Springing

Im not sure where spring gets its name, "spring of the year," when plants "spring up". one etymologist says it comes from the spring- as in the source of a flowing river or brook. so as the snow melts the rivers begin to flow because of the spring or spring the season i guess. either way this mythical thing is occurring or springing right now.

as triathletes we notice it first. we are egging to get out of the house and go for a ride. when we do so, we suffer at first. there will probably even be a ride where we regret going on, or a ride that we are all layered and suited up for, and we end up sweating our ass off on the trainer, because we dont want to brave the elements. but then something amazing happens.

we go for our ride, reluctant, and almost ready for the pain on our face cheeks, and its not there. you feel warm, you end up zipping your jacket down and letting some air flow. and consciously the most magical part happens - the smells defrost into the air after a winter of holding back. you can smell restaurants cooking bread down the road, gas at the gas pumps, salt air off the ocean, seaweed in the marsh, even manure on the farms smell good. the air is alive again and it is intoxicating.

so as i sit here at the computer, i can hear the birds chirping, i know spring is still springing, and soon enough all of my senses will tell me when it has sprung.

out the door.

Sweet Colorado Pics

Here are some pics from my recent trip out to Colorado. It was a lot of fun, and some tough training in the thin air.

Entering the Rockies..


Grand Junction, CO on the way to the Better 1/2 in Gateway, CO.


The Palisade in Gateway Canyon, Gatway, CO


My recovery drink...after 15miles at altitude.


A must do in CO: the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction. We did a lil run at 6600 feet, at times you felt like you were on Mars bc of the plant life, but it was outstanding.


I felt like I was living in an LGB train set.


Long ride through Co Springs, Manitou, and Garden of the Gods.


Some more Garden of the Gods, and that is Pikes Peak in the background, measuring inat 14,000 and change feet. (Although, i do not think, that is what Starbuck's was inspired by for their new house blend)


The 9x2min hill repeats executed at 5500ft were totally inspired by Maqua from Last of the Mohicans, except he was running up a Mountain.


That is snow in my pants, I can assure you nothing else was working after this run.


I'm pretty sure these native Boulder cows could have ridden my bike faster that day.


All the pain was worth it for Margaritas and queso at Juanita's in Boulder.

St. Patrick's Day

Well this was the view from down the street at Good Harbor Beach, after I rode my bike yesterday. I woke up at 4am to get in my trainer ride, so I could continue on with St Patrick's Day! I know its crazy, but I am 100% Irish.

My mother and I ventured down to NYC to watch the parade from the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the grand stand of the parade. My Mom's cousin's husband is NYPD, and in charge of security, so we got to enjoy the parade from the best seats in the house. It was a beautiful day, sunny and clear. A beautiful parade as well, bagpipes and green everywhere. My real camera's battery is dead, so no cool pictures. Waking up at 4am was definitely worth it.

It was great to see my relatives, and watch a parade that truly celebrates Irish heritage(the parade is older than the USA). the 10 hours in the car, and stiff legs today were small beans compared to an incredible day.

This aint Texas

FEB 28. Gloucester, MA. cold and windy, but i really enjoyed getting out on the road today.

can not wait until summer.

FWE

FWE: Finished With Engines. This is a legal nautical term used by the Captain of a ship to communicate with the Engine Room that the vessel has arrived, we are done maneuvering, and you can secure the engine.

Shortly after I wrote my last blog, TGFT, I had a bit of a panic attack. I had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life, still no job, and I just needed to take off. So, that's what I did. I graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, before entering the USCG, with a degree in Marine Transportation and a license to drive ships. So I spent a lot of my college years cruising around on the high seas learning how to navigate, operate, yada yada, ships. The MMA ship was leaving for its Winter Cruise, and they needed an extra Mate, I was there the next day. (See Below)



