The Shower Scene

Did you ever play that game where you look at a picture and you have to decide what doesn't fit? Like maybe there is a tropical scene - long leafed trees, tall swaying grasses, galloping zebra and an ice cream cone. Which one doesn't fit? That one is easy...the ice cream cone. Everyone knows that a herd of zebra would never leave an uneaten ice cream cone lying around on the ground.

So you can imagine, now, the scene that I will describe to you. I had just finished my swim at the gym and was heading into the locker room. It was the typical scene...towels, hanging swimming trunks, Russian men talking as if it was a Turkish bath and a man with a gun. Now I know what you are thinking...Russian men talking and the presence of a gun is not that unrealistic. I agree with you. However, it turns out that the man with a gun was not one of the Russians. Instead, he had the gun holstered and was standing half in and half out of a shower stall - looking at something. I couldn't see what had mesmerized him as, whatever it was, it was around the corner. I glanced to my side at the man standing next to me. He was about 300 pounds, shaved head (which I appreciated), a soul patch and a grin. I looked at him. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. "I am not used to seeing guns in the shower" I said. "Me neither" he replied, and then added "A guy is passed out in the shower."

I am not the sort of person who is chasing after fire trucks to watch a show. Nor do I pay much attention to the occasional accident on the side of the road. I am not a gawker...but this one was too hard to pass up, I casually walked toward the man with the gun. It became quite clear that he wasn't just any man. He was a police officer. But when I peered around him all I saw was a 70+ year old man taking a shower. And the police officer was simply standing off to the side watching him. I don't know about you, but I get nervous as hell around police officers. No matter what the situation, I have this crazy idea that he is coming for me. I can't imagine standing in the shower naked...singing my normal shower operetta...with a police officer acting like some peeping tom. It reminds me of the time I had to take a drug test for a new job. I had to pee in a cup with a gigantic African American woman watching me. "Looks like you might need a bit more water to drink, don't it?" she commented after ten minutes of the worst stage fright a grown man can ever imagine. It was a tough go. So this fellow taking the shower was surely of solid stock. As I was soaking in this strange view, two more clothed men came into the showers with medical equipment. The police officer pointed at the now fully lathered septuagenarian.

"You OK?" one of the paramedics asked.
"What the hell do you think?" he responded. He was just starting to rinse off.

"Did you hit your head?"
"Do you think I would be standing here if I cracked my head open?"

God, I love the Chicago attitude.

"Damn, if he didn't just get back up and keep taking his shower!" My soul patched friend had meandered his way up for a better view of the action. But he was right. This fellow had passed out in the shower, woke up and just kept going - with an attitude. Like I said...solid stock.

Now if the story ended there it would be enough. There was the visual oddity, the gun, the astounding recovery. But it didn't end there. After finding that he was, in fact, up and showering, I went to another area and took my shower as well. I didn't rush as I had a little more time than normal to get ready. There is nothing like a five minute shower to cool down and get ready for the rest of my hectic day. In fact, I was so focused on my shower that I actually forgot about the incident. However, I was startled once again when I saw this same man standing naked (still!) with the three clothed men...in the shower...filling out paperwork! Ah, the beauty of America. You may be naked...you may have attitude...but you always have to sign the waiver! Wonders never cease.

The Silence of Music

I use to wonder why so many people would walk down the street in the city with ear phones plugged into their ears.  Then I noticed the number of people I saw in Heathrow airport doing the same thing.  As I waited in line to go from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 (ugh...those of you who travel through London know EXACTLY what I am talking about) each person stood in line - in a group, but fully separated from the group through their music.  And I would be left watching and wondering what the hell they were doing.  Until I tried it.

About a year ago, I started plugging myself in the moment the plan landed.  Instantly, all of the shifting of luggage, stretches, yawns and mysterious sounds of passing gas disappeared.  All that was left was David Gray or Alexi Murdoch or Sufjan Stevens.  Nothing else.  I was alone and in my own mind.  Everything else existed in a new way.  It was physically present, yet it was farther away.  It was like my son trying to touch the clouds - they look so close, but always just beyond his grasp.

