Living Life

Do You Need that Group?

Observe the video for 2 minutes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJxqi090Yfc

Spock determines that he does not share the values and discriminations of the Vulcan Council, so he chooses not to enter the Vulcan Science Academy.

Think for today's situation.  There's a group out there that you want to be a part of, but they have refused you because you do not emulate what they want you to be.  You have a few options:

1) Change who you are

2) Try to change the group into accepting you

3) Wave, and with a very resounding voice state, "See ya!"

You don't have to be a  part of that group.  Maybe you wanted to really bad, and maybe it hurts to be refused, but they have shown their true colors.  Go find another group, one that respects you for who you are and accepts your values. 

Like Spock, show gratitude that they revealed who they were.  You don't need them.  Find people who love you for you and live your life well (or is that prosper?)

The Purpose of Life?

Not sure anyone has the answer to this question, but I have found that contributing to the world provides a certain amount of contentment.  I think the type and amount of contribution that brings contentment likely varies depending on the giver.  I've also found that people remember the contributions you make. 

This probably isn't the answer for everyone, but maybe it's a good start.

Don't shy away from the hills; there's always hills.

Where are We at Now?

Lots of changes since I last wrote.  Hip surgery has taken me out of doing full triathlons, but I can still do aquabikes or relays.  I'm still in the game, so to speak :).

I revisited the Patriot Triathlon this weekend and reconnected with lots of old friends.  The following day I connected with more friends that resulted in a ride in a hot air balloon.  This made me realize that our connections with our friends are significant boons to our quality of life.  Who didn't know that, eh?

As I've mentioned, there are times I like to just go places and hang out, for no specific purpose other than to be.  One of the places I go often, I decided to engage with people there.  I'm happy being cool by myself, but sometimes the experience can really be enhanced by making those connections.  It was definitely so this weekend.

So on a couple of social networking sites, I like to write some very obscure words to some very deep meanings.  Usually I'm so obscure that only a few people that think like me understand what I mean. My old writing teachers would tell me I'm failing to communicate, and they would be right.  However, sometimes that obscurity becomes an avenue for others to share what the words mean to them, and that can have some outstanding results.  Here's an example:

I wrote the words "Dogs dig, it's what they do.  Think big."
 

This actually came from a discussion with my daughter who asked how she can get her dog to stop digging.  I gave her alot of silly answers before revealing my opinion that digging is just what dogs do; accept it because you can't change it.

I thought on those words a bit, at first because they just sounded cool.  But, I had to add the "think big" part because there's more to us than just cliche sayings.  Accepting that a dog will dig no matter what you do can be applied to the much larger universe of all things that we should learn to accept.  Using the "dog" metaphor helps to communicate that all those things we need to learn to accept, are probably pretty ok (because dogs are, right?).  Finally, "think big" by spending your time on those things that really can be changed or deserve your attention.

So a friend of mine reacts to these words in a way that expresses his love for his family and his opportunity to influence the environment that impacts his family.  It was very comforting to see his application of my obscure words to his world, and get an insight into his perspective.

What does all this rambling mean?  It means you're cool, so am I, and we're going to be ok.

Hawk's Tri-Cycle

 

I thought it was about time to dedicate some words to my favorite store in Albuquerque, Hawk's Tri-Cycle.  Hawk's is where I bought my first time trial bike from, and it's probably worth knowing a little bit about how I got to that point.

The sport of triathlon will allow you sink as much money into it as you want.  I daresay some competitors likely make payments on their bike while outright owning a beater car.  You can truly buy as much gear at exceedingly high levels of quality as your pocket book can afford. 

If you ask an experienced bike salesman the magical question of "What kind of bike should I get?" most likely the answer will be, "How much do you want to spend?"  That is a very disheartening truism.  There is always some higher level component, frame, gear, what have you, to spend your money on.  So after a time, you start to learn that bike purchasing is less about what you should have and more about how much value you can get.  How much can I get x, y, z qualities for?  How much will it cost me to drop .5 oz off my bike?  And then of course, whoever offers the best value is usually where you end up buying from.

Prior to purchasing a time trial bike, I raced on an aluminum frame road bike.  I didn't put tri bars on that frame due to being educated about the challenges of getting the right tri-bar fit on a road bike system.  That being the case, I wanted a bike built to get me a tri-style fit.  If I went with an aluminum bike, I knew I'd want a carbon frame later.  Rather than spend the money for an aluminum frame now and buy a carbon frame later, I decided to wait till I could afford the carbon frame.