It offered me a few things. A chance to make a few bucks, escape from some problems( in so, dealing with them), rest my knee, skip this vicious winter in the Caribe, and finally most importantly get a clear head and re prioritize. With the US economy fuzzy these days, job opportunities are not everywhere. For about 3-4 weeks of the voyage, I was planning on taking a year off from racing and shipping out to make some money. I was nursing a knee injury, and even threw out my back so i was pretty messed up, and just thought to myself maybe i need to just focus on reducing my debt for a year and come back to tri next year. it was a very weird feeling. i was a content with that idea.

if you know me, i hate content, or anything if "it works". i want amazing, i want excitement.

a month to the day from leaving the dock, i couldn't take it anymore. i needed to train. i thought about my friends going to races, and not having a character with a line in that chapter of the book. i was craving long sweaty days on a bike, and endorphin filled afternoons spent pounding away repeats at the track. i missed leaving the poolhouse, and feeling the air run through my lungs like they had never been there before. you know that feeling on the trainer during intervals, towards the end where you feel like you are going to black out, but you don't, and the first thing that comes to your mind is: you did it! or the horrible butterflies you get when the alarm sounds at 0430 on race day, and you get out of bed and every muscle feels tight and under prepared, but when the gun goes off they act as rubber bands fresh out of the bag. this is not a sport, or a competition, and definitely not a hobby. it is truly a lifestyle, and it is my lifestyle.

money is necessary, but i don't feel as though i should sell out to society's spineless demands and expectations, by shipping out, and in doing so sacrifice the one thing i love and have a passion for.

bottom line, im gonna make "it work", but its gonna be amazing.

i am FWE.

TGFT

Thank God For Triathlon.

not trying to be dramatic, thats really all i want to say. if it wasn't for this sport, and training as much as i do, i'm not sure i could deal with this world.

p.s. = if there was no q or r, a part of the alphabet would look like that.

Back to the Pool

I was involved with a Master's team down in Texas last spring, and it was good in the sense that it got me to swim. But, it was a lot of junk, 25s and 50s. with no real coaching.

This past summer i came home and spent about 5 weeks executing mostly long great open water swimming. which really helped me in cancun, and got me back feeling confident about my swim fitness.

if there is one thing lacking about my triathlon training it is entirely my fault. it is my disdain for getting into a pool alone to do a workout.

solution: back in Gloucester, MA and swimming with my high school US Swim Team North Shore Swim Club. I swam with Dan and Tony throughout high school and was a decent swimmer. The thought of returning brought nostalgic smiles to my face, and a familiar group of water-phobic butterflies in my belly. i knew it was going to hurt. i also knew it would work.

i have been hitting north shore for about two weeks consistently now, and i am excited for the swim in clearwater. it has been hard, quality, and do-able. there has been no junk.

finding something that works for you in this sport is huge. this will work for me, and i am excited about it, yes when i hear dan spout, "Main Set" I get nervous, but i know it is worth it and i can handle it.

Mother Nature Round 2

So,

Mother Nature is a bitch! Yes she is. The heat keeps on coming down here in Texas. This weekend I was on duty, so I could not execute my workouts till the afternoon.
Which sucked.

Saturday: i had a 3 mile warmup, 2 x 2.5 miles @ 15 min, then a cool down. Thats the funny part, how was i supposed to cool down. It was over 100 when i began, without the heat index on the black track. What should have been a relatively hard/not so hard workout turned out to be an overheating nightmare. I had to stop half way on each to re-hydrate, but I finished. So it was a 0.5 point tie. Mother Nature 1.5 - Liam 1.5.

This should have been posted:



Sunday: i had a four hour intensive ride in the hills followed by a falf hour transition run. I passed through Anderson, TX and the bank read 102 degrees, and i had 2hrs and 20min left. At about 2hrs, i recieved a text from Kelly who was about 30miles south,

"dropped 20 degrees and clouds rolled in. windstorm and i am getting stabbed by pine needles. call me if you need a ride. May storm."

