live with intention

The picture today comes form our trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama. We are taking a break from snorkeling in this shot. Not a bad way to spend a week.

The quote/headline for the post today comes from a little plaque sitting on our bookcase. I was looking at it yesterday and thought wow, it's been looking me right in the face.

This week marks the start of a new training chapter for me. I have my goals set and it's time to get to them. They say the measure of insanity is to do the same thing over and over expecting different results. I think that sums up the last two years of my athletic world. Other than a short stint last year with a body strength focus I've been doing just about the same things and not having many results. Now, my measure of result is to race and I haven't done much of that either but it will change. For now I focus on the training aspect. So this week I embark on something totally new to me. It goes against the conventional thinking of Long Slow Distance in the winter and focuses more on quality. I start on Tuesday with a 5K time trial and I see down the schedule that I have more of those to come. I'll report improvements or even lack of as they come. To start with I'm crushing the couch right now at a whopping 153lbs. When I was really competitive I weighed 135. Two years ago when I had a blast and lots of race success with it I was 142lbs. I have no goal where I'll end up but 153 doesn't feel right. The other benefit I see of this new training cycle is effort. I've always said the best way to clear my mind of the ills that cloud it is to run, ride or swim hard. You can't think much of anything when you go hard. The training program has enough of going hard that my mind will be clear for at least an hour a day and I'm excited by that thought.

Mom Update
A shout out to my big Sister Cyndi. As I sit here in the warmth of my home here in Germany my big sister Cyndi is living the nightmare that is taking care of a parent with Alzeimers who doesn't want any help. Not only is Cyndi taking care of Mom but this is her second stint with the disease in less than a year. She and her husband Mike went through this situation last Spring with Mike's mother. So Cyndi, I bow to you today and every day. You are stronger than I would be. You are a saint!

Until next week when I will be full of new found energy....

It's a good life.....
Dave