Just Do It
So, I know it's been forever again. I apologize. My family continues to remind me to post something, but alas, I have not listened to their requests until now. I've decided to just write a little blurb whenever I feel like writing this summer. After a season of spectacular stories and legendary pictures, nothing seems post worthy. And I tend to wait too long, then there's so much to write about that I get overwhelmed and just don't write anything. No longer. You can expect little paragraph posts for the next few months, so check back however sporadically you choose. It shouldn't take you long to catch up.
So here are the few things I have to say this week:
1. I have decided to attend the Minneapolis combine in a month. It will be nice just to see where I am in my training, and I have to admit, I'm pretty excited. I'm feeling much stronger and faster than I did at this time last summer. I figure that if I pass (fingers crossed) it will be a huge weight off my chest, and I can focus more on bobsled specific training, rather than just training for the combine. If I don't, then I'll know exactly what to focus my training on for the rest of the summer. A huge bonus of heading to Minneapolis is that I get to visit Ms. Christa Bowman and her family. Christa was on the rowing team with me for 4 years, and I really miss that girl! Can't wait to see you again my friend!
2. I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Coach Dionne. I needed to hear what he had to say this week. He was my America's Cup coach all season and my coach in driving school as well. He was our surrogate family during the season. (I'm pretty sure we were his too.) He drove us to practice everyday in a 15 passenger van, taught us new stuff all the time (since we started out knowing nothing about bobsled), hung out with us in the caf and at the track, and even took a trip down the mountain with Colin.
Well, he is running the combine in Minneapolis. I'm excited to at least have one familiar face around while I'm there. I emailed to let him know I'm coming and our correspondence went something like this:
Me: Looks like I'll be seeing you in a few weeks at the Minneapolis combine. Hope you're having a great summer at home with your family. Training and life are going well in Texas. Excited to get back on the ice though!
Coach: That's awesome! Looking forward to seeing you there. Are you working at all?
Me: I'm working full time at my engineering firm. Basically, I have no life. Just working, training & living for the weekends.
Coach: No ...you are living the dream!!
So true. Thanks for reminding me! I really needed to hear it this week. Those 3 hours sessions at the gym after a long day in the office are not always enjoyable, but they serve a purpose. I know what my goals are, and I know putting the work in now will get me there.
3. In reference to that last paragraph, I don't want you to think I hate working out. That's just not true. In fact, I love it most days. I know a majority of people, several of my close friends and family included, think that's crazy talk and will never feel that way. I've thought about how hard I work to push a sled for 6 seconds, but not very often. I just keep working hard to make myself better. Most people can't fathom the amount of work that goes into those few minutes they see in the Olympics. That's the culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears. Most people work out as a necessity to stay healthy or lose weight. I don't think they ever really enjoy it. It's necessary, so they do it. But they don't have a passion for it.
I, on the other hand, enjoy being in a gym. I'm not talking a YMCA meat market kind of gym, although I will settle for that if I have to. I'm talking a basketball court or a weight room or any place other athletes and trainers who love playing sports hang out. I remember having a rough day of training during driving school this season, so I headed to the gym at the OTC. I had the whole place to myself and found a volleyball. For hours I worked on serving and basic skills, doing drills I've learned over the years. Now, most people wouldn't find that much physical activity therapeutic, especially after a long day at the track, but it did the trick. The gym is home for us athletes. It's a place of solace. Life can be crazy, but when you're at the gym, everything makes sense. There are no high stress decisions to make or overly emotional situations to deal with. I know what I'm there to do, and I do it. Simple as that.
4. I ran 17mph for 8 seconds unassisted this week. WAHOO!!!! That's a new personal best, and I am so proud. I definitely threw my hands up and cheered when I hopped off the treadmill. (Well, it was sort of a strangled holler really. I was trying to convey my excitement while gasping for air. I'm pretty sure the message came across though.)
I love treadmill workouts that end with flat runs. I know I'm almost done, as I typically run four flats, at the most. It feels almost like you're running downhill after sprinting up an incline for most of the workout. So when Caitlin started lowering the incline, I started grinning. Usually I run 6-8 seconds at 14mph for the first flat and speed up 1 mph each run after that with the time interval getting smaller. Last week I ran 17 mph for 6 seconds, but it was pretty sketchy. I was reaching for the handles at the end. So, this week I ran 15 mph for 6 seconds. No problem. 16 mph for 6 seconds. Cake. Then Caitlin announced 17 mph for 10 seconds. I burst out, "WHAT?!?! That can't be right. How about 16 mph? I could do that." John happened to be talking to a mom about her kid and heard my outburst. He assured us he meant exactly what he'd written on the sheet. "Run as long as you can, then hold on for the rest of the time." I believe my response was something like, "I'm sure glad you have faith in my John, cause I'm not feeling that much faith in myself right now." The mom got a good chuckle out of that one. So I sucked it up and started running. And I almost made it. Only 2 seconds short. Thank goodness I surround myself with smart people who see my potential and push me to do more than I believe I'm capable of.
Here's a video from a few weeks ago. 16 mph for 6 seconds. And yes, the treadmill is moving at 16 mph when I hop on. And no, I have never flown off the back. Caitlin is there to spot me. Should I require assistance, she would place her hand on my back to keep me from moving back any farther. My legs can keep up most of the time, and I typically need help when there's a really steep incline. The kids behind me in harnesses are working out on the skating treadmill. They wear their hockey skates, and the treadmill is made of slick plastic that's similar to ice. They wear the harnesses because it's harder to spot them since the treadmill is so much wider for their push-off technique. I think that covers all the questions and clarifications I've answered about this video so far.
