52 Projects

My darling bride has a new initiative on her blog; 52 Projects.

Here's #1 for me -

I have never written a limerick for my wife and posted it on Facebook, so I posted this on my Facebook page:

I fell in love with a girl named Jane
She inspires my heart and my brain
She’s the love of my life
I made her my wife
Without her I might go insane

Ouch, and damn!

So I'm injured. Again. This time it's the right achilles and I'm really frustrated. It seems like I've been dealing with one thing or another since Bassman. I aggravated my left peroneal tendon during that race (an old snowboard injury) and don't feel like I've been the same since. That threw off my mechanical balance a bit and when I started a new and intense winter training plan the imbalance combined with a new aggressive bike fit and the intesity and load of the training aggravated my left sacro-illiac joint and I had to shut down for two weeks. I eased back into a lighter training regimen and then got a sinus infection that sidelined me for about another week. Now I've tweaked my achillies such that I have to limp. I felt a twinge about a week and a half ago while doing fast, hard intervals during a fartlek run. Yesterday I ran at lunch and felt it stinging a bit. It got sore as the day went on. I iced a lot when I got home but went to bed with a limp. I've got it wrapped and elevated at work and have been icing here too. Everyone is asking me what's wrong. Fun stuff.

I'm really bummed because I have such big plans for the next two race seasons, with IMLP in July of 2011. My next race training cycle is to start on 2/1. It's a 16 week build to Harryman in NY. Then I have a week or two before I start another 16 week cycle leading to Savage Man.

I know I need to let my body heal, but I need to maintain my fitness at the same time.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

It's cold

I went for a bike ride at lunch today. It was cold. No surprise there I guess. I live in the North Eastern part of the country, of course it's cold. At least my water bottle didn't freeze. I took a ride on Sunday and had a Gatorade slushy by the end. Still, I'd rather ride outside than on the trainer, and I'd rather run outside than on the treadmill.

Egg Salad

Jane made me an egg salad sammich for lunch. I can't explain how touched I was. I felt so special that she'd do that for me.

Bless the Resolutioners

Today was my first trip to the gym since the start of the new year. Actually, I visited two gyms if you count the fitness center at work. Both were more crowded than usual, full of people who made a New Year's resolution to get fit. God bless their pointy little heads. I really don't mind the inconvenience this causes. I'm all for people getting fit. I just wish they'd keep at it. According to Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, 90% of those who join health and fitness clubs will stop going within the first 90 days. I don't know who Doctor Don is, but if he's right that number is pretty staggering. Hopefully they didn't sign long term contracts. I get it though. I've been there. Not for gym membership but any number of new things for the new year. I used to bite off way more than I could chew and would set myself up for failure. I don't make New Year's resolutions any more, but I do make decisions to act or not act a certain way as I am moved to do so. A new year can be a nice little prod to get moving with something, just make sure it's something that really serves you.

Into the great wide open

It's Sunday evening, the end of the holiday break. I am back to work tomorrow after over a week off and the kids are back to school. I think it will be good for all of us to get back to our routine. I am looking forward to all 2010 has to offer. I don't remember ever feeling so expectant for a new year. I sense great things at home, great things at work, great things with my triathlon "career", and great things particularly for Jane.

2010

What will you call it; twenty ten, two thousand ten, two thousand and ten, oh ten? No matter how it's spoken, it will be lived well!