There it was - gone!

Prop 8

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Ok its been a while and much has happened and I would have blogged about it, but...much was happening. In fact I have and am considering knocking blogging to touch. I am at the moment, undecided on that score. However, I felt this was worthwhile. In my now ex-home of California, people voted for Prop 8, a law that outlaws gay marriage. As a reaction a friend posted this quote from my favourite atheist Thomas Jefferson on her Facebook page . It says all that needs to be said.

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind as that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.

Thomas Jefferson

Favorite Photo Blog

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:43:00 +0000

I have a lot of feeds from some great photo blogs but The Big Picture a blog on the Boston Globe's website is by far my favorite. Every few days they publish a set of photos around a similar theme. Today's is surfing. Follow this link, the pictures are breath taking. This is one worth bookmarking.

Downieville

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Downieville is a little town in the Sierra's nestling in a valley along the North Fork of The Yuba River. Like most of these little towns it was settled during the gold rush of 1849. You can still come across people panhandling for gold in the river. These days the town is more likely to be populated with mountain bikers than bearded old prospectors. It's the location of the annual world famous Downieville Classic mountain bike race, which consists of two events, a cross country race and a gnarly downhill race where you descend over 5000 feet of heart poundingly steep and technical single track. We went up to ride the downhill course. It's perfectly possible to top 30 mph as you descend, and many of the pro racers go at over 40 mph. We witnessed some of them on a practice ride (the race was the weekend after we were there) and it's amazing the speeds they travel at. I think it helps to be a little crazy to race mountain bikes downhill. The course is a constantly changing roller coaster of a ride, carving dust tracks give way to gut wrenching steep, slick, speedy sections, which suddenly change terrain and the trail cross multiple streams before entering a rock strewn forest where the slightest loss of concentration will be punished. And that's just the first ten minutes. Of the five of us that rode the trail (we did it twice, once each day) three crashed, none seriously...well not very seriously. Some nasty cuts. To add to the excitement, one of my mates who was right in front of me rode right past a brown bear! My eyes were so glued to the trail that despite being twenty feet behind I never saw the bear. However another friend who was a bit behind us was spooked when the bear ran right across the trail on front of him. I'm not sure if I'm glad I missed the bear or sad I never got to see it.

Dancing In The Streets

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:46:00 +0000

No time for writing so photos it is. This was taken just off Tompkin's Square Park (where I lived 18 years ago). A jazz band was playing on the back of a parked truck and this couple were grooving to the music. A very pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning. More proof of New York's increasing livability. This area although fun to socialise in, was dangerous and decrepit when I lived there. My roommate at the time had his neck slashed with a razor blade in a very nasty mugging. He was incredibly lucky to get a way with only a nasty scar. The EMT people told him if his attacker had been standing a centimeter closer he would have cut his jugular.

Chatting in the East Village

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:22:00 +0000

No time to write so some more photos from my trip to NY. This is on the corner of 6th and A in the East Village (the best breakfast place in NY is the 7A on 7th and A). I used to live on 8th and B eighteen years ago, and I always try and take in breakfast at the 7A when I am in town. I was walking around the neighborhood, which has been cleaned up dramatically since I lived there, when I came across a little outdoor stage with a jazz band playing. The couple in the photograph were hanging out nearby.

Single speed bikes like this are the new toy for urban hipsters. Even in hilly San Francisco they are very common. Simple, sleek, light and elegant, almost maintenance free. In relatively flat NY they are the perfect commuter vehicle. Most often the rear gear is fixed, i.e you can't coast, no freewheel. This means the bikes often do not have brakes, or at most a front brake (in this case a rear brake). You slow down by slowing your pedaling. This takes a little time to fully master, but it makes for a very efficient pedaling stroke when you switch back to a freewheel bike. You have to be able to pedal around corners and downhill, when many on freewheel bikes would coast.

