I took riding inside on the computrainer thing to a new "virtual reality" level today....I got a flat! I first realized something was wrong when I started feeling my rear wheel slipping on the drum it drives, and I actually smelled rubber burning. For a second I thought it was my brain but then realized that this would imply some brain activity was taking place. I'm honest enough with myself to admit that my normally marginal levels of cerebral activity dwindle to almost nothing when working out. There was still enough happening however that I figured out I was no longer going anywhere, and as such called it a day after just over 2 hours. It pissed me off because I was riding the second half of Ironman Canada and had 25 km to go, and the last 25 is all down hill. Oh well, I guess it would have been enjoyable but wouldn't have done much for my fitness anyway, so no big loss.
And I felt great as well. No knee pain at all.
Speaking of virtual reality I really hope they come out with the filmed version some time in the New Year. I have watched clips from other courses that they've already released and it is really, really cool.
So I know I still have to be careful but since I have to go to Mexico next week I want to make sure I get some good workouts in over the next few days. Depending on the weather conditions I will consider a little longer run tomorrow. Hopefully in the 20km range, then a long swim on friday, and barring more technical difficulties a longer bike on saturday.
I'm hoping that the New Year really sees me moving forward quickly. I admit it's a little tough to stay pumped during the winter months, but If I can stay disciplined I know it will pay off. I'm also quite sure it will get easier come spring time.
A few odds and ends...
1)Hey....5 chinups today!!
2)Roo went to the doctor today and heard what we wanted to hear.
3)Before I forget again....Hi to you too Bernie!
4)Tomorrow's a New Year, and it's gonna be all good!
5)I saved my blog to a word document yesterday. It currently runs to 153 pages and just over 63,000 words!
I wish to dedicate day 105 to Doctor Scott Hansen who I will always be grateful to for having the good sense to do a biopsy.
On the New Year...
"The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to."---P.J. O'Rourke
And this one I think is brilliant...
“You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."---Anne Lamott
love
peter
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
"Good Advice"
I generally believe that I know most things I need to do to get the very most out of my life, whether it's related to my work, my training, my mental health or my family life..... but rarely do I listen to myself. Perhaps that's because of the nagging little uncertainties or maybe fears associated with actually carrying through with the actions you believe make sense. I think I've hit on a way to improve on that shortcoming. Find someone else who you trust and who can perhaps relate to your challenges and sound out your ideas by presenting them to that other person. I found that in doing so my stupid ideas quickly seperated themselves from the better ones simply as a result of speaking them out loud. Not to mention the added value of that persons reaction as they either support or question your reasoning.
So today I'm really grateful to sister Mary for listening to my ramblings. I had one of the most rewarding days I've had in months just because of the time we spent together. I see things more clearly than I did this morning. I'm still afraid of my own advice, because inevitably the smart thing to do has some short term pain associated with it, and I don't like pain! Of course that's why we don't do many of the things that our gut tells us is the smart thing in the long run. And yet despite those fears I have a greater confidence in my own instincts, and a greater resolve to live by them than I did yesterday.
It actually started out as a good day even before I met with Mary, as my run went just super this morning. I wore that lighter brace I mentioned and it was barely noticeable. My knee pain was negligible enough to be considered non-existent. So as promised I declare myself "off the shelf". Of course we'll now see if I learned anything through this little trial. The clear message is that I absolutely need to maintain the discipline to stretch and strengthen my old muscles if I expect them to take care of me over time. I have not done my routine yet today but I promise to drag my butt to the basement before I crash for the night. Tomorrow I intend on a bigger test by riding for 2 1/2-3 hours.
And that's about all for today. Rest well my treasured friends and family.
I wish to dedicate day 104 to Mary's Denise who has become such an important part of her family.
and for today at least......
"I can see clearly now the rain has gone; I can see all obstacles in my way"---Johnny Nash
and one I have half accomplished.....
"One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."---Georg C Lichtenberg
love
peter
So today I'm really grateful to sister Mary for listening to my ramblings. I had one of the most rewarding days I've had in months just because of the time we spent together. I see things more clearly than I did this morning. I'm still afraid of my own advice, because inevitably the smart thing to do has some short term pain associated with it, and I don't like pain! Of course that's why we don't do many of the things that our gut tells us is the smart thing in the long run. And yet despite those fears I have a greater confidence in my own instincts, and a greater resolve to live by them than I did yesterday.
It actually started out as a good day even before I met with Mary, as my run went just super this morning. I wore that lighter brace I mentioned and it was barely noticeable. My knee pain was negligible enough to be considered non-existent. So as promised I declare myself "off the shelf". Of course we'll now see if I learned anything through this little trial. The clear message is that I absolutely need to maintain the discipline to stretch and strengthen my old muscles if I expect them to take care of me over time. I have not done my routine yet today but I promise to drag my butt to the basement before I crash for the night. Tomorrow I intend on a bigger test by riding for 2 1/2-3 hours.
And that's about all for today. Rest well my treasured friends and family.
I wish to dedicate day 104 to Mary's Denise who has become such an important part of her family.
and for today at least......
"I can see clearly now the rain has gone; I can see all obstacles in my way"---Johnny Nash
and one I have half accomplished.....
"One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."---Georg C Lichtenberg
love
peter
Monday, December 29, 2008
"Patience Now!"
Things continue to improve every day. I went to pyhsio and also had a massage and along with my continued stretching it seems to be mending. I just need to be patient now and make sure I don't rush back too quickly. I rode for about one hour, twenty minutes with practically no discomfort. Tomorrow I will run again, and if it goes well I am going to officially declare myself off the shelf. Strange as it may seem I consider it a positive indicator that my legs are sore everywhere....a good kind of sore...
One place I do have lots of patience is in the pool. I used to really enjoy swimming but it always seems a chore now. I have to force myself to get in there and do something. I splashed around for a 1/2 hour today but achieved nothing of significance other than managing to get wet. I think that in the next few days I will have to get back in there with my wetsuit just to get my motivation back up.
I wish to dedicate day 103 to my friend Curlena....massage therapist and person extraordinaire!
“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears."---Barbara Johnson
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."---Ralph Waldo Emerson
love
peter
One place I do have lots of patience is in the pool. I used to really enjoy swimming but it always seems a chore now. I have to force myself to get in there and do something. I splashed around for a 1/2 hour today but achieved nothing of significance other than managing to get wet. I think that in the next few days I will have to get back in there with my wetsuit just to get my motivation back up.
I wish to dedicate day 103 to my friend Curlena....massage therapist and person extraordinaire!
“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears."---Barbara Johnson
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."---Ralph Waldo Emerson
love
peter
Sunday, December 28, 2008
"So Far, So Good"
Just a brief report. I ran 1o k today with the neoprene brace. I would give it a mixed review. It is quite restrictive and prevents me for running naturally. However the discomfort was manageable. I went out and bought a very light compression sleeve which I will try next time I run. The good news is that I believe I can keep on moving forward at least for now. Tomorrow I will swim and also try to bike for a couple of hours. If that goes ok thenI will run again the following day. My legs are generally sore and achy but I think that's a factor of many things including all the strengthening stuff I'm trying to do. So I'm cautiously optimistic while a little afraid at the same time.
Thanks to everyone for all their support, ideas and kind words.
I wish to dedicate day 102 to my brother in law Bert, a man who I always admired for his utter fearlessness.
"A thousand fearful images and dire suggestions glance along the mind when it is moody and discontented with itself. Command them to stand and show themselves, and you presently assert the power of reason over imagination." ---Sir Walter Scott
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us." ---Marianne Williamson
love
peter
Thanks to everyone for all their support, ideas and kind words.
I wish to dedicate day 102 to my brother in law Bert, a man who I always admired for his utter fearlessness.
"A thousand fearful images and dire suggestions glance along the mind when it is moody and discontented with itself. Command them to stand and show themselves, and you presently assert the power of reason over imagination." ---Sir Walter Scott
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us." ---Marianne Williamson
love
peter
Saturday, December 27, 2008
"Charging Ahead"
Claudette has convinced me to try to get going more seriously again. She believes that if I continue my stretching and strengthening stuff, I will be able to recover actively. Perhaps I learned something in the last day about my injury. As I mentioned yesterday I put that neoprene brace on for a few hours while sitting around and was surprised to feel some relief. Today I put it on right after my bike ride and again it seemed to ease the pressure. My hope is that the discomfort comes primarily from fluid buildup, and that the compression of the neoprene reduces this. Of course I'm only guessing, but if it allows me to workout while it heals that would be great. I will try running again tomorrow. Maybe even go for 10 kms. Today I actually felt like I got a bit of a workout in...2 hours on the bike for a total of 55 kms.
Of course fluid on the knee is a much bigger problem than water on the brain, because that can be easily cured by a tap on the head!
I find the mental challenge of this whole thing one of the biggest considerations. It also occurs to me that as we age it becomes an even bigger issue because of the need to deal with the deteriorating body. For me it becomes a battle between maintaining a high level of commitment, while not letting physical setbacks get me down. In the last few weeks little thoughts have crept in that I'm not sure whether they're good or bad. I find myself considering "what if I can't do it" because of health issues like this knee thing? While that sounds like all bad I also consider all the positive that have already come out of this experience. My overall improved health, the fact that I will surely be able to do shorter triathlons, and generally just feeling good about my appearance. I think those are good things but the question that remains is "am I compromising?" I know I'm glad that I made a very public statement about my intentions up front...other wise maybe I would be quietly talking my way out of this. I know that's not going to be alllowed eh?
Cory....I don't know what your last comment was referencing? Please explain.
I wish to dedicate day 101 to my neice Megan, who I barely know but appreciate anyway.
“Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another--too often ending in the loss of both."---Tyron Edwards
And this one because it made me laugh.
"Why do granparents and grandchildern get along so well?....They have a Common Enemy!"---Anon
love
peter
Of course fluid on the knee is a much bigger problem than water on the brain, because that can be easily cured by a tap on the head!
I find the mental challenge of this whole thing one of the biggest considerations. It also occurs to me that as we age it becomes an even bigger issue because of the need to deal with the deteriorating body. For me it becomes a battle between maintaining a high level of commitment, while not letting physical setbacks get me down. In the last few weeks little thoughts have crept in that I'm not sure whether they're good or bad. I find myself considering "what if I can't do it" because of health issues like this knee thing? While that sounds like all bad I also consider all the positive that have already come out of this experience. My overall improved health, the fact that I will surely be able to do shorter triathlons, and generally just feeling good about my appearance. I think those are good things but the question that remains is "am I compromising?" I know I'm glad that I made a very public statement about my intentions up front...other wise maybe I would be quietly talking my way out of this. I know that's not going to be alllowed eh?
Cory....I don't know what your last comment was referencing? Please explain.
I wish to dedicate day 101 to my neice Megan, who I barely know but appreciate anyway.
“Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another--too often ending in the loss of both."---Tyron Edwards
And this one because it made me laugh.
"Why do granparents and grandchildern get along so well?....They have a Common Enemy!"---Anon
love
peter
Friday, December 26, 2008
"Boxing Day"
"Supposed to be a down day and that's kinda how I feel. Claudette convinced me I should try a run today and it didn't really go very well. I managed an uncomfortable 7.4 kms. We went to a movie late this aft and by the time we came out the knee was really sore. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be learning from this, but of course If I knew what it was I wouldn't have to learn it eh? I just keep telling myself that this is only a test to see if I really have the courage necessary to do what I want to do. Time will tell I guess. Tomorrow I will try riding for a couple of hours and see what the hell happens. One positive thing which surprised me is this brace Peter gave me for Christmas. He didn't know that I had already tried 2 different ones without any satisfaction. So I thought I would just give it try while sitting around and it really eased the discomfort before I went to bed. Maybe I could even run with it and might give it a try on Sunday. I'm pretty sure I can't ride with it because it is too restrictive to allow the knee bend necessary.
And that's about it for today. I have 10 minutes left in order to be able to post for the 100th day in a row without missing once!!!
Oh by the way....4 chinups today!!
And I would like to dedicate this 100th day to my neice Jessica. And doesn't that make her even more special than she already is.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.--- Dale Carnegie
“If I had more skill in what I'm attempting, I wouldn't need so much courage."---Ashleigh Brilliant
See you tomorrow.
love
peter
And that's about it for today. I have 10 minutes left in order to be able to post for the 100th day in a row without missing once!!!
Oh by the way....4 chinups today!!
