Friday, May 2, 2008

M-W-F

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I'm presented with my greatest challenge and temptation. Those are my swim days. Those are the days I walk out to the parking lot, around the back of the cafeteria, and smell the aroma of food frying (soaking up grease) and start to taste it in my mind's palate. Other days, when I'm going to ride my bike and/or run, I'm not quite so tempted. But swim day? Well, those are easy targets for me to postpone. Or rather, "postpone", since I probably would make extremely little effort to make up those swims. Still, I walk on. I get in the car. I go to the stupid pool, and I try to pretend that I'm not about to drown.

In last month's GO Magazine, my friend and teammate G-man wrote an article about getting in your head and figuring out why you do what you do, why you are performing a workout, and why the basic human response to complain or make excuses can be the biggest damage. It's a good article, and goes a long way to explain why he's so messed in the head. And I mean that in the nicest possible way: Chris is an animal when it comes to training, and doesn't seem to experience the same fatigue and pain reactions that humans do. Perhaps he's really from another planet. Back to the point, it shores up the words underneath the title of my blog. Have you noticed them? It's a thought that occurred to me a while back, and have experienced more times than I can count. It has haunted me, limited me, propelled me, and energized me. There is no greater opponent in life than your own self doubt.

I have to brag on Mendy for a bit: She struggles with self doubt a lot, yet her courage to keep going inspires me. Sometimes she pretends not to listen to advice on how to improve, but she hears it and later I find out that she has tried it and either likes it or thinks the advice giver (usually me) is stupid. Well, maybe not that extreme, but she will decide if the technique or change is for her or not. Keep it up, Mendy, and don't let "it" catch you. You're doing great!

So, why do I keep walking to my car? Why don't I just turn around and go have a big plate of fries and a slider, then sit in the sun and doze off? I go to the pool to get better at swimming and more fit. I want to be better at triathlon, but it also helps me when I'm cycling and running. And when I'm doing those, I pass by people waddling out of the hamburger joint...again. I'm glad I'm not living that life, and can provide a healthy and active example for Grace for her life. I'm glad I will live long enough to enjoy lots more life with her and Mendy (as long as I stay away from the business end of bridges). And hopefully, to at least one person, I can be an example. When they ask, "Hey, long lunch, huh? Where'd you go?" I can reply, "I went and swam intervals for over a mile" or "I had to get some bike time in, so I blasted out a quick 24 miles" or "I needed to run, so I knocked out a quick 5 miler." And maybe one person will look at themselves, and make a change in their life, and enjoy extra days that they won't have by going to the burger joint.

But I wouldn't wish today's workout on ANYONE! LOL
200yd wu
50yd x 6 on 1:00
100yd x 4 on 2:05
200yd x 2 on 4:30
100yd x 4 on 2:05
50yd x 6 on 1:00
200yd cd

2200yds
49 minutes (total time in pool)
3.7 gallons of pool water swallowed

Have a good weekend!

16 comments:

Nick said...

Peter Reid's 1st rule of swimming faster: believe you can swim faster.
2nd rule: swim more.
Good job, keep swimming.

Eric said...

Great post my man! Nice swim there, too! I have to admit, I do all the training so I can go to the burger joint and have a chilli-cheese and half-&-half and not feel guilty! Me likes me some greasy stuff!

See you next Saturday!

Giddy Up!

Wes said...

Mendy honors you by doing it behind your back... I love it :-) Great swim workout bro. I'm not that sophisticated, but now, I gotta come back and try it!!

Marcy said...

Actually you're really doing Mendy a disservice. Every wife wants to cash in on that life insurance policy LOL I'm KIDDING!!

I'm with Eric on this one, combined with a nice dose of exercise OCD LOL.

Lily on the Road said...

Good job and nice post David. Hey, you and Mendy help me out all the time....true! If I feel like bailing on a run, I think of you guys always getting the job done...so, I haul my butt out the door and go for my run!!

Thanks you guys!!!

Chris said...

Nice post Dave. Youknow, I find that getting to the "starting line" seems to be the toughest battle ofr me. Once I am focused and into the training sessin then I am fine.

Especiually with a swim workout where I have to get in my car, drive to the Y, change clothes, etc. I seem to find about 1 million reasons NOT to get it done. But, once I am there and heading intot he pool I am ready to get as much out of the workout as I can within the time I have.

Biking and running I can simply do straight out of my office door. Doesn't seem to have nearly as much investment in time as the swim... hmm.........

Great Post

teacherwoman said...

Great post, David! Nice swim workout! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!!

G-Man said...

I have won many trophies, David but for me there is no greater testament to the effort I put forth than to be called 'messed in the head'. It is an honor that I hope I can perpetuate for a long time ;-)

But I really can't take all the glory because craziness is in 'the eyes of the beholder'. For every workout that you think I do that is crazy, there is someone else doing twice as much. Ever heard of the 'deca ironman'? Look it up. Crazy I am not.

Of course it works both ways...you may think my training is crazy, but I almost called Belleview when I saw that swim workout...(are we supposed to swim that hard?) G

sunshine said...

Your posts are always such an inspiration to me, David. Great job and keep up the great work... I'm relying on you! :)

Thanks for the well-wishes last week -- really appreciate it!

J~Mom said...

Really, really nice post buddy! Thank you to both you and Mendy for inspiring so many of us!

Nancy said...

You are definitely an inspiration. You guys are a great example. Self-doubt can be your middle name if you let it. Try the club. :D That is what the next virtual race is about. Hope you guys are in, if not, be in in spirit. :D

You two rock.

Mendy said...

I thought I commented. Thanks for the compliments. While I was starting to read your post, I was having a training breakdown. I needed this. You're doing great, and I know you'll keep up the good work!

Jess said...

Just think of all the years your adding to your life thorugh all this healthy training...years that will be golden in that retirement home that Grace puts you in!

Ashley said...

Have a great weekend! Good luck at Clemson - sorry I'll miss you. Can't wait to hear all about it! Sprint ON.

The 311 Boys Mom said...

"3.7 gallons of pool water swallowed"

at least you won't dehydrate. ;O)

& the clorine is probly ???cleansing??

LOL


Great Job!!!

Olivier Blanchard said...

Excellent post.

While you guys wrestle with self doubt (wishing to do well but fearing you won't), I resort to negative realism (knowing I haven't trained enough to do well, but racing to prove the science of training wrong).

:D

As for the temptation, I completely cut out meat several months ago, so cheeseburgers aren't even an option anymore.

Sardines, on the other hand...