Pain in the buttocks...

Ahh, vacation...Week 7 begins...one more week until my stabilizer week, which I am feeling like I really need. Week seven looks like this: Swim 4,700 yds, Bike 100 miles, Run 21.5 miles.

My Tuesday started out with a session of acupuncture...we tried a slightly different approach to treat my hip, which has been pretty good as of late (knock on wood). The tactic was use longer needles, (humongous, like 6 inches long...with the needle part being a little more than half that) and plunge those suckers into my butt muscles, strategically...into a "dragon" formation, I think?? By doing this we bring the energy here, get my "chi" going and hopefully straighten things out.

My aching butt got off the table and met my mom at a coffee shop, then off to see Jess for a massage for both of us...my mom went first. While she was getting her massage, I went to Pharmaca and to Caffe Sole for a tea...for the whole walk across the parking lot I was struggling...my butt was really sore from the acupuncture treatment, really sore...maybe this tactic wasn't a great idea I thought.

As I sat and waited for my massage, sipping my tea, I was totally fixated on my painful left cheek. Usually, Jess hammers that glute with the elbow, but today I would have to ask her please not to...By this time, I had to use the facility, #2...I know you're thinking TMI (to much info), but it is totally relevant to the story.

I hobbled to the potty, sat down, and felt a jab in that glute..immediately, I jumped up, looked back there and saw a needle still in my butt...no wonder! I pulled out the twisted little piece of surgical steel, and felt fine almost instantaneously..that needle must have really fixed my chi.

Just for the record...

So, just for the record, I made it thru the 62 miler on the trainer...hated it pretty well, but its "hay in the barn", as quoted by Craig Howie. My folks came in on Friday, and the plan is that my dad and I are going to frame out the basement...some good "father-son" time, it is a great way for us to connect.

Saturday, we all headed out to Cherry Creek Rez to run the Snowman Stampede (10 miler). Nice course, no snow (thankfully)...it was great to have a supported training run. Finished in 1:30:45, pretty much where I had expected. BJ and Brian did the 20 miler, I saw them just as I was coming in, and they were headed out for lap 2. Kristina was only a few minutes behind, in her tiara...she ran hard, especially since LA is only a week out. That pretty much wraps up week 6...as always, hot yoga on Sunday. I have some vacation next week, which is very needed, I am stressed a bit about my Van's business at Costco. It will be nice to just not obsess about it for a few days, and do some framing...

Rides like these...

Quickly, yesterday's workout consisted of a 17 mile ride on the trainer followed by a yoga class. Its been a while since I have done a C2 class, it was a refreshing to see a different instructor's perspective and always good to mix it up a little, and as usual tough as hell, but worth it.

My hip's been a little flared up, can't seem to stretch out the kink, but hopefully a few vitamin I's will get me feeling fine. Lots of stretching and a double dose of glucosamine and condroitin is on tap for the next several days.

So, I have decided that tonight I'll knock out the 62 miles on the trainer...While its no stage at the Tour, that damn devil has been lurking in my head all week, draining me as I think about 3.5 hours in my basement on the trainer. Gonna rent "3:10 to Yuma" and "Unforgiven" and make it a wild west theme ride..yee-haw!

IM Ninja...

Sometimes, often, alot...I am ninja in my mind.

The character for the word 'nin' in ninja means ‘to endure’ or ‘to persevere’. It combines the character for knife on top of the character for heart, it means to go on despite having your heart under the knife!

Thus, a ninja is somebody who perseveres with his (or her) heart’s intentions even under threat or pressure. This ninja philosophy is really simple to remember, and is summed up in 2 words: keep going.

This week's goals shake out like this...4,400 swim, 92 bike, 20 run. A little shuffle to the schedule and I am off. Monday consisted of a 13 mile ride Z2 - Z3, worked thru the Troy Jacobson Base Builder video, good stuff. After work, I did the loop, at twilight...6.4 nice and smooth.