And I would like to dedicate this 100th day to my neice Jessica. And doesn't that make her even more special than she already is.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.--- Dale Carnegie
“If I had more skill in what I'm attempting, I wouldn't need so much courage."---Ashleigh Brilliant
See you tomorrow.
love
peter
Thursday, December 25, 2008
"She Said I Can Keep It!"
I think it's in her purse right now. I'm glad she liked it but just so you know this was much more than a luxury for her. You simply can't go through grandparenthood without a decent functioning camera. Expect many more videos and pics on her facebook!
Jon called today. It felt both good and bad. Damn!
A Christmas story. When I talked to Colby on the phone this morning he told me what he got for Xmas and then proceeded to ask me what I got. When I said, "a camera" his response was and I quote..." I think Santa must have brought that to the wrong house, because I asked for a camera and didn't get one!!!" That freakin Santa Claus!!!
I hope everyone had a great day. We sure did here in St Thomas
I wish to dedicate day 99 to my wife, because who else on Christmas day.
“My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me."---Winston Churchill
love
peter
Jon called today. It felt both good and bad. Damn!
A Christmas story. When I talked to Colby on the phone this morning he told me what he got for Xmas and then proceeded to ask me what I got. When I said, "a camera" his response was and I quote..." I think Santa must have brought that to the wrong house, because I asked for a camera and didn't get one!!!" That freakin Santa Claus!!!
I hope everyone had a great day. We sure did here in St Thomas
I wish to dedicate day 99 to my wife, because who else on Christmas day.
“My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me."---Winston Churchill
love
peter
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
"Oh-Oh'
I think I figured something out while I was riding today. You know Cory has been trying to get me to one of her doctor friends for years, and suddenly she comes up with this new kind of doctor that no one has ever heard of before...a physiatrist?? Well if you know Cory well, you would also know that she has a very good grasp of the english language and a corresponding ability to spell. She also has a propensity for not proof reading her stuff and as such has to go back and make 'after the fact' corrections, and/or apologies. So all that being said what do you think this could mean. Add a 'c' , and shuffle a few other letters around in the word physiatrist???....hmmmm? Should I be worried? Or maybe she knows what kind of a doctor I really need eh?
Anyway, twas the night befoe Christmas and all throught the house, blah, blah, blah.
I'm feeling pretty good mentally. Especially because of the thoughtful words I got from Cory and Elly and the absolutely beautiful gift of words I got from son Peter. If you haven't had a chance, check out their comments on yesterdays post. For all the pain I deal with because of Jon's illness, I receive 10 fold in pleasure out of the health of the rest of them.
I rode again today and it was very much like yesterday. The knee discomfort started about half way through my hour ride. Funny thing is however that I went about 3 km further in the same amount of time. But what's even stranger is that the course looked slightly different than before. It turns out that there are 2 different computer programs for Ironman Canada on their machine. It looks like the one I rode today is a slightly different course or more likeley it is a blended version of the actual, in which they have smoothed out the shorter climbs. I have to check it out, but clearly todays ride was easier than yesterday. Unfortunately an hour is not enough to even make me feel like I worked out. I hope things start to improve soon or I'm gonna have to put my self in Corys hands.
All kidding aside I wish desperately that she lived closer!
Here's what I am going to try to stick to for the next few days. Tomorrow and boxing day completely off,(except for my stretching/strengthening exercises) swim on saturday, and then run the block on sunday. I am hoping against hope for a pain free run. Please, please, please!
A fun thing happened today. I ran into Peter and Jon's old high school wrestling coach who still runs a little club, with some of the same people as way back when. Peter and I are going to check it out, and probably join them. Pretty smart move don't you think? I can go and ruin a few more tendons and ligaments and such!
Lastly, Claudette and I agreed not to buy each other anything for Christmas, but because I still like getting presents I wrapped up something for myself and put it under the tree. That is well within the rules. I sure hope I like it!
Happy Christmas everyone. May whatever god you believe in make your dreams come true. Except for Peter of course....I think he's counting on Santa Claus...
I wish to dedicate day 98 to my neice Carla, who I barely know but who's dad I'm jealous of for having the gift of a daughter.
“My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."---Rodney Dangerfield
love
peter
Anyway, twas the night befoe Christmas and all throught the house, blah, blah, blah.
I'm feeling pretty good mentally. Especially because of the thoughtful words I got from Cory and Elly and the absolutely beautiful gift of words I got from son Peter. If you haven't had a chance, check out their comments on yesterdays post. For all the pain I deal with because of Jon's illness, I receive 10 fold in pleasure out of the health of the rest of them.
I rode again today and it was very much like yesterday. The knee discomfort started about half way through my hour ride. Funny thing is however that I went about 3 km further in the same amount of time. But what's even stranger is that the course looked slightly different than before. It turns out that there are 2 different computer programs for Ironman Canada on their machine. It looks like the one I rode today is a slightly different course or more likeley it is a blended version of the actual, in which they have smoothed out the shorter climbs. I have to check it out, but clearly todays ride was easier than yesterday. Unfortunately an hour is not enough to even make me feel like I worked out. I hope things start to improve soon or I'm gonna have to put my self in Corys hands.
All kidding aside I wish desperately that she lived closer!
Here's what I am going to try to stick to for the next few days. Tomorrow and boxing day completely off,(except for my stretching/strengthening exercises) swim on saturday, and then run the block on sunday. I am hoping against hope for a pain free run. Please, please, please!
A fun thing happened today. I ran into Peter and Jon's old high school wrestling coach who still runs a little club, with some of the same people as way back when. Peter and I are going to check it out, and probably join them. Pretty smart move don't you think? I can go and ruin a few more tendons and ligaments and such!
Lastly, Claudette and I agreed not to buy each other anything for Christmas, but because I still like getting presents I wrapped up something for myself and put it under the tree. That is well within the rules. I sure hope I like it!
Happy Christmas everyone. May whatever god you believe in make your dreams come true. Except for Peter of course....I think he's counting on Santa Claus...
I wish to dedicate day 98 to my neice Carla, who I barely know but who's dad I'm jealous of for having the gift of a daughter.
“My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."---Rodney Dangerfield
love
peter
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
"Fifty Pushups!"
I was surprised myself. I still remember my first one. When I excitedly told Colby I had done 50 his response...."I could do a hundred"...brat! Of course when I challenged him to prove it he was suddenly too busy. I also put up a chinup bar yesterday and found I have a long way to go there. I can do 3 at a time, (the hard way, fingers pointing away with a wide grip) but I will continue to work at it. They should help me with my swimming.
As promised I went to ride the trainer this morning. I would call it a partial success. Everything felt good for about 1/2 hour, when the discomfort started. I ended up riding for an hour and could have gone more but decided to be cautious. The problem with this kind of injury is that it doesn't hurt enough at the time to force you to stop. Of course that's also how you end up with a serious problem at some point. I didn't go very far in my hour....well actually I didn't go anywhere as I was sitting stationary, but the computer at least said I had gone 25kms. I will go again tomorrow, and will also try to get a swim in as everything will be closed for the following 2 days. As I write my knee feels pretty good. Tomorrow will be another good test, but for the moment I feel a little hopeful.
Thanks for the offer of help Cory. Right now my next planned run attempt will be sunday the 28th. After that I should know if I'm making any progress.
So 2 days til Christmas. As the big day approaches I admit to being of mixed emotions. I am of course delighted to have so many special people to share it with, and also pleased that we don't have to drive anywhere since we already did family Xmas in August.
I have gone back and forth all day as to whether I wanted to discuss the negative part of Christmas for me. In the end, and because one of the reasons for this blog was as a cathartic outlet for my emotions, I have decided to tackle it. I refer of course to the "Jonathan" factor.
First I want to tell you the reasons for my hesitation. Primarily I pause because I do not want to put any kind of a damper on what I hope will be a great day for everyone here. And secondly I also worry a little bit about what people will think. Others read this blog besides my family and maybe there are some who would judge me weak and/or judge Jon for his shortcomings. But alas, I can't control that and so I proceed to try to describe my feelings.
It's just so tough to know that as I celebrate a special day with my loved ones that there's one person missing. One who's life is so fucked up that he can't participate in that celebration. And as his parent it is a gut wrenching kind of feeling to know that in essence he chooses not to particpate. Whether out of the physical need to continually feed his habit, or out of the feelings of shame for the things he has done, the fact is he has chosen this life and this situation. It is just so freakin sad!
In actual fact I think maybe I'm even more worried that he will try to get in touch over the next few days and particularly maybe on Xmas day. If he calls, then what? What do we talk about? What he got me for Christmas?? The only discussion I really want to have with him is the one that starts with "please help me dad, I'm ready to get better" and I don't expect that conversation for a while, if ever.
I'm also a little mad about the whole situation. I feel robbed. Why can't I have it all?
So there you have it, along with my apologies for it. I do rest comfortably in my ramblings knowing that you can simply choose not to read them. Or of course you can choose to read and to judge me. I promise not to judge you, if you choose to judge me, because that's ok.
And I think I feel a little better for having shared it.
I wish to dedicate day 97 to my nephew Jake, just because he's his mothers son.
"Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for - I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times".---Kate L Bosher
"Don't expect too much of Christmas Day. You can't crowd into it any arrears of unselfishness and kindliness that may have accrued during the past twelve months."---Oren Arnold
"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."---Erma Bombeck
And lastly a religious one...
"Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ."---Bart Simpson
love
peter
As promised I went to ride the trainer this morning. I would call it a partial success. Everything felt good for about 1/2 hour, when the discomfort started. I ended up riding for an hour and could have gone more but decided to be cautious. The problem with this kind of injury is that it doesn't hurt enough at the time to force you to stop. Of course that's also how you end up with a serious problem at some point. I didn't go very far in my hour....well actually I didn't go anywhere as I was sitting stationary, but the computer at least said I had gone 25kms. I will go again tomorrow, and will also try to get a swim in as everything will be closed for the following 2 days. As I write my knee feels pretty good. Tomorrow will be another good test, but for the moment I feel a little hopeful.
Thanks for the offer of help Cory. Right now my next planned run attempt will be sunday the 28th. After that I should know if I'm making any progress.
So 2 days til Christmas. As the big day approaches I admit to being of mixed emotions. I am of course delighted to have so many special people to share it with, and also pleased that we don't have to drive anywhere since we already did family Xmas in August.
I have gone back and forth all day as to whether I wanted to discuss the negative part of Christmas for me. In the end, and because one of the reasons for this blog was as a cathartic outlet for my emotions, I have decided to tackle it. I refer of course to the "Jonathan" factor.
First I want to tell you the reasons for my hesitation. Primarily I pause because I do not want to put any kind of a damper on what I hope will be a great day for everyone here. And secondly I also worry a little bit about what people will think. Others read this blog besides my family and maybe there are some who would judge me weak and/or judge Jon for his shortcomings. But alas, I can't control that and so I proceed to try to describe my feelings.
It's just so tough to know that as I celebrate a special day with my loved ones that there's one person missing. One who's life is so fucked up that he can't participate in that celebration. And as his parent it is a gut wrenching kind of feeling to know that in essence he chooses not to particpate. Whether out of the physical need to continually feed his habit, or out of the feelings of shame for the things he has done, the fact is he has chosen this life and this situation. It is just so freakin sad!
In actual fact I think maybe I'm even more worried that he will try to get in touch over the next few days and particularly maybe on Xmas day. If he calls, then what? What do we talk about? What he got me for Christmas?? The only discussion I really want to have with him is the one that starts with "please help me dad, I'm ready to get better" and I don't expect that conversation for a while, if ever.
I'm also a little mad about the whole situation. I feel robbed. Why can't I have it all?
So there you have it, along with my apologies for it. I do rest comfortably in my ramblings knowing that you can simply choose not to read them. Or of course you can choose to read and to judge me. I promise not to judge you, if you choose to judge me, because that's ok.
And I think I feel a little better for having shared it.
I wish to dedicate day 97 to my nephew Jake, just because he's his mothers son.
"Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for - I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times".---Kate L Bosher
"Don't expect too much of Christmas Day. You can't crowd into it any arrears of unselfishness and kindliness that may have accrued during the past twelve months."---Oren Arnold
"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."---Erma Bombeck
And lastly a religious one...
"Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ."---Bart Simpson
love
peter
Monday, December 22, 2008
"Catch-Ups"
Is a term for a specific swimming drill, in which the one hand always has to "catch up" to the other. As you extend one hand out in front of you the other hand completes it's entire stroke before the original hand begins it's stroke. You can also do one armed catch-ups, whereby you continually leave the one hand stretched in front of you and stroke with the other. The intent of the drill is many fold. It builds arm strength, speed of your pull through the water, and encourges you to remain relaxed and streamlined. As it is you feel like a brick, because you work your butt off and don't seem to get anywhere. Hopefully however this kind of hard work will pay off in better speed with less effort. I have to believe!
So that's my current analogy for my life as it now stands. It feels like I'm working my butt off and getting nowhere fast. But if I only keep working the results will eventaually come. I have to believe!
As to this physiatrist person. I as well did not know what that was, but it sure sounds like what I need. Cory, it sounds like you know one pretty well. I was going to ask you if you could get me in to see her? But I suppose not, now that she is going to be so busy. Oh well...story of my life....I suppose you could say that I just got screwed by the entire Canadian Womens hockey Team!!!
And yes, isn't my son the wise and sensitive one. He inspires me to live a long healthy life becasue as his next door neighbour I don't know how I would fare if I ended up blind, deaf, crippled or mentally retarded! Wait....maybe I am mentally retarded...after all I let him move in next door!
Teresa....I happen to think you deserve what you have and then some. And I ain't talking about things, because I know you agree that the important things in life aren't things.
Gonna try riding tomorrow. Wish me luck. If that works out ok, it will remove a lot of stress.
I wish to dedicate day 96 To Harleen my physiotherapist who is trying really hard to help me, unlike the Canadian Womens Hockey Team!
"If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it." ---James A Garfield
love
peter
So that's my current analogy for my life as it now stands. It feels like I'm working my butt off and getting nowhere fast. But if I only keep working the results will eventaually come. I have to believe!
As to this physiatrist person. I as well did not know what that was, but it sure sounds like what I need. Cory, it sounds like you know one pretty well. I was going to ask you if you could get me in to see her? But I suppose not, now that she is going to be so busy. Oh well...story of my life....I suppose you could say that I just got screwed by the entire Canadian Womens hockey Team!!!
And yes, isn't my son the wise and sensitive one. He inspires me to live a long healthy life becasue as his next door neighbour I don't know how I would fare if I ended up blind, deaf, crippled or mentally retarded! Wait....maybe I am mentally retarded...after all I let him move in next door!
Teresa....I happen to think you deserve what you have and then some. And I ain't talking about things, because I know you agree that the important things in life aren't things.
Gonna try riding tomorrow. Wish me luck. If that works out ok, it will remove a lot of stress.
I wish to dedicate day 96 To Harleen my physiotherapist who is trying really hard to help me, unlike the Canadian Womens Hockey Team!
"If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it." ---James A Garfield
love
peter
Sunday, December 21, 2008
"But I'm Not"
I seen a guy at the mall walking with a limp and I thought I should be grateful.
I seen a guy with a cane and I thought I should be grateful.
Then I seen a guy in a wheelchair and I thought I should be grateful.
I considered how fortunate I am that I could go and run 7 kms this morning and I thought I should be grateful.
But I'm Not!
I wanted to run around the block without any discomfort in my knee. Whether it seems selfish or not, that's the way I felt. It was discouraging to find out that it did not seem to have improved at all. It felt great for all of about 3 minutes at which point I got the first twinge, and then it got progressively worse until by the end it was about the same as last time I ran.
It was also a running day from hell. Cold with a nasty wind and absolutely no place to find traction.
I haven't for a second changed my commitment level but it's hard to keep it all in perspective. I admit that this whole thing has become a bit of an obsession and as such I somtimes worry that I have my priorities wrong. But part of me also wants to believe that I deserve this opportunity to do something special. I just don't know?
The short term plan is to swim tomorrow and then try biking the following day. Hopefully I will be able to ride without discomfort and if so I will alternate cycling and swimming for the next week or so.
Of course I did all my stretching and strengthening exercises and the ice pack is in place as I write. I will continue to do so religiously.
Enough whining??
OK.
Here's your idiot moment of the day...well actually yesterday. I was going uptown in Roo's car and realized as I was going out the driveway that I didn't have my water bottle. So I backed up and left the car running while I ran back into the house. When I came back out I passed behind the vehicle and thought I heard the parking assist beeper go off. Hmmmm....I thought? That thing should only go off when the car is in reverse?
You can probably guess the rest of the story! Speaking of gratitude, I was definitely happy that there was enough snow on the ground that I didn't find the thing in the back yard up against the fence!
I'm also grateful for a few other things and if a picture's worth a thousand words this one should tell you why I like to go to Mexico once in a while
.
And this one why I still like Canada as well.
I wish to dedicate day 95 to my nephew Zack. I'm pretty sure his parents are grateful for him.
And some words of wisdom for anyone who has survived cancer and is still not satisfied...
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."---Buddha
"When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ---George Canning
love
peter
I seen a guy with a cane and I thought I should be grateful.
Then I seen a guy in a wheelchair and I thought I should be grateful.
I considered how fortunate I am that I could go and run 7 kms this morning and I thought I should be grateful.
But I'm Not!
I wanted to run around the block without any discomfort in my knee. Whether it seems selfish or not, that's the way I felt. It was discouraging to find out that it did not seem to have improved at all. It felt great for all of about 3 minutes at which point I got the first twinge, and then it got progressively worse until by the end it was about the same as last time I ran.
It was also a running day from hell. Cold with a nasty wind and absolutely no place to find traction.
I haven't for a second changed my commitment level but it's hard to keep it all in perspective. I admit that this whole thing has become a bit of an obsession and as such I somtimes worry that I have my priorities wrong. But part of me also wants to believe that I deserve this opportunity to do something special. I just don't know?
The short term plan is to swim tomorrow and then try biking the following day. Hopefully I will be able to ride without discomfort and if so I will alternate cycling and swimming for the next week or so.
Of course I did all my stretching and strengthening exercises and the ice pack is in place as I write. I will continue to do so religiously.
Enough whining??
OK.
Here's your idiot moment of the day...well actually yesterday. I was going uptown in Roo's car and realized as I was going out the driveway that I didn't have my water bottle. So I backed up and left the car running while I ran back into the house. When I came back out I passed behind the vehicle and thought I heard the parking assist beeper go off. Hmmmm....I thought? That thing should only go off when the car is in reverse?
You can probably guess the rest of the story! Speaking of gratitude, I was definitely happy that there was enough snow on the ground that I didn't find the thing in the back yard up against the fence!
I'm also grateful for a few other things and if a picture's worth a thousand words this one should tell you why I like to go to Mexico once in a while
.
And this one why I still like Canada as well.
I wish to dedicate day 95 to my nephew Zack. I'm pretty sure his parents are grateful for him.
And some words of wisdom for anyone who has survived cancer and is still not satisfied...
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."---Buddha
"When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ---George Canning
love
peter
Saturday, December 20, 2008
"Not Quite Yet"
"Never put off til tomorrow what you can get someone else to do today"
Unfortunatley I don't think that theory holds true for Ironman training. I chose to wait til tomorrow to try again for several reasons.
1)the roads were still crappy
2)we wanted to go spend some time with my idiot siblings(yah you too Betty)
3)another day of rest can't hurt
4)I was scared
Under normal circumstances I would feel absolutely fine to go running. I think I'm just procrastating the moment when I find out what it's gonna be like. It seems like it's been a lot longer than 5 days since I worked out. Wish me luck as I try the block tomorrow.
I'm afraid that's all the time I have today since my grandchildern brought their freaking parents over here tonite and wasted all my writing time! Man i have a tough life eh?
I wish to dedicate day 94 to my nephew Evan, because he reminds me of his father.
And on putting things off til tomorrow I give you this one...
"Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself."---Anon
love
peter
Unfortunatley I don't think that theory holds true for Ironman training. I chose to wait til tomorrow to try again for several reasons.
1)the roads were still crappy
2)we wanted to go spend some time with my idiot siblings(yah you too Betty)
3)another day of rest can't hurt
4)I was scared
Under normal circumstances I would feel absolutely fine to go running. I think I'm just procrastating the moment when I find out what it's gonna be like. It seems like it's been a lot longer than 5 days since I worked out. Wish me luck as I try the block tomorrow.
I'm afraid that's all the time I have today since my grandchildern brought their freaking parents over here tonite and wasted all my writing time! Man i have a tough life eh?
I wish to dedicate day 94 to my nephew Evan, because he reminds me of his father.
And on putting things off til tomorrow I give you this one...
"Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself."---Anon
love
peter
Friday, December 19, 2008
"More Humble Today"
I don't like this swimming without a wetsuit at all. All of my natural athletic ability comes immediately back and wants to drag me to the bottom of the pool! The lane markers, which just seem to fly past when I'm wearing neoprene suddenly seem to stand still. So I decided to focus on doing repeats(25's, 50's and 100's) at intensity, instead of just straight swimming. That should help build my arm strength, and muscular endurance which is what it's really going to come down to for me. If I have strong arms the swim should take little out of me overall....but I still hate swimming without my black security blanket"
I still haven't decided whether I will try running tomorrow or wait until sunday. My knee feels tons better but the problem's still clearly there. It's just so hard to know when it's going to be good enough to start back and at what intensity and duration. Being off for an injury is like a drug addict who's on the wagon. The most common incidents of overdose occur the next time you train, or in the case of my analogy, the next time you use. I'll just have to be careful.
Which brings me to the most important consideration of the day. My son Peter. Anything I could say about his accomplishment would pale in comparison to the amazing tribute his wife scribed on facebook today (check it out), but I do care to get my own brief words in as well. Today my oldest son celebrates 24 months of complete sobriety!!!!!!! If you've never been a cocaine addict, or been close to someone who was/is you would not know how significant an accomplishment this is. I can say with utter conviction that this is a bigger conquest than anything I have ever done in my life ....EVER...UNEQUIVOCALLY EVER!!!
When he expressed gratitude for all the support he has gotten from us and others, I reminded him that he got into that shit by himself, and that he should also take the credit for getting himself out. When he re-iterated that it was with much help, I reminded him that if so, it was only because others wanted to help him, and that was only the case because of the person that he was/is. I love Peter no more or no less than any of my other chidren, but I have loved him longer and on this day he is uppermost in my mind. Way to go son!
So remember way back, when I pitched a whole post on the concept of "AND". Today I am indeed both humble(my swimming) "AND" proud( my son).
I wish to dedicate day 92 to the memory of Frank Collette, because he tried hard but still ended up a victim.
And for my quotes.
First a social one...
"Addiction should never be treated as a crime.
It has to be treated as a health problem.
We do not send alcoholics to jail in this country.
Over 500,000 people are in our jails who are nonviolent drug users".---Ralph Nader
Secondly a disturbing but somehow profound one...
"I admire addicts. In a world where everybody is waiting for some blind, random disaster, or some sudden disease, the addict has the comfort of knowing what will most likely wait for him down the road. He's taken some control over his ultimate fate, and his addiction keeps the cause of death from being a total surprise.”---Chuck Palahnuik
And lastly one just because I know Peter will love it...
"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town."---George Carlin
love
peter
I still haven't decided whether I will try running tomorrow or wait until sunday. My knee feels tons better but the problem's still clearly there. It's just so hard to know when it's going to be good enough to start back and at what intensity and duration. Being off for an injury is like a drug addict who's on the wagon. The most common incidents of overdose occur the next time you train, or in the case of my analogy, the next time you use. I'll just have to be careful.
Which brings me to the most important consideration of the day. My son Peter. Anything I could say about his accomplishment would pale in comparison to the amazing tribute his wife scribed on facebook today (check it out), but I do care to get my own brief words in as well. Today my oldest son celebrates 24 months of complete sobriety!!!!!!! If you've never been a cocaine addict, or been close to someone who was/is you would not know how significant an accomplishment this is. I can say with utter conviction that this is a bigger conquest than anything I have ever done in my life ....EVER...UNEQUIVOCALLY EVER!!!
When he expressed gratitude for all the support he has gotten from us and others, I reminded him that he got into that shit by himself, and that he should also take the credit for getting himself out. When he re-iterated that it was with much help, I reminded him that if so, it was only because others wanted to help him, and that was only the case because of the person that he was/is. I love Peter no more or no less than any of my other chidren, but I have loved him longer and on this day he is uppermost in my mind. Way to go son!
So remember way back, when I pitched a whole post on the concept of "AND". Today I am indeed both humble(my swimming) "AND" proud( my son).
