Thor's Thursday - Mojo

As in where did it go? Did it get lost as a result of too much work and too little play (training)? Did I exceed the lifetime allowance of mojo? Is it waiting under the surface ready to be re-awakened? Is it just waiting for a warm spring-ish day rather than the cold, windy, snowy ones? (and yes, the lack of an "or" was certainly intentional...)

Yeah, who knows. Been rough slugging through the last couple weeks of training, but luckily, we're signed up for some serious events this summer, so mojo or not - the training must continue. Getting on the trainer, or on the treadmill, or in the pool, or out the door is much easier when there's a bit of mojo flowing. 

But the important thing is to get the workout started. Convincing yourself that "you've got 5 minutes in you" can often get you through whatever you've got planned. Sometimes it's just the act of lacing up the shoes or some other equivalent that can make all the difference. You get dressed, you get out the door, and before you know it, the "just five minutes" turns into your workout. Other times, your body will say, thanks for the "5," but I'd like you to reconsider. And that's when you need to take stock - is your brain revolting because of a pain, an ache, a "something" missing, or is your brain just craving some couch time. If it's one of the former, be smart. If it's the latter, you have to decide - will your goal win the mojo battle or will the couch. 

Whether you think you can or think you can't - you're probably right. So, find your mojo. There's no shame in having a mojo-less workout. But the least likely place to find it is on the couch.

Thursday is Thor's Day -- We Don't Get It.

We've been neglecting this blog for too long, so in an effort to kick things back off...and since Thursday is Thor's Day (and there's that whole Norseman connection)...yeah, look for new posts by Thursdays. 

First up...in case you were under a rock, there's this famous cyclist who also happens to have started a philanthropic organization who has been in the news lately. Rather than getting into Oprah's lane...here are some of the random conversations we've been having in our little slice of the universe. 

1) We don't get it. This is mostly directed toward the age group athletes out there who are using anti-aging products, or PEDs, or other banned substances. Maybe we're missing something, but none of us are getting paid for competing/completing tris or 5k's or mud runs. This is "sport" - it's supposed to be fun. We'll be the first to admit that our ego's look at the ranking and see how we stack up, but really. In order to win an essentially made-up sport (none of us are running to provide for ourselves or feed ourselves) people are out there using banned or illegal substances. Like I said, we don't get it. It's supposed to be about the process - it's supposed to be about being better / stronger / faster tomorrow than you were today through your own effort and hard work. It's not supposed to be about who can manipulate their blood / hormones. 

2) We think there's an element of entertainment in pro sports. I mean, let's face it -- would the NFL be as hugely popular if it was normal sized people running and hitting at normal speeds. Now, obviously, they (and the other pro sports)  have some version of a testing protocol in place and we're not trying to implicate every pro athlete. But, a lot of pro sports are more Roman Coliseum and entertainment than "pure" athletics (whatever that means).

3) Setting aside the whole pro sports as entertainment piece - how do we, as a society, ensure that the folks who want to compete on a level playing field can do so. And, possibly more importantly, how do we ensure the health and safety of the kids and teens so that their bodies develop on a natural path and so that they can compete cleanly. 

4) Part of what we don't like is the whole "everyone was doing it" attitude and the fact that it raises questions about anyone who turns in an exceptional performance. You can't prove a negative. Right now, it's too easy to be suspicious about everyone. And that isn't good or fair. And it's not right.

5) No, really, we don't get it. We're getting older. That sucks. It would've been nice to start this whole tri / endurance / (actually running more than 4 miles per year) thing earlier. But we didn't and we don't have 10, 20, 30, 40 + years of solid base training in our legs and bodies. So, that means we're going to improve slowly and when you factor in some age related declines - yeah, we're fighting to tread water. So, we just try to work a little harder and train a little smarter and pay more attention to recovery. And we don't even consider PEDs or anything along those lines. Because those things cheat you out of the pride of knowing the work you put in and the hours and sweat equity.

6) Yes, we take multivitamins.  And we train, sometimes slowly (ok, usually slowly).  If we improve at all, it's because we're busting our asses.  If we don't improve, it won't be because we weren't trying.  But if we do improve, it'll be legit, so we won't have to book a session with Oprah.

So, what are your thoughts? 

(This is a mild version from the ranter...the eloquent one was working on other stuff.)