Music separates us.  At the same time, it brings us closer.  We put miles between ourselves and those around us and we bring within a hairs breadth - ourselves.  Most of our lives are exactly the opposite.  We sprint faster than we ever could in a race just not to look at ourselves and we use others as our mirror instead.  We compare ourselves - measure all aspects of who we are to others - and then recreate ourselves as what we want to be.  Not really who we are.  Music breaks this twisted mirror and allows us to face ourselves.  To be ourselves.

There are different views about listening to music as we train.  "You can't listen to music when you compete.  So why listen to music when you train?" some say.  They aren't necessarily wrong.  However, what they miss is that on many occasions, music is the key way that we understand ourselves when we train.  The speed of the beat tells our minds that our legs can go faster.  We are stronger.  The line in the song echoes a truth about ourselves that we need at that exact point in our training.  It tells us that we are not the fictitious person that we have created...we are simply human.  And simply human is much greater than we give credit.  Simply human can do things that seem to others as superhuman. 

Part of being an athlete is to understand ourselves as we are.  We fail.  We succeed.  We excel.  We are magical...and music is part of this saga.

HOW TO: Travel Internationally, Train and Beat Jet Lag

Talk about a triple threat combination.  It is tough enough to train when you are on the road.  The same questions continually arise - Does the hotel have a gym?  Where is the nearest pool?  How do I work out before dinner?  Did I bring enough underwear?  But when you add in the combination of long flights and six or seven (or more - hello India!) time zones difference, it can seem nearly impossible.  I have been traveling internationally for many years now and I have finally come up with a method that works every time.  There is a key to the method though:  Take control of your schedule.  I guarantee you that if you don't take control of your schedule someone will do it for you...and it won't be in your favor.  Most people do not pay attention to the fact that you work out...or that you find your strength to actually put up with them day in and day out through fitness.  Most people are oblivious about how without your daily training you would have already performed a reenactment of the conference room scene from "Kill Bill."  So take control!

 

I am going to share with you my golden rules - free of charge.  I am probably giving up my opportunity to make enough money to retire by doing this.  I am an altruistic person - ask my wife.  I have a habit of giving away all of my stuff periodically as a way of self-purification.  Perhaps by giving you these rules I will continue my ritualistic purification through the ether. 


Here they are:

1.  Have a solid agenda before you ever leave for the trip:  If you don't have an agenda then throw your opportunities to the wind as without structure you are a lost puppy.  With an agenda you can make it known up front when you will start and end your day.  People will flex to your schedule based on what you need to accomplish. Show up fashionably late for dinner or ensure that meetings start at 9 AM.  If you set the agenda you will be in control.

2.  Don't drink too much wine on the plan:  I only drink two glasses of wine on the way from the US to Europe.  I don't drink any alcohol on the way back. 

3.  Make sure you eat:  You may not be very hungry...but your body needs food.  Eat so that you have enough energy to do your work and still exercise!

4.  Sleep as much as you can:  On an overnight trip to London from Chicago you are lucky to get three hours of sleep...make sure you get them.  Three is better than none! 

5.  Don't talk to the person next to you:  Put in your ear buds and listen to music.  Your neighbor doesn't really want to talk with you so don't even attempt it.

6.  Once you get to your destination:  If you have arrived during the day - DO NOT SLEEP!  You need to go to sleep at about 10 PM local time (unless you are in the Mediterranean where you won't get to bed until about 2 AM…if at all).

7.  Make sure you exercise the first day you arrive:  Even if you are dog tired - go to the gym.  Put in an easy 10k run or a 60 minute bike.  When I was traveling often to the US from Europe in the past, I would always swim about 2k after I got to the hotel and then go to dinner.  I was lucky to last to 10 PM...but it worked!

8.  Drink red wine:  I have tried many things...but red wine wins every time.  Don't get drunk off your butt...but drink some wine until you are tired.  If you drink too much, you will sleep and then have a hangover.  Drink enough to put you in dream land...but not too much.  Also, don’t forget to drink a lot of water if you are drinking alcohol.

