Sept. 6
Jetted out of Manchester Aug. 30, destined for Wausau, Wisconsin. Why? Well, vacation, I guess. I went to visit my dear friend from school Luke, who also likes to go by the names Rambo and First Blood Peters. His father co-owns several large dairies and beef feedlots. Reading Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and taking Food and Power at school peaked my curiosity about how these operations run. His dad, a ruminant nutritionist, eagerly agreed to show me around. His operations are much much more humane and sanitary than the ones depicted in Pollan's book. The 3,600 cattle have plenty of space, there were no flies (!), corn makes up a miniscule part of their diet, and methane from the manure powers their operation. The energy they generate from methane digestion can power 800 households. If you are curious for more track me down when I am home and I'll gladly share.
We spent the week at their cabin in Minaoqua. Northern Wisconsin. Apparently the county has something like 9.000 lakes so water sports reign. Waterskiing, fishing, kayaking, boating, we did it all. Luke, his sister Sara, and I went running together nearly every day. Luke took me on some lovely-albeit flattish-rollerskis. I didn't train huge hours-only 10-but I slept an average of 12 hours a day. I guess my body wanted me to know it needed a break.
Luke's sister Sarah, I was surprised to learn, rowed in high school and college.
She was the second best lightweight rower at Princeton until she fractured her back about a year ago. Always athletic, she needed a new outlet and has taken to triathlon. Fascinated by the physiology of training she picked my brain for whatever I knew about training; why not train so much in L2? what is threshold?
I gave her the answers as best I knew them, but it made me realize that I don't quite know the answers. I'd be afraid to tell them to someone who really knew.
So I made a list: Stuff I want to know. I believe this is the next level that I need to take my training to....
Now I am in Bend, Oregon visiting another college friend, Dakota Blackhorse von Jess (for real, that's his name) and checking out central Oregon. By the time I got off the plane in Oregon my Midwest accent sounded authentic. I've been working real hard to shake it.
Aug. 26
Just finished an intensity block that lasted about 2 weeks. Each session got progressively
faster and shorter; started with some 12 minute 30k pace pieces then worked through
a day on then day off pattern until I had six solid sessions. I surprised myself.
I had figured that by the end of the block I would be dragging butt. But as it
turned out, I was just fine. And in fact, felt quite sparky. But I took the couple
days of rest nevertheless, just to be cautious. The fact that I made it through
in one piece indicates that I've got a sufficient base of endurance training.
Pretty fired up about that. It means things are going right this year. Hope to
keep it that way.
After a couple days of rest I'm back at it. I may have gotten a little over zealous
Monday and Tuesday. I trained in the morning, went straight to work building gardens
and hauling manure, then straight to practice, then back to work. I'm feeling
the effects in my joints today. Did this for two days and into Wed. until I made
myself stop.
Today is a VO2 Max test on the treadmill at UMPI . Never done one before... Let
you know how it goes.
Until then, enjoy the outdoors!
Caught a cute little bass.
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Luke and Magnus.
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Running in the Deschutes Nat'l Forest. Dakota. Yes, he is wearing a collared training shirt. Yes, he popped the collar. Yes, I made fun of him relentlessly.
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