How far can he go.

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." - Michael Phelps

Well size I shot a few hoops for like 20 minutes today and my knee hurts some I am defintely swimming on saturday and probably will not run until next weekend. So I figured what would be something cool to do. another Time trial would be nice but I am thinking of more beating my old best distance. Farest I ever swam is 1.2 miles. I wonder on satuday if I only take breaks to eat some cliff shots, drink some gatorade, and of course move my penny over, and pee how far can I go?

So I offer up to you a guess. Lets see who can get it right. how far can I go before I just have no more in me. Pee breaks will be about 1 every hour and last about 3 minute or so. Other than that how far can I go with stopping? closest too without going on as they fo on the price as right. I figure I should put a 2:20:00 time limit on it. Bathroom breaks do not count as part of this time either since well if I was OWS during a race I would just go as I swam but in a pool that seems kinda gross.

I am putting down 2.4 since if I can reach that well I am stopping. Its my max I will admit. REally I have no desire to go beyound that point but I like to see just how far I can go.

dropping 10 yards and putting

Well the bears lost. Saturday Lake Zurich Bears lost there first bid at the state finals and Chicago Bears lost.

Well I been training hard the last couple of weeks. Like always I have big goals and I want to succeed at them. I am backed off the bike this weekend and frankly decided only to swim this week. No I am not burnt out. My knee feels great today. No pain at all. I figure I will be good this week and not sure if I will run on saturday, walk or just swim. Either way things are looking up. I can not wait to get out there happy and healthy. Because before I know it will be time to train for the ice age 50k.

Good news is today I am quite sore but happy. Yesterday I did my first Time trial for 1 mile since I started my master's class. Frankly I did so well I bumped it to 1.2 miles or the HIM swim distance.

old best 1/2 mile 27 mins
new best 1/2 mile 24 miles

old best 1 mile 57 mins but not sure if it should be 59 mins
new best 1 mile 49 mins

old best 1.2 miles 1:20 I beleive
new best 1.2 miles 58 mins.

I am getting much faster but I want to go and run afterwards. I was not completely exhausted like I normally am. My swim was almost out of gas but my overall endurance was not. That is what I need to be able to do if I get picked for Kona.

Frankly I am more excited about my knee than anything else. Oh well its 8 pm means its sleep time for master swim class.

That '80s show

"I do have a test today, that wasn't bullsh**. It's on European Socialism. I mean, really, what's the point? I'm not European. I don't plan on being European. So, who gives a crap if they're Socialists? They could be fascist anarchists, it still wouldn't change the fact that I don't own a car." Ferris Buellers in Ferris Buellers Day Off

Welcome to the 80s again. This morning weight 288.8. Go me. Tuesday morning weight was 290.0 so I suspect that will change. ONly real problem I had last time I got into the 80s was a think called Chicago marathon. I gained so much weight before, during, and after. Tomorrow being thanks giving I am going to be smart. only eat things that taste good. yep no more eating the food that tastes bad this year. I still feel great I can get down to 275 by january and maybe even 225 by Oct 7th. I am working hard at it.

My swimming is coming alot great I gone from 1:45 min per 50 meters to 1:10 per 50 meters. 1:45 was beginning and 1:10 was after swim practice. my form is 100x better so far and it will get better and better. I am so going to rock my HIM. Going to rock it all night long. I would like to do the HIM in sub 7 hours but we shall see.

My knee is getting better./ lifting with it was a mistake and getting alot better now. Since I stoped running and lifting with my legs.

Lora forgive me

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." - Paul Boese

Ok no idea who that is really all the forgiveness quotes suck. So this is my best attempt at a quote. So please for give me for that.

Today I missed my swim workout, but that is not why I am such a bad person. I did do my bike work out so 3 hours of working out yesterday. not too bad. Only probably an hour tonight though unless I swim on the way home and then hit the bike and skip the group run on tuesday which I never run with a group anyways. I got 9 hours of sleep last night so chances are I needed it.

First time in my life I am looking forward to April 15th. Why? I love paying taxes. ok it will be the first time since 2000 I will have to pay taxes. That of course is always exciting. Some call me lucky but I just called myself poor. That means I barely made any money in the last 6 years, but that is not why.

