As promised I have updates on my vacation. I thought I had more pictures, but I guess I SnapChat-ted them all to my friends (lucky friends). However, I have a video and 2 pictures.
In Review:
-We left on Christmas eve, the plane ride was not pleasant, but what can you do. I had tamales at 1 am when I arrived at the house.
-We opened presents the next morning. Elaine's stepdad was so excited he wouldn't let us eat breakfast.
-I got to swim in an endless pool swim spa. Like I said in a previous blog, I got all of my training done except for one swim. I have a feeling that any training done over this length of time will have to be creatively fit into work and vacation schedules. It is a fun challenge.
- I ate some more tamales, shopped (bought several things for my bike), drank and ate (a lot). I even tried an odd Polish beer. It was pretty good.
-We left the sunny confines of New Mexico to return to a balmy -2 with a -20 windchill. Still, there are few places like home with my wife and dogs. I hope everyone had a great holiday week.
Well the trip to the Southwest went well. I got all of my training done except one swim. So, I will call that a victory. I will write more on the week later. However, we just got home and I am tired. I will be posting my plan for next week right now. Thanks to all my readers! I have appreciated the kind words and emails.
WEEK #3 - 1st Week of 1st Pre-Season Cycle Swim 2:30 - Bike 3:45 - Run 1:55 -- Total: 8:10
So, for my HIM last year I posted a picture of the books I was utilizing to train. I have procured additional books and am working my way through them.
My reading selection.
I will not say I have made it through all of them. I have ready the "Triathlete's Training Bible" - which I would highly recommend for anyone looking to start training triathlons. It has a ton of info on numerous topics. It is a good "catch all" book for people training for a triathlon.
"Going Long" - is also a great book. Both TTB and GL were written by Joe Friel, so they have similar info. GL specifically covers training for an Ironman.
I am currently working my way through Total Immersion Swimming. At my Half-Ironman I placed rather high in the swim. Which was unexpected seeing as I have never really had formal swimming lessons. That being said, it is amazing how many things I have already incorporated from this book that have improved my stroke efficiency. Three big things from the book that I had never thought of, but make great sense from a physics standpoint:
Push your chest down, it eliminates hip drag.
Swim on your side, not your stomach. Why do fast boats have a wedge shaped hull and barges have a flat one? V-shaped plans cuts through the water and eliminate drag.
Swim tall, the longer you swim the faster you are. Check out the "Froude Number" for an explanation using scientifically founded science.
"Breakthrough Swimming" is also a great book. It is more of a "catch all" for first time swimmers, but still plenty of useful info.
I have been a runner since high school and have subscribed to "Runner's World" and "Running Times." As a result, I am less worried about the running aspect. But, I do have a "Complete Book of Running" to answer any questions I have. The last two books are "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes" - which break downs how to create training plans for various length tris (and has sample plans). "You are an Ironman" is a biography that was written about several people training for the Phoenix Ironman. It is a good practical read for what to expect.
Hello fellow triathletes and readers! I am done with week one. It went well, I have 3 take aways:
I am out of form
I am out of shape
I feel like a whale...but not in the fast swimming way. More like a whale trying to run.
No big deal though, that is what the training is for.
We had graduation and finals this week at the university. It is always a hectic and stressful week, but fun to see my great students move on to bigger and better things. Here is a picture of me in my robe.
I was actually ninja kicking a fellow faculty in this picture- Graduation gets heated
This week Elaine and I will go to her Mom's for the holidays (we have a student at the house watching the dogs and my new bike). So, training will be a bit hectic. Luckily she has some great friends who have an endless swimming pool that I can use! The joys of living in a warm climate where you can have an outdoor swimming pool. In addition they live at altitude, so I can get some good running in. The downside is that I do not get to bring my bike. Elaine's mom has a stationary bike, so I will get riding done on that. All and all, I think it will go nice.
So, that is it for now. One last thing to do, the week's training plan:
WEEK #2 - 2nd Week of Orientation Cycle Swim 2:30 - Bike 3:20 - Run 2:15 -- Total: 8:05 Monday A shorter, easy swim with some additional stroke work to build overall strength and provide some variety.