9.  Take Melatonin:  It is a natural chemical that tells your body GO TO SLEEP NOW!  It works...trust me.  I cannot condone taking it with red wine...use your discretion...but I take it no matter what.

10.  Do not look at the clock in the night:  Set your alarm and do not look at the clock again.  If you look at the clock you will psych yourself out.  If you wake up, turn over and think of walking through a field of tall grass and flowers (it works for me...so why wouldn't it work for you??).

I am writing these principles while I am sitting on the terrace at the hotel in Madrid.  It is 9:00 PM and the sun is still out...it is warm and people are clinking their cervezas together.  I have no idea what they are saying...but they look happy!  And I am tired...but another hour to go before I sleep!  Cheers!

JXPDAJYRZQ7S

The TriBlogger Was Beaten...By His Wife

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being cocky. What is it that propels someone to the top of the corporate ladder? Competency and execution? Yeah right. It is being cocky. Want to be an affluent, influential Hollywood actor? You surely must be a proven and gifted Thespian, right? Give it up. It is being cocky. Let's put this to the test...I will give you a word or phrase and you give me a name. "Hasta la vista, baby" - too easy. "Adrian!!" - pretty easy if you are over 25 or so. "Winning!" - no comment.  Do you sense exquisite talent in any of these blokes?  Not a twinge.  But they are all off the charts in cockiness.  Cockiness takes the cake.  Period.

So it is no wonder that I spent all evening Saturday strutting around my kitchen showing off all of my fine feathers as my wife watched in disgust. Every opportunity I had to flick my tail in her direction was taken savagely. This is the nature of true testosterone filled competition - and Sunday was our first 10k race of the year.

You can imagine the comments. "I hear that there is a Starbucks nearby...I will get you a latte after I'm done and wait for you at the finish."  "Oh there's a pancake breakfast afterward? I will make sure that there is some left for you when you are done."  "The kids race starts an hour after our race? I'll take video so you can see how they do."  And the lines kept going. I was on a roll. She asked if I planned on putting this in my blog. I responded emphatically..."Of course!" I was on my "A" game...and nothing was going to stop me.

Even on Sunday morning I had a spring in my step.  All of my gear was in the bag waiting for me.  Nothing would be left behind.  Gatorade, Gu, Cliff Bar, iPod, race number...everything was accounted for.  My wife was still pulling herself together 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave.  In the car she asked if I brought Gu for her?  I gave her the side look (amateur!).  "You can borrow one of mine."  Come on...this is the big leagues!  Every man for himself.  Again, as we lined up for the start of the race she began to talk to me!  I told her, "It's time to put on your game face...get serious...this is a race!"  I had my music blasting and I was ready to show my stuff.



I did some last minute stretches and some bounces to show off my calf strength.  Then I set my gaze. The gun went off and we were running.  We jumped into a 7:10 mile - 20 seconds faster than my planned pace.  I gradually slowed it down.  She will be spent by mile three.  We continued our run side-by-side. She glanced frequently at her watch.  The old mistake...paying too much attention to her speed.  She must be getting tired.  Then we hit the hills.  I am not talking about one or two hills.  The entire rest of the course, past mile one, was one hill after the next.  I train hills - in fact all of my outdoor runs are hills.  But it was the first time I had run outside since last October. If this was going to tire me out...it was going to kill my wife!  I was golden.

At the mile two water station my wife made for a cup of water. Who needs water in a 10k race?  This was my chance - while she is drinking, I am taking the lead.  I started pumping my arms as I made the passing move...only through some defiance of nature and a tear in the time-space continuum, she was able to take the water, drink and toss the cup without losing a single stride!  How could this be? Didn't everyone slow down at the drink station, down two gulps of water and cough and gasp for the next quarter mile as they almost choke to death on the water that went down the wrong way? 

Houston, we have a problem.

