Crossing The Finish Line And Picking Up The Pieces

Phew!  What a weekend. I had a nice 14.35 mile (24km) run with my training partners Adam, Manuel and Mike on Saturday on my way to the concert hall for the premiere of my newest composition, Stress Test. I felt pretty solid all the way there, but the last two miles my hip flexors and calves were starting to get a tad bit tight. The great thing about doing such a long run on the day of a huge premiere was that I was about as laid back as I could possibly be throughout the rehearsals that I had to coordinate throughout the day. Not only did I have a premiere, but I was also the artistic director for the concert series that premiered four new works with choreographic essays. My premiere was great, and the performance the following day was even better. It was great having my friend Kelly play the concert as well. She played the flute part on my piece, but she is also a fellow triathlete, so we got to have a little bit of nerdy triathlete talk in between rehearsals. Now that the premiere is over, you would figure that I would not know what to do with my free time. Much to the contrary, I am now in the process of catching up with all the grading, writing, and general life activities that I put on hold—or at least slowed down considerably—the last three weeks. Now, in the aftermath of all the craziness I am—like The Average White Band—starting to pick up all the pieces.

I went out yesterday for an hour mountain bike ride. Fifteen miles of dirt, mud, sweat, sun, and fun. This is the time of year that I need to mix it up a bit. I have not been swimming much lately on account of being so busy, but I believe everything kind of happens for a reason. My shoulders have been a bit sore after my long swim workouts. I did a 3400 yard swim last week. I tried getting in the pool today, but I think the stress of the weekend and all the traveling in the car had left me very tired. Nothing really makes me more tired than spending hours riding in a car. I also feel like I have been doing a terrible job hydrating lately. I can always run and bike when I am tired, but swimming is a completely different deal. If I am tired, forget about it. Never mind the fact that the pool at my Y is about four hundred and fifty degrees.

Hopefully, I can get on track with my training again, especially the swimming. I know that is my third discipline, so I really need to keep on it. I feel like I have been marginally maintaining my cardiovascular strength lately. I also feel like I need to start getting in the weight room again to increase my shoulder strength and range of motion. I have had a little break from all the weight training and I need to get my butt back in there

Update: Congratulation to (Mr.) Kelly Covert for being the winner of the Fly By Night Duathlon held at the historic Watkins Glen Motor Speedway on 29 May, 2010. I will be contacting race director Jeff Henderson to let him know. Congratulations (Mr.) Kelly Covert—not to be confused with Mrs. Kelly Covert.

Oh yeah, I finished my PhD at doctor school on Tuesday, thus the infrequent posts. I am now Dr. Mark. My mother asked me if I felt differently now that I am Dr. Mark. I said "No, no... I am just as dumb and absent-minded as I was before I began."

Until next time.. train smart!