At Blockbuster today, my two little girls requested that I rent out the DVD, Spongebob Squarepants -- The Seascape Capers. Actually, it's more like they jumped for joy with their raised voices in sync: "Spongebob, Spongebob, Spongebob!" (Okay everyone, you can all turn around now. Nothing to see here. Just me and the kiddies being loud and obnoxious.) Tina and Mindy knew that they'd already seen all these Spongebob episodes on Nickelodeon a billion and one times. Still, they insisted that I rent it out anyway.
It's seeing this delight on the kids' faces that I've kept up the trips to Blockbuster with them rather than keeping them at home when it seems more convenient. That as well as on almost all my errands that I've let them tag along. It keeps them well stimulated. Kinda like Ms. Frizzle and The Magic Schoolbus, whereby "every trip is a field trip". And of course, there's still the whining and the "daddy, I want this, I want that" and the "are we there yet?" droning that goes with each voyage. But I suppose that's their way of giving me lessons in testing my parenting skills.
So while the stores may be the same, the errands trivial or the movies all so repetitive, I guess there's always something new to learn along the way.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Night training
I worked out on my bike trainer tonight at 10:15 pm. It was mentally difficult to get myself to do it, as it was my first night workout at home in eons and it was not part of my usual training routine. Furthermore, I was in bed with all the kids putting them to sleep and had come to that fork in the road: close my eyes and drift into lala land, or get up and rack some miles on the Cannondale. Glad I chose the latter.
My recent triathlon race armed me with data of my first field results this year, and now I have a better idea on where i need to improve. "What do you mean where to improve?! Improve everything, you dingbat!" you say. Okay, okay...I know my race times are nowhere near stellar, but I now feel more of an urgency to do better. It really feels tangible. Yeah, that's it. And now I can match my current workout levels to my real-time results as a reference for how far I need to push myself. In a word, I have a shipload of work to do.
I'll chart my progress from here on and hopefully post it after a few weeks.
My recent triathlon race armed me with data of my first field results this year, and now I have a better idea on where i need to improve. "What do you mean where to improve?! Improve everything, you dingbat!" you say. Okay, okay...I know my race times are nowhere near stellar, but I now feel more of an urgency to do better. It really feels tangible. Yeah, that's it. And now I can match my current workout levels to my real-time results as a reference for how far I need to push myself. In a word, I have a shipload of work to do.
I'll chart my progress from here on and hopefully post it after a few weeks.
Monday, May 16, 2005
No more dance class
"You can turn off the sun, but I'm still gonna shine."
--Jason Mraz (song, The Remedy)
Tina didn't have ballet today at the Y. Her classes for the next 8-week session were cancelled because she was the only one who signed up. Well, at least she was able to do 2 classes solo with the teacher before it was called quits (YMCA policy requires a min of 3 students).
I was heartbroken more so than I thought I would be. It's like coming across a wall when chasing your dream. Makes me exceptionally sad when I see it happening to kids. Tina really likes dancing and having classes at the YMCA was both convenient and inexpensive. I certainly don't want her interest to come to a halt, if this is what she enjoys. So in the next week or two, I'll check out a dance studio about a 5 minute drive away that was recommended by Jade, the ballet instructor.
Like many parents, Melinda and I are always trying to keep a keen sense on what sparks the kids' fancies. Whatever Tina, Mindy and Miguel each enjoy doing, we try to over indulge in it to see if there's any strong interest. Mindy's obsession has yet to noticeably surface, but it does seem to be in the area of singing. We'll wait and see. As for Miguel, he's only 2, but what a clown. I'm sure he'll join the circus one day :-).
--Jason Mraz (song, The Remedy)
Tina didn't have ballet today at the Y. Her classes for the next 8-week session were cancelled because she was the only one who signed up. Well, at least she was able to do 2 classes solo with the teacher before it was called quits (YMCA policy requires a min of 3 students).
I was heartbroken more so than I thought I would be. It's like coming across a wall when chasing your dream. Makes me exceptionally sad when I see it happening to kids. Tina really likes dancing and having classes at the YMCA was both convenient and inexpensive. I certainly don't want her interest to come to a halt, if this is what she enjoys. So in the next week or two, I'll check out a dance studio about a 5 minute drive away that was recommended by Jade, the ballet instructor.