I put my name in the lottery for Ironman Kona. $35 for the chance to maybe go to Hawaii to do a marathon with a 112 mile bike ride before it and a 2.4 mile swim before that. It takes about 30 minutes to jsut enter the lottery.

I know Lora would not like it if I got in but chance are I will not make it anyways and may never make it but I felt I had to alteast try. Kinda like trying for New York when you do not think you will get in but hope you will get in later. Still if I got into Kona I will attempt Kona. A recent IM folorida finisher truly beleives most anyone if they put in the long training can train for the IM in 20 weeks, and thinks I am stupid if I do not go for it. Chances are I will not get in so really I do none issue but if I have to I will do the training. I plan on do IM training regardless if I do one or not.

I do it for the bagels.

I did not run on saturday. Why not? no bagels. bagel shop is closed. I not unsure until when but yep no bagels for Todd. So means no running for Todd since he does it for the bagels. My knee been getting better and I not been running. I did realise though I should not lift either sicne well it hurts after lifting and frankly it needs to get healed first. First comes the healing then comes the love.

My swimming is becoming better but I do alot of things wrong still. My swim coaches are working hard with me. OK I am their "special" project but that is what they get paid for. You know its always the bad student who gets to work with the hot teacher more than anyone else. Now you know why I always did well in school alot of male/ugly teachers.

my weight is back down to 291. Its been a fight but my range is going down which is good. Instead of my weight drifting back up to 297 it drifts to 293 now. I am getting there.

Work outs.

Saturday: lazy bum. did nothing. was going to walk to see my former high school when state semi finals but did do it. Wasing going to go swim at the gym and lift but did not do it. Did go to the party instead though. It was fun, but my dream woman was not there. Juli A said Julie B was asking about me. what a sweetheart. She misses me and is concerned for me. Julie B is probably the sweetest girl to me in Alpine. Lora is sweet but also kick my butt all the time since I need it.

Sunday: Lazy Bum. Only 1 hour swim drills, 1 hour weight lifting, :20 mins in the treadmill. I missed my 1 hour on the bike. I am so screwed for my HIM.

Monday: so far so good. 1 hour swim. :45 on the weights. Just need 1 hour the the bike and I am set.

This Just In

On July 22, 2007 Todd become 1/2 of a man, An Ironman.

July 22, 2007, Todd will embark on this first Half Ironman Triathlon. Thanks to his running partner Lora, Todd realised he needs to settle down and focus on a great goal even if its not thee ulimate goal. Despite several people's encouraging comments Todd was able to not listen to them and could focus long enough to register for the half IM and not give into temptation to try to do a complete IM. Todd feels that by BCLC ramble he will be up to doing the century also and feel if he is able to complete each section of the race at that time that maybe he will reconsider but for now he will train for an IM but only do a half IM.

I am sick and I need help

"Mark Twain once said, "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Iron Man lives!" - Iron man from the movie Iron man.

I do not know why I want to sign up for an IM so bad. I am not where in shape to do it. Yet I push myself and apart of me not only feels I can do it but that I need to do it. Telling myself not yet. ITs like running a 100k or 62 miles both have the same cutoff. Probably harder though.

Well yesterday I had a decent day

1 hour of swimming mostly drills.

45 mins of weights

1:15 mines on big trainer

Swimming I did alot of drills and frankly I think I know why my form is off. Weak shoulder muscles. I never bring my arms out as much as I should. maybe I am over reaching now but halfway through I wanted to see how fast I could do 1 lap. Normally first lap test is 1:30 and this time it was 1:15 after mins of drills. I am getting faster.

Weights was simple I tried to do every muscle group and I would ask myself what would Lora do. yep I had my very own personal virtual trainer it was great. I run with virtual Tom alot it does help to imgaine your best friend running next to you. I also added much needed reistance.

Biking. keep up between 80 - 90 candense. I was just so exhausted when I was done. I tried to do 1:30 hours but I just could not keep it up. The movie was Kundun.

