Thursday, February 18, 2010

"Time to get serious"

A phrase I say far more than I actually do. Like a wave approaching the shore my fitness builds every spring and well into the summer. When things go right, times come when I feel untouchable, a "purple patch" according to some. But all waves eventually find a beach. For me that means the enticement of celebrating after doing well usually brings me right back to where I started...almost. I've noticed that although my body is totally useless each winter, every spring I start out a little better than the year before.

Exempio: One spring in high school I went out for the track team. I had shown promise as a runner in junior high so this was nothing new to me. However the food that is somehow legal to sell to high schoolers in america was dragging me down. On the first day of practice, we went on a co-ed EASY group run, I made it a half mile and quit the team. A prime example of someone I call Phil 1.0.
Fast forward to 2009: After half a decade of racing anything with two wheels, I knew how to train, how to hurt and how to save it for race day. That pic of me is from my first race of 09, the Riverbank Run in Missoula. I had a great time and PR'd in the 10k, 5k and mile all in one morning. This was the first appearance of Phil 2.0, a totally different person.

Anyway, I try to look for improvements anywhere I can. They can be small from week to week but year to year they should start to appear. There is no staying the same. We live in an emergent universe. Things that are possible now were unthinkable a short time ago. Apply that to training and staying the same isn't staying the same. It's getting worse. So who wants to see where they're at and run the Snowjoke Half marathon next weekend? I know a lot of people that could easily improve. Heck all Doug needs to do is finish without the vultures pecking at his scalp!


7 comments:

Shaun Radley said...

Classic, Phil 1.0 was nasty at Halo

Lindsy Campbell said...

When does the Phil 3.0 model come out?

Bryce Daviess said...

Do you have wide feet?

Doug Dale said...

I remember when Phil was beta testing Phil 1.0. He had a total system crash forty miles into a 2000 mile bike journey and we spent five hours dragging his fat ass home. Phil 2.0 has come a long way

pippo said...

Wide feet? Not sure but don't think so. Why?

Phil 3.0? Also unknown. 2.0 has to hit rock bottom and realize that he is obsolete. You can't just re release yourself, the current version has to fail.

1.0 wasn't the strongest or the leanest but he could suffer. To my knowledge Doug and 1.0 are the only people on the planet to ever not ride two months prior to riding 2000 miles in three weeks.

More importantly, when does UM cycling 2.0 take the country by storm? You gave us a taste with LC's Cross nats but it wasn't enough. 2006 UM MTB set the bar with 3 stars n stripes and third overall at mtb nats. I want you guys to make that look like a gnats ass!

Lindsy Campbell said...

UM Cycling 2.0 coming soon...

Anonymous said...

I miss Phil 1.0