goes numb. It's not the tingly, pins-n-needles numb from your arm falling asleep, but lifeless numb. My body disappears as my mind drifts back to the lonely night when the phone rang me from a deep slumber. The memory fades into nothing as my crying mother arrives home and gives me the most pain-filled loving hug.
There are times where the numbness takes me to a place of peace. It’s the peace you feel when standing on the edge of a large prairie, where the wind blows gently, bending the grasses and trees in peaceful rhythm. Somehow I know that Mike's peace, confidence and determination lives on through that wind. Overall, in the years since my brother died, I feel more peaceful thinking about it than not. But there are days, like today, that are most difficult to deal with. I cannot (though I've tried by rewriting this post twenty times) express in any detail the pain that still exists.
I miss his swagger, mentorship, and love. But most of all, I miss him.