Archive for Diatribe
Time Constraints
Posted by: | CommentsI hate the fact that when I notice those that are working out quite a bit more than me or have free time to work out I get jealous. As I sat there and watched UFC on Saturday night with a buddy of mine (drinking vino), we talked about how if all we had to do was workout all day, and figure out what to eat we would be super fit and healthy (FYI, he pretty much is anyway). One of the fighters was living on a beach in Brazil, and would workout for 6 or 7 hours a day working on technique, fitness, cardio, strength, etc.
I have 3 kids, a wonderful wife and a business to run. I enjoy spending time with my family and, even though not enough, with friends too! Being a parent is a full time job, even if I am working with software for 8-10 hours per day. As soon as I get home or as soon as I wake up you have to be on, and I enjoy being with the family! Not saying that those who work out instead of family time don’t “enjoy” time with their families… that is not what I am saying. But how do you fit the time to workout and still have a full life and stay healthy?????
That is not a rhetorical question everyone, I need answers…
I try to make time to workout, by “trying” to get up in the morning at 5am to get to #Crossfit by 5:30 am. I love it when I make it there, I really enjoy the classes, I really enjoy the workouts and love the fact that I am sore as crazy that day and the next. Let me just say that I Love Crossfit (thank you Rylan!), but I have such a hard time in getting up in the morning? For those of you that get up really early, what is the secret? Do you go to bed super early, do you have a super loud alarm clock, or do you just have to get used to it and do it every day???
Excuse for that: When I get up early, and get in the workouts it makes me so tired throughout the day and I want to go to sleep so early. I want to hang out with my kids before they go to bed, and help get them ready for bed and then have a little time with my wife to hang out with her… I can’t do that when I get up at 5am, or I think I can’t, I feel that I can’t.
Tennis: I feel guilty when I go and play tennis on Wednesday nights because I have to leave the house before the twins go to bed, and can’t sing them a good night song, and I can’t read to them… One night a week I can do that, and tennis is fun and a pretty good workout. I can keep this up.
Triathlon: The hours needed to properly train just escapes me. For me to put in the time to actually train properly I would have to give up a lot of family time for me to work that out. There are dedicated twitter accounts and blogs to this fashion (the Triathlon Widow being the first one that comes to mind). I would have to (and love to) run in the mornings before work, swim at lunch (which I do/did a bit in the past) and then get monster hours in on the bike after work (on the road or on the trainer). Currently, Monday nights I plop the twins down in front of a TV for a couple shows or a movie and my wife and I get on the Bike Trainers for an hour or so which is a good workout and I do enjoy, to the extent that you can enjoy the bike trainer.
Excuse: So if I wanted to properly train for Triathlon, I would need to cut out my family and I don’t want to do that. I hate the fact that I put my kids in front of a TV, I would much rather play cars or barbies or read them books… Once a week isn’t bad, but that is not enough time to properly get bike work in. If I did it after they went to bed, then I would be up late and wouldn’t be able to get in Crossfit in the morning.
How can I get up early? What is the trick, what is a trick that you have that I can try, what is the way to do it, how can I get up super early without going to bed too early? How can I get to bed late and still get up early, how much sleep does one really need, how much can they successfully live off of?
It is a vicious cycle, I go to bed too late and don’t get up early, and then try to go to bed early so I don’t get a workout in there, and then miss the alarm or don’t wake up.
I’m getting tired of having excuses and not having time. Or is that my only excuse?
Should I workout at work and not shower (I like to be clean and not sweaty). How do regular working professionals like me balance family/life/training? How do you do it??
Crossfit and Diet
Posted by: | CommentsCrossfit is pretty awesome!
I want to give a quick shout out to the guy that put me in this position and harassed me into actually doing it, Rylan. I am still the FatTriGuy, but still on the Tri hiatus…
I am putting together my schedule for next year and incorporating quite a bit of the Crossfit with my endurance training to see how that works out, and my hypothesis is that it is going to go swimmingly! My only concern is the fact that I have not actually been riding the bike/swimming/running much this year, and even though my bike is setup, making the time to actually do it! With the time that I go to Crossfit so early in the morning, that is easily the best time for me to work out, but want to continue to do the early morning workouts at Crossfit Dallas Central, and be able to get some endurance right afterwards or that night. I am starting to think that I will only be able to bike in the evening and run in the mornings and swim at lunch.
Either this whole plan is going to be the best thing to happen to me, or one of the worst.
One of my favorite sayings to my kids is that “Patience is a Virtue”, however I must not be a virtuous person, as I have no patience. What hurt me last year was trying to build up my mileage quickly and ended up injuring my heel. I have worked 2011 into trying to be a more front footed striker but with limited running at it. Walking on my toes a lot more and low, low mileage with the forefoot striking. My heel still hurts on the norm, but I don’t know how my form or how the heel will hold up when going over 1 mile. Time will tell, and I will need to learn patience.