At mile three I felt my strength starting to wane.  I glanced at my wife and, though she was working hard, she didn't look spent.  Two more hills side-by-side.  Then I had to face reality:  I had to take down my pace.  My only hope was that she was as tired as I was.  Only, she wasn't. I slowed up on the next hill...and she kept going.

On each hill I developed a new plan.  This time I will take the hill faster.  Maybe I can focus on speeding up on the downhill.  At mile five  I will let her rip!  At five and a half I am going all out!  Finally, I was left with the feeble hope that at least I could look like I was running when I see my parents.  Never once did I catch up with her.  In fact, she opened up a considerable lead on me.  She beat me by a full minute.



The Gold

 She met me at the finish with some Gatorade and a smile.  "I hope you didn't mind that I went ahead?" "No, that was our agreement." "That's good.  I was looking at my watch early on and the pace seemed slow, but I didn't want to leave you behind." Ouch!  Believe it or not, my wife ran so fast that she won first place for her age group...and this was the first 10k race that she has ever run!  If you don't believe me take a look at the picture.  That is the real McCoy.  I was hopeful that I placed high as well...so I felt a little anxiety when the results were read off.  No luck.  I placed 10th.  Not even an honorable mention!  Where's the respect? 

When things don't go your way you can always count on your parents to encourage you.  As we left the results area my dad put a hand on my shoulder "You are very fit."  This is a bit like saying "Better luck next time" with an athletic twist.  I'll take it.  My legs were hurting and I was hungrier than a malnourished water buffalo.

The First Place Finisher

We proceeded on to our race day ritual - to take everyone out for a very unhealthy breakfast.  In the car I asked my wife if she was going to change clothes.  She said she wasn't.  I asked her if she planned on taking off her first place medal.  No. I think that she was planning on adding it to her daily ensemble - a gold medal does go with just about everything.  I have to admit that there is a lot of pride that goes with wearing a medal.  Just last year I came in third place in the Halloween Trot (which isn't saying much as I got lost and ran an additional half a mile more than others and still came in third).  I keep the medal close to my bed.  Once in a while I bring it out and stroke it a bit.  But only when I am alone.  I was proud of my wife...she ran well and got the reward.  However, I would not be a truly competitive triathlete if it didn't sting a bit to lose.  But I was over it.

We arrived at the restaurant and were seated at the table.  My wife opposite me while I was next my oldest son.  I reviewed the menu...did I want to go for the bigger-than-your-head-cheese-burger or the mile high stack of flap jacks?  Both seemed equally appealing.  I began to talk to my son about how he was doing and he shared how happy he was that he ran a full quarter-mile race "with only stopping a little to walk to reserve energy," he said.  How precious.  Ah...the tenderness of an untainted young child.  I began to remember a time when life was simpler...without competition...without pride.  There was a time when life was innocent and we took everything in with joy.  As my mind loped along the paths of my youth, my son interrupted with a question.  "Did you run fast today, Dad?"  I told him that I thought I had run fairly well.  He's proud of his dad, I thought!  I put my arm around his shoulder and scuffed up his hair a bit.  "Then why does Mom have a medal and you don't?"  Was that a hint of a smirk on his lips?  Did I sense a slight raise of his eye-brows and a glint in his eye?  It is true after all...we are evil from birth.

 

(Side Note:  Don't let this happen to you...while writing this blog the magnet on my iPad cover has come in contact with my Garmin 310XT and has screwed up the display.  The cost to fix is about $106...but at least they will send me a new watch! )

To HeadBlade or Not To HeadBlade...Say Hello To The Hair-Minator

I suggest that before you read this blog entry you read the predecessor to this blog: There is Nothing Graceful About Going Bald...Shave That Head!  If after reading the preceding blog, the blog below still does not make a bit of sense to you...don't worry.  This is normal.

OK, I didn't actually go to the store myself.  That would mean that I would have to fully and truly acknowledge that I did not own this de facto bald headed gadget.  I do not have this much self-confidence.  So instead I sent my wife.  She has a full head of dark hair (with some lighter highlights due to a salon intervention) and thus would be inconspicuous as she nonchalantly tossed the HeadBlade into the cart.  For added cover she brought along my four year old son.  Who could tell?  Maybe the boy wanted to shave his head for his birthday and his mother was enabling his wish?  The cloak of mystery around the purchase was solid and intact.