Like many parents, Melinda and I are always trying to keep a keen sense on what sparks the kids' fancies. Whatever Tina, Mindy and Miguel each enjoy doing, we try to over indulge in it to see if there's any strong interest. Mindy's obsession has yet to noticeably surface, but it does seem to be in the area of singing. We'll wait and see. As for Miguel, he's only 2, but what a clown. I'm sure he'll join the circus one day :-).
Sunday, May 15, 2005
D-Day at Devil Tri
It's a done deal. I finished the Devilman Triathlon in under 2.5 hours. Whew! I wish I had pics to post, but they're still in my 'analog' camera. Nonetheless, the official time results for all the athletes are here.
Pre-race: Only a few hours sleep, as usual. Left home at 4:30 am & arrived 7:15. (Melinda and the kids came along too; thank goodness for their in-person support. Bless you sweeties for waking up so early.) With only 45 minutes left til the 8 am start, I went through the standard long rituals of bike/helmet inspection, check-in registration and body numbering. (I always thought of having your race number markered onto your body as being very cool and attributed it as unique to triathletes.) While waiting to be marked, I realized I still had jeans on with only boxers underneath and forgot that they needed to write the numbers on my thighs (arms and calves also)--oh man! Well, it was getting close to race time and I still needed to hurry and setup my bike and gear in the transition area; so down went my pants along with my pride :-). Write on me, baby!
Swim (0.6 miles, lake): Finished in 28 minutes at the top 98%. Practically last. Slow but sure. (The winning time was 11:43 minutes!) Geez, I thought I was going to die during the first few strokes! I wore a wetsuit, but it was perhaps a little tight or that the water was too cold. I just couldn't breathe well at the start, not to mention all the kicks and bumps from the other swimmers going past me (I noticed a long 3 inch bloody scratch below my calf after the race, probably from some swimmer's uncut nails). Eventually, I calmed down, found my rhythm, focused on distant objects to keep my direction straight and made it to the shore exit.
Transition 1: Out of the lake, hobbled to the bike transition, off with the wetsuit, donned my bike gear and out on the road. All in under 7 minutes. (Winning time is under 2 minutes.) Try doing this pissed drunk because that's what I felt like coming out of the water. And my jelly arms couldn't do anything for the life of me!
Bike (19 miles, open road): Finished in just over an hour at the top 79%. (The winning time was 49:19 minutes. Goodness gracious!) Nice flat roads, but mother-of-mercy headwinds! My cyclometer measured an avg speed of 18 mph with a top speed of 25 mph.This was my best leg. I felt comfortable and I knew exactly how to crank: peddle a fast cadence on a low gear; no need to muscle it. I was able to pick off some of the riders ahead. Still, I think I could've ridden faster, but I had to make sure I had some gusto left for the run.
Transition 2: Off of the bike, off with the cycling shoes and on with my sneakers in about 3.5 minutes. (Winning time under 1 minute.) I was darn thirsty and chugged down almost 2 bottles of Gatorade for some energy boost before I headed out.
Run (4 miles, sandy trail): Finished in almost 40 minutes at the top 79%, about a 10 min/mile pace. (The winning time was 23:04 minutes, a 5:46 min/mile pace!) It took a while to get my legs at normal stride from the bike, but I never let myself succumb to walking even with the heat and humidity. I paused only briefly at 3 of the Gatorade stations to drink up; I never have been able to drink efficiently while running--it just splashes all over me--so I just stop and chug it all in. Toward the end, I thought about a favorite workout song for some added adrenaline and began to sprint. I leapt across the finish in the fashion of my tri idol, Greg Welch.
Race done and over. What a relief.
Some interesting tidbits:
1. All competitors used pinky-sized timing chips, like those EZ-Pass devices that cars use for tolls, which we strapped to our ankles. Our times automatically registered when we stepped on mats at the finishes and splits.
2. It's very difficult to swim in a straight line in open water without focusing on a distant object. Some guy actually swam across in front of me, perpendicular! It was funny to watch as I had done the same in my very first race. Many others swam in zig-zag patterns.