Well, that's all I've got for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your week!
So here are the few things I have to say this week:
1. I have decided to attend the Minneapolis combine in a month. It will be nice just to see where I am in my training, and I have to admit, I'm pretty excited. I'm feeling much stronger and faster than I did at this time last summer. I figure that if I pass (fingers crossed) it will be a huge weight off my chest, and I can focus more on bobsled specific training, rather than just training for the combine. If I don't, then I'll know exactly what to focus my training on for the rest of the summer. A huge bonus of heading to Minneapolis is that I get to visit Ms. Christa Bowman and her family. Christa was on the rowing team with me for 4 years, and I really miss that girl! Can't wait to see you again my friend!
 |
| Backpack. Sunglasses. Yelling at the line. Typical Coach Dionne. |
Well, he is running the combine in Minneapolis. I'm excited to at least have one familiar face around while I'm there. I emailed to let him know I'm coming and our correspondence went something like this:
Me: Looks like I'll be seeing you in a few weeks at the Minneapolis combine. Hope you're having a great summer at home with your family. Training and life are going well in Texas. Excited to get back on the ice though!
Coach: That's awesome! Looking forward to seeing you there. Are you working at all?
Me: I'm working full time at my engineering firm. Basically, I have no life. Just working, training & living for the weekends.
Coach: No ...you are living the dream!!
So true. Thanks for reminding me! I really needed to hear it this week. Those 3 hours sessions at the gym after a long day in the office are not always enjoyable, but they serve a purpose. I know what my goals are, and I know putting the work in now will get me there.
Nothing of value can ever be achieved if nothing of value is invested.
-Rabbi Daniel Lapin
3. In reference to that last paragraph, I don't want you to think I hate working out. That's just not true. In fact, I love it most days. I know a majority of people, several of my close friends and family included, think that's crazy talk and will never feel that way. I've thought about how hard I work to push a sled for 6 seconds, but not very often. I just keep working hard to make myself better. Most people can't fathom the amount of work that goes into those few minutes they see in the Olympics. That's the culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears. Most people work out as a necessity to stay healthy or lose weight. I don't think they ever really enjoy it. It's necessary, so they do it. But they don't have a passion for it.
I, on the other hand, enjoy being in a gym. I'm not talking a YMCA meat market kind of gym, although I will settle for that if I have to. I'm talking a basketball court or a weight room or any place other athletes and trainers who love playing sports hang out. I remember having a rough day of training during driving school this season, so I headed to the gym at the OTC. I had the whole place to myself and found a volleyball. For hours I worked on serving and basic skills, doing drills I've learned over the years. Now, most people wouldn't find that much physical activity therapeutic, especially after a long day at the track, but it did the trick. The gym is home for us athletes. It's a place of solace. Life can be crazy, but when you're at the gym, everything makes sense. There are no high stress decisions to make or overly emotional situations to deal with. I know what I'm there to do, and I do it. Simple as that.
4. I ran 17mph for 8 seconds unassisted this week. WAHOO!!!! That's a new personal best, and I am so proud. I definitely threw my hands up and cheered when I hopped off the treadmill. (Well, it was sort of a strangled holler really. I was trying to convey my excitement while gasping for air. I'm pretty sure the message came across though.)
I love treadmill workouts that end with flat runs. I know I'm almost done, as I typically run four flats, at the most. It feels almost like you're running downhill after sprinting up an incline for most of the workout. So when Caitlin started lowering the incline, I started grinning. Usually I run 6-8 seconds at 14mph for the first flat and speed up 1 mph each run after that with the time interval getting smaller. Last week I ran 17 mph for 6 seconds, but it was pretty sketchy. I was reaching for the handles at the end. So, this week I ran 15 mph for 6 seconds. No problem. 16 mph for 6 seconds. Cake. Then Caitlin announced 17 mph for 10 seconds. I burst out, "WHAT?!?! That can't be right. How about 16 mph? I could do that." John happened to be talking to a mom about her kid and heard my outburst. He assured us he meant exactly what he'd written on the sheet. "Run as long as you can, then hold on for the rest of the time." I believe my response was something like, "I'm sure glad you have faith in my John, cause I'm not feeling that much faith in myself right now." The mom got a good chuckle out of that one. So I sucked it up and started running. And I almost made it. Only 2 seconds short. Thank goodness I surround myself with smart people who see my potential and push me to do more than I believe I'm capable of.
Here's a video from a few weeks ago. 16 mph for 6 seconds. And yes, the treadmill is moving at 16 mph when I hop on. And no, I have never flown off the back. Caitlin is there to spot me. Should I require assistance, she would place her hand on my back to keep me from moving back any farther. My legs can keep up most of the time, and I typically need help when there's a really steep incline. The kids behind me in harnesses are working out on the skating treadmill. They wear their hockey skates, and the treadmill is made of slick plastic that's similar to ice. They wear the harnesses because it's harder to spot them since the treadmill is so much wider for their push-off technique. I think that covers all the questions and clarifications I've answered about this video so far.
Well, that's all I've got for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your week!