When I was 11 years old I raced in my first triathlon with my dad. It was a “one and done” experience up until I watched the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii 20 years later. The energy among the athletes, volunteers, and spectators was exciting in a way I could not resist. Shortly after coming home I decided to give the sport another try. Continue reading
Last Saturday I continued my open water swim training in preparation for both Take the Rock and Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz. The fog burned off and revealed stunning views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and Marin County.
My group swam out to Fort Mason and back, creeping underneath the piers of the defunct Army base for a total of 2.2 miles. This was my third swim sans wetsuit, but because previous swims left me a bit hypothermic I was wearing a brand new neoprene swim cap. It was much warmer, but I discovered that while my mind was up to the task, my body was not.
As I reflected on the last year I noticed many things that helped me train and many things that hindered me. What stuck out as the most efficient means of staying fit was building workouts into my existing environment. Since I spend a majority of time at work and home, why not add small and simple workouts throughout the day?
Making time to go to the gym after work can lead the mind to amazing feats of logic and rationalization for why you should just go home and watch TV. And if you are not a morning person, the idea of getting out of Continue reading