Stumbling on Happiness

Very interesting video on why we have fatter heads. Apparently, it's not just because of the Big Mac.



http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/97

EnduraSport Harryman Results

It was a dark and stormy morning and the fog grew thicker and thicker. Just when the wetsuits were all zipped up and the bare feet churned the sand, the whistle blew: the swim had been cancelled. Big bummer for the first triathlon of the season. My first triathlon with a training program.

But, in case you don't know me well, the glass is always half full. The wicked weather actually made out for an extremely unique experience. I has a transcendental experience, as if I were in the clouds of Kubla Khan. If Coleridge were only a triathlete:

And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing.

And so, in this chasm of thick pants the triathlon set in motion.  The thick fog and the constant drizzle gave an athlete the feeling they were racing in a loud. 

The race was going really well. I decided to wear my HRM but not to use it as a pace setter but to go off of RPE and analyze the HRM later on. My HR was higher than I would have thought I could handle, with an average in the higher 170s and lower 180s. I also hit a new max HR of 195. 

I felt pretty strong on the bike and passed a lot of people which felt good after running pretty slow in the first 1.5 mile run which took place of the swim. After  45 mins on the bike, an official came up to me and asked for my number. She wrote me up for drafting! I was really confused, because for the past couple minutes I had been sitting up, eating a gel, and going uphill at about 15 mph. Last time I checked, that isn't fast enough to catch a substantial draft. Apparently, this lady failed to realize that I was far more concerned with my safety (wet roads, oncoming traffic and sharp corners) to even think about drafting at all. 

All in all, I forgave the official. It's nice enough to have people who care enough and want to help. And, of course, when I still one a trophy for 3rd place in my age group and my place in the age group wasn't altered, the 2:00 min penalty didn't bother.

17th overall - 3rd in Age Group 1-24. Would have been 12th w/o penalty. 

Below are my times. I'm very happy with my transition times. Aaaah, have I mentioned how I love this sport? 

17.Mark Guay            23 M      210  10:01  6:41   23 |  :35    3 |1:27:42 19.8   14 |  :37    7 |  44:39  7:12   22 |2:25:34 02:00

Popsicles, Lollipops and Protein Shakes

So, things have been pretty crazy lately. I knew first-year teaching would be difficult but it was too hard to imagine just coming out of an intense grad program. But now, I realize how strenuous this last year has been. And I came to this conclusion: teaching increases the aging process. Figures estimate that within just five years, I'll look like Gandolf from the Lord of the Rings. That's pretty cool though, because then I'll be able to make dragon fireworks and scare all the hobbits.

Anyway, a couple updates:

1. Most importantly, I got a new baby. Okay, a new bike. Check it out below:


Jamis Xenith T1

Jamis is an up and coming brand in the triathlon world. I suggest giving them a look. There's an insightful review in Bicycling Magazine .

I also joined Full Throttle Endurance, a competitive triathlon club on the Northeast. Haven't gotten to train with them much, but with the few times I have, they seemed like a great team to be on. I'm looking forward toward helping them keep their division title in the USAT club championships.



There's also been this sore throat that I've had for several months now. After watching many episodes of Heroes, I thought maybe I was growing an adaptation to breath fire, but my doctor stunted that hypothesis. Instead, it's popsicles, lollipops and protein shakes for me after the Musselman. I need to get my tonsils removes. Lame!
Make sure to send me Vanilla Ice Cream in August. That's the date of the surgery. For now, the doc suggested a waterpik. So, it seems shooting water at my tonsils will have to suffice for the next couple of months. Thank goodness my doctor is also a triathlete. After telling me the news, "Well, it seems that you're going to have to deal with the pain until after the Musselman. There's no way you're going to want to sit around for two weeks beforehand." By the way, with the waterpik, I've greatly increased me age once again. Pretty soon gray hair and a wizard stick.

An incredible story

Yesterday, I was sitting around while the beautiful sun was shining and it was 55 degrees out. Recovery week is so boring! Anyway, I needed motivation to get out of the house for a short, easy (boring) run. And so, check this out below:



Being an English teacher, I love hearing a good story. In fact, I've always loved a good story.

Races - 2009

So far, these are the races I've signed up for (If only triathlon weren't so costly):

Olympic - Harryman Triathlon - May 16
Olympic - Tri in Buffalo - July 5
Half Iron- Musselman - July 19
Olympic - Westchester tri - Sept 27

Mmmmm, now, I'll save up and sign up for some sprint tris. The Olympics fill up superdedooperty quickly.

May 30th or 31st? Harriman sprint?

Increase the swim!

I finally have found a pool to swim at. Thank goodness! Inconsistent swim practices were starting to become a real drag and so, I am more than happy to be a member at a local high school pool. I read the USAT magazine today which highlighted two main areas that harbor triathletes: Boulder, Colorado and San Diego, CA. I used to think of living in Colorado - heck, I'm used to the cold, but I've always yearned for the warmer weather. Wappingers may not be triathlon central, but we'll see if I can change that. Below is my tentative 2009 schedule:

• Endurasports Harryman - Olympic - May 16th
  
• SBR Tri #1 - Sprint - May 31
• Need race in June - maybe NYC tri club # 1
  
• Tri in the Buff - Olympic - July 5
  
• Musselman - Half Iron - July 19
• Niatic Bay Triathlon - Olympic - August 2nd
• SBR Tri #2 - Sprint - August 15
• Toughman - Half Iron - Sept 13
• Westchester Triathlon - Olympic - Sept 27th

Okay, so the truth is, the funds won't support this race schedule, but I can dream right?

Check this video out below! Wow!

Bright Eyes!

So, I've been reading some people's blogs for a while now, and I think it's a really good idea. So, I thought to myself, why don't I start doing it? This blog is meant to reflect mostly on my training, but why not my life as well?

I've just officially signed up for the Musselman Half-iron distance! I'm stoked and my training the last week shows it. I'm a little sore but craving more. For those who don't know, I'm pretty much completely recovered from laser eye surgery! I can see!!!!! It's incredible. I've been waiting to get this surgery for a couple years now. No more contacts or eye glasses for me! Not only will this improve my overall life experience, but just imagining racing without contacts is incredible!

Yesterday, some buddies and I watched the 2003 Tour De France while riding for a nice 2 hour session. Training rides are pretty lame, but watching Lance for 2 hours was way better than staring at a wall. It looks like Salem (my cat who thinks he's a dog) enjoys trainer rides.


I've definitely been having the winter time blues. It's a lot sunnier here than Buffalo (I live in Wappingers Falls, NY), yet it still gets pretty cold. Kaitlyn got me a SAD sun box, which really brightens my mornings (sun salutations before work without the actual sun just weren't the same!).Also,I've been able to capture some pretty nice photos of the ice.