30 minute swim - 1/11

Last week I did a couple pool sessions, but they were more centered around working the bugs out of the waterproof headphones. With very narrow ear canals that take a circuitous route to the eardrum - typical in-ear headphones dont work worth a damn for me. So I've had to adapt the waterproof ones by getting silicone earplugs from the drug store and finagling them so that they create a decent-enough seal. I was also toying around with some sprint work, where I'd swim at a high exertion rate for a couple-few minutes, and then rest. This is as opposed to all my workouts before in the pool where I just set the countercurrent machine to one setting and go.

So with most of the issues worked out, todays swim was the first one where I was able to concentrate more on the swimming then whether my ears were filling up with water.

Total time: 28 minutes (~20 minutes steady state, latter part of workout was interval based)

30 minute swim - 1/4

Today I ventured into the pool, anxious to try out my new waterproof headset and iPod Shuffle. Normally, I'm the kind of person that can zone out when exercising as long as I'm moving and there is scenary going by. However, when I get on a treadmill or go in the Endless Pool, I've found I need some help to go beyond about 20 minutes.

The music definately helped out quite a bit - but it became pretty clear that rock music isn't the most ideal. While it can definately fire you up and get the adrenaline going - the beat isn't quite right. I've heard people say that certain types of techno is good for cardio workouts, because the rhythm just works for it. I'm not normally a big fan of techno music - but in this case it may be that the attributes which make me not like it end up being the exact reason why it would work for this application. I'll have to check that out.

Since I was more concerned with checking the viability of the headphones, I didn't worry too much about consistency on the pools power setting. It generally was around 40-50 - about average for what I have been doing.

Total Time: 28:18
Avg HR: 152

Baystate Marathon on October 18, 2009

I'm one of the first - and quite possibly THE first person to register for the 2009 Baystate Marathon. Registration supposedly opened on 1/1/09 - but when I went to register online on 1/2/09 - the page came up blank. So who knows.

If nothing else, it is a sign that I'm antsy - and I can't even start training yet, damnit!

My time goal is 3.5 hours.

Goals for 2009

Just to jot down a few things I want to accomplish in this up coming year of kicking my own ass. This is generally in order of increasing time/difficulty.

1) Complete the sprint triathlon I've registered for on 5/10
2) Build up to and finish a few century (100+ miles) bike rides
3) Complete the baystate marathon in October in 3:30
4) Bike to work on a more regular basis (weather and travel schedule permitting)
5) Starting around March or April - take 1 vacation day per month to dedicate to hardcore swimming/cycling/running training, working up to 6-7 hours worth.
6) Bike to my parents house (about 50 miles), swim across the lake and back (about 1 mile) and bike back home.
7) Get a few people together to cycle across the state (take a 3-4 day weekend to do this)