I feel fat and lazy

Well today I ran nearly 10 miles and it was my first run in nearly a week. Part of me is at the point of why bother with training as my next race is most likely not until June. Yet I think it is my fear of getting fat that keeps me hitting the pool night after night.Part of me almost wants to swim masters again this winter, do a few meets and prove I've still "got it" after all these years. The other part of me is like "Rob, you're no longer a pool guy, you are an open water animal." Yet looking at what I'd need for Nationals I'm confident my mile and 1000 would make it. So I'm putting up a poll should I do masters or just train until May and the first Dualathon of the year.

All that aside it felt good to run again, it was nearly 65 today and from the sounds of the doom and gloom weathermen it might be the last time I'll be able to break out short sleeves for a while.My shoes are still drying from the affair and tomorrow I might tak the bike out for a couple of hours, but it definitely felt good to do something more than starring at the long black line for a while.
As for my cycling I think I'll be doing more spin classes this year than I did last year just to try to up my prowess, if Claire and running are having a fight, than cycling and I are staying together for the kids' sake. Also the fact that my younger siblings have started praying for snow means that driving and riding might become treacherous...when they turn 16 they will know the stress of driving in the winter and I will be there to say ha I told you so.Yeah so that's life,the semester winding down and my time at CCSU is growing ever shorter, then it'll be time to look for a real job or go to grad school. Part of me is not looking forward to life after college but the other part of me is looking forward to working like an animal so I can afford to pay off some bills and hopefully have money to do what I want to do down the line. So yeah that's all that's up in the life of Bob-o. Arizona entries are due in 2 weeks I hoping I'll have enough but I'm thinking the cash is better served going to bills,after all I can always enter through the community fund when I have more coin, or with a coaching plan. So that'll be another poll of how should I enter or if I should just blow off Ironman until my 30's. I've got a lot to think about and I have to see what's in my best interest.

R.D.

Vacation week is over.

Yep that's right my 7 day training extravaganza turned out to be a flop. School, fatigue, weather, and just plain lack of direction doomed it to failure. Today I plan on running, getting some work done before masters tonight. I'm wondering if Claire's still down for a ride in CT tomorrow, if not I might just do 60-70 miles on my own, depending on weather ( I mean if the weather sucks I'm not riding granted Sunday's supposed to be a great day to ride but it's going to be cold as balls. Better pick up the toe warmers while I can.) This week was a rest week somethings got put in perspective. I've got my career fair next week and I need to be overridden into my senior thesis so I can walk in May. Part of me is debating a return to Masters competition this winter, especially since NZ is most likely not going to happen ( I mean miracles do happen like random winning lotto tickets or going with some friends to the Casino and doubling our winnings and not spending it at the...[fine art gallery], but you can't count on it.) In essence I felt like I might have squandered a golden training opportunity but my body needed rest from the grind of work, school, train, repeat. So hopefully Monday I'll go back to the office with some renewed vigor. as for Arizona, part of me is thinking forgoing general entry in two weeks and throwing down extra coin in Jan/Feb for the Multisports.com package for about $1200. or raising money for a community fund slot $1300. I figure if I scratch NZ I'll have some money left from my income tax/loan left over. Multisports.com gives a training plan and race entry in a package so I'd be able to kill two birds with one stone....coaching and IM entry. The community fund thing well maybe it would put me back on the right track of the karma train. Regardless I've got a pay period to figure out a game plan, although I might just scrap an ironman all together and focus on qualifying for the Boston Marathon for 2010, I mean one of my friends from Fordham beat my time from Hartford by 3 min. and is running Boston. Damn she swam faster than and now she's running faster than me and she's richer than me...life is unfair, oh curse you drunk underclassman Bob-o!

Alright forget that nonsense of me not doing an Ironman in 09...worst case I'll go to Mexico extreme worst case I'll go to Western OZ or enter community fund for Kentucky or Arizona but they most likely will not sell out so I'll have a shot to do an IM in 09. ( note IM China is not in the consideration..I will not do that race until there is a Free or at least Autonomous Tibet .Dali Lama holla! Also in the words of Bart Simpson "Come on China you used to be cool?") Alright now that I am censored in the People's Republic I think I'm going to end this post. I have sources to look up and papers to finish.

R.D.

Yeah...that whole train like an animal thing...

Didn't happen. With papers and deadlines and research,my mind turned more to academia and getting that "blasted piece of paper." Although tonight proved to be fruitful in the pool as I got in some quality yards with my usual workout crew. I did about 3500 mostly focusing on IM with some build freestyle 50's. It was a pretty good night and part of it has me contemplating getting my ass back into masters and doing a few meets this season. Afterall when I last swam masters I had the fastest 1000yd. Freestyle time in my age group in the nation for almost 4 months. Granted that's not saying alot because all the fast kids are swimming NCAA. Tomorrow, a morning run, finish a midterm, glue my advisor to a chair and get my PIN to register,for hopefully my last undergrad semester. Talked to one of my professors about law school vs.Grad school. Told me point blank if I go to grad school to go to the best name I can get into/afford..fuck the masters degree and go straight for your PhD. Good advice,as I'm not really sure what to do with a history degree,and I've been more or less focused on just trying to finish undergrad that I didn't even begin to look graduate. In essence with all the layoffs in the financial sector I'm not sure if I'll be able to get/keep a job with all the crap going on. I already know that little kids and me get along like ammonia and Clorox. Also to teach in the private schools you earn crap pay, academia seems like it could be a good route, I get up lecture and BS, write and BS, discuss BS with my students, help them learn the art of BS and maybe if I master the art of BS get political and run for office. Alright now that this post has gone in a completely different direction that intended I'm going to hit the hay so I can face the day and hopefully get some productive workouts in before class tomorrow.

If life is a highway, I think I got on at rush hour.
R.D.

I think she's a keeper.... and other ramblings.

" Rob I could never make you give up training, I know how important it is to you..it's part of your soul."- the girl I'm currently dating/ seeing/ I don't know what people call it these days.



If that doesn't say keeper I don't know what else will...well maybe if she worked at a running store, her dad owned a bike shop, and her mom's a race director, her older sister was a massage thearpist.....well maybe in San Diego...



Nope I'm thinking my girl in Newport is a keeper although I'm sure I'll hear that girls in Newport are more trouble than the damned toll brigde.

This morning I managed to get in a 10 mile run after a late night date in Newport. I will say only one thing the portion of town I ran in had nothing close to a hill. Downtown, has a monster hill but I really didn't want to be running down tourist, and dodging BMW's and other finely crafted pieces of Euro-engineering, bent on my destruction. So I took off in the direction of Brenton Point State Park. Now seriously I picked the wrong sport to work on. Everybody and their brother was out on their bikes. I think next time I'm down in Newport I going to be rolling on the Stomper, becasue the bike culture is alive there. So this weekend was not a total waste training wise. Now I have a hardcore week of training and research ahead, hopefully I'll be in shape for next season although I've been getting scolded by one personal trainer/friend who says I should be working on my "non competitive" strokes and focusing solely on sprints next season...sort of a "go back to the minors" approach to triathlon. Work on winning the local tri for fun, then do like one big name race. Maybe that's the route I should go but I already know I'm more of a long distance guy,so what does 09 hold for me I don't know but I know there is going to be a least one iron,and one half.

R.D.