Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Now Batting... Manny Mota!
Now there's a random Airplane quote for ya. Wonder if anyone recognized it. Anywho. I just had my last softball game of the season yesterday. Somehow, I managed to finish the season batting 1.000, going 6 for 6 in my 3 games. And all six of this hits managed to stay in the infield.
I love playing 16-inch softball. For years, I languished on a 14-inch team, unable to hit my way out of a paper bag. But in 16-inch, I turned into Pete Rose. (By that, I mean that I'm gambling on all our games.) What makes 16-inch so much easier for me is that I'm fast and I pull the ball. So if I hit a grounder to the third baseman, I'm going to get to first before he can throw the large ball over there.
My favorite hit of the season came yesterday too. I roped a single right up the middle. I POUNDED the ball. It was a veritable rocket. For some reason, the pitcher decided to stick her hand out and almost lost it. The first baseman was joking with me about how she might have to pitch with her other hand now. Love to hear that.
The best part about the game, though, was that we won. Not only did we win, but we beat the #1 team, which happened to be undefeated. We pounded them 12-8. The key to victory for us was that their pitcher was off. I think the pitcher is the single biggest factor in 16-inch softball. All you need is someone who can consistently get the ball over the plate. You don't need to strike them out. You just want them to swing and hope you can play defense. The pitcher yesterday was all over. The balls were often FEET outside or behind the batter. She ended up walking at least 6 people, and we weren't being overly picky in the balls we were taking.
I noticed that the pitcher had a number written on the back of her leg. Which means that she just did the triathlon on Sunday. So maybe she was just a little tired from that, which threw off her pitching. But it doesn't matter WHY she sucked or WHY we won. The important thing was that we beat the #1 team. And now our team is rocking as we prepare for the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'm going to be out of town for the playoffs, so I'm done for the season. But at least I finished the season batting 1.000. Now that's a record that won't be beaten.
I love playing 16-inch softball. For years, I languished on a 14-inch team, unable to hit my way out of a paper bag. But in 16-inch, I turned into Pete Rose. (By that, I mean that I'm gambling on all our games.) What makes 16-inch so much easier for me is that I'm fast and I pull the ball. So if I hit a grounder to the third baseman, I'm going to get to first before he can throw the large ball over there.
My favorite hit of the season came yesterday too. I roped a single right up the middle. I POUNDED the ball. It was a veritable rocket. For some reason, the pitcher decided to stick her hand out and almost lost it. The first baseman was joking with me about how she might have to pitch with her other hand now. Love to hear that.
The best part about the game, though, was that we won. Not only did we win, but we beat the #1 team, which happened to be undefeated. We pounded them 12-8. The key to victory for us was that their pitcher was off. I think the pitcher is the single biggest factor in 16-inch softball. All you need is someone who can consistently get the ball over the plate. You don't need to strike them out. You just want them to swing and hope you can play defense. The pitcher yesterday was all over. The balls were often FEET outside or behind the batter. She ended up walking at least 6 people, and we weren't being overly picky in the balls we were taking.
I noticed that the pitcher had a number written on the back of her leg. Which means that she just did the triathlon on Sunday. So maybe she was just a little tired from that, which threw off her pitching. But it doesn't matter WHY she sucked or WHY we won. The important thing was that we beat the #1 team. And now our team is rocking as we prepare for the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'm going to be out of town for the playoffs, so I'm done for the season. But at least I finished the season batting 1.000. Now that's a record that won't be beaten.
Monday, August 27, 2007
More Thoughts on the Triathlon
I was re-thinking some of the stuff I wrote this morning about the triathlon. Mostly, I was thinking about how poorly written it was. This stupid triathlon wiped me out mentally too, I guess. (Although it's much easier to wipe me out mentally than physically. Just wave something shiny in front of my face.)
I keep thinking about the triathlon in general and why I feel moderately disappointed in my finish. The answer? I didn't win. Crazy, isn't it? I had no expectation of winning. Hell, it's almost a physical impossibility. And yet I'm a little bummed that I didn't.
