Thursday, December 31, 2009

And I'm an Idiot

So basically I'm a big dummy. The main thing that happened to me today was that I lost my car key. More specifically, I lost my car remote opener. I lost this somewhere in the Mendon Ponds area during my run this morning. When I arrived back at my car after the run I was greeted to a fully locked car that had a nice big water bottle and banana sitting right on the seat. Thus, no food to eat...and since the phone was nestled comfortably in the center console, I had no way of calling for help. Luckily their were some high schoolers having a snow ball fight in the picnic area. After picking them off one by one with my cannon-like arm (just kidding)...I politely asked if I could use their phone and they obliged. Since my parents were in the area for my mom's doctor's appointment I called them since their cell phone number is the only one I know by heart. Every other number is very nicely programmed into my iPhone...which is my life-line...which was currently unobtainable unless I decided to start breaking some glass...and that would have just been messy. Instead I chose to dance the dance with hypothermia and see if I could fight it off. After calling my Dad and finding out he was in the Marketplace Mall area I told him to come to the Mendon Ponds Beach Parking lot..the same one that he has been to for two..count that TWO duathlons. Well he seemed extremely confused, he even uttered something about bushnell's basin and powder mills. This worried me, I corrected him and said it was in Mendon Ponds off of 64 or 65 depending on which way your coming from. Since this was not my own phone and the kids needed to leave I left it at that and hoped for the best. Since the bathrooms at the Park were open, and heated..to my surprise I decided to hang their for a while. After about 45 minutes as luck would have it help arrived in the form of my dad in a warm and toasty grand cherokee. I was extremely grateful for this and owe him a huge one! Any other day I think I would have either hoofed it back to my apartment or to a friends house about 4 miles away. However, since their is a race tomorrow I decided that the extra miles wouldn't be that smart to run...In the end it all worked out. Funny story though.

As for the rest of the day, I was able to go to lunch at Wegmans with my parents. After lunch we headed to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. Pretty good action flick, very enjoyable. I just have to laugh though because it leaves it EXTREMELY WIDE OPEN for a sequel...I mean basically the second film started at the end of this film. That Robert Downey Jr....he's just rolling in the dough, it seems like every movie he does has a sequel that comes right along with it. Smart man if you ask me....

Food Points 12/30/09
5..i did good

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ahhh...

Great day, absolutely great. Since I cannot sleep in like a normal person I was up and around at 7:30 even after I stayed up until 11 last night finishing Twilight (Looks like I will be making a trip to good ole B&N to get book #2..plus I know have another movie I can watch while on the trainer). I really did try to keep sleeping but it just wasn't happening. Thus, the coffee was made (and drank), Starbucks Via of course, I had a nice breakfast of a banana/honey/peanut butter/and yogurt. This is a really tasty pre-workout meal which I highly recommend based on its tastiness (i think it has some good nutrient ratios as well..but hey, whatever works!) After letting the food settle while watching some more Arrested Development (Hulu has the entire Season 1 up on their website until the first of the year, then its season 2 on 1/1/10..so I have about 6 episodes to catch up on by then. They are short so I should have no problem wrapping them up..great show by the way, I advise all to give it a shot. Absolutely brilliant writing and acting). Keeping with the Jason Bateman theme (Arrested Development, Up in the Air) that I seem to be following lately I started up the movie Juno which I rented on iTunes using my Christmas gift card from my Aunt Deb (THANKS!). As I spun my way through an endurance workout on the trainer I really must say that I enjoyed Juno very much. I have heard a lot about this movie and was pleased it didn't disappoint. It wasn't like a awe-inspiring movie that I can't stop talking about but it was funny and had a nice "warm" feeling to it. Anyway, as planned my spin was only supposed to be 1 hr but since the movie was about one and a half I decided to just ride it out. I basically rode at a moderate level for the hour and then backed off a little for the rest. My Coach will probably "hate" me since in addition to this extra spin session I decided to throw in a little extra cycling. Instead of heading to the gym to doa little core strength training (I'll do that tomorrow instead) I decided to hit the great outdoors on my Mountain Bike. The bike has been taunting me as it has been sitting in my garage for the past couple of months. With the weather cold and the daylight short I have just not had the time to get in any "extra" little rides. Well since I am not one to waste a day off from work I suited up in my winter apparel and started making my way to my favorite bike shop in the world, Towpath Bike Shop! My journey took me through residential streets covered in ice and snow, main roads with fast cars, snow laiden sidewalks that almost took me down, and an old train track path behind the shops on Monroe Ave. I finally made it to downtown Pittsford and coasted on into the bike shop. After checking in with the guys and seeing that my wheel was being worked on (I'm getting a Powertap! Booo yah) I saddled up and headed back to the apartment for some warmth and food. On the way back I stayed on East Ave. (and avoided being hit) and made it back relatively quickly. All in all it was really nice to get out on the Mountain Bike and truly "just ride". Cycling has been the one discipline that I have truly fallen in love with, so anytime I can ride outside with no time or exertion level in mind...its just well...exhilarating and being on the mountain bike is pretty cool because its just so different from being on a Tri or Road bike (With that said, I really can't wait to start hitting the roads on my awesome Madone in the Spring, I really miss the Sunday morning rides that I started going on with a GREAT group of guys this summer, our schedules are very different, especially in the winter so we see very little of each other but over the Christmas weekend an email did get circulated between all of us and it was really nice to at least touch base with these guys, I feel really bad that we've lost touch over the last few months but I know that once the weather gets better that we will find each other again)... Not to say that training rides are not exhilarating for me, because they are..I love training, I mean anyone who is in Triathlon has to at least like training...and I am no exception..I LOVE IT, which is probably why the Ironman appeals to me since it requires so much training if you really want to be prepare correctly. So...that brought me back to my apartment where I grabbed some food (Big apple, left over Ham from Christmas Eve (still very good), and some almonds...if you cared to know. Now here I am sitting in my favorite spot at Starbucks (Right at the bar area, typing away in my own little world). I find it interesting that of all the places I could "hide" away in, I pick places like Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Wegmans. I picked these places last year when I was studying like crazy. I could have chosen many other quiet places like my apartment, or the Fisher Library, or the Brighton Library, or the Office, or many other places that would have allowed me solitary silence. But that's not me, I thrive on being amid the crowds, "being anonymous in a crowd", I get a "high" off of being around people...I guess I really gain energy from other people. I don't require conversation or anything from these people, all I require is their presence, the liveliness....whatever it is I enjoy being in these populated places, I am able to concentrate more easily. I guess this is a testament to how when people are in "their element" or their comfort zone that everything is clearer..more easily accomplished.

I am also very excited because tonight I am finally going to "Next Door", Wegmans new restaurant that opened right across from their flagship store in Pittsford. A good friend from home who moved into my apartment complex is going to go with me, which is very very cool since the amount of people who I can comfortably go to dinner with is still few and far between up here in Rochester. I don't know how to explain that, I guess I am one of those people who has trouble reaching out to new people, I'm very shy in that respect...nervous of disappointment, I need to work on that. Enough of that...I'm super stoked to be going out to dinner and a movie. There is something to be said about bunking up and staying in but getting out amongst the crowds of people is truly a treat. I don't have a bar scene, or a club scene so I don't really associate with people of my age that much. I guess I just don't really know to many people who are into the same things as me right now. I mean I like to get my sleep..so I go to bed early and get up early to train. On New Years Eve I will be in bed before the ball drops since I am going to do a running race on New Years day. This does not depress me or bother me at all...its what I want to do! I want to run in a race more that I want to get drunk in the middle of the night, weird? I don't think so...That reminds me of something funny, as I was leaving swim practice last night some of the older guys joked with me about how New Years was coming up and one of them made a comment that inferred that I would be out partying because I was the "young-guy". I didn't say anything about this but inside my head I was just thinking about how funny that is to me. I mean honestly the last time I was out partying was during Senior Week of my Senior Year in College...and before that there really wasn't much "partying" going on. I guess once I hit a certain point in my life, sometime around the beginning of my Jr year in college I decided I was going to do what I wanted to do, be who I wanted to be instead of trying to fit in with certain crowds. I feel I have a natural gift of being able to fit in with many types of "clicks" for the lack of a better word. Thus, throughout my youth I really felt like I was always trying to fit in to be accepted, not really being who I truly was. So anyway to make a really long story short I changed...for the better. I know I have drifted from people, but that's life...the people that really matter will still be there no matter what. Life is very complex and difficult but I'm on my own path and no matter what, that's on the right track, wherever it is taking me.