Tuesday started with 2,000 in the pool and I felt a little like a tugboat that accidently and unknowingly dropped its anchor and was just keeping on...Slowly, I found a pseudo-groove, and then I was done. My (other) two girls...Amy and Jess, beat me up a teence, helping me work out all the kinks that I worked so hard to put in place over the last few weeks...Amy's 20 or so needles in both my legs got the ball rolling. I had to opt out of the 'toe bleeding' as it frightened me something terrible. Jess, on her game, further went to town on my legs, with a fancy elbow-to-rectus femoris massage technique that was brutal but welcomed.

Looking forward, I have a 62-miler this week, which will most likely need to be done on the dreaded trainer, as the snow is bound to roll in. My parents are also coming into town, and the plan is to frame out the basement with my dad, and have some fun in Boulder, definitely going to the Kitchen and also planning to see the Banff Film Festival at the Boulder Theater.

So, as training begins to ramp up for all of us and the pressures of daily life don't seem to really ever give in, know that there is a ninja in you, in me...in all of us. Regardless of the event, the day, the hardship... Go bravely on, my friend, keep going...We are Ninja.

T-minus 19 weeks and counting...

So, I totally fell off the blog-bus for a second...got busy, got tired...but Sunday's here and its time to regroup. Did hot yoga this morning and if it warms up I'll take Luna out for a little quality time with my baby girl. Other than that, today, is going to be low key...with most of my energy spent making and eating chirozo quesadillas for dinner (thanks again Jess and BJ for this killer recipe.)

Doulbe Decker Chorizo Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1/2 package of Chorizo
1/2 cup of scallions
Spinach
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Olive Oil
Flour Tortillas
Guacamole
Margarita and/or Corona

Preparation:
PreHeat oven to 450. Spread a thin layer of olive oil on one side of the flour tortilla and place olive oil side down on cookie sheet. Layer with cheese, chorizo, scallions and spinach. Place another flour tortilla on top (no olive oil on this one). Again, layer it with cheese, chorrizo, scallions and spinach. Top with another tortilla olive oil side up on top of the pile. 6-10 minutes(until brown on top, cheese is melted inside). Get another beer...

The week in training went like this...4200 yds in the pool, 84 miles on the bike, 17 miles on the run.

Monday - 28 mile OD felt pretty good for being up at 4:45am. Just started watching season 1 of Lost while on the trainer, I kinda can't believe I missed it while it was on the tube. Pretty damn good.

Tuesday - was another early day, as I needed to catch a 10 am flight for work to Boston. Did 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym followed by an 850 yd set of drills in the pool. This year the "new year's resolution gang" is holding on WAY longer, which is beginning to try my patience...but more power to them! The flight to Boston was pretty good, saw "Dan in Real Life" the new Steve Carrell movie, which was surprisingly entertaining and read a bit more of "Stirring It Up", by the CEO of Stonyfield Yogurt on sustainability...pretty relevant to the two yogurt businesses that I manage a piece of. Weather in Boston was cruddy, freezing, sleety, rain and snow...typical for February. The highlight of my night was a killer piece of wild Coho salmon at Legal's and a Magic Hat #9. Got to bed pretty late.

Wednesday - 5am, 1900 yd swim in this cool bubble-like, dome thingy. 12 degrees outside, pitch black and snowing, and I could see it all while doing my swin. Way cool. I had two good appointments at BJ's Wholesale and the an awesome lunch at a little Italian place on the northside of Boston before heading home...My United fight was delayed, of course, as it more often than not...this time a broken altimeter...one of those necessary instruments in flying a plane. Long flight, got to bed late again...was feeling a little drained.