-- the second 200 Swim should be done slightly faster than the first
MAIN SET
4 x 300 w/20 sec rest between each
#1 & 3 - @60% intensity; #2 & 4 - @75% intensity
-- Keep your stroke count even throughout the set. The idea is to use as few strokes as possible no matter what speed you are going. This will lead to more efficient and faster swimming.
BIKE 0:40
WARM UP
10:00 easy spinning, gradually bringing your HR up to 65%
DRILLS
3 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec rest after each set -- do each repeat as
-- 6 x (20 sec one leg, 10 sec transition)
15:00 straight time trial effort @75% intensity
COOL DOWN
spin easy through the end of the session
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:20
Thursday
SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
800 Swim -- every 4th length choice, rotate through in IM order
-- i.e. 2 x (75 free, 25 fly, 75 free, 25 back, 75 free, 25 breast, 100 free)
MAIN SET
8 x 150 w/15 sec rest after each
Hold HR constant at 65%, and try to keep your times even throughout the set. The goal here is to begin to learn a sense of pacing at a particular intensity level.
COOL DOWN
400 Pull, concentrating on rotating your hips and minimizing the number of strokes per length.
RUN 0:45
15:00 easy jogging, allowing your HR to get up to 60% gradually
Continue cooling down @60% through the end of the run
DAILY TOTAL: 1:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:50
Friday As with last week, this is an optional additional swim to help you get used to getting back in the water. If you feel like taking a day completely off (especially after working out each of the previous 11!), then fine.
SWIM 0:30
10:00 easy warm up, gradually bringing your HR up to 70%
15:00 continuous swim -- record the total number of lengths that you
are able to complete, for future reference
6 x 50 cool down, w/10 sec rest after each
DAILY TOTAL: 0:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:20
Saturday Saturday's ride will always be the longest effort of the week. For those who can ride outdoors year-round, it is important to perform the warm up and drills on a regular basis during the pre-season period -- you can finish the ride outdoors if this option is available. In addition, there will be times when the main set will guide you to a more efficient, more effective workout. Use your judgment to ensure that you're getting the desired workout without unnecessary risk of injury or burnout.
BIKE 1:20
WARM UP
15:00 easy spin -- use a gearing pyramid to gradually build to 75%
COOL DOWN, gradually bringing your HR back under 60% by the end
DAILY TOTAL: 1:20
WEEK-TO-DATE: 6:40
Sunday These two sessions should be done back-to-back, in either order. If you live in a warmer climate and can ride/run outside (or can do both workouts indoors), then put the bike workout first and follow immediately afterward with the run. In colder climates, if you don't have a treadmill available, then go ahead and run first before finishing off with a cool down spin indoors.
BIKE 0:30
Continuous spinning in your small chain ring,
holding your HR between 60-70% throughout
RUN 0:55
This long steady distance (LSD) run will increase in duration over the course of the season. After 5-10:00 of easy jogging to warm up, hold your HR constant at 70-75% throughout this effort.
Cool down completely after these two workouts with some light stretching.
Tomorrow I start training for the Louisville Ironman. I have decided to go with the plan from TriFuel.com (http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/). It is considered by most people on the triathlon training forums as one of the better free plans. I will try to post each week's training plan for those interested. Other than that, wish me luck.
WEEK #1 - 1st Week of Orientation Cycle Swim 2:30 - Bike 3:20 - Run 2:15 -- Total: 8:05 Monday We begin easily enough with one short swim. Nothing too crazy here, just allow yourself some time to get used to the water again and be patient with speed.
(50 right arm only - 50 swim - 50 left arm only - 50 swim)
COOL DOWN:
2 x (50 Kick/50 Swim)
DAILY TOTAL: 0:30
Tuesday Because the duration of each workout is relatively short today, it is possible to put them in your day together, back-to-back. However, as these durations increase it will be preferable to split these efforts within your day -- the order isn't very important right now, though we will recommend later that you perform the higher intensity bike effort first.