I wish to dedicate day 92 to the memory of Frank Collette, because he tried hard but still ended up a victim.
And for my quotes.
First a social one...
"Addiction should never be treated as a crime.
It has to be treated as a health problem.
We do not send alcoholics to jail in this country.
Over 500,000 people are in our jails who are nonviolent drug users".---Ralph Nader
Secondly a disturbing but somehow profound one...
"I admire addicts. In a world where everybody is waiting for some blind, random disaster, or some sudden disease, the addict has the comfort of knowing what will most likely wait for him down the road. He's taken some control over his ultimate fate, and his addiction keeps the cause of death from being a total surprise.”---Chuck Palahnuik
And lastly one just because I know Peter will love it...
"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town."---George Carlin
love
peter
Thursday, December 18, 2008
"Stay Calm"
As most of the discomfort eases in my knee I am anxious to get going again. Experience tells me however that I need to be patient. I am going to force myself to go at least one more day without running and then try just the block on saturday....well actually we're supposed to go to Teresa and Bretts that day so maybe I'll just run to their house instead. That can't be more than 100 kms!
Tomorrow I have to go back to the physio guy and then afterwards I will get a swim in. Funny thing is I hoped to have my swim endurance mastered by the spring but I actually feel like I have that discipline in hand already. Crazy eh? But it's good to know. If I get to the pool just 3 times a week through the winter I should be able to maintain and maybe even improve a little.
Once I get back to running I will keep my distance down for the next month or so to avoid the same problem, but hopefully by end of March have the mileage and my endurance up where I need it. I don't think cycling was an initial factor in my knee issues so hopefully I will be able to get back in the saddle again soon. Wish me luck!
I suspect that my wife kind of likes me being shutdown as I shampooed the basement rugs today in an effort to stay busy. I think the last time I did anything like that was 15 years ago when I was quitting smoking. I think I did a pretty good job too. At least it looked great with the lights out!
I wish to dedicate day 92 to my nephew Chad....a teenager I like...need I say more!
“Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished."---Buddha
"Doubt is an uneasy and dissatisfied state from which we struggle to free ourselves and pass into the state of belief; while the latter is a calm and satisfactory state which we do not wish to avoid, or to change to a belief in anything else."--- Charles Sanders Peirce
love
peter
Tomorrow I have to go back to the physio guy and then afterwards I will get a swim in. Funny thing is I hoped to have my swim endurance mastered by the spring but I actually feel like I have that discipline in hand already. Crazy eh? But it's good to know. If I get to the pool just 3 times a week through the winter I should be able to maintain and maybe even improve a little.
Once I get back to running I will keep my distance down for the next month or so to avoid the same problem, but hopefully by end of March have the mileage and my endurance up where I need it. I don't think cycling was an initial factor in my knee issues so hopefully I will be able to get back in the saddle again soon. Wish me luck!
I suspect that my wife kind of likes me being shutdown as I shampooed the basement rugs today in an effort to stay busy. I think the last time I did anything like that was 15 years ago when I was quitting smoking. I think I did a pretty good job too. At least it looked great with the lights out!
I wish to dedicate day 92 to my nephew Chad....a teenager I like...need I say more!
“Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished."---Buddha
"Doubt is an uneasy and dissatisfied state from which we struggle to free ourselves and pass into the state of belief; while the latter is a calm and satisfactory state which we do not wish to avoid, or to change to a belief in anything else."--- Charles Sanders Peirce
love
peter
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
"3862.4256 Meters"
Actually I'm not sure that they actually use this exact conversion of 2.4 miles or just round it off to 3800 but I'm not going to take any chances. That's why I swam it to the 4th decimal place today. And in case you think I was bullshitting about the wetsuit advantage I can tell you that it took me exactly 1 hr, 14 mins and 38 secs. That compares to the unwestsuit swim of a month ago which took just over 1 hr, 42 mins, and which was of course 62 metres shorter! Anyway, I felt quite good about that even if it feels like cheating. After all everyone does it, and it's within the rules. I needed a good day to get my spirits back up.
So here's what I learned from the physiotherapist today who seemed quite knowledgeable. The problem is his mind is weak quadraceps muscles especially those to the inside of my leg. As a result I am getting some poor tracking of my knee cap which is of course causing abrasion and inflammation. When I say weak I mean relative to my hamstrings which are super strong from so much running. Actually he thinks the tracking problem is fairly minor and with the right stretching and strengthening I should be able to correct it in not too much time. He assured me that all tendons and ligaments seem good and sound. They also did some kind of voodoo with a contraption they called an Electro-Myopulse machine. It's supposed to reduce inflammation and speed healing....probably a bunch of malarkey eh? I am feeling better already but I'm sure it's from the 2 days off as well as the Naproxen. So he gives me these exercise to do which are primarily strectching and then specific strengthening for my quads, particularly leg extensions. Then the funny thing is tonite a get a beautiful e-mail from my friend Burt who's been running since the old king was a boy....and guess what Burt says..."just do leg extensions peter and your problem will go away" I should have just asked him first. Thanks Burt.
While we're on the subject of this guy, my friend Burt, please think of him. He's also a survivor but he's maybe not quite out of the woods yet. I wish also to share a quote with you that he sent me and which he says describes me. See if you agree. It is from long time running guru George Sheehan, and goes like this,
"WHEN I AM ILL, I BECOME A SKEPTIC. WHAT HAS HITHERTO BEEN A CERTAINTY BECOMES PERHAPS; WHAT WAS PERHAPS BECOMES MAYBE; AND WHAT WAS MAYBE BECOMES PROBABLY NOT"
Well he may be right but I also know I'm not a quitter. I was only whining a little bit Cory. I have no intention of quitting.
Speaking of quitting however and since I now have Corys attention I must remind my big sister of something. I was looking at some old posts yesterday and I came across a comment you made. You had publicly stated that you had quit smoking and you added and I quote..."please hold me to it"...just a friendly little reminder my dear. They were your words not mine.
So today was a good day because even though I couldn't run or bike I could cross train a little. So I put on my antlers and built a Christmas tree with my other favorite reindeer. Whadda ya think?
I wish to dedicate day 91 Tabitha. As neices go she is very special, because she came to us in a special way.
"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."--- Larry Wilde
love
peter
So here's what I learned from the physiotherapist today who seemed quite knowledgeable. The problem is his mind is weak quadraceps muscles especially those to the inside of my leg. As a result I am getting some poor tracking of my knee cap which is of course causing abrasion and inflammation. When I say weak I mean relative to my hamstrings which are super strong from so much running. Actually he thinks the tracking problem is fairly minor and with the right stretching and strengthening I should be able to correct it in not too much time. He assured me that all tendons and ligaments seem good and sound. They also did some kind of voodoo with a contraption they called an Electro-Myopulse machine. It's supposed to reduce inflammation and speed healing....probably a bunch of malarkey eh? I am feeling better already but I'm sure it's from the 2 days off as well as the Naproxen. So he gives me these exercise to do which are primarily strectching and then specific strengthening for my quads, particularly leg extensions. Then the funny thing is tonite a get a beautiful e-mail from my friend Burt who's been running since the old king was a boy....and guess what Burt says..."just do leg extensions peter and your problem will go away" I should have just asked him first. Thanks Burt.
While we're on the subject of this guy, my friend Burt, please think of him. He's also a survivor but he's maybe not quite out of the woods yet. I wish also to share a quote with you that he sent me and which he says describes me. See if you agree. It is from long time running guru George Sheehan, and goes like this,
"WHEN I AM ILL, I BECOME A SKEPTIC. WHAT HAS HITHERTO BEEN A CERTAINTY BECOMES PERHAPS; WHAT WAS PERHAPS BECOMES MAYBE; AND WHAT WAS MAYBE BECOMES PROBABLY NOT"
Well he may be right but I also know I'm not a quitter. I was only whining a little bit Cory. I have no intention of quitting.
Speaking of quitting however and since I now have Corys attention I must remind my big sister of something. I was looking at some old posts yesterday and I came across a comment you made. You had publicly stated that you had quit smoking and you added and I quote..."please hold me to it"...just a friendly little reminder my dear. They were your words not mine.
So today was a good day because even though I couldn't run or bike I could cross train a little. So I put on my antlers and built a Christmas tree with my other favorite reindeer. Whadda ya think?
I wish to dedicate day 91 Tabitha. As neices go she is very special, because she came to us in a special way.
"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."--- Larry Wilde
love
peter
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
"Discouraged"
I'm officially "on the shelf". I could not work out at all today. I tried to ride but lasted 5 minutes. I got in to see the doctor who gave me a prescription for Naproxen an inflammatory, and a referral for physiotherapy. I will follow that up tomorrow. Right now I am very discouraged.
I suppose it's not a wonder that this shit happens. I figure that on my last ride I made over 15000 turns of the pedals, and the 35km run that started my problems amounted to more than 16000 steps with each foot.
I will try to get in a good swim tomorrow and hopefully that works ok. I may be doing a lot more of it for a while.
I wish to dedicate day 90 to my friend Paul Peltier a guy who will do anything for a friend!
And finally a note to self...
I suppose it's not a wonder that this shit happens. I figure that on my last ride I made over 15000 turns of the pedals, and the 35km run that started my problems amounted to more than 16000 steps with each foot.
I will try to get in a good swim tomorrow and hopefully that works ok. I may be doing a lot more of it for a while.
I wish to dedicate day 90 to my friend Paul Peltier a guy who will do anything for a friend!
And finally a note to self...
"Try Not! Do or do not....there is no try!" Yoda, Jedi Master
love peter
Monday, December 15, 2008
"Devastated!"
......To find out that the bike distance in an Ironman triathlon is actually 180.246 kilomtres as opposed to the advertised 180! I noticed this discrepancy when I was riding the computrainer but at the time I just put it down to some glich in the program. So in the early stages of my run today, and while my brain was still getting oxygen, I decided I was going to confirm the distance by doing the math in my head. I knew that the proper Ironman distance was actually 112 miles and I also knew that there are 1.609 kms in a mile so I indeed was able to confirm that it is more than 18o kms, 180.208 to be exact. But wait...that didnt seem to agree with the number I remember from the trainer, so tonite I checked the conversion more exactly, and found out that one mile is actually 1.609344 kms for a total distance of 180.246528 kms. I'm glad I didn't know that at the time because if I tried to do that math in my head while running, my head would probably have exploded.
But you can see why I am just floored by this news. I've been training all this time for 180 only to find out I have to ride almost another 1/4 km!!! It may seem like nothing to you but just to put it into perspective, can you imagine if someone would have told Donovan Bailey his race was suddenly 250 metres longer. Doesn't seem like such a little thing now does it?
Anyway, when I got over the initial shock and faced this reality, I thought I better check the other distances as well to see what other kinds of deceit were hidden there.
And sure enough!!
The swim distance of 2.4 miles converts to 3862.4256 metres instead of the promised 3800! Again, an extra 62 metres! How do they expect me to ever do this I ask??
The run thank god is actually 42.1648128 metres which saves 35 metres.
But what I'm really pissed about is that I'm pretty sure that either one of Teresa and/or Brett must have known this stuff and purposely kept it from me. Dare I say it? Idiots! The both of them!
Anyway...I ran 22.2 kms today as promised ....a distance which can be done by any idiot, blindfolded, carrying one of his children, and running in his sock feet. I didn't do it that way but I could have. It took me exactly 2 hours which is fine. My knee of course reminded me the whole time that this was going to be far enough for the day. I tried to get a doctors appointment but nothing doing til after Xmas. I should have told them I was having chest pain, instead of knee pain eh? It just doesn't pay to be too healthy I guess. Tomorrow I ride again so lets see how that goes. Of course I continue to ice, and massage and stretch and all that other good stuff.
Ok. Just one more thing on distance and this one really, really pisses me off. The next guy that says this to me I'm gonna belt. I was talking to a guy at the pool the other day and he said he was preparing to do the Muskoka Ironman triathlon next summer. I said "you mean the half ironman?" he said "oh yah, yah...the half". Where do you think he gets off calling it an Ironman? Well I'll tell you where he gets it from. The people who are marketing all the biggger races have coined a new phrase. They are saying come do our Ironman 70.3!!!. Bullshit! I'ts half an effin Ironman and that's all there is to it! After all the mantra is
"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life"
On the contrary if you only went half way and then quit, you would probably not tell anyone about your failure.... ever! By the way, I've done a few halfs in the past and I could do another one tomorrow...in my sock feet!
