Patience, consistency, frequency

...are not the answer to the question, "what are the three things I don't have?", so thanks very much. They are however the trifecta required to lay the foundation in this off-season for next season's results (whatever the plan may be). There's a good discussion of the topic here. The bottom line: time and mileage are the critical ingredients, are not negotiable and cannot be substituted. To be fair, I have demonstrated both consistency and frequency. For the last nineteen years (until last month) I got my hair cut monthly by the same guy in the same shop until he up and disappeared last month. Now that's consistent. And actually since I just waited seventeen years for a follow-up album/disc (I guess these days it would be a disc and not so much an album) that would be a demonstration of patience as well.


In following the "no blank days" decree of the last post inspired by Olympian Cliff, I must admit I am net one day down. I do resolve, however to make it up this week. Getting back to the pool and I've also hooked up with a run group that gets me out the door regularly on the weekend mornings. These guys for the most part are dedicated runners listing among their accomplished marathons NYC, Scranton (hey any location is a distance) Rome, Budapest, Marine Corps, Toronto - downtown and Waterfront and multiple Bostons. There are probably many more than that. One might be my future Comrades comrade. If possible at least one of these guys complains more than me.





Finally in response to a "comment" from an infrequent reader, but frequent commenter here's another shot of Team Ironhead, full entourage intact:

Peace.

Off-season?!?

Hmmph to that, I say. My off-season has been on since about June, well over the suggested two week off-season. Today was day eleven of activity. Haven't gotten to the point yet where my "run legs" are back, but we're getting into the area where they (the legs) are starting to think this might be serious, and that they're going to have to step it up a notch.

I went out for a solid run this morning - an hour, over some nice little rolling hills on the North Shore. For those familiar with Around the Bay this stretch makes up kms 20 to ~26 on the course, just before the Grim Reaper where you've nearly lost your will to live. We didn't run the whole hilly section - just an out-and-back for 12km. I also joined up with a crew that I was introduced to by an acquaintance I made in the spring this year, when we were both underemployed.

This is new for me. I've been a 90% solo trainer for my whole career (with the exception of a few rides and last year's memorable Alton Half and follow-up Oakville Half) in this sport which comes with its pluses and minuses. Pluses - no discussion of what route to take today, in any sport. No argument over what to play on the iPod. No negotiation (or at least less negotiation) of start times. Minuses - much easier to hit the snooze button and put it off to later. Heck, somedays it's easier to blow it off altogether.

Not today. I was out the door this morning in plenty of time to make the five-minute start rule. The group is fairly diverse, with the one constant that they're all pretty serious runners. At least one has just qualified for the fifth consecutive year for Boston. Another is hoping to make it ths spring via the Ottawa Marathon. Still another just returned from a 30km road race in Budapest. This is definitely "stepping it up".

In other news, the next new job starts tomorrow. I'll be moving on to another company in the consumer goods industry with the responsibility of managing production in two facilities. This should be good. It's also a lot closer to home cutting a good hour and a half out of the daily commute.

On with the off-season.

Peace.

Here we are...so where are we?

So, what's new? Been quiet for a while. First the good news. Preliminarily, my mother's test results have come back positive. There are no other negative signs or indicators at this time. Does that mean she's cured? I don't think anyone says that at this stage of the game - it's way too early to be using that word. I guess testing and monitoring continues for some time before that "c" word - the good one - comes up in conversation.

The rest of the news really kind of pales in comparison. Humbled by my near-complete lack of training at the end of last season and inspired by Cliff (yet again) I'm now up to day 7 of base-building. Something gets done every day. A couple of rides, a lot of runs and tonight may just be another dip in the pool.

I'm working on the 2009 race schedule. The Chilly Half, an annual tradition, is in for sure. After that many decisions need to be made. The training schedule will have more structure and focus this year - how could it have less? - with the not-yet-confirmed goal of another Ironman this year - location TBD. The location is what makes the race schedule still TBD. For most North American locales the options at this point are to enter through the community fund, if spots are still open (and many still are as of this publication), or to go to Muskoka in June for the long course and try to qualify for one of three - Lake Placid, Canada or Florida. Given my historic speed, or lack thereof, leaving it up to qualification comes with some risk.

And oh yeah, to top it all off I'm starting another new job this month. Just when you think things were getting predictable - new changes, story of this year.

This however is a topic for another day...



Peace.