3. Drafting is not allowed when biking and violators are given 2 minute penalties. It's everyone for themselves.
4. The oldest competitor was Bill Schweizer at 82 years! He wore bib# 1 and finished 285th, only a few minutes after I did. He won his age group--80 to 99--as he was the only one in it, and received the most cheers on and off the course. Melinda got a chance to talk with him just before the swim as they were the first ones waiting at the start. She remembers seeing him from my other races in 1993!
Now I must get some sleep. I'm quite tired. What a day.
Pre-race: Only a few hours sleep, as usual. Left home at 4:30 am & arrived 7:15. (Melinda and the kids came along too; thank goodness for their in-person support. Bless you sweeties for waking up so early.) With only 45 minutes left til the 8 am start, I went through the standard long rituals of bike/helmet inspection, check-in registration and body numbering. (I always thought of having your race number markered onto your body as being very cool and attributed it as unique to triathletes.) While waiting to be marked, I realized I still had jeans on with only boxers underneath and forgot that they needed to write the numbers on my thighs (arms and calves also)--oh man! Well, it was getting close to race time and I still needed to hurry and setup my bike and gear in the transition area; so down went my pants along with my pride :-). Write on me, baby!
Swim (0.6 miles, lake): Finished in 28 minutes at the top 98%. Practically last. Slow but sure. (The winning time was 11:43 minutes!) Geez, I thought I was going to die during the first few strokes! I wore a wetsuit, but it was perhaps a little tight or that the water was too cold. I just couldn't breathe well at the start, not to mention all the kicks and bumps from the other swimmers going past me (I noticed a long 3 inch bloody scratch below my calf after the race, probably from some swimmer's uncut nails). Eventually, I calmed down, found my rhythm, focused on distant objects to keep my direction straight and made it to the shore exit.
Transition 1: Out of the lake, hobbled to the bike transition, off with the wetsuit, donned my bike gear and out on the road. All in under 7 minutes. (Winning time is under 2 minutes.) Try doing this pissed drunk because that's what I felt like coming out of the water. And my jelly arms couldn't do anything for the life of me!
Bike (19 miles, open road): Finished in just over an hour at the top 79%. (The winning time was 49:19 minutes. Goodness gracious!) Nice flat roads, but mother-of-mercy headwinds! My cyclometer measured an avg speed of 18 mph with a top speed of 25 mph.This was my best leg. I felt comfortable and I knew exactly how to crank: peddle a fast cadence on a low gear; no need to muscle it. I was able to pick off some of the riders ahead. Still, I think I could've ridden faster, but I had to make sure I had some gusto left for the run.
Transition 2: Off of the bike, off with the cycling shoes and on with my sneakers in about 3.5 minutes. (Winning time under 1 minute.) I was darn thirsty and chugged down almost 2 bottles of Gatorade for some energy boost before I headed out.
Run (4 miles, sandy trail): Finished in almost 40 minutes at the top 79%, about a 10 min/mile pace. (The winning time was 23:04 minutes, a 5:46 min/mile pace!) It took a while to get my legs at normal stride from the bike, but I never let myself succumb to walking even with the heat and humidity. I paused only briefly at 3 of the Gatorade stations to drink up; I never have been able to drink efficiently while running--it just splashes all over me--so I just stop and chug it all in. Toward the end, I thought about a favorite workout song for some added adrenaline and began to sprint. I leapt across the finish in the fashion of my tri idol, Greg Welch.
Race done and over. What a relief.
Some interesting tidbits:
1. All competitors used pinky-sized timing chips, like those EZ-Pass devices that cars use for tolls, which we strapped to our ankles. Our times automatically registered when we stepped on mats at the finishes and splits.
2. It's very difficult to swim in a straight line in open water without focusing on a distant object. Some guy actually swam across in front of me, perpendicular! It was funny to watch as I had done the same in my very first race. Many others swam in zig-zag patterns.
3. Drafting is not allowed when biking and violators are given 2 minute penalties. It's everyone for themselves.
4. The oldest competitor was Bill Schweizer at 82 years! He wore bib# 1 and finished 285th, only a few minutes after I did. He won his age group--80 to 99--as he was the only one in it, and received the most cheers on and off the course. Melinda got a chance to talk with him just before the swim as they were the first ones waiting at the start. She remembers seeing him from my other races in 1993!
