Before I got to pool I needed to get my goggles fixed. A bracket that holds the strap broke. I went to our local swim store and they didn't carry the brand I had and couldn't help me. I decided to drive about 35 minutes away to the store I bought them from. It was to get them fixed and it was a relaxing way to spend the mid morning.
When I got to the store they didn't have the parts to fix it. The owner looked at it, removed the clips, opened a new strap box and just thread it through the holes, sans clips. It worked. In fact, I didn't even need the strap, I could have used my old one. I still bought the strap, it was $7 and I did it because the owner retreated the strap, I wouldn't have known how to do that. I guess I could have figured it out if I really needed to. Oh well, I just gave the economy $7. Actually it was only $6, I paid .99 cents for a swim converter from yards to meters. Now that I'm at LA fitness I was curious the difference. Impulse buy.
I stopped at Subway for a 6 inch Chicken Breast and then it was off to the pool. For the first time in a long time I had a swim where I went hard. It was a tempo swim and with my chest I've been babying it, even on Tuesday. Today I decided I'm going to put the chest to the test, I did the same putting it to the test during yesterday's weight session.
My workout was a tempo swim and I did it the best I've ever done one, effort wise. My speed is still slow although I'm sure it will come back, I saw signs. My best was 49 sec per 50 meters, 20 sec per 25 meters. Still far off where I was, but more importantly I enjoyed the swim again. I focused on the sets and tried to forget about the overall time. When I do that time goes by fast and when I caught myself looking at my watch or the clock on the wall at near the end of the swim it went by slower.
After the swim I went in the hot tub and then into the Sauna. I met a guy in the sauna who asked me if I knew Matt Tatham? I said no. He then told me that he was a triathlete, was one of his employees, a great guy and died after finishing the 2009 Wasaga Beach Sprint triathlon after he crossed the finish line, he was only 51 years old. He told me that he was the type of guy always training, if they went on a business trip he would always workout after or before the day started, he didn't smoke and drank very little.
I told him that guys dying after they cross the finish line is not that uncommon. Unfortunately. It's also weird how he lived such a straight lifestyle and still died young. I guess there is no guarantees in the world. Kind of made me feel good that at least I enjoy myself a little or even too much with the beers and cigars.
When I got home I was on the phone with Abbey and getting a little frustrated. Poochie is doing well and I'm finding that Abbey is doing the job but not seeing the big picture and wants to keep me on the phone as he works. I got short with him and told him I'm getting frustrated that he keeps asking me the same questions. He got the message. He's not stupid, if it continues I'm going to have to talk to his team leader, I'm not hiring him to make a friend and talk on the phone. I want quick, what do you need conversations. If I want a friend I'll call Macintosh support, those guys are great.
Looks like my brother is coming to Burlington on Monday. He's going to spend a couple days looking at the Cuts for Kids franchise. There is three locations in Ontario. I'm going to join him while he's here and go to the meetings. I'm very curious for myself. I'm getting very interested in the business model. I'm also looking at other franchises on line as well as online businesses. It's important that I find something that makes money and works with my lifestyle. I'm actually kicking myself that I hadn't been looking for other business opportunities in the past. I had my business and just focused on that, there was no reason I couldn't have looked at different industries and opportunities on a regular basis. I noticed that one other good franchise is Panago Pizza, they opened in Burlington recently and are doing very well, more of an upscale pizza with fresh ingredients. We order from there and like it. I emailed them to learn more, they have an opening in Milton and various other places.
Food wise I'm great up until the evening snacking period. Same thing today. In the pool I was solid, thinking okay I'm going to stay at 1200 or less calories a day. I was on track after dinner, even though we had pizza and by 8 pm I was craving M & M's, which I ended up getting, with a Slurpee and peanuts in the shell. Damn. I'm also so sick of focusing on food. Body wise I feel firmer, the scale is showing heavier and I feel my clothes is fitting loser and my love handles are getting smaller. I think I might not even use the scale anymore and just go by look and feel.
Today I tried Creatine. I bought some a couple of years ago and never bought it. Body builders use it to build muscle and it's supposedly great for muscle recovery for endurance athletes and there is studies that during intervals performance increases up to 16% from a placebo. The only side effect is you gain weight from water retention if you take large doses. Some gains are as high as 10 lbs, for 20 grams per day, and for endurance athletes that take 5 grams or less a day it's about 1 lbs. I took one 6 gram scoop today.
On the family front I video taped Reid on the speed back, he's pretty, pretty darn good. He's been doing nothing but watching You Tube videos of guys hitting the speed bag. He's a visual learner and he picked up on it right away. If he had to read about how to do it or try to figure it out on his own, he would have struggled. He says his shoulders are really sore and even his whole body from the running, weights and speed bag he's been doing. He's already been taking ice baths. On the running side he has shin splints. I remember getting those as a kid about his age and told him that he needs to take a week off or so and then start up again, they get better once the fibres strengthen.
Tonight he went to his high schools football game. He's is now officially in high school. Going to watch your school play football is a high school move, a right of passage. School wise he seems to be focused and really likes his English teacher, Marcia Kumagai, she's full of energy and fun. He thinks she's crazy. She's a runner and wants him to come out for the cross country team. She calls him Mr. Triathlon because he's done a triathlon. I checked out her results online, looks like she's in the 45 - 49 category and just got into running a couple years ago. I don't think Reid's too interested in trying out for the cross country team.
The night was relaxing, they all have been since I stopped drinking and smoking. I'm actually getting used to it and find my mind is sharper. I'm more motivated as well to look at opportunities and keep Poochie and Abbey on track. Waking up not hungover has also been a blessing. I can feel myself entering a new phase. I'm hoping it's the phase of good training, good eating and making money. I'm starting to see making money differently since I got out of the beat up world of printing. I think, time will tell.
Tempo Swim - 1:17:03 / 3200 meters
2964 Calories
2 comments:
Speed bag is awesome. In high school I got into boxing a lot. Got a full size bag and speed bag. When I am bored I go down stairs and still try to see if I have the skills. Amazing that hand eye coordination vanishes so fast.
Not sure if you watched any of the youtube videos, some of those dudes are freaks of nature. One I remember seeing had a guy hitting 4 speed bags all in rhythm, it was crazy.
Nice job Reid!
M, yeah he's been watching them a lot, amazing video's. His skills are all from youtube watching . No joke.
B
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