Decreased Training Promotes Increased Productivity ...

Did you ever see the Episode of Seinfeld when George decided not to have sex anymore? With his brain no longer being preoccupied with sex he becomes extremely productive and downright brilliant. Of course he ends up having sex and is back to the same old George by the end of the episode.  Well, replace "have(ing) sex" with "training" and this basically sums up how the off time has been for me.

It has been a little over 3 weeks since my last race and I have been on a self-prescribed recovery period.  My main goal was to take some time off from the day-to-day grind of following a specified training program.  The thinking was this would allow both my body and mind to relax and be ready to tackle the next training program with laser-like focus and intensity.  Being that I have either been doing P90X or Triathlon training non-stop since the Fall of 2008 I find myself with a lot of time on my hands.  Now I have not cut out training altogether.  Still running 15-18 miles per week and spending a day or two on the bike and in the pool.  But compared to my previous volume I still have time to spare.  So, I have been doing a lot of "other" things to keep myself occupied and here are a few of them:

-  I've read 3 novels and 2 Triathlon Books.  On June 21st I will begin training for the IronStar 70.3 and one of the books I read was The Essential Week-By-Week Training Guide.  I've decided to use the Phase 10 Half Ironman Training plan from this book to do my training.  It is going to be intense and I am in the process of creating a spreadsheet (which I will link on Google Docs) for reference and tracking but if I follow this plan as intended I will be more than ready come November 7th.

-  Along with playing with the wheelset on my TT bike, a lot of time has been spent sitting in the garage with a cold beer "tinkering".  I've basically taught myself how to service and maintain the bikes using mostly Annie's Trek 1000 of course.  Now the reasons for learning about the How-To of Bike Maintenance is because it is expensive and time consuming to take our bikes to the local bike shop.  But the main reason is that I am a typical dude who just likes to know how things work.  The benefits from this is the I really learned again how to appreciate a cold beer on a hot day and that I should be able to handle most of our future bike maintenance issues.  Also, it is just fun!  

-  I've briefly tried out a new product called, Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  First off, has there ever been a product name that better fits the personality of a blogger?  I think not!  I went on a quick 12 mile bike ride yesterday in 94 degree heat and used the Anti Monkey Butt Powder on my bike short chamois.  All I can say is that it was glorious and I will never ride a bike again without the Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  On Saturday at least 30 miles is planned so I will give a thorough review of the product (and get a chance to type:  Monkey Butt a bunch more times ...hehehe).  EVEN BETTER is that on Tuesday a Give-A-Way will be held and one lucky guy and gal will each receive a bottle of Anti Monkey Butt Powder and you too can also have a chance to experience the joy of not having Monkey Butt!

- I have also been watching a lot of baseball.  Last night I watched the Washington Nats battle the Pirates and last seasons #1 Draft Pick, Stephen Strasburg, made his Major League Debut.  Now if you do not follow baseball just know that this kid is probably the most hyped prospect in the last decade.  Heck, maybe the most hyped since A-Rod.  He is a 6'4" 220lb 21-year old that throws a 100 MPH fastball and has off speed stuff that will make your knees lock.  Well, he did not disappoint:  7 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts and the hype is legit.  I've never seen a pitch make throwing so hard look so effortless.  He is going to be a fun one to watch.  If you want to see video of his performance Click Here.

-  On the political front, I have been actively following the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie.  I am enamored with this guy for the way that he is governing with common sense and fiscal responsibility.  As far as     taxation of states goes NJ is taxed more than any other state in the union. Because of this the population is declining and the state is on the brink of bankruptcy. If tough decisions are not made NJ will soon be lining up for yet another Federal Bailout.  Since Christie has taken over as Governor he is cutting wasteful spending the same way a lumberjack takes down a tree - fast, efficient, and forceful.  This guy is the Anti-Politician! If you have not heard anything about Gov Christie than take a look at these two YouTube clips and you'll understand why I'd love to see this guy in the Oval Office in 2012: 

Christie Smacks Down a Journalist

Christie Smacks Down Teachers Union

- And speaking of Governors -- Our Texas Gov, Rick Perry, shot a coyote that was about to attack his puppy while he was out running (BTW, Perry is a Triathlete).  It was all over the media and of course some animal rights groups were appalled and blah, blah, blah.  So when I receive this email this morning it cracked me up (No offense Patrick ..hehe):

California vs. Texas Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks dog. #1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural. #2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it. #3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases. #4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged. #5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals. #6. Governor spends $50,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area. #7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease. #8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene. #9. Cost: $75,000 to train new security agent. #10. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state. Texas :  #1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging. Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat dead coyote. Any wonder why California is broke???? Thanks for Reading, Jeff