Not wearing a helmet seems to be the norm when riding a fixie. Helmets will never make you look cool, but I've witnessed many bike crashes where severe head trauma was avoided by wearing one, and seeing people ride on busy city streets without one makes me cringe.

Al We Hardly Knew Ya

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Anyone see Al Gore's, Obama endorsement speech last night. Where was that guy eight years ago ? If he had that much fire in his belly back then George Bush would have been an also ran. In fact Obama speech afterwards seemed limp in comparison.

Brooklyn From a Taxi

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:36:00 +0000

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:22:00 +0000

You can't but feel happy looking at this. At least I can't. It looks like crossing this bridge on a bike more regularly is in my future. More anon...

BTW I am getting pixelation when I upload photos - doesn't matter whether I use Flickr, or upload directly, I'd love to know how to fix it. There is no pixelation on the originals. It's driving me crazy, I've compared html with other photo blogs, especially those where they posted from Flickr and I cannot find any difference. Any ideas out there?

San Jose Triathlon 2hrs 28 Mins

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:40:00 +0000

I am very pleased with this time, I was told I could expect to go up to fifteen minutes shorter at San Jose than at Wildflower, so cutting twenty minutes from my Wildflower time was very satisfying indeed. There are reasons - San Jose is much flatter, there is only one steep climb on the bike, and the run is pretty flat. Also, the swim is 250 metres shorter than a normal Olympic distance swim, not that that’s a whole lot, but it knocks a few minutes of the swim.
That said, the swim was a pain in the ass, I went off a little too fast, and had to slow down, I also veered off course a few times on the circular course, and my goggles let in some water on the right side which is very annoying and makes it hard to sight the course buoys. I was glad to get out of the water, but my swimming is strong and I should be getting better times. 22 minutes is fine, but in the pool I can knock at least 3 minutes off that. I need to be more aggressive and less intimidated. I was thrilled with my bike ride; I did the 40k in 1:10, and managed to keep up with the time trial bikes which are much more aero-dynamic than a normal road bike. On the one hill I zipped by the TT bikes, but I was head to head with the same group of riders on the flats (most of the course). The run however, was a bitch. I made a big mistake the day before by going for a ride with some friends and overdoing it. I went 10 miles out not realising I had a lot of climbing on the way back. That was a dumb move. After pushing hard on the ride, my legs felt like concrete on the run. I did the 10K in 50 minutes but I was hoping to get closer to 46 minutes. It’s a lesson learned. Taper properly. Lack of sleep was also a factor, as I also had to get up at 4:30AM to drive 60 miles to be on time for the 7:20AM start time. For a variety of reasons I hadn't gotten a solid nights sleep all week none of which helped. Despite all that at the end of the day coming in under 2:30 was thrilling. I was 34th in my age group and 180th overall. It was a very cool event, 1500 people and very well organised. There is such a positive vibe at these events that it carries through for a few days afterwards.

In an aside, one of my friends, who lives in the US was back in Ireland and did the Wicklow 200K bike ride, and said that while the ride was spectacular, it was the worst organised event he has ever done. No rest station until 100K, and then it didn’t have any energy drinks or gels, and at the beginning only one machine to check in over a 1000 people. Any Irish readers out there do the ride? What was your experience?

Need For Speed

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:59:00 +0000

This is my usual view of my mate C, whether we be on the flats or the hills.

My Uncle, The Maigue Poets, John Shinnors and the Hilton Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:43:00 +0000