I think the problem is that I'm a wrestler. And in wrestling, you either win or you lose. You don't go into a match thinking, "I hope I only lose by 5 points" or "Last time I got pinned in 2 minutes, so hopefully I can just beat that time." So it's kind of weird for me to think that "victory" is just beating your expectations.
Of course, part of the problem is that I didn't know what to expect, having never done a triathlon before. Now that I've done one, I know what to expect. More importantly, I think I've figured out how to create a "victory."
As I said earlier, I have no chance of being the first one across the finish line. Well, unless I go straight from the water and run directly to the finish line. Even then, I'd probably get a cramp on the way and still not make it. What I need to do is find someone to beat. So instead of competing against a "time," I'll be competing against someone in particular.
And since I'll be competing against someone in particular, it becomes a win-at-any-cost race. So when the swim starts, I have to make sure I'm right next to him. Then I can try to dunk him, or grab his ankles or kick him in the face. If he manages to avoid drowning, I'll load my bike with a bunch of weapons. I'm thinking of creating the bicycle equivalent of the Batmobile. Or Pee Wee's bike. Then if he gets close to me at all, I press the "oil slick" button and watch him fall. Granted, all the extra equipment will slow me down a little. But the goal isn't to win quickly. It's just to beat this dude.
The run is going to be more difficult. I won't be able to drown him and I won't have anywhere to store weapons. So I'll have to be more creative. I think the first thing to do will be to sabotage the transition (where you switch from bike to run). Maybe put some dog poo in his running shoes or cut his shoe laces. And then I'll run backwards to make sure I've always got an eye on him. Fortunately, the course does go pretty close to the lake, so I might be able to give him a hip check if he tries to pass.
In related news, I've already got a wishlist of stuff I want for next year's triathlons. Fortunately for The Wife, none of them are really expensive. Plus I have a long time to shop for them, so I can wait for deals. The first item is Pee Wee Herman's bike. That one might be hard to come by. After that, I need a wetsuit for those cold frigging swims. I need knew pedals and shoes for my bike. Not a necessity, but a nicety. It might save me a minute or two on my bike ride. Then a new speedometer for my bike that measures how fast you pedal (as well as how fast you're going). It helps you keep track of what gear you should be in. And finally, a strap to hold my bib. I'll probably come up with a few more things as time goes on. Much to The Wife's chagrin. (Hey, at least I'll be easy to shop for this xmas!)
I keep thinking about the triathlon in general and why I feel moderately disappointed in my finish. The answer? I didn't win. Crazy, isn't it? I had no expectation of winning. Hell, it's almost a physical impossibility. And yet I'm a little bummed that I didn't.
I think the problem is that I'm a wrestler. And in wrestling, you either win or you lose. You don't go into a match thinking, "I hope I only lose by 5 points" or "Last time I got pinned in 2 minutes, so hopefully I can just beat that time." So it's kind of weird for me to think that "victory" is just beating your expectations.
Of course, part of the problem is that I didn't know what to expect, having never done a triathlon before. Now that I've done one, I know what to expect. More importantly, I think I've figured out how to create a "victory."
As I said earlier, I have no chance of being the first one across the finish line. Well, unless I go straight from the water and run directly to the finish line. Even then, I'd probably get a cramp on the way and still not make it. What I need to do is find someone to beat. So instead of competing against a "time," I'll be competing against someone in particular.
And since I'll be competing against someone in particular, it becomes a win-at-any-cost race. So when the swim starts, I have to make sure I'm right next to him. Then I can try to dunk him, or grab his ankles or kick him in the face. If he manages to avoid drowning, I'll load my bike with a bunch of weapons. I'm thinking of creating the bicycle equivalent of the Batmobile. Or Pee Wee's bike. Then if he gets close to me at all, I press the "oil slick" button and watch him fall. Granted, all the extra equipment will slow me down a little. But the goal isn't to win quickly. It's just to beat this dude.
