A Christmas Test

For most normal folks, Christmas time means relaxing and celebrating with friends and family.

Guess this is another reason I'm not exactly what you'd call normal.

Today marked the four-week mark of my training with Valley Coach, which means it's a test week to re-calibrate heart rate zones. I checked off running and swimming earlier, so today was about the bike. My favorite.

The assignment was to work my heart-rate up to 153 bpm and then maintain a 90-100 pedal stroke per minute cadence for 20 minutes. Distance, cadence, heart-rate and average speed would all factor into the equation. Of course, the equation became muddied since my ever-finicky speedometer wasn't working. This required using some dreaded (and dreadful) math and my car's odometer to figure out my average speed. I wasn't thrilled with the result, not because of my performance but precisely the opposite...I could've sworn I was moving faster! At least the average 154 bpm was encouraging.

Once I posted my results, Coach Gerardo changed my HR settings ever so slightly lower. I'm curious to see how much of a difference this makes in my training. He reassured me that this isn't a "bad or a good thing", it's more of a statement on where I'm at fitness-wise. I suppose only the next four weeks will tell if I'm making real progress. It's too soon to say right now. With all this training, I really hope so. I'm not quite sure what I'd do if I didn't see any progress for all this time, training and money invested.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

The highlight of the morning was once again discovering a new part of SoCal. This time, I explored the nature trails at the Sepulveda Dam in Balboa Park. This was part of a very slow and leisurely 45-minute jog prior to the cycling test. I saw all sorts of birds throughout the run, usually nestled together on small man-made islands on the lake. It almost looked like they, too, were celebrating the holidays in their own quiet way. Peaceful. Calm. Happy. Graceful.

Tomorrow I have the day off from training. I'm not sure how I'll spend the holiday just yet. But there are five NBA games on (including Lakers-Cavs) TV so I'll start there. I also bought groceries to cook myself breakfast, which I haven't done in a long time.

To the people who actually read this blog (and have read this far), I hope you have a terrific holiday. I hope it's filled with family, happiness and harmony. My personal gift will be a day off from training!

335 days and counting.

Merry Christmas to all.

Yoga-ta Be Kiddin' Me!

Until this point of training with Valley Coach, I thought my hardest workout would be in the pool, trails or on the road cycling. Maybe even the weight room.

How wrong I was.

After a fairly decent swim test this morning (20:50 for 1,000 yards) at 8 in 53-degree Calabasas, I got a reprieve. Or so I thought. All I had to do was an hour of strength training or yoga. No running or trainer exercises? Noooo prob!

Several months ago, my co-worker Brian and his wife Jenny bought me a gift certificate for two weeks of unlimited yoga at Black Dog Yoga in Sherman Oaks. (BTW, in the spirit of my recent restaurant and movie reviews, two full water bottles for Black Dog. Spacious facility, warm, experienced staff, affordable classes and many of them.) I purposely saved the certificate for my holiday break, when I'd be most able to take advantage of truly "unlimited" classes. My first session was today, a "basic flow" class for all levels. Noobs included.

I've had a fair amount of yoga experience over the years, be it Hatha or Ashtonga. We had yoga class at my current job a few years ago, which I practiced for several months. I've also taken individual classes over the past couple years, so my practice ranks somewhere between "novice" and "novice-plus."

Today it ranked as "kick my ass." The session lasted 90 minutes but at points it felt like three days. My body is getting pretty darn hard from all the training, but where I'm gaining in strength and tone I'm losing in flexibility and suppleness. I needed the blocks more than I can remember in the past, and even a rolled blanket for some poses. And pigeon pose? I'll be feeling that one for a few days. Surprisingly, I felt weak.

Despite being annoyed at my "performance", I accepted it as the aspiring enlightened yoga practitioner I'm trying to become. I'm looking forward to more in the coming days (next class on Christmas!) and months.

Overall, returning to yoga was like meeting an old friend you haven't seen in a long time. Everything seems the same, except you feel a little stiffer, slower and more awkward than you'd like. There's an adjustment period. It's not quite like riding a bike, metaphorically speaking. But you're still damn glad to see that friend again. And Shavasana was about the only thing to calm my jumpy mind today. Five minutes of clarity.

Who would have thought that my toughest workout would be the one I figured would be the easiest? And perhaps the most rewarding?

336 days and counting.

Namaste.

The Wind & Avatar Blew Me Away

I woke up in Los Angeles this morning but could have sworn it was Chicago.