The HeadBlade was sitting on the counter when I arrived home from work that evening.  I am forced to admit that not only was it intriguing, but also even cooler in my hands than on the computer.  I could go into a long-winded description of the eye-popping color, the contoured design, the smooth roll of the wheels, the sleek angle of the blade, etc.  But who the hell wants to hear that?  It was cool, it was manly and it drove the desired behavior...the need to shave.

I have never felt the urge to shave my head more than at that moment.  I contemplated stripping off my clothes and running naked to the shower.  It seemed fitting as my oldest son does exactly that when it is time for a bath.  No one ever said anything to him about it.  It surely must be appropriate.  Then I realized that if I am learning about appropriate behavior from my four year old, something is terribly wrong.  He can't even finish a hot dog without looking like he went to war against an onslaught of ketchup and mustard bottles...and lost.  It seemed that I needed to rethink my role models for behavior.  Role models...hmmm...WWJD?  What would Jesus do in this situation?  There is no doubt that God is a good role model.  What would Jesus do?  He would tell me to stop wasting my life looking at a damn razor for my head and do something worthwhile.  Good advice, but too transcendental for me at that moment.  Patience is a virtue...and a necessity at times like this.  I resigned myself to wait until the morning to give it a go.

For me to tell the rest of the story I would have to break a cardinal rule.  I am a rather private person by nature (though you may not have guessed this by my blog).  Moreover, to share with you the next part of the story I would have to invite you into the shower with me - to experience my first usage of the HeadBlade.  Not only would this be somewhat awkward - as my shower is not very big - but it also crosses the line of simple human decency.  So instead of this approach, let me just give you the general run down of events.

While the shower was warming up, I took a look at the package.  Interestingly, the HeadBlade was made to float in a clear plastic sphere as if it were fully suspended in space.  It screamed "New Age Technology."  Also, about three or four times on the package was written "lead with the blade."  I figured if they purposefully wrote this so many times on the package, it may be worth remembering.  I took note for a later time.  Finally, I cut open the package and pried that testosterone laden "hair-minator" (I just made that word up on the spot...) out and prepared for action.  I jumped in the shower, lathered up my head, rinsed my now stinging eyes - too much shaving cream - and took hold of my new weapon.  It was a bit difficult at first to figure out how to place my fingers.  I suppose that this was outlined in the directions, but I threw those out with the cosmic packaging.  Finally, all fingers were placed appropriately and I made the first sweep - blade first.  Surprisingly, it went very smoothly across my head without leaving a hair behind.  Hey, this thing really worked!  I kept shaving and the hair kept coming off.  Maybe I wasn't a complete moron after all?  Or maybe I was at least a lucky moron!  I began to sing "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello Dolly - I don't know why, but I prefer to sing show tunes in the shower.  And before I could get to the line I love to belt out - "Give me an old trombone, give me an old baton!" - my head was as smooth as a baby's bottom!  I became an instant convert.  

Perhaps I am more conscious of the perceptions of my clean shaved head now, but I swear that people notice my head more than ever before.  Even though people rudely continue to joke about the glare from my head (ha ha...like I never heard that before...you freak), I think that they really are noticing the effect from the HeadBlade.  Even as recently as this week, my boss's boss couldn't keep himself from reaching out and touching my head in the middle of a meeting.  Normally this would be considered harassment, but not for me.  I just gave him a look and said "Smooth, isn't it?" and then I offered to shave his head with the HeadBlade...free of charge.

Interested in HeadBlade?  Tell them you heard about them from me (and tell them to pay me for this advertising!!):  http://www.headblade.com

The Diet - A Week Filled With Meat

So, how did I do on my diet?  I would say that it went fairly well.  Let me give you the run down:

Monday - you already saw the massive steak that I downed.  It was delicious and low carb.