Alright, getting back on track...I'll wrap up today's post by saying that today has been great. I wish I could do this everyday...someday...someday....You've got to at least try in order to succeed. What's the worst that could happen, failures? Ehh failures are just like growing pains. Hurts when they happen but you end up growing bigger and stronger from them.

Until tomorrow...

-Matt

Yesterday's Points (12/27/09)
Vege's - 1
Fruit's - 1
Water - 1
Not Overeating - 1
Wegmans - 0 (But I used a gift card that I got for Christmas so it wasn't like I was depleting my own bank account...which is nice)

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Lazy Tuesday....

Today has afforded me the opportunity to move at my own pace, something that is quite nice. Since the only place I "have" to be today is at the MCC pool for masters practice at 6:30, the rest of the day has been mine for the taking. I was able to wake up without an alarm clock, slowly eat a nice big breakfast, watch a little Arrested Development on Hulu while cleaning the apartment...an always joyful task...and then finally hop on the trainer for an extended spin session of 1 and 1/2 hours (while watching Food Inc., a present from my cousin Kevin. And I must say a very interesting documentary..really makes you think about what we are all putting into our mouths.) After the the spin I headed over to Midtown to run on the "deadmill" for 45 minutes....45 minutes of drudgery..ugh...just to cold and nasty out for me today. Better to stay warm and not sick I guess.

Swim practice tonight was pretty cool if I must say so. Our coach gave us personal attention which was VERY NEEDED! I now am loaded with a full arsenal of swim improvements to work on....and I love it. I know that I have a lot to work on in terms of my swimming but its all good because that means I can only get FASTER :) Oh yeah..the lifeguard couldn't make it to practice tonight since its winter break for MCC so we all took turns being the "lifeguard." They even let me take the deck and patrol the waters...I felt like David Hasselhoff, powerful stuff!

Food Points: 12/28
Vege's - 1
Fruit's - 1
Water - 1
Overeating - 0 Ate more than I needed at night.
Wegmans - 1

Monday, December 28, 2009

1st Day of Vacation

I cannot tell you all how great it feels to know that I do not have to go to work this entire week. Right now I am up bright and early to hit the pool. Its been about a week since I've been swimming so I am glad to be getting back in the water. The legs are a little sore from the running and cycling this weekend so swimming and yoga today will be warmly welcome. As for the rest of the day, instead of heading into work I will be able to come back to the apartment, take a nap, go to Starbucks, maybe mountain bike in the freshly fallen snow, watch a movie, read my books.

It's now 8:26AM and I am now located at the 12 Corners Starbucks enjoying a non-fat latte. My swim workout for the day has been completed and I now have until 7:00PM to do whatever I feel like (At 7 I have Yoga!!!yey, I really like yoga).

It was quite a drive to the pool this morning. Lots of snow was on the road but this did not deter the RAMS faithful. The pool was pretty much filled with the usual Monday morning characters. A little winter weather can't stop dedicated swimmers! However, it now appears that the snow has ceased for now. The plows are finally making some headway and the roads are looking a lot better. I heard on the radio that their were over 15 accidents in the Rochester area...yikes! Glad that I was not a part of that statistic today.

My immediate plan for the day is to make my way back to my apartment in a short while, eat a nice breakfast, and cozy in to read parts of the 3 books that are in my reading rotation. Interested in what I am reading these days? Well even if you are not, I am still going to tell you.

1. Racing Weight - How to get lean for peak performance - By: Matt Fitzgerald
I am really enjoying this read. From what I have read so far it has a ton of tips on how to structure your diet plan. I really need this as I have a tendency to sabotage my meal plans. Don't get me wrong I eat an extremely healthy palate of foods. Recently I was introduced to a "Nutritional Challenge" which incorporates a point system on a daily basis(maximum of 4 points per day, or 5 in my case.) I do not claim to have come up with this idea. The idea was presented to me by Kelly C., a member of the Train-This group, and I thank her for sharing this challenge! I know that Kelly tries to do this on a 4 week basis and based on her 4 point system she aims for a cumulative score of 25-28 per week. Since I will be adding a point to my challenge I will bump up my goals to 32-35. Kelly also creates the incentive for success by treating herself to a "non-food treat" like clothing, triathlon gear, etc...I will incorporate this as well. Most like with a spending limit. Maybe for every week I achieve my goal I will bank $10 dollars...something like that.
1 point for eating 4 vegetables (Not an issue...ever)
1 point for eating 3 fruits (Not an issue...ever)
1 point for drinking 80 oz of water (I don't believe this will ever be an issue)
1 point for not eating "junk" or overeating/splurging
My additions to this challenge:
1 point for not going to Wegmans - (I tend to go to Wegmans way to much and spend way more money on food than I need to. Obviously I do not mind spending money on good food..(I spend a lot) but I just really need to work on purchasing food in a smart way)


At the end of each day's posting I will tally my previous days score and keep a running total. If you would like to participate with me...THE MORE THE MERRIER! and please provide any other suggestions for the nutritional challenge.

So for day 1 (12/27/09)
4 points
Vege's - 1 point
Fruits - 1 point
Water - 1 point
Overeating - 0 points (Although I did overeat in a Huge way I still ate more than I needed last night. I really have trouble with the night time eating and hopefully the techniques and meals plans I am learning about in Racing Weight will help me overcome this challenge)
Wegmans - 1 point (I have lots of food in the apartment, thanks to being at my sisters house over the holiday as well as being generously given a lot of food preceding my departure last night) I should be able to get through most of the upcoming week without going to Wegmans. I'd estimate maybe 2 times...But we shall see.

Alright on to book #2:

SuperFreakonomics - (This was suggested to me by a friend. I did not read the first edition 'Freakonomics', so this will be totally new to me. It is a humorous and interesting look into the world that we live in. I just started reading the introduction this morning and the titles of the chapters that I scanned over seem to be quite entertaining. In fact the authors even wrote a little description about each individual chapter...a nice touch if I may say so myself.)

