40 is the new....Championship Age?

A few (20+) years ago, I remember listening to Jimmy Buffett sing about how he was an over 40 victim of fate - and 40 seemed like it was so far away.

Now I'm 40, and it seems really young!

And look at a few recent examples of how young 40-ish can be:

--  The last 2 guys to win Kona - Macca and Crowie -  were the oldest ever to win (38+).
--  Lance Armstrong takes second in Panama 70.3 at 40 after 20 years away from triathlon.
--  And it's not just the blokes:  Dara Torres won 3 silvers in swimming at 41, and is talking about going back to the olympics in 2012 - at 45 - and Janet Evans at 40 is booked in the Olympic Trials this summer.

And just so you think it's only about 40 - this guy decided at 100 he was going to do something fun - like set a record in cycling http://nyti.ms/xI9jmm

Gives hope for those of us who used to think that 40 was old...

Australia, mate!

Just got back from a few weeks Down Under - going back to where I lived for 3.5 years. It still amazes me how clean the capital cities (Sydney, Adelaide) are. In Sydney, it seemed like there were a lot more bike lanes then when I was last there 7 years ago, and a lot of commuters using them. In Adelaide (where I lived), the cycling culture seems to have really picked up. People of all shapes and sizes, some cruising, some hard core; more bike shops than I recall, too. I wonder if this is an effect of the Tour Down Under becoming more prominent on the Pro Tour.

While I didn't get a chance to bike, I did some running and swimming in; tried to find a tri or running race to jump into, but no luck.

Oh well - I guess sometimes a vacation can be just for fun...


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Australia, Mate!

Just got back from a few weeks Down Under - going back to where I lived for 3.5 years.  It still amazes me how clean the capital cities (Sydney, Adelaide) are.  In Sydney, it seemed like there were a lot more bike lanes then when I was last there 7 years ago, and a lot of commuters using them.  In Adelaide (where I lived), the cycling culture seems to have really picked up.  People of all shapes and sizes, some cruising, some hard core; more bike shops than I recall, too.  I wonder if this is an effect of the Tour Down Under becoming more prominent on the Pro Tour.

While I didn't get a chance to bike, I did some running and swimming in; tried to find a tri or running race to jump into, but no luck.

Oh well - I guess sometimes a vacation can be just for fun...

Feeling Dry?

Like many, I picked up what I'll politely call the stomach bug that's been going around.  One of the joys of working in the ER is I'm exposed to all kinds of yuckiness; despite copious Purell and soap, I do occasionally 'take my work home'.

Gruesome details:  Projectile vomiting for about 5 minutes.

After that, I noticed my heart was POUNDING.  I felt very tachycardic; when I checked, my heart rate was between 90-100.  I laughed to myself - my fast is some other peoples' normal - but it led me to two thoughts.

1.  When you're in decent shape (read: middle of the pack) and your resting heart rate is low 50's, 90 feels miserable when you're sitting there.

2.  I must be borderline dehydrated at any given time.  This isn't good. 

While I try to keep up on my fluids, and I do pretty well before a race, my day-to-day hydration must be suspect.  5 minutes of hurling should not throw me into a dehydration that 2 liters of IV fluid couldn't fix.  I had mutliple signs of dehydration - heart rate, sucken eyes, pale - the diagnosis wasn't in question to anyone who saw me.  How is this affecting my performance and - more importantly - my health?  I've often said that good hydration will fix a lot of bad habits, but what if I'm dehydrated WITH those bad habits?

It really opened my eyes.  Despite attempts to stay hydrated, it stands there with training, rest and nutrition as something I need to keep track of as I am obviously falling behind.  So I'll ask:  how's your hydration?

Off to the water cooler...

If It Was Easy

If it was easy - everyone would do it.

If it was easy - we wouldn't have bumper stickers.

If it was easy - we wouldn't have medals.

If it was easy - no one would be impressed.

If it were easy - we wouldn't be admired.

If it were easy -

If it were easy - we wouldn't celebrate the finish.

How goes the Resolution?

So, we're a week-and-some-change into the new year.  The gym is still busy, but getting better; the health food store looks busy, but not as bad as a week ago.

And for you:  How goes the resolutions?  Still intact?

If not, don't wait another 354 days to start over!  Re-adjust, re-evaluate, and reset the goals!  Don't take it as a failure, take it as an opportunity to learn, make changes in your approach, and then go towards your goals.  Next year, you'll wish you had started today...

And pick out your races!

2012

Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare - Japanese proverb It's now 2012: time to make your dreams into your goals. Write 'em down. Every step needs to be planned out; everything you do needs to be in the direction of achieving your goal. There will be setbacks. It happens to everyone. Accept them as they come, learn from them, then forget the setbacks and move on. And start today. Waiting until tomorrow is a day that is lost. Happy New Year!


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