Training Conundrum

Coming off of last weekend's Oly, it's suddenly time to start getting fast again, especially in the water.  It's weird because I've spent the last month in the water working towards being able to just cruise easily and evenly, but now the need for that is pretty much over.  

In the grand scheme of things, my next big thing is the Hartford Marathon. In a more immediate sense, I've got the Greenwich Point One Mile Swim in a little less than a month. Both events call for hard interval training in the water. As far as the Marathon is concerned, long runs and bike rides will cover my need for endurance training while doing uptempo intervals in the pool provides a safe way to work at higher heart rates without the risk of injury.  I'll do more uptempo work than that, of course, but as far as swimming is concerned, there's just no reason for simple aerobic work anymore.  The One Mile Swim, meanwhile, is a short race all on its own--20 minutes or less,  the equivalent of a 5k in the water. Which means improving my uptempo swimming pace. Which in turn calls for hard interval training.  

Contemplating it right now is a little mind-boggling, though.  I like working hard, but this is gonna be quite a switch from the last month. 

Anyway, I'm gonna have to spend some time thinking about how to design my workouts. If anybody has any thoughts out there, I'm open to them. 

Thanks. 

Amazing Grace

Been meaning to share this one for a couple of weeks now.

That's my daughter Hannah singing Amazing Grace at church a few weeks ago.  I quite liked that performance, but then again, I've always loved that song.  And I think Hannah sings beautifully.

2013 Pat Griskus Olympic Triathlon Race Report

I’ve been training all season for the Pat Griskus Olympic Triathlon.  It’s a tough race--tough course--but I’m reasonably satisfied with how I did overall.  Still, the race itself was kind of an exercise in humility.  

I don’t think I’m bad or untalented as a triathlete, but this race is the Northeast Regional Club Championships, and it brings out some pretty talented racers.  Lots of dedicated folks in tri-clubs from all over the greater New York City/Westchester County/Fairfield County area.  And truth is, sometimes how you do in a race is as dependent on who else shows up as it is on how you yourself perform.  This race was a reminder that there are a lot of folks out there who’re at least as talented as I am and who train a lot, lot more.

Love for Superior Spider-Man #11

Dear Spider-Guys,

Superior Spider-Man #11

I just finished Superior Spider-Man #11, and I gotta say... WOW!  You can count me among the skeptical with the way that Amazing Spider-Man ended, but Superior #11 was as good as anything Mr. Slott did with ASM.  For example, Doc Ock's reflection in the middle of the book, "a murderer doesn't suddenly become a different... different--". That really WAS gold. Well played.

But the real reason that I'm writing is because of the thing with all of Doc Ock's Spider-Bots. I hadn't thought of Superior Spider-Man's plotline as an extended reflection on the US government's NSA surveillance programs until the current issue, but... well, there it is.

Why shouldn't Ock use his technology to watch over the whole City in real time?  Why shouldn't he be a superior Spider-Man?

I don't know. Just last week no less a liberal than Bill Maher took Ock's side in the debate, and it made me uncomfortable to agree with him that maybe the Fourth Amendment really is a little out-dated given all the threats we face in the modern world.  I mean, it's all good to march for freedom--until somebody sets off a Dirty Bomb in Midtown. But then?

I don't know. I'm not a fan of having my phones tapped, but I work in Manhattan, and I like getting home safe.

--Dan

Taper Week

Tapering for an event is glorious. It's the physical, visceral reward for months of hard work, an actual feeling of health and well-being beyond the normal human experience created by the body's natural recovery process following a prolonged period of physical effort. 

It's also maddening. 

It's maddening because it's a break in the routine, a cut down on the workouts that are the normal Stress Release Valve for most athletes, and because with all that time on your hands and your key race looking you right in the face, you really are stuck just sitting there worrying about it. 

Am I really ready for this?  Did I do enough?  There's a nine-mile climb right in the middle of the bike leg; can I get one more workout to really prove to myself that I can handle it?

But you can't, of course. As my old college swim coach used to say, "The hay is in the barn."  For better or worse, training is done, and now you have to live or die based on your past dedication. 

Argh. 

Normally I'd deal with these feelings by riding, by working it out emotionally while I work my body physically. This particular week, however, I'm stuck. I'm tapering. 

Thank God the race is Saturday. Otherwise, I think I'd go mad. 

Scenes from My 40th Birthday Party

We (finally) had my birthday party over the weekend, and it was awesome.  I'm so thankful for all the folks who could come.  Really, it was the best time I've had in quite a while.

Rainout Last Night

Rain cancellation at the Bluefish game last night. Note the train and the power plant in the background.