Brett Farve & AMP
A friend emailed me today, and observed: “You must be training hard, the blog has been quiet”.
Yes, I have been happily at work in the molten foundries of self again, and it feels great. On my two-a-days this past week, the fatigue tastes as good as any 10 course exquisite meal. I raise my glass of joy to the moment, and appreciate it not for the goal, but for just what it is. Actually, in this picture, I am not raising a glass of wine, but rather a glass of Mountain Dew’s AMP energy drink, a favorite second workout aperitif.
I had assumed that after the Olympic year I would be burned out, and slink gratefully back into cube-land (the natural habitat of an IT person like me, actually, I do have a cube-gig next week).
Like Brett Farve in the NFL, I assumed that my body would be beaten up after a long season, and that a stepping down would be not only in order, but welcomed in every fibre of mind, body, and soul. Brett Farve is two years older than I am, and I wonder how he feels as he contemplates another season.
There are things still to be done, goals still unreached. Some restless part of a person that is driven to what could be, rather than what has been.
I skate because of some fundamental drive that is as primal as the thud of my heart. Skating is nice, but it’s a symptom, not the true illness, or is it true health? The glitter of future possiblity seems more interesting than dull trophies of past efforts next to the desk.
Web design work is flooding in the door, I have a half dozen sites in process, and work is prioritized first this year, but I am finding the time to train, and more importantly, the motivation.
If Brett can step up to the ferocity of the NFL, where giant men who can run like the wind regularly try to tear his head off; compared to his choices my own small moments, joys, and decisions seem less than the light through a green energy drink on a beautiful day.
Question: How many Green Bay Packers fans does it take to change a lightbulb?
Answer: CHANGE??????
Filed under: from home
Question, can you give us some details of what your workout regime is like? Perhaps that will give us wannabee’s some ideas/hints in self improvement. Perhaps something like
- Rough overview of the different cycles you have in a year.
- Perhaps details of what your workout looks like in a specific week during different times of the year.
Thanks!
lance
shortly I will… when I am a tad less crazy busy
Andrew
if that was Lance Armstrong, are you going to kick yourself for that answer?…;)
I’ve never tried that Mountain Dew drink…but it sure does look tasty in that glass!
Glad to see that you too are back to the grindstone! I’m finding that I’m more moivated than I thought I would be at this time.
I like your thought of “what could be”.
I’ve been taking spinning classes (first time!) and they are ok…but it beats the biting cold wind! But in class it is helping me focus on what will be coming.
It’s funny… my medals and trophies are used more by my kids for winning races/games/whatever. Better than collecting dust. If I had my way, they would still be in a box in the back of the closet.
But this crazy sport that drives me every day is not about the medals. It’s the-can I push myself that much closer to being that much better. I know deep down.., I am capable of great things. It’s searching for the key in the “pain cave” or “white place” during training or a race that will unlock and release the beast that will claw for every single second. I missed my personal goal by 1 second last year…but had personal bests in longer distances by 12 seconds!! I can see the accomplishimnet now, but it was not in focus during the season.
I so wish I started this sport at an earlier age…
Oh, well.
Many cheers to you and your Mountain Dew…my beverage of choice is Major Dickenson’s Blend from Pete’s coffee..only I can’t get it here on the east coast! Bummer…it blows Starbucks out of the water!
Another few weeks until the low walk pain begins. Can you believe I’m actually looking forward to dryland? Something MUST be wrong with my head!!! Haha!
I, too, am excited about what’s next. A lot of people assumed that after trials I would quit, go back to New York, go back to school, stop training with Dave, go back to Michigan, get another new job, anything but keep doing what I’ve been doing. But… and I swear I am not just stealing Kelly P’s words…I feel I am capable of great things. The last time I was in Salt Lake City, I was telling my mom how even when I’m having a bad day and have to say I “can’t” go quite fast enough, I believe deep down that I can do more. I won’t stop until I feel I’ve made a real and healthy effort to achieve what I think I can.
So, Andrew, with readers all over the world, what is the BEST COFFEE?
Kelly -spinning is awesome!! I love it!!! it was part of my early season, and mid season rebuild two seasons ago.. the only problem with spinning is that the instructior creates the phyiological goals for the workout, not you!! (and a bad spinning instructor is a terrible thing)
-glad you are psyched for dryland!! that is the key.. dryland!!
Carla - YOU ARE CAPABLE OF GREAT THINGS!! I believe the “real” carla will be raging across the ice this year.. You and I have our own unique challenges, as different as we are physically… but we are hanging out in the hardest spot in this sport, Just outside of the top folks… peering in…
but you asked what is the best coffee? ohhh, serious question!!!
now I have never tried Peets, (some, including Lance Armstrong, consider Peets to be almost a religious drink) but in my experience, the best coffee is made by “Gimmee Coffee” in Ithaca, N.Y. I am particularly fond of their “deep disco” blend… as well as the “Peruvian” -the label of Peruvian used to caution it was “weapons grade!”… I would agree!!! its the kind of coffee so strong it makes your lips buzz with osmotic caffiene
Whenever I go back to Ithaca, I stock up…
(hereseys of hereseys, my downstairs neighbor works for starbucks, and constantly gives me free bags of coffee, their Komodo Dragon blend is pretty good.)
(As reported in the May 2006 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter)
“Coffee may slow the flow”
“A jolt of java before exercise limits the body’s ability to increase blood flow through coronary arteries when the heart needs an extra supply of oxygen and fuel. The change isn’t huge. Two cups of coffee drunk an hour before exercise reduced the exercise-induced increase in blood flow by 22 %, report Swiss researchers in the Jan 17, 2006 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
For someone with a healthy heart, this wouldn’t be noticeable. It could pose problems, though for individuals with cholesterol-narrowed arteries or those those arteries don’t relax and open as they should when the heart needs to work harder. The effect is even greater at hight altitudes.
If you like to drink coffee before you exercise, just to be on the safe side, quaff it at least an hour before working out.”
These are both reputable sources of information. For those of you who need every bit of oxygen-laden blood for your workouts it is worth a thought.
WAS that Lance Armstrong??
Andrew — I couldn’t imagine you slinkng back into cube-land. What? Andrew NOT going to skate???! Carla - who thought you’d stop skating?
Carla and Andrew — you are both incredible skaters, capable of great things. The most fun I had with you both (other than putting on John Dimon’s rental skates and actually skating in Lake Placid) was watching you at trials. Amazing!
As for coffee, now I’ll have to take a trip to Ithaca. Until Carla moved to Milwaukee, I thought the best coffee was Zabar’s (NY) French-Italian - which is still right at the top of the list. I did, however, fall in love with Alterra - especially French Roast and Voltaire’s Passion - and stock up every time I go to MKE.
Good luck, you guys (and get your arteries checked)!
I love all these coffee posts! I appreciate a good strong cup of coffee…and I drink it black too! So I’m excited to try all of these! My boss always says “oh, Kelly made some jet fuel today”. I just tell him he needs more hair on his chest.
I got the “monster” (nickname for my bike)on the road finally yesterday! Did a TT with a friend and boy did it feel great! We have a triathlon this coming Sunday…and much to my dismay, rain and cold are forecast! Just have to git-err-done!