BIKE 0:50
20:00 easy spin using your small chain ring only.
Keep your HR intensity below 65% throughout, holding your cadence to 95-105 rpm.
20:00 time trial, bringing your HR up to 75%
-- stay in the small chain ring & increase your HR by increasing your cadence.
Maintain that intensity throughout this short effort
Spin easily through the final 10:00, allowing your HR to gradually get below 60%
Wednesday Today's swim is a standard duration that we will incorporate into most Wednesday schedules. You can schedule this into your day as your situation allows (open swim schedules generally allow for morning swims, which is suggested). The bike effort should be done on your trainer, since it involves some drills and will incorporate very controlled workouts over time.
SWIM 0:45
WARM UP:
6 x 150 w/10 sec rest after each -- each 150 is as follows:
(50 Kick - 25 right arm only - 25 left arm only - 50 Swim)
1:00 in hardest gear (~80 rpm) -- 30 sec recovery spin after each set
Cool down with easy spinning,
bringing your HR back down to 60% by the end
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:20
Thursday Thursday's schedules will generally include a longer morning swim and a running session at the track later in the day. The track sessions won't be mandatory until later in the season, once we've established a sufficient aerobic base.
SWIM 0:45
WARM UP:
300 Swim
6 x 75 w/10 sec rest after each -- middle 25 choice
MAIN SET:
1200 Swim, continuous -- every 4th 25, alternate between choice & kicking:
5 x (25 kick - 25 right arm only - 25 left arm only - 25 swim) - continuous
RUN 0:45
Spend 15:00 allowing your HR to gradually increase to 65% intensity
Run for 20:00 @75% intensity, holding perfect running form
Cool down to the 45:00 mark, gradually bringing your HR back down below 60%
DAILY TOTAL: 1:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:50
Friday This is an optional additional swim that we are incorporating into the first two weeks only. In the future you'll notice that Friday is reserved for complete recovery before the heavy training normally scheduled for the weekends.
SWIM 0:30
WARM UP:
200 Swim - 150 Kick - 150 Pull
MAIN SET:
18 x 50 w/10 sec rest after each -- alternate in groups of three:
200 relaxed swim, concentrate on holding proper technique
DAILY TOTAL: 0:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:20
Saturday Saturday's schedules will almost always include the longest cycling session of the week. This will be performed outdoors when it gets warmer (for those of us stuck in the colder climates, that is!). During the indoor riding season, these sessions can be shorter because they will also be more efficient -- no stopping for stop lights, very controllable terrain, etc. We will also begin to incorporate a short run after this ride once the weekly training durations get a bit longer.
BIKE 1:20
WARM UP:
15:00 light spinning, gradually allowing your HR to get above 65%
DRILLS: -- 1:00 recovery spinning after each
alternate an ILT set with a VG set -- keep your HR under 75% throughout:
each set is done in the following way, twice through per set:
45 sec in moderate gearing @90-95 rpm;
45 sec in easy gearing @105+ rpm;
45 sec in harder gearing @80-85 rpm
20:00 steady time trial riding, holding your HR right at 75% throughout
Cool down to the finish, allowing your HR to gradually come back below 60%. After performing the drills you should notice a smoother, more fluid pedal cycle.
DAILY TOTAL: 1:20
WEEK-TO-DATE: 6:40
Sunday Sunday's focus is generally on the run; we incorporate an additional ride to increase the total aerobic effort while minimizing the stress on your legs. In the colder months, the run should always be performed first & the cycling shortly thereafter.
RUN 0:55
Steady endurance run, holding proper form and holding your HR under 75% the entire time. Think of this as an aerobic tempo run.
BIKE 0:30
Easy, continual spinning on your trainer, immediately following your run.
You will probably begin this effort at a relatively high intensity, though you should hold your HR at or below 75% throughout. Be sure to allow 10-15:00 at the end for a long, gradual cool down, allowing your HR to get below 60% before you finish.