The wind swirled and gusted well before 8 this morning, and I knew it would be a chilly morning of training. Fortunately, the first 45 minutes were spent on my trainer indoors watching Sportscenter (how 'bout that Arizona hoops buzzer-beater!?) and The Dan Patrick Show. Then, since I'm on vacation, I was able to complete both workouts back-to-back. A rare mid-week brick.

My second workout was a time trial run to determine my tempo pace for the next four weeks. The mission: run two miles as close as possible to baseline zone 3 heart rate (152) and record the time. The challenge: a nasty head-wind that raised my bpm three-four beats each time I ran against the wind on the park track near where I live. The gusts made it a little tougher to accurately gauge the test. Still, I think I did pretty well, turning in a decent 17:44 for two miles, which would still put me under a four-hour marathon pace. Of course, the goal is to drop down closer to a 3:40 marathon, so I have lots of work to do.

All that said, the workouts were overshadowed by a far more impactful experience: Avatar. In IMAX 3D. To borrow one of my favorite geek phrases, "OMGWTFBBQPWN3D!"

Translation: "Wow, that movie sure was spectacular. I found it astoundingly enjoyable."

For me, Avatar will now occupy the rarest of spaces: it captured my imagination and sense of wonder on the same level as when I first saw the original Star Wars as a kid in the late

'70s. No other original universe movie (not taken from a book) that I can recall since Episode 4 immersed me into an alien world better or more convincingly. Yes, I attribute a lot of that to watching the movie in IMAX 3D, which is how director James Cameron told my co-worker and friend James Stevenson at Comic-Con that Avatar must be experienced. I'm glad I complied. I've never seen a movie quite as visually stunning. I also thought the use of 3D was smoothly integrated throughout and not incorporated as a cheap gimmick. Perhaps most surprising though, I truly found myself caring for the characters and the native culture on Pandora. Their plight felt real, and I found myself comparing Avatar to Dances with Wolves meets Braveheart... in space. (Jake Sully didn't have to paint himself blue like William Wallace since he already was that color.)

If you have yet to see Avatar, even if you're not a huge sci-fi fan, you must find time. And if you can, treat yourself to watching it in IMAX 3D. Overall, Avatar raised the bar for a movie-going experience, almost the same way Uncharted 2 did with videogames spectacle.

(When I started this blog, I didn't anticipate writing restaurant or movie reviews. But I'm kinda rollin' with it at the moment. Thanks for indulging me.)

337 days and counting.

Today Was a Good Day...

You know that Ice Cube rap tune where he talks about his "good day?" Momma cooked a breakfast with no hog and all that kind of stuff?

Today has not been the ideal good day, but it's been a much-needed "good day."

The only thing on my agenda today was a Valley Coach group swim at the Calabasas tennis and swim club. And since that swim was called for 8:30 a.m., I got to sleep in a little bit. And since there was no freeway traffic (another rarity), I arrived on time.

The swim was tough, but manageable, which I sense is a calculated scheme from Coach Gerardo. I completed my first set of interval training where the laps went from 100 to 400 yards and then back down to 100 yards, with the second set of intervals needing to be faster than the first. I wasn't quite able to go faster, but I hit the same 100 time on my closing set as my opening (two minutes) to feel good that I can shave time in the future.

Following the swim, I decided to visit my one of my favorite breakfast spots in all of Southern California: Joseph's Deli off Ventura Blvd. and Tampa. I've been going there with my family for as long as I can remember, so much so that I firmly recall the man who runs the deli today was working in the kitchen as a clean-up kid at least 20 years ago. After burning a ton of calories, nothing sounded (and tasted) better than Joseph's salami and eggs, with potatoes and an onion bagel. Unlike yesterday botched breakfast at Paty's, Joseph's got everything right the first time, and for $4 less too. Ahhhh, the little things.

From there, it was off to visit my grandmother at the Jewish Home for the Aging, just down the street. Once again, I had to fix the remote control so she could read the closed-captioning on the screen. Had I not gone, she would have just been staring at a blank TV screen all day. It's infuriating and frustrating that if someone in my family doesn't check on her, she may get a bit neglected. (C'mon people, go the extra mile!) But, my grandma was happy to see me and even able to communicate a little, which went a long way with me. I will remember that moment.