Thursday - Valentine's Day. Hammered out a 25 mile tempo ride to Time Trial-a-Palooza, complements of this guy from Billerica (thanks Craig)...it was brutal but excellent in that masochistic sort of way. I had to rush home and get in my 3 mile run before going to see Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Fillmore...I suggest that if you haven't seen them, do...they ROCK! Kristina also got me a killer yoga mat and towel which I desperately needed to replace the fowl smelling, stinky one I have been using for far too long...very nice.

Friday - 1450 in the pool, nothing special...forgot my workout on the counter at home, so I did it straight and just kept it at a steady Z2.

Saturday - Brick 31 mile bike, 8 mile run...ahhh to get outside again. The weather was better than it has been in a while. Both the ride and run went pretty smoothly....held a decent pace on the bike @ 17.7 mph and 9:27's on the run. Saturday night we met the IMCDA gang, less Craig and Jen, for some pizza and to "bowl some balls". Good, clean fun...confirming once again that I truly am a terrible bowler, though I did learn to hook the ball, which was pretty cool...Craig was victorious in his bet to beat Kristina on the lanes, but I can't poke any fun at her because she pummelled me.

That brings my blog back up to date..so its off to Target for a little grocery shopping, after I clean up my little piggy messes...Since its clearing up Lunz and I will take that walk and kill some time until the chorizo quesadilla hour.

Hello Ditch...

Well, stabilizer week is done...today, on our Sunday hike with Luna my legs really didn't feel like it was an easy week...Between the LT test this week and yesterday's ride, a little toast.

Earlier in the week I had some short swims and a few runs...I finally got my new HRM dialed in, and I am loving it. That brings me to yesterday's ride...

52 miles, and for every one of them I was like..."are you f'ing kidding me??" Relentless, gusty crosswinds...For the first half of the ride my legs and lungs were great....then at the turn-around, hoping the wind would subside (it didn't), the first thing to go was my attitude...the wind was kicking my butt. It took almost all my energy and focus to try and stay out of the ditch, which I did, barely. Twice, I almost cashed out. Three hours and seven minutes. I really can't remember a windier day, ever, on the bike.

This morning, yoga. This afternoon, a short hike with the girls. Today's endurance event was transfering a few years worth of pics and I-Tunes from the dying laptop to our desktop. The "Belkin Easy Transfer Wire" was anything but, so I did it all manually...oh the fun!

132 days to CDA.

You gotta see this...

Politically frustrated, yet hopeful that change is possible?....Me too!

I just watched an incredibly inspiring video made by some Obama supporters you might recognize...It's hard to put its impact into words -- please just watch it..."Yes We Can"

"A Z2 state of mind..."

Today was an easy day training-wise. 1050 in the pool this morning, mostly drills. Low key. Kristina and I did Core Power tonight. Same thing to report, it's always wicked...one way or another...spiritually, mentally, physically....tonight was no different. For dinner, a Cobb Salad again...Not again in a bad way. My love affair with the Cobb Salad started months ago, at Perry's in San Fran...and hasn't stopped. We eat it like three time a week.

Tuesday was a great day. 6 am yoga, Robin busting our asses with insane balancing poses...I was wobbling all over the place, having run the night before my legs were like pisketti...Next, acupuncture at Southwest Acupuncture College . Amy is my student practioner, who is going to grow up to be one hell of an acupunturist...the last two weeks have been intense, effective...really focusing on my hip. Her tacklebox full of tricks had some tread moxa lighting near the needles by my Achilles tendon, to treat my kidneys, which indirectly dialed in my soaz, therein releasing some of the junk in and around my hip....don't ask how it works...just try it.

My day ended at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Met Craig after work for a Lactate Threshold test...and this was supposed to be an easy week. Rather than have me explain the science, please read Lactate Threshold test - defined. Continuing, here's what happened...20 minute warm up @ 100 - 125 watts, followed by progressively increasing wattage in 4 minute intervals, accompanied by an annoying finger prick to obtain a blood sample to test the level of lactic acid in the blood stream. After 44 or so minutes, 6 finger pokes, legs on fire, and a percieved rate of excetion of "very, very hard", it was finally over.