Followed by,

"lightning and thunder 45 seconds apart. not safe. its getting closer. im scared"

So needless to say, it came my way. Kelly got back to her car safely, but I was past the forest and back to open texas. Lightning is pretty horrifying down here compared to back home. I wanted to get away from that storm as it was heading towards me. the wind got so strong, i literally almost got knocked off my bike from the gusts.

it kinda looked like this:



i had to book it through the hills to get back to anderson to the gas station for shelter. as i rolled in the rain came, and the bank thermometer read 78 degrees! I camped out for about a half hour, and finished the workout. I can not tell you how much easier it was to climb through those hills at 78 compared to 100.

Mother Nature tried to get me, but i got it all in. Liam 2.5 - Mother Nature 1.5.

Either way, i am tired. Now we have a little hurricane coming in called Eduard. So work might get a little interesting and the trainer looks like it will have a friend tommorow.

TEXAS IS F#$@IN HOT !

I have been here for three years, and I do not remember it being this hot in years past. This past weekend turned out to be an epic battle: ME vs. The TX sun. It was a tie.

I have always made fun of texans because my Mothers house in Gloucester, MA is like 3 times older than their beloved state. I am figuring out why that is. There is no way people could live down here without air conditioning.

I ended last week with an easy two hour ride out in the Missouri City/Sugarland area, took a turn down a familiar road and stumbled upon...



This might actually be the actual picture too(GOOGLE), because the game wardens were catching it when I got there. So, if I was a little faster I would have been eaten alive. Thank god it was a recovery ride ;) Maybe its because the swamp water was boiling!!

So, the topic/complaint is the heat. It is killing me, it just seems like I am trying harder, to go slower, and recover longer. It is wasting my mucles and my energy. Last saturday, as I went out for a long run at 1030 in the morning, it got so hot, I had to sit under a tree a couple times to let my body cool down. That is not healthy. I felt like death all day, and slept 12 hours that night. Therefore, I started my long ride late on Sunday. TX sun 1 - Liam 0

Beginning a 5 hour pace ride in the Texas afternoon heat up in Conroe is so dipressing, that when it was done, I felt like I had won. When I got to the turnaround point, I asked the lady at the gas station how hot it was, she was already looking at me funny (spandex, white spandex), she turned around and looked out the window at the bank thermometer and it read (note:not real picture)



Yes, without the heat index. I have to give kudos to INFINIT. This shit works. Nutrition is such a vital part of triathlon, but exponentially so in the heat. I wasn't hungry or crampy and threw done 106 miles in the hills. Liam 1 - TX sun 1.

As i prepare for Timberman 70.3, I need to watch what this heat is doing to my body carefully, I can not afford to get burnt out(PUN Intended).

hamstrings, steroids, good workouts, and the "hoff"

i finally went to the doctor. he prescribed a week of steroids, some muscle relaxers for bedtime, and an mri (which hasn't been done yet). the steroid, which is really just a souped up anti-inflamatory is really helping, and i am feeling alot better already. i need to make stretching a part of my training, seriously for once and for all.

last night, i had to do a litl=tle track workout, 3 mile warmup, 3x1 mile at 6min pace, with 1 min walk inbetween, and a mile cool down. nothing serious, nothing too hard, just getting it done. i was a little nervous about it, because of my legs, but it turned out to be a great workout, and exactly what i needed. i needed to feel that kick at the end of a workout, that didnt feel like my leg was falling off, i needed to feel somewhat normal again. for the first time in about 6 weeks, i felt like a runner again.

i took today off from work to get a nice 2.5 hour ride with intervals in. this will be another power test to base my zones off, so it was more important then work. nasty weather here as Dolly nails southern Texas, so i might be dodging thunderstorms during my ride.

if the weather hold off, i am going to get a open water swim in too, but that does not look promising. timberman is in less than a month, i need to get my legs ready for thoe hills on the bike, and my run legs back in gear.

in other news, i was "hoffed" at work yesterday....i left my computer unlocked, walked away from my desk, and this is what was locked on my background for the remainder of tuesday.....

Necessary?

I am getting ovar a nasty chest virus, still hacking up small volks-wagons, but i have decided to stop taking my codine filled cough syrup, because...