Today is a rest day but with Lora gone tomorrow apart of me is thinking abouit just walking so maybe I will bike for 1:30 tonight and walk about 10 miles tomorrow. I figure it would be better for my knee which is greatly improved since I did not run on tuesday.

A whole new Iron me.

Well The Ironman race sell out so fast its not even funny. Sad thing is they all start together except the pros get a slight head start but if you win and not a pro you do not get the money. no idea what would happen if someone from the open field at the Chicago marathon would come in number 1 clock time. If they did they have a chip time WR and may not get anything for it. Maybe no money, definately no WR, and an elite start next year for sure and probably to any marathon they want. In the Ironman though this has happened its sad really. At the same time though pros who do not win can not win A/G awards but still I think A/G people should be able to beat the pros.

Well I thought maybe I need to train like I was training for an Iron distance race. Train like I want to race 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running. Maybe then Lora will let me do it.

Today I screwed up I could not get up to go swimming this morning so I will have to do it after work. My form needs alot of work. Tonight I am going to swim and do weight lifting again. I doing the lifting because 1 am being good and muscles are not too sore and 2 need to do something at the gym for atleast 1:30 hours and I do not think I want to swim for that long. Hopely I will hit the bike when I get home. I want to get my training time for the week up to
840 mins maybe even more. The summer I lost alot of weight I was doing 700 atleast a week and eating like I do now. I would really like to get to 240 - 250 by march madness. My goal of 2:30 half marathon will finally be in my reach. Also means I will be down about 70 - 80 lbs from last years half marathon race. That in theory should bring me down to 2 hour half marathon time. the old :30 secs per half marathon for every lbs I think will have its limits though.

That summer I lost 30 lbs in 8 week then. I managed to keep it off until my first year of running.

MAtrix revolution

Agent Smith : Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more that your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?

Neo: Because I choose to.

That is one of the best lines I have every heard. It really does not make up for the fact that the marix series when from awesome to ok. Probably the best lines from the movie.

Ok Last night I was bad. Tuesday night run and no todd. How odd is that? Well I would not been able to eat dinner with them anyways and if I did I had to make it fast. This morning I was speeding off to Master swim class and I looked at the clock and it said 3:50. I am like how can this be. Turns out I set my clock time by an hour so my over sleeping some was good. today I left home at 4:40 and I got an extra 10 mins in the pool. The coach really helped me out alot. I guess they normally do not help people only give them workouts to do. If that is the case that is pretty cheap since everyone says join a master swim class and learn how to swim. I have a really good drill now that will help me.

Good news is that I did make lunch for this week so no more subways which I think will help my weight down. Also hope my dad finally freezes the cheesecake so I do not eat it. I am weak I know but atleast I know my weakness.

So Yesterday work outs
planed 1 hour swim about 1:10 run did nothing.

Today
1:10 swim and :45 weights.

Today not as good as yesterday

"These are the best tops around. Last time, last year - not so good. But now, this is the *truth*!" - Dawn Campbell from "I heart huckabees"

This morning my goal was to wake up at 5:00 get out the door by 5:45 and go swimming for an hour. Guess what I failed in that mission. Yep after I got off the bike for 35 mins and I had to shower and waited for the laundry I guess I was tired and needed the sleep. Let's look at yesterday.

1 hour swimming
:45 mins weight lifting
:30 on the bike.

I wanted to start earlier but I had an interesting talk with my friend about my other friend. Frankly I realised I am trying to save a friendship which was long over. She tried to renew the friendship without wanting to put an effort into it. Frankly our hopes for her is gone. I look at a picture from her now and a picture from college and I realise they are not the same person. The person I was friends with and loved is gone. Replaced by a total stranger who I do not know, and I can not relate to. Everything used to be so deep and I felt closer to her than most anyone. now its all shallow and superficail issues. I guess that can be ok. I guess the problem when you have that kind of bond with someone its hard to become a casual hey how is the weather yeah I did x and y yesterday. Sure that is apart of any friendship but there are no more hopes,dreams,fears. I guess that is what I been trying to hang onto and its long gone and I do not like where it is now.