Book #3:

Twilight - (Ahh...let the laughs reign loud and clear. I know...I know...I have fallen prey to the Twilight Saga Monster, just like when I was consumed by the Harry Potter Machine. I intentionally held out as long as I could, thinking that this was just to "girly" for me. However, I was listening to a triathlon podcast of all things when a girl..AND GUY were both discussing how they had listened to the twilight books on their iPods in their cars and while on the trainer/treadmill. Well that sealed the deal...If fellow triathletes were finding these books interesting enough to listen to...then well I felt I should at least give them a shot. I need a bit more inspirational motivation while on the trainer and treadmill so I am going to stick to movies and music for the long boring days. However, I began reading the BOOK in the evenngs and at other various free times. I must say that it is exactly what I was looking for. A nice easy read that goes quickly. Its the type of book that you really do not need to engage mentally. You can just read and enjoy without over-exerting your brain. I was also pleasantly surprise that although it is "girly" at this point I have not felt overwhelmed and/or disgusted with the girly-ness. If all goes well I am happy to start reading these books because their are 3 more after the first one..so it will keep me mindlessly busy for a while. Plus there are now 2 movies out. Even though these movies will probably not be nominated for movie of the year they will still be about a book I have read and just for that I will watch..and they will at least give me a couple hours worth of viewing time on the trainer. Think of me as you like...I am reading these books. HHAHAHAH..(That's me laughing at myself)

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Sharing the Journey

On Christmas night I had truly wonderful opportunity. Last week the Ironman World Championship was broadcast on NBC. Since my sister was able to record this program on the DVR here in the Baldwinsville last weekend, we had the full broadcast all ready to be seen on the big screen in the Shipman Family Theater Room. After many hints and encouraging, the message of "Matt's hoping everyone will come down to watch the Ironman show" was acknowledged. To my surprise I really didn't have to push this request though, I mentioned it once to my parents and once to my sister and they were both in full agreement that we were all going to watch it. This was great! I was so excited to be able to watch this broadcast with them...to be able to show them what kind of event I was working hard towards. Obviously the NBC broadcast is not a dead-on true example of the triathlon lifestyle but it does a pretty good job of explaining some of the sacrifices, joys, journeys, etc etc...that go on in a triathletes life. To my HUGE surprise the entire family came down to the theater room to watch the Ironman. The Family Theater was packed to capacity with my mom, dad, brother in law, sister, grandma, grandpa, and nephew all watching! In my opinion I feel that this sort of family bonding is essential. As athletes (and this can be spread across all lifestyles but since this is a triathlon blog and triathlon consumes me I will stick with athletics), so much of sport is based on having a support system. Whether that be on the course with people giving you water or at home with people giving you hugs after a race. I am very happy that my family was able to share in watching something that has become my passion. I truly feel that my family understands what I am undertaking. Yes, some of it scares my mom and dad..like all the scenes where people are keeled over on the side of the road. But that's why I train, and prepare. Working on nutrition/hydration, along with all the cycling, running and swimming. Everything is a build-up for the grand celebration of race day. All in all I was very excited that my family was intrigued and engaged. I am hopeful that many of them will be able to be in the Lake Placid this July when I attempt my first Ironman distance race. I am going to do my absolute best to prepare for the challenge and cannot wait to show them what I can do on race day. There support will be more important than having the right bike or the right shoes, or the right pre-race meal. It's going to be one heck of a year...2010...the new decade has been a long time coming in my opinion. A lot has happened for me in the "zero's"....good and bad. Altogether I think that the path I chose has ultimately lead to a good destination. There is a lot in front of me in the coming decades but I have a really good feeling that the "ten's" are going to be a truly awesome launching pad. Big things don't just happen out of the blue, steps need to be taken to achieve accomplishments. Sacrifices are part of the journey, if great things just happened every day then what would be the point? There would be no sense of accomplishment. I would have to say that in the past year my perspective on things has changed quite a bit. Obviously their is still soo MUCH to learn but one thing I am beginning to see more clearly is that everything in life is a journey. When I embrace the journey (the process) I feel good, I feel satisfied. I think that I always knew this deep down but never acknowledged it. Growing up I really did love to finish large school projects or long school papers. The culmination that came at the end of a 20 page term paper really did make me feel good. I liked being able to proof read and improve rough drafts. However, I was still young and felt that finding the quickest and easiest way was the best option. Well..for me this wasn't the right mind set. When I began to slow things down and as my dad would say "be a task big or small do it well or not at all." Simple old saying that really has impact. When you think about it this saying relates to everything...I do not do a perfect job of incorporating this but just the fact of thinking about it and trying to achieve this sort of lifestyle is progress. When you are going to leave your house in the morning and the bed is unmade, take 2 minutes and make it look nice. When I do this I always feel better about getting into my nicely made bed at night. Those two minutes I spent making the bed always seem worth it. I do not do this all the time but I wish I did...maybe that can be a new years resolution..make my bed..every day. I'll give it a shot and do my best :) Even though that's a simple example it can speak volumes. When on a training run don't cut it short (as long as your physically in a good state)...do your prescribed time/distance. You'll feel better when its done. Don't shortchange yourself..ever. If you set out to do something, finish it! If their is a tough project at work that requires a lot of time...well don't get overwhelmed at the beginning. Take it piece by piece and eventually an end will be in sight. And there we go, a segway to triathlon has been created. As the bike portion of the triathlon is nearing its completion try not to think about 26.2...instead think about 3.1, thinking about taking it 5k at a time. Most all triathletes have or can run a 5k without much thought. Therefore run 3.1 miles, then run another 3.1...by the time you have run 10k you are now well into the marathon. Still don't think of it as a marathon, just many short runs strung together. Before you know it your into the 20mi range...then what the heck think of it as a marathon, don't let the dead zone get to you, start psyching yourself up that you are going to complete a marathon!!! At mi 20 there is only a little of 6 miles left...a 10k! Anyone can do a 10k! So as with life and sport..break it down, step by step, piece by piece. It's always easier when the task is smaller. However, when you add up all the small tasks and reflect on the grandiose final result, relish the achievement! I liked one of the quotes from the Ironman NBC broadcast this year. I believe it was a formed NFL player who said this, "Its just a 2.4 mi swim, a 112 mi bike ride, and a 26.2 mi run...and the chance to brag for a lifetime!"

Saturday, December 26, 2009

A Family Affair (12.26.09)

Good Morning Good Morning. I had intended on posting a blog yesterday but the day was just jam packed with activity. It was a very good day in all respects. Early in the morning I was able to hop on the trainer for a couple hours in the theater room (a very sweaty workout)and then finish that off with a nice 30 minute run outside. Outside it was a bit icy since it had been raining in the morning, so the yak tracks that I recently acquired were broken out. I must say that they worked very well and really did not seem to interrupt my running at all. So all in all I was done with my workouts at around 10:30 yesterday...which was just about the time that the rest of my family was getting up and around. Good timing! It's funny because I definitely remember being younger and being able to sleep in past 10am..but now I struggle to lay in my bad past 7:30. Even like last night, I was up until about 11pm (pretty late for me)and was very tired, however once about 7am came around I just couldn't stay in bed...oh well, there things to be done. So as I sit here drinking my cup of coffee I am happy and content knowing that I will soon be venturing off to a local park called Beaver Lake in the attempt to find some nice running trails. From what I hear there are plenty so running around for an hour should not be an issue at all.

So lets see what else went on yesterday (Boxing Day). Well after the workouts my mom and I made a trip to Wegmans to pick up some needed groceries since the other side of my family (My Dad's side) was coming to Syracuse for the afternoon. This turned out to be a very strategic move on my part since my mom wonderfully let me pick up a bunch of food for myself to have for the upcoming week...and let me tell you 1 trip to the grocery store for Matt Curbeau in which the tab is picked up by someone else is extremely beneficial to the cash flow!! So for that I am very very thankful. A funny thing occurred when we were out shopping though. As we were shopping I received a call from my sister informing me that my 90 year old grandmother was requesting a word search book since the other grandmother (my brother in laws mom) had one. If you know my grandma you would understand that she has to have everything that anyone else has but will really never actually say it. She will just make little condescending remarks or as my mom relayed to me, "Instead of just asking for the classic chocolate milk shake at a restaurant we were at last week that she had remembered from years past, she will instead say "Isn't this the place that has the Big Chocolate Milk Shakes""...haha its funny and its definitely my grandma. So naturally we stopped at another grocery store and picked up a couple word search books so that she would not feel left out.

