The season in numbers…Hmmm. I really don’t have too many numbers yet. It’s really been more about the season and events and things I see along the way.

After Jessi and I carefully merge our calendars every Sunday (which just might be my favorite time of the week…and it has nothing to do with the calendar merging but the conversation) the training takes shape. I feel a bit like a hamster, but that’s okay. I might get up in the morning and put a little time on the Computrainer. I eventually get bored after a bit and then I watch what local news there is before Emma gets up and Jessi and I start our morning routines. She makes the lunches and I make breakfast and coffee…normally. I have been known to drop the ball completely from time to time, but I usually pull my weight.

A couple days a week my afternoons find me at Oz splashing around. Michelle, the Oz general manager, has set some time aside for “Master Swimming.” Though it is not officially Master Swimming, it is an opportunity for people to lap swim without people with flotation dumbbells thrashing around in a lane…not that I am against that, just not while I am swimming if at all avoidable. I know swimming alone is not ideal to improve fitness, but it does offer me the opportunity to get in a few yards and get the feel for the water back. The Oz pool is quite warm, so it will be a bit of a shock in Oceanside when the water is in the upper 50’s. Eeek!

Another swimming activity I have been taking part in is watching Emma’s swim practice. I know, you can’t get better by watching a sport…but I disagree. I watch these coaches give their feedback with these kids and I take note as well. It’s kind of like watching tapes of a game to know what you do right and wrong. It’s also a time that Jessi and I often hang out and admire Emma’s pure joy of swimming. It blows us away. She will be late for everything. But not swimming. It normally takes her 20 minutes to put on her shoes, but she can go from a dead sleep, with clothes on, and be swim ready in 30 seconds and be yelling at you to hurry up and get in the car. You give her the option not to swim, and she won’t take it. I don’t know too many people with her drive and the smile that goes along with it. Who knows how long she will swim for, but right now she loves it and loves her coaches.

Next word…treadmill. There, I said it. Treadmill. How many people have stopped reading now? I tell ya, up until this year I would laugh at those that chose to run indoors…laugh I say! Because there is never a reason not to run outside. You tell me one reason you can’t, and I will come up with 10 reasons you can. BUT, this year we purchased a used treadmill for $100 from a friend so that Jessi can get some workouts in while pregnant and not slip on ice and when the baby is here, is able to sneak in a run or two. Well, I just so happened to have injured myself in November. I screwed up my calf and knew the journey back would be a slow one. So I started with walking on the treadmill in mid December. That walk, weeks later, turned into an easy jog. That easy jog turned into a longer easy jog…and that’s where I feel like I am now. Maybe a bit more than easy jog though.

One part of training that I have always been a believer in is documenting your training. We all know that it’s important, but we often fall victim to time. But I figured if I started to see the little I was doing, it would eventually add up to more than a little. I have been using TrainingPeaks. It’s free and does more than 99.99% of people will ever use it for. I am a data guy and am always trying to make a 10 minute mile look like a 5 minute mile. I have not been able to do that, but I have been able to see trends and things that show that there has been some progress. And really, that’s all we ever want.

Through training it’s always nice to have a few toys that keep your interest. There is no doubt that the one thing that puts a little pop in all our step is music. I have to say that I train almost all the time with something in my ears. No, not swimming…yet. I can listen to the same 5 songs over and over. I don’t think I really listen though. It’s just background noise. I really enjoy listening to podcasts too. Three of my favorites are The Competitors, Packfiller, and IM Talk. All of them have their own variety. I had the opportunity to meet Bob Babbit from Competitor Radio at the TIMEX Multisport camp a few weeks ago. I have been listening to him for the past 3 years. It was amazing to sit and chat with him for hours about sport related stuff…and some not so sport related. What an amazing person.

Another couple items that I have entertained me along the way, and given me data as well, are my Timex Global Trainer and the new Race Trainer Pro. If you want to see a little video of the new Race Trainer Pro, click here. It will be available late March 2011. Both these devices download to TrainingPeaks where I can see everything I need to. The Global Trainer shows everything from pace, map, distance, speed, cadence, power, etc, etc, etc. It’s crazy. The Race Trainer Pro is super for all your heart race needs and quickly and easily uploads to TrainingPeaks as well. I like gadgets…these both make my training go by a tad faster.

Even with the best laid out plans, things happen that kick our asses. Since December I have been sick on 2 different occasions. That pretty much wipes out 1 week per illness at least. But, I have found since my cycling days when I was a mere 13 years old, that when you are sick your training should be to get healthy. The sooner you are back on top, the sooner you can resume regular workouts. So I feel that the 2 weeks I lost was okay…not ideal…but okay. I was super fortunate to have a supportive family that eventually told me to stop whining like a baby. So I did, and got up and got going again.

So though training has been okay, and I have been getting over the occasional hurdle, the big event is yet to come. That being May 15^th when our little boy is supposed to make his debut. When that day comes, though we’d like to think that the world will stop for a day or two, it won’t but we will. Emma is so excited and trying to figure out what he will be like and what he will want to do for fun. Jessi and are just wondering what new changes will be made. Kind of fun, and crazy, when you have no control over things that you know are coming. I think that’s good.