Bloggers Anonymous.

I read in a recent magazine article that there are over 64,000 blogs associated with triathletes... I guess mine is in there somewhere, but that is a LOT of blogs for a "niche" sport. When I read this, I thought I would get online and see what other folks were writing... It's amazing, but there really is a lot of great material out there.

I, myself, am a bit of a researcher when it comes to a hobby or a passion. When I get into something, I spend my free time looking up anecdotes, advice, commentary, and so on, and find out who else is interested, who is an expert, and who doesn't know what they are talking about. You can guess, therefore, that with 64,000 blogs to look through, I'm pretty much swamped with information...

Why is it that we triathletes have to write so much? I don't think we have much to say, really, except for, of course, MY blog (it's informative and interesting, right?)... I think it's because being a triathlete is a more cerebral activity than many people realize. After all, it's skill set is really simple... If you can swim, ride a bike, and run, then you have the tools necessary to do the sport. So, since it doesn't take much to "learn" how to do a triathlon, maybe we're drawn towards overthinking the whole process... After all, we really don't need 50 million articles on "how to run"... We all know, instinctively, what it takes to run. And nobody had to teach us, as children, how to run. We figured that out for ourselves... The biking might be a bit more challenging, and the swimming is not always a given, but even those are skills many of us do pick up at a fairly early age.

So, with a lack of basic skill development to focus on, we spend our time pouring over article upon article of "how to do it better" and also "what this means to me" chatter...

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Well, think of it this way. Thousands of years ago, cavemen carved pictures into caves to tell stories and recall events of their lives. They tracked hunting seasons, ancient games, and so on. The Olympics are a direct result of these recollections.

Taken a step further, let's presume that this internet thing, or "series of tubes", is going to be around in some way for a long time. I think, then, that these blogs are our way of recording history. Hundreds of years from now, our stories, all 64,000 + triathlon stories, will be a painting of the culture of our day.

This is our way of saying that each and every one of us was important, and the fact that there is no cap on the number of blogs, or the content, available, means that "my" importance is not at the expense of "your" importance. We're all democratically significant and, also, equally insignificant, in telling stories.

So, I say "blog away"... And if you're writing about triathlon I am probably going to find your site sooner or later.

Meanwhile I plug along and train for my first race of the year. The UBC Triathlon is in just over 2 months and I am signed up for the Olympic distance. This is a risk as the weather is habitually awful for this race, so doing a full Olympic seems foolish. But it is also a "big" enough event to get me psyched up for it, so that's part of the process.

I have adopted a low-intensity, high frequency training routine for January and February. Essentially I am operating on a 10-14 day schedule with one day off every two weeks. Since the volume and intensity are low, the recovery is shorter, so I'm looking to make those gains in base training. Strength and yoga have continued to be focuses the past two weeks. I have managed to avoid taking time off during the holidays, although I have been eating quite a bit and drinking quite a bit - it's DECEMBER, after all... But I haven't taken more than a day off a week of exercise, so I feel fairly healthy heading into January. I can't say the same for my weight, though. I have definitely added a few lb's over this month. I suppose a little "winter fat" is good for me, as it gives me some reserves for training.

Time for some more Christmas food (although it is Boxing Day).