I feel closer to Lora now than her even though Lora and I pretty much only talk about running, weight lose, and women who are not good enough for me. But I enjoy the talk and so it works well. Once you go from telling someone all your secrets to hey I tell you really nothing I guess it does feel like a real disappointment.

Wow new day, New Blog

Well I am in the new Blogger Beta. yeah me.

Well I do not care what Lora says I am the greatest man alive. I got to my swim class this morning. Yes she asked me to do drills I did not know. I woke up at 4:00 am. put my head on the pillow and woke up and it was 4:45. 4:45 was the very lasted I felt I could leave. Lucky for me I packed up the night before and I jumped in the car and took off. I got out of the house by 4:57 I am like crap 33 mins to drive there change and its 35 miles away. I am trying to speed as best as I could but at 5 am your kinda in cop central. I was getting close and I hit the road constration area. I usualyl do not speed but I did some today. It says photo enforced so I am hoping they do not enforce it at that time in the morning, or I hope I get lucky. I was still the slowest car on the road at that time. With hardly anyone on the road though your kinda of a sitting duck though. Needless to say I got there 5 mins late which is not bad. I am kinda behind the class anyways so she had me do some beginnner drills.

After that I got ready to do some lifting. On my way up I called a girl Lora and well it was not her. Sure it looked like her with her 6 pack abs and decent sized arms. So I lifted for about 45 mins. I did my legs and my upper body. I got into the legs because ashley simpson video came on the tv and I wanted a better view. What can I say I am a 7th heaven fan. I still kept it on the lighter side not pushing too hard since I am not used to it and my tri coach recommends about 95% of max. You want to be tired and just a little sore so you can still do your swimming, biking, and running which are the main sport.

Question will I bike tonight for an hour? not sure but the bike computer works now which is also exciting, and I really want to test it out.

Lora and me makes 3

"You want to talk to me about my fat, sad brother?" - Brad Stand in I heart huckabees.


yesterday I felt so bad. My friend was yelling at me for not feeling better. Not sure if I feel better today but oh well. I over slept by almost an hour today. good news is traffic was light and I did not waste too much time so I got to work earlier than normal. I can get home at a decent time today. Yeah. I do not know if I want go home or go swimming. I should rest up for tomorrow so I can keep up with Lora the speed demon. Wow she is so fast. My next big goal is simple to be standing at the finish line looking at my watch and wait for Lora to cross. :). It might be about 4 years before that happens. I think I finally fixed my bike seat so it does not cause me problems. Yes I so wanted a computrainer last night. So jealous of those who have one.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday so I did lift for 30 mins so I could get home in time for the family dinner and then I hit the bike for 50 mins. I was so tired though but I got through it.

scale is not my friend

I learnt today why weightlose has been hard for me. The scale. Yep it is my best friend/ worse enemy. Problem is really not the scale but how to handle it. YOu eat alot of bad food but your body is low on carbs so less water so your weight goes down but your Bodyfat goes up. So then eventyually the water weight is gone but your total fat may be higher. Plus its easy to fall off the wagon if the weight spikes.

Last night I went to the gym to swim and the pool was just packed so I figure ah screw it I will just go home. I stopped at the store and I saw something maybe I should have bought. Sometimes I wonder around just looking for something to jump at me. Get that feeling I should go there but do not know why. I was looking more to go with it because you get a deal with you buy more, but its nothing else with the deal I want but just the 1 item. I think maybe I should get it. Good reason to get it I think. Still got home in plenty of time for the bike. Well I could not get going on the bike until 9:25. takes awhile to set up so I biked for 35 mins but My acg heart rate on the bike was 125 - 130. garmin may not be able to measure distance but the heart rate part still works. I had a great workout and yes my weight was done over 1 lbs. hehe. you ahve to love water weight.

Well my candidate lost

yep someone I voted for lost. Its so sad. What can I say he/she put up the good fight but in the end he/she lost. I will not call this person a loser since frankly they did not know they were even going to get a vote. Sorry Lora we fought the good fight.