The rest of the afternoon was spend with the family. A meal was had, presents were exchanged (and I must mention here that my two cousins Kevin and Brian gave me a trek gift card and nike running gear)..about the best stuff in the world. So to them I say THANK YOU!!

Later on in the evening after a lot of Wii instruction to my nephew and brother in law, my sister, mom, dad, and I snuck out to the movies. This was a much needed break from the family. Not for me but really for my sister (dealing with everything and everyone in her house and my mom for dealing with her parents who are getting older and require a lot of attention) as for my dad and I..well I wouldn't say that we needed a break or anything we were fine and nowhere near the stress level that my sister and mom were probably dealing with. I really don't know how my sister does it, two young kids and a grandma in the house who all pose different stresses and dillemas. As I told her when we were walking into the theater..I don't know how you do it..I guess its just something you do when its put on your plate. So that was that, we snuck out and went to see Clooneys new movie "Up in the Air." It was a really really good movie with an ending that will...well I'll just say that the ending is "something." Thus, if your looking for an adult'ish movie to go see I would definitely recommend this movie. After the movie we came home and all made out respective ways to bed.

That was that a good day overall. There was cycling, running, family, good food, good activities, good movies...and the next day (today) I was not at work...It doesn't really get much better than that. As this upcoming week approaches I must say that I can hardly contain my excitement..I have the whole week off from work. This will be the longest stretch since my college days where I have not had to work. I am going to utilize this time to the maximum for training and recovering along with hopefully making it back to my hometown to see a couple of my best friends who I have not seen in a very long time. Other than that I do not really have many plans. Traveling has been kind of ruled out since I need to save at least some of money in order to keep paying for all these triathlons I have been signing up for..haha...I talked about this with my mom yesterday and just said how lucky I am to have my mother and father. Without them I would not be able to do the things I love. Triathlon is a great sport, but when your like me and love to travel and do amazing things, the sport of triathlon can be costly when you start doing some exotic events..well exotic for me. Like going to Texas and Florida to race when your originally from the great Upstate NY. So even though I have a wonderful job which for the most part pays all the bills...my parents support both emotionally and financially is essential. I simply cannot say how much it means to me. If I was not able to do these events or train the way I do..I just don't know. I'd probably been off the deep end. My parents keep me in the lifestyle I have created..like fore exampled, Wegmans Food. If I didn't have my parents I might be living on ramen noodles and water..haha. So in all seriousness I must say that they are amazing and keep me happy, I will probably dedicate a whole post to them simply about this discussion..about how much support from family and friends matters to athletes and in particular to athletes in individual sports.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas...







A very Merry day indeed. Today was filled with a lot of fun with the family. I began my Christmas morning with a short trainer ride while watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation in the theatre room of my sister's house. Once off the trainer I strolled upstairs to find the rest of my family beginning to make their way down stairs. The timing couldn't have been better, as my nephews ran down the stairs and into the living room the Christmas atmosphere couldn't have been in fuller force. Quite possibly the best present that I have ever seen awaited my 4 year old nephew who got what he asked Santa for…2 ventriloquist dolls (Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd) I mean these dolls are from a tv show that was on in the late 1940's. Only my little nephew Billy would find these guys out and actually ask Santa for them. Anyway…here is a picture of the two beauty's. I had the joy of getting to play with them and I must say it was quite a blast, some great home movies were made this morning. Not to be out done my 8 year old nephew was actually surprised when a Wii showed up under the tree. He did not know that it was coming so to see him actually surprised and overjoyed was pretty special. Later on in the evening while playing a game of Cranium my brothers from Oregon and Japan were able to contact us via iChat on the computer. Our family was brought together via the internet where the grandchildren were all able to show off their presents to each other. Even though we are all thousands of miles apart it was still pretty special to spend a few minutes talking to each other face to face.

As I write this my family and I are all camped out in the living room watching round 2 of family movies. My sister did an amazing job of digging out very old family home videos from the 1930's all the way to the 1980's and them all put on DVD's. It has been quite an experience to see my Mom, Grandparents, siblings…etc when they were just babies and then around my age..


Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve

I can't believe that its Christmas Eve already. As I sit here in the office today it is kind of hard to imagine that tomorrow I will be warm and cozy with my family, watching my nephews rip through their presents, seeing my grandparents who are making the trip with my Mom and Dad from Connecticut as I speak, and all together just relaxing.

This morning I went on my 50 minute run that turned into a 60 minute run because I decided to run up Cobbs Hill to the reservoir for kicks. It's a really cool place in Rochester that I only discovered last year (Even though I have lived near it for about the past 3 years). Anyway its a great quick climb up a big hill and then a nice large oval loop around the reservoir. At the top their is an amazing view of the city of Rochester. The downtown area in Rochester is nothing special and in my opinion it really is the pits! However, when I run up on top of Cobbs Hill in the early morning or at night, when the sky is dark...there is a really great view of all the downtown office buildings, as well as the bridge that crosses the Genesee River. This reminds me of another really nice place to run with a really nice view just around sunset. This place is right at the top of my list of great places to run in Rochester. It is located in Mendon Ponds near the beach parking lot. There is a large hill that is off to the left of the playground and parking lot if you are driving down to the beach. There is a little path that comes around from the back side of the hill furthest from the parking lot which crests with an amazing view of the lake. If you catch this at the right time the sunset is amazing. Their is usually an elderly gentleman smoking a big cigar in a lawn chair during the warmer months, so when in doubt just run to that guy...he's always there just taking it all in...Even though I disapprove of his smoking habit I do heartily agree with his choice of evening relaxation location. Instead of looking mindlessly into a computer screen, or a big screen TV this gentleman views nature...views the beauty that we so often take for granted. I have always thought that this run would be the perfect "date"...the only tough part is finding the girl who would think that going trail running would be the ideal "date". But hey I wouldn't be opposed to buying dinner after sunset..heck maybe a picnic would be appropriate...alright enough of my secrets I better keep them for myself.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas is fast approaching and for that I am thankful. Only 1 more day of work ahead of me and then its vacation time. I will have not only Friday off for Christmas but I will also have the following week entirely OFF. It is going to be great to be able to take a break from work. I'll be able to get loads of sleep, train as much as my heart desires, and generally just relax.

In preparation for my departure to Syracuse for the Christmas holiday I began to clean my apartment as it was looking like a war zone. After about an hour of folding clothes and vacuuming it is beginning to look in order. After the house cleaning session I stopped by my local bike shop (Towpath) to get a new bottle of chain lube to ensure that my triathlon steed stays in proper shape. Then it was to Wegmans to get some supplies to hold me over for the next day and a half before I make camp at my sisters house. I am really looking forward to getting to her house tomorrow night. Whenever I go there it is like going to a hotel. I have a washer and dryer and my full disposal whenever I want it, plenty of food in the refrigerator, a basement that has an actual movie theater...its amazing...big screen projector with 2 rows of leather seating...it makes for a great place to ride on the trainer. Plus they live in a really cool neighborhood that has great paths for running...I am truly in heaven when I go to stay there. I most likely will just stay up there for a few days after Christmas and then be back and forth between Rochester and Penn Yan...masters swim class schedule will dictate when and where I will be.


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I'm tired...

Very tired at the moment. I had a great morning of tranining that was filled with an indoor trainer ride and a 30min run outside. But having to get to work by 7am made today really long. Instead of forcing myself into the pool tonight (which I really want to do). I am going to do the smart thing and go to bed shortly and then wake up rested and rejuvenated...basically ready to take on the world!

