Category Archives: Fitness and Triathlon

Scheffler For The Win

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Not the fleeting kind that ends in hoisting a trophy. The real “meaningful life” kind.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s #1 rated golfer, is winning more tournaments than anyone else and just asked at one of the most honest and provocative sports pressers in recent memory, “What’s the point?” You don’t have to be a golf junkie to watch/appreciate it.

Maybe his perspective is even more impressive than his game. He somehow knows fame is fleeting. And ultimately, unfulfilling. Especially compared to family.

I quit competing in triathlons after conducting a mental exercise. I thought to myself that if I truly committed to consistent training, age group wins at decent races were possible. And qualifying for the Kona World Championships. And these best case scenarios didn’t move the needle nearly enough for me to continue racing. I concluded, “What’s the point?”

There is one convincing reason for aging weekend warriors to keep entering races. Races provide many the needed motivation to train.

Back in my earliest triathlon racing days, I integrated swimming, cycling, and running into my life to the point that I regularly do some combo of all three each week*. Thus, that rationale doesn’t hold for me. I get “out the door” without signing up for anything. But, I suspect I’m an outlier in that respect.

*Haven’t swam in July yet. Father/Mother, forgive me, for I have sinned. My excuse is I’m allergic to something in the lake. And it seems like a crime to swim indoors in July.

A Great Idea

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Our newish house sits atop a hill on the edge of downtown Olympia. Which is really nice when starting a run because gravity helps get you in the groove. But not nearly as nice when ending a run or long, hard ride.

Don’t tell Travis, but sometimes, like Friday afternoon, I pull the plug early or mid-hill and walk it in. I was so spent at the end of my wee 5 miler, I leaned on the bridge to collect myself before starting the uphill walk home.

And that’s when it came to me. The great idea. To jump off the bridge into the southernmost part of the Puget Sound sometime this summer. Being hot and sweaty prob contributed to this genius.

I’m sure it’s illegal, but how bad could the consequences be? The height of the jump is flexible depending upon how far up one goes on the bridge, and to a lesser degree, the tide. I’m thinking mid-bridge at high tide to make sure there’s ample water underneath. I’ll plant a second pair of shoes onshore and prob leave my original shoes on the bridge before going airborne.

I see one problem besides the inevitable fame that will follow from the jump. The Puget Sound’s southernmost water is polluted, so much so, the shore is dotted with “No swimming” signage. But it’s not like I’m going to linger. In and out in a few minutes. Shower off. And hope to live another day.

The only thing more bad ass than this plan would be just doing it without telling anyone. So, please, if you will, strike this post from the record.

The Con Man And The Old Man

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Peggy Noonan:

“From the moment he shuffled out with a soft and faltering gait, you could see how much he has declined. He was pale and waxy, and there was something almost furtive in his gaze. His voice was hoarse and feathery, with no projection. His answers were scrambled, halting. At some points he made no sense. At some points he seemed out of it.”

Nicholas Kristof:

“One of the perils facing this country, I believe and Biden believes, is the risk of a victory by Donald Trump. And after the debate, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that Biden remaining in the race increases the likelihood that Trump will move into the White House in January.”

Biden has been an extremely successful president and is universally well liked and deeply respected by those who know him best. I believe, if the election were held today, he would lose. And were he to prove me wrong, I believe he’d be way too diminished in a year, two, three, or four to have anywhere as successful a second term. Because biology is undefeated.

You need an example? This morning I ran around Capitol Lake, a scenic 5-mile loop with views of water, birds, and the State Capitol dome. The last mile is a 2% decline and today I decided to flip the turbo booster switch and see what kind of mile I could do downhill. At my athletic peak I had very average speed at best, by which I mean I’ve always been slow. But my consistency over decades resulted in above average endurance. Leading to decent performances. For example:

Less than seven years ago, 7:46/mile 26 times. As Adam Sandler sings in the Chanukah song, not too shabby. So, back to this morning’s time trial. Felt good. Movin’. Watch vibrates signaling the mile split. “Seven what?” I thought to myself. Glance down. 8:09.

I was planning on running the 10k in the (d)US Olympic Trials until The Good Wife and my close friends staged an intervention. They said I was jeopardizing my legacy as the Seattle Marathon age group winner and beloved figure of running fans near and far. And that the selfless thing to do would be to acknowledge my time in the running limelight has passed and to kindly step off the track before I lose badly to Grant Fisher and company.

Thank goodness for their objective tough love.

Health Fads and Fictions

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Health Fads and Fictions: VO2 Max, Supplement Mania, Sunlight, and Immortality.

You know what “they” say, “Common sense is not common.” Well worth a listen. Two critiques. They don’t pay enough attention to how to help sedentary people begin moving and there’s no mention of the role genetics play in longevity.

How To Turn A Bike Ride Into A Bike Workout

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The title of an article in the morning’s New York Times. Anna Watts opines:

“You don’t need a flashy new bike or fancy gear to get a solid cycling workout. The most important thing is that your bike fits your body and you enjoy being on it.”

One wonders, does Watts regularly spout heretical things or is this a one-off?

Jenny Breuer For The Win

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Breuer teaches entrepreneurship at a Texas high school and coaches sophomore Elizabeth Leachman, the most talented female high school runner in the country. And it’s not particularly close.

The whole Leachman story is so countercultural, meaning tremendously upbeat. Leachman seems unusually grounded for her age in part because her parents know Breuer has their daughter’s long-term interest at heart.