Well last night I ran. I did not have good numbers since well it was mixed in with saturdays results but I think I was moving pretty good and I tried really hard to keep it up but unfornautely the really hilly parts were hurting my knee a little. My legs felt dead about mile 4. Tis the season to get faster. Run shorter but go faster so when Jan comes and marathon training starts I can train witha faster group. I need to probably start running with the 10s once Lora leaves me. Maybe start with 4 and build from there. Then again 8 miles would be better since well 2x the weight lose. oh well I am going to keep working on the weight lose. I was pretty good yesterday. no beer but I had some holloween candy and yes I through it away. that killed me since I could not sleep after such a sugar rush. The weight lose is still coming but its hard to tell with the water weight on top of it.

I voted Today

"If the gods had intended for people to vote, they would have given us candidates." -
Howard Zinn

Today I voted for. Voted 2x for Lora. yep vote for Lora she has the goods. Other than that my votes were pretty straight forward. Actually I will not vote for people who I do not know. Its too easy to just guess and really we should not just guess because if we guess wrong we cancel out the person who did not guess at all.

I only voted for 5 races 2 of them I voted Lora annd other 3 I knew. 1 I know nothing about but have a sign for her on my lawn last years candiadate who I met recommended her so I decide to vote for her. For congress it was Bean or the guy who I knew nothing about at all. I get alot of emails from the GOP but none from him ironicly, but Bean done alot of things I disapprove of also. So that is still a toss up. I very much do not like US unpatriotic act. Government same way. I really do not know lady. I know nothing about her. I guess negative advertising does not appeal to me so all her ads about how bad he is just gives me no reason to vote for her. No wonder most people view voting as the lesser of 2 evils since well all we ever hear is how they are both so evil.

Well I saw the Nurse yesterday. She put her hands all over me and told me good news. I need to go out there and run. yep I have lack of running disease. I went more to catch something early but my fears were just fears and I was not getting sick atleast not from that. She does think I may be getting a viral disease though. It is not the start of Strep thoart and that is the main thing I figure better to go to he Dr now then to have to take a sick day later which I do not have. so its back to training. I tried to set up my bike computer but it did not work at all so I decided screw it and I am getting the cadense senor for the garmin and using the gramin to monitor my candense and time. If I get total pedal count + tire length will give me total distance travel. :). so sneaky I know but its really getting the minutes on the trainer I guess than a certain distance. They do not compare to outside anyways. Next year when I get my super fancy bike I am going to get the garmin edge 305 for it so its all good. Also with the garmin I will be able to monitor my heart rate. cals burnt and distance will not work but oh well.

I can not catch a break

like the bears I can not change a break Well bears catch breaks but they just give it away on the next play. I hope they get there act together, just like me.

I ran 5 miles and walked 1 mile on staurday. my heart rate was way too high. It should be around 150- 154 for the ideal and it was up to 178. I have not had heartrate like that since my 5k. Our pace was quite good though 11 min mile for the ifrst 3 miles. I was trying to look impressive for Julie B who was out there. Its hard when your slow and struggling runner to impress someone who is slacking off. I know I have not ran in while so that does effect it and it faster than I normally ever go. Even before Lora left We were running 8 miles atleast at first at a 11:30 min pace. Lora is just getting too fast for me. oif course she also likes to draft off me which is just no fair consindering she does not need the help. I think though I laid to rest all Julie Bs claims that I am just there because I am in love with Lora and that Lora and I have no training issues ever. Maybe now she knows why Haight does not kill me because there is no reason to kill me.

I felt sick so I did not bike on saturday or go to my party. I am trying to get into the Doctor today. I may have tonislists. maybe I got it from the gym pool. Decided no more mr nice guy. too many people use the lap pool as a kind of gaint bathtube. there is one guy who likes to hang out in the lap pool in street clothes/ workout clothes. nothing like somsone who may be hot and sweety jumping into the water all dirty. Frankly the gym is $60 a month so he should not be that poor that he can not wear proper attaire. The sick feeling did not start until I left bagels.

