Monday, January 21, 2008

I suppose I could tell you it's cold here

But that would be redundant and boring. So, how cold is it? Well, my basement registered roughly 47 degrees when I went for a 1:45 spin yesterday. That would be the same temp that registered in sunny south Florida, where my buddy and aspiring Ironman, Bigun, sat on his ahem, refusing to go out into the cold. In the infamous words of our former governor "I ain't got time to bleed" and I also don't have time to complain about the weather. But I do it anyway. Because it's what we do here in the great white north when we aren't sucking down near beer and exchanging hot dish recipes. It's a balmy 8 today, but spring hits this weekend when we see the mid 20's again. I'll be stalking Steve in a Speedo just to let him know there are other crazies out there. For the record, my coldest outdoor run involved snow shoes, 12 below for the daytime high and a good deal of vaseline.

Knee update. It's still attached to my thigh-although there are days I swear someone replaced it with a wooden joint. I don't quite understand the mechanics of that one, but so long as I can swim, bike and run we're good. And, I can swim (5000 yards last week) bike (3:30) and run (I forgot to count- but one run involved oranges and lemons so who cares)

I love Ironman training. Even if the race is 11 months away. It's just the right focus to make workouts fun again. I have a goal. I like goals. I like having a strategy and a focus. It's a relief to move in a straight line in a world where everything spins.

I set my branch's record for averaging the most training sessions each month last year. A podium finish, oh yea! I'm hoping to blow that pace away this year-more people achieving their health goals-yea! Speaking of which, my contingent of newbies continues to grow for the Chain of Lakes Triathlon. I've recruited 7 people to try this race.

The Tribe has the day off from school, so it's back to mom-ing. and yes, they practice their "Stewie" impersonation constantly-oh joy

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Record-breaking! Excellent!

(Cold here, too.)

IronTriTim said...

Cold here too, -4 ambient, -20 with wind chill. Great job on the training.
The perfect push ups seem to be working, my upper body is definitely getting stronger.

Comm's said...

"What the deuce?"

47 degrees? As you well know freezers in Arizona in winter seldom reach 47 degrees. To actually have a house like that. Yikes.

Next you tell me is that you have cold toilet seats at night and you shiver getting out of a hot shower.

Brent Buckner said...

Ah, training fun!

greyhound said...

You know, 'Pounce wants Soapinator to come and live here and go to school with her, so when you've had enough of 47 degrees in the basement, just pack 'em all up and y'all come on down.

Fe-lady said...

Did you wear fleece in your basement? I shiver daily looking at the US map on TV. You would laugh that I wore two shirts, tights and mittens on my dry forty degree run this morning.
"Wimp" you would say...and you are right!
I love goals too...would be totally lazy and fat to boot without them!

Ryan said...

It's amazing to me that everyone above a certain latitude, read tundra, is not just a big blob of goo. How easy would it be to go to a buffet bar and just hide your massive girth with a huge North Face puffy jacket. Props to everyone who keeps the motivation when it is single digits outside. I'm with Bigun, 46 is too cold.

Wes said...

Brrrrrr. I thought 31 was cold :-) Five hours in the pools is like totally awesome. I'm a bit shamed though, cause I haven't gotten on my bike but once this year. I don't have a trainer. It IS the south ya know ;-)

faithrunner said...

Sunday I ran 8 around Lake Calhoun, I think my spit froze before it hit the ground! It's great when you get indoors and see all the ice crystals around your eyelashes and eyebrows and realize that you probably looked like a geek as you were running. :) BUT, you did it!

Afternoon Tea With Oranges said...

Yay for Ironman training and podium finishes!! I am so jealous of you and your job. I bet you are the best trainer in many many miles.

SingletrackJenny (formerly known as IronJenny) said...

Congrats!! tha's awesome!
It's warming up to day... thankfullyl. I am a wimp below 10 degrees. I't 6 degrees now and going up to 20 today I hear...