I'm learning

There are of course multiple meanings to the title. A lot is going on as the school year approaches, grad school has begun, and I finish my first week of preseason with a nationally ranked cross country team. Before diving into more details, I have to say that right now I am happier than I can ever remember being. Which, in my opinion, is like a primer for learning. I'm excited to learn new things, to take on challenges, and to reap the rewards of all of it in the future. It also helps that Maddy and I have never been stronger together, and our engagement has brought us even closer.

 But anyway - I'm learning a lot about cross country by being around a team with more accolades than I can name and very high expectations for this year. I used to think that XC was just a bunch of guys and girls in short shorts running around in the woods. It's not quite that easy (although they do wear short shorts and run in the woods quite often, so I wasn't totally off). The head coach has carefully derived an individualized plan for every runner, and we have 39 on our team. Many runners are on similar schedules, so it isn't completely individualized, but different kids will have different recovery days or focus on different areas. We practice from 9-11:30am and then again from 6-7:30pm everyday during preseason. Of course we don't spend the entire time running - that would kill even our top runners. We spend A LOT of time on dynamic stretches and drills to improve form and efficiency. We also do core sets, push ups, and pull ups, and during our evening session we usually head to the pool on campus to do a series of drills to get the kids' heart rates elevated without the impact of running. However, none of the things mentioned above are that shocking. Many teams do those things. I think the secret ingredient that Tatnall has going for it is team unity and positivity. The kids run in packs, not alone. That means some kids are going above their pace to keep up, and some are slowing down, but it's all in support of the team. There is a positive energy that you can actually feel surrounding the kids as they workout. It's incredible. And it isn't all natural. The head coach has made a point of stressing this important ingredient. It's a cool thing to be around, and soooo different then my training, of which I'll estimate that 95% was done alone.

I'm getting faster already. I know it. My running is strong, and I feel good. I love running. It's a shame I don't have the same feelings about swimming....maybe some day. I'm excited for a package to get here next week - I went out and purchased the Adidas Adizero Rockets. I love the Ascis Hyperspeed 4's, but they just wear down too quickly. After 200ish miles I start to wear through the sole to the white foam... I want a shoe with a racing flat feel that I can wear for 500+miles. Hopefully these are the answer.

I'm also learning in school because classes started at Villanova last night! I really enjoyed class. The professor was awesome, and I'm excited to be there. Speaking Spanish is fun for me and using more than basic vocabulary brings me back to it. There are some great personalities in my class that I can't wait to get to know. There are people from all over the world with different backgrounds and stories with different experiences... I think it will be a good semester.

That's about all I have for now. Hurricane Irene is supposed to come ripping through Philly this weekend, so I hope she calms down a little first!

Reflecting and moving on

This week I decided to pick up the book Sub Nine and Full Time by David Glover. I blew threw it in 2 days. It's a short and easy read about a guy, David Glover, who works full time and yet manages to break the 9 hour mark in an iron distance triathlon. It isn't a training guide, nor is it a how to book, but it just tells his story. I'd recommend it for those that can't get enough Ironman stories, like me. It got me thinking about triathlon, racing, training, and all those things so I figure I'll reflect a little on this year. Here are a couple invaluable things I learned about myself:

1. There is (almost) always time if I want it badly enough. So many times before in my life I told myself and others, "I just don't have time to ________". Or "I can't because ____ takes up all my time". I had a busy year with teaching, coaching, and trying to train adequately for IMLP. There were days when I left for work at 6:45am and didn't get home until 7:30pm. But I found time to get things done. This is probably the most valuable thing I learned. By taking away the excuse of no time I make myself choose, do I want it? And what am I willing to do, or not do, to earn it? With lofty goals in my personal and professional future even aside from racing, I have made an honest man out of myself.

2. I learned that lots of little steps day by day can carry me a long way. Building endurance for a race like the ironman takes a long time and a lot of building. Knowledge in the classroom, professional experience, and relationships are very similar. I've always been somewhat impatient by nature, but nothing has shown me more clearly the importance of building the foundation first, and then moving to the more difficult or challenging tasks.

3. For the more difficult things that I want to achieve, I will have to make sacrifices. Perhaps I knew this before, but not to the extent that I was forced to see it this year. I made a lot of sacrifices. I'm not 100% certain they were all worth it, but I learned to give things up in order to earn something greater.