Training in the Winter

Some of you may be wondering how you train for swimming, biking, and running in the late fall, winter, and early spring.  Don’t let the low temperatures, minimal daylight hours, or the potential for rain, snow and ice be your excuse to further mold a butt-print on your sofa. It is easy to get de-motivated in the winter months, but instead you can use this time to add some valuable base-training or intensity to your work outs.   

For the swim, things are pretty easy - the local Y has a pool. It's warmer than most lakes, treated chemically to try to kill the nasties that get in from people who don't shower before jumping in, and has a black stripe along the bottom. Granted, it's not the ideal training ground for open water swimming, but it does have the benefit of a pace clock and the certain knowledge that there's a 99% chance we won't freeze to death, and we won’t get arrested for trespassing, unlike the local lakes. It definitely helps to swim with a partner or group (like a masters swim class) to keep motivated.

For the bike, you can always move to the deep south, like Florida or southern California, and ride every day of the year!  But if that doesn’t work out, then there are other fun options for your consideration.  If your roads are clear of snow and ice, then you can still ride outside using “snivel” gear.  Lots of companies sell cold-weather cycling clothes to keep your core and extremities (especially toes, fingers, and head) warm.  Still, on some days the cold is just too much to bear, so there are multiple indoor options.  We use a “trainer” parked in our living room in front of the TV.  You mount your rear wheel on and it provides enough resistance to allow you to pedal your way to a respectable puddle of sweat on the floor (so we also suggest rubber mat under it). Our trainer is made by Kurt Kinetic and it's awesome. And by awesome, we mean it would be at home in any torture chamber.  You can pedal your legs to exhaustion while watching cycling workout videos from various companies (we like the “Sufferfest” series), or you can watch whatever’s on the tube.  A half hour on the trainer feels like about an hour of outdoor cycling.  Oh yeah, don't forget to point a fan on yourself!  Other options include exercise bikes (either at home or at the gym) or “spin” bikes like the kind used for spin classes at the gym.  If you’ve never tried a spin class, give it a shot.  They usually last 45 minutes or an hour, are fun while providing a great workout, and unlike zumba or aerobics, don’t require much rhythm or skill. 

For the run, again, put on snivel gear and get outside if the roads are safe.  You definitely don't want to be wearing cotton though - learn a lesson from mountaineers and explorers and stick to the wools or synthetics.  Indoors, the treadmill is the obvious choice and works well as a task master – you can vary the speed, vary the slope, use the buttons to hit your intervals, and watch the improvements build over the winter months, all while keeping current on your favorite Food Network programs!  And, since most treadmills are easier on your joints than running on asphalt, your body may appreciate the softer ride provided by the treadmill. If the TV is too mind-numbing while on the trainer or treadmill, then try listening to an audiobook.  “The Game of Thrones” series of books will give you hundreds of hours of literary listening pleasure and you’ll find yourself looking for ways to exercise so you can listen to more of the story!  

 

Finally, consider using the winter “off season” to bump up your strength and core training.  Multiple options here from simple body weight exercises you can do at home, to dumbbells and gym circuits.  More about this later!

Mortal Man Tri Has a New Home!

We want to make sure we give the Mortal Man Tri fun its own home in order to keep folks updated. 

Here's the link to the new site:

http://mortalmantri.blogspot.com/ 

Hope you enjoy the challenge and the chaos! Happy training!

MortalMan Challenge!

We're cooking up a crazy scheme to get friends and family involved in the triathlon madness. It's looking like it's going to be a lot of fun and we're fired up about it.

Check out the Challenge tab to find out more. We're still pulling the details together but it's going to be a lot of fun.

Yikes!

We are now closer to our potential undoing than we are distant from when we embarked.

In pseudo-English...five months until IM Florida...six months since we signed up. I'm not sure what that means, but I am pretty sure that it does not bode well.

I have a feeling that this 11 month journey will not be like climbing a mountain...lots of work for the first half, magnificent scenery for a bit, than trying to hold yourself together on the descending return. (Of course, the mountain may be the event...or it could have been deciding to sign up - and since time is flying by, I should probably be paying more attention to holding things together.) We should probably be farther along in our training, but we are progressing. And since we now have less than half our timeframe remaining...time to get back to bidness.

Oh yeah, there's a video coming soon. Honest. I'd try to blame it on too much training time, but if you'd looked at our logs...only one of us can even come close to claiming that...and it ain't the one typing this.