So, I have made a decision that I will be participating in the Louisville Ironman. It is August 24th, 2014.
But Bill, why Louisville?
Well it is the closest course that doesn't fill in 12 minutes. Also, you get to swim in the Ohio river, which has always been my dream (not really, but I am telling myself that).
I made a big boy decision and purchased a tri-bike from TriathlonLab.com. They are a great company to work with and I got a good deal. Here is a link to the details about the bike (and a picture).
Well that is all the news for now. I will be updating on training. Until then....
It is the second week of the semester and I am still in "Excited to get this semester going" mode. I am enjoying my students and the classes I teach, and generally this is true of me most of the times. However, as sure as the tides I can get jaded about my job. This usually occurs during registration. It is a very stressful time for students (because they want/need classes that fill up) and faculty (because we want students to get into the classes they want). So, I decided while I am full of sunshine and rainbows I should write down a few things I love about working with college students. Friends, I give you permission to remind me of this post when I start to complain.
They challenge me - Sometimes they challenge me with great intellectual questions about content. Sometimes they challenge my patience by creating more work for me. However, I try to remind myself that I am lucky to have a job that I love and I am constantly challenged at. I have worked at jobs where this was not the case and I hated it.
They are funny - I enjoy a good laugh and I can't think of a day where a college student hasn't said something that was funny. For some reason I think college students are at the peak of their humor. Sorry to any college students reading this, you are just going to get less funny until you are throwing "zingers" like your Uncle Larry. I think it is because they are on the cutting edge of what is cool, but they have great higher order thinking than a High School student. In any case, laughter is great medicine and I get a hefty dose.
Things still amazes them - At some point in my life I feel like I broke my ability to be amazed. I think 90s teenagers were reinforced for acting like nothing was cool or interesting. I think that is one way in which the current crop of young-ins are different. They have a healthy sense of amazement for things and are not afraid to show it.
They are mostly courteous - I have plenty of horror stories about students who send me emails and are impolite, or who text during classes, and etc. However, 99% of the time students are polite and courteous. For example, I was carrying a ton of stuff from class and dropped a ton of it (which makes all of it). Two of my students (who had left the room and were leaving the building) stopped, came back, and helped me pick up my stuff AND carry it back to my office. I have colleagues who don't acknowledge my existence, let alone help me carry stuff. I think the longer you are educated the less you feel the need to be courteous...it bothers me.
They enjoy being challenged - Again, I have stories about students who get annoyed when they have to do work.I often want to encourage them find something other than college to do with their life. It seems useless to spend such a large amount of money to duck the learning you are paying for. However, most of my students respond well to tough assignments. Some of my favorite classes have been ones where I assigned work and asked myself, "Is this too much?" When the assignment has been relevant they have excelled.
A final note, this is not a comprehensive list. There are so many more things that make my day. But, those are few that came to mind. AND, if any students wanted to make a list about professors and what they love....we wouldn't be angry.
It is done. I know I haven't updated everyone on my Tri-training, to be honest it was way more of an undertaking than I expected. So, I decided to shut my pie-hole and train. I finished yesterday and really enjoyed it. Instead of writing a lengthy blog about how it changed my life and boring ya'll, I decided I would write a quick "By the Numbers" post. My wife is going to write a longer post, which is good because she is a lot funnier than me and a much better speller.
I am skipping to show them just how great I feel!
Finally, I want to thank everyone for the support. I truly wouldn't have been able to complete this without everyone's support. With that... tri by the numbers:
Total miles covered: 4402 miles...give or take. This is the distance from Anchorage, Alaska to Ruby, South Carolina.
Total time it took me complete the tri: 5 hours and 35 minutes.
Total hours trained overall: 395 - Total hours with tri 400.5 (the time it takes one of our students to complete an internship).
Number of calories burned - around 4500 (rough estimate)
Fluids consumed during final two weeks before Tri - 56 gallons.
Pints of cherries eaten by my wife and I on the ride home - 2.
Time it took to drive to Door County - 6 hours and 50 minutes.