Now I must get some sleep. I'm quite tired. What a day.
Friday, May 13, 2005
2 days til Devil Tri
Today I received my FedExed Overnight bike gear--2 tires, 2 tubes, 2 bottle cages--from performancebike.com. My original order from nashbar.com didn't go through for some reason. Suckie!
My right knee has been hurting as I may have overdone it on the treadmill 2 days ago. The pain is less today but we'll see what miracles sleep will bring about tonight.
I did my final pre-race workout this evening, swimming 50 minutes at the Y. I think I can finish the swim leg in about 25 min (vs 35 as previously mentioned), whereas the top athletes finish in only 10 minutes. I'm a slow swimmer but at least I can endure the distance.
Today I felt noticeably fat, though I'm already aware that I'm overweight. Currently, I'm packing about 20 lbs more than I did when racing in 1993. I think of it as carrying a sack of rice or 4 bags of potatoes. Uggh. You certainly won't be seeing any six-pack on this bloke for some time.
Tomorrow morning, I'm tuning up my bike, truing my wheels and taking it out for a short spin. But after the kids' swim lessons, of course.
My right knee has been hurting as I may have overdone it on the treadmill 2 days ago. The pain is less today but we'll see what miracles sleep will bring about tonight.
I did my final pre-race workout this evening, swimming 50 minutes at the Y. I think I can finish the swim leg in about 25 min (vs 35 as previously mentioned), whereas the top athletes finish in only 10 minutes. I'm a slow swimmer but at least I can endure the distance.
Today I felt noticeably fat, though I'm already aware that I'm overweight. Currently, I'm packing about 20 lbs more than I did when racing in 1993. I think of it as carrying a sack of rice or 4 bags of potatoes. Uggh. You certainly won't be seeing any six-pack on this bloke for some time.
Tomorrow morning, I'm tuning up my bike, truing my wheels and taking it out for a short spin. But after the kids' swim lessons, of course.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
4 days til Devil Tri
It's Wednesday and my sprint triathlon is this Sunday.
The bike gear (tires, pumps, etc.) that I ordered Monday from www.nashbar.com doesn't seem to have been shipped yet. Yikes! I'll give them a call first thing in the morning and see what's up. I may have to cancel the order and get my stuff from www.performancebike.com instead and have it FedExed Overnight.
This morning's workout at the YMCA was about 90 minutes of high heart rate activity--45 min on the bike immediately followed by 30 min on the treadmill. I was simulating the endurance of the race, although I think I remember taking over 2 grueling hours to finish many of my tri events. Friday, I'll try and lap swim for an hour for my final pre-race workout. I expect to finish the .6 mi lake swim in about 35 min, but I've mostly overextended my times in the pool because it would be no fun to tucker out in the middle of the lake without any lifevest--just sink or swim.
Tomorrow, I'll give my pre-race preparations more thought and finalize my checklist.
Overall, I'm starting to worry more as race day approaches.
The bike gear (tires, pumps, etc.) that I ordered Monday from www.nashbar.com doesn't seem to have been shipped yet. Yikes! I'll give them a call first thing in the morning and see what's up. I may have to cancel the order and get my stuff from www.performancebike.com instead and have it FedExed Overnight.
This morning's workout at the YMCA was about 90 minutes of high heart rate activity--45 min on the bike immediately followed by 30 min on the treadmill. I was simulating the endurance of the race, although I think I remember taking over 2 grueling hours to finish many of my tri events. Friday, I'll try and lap swim for an hour for my final pre-race workout. I expect to finish the .6 mi lake swim in about 35 min, but I've mostly overextended my times in the pool because it would be no fun to tucker out in the middle of the lake without any lifevest--just sink or swim.
Tomorrow, I'll give my pre-race preparations more thought and finalize my checklist.