Tuesday - feeling guilty about the size of the steak from the night before, I cooked wild salmon on the grill with a side of asparagus.  Now I have a confession to make.  I love asparagus.  I know I referred to it as the plastic grass you get with sushi.  It was disrespectful.  It was on the borderline of belligerent.  It was a down-right lie.  I love asparagus...even though it makes pee smell weird (for details on why that is check out this link:  http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4586963_asparagus-urine-smell.html).  OK...confession is over.

Wednesday - after hosting a team building event which included driving like a freakin' madman on go-carts for an hour and a half (where I won the award of most improved driver - what the hell that means I have no clue), I downed three small chicken breasts with barbecue sauce and some green beans.  Though I would have expected something more like a bratwurst or thin frozen pizza from a go-cart course, the chicken breasts came through like a charm!

Thursday - it was sushi night...and I don't think I did as well as I could have.  Naomi Sushi in Barrington makes this great Godzilla roll that is stuffed with God-knows-what and is covered in two types of sauces.  I couldn't resist.  I did, however, try to eat more sashimi and just the fish off of the nigiri sushi.  Then I ate a piece of cheesecake.  I felt that this was still in bounds as my wife pointed out that cheese is low carb.  Thus, if cheese is low carb and it is simply a cake made of cheese, then it is also low carb.  This is my logic and please don't question it.

Friday - tonight is a crap shoot.  We are going to a new Greek restaurant.  I feel confident, though, that I can get a plate filled with some type of meat and flaming cheese.  If anyone has a recommendation, please feel free to pass it on.

BOTTOM LINE:  How much weight have I lost?  As of Thursday, I have lost 2.5 pounds.  That is only half my goal.  However, my final weigh in will be tomorrow morning.  If I can eat enough meat for dinner tonight I may just make my target!!

The Diet

I have less than one week left before I start training season...and I am too fat.  How can I possibly compete with a winter's layer of extra warmth?  Could I be too heavy for my bike?  Will I cause massive injury to my knees?? OK...it is not like I gained 20 pounds or something.  There are no pictures of me with a turkey leg in one hand and a chunk of fruit cake in the other (however, this doesn't mean that these actions did not happen).  Yet, I still need to lose about five or so pounds before I hit the training season.  Time is tight.

There is a guy I work with who has shrunk down faster than when my wife shrank my wool sweater in the wash (yes...I still haven't forgotten, My Love, how a favorite sweater became a sweater that could fit Elmo).  Literally, I went on a business trip with him on a Monday and by Thursday of the same week he had gotten even thinner.  So, of course, I had to inquire about what he was doing.  He gave me the details of the special diet.  Truly, it sounded like a substantial pain in the ass.  As I think of myself as more of an artist than a scientist, I have combined the elements that I like from his approach with things of which I am not willing to part.

The parts I took from his diet plan:

1. Eat a lot of meat
2. Don't eat a lot of carbs

The parts I took from my personal sinful desires:

1. Eat less potatoes at dinner
2. Alcohol does not count as a major contributor to total carb counts
3. Continue to work out as much as possible to offset any parts of my diet that my cause contention with weight loss.

With this new diet in mind I submit to you my dinner last night:

Please notice that this is a Prime Aged Angus New York Strip steak.  I was told that this steak was 16 ounces before cooking.  It was encrusted with blue cheese...are there carbs in cheese?  I don't know and I don't care.  As I was too embarrassed to have a lone slab of meat on my plate for dinner, I asked for some asparagus.  Think of the asparagus like the plastic grass that comes with sushi.  It really has no value, but who wants to look at a blank plate of raw dead fish?  By adding plastic grass, the tender slices of fish seem more at home...like a final resting place of sorts. 

I am executing this diet for the week...and I have high hopes of losing the five pounds needed.  I think I am off to a good start.  Given the three chicken breasts and two helpings of green beans I just ate for lunch today, I think that I am destined to meet my target.

There is Nothing Graceful About Going Bald...Shave That Head!