The results from this test establish the necessary training zones that pave the road to success and improvement...and it all seems to start in Z2, Over Distance...103 - 120 bpm for me. No matter the level of athlete, Z2 is the critical zone to make the major gains...the biggest challenge for me is that it seems pathetically slow. Training in and around Boulder, you'd be embarassed doing it in public. But it IS the "Silver Bullet", "The Magic Pill"...must get in a "Z2 frame of mind". The end.

As an FYI, here's what my zones look like: (note that they are on the bike...run will be +15 bpm)

• Recovery <>
• O.D. 104 - 120
• Endurance 121 - 137
• Tempo 138 - 147
• LT 148 - 155
• Max > 156

Week Four Preview

Three weeks under my belt, week 4 is a stabilizer; cutting back to give my body a break. Weekly goals look like this:

• Swim -2,400 yds
• Bike - 70 miles
• Run - 9 miles

I started my week with a "snowglobe" run of my own. A chilly 22 degrees, light snow falling, fresh power kicked up with every stride; made fresh tracks for 4 peaceful miles. I can't remember when the last time was that I wanted to go out for a run as much as I did today.

Tomorrow, yoga at 6am...acupuncture...and a lactate threshold test to calculate my zone training...can't wait.

Zen Ride...

This morning started off with an 800 yard swim, quick and painless...

I got home and loaded up Luna and my Nikon D80 to take some shots of Kristina while she was on her run. It was about 19 degrees outside, so I decided to get a tall Americano to warm my chilly bones after just getting out of the pool...plus I LOVE my caffiene. I also picked up some eggs and sausage patties to complement the english muffins in the refrigerator.

Well, I saw Kristina, after driving around for an hour...right in front of our development. No cool pics this time. unfortunately...This was the path my day was on.

After doing a few things around the house, I decided to set out for my 43 miles. By that time it had warmed up to a balmy 25 degrees. The plan was to ride the Dean, because it is a little more stable than the Cervelo, since the roads still had a few patchy spots of ice and snow. Well, the Dean had a flat, and I would have had to take the comuter off the P2C and sync it...too much bother. P2C it is. I was ready to go....if only I could find my cold weather riding glove. Nowhere to be found.

Finally, I saddled up and was on my way...before I got out of Willow Run, the computer crapped out...reading zero (I wondered if these things were temperature rated, maybe its too cold for it to work....it works perfect in the basement...???) Still fumbling with the cyclocomputer, trying to push the buttons with my fat-fingered everyday gloves, I hit a hole in the road and my aero-bottle goes flying...spilling everywhere. I turn around to get the bottle and think...maybe I would be better of to just keep going..HOME.

I collect my bottle (and myself) and continue on...thinking, OK, I'll just use my heart rate monitor to gauge my percieved output...not all is lost. It would have helped if I put on the freakin' EKG strap...that was still in my gym bag from the swim, earlier this morning. UGH!

Then I thought of this article I recently read...about these Zen Runners...who run for the experience, the spirtituality, who chuck the watch, the Ipod, the heart rate monitor and all that cool techie shit for the Zen. My OCD doesn't allow it...I love my stats. At any rate, today I am a zen cyclist... with an Ipod. I didn't see many riders out there, very few...each time we passed one another we'd give the nod or two finger salute, as to say "hey mate, I see you're crazy and frozen too".

Knowing that the Longmont Rez is 20 miles from the house, I passed it and pedalled on for one more song. Michael Franti got me over the hump and I turned around for home. Settling into the aerobars, I just kept the making circles...toes, fingers, nose, frozen...I occassionally pulled up to enjoy a sip of my Perpeteum slushy...small white flakes wizzing by, I was home before I knew it.

Days like these should really help June 22...Its not easy being zen...

Sidenote:
That fat, little rodent bastard Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today...6 more weeks of cold, long rides and bricks...shite!