Since when is the YMCA a members-only club? What happened to the community focus? I mean, it's a nice facility and all, but come on. It looked like only three or four lanes of eight to ten were actually being used.
Good news, it's not a Calgary YMCA that has taken this approach. More good news, I found another place to swim not far away (I'd done my research on the internet). Bad news, only two lanes open, and for only another half an hour, by the time I got there!! Okay, can't complain too much, not like the lanes were full or anything.
But I thought that general lane etiquette was stay to the right, except to pass? I felt really bad, because I joined a lane with one person who I thought was going about my pace... but he wasn't. I ended up passing him, then I guess he took that as me taking half the land and he'd take the other, so then he'd stay just to that half a lane. Thankfully, no actual collisions, but there was at least one very close call.
Help me out here, what is the etiquette? Maybe I shouldn't have passed him at all?
30 minutes ~1400 m (I wasn't counting) @ average 100 seconds/100m
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Ohio Adventure
Time: 1hr 6 minutes
Distance: Somewhere north of 10k
Route: Random
A few thoughts:
Again, despite the neglect of the blog, I've been doing pretty well with the training. UCTC is awesome, very challenging-- both the workouts and getting to the workouts.
Haven't weighed myself recently, but I feel much fitter than a few months ago, and can go for longer already. Changed athsma meds, too, and refocused on taking them regularly, which has been a huge help.
I've got more to write about the plans for racing season, but I'll save that for another post.
Distance: Somewhere north of 10k
Route: Random
A few thoughts:
- Streetlights aren't that popular here. Porch lights, moreso; but they create just enough "light polution" to prevent one's eyes from adjusting to the dark. Step high!
- I love Calgary's snow-shoveling bylaw. People complain about it, but you sure appreciate it when you go somewhere that doesn't require residents to shovel their sidewalks. And maybe it's the hour that I'm running, but I don't see nearly as many people out on the streets here as I do back home. (This one's from my last trip down. Sidewalks were pretty clear this time, thanks to Mother Nature)
- I love getting lost. Not too lost, mind you. I like to think I have a pretty good sense of direction, and I love exploring neighborhoods. I love to study a map of a place, to get a feel for the landmarks, but once I get out onto the streets, I just weave my way around. Out-and-back if I'm feeling a little less confident, but generally try to make a random loop that will push me a little beyond my comfort zone. It tends to force me to go a little longer, and a little faster once I realize I'm on the home stretch.
- I need a headlamp. Badly.
- I miss my iPod, but not too much. It's missing right now-- I think I might know one or two more places to look but I'm a little worried.
Again, despite the neglect of the blog, I've been doing pretty well with the training. UCTC is awesome, very challenging-- both the workouts and getting to the workouts.
Haven't weighed myself recently, but I feel much fitter than a few months ago, and can go for longer already. Changed athsma meds, too, and refocused on taking them regularly, which has been a huge help.
I've got more to write about the plans for racing season, but I'll save that for another post.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Back in the Heyday
A lot has happened in the couple of weeks since my last post-- which is why I haven't posted in a while. That, and I'm not supposed to use my company laptop for anything personal, even in non-work hours. (They monitor it and even block sites-- I could get around it, but don't want to risk it.)
This week, we've done a lot of training since Sunday:
--
A few weeks ago, we went for dinner with some friends, some of whom are on the ball hockey team, but none of them "do triathlon". We were talking about the team, and I was saying how much I suck, and was happy to get my first shot on goal a the end of the second game. The rest of the conversation went something like this (well, actually, this is an almost unfair retelling, but the gist of it was pretty close. And this version is more entertaining.):
"It doesn't matter how good you are, as long as you're out there running hard. At least you're in pretty good shape." (one of the guys on the team)
"Oh, I don't know... I don't think I'm in very good shape at all!"
"Oh my god, you were in SUCH great shape last summer when you did your marathon!" (one of the ladies)
"It was a triathlon."
"Well, I could never do that. It was SO amazing! We watched you, and you were really fast. You must have been in really good shape."
"I still don't think I was in fantastic shape, even then. Let me give you some perspective. In High School, I played basketball or had practice every day. Before that, at one point I was on three basketball teams. I played a lot of different sports- I was about 50-60 pounds lighter, and had way more endurance. First two years of University, I was snowboarding every day-- and walking up and down the hill. Compared to any of that, I'm not in very good shape."
"Oh."
When I say "a lot of different sports", that includes: basketball, fastball, snowboarding, hiking, skiing (cross-country and downhill), waterskiing, badminton, volleyball, soccer, climbing, football, mountain biking, and ultimate frisbee. It's much easier to do all that when you're in school, have summer vacation, or even when you're working at what is considered Not A Real Job (as in "when are you going to get a Real Job?).
And that's why I love triathlon. I can get three sports out of it, training with the same group. Now if only I can keep doing it consistently for more than 6 months...
"Whatever
This week, we've done a lot of training since Sunday:
- 2 hours in the pool on Sunday;
- 1.5 hours swimming on Tuesday;
- 1 hour bike and half hour run on Wednesday; and
- 1 hour bike then 1.5 hours swim on Thursday.
--
A few weeks ago, we went for dinner with some friends, some of whom are on the ball hockey team, but none of them "do triathlon". We were talking about the team, and I was saying how much I suck, and was happy to get my first shot on goal a the end of the second game. The rest of the conversation went something like this (well, actually, this is an almost unfair retelling, but the gist of it was pretty close. And this version is more entertaining.):
"It doesn't matter how good you are, as long as you're out there running hard. At least you're in pretty good shape." (one of the guys on the team)
"Oh, I don't know... I don't think I'm in very good shape at all!"
"Oh my god, you were in SUCH great shape last summer when you did your marathon!" (one of the ladies)
"It was a triathlon."
"Well, I could never do that. It was SO amazing! We watched you, and you were really fast. You must have been in really good shape."
"I still don't think I was in fantastic shape, even then. Let me give you some perspective. In High School, I played basketball or had practice every day. Before that, at one point I was on three basketball teams. I played a lot of different sports- I was about 50-60 pounds lighter, and had way more endurance. First two years of University, I was snowboarding every day-- and walking up and down the hill. Compared to any of that, I'm not in very good shape."
"Oh."
When I say "a lot of different sports", that includes: basketball, fastball, snowboarding, hiking, skiing (cross-country and downhill), waterskiing, badminton, volleyball, soccer, climbing, football, mountain biking, and ultimate frisbee. It's much easier to do all that when you're in school, have summer vacation, or even when you're working at what is considered Not A Real Job (as in "when are you going to get a Real Job?).
And that's why I love triathlon. I can get three sports out of it, training with the same group. Now if only I can keep doing it consistently for more than 6 months...
"Whatever
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