4. I learned that pain is temporary, but sometimes you need to spend some time getting to the root of it before it fades away. This applies to physical pain and emotional stress. There were some very trying times this year when I thought I had reached my absolute breaking point. I made choices to address the pain sometimes, and other times I tried to ignore it. I haven't figured out the formula for when to address the pain, and when to fight it off, but I learned that it will fade one way or another.

5. Finally, I live for the challenge more than the race. When my alarm would go off at 4:44am and I would question why I was getting up to workout, I couldn't always rely on "because I'm training for an ironman" to motivate me. The biggest motivator was, "Can I do it?". I don't race a lot because (besides the cost) I don't care as much about competing against others as I want to know what I can do. My biggest competitor is myself.

I'll end with those right now even though I'm sure there were other things I learned and I just can't think of right now.

Just in other news - Villanova grad school starts this coming Thursday! I'm excited, but nervous to be a student again. Cross country preseason starts Monday! I've done 2 captain's runs with the team and WOW they are fast. I hope the little running I've done since the race has kept me fit enough to keep up. I also hope my body healed up OK. My groin and left foot have been a little sore after each run I've done.

Headed down to OCMD this morning with my roommate and co-bestman, Matt. Enjoy the weekend!

Back at it!

Over 2 weeks have passed now since I became an ironman and an engaged man. It's funny how time doesn't seem to notice. Time keeps on ticking even when I want it to slow down so I can relish these monumental moments in my life. But there's not much I can do to stop it, so I'll just take it as it comes. A couple updates... Maddy and I are getting married! Where? The Woodloch Inn in the Poconos. When? October 20, 2012. Why? I love her. I'm super excited. We went and looked at a couple places up in the Poconos this past weekend, and we liked both, but we booked Woodloch. It's going to be awesome.

In some triathlon/training related news I've started to move again... And not just my arm lifting food and/or beers to my mouth. I've been in the pool 4 times and even though I need to work on my swim, I am lacking the drive to do it. What's the hurry?? I'm sure I'll find it eventually, but for right now I am just relaxing. I'm doing slow, short sets with a lot of focus on form. I am torn because part of me thinks I need to just not swim for a while so I lose any form I have and can start from scratch. But part of me also doesn't want to lose my fitness. I should either join a masters team or hire a coach, but frankly I don't have the time or money right now. No worries though. I've been on the bike a couple times. It feels great. No "workouts". Just riding to go ride. I took off my little cycling computer and I haven't touched my HR monitor. It's a fantastic feeling. As for running, I went on run with Maddy last weekend, which was also fantastic. It was nice and easy, and we got to spend time together doing something good for both of us. Mad is taking on the Philly Marathon this fall and I'm going to do anything I can to support her. My only other run since IMLP was last night, and it was a doosey! I headed down to DE to run with the cross country team I'm assistant coaching this fall. They are good. It poured rain for about 30 minutes right before the run started. We went in a big state park on dirt/mud trails, and I picked the wrong group to run with. I headed out with some of the seniors, who also happen to be the top runners in the state. I had no idea what was in store for me. We went out for 1:15 through mud, puddles, streams, grassy fields, anything except pavement, and at a blistering pace. We were probably somewhere in the 6:30-6:50 range for the entire thing. I was not prepared for it. Luckily, the ironman fitness hasn't left me yet so I survived. One thing is for sure, I'm going to get fast running with these guys this fall.

That's all for now. I think it's time for a happy hour!

Looking forward

As I’ve said before triathlon, (specific) training, blogging, and the ironman are being pushed to the back burner for a while. I even think I’m going to pass on running the Boston Marathon this year. I would just rather spend my time doing other things, and I know I can qualify again. In the meantime I’m starting in a graduate program in the fall at Villanova, I’m coaching XC for the first time on the days when I don’t have class, and I’m still working. Not to mention, I have a wedding to plan! I’ll still check in from time to time, and when I do decide to take the ironman stage again I’m sure I’ll use the blog much as I did with my lead up to this one. 

Although I’ll be mostly running this fall because of cross country, I want to spend a lot of time and energy focusing on my swim. After all, it really is what cost me my Kona slot. I was able to get damn close to my 5:30 IM bike goal, and I beat my 3:30 IM run goal, but the swim just wasn’t there. I want to be more competitive at the shorter distances and I’ll need to improve my swim to do that. I’ll probably pick out one Olympic distance race to do next year and see what I can do with it. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

I’ll leave with this – when I do make my return to the ironman, it’s Kona or bust, baby!