I remember sitting in my bathtub when I was about 25 or so and seeing all of the hair floating in the water. I though it was a bit strange. Did this much hair always fall out of my head? Perhaps I never noticed it as I always took a shower. But the hair kept falling out. For clarification, I am not talking about a lion sized hair ball worth...but it was enough to be removed from the drain at the end of the bath.

Later, I caught sight of the top of my head in the office bathroom. Was that a bald spot? I looked more carefully. I was intrigued and saddened. It was true - the more hair you lose from your head, the more hair you gain on your back. Obviously, I was facing a tough decision. What do I do? Do I employ the combover? What about the bald man's pony tail? I did have a pony tail in my early 20's and I though I looked pretty cool (I cannot account for anyone else's views). What about shaving my head? That seemed like a decent idea as it would also make me look tough (a look I was never able to pull off before). So I made a deal with my close friends: when enough of my hair had fallen out that it was really starting to show, they needed to tell me so I could shave my head. Well, a couple of years went by and no one said anything. Then, at the most peculiar time before a major life event, those SAME people asked me, "Dude, what is up with the combover??" I couldn't believe it! I didn't have a damn combover...I just parted my anemic hair to the side. Where the heck were they before that day with the advice to shave my head?? Nowhere.

So I shaved my head. Not all at once. First, I had it trimmed short. Then I went back a couple days later and had it trimmed even shorter. Then I bought some hair shears and shaved it. Finally, while in Sicily, on a day as hot as hell will be once Charlie Sheen enters it, I shaved it with a razor. Thus, I was finally welcomed to the brotherhood and sisterhood of truly shaved heads. This all leads me to my point.

I was having dinner with some friends that my wife and I met through my kids Montessori school. The guy is very much into marketing and cool stuff...and he asked me if I had ever heard of the Head Blade. I glanced side-to-side and slowly told him that I had not. I have to admit I felt a little self-conscious. I mean I am the bald guy...I should know everything about shaved heads. Who was the first person to shave their head? No problem. Why did monks shave just the crown of their heads? Got it. Why did Sigourney Weaver shave her locks? Easy! It should have been like asking a monkey about bananas...I live this stuff, man! But I didn't know. And to add insult to injury, the fellow telling me has a full head of dark luscious hair. Am I envious? No comment. But life is cruel.

We looked up the Head Blade on line...and it looks like a damn Matchbox car with razor blades. I am not talking Edward Scissor Hands razor blades...but definitely some type of concoction that would come from the brain of an evil toy maker. Yet, there was a cool factor without a doubt. According to the website, you just run it over your hairline like you might have used your hand to slick back your thick coiffure when you were young and verile. Seemed a bit too good to be true. But you know how it goes...when it seems too good to be true...go waste your hard earned money on it to prove you are a moron. So this is exactly what I did.

Next segment...To Head Blade...or Not To Head Blade - that is the question.

Week In Review

I hit most of my training goals during the week. I did the long run on Sunday with a little pain in my left ankle, but nothing horrible. The spin class was pretty good...the teacher was full of energy. I am not a big fan of the music (is there any spin class to Mel Torme? If so, please let me know), but otherwise it wasn't bad. On Tuesday, I nailed the run and the TI focused swimming class was a big benefit. I have not had the opportunity to have an instructor led TI class, so it was quite good. Wednesday I missed a cycling opportunity in favor of sleeping. Friday, I made up for Wednesday's laziness by running Intervals. Finally, today I swam 2km. So, all in all, I would say it was a pretty good week for my last week of slacking off before season!

Now the hard part begins...

Food Experience...Or Something Like That...

In case you missed my run in with Chicago culinary excellence (or lack thereof...) check out the link below.

Not All Sandwiches Are The Same...

Ivona and I are posting food related experiences on our other blog - The Triathlete's Palate. You can find it on the upper right corner of the TriBlogger blogsite. Take a look!

Found this on YouTube and thought that this was pretty darn funny! Enjoy!