Hey, does anyone else find it funny that Mary had to look 'idiot' up in the dictionary to see if she was one, when all she really had to do was look in the mirror....or at a family photo for that matter?
And that's it for today friends and family.
Except on important extended family that we sometimes take for granted...
...I dedicate day 89 to my sister in law Elaine who helped raise our children, something for which I will always be grateful.
...and on miles and/or kilometres....
“The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult."---Madame Marie du Deffand
“Anywhere is walking distance, if you've got the time."---Stephen Wright
love
peter
But you can see why I am just floored by this news. I've been training all this time for 180 only to find out I have to ride almost another 1/4 km!!! It may seem like nothing to you but just to put it into perspective, can you imagine if someone would have told Donovan Bailey his race was suddenly 250 metres longer. Doesn't seem like such a little thing now does it?
Anyway, when I got over the initial shock and faced this reality, I thought I better check the other distances as well to see what other kinds of deceit were hidden there.
And sure enough!!
The swim distance of 2.4 miles converts to 3862.4256 metres instead of the promised 3800! Again, an extra 62 metres! How do they expect me to ever do this I ask??
The run thank god is actually 42.1648128 metres which saves 35 metres.
But what I'm really pissed about is that I'm pretty sure that either one of Teresa and/or Brett must have known this stuff and purposely kept it from me. Dare I say it? Idiots! The both of them!
Anyway...I ran 22.2 kms today as promised ....a distance which can be done by any idiot, blindfolded, carrying one of his children, and running in his sock feet. I didn't do it that way but I could have. It took me exactly 2 hours which is fine. My knee of course reminded me the whole time that this was going to be far enough for the day. I tried to get a doctors appointment but nothing doing til after Xmas. I should have told them I was having chest pain, instead of knee pain eh? It just doesn't pay to be too healthy I guess. Tomorrow I ride again so lets see how that goes. Of course I continue to ice, and massage and stretch and all that other good stuff.
Ok. Just one more thing on distance and this one really, really pisses me off. The next guy that says this to me I'm gonna belt. I was talking to a guy at the pool the other day and he said he was preparing to do the Muskoka Ironman triathlon next summer. I said "you mean the half ironman?" he said "oh yah, yah...the half". Where do you think he gets off calling it an Ironman? Well I'll tell you where he gets it from. The people who are marketing all the biggger races have coined a new phrase. They are saying come do our Ironman 70.3!!!. Bullshit! I'ts half an effin Ironman and that's all there is to it! After all the mantra is
"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life"
On the contrary if you only went half way and then quit, you would probably not tell anyone about your failure.... ever! By the way, I've done a few halfs in the past and I could do another one tomorrow...in my sock feet!
Hey, does anyone else find it funny that Mary had to look 'idiot' up in the dictionary to see if she was one, when all she really had to do was look in the mirror....or at a family photo for that matter?
And that's it for today friends and family.
Except on important extended family that we sometimes take for granted...
...I dedicate day 89 to my sister in law Elaine who helped raise our children, something for which I will always be grateful.
...and on miles and/or kilometres....
“The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult."---Madame Marie du Deffand
“Anywhere is walking distance, if you've got the time."---Stephen Wright
love
peter
Sunday, December 14, 2008
"That Old Black Magic"
As in "black" neoprene. Of course I've preached lots about the advantage of wetsuits but today I was myself reminded just how much difference it makes. When I first got in the pool I found it quite restrictive around the shoulders and actually a little tiring in a new way. However when I finally got into a rhythm I swam 1000 metres in just under 19 minutes! Compare that to 22'-10" just a few days ago. That's almost 15 percent faster. And that's without the new wetsuit that I think Roo has approved. I think the message here is to not stress too much about technique, and worry more about arm strength and again, muscular endurance. I will make a point of taking my wetsuit every time I want to try to do some distance and at other times focus on strength drills.
The latest knee news. Not too bad this morning, considering what I did yesterday. I'll see what tomorrows run brings and then go from there. In the interim I continue icing and ibuprofen.
Good job Elly posting your idiot comment on the wrong post! There's a spanish word that describes you just nicely....IDIOTA!
So overall I feel somewhat optimistic today. My ride yesterday combined with todays wetsuit success would be nicely topped off by a decent 21-22 km run tomorrow. I'm of course tempted to try for more but if sanity prevails I think 3 blocks should be enough. (22.2km)
I wish to dedicate day 88 to my friend Steve Flannery who always inspires my self confidence.
on confidence....
"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense."---Arnold Bennett
"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."---Mark Twain
and for all you idiots out there...
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."---Dr. Seuss
love
peter
The latest knee news. Not too bad this morning, considering what I did yesterday. I'll see what tomorrows run brings and then go from there. In the interim I continue icing and ibuprofen.
Good job Elly posting your idiot comment on the wrong post! There's a spanish word that describes you just nicely....IDIOTA!
So overall I feel somewhat optimistic today. My ride yesterday combined with todays wetsuit success would be nicely topped off by a decent 21-22 km run tomorrow. I'm of course tempted to try for more but if sanity prevails I think 3 blocks should be enough. (22.2km)
I wish to dedicate day 88 to my friend Steve Flannery who always inspires my self confidence.
on confidence....
"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense."---Arnold Bennett
"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."---Mark Twain
and for all you idiots out there...
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."---Dr. Seuss
love
peter
Saturday, December 13, 2008
"You're Right Cory"
I'm an idiot!
There's a guy I work with who is a professional trainer and part of his whole shtick is a monologue on idiots. He tells us there are idiots everywhere! He talks about idiots behind the wheel, at the Tim Hortons drive through, at work and at the gym. He warns us that every where we turn we are faced with these idiots. Some of us live with an idiot, some of us married one, and my favorite....some of us even gave birth to one! So it's my mothers fault that I'm an idiot.
But you know what? I like being called an idiot, and here's why. First off I think it is safe to say that there is generally a negative connotation associated with the word...agreed? So if someone so blatantly and publicly slanders me this way I am gratified becasue the message I choose to take out of it is this....that person is not afraid of my reaction....they are not afraid that I am a prideful person who's feelings might be hurt. I'm proud of my thick skin, and the fact that others acknowledge it. It's taken a long time to develop.
I guess I might also say that perhaps my mother gave birth to more than one idiot....maybe as many as twelve eh?
So on to my training. In preparation for my ride today I made sure I had everything I needed including my music, as it really helps when sitting inside riding. I was kind of nervous heading out, because I was worried about my knee. Imagine my frustration when I got there and realized I didn't have my shoes! IDIOT! This just added to my apprehension and I was very sceptical about getting a decent session in, once I drove home and back again.
Once I got started however I was pretty sure I could do a couple of hours. I ended up doing the first half of the Ironman course(90k) in 3 1/2 hours. Kind of slow but generally I was happy with it. As I've mentioned before it's all about building muscular endurance at this point, not speed. As well, the first half of the course is definitely the hardest half.
As to my knee it bothered me the whole time. Not that it's terribly painful at this point, but it does mess with your head a bit. I am desperately afraid of screwing it up for an extended period of time....time that I simply do not have to spare!
When I was stressing about that very fact to Claudette yesterday she told me that I was treating it as if it were a matter of life and death. My response..."You're right" and "It Is". I know that sounds very dramatic but I choose to make this thing that important to me for fear that otherwise I will let myself off the hook somehow. Try Not!
The real test of the knee will be tomorrow morning. I iced it right after my ride and that really seemed to settle it quickly. Tomorrow will be swimming only and then hopefully a longer run on monday. If it bothers me a lot after that I will call the doctor and get some advice. Does anyone find it as funny as I do that Cory thinks I need to 'analyze' this whole thing a lot better? Who all remembers her diatribe of a few months ago where she absolutely castigated me for spending too much time and effort analyzing everything. All I can say is "IDIOT"
I wish to dedicate day 87 to Roos friend Sally. When I say she's one of a kind, that's what I mean!
“When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap."---Cynthia Heimel
“In these days, a man who says a thing cannot be done is quite apt to be interrupted by some idiot doing it."---Elbert Hubbard
“As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."---John Lennon
love
peter
There's a guy I work with who is a professional trainer and part of his whole shtick is a monologue on idiots. He tells us there are idiots everywhere! He talks about idiots behind the wheel, at the Tim Hortons drive through, at work and at the gym. He warns us that every where we turn we are faced with these idiots. Some of us live with an idiot, some of us married one, and my favorite....some of us even gave birth to one! So it's my mothers fault that I'm an idiot.
But you know what? I like being called an idiot, and here's why. First off I think it is safe to say that there is generally a negative connotation associated with the word...agreed? So if someone so blatantly and publicly slanders me this way I am gratified becasue the message I choose to take out of it is this....that person is not afraid of my reaction....they are not afraid that I am a prideful person who's feelings might be hurt. I'm proud of my thick skin, and the fact that others acknowledge it. It's taken a long time to develop.
I guess I might also say that perhaps my mother gave birth to more than one idiot....maybe as many as twelve eh?
So on to my training. In preparation for my ride today I made sure I had everything I needed including my music, as it really helps when sitting inside riding. I was kind of nervous heading out, because I was worried about my knee. Imagine my frustration when I got there and realized I didn't have my shoes! IDIOT! This just added to my apprehension and I was very sceptical about getting a decent session in, once I drove home and back again.
Once I got started however I was pretty sure I could do a couple of hours. I ended up doing the first half of the Ironman course(90k) in 3 1/2 hours. Kind of slow but generally I was happy with it. As I've mentioned before it's all about building muscular endurance at this point, not speed. As well, the first half of the course is definitely the hardest half.
As to my knee it bothered me the whole time. Not that it's terribly painful at this point, but it does mess with your head a bit. I am desperately afraid of screwing it up for an extended period of time....time that I simply do not have to spare!
When I was stressing about that very fact to Claudette yesterday she told me that I was treating it as if it were a matter of life and death. My response..."You're right" and "It Is". I know that sounds very dramatic but I choose to make this thing that important to me for fear that otherwise I will let myself off the hook somehow. Try Not!
The real test of the knee will be tomorrow morning. I iced it right after my ride and that really seemed to settle it quickly. Tomorrow will be swimming only and then hopefully a longer run on monday. If it bothers me a lot after that I will call the doctor and get some advice. Does anyone find it as funny as I do that Cory thinks I need to 'analyze' this whole thing a lot better? Who all remembers her diatribe of a few months ago where she absolutely castigated me for spending too much time and effort analyzing everything. All I can say is "IDIOT"
I wish to dedicate day 87 to Roos friend Sally. When I say she's one of a kind, that's what I mean!
“When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap."---Cynthia Heimel
“In these days, a man who says a thing cannot be done is quite apt to be interrupted by some idiot doing it."---Elbert Hubbard
“As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."---John Lennon
love
peter
Friday, December 12, 2008
"Swimming's like Golf"
Proper grip, proper stance, controlled backswing, keep your head down, turn your wrists over, shift your weight, rotate your hips, front arm straight, follow through... etc, etc, and do all these things at once without even thinking about it. That's why I was never any good at golf and will never be any good at swimming. Either you have the genetic makeup for natural athletic ability or you don't. Swimming is very , very technical and I just don't have it. I acknowledge that and will still try to work hard to get a bit better, but I admit that I'm not having much fun doing it. This weekend I will try it with my wetsuit to see if that gives me a mental boost.
Of course I may have lots of time to spend at the pool over the next while because if my knee doesn't start to fell better soon I'm not going to have much choice but to limit my training to swimming for a week or so. It is still troubling me. Not to the point that it's too painful to work out, but I know from exprience that it can get there if not properly dealt with. On my run around the block today it started acting up within 5 minutes which is a bad sign, but then starting easing off by the time I was done, which is a good sign. Tomorrow I will be trying to ride again and that will be a good test. I will decide after that whether I need to take some time off, or whether I can keep ploughing ahead. Wish me luck!!
Head up, or is that down, elbows high, finish your stroke, swivel your hips, point your toes, drag your fingertips on recovery, catch the water, don't cross over centre, hips high in the water, and kick, and breathe...blah, blah, blah
I wish to dedicate day 86 to my friend James Frost who can't golf, and can't swim, but can and often is an inspiration to me
If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I'd still swim. And I'd despise the one who gave up. ~Abraham Maslow
As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.- Ben Hogan
love
peter
Of course I may have lots of time to spend at the pool over the next while because if my knee doesn't start to fell better soon I'm not going to have much choice but to limit my training to swimming for a week or so. It is still troubling me. Not to the point that it's too painful to work out, but I know from exprience that it can get there if not properly dealt with. On my run around the block today it started acting up within 5 minutes which is a bad sign, but then starting easing off by the time I was done, which is a good sign. Tomorrow I will be trying to ride again and that will be a good test. I will decide after that whether I need to take some time off, or whether I can keep ploughing ahead. Wish me luck!!