When I was in Limerick a few weeks back, my father and I were walking over Sarsfield bridge to meet my mother for lunch in the new Hilton Hotel on O'Callaghan's Strand, when I wondered a loud what had happened to the painting. The Hilton was built on the site of the old Jury's Hotel and about twenty years ago my uncle Eamon (Eddie to his friends), was responsible for creating a Limerick-themed bar in the hotel - there was also a similar themed bar for the Cork and Dublin Jury's. Eamon had a career that veered from being an adviser to Ireland's Minister for Finance in the 60's, George Colley, to being broke and ill in the late 80's. The Jury's bar project was a kind of comeback, the fruit of a very active mind. The bar was themed around limericks - the rhyme. It is believed that this rhyming structure originated with the Maigue Poets in County Limerick in the 18th century. In fact, it's not far off the mark to say that the Maigue Poets were the original rappers as they would have public limerick roasting competitions pitting one poet against the other to see who come come up with the best rhyme.
As part of the project, my uncle commissioned the famous Limerick painter, John Shinnors, to paint a large scale painting of the poets competing. When he did this he used the faces of well known extant local Limerick characters for subjects in the painting.The main character, a poet with a piece of paper in his hand, from which he was reciting - was my uncle. He captured him perfectly, my uncle was fond of hold forth in his local hostiliery, and due to a hip replacement, would often lean back against the bar as depicted in the painting.

Anyhow, as we walked over the bridge, my dad said he didn't know what had happened to the painting, but mentioned that my aunt had seen it tossed carelessly aside when they began the demolition of the old hotel. I couldn't believe that such a great (and very large), painting could go missing, and just as we walked into the new hotel I turned around, and there it was, hanging in the foyer.

It was great to see it, and my dad was thrilled it was still there. My uncle lost a long battle with cancer a few years after the bar was complete. A larger than life painting is a nice way to remember a larger than life character.

Fishing in the Shannon

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Used to occasionally fish here myself a long time ago. Never caught much, although if you know what you are doing apparently there are plenty of Trout and Salmon.

40 It's Just A Number, Although a Very Big One...

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to me. I'm forty. So, I failed in the Hope I Die Before I Get Old competition, although I did make a valiant effort through my twenties and early thirties. Getting older doesn't really bother me, and with the triathlon under my belt I feel pretty good at the moment. I've signed up for the San Jose triathlon next weekend, although the thought of getting up at 4:30 am to be down there for a 7:00 am start is not appealing.

Tash gave me a killer birthday present, a photo album of my first 40 years, apparently she spent the last year collecting and printing photos. Now thats love! There are plans for the day, but I've been told I'll find out what they are in good time.

Manhattan

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:51:00 +0000

I've been traveling, hence zero time for blogging. I spent a very pleasant weekend in Manhattan, (followed by London and Ireland). Actually pleasant is probably not the right description of a weekend with an old college friend who was over from Ireland visiting his brother. Mildly debauched, actually on Saturday night it was quite debauched. It's been a long time since I was last up late enough to see the dawn. All in all it hit the right notes of drinking, eating, catching some music, sight seeing and shopping.

It was pissing rain while I was in the taxi from JFK, and the freeway was at a standstill. The driver decided to take local streets through Brooklyn to get to the East Village, where my mate was in a bar and had a pint with my name on it. It was the right decision, we made it from the airport in 40 minutes. I snapped this as we traversed the Williamsburg Bridge looking towards Midtown.

Luckily the weather eased off and was perfectly pleasant for the rest of the weekend.

Wildflower Triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:18:00 +0000

2hrs 48mins 17 seconds

Had a great race. It went as smooth as could be. The swim as expected was my strongest, and I got out of the water among the top of my age group. I had a ball on the cycling, the infamous Lynch hill didn't seem too bad. All the training definitely paid off there, I cruised up the hills. The run was as brutal as I had been led to expect, but I got the 10k done in 50 minutes. I am really happy with the time, 12 minutes inside my aim of 3hrs. Everyone I talked to told me it was a good result, for a first triathlon, given the difficulty of the course. I am thrilled skinny, (or at least swimmed, biked and ran skinny). More later when I recover. Thanks to all for your best wishes. I will be doing this again!

