Month: December 2004

Hit the pool at the Y yesterday afternoon again. Swimming is great and awful all at the same time. I’ve always loved jumping in the water, and feel very comfortable at being able to keep my head above water in almost any situation. Apparently, though, that doesn’t apply to being able to move through the water.

10 breast, 1 kickboard, 10 freestyle, 1 kickboard, 5 freestyle, 1 kickboard, 5 freestyle. Ouch.

My sister-in-law is still in town, and swam competitively for about 12 years. I asked her for some style pointers, and the biggest one she had was to keep my knees locked while kicking, which I hadn’t been doing. I felt a definate speed increase when I locked them, but that transferred the effort from my thighs up to the all-important abs and glutes. Which hurts.

Ah, well, what do you want for nothin? Rubber Biscuit?

Have been greatly exaggerated.

So I’m writing this morning from a trendy chain bakery which serves bagels the size of one’s head, and good coffee. Yummy.

For the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I’m working out of the company’s Waterford office instead of making the drag over to Newport. I’m usually here on Fridays, anyway, which is nice since it gets me home about a half hour earlier, and I get that much more time to wrestle with the boys. Yeah.

Like I mentioned yesterday, life has finally slowed down enough for me to jump back on instead of sprinting alongside, and I’m trying to get back in a groove (some would say rut). Big project delivered, new client growing happy with me, and opportunity out the ying-yang. At least for this week.

Fitness is coming back to the top of my priority list, too. Swam at the Y yesterday – 10 laps breast, 10 laps freestyle, 3 laps kickboard, 10 laps free, and 5 breast. I’ll be the first to admit that other than being able to stay afloat, I have no clue what I’m doing in the water. For instance, I thought one was supposed to bend one’s knees while kicking. Which apparently, you’re not. Which could be why I consistently get lapped.

This morning was 3.7 or so at Bluff Point. There’s still a bunch of snow on the ground, and I probably would have been much better off if I’d been skiing. As it was, the run was tough, tough. I ran the first 1.5 at about a 9 minute pace, and walked/ran the 1.5 back (over a hill, etc) at about a 12 minute pace. Slow, yes, but it was snowy, and I think I was a little dehydrated. But it’s all in pursuit of a goal.

Anyhew, sorry for my absence. And again, good luck in the New Year to y’all.

That I haven’t posted in a while.

A long while. (12 October by my reckoning). Then I try catching up and get guilted by Dianna (aka Running Chick with Orange Hat) and her effort to take the RBF public.

In any case, I’d like to think I’m back. Work and family are somewhat more static than they were over the last couple of months now that the mother of all Christmases is over (Both my wife and I had family in from out of town for the holiday, and I delivered a couple of major projects). At least I’m not the only one taking off – April-Anne has been on hiatus since November, trying to bring up her GPA.

The upside is that I haven’t completely taken off from running, and I’ve swum basically once a week since I posted last. So progress hasn’t stopped, even though posting has.

In the new year, I’m planning on trying to race a little bit. Race being a relative term for paying money to run with people faster than I am. But my major goal is the Hartford Marathon in October, and the NYC Marathon if I get selected. Supporting that, I’m going to try to race at least every other month, wife-permitting. I would like to try a tri, but am not certain about open-water swimming up here without a wetsuit.

Hope everyone had a Christmas (or holiday of your choosing), and best hopes for a happy New Year.