Thursday, January 25, 2007

It has been a while since I wrote (in case anybody's paying attention). Needless to say film school has been consuming the hours like nobody's business. If I thought training for the Ironman took time, being in film school is like training for 2 Ironmans at once. I finish class at 4pm and am basically doing homework until about 11pm most nights.

Occasionally, those 11pm nights have turned into 2am.

So, the question you ask is "how's the training going?". Well, I'll be honest, it is minimal. I am essentially using training as a means of keeping myself healthy and also as a bit of relief from spending hours drawing 3D drawings of urban street corners...

So, it's an hour a day on the weekdays, and a 2 hr ride on Saturday on the trainer, and a 1 hr+run on Sunday. I'm not completely out, in other words.

However, I will say this... Ironman training has definitely given me the perspective to take on film school. With the workload and numerous humbling moments - take a look at my drawings and you'll have reality redefined for you - it makes me realize that I learned the commitment last year at Ironman.

This week has been a bit of a lowdown, though, as I had some assignments that affected workouts. But I've adopted the Triathlete Magazine 20 week Half Ironman program as my staple leading into the Oliver Half. I figure it's a simple approach and will keep me somewhat sane.

That's all for now. Going for a bike tonight and then a swim tomorrow morning!
Cheers for now!

Saturday, January 06, 2007

It's been a somewhat strenuous training week. Not that the training itself has been tough, but the idea of mixing the training for 8 hours or so with a school schedule. Fortunately, our first week at film school was fairly easy on the homework, and on Friday I had an acting class where we did yoga for an hour or so. I don't think our instructor realizes how much that will help me this year if we have yoga every Friday - it takes an hour of training and puts it INTO school.

Overall I am quite pleased that I decided to go back to school. I really feel as though I'm starting on a path that will continue to excite me for the entire year and beyond. I can already see how I can intertwine a training schedule into my schoolwork. Part of fueling my creative "fires", so to speak, comes from maintaining my health, and I know that doing that means exercising a little every day. If I do that, and gradually build those long rides and runs on the weekend, I think I'll be able to manage this feet.

One additional challenge that has been added is that my cousin, Lauren, is getting married in Kamloops the DAY before Ironman. Kamloops is about a 3 hour drive from Penticton... So, if I am to go the wedding and compete in Ironman, I will have to be in a car for 6 hours on that Saturday.

The one advantage I have right now is that I know about it and can plan accordingly. Maybe this will require me to get more rest throughout the week, make sure I have everything taken care of, and leave Saturday as, well, Saturday. It could be a benefit in that I will have something to keep my mind off my race for a day. Again, though, preparation means everything in this case...

Off to swimming. Rode 70 minutes on the trainer this morning at a nice, easy 115 ave bmp (low end of base zone).