Number of bathroom breaks during Tri - 3! This is below how many times I use the bathroom in five hours at work. Probably because I am easily distracted.
How many times people have asked me if I will do a full Ironman - a little less than a billion (still not sure).
How many water bottles I dropped because my hands were asleep - 5.
How many times my Dad freaked out in the coffee line during the Tri - 1 (yeah, they had a coffee line - great race!)
How many people laughed when Elaine wouldn't get him coffee because he left the line - everyone!
Number of Shotblocks I ate during the bike - 12.
How many beers I have drank since finishing 3......and now I am opening number 4.
How many times I checked to make sure I brought my goggles prior to the race- 50ish.
And with that, everyone can breath easy. You will not have to listen to me talk about training for a long time. I appreciate you all embracing my neuroses.
I decided it was time to update the world on how my triathlon training is going. Well, I am about 2.5 months into training and it is going well. If you look to your right you will see the total miles I have completed for each event. At this points I am training about 6 days a week, twice a day 3-4 times a week. It is taking up a lot of time, but I am enjoying it.
One of the things I have been stressing about is having a decent bike to complete my HIM with. Well my Dad felt compelled to buy himself a new Trek OCLV series 7 bike. Lucky Me!
Here is a picture of it. Add benefit...green is my favorite color!
The advantages of being the same size is that he has offered to let me use it. So, that problem is solved. My new problem is making sure I don't wreck it, lest I have to pay him for new ZIP wheels and a paint job. Hopefully I can do it justice.
My other exciting news is that I purchased new cycling shoes. I have had the same shoes for about 8 years, so it was time. They are not top of the line, but I still like them!
Well, that is what I have been up to lately. I hope to post more frequently once break starts and I have more free time. Thanks for stopping by!
So it happened, I finally decided I should force myself to dress like a big boy when at important university functions. This means buying a suit. So, I shall tell you the story of my perilous journey to the Men's Wearhouse.
About a month ago I was at a university function and a friend informed me that I looked like a student. So, I got the idea that I should buy a couple suits. That weekend while watching the NFL playoffs, a commercial for the MW came on. It was obviously directed at men that love warehouse settings. I said to myself, "You are a man, and you love warehouses! This seems like the place for you." Also, they had a Buy 1 suit get a suit for 100 dollars. More on my poor interpretation of that deal later.
I pitched the idea to my lady friend and she informed me she had been thinking the same thing. We are on the same page, off to the MW we go. I will say, for someone who is woefully ignorant of fashion the MW is helpful. I already have a black suit I got when I was younger and since I have the genes of Benjamin Button, I still fit in that suit. So, I walked in and told them that I would like to purchase two suits, one grey and one navy blue. They looked at me dubiously and asked my profession. I informed them that I was a college Professor. They did not seem sold. I am sure this was a hard sell as I had a gap sweatshirt on from 1995 and was later informed (by Elaine) that it had several pieces of shredded cheese stuck to it (probably from lunch).
However, they proceeded to show me a great number of suits. At this point I had interpreted their deal as, "One suit is $100 the other suit is free." I am not sure how I decided that was the deal, but I did. As a result, I was trying on suits like money was no option. I found two outstanding suits, they fit me great, I pretty much look like Brad Pitt.
Just like this actually
The staff was great, they explained pairing shoes, ties, and shirts. They were funny, friendly, and patient with my ineptness. I proceeded to the checkout happy and assuming I would spend a max of 270ish dollars. At this point Elaine had realized what I thought the deal was and what the actual deal was (buy one suit at FULL price get the other suit for $100). Since money was not an option (in my mind), I had picked out two fairly expensive suites. I had been saving money up for this and we had enough to buy for the suits with the real deal and she was nice enough to try and pay before I got out of the changing room.
Unfortunately, I made it out of the changing room and thought to myself WOW I really got them on this deal. The register says $1250 dollars and I am paying max $270ish....suckers. Well, long story short, they rang up the discounts and the final amount was between $270 and $1250...much closer to the latter. We paid, I threw up in my mouth, and we went to eat at Noodles and Co. Wonderful place to eat by the way.
