Bon Bini!

Well, thew triathlon thing wasn't doing it for me, blog wise. Training is good (when it happens) and my first race was awesome. But I just don't feel like writing about it.

So that leaves whatever hits me, and my real passion, which is nature, and specifically the ocean. I am a certified scuba diver, and I am starting to get really jazzed about the sport after taking some time away from it for too many reasons.

Starting this new blog, is my recent trip to the island of Bonaire. Bonaire is in the Dutch Antilles, near Aruba. It is world renowned for it's reefs, and the coral and fish were magnificant!

I am a new photographer, so my pictures do not do Bonaire justice, but my next few posts will have some pics and stories from my dives.

Next trip on the schedule is in August. I am traveling to Cozumel, Mexico for a few days, followed by a day of cavern diving in the Cenotes, followed by free diving with whale sharks in Holbox.

I am amped up about it, stay tuned for some more info and links later on...

A confession

Well, I went back and looked at the posts I made when I first started this blog, and wow, did I screw up. Basically, cut all the swim distances in half, I was swimming in a much smaller pool than I thought, lol

I can only blame it on my near-sightedness...

It's official!

I am a triathlete now. I raced the Hammonton Sprint Tri, time (un-official) was 1:33:24. The swim was pitiful, but I knew it would be, and as I wasn't last AND had enough in the tank to run out of the water, I am ok with that. A full race report to follow, right now I am preparing for the weekend festivities, as well as replacing all those lost carbs. MMMMM, beer...

Progress Continues

Well, last night was my second swim session after reviewing the TI video. Honestly I was a little worried that I would revert back to the form I had before.

But I didn't. I was more comfortable in the face down position, almost as if I had swum this way my whole life. And what a difference does a better form make! Previously I have swam maybe, 800 meters tops during a session. Last night? 1500 meters and I felt I could have gone farther. Granted I took frequent short breaks, levelling off at 30 seconds per 100 meters, but my splits were very consistent. Total time was 19:04.

Tonight is a run night, but I am taking the night off. First, my legs are still tired from Monday, when I went mountain biking for two hours. Plus it is meeting night for the local tri club, and I am off to check them out, a good reason for a break.

All in all things are going much better than I thought they would. I can't wait for the season to start.

Thanks CBS News!

For reminding me why I no longer care about tv. Leading story on the 5 o' clock news? The court battle over Anna Nicole's body. Second story? Brittany Spears shaved her head and went into rehab.

Not to sound callous, but... WHO CARES???

Next two storys, which recieved much less time, wild police chase with one suspect STILL ON THE LOOSE, and Man exposes himself to young girls and followed one into a secluded area.

Really, don't you think those two stories should have gotten precedence? Aren't they reall news? Like, look out for these people, they are dangerous?

BTW both the third and fourth stories received less time combined than one of the other two.

Success smells like chlorine

It wasn't pretty, it wasn'y efficient, but it was 1000 meters with my face in the water and breathing to the side. I can't believe how hard this was, or how uncomfortable I was in the pool until tonight! I learned to swim in the ocean, during my teenage years I might have spent as much time in the water as on land. The one time I ever had a comfort issue, was on a night dive, in crappy conditions the night of my father's cancer surgery, so that was nothing but stress.

I have no idea how people who are afraid of the water get through it. Those people are truely tough.

But for me, I think I finally figured it out, and now I have 3 months to smooth out my stroke and tone those muscles before my first race.

The only bad part was the headache I got walking to the car. Stupid cold with the wind...

Event Schedule, 2-13

My schedule at this point looks like:

March 31- Ship Bottom Sprint For Life 5k run
April 14- Doo Wop Duathlon- 2mile run, 10 mile ride- 2 mile run
April 21- SOCH Great Causeway Challenge- 30 mile ride- 10k run
May 26- Hammonton Rec. Sprint Tri- First tri ever!
Sept 29-30- City to Shore MS150

I will be adding other races. I have my eye on two other sprints, but if things go well I am hoping to get in an Olympic distance in as well.