The run is going to be more difficult. I won't be able to drown him and I won't have anywhere to store weapons. So I'll have to be more creative. I think the first thing to do will be to sabotage the transition (where you switch from bike to run). Maybe put some dog poo in his running shoes or cut his shoe laces. And then I'll run backwards to make sure I've always got an eye on him. Fortunately, the course does go pretty close to the lake, so I might be able to give him a hip check if he tries to pass.
In related news, I've already got a wishlist of stuff I want for next year's triathlons. Fortunately for The Wife, none of them are really expensive. Plus I have a long time to shop for them, so I can wait for deals. The first item is Pee Wee Herman's bike. That one might be hard to come by. After that, I need a wetsuit for those cold frigging swims. I need knew pedals and shoes for my bike. Not a necessity, but a nicety. It might save me a minute or two on my bike ride. Then a new speedometer for my bike that measures how fast you pedal (as well as how fast you're going). It helps you keep track of what gear you should be in. And finally, a strap to hold my bib. I'll probably come up with a few more things as time goes on. Much to The Wife's chagrin. (Hey, at least I'll be easy to shop for this xmas!)
I Did It!
To paraphrase Hall & Oats:
I did it, I did it,
I did it, I did it,
I did it in 100 minutes
Yesterday was The Triathlon. You know, the one for which I've been training for the last eight or nine months. My original goal was to complete the darn thing. Then I said I wanted to finish in 1:45. I managed to beat both goals and finished in 1:40. (Technically, it was 1:39:59. I'm rounding up.)
The weather couldn't have been any better yesterday. It was sunny and in the 60's or 70's by race time. The water temperature was 68, which doesn't sound too bad. But, really, it's freezing. It was so cold, I couldn't catch my breath. And when you're in a race, breathing is kind of important. Come to think of it, it's pretty important even when you're not racing. I'm going to have to make a mental note to keep doing it.
I came into the race thinking that the swim was my best event. I've been swimming quite a bit at the pool. I developed a pretty good stroke and a good pace. I was actually looking forward to the swim. But once I got into the lake, it was another story entirely. Since it was so cold, I could hardly breathe. Plus, I put myself in the back of my heat with all the "bad" swimmers. Bad idea. Apparently, these swimmers are REALLY bad. It took me way too long to get around them and make any headway. But I never really developed a good pace because I was always trying to get around people (and still in shock from keeping my face in the cold water for more than 10 seconds). I ended up doing a lot more breaststroke than freestyle swimming. The problem with that (other than being slower) is that it tires out your legs more. My swim time was about 22 minutes. I honestly think I could have cut 5 minutes off my time if I had a wetsuit, had a better starting position, and got used to the cold water. Something to strive for next time.
The bike portion went extremely well. I made up quite a bit of time overall there. I'm glad I decided to spend $1000 on my bike. It was well worth it. I was about average in the swim (about 950 out of 1900 participants), but my bike time was about 300 overall. Quite an improvement. Unfortunately, I probably overdid it on the bike because my run suffered.
I came out of the bike transition with a pretty solid running pace. That lasted about 1/4 of a mile. I ended up spending way too much time walking so I could catch my breath. I ended up doing the 3.1 miles in 29 minutes, which was again near the middle of the pack. The hardest part of the run for me was that it seemed so damn LONG. I've been running 3 miles quite a bit. Longer sometimes. But it's easier because I know how far every quarter mile is. So I've got a mental idea of how far I've run and how far I have to go. But there were no markers other than the 1- and 2-mile marker. And because I was SO tired, those mile markers seemed like they were twice as far away as they should have been.
Ideally, I could have cut another 5 minutes from my running time. Combine that with 5 minutes from the swim and that would get me to 1:30 overall, which is my goal for next year. And, yes, I will be doing this again next year. I've actually really enjoyed training for this. I didn't quite get in as much time as I wanted. Hurting my shoulder and my feet didn't help.
I did manage to get down to 175 pounds though. In fact, this morning (after all the eating yesterday), I still only weighed 175.2. My goal for next year is a very reasonable 170. Basically, I want to lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of muscle. I've already got a training plan for the year that adds weightlifting to my usual cardio stuff. I'm hoping that I can gain some strength without losing any of the cardio conditioning I've built up. We'll see if I have any luck there.