I left work yesterday, emotionally drained, pretty miserable, but physically ready to throw down some miles. I had a track workout to complete. Not insane, a 3 mile warmup and 8x400's at 76-77 seconds, with a little cool down. Not difficult, but something i need to be ready for. The codine got to me, and Jasper and I slept till 2000, passed out. I am sure that was good for my illness, but I woke up a little pissed. I finally got to the park at 2030, and I sat in my car with bed sores, and just mentally focused on my present work situation, wondering what i was doing there.

I never really think about it, I just do it. I am rather conditioned to training, double sessions, hours of putting fitness in a bank, a bank that will always be there, even when i'm broke. With work and other things having me question and prioritize the real importances in my life, work truely not being one of them, I am in a stale status. With one constant in my life, triathlon. As i sat in my car, i realized i didn't have a choice, but to lace up and put one foot in front of the next.

When i cruised through my last 400 in 77 seconds at 2130, the air was so thick i could see it under the street lamps, i was dripping sweat to the point that i resembled getting out of a pool, my legs finally felt loose, my chest was almost clean od flegm, my eyes were open, the endorfins slowly kicked in, and i realized that training is a necessary part of my life.

Back to Gloucester

Umm, yea! Home sweet home. This is where I'll be for the next two weeks. I will be chillin with the family, at the beach, training my ass off, and eating the best food in the world.

I was planning on bringing Jasper, but there is no way I can afford it, so the pooch won't be able to plunge into the atlantic just yet.

I hope to get some miles in with Janda as well, while I am home. I will be laying out a solid couple weeks for Mooseman while i am home, which is good, because I might get a re-taste for new england hills, compared to my texas tortilla flat ass roads now.

I opted out of Boise for a couple reasons. Yes, I eventually want to race up there, but Mooseman offers another trip home, as well as a for-shizzle bad ass race put on by EndorFun.

My little Brother Kieran graduated from HS, and my little niece gets christened while i am home as well. I have missed so many things over the past few years, and I can't wait to be able to be home for a few important days.

Texas wind

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry


This weekend's long ride was long. One of the, if not most, windiest days I have ever encountered on the road. I would have rather of done 5 hours on a trainer than dealt with that wind! So, with a southerly wind, it made sence to head due south for an out and back, man. I soent the majority of the day way over my prescribed watts going 12.5 mph into a 25-30 mph head wind. I guss it made me stronger, but I was cursing Mother Nature at certain points.

I truly almost ended up getting blown off a bridge and falling directly into the Brazos River. The route, on a normal day, would be a great, safe, scenic, smooth ride throughout true Texas farm country. I am surprise Kathleen did not get blown over, being alot smaller than me!

My legs are feeling it, I'm a little windburn, and I think there is a tiny tumbleweed stuck in my right eye. It was a good day, and some great training, regardless.

For some sick reason, while I was driving back to town, I got the urge to do some yoga, and went directly to Joy Yoga, and did an hour. I didnt think I was going to be able to do it, because my legs were chewed up, but I did. Truely, it fealt great. It loosened me up, and I left there feeling fresh. Yoga is definitely something worth working into your schedule for any triathlete.

TIRED

So tired! I'm done.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

This - It works

So...About a year ago while I was working at Tri On the Run, I met Mandy, a local yoga instructor. She was trying to sell me on the whole yoga addition to my triathlon training, and she spilt her coffee. I told Mandy I would think about it, and months and months pass, as I continued to tell Mandy, I am thinking about it. She was very persistent about me trying this thing, and finally, lastnight I did.

The verdict is...She was wright(haha)....

After totally embaressing myself in front of the whole class, I can now tell you what I think about triathletes doing yoga. I am so tight, I can't even sit indian style, touch my toes, or perform the downward dog with flat feet. During the class, the instructor walked us through each pose, in to the correct form. I could not do any of it correct, but thankfully, she gave us an alternate pose. She continually said, if you can't fully get it, do this...then she showed us. "This" is what I did throughout the entire class. But, "this" worked.