Monday, December 21, 2009

STANDING ON MY HEAD

I did my first real handstand in yoga tonight!...it was cool.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Great weekend to talk about..but for now...REST

To my loyal cast of misfit followers...I do apologize for my lack of posting yesterday. It has been a very busy and fulfilling weekend for me. I have lots to talk about but for now I am going hit the sack since I have an early appointment at the pool.

Friday, December 18, 2009

use FEAR as FUEL

I pose this question to everyone. What are your Fears?

Even as it is only about 20 degrees outside and snow is on the ground, I am already feeling some sense of Fear, some nerves if you will, for the upcoming 2010 Triathlon season. Funny thing is...this will be my first real season, with real training, a real coach, true team support, and legit triathlon equipment. It kind of freaks me out to tell you the truth. I guess the biggest Fear I seem to be facing is that I won't perform at a level that is reflective of the amount of effort I am putting into my training. I must not buy into this though. I have a coach who is looking out for me, I am putting in quality hours, I have the right mindset. I would assume that this Fear is a common one with triathletes considering the immense amount of time and effort that is put into training. Basically a Triathlete banks a few races on months and months of training. If something happens during those races and you come up short it can be devastating...well at least in my opinion it could. I guess that's where this sport really determines the people who are really in it and those who are just playing around. In my opinion it looks to me sort of like the CPA exam. In my experience with this test it was a test of endurance. Most people, including myself fail various parts of this test. In order to pass all the parts it means that when you fail by even 1 point, you have to get back in the saddle, study for 2 more months and try again. I persevered and passed all 4 parts..in a row...after coming up short on 2 straight. Even though this was test taking and not an athletic activity I believe it is the mental aspect that is what I am endowed with and which will make me a successful triathlete. I have big expectations for myself and I know I will achieve them. The question is...Will I let the Fear slow me down? Well I know for me and I hope that for everyone else that the best way to remedy this Fear is to use it as Fuel. Use this feeling to motivate you to get up at 5am and hit the roads for a run/bike, or to head to the pool. Use the Fear in a beneficial way that helps make a 4hr bike ride feel absolutely glorious. I have never done an Ironman but I fully expect to feel sick to my stomach on race day..however I also fully expect that as soon as I start fighting my way through the masses of people in the water that everything will disappear. I will go into survival mode. My hope is that I will stop thinking, stop "fearing" and just perform. Perform in a way that reflects my training. I will have put in the time and effort, once the gun goes off its just a matter of how I can put it all together. I am not going to think though...I'm just going to race. Once the race begins I will be at peace, I will have way to much happening around me to think about how freaked out I am. For the time being my overall time isn't really going to matter. I am going to just be racing as fast as reasonably possible....if that is fast enough to realize my goals...all the better. If not well then I will just get back on the saddle and re-group to do it again. So my biggest challenge over the next few months is to not only continue my great training regimen but to use my Fear as Fuel and if all goes well my Fear will transform into confidence. I want to come into race week raring to go and welcoming the challenge at hand. I feel that there is no reason for any of us to be scared of racing, as triathletes we train to race....so be I will be excited to get in the water come later April. I am going to be a joker, you will not find this kid stone faced. I am going to be high-fiving not cold shouldering. If there is one thing I have come to love about this sport in the short time I have participated in it..its that at every race I feel like I am in a community of people that are just like me. All the people racing feel like an extended family. I always like to chat with people that I saw on the race course that day. There is some kind of brotherly/sisterly bond that is created when two people run next to each other for 500 yards, or 5 miles even when no words are uttered. It's unique...it's respect...it's what really gets me going!

I hope this post helps people not feel alone in the fear's they might have. And if your ever racing in a race that I am in and your feeling crappy before the start..come find me, will find something to laugh about :)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Everyman's Sport

I have only been involved in the sport of Triathlon for less than a year. However I have developed some reasons why I enjoy it so much.

1. It's like a brotherhood. The people that are involved in the sport really "get-it". I have been welcomed into a new community with open arms. Everyone I have crossed path's with so far have been amazing. I love that I am creating new friends literally every day. Each person that I am meeting totally get it. I really can't explain how excited I get when I am on my way to ride bikes with a group, or on my way to the pool where I will join everyone at the master's class, or on my way to Mendon Ponds or (insert location here) to meet up with people for a workout, or on my way to a new friends house in Syracuse for a jam session on indoor trainers. I love that feeling and can't get enough of it. If you could see me in my car on the way to these things you would probably fall over laughing. Imagine me jamming out to whatever music I can find, pounding on the steering wheel with a huge smile on my face. The people driving next to me must think im nuts...and are probably worried I will crash into them..haha I can honestly say that I have never been as into a lifestyle as the one I am in now. I hope I can continue to progress in this sport and makes great things happen!

2. Triathlon is for the masses. The people that do triathlon are real people. They are not bodybuilders with bodies that look like they have been taken out of a cartoon book. They are not 400 pound NFL lineman, they are not MLB players with forearms the size of my thighs. Triathletes are machines. Machines that have one objective to see what their engine is capable of. Triathlon is so interesting because anyone can give it a try. You do not need to be a former Collegiate All American to take a crack at Kona. You can just sign up for an Ironman, train your butt off, and give it your all on race day. If you do good enough they will invite you to take part in their World Championships! To me that is cool!

3. Triathletes are regular people. Most triathletes aside from some elite's have regular day jobs. The average triathlete and even the super fast age-groupers are training themselves to compete at a near professional level while at the same time working over 40 hours a week. It's pretty remarkable the dedication that these athletes exude. Getting up to go to the pool before the sun is up, pedaling away in the dead of the winter on a trainer, running through snow banks at 5am...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Training Hard without Risking Injury

As I was catching up on my reading of the new Triathlete magazine I stumbled upon an awesome article entitled " High Intensity Training without Overexertion". This sounds like a tough concept to support. However, the author, Marc Becker writes about some great stuff. Ultimately his article hinges upon the belief that you don't want to overexert yourself during training in ways that would require longer recovery than from the actual race. When training in such a manner, the risk of injury is reduced because you are getting adequate rest and recovery as well as training in such a way that when you think you are giving it an all out effort your usually doing this at the end of a tough base training set so you really aren't "maxing" out, thus there is less strain and pressure on your body, which in turn is a preventative measure to protect from unnecessary injury in the off-season. That might sound a little bit confusing. It even confused me as I was trying to write it. Nonetheless, some examples will help get the message across. So the goal is to get a kick ass training session in with a lot of hard work but at the same time you want this workout to not be as aerobically demanding as say an all out 5k or an all out Time Trial. These are saved for testing purposes and races. To go about this type of workout, Marc Becker gives the following cycling workout as an example: "A set of maximum-resistance, short efforts on a spin bike, or turbo trainer is an all-out effort when performed correctly, which means completing each interval at 100% muscular effort against a resistance so high that you cannot generate a cadence higher than 45 rpm (give or take 5 rpm)". Marc goes on to add that it is importatant to be properly warmed up for a workout like this. So, moving on with this workout...for starters you want to look to do about 1 minute of the demanding 45 rpm spinning and then recover for at least the same amount of time..you would then repeat this for say about 5 times. What happens is that by doing this you are really taxing your muscles in your legs and in turn not over using your aerobic system since the time of exertion is relatively brief. The beauty of this type of training is at the end. When you finish your determined sets of low cadence work and move onto to say some endurance to cap the workout off, you are now pre-fatigued. Your legs are now a little tired and when you start to up the cadence, the fact that your legs are tired prevents you from red-lining your aerobic system. Thus you have essentially trained very hard yet have avoided injury and overexertion by pre-fatiguing your body and creating a "bumper" of sorts. Why is this important? Well because training for triathlon is a long process. Our bodies just would not be able to keep up if we red-lined our effort every day. Rest is necessary and injury prevention is critical! Triathletes spend so much time on training and getting prepped for races that an injury is just devastating. Another training session for cycling that will give you this type of benefit is a long ride. During a long ride you can really fatigue yourself. Then at the end of this ride you can give an all out effort and really push yourself while still maintaing a HR that is on the low side. Essentially this all out effort will be done once your already tired so once again you have created a natural "safe zone" that enables you to not take your training to levels that are so high that it will take a lot of recovery to come back from.