Taper, (And Now The End Is Near)

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:06:00 +0000

So, less than a week to go. I am tapering, although my body wants to go run, cycle, jump, anything but relax. I have a few short, intense work outs to keep the body primed, for example I will do a much shorter swim today, maybe 1500 metres, but all 100 metre sets at high intensity. Tomorrow I have my bike class, a similar swim on Thursday, Friday off, and maybe a short intense bike ride on Saturday. I am equal measures excited and apprehensive. I am prepared, and I got a lactate test last week, and my gains are substantial. My lactate threshold, (LT), has gone up quite a bit, and my top end power output has rocketed. My blood lactate increases a little too fast for my liking from the point LT is reached to the point at which it accumulates in my system, the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), but this is mostly because I started my sessions a few weeks late. If I had started two weeks earlier I would have been able to spend more time training in my upper zones lengthening the time before OBLA. It's nothing to worry about though. If I keep this up after the triathlon, that will change. Mostly I am worried about pushing too hard. The last mountain bike race I rode, I killed myself to get up front, but half way through I burned out and finished badly. I’ve never done a triathlon so I’m not sure how to gauge. The swim although my least favorite discipline is easily my fastest compared to most people in my age group, but I am going to take it easy. The bike I will push a bit, but mostly I want to get to the run with something in the tank. Every time I talk to someone about Wildflower, the word “brutal” is used to describe the hilly run which is largely on trails. I have been averaging 7.45 minute miles on my runs, but I expect that I will be well over 8, and maybe even 9 minutes given the preceding disciplines and the course. I will be happy to come in under three hours, but I know if I race well I could do a lot better, however lack of experience will factor against me, and if the weather doesn’t cooperate things could go south rapidly. I don’t work well in intense heat, and it has gotten over 100F in previous years, although it averages in the 80’s. Hopefully the wind won’t be a factor, but it has been in the past, and wind is generally expected to play a role in the race.

So there it is nothing to do but avoid injury. We are heading down to the race site, having rented an RV, we will camp for two nights. Our two eldest kids are coming, as are my trainer friend, his wife and their 2 eldest. Several of the folks from my bike class are competing also, and a few friends are thinking of coming down to cheer along. It should be fun, hopefully…

Triathlon Training (and training and training and training...)

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:54:00 +0000

I had meant to blog this triathlon training thing on a regular basis, however, as usual when taking on something new, I underestimated how time consuming and difficult this training would be. My guitars are gathering dust, so intensive have been the last few weeks. The kids do get dusted off occasionally, but even they are temporarily orphaned on this altar of athletic achievement. So here I am, half way into my nine week training program and nary a blog post published, at least none concerning progress of a sporting variety. So, this is how it has gone:

When I decided I was going to do this, there were two major obstacles: my torn meniscus (more later), and time. A wise man once told me that while it's possible to have lots time, and lots of money, having both simultaneously is a rare thing indeed.Although I have very little time, I am gainfully employed, so it seemed throwing som some money at it might enable me to maximise my time. With that in mind, I joined the Endurance Performance Centers, and I also arranged for a friend, experienced in such things, to draw me up a nine week training plan, scientifically designed to deposit me at the start of the Wildflower triathlon, in peak form. The fact that my friend had previously worked for Endurance was not a coincidence. They are an outfit specifically geared towards getting bikers in peak shape. To do this, I first had a fitness assessment. This meant wearing a gas exchange mask, and a heart rate monitor while riding a bike hooked up to a computer. I first rode until the test showed that although working hard, I had reached the limit of my bodies ability to absorb oxygen, i.e. my VO2 max. For the next test, I rode constantly while the watts I needed to put out increased every two minutes, until I could go no further. At 310 watts I topped out, my legs screaming at me to stop. Previous to all this, I stood on a super dooper high tech weighing scale that weighed me, calculated my body fat, and the individual muscle density of my legs and arms, and my basal metabolic rate. All this was used to calculate my VT1 and VT2. These are my training thresholds and each one is a combination of heart rate, wattage and VO2. Ideally you train within them, pushing above VT2 for short periods to increase your lactate thresholds. Then I got a review of this with an expert, explaining what it meant and how I could apply it, and how I should fuel as I trained. I came out as fit and healthy, although any dreams of a future stint in the Tour de France peloton were well and truly scuppered. With a V02 max of 47, I was in the high end of my age and of an average person, but well below that of a professional. For example Lance Armstrong's VO2 max is in the 80s. It seems I am in no way a superman, not that I needed a test to tell me that. The most important thing they measure is your efficiency, how well you use the energy you produce. Mostly this is all about pedaling technique. My score wasn’t great. However this is not a bad thing. You may be able to up your V02 max, but often its limit is genetically defined. Your power output may also increase but for some people it doesn’t improve much. Efficiency however, can always be improved. This explains why there are professional athletes with lower VO2 maxes who are incredibly efficient.

