Hy-Vee Triathlon: 14 Days And Counting…
When I applied for the coveted Hy-Vee Triathlon Des Moines Register Blogger gig, I described myself as a "reluctant weekend warrior."
Warrior might be a bit of a stretch. I'm more knave than night, more corporal than general.
But it is fairly apparent that the bulk of my distance training occurs on weekends.
Here's a breakdown of the last seven days.
Sunday, June 1: Skipped my intended run on account of the fact that the Universal Studios fire was billowing smoke downwind; precisely where I'd run the entire week I was in LA. ...
A Swift Kick In The, Um, Butt
I tend to wedge my training in between a whole bunch of activities, lately: post-production on a documentary, mixing a new album (due on Des Moines' own Authentic Records June 18!), a career that's turned alarmingly demanding, domestic duties, and an iota of a social life. Still, I do pretty well getting everything in on five hours of sleep and, on a good day, coffee, a Balance bar, and a decent dinner.
This week, though, it all came crashing down. The dark, small hours of Wednesday night found me in the fetal position, crawling from the ...
George Washington, Rufus Scott & Me
Few vistas afford the sweeping panorama of New York City like the George Washington Bridge.
The Bridge was opened for traffic on October 24, 1931. It spans some 4,760 feet from the sites of Fort Washington (on the New York side) and Fort Lee (in New Jersey), fortified positions used by General Washington and his American forces in his unsuccessful attempt to deter the British occupation of New York City during the American Revolutionary War. The bridge's great shadow marks the route by which Washington and his troops fled the British in ...
My Perfect Storm Of Poor Planning (Or Hubris)
Four miles on four hours of sleep is not an ideal training scenario.
These days find me in the center of a perfect storm of poor planning (or hubris).
I'm in putting the finishing touches on my forthcoming CD, "The Invention of Everything Else," due June 18th on Des Moines' own Authentic Records. I'm still tracking vocals and mixing before shipping off to Nadas' bassist (and Sonic Factory Studios engineer, Jon Locker) for mixing. Then comes mastering, replication, and marketing -- to say nothing of putting together release parties and ...
Top Five Boneheaded Sports-Related Injuries
I've made two fairly boneheaded training mistakes in the last two weeks.
Two weeks ago, I decided it would be fun to jog up then sprint down a mountain above Los Angeles just two hours before boarding the red eye to New York, and two days before the Brooklyn Half Marathon.
And yesterday, I set out for a quick five-miler having not eaten dinner or breakfast, with no money in my pocket, then got carried away and stretched the run to eleven miles.
The ramifications for both were minor. Two weeks ago, I limped around with sore quads ...
Hy-Vee Triathlon: 77 Days And Counting…
It was just a week ago this morning that I sent off my application to be a selected to be a member of The Des Moines
Register's Triathlon Team.
A week later, the word is in, and the word is good.
Congratulations! You have been selected to be a member of The Des Moines Register's Triathlon Team. We appreciate your willingness to share your training and race experiences with our readers.
As a Des Moines Register Team member, you will be asked to blog each Friday leading up to the triathlon (tell us what you're doing to train, how ...
Will Commute For Food Fun
My friend, Tricia Martin, sent an email on Friday with this blurb from The Des Moines Register:
"Are you planning to compete in the June 22 Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines? Are you willing to blog about your training experiences?"
"The Register has 10 entries to give away, and we are looking for a cross-section of Iowans to share their experiences with our readers."
I just hit send on the following.
Dear My Des Moines Register Friends:
I'd LOVE to come home to Iowa to compete, and blog all about it! Here are my ...
2:43:27
There's a smile on my face in almost every photo of me competing in Sunday's New York City Triathlon. Which is kind of miraculous, as the race was neither painless, nor easy.
In the moments just after my finish, there beneath a canopy of leaves just above Central Park's Sheep's Meadow, I said to Chris, "Man, imagine what we could do if we trained!"
Years ago, the founder of the uber-grass roots Stone Harbor Triathlon casually and innocently characterized me as "a weekend warrior." He meant no harm, but the phrase kinda' hurt. Upon ...
Try
In exactly forty-eight hours, I'm diving into the Hudson River, and paddling like hell.
Sunday morning is my sixth Nautica New York City Triathlon. My wave -- the most sizeable demographic, 35-40 males, and hence the last -- begins the 1500 meter (about one mile) swim at 98th Street at 8:15.
From the transition on 79th, we ride a 40k (twentyfour mile) out-and-back bike course along the (very hilly) Henry Hudson Parkway.
The 10k (six mile) run takes us from transition at 79th, across 72d Street (my favorite part because it's closed
...
Leviathan
Funny thing happened in the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn: I got spooked.
Not, like, scared. Nah, just spooked.
I signed up for the inaugural Brooklyn Bridge Swim on something of a lark. I've done a dozen triathlons with swims up to a mile, but it's not like swimming's my thing. I run, and I ride. Sure, I was on swim team in fifth grade, and I have a serviceable free style. But up until today, I'd swam exactly twice since last summer: the Freedom Tower Aquathon (.5M) the Mister Rogers Memorial Triathlon (.5M). This ...
