As I write this, the temperature is 72 degrees outside and it's perfectly clear.
Nine hours ago, at 7:00 a.m., as I waited for the sun to rise, it was just as well that I didn't look to see the temp, which was about 38 degrees. At least it wasn't windy when I set out for the first long outside ride for the day. (Except on my face and my cold toes!)
Today, I covered between 75 and 80 mi in about 4:15. Didn't have enough nutrition because I ran out of powder, but at least I had a chance for a big breakfast. Well, by the time that last hour came around, it was pretty clear there was no marathon left in the legs if I had gone the full 112. Actually, I don't think there was a marathon in the legs after 75. Kept up the base and kept down the HR, but...
"Ran" about 3 mi afterwards. Boy did that feel weirder than usual. I couldn't believe it when I looked at the Garmin data afterwards and saw it was under 8 min/mi pace. Sure felt weirder than that.
So, it's a good day because I was out there almost 5 hours, and I feel ok. It's an educational day because I know there's a lot left to do. And it's a good day, because there's still almost 6 months left.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Nose to the ground
The weather was really nice yesterday here, for the first time in ages. I went out for a real, live outdoor ride on my Cervelo.
So, the title of the post is what I meant - felt like my nose was on the ground! Anyone else feel this?
I think it's just a combination of having lowered the front end 5 mm toward the end of the season last year, and all those hours of indoor riding, where you're up higher on the trainer. But whatever it was, it sure seemed like I was a little short shrimp out there!
(But, not so bad...over 20 mph average over 90 min, mostly in Zone 2, despite 20-25 mph wind!)
So, the title of the post is what I meant - felt like my nose was on the ground! Anyone else feel this?
I think it's just a combination of having lowered the front end 5 mm toward the end of the season last year, and all those hours of indoor riding, where you're up higher on the trainer. But whatever it was, it sure seemed like I was a little short shrimp out there!
(But, not so bad...over 20 mph average over 90 min, mostly in Zone 2, despite 20-25 mph wind!)
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Long Aerobic Swim
The long aerobic swim is a bit dull. But I'm working on the assumption that it's a necessary evil. A long run, a long ride, and a long swim. Everything I read, that's pretty much Base Training for the Fe-man.
Last Saturday was another mini-Big Day: 1/2 hour swim, 3 hour indoor ride, 1 hour run with reverse split. (Under 8:00 pace! woo hoo!) That felt great. But Sunday, I was pretty wiped out. It was a scheduled easy day - just weights - but didn't know how today would go.
Long aerobic swim at lunchtime today: 90 minutes with only a total of about 30 sec break for a couple sips of water. Well, it went pretty good. Started out at 1:44 per 100 yd pace, and finished up at 1:48 per 100 yd pace. Started out at 10 right arm strokes per 25 yards, finised at 11. This was my second swim of 5000+ yds, and it was better.
As the weather warms up, hope to work in a couple days of bikes after that: the swim/bike brick. We'll see.
Last Saturday was another mini-Big Day: 1/2 hour swim, 3 hour indoor ride, 1 hour run with reverse split. (Under 8:00 pace! woo hoo!) That felt great. But Sunday, I was pretty wiped out. It was a scheduled easy day - just weights - but didn't know how today would go.
Long aerobic swim at lunchtime today: 90 minutes with only a total of about 30 sec break for a couple sips of water. Well, it went pretty good. Started out at 1:44 per 100 yd pace, and finished up at 1:48 per 100 yd pace. Started out at 10 right arm strokes per 25 yards, finised at 11. This was my second swim of 5000+ yds, and it was better.
As the weather warms up, hope to work in a couple days of bikes after that: the swim/bike brick. We'll see.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Gay marriage and Free Speech
I just heard a story on NPR regarding the backlash that donors to Prop 8 received in California. (Prop 8 passed; it overturned the legal right to marry.)
