EMBRACING LIFE

Good Morning!

Another week of training in the bank. Another injury free and healthy week as well- therefore- I am one happy dude. Of course a "bend in the road" occurred and for this week and the next I am basically the CFO/Controller of a pretty darn big company due to one person abruptly leaving. Me, 24yrs old, has interviewed people for jobs and now am doing some major accounting work, and of course overtime hours.

But this is why I preach the single life so much. I can still train all the hours i need. Get all the sleep I need. Enjoy life to the fullest. Have no one else making me stress (thats a little much i know :) and for another blog post.....)

When adults told me in High School, wait til you get in college- it gets harder- then when they told me in College- wait until you get into the real world- it gets harder. Then- wait until you own a home- it gets harder. A real job- harder. This type of race- Harder. Well- after experiencing all of the above-I don't think there is nothing Hard about it. You have to have the right attitude to attack different tasks each day but it is definitely possible to enjoy and embrace the obstacles or debris thrown your way.

Living in my house for 6months and taking care of a yard and all the upkeep has been challenging but Man-O-Man it is one awesome challenge. So much fun.

So anyway- Adults encourage kids that Life is not all that bad please. Also, please ignore your Na-Sayers. Just because they can't find the right balance does not mean you can.

Train On! Stay Fit! Get Fit! Love Life!

Greg

Below is the yard that I TRY and keep up.... Learning the ropes each and every day I guess..

SUNRISES!!

Top of the morning to ya!

Straight to the point- When I am filled with joy I sing! Fortunately, I sing all the time which then means I am filled with Joy All the time. People at work, people I train with, family and friends unfortunately have to hear my horrible vocal skills often. I was singing in Hot Yoga class this week even. Talk about a time NOT to do that.

Anyway- I love to take in Sunrises. Especially on my daily dog walk over the farm right next to me.

I look at a Sunrise as something so Beautiful, while short in time, happens often in our lives. So if you miss one, you will get another chance to soak it in. If you get to soak it in, well- be thankful that at that very moment- that feeling of excitement, happiness, bliss, gratitude, whatever it is for you gets to come back to you as soon as 24 hours (the next sunrise). Random- I know- but man I sure do love Sunrises!!!

One pic below, is from my brother out on the water while on duty. Another is of my dog "soaking in the sunrise too" :) . The others are just from my phone.

BOOKs and MORE BOOKs

So one of my New Year's Resolution (I have multiple ones and I might add- Im sticking to them so far) is to read 30 books in the year. It basically is 6months reading 2 books per month and 6 months reading 3 books per month. Sounds simple but we all know how so much of "life" gets in the way of our plans. For instance- "Im so excited, I have nothing to do this weekend but relax" - said on a thursday. Then - "Where did my weekend go, and I dont recall any relax time for myself" - said on the following Monday. To help this Crisis- I pretty much canceled my Cable (I get 3 channels i believe). Not for the money-but for my quiet time. My body needs it from all the training I do daily and I get to read MORE!

Anyway- for the month of January I got in 4 books.

My favorite authors are Nick Sparks (if you know me- you already knew that one), Paul Young, and Mitch Albom.

Unfortunately, I have read all of these author's books so I really need to branch out and get recommendations from friends on what books I should add to my list. Also, unfortunately- I read the Twilight series and the Hunger Games series as well which would have been helpful to get to 30 books.

I have started the Harry Potter series - mainly b/c its 7 books :) , and I will be diving into some John Grisham. I read Bleachers and Calico Joe and not a big fan of him. Just saying.

I HIGHLY recommend Paul Young's Cross Roads (My favorite) and The Shack ( a little dark in the beginning). This Author has really helped me over the years put my life in perspective.

So, I will be writing a small blog at the end of each month updating you on my books for that month.

January
Cross Roads- Paul Young
Harry Potter #1 - Jk Rowling
Bleachers - John Grisham
MockingJay - Suzanne Collins

FOOD PICS

Good morning everyone. Today- no words just pics. Of what? , you might ask. Of my favorite meals (concoctions) in a week (Monday-Friday). The ingredients of these pics are simple - Green and Red Peppers, Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Turkey Bacon, Eggs, Chicken Breasts, and Hamburgers. Breakfast meals take 10-15min total and dinner 30min total.

