Quittin' Time!

As the title might suggest, it's quitting time for me.

But only at work. And just for a couple weeks of much-needed R&R.

I'm officially off work until January 4, 2010. Today is my last day in the office, where I'm frantically trying to wrap up the year so I can head home. As I sit here in the darkened office typing this (everyone else is gone!), I feel like a kid again, as giddy about two-plus weeks off as I ever was about taking three-months off during leisurely summers long ago.

Ahhh! What to do...what to do.

Oh, I know! Train! And then train some more! It's strange, but it feels like I'm essentially taking time off from one job to focus on another, setting the training foundation for Ironman Arizona. I'm hopeful the training will be more relaxed since I won't be stressed about cramming in work hours between training sessions.

I won't have to worry as much about missing sessions, like I did today. First, I enjoyed a beautiful run this morning in Griffith Park, my first time running there besides a 10k I completed in March 2008 (think I finished in around 50 minutes if I remember correctly). Today's goal was to continuously count 22 strides with my left foot in 15-second intervals for an hour while maintaining a zone 2 heart-rate. I mostly met that goal, but I had to run for 15-seconds and then drop back for the next 45. I wasn't dropping back far though, probably to between 19-21 strides per 15 seconds. I'm not sure if that equals success, but I did hit my 22-count marks every minute and maintained an average HR of 143 for the entire hour. I hope Coach Gerardo considers that progress, especially since I couldn't fit in the cool-down swim tonight.

I had every intention of swimming (OK, I knew it was a stretch from the start) but realized today would be nuts. Presentations, meetings, housekeeping, farewells to co-workers heading to our North Carolina office...it was a packed day.

Yet once again, I feel guilty. Like I failed. I mean, I could have gotten up earlier to run and then swim, right? I feel like I let Coach Gerardo down, even though 85-90% completion per week is considered "very good" (I still hate that word though). But, I guess the only one I harm when not training is myself. 'Nuf said.

But starting tomorrow, I'll be back on schedule. A nice holiday schedule! At least for the next weeks.

Ahh!

Oh no! I almost forgot...jury duty!

Arrrgh! LA Superior Court, here I come.

342 days and counting

The Difference Between a Good & Great Coach

When I think of successful coaches, I visualize sideline leaders who ooze charisma, bark orders, and demand excellence.

Vince Lombardi. Pete Carroll. Pat Riley (sorry, I'm a Lakers die-hard). Gene Hackman's character from "Hoosiers."

All these attributes point to one-way communication. A leader speaking or dictating to his/her followers. I was reminded this morning there's another quality that separates a great coach from a good one: A good listener.

I was feeling a little deflated after my morning spin at home proved to be deceptively difficult. I couldn't understand why 45 minutes of riding on my trainer in the big chain would be so much more sweat-inducing than when I'm actually cycling on the road. Besides literally spinning my wheels, was I metaphorically doing the same? Worse yet, was I regressing? Were the multiple two-a-day sessions catching up with me?

When I arrived into work, I already had an email waiting in my inbox from Coach Gerrardo. Not only was he reading my blog (thank goodness someone else is!), but he wrote to offer some perspective after reading last night's Into the Wild post. Gerrardo reminded me that we're primarily training for the LA Marathon right now and not to worry too much about Ironman for the moment. In other words, don't get lost in the forest amidst the trees (if you read the Into the Wild post, this is a particularly fitting analogy). He also mentioned it's OK to cut a few workouts short. It's more important to have fuel in the tank at the end while putting in a bit less work than hitting a wall but finishing the workout.

Gerrardo's words were exactly what I needed to hear. I felt refreshed and energized for my lunchtime lifting session (upper body: lats, chest, shoulders, abs).

Gerrardo's desire and ability to listen made a difference in my mental outlook -- which is vulnerable at these early stages of training. It also reinforced that I made the right decision choosing Valley Coach over some of the other reputable coaching options online and throughout the Southland.

Tomorrow, I plan to blog about another pair of coaches, Shannon and Shannan. Were it not for them, I wouldn't even be able to consider an Ironman. Before I do though, I've got an hour of running and 2,700 yards to swim.

I'm ready for it. Thanks to a great coach.

349 days and counting.