This road leads to Kona

1hrs.. and it was all... today I'm planning a hill repeats run...

remember the post about goals... thinking a lot about it...

This weekend I ran only on sunday... saturday was all about the bike and a twist of swimming. On sunday I ran for an ez 1 hr followed by a 1:45 hr bike... cool... yesterday I ran under a cold and wet weather... and got hit by a car... I was running down the streets when a car hit me on the sidewalk.. I couldn't believe.. but I was lucky - I was running slow and so was the car driver..

Well, today will be the bike and the swim (under the same cold and wet weather)...

I'm taking it all ez, just finding time to read and relax in order to figure out the best trainning strategy for the next season... I read an article by the master Mak Allen about aerobic trainning, I'm trying to follow his advice and don't allow my heart rate skip from 153 (max). Hope it will work soon cause it really bothers me to run that slow.. yesterday I'm planning a run around my neighborhood with lots of ups and downs... it will be tougher to set a pace on which I can maintain my rate fully aerobic.... let's see..

good new book about IBM (actually an old one, I'm starting right not - borrowed from the company's library - Who says elephant can't dance?

talk about it soon...

btw - a new (old) song - Black ballon by Goo goo dolls... running under the rain got easier...

Guess it's a imple choice: get busy living or get busy dying—The Shawshank Redemption (Tim Robbins)
Today I was a bit upset, sad, frustrated with someone... someone I dearly love, but even liking him so much couldn't prevent me of being tired of a sort of behaviour I just dislike (and even though I had continously warned about my dissatisfaction, is always repeated)... then I got to a website and found this quote and I just decided to step back and deal with it... just because I love him more.

This week was quite frustrating at work, projects just stuck and that made me wander what I'm doing with my all life. I believe this is a good thing to do: think around. Sometimes it may be a "bless": when you just work around the clock it's easy to loose sight of where you're actually going. But even thinking that way I couldn't help myself being worried and frustrated - and that made me anger with myself. I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to complaint over the problems, but have pleasure seeking for a solution. So today I decidedto start a new project, a review of the all channel mngt strategy.. it's not due to me, it's not my job, and probably noone will listen, but, who'da punk.. at least I'll learn, at least I'm trying... as I always says: keep moving is what actually matters..

seya!

short note: this week, trainning was about running, and running with sore legs... but I'm motivated!

another note: kept on reading lotsa Tom's stuff, nice, inspiring, challenging! and following all the "hype" around microsoft... I think they are facing one of the best times ever: all that critcism, the public scrutiny is very healthy and I'm sure they will happen to figure out how to get better - they trive under pressure and I admire them! Must confess: Wish I was there!

Sometimes the challenges related to trainning go beyond performance and time management and reach a critical point: deal with the lack of understandment from people whom don't like (or at least don't practice) any kind of sports. And often this means "family". Today I had an argue with my mother - the day started in a sad way (and for a plus I'm a bit concerned about work.. but that's another subject) - just because I was done, I just couldn't stand all the criticizing about biking and running. Sometimes I just can't understand why people relates love to presence, why they just believe that living all your life behind means caring. I know lots of people that go home early, stay the all night with their parents, kids, spouses and just don't care.. they just do it because they don't know what to do with theirselves after al ong day working. I really rather be biking than being at home watching TV. I rather being running than frustrated pretending to listen what people say while my mind just flyies away in a bad mood. Sometimes I see wives complainting about their husbands absence, and they use a dirty argument: you are and absent father. Why they just don't say that they miss him, or be more sincere say that they are frustrated, tha they would like to have theyrselves a hobby, something to fulfill their needs... using kids is a dirty game, because it has an "hoy" aura: you give up everything in order to raise your kids so you're a better person. I've got news: you won't be better and even will make them happier because there will be a day when you will tell them what you left behind and will blame them if things don't go your way.. remember the empty nest sindrome? Sometimes it happens when your nest is still full, but your kids didn't become who (or what) you expected them to be... it's the price... the price of entry of being a parent: dealing with the possibilitie that your dreams just won't come true.. and I think that in the end, even if you don't fulfill your dreams it's better to know that - at least - you have tried!