Finally, the rest of the day has been spent in the rarest of locations for me...the couch! I never have free-time. Time to just escape for a while and veg out. Time to not worry about working out, or work, or life, or a million other things that occupy my brain lately. It was even quiet enough for a nap since Trudy and Bam-Bam must not have been home. I avoided it though because I have a stack of videogames I need to play for work before I head back from break. Yes, I work in the videogames industry. Yes, I need to play games as part of my job, to stay current and all. You know, for research. On the docket today, FINALLY completing Uncharted 2, which truly lives up to the hype as Game of the Year in so many ways. The set pieces are stunning, the gameplay pacing is spot-on, and the camera angles fool you into thinking you're watching a movie. It's got everything you could ask for in a cinematic action experience.

I have a lot of stuff going on for the rest of the break. Some good, some not so good. Today, for just a few hours at least, I had a good day. My own day.

I didn't even have to use my AK!

337 days and counting.

Sunday in the Park

My run went so much better than breakfast afterwards.

(Yelp Alert: Paty's in Burbank...good food, good prices, brain-dead service.)

What is it sometimes with servers? Why is it that when I'm the nicest, most accommodating, most understandable guest, I get screwed the first? How hard is it to get right two scrambled eggs, two pancakes (with strawberries), with a turkey patty and orange juice? Compared to multiple omelets ordered by my fellow Valley Coach/LA Tri Club athletes? Yet, there I was, last to receive my food, with the order completely jacked up. No strawberries. No orange juice. Turkey patty delivered without the eggs and pancakes. Really? No, seriously...really? My bad luck continued through the end of the meal when the group had to wait outside for me as the bill had to be first recalculated to account for the missing orange juice order I got charged for, and then when my change wasn't returned to me. Actually, the server had the chutzpah to ask me if I wanted change after giving $20 for a $10.40 bill. Uh, yes please.

...And scene.

Phew...that felt goooood! I needed that.

OK, on to more important things, like the run itself. We had three options today, a seven, 11 or 14-mile trail run in Griffith Park. I had never run in the hills there, and I've never run more than a half-marathon.

Today was my lucky day. Or at least it was at 7:30 a.m.!

First of all, if you haven't run the Griffith Park trails...wow. Once again, I've been treated to a new side of Los Angeles. And there was no smog today, so the views of downtown, Glendale and the San Gabriel Mountains were gorgeous. Wish I had brought my camera along for the run (it bangs against my leg, unfortunately).

My assignment today was to run for 2:30, with the usual 22-count/15-second cadence. Until today, I had never run longer than two hours, which occurred last week on the Nike trail run. Overall, I felt good at the end of the run, but don't think I could have run much more today. The hills were manageable and the backs of my knees didn't ache during the run like last week. Around mile 13, my IT bands started to tighten up on both legs, but I managed. My overall HR average was around 141 (though the final 20 minutes were spent in the mid-150s) and I burned through a whopping 1,600 calories.

I experimented with some new nutrition on the run at the urging of Coach Gerardo. I tried Herbalife's "Fuel Good" energy supplement (a tablet that fizzes into your water) and Powergel. The verdicts: "Fuel Good" made me feel good and Powergel gave me a power stomach ache.

My favorite part of the run, once again, was getting to know my fellow triathlete friends. Each has their own story and motivations. Today, I spent the most time during the run with Christina (pictured, back row second left), a mother of two and a two-time Ironman finisher. She recently completed Ironman Arizona, shaving off three hours from her previous Ironman thanks to extensive training from Vinnie (whom I wrote about yesterday). Christina is hoping to podium at an Ironman event within the next eight years, and with her training regimen and mental outlook I think she can do it. In fact, I think Christina is the kind of person who can do just about anything she puts her mind to.

Too bad she wasn't in charge at Paty's this morning.

338 days and counting.

Here Comes Hanukkah!

I finally had a chance to celebrate Hanukkah tonight with my family. It's the last night, so the anticipation had gradually built up all week. As a kid, this was the time where I'd get that one special gift, that one thing that I had been hoping and praying for all season long. The GI Joe hovercraft, for example (man, I coveted that!). In past years, it's closer to underwear and socks as a running joke in the fam, but I always get something I really want or need.

Tonight was no different. My sister and her boyfriend were kind enough to pool their resources and buy me the Surge h20 waterproof headphones and armband combo. As we all know, few things become more repetitive and mind-numbing than lap swimming. At least my rockin' tunes might help shake up the workouts a bit.

My parents apparently have been reading my blog as they bought me a trainer climber for my front wheel and a sweat guard for the head set and frame. And believe me, I really need that! I also received a few shekels toward buying a new watch computer. I'm leaning towards the Garmin 305 at this point. There are some great deals on Amazon.