So that's some food for thought. Hope you enjoy, and Happy training during the Holidays!

Monday, December 14, 2009

1 Day Down - 4 to go

I swam this morning, worked all day, and went to Yoga tonight. That's about it. I wish I had more time to write but I need to get to bed. I'll try and get some good words down in the morning.

Night

Sunday, December 13, 2009

TRI SPOT DAY..woohoo!

It's finally here...Train-This day at TRI SPOT! A day full of riding bikes as fast as possible, swimming in endless pools, looking at cool triathlon gear, and meeting fellow teammates. I don't think it could really get any better.

Well its about 430 in the afternoon, I am back in Rochester hanging out at my favorite Starbucks. As I sit here, beside a girl who is studying for the CPA exam, I think about how lucky I am to have that chapter of my life behind me. How absolutely wonderful it is to have the ability to do what I want to do on my own time. Passing the CPA exam was one of the most grueling things I have ever had to do. It consumed my life, kind of like the new thing I am into......triathlon. Funny how we as humans, well at least for me that I am constantly looking for things to test my limits, to take me to breaking points and see if I can succeed. I guess the biggest difference is that the CPA exam was a necessity to take and pass, triathlon is a passion that I do for fun. I enjoy the work, training, the planning. In short, everything that I have seen and been exposed to in the sport of Triathlon I have loved and subsequently it has left me craving for more. So for everyone who wants to ask the question "Why do you do Triathlon?" I think I may have some sort of an answer...I believe that my answer will be an on-going one throughout my life but as of now I would say that I do triathlon because on race day whether your result is as expected, above expectations, or below....it feeds the desire to do it over again. Training for triathlon is a process. Each individual sport has a "natural" aspect to it. A person can be a natural swimmer and swim 2.4 miles in under an hour with minimal preparation, A person can be a natural cyclist and just really take to the road (obviously time on the road will make you a better cyclist) but in general a person who naturally enjoys mashing pedals will probably perform at a higher level then someone who is just "putting in the time." The mental game in an endurance sport like Triathlon is soooo huge...you really have to enjoy being out on the road or on a trainer for hours of time. So like I said someone can naturally take to cycling and really get a kick out of it...and likewise a person can be a natural runner. For whatever reason this person was blessed with proper form, quick and nimble feet, iron lungs, etc..etc..There is a reason why Mr. Bolt runs the way he does. He was born to run, his body was meant to move fast, he was groomed from day one to do what he does. Thus, in each aspect of the sport of Triathlon a "natural" aspect plays a role. However, the great equalizer in Triathlon is that all these sports must be done on the same day, one after another. You can even be good at all 3 but if you do not have the right mind set, the right approach...you might as well cash in your chips and call it a day. A lot of games can be played in your head over the span of 8-12 hours under the sun (or rain if its crappy out). Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, my answer to why I TRI? Well in a condensed answer I would say because after each race (good or bad) there is a reason to train harder and longer, whether it be to improve on a poor performance, or to take it to another level and drop into the sub 10, sub 9, or in the half the sub 5, sub 4:30...GET TO KONA...etc etc...so thats why I TRI..because for better or worse theres always something else...something more...something out there within reach. All it takes is work, dedication, drive, support!

Well I think that at this point I have a good segway into my original blog idea for the day. I wanted to take a minute and reflect on the day I had today. It was AWESOME. As usual I was very excited to be visiting TRI SPOT in buffalo to do a 20 minute TT and get some video shots of my running and swimming (which was done in an endless pool...SOOO FREAKING COOL) If I only had about 60k to blow on one of those! I don't think it would fit in my apartment though :( Well, my day began early as usual. I was up and out of bed around 4:45. I intended to sleep longer but once I wake up I might just as well get out of bed. I can never seem to get back to sleep, especially when I have a big day coming up and I'm already super energized. So I got up, had some coffee, some yogurt and ezekiel cereal, watched the final episode of Monk on Hulu (Tear...I loved that show!) and then started to pack my things. I ended up taking off around 6:30, with one stop at Wegmans for a protein bad and water I was off. I cruised on into buffalo and settled into Tim Horton's around 7:30, did some writing in my moleskin, had a spot of coffee and ate my protein bar, then headed to TRI SPOT at 8:30 to get set up so I'd be ready to roll when everyone started to arrive. As I entered TRI SPOT I felt like I kid in a candy shop. It is probably the coolest place for a triathlete to be if they can't be outside. I mean this place has like 10 computrainers all hooked up to one big screen tv, a HUGE endless pool to swim in, multiple tredmills, NEWTONS! and various other running shoes, gadgets, nutrition, hydration, etc...etc...and oh yeah it has a few bikes...and by a few I mean quite a bit, but no TREK's (this was the only disappointment in my mind, I am a Trek man through and through..there's no denying that and unless someone wants to sponsor me and provide me with a free bike I am sticking to my guns and rocking Trek's..just like my man LANCE!) btw...have you all seen the new 2010 Madone for Team Radio Shack??? Well if not here it is -->
Pretty nifty in my opinion. But not as nifty as this little guy that's currently being driven by Chris Lieto and won't be available to us lowly Age Groupers until 2011...Ladies and Gentlemen please refrain from drooling and if you get excited easily please brace yourself..this thing is SMOKING HOT!

Where was I?.....Well after my initial excitement of seeing TRI SPOT for the first time I finally settled in and put myself together. The Mellow Johnnys Kit was being rocked and my bike was mounted. Around 9:30 the rest of Group 1 had arrived, some I knew..others I didn't. However all were fellow teammates and super cool. I am extremely lucky to have found such a great group of people to share my passion with. Each and everyone I have met so far has been so nice to me. I cannot thank my friend Jay enough for getting me in touch with my Coach. And I cannot thank Mary (the coach) enough for taking me on. Mary has begun to show me the ropes, Mary and I have plans, goals if you will. We both expect big things from ourselves. I know that I will be turning to her a lot in the coming years and I hope that I can provide her with the additional support that we all need. And the same goes to all the new teammates I have. These teammates are the people who I spend my mornings with at the pool, the people who I will run in the snow with this winter, the people who I will mash pedals with indoors and on the road, they will be the runs wearing the same kits on race day. No matter how I feel coming into a race or during a race, I know for a fact that when I see a fellow Royal and Green wearing TRAIN THIS TEAMMATE I am going to get a boost of energy..a little extra kick! If I run by someone, or they run be me you can guarantee that I am going to high five the hell out of the and give em a rousing cheer! So off we went, my 8 new friends and I on a 20 minute journey that was being shown live via the big screen. Wattage, speed, averages, placing, even a little chart that showed who was in the lead (like those things at the fair where you spray water at the little red dot and try to get your fire truck to the other end the fastest)..yeah it was like that. VERY COOL! The time came and went. I had no expectations as this was my first foray into the 20minTT on a computrainer. I ended up averaging around 310watts. I do not really know what that means because I have yet to train with power (fingers are crossed that a powertap will be coming my way) Anyway, since I weigh about 148 to 150 I am told this is a decent starting place. I can only hope to crank this number up in the coming months. So for now I am very very excited! Later in the day in another group fellow Teammate CUSE TRI blew me out of the water averaging in the neighborhood of 350watts...WHAT AN ANIMAL! As for the rest of the day I enjoyed a nice swim in the endless pool where Mary was able to take some underwater footage of my stroke, then I hopped on the treadmill to get some run footage. It's really great to have all these tools and knowledge around. It can only make benefit the team. We are going to be one monster machine. People will definitely have to recognize when Team TRAIN THIS shows up! Were coming to dominate, and be nice and have a crazy good time while doing it. hahaha...
So that about sums it up, I was able to do all these things this morning..it was fantastic. I was even able to pay for a new hydration fuel belt, the helium (wicked cool!) How was I able to pay for this you ask? Well my extremely wonderful mother gave me a big jar of coins that she found when she was cleaning the house. I took the jar to the Wegman's Coinstar and low and behold came away with over $60 dollars!! What a mom!

