The Calendar Is A Burden

The daily schedule dictated by the calendar is a grind. We swim, bike, run, lift or what have you, based on the calendar. Question; how do you do an Ironman? Answer; get a calendar and stick to it. So I am told.

The calendar is a large thing, my friend, and it is picking up. The hours we are working out are getting big. Get this. We ran over an hour and a half this morning, then asked each other what time we could work out this afternoon. How is that for a frigged up system? The weekly calendar starts on Sunday, we ran a big run early this morning, and we are already behind and need two-a-days so we aren't further behind. Shit.

The cardio part of the workout is hard, but not bad. I think everybody on my team has the cardio to pull a full Ironman right now. Its hard, but not a huge limiting factor. The hardest part is the muscles get fatigued, the joints hurt, the tendons scream for relief. Knees, ankles, muscles, knees, hips, knees, shoulders, neck, knees, back, lower back, knees, upper back, left back, lower right back, they all hurt. It's way harder than I thought it would be. Shit.

So here is a free lesson; When you run, you need to carry your shoes, your clothes, maybe an ipod, plus your own body weight. The first 45 minutes are fine, any ass can run for 45 minutes. After 45, it gets harder. As you add distance, your body weight is pulling you down. The weight is the hard part of running. When you have to pick your foot up, you have to pick up your own weight. Each step is hard. Shit.

But the workout isn't the only hard part. The calendar itself is a burden. It weighs heavy on the mind and the soul. It weighs you down and is a drain on your ability to get up in the morning, your ability to be optimistic for the workout, your ability to start the run and mostly, to finish. The calendar, and it's schedule are heavy things. It's like an extra workout every day.

111 days to go. Shit.

PS - Jim and I rode our bikes this afternoon. We ride well together, I think. Jim has always been a strong bike rider. I try to be. Last year, we were evenly matched, we could ride the same speed on the same road and take turns pulling at the front. Today I was pulling up a hill, Jim goes by me like I am standing still. He spun me like a top. Jim is down twenty pounds since last year, I am up 3, maybe that explains it. Shit.