Overall, I'm starting to worry more as race day approaches.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Supernanny
I'm hooked. It's my current favorite reality show: Supernanny. Watching it brings major comfort in being reminded that my parental frustrations are not unique and that there are countless mums and dads going through similar scenarios. Jo Frost, the nanny herself, serves as my virtual shoulder to cry on. I watch the episodes and see myself imposed as one of the parents in a few of the situations. Okay, many of the situations. (Most fan viewers must surely feel the same way.) And I say to the TV, "Yeah Jo, I'm there as well tearing my hair out (sniff-sniff. voice cracking). What answers do you have for me this time?"
Now having three kids is surely no spot of tea, as Supernanny would likely say. Certainly there are golden moments when all is simply nirvana. La, la-la, lala. However, for all those other times, oy vay! That's when Melinda and I do the best we can, sometimes in the 'textbook' way, to try to resolve the child/parent issues. Some things work. Some don't, and that's when we look to books or other parents to see what they've done. We're glad the Supernanny show let's us see it in action; it makes our learning to be better parents more efficient.
In several of the episodes, Jo Frost reiterates that for the times when kids get unruly, it's simply due to boredom. Bingo! my kids exactly! Thus, it would help if there was a daily schedule to keep everyone busy. However, our schedule wasn't ever written down. Lazy us. It was followed off the cuff right from our heads. But I suppose that'll need to change. Well then...let's give it a go. For these next few days, I hope to make the kids' routines more solid--in writing and with more structure. I'm curious to see what comes about. Better temperament for the kids, perhaps? Lower blood pressure for yours truly, I surely hope?
And oh wouldn't the Supernanny be just cheery and proud of us all! :-)
Now having three kids is surely no spot of tea, as Supernanny would likely say. Certainly there are golden moments when all is simply nirvana. La, la-la, lala. However, for all those other times, oy vay! That's when Melinda and I do the best we can, sometimes in the 'textbook' way, to try to resolve the child/parent issues. Some things work. Some don't, and that's when we look to books or other parents to see what they've done. We're glad the Supernanny show let's us see it in action; it makes our learning to be better parents more efficient.
In several of the episodes, Jo Frost reiterates that for the times when kids get unruly, it's simply due to boredom. Bingo! my kids exactly! Thus, it would help if there was a daily schedule to keep everyone busy. However, our schedule wasn't ever written down. Lazy us. It was followed off the cuff right from our heads. But I suppose that'll need to change. Well then...let's give it a go. For these next few days, I hope to make the kids' routines more solid--in writing and with more structure. I'm curious to see what comes about. Better temperament for the kids, perhaps? Lower blood pressure for yours truly, I surely hope?
And oh wouldn't the Supernanny be just cheery and proud of us all! :-)
Ironman Hawaii
I missed the re-airing of the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship yesterday--mother friggin shazbot! The broadcast received 3 Emmy nominations for this year's 26th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, the winners of which will be announced today. I'm not sure of any TV coverage for this event.
Ever since the early 90's, I always looked forward to the yearly broadcasts of the triathlon championships held in Kona, Hawaii. That and the Tour de France. They gave me that extra incentive fuel for my workouts as well as provide as reminders of how beautiful it is to take part in physical competition.
I have 2 more weeks until my own initial triathlon of the season. Today, I hope to write out a 14 day countdown plan on exercise, nutrition and other preparations before the race. Already I'm getting a bit nervous about the whole thing. I'm just glad that my workouts have been fairly consistent. I know I'll likely finish.
For now, I have a scrumptuous Wendy's combo meal waiting for me downstairs (Thanks, Melinda. Well's mouth begins salivating like a waterfall.). French fries and all. Oh, and biggie-sized as usual. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot. Uggh.
Ever since the early 90's, I always looked forward to the yearly broadcasts of the triathlon championships held in Kona, Hawaii. That and the Tour de France. They gave me that extra incentive fuel for my workouts as well as provide as reminders of how beautiful it is to take part in physical competition.
I have 2 more weeks until my own initial triathlon of the season. Today, I hope to write out a 14 day countdown plan on exercise, nutrition and other preparations before the race. Already I'm getting a bit nervous about the whole thing. I'm just glad that my workouts have been fairly consistent. I know I'll likely finish.
For now, I have a scrumptuous Wendy's combo meal waiting for me downstairs (Thanks, Melinda. Well's mouth begins salivating like a waterfall.). French fries and all. Oh, and biggie-sized as usual. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot. Uggh.
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