1:56 for 22.500, the worst time ever and guess what: that gave me an extra motivation for continuing trainning - it must be called "anger management" :-)
the run was nice, the weather was cold and we had a large group - almost 1400 runners from my company.. every single km I felt tired there was somenone yelling "go, go" and this was exactly what I needed :-)

I went like this: my partner ran the first leg (it was a marathon distance to be splited in groups of 8, 4 or 2 athletes - I took the last one), the 19.600, and at 9:30, it was my turn... I started slow, trying to find a confortable pace on which I could stand till the race was finished... I found that 5'5 per km was confortable enough and went on... we had to take 4 laps and I was quite well till the last one when I started to feel dizzy, but I went on... at the beggining of my trainning shedule I planned to take it on less then 1:50, but when I started to loose so much weight and to feel dizzy on my all trainning, I planned a 2hrs run, so to finish it bellow this mark was still a plus .. now I just need to find another half marathon till the end of the yr to break the 1:50...

TGF.. this was a really busy week... arriving at the office early and leaving late... and tht's the way I like it! Of course my trainning suffered but as I said: it was a busy week and this doesn't mean that it will be always lçike this. After the "rainning run" I missed tuesday's, wednesday's and thursday's workouts and even having spent the night working in the office I'm scheduled for a short run tonight... 30 minutes only to freshen up my tired legs.
Next week I'm scheduled to take a few tests just to check out my overall health - as I mentioned my heart rate always gets to high and i've been suffering a bit on my trainning, so it seems wise to have a checking. I think, I'll back on serious trainning in late october and this time I have to make it real (or I will need to give up my 2006 IM season planning). I'm still not sure about the "pre-race" season, but i think I'm still right in time to evaluate my next steps...

just chek this week issue of business week n order to figure out what happens when creative people don't find ground to nourish their potential....

The weather is cold outside. After a sunny weekend, monday started in a "grey mood" and the cold was followed by a tiny rain. Scared to the bones due to my lack of trainning I decided to focus on nutrition this week and to have 3 more runs sounds simple but it wasn't easy, at least not yesterday - a busy day almost left me with no time for lunch (which I took in 15 minutes) , then I went to the dentist and when I was on my way to the gym the traffic stuck :-S and almost made me given up trainning, but, guess what: the fear spoke.. and really loud.. I decided to stick to the plan and drive to the gym.. the rain started to fall pour but I didn't quit: got on my shoes and went outside for an ez 1 hour run... a hot bath and a coffee late the feelling was good and no sign of a cold... back home, bed and another chapter of "Howard's End" (I quited the dinner party I was scheduled) when I turned off the lights (almost midnight) a thought came into my mind: when you´ve got the discipline to switch it into power, fear can become your best friend.

This weekend was all about running.. on saturday I took an ez 15k under the sun... on sunday it was an 8k and the same sun... The tempo weren't quite good, but I think I'm finding a confostrable pace for the half marathon schedueled for next sunday... I'm still a bit worried about the lack of trainning and the constant feeling of tireness, so this week I'll take 3 more runs (short, about 1 hr each) and will focus on my nutrition and stretching.. I'm planning a swim late this night (I gotta run a nd first must go to the dentist...) just to relax.. I'm still very very anxious and just fon't know what else I sould do in order to cope with this so-called stress.. hints?

The rest of the weekend I spent with my son and took some reading: started Howard's End... seems interesting (it seems a sin to talk like this about a classic, doesn't???)

an interesting link to follow: www.personalmba.com

Tuesday I ran... and felt quite confortable... after the running I met a friend and we scheduled for a morning run on wednesday - since it happened to a be a holiday... I woke up early and we went to a park but the run didn't last: she was tired and quited after a 3km run.. we went for breakfast and that was all... back home the short run was bothering me.. I have one week left for the half marathon and even being somehow experienced with the distance I'm a bit concerned with my lack of trainning so I picked up my sneakers for a second shot... after about 10 minutes I started to figure out that I'm still confortable but I needed a "plan B' for september 18. I spent the rest of the one hour run trying to find a steady and "slowly" pace on which I could feel confident that I would run 2 hours straight.. I found it and that's what I'll do: run in a slow and steady pace for a 2 hours 1/2 marathon.. it will be the worst running time of my entire life but I'll finish the race so that's what I'm supposed to do (sometimes to step back can a be an act ou "courage").

After the run I received a msg from a friend who was in a 6 hour ride trainning to Kona... gosh that made me so happy.... I was so glad for him that I almost forgot my "pour" trainning week, month, yr... At night anxiety knocked the door... I was worried about... EVERYTHING... WORRIED AND SCARED... DAMN IT ! I think fear is the worst feeling we have in life!

Today I'm still nervous... a stressing feeling deep inside.. so I need another run :-)

Yesterday I got mail from a "trainning buddy" inviting me for an adventure race. My first reaction was sending him back a short msg "hey you got me worng"... really I actually thought he had sent the message for the wrong person... he didn't... and altought I found it "astonishing" I got curious... a few yrs ago a friend of mine invited me for this kind of race and the only thing I could think was: I don't wanna "swim" in "brown river". I think is funny when someone sees a triathlete and just think: he/ she can do everything, I'm not sure but somehow people think of us as "unbreakable" beings - at least was this way of thinking that brought this guy to me.. when I asked him why he choosed me he just said: because of your background, when I reminded him about my poor swimming, my recent lack of trainning and so on, he just went on with his "wisdom" - hey y0u got he IM in your back... big mistake... at least, I think so... but I'm considering the race :-), if it fits on my running calendar why not take a shot... as I aleays say: we won't win at all (well, maybe there's a flaw in this statement since I'm considering an age group winning on my 2006 season - but I'll this is for another blog post..)

Ooh, today is the day, I'll get back on swimming and running the flue, the fever, the vomits are off so it's time again... have two weeks for the 1/2 marathon and never felt so "under trainned" before... I was thinking about the guy who stated that is better untrainned thar overtrainned... jeeez!

on my bokks updates follow the link to seth godin's blog and download the file named knock knock.. I got it but didn't read, but I guess it will be worth...
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
and a quote from armstrong to finish -

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. - Lance Armstrong

Every single month I use to set a few goals... small ones and even feeling the lack of a "master plan" I always do so - things like don't quit swimming classes or fix a broken telephone (going to the dentist, eating vegetables could also be on the list ).. yesterday I took a look on my august's list... shame on me... shame on me! So I found interesting this post on Setty's blog and decided to it bellow... for those who get intereset just go to
http://blog.lifebeyondcode.com/

Ways to distingish yourself - #33 Keep promises you make to yourself
by Rajesh Setty on August 29, 2005 11:06PM (PDT)
Many people ask me if there is one thing that they can learn quickly that can make a significant impact on their lives. We all know that there are no shortcuts to success. However, at the risk of "over simplifying", let me make a statement
"One simple thing that you can learn easily and that can make a significant impact on your lives is - working hard to keep the promises you make to yourself"Think about the above statement - many times it's easier to keep promises that we make to others than to keep promises that we make to ourselves. In fact, many of the promises that we make to ourselves is not known to anybody else. Something like "I will finish reading this book by the end of the week" is known only to yourself. Weeks pass by and the book is not complete yet. Nobody knows that you made a promise to yourself and you feel a bit guilty for not keeping the promise but you are smart enough to justify why you were not able to keep your promise. Most often, the justifications for not keeping the promises to yourself are more compelling than the promises themselves.On a lighter note, you can afford to NOT keep your promises to yourself because you can't fire yourself.