The funny thing is, after I got over the initial shock I am actually proud of the suits. I work my full-time job and do extra work on the side to pay off student loans and have spending money. This was easily the largest amount of money I have ever paid on clothing in one setting. But, I am happy with the purchase and the MW was a great place. If you are looking for a suit and intimidated by the process, I would suggest going there. Also, dressing up is much more enjoyable when you have nicer clothes and you have a vested interest in them. The other big reason I am at peace with my horrible understanding of the Buy 1 get 1 for $100..I look really good.
Navy blue suit
Grey suit
So great, that I have instated "Suit Up Friday!" I will be wearing a suit to work every Friday. Why? Because I am unashamed of my need for compliments, everyone dress down on Friday, resulting in a greater likelihood that I get more compliments. Simple math.
So, I have picked my training plan and will begin it in a few short weeks. However, it is vitally important I get prepared to layout my plan. This video documents my organization.
I know what you are thinking, how could he have been anything but a college professor....he is so articulate and doesn't ramble!
Seriously, thought how about that organization! My Mom would be proud.
So, Elaine and I decided to buy a new microwave over Christmas. We have had the same mw that I had in college (going on about 11 years old). I won it at prom my senior year of high school (I think). Anyways, with my new job and our transition to being real adults we bought a higher level mw from Panasonic via Target.com.
Here is a very poor picture of the MW
We got it shipped to us, opened it up and it worked like a charm....for 4 days. Then, one night when we were steaming a bag of broccoli (because we are super healthy like that), it started smoking from the back. Not like a little smoke, like, "I was sure it was on fire" smoke. We had not put anything metal in it and had used it as per the manual.
Elaine and I said,"no big deal, we will return it and get a new one." However, Panasonic did not see it this way. When we called them, they seemed skeptical that their product could break. After Elaine spent several hours with them on the phone, they finally agreed to pay for us to ship it back to them, not to return it but to inspect it. They also, told us that it may be quicker to just take it back to Target and exchange it.
We had an ethical dilemma. Really, it is Panasonic's mw that is defective and they should have to replace it. Also, I almost threw water on the microwave when it started smoking. Now, I am not the smartest person on the planet, but I have a feeling I would have gotten shocked had I attempted that fix. I think Panasonic should know that their product is defective and could potentially harm people. We also felt a little abused and mistreated in the return process (first world problems).
So, Elaine and I decided to go through Panasonic. You know, to prove a point to them. Then, after we were mailed the info on how to ship our product to Panasonic, we decided it was too much work. After a brief discussion we decided what we really wanted was to be able to cook things in a convenient fashion and the fastest way to get this done was to go to Target and exchange the product. So, we did.
Target was great! We got a new microwave. I think it is fun to be stubborn and prove a point, at times. However, I think there is also a point when you have to ask yourself, "what am I really attempting to accomplish here?" At this point, we wanted to be able to cook food in a microwave and we accomplished that in a far less time consuming manner than if we had "done battle" with Panasonic. Gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
A poor picture of our new microwave
The kicker to all this....I loved the microwave so much (except for the smoking part), we got another Panasonic. I am a little ashamed of myself on that. Oh, well.
Well, I registered for a half-ironman today. I will be doing the Door County Half-Ironman on July 21st. At this point I am still deciding between training programs. My father has sent me the program he used and I/my wife have found several other programs. As of Monday January 27th, I will be 25 weeks out and 171 days from race day.
As with my marathons, I am setting up a pad calendar to layout my training. I obviously will have every intention to follow it as closely as possible, but things happen, hence the pencil in the picture.
I am also taking in some literature on the topic. The two books on the right have been suggested from my father. The book on the left, I read the second edition, then lent it to my father, then he threw it away, then I decided it was good time to buy the third edition (I realize the grammatical train-wreck that was the last sentence). I do enjoy "nerding out" about topics that I am interested in, so I am excited to read the books. I am not sure if I am more excited about the actual race and training, or researching how to train.
