The Irony of it all

Last post I said that I could not imagine a day without working out. Every day I had to do SOMETHING! I had to feel the struggle of my body fighting gravity and my genetics. Striving forward. Struggling ahead, getting stronger and faster. Becoming a better me.

And then it happened. Struck down. Not by car or truck or even a bus. No, no man made creation had touched me. Rather it is a viral sickness that now runs through my body and debilitates me.

With the sickness raving my body, I have decided to forgo my daily pilgrimage into the torture chamber of training. Probably a smart idea, let my body rest and recuperate but it is still a little unnerving.

I have sat restless for several days now. I had expected to feel like I was wasting my time, I had expected to feel like I was wasting my time and edgy. I had expected all that. But instead I felt fine. I felt restful. I felt like I was doing the smart thing.

That was several days ago. I still feel like that. Still feel sick.

Now my resting days are seriously starting to interfere with my training days.

Like that old commercial “I haven’t got time for the pain”. I don’t have time to feel sick. I need to train, I need to get going. I need to be out there training.

And so I went. Against better thinking I rode. Of course, it had to be a windy day. With wind battling hard against me, I struggled for 30 miles. No hard effort, no tragic turn of events. Nonevent.

Until I got home. Then my body revolted, shut down and fought back. Now I am suffering all over again.

Two steps forward…one step back.

Good thing I have a race this week!

Ignosce mihi, Pater, quia peccavi

Forgive me father, for I have sinned.


It has been 66 days since my last blog. It’s not because I haven’t wanted to blog. I have. In fact every time I work out I think of what I am going to say but inevitably once I get back home I feel that I can’t post yet because I didn’t post the workout before that, and the one before that and the one…So finally I have thought that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Just get it out and if it doesn’t make sense or is meaningless then oh well. I feel that I’ve got to get at least some of it out otherwise I will never post again because I have such a backlog. So here is my confessional:

I have biked a great many times. I have biked long and hard and repeatedly. I have biked in the wind and up hills. I have swore while biking, I have laughed while biking; I have surrendered more than once and called for a ride while biking. Please forgive me.

I have ran a few times. Not nearly as much as I have biked. I have biked 4 to 5 times as much as I have ran. I still loathe running. I still enjoy running (but only after loathing it first). I have not run for very long but I have started to run faster. I still suck at running. Please forgive me.

I have not swam! Whew! Well ok, I have swam but only a few times and even when I did I didn’t want to, so that doesn’t count right? I have swam in the gym pool back and forth until I have lost count and knowing that it was not enough, I have swam even longer. I have not even SEEN the lake since early summer! I am not even sure I know how to put on a wetsuit! Please forgive me.

I have thought the thoughts of a Triathlete. I have thought about biking and running and (occasionally) swimming. I have friends (YES! I do have friends 1 and 2) who have wisely chosen to enjoy their off season, but I have found that I cannot stop working out. Everyday I take off from working out, I feel like a lazy slug! I feel like I am losing fitness with every breathe. Somewhere out there some one is getting faster than me (which is not hard to do!). I become grumpy and moody when I don’t work out. Please forgive me.

I have signed up for races that I am vastly underprepared for (just my style). I have no fear. I know they will suck and I don’t care. I am ready to suffer. I am looking forward to it. The insanity is overwhelming. Please forgive me.

I have abandoned all thoughts of P90X, almost as soon as I posted my last blog post (the one that says I am “renewing my energy into it”). I just couldn’t do it. Not yet. I don’t really have an off season, and every day that I wasn’t riding the bike or doing something cardio intense, I felt like I was loosing my (limited) fitness. I know the benefits to weight lifting are huge, but I just could justify it during training season. Perhaps I’ll pick it up next off season (if I ever get one). Please forgive me.

OK. I think that is it. Or at least all that I am willing to confess to at this moment. Thanks for hearing my confession.