Maybe the best gift of the night though was the most nostalgic. My parents recently bought a device that records vinyls and converts them to discs or MP3 files. They have a huge collection of records that span from the Beatles and Dylan to Tchaikovsky and in this particular instance, Peter and the Wolf. This story was one of my all-time favorites as a child, so much so that at a Hollywood Bowl live performance with Henry Winkler (The Fonz) serving as narrator, I shouted at him from my seat when he strayed from the script to ad lib. I was 3.

Maybe I can listen to that with the new headphones while doing my pyramid sets on Sunday.

Tomorrow in about nine hours, I've got a casual 2:30-3:30 ride with Valley Coach. Frank Lafuente, my cycling mentor, is joining me. We're riding at 8 a.m. at the Starbucks off Malibu Canyon Road and Agoura Road, if you're local, actually read this blog, and would like to join. We're keeping heart-rate in zone 2 for most of the ride so it should be a nice steady pace.

Happy Hanukkah for me indeed, and I wish the same to all my friends in the virtual world reading this.

340 days and counting.

Quittin' Time!

As the title might suggest, it's quitting time for me.

But only at work. And just for a couple weeks of much-needed R&R.

I'm officially off work until January 4, 2010. Today is my last day in the office, where I'm frantically trying to wrap up the year so I can head home. As I sit here in the darkened office typing this (everyone else is gone!), I feel like a kid again, as giddy about two-plus weeks off as I ever was about taking three-months off during leisurely summers long ago.

Ahhh! What to do...what to do.

Oh, I know! Train! And then train some more! It's strange, but it feels like I'm essentially taking time off from one job to focus on another, setting the training foundation for Ironman Arizona. I'm hopeful the training will be more relaxed since I won't be stressed about cramming in work hours between training sessions.

I won't have to worry as much about missing sessions, like I did today. First, I enjoyed a beautiful run this morning in Griffith Park, my first time running there besides a 10k I completed in March 2008 (think I finished in around 50 minutes if I remember correctly). Today's goal was to continuously count 22 strides with my left foot in 15-second intervals for an hour while maintaining a zone 2 heart-rate. I mostly met that goal, but I had to run for 15-seconds and then drop back for the next 45. I wasn't dropping back far though, probably to between 19-21 strides per 15 seconds. I'm not sure if that equals success, but I did hit my 22-count marks every minute and maintained an average HR of 143 for the entire hour. I hope Coach Gerardo considers that progress, especially since I couldn't fit in the cool-down swim tonight.

I had every intention of swimming (OK, I knew it was a stretch from the start) but realized today would be nuts. Presentations, meetings, housekeeping, farewells to co-workers heading to our North Carolina office...it was a packed day.

Yet once again, I feel guilty. Like I failed. I mean, I could have gotten up earlier to run and then swim, right? I feel like I let Coach Gerardo down, even though 85-90% completion per week is considered "very good" (I still hate that word though). But, I guess the only one I harm when not training is myself. 'Nuf said.

But starting tomorrow, I'll be back on schedule. A nice holiday schedule! At least for the next weeks.

Ahh!

Oh no! I almost forgot...jury duty!

Arrrgh! LA Superior Court, here I come.

342 days and counting

Just Another Manic Monday

I kinda wish it were Sunday.

I prefer the leisurely trail running session from yesterday to the gasping feeling I had by the end of my hour-long swim early this morning at the Burbank YMCA. I ended up completing the prescribed swim workout, 2,500 yards, in about 1:10. But it felt a lot longer. I feel like a hamster in a cage going back and forth for what amounted to 125 pool lengths in a 20-yard pool. Ugh.

During the swim, I noticed what Coach Gerardo was referring to when he mentioned I swim uphill. I can feel my legs dragging below the surface and it's annoying not to be able to fix it immediately. I was improving on rotating my body though. So perhaps it's one problem at a time.

By the time I got to the office before 9, I felt like it was already 5 p.m. That's because I didn't sleep so well and decided I might as well arise when Trudy and Bam-Bam did, at 5:30 a.m. (BTW, if anyone has any ideas on revenge for these inconsiderate neighbors, I'm all ears.) I realize that I need to change to this sort of schedule to fit all the workouts in before the day begins. It's more practical and allows me to have a little more free time in the evenings. The idea of going to bed at 9:30 p.m. to get a full night's sleep makes me feel like an old geezer though! Some of my friends would tell you I already act like one anyway.