First off, the flexability issues are totally adressed. Most runners don't stretch, let alone stretch enough. Yoga truly allows you to build your elasticity. Additionally, the leg strength gained is remarkable. It is equal! Triathletes, especially ones with leg length descrepancies(me), have compensation issues. So, some leg muscles go unattended, and even inflamed. I found that, my muscular leg weaknesses became so obvious during the session. So, allow me to work on this. This is going to help me with my strength descrepanicies and flexability.

Thank you Mandy, and JOY YOGA CENTER . Mandy teaches a class for runner's on Sunday Morning.

So, triathletes, get some yoga on!






Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tendinitis Tendancy

My achilis felt weird last sunday. Last sunday was also inventory day at Sugar Cycles. So I did spend the majority of the day on my tippy toes. I am sure that did not help.

Monday, masters was cancelled after about 800yds, due to some severe lightning(outdoor pool - texas). So, as i went out for my run, i felt real tight in my achilis. I ignored it. Do not ignore pain! A total rookie move, and i have been out of commision since monday. I have gotten some easy swims in, with one legged flip turns, and that is it. The Half Marathon in Austin has been cancelled by the JANDA . So, I will continue to ice, compress, anti-inflamatorize, incline, and rest. (RICE). Until he gives me the go, hopefully Monday. That will give me 6 weeks until Lonestar Half IM.

I was pretty upset about this, and the thought of cancelling a race, and not training, was and is a horrible mindset. I was given a different outlook by none other than Janda, "What's gonna happen when you get hit by a car riding your bike?" I thought about the fact that under different circumstance, I could be out for a long time, and possibly for good. He then said, "This is part of being a triathlete Liam."

I can not stress how important it is to have people in your triathlon life, that you can trust without question, and just do as your told. Triathletes are very intense strong people, and to be able to just listen, and do what someone says, is huge in this sport. To be able to talk to your coach, and know that he/she has been there before, and can guide you through it, is an amazing help.

In conclusion, even if your careful, you might get hurt, and when it happens, we must go against our style, and stay idle for a while. Find someone you can take advice from, without question.

Mental or Physical? Mental

I got motivated to write about this topic after I commented on Kathleen's blog and ended up going on a tirade, eventually forcing myself off my soapbox. The topic is the mental fitness you need for triathlon on top of the already physically demanding sport. Not like differential equation or literary mental fitness, but mentally allowing your body to accept the pain.

I am of the belief that triathlon is 90% mental and 10% physical. People talk aot about talented athletes. Almost, passively saying that they could never achieve great sucess because they do not posess the natural born genetic gift of talent. i DISAGREE, I agree talent does have a factor in this sport, but i believe it lies in the mind not the body. The body will react to science, just like a race horses.



I know, I know. Everybody is thinking right now, racehorses are breed from long lines of racers. Remember Seabiscuit? He was not supposed to be a champion, because he lacked the genetical makeup of the typical thourough breed. But, horses are trained just like elite athletes, and fed a strict diet. If you ever get a close look at a race horse, there muscles are veined just like a triathletes.

Nutrition and training will make you stronger, but what makes you better and better, or even great is the mental portion that permits you to put your body through daily pain, wake up early, not have that second beer, get your workouts in, and deal with the lactic hot daggers in your legs at the end of a triathlon. It's all Mental. Horses lack reason, and they obey much better than any human I have met. Horses are instinctually born with the "lack" of mental wit to understand there is another option to running around in circles.

Take Bob, he knows working out is good for him, but sitting on his ass watching tv and eating Pop tarts is easier. (By the way, nothing against pop-tarts, i love them, i love the strawberry ones).



Horses don't know that sitting under a tree in the corner of the field is better. They do what they are told. This in lies the problem and the solution. Free will, wich we all posess. We, unlike the horse, can choose the easy route or the hard route. Triathletes, especially great ones, choose the harder one, because they are mentally strong.

So, It's All Mental! We posess that drive for more, and that obsessive desire to see what our bodies can do if we push it further and further. Mental Talent is where the magic happens.

