March

Now that the games are over and I've had a few weeks to get my conditioning back to where it should be, i'll up the tempo of my training and begin to follow a strict diet which will see no sugar,dairy,pasta or alchohol just to name a few things. So after 5 straight days of early morning runs and afternoon core workouts topped off with a rowdy olympic beer swilling Sunday, I'll just go to work tomorrow and come home to rest...but now I'm already thinking of where to run Tuesday morning.

Canada Hockey Gold!

The streets are crazy right now! cars up and down the street with flags waving and the downtown core looking like it's going to be a looong celebration.

new shoes

Well I just ran in a new pair of Nike Free 5.0 and they felt great,they're the lightest shoe i've ever used so we'll see how training goes in these. My runs are still between 30-40 minutes and those are beginning to feel like warm up's so it's good to end my runs feeling like i can do much more. Soon I plan on running 10k 5 times a week with a long run every sunday but it's crucial to ease the miles in just to avoid injury. Next week training will start becoming more intense as the olympics get ready to wind up and that will help me keep focused because there's a lot going on around here,I never expected these games to be so much fun, I'm referring to the whole atomsphere around the city there's been something happening everywhere everynight! One thing for certain though, winter's been interesting!

Training again

Finally after an unexpected month away I was able to continue training today! It was great spring day in winter. I went for a 29 minute run and it felt good,it's always nice to get the first one out of the way. I'll spend the next couple of weeks or so just getting my cardio back to where it should be and then I'll get back to following a specific regimen that includes all three areas of the triathlon. It looks like the Vancouver Marathon is about twelve weeks away so I've got some mileage building to do.

jet lag

I'm just bagged! trying hard to get back to normal but my time zone is somewhere else.

Home

This small one bedroom condo looks massive! and I can walk through the doorways without ducking down,I have two bumps and a couple scratches on my forehead from banging my head because i'm pushing 6'2 and many of the doorways in Japan are lower. It was a pretty hassle free flight as i thought Vancouver airport would be a mess with the olympics but straight in no hassle but the time difference is going to mess me up a bit but I have couple days to adjust before work. Now as far as training goes i'm anxious to get going, but not having done anything for a few weeks i realize i need to start allll over!and i know once i get that first one in and that blood pumping i'll be off. For my BT friends thanks! I think I'll posting a question on how to get re-started just to see what kind of feedback comes back as i can always use the tips and motivation. I also need to pick up a new pair of runners so that search begins now as I'm always looking for the perfect pair but still haven't found them..also need to sign up for the Vancouver Marathon in May.Anyway I'm now in the comfort of home and apparently the olympic torch is coming through the neighborhood so i'll try catch a glimpse.

ok one more

Being a few feet away from some train tracks and then all a sudden Whoooosh!! out of nowhere the mighty Shinkasen(bullet train) just silently rips by us! just awesome. Flying from Tokyo to Osaka over Mt Fuji as the sun sets was pretty memorable as well.Those are just a couple of moments I wanted to write down while they`re so vividly stuck in my head and there will be more both bad and good, but once I return this will return to an Ironman journey with riveting inputs of treacherous laps in the pool combined with mysterious training runs throughout Vancouver! So ends my last post crossed leg on the floor on a tatami mat in Osaka Japan,next post from a chair in a condo.

One more Japan post

Well a couple more days in downtown Osaka have passed and the non-stop action of the maze of a subway system and non stop wave of humans flying past me at all angles have now given way to quiet walks in the country,with non-stop humans flying past past me on bikes.we are preparing to head home soon as the Olympics are due back home so things should be a bit more tame.Soon the soaker tub will be replaced with a too small cold tub and the beer vending machines replaced with wine fridges filled with January`s un-used gatorade.I`m looking forward to running on empty tree lined streets early in the morning once again but this time i have so much more in my thoughts when i do.

kyoto day 2

Well we had to go back to Kyoto today just because there is too much to see as far as historical sites,there should be some nice pics that i can post on facebook soon and that will be it for Kyoto. Where I`m staying is a place called Takatsuki which is far from the downtown core of Osaka but between Kyoto and Kobe so everything is just a train ride away.I`ve actually found out that Takatsuki has a half marathon in January so I`m now thinking i need to come back for that. I peeled the paint off a few kareoke walls today as well. Tomorrow we`ll head to downtown Osaka and that trip to Kobe for the beef.

japan week two

Well two weeks ago i was doing laps in a pool and training 2 times a day and today i was in Kyoto walking around castles where samurai once roamed,this is turning out to be a journey indeed! My next stop will be a Kobe steakhouse for some Kobe beef which is a must do especially being from Vancouver and having been at a restaurant called Kobe steakhouse which doesn`t compare obviously. Just a few thoughts while I`m on the computer sitting on the floor here in Osaka,great food, Beer vending machines,heated toilet seats,fantastic transportation system and finally beer vending machines! Man could i use a chair about now,lol anyway i`m going stand up bang my head and head out with pocket full of yen and ironman dreams still very much alive. Thanks to all for the well wishes.