While saving my pennies, I started shopping.  I looked at used bikes.  I looked at different stores.  I got on some auctions (and missed some good deals).  Belonging to a couple of different clubs, I get a few discounts at preferred stores.  I have some friends in the right places that can get me some great deals.  In the end, putting all that together, Hawk's offered the best deal on an all carbon frame, hands down.  There was no competition.

But value is only one criterion I judge a store on.  I highly value service, especially when it comes to bikes.  James Martin, the owner of Hawk's, has offered exemplary service ever since I've known him.  I've gone through a ton of fits from different people and stores and there are only two people I truly trust to do a detailed fit; James is one of those two.  James' mechanic, Randy Silva, commands a reputation of distinct respect.  That other fitter, the second one I trust, says Randy is the only person he would trust to work on his bikes.  Finally, James sales rep, Brandi, is always a pleasure to talk to and work with. 

The final criterion I look for from a store is attitude.  Obviously part of attitude is wrapped up in service, but to continue, the Hawk's team sports an attitude of friendly professionalism.  James is an unassuming, laid back, normal Joe.  These guys are always available to help or just chat with.  I admit there are times that I go to Hawk's when I don't have anything to buy, and I just want to hang out. 

So, for me and my experience, Hawk's is where it's at.  Since purchasing my bike, I've bought components, gear, and clothing from Hawk's.  My wife picked up her first pair of bike shoes there.  I really have no reason to shop anywhere else.  Hawk's website is:  http://www.hawkstricycle.com/

Open water swimming time

With temps warming up and lakes getting warm enough to swim in, I find this a good time to reflect on challenges in the water, and how to overcome them.

In a pool, you are never far from the edge.  No matter how tired you get, you can always make it to the edge, right?  At least, your brain probably thinks so.  But in a lake, you get a couple hundred yards from the shore, and if you get tired, can you make it back?  This thought, no matter how irrational when taking into account my capability, haunted me for some time.  I overcame this with drownproofing and practice.

First, let's check out drownproofing.  This is probably one of the most critical skills for everybody, most especially kids.  It's quite simple, yet if unknown, can be very elusive.  Drownproofing is nothing more than floating on the top of the water, belly down, legs dangling down.  Your face will be in the water, and when you need to take a breath, you just lift your head.  You will likely float close enough to the surface that all you need to do is lift your head or do a slight push up with your hands.  The trick is in the floating which is facilitated by keeping your body as horizontal as you can.  If you feel your legs and hips sinking a bit, push your head down a little more and you should level out.  You can stay in the water indefinitely in this manner, expending minimal energy.  This is a great skill for young kids; teach them!

When I would go out on swim trainings, I would swim out fairly far, then start drownproofing.  Doing this successively convinced me mentally that no matter how bad things got, I would always be able to float and live.  Now, I experience minimal fear in the water.

Another stressor is splashing in the face, or kicks in the face.  When you start in the race, it can be a big churner.  If you want to get out fast, you'll be in that churn.  You'll have to consider if getting out in front is worth the energy expenditure; remember, you have two more legs to go.  What's a good training for this?  If you can simulate this environment in the lake or pool, with friends, you can really work this part.  I remember being in a tri club in Oregon where they pulled lane ropes out of the pool for their practice, and working in the churn is what they trained for. 

If you don't have a team to train with or you're by yourself in the pool, what then?  For me, getting splashed or kicked in the face is just another stressor.  If I can train to experience stressors, that experience can transfer to any stressor.  So, in the pool, when doing drills, I practice going as far as I can underwater.  I used to be able to hold my breath a long time; not so much anymore.  So, I don't go far, but each time I go under and try to make distance, I experience that stress of running out of breath.  That stress is what I'm going for.  I stay under as long as I can, experience the tension, heightened heart rate, and try to ride that feeling as long as I can, attempting to stay calm and not freak out.  I sense, that this mental conditioning will help me when I'm being splashed in the face or in the churn of the race start.

What other training techniques are there for swimming in open water?

Train well; see you on the water.

What is our future life like?

