20th week of the 2011 season

153

The week started as usual, on a Tuesday. I started it out with some strength training. I warmed up with the skipping rope and then strength training with a rubber band and a swiss ball. I increased the length of training from last week because I believe I can handle it better, and this is the way to improve. I am still far away from who I used to be. In the afternoon I rode my bike for 2h. I have to mention that lately I have been doing some force work.

On Wednesday I decided to go for a long ride, so I trained for 3 straight hours. It was pretty taxing and early in the week. I usually leave this workout for later in the week but I knew I was going to be busy on Thursday and I might not do anything so I would have a rest day in the middle of the week and I decided to use it in my advantage.

I was very busy on Thursday going up and down and meeting with some friends for lunch, unfortunately I was not able to meet everyone I expected to but since I was not able to do that I sneaked in what it used to be a light swim but I ended up swimming around 2 kilometers and that is a lot since the injury. I must say that I used the fins which helped a lot.

On Friday I was very busy as well. I did not plan to be that busy but it was crazy busy. I ran early in the morning so I was free the rest of the day. Although I had expected to be back home earlier I was not able to d so. So I only had a run.

On Saturday I wanted to do another long ride but this time I knew it could be outside but when I woke up in the morning it was cold so I waited a little bit. I left the house late, around 14.15, with no lunch. I routed around for 94km or slightly more than 3h. It was quite windy, curvy and it felt hilly. I was surprised that at some points I felt tired and a little bit later I was able to ride normally. I don’t know what the problem was. I am a little upset because even though I thought I put a good ride I did not average the expected speed. Once I got home I had to pick up the other bike and go for 4 or 5 extra km to pick up a car. I finally had lunch at 20 and dinner three hours later.

Sunday was going to be another busy day, so I woke up early, ran for 1h in the rain and then swam for another hour and then I went to play pitch and putt with friends, where I played pretty well, 36 strokes in 9 holes, that is a hell of a card for me.

I have realized that since I have put a little bit of weight on my BMI has skyrocketed. According to the BMI rules scoring from 18 to 24 is good, larger than 24 and smaller than 30 is overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. I had been falling in the third category for many years, then I dropped to the second and I almost made it to the healthy bracket, I was just .1 away. Now I am 2.5 points above the healthy limit, although this index is not suitable to trained athletes. (Does that mean that I consider and athlete? Even though I don’t consider myself an athlete I train more than 12h a week so I must be some kind of trained guy).

As I have explained I had plenty of meetings this week. It has been crazy. I haven’t been able to work out as much as I wanted to and it was not as balanced as I predicted at the beginning of the week. I did not swim enough and my shins are not working properly either so I did not run as much as I expected. This week I have not done any brick sessions, which are very fun.

I have realized that I don’t know what people want from me or expect from me. There are friends who talk to me who seem to not want to see me, there are others who used to be friends and now won’t talk to me or they just keep breaking promises. There are some who lie to me and there are some that criticize what I do and then they do the same and sometimes to me too!!!

Helping a friend has showed me that girls are not understandable. She opened up to me and told me her problems. I had been in her situation and even worse I had been in the situation of the affected ones. And talking to her showed me that I rushed things. Would I do the same now? I hope not. But I can’t tell until I relive that situation, which I hope it will never happen again. They say that time cures it all. Well I am not sure or the wound was deeper than expected.

Am I obsessed with my problem? Some of you might think so, and even though my jokes might have a bit of reality it is not as much as it might look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-urv2Fy6QGM

19th week of the 2011 season

153

Two days off this week.

The week started awkwardly, not because it was Tuesday when I started, because I finally did some strength work. I warmed up for almost 13 minutes with the jumping rope and then I did an easy strength routine. The rope helps to reduce ground contact and strengthens my shin. Then I did the regular routine but very light because it was the first time in may be eight months and I did not want to be too sore on Wednesday, I was sore until Thursday though. Then in the afternoon I had a light swim and in the evening I rode the bike. I was lucky enough to go to the swimming pool during the fins allowed time frame.

On Wednesday, I swam again after work training. Easy swimming with fins again. I am a little afraid to take it to the next level because I don’t want to get injured soon plus I get tired easily, I can’t swim more than 100m solo or sometimes I swim 200m with fins. Then later that evening I rode the bike for a little while.

On Thursday I did not have time to train; I left home at 7 am and came back at 9pm. It was my 1^st day of work and they fired me that very same day because of a sudden budget cut. I wasn’t much in the mood to train either.

On Friday I resumed my training with a nice brick session. I run for the first time this week and I felt very well. Almost no pain and I felt light and fast, not too fast but better than lately. The skipping rope has helped for sure.

Saturday was an abnormal day, I was tired from the night before, I had to do some chores in the morning and I was also lazy. So before lunch I snuggled in a 1h bike ride and after lunch I had just enough time to go for 105 minutes more. The first session was a force one and the second was a speed skills and endurance one. For the afternoon session I really felt the morning one, it worn me out.

On Sunday I when for another easy run; I need to keep getting stronger slowly, I have been rushing it a little bit in the past weeks, and I worked on my running technique so I can get faster, stronger and injury free. Then I took a light swim, no fins this time but technique oriented as the past swims.

I am not used to be this busy, I have to study, I had a work training course, I worked, I got fired, I went to the theater, I had two family lunches and I even had dinner with a friend and then I went out. It was super busy week for me.

