Year end wrap up 2010

Other than a lunch time workout tomorrow I guess my training is done for 2010.

I'll be shut down tonight due to family obligations and that will roll into tomorrow a.m. I'll be fortunate enough to get in a gym workout Friday at lunch.
 I was just informed that we will be the host house of a New Years eve party. I'll call it a get together because I'm not really the "partier" type. But it looks like there will be a few of my wife's friends and husbands coming by to play cards, food and drinks. I'll have to bust out the Wii I think and have a bowling,tennis,golf triathlon.
So that's o.k.,  It wasn't really what I had envisioned but sometimes I just take it how it's served up.
 Happy wife =  happy life. And God knows she puts up with enough of my wacky schedules and last minute surprises.
I thought I would break down a little of 2010 and how it has gone as far as fitness goes.
 
On January 3rd 2010 I had a revelation that I was tired of well, being tired. To me 44 was way to young to have gotten as comfortable as I had gotten. Fat is way better and more realistic word.
I had ballooned up to a swollen 240 pounds and that was before my first drink of water in the morning. My size 38 waist pants were uncomfortable and I even bought a couple of 40's.
At  just over 5'-9" I was a bit concerned. It was not only that I felt and looked like a basketball, but that I was still trying to be somewhat active.
I would still surf and skateboard, just not as long or as aggressive as I had in past years. Pawning it all off on age.
 We are very good at this, ( I wont speak for you), I was very good at this.Telling myself or trying to convince myself," well you know I'm 44 now, I should be slowing down" . And I would justify it by looking at peers and there appearance and what they did, (or didn't and don't do).

So it was a quest and January 4th I started a little adventure.
 I hit the gym that next day. My plan was to get there no less than 3 days a week. Slowly getting in some weights and then always finishing with a decent elliptical. I dropped about 13 pounds in 3 months and felt pretty good.
So as the gym goes and that routine, boredom set in. I needed something else.
So I started making my way in to the empty heavy bag room upstairs and put together a pretty brutal 50 minute non stop circuit. That started with jumping rope, kettle bells and dumb bell lunges and ended with strikes and kicks on a hanging bag. I lost another 12 pounds in 8 weeks. Not a blistering weight loss pace but I felt good. I was eating right again and in all honesty I probably gained 3-5 pounds in muscle. Muscle memory is a crazy thing.
Then July hit and my beloved Versus was hosting Le Tour de France. The one common that I had never gotten far away from (at least following) was cycling. I have even over the years continued to follow track and field,swimming and televised triathlon events.
I was so into the Tour though this year. Remembering the suffering and rewards that come with it. I pictured myself riding long flat treks and climbing switchbacks and then it dawned on me, hey you can still do this, your capable, fat yes but capable.
Within 2 weeks I had convinced my wife of letting me buy a bike. Not such an easy feet, considering I'm a bit compulsive, excessive about sports.
I went to the trusty Craigslist and started hunting, but for what ? I don't know. Just get one.

Now why I bought a full on Tri bike ? I have no idea. It just looked so damn cool. And to be honest I had been away from Cycling and or multi sport for so long that I didn't really think it out.
That being said, it has probably been the best mistake I made all year. If not for that bike I doubt I would have gotten the Tri bug again.
Putting me in that aero position was all it took to remember.
And so it went. Bike turned into a run, and a run turned into a swim.

I remember my first run on the road, it's one of the same runs I do once a week to this day. It's a 3.4 mile loop that I now use for a tempo run.
But on 8-13-2010 that 3.4 miles was an all out war in my mind. I remember telling myself do not stop,just keep going forward. I think that run took me between 44-46 minutes and I was exhausted when I got back home. I also remember how accomplished I felt and how proud I was that I ran it out. I will probably do this run as long as I live in this area and smile every time.

I also remember getting in that pool the first day. I swam 50 meters and thought I was going to pop. I couldn't breath, I was sinking etc.. I was thinking to myself ,really that's all you got ? You grew up in the water and you can't swim 50 yards ?

Now don't get me wrong, I don't want any of this taken out of context of where it should be heading.

I am NOT a great cyclist. I'm NOT a great swimmer. And I'm definitely NOT  a great runner.

But what I am, is a GRATEFUL man.
 Grateful for reinventing myself.
 Grateful for finding your blogs, (ALL OF THEM ) !
 Grateful my wife, (who kind of ) gets it, almost always.
And most of all grateful it's just the beginning of what's still ahead.

So here I stand completey in awe of really everyone on here. Everyone comes from somewhere and everyone starts from something. But even with all the different disciplines separated or in unison, it's pretty amazing the life we get to choose to live.

Year end wrap up-

Jan 1st 2010
weight 240 pounds 40 inch waist. Couch potato growing.

December 30th
weight 203 pounds 36 inch waist. DRIVEN triathlete.

Miles in  21 weeks of  " LETS DO THIS AGAIN"

SWIM =  19.1 MILES
BIKE = 880 MILES
RUN = 110.1 MILES

Total = 1009.2

My true goal for 2011 will be to triple these distances. I hope your all there with me and for me.

Happy New Year. And thank you so much for your inspiration.

Craig (TRI714)