Head up, or is that down, elbows high, finish your stroke, swivel your hips, point your toes, drag your fingertips on recovery, catch the water, don't cross over centre, hips high in the water, and kick, and breathe...blah, blah, blah
I wish to dedicate day 86 to my friend James Frost who can't golf, and can't swim, but can and often is an inspiration to me
If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I'd still swim. And I'd despise the one who gave up. ~Abraham Maslow
As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.- Ben Hogan
love
peter
Thursday, December 11, 2008
"Mental or Physical"
I really don't know today. Generally I can tell whether I'm just being lazy or whether my body is genuinely fatiqued. I went downtown to ride but I wasn't in the spirit of it mentally, and it seemed like my legs just didn't have any zip. I ended up riding 30k at quite a slow pace and then called it a day. Oh well, whatever the problem is I'm sure the energy will be there another day.
Of a more worrisome nature is the feeling in my left knee. It really started acting up again during my hills yesterday and wasn't any better on the bike today. I'm going to have to monitor it very closely. I will start trying to ice it regularly and also start taking ibuprofen 2 or times a day to try to manage the inflammation.....ok Cory?
Fortunately I managed to get to the pool today(thanks Teresa) and I had a decent if not long swim. I swam 1000 metres in 22 minutes and 10 seconds. my previous best at this distance was 22' 45" so I continue to improve slowly.
And thats about if for today with the exception of a few miscellaneous items.
1) I will give you that I have a nice friendly smile and a full head of hair but I'm not fooling myself about the rest of my head. Regardless, thanks you all for your kind words.
2) Cory....I would start panicking if I were you! Now old John is talking sweet to you as well??
3) Roo is out of town and I have Kylie over for the night so I don't give a shit about nothing!!!...double negative and all
4) I had a special moment on the phone tonite when a lady called looking for Dave? It was with genuine, intense gratification that I was able to say...Dave? Dave's not here!
5)I went to the funeral home tonite and met Denis, who is the same sex partner of the deceased. I found it overwhelmingly sad that the partner and the mother didn't even know each other. Someone had to die for them to get acquainted.
I wish to dedicate day 85 to Denis...who must be very sad.
And I do hope my problem is mental because...
“I really have a secret satisfaction in being considered rather mad.”---William Heath Robinson
love
peter
Of a more worrisome nature is the feeling in my left knee. It really started acting up again during my hills yesterday and wasn't any better on the bike today. I'm going to have to monitor it very closely. I will start trying to ice it regularly and also start taking ibuprofen 2 or times a day to try to manage the inflammation.....ok Cory?
Fortunately I managed to get to the pool today(thanks Teresa) and I had a decent if not long swim. I swam 1000 metres in 22 minutes and 10 seconds. my previous best at this distance was 22' 45" so I continue to improve slowly.
And thats about if for today with the exception of a few miscellaneous items.
1) I will give you that I have a nice friendly smile and a full head of hair but I'm not fooling myself about the rest of my head. Regardless, thanks you all for your kind words.
2) Cory....I would start panicking if I were you! Now old John is talking sweet to you as well??
3) Roo is out of town and I have Kylie over for the night so I don't give a shit about nothing!!!...double negative and all
4) I had a special moment on the phone tonite when a lady called looking for Dave? It was with genuine, intense gratification that I was able to say...Dave? Dave's not here!
5)I went to the funeral home tonite and met Denis, who is the same sex partner of the deceased. I found it overwhelmingly sad that the partner and the mother didn't even know each other. Someone had to die for them to get acquainted.
I wish to dedicate day 85 to Denis...who must be very sad.
And I do hope my problem is mental because...
“I really have a secret satisfaction in being considered rather mad.”---William Heath Robinson
love
peter
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
"A Puddle in the Driveway"
First off, sorry about the negative post yesterday. It's just so desperately sad when someone leaves life, let alone leaving it that way.
Secondly today was a good news day as Roo got a good report on a health issue that was worrying us a lot....enough said...
Several years ago when we bought our house on Crescent Ave one of the first things we did was have a concrete driveway put in. I knew the guys that were doing the work and trusted them quite well. Regardless I was quite specific about how I wanted everything done, where I wanted the slope for water runoff, etc. The night before they poured the concrete they had all the forms up and lines stretched to keep everything flat and appropriately sloped. I was tempted to go out there with my level and check it all out prior to the concrete arriving, but I resisted. After all these guys were professionals with a very good reputation. For years I regreted my non-action that day because with the very first rain it was quickly apparent that there was a low spot where the water was never going to drain away. We had paid $5000 for this work and I was frustrated. It's probably not necesaary to tell you that it was minor enough that no one else even noticed, but for me it was almost a perfect driveway with a very ugly puddle! Anyway it nagged at me with every rain, to the point that I realized I would have to change my attitude or have the driveway removed and done again. Since this wasn't reasonable I decided to acknowledege that having a non-perfect driveway was probably good help in curbing my perfectionist attitude. It could help keep me humble. After that I was ok with it.
So why tell you my puddle story? Because it was an important learning for me that has come back to me now and been useful again. The puddle lesson of 10 years ago, allows me today to be grateful for my head! Soon I will have an almost perfect body with a very ugly head. I really am taking great satisfaction in my improved physique. I am actually getting muscles that I have never had before and when I look in the mirror. It would be easy to get cocky if not for my head....thank goodness.
It occurs to me that the puddle that I found so ugly, would have been loved by my grandchildern and I'm pretty sure that they're not too repulsed by my head either.
Anyway, enough of that nonsense. I had a good workout today. I did my hills as promised and also as promised I hated them. I stepped it up to a new level however by doing 12 and at a slightly quicker pace than previous. Not just up the hill but my downs were quicker as well which is a very positive indicator of fitness. It means I'm recovering quicker. I think the single most important workout I do is running hills, as it builds both muscle strength and cardiovascukar fitness in a big way. I also went to the pool tonite but without my swim bag, and so I turned around and came home.
If this Ironman and the required training seems crazy to you how about this...they also have something called Ultraman Canada. It is a 3 day event that is comprised of a 10 km swim!!!, combined with a 145 km ride on day one, an easy 274 km ride on day two and then finally a gentle 85 km run on day 3. Can you freakin imagine? The winning time this past year was just under 25 hours.
I wish to dedicate day 84 to my wife Claudette, because she is more precious to me than my ability to express it allows.
“My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."---Rodney Dangerfield
“Beauty is but skin deep, ugly lies to the bone; Beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own."---Anon
love
peter
Secondly today was a good news day as Roo got a good report on a health issue that was worrying us a lot....enough said...
Several years ago when we bought our house on Crescent Ave one of the first things we did was have a concrete driveway put in. I knew the guys that were doing the work and trusted them quite well. Regardless I was quite specific about how I wanted everything done, where I wanted the slope for water runoff, etc. The night before they poured the concrete they had all the forms up and lines stretched to keep everything flat and appropriately sloped. I was tempted to go out there with my level and check it all out prior to the concrete arriving, but I resisted. After all these guys were professionals with a very good reputation. For years I regreted my non-action that day because with the very first rain it was quickly apparent that there was a low spot where the water was never going to drain away. We had paid $5000 for this work and I was frustrated. It's probably not necesaary to tell you that it was minor enough that no one else even noticed, but for me it was almost a perfect driveway with a very ugly puddle! Anyway it nagged at me with every rain, to the point that I realized I would have to change my attitude or have the driveway removed and done again. Since this wasn't reasonable I decided to acknowledege that having a non-perfect driveway was probably good help in curbing my perfectionist attitude. It could help keep me humble. After that I was ok with it.
So why tell you my puddle story? Because it was an important learning for me that has come back to me now and been useful again. The puddle lesson of 10 years ago, allows me today to be grateful for my head! Soon I will have an almost perfect body with a very ugly head. I really am taking great satisfaction in my improved physique. I am actually getting muscles that I have never had before and when I look in the mirror. It would be easy to get cocky if not for my head....thank goodness.
It occurs to me that the puddle that I found so ugly, would have been loved by my grandchildern and I'm pretty sure that they're not too repulsed by my head either.
Anyway, enough of that nonsense. I had a good workout today. I did my hills as promised and also as promised I hated them. I stepped it up to a new level however by doing 12 and at a slightly quicker pace than previous. Not just up the hill but my downs were quicker as well which is a very positive indicator of fitness. It means I'm recovering quicker. I think the single most important workout I do is running hills, as it builds both muscle strength and cardiovascukar fitness in a big way. I also went to the pool tonite but without my swim bag, and so I turned around and came home.
If this Ironman and the required training seems crazy to you how about this...they also have something called Ultraman Canada. It is a 3 day event that is comprised of a 10 km swim!!!, combined with a 145 km ride on day one, an easy 274 km ride on day two and then finally a gentle 85 km run on day 3. Can you freakin imagine? The winning time this past year was just under 25 hours.
I wish to dedicate day 84 to my wife Claudette, because she is more precious to me than my ability to express it allows.
“My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."---Rodney Dangerfield
“Beauty is but skin deep, ugly lies to the bone; Beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own."---Anon
love
peter
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
"No Workout Today"
And it's been a few days since I've done anything intense. I forgot to mention yesterdays workout which was an easy 10 k run. I feel like Im gaining weight and losing fitness as every minute goes by. I promise to go do hills tomorrow and a bike workout the next day. I suppose that the break is good for my knees anyway. They are still a bit sensitive. It's probably best that I have to work now and again as that was my excuse today. I had early morning meetings in Brampton and didnt get back til late afternoon. I did take the time to clean my bike this evening so I feel good about that.
So in short, nothing's perfect but it's not bad. I can honestly say that I'm glad to be alive and I can also tell you that I have had times in the past year where I haven't felt that. I remember when I was in that funk I almost felt a resentment that I had to go on living simply because others depended on me. Of course I'm now grateful that I had those reasons. Sadly there are people in our world who aren't blessed with the same support and I sometimes think of those unnamed people. It really hits home however when you know the name and know it well.
I wish to dedicate day 83 to Paul Somerville, a good man. I consider him brave! May he rest in peace...
"They tell us that suicide is the greatest piece of cowardice... that suicide is wrong; when it is quite obvious that there is nothing in the world to which every man has a more unassailable title than to his own life and person."---Arthur Schopenhauer
love
peter
So in short, nothing's perfect but it's not bad. I can honestly say that I'm glad to be alive and I can also tell you that I have had times in the past year where I haven't felt that. I remember when I was in that funk I almost felt a resentment that I had to go on living simply because others depended on me. Of course I'm now grateful that I had those reasons. Sadly there are people in our world who aren't blessed with the same support and I sometimes think of those unnamed people. It really hits home however when you know the name and know it well.
I wish to dedicate day 83 to Paul Somerville, a good man. I consider him brave! May he rest in peace...
"They tell us that suicide is the greatest piece of cowardice... that suicide is wrong; when it is quite obvious that there is nothing in the world to which every man has a more unassailable title than to his own life and person."---Arthur Schopenhauer
love
peter
Monday, December 8, 2008
"Gettin in Shape"
Despite the fact that I have a long way to go to get my endurance to the levels necessary I am generally happy with my fitness. I am doing so many things better then I ever did before and as a result am getting results I didn't before. Considering where I was 6 months ago the progress is good. My resting heart rate is quite satisfactory and my strength particularly continues to improve quickly. I admitted to Claudette yesterday that I believe diet has been a big factor. I consume more protein than I did in the past and as a result it seems like I can eat more and gain muscle only. Of course she's been giving me that advice for years. My body fat clearly continues to decrease and yet my weight holds very steady. That's a pretty important element as fat becomes only baggage when running or biking.... although it doesn't really hamper swimming much.
So thats my message for today....listen to your spouse, and eat more protein.
I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow, which is like the middle of the night for me so I'll talk to you tomorrow.
I wish to dedicate day 82 to my nephew Kevin who was a surprise to his mother when he was conceived but a gift ever since.
“I just want to see how long I can keep this thing going. The easiest thing is dying. Living is a pain in the butt."---Jack Lalanne
"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs."---Joan Welsh
love
peter
So thats my message for today....listen to your spouse, and eat more protein.