This Week's Training

This is an interesting week. I am on holiday and my in-laws are here. At first pass, one might think that this would lend itself to an easier time finding workout times. This is not necessarily the case. Here is my training schedule for the week:

Sunday - long run (10 miles)
Monday - spinning class with my wife
Tuesday - normal run (6 miles) and swimming class to focus on TI
Wednesday - hopefully I will get to cycle on my trainer for an hour
Thursday - rest day (kinda) as we are going downtown to the Children's Museum
Friday - normal run (6 miles)
Saturday - normal swim (2 km)

My hopes are high...but not sure what will materialize for the rest of the week!

The Lay of the Land

The season is almost ready to begun for those of us in Chicago. Of course, there are the die hard (read FREAKS!! ... just kidding ... kinda) who have been out training on their bikes and running the hills in Barrington Hills as the snow is falling. I am committed, but not to that level. Even though Santa brought me thermal running clothes for Christmas, I have not tried to venture out in the elements. Yet, I digress...

This is my last week of calmer workouts...and I am on Spring break vacation. So before I start to document my training season - the pains, learnings, experiences and races - I thought I would give you the lay of the land for my training equipment.

The Swim

I am currently swimming with TYR brand swimming trunks. It is not that have an absolute preference; however, after buying a blue Speedo pair of trunks that quickly turned purple, I decided that, at least, I need to have a preference in color. I do not have a problem wearing purple...but I didn't appreciate the strange looks. So I am swimming in black trunks. Period. I invested in AquaSphere goggles and they definitely make a difference. I also use a nose clip - simply because I do not like water in my nose. It stays on without an issue so I can wear it easily in a race.

The Bike

I started out last season riding a Specialized Allez road bike. It is a good entry level road racing bike. It cost about $800 and is very good for training. In fact, I had the Specialized on the trainer for the winter and did all of my training only on that bike. This, though, leads me to the lustful draw of the "better bike". As I talk with all of my friends who ride, without fail, all of them can articulate the draw of the lighter, faster bike. And toward the end of the season last year, in weakness that demanded pure confession to God, I found a solid deal on a Cervelo P3 with upgraded handle bars and aero bars. I was also able to get a custom fitting session, with video analysis, thrown in. I won't say how much the bike cost, but on a calculation of dollars per decreased minute in a race...it was pricey. However, the bike is great to ride and light as a feather. The only problem now is that seat hurts my privates. I will remedy this problem in the coming months.

The Run

I have been a runner since I was 18 (with a 2 year hiatus which I will describe at a later time) and have run with many different shoes. My favorite shoes were the first running shoes that I ever purchased - a very light pair of Asics racing flats. The rest of my running career has focused on where to find those shoes again. This past fall I started reading about barefoot running...and thus my purchase of my Vibram Five Fingers. I have to admit that they felt good to run in (though different, for sure) and they immediately fixed some shin splint issues I was having in my right leg. I jumped in full throttle and started to wear them on my long runs as well as my shorter runs. All went well until I had a horrible run several weeks back where I pushed myself hard after hitting the wall early on...my form went to hell and so did my left ankle. So I had to lay off running for a bit (which is much easier for a triathlete than a single sport athlete!) and I also invested in my new running shoes - Nike Free 3.0. So far they have helped to allow me to run while providing some padding for my ankle. I will probably wear them for my upcoming 10k race.

It is great to talk about the equipment...it is another thing to put it to good use!

Planning the Blog

My wife and I have been discussing how to lay out the blog. We decided that we both will contribute to the blog based on topic (and amount of free time we may have!). I have come up with the following topics:

The triathlete's palate
Training with three under five
Getting the kids involved
Balancing work and training
Training while on the road
Bring on the bike...
Ready for the run...
Sink or swim...
Those nagging injuries
Performance page
Sports with your spouse
My first race

As we move along we will start to fill in content. I am not sure if we will be able to do this...but it is worth a try!

More to come...

Mark

In The Beginning...

When I first decided to start triathlon I searched and searched for quality information about what it took to be a triathlete. Though are some great sites out there, I found it difficult to get a real world perspective with all of the pain and joy put plainly.

If you are looking to learn about triathlon...or have been active in triathlon for a long time, I hope that you can find something here for you!