Friday, December 11, 2009

No substitute for a good cup of VIA

First off..no other instant coffee compares to Starbucks Via. I learned an important lesson last night. Get to Starbucks before they close or else you will not be able to buy anything. So yeah, Starbucks was closing when I went last night to pick up some instant coffee. I went to Wegmans instead in the hopes of finding a suitable replacement. I ended up buying some nescafe instant coffee that came in the same kind of packaging as the VIA. I guess the stuff will suit the purpose of coffee in the morning, instant style but its just nowhere near the same as VIA. I dumped in two packets of the nescafe into a cup and all I got was a watered down hazelnut flavor. With VIA, all you need is one packet and it fills a whole cup of hot water with a rich coffee flavor. It's actually quite amazing what they have accomplished in these little packets when comparing them to their competitors. The price point is indeed a little tough to swallow with 12 packets of VIA costing almost $10 bucks and 20 packets of Nescafe a @$3.50...but when you think that 1 packet of VIA is like at least 2 packets of Nescafe...I guess that makes it a little more even.

Moving on, I am really excited that the weekend is almost upon us. This Sunday takes me to the much anticipated Team Train-This testing day at TRI Spot in Buffalo. While at TRI Spot the Train-This team will be individually testing on their computrainers and indoor pool. We will be getting our power readings and average heart rates during a 20 minute TT as well as getting some video footage of our swim stroke for analysis. I hear this TRI Spot place has quite the set up with many computrainers, an endless pool, many treadmills, a huge store, couches, tv's, etc. etc...basically a triathletes dream. I fully intend on spending the day there and soaking it all up. Just being around all different kinds of triathletes will make me better, who knows what kind of great tips and info I will get. Oh yeah!..we also will be trying on our fit kits for the 2010 Tri Kits that we will be rocking, Royal Blue and Green all the way! We will be racing in style! I really can't wait for the first race, its at the end of April which seems a bit far off but really its only about 4 months away, a lot closer than I am thinking. With all the tapering stuff that I will be attempting to do for the first time my training essentially consists of the remainder of December, January, February and March. Once April gets here it will be time to get down to business in prep for the 24th of April when I will be down in Texas taking on the Lonestar 70.3!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

COFFEE RUN...AT 9:20PM....YIKES

Little worried right now. I have a nice early morning spin planned...but no coffee to drink when I wake up. I usually have a nice stock of Starbucks Via to get me through the week but instead of picking my weekly 12 pack up on Monday night I picked it up on Sunday when I was with my mom. This has thrown me off a day and now tomorrow is not the weekend..it is a weekday when I awaken before any of the nearby coffee shops. I know I should not be so dependent on coffee but its kind of a necessity for me in many ways..but I am not going to get into that right now. The bottom line is that I want my coffee in the morning. So, I am going to brave the cold weather and late hours (its 9:18) usually I have been asleep for about an hour by now...and I am going to go get some Via and a snack at Wegmans because I only had a salad for dinner from the gym and not much else today..plus for some reason my weight dropped like 4 pounds in 2 days..I guess that's what being a busy accountant does to you...(jk thats only what it does for an accountant like me..usually most public accountants when they get busy start ordering out for dinner like every night is the superbowl)....

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Snowy Morning in Rochester

Well good morning everyone! It's 5am and I've got a half a cup of Starbucks Via in me and some instant soup made from a cup...yes, from a cup. The lack of food in my fridge is disturbing considering that I go to Wegmans like everyday. One note to add in regards to food is my newly discovered love for Spaghetti Squash. Spaghetti Squash is probably one of nature's best inventions, I used to think that the brussel sprout was the best vegetable on the planet but spaghetti squash is quickly moving up my vegetable "power list". I have devised an ingenious way to cook this delicious and nutritious food! I just cut it up using all my power and might because it is a very tough vege to cut into, then throw it in the best invention in the world (the microwaveable steam bag), heaven forbid I would have to use my oven for something. I add a bit of water to the bag, cook on high for about 7 minutes, let sit for a little bit and magically the stuff is ready to eat. When you clean out the squash it comes out just like spaghetti...throw some avocado, salsa, tofu, or whatever you feel like onto it and you have an amazing meal...and you can eat a boat load of this stuff...tons of fiber and low cal. So if your in the market for adding some vegetables to your diet give spaghetti squash a shot..its great!

Moving on to what's in store for me today. I have just realized that I left my trainer out in my car which is in my garage (so at least its protected from the elements). However this means I know have to trudge through the cold and SNOW, yes SNOW. I awoke at about 2:30 this morning to relieve myself and when I chanced upon my window I was quite amazed to see a white blanket covering the ground. I guess we should all consider ourselves lucky that its already December 8th and this is really the first time we've had any substantial snow accumulation. But still..all this snow just means that we have a few months of dark, cold, and snowy weather ahead of us. Lots of indoor spinning and I will probably have to actually use a treadmill once or twice. I avoid treadmills like the plague but if their is a blizzard outside or its sub zero out...I'm going to bite the bullet and run on the treadmill for the sake of my health. It's tough enough to try and stay healthy and injury free for a whole year, let alone trying to do that while training for some triathlons. But anyway, we will cross that bridge when the time comes, and I am sure I will post about it and you will hear my moaning and groaning.

This brings me to today, I have a very light 45 minute spin this morning as well as some FST (Functional Strength Training) which may get done tonight after work depending on if I get my butt out the door in the next few minutes to get my trainer out of the car or if I decide to spend more time writing this blog. Ok I just decided that I am going to go get my trainer, spin my bike, go to the gym for a bit, then go to work. I will finish this post later today (while at work) shh...don't tell anyone, haha don't worry it will most likely be during a short lunch break or something, I've actually got quite a bit of work to get done..

Catch you later.
-Matt

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Team Radio Shack Sneak Peek

Attention all Lance Armstrong/Cyclist/Radio Shack/Levi/Trek Enthusiast's ...the new jersey (1st version) has been spotted...
As an avid Lance Follower I received an email from Team Radio Shack with the following message:
"If you are receiving this email, you’ve either followed the team from the glory days of the Blue Train or are a new and excited fan for what will be the next great American cycling team: Team RadioShack. Either way, we wanted to say thank you for your support and give you a sneak preview of a working prototype of the jersey the guys will be riding in in 2010. While the final Jersey is expected to look very similar, it will be officially unveiled in Australia in January during the Tour Down Under. It was our goal this year to create something visually distinctive and a look that was symbolic of what we feel Team RadioShack is all about: cutting edge technology, speed, strength, determination and a global message to LIVESTRONG. The experts at Nike and our partners at RadioShack helped to create this fast form-fitting design using various textures and patterns symbolizing the themes of new technology, global connectivity and community. We think it looks pretty damn cool."