My diet is something that concerns me as I am trying to focus to more of a Paleo Diet and eating a lot more protein and less complex carbs, but my body is most definitely craving those. I still can’t say no to fries, to sea salt bread, pasta, and others. For this I need willpower, and something that I will focus on throughout the year.
Willpower, Patience, Endurance, Focus, Strength. One word goals for 2012
Lottery for the NYC Triathlon
Posted by: | CommentsI just entered the lottery for the NYC Triathlon!
I was just thinking about triathlon this morning when I saw an M-Dot on the back of a car on my way to work. That got me thinking about why I wanted to do triathlon, and why I originally LOVED it!
That got me thinking inward about things. I recently started up with Movember and posted a profile there (and hence growing a mustache), but that in turn got me looking inward. I do a lot of inward thinking, but not a lot of inward “doing”.
I got into Triathlon to live a better life, to focus on me and my body. Lose weight, yes; feel better, yes; lower cholesterol, yes; have more energy with kiddos, of course! All in all, it is just better for you!
I started Crossfit just a couple of weeks ago by doing the “ramp up sessions” to tech me the proper form of lifting, and to just see what it is all about. I like it! I am starting the classes next week (wish me luck) and that is when I am going to really get my butt whipped! Those workouts are awesome but tough! I am extremely confident that using this to strengthen my core and to get me into much better shape quicker than just doing endurance is going to really benefit me in the long run! Literally, the long run!
Goals:
Crossfit for a while, focusing a lot on that, and then have a slight focus on Running, Biking Swimming. By the beginning of next year or so start moving more from Crossfit to more of the endurance training really putting some miles into more of the biking and running with swimming being secondary the whole time (lunch swims).
I find out on the 11th if Triathlon is meant to be for me! I mean, I will still do them, but if it is meant to be for me to go to NYC for the first time! :-)
Entitlement
Posted by: | Comments**** WARNING – this post has Political Undertones *****
That being said, this has been on my mind for quite a while, and is not just about my Political Affiliation and how it relates to that, but about everything that I do and see, and the downfall of this great society!
Entitlement: The fact of having a right to something.
Every day I see it and I hear about it, and unfortunately, have even lived it. I think about it constantly because everyone has this bit of entitlement in some aspect of their life whether it is me thinking that I am entitled to business because we are a “great company” vs. me working hard at earning their business… or that jackass in the left lane that is going just below the speed limit. Left lane is for passing only, just because you are driving doesn’t mean that you HAVE to be in the left lane! Or when it comes to Big Government spending, people feel that they are entitled to benefits or an education or healthcare or free money/food, whatever it might be (yes, I warned you this had a political undertone to it…) Work hard, be a good person, and make the right decisions in your life that give you the opportunity to be successful.
Now how this relates to my training and Triathlon which is what this blog is about… I have been feeling entitled to do good, to run in races and to perform, but without putting the Hard Work in that will make me successful! Instead of getting on the bike, I watch TV, or instead of running, I sleep in… (this was different because technically I can’t run right now). I need to empower myself and do the right things, make the right decisions and get motivated to be successful in Triathlon! I need to not feel entitled to the coolest clothes/gear/bikes, and focus on me. Get my ass in gear, put in my due time!
Buffalo Springs 70.3 was 3 years ago (almost), I am no longer a Half Ironman Triathlete, I don’t even know if I can consider myself a Triathlete right now because I haven’t done one in 2 years (or so). I am merely “in training”. Even with that though, I am not putting in my time, I am not mentally there.
Entitlement, I see it everywhere… People, make your decisions count, work hard at whatever it is, and just DO SOMETHING!!!!
Week In Review
Posted by: | CommentsWell, I didn’t live up to my promise that I was going to blog more, or that I was going to get much in the terms of workouts in… I didn’t really do much outside of work and family!
My priorities are right, but I just need to make time for those things that I want to do that are lower down on the priority scale!
First the Bad News:
- I am losing fitness by the day in running
- My Achilles still hurts
But the Good News:
- I am still getting some fitness in with cycling and this should free me up for some swimming (should I get up in the morning)
- I am still losing weight
- I am still trying to make those Healthy Decisions
- I am still taking the stairs
- I still have the desire!
Today I am going to Luke’s Locker at lunch to get some new shoes. Not really for running, but with the Achilles thing, one of the articles that I have read is that walking Barefoot and wearing Flip-Flops can account for some of the pain. I am barefoot all the time I am at home, and with kids sleeping all the time, I am constantly tip toeing around… I figured that a pair of slip ons that I can wear with no socks in place of flip flops I might be able to ease some of this pain. I also have read the benefits of barefoot running and all, but I believe that with my stride, and the fact of my size and that I have always worn the shoes while running/working out, that it might be best for me to do that at some other point… but we shall see if this works at all!
Goals for next week:
- Effing Run! Run through the pain if I have to, I want to get out there!!
- Bike
- Swim
- Get the Eff up Early
- Continue to eat Healthy
- Kick some Ass! (not literally, more in the inspirational way)
Thanks for reading!