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.

Arizona and New Zealand entries are due....

and at the moment I only have enough dinero for one. Upon the advice of friends and other athletes...Tempe has beaten out Taupo for the time being..most likely for 09... I mean I can hope they have open slots in January, but by that point booking a hotel is a hassle. So this has become triage in a way, Tempe sells out faster than IMNZ it's 12 months out, it doesn't require me freezing my ass off to prep for it... If by some miracle NZ doesn't sell out I'll go but The barren desert is looking like my most viable path to Kona..which is probably a good thing...after all in NZ I tended to get a little ADD ...people new surroundings..screaming fans...maybe some solititude, pissed off drivers and nothing but caucti to look at will get my ass moving a little faster on that damned bike leg...after all we americans are pissed off by nature that's just how we roll. I hated I tried to defend going to NZ for so long and now it most likely will not happen..but if it's meant to happen it will. all I know is my second(possibly 3rd) Ironman will be markedly differnet than my first. This time around I'm not going to sightsee and make friends I'm going for the sole purpose of kicking ass and may God help the poor son of a bitch that's in my way. Tempe, Arizona next November I'm going to crush you Barack Obama* style.
I have just awoken from a delerious dream...and now I have to settle down and look at the goals at hand...no relationships, no life..school, degree, work, train...BA by June 09 better job by December 09, Kona slot for October 2010..everything else doesn't matter. This is life, hopped up on ambition and fueled by rage..may god have mercy because I sure as hell won't!

Focused and driven
RD.



*President Barack Obama has not approved of this message.

Hell Week T- minus 48 hours.

Well last night I had hoped to get 4000 yards in at the pool, but I settled for 3500. My main set wasn't too impressive 5x100 on 1:25, 4x50 IM order on 1:00, 200 pull on 3:00, followed by 5x200 on 2:50. I managed to hold about 2:35-2:40 on the 200's and under 1:20 on the 100's . also a few of my Wednesday night workout crew showed up , we were pretty unorganized, and we all sort of did our own things and socialized between sets...hopefully the workouts will get a little more structured as the year progresses. Next week I begin my self imposed training camp or I guess you could call it " The Almighty Plan" I'm hoping to be entered into Ironman New Zealand on Wednesday, and figure that this week is the best time to increase the training mileage. I figure If I can get at least 2 century rides in before the showdown in Taupo this time around I'll be golden, and hopefully punching a golden ticket to Kona. I mean if I did an 11 hour Ironman on little training last year, maybe with a little bit more work, especially on the bike, I could be in the 9-10 hour range. So the plan for next week is as follows

Saturday:
Ride 50-60 miles
Date night woohoo!

Sunday:
Ride 50-60 miles
possibly a 10-15 mile run.

Monday:
AM lift and swim 3500 yds.
PM Swim 3500-4000 yds.

Tuesday :
Ride 50-60 miles (more if class is canceled for Veterans day which I think it is)
Run 6-8 miles.

Wednesday:
AM Lift
PM Swim 4000 yds.
Enter IM New Zealand.

Thursday:
Ride 60-70 miles
Run 6-8 miles.

Friday
Run 8-10 miles.
PM Swim 3500-4000 yds.

Saturday:
Ride 100+ miles

Sunday:
Recover swim 3000 yds.

So there's the plan.

Total mileage Goals:

Swim: 18,500 yds. (11.2 miles

Bike 366 miles

Run: 41 miles

So those are the objectives, whether I meet them all or not remains to be seen.

Also this Saturday I have a date with Newport girl once again, figure we'll meet for a movie in New London after my Saturday ride. That's all from me for right now...I really miss my Angry life coach.

Continuing the flogging until morale improves.
R.D.

a 6 miler, a black president, and a long distance relationship?

Well yesterday I skipped class to do some work and get in a much needed 6 mile run. The end of Daylight savings time now means anything done after 3pm requires a head lamp. It wasn't my traditional loop but it had some challenging hills nonetheless.also I had to dodge some traffic running through Waterbury, but it's not a bad little route. I brought out the head lamp although I managed to finish before dark, total time 54:19.

Also for those of you that don't aleady know ( which you'd have to be stuck in a cave that only broadcasts Fox news.) Barack Obama won the U.S. Presidential elections, and by won I mean clobbered poor John McCain...for the title of world's highest paid janitor..and sadly Obama will have to carry on the dreaded Democrat tradition of raising taxes...one of the reasons I was ticked at both his and McCain's convention speeches, promising tax cuts and social reform... you can't fund social programs without revenue and guess what tax cuts take away from revenue and you can't keep borrowing money from China. Some honesty or a Churchill-esque blood, sweat, toil, and tears speech would have been appropriate. Needless to say I might not need to ask Catherine to help me get a New Zealand Greencard, at least not yet....because unlike John "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran!"Mc Cain, Obama is for diplomacy which means at least for right now my butt will not be in camo unless I so choose. Ok political rant done until next year.

Relationship the current object of my affections (name released when anything official happens like we decide we're a thing.) goes to school in Newport, RI, she wants to see a movie this weekend, I can't drive out to Newport again this weekend, she might not be able to drive all the way out to me so we might meet in the middle, granted it will most likely be later at night because I need to get a 50-60 mile ride in. Part of me is really thinking that a relationship at this point in my life isn't in my best interest, while another part of me feels like something long dead has been awakened, irregardless, training and school must come first.
So that's all that has happended in the life of Bob.

Viva Obama! until he does something stupid.

R.D.

Bobby's gotta a girl?

Well, long story short this weekend was a waste of sorts, instead of diligently studying or training, I ended up going to Newport, going on a date and might have ended up with a ( gasp) girlfriend (I know pretty soon we'll hear reports of Hell freezing over.) I know what most people are going to say " Awww that's so sweet." and other mushy gunk like that , no offense, I really can't read. Sorry gals and semi-emotional dudes out there, my dentist told me sweet stuff can give me cavities so I'd better follow his advice.

Alright so Bob-o's finally gotten himself a girl, why is that a bad thing? Well it's not in a sense but now it means I need to revamp the way I train. Read my post from the other blog here. Normally I live like a freaking monk, work, train, class, study, sleep,repeat. Now I've got to throw some time into a relationship, because sadly I don't have the baller lifestyle of most guys my age, and this girl is too sweet to be a "hit an quit" damn it I quoted Hitch, now I have to do at least 100 crunches or tack an extra mile on to Today's run...that and also I'm kinda of into her, plus she's my sister best friend and she's tight with my sister's guy pal so needless to say if I do anything stupid my ass is quite literally grass. She's looking at doing elementary education, not sure if she's trying to stay in New England long term or if things "hit it off" if she'd be willing to relocate with me to the Left Coast if that's what I choose to do...but that's for later down the road, right now we're still trying to work out the whole dating thing...and it might never get past that so I really have nothing to worry about, except how I'm going to cram in some dates around training and school work. Alright all that aside today I skipping class to get some training and work done, I figure I go pretty damn religiously so one night off isn't going to kill me, I figure I'll email what's due and hand deliver a hard copy tomorrow, but I just need to devote some time to the books tonight as well as get a run in because it was too damn gorgeous to be chained to my desk all freaking day. So that's what's been going on here.

R.D.