I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow, which is like the middle of the night for me so I'll talk to you tomorrow.
I wish to dedicate day 82 to my nephew Kevin who was a surprise to his mother when he was conceived but a gift ever since.
“I just want to see how long I can keep this thing going. The easiest thing is dying. Living is a pain in the butt."---Jack Lalanne
"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs."---Joan Welsh
love
peter
Sunday, December 7, 2008
"I Figured it Out!"
Like many others I have spent most of my adult life searching for answers to questions about life. Today I realized that the answers have been right in front of me ever since the invention of the television. I think it's taken me so long to figure it out primarily becasue I am not very susceptible to the power of suggestion. You know how it's supposed to work? The beer commercial where all the girls are beautiful and barely dressed, implies that if you drink their beer all these girls will come to your house. Or the fast food commercial that displays only fit and healthy people. Or best of af all, the "Viagra" type commercials that actually suggest she's gonna start liking you again if you can only get it up!
Well like I said I just didn't fall for all this stuff and so they now created a commercial especially for thick people like me....something not so subtle. It took a moment for it to sink in when I first seen it and then I just shook me head in wonderement. There is nothing subtle in a commercial that simultaneously posts on the screen and announces the words....
"Change your TV, Change your Life!!!"
For many years most of the change in my life has been change that I have initiated. Then with the shock I got last year change wassuddenly foisted upon me, and I didn't deal with it that well. While certainly I think that's understandable to some degree, I now need to take change back into my own hands. Several things are bringing me to this realization and they are probably connected, or at least in the sense that they are all coming together at the same time. One is the fact that I am now 53 years old and approaching the time in my life that I need to at least think about what the next stage of my life will be like. Somewhere I have read the idea that life could be divided into 3 parts defined as:
1)learning,
2)earning and
3)serving and/or playing
I always thought that part 3 would play out that way for me when I was ready, and I planned on being ready by the time I was 55, maybe 56. But now other elements come along to make me feel a little out of control, and "out of control" is not a state I cope with well. I think it's to be expected to some degree as these things are significant. One of course is the economic situation in North America which changes the whole early retirmenent scenario as planned. This in itself is not such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the industry I work in, is coming to an unheard of and unpredicted screeching, screaming, halt! That leaves me at a bit of a crossroads as I ponder my future. I have been spoiled for some years, working for a great employer with tremendous freedom and gratifying work, but I have to accept that that way of life is going to change. Simply because the same options do not exist....for me or anyone else.
So that's where I am in my head right now...feeling unsettled. I know however that this will pass once I start reclaiming my control over change in my life....once I start initiating the changes again. Sadly I know that buying a new TV is not going to do it for me. If you knew how may TV's we already have you would understand how I know that that approach is futile, and so I will need to think of other ideas. I think I will figure it out but if anyone has any brain waves I would of course love to hear them.
One thing that I will not change is my commitment to this Ironman thing. Even though there are times I feel a little selfish about the whole thing I'm going to keep telling myself that I deserve it. The only thing that could perhaps make it tough would be another health issue, but if there's a god in heaven, I think our family has had enough of that shit don't you?
So enough philosophising for today. As promised I swam only today and was quite satisfied with the results. I did 2500 metres in 58 minutes. Actually I am a little unsure about the lap count as I may have been 50 metres short. It doesn't really matter however as either way my pace was a little faster than the last 2000 metres I did, and more importantly I got faster as the swim went on. That's strictly a function of getting smoother and more comfortable in the water. I think that soon I will be able to maintain that pace for 3800 metres. And of course there is still wetsuit magic to add onto that, and maybe over Xmas I will do the whole thing with the neoprene cheater. Of course I will be forced to use that shitty 15 year old suit I have hanging in the closet! Did anyone hear anything about a wetsuit at our marriage vow renewal last year....I think I vaguely recall something???
As to maybe losing count of the laps I can tell you how that happens. It's about how the body instinctively directs blood to thst part of your body that calls for it and quite frankly when swimming or participating in other endurance activities the brain is not considered a priority. I remember a personal story that defines this inability to think when you're fatigued. I was running the Toronto marathon and at about 35k I bonked and started walking. At some point this blonde lady passed me and I decided I would try to get running again and just stay with her as long as I could. It kinda worked even to the point that I was starting to think she was quite good looking from behind and as such used this chauvinistric attitude to keep plugging along. At some point I got my second wind and actually passed her. Of course I was grateful for the support and so made sure that I gave a few words of eocouragement as I moved by. I barely got an acknowledgement however as 'he" was too exhausted to do so!
For old John....give me a hard one. That quote has dad written all over it!
I wish to dedicate day 81 to my neice Cory who is special because she's a little bit her mother and a little bit like her namesake.
...on television...
"Don't you wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."---Gallagher
"So long as there's a jingle in your head, television isn't free". ---Jason Love
...and on change...
"Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted."---Anon
"Be the change you want to see in the world."---Gandhi
love
peter
Well like I said I just didn't fall for all this stuff and so they now created a commercial especially for thick people like me....something not so subtle. It took a moment for it to sink in when I first seen it and then I just shook me head in wonderement. There is nothing subtle in a commercial that simultaneously posts on the screen and announces the words....
"Change your TV, Change your Life!!!"
For many years most of the change in my life has been change that I have initiated. Then with the shock I got last year change wassuddenly foisted upon me, and I didn't deal with it that well. While certainly I think that's understandable to some degree, I now need to take change back into my own hands. Several things are bringing me to this realization and they are probably connected, or at least in the sense that they are all coming together at the same time. One is the fact that I am now 53 years old and approaching the time in my life that I need to at least think about what the next stage of my life will be like. Somewhere I have read the idea that life could be divided into 3 parts defined as:
1)learning,
2)earning and
3)serving and/or playing
I always thought that part 3 would play out that way for me when I was ready, and I planned on being ready by the time I was 55, maybe 56. But now other elements come along to make me feel a little out of control, and "out of control" is not a state I cope with well. I think it's to be expected to some degree as these things are significant. One of course is the economic situation in North America which changes the whole early retirmenent scenario as planned. This in itself is not such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the industry I work in, is coming to an unheard of and unpredicted screeching, screaming, halt! That leaves me at a bit of a crossroads as I ponder my future. I have been spoiled for some years, working for a great employer with tremendous freedom and gratifying work, but I have to accept that that way of life is going to change. Simply because the same options do not exist....for me or anyone else.
So that's where I am in my head right now...feeling unsettled. I know however that this will pass once I start reclaiming my control over change in my life....once I start initiating the changes again. Sadly I know that buying a new TV is not going to do it for me. If you knew how may TV's we already have you would understand how I know that that approach is futile, and so I will need to think of other ideas. I think I will figure it out but if anyone has any brain waves I would of course love to hear them.
One thing that I will not change is my commitment to this Ironman thing. Even though there are times I feel a little selfish about the whole thing I'm going to keep telling myself that I deserve it. The only thing that could perhaps make it tough would be another health issue, but if there's a god in heaven, I think our family has had enough of that shit don't you?
So enough philosophising for today. As promised I swam only today and was quite satisfied with the results. I did 2500 metres in 58 minutes. Actually I am a little unsure about the lap count as I may have been 50 metres short. It doesn't really matter however as either way my pace was a little faster than the last 2000 metres I did, and more importantly I got faster as the swim went on. That's strictly a function of getting smoother and more comfortable in the water. I think that soon I will be able to maintain that pace for 3800 metres. And of course there is still wetsuit magic to add onto that, and maybe over Xmas I will do the whole thing with the neoprene cheater. Of course I will be forced to use that shitty 15 year old suit I have hanging in the closet! Did anyone hear anything about a wetsuit at our marriage vow renewal last year....I think I vaguely recall something???
As to maybe losing count of the laps I can tell you how that happens. It's about how the body instinctively directs blood to thst part of your body that calls for it and quite frankly when swimming or participating in other endurance activities the brain is not considered a priority. I remember a personal story that defines this inability to think when you're fatigued. I was running the Toronto marathon and at about 35k I bonked and started walking. At some point this blonde lady passed me and I decided I would try to get running again and just stay with her as long as I could. It kinda worked even to the point that I was starting to think she was quite good looking from behind and as such used this chauvinistric attitude to keep plugging along. At some point I got my second wind and actually passed her. Of course I was grateful for the support and so made sure that I gave a few words of eocouragement as I moved by. I barely got an acknowledgement however as 'he" was too exhausted to do so!
For old John....give me a hard one. That quote has dad written all over it!
I wish to dedicate day 81 to my neice Cory who is special because she's a little bit her mother and a little bit like her namesake.
...on television...
"Don't you wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."---Gallagher
"So long as there's a jingle in your head, television isn't free". ---Jason Love
...and on change...
"Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted."---Anon
"Be the change you want to see in the world."---Gandhi
love
peter
Saturday, December 6, 2008
"IF"
If only I were younger...
If only I never got sick...
If only I had more money...
If only I were a better parent...
If only I were a better spouse...
If only I had different parents...
If only I had made different decisions...
Well then I wouldn't be me would I? So too bad I suppose. I am what I am.
What a great day to ride my bike....indoors that is!! What a godsend "Run For Your Life" has been. That's the little running store in downtown St Thomas where I go to ride their computrainer. We had a bit of a snow storm in St Thomas today and since I was in no shape to run yet I would have been screwd without the indoor option. I rode the last 60 kms of the Ironman course in 2 hours and 10 minutes for an average speed of 28 km/hr. I was generally happy with that
For the first time however I have a little nervousness about potential injury. My left knee which has always been a little gravelly is starting to bug me. I will have to be very careful over the next week. The challenge of course is to force myself to rest. Tomorrow I will probably swim only.
I wish to dedicate day 80 to brother Davids 17 year old stepson Michael who is trying to figure out life, just like the rest of us.
And...IF....I've posted this poem before I apologize but it remains one of my favorites. especially the first 2 lines and the last. If I could write like this I wouldn't have to work for a living.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!---Rudyard Kipling
love
peter
If only I never got sick...
If only I had more money...
If only I were a better parent...
If only I were a better spouse...
If only I had different parents...
If only I had made different decisions...
Well then I wouldn't be me would I? So too bad I suppose. I am what I am.
What a great day to ride my bike....indoors that is!! What a godsend "Run For Your Life" has been. That's the little running store in downtown St Thomas where I go to ride their computrainer. We had a bit of a snow storm in St Thomas today and since I was in no shape to run yet I would have been screwd without the indoor option. I rode the last 60 kms of the Ironman course in 2 hours and 10 minutes for an average speed of 28 km/hr. I was generally happy with that
For the first time however I have a little nervousness about potential injury. My left knee which has always been a little gravelly is starting to bug me. I will have to be very careful over the next week. The challenge of course is to force myself to rest. Tomorrow I will probably swim only.
I wish to dedicate day 80 to brother Davids 17 year old stepson Michael who is trying to figure out life, just like the rest of us.
And...IF....I've posted this poem before I apologize but it remains one of my favorites. especially the first 2 lines and the last. If I could write like this I wouldn't have to work for a living.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!---Rudyard Kipling
love
peter
Friday, December 5, 2008
"Things I Learned Today"
Some of these things I already knew but I had to re-learn them
1) I learned that after a 35 km run that there is not much gas in the tank the next day. I slept late which is very rare in itself, and I have some general leg soreness. At first I was a little disappointed but I gave my head a shake and the stupidity went away. It wasn't that long ago that I was delighted by a 35 km bike ride let alone a run.
I went to the pool but even there it just wasn't going to happen today. I messed around a bit and worked on my form but never really put any distance in. Oh well...such is life.
2) I learned that any reference to religion always gets some kind of response even if the response is....duuuuuh??? Thank god (ha ha ha) that Peter got it. Cory/Elly, I suspect the reason you didn't get it is not because you are not atheist, but rather because you don't dismiss all other gods out of hand. To Peters comment I would only add my personal paraphrasing of the statement and it is this....."How can anyone be so arrogant as to dismiss everyone elses god but their own, and still call someone else atheist....when the athesist does the exact same thing except dismiss their god as well?"
3) I learned that a very hard thing is Xmas shopping for your daugther in law. Especially when the limit is $25. Not just is there the problem of trying to find the right thing for someone special to you, but there's the fact that there is simply nothing in the womans section that costs less than 25 bucks. I had to find a sale but I got something....hope she likes it!
