Hi folks, Each time I come to a race I meet inspiring people and take home some great memories. This year was no exception. My inspiration at this event (LPIM 2011) came from three guys, in a slightly younger age group, who chatted with me on the day after the race. One of them remembered my name and called me over to ask about how my race went. Then I noticed that one guy was covered in 'road pizza' (bike crash), ... Read more
Compromise? For Success, Fit Your Workout Schedule To Your Personality
Hi folks, Here we are in beautiful Lake Placid after the race, with a deadline for people to get back to North Carolina by Saturday (four days away). We are debating what to do next. There are two camps and an observer (myself - I have no deadlines right now). Camp one says, "lets go to Montreal for a day." This is one hundred miles in the wrong direction for getting back home. The other camp ... Read more
Your Competition May Not Be As Tough As They Look
Hi folks, Life is full of surprises, so don't let your competition psyche you out (it's not over 'till its over). When I was a youngster I joined a judo club. After only a few months of training our group of 15 to 16-year-old boys was asked to participate in a martial arts demonstration in a large auditorium in the center of town. We didn't know much, but then our role was to act as a backdrop for the ... Read more
Simple Pleasures And The Fluid Nature Of Memory
Hi folks, A life well lived is a balanced life. As I think back over my life so far, I remember some simple pleasures that cost little but left an indelible memory. The earliest is playing the ancient game of five stones as a kid in the street outside of our house in Bristol, England in the late 1940s. You find five nice small stones, just right to both throw in the air and pick up, and away you go. It ... Read more
Training As A Journey Of Self-Discovery: How Much Is Too Much?
Hi folks, The real art to training safely comes down to knowing what to do and becoming aware of how much is too much. Too much what, you might ask? Let's consider a few key variables. Impact: Recently I sent out a tweet, via Twuffer to Twitter (brave new world), providing a Chez Ollie in the TheRollaDailyNews.com website concerning the value of exercise for Baby Boomers. There was a statement in this ... Read more
Preparing For An Ironman Race, The Week Preceding
Hi folks, As Chez Ollie during World War II, "He who fails to plan is planning to fail." The 'bulldog' with the sharp wit also said, "Those who plan do better than those who do not plan, even though they rarely stick to their plan." Boy, is this an important issue in endurance sports? After following a training plan for the previous year, the pressure mounts as you attempt to ensure that all ... Read more
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Taking My Cat
Hi folks! Welcome! Not a very upbeat subject today, cancer, but it is a thing we need to understand as we age. I read somewhere that 90% of cancers occur in people over 70 years of age, and that is only a couple of years out for yours truly. It is worse for my lovely cat, Alobar. He already has his cancer, an inoperable squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pharynx. Trained as a pathologist, I have examined ... Read more
Don’t Let Your Mind Psych You Out During A Race
Hi folks, Exercise has a significant mental component, which is considerable for endurance training. As my Ironman (IM) race appointments approach, my mind starts to go over mistakes and lessons of the past. It is easy to forget those lessons and repeat the mistakes. During one race several years ago it was clear that my mind lost confidence. I was riding the last 20 miles of the bike course, ... Read more
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