Miracle on Ice?

So during the tough, double spin session last night at Iron Jenny's someone came up with a wonderful idea. Let's set up our trainers on a frozen lake and film a spin session. Seemed like a fun idea, but will it really happen? Well, as I hobble into work this morning, trying to find my legs after last nights workouts, I check some email. Yah! The plans are in the making for what may possible be the first ever frozen spin session. The plan is to shovel off a section of frozen lake and set up our trainers and film a spin session. Why? Not. Really. Sure. But I'm in! Looks like this miracle on ice will take place on Super Bowl Sunday. Refreshments will be served in the spectators area (hot tub) which will be kept warm by TriNick. I'll try and post updates on times and head count. Let's see if we can set a winter spin record. If there is such a thing.

Spin to Win.

Iron Jenny, Laura, Dia, TriNick, and Bob in for the kitchen spin.

So, I finally made it to another one of Iron Jenny's wonderful spin seesions. Even though I had to cut it short it was still a great workout. I am realizing that even though my legs are feeling pretty strong I still have an extremely long ways to go on my cardio. I was trying to follow along with the spinerval video, which was supposed to focus on aerobic conditioning, but my heart rate just continued to climb. I had to back off a lot to keep my heart rate aerobic. It's kind of frustrating, but I have to remeber that it is early and these are the workouts that will help increase my aerobic ability. I just have to have patience and focus on my plan, it will all come together.

I managed to squeez in a weight session at lunch today with a short run for a cooldown. I am planning an hour run for after work followed by a relaxing swim session. I have really been enjoying my swim sessions so far. All I have been doing is easy swimming and stroke work. It's nice to go to the pool and not suffer through a tough speed work out. But, those are just around the corner.

What is going on?

So I will finally have some free time this weekend, so I decided to check ice climbing conditions in MN. I found out that you now have to buy a $25. permit to climb in the St. Paul parks. What??? Cyclist, walkers, and joggers don't need a permit to use the park, but I am supposed to pay for one to use a city park along side a winter walker that is there for free. I don't get it. So, I guess I won't be climbing in St. Paul this year. It looks like climbing will have to wait a couple weeks until I can get up the the North Shore and climb for free.

Anyways, my training is slowly starting to build now. I made it through another hour run last week and it felt really good. I have about three weeks until my actual training program starts, so I am just slowly increasing times to prepare for that. I am really not looking forward to spending long hours on my bike on the trainer. I just get really bored after about an hour or so. The three+ hour rides that I will have to do before spring are really going to suck. A Lot!!! I can't wait to get outside for a ride. I am trying to use my mountain bike for some short rides this winter, but it really isn't the same.

Oh well, it's off to the gym tonight for a good weight session followed by a pool workout. It is really crazy how crowded the gyn is after New Years. Some people may stick with it, but my guess is that by mid Feb. it will be back to normal, whick means no more waiting for a machine or treadmill. YEE HAW!!!

It turns out, that like most things, my musical preferences are cyclical. I am reverting to listening to a lot of the music I grew up with as a teenager. I have added a lot of punk rock, heavy metal, and other hard music to my work out playlists and driving cd's. Here is a little sample of my musical past coming back. "Homebrew" by 311.

Almost done...

So, we are almost done with Christmas celebrations. Four down and two to go. Yee Haw. I really love all of my family, but stretching out Christmas for a month is a bit much.

Anyways, I havn't been posting much lately due to the fact that I havn't been doing much lately. I have been help up with a terrible cold for over a week now and training has been minimal. I made it into the pool last night with my wife. It was her birthday so I surprised her with a new pair of goggles all wrapped up and stuffed in her gear bag. She actually liked them and they fit her face well. So now I can reclaim my other goggles that she had been "borrowing". I managed to swim a nice easy mile. I alternated some pull sets in the first 800 with paddles to try and work my for and gain a little strength in my stroke.

After the swim we went out to a local bar/grill and had a nice dinner, followed by a movie at home. She has been fighting the same cold that I have, so we were in bed pretty early. Not exaclty a wild birthday party.

Ironman Zurich seems like a long ways off, but it's actually right on top of us already, or so it seems. We are trying to finalize our travel plans this week, or at least buy our airline tickets. We are yet to decide where we are going and what we are doing for the days after the race, so it's hard to decide if we are flying back from Zurich or somewhere else. I will have tickets lined up by Thursday, so it's time to decide, I hope.