One Step at a Time

I read this and thought about the will of one person and the desire she had to finish not because of herself but for all the people that came to her mind. It may be an individual sport but it takes the support of all to compete even when you are alone.

Here is the link to the actual article with pictures.

One Step at a Time
By Jessica Van Orden

I arrived in Cozumel on Thursday, Nov. 28, a week after learning I would have no roommate and be racing an Ironman with zero support on site. The flight, shuttle and ferry went smoothly, so I was in good spirits. Friday arrived and I was excited to pick up my bike. It had been two weeks since I’d seen her.
This is about where my luck ended for the weekend. When I picked up my bike, the rear tubular would not hold any air. After inspection by three mechanics, it seemed the valve had separated from the tire and needed to be replaced. Knowing nothing about tubulars and not speaking Spanish, this quickly became a major problem. I spent that afternoon frustrated, looking for a solution. At 5 p.m., I found a third mechanic that was able to replace the tire for a reasonable price. But to add to my problems, I discovered my phone was not charging. Being alone in Mexico became extremely lonely and only very minor, brief communication was possible the rest of the trip.

Saturday morning came and for the second time the practice swim was canceled due to the rough waters. This added to my nervousness. I headed out on a practice ride finally and got caught in another downpour. I returned to the hotel drenched from head to toe. My bag check time was in two hours, so I wrung out my things and packed my bike and run bags. I left my bike shoes in the sun in hopes of drying them slightly before they had to sit in a plastic bag overnight. At 3 p.m., I grabbed the bus to transition, got marked and planned where to eat my early dinner.

The Thrill of the Game!

This morning I actually may have enjoyed my run, I am getting a little more comfortable in the activity. Don’t get me wrong I will never be one of those guys you see running down the road at sun up in nothing but a pair of shorts and his running shoes but I only need to make myself conform to enough running that I can withstand the final leg of these races.

I went to the baseball field last night to throw my son a little batting practice and hit a little fielding practice to him. It’s our time together and for us its fun.

I have been experiencing some serious foot issues for the last few months and I have finally put things together. I throw batting practice to twelve kids each Monday night approximately 35-40 pitches each so let’s say 480-500 pitches for batting practice in a 45 minute window of time that we have the batting cages.  To say I am sore the next morning would be an understatement but I am thinking now that I have strained my left foot and this is the pain I am experiencing the worst of. On top of all this we usually have a scrimmage game in which I pitch to the kids again so let’s say this is another 100-125 pitches all totaled I am guessing I will throw somewhere about 600 pitches each Monday night. I realize now I need to get my head checked.

My left foot is the foot I land on with each throw and the pain is sometimes crippling and other times nothing at all.  Last weekend we walked all over the Disney Parks and intermittently I was limping and other times felt nothing. Pinched nerve maybe? I am not sure yet but at least now I may have figured out what I did to cause the issue. My father was visiting last week and came to watch a practice, when we arrived at home he asked me how many kids were on the team and how many balls were in the bucket? I knew right away what he was thinking and it dawned on me that when you enjoy something your body will ignore the pain during the time you are competing long enough to feel the rush of enjoyment and then your body will collapse at the finish line. I guess this is what one of those early morning runners experience; I just want that rush at the end of each one of my Triathlons. 

Core Training, Making Improvements and Increasing Performance

You may think of the core as isolated abdominal muscles such as the familiar transverse abdominals, oblique’s, and anterior abs. In fact, your core is the ENTIRE trunk from your hips and pelvis to your neck and cervical spine. Its purpose is to be your body’s foundation for all of your sport movements. The purpose of this foundation (your core) is to STOP or control motion, not create it.

In fact, the definition of stability in athletics is to stop or control motion in the presence of motion somewhere else in the body such as in the swinging arms and legs of a runner. The true goal of core development is to create STABILITY, which is central for superior athletic performance, protection from injury, and overall good health. The pelvis and the lumbar spine, in particular, must be rock solid.

Make it Groundhog Day and Create Healthy Habits

You may have new motivation to lose weight, eat better, or improve your overall health. You can be successful, if you pay attention to your habits and are open to repeating them each day. It does not have to be boring but a clean, constant plan will help you create habits and reach your goals.

First I would suggest that you create your reachable goal. Make it reasonable, dropping 30 pounds in a month may not be reasonable, but 5 to 10 pounds might be. I like to break everything down, take each day one-by-one and after a week maybe 2-3 pounds is a strong start.

Try to be as specific as possible, for instance what is your goal, to gain muscle, build endurance or trim down. Is there a certain date or event you would like to reach your goal by? I started out wanting to increase my overall health and conditioning so I could coach my son’s baseball team in an active manner. As my fitness levels increased I began to increase my goals to cycling and Triathlons. Figure out what you want and write it down.

Something you hear a lot and should consider is writing down your goals and why you would like to achieve them. Why is it important to you, is it for you, your family, your job or maybe just a change in your lifestyle that will help you start fresh. After you have written them down post them somewhere so you can see them each day. This will keep them fresh in your mind as you make it through your day.

List each step needed to achieve your goal. For example: resistance training three days a week, cardio two days a week and stretching, yoga or outside activities another day. Always schedule a day off each week to let your body recover. Don’t forget your nutrition and plan that ahead as well.

I started using my Google Calender to schedule my time, ALL OF IT! I scheduled my workouts each day at the same time of the day so I had no excuse to miss them. Doing this makes you more likely to commit and make it a routine. I also posted a calendar in my garage where I did my workouts and placed a large X over each day completed, you will be surprised how accountable your kids will make you when you miss a big red star on the wall that they walk by each day.

Don’t forget to congratulate yourself along the way. For example, you lost 10 pounds in 30 days, reward yourself with a gift, for some people it’s a cheat meal, for others it’s a new article of clothing, for me it was a new piece of workout equipment of some Triathlon gear.