Monday, December 7, 2009

Back on Track

Things are looking better right now. December is beginning to roll along, a nice long vacation from work is just ahead, my workload is returning to a state that allows me to function normally and allows for my stomach to become unknotted. I know that work shouldn't consume you, and I do my best to not let it but no matter what I always just feel like crap at some points in time. I know that the saying "this to shall pass" is very true but still..it just gets at me and I hate the feeling. It must be a little bit like the feeling someone has before they starting climbing Mt. Everest. Obviously I am exaggerating, but I'd imagine the thoughts of that person are like mine in the sense were both think "WTF have I gotten myself into?" Anywho, the public accounting life is ok at the moment. My big jobs for the fall are almost over and I will have a couple weeks to rejuvenate myself and get ready for all the year end work..YUCK!

So works OK right now, TRAINING IS GREAT AS ALWAYS!, and I even was able to clean my apartment yesterday! This is a big accomplishment for me. I definitely have OCD type behaviors but their comes a certain point for me where I just give up the battle to keep the dishes cleaned at all time, and my clothes folded. Well...I was facing a very intense battle with my clothing and dishes..they were truly putting on a full force attack. My Dad even stopped by a and told me that the if the Department of Sanitation decided to stop by that I would be living at home very soon. This is coming from a man who is WAY more messy than me..just ask my mom! My Dad has shoeboxes with sneakers in them from like the early 80's that have never been worn...and he's not a collector..their just there, for no reason..haha. Anyway, I cleaned my place up, chloroxed the living daylights out of the kitchen and bathroom, vacuumed my floors so much that my upstairs neighbor came down and complained about the noise. I was kind of irritated by this because it was 1pm on a Sunday afternoon when I was cleaning. This is a time when even a hungover college kid is awake. This neighbor has it soooo good, I am hardly ever at my apartment, I never play music loud, and I live alone...but as soon as I decide to catch up on my spring cleaning (yeah I was a little late, missed it by about half a year or more) I get the knock on my door...whatever, life's to short to be mad, so I struck up a conversation with her, learned her name, and we discussed how its always quiet around our place because I am never here, and I guess she was never there either prior to like a month ago, even though she has had the apt for 6mo. She said she was living with her boyfriend (and shes prolly in her late 30's so don't get any ideas of a rebound girl for Matthew, she's to old for me, and since she's still in an apartment and not living on a yacht in the south of France I am not going to try the Male Gold Digger route).

It's almost 9:30 I just got back from Yoga, with a stop at Wegmans on the way home. Until tomorrow....g'night

Saturday, December 5, 2009

I love to get "High"

Did I get your attention? Before you go running to tell everyone that I'm blogging about some drug stories..let me explain what I mean. First off I am not talking about illegal narcotics. The kind of high I am talking about is the high I get from running, swimming, biking, basically just exercising in general. It's really quite amazing how crappy I can feel during any particular point in time and how that can totally change with the simple act of moving my body. I may be tired and exhausted from a long day/week of work but 10 minutes into a run/or a spin/ or a swim and I can feel as if my legs/body /arms/mind have been rejuvenated. Maybe my legs or arms are't moving as fast as they would after a nice long nap but hey I still feel that I've been refreshed. The best part about getting "high" from athletics is that it hardly costs anything. All it takes is you getting your butt out the door or onto the trainer. (Ok...I take that back it costs a lot if you really look at all the money that it took to buy the running shoes, bike, trainer, garmin, etc..etc...) So maybe it does cost a lot but lets get serious here. I am talking about how great it feels to exercise. I don't have to be racing to get a smile on my face. I am one of those weirdo's who actually enjoyed the heck out of high school football practice. Don't get me wrong, gameday for high school football was a blast! A truly unique experience in a small town where on Saturday afternoon, your the only show in town! And we were pretty good when I was in school so we had some great support. But I just loved practice, I loved being with the guys, I loved getting yelled at by the coaches. Why? Because the coaches were great guys, my head coach, Brian Minor, a truly great man really cared about us all. He was a special coach because he got the absolute most potential out of every player on his team. He made each and every kid want to be the best, made each and every kid want to do whatever they could to make the team the best! I think that may be the most important aspect. As a coach your job is to get the maximum out of everybody on the team, otherwise success will be hard to come by. Look at Kobe Bryant, as great as he is, he couldn't win a Championship without Shaq until the Lakers surrounded him with players like Pao Gasol who actually wanted to win, who wanted to work hard. Same thing with Jordan, until he had Pippen and his supporting cast of Dennis Rodman, Luc Longly, Steve Kerr, and the list could go on...he was not winning championships. Sure he was winning dunk contests, racking up tons of points, but the one thing that he wanted, Championships, were not coming his way until he was surrounded by a cast of characters who wanted to win, and wanted to do all the little things. When a coach gets a team to fire on all cylinders that's when magic happens. A high school football coach has to make the big kids WANT to be the lineman and want to block for the fast kids. I mean when your 16 years old who didn't want to be the one to score TD's! So how do you get that large kid into the mentality of a lineman? Well you start out by grouping them together, make the lineman a family unit. Start building pride in them by congratulating them more for a running backs touchdown than the running back. Believe me, the running back is going to get the front page of the newspaper, but the fact is, he wouldn't have got their unless those big guys up front threw some blocks. So there in lies the beauty. A great coach makes everyone want to do their job because if they do, the wins will come..and everyone loves to win!

So I got really of track there but what I was trying to say is that I loved practicing, I loved the fact that even though I was not as big or as strong as some of the top football players around, I was still a starter. I knew how to block, I knew how to complete my assignments, I caught the passes when they were thrown to me, got the first down, and got down....mostly :)...haha, I made most of the field goal attempts I had. I was not a college prospect but I still was "player of the game once"...that was and still is something I am very proud of. I don't mean to gloat but I really didn't think I would ever have the chance to be considered for that kind of award in football. Let me remind you that I was the kid who stopped playing football when he was a freshman because he figured he would never really be that good and he should just focus on basketball and baseball...(haha basketball, what was I thinking..5 foot nothing white kid..I had not shot from the beginning, lol). Thankfully Coach Minor slapped some sense into me and got me back onto the gridiron. How did he do this? He just told me that I was an athlete and that I should be playing football. Plain and simple. My friends all played and I really missed being with them. Once I was back playing football I had to find a way to be on the field. It didn't really matter where I played, all that mattered was that I wanted to start, I wanted to be a player, I wanted to make some kind of impact! Somehow Coach Minor made me a great safety, receiver and kicker...a "joy boy" as he would call us. And I was by no means fast or tall..I just did my job, I blocked when I needed to, I made most of my field goal and extra point attempts, intercepted the occasional pass, and even threw for 3 touchdowns from the wide received position..yeah we PY mustangs had some tricks up our sleeves!...I just can't say how great it was to kick that extra point after my teammates scored a touch down. I felt that i was just as much a part of their 60 yard run as they guy who threw the key block, I made an impact in the game, and that to me made a big deal. So back to the practice thing, Yeah you'd get yelled at in practice when you'd miss a fieldgoal, or miss a block, but when it came to game time and you executed your job...OMG it was just awesome! Coach's would be going nuts, announcers going nuts, fans clapping..it was nice. I will always have those memories of the two seasons I played Varsity Football, it was really more than just a high school sport to me. We were our own little family unit. We had convicted fellons, straight A students, jocks...etc. You name we had it, we were a bit of a rag tag bunch but we meshed really well. We knew what we had to do to win and we loved doing it. It was always cool to be the last "fall" team to still be playing. It would almost be Thanksgiving and the basketball season had begun but us football guys were still putting on the pads and knocking helmets out on the field, that was cool!