I like to study people, especially older people, because I don't want to be old, when I get older.  Obviously time will take its told on all of us, but here's what I've seen.

When I worked at the University of Portland, there used to be these two older guys that would come into the gym.  I'm guessing they were around 70, and while they weren't very spry, they had some killer arms.  When they did bench presses, they were doing sets of 255.  At 70!

When I lived in Los Angeles, early 90's, I met a guy who was a navigator on B-29's in WWII.  He was at least 70, but more likely late 70's.  He was taking pilot ground school, even though with physical handicaps he would never be allowed to pilot a plane. He told me he took the classes because he enjoyed the topic and he felt that use of his brain was necessary to stave off mental deterioration.

We've all seen plenty of examples like this.  It is clear that use of the body and the mind are our best defenses against becoming feeble. Now, as to what activities, I would recommend the first quality to chase would be fun.  If you like running, then run.  If you like lifting, then lift.  If you like golf, then golf.  Similarly, for the mind, if you like classes, take them.  If you like crossword puzzles, go for it.  If you choose fun endeavors, you'll have a greater chance of continuing them over time.

Have fun living.  See you on the water.

Base Training has Finally Begun

What? you say?  You're beginning base training now?   You racing in 2014?

Ah yes, those who have been following me on Facebook have had the benefit of my bemoaning of injuries that have set my training back a bit.  At one point I thought I might be a candidate for a hip replacement and asked quite a few questions of those who have done this.  While I don't like my current condition and nearly constant pain (bearable most of the time), I fear what I'll be like after the surgery so I'll just hold off for now.  When my lifestyle prior to surgery becomes less active than what I think it would be after surgery, then I'll go under the knife.  Until then, it's off to training!

Last week I had 6 good days of tri-specific training.  That was actually pretty hard and I was wiped at the end.  This week, my plan is 4 days with some combat oriented events (heavy bag, burpees, get ups, etc) and I will see how that goes.  I am weaker than what I was, which is to be expected after taking the time off to heal. 

Temps are warming up; lake is almost ready!

Book Review: Your Best Just Got Better by Jason Womack

Wow, what a great read! I was extremely impressed with all the facets of improvement this book covers as well as the level of detailed thinking that each chapter takes you through.

When I first got this book I thought I would breeze right through it. I've known Jason for awhile and taken advantage of his teachings for years, so I really thought there wasn't much he could teach me. It took me 3 weeks to get through the first chapter because every page made me stop and think about what I was doing and how I was doing it.

Jason has always been able to deliver valid and valuable content, and this book definitely delivers. There are real action plans discussed, real concepts to review and analyze, and real exercises to help get the reader moving forward on their path to improvement.

For me, this book was not the latest step by step method of efficient use of time and prioritization. Rather, this book is conceptual in nature (with some detailed methods), getting you to think about what you want and how you're going to get it, and then helping you structure your method for improvement. If you're like me, with little imagination, you might want to use this as a companion book to something that is a little more step by step oriented. In a venue different from this book, Jason and others taught me a very nice step by step method of organization which worked extremely well. Now, having a method in place, I'm well suited to apply the concepts from Jason's book to improve my method. On the other side, if you are an imaginative person and good at original thought, this book will definitely give you some concepts to think about, utilize, and implement.

There are very few books I would buy and give to a friend, but this is definitely one of them.

 

You can find this book at:  http://www.amazon.com/Your-Best-Just-Got-Better/dp/1118121988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363138814&sr=8-1&keywords=your+best+just+got+better

Seek to Thank Someone; It's Good Medicine

The title doesn't suggest anything that we haven't experienced or already know.  For my part, not knowing good ways to live isn't necessarily an issue, but perhaps remembering to give that knowledge attention is.

Many times, we get up, we have an agenda, we go.  We get through our day working our to do lists, action plans, priorities, etc.  At the end of the day we look back and can often be happy with our progress.  However, in the speed of getting things done, it's easy to overlook opportunities to make someone else's day better.

As we all know, the simple thank you, spoken, written, etc, can mean a world of difference to someone.  Communicating to another human that they are valued, that you appreciate what they did for you, may be one of the greatest gifts we can impart.  Some may take that gift and use it to springboard themselves into a new level of success.

Now then, the trick becomes, how do we remember to give this type of endeavor a priority while we are knocking out our to do lists?