I am still reading the books and will probably choose the plan that seems to most closely align with what they say. They talk a lot about the benefits of rest in the books. I think that is something I will have to pay attention to. When I ran the majority of my marathons I was still in my mid 20s. I don't remember being tired or injured throughout my training. I think now that I am a little older, I might be more likely to break down. If any of you have suggestions for plans let me know.
So, I was running regression analyses today, while listening to Jay-Z. After I ran a particularly awesome regression (one in which my Tolerance and VIF suggested I was not falling victim to multicollinearity), I found myself making up songs about stats to "99 Problems." I realized that I am both a genius in research and rapping. As a result, I thought I would post a picture interpretation of some of my work (this is not actually my research).
I also like this picture because it is a great example of being middle aged (e.g., being a little too young to enjoy something so dorky and a little too old to admit you like rap). If you don't understand the stats reference, it will probably not help if I explain it.
I have something to admit, I have never really dreaded going back to school.
Though I was never what one would call a "stellar student", school came fairly easy to me. Also, I like being around people and all of my friends were at school. This is probably why I decided to become a professor, I simply love everything about school. So, tonight I am not really dreading starting classes tomorrow.
Though, after some introspection, I decided there are a few reason why I am not really dreading beginning classes tomorrow. Also, I love lists, so this gives me a convenient option to make a list of reasons I am happy to go back to school:
I have all of my classes prepped. For the first time in my career, all the courses I am teaching are courses that I have taught before. I made some minor changes, but they were good to go about a week into winter break. I am pretty excited to get to "tinker" with my courses and not have to plan them from scratch.
I had an awesome break.
We got a new treadmill. We have had a treadmill for about 10 years and finally decided to upgrade. We broke it in today, it has a TV and IFit! I realize nothing screams middle aged person like buying exercise equipment. However, I am going to own it.
We hung out with lots of friends. I had a "Congrats you are hired" dinner and I got awesome gifts (I am wearing a new tie and sweatshirt I received in the picture to the right). I would like to say the sweatshirt just makes my gut look big, but as I have mentioned I had a lot of fun over break (e.g., ate a lot).
I really enjoy working with students. I will be the first to admit that there are days when students grate on me. But, most of the time, they are thoughtful, motivated to learn, and all make may day when I see them. So, tomorrow will be the first time I have seen them in a month. Hopefully, I make their day a little better when they see me.
Well, that is it. What do you all think? Excited for the new year/school? Not? Tell me your thoughts.
My sophomore year of college I ran my first marathon. Admittedly it was not the fastest marathon in the world, but I enjoyed it. A few weeks after I finished I decided I wanted to give a half-ironman a try.
Fast forward 9 (ish) years and I still have not given the ol' half-ironman a shot. After watching my dad (who is 48) finish a half-ironman this summer, I decided now is the time. As a secondary benefit, finishing this race will prove that I am just as spry as 21 year old Bill (though with less glorious hair).
21 year old Bill and his glorious hair.
So, I have begun training for one as of December 15th.
So far I have been focusing on swimming. I have been swimming 3 times a week for a month now. I have been focusing mainly on distance (I am up to between 3200 meters and 2400 meters). I have also been riding our spinning bike some too. I will begin a training plan in earnest about 20 weeks from the triathlon (about 7 weeks from now).
I think I have decided on the Door County Half. It has gotten great reviews online and seems well run. It appears to be on a bluff, I assume that means it is downhill the whole race. Any of my 3 readers heard of it?
The best thing about being middle aged and undertaking new endeavors? I have money to buy fun gadgets I would not have had the money to buy as college student. So, I leave you with....me looking awesome in my new goggles.
So, I have been wanting to start blogging recently. I feel like my old blog (www.graduatemonkey.blogspot.com) has run it's course. So, after celebrating my 30th birthday last summer, I decided now might be a great time to start blogging about my journeys into middle age-dom (that is a word). So, until I get bored, I will be blogging about things that I think are seminal and not so seminal moments of my middle years.
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