The opponents of Prop 8 ran a campaign that was widely acknowledged was poor, and were shocked when it passed, despite CA being a strong Democratic/Obama state. A well-funded and organized opposition ran a moderately disingenuous campaign, but apart from my strong feelings on the issue, it wasn't much worse than many political campaigns in terms of its scare tactics and half-truths. It was funded in large part by people with direct religious affiliation, including Catholic and Mormon groups. In the end Prop 8 won, fair and square. (There are current court cases about the merits of Prop 8, which is common in CA politics, but no one can dispute that the election itself was fairly won.)
But that's not where it ends.
To make a long story short, it's public record when you make certain kinds of political donations, and many opponents of Prop 8 got riled up AFTER they lost. They started publicly pointing out who had given money in favor of discrimination (i.e., Prop 8), including some tactics like boycotting business.
Not surprisingly, many of the people who were "victims" of this tactic felt picked on or intimidated. Some complained that their freedom of religion was being violated.
Nonsense.
The Supreme Court long ago settled the point that political donations are "speech". And, frankly, conservatives have benefited from this decision because it tends to make regulation of political donations of marginal legality. But the point is this: Free Speech (donating money to a political cause) is surely allowed and an important political freedom. Anonymity is not promised. In fact, it is, in this case, forbidden.
There is a reasonable question whether the opponents of Prop 8 went over the line in civility in their response to Free Speech with more Free Speech. But there is no question that this is - in general - the way that we are supposed to deal with what we feel is "objectionable speech": by adding MORE speech.
For better or worse, there are reasons that many celebrities and businesses don't get involved in political causes: they don't want to take the heat after the fact when they say/do something controversial. The opponents of Prop 8 took this up a notch on people that weren't prepared to take that heat.
I don't want to defend every last action taken by Prop 8 opponents. I am willing to believe that some may have crossed the line. But the simple fact is this: if you give money to groups that can reasonably be characterized as supporting discrimination, you should be willing to stand up for that position when called on it. To do so will make your position stronger. To run away from it and complain when your identity is pointed out makes it seem that you are ashamed of what you have done.
The opponents of Prop 8 ran a campaign that was widely acknowledged was poor, and were shocked when it passed, despite CA being a strong Democratic/Obama state. A well-funded and organized opposition ran a moderately disingenuous campaign, but apart from my strong feelings on the issue, it wasn't much worse than many political campaigns in terms of its scare tactics and half-truths. It was funded in large part by people with direct religious affiliation, including Catholic and Mormon groups. In the end Prop 8 won, fair and square. (There are current court cases about the merits of Prop 8, which is common in CA politics, but no one can dispute that the election itself was fairly won.)
But that's not where it ends.
To make a long story short, it's public record when you make certain kinds of political donations, and many opponents of Prop 8 got riled up AFTER they lost. They started publicly pointing out who had given money in favor of discrimination (i.e., Prop 8), including some tactics like boycotting business.
Not surprisingly, many of the people who were "victims" of this tactic felt picked on or intimidated. Some complained that their freedom of religion was being violated.
Nonsense.
The Supreme Court long ago settled the point that political donations are "speech". And, frankly, conservatives have benefited from this decision because it tends to make regulation of political donations of marginal legality. But the point is this: Free Speech (donating money to a political cause) is surely allowed and an important political freedom. Anonymity is not promised. In fact, it is, in this case, forbidden.
There is a reasonable question whether the opponents of Prop 8 went over the line in civility in their response to Free Speech with more Free Speech. But there is no question that this is - in general - the way that we are supposed to deal with what we feel is "objectionable speech": by adding MORE speech.
For better or worse, there are reasons that many celebrities and businesses don't get involved in political causes: they don't want to take the heat after the fact when they say/do something controversial. The opponents of Prop 8 took this up a notch on people that weren't prepared to take that heat.
I don't want to defend every last action taken by Prop 8 opponents. I am willing to believe that some may have crossed the line. But the simple fact is this: if you give money to groups that can reasonably be characterized as supporting discrimination, you should be willing to stand up for that position when called on it. To do so will make your position stronger. To run away from it and complain when your identity is pointed out makes it seem that you are ashamed of what you have done.
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