Snow, Freezing Rain, and Negative Temperatures

Let's enjoy it while we can
Won't you help me shed my load
From the dark end of the street
To the bright side of the road

Van Morrison

Wanted to start this week off with a couple birthday wishes to two really good friends. Paul Schwartz who had a milestone birthday, and Sara Hanson who has quite a few birthdays ahead of her before she catches up to me. We spent Paul's birthday watching John Sebastion of The Lovin' Spoonful perform, however one wouldn't know he was a member of Lovin' Spoonful because he chose not to do any of those songs. Please old performers, we pay the money for the memories, not to hear what new irrelevant music you have conjured up. Spent late night celebrating Sara's birthday in downtown at the Great Dane Brew Pub. The party happened to coincide with the last day of the semester at UW. The bar was packed with crazy Christmas sweaters, binge drinking students and of course one old dude. He went from feeling young and spritely at Jon Sebastion to feeling old as dirt at the Dane.

Well lets face it I complain a lot about the Madison winter weather. And now it has apparently made me insane. I have convinced my workout partner that we needed a new goal to motivate us when I return to Utah. So, and to be honest he really needed no convincing, Eric and I will be competing in the April 3rd St. George Sprint Triathlon. Just so there is no misunderstanding what this entails it's not exactly the Hawai'ian ironman. It is a .5k swim, a 16k bike, and a 5k run. I have no fear of the swimming part of it. Have a great fear of the biking seeing as the last time I was on a bike that actually moved the first George Bush was in office. And I'm not afraid of the run/walk because I will most likely have wrecked my bike prior to that so I won't have to do it. I have run one 5k race and that was in 1984 as a junior in college. I think I finished last unless you count the one person so disgusted they were behind me they dropped out. We have enlisted the fabulous triathlon trainer Ms. Paige Corley to be our coach and principle motivator for this undertaking. My only instruction to her being try to make it so neither of us die on the course, especially me. So I will be trying to do something that I have never attempted before, never thought of doing to til yesterday, and can't imagine I will want to do again. Special thanks to Linda M. who suggested that I try this and to Jen M. who inspired me by doing this same race this fall.

Here was my first day of triathlon prepping. I don't foresee doing bike work before Utah and certainly not outside on the roads where I need to do it.

For the record my 1st day of tri prep:

30 minutes treadmill at 3.0 1.5 miles

1 Hour personal training
5 minutes treadmill
30 side medicine ball lunge/squats
50 up and down on the box with the medicine ball
2 4 minute heavy bag sessions
reverse crunches and sit ups to opposite raised foot These suck
40 medicine ball sit ups
4 trips up/down 20 stairs with medicine ball above my head
41 Medicine ball sit ups
4 trips up/down 20 stairs with medicine ball above my head
back forth over 1 foot hurdles in the sand hitting the volleyball

Don't forget only 9 days of Christmas shopping left and Beatles Tshirts, posters, blankets and mugs make wonderful gifts. This is my good friend and
volleyball teammate Tanya who truly dressed the part for her Christmas party. I am all about Christmas cheer and she personified it. Tis the Season and its the only thing getting me through December, well that and the chance to be the the biggest loser/finisher at this year's St George Triathlon. Peace, Love, and Happy Chanukah. jim