turning into a triathlete

It's not an uncommon transition to see an 'ageing' swimmer evolve to become a triathlete. Swimming will always be my favorite sport but adding running and cycling should bring additional fun. I find my hill walking legs turning into running legs when out in the hills, I'll just need to find a regular pattern to ensure I do run. Cycling is my biggest stumbling block, a knee injury does not like the bike but I have plans in place to address that. 2010 is the year to emerge as a triathlete.

There is so much new stuff to learn, training to where the competitions are, new friends to find etc. That why I am enjoying using mepath.com (NB. I am the founder) to gain an insight into the lifestyle, training to food to events to injuries that are being authored by others that share a triathlete lifestyle, beginner to Olympian.

2/3 rds swimming

I'm getting into a routine swimming once a week. The solution to the routine has been to swim at what I call two thirds space. So, instead of 3000 metres in an hour the mileage is nearer 2000. But I keep to a structure of a warm up, kick and drills before a butterfly set and then some hundreds. I should keeping a better track of my heart beats too, I found this post via the mepath swimming activity stream. I've not know the full science about heart rate and training so this was a useful find.

Deeside freeskiing Spring 09

Last week, despite a thawing week, the snow cover was holding up well on Upper Deeside Hills. However, week two of the thaw has started to make big in-roads into the cover. The higher hills, the Lochnagars of this world have kept cover but the lower hills freeskiing potential is now limited or nil.

Over the last few years, March and April have been the snowier months so things might change in favor of the Scottish free skier yet.

aboyne snow thaw

aboyne snow thaw
Originally uploaded by ecotorch

The temperatures have risen dramatically today, we have been used to nearer -10c than the 10c it is at right now. The thaw of the snow has revealed where the big snow field are and that means where the best freeskiing potential lies. And I am pleased to say there is a lot of potential if we get the cooler conditions to return.

butterfly on time

Put in a 200m set in of butterfly at training last night. Some drills before full stroke and whether due to that or by luck, the timing of my stroke felt spot on. No awkwardness in breathing, everything felt in sync, to use a skiing metaphor, in my limited powder skiing day it felt like stringing together a run of turns.

Was zipping along at a good pace too.

swimming 2009

I've made it to the swimming pool once this year already.  After a getting back in shape during the Olympics time period in 2008, winter bugs have limited or basically stopped my training.  Expectation for the year ahead are to build up to 3 session per week and be ready for a competive swimming year in 2010.

Recovering pyschology

My right achilles gave way a couple of months ago. Not a major snap, never really could not walk but spikes of pain reminded me that all was not well. Initially I kept going but after a week of no healing progress, a period of rest ensued. This was interupted for a three week period of partying (on the dance floor) that set things back a bit but a quieter period allowed recovery. The question is, how quickly to push up the training? Too much you are back to square not enough you will never build the fibers back up to strength again.

It becomes as much a mind game as a friend pointed out. The mind is saying step up the training. Time will tell if this is the right choice.

Wouldn't lifestyle linking my achilles tell me the right path to recovery?

A. NO, it would have helped prevent it in the first place.

Small food change, breakfast

Breakfast is standard, bowl cereal, sometimes oasts and two slices of bread. I decided it was good to get a bit of fruit in for break fast, so replaced one slice of bread for a piece of fruit. Not every day but its a small change that has been easy to do.

direct sunlight and sneezing

Does anyone know why direct sunlight makes you sneeze or does it just happen to me?

Hayfever season on the horizon?

my knee and me

I pretty much stopped mountain biking about 5 years ago because my left knee would give me great pain after about 30 mins in the saddle. But I was pain free walking, skiing, swimming etc. That is until last week. My knee seemed to react badly to my return to the swimming pool. Looks like it is time to investigate what has gone wrong with the knee?

linking suncream and allergies

I suffer from hayfever, in the extremes of symptoms I probably lie some where in the middle but I would like to think I try and minimise the lifestyle choices to prevent or minimize the symptoms.

So, why would I buy this products, Banana Boat 50 I was attending on open swim in pure blue sky day, 28c and I would be in teh water for up to an hour. The risk of sunburn is high, so I felt this the best preventative step. Highest factor cream I could find that is water proof.

However, I recently read this information on the suncream that links the chemicals in the produt to allergies and the general wellbeing of your immune system.

From my mepath stories, I have already highlighed that to the best of my knowledge/ what I choose to believe that minimizing these risks are a top priority.

Why did I make the purchase, because I did not know all the information.

lifestyle linking weather

Weather forecasts are usually broadcast and unsurprisingly they focus on the weather, will it rain, snow, frost, warning of serious flooding. Oh, yes the odd, the NE wind will make is feel a lot colder so you may want to put on an extra layer of clothing. In the end of the we consume the information and then make choices, what to wear, what time to go skiing, walking, etc.