Meaning Breuer is not overdoing Leachman’s training like too many other coaches would.

From Runner’s World:

“The coach and the runner sometimes challenge each other. Leachman wants to do more. Breuer wants her to stay healthy and develop over time. ‘I’m always pulling her back,’ Breuer said. ‘Err on the side of caution.'”

Also of note in this day and age, you won’t find Leachman on Instagram.

“’I think if it was fully up to me, I probably would have it,’ Leachman said. ‘But my parents don’t want me to, and I’m okay with it. I haven’t really fought it.'”

Breuer again:

“’We talk a lot about external expectations, and just because you’re good at running doesn’t mean that it’s everything that defines you,’ Breuer said. ‘That’s what’s really hard, I think, for a 16-year-old to remember sometimes when the spotlight is on. I try to remove that pressure as much as possible and remind her that this is supposed to be fun.'”

This story makes me think maybe the world is not going to hell in a handbasket after all. Just outside of view, there’s excellent parenting going on coupled with thoughtful/caring coaching; resulting in a happy, healthy, and scary quick young athlete.

As in a 9:44 two mile. . . 5:03, 4:41. And a 15:25 5k.

The Coach of the Year one more time:

“’She has a really good perspective. Her parents have done a super job.’ And also, I say, ‘I want you to be an amazing college runner, I want you to be an amazing professional runner, if that’s what you want to do. We don’t want you to peak in high school. That’s not the goal.’”

Postscript—hard not to root for this dude.

Strange Denizens of the YMCA

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Dude rolls into the Plum Street Y sporting his own 7 foot 45 pound bar like it was a javelin and he’s an ancient warrior. Everyone has their own way of signaling toughness I guess. I just bench 125 pounds in five sets of five to let everyone know I’m not effing around.

Guess the Y’s eight or nine bars just don’t feel right? The mind whirls. Does he take his own eggs to his favorite breakfast place? His own range balls to the driving range? His own violin to the symphony concert? Just how far does his self sufficiency go?

Same day I refrain from telling another strange denizen that his too many to count tats looked just plain awful. Just in case he’s like the elderly bloke next to me with 255 pounds on the bar.

Better safe than sorry.

I Did It

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Somehow.

As a result of running 4.2 miles yesterday morn, I maintained my now twenty-five year long streak of running at least 1,000 miles a year. On Gull Harbor Road, at mile 999, I thought to myself, what if that oncoming car just drifts over the fog line and takes me out? Of course, I still have the lateral movement of an elite punt returner.

For the record, the streak continued at the intersection of 47th Ave NE and Boston Harbor Rd as I turned the corner with TSwift, Bon Iver, and Evermore.

This one was was tough, especially after dealing with blood clots in early August and then chronic achilles tendonitis which I haven’t managed smartly.

Bagging a thousand used to be easy, especially when doing half marathons, marathons, and/or triathlons. Hitting four digits was just a routine annual byproduct of being ready to race decently. Now that I’ve retired from competition, the lengthy streak itself is the only motivation. And being fit and enjoying life more as a result of improved physical, mental, and spiritual vitality.

On top of the running, I’ve swam just over 200 kilometers and rode just over 5,000 miles this year, so a decent bit of cross training.

I enjoy swimming and cycling a little more than running these days because they’re less difficult. To continue the streak, I have to sublimate my ego, and let go of pace. I suppose, as I run shorter and slower, I will contribute to the common good that is Strava endurance athletes who can feel better about their relative performance.

I don’t know how long I can or want to keep it going. The key to extending it will be doing a better job of listening to my body in terms of how often, how far, and how “fast” to run. More specifically, I suspect I will need to run shorter, even slower, and more often to extend it.

Thanks to my ace training partners for their continued inspiration and company most Saturdays. MARN, who decided to take up marathoning in his sixth decade. The Byeson, who is a marvel at 5+ years older than me. The Pal, who is somehow getting faster in his fifth decade. And the undefeated University of Washington Husky who effortlessly rows, cycles, and runs right past you.

Thanks especially to the GoodWife for stirring my inner-athlete the most this year. Despite serious health challenges, she is channelling her father’s spirit and is displaying real grit, regularly walking, swimming, and cycling. Watching her pick her way up, down, and around Natches Peak trail in early October was inspiring beyond words.

If I stay healthy and can be half as tough as her next year, the streak will continue.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

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If I had a dollar for every time the GalPal told me I would’ve been a great coach, I could afford more Talenti gelato.

She may have been right. I dabbled back in the day when I assisted a high school swim coach for a few years and that went well despite our philosophical differences. I don’t know what kept me from committing more to it.

Which brings us to today’s vid of Taylor Knibb, probably the greatest female triathlete in the world. I’m a fan of the 25 year old. She is a charming mix of hyper-intelligent and super nerdy. In this vid she’s coming off a $100k victory at a 100k race in Milwaukee. This weekend she races in Paris in a 2024 Olympic qualifier.

I dig the way her coach adapts to her intelligence and unique personality. The story that illustrates that best begins at the 3 minute mark. All he wants to do is give Taylor the information she needs about the person behind her in second and then he trusts her situational awareness and decision making.

I also really like their rapport. He says her spirit animal is not the dog on the leash it’s a “grumpy bear” and she chuckles. He has a very soft touch and they seem completely in sync. That does not bode well for the world’s female professional triathletes.

If, in a different life, I had acted on the GalPal’s affirmations, he is the exact type of coach I would’ve wanted to be.