Monday, February 14, 2011

"Unfortunately I don't know the meaning of the word moderation."

The last few weeks have shown me how when I get an idea about something in my head, it usually can take me awhile to understand all of the implications of it.  I usually get there but it can take me awhile.  I am mostly referring to the idea I had about gettting certified in personal training.  Great Idea in theory however more than likely is not going to happen for awhile.  The investment in the testing and time it would take to study is too demanding at this point in time.  Even then who says after all of that work I will really be able to earn any really money doing it anyway.  It sounds like it is very hard to market a small personal training business, and big health fitness companies don't typically pay well overall.

Last weeks totals ended lower than I expected but are still up from the previous week:
Swim
5750 m
Bike
31 mi
Run
20 mi
Ski
8k

The Bike mileage was pathetic but the run and swims were good. 
Here is the YTD
13050 m
162.02 mi
56.55 mi

Not bad for only really training for about three weeks.  Before you know it I will be hitting those numbers on a weekly basis.  Won’t that be something. J
I am throwing around one of those ideas I have for another blog.  One not as Narcissistic as this one.  I was thinking about a Endurance Sports News Blog.  Triathlon, Running, Cycling, Skiing, etc etc, with the twist of a normal Triathlon blog, full of training tips and gear reviews and such.  We will see what I come up with.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Peak Performance, Maximum Results on your terms.

I got to thinking a lot this week about how it seems to me there are very few reasonably priced personal trainers around.  When you go to fitness clubs they want to charge 40-60 dollars a session, and some of the corporate training companies, around Minneapolis anyway, charge 150 a month to plan your workouts and send them to you through the internet.  I could easily do that for people at a lower price the problem is just finding the market for it.  I feel like the people I would likely attract to my business would be athletes more on the beginner side, or average Joes looking to loose weight, get in shape, or run a 5k.  That being said, those types of individuals may not necessarily be interested in a electronic relationship.  Instead they may need more person to person interaction.  Idk, I'm just trying to decide what sort of market I would want to focus my business to and how I would go about providing them with a great, affordable service. "Peak Performance, Maximum Results on your terms."
Comment if you have any ideas about who to target or how to go about the training plans.

So far this weeks training has been going awesome.  Over the past few months I have been gradually lifting my volume, and today was the first day I did a long level 1 run since maybe the fall.  I could tell I have lost a lot of the aerobic base and efficiency I had at the end of last years race season.  Last summer I would have averaged 130 Bpm on a level one run.  Today I was hovering around 150 Bpm and would bounce into level 2 sometimes.  By next week that should be turned around pretty quick.

Tomorrows workout is going to be a really, really, really long trainer ride to try to improve my aerobic capacity more and regain some of my efficiency.  We shall see how long I can last.

I post my week totals on Sunday, thanks for reading. :)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The main cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment.


This week I have finalized my race schedule for the summer, settled into a exercise and work routine, and have set up the structure for success.  I changed up my race schedule from what I initally thought i would do.  Instead of a July full of Tri's I actually shifted my focus to a 4th of July Half Marathon and a Half Ironman Triathlon on the 24th.  I think this will help me keep my volume high early in the race season, since it is so easy to get caught up in intensity training once race season hits. This will no doubt help me when Twin Cities Marathon roles around in October.  

I was not planning on doing a Half-Iron distance this year but Chisago fit my schedule so well that I decided to do it as good way to judge my fitness.  I hope it goes better than the only other Half I have done.  From what I have read about the course, it sound like a pretty flat bike and run course.  Nothing too strenuous on the legs which will be important to keep myself from overdoing it.

I found this quote on a friends blog and it got me thinking about all of the unhappiness/boarder line depression I have experienced over the past couple years.:

"The main cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment."

After reading this, It is obvious to me that the last year or two I have lived in the moment.  Yes it was fun for a bit, and yes I thought it was what someone my age is supposed to do, but I can now see that all of the unhappiness I have experienced over the past years usually involves some irrational spur of the moment decisions. Decisions which at the time seemed inconsequential but have proven to really make a difference in my life.  It is easy to look back on life and know what has been going wrong, but much more difficult to change it.  My desires to become the best triathlete and athlete I can be is not worth trading in for a night out on the town with some people.  I say people because even though most of them may be friends they are just a face when it comes down to explaining the meaning of a race.  Only those who race, know what racing is.  It doesn't need to be explained to them.  I think I got sick of trying to explain myself.  Rather than explain, I would just go out and try to have fun, to make an awkward moment feel better. I now know better, and will live by it from now on. 

Enough Blah Blah for now.  I hope at least someone reads/enjoys this.