i've started training for the chicago triathlon coming up in august. clearly this represents a huge commitment of time and energy and in fact resources, as i will require a wetsuit and a bike.
swim (1.5K; Sprint .75K) - this is what i'm most worried about. i haven't been in the water for years, and i've never tried to swim competitively. it's a whole new ball of wax for me, and apparently there's gear involved. entry level wetsuits start at around $150, and pro level gear is over $600. clearly, since this will be my first (not necessarily, but maybe, last) go at it, i'll be fine with the schmo level gear.
bike (40K; Sprint 22K) - i feel most confident about this leg. i've casually ridden 25 miles with no issue, never after swimming, but i'm confident. i'm not confident about my bikes. either of them. i have a 90's era Trek hybrid and a 70's era Univega 16 speed with friction shifters (stem mounted). neither of those will be competitive on a race course without major overhaul. maybe the Univega with a single speed hub, bullhorn bars (debating aero bars) and aero rims. but it's got a lugged fork, clearly not made to race. i could (probably will) do a whole post on this leg of the race.
run (10K; Sprint 5K) - i really hate running. the internet is jam packed with running tips, schedules, gear, groups, etc. running is my least favorite of all activities, including chores. i would rather clean my apartment top to bottom than run. i'd rather go to the dentist and the urologist than run. i hope this is abundantly clear. i just ran a little more than a 5K with my friend Joel and we're neither of us athletes (any more) but we're going to train together. on our run today we talked about how much we hate running.
the reason i listed all the distances and sprint distances is that we're not sure which to do yet. we have several months to train, so we're going to train for the sprint for the next month and if that seems like it's well within our ability we're going to stretch to the full distance. might as well right? we also talked today about how much more fulfilling and driving it is to have a goal for why we're working out beyond to "be in shape". that's for the birds. working out for the sake of working out is like writing book after book and never trying to get published. but the ChiTri is in our sights. we're aiming at that. and perhaps beyond, but who knows. one thing at a time. what are you up to lately?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
yoga, bikes and smoking
i've started taking yoga, and i like it a lot. it's almost bicycle season, which excites me to no end. i think it's really time to give the old college try to kicking the smokes, although i never went to college and there's a camel blue resting on the ashtray as i type this.
yoga is one of those rare athletic endeavors that i not only enjoy, but also gives me a group of aftereffects that i can only describe as spiritual fulfillment, achievement and drive to improve. i also want to continue, which is the rarest effect a physical activity has ever had on me. i lifted weights, but i hated doing it. i swam, but never enjoyed it. i ran and nearly cut my feet off to avoid it. but yoga... seems to be giving me harmony i've scarcely known, and often sought.
temperatures are ebbing up toward the low fifties, and a week of fifty degree days (seven consecutive) marks the start of my bike commuting season. it's a time of year that offers me freedom, fitness, and unparalleled learning opportunities about the streets and paths of our sweet home: chicago. my plan this year is to ride the trek hybrid and slowly convert the eighties era univega (stem shift) to a single speed. i've been studying online and it seems doable with minimal expense and an acceptable learning curve. we'll see.
smoking. it's not healthy, it's expensive, it's smelly, on and on ad nauseam; i get it. my mother, strangers, exes, everyone who has an opinion has been telling me longer than i care to think about that i oughta quit. but none of that counts for squat unless i want to quit, trust me. but now i think i want to. yoga is helping me realize that i'm holding my body back from it's potential, and that is something i really won't tolerate. so that's my go at that. i just need a kick start to get going.
any ideas?
yoga is one of those rare athletic endeavors that i not only enjoy, but also gives me a group of aftereffects that i can only describe as spiritual fulfillment, achievement and drive to improve. i also want to continue, which is the rarest effect a physical activity has ever had on me. i lifted weights, but i hated doing it. i swam, but never enjoyed it. i ran and nearly cut my feet off to avoid it. but yoga... seems to be giving me harmony i've scarcely known, and often sought.
temperatures are ebbing up toward the low fifties, and a week of fifty degree days (seven consecutive) marks the start of my bike commuting season. it's a time of year that offers me freedom, fitness, and unparalleled learning opportunities about the streets and paths of our sweet home: chicago. my plan this year is to ride the trek hybrid and slowly convert the eighties era univega (stem shift) to a single speed. i've been studying online and it seems doable with minimal expense and an acceptable learning curve. we'll see.
smoking. it's not healthy, it's expensive, it's smelly, on and on ad nauseam; i get it. my mother, strangers, exes, everyone who has an opinion has been telling me longer than i care to think about that i oughta quit. but none of that counts for squat unless i want to quit, trust me. but now i think i want to. yoga is helping me realize that i'm holding my body back from it's potential, and that is something i really won't tolerate. so that's my go at that. i just need a kick start to get going.
any ideas?
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