The job was nothing fancy since it was only a one month project but I did not expected to end that quickly for me. Apparently there was a budget cut and I was one of the workers who lived farther away from the project and we were getting paid by the mileage so we were too expensive for them. They did not have time to evaluate us as workers, too bad.Also, I got to meet a very nice girl and I also got to see what rural schools look like. 16 boys and girls for 6 classes it was very nice to see that.

As for the last subject, I haven’t been thinking much about it. Time goes by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye24cqG8j3M

18th week of the 2011 season

153

As usual, I have not been able to do any strength training. I tried a couple of days but my will power is not that big.

So, I started to train on Tuesday with a short brick session, a shirt bike ride of one hour and a short run of half an hour.

On Wednesday, I decided it was time to put some time on the bike and I went for a pretty long bike ride on the trainer, it was fairly long at the moment of the season that I am, 2.5 hours.

On Thursday I decided to hit the water for the 1^st time since the tendinitis. I went for a 45 minutes run and then I swam for half an hour. I was ready to go slow but surprisingly I was faster than I thought. True is that I was only able to swim for 100 meters. I believe I could have swum longer but I just thought it was not appropriate for me at this moment. It was good to feel the water again and it was a very short swim, just 30 minutes of easy work.

Friday was a mess, I woke up late, I did not start training until late in the afternoon and I almost missed my 8pm appointment. I put on some two hours on the bike.

On Saturday I was upset with everything that had happened. I had a schedule to go through and I just could not make it. And at the end of the day I just thought it was too late to start training and I was too tired and fell asleep. In the meanwhile I did spend 30 minutes in the swimming pool. This time I was doing mostly 100 meters but they were technique oriented. I was lucky enough that I was almost alone and the lifeguard let me use the fins. I also wanted to do some strength training here but I just did not feel like it.

Sunday was even worse than Saturday related to my laziness. It took me the whole day to start training. I wanted to run, do some strength training and do a long ride; I knew it was too much so I ended up doing the long ride alone. Three hours on the trainer.

I wanted to start my prep phase but I was two hours short this week. I hope I will be able to train well from now on.

I have argued with many people this week. I believe I am right, otherwise I would not be arguing and I would apologize.

It is good to know that friends from cold lands are still there and they want me to visit them, not sure if it is because they feel lonely or they would like to see me but it is nice to hear that every once in a while.

I have also started a coaching course. I hope I will be completing it soon and I’ll be a coach and may be it will help me to improve my sessions.

How can I help you when my mind wants something that is my head does not or vice versa?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmzzDmLGTuA

17th week of the 2011 season

153

This week has been a roller coaster. It started with a very low mood and it when higher but not high.

The training week started on Tuesday with very low self esteem. I started with a bike ride, not very long but a good one.

On Wednesday I did a brick workout. The run was pretty good it is the first time I that I am under 33mins in that course for a long time. I am still five minutes behind of my personal record. But this is not the time of the year to be fast, I just need to build some endurance.

On Thursday and Friday I did not work out because I was not feeling too god.

On Saturday I went for a run and a bike ride. It was not a brick workout and it was not in the proper order.

On Sunday I pretty much did the same as Saturday but the run was slightly shorter and the ride was twice longer. Also in this run I decided to start carrying out some technique work such as knees up, heels to buttocks, sideways steps, crossover steps, backwards running, jumps, one foot, long steps, and running on heels. Also I have to be careful running in successive days because of the shins, yesterday I felt a little bit of pain so I will have to space them up a little bit.

On Monday I took my 6^th chance and in my opinion I blew it. I could not even talk during the event. I was extremely nervous. I could not articulate a word and I could not even think. Those were some very scary moments.

On Wednesday they broke the news to me and despite everything I have ever thought I did not break into full happiness. It is like I did not care. It feels like I closed a chapter of my life but it does not feel like I have accomplished anything. In fact I did not tell my family the news until one day and a half later and they were happier than I. My mom has told the news to more people than I have done and I do not like when they have congratulated me for that.

I had always thought that when this moment would come I would buy a very expensive champagne bottle and pop it. The truth is that they called me when I was reading and when I hanged up I went back to my book with no emotions.

I am not even happy that now I can sign up for another Ironman, since I said to myself that I would not compete until that was over. I have been thinking about the brand new Ironman Wales in September 11^th.

At the same time some other projects have been put on standby. The 2xSupersprint triathlon will have to wait.

This last week I decided not to talk to anyone over the internet; neither leaving comments nor being online. I just wanted to be absent for a little time.

Also I did not take part of this enjoyment when my family decided to celebrate my feat. I had asked them not to do. So when they did I left. Best option, maybe not, but I do not feel like I have something to celebrate.

I am still looking for a job and it would be nice to find one soon, I need money, and the people who have robbed me and the people who I had lent money to are not willing to pay me. They gave me some lame excuses that make no sense. I hope they pay me soon so I do not have to deal with them ever again. The worst part of this is that at some point I had considered them friends and this is how they pay me back, either stealing from me or abusing of me and waiting over three and a half years to pay me back.

Also this week I did not spend much time thinking on anyone but me. I start to realize I will die alone so I better get used to it and stop thinking about what could have been and who I would like to be. I must be realistic; it is never going to happen again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orcASctyXJo&feature=related