Soundtrack

Bit by bit, day by day, I’m acclimating myself back into the mindset of full time training. Foremost, on the adjustment schedule is running, and plenty of it. Running is where you get the most aerobic bang for you buck. You tax your system most effectively for the time spent. Got 20 minutes? Take a couple fast loops around the block. Try doing that on your bike with all the hassles of dressing and gearing up. Trying getting to the pool, in less than 20 minutes.

Early season I don’t have to be so sport specific. Thus I can aquaint myself with the trails. I have been running Patriots Path. The previously mentioned 50 k trail run this fall was an eye opener. You are too busy trying not to fall and crack your head open on a bolder as you near exhaustion. It's not what I'll be doing in IM but it offers great strength training as you have to leap and bound over obsticles. Plus the terrain makes you test your anearobic threshold more often, as in, it's not as steady state as the pavement. Now that’s my kind of fun. Trail running is burly.

See, I even grew a beard for the event!



I still have one. See




This brings my first sacrifice for triathlon, an imperative in getting the proper mindset: forget about looking good. In the coming months I figure I’ll be too tired to dress, groom, or, most probably, behave properly. I won’t be dolling up much. I'll try not to smell. Promise.

All in all, I'm transitioning well. Today I broke out the Bloc Party. This brings back some vivid memories. Two come to mind.

1) The Hill- I've got a secret paved path (well, me and the paver know about it hahaha) that climbs sick elevation in 1/2 a mile. I used to put Bloc Party on the headphones and to 8-12 repeats (when I was peak) at full bore, puke speed. Then run 2 miles home.

2) Lake Placid Swim- I sang Banquet the ENTIRE swim of 2006. They rhythm works perfect with my stroke I guess. I'm hard as stone, a smoking gun, I can give you life, I can take it away.....I working it out


But it can't be all fun an games on the trails. Today I'll be riding the indoor trainer. This winter I'm not going to repeat 2005-2006 where I road the ENTIRE winter outside. Nope. No chance. Instead, this year I'm going to watch every movie ever made. Twice.