After all this, I started on a program of twice weekly 90 minute eCycling classes at Endurance. This is basically a class of bikers with their bikes mounted on a CompuTrainer (device for generating wattage load). Each person has four wattage zones. Z1 is easy, Z2 a little harder, Z3 is hard, and Z4 is only sustainable for a minute or so. The instructor brings the class through sets of intervals designed to help build endurance and simulate real world cycling, hills, descents, time trials, pace lines, and sprinting. All of this is done with a constant focus on efficient technique. “Keep it pretty!” our trainer shouts as we try to hold 25 miles an hour in Z4 for a minute. “Dance with a swan, don’t wrestle with a pig!” I finished many classes smelling of bacon. The classes do an eight week rotation, getting progressively harder, after which you get tested again. You should show substantial gains in every area. Although I haven’t retested yet, I am already working way above my initial numbers. Concurrent to this, my friend developed a training program that included twice weekly swims, starting at 2500 metres and working up to 3500 metres, and runs that incorporate some hill sprints to build strength. On the weekends I get to ride outside, usually a long ride three or four hours, but never too hard.

Over all I feel great, a little tired most evenings, and early to bed is the norm. However I’ve lost almost 10lbs, my max wattage on the bike has jumped dramatically, and my efficiency is hugely improved. When I ride with my friends that train all year round and race occasionally, I can now keep up. So, at the half way mark it’s all working as planned. My greatest worry was that my knee wouldn't hold up, but to my delight as my legs have gotten stronger my torn meniscus seems to have healed, and bar an occasional twinge, seems to be fine.

A New Hope

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Message to my American Brethern and Sistern on Paddy's Day

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:13:00 +0000

First of all, Happy St Paddy's day. Before the Yanks got a hold of it, Paddy's day was mostly about going to Mass, and not a lot else. It needed some American razzmatazz. Without you, we would never have had fresh-faced, baton-twirling girls from the Midwest, marching down O'Connell Street in the pouring rain, while wearing impossibly tiny skirts, and managing to smile despite the frost bite. Of course, there is also the giant piss up that it has become. That, I believe, was imported from the streets of Manhattan, as was the parade idea. So, we owe you a big thank you. However, a couple of things - I am at pains to point out that I am not admonishing or lecturing you here, many of my favorite things (burritos, the electric guitar, to name just a couple), came from the U.S.'s need to borrow, improve, and make boat loads of cash from other cultures' traditions. In general, I wholeheartedly approve of this; however, there are two areas where you have fallen down. #1: we don't eat corned beef and cabbage. Ever. We do eat bacon (big, salty lump o' boiled ham), and cabbage (big lump o' cabbage with the arse boiled out of it). When I say we, I mean the collective we. Personally, I never eat bacon and cabbage because it tastes like old, boiled, salty sock. And I'm vegetarian. So, although you may like corn beef and cabbage, it ain't an Irish dish.

And #2 is the whole "Happy St Patty's Day" thing. I know Patrick has a "t" therein, however when abbreviated, we insert two "d's." We are awkward like that. Sorry for that, I realise it's not intuitive, but nevertheless when someone types "Happy St Patty's Day" to me, it makes me want to thump seven types of shite out of them, and that's not good, especially when they were only being nice.

There thats it. Happy Paddy's Day to you all.

Love, John.