Okay, there are still non believers out there, who think people are born with longer legs, that can run faster, or larger lats that easily develop, or giant quads that produce more poer on the bike. Yes people are different, but that is no excuse to sell yourself short before you attempted, I think people who do that may lack some mental talent, but physically similar to the rest of us.

"The defense calls witness Mr Arthur Lydiard to the stand.."



In actuality, Lydiard died in 2004 at the ripe age of 87, in Texas of all places. A New Zealander who is credited with starting the jogging craze in New Zealand and eventually the US, coaching tens of Olympic Medalist, and never refusing to coach anyone. He has been quoted as saying, "Champions are everywhere, all you need to do is train them properly." Everyone reading this blog, that is a triathlete, uses somewhat of the Lydiard System. He basically invented base, and periodization. He truly believed that with long slow distances anyone, anyone, anyone can get faster.

So, my conclusion: Anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to. The key words are anyone, anything, and mind. You need to set that mind, and not vary from that goal. The mental sacrifice, mental descipline, and mental motivation that is needed, is the real test.

Lydiard: "There are no shortcuts to the top!"

Okay, my soap box just broke.

Yes, I am still alive...And so is the Frog!

Frog, what?

For some reason work has accelerated in the past few weeks. I am still trying to figure out why. I am not really complaining though, being busy is better for Liam. Idle is bad, I get a little distructive when i am idle. So, remaining busy and full of tasking keeps me out of trouble and too busy to worry about things I cant control.

Oh yea, the frog. I started a 8pmish late, dark, wet, and cold run. I was wearing my ipod, which i usually dont when i am running. As i began to accelerate, get into a rythm, and mindlessly chip away at the optionless 6 miles down crestwood near Memorial Park...i suddenly felt like i was tripping on something heavy. I looked down, and a 10 pound double fist sized bullfrog was being kicked off my left foot.

at first, the nanoseconds while i was trying to figure out what it was, i jumped. like ten feet. i dont like snakes, but as the first hay-second ended, i realized it was not a snake, landed, and the frog hopped away. we were both fine, and we both continued on our nightly journey.

what are the chances of that? strange things happen during triathlon training and racing. we can all agree that these strange, wonderful, unique, awakening moments is a big reason why we wake up at the crack of dawn, or stay up late to put ourselves through an amount of physical pain day in and day out. but, there are so many other reasons, and if we could pin point them all, we wouldn't be blogging. so, with that said. i need to get on my bike.

p.s. Jane, thank you for another amazing epicurean masterpiece, and Trigreyhound, it was great to see you again. (My hyperlinks are not working?)

Train hard.

Cubicle purgatory turned aerobic session !!

My new chair! I have been meaning to do this for years....

It is definatly working, i am so sore, there is no way i am going to last the whole day. Triathletes everywhere should be using this, for core strenght and balance building.

In other news - it froze lastnight in Houston, and frozen lizards were raining from the heavens(trees). Nasty.

Taylor Time

Christmas Eve at Sugar Cycles was alot better than we all thought it would be. Full time Barista. and Part Time mud machine(mtbr) Shaun Taylor showed up with a nice surprise...

The crazed and caffienated Cannuck lugged 100+ lbs of espresso beaned paradise down to the shop and made everyone a perfect Latte.

You can't buy this....

Literally.

Shaun's been hooking me up with his home roasted beans for weeks now, and they are truly 90% art and 10% science. But, to enjoy a cup actually espresso style, not dripped coffee, it is a whole new world. The boys at Sugar truly appreciated your beaned visit.

Christmas Day Ride...

It was supposed to be a three hour epic effort cruise through the Sugar Cane fields of Sugarland, TX. (haha) It turns out, we got about an hour in with some sprint stuff.

After the ride, I headed over to Shuan's igloo(they shipped it down south from calgary). I got the opportuntiy to partake in a true Maple Leaf Candian Christmas. It was awesome. Shaun's wife, Doreen, and her parents cooked up a storm, and I literally had 6 pounds of turkey dinner. The only strange part was they offered maple syrup instead of cranberry sauce. Oh well, there Canadian! It was really nice, and thank you so much for adopting me and letting me be canadian for the day.