They taste better than they look- I promise!! But the main thing is to see how many options you have with the same types of Food. Don't compare mine to those awesome food bloggers whose food looks amazing and pictures are all fancy. I bet they don't taste as good (or maybe they do :).

So, there you have it. A Triathlete's main meal intake during a work week/Training Week. 

TRAINING PLANS

Good morning,

As I sit here with coffee in my hand (and loving life I might add) I realize that I have embarked on an amazing journey. I am close to 2 weeks into a 36 week training plan I have created for my self; With it ending at the Sprint World Championships In London England later on this year. While I do have a ton of races before then that will prep me for the Champs, I know all my eggs will be in that basket- to focus strictly on the month of September.

I also would like to open this up to discussion via twitter (@TriTheShore) or on here about your training plan. Does your coach or you give you 5 weeks of training block, 10, 12? Is there a rhyme and reason for it. A build block, speed block, high volume block, high interval block, stuff like that. It excites me to here how other people function and try to succeed because in the end we all are trying to succeed. Whether its finish a 5k, a triathlon, an Ironman, win your age group, win the race, lose weight- whatever it is- you have a training plan/guideline hoping it is the right formula for YOU.

I think its funny when people ask me how many yards I swim or how many miles do I bike in a week. I also feel bad, because people compare there training to others when it comes to volume. Just because one person is doing more volume does not mean they are going to be faster or training better than you. The right formula for YOU is what matters. So when I get asked that question- I tell them as much I as need- to know Im benefiting from it, and as little as I need- to know I don't get injured or waste my time on "Pointless" training hours. As Much + As Little=Correct .... Too Much+Too Little=Pointless .. See its a formula :)

Alright- lets chat it up guys.

NUTRITION!!!

Good morning,

As we enter 2013, I have many goals to hopefully achieve. Nailing my nutrition is one of them. While of course, nutrition is a sensitive topic with each person since we all have different nutritional needs, and of course- this paleo diet has hit the ground running which doesnt surprise me since CrossFit has become so popular. Thats for another blog and discussion.

I talked to a nutrionist/doctor the other and boy was it a wake up call. I have weighed 138 my entire life it seems so I changed up my diet the last 3 months to lose weight and today i weighed in at 134. This doctor basically said "Im out of my mind!". Losing weight will not make me faster since my weight was good as it was. So- for you who think you need to lose weight to get faster- dont do it! You will get the shakes/ your nails will fall off/ and will be craving food all the time.

What has saved me lately though is the recovery drinks/gels/ and power bars. Hammer's Recoverite is a great recovering drink- it lacks a good taste which means it is better for you :) . I like Hammer's Montana huckleberry gels but cliff gels are really good too. Gels are during workouts or right before a run. The power bars are before a bike or swim workout. All power bars taste good! :)

While i have not been eating exactly the best stuff from 9-5 during the week, the products above helped me still train at a high level. Now, I will be changing my eating habits or lack of - but still will be having all the recovery drinks/gels/ and power bars to compliment my eating and to replenish the nutrients lost from my workouts.

Its early in the year, I recommend seeing a doctor or nutrionist to dial in on what you should and should not be eating. I thought I knew. I was Way off!

Talk to you soon!

Greg

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ADVENTURE

So I wanted to take my mom up to the mountains for her to get away from the madness of the city that comes during the Holidays as well as to help get her mind off of being lonely during this time. Also, we have not hung out in awhile together. She and I both needed a getaway where we could reflect and get ready for 2013. It was perfect. One of my buddies met me up there to do some training with me where I love creating a running base up there. Slow long miles is what its all about and I didnt have to wake up at 4.30am on a Saturday for the first time in 17 weeks. A ton of miles and climbing in a 36hr span was what went down :) The rest is now pics of our Adventure. Please people, salvage your relationships with your family- its whats most important in your lives and without them breathing becomes very difficult.

My buddy and I taken it in!

My second favorite dog and my favorite vacation spot!

After a long run, coffee and this was perfect...

An unbelieveable view!

My stupid Hang ten pose :)

Where recover took place...

A Great Duo..