Window Office or one step closer to the outside?

So I've been a busy beaver this past week. I completed & efiled my tax return and it was accepted by the IRS. I will be getting a decent refund because of my mortgage, itemization of my receipts and donation of my clothes that are loose. I also shopped around for home owners insurance and got that setup...now in case something bad happens like fire or theft I will be covered.

I got some good news today. To my surprise, I will be getting a window office. Window offices are tough to come by in my building because there are so few of them and they go by seniority. I'm so happy that I will be getting some natural light now. This should improve my overall productivity.

3600 Microsoft Shoes waiting to drop

Well, as I'm sure you have heard...like everyone around the world was talking about the layoffs at Microsoft. I luckily am not part of the initial 1400 people that got laid off last week, but some of my friends did not escape unscathed. There will be more layoffs over the next 18 months. An additional 3600 jobs are planned to be axed. That's a lot of shoes to dodge for our CEO. He better seek out Bush to get some shoe dodging lessons.

Anyways, back to tri talk, that's why I have this blog right? I finally found a way to swim without irritating my foot. It's called duct tape! Yes, that's right. I tape up my feet to give it stability and it works! I can kick now! This weekend my diet was blown to pieces. What I mean to say is, I ate very unhealthy as there were parties and stuff. On Saturday, I did strength training, indoor cycling and swimming. On Sunday I did 2 hours on my bike trainer. Tonight, I will do some cardio and some strength. Tues-Thurs are my heavy swim days. I sure hope my foot gets better now that I am taping them.

Going Long

I was hoping to find "Going Long" by Joe Friel at Barnes and Noble but was disappointed...twice. I ended up purchasing it on Amazon along with The Triathlete Training Bible also by Joe Friel.

Today I took advantage of the rare sunshine and went for a 25 mile bike. At first, I was worried that what I was wearing would not keep me warm, but I was sweating like crazy...only my toes were frozen. I live not too far from the Red Hook Brewery, so from my place I rode along the Lake Sammammish River trail until I hit Marymore park then did a portion of Lake Sammammish. As always, I had to climb Juanita Woodinville Way hill (nasty) to get back to my place. While I was riding I realized how much triathlon has changed my life. Race day is only small part of the journey...because there were so many times I just wanted to stay in bed or head home instead of training. But I persist on and I grow stronger because of it.

Researching...

So today my idea of getting a coach was put into jeopordy. After speaking with Rhae about getting a coach for my first Ironman 70.3, she suggested that for my first 70.3 to not waste money on a coach, but to go online to research training plans and find a mentor. Hiring a coach really comes in handy when you train for a full Ironman.

I this weekend I will sit down at a coffee shop and do more researching on training plans. Ideally, I would like a 20 week program to build my base a bit more. Next week, my office will be taking us to Barnes & Noble for an event where will we get a $25 gift card. I will purchase the Triathlete's Training Bible with this.

Triathlon season training as begun...

OK, So Chilly Hilly is coming up in February and from what folks tell me, it is very hilly...hence the name. My friend Su wants to do two loops (66 miles)...thus this means that I need to hit the Lemond trainer hard and get as much weekend outdoor riding as I can. Here's my current schedule:

Monday: Lemond bike 1 hour + strength training
Tuesday: Tri swim class (morning) + Masters swim (evening) OR Lemond bike 1 hour
Wednesday: Swim coaching with Kim Lorton
Thursday: Tri swim class (morning) + Masters swim (evening) OR Lemomd bike 1 hour
Friday: Lemond bike 1 hour + strength training
Saturday: Outdoor bike 2-3 hours
Sunday: Lemond bike 2 hours

Wednesday is sort of a rest day, as the class is only 45 minutes and focus on technique only.

Happy New year plus 12 days....

Jason finally posted the pictures for New Years. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. I popped my first bottle of champagned, pole danced and breathed fire all in one night!

Stomach Flu

Well, the 2009 training season has officially started. I will be hiring a coach this year so that I can get more customized training. After speaking to Coach Michael about my cycling watts, he recommended that I do the Strong and Steady program on the Lemonde indoor cycling bikes. On those machines, I can average about 110 watts. So still need to improve by 40 watts which is approximately 3 watts/kg. Over the next few years, he would like to see me get as strong as 3.5-4.5 watts/kg.

Anyways, I'm starting off the new year with the stomach flu. This totally sucks, as I've been puking my brains out. Couldn't even keep water down. After seeing the doctor today, he prescribed me some serious anti-nausea meds. I was finally able to eat a little bit of oatmeal. Unfortunately, I still don't have much of an appetite.