I'm also planning on doing at least 3 triathlons next year. My sister's talking about going up to Minneapolis to do that triathlon, which would be great because that's where one of my brothers lives. And I'm sure he'd be doing that triathlon too. There's also a triathlon near my family's cabin in Wisconsin. And then the Chicago triathlon. The Wife is pushing for me to do one in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, she'll have to wait until I do the Ironman in Hawaii. Which should be never.
I did it, I did it,
I did it, I did it,
I did it in 100 minutes
Yesterday was The Triathlon. You know, the one for which I've been training for the last eight or nine months. My original goal was to complete the darn thing. Then I said I wanted to finish in 1:45. I managed to beat both goals and finished in 1:40. (Technically, it was 1:39:59. I'm rounding up.)
The weather couldn't have been any better yesterday. It was sunny and in the 60's or 70's by race time. The water temperature was 68, which doesn't sound too bad. But, really, it's freezing. It was so cold, I couldn't catch my breath. And when you're in a race, breathing is kind of important. Come to think of it, it's pretty important even when you're not racing. I'm going to have to make a mental note to keep doing it.
I came into the race thinking that the swim was my best event. I've been swimming quite a bit at the pool. I developed a pretty good stroke and a good pace. I was actually looking forward to the swim. But once I got into the lake, it was another story entirely. Since it was so cold, I could hardly breathe. Plus, I put myself in the back of my heat with all the "bad" swimmers. Bad idea. Apparently, these swimmers are REALLY bad. It took me way too long to get around them and make any headway. But I never really developed a good pace because I was always trying to get around people (and still in shock from keeping my face in the cold water for more than 10 seconds). I ended up doing a lot more breaststroke than freestyle swimming. The problem with that (other than being slower) is that it tires out your legs more. My swim time was about 22 minutes. I honestly think I could have cut 5 minutes off my time if I had a wetsuit, had a better starting position, and got used to the cold water. Something to strive for next time.
The bike portion went extremely well. I made up quite a bit of time overall there. I'm glad I decided to spend $1000 on my bike. It was well worth it. I was about average in the swim (about 950 out of 1900 participants), but my bike time was about 300 overall. Quite an improvement. Unfortunately, I probably overdid it on the bike because my run suffered.
I came out of the bike transition with a pretty solid running pace. That lasted about 1/4 of a mile. I ended up spending way too much time walking so I could catch my breath. I ended up doing the 3.1 miles in 29 minutes, which was again near the middle of the pack. The hardest part of the run for me was that it seemed so damn LONG. I've been running 3 miles quite a bit. Longer sometimes. But it's easier because I know how far every quarter mile is. So I've got a mental idea of how far I've run and how far I have to go. But there were no markers other than the 1- and 2-mile marker. And because I was SO tired, those mile markers seemed like they were twice as far away as they should have been.
Ideally, I could have cut another 5 minutes from my running time. Combine that with 5 minutes from the swim and that would get me to 1:30 overall, which is my goal for next year. And, yes, I will be doing this again next year. I've actually really enjoyed training for this. I didn't quite get in as much time as I wanted. Hurting my shoulder and my feet didn't help.
I did manage to get down to 175 pounds though. In fact, this morning (after all the eating yesterday), I still only weighed 175.2. My goal for next year is a very reasonable 170. Basically, I want to lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of muscle. I've already got a training plan for the year that adds weightlifting to my usual cardio stuff. I'm hoping that I can gain some strength without losing any of the cardio conditioning I've built up. We'll see if I have any luck there.
I'm also planning on doing at least 3 triathlons next year. My sister's talking about going up to Minneapolis to do that triathlon, which would be great because that's where one of my brothers lives. And I'm sure he'd be doing that triathlon too. There's also a triathlon near my family's cabin in Wisconsin. And then the Chicago triathlon. The Wife is pushing for me to do one in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, she'll have to wait until I do the Ironman in Hawaii. Which should be never.
