8/2 - A Triathlete Out of Water… About to Jump Back In!

Over the past few days I have come to realize that for the first time in a very long time, I need to exercise for my health.  For the last 10 years I have always exercised in order to improve my fitness to excel at endurance sports. Improved health was a welcomed byproduct.  With my next endurance event nearly 8months away, I am left with nothing to train for but with tons of energy and desire to train.

Exercising only for the sake of my well being is a strange concept. Since my Achilles surgery I have been doing very little in the form aerobic exercise.  I have done a few strength workouts and some moderate bikes with my as protection in order to enjoy the outside and protect my mental sanity.  However it has been two months since my last real workout.  I have been eating healthy and I haven’t gained any weight.   So from the outside you may not notice that I am as out of shape as I am but be honest I am little bit fatter and can tell that I have lost some muscle in my legs. 

I did go on a couple rides last week to see if I could get back on the bike regularly.  The first ride was with my 13 year old son Brent who dropped me a few times when showing me how fast he has been riding during his time trial workouts on his own.  It was amazing; my legs were burning and I was out of breath.  Although it was a humbling experience, I was very pleased with how fit Brent looked as he tore away from me at over 25mph.  The 2^nd ride was my wife Sara. We road about 10 miles from our house to her office in North Boulder.  I dropped her off at the office and I headed back by myself.  The funny thing was that it took me longer to get back then it took to us get there.  My theory is that was hillier on the way back.

After my first couple rides I realized that my Achilles is not quite ready to handle the stress of cycling.  Although I did not feel any pain, my Achilles felt a little fatigued.  I want to build strength in the achilles and surrounding muscles but at a fairly slow rate.  It has been a few days since my trial rides and the lack of exercise is really starting to play havoc on my mind.  It has become clearly evedent that I need to For instance, I was never a back seat driver.  However, Sara bless her heart, would love to tie me up and drag me behind the car rather than let me sit in the passenger seat. 

So now that I have successfully self-psychoanalyzed my current state of disposition, now what?  I am going to hop in the pool, thats what!  After a short family swim the other evening I realized I could swim with little discomfort in my ankle and no fatigue.  This means I am going to head to the Flatiron Athletic Club and jump in a Swim workout.  Looking at my schedule it seams that Dave Scott will be coaching the workout this morning.  There's always a slow lane, Right?

Date modified: 8/2/2005