4) I learned just how quickly my pride in my children is growing. When I worry about Jon I try to remember how the others are doing and it gives me hope that he will find his way as well. Most recently I have been inspired by Michaels university play, by Adrians commitment to his personal health and by Peter's growing reputation as a personal trainer.
I wish to dedicate day 79 to my sister-in-law Debbie, who deserves much better than the screwing over she just got from her employer! Merry effin Christmas!
......and both of these apply to me....how about you?
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."---Harry S. Truman
"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught". ---Winston Churchill
thanks
peter
1) I learned that after a 35 km run that there is not much gas in the tank the next day. I slept late which is very rare in itself, and I have some general leg soreness. At first I was a little disappointed but I gave my head a shake and the stupidity went away. It wasn't that long ago that I was delighted by a 35 km bike ride let alone a run.
I went to the pool but even there it just wasn't going to happen today. I messed around a bit and worked on my form but never really put any distance in. Oh well...such is life.
2) I learned that any reference to religion always gets some kind of response even if the response is....duuuuuh??? Thank god (ha ha ha) that Peter got it. Cory/Elly, I suspect the reason you didn't get it is not because you are not atheist, but rather because you don't dismiss all other gods out of hand. To Peters comment I would only add my personal paraphrasing of the statement and it is this....."How can anyone be so arrogant as to dismiss everyone elses god but their own, and still call someone else atheist....when the athesist does the exact same thing except dismiss their god as well?"
3) I learned that a very hard thing is Xmas shopping for your daugther in law. Especially when the limit is $25. Not just is there the problem of trying to find the right thing for someone special to you, but there's the fact that there is simply nothing in the womans section that costs less than 25 bucks. I had to find a sale but I got something....hope she likes it!
4) I learned just how quickly my pride in my children is growing. When I worry about Jon I try to remember how the others are doing and it gives me hope that he will find his way as well. Most recently I have been inspired by Michaels university play, by Adrians commitment to his personal health and by Peter's growing reputation as a personal trainer.
I wish to dedicate day 79 to my sister-in-law Debbie, who deserves much better than the screwing over she just got from her employer! Merry effin Christmas!
......and both of these apply to me....how about you?
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."---Harry S. Truman
"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught". ---Winston Churchill
thanks
peter
Thursday, December 4, 2008
"Today I Believe!"
I had an exceptional run and of course the best part of it was the fact that I predicted it and I can now tell the truth of it. My intent was to do 30 km and ended up at 35 in 3 hours and 12 minutes. But the most gratifying part was that it was almost effortless. I truly could have run a marathon today. I wasn't any faster than last time but it's not about speed, but rather endurance anyway. Of course the faster you go the less you have to endure I suppose eh? But today was just great confirmation that my endurance continues to grow acceptably.
So yes, today I believe I can do an Ironman!
I wish to dedicate day 78 to Roo's neice Samantha who will not read this but who I wish knew that I admire her courage in a tough world.
“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true."---Anon
"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right".--- Henry Ford
And this last one which isn't relevant but blew me away when I stumbled across it....
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."---Stephen Roberts
love
peter
So yes, today I believe I can do an Ironman!
I wish to dedicate day 78 to Roo's neice Samantha who will not read this but who I wish knew that I admire her courage in a tough world.
“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true."---Anon
"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right".--- Henry Ford
And this last one which isn't relevant but blew me away when I stumbled across it....
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."---Stephen Roberts
love
peter
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
"On The Edge"
If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space!
The challenge of course is to be close enough to the edge to gain something from being there without actually falling off, and/or being so stressed that it overwhelms the gains. That's the sweet spot I'm trying to find both as relates to my training and to life in general.
First consider the training aspect. I read an expression in some book recently that went something like this...."the body will not be rushed". It simply takes time to build strength and endurance despite all the hype we may want to believe about "mind over matter" or the "power of positive thinking". Because I have limited time however I need to make the best use of by bringing my body as close to the edge as possible and keeping it there as much as possible. I think gradually I'm starting to get a feel for this. I'm starting to be able to predict somewhat better how I'm going to feel come next workout, and whether I will be ready for it. Today I had a good ride on the trainer....just over 55km in 2 hours... and I finished up not feeling wasted. So tomorrow will be the test as I head out for a long run. If I truly am getting more in tune with my body my prediction of a strong decent run will prove out. I promise I'll tell you the truth of it in tomorrows report.
On the life part of this idea things are a little less clear. I know in general how much value there is in living life in the fast lane. My work has kept me challenged and invigorated for many years and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. Somehow my illness has however made me re-evaluate a little bit. Not in the sense that I want to necessarily move farther from the intellectual edge but perhaps in the sense that it merits a little more evaluation of the dangers associated with the edge. It occurs to me that you can become addicted in a negative way to living life at an intense pace. Unlike the body I think the mind can perhaps be fooled a little bit. Especially a weak one like mine! Living on the edge can become a need instead of a gratification....much like any other addiction. So I'm still thinking about this one, but in general I think I need to move back a little bit, becoming a bit safer and perhaps a bit less stressed.
I want to thank Janine Grespan again for the beautiful job she did with the tonsil cancer stuff, and to remind you that though she barely mentions herself, she underwent all the same crap I did. Here is a link to part II which I admit I kinda liked. http://www.southwesternontario.ctv.ca/healthlifestyle.php.
A also got a very intriguing note from her this afternoon and I quote...
"Before I forget...the News Director was very impressed with your story...he insists we keep in touch and I do a follow up with you when you compete next summer...our BC affiliate can shoot your participation!! Won't that be exciting!??? No pressure, eh?"
I wish to dedicate day 77 to my nephew Sean, who I don't know very well but must be ok....after all he tolerates his mothers family!
And to support the idea that it make sense not to overanalyze...
"Don't worry about life, you're not going to survive it anyway."---Anon
And from son peter on the dividends that healthy living pays...
"Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die!"---Anon
love
peter
The challenge of course is to be close enough to the edge to gain something from being there without actually falling off, and/or being so stressed that it overwhelms the gains. That's the sweet spot I'm trying to find both as relates to my training and to life in general.
First consider the training aspect. I read an expression in some book recently that went something like this...."the body will not be rushed". It simply takes time to build strength and endurance despite all the hype we may want to believe about "mind over matter" or the "power of positive thinking". Because I have limited time however I need to make the best use of by bringing my body as close to the edge as possible and keeping it there as much as possible. I think gradually I'm starting to get a feel for this. I'm starting to be able to predict somewhat better how I'm going to feel come next workout, and whether I will be ready for it. Today I had a good ride on the trainer....just over 55km in 2 hours... and I finished up not feeling wasted. So tomorrow will be the test as I head out for a long run. If I truly am getting more in tune with my body my prediction of a strong decent run will prove out. I promise I'll tell you the truth of it in tomorrows report.
On the life part of this idea things are a little less clear. I know in general how much value there is in living life in the fast lane. My work has kept me challenged and invigorated for many years and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. Somehow my illness has however made me re-evaluate a little bit. Not in the sense that I want to necessarily move farther from the intellectual edge but perhaps in the sense that it merits a little more evaluation of the dangers associated with the edge. It occurs to me that you can become addicted in a negative way to living life at an intense pace. Unlike the body I think the mind can perhaps be fooled a little bit. Especially a weak one like mine! Living on the edge can become a need instead of a gratification....much like any other addiction. So I'm still thinking about this one, but in general I think I need to move back a little bit, becoming a bit safer and perhaps a bit less stressed.
I want to thank Janine Grespan again for the beautiful job she did with the tonsil cancer stuff, and to remind you that though she barely mentions herself, she underwent all the same crap I did. Here is a link to part II which I admit I kinda liked. http://www.southwesternontario.ctv.ca/healthlifestyle.php.
A also got a very intriguing note from her this afternoon and I quote...
"Before I forget...the News Director was very impressed with your story...he insists we keep in touch and I do a follow up with you when you compete next summer...our BC affiliate can shoot your participation!! Won't that be exciting!??? No pressure, eh?"
I wish to dedicate day 77 to my nephew Sean, who I don't know very well but must be ok....after all he tolerates his mothers family!
And to support the idea that it make sense not to overanalyze...
"Don't worry about life, you're not going to survive it anyway."---Anon
And from son peter on the dividends that healthy living pays...
"Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die!"---Anon
love
peter
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
"Time Flies"
And in case you forget this fact something will always come along to remind you. Claudette and I were scrambling tonite to find a VCR that worked, and in doing so came across a bunch of old videotapes. I can tell you that there's something a little unsettling about watching video of your children when they were at the age your grandchildren currently are. On the positive side I sure looked young and vital!! My wife of course looked great as well, but in her case nothings changed.
We were looking for a VCR so I could tape the CTV segment over at my buddies place. Unfortunately that didn't work out as Burt and I didnt seem to have the technological expertise to figure it out. Oh well, at least I seen it and though it was brief it was kinda cool. Hopefully they will post it on the website tomorrow and I'll let you know if they do.
As to training today I intended to swim first and then do an easy run, but on the way to the pool I decided I would swim only. My rationale was that as I have been so unmotivated in the pool lately I needed to make it a priority without the worry of having to run afterwards. Generally it worked as I mangaged to get 2000 metres in after a short warmup. I was also happy with my time as I continue to make small gains. I did the distance in just under 48 minutes which is 1 min, 12 secs per lap. I may have already mentioned that my goal is to get down to 1 minute per lap.
I think this is one change I need to make consistently in my future training. I have always tried to throw the swim in as a second workout of the day and it seems that I'm always out of gas that way. I will try at least a couple of times per week to reverse this. It worked today as much to my surprise I still felt like a little run tonite and so went for a jog around the psych at about 8pm.
Tomorrow I'm back to the computrainer instead of running as I want to change the cycle (no pun intended) so that I can do my long run on friday and then bike again on saturday. Also tomorrow I'm going to visit my big sister Cory to get some life advice. I'm really looking forward to it.
Thats it!
I wish to dedicate day 76 to Sharon Long who let me into her house tonite just to use her television, but more importantly because she is just a kind, genuine person.
"Time goes, you say? Ah, no! alas, time stays, we go."--- Henry Austin Dobson
and a more hopeful sounding one...
“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."---Leonard Bernstein
love
peter
We were looking for a VCR so I could tape the CTV segment over at my buddies place. Unfortunately that didn't work out as Burt and I didnt seem to have the technological expertise to figure it out. Oh well, at least I seen it and though it was brief it was kinda cool. Hopefully they will post it on the website tomorrow and I'll let you know if they do.
As to training today I intended to swim first and then do an easy run, but on the way to the pool I decided I would swim only. My rationale was that as I have been so unmotivated in the pool lately I needed to make it a priority without the worry of having to run afterwards. Generally it worked as I mangaged to get 2000 metres in after a short warmup. I was also happy with my time as I continue to make small gains. I did the distance in just under 48 minutes which is 1 min, 12 secs per lap. I may have already mentioned that my goal is to get down to 1 minute per lap.
I think this is one change I need to make consistently in my future training. I have always tried to throw the swim in as a second workout of the day and it seems that I'm always out of gas that way. I will try at least a couple of times per week to reverse this. It worked today as much to my surprise I still felt like a little run tonite and so went for a jog around the psych at about 8pm.
Tomorrow I'm back to the computrainer instead of running as I want to change the cycle (no pun intended) so that I can do my long run on friday and then bike again on saturday. Also tomorrow I'm going to visit my big sister Cory to get some life advice. I'm really looking forward to it.
Thats it!
I wish to dedicate day 76 to Sharon Long who let me into her house tonite just to use her television, but more importantly because she is just a kind, genuine person.
"Time goes, you say? Ah, no! alas, time stays, we go."--- Henry Austin Dobson
and a more hopeful sounding one...
“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."---Leonard Bernstein
love
peter
Monday, December 1, 2008
"No Eagles Today"
I spent 2 hours riding inside today staring at the floor. It was not a very inspirational session. I was also very tired from yesterdays tough hill workout.
So the only real reason for this post is to live up to my daily commitment, something that I truly am glad I declared up front because it helps me stay focused.
I wish to dedicate day 75 to my neice Rachel because that's a young lady who knows what commitment means.
“I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret."---Anthony Robbins
love
peter
So the only real reason for this post is to live up to my daily commitment, something that I truly am glad I declared up front because it helps me stay focused.
I wish to dedicate day 75 to my neice Rachel because that's a young lady who knows what commitment means.
“I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret."---Anthony Robbins
love
peter
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