The first lifestyle linking weather service I use is weatherpixie, a primative icon that shows the clothing linked to the weather. No real perosnalization but you can see the day when I can personalize this to my existing clothes I own, how I am effected by wind chill, recommend new purchased base upon forecast weather that don't already own.

lifestyle linking whisky

Living in Scotland, I am lucky to have the water of life on my door step. Distilleries to the north, south, east and west. I have met up with a few friends no longer living in Aberdeenshire in the last few weeks and to end the evening they share a wee dram of their favourite malt with me. I am greatly honoured to share their friendship and their choice of the water of life.

friends positive energy

I have been lucky enough to spend the last 10 days or so visiting/partying with friends. It has been fun all the way and the positive energy it gives is so good for your health. I need to make these trips more often, once every 5 years seems too long.

lifestyle linking sun glasses

One of my first lifestyle linking posts was on sun glasses. Would a more expensive pair be better at protecting my eye sight?

Since then I had to bin the sun glasses pitched in the posting. They broke. My current pair as just coming up for a year old. They are lasting well. However, the no.1 thing I now know about these sunglasses is that the polarizing coating on the inside and outside is flaking off. I did not even see this feature being mentioned on the product or in any comparison shopping website. Lets that put that another way, the no.1 feature that is now making the product, becoming increasingly un usable is not even listed as a feature. This sums up product retailing today. It does not link to the realities of the life I live.

In a lifestyle linking world, these variable will be at the forefront of product selection and creation. I will be able to say, given how I use sun glasses this product will last 2 years, this one 16 months and this one 12 months. I guess which one I would select given all other features are equal? Today, we make purchase decision based on the past, and that is how the product was not was made, not my life.

me and green tea

I have started to drink more green tea. The main reason is that I have be reading information on skin cancer and green tea keep coming up. It is my choice where I focus my attention. I have some regular patterns of information sources I read and some times that throws up content that matches my interests. Other times I have to proactively search out information that interests me. This has combined to make me act. That fact is that I drink more green tea, now. I have to drink each day, that is the way of life and if by drinking green tea that fulfils task and it acts in a preventative manner to a risk (real or other wise I have) then my path through life is empowered.

This information, if I could own it all, I did create it all after all, should be used in other places. The creation of sun block for example.

lifestyle linking heat

The temperatures are heading north of 30 degrees Celsius in the last few days. Life becomes more uncomfortable for me in the high twenties Celsius onwards so what can I do to combat the heat? Drinking more water, choices of clothing, can I find an office, cafe or out side space in the shade. Should I slow down my thinking rate?

I always feel we have time to prepare for such increases in heat. That is what weather forecast set out to achieve? Except they do not personalize that information to me, the online website are heading that way but none to date on TV have told me what to wear on a personalized manner. Maybe, wrap up warm, wear a mack or slap on the sun cream. But if I am spending the day in the office then suncream was not the best information to have been broad casting. Even if the information was right, could they give me a personalized recommendation on what sun factor to use?

lifestyle linking energy

Each and every day we live we need energy. I am not thinking so much the ac variety the powers our light bulbs, laptops etc. but the human energy required to live the path through life.

Food and drink are our input energy. Water is core to life, but I see we are being told we can get 'smart' water and we need to eat. I haven't thought too much about whether the type of food we eat, affects the type of energy we give out? Regardless of what we eat, the energy looks the feels the same? My reading and education over the years tells me that some foods will provide quicker energy than others. I read science papers that speak of 'significant correlations' too. I am still of the mind that we are the very earliest of stages in matching up those cause and effects.

One thing I do know right now, is that I think, some times nil times to others hours of research to inform my eating choices. I/we are demanding those choices now.

lifestyle linking hay fever

I am currently living through the worst health impact of my hay fever suffering years. The daily routine of eye drops and nasal steroid spray had been keeping the annoying symptoms at bay however, after a couple of days of rain the local environment became hostile with pollen. I persevered for a couple of days but it was time to start to take the antihistamines to dampen the symptoms.

I recall a similar period last year but not as acute. Even taking this cocktail of medication you are not yourself. The chest is tight and the eyes and nose still get effected.

In a lifestyle linking world, I should know such periods of allergy pain are ahead and thus I can prepare to avoid the worst of the pain or inconvenience. I try all these medications, eat local honey, tried pollen capsules but will nil benefit but I am sure there are things I could be doing to minimise the health downsides, others will have real experiences that could empower me better. It is just hard finding those people.

lifestyle linking laptop

After 7 years of loyal and trusted service my laptop this week decided to step into retirement. A new purchase was on the cards, what to buy?

Two choices, I decided that, a dell.com or another vaio via sonystyle.com Sony wins, based on 7 years of good service. I need to personalize the spec. I use my knowledge to select the feature/spec I want but for some I have know real rational of selecting, e.g. what graphics card? Spending more get you better? I know how I have used my PC, editing videos is key task and my PC should know all my attention data doing that. That data should be able to select the right customization option, or at least tell me the trade off, this will save you 3 seconds wait time doing the same tasks. I would call such a service, lifestyle linking products. Come on startups out there, provide that service for 'me'.