Training Thoughts
Posted by Admin on May 1, 2009 in Training
Now that I’ve got one tri under my belt this season, I am obsessed with this sport once again. When I’m not training, I think about training and racing. When I am training, I think about training and racing. And when I’m racing, I number-crunch like a math major about how I’ll do, and how it compares to other races, training leading up to racing, etc. I love that I get to be a part of this sport and I enjoy the honor of being known as a triathlete. Here are some additional thoughts herein:
– I went to Carnegie Hall last night to hear Mitsuko Uchida, a very talented pianist. I didn’t love all of the selections on the program, and when she played through sections or movements that were particularly uninteresting to me, I found myself daydreaming. I went through the Columbia Triathlon course, though I barely remember it from when I last did it in 2004, the NYC Triathlon course, and the Philly Triathlon course. I wavered a bit and thought about football plays (I am on two teams, one of which as QB), but invariably found my way back to racing.
– I went for what was supposed to be an easy pace 7.4 mile run the other night and while my goal was to keep my heart rate in the lower range and just enjoy myself while meandering through a beautiful Spring night in Central Park, I found myself speeding up to keep up with or pass other folks. There was no need for it, but the racing mentality is apparently hard to temper.
– During that run, while on the return trip back home, I found myself on the actual run course for the NYC Triathlon which takes runners up the west side of the park. Next thing I knew, I was running at race pace and I noticed that I was tracking other runners ahead of me. There are four hills within this section and I found that I couldn’t help but attack them. As I ascended the Harlem Hill, I saw a guy trailing me a bit and felt as if he might be closing in on me. Naturally, I turned up the pace, crested the hill still in front, and descended the hill at about the fastest pace I could manage. There was no reason for any of this! I was supposed to simply enjoy an easy run! When the pitch evened out, I relaxed and settled back for the final mile and change to my home, but I remain perplexed at my inability to calm down!
– Someone in my office suggested that others within the office have adopted new workout regimens because they hear about what I do. Professionally, I’ll always prefer being known for being smart, conscientious, honest, and amicable but it doesn’t hurt my ego any that I’m the reason folks are getting back into shape!
– Whenever I’m in a social situation that seems tenuous or somewhat unsecure, and by that I’m being P.C. about being around some bad guys who might give me a hard time – like in the neighborhood or on the subway – I have this sense of confidence that if push comes to shove and I need to bail, I’ll be able to out-run anyone. No, I won’t be able to out-run a bullet and let’s hope I’m never in the situation to deal with that, but in most other scenarios, there’s just no chance that I’d be caught. I suppose I get a kick out of the potential of those bad guys being surprised by my great escape. Why I even consider such doomsday situations and reactions is a mystery.
– I always refer to training as my “girlfriend” because she’ll never leave me, she’ll always make me feel good, and she’s everywhere all the time. I have a real girlfriend, of the human variety, and so I am truly a lucky guy to have both girlfriends treat me so well. To that end, the human girlfriend also loves training (sometimes not, but that’s par for the course), so when we get to train together, does that make it a polygamous situation?
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