So needless to say I did not do anything on sunday but watch the bears, play video games, and watch the Matrix. I forgot just how good that movie truly is. My friend does not like it because it has too many holes in it but my view is that it does a pretty decent job at explaining alot of things but he is right many things do not fit. Still I think it does an excellent job at protraying the world.

I am failing

Well I some of my birthday weight but I have a few more lbs to go. I gained 5 lbs on my birthday and I have to get them off. opps. It was a pizza day on my birthday only pizza for lunch/dinner.

Last night I swam for 58:00 mins which is good since it was for 1 mile. I am getting faster. The good thing is that I swam first .5 miles in 29 mins so I need not lose time. infact I think I swam the second .5 miles faster than the first. I am getting the hang of swimming.

I was only on the bike trainer for 50 mins though. I will always stop at 10:00 pm so I did not quite get my 1 hour in. I am trying to work out 2 hours a day 5 days a week and 3 more on saturdays. Satuday should be easy though about 1:30 running then its jsut another 1:30 on the bike trainer and I am there. Actually I would like do do the evilant of a oly tri every saturday. If I want to do a HIM I have to be able to do the Oly well. Also hope to finally do a sub 2 hour spirit. by spirit though I mean around .456 - .5 mile swim, 12 - 15 mile bike, 5k run. problem with tris are no 2 races at the same distance tend to be the same distance. they are always kinda close or in the general area.

Why do birds?

"Why don't I know things like this??" - Lora

Well now that I am officially old ok been old for awhile now but so many of life questions are answered.

I was talking to a girl about running and weight lose. Kathy P complained how it is too ahrd to train and lose weight. She is not the only person I heard this from and I am one of them. I talk to Kristen off BegginerTriathlete.com and she told me same thing as Coach Dave. each 1 g of protein for 1 gram of everfy carb and you will not be so hungary all the time. if you do that the birds will sing, grass will be green, and the sky blue. ok maybe not but you will lose weight easy and then you too can have everyone wanting to check you out like Lora has now. I kinda feel sorry for her must be hard having like everyman drooling over her constantly.

Well I was back on the right track. I got down to 291.8 I felt I could be below 290 by saturday. Yesterday was my birthday and for lunch and dinner well it was pizza. desert for my BD was of course cheese cake. lucky for me its a smaller one. so this morning my weght jump 5 lbs but alot of that of course is water weight. I ate way too much cheese cake. I tried to get on the bike but was talking to kristen and did not do it early since I was talking to my friend Tom after work. Plus I should of my pics of my races to my family and yes they were very bored. hehe now my sister knows how we feel when you see something like the staute of libery at every angle for 150 pics. I never talk to my friend Tom much anymore and he is kinda upset with me. So many things he wants me to do and I do not do them. Kinda like read this book and learn to run but I say no and struggle. oh well I guess until I see value in something it is hard for me to read. I see value in it but I do not see how reading the book will help. Yep I keep so many things from Lora. She does not even know half of what I am about. Its better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a really cool person to run with then to open your mouth and be thought a fool.

Worse bithday ever

"Happy, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, and to you." - cracker

Well Yep today I officially become 30something. You really can not be 30something when you are 30. So when asked how old am I now I just say well 30something you know like 38, 39. Juli A thinks I am just saying that so my age is closer to Lora's age. nope not even close. As I told Juli Lora is my training partner. Beth straightened her out. you have to love Beth. I think its in the waiver when you sign up.

Last night I went out for a good 5 mile run. It was dark, cold but I did ended up getting into a runing constest with sawyer. I won. of course I am able to keep up with him at short distances and well when I was about to lose it I did the simple plan of just grapping onto him and slowing him down. I am not be fastest but I can stop pretty much any runner out there. Angie totally cheared me on. What a beautiful sweetheart. Yes I found out the cute girls name. Now I just need more info about her.

I am very sad today. My heart is broken. Looks like Julie B has a boyfriend and its not me. I guess from the sound of it is her and glenn are dating now and well I am sad. I like glenn. Now I must hate him. I emailed Juli A and hopely found out the truth that is jsut a nasty rumor, but they did leave together. Maybe there is still a chance. hehe Glenn bought me a beer last night so I think he is trying smooth things over.