P.S. Leave the Guinness alone. It can't be improved upon, and it only comes in two colors, black and white (always simultaneously), never green.

Shootin' Pool

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:36:00 +0000

American Racial History By a Four Year Old

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:06:00 +0000

“Maya, guess who's coming over next Wednesday?” asked Tash. We have a babysitter named Rachel who Maya adores - she will frequently ask us when we are going out next so Rachel can come over.

“Her name begins with R, rrrrrrrrrrrr,” enunciated Tash, hoping that Maya would guess correctly.

This was greeted with a blank look.

“R .A., rrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaay…”

“Ray Charles?!” shouted Maya excitedly.

“Ray Charles?” guffawed Tash looking me. I was doubled over laughing.

“Who is Ray Charles, Maya?” I asked after I had recovered.

“He was a Black American, and he was blind when he was a boy, so he had to buy sunglasses when he grew up,” she explained patiently. “Oh, and he played piano.”

“How do you know this?”

“We learned it during Black American Month” *

“What other African Americans do you know?”

“The Supremes,” she stated confidently.”And Colin** Powell. But I think he’s white not black.”

“Do you know famous people from any other races,” I probed, “maybe Asian-Americans?”

“Yes, Martin Luther King, but he’s dead, he was shotted (yes, shotted) by the white people because they didn’t like him.”

*African American History Month is celebrated in February.
** pronounced C-ah-lin not C-oh-lin

Tide Log

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:47:00 +0000

I took this just before Christmas, while we were out at Crissy Field taking a family photo for our Christmas card.

Bubble Monsters

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:53:00 +0000

Wasn't it really nice...

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:32:00 +0000

how during the Oscars last night, John Stewart brought Marketa Irglova back out so she could say her thank yous. I watched this years awards show in it's entirety, which might have been the first time I did so. I did this primarily because I wanted to see how Glenn Hansard and Marketa Irglova would do. Much as I dislike the Frames, (Hansard's band, overwrought, all dynamics and no melody), "Falling Slowly" is a great song, and I loved the movie. It really hit home to me. I spent a chunk of my late teens and early twenties busking on the streets of various Irish cities and like Hansard's character, at night if things were slow, I'd try out my own songs. However I never had a cute Czech girl come up and flirt with me. Lots of drunks and ne'er do wells though...

Tri Training

noreply@blogger.com (John Mc) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:33:00 +0000

I am fried today. This triathlon lark has burned me out. I cycled 40k on Friday and for shits and giggles ran 3 miles afterwards. Just to see how it feels like. It felt downright weird; my legs were jelly, although aerobically I was fine, if a little tired. I then rode 52k on Sunday, and today I couldn’t even crawl across the room, even with a gun pointed at my head. I my have overdone it slightly. A wine soaked dinner at a friend’s house until 1:30am on Saturday night didn't help. If I am serious about this (and I am), I may have to trim back my social life a tad. The ride was worth it though; yesterday was gorgeous, 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and no wind. Perfect cycling weather. My hangover gave up the ghost after the first hill climb.

The good thing is that my indoor wattage training on the stationary bike is paying off, I am feeling much stronger, and was easily able to keep up with the folks I was riding with, all of whom race and ride more often than I do. A few weeks back I would fall behind on the climbs, last weekend I felt strong and instead of being completely shagged when I got to the top, I recovered almost instantly, a sure sign of increasing fitness. Still, I can barely lift my head off my desk today. Part of the problem is I didn’t refuel properly, 2 slices of pizza does not a triathlete's diet make! I have a carb drink for the ride, but I really should get a carb / protein drink for immediately afterwards. I have been told that I will feel much better faster if I do this.

This week, I going to work on a training schedule with a friend, who up to recently ran a company that trained endurance athletes, and I will hit the pool for my first swim session. Swimming is my strong suit, I swam competitively for years, and most people doing a first triathlon haven't ever swam in competition before, so I expect I should be able to do the 1500 meters without too much training.

Until then, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz