Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Here's a Wild Idea

Now that I am back into the full training mix and the lingering reminders of my shoulder injury are fading, it's time to get racing.  Continuing the trend of signing up for races close to the race event last week my buddy and I signed up for the Great South Bay sprint triathlon.  I'm excited and a bit nervous for my first race (not including a 10-mile winter run) since Arizona; temperatures in the northeast have remained mild and last week was downright cold.  Saturday I'm planning my first OWS of the season and based on the reports of others who have swam recently I am bracing myself for the cold.   

I'm looking towards Sunday's race as if it is just another training day and in fact after the event my Timberman crew and I will be heading out for our weekly long ride.  The 10-mile bike of the sprint is not enough to replace the weekly long ride that is part of our Timberman training plan.  As if that's not enough activity for one day we aren't stopping there: at night we will head to the Belmont Racetrack for the Belmont Stakes 5K for Prostate Cancer.  

The day should be one to remember but more than anything I am just glad to be back to my old self again.  I feel so much more complete now that I am back in training and I'm glad to have a couple of great training partners heading into the tri season.  Let's get it on.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Gear Review: Who's Got the Goods (A Preliminary Review of Dry Goods)

Disclaimer: The product reviewed below was provided to me free of charge in exchange for my unfiltered thoughts on its effectiveness. This is a preliminary review based on my initial experiences with the product. I will follow-up after more applications during summer training.

I was about 14 years old when I was first introduced to Gold Bond Powder. Sure, some people only know of the podiatric uses, but at my sleep-away camp it had other well-known applications (powers). For boys away from home - anxious to become men - the first Gold Bond-ing was a coming of age experience. "It's just powder," you might say. Eh, not so much. The cooling sensation - sometimes referred to as the Gold Bond tingle is at first a foreign and unfamiliar feeling (though not unwelcome). Perhaps for some campers it may just be a summer gimmick but I suspect for many it became part of a daily ritual: wake up, brush teeth, get Bond-ed, and get dressed. I am one of the latter.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Green Light

This week I had a follow-up with the Good Doc to check in on my surgically repaired clavicle. Due to some business travel I had pushed back my appointment a few times and hadn't yet been able to start physical therapy. Despite the lack of formal therapy, over the last few weeks I gradually increased the usage of my right side and relied on my body to tell me when it was too much.  It's been some time since I've felt pain in the shoulder; at this point I am only dealing with some residual tightness, soreness after hard workouts, and a bit of atrophy from non-use.


With the solid progression in my recovery I had a hunch about what the Doc would say.  When I wanted to begin therapy shortly after my surgery, he suggested that it would be a waste at that time.  I knew he'd say the same when he checked me out.  My visit was a success and I now have the Dr. approved "all clear" to do anything!

As I've been through my entire recovery I will of course be smart about easing my way back into things - no 2,500 yard pool workouts just yet.  I'll begin training with resistance bands to increase my strength and flexibility and I can't wait to take my first spin on a real bike this weekend!  I don't doubt that the increased impact of the rubber meeting the road may be at first uncomfortable but oddly I'm looking forward to the soreness that will follow but I'll continue my post workout icing regimen and do everything I can to speed up the rest of the healing.

Though swimming was always my least favorite discipline I have literally dreamed of getting back in the pool.  I suppose sometimes it takes losing something to know how important it is to you.  Of the three sports swimming is likely where I will have suffered the biggest setback but the good news is that I wasn't very good to begin with.  Not having much room to go down, I'm looking towards the bright side of focusing on my stroke as I make my way back into the water.

WIth spring entering full bloom, there's no better time to be released into the wild.  Timberman is less than 4 months away and though I've adjusted my goals for the race it's full speed ahead into my training now.