I managed to have a productive day though after eating an entire calzone for lunch. I'm a bit of a calorie monster right now to keep the weight on. I also fit in the second half of my workout after work, light treadmill running and some drill work. Broke a little sweat, but mainly treated it as a recovery exercise.

Another day, another two workouts. Trying to settle into a new routine... I'll get there eventually. Now it's time to wrap up holiday shopping.

344 days and counting.

A Cold (War) Run

I'm beginning to see a pattern in my Ironman training.

The harder it is to get out of bed, the bigger the reward for doing so.

It rained hard last night throughout Los Angeles. HARD. So, once again, early this morning my bed was cozy and the room was super dark. Just the way I like it.

Oh yeah, and it's Sunday. The Day G-d invented for NFL football.

But, training beckoned. So did Coach Gerrardo's brother, Rey. The elder Barrios was leading a small group of Valley Coach and LA Triathlon Club athletes (pictured) on a jaunt through what's called the Nike trail. Surprisingly, it's not an ode to Phil Knight's company, but rather an homage to an ominous monument from the Cold War. It's hard to imagine a time when the US Army felt a need to have missile stations watching over Los Angeles in fear of a Soviet attack. But there the restored structure stands, complete with a creepy abandoned watch post station just off the main trail, along with educational signs. When I walked up the small hill towards the missile launcher, I could almost feel the tension that seemed to choke some of the fresh air out of the crisp morning.

And crisp it was. My fellow LA Tri Clubbers and Valley Coach teammates laughed about the steam rising from our bodies in the 55-degree chill (Weather Wuss alert!) after the scenic 11-mile birds-eye tour overlooking the San Fernando Valley. But it was so worth it. I've lived in SoCal my whole life and in the short few years I've been training for triathlons, I've been delighted to see a side of greater Los Angeles that I didn't think existed.

There's still nature here! Paradise hasn't quite been completely paved, and that parking lot, well, there's still a lot of trails and gravel left to explore.

On a cold, wet, Sunday morning, I couldn't be happier I rolled out of bed early. I hope the next time you're contemplating turning over in that comfy bed to get a few more hours of marginal, guilt-ridden sleep, you'll think first of the unseen world in your backyard that's waiting to be enjoyed.

Rise up. Launch yourself out of bed. You won't regret it. And who knows what hidden monuments you may find.

345 days and counting.

Swimmin' and Spinnin' in the Rain

When I heard the rain rattling outside at 6:30 this morning (between Trudy and Bam-Bam running amok), I was wondering whether today's swim and ride would be cancelled.

Maybe hoping is the right word. I was warm and cozy. The thought of driving 20 minutes and jumping into a pool in the rain was up there with biking in a tornado. Thank goodness for peer pressure though. This was a Valley Coach group swim. I didn't want to be the wuss that stayed home.

I'm so glad I went.

In fact, I wish it rained more often. The water was warmer than the outside temperature, and the way the rain gently tickled my arms when they came out to stroke was actually relaxing. The tougher part was the workout itself. I lost track of how many laps we swam, but I know it was at least 1,500 yards and probably much more. We did kick drills (which I suck at), stroke drills and laps. Lots of intervals. I made all the times, but I learned after that effort was the key, not performance. I was exerting too much energy.

How applicable that statement is in my overall life.

At breakfast after the swim, I learned from Coach Gerrardo that I'm "sinking" when I swim, meaning that I'm swimming uphill, so to speak. I need to lengthen my stroke as well, and make sure my elbows are more vertical when I'm preparing to stroke. That sounds like a lot to fix! Not sure how I'm gonna do it, but I have 346 days to find out!

I also found time today for a 90-minute session on the trainer. Where I proceeded to shave off a portion of my back wheel from apparently too much contact on the trainer wheel. Will somebody please show me how to use this thing properly!? Or is this what I should expect every time? Do I need a beater wheel?

To pass the time while I spun, I watched "Downfall" on DVD, the German foreign-language masterpiece showing Hitler's final days. (It's also known now as being the source of one of the internet's great memes, when Hitler melts down after finding out he's surrounded by the Russians.) I found my pace and heart rate quickening as the tension mounted throughout the movie.

I especially enjoyed spinning with the balcony window open, watching the rain fall. I felt productive despite the weather, like I was gaining a leg up on many people who decided (sensibly enough) not to train today.

I like that feeling, for a change.

And I'll look forward to more showers in the coming days. What used to be a guaranteed day off is now a sought-after opportunity.

346 days and counting.