We had to do an exercise in class involving time management, and were told to make a pie chart of an average day, and how much time we spent on the various things in our lives. Mine was as follows
Sleep - 33%
Eating - 12%
Training - 15%
Class Time -10 %
Free Time - 10%
HW - 5%
Work (paid)- 15%
We handed in the charts, went on break while the teacher reviewed, and came back in. I knew something was wrong when the teacher zeroed in on me in the first 30 seconds back and said in a sharp tone,"Mr. Stoughton, I see here that you spend more time training for sports then school. Care to explain?". At this point I have two options;
1. Lie and say I miscalculated, thereby making myself look incompetent and incapable of basic math, but showing that I take my Merage education seriously.
2. Tell the truth, incur the wrath of said teacher for not taking the school curriculum seriously, and spend the rest of the quarter trying to salvage my grade in the class
I weighed these options in 0.2 seconds, looked the teacher directly in the eye and responded with;
" You're just that effective in your teaching, sir."
Between the class laughing and the teacher glaring at me, I'd be willing to bet I'm not getting straight A's this quarter...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Day 21
Day 21 of IM training, I've dropped about 5 lbs since December, and most importantly....I'm starting to get some of my old speed back. Another 10 lbs, and I'll be pretty close to where I was pre-psycho gf/breakdown/2 years of hell. My goal is to get even faster then I was pre-breakdown, but I have a completely different attitude this time around. I'm not that pissed off, angry kid that I was at 22, where it was me vs. the world. These days, its more about me vs. myself, and I'm curious to see how far I can push myself as I hit my prime in endurance athletics. These were my records back in the day;
800yd Swim 8:59
1 mile Run 4:52
40km Bike 1:10:52
Olympic Distance Tri 2:10:26
Sprint Tri 58:59
We'll see how I do being older (and supposedly smarter).
800yd Swim 8:59
1 mile Run 4:52
40km Bike 1:10:52
Olympic Distance Tri 2:10:26
Sprint Tri 58:59
We'll see how I do being older (and supposedly smarter).
Monday, January 7, 2008
Chinese Subtitles & Cycling
Saturday was a scheduled 3 hour bike ride, and as it was pouring rain, I decided to ride indoors on my trainer with my teammate Karl and watch movies. As the scenery really doesn't change when you're riding a stationary bike, minds tend to wander and DVDs are usually used to combat boredom. However, this particular saturday, while watching the Chinese Martial arts movie "The House of the Flying Daggers" (complete with no sound and english subtitles) I had an epiphany.
I would become a ninja. But unlike any ninja the world had seen thus far....I would become cycling's first ninja. (Keep in mind I'm 6'4, 200 lbs, NOT asian and the words "grace" and "subtlety" probably are not the first words that come to mind when I'm around.)
Nevertheless, Sunday saw me down at the cycling clothes store, buying every piece of black clothing I could find. The clerk even cautioned me ( "You know, there are other colors...."), but I was adamant. Ninjas wear black, therefore I needed all the XL dark clothes I could lay my grubby little paws on. Once back at home, I donned my new outfit to make sure I looked the part, and gave myself the once-over in the mirror (pictures forthcoming). Convinced I looked like an intimidating bad-ass (in form-fitting lycra nonetheless), I walked outside to get a bike tube from my car, prepared to conquer the roads. Rummaging around in my car for the tube, I became aware that it was quiet outside. TOO quiet. As in the " murderer is about to get the hero in the movie" quiet, or the still quiet of the forest right before a bear charges through the brush and tears apart a helpless deer.
Lifting my head up and looking around, I realized two things;
1. The parking lot is a lot emptier when everyone goes home for winter break
2. Less cars in the lot means its easier for the police car to see the black clad, hooded figure rummaging around in the red camaro
20 minutes of questioning later (complete with my neighbors walking by with their mouths open, staring and pointing), I was allowed to strut with as much dignity as I could muster in my Lycra (not much) back into my apartment complex, thus culminating my first ninja experience.
God bless the vigilance of the Irvine PD.
I would become a ninja. But unlike any ninja the world had seen thus far....I would become cycling's first ninja. (Keep in mind I'm 6'4, 200 lbs, NOT asian and the words "grace" and "subtlety" probably are not the first words that come to mind when I'm around.)
Nevertheless, Sunday saw me down at the cycling clothes store, buying every piece of black clothing I could find. The clerk even cautioned me ( "You know, there are other colors...."), but I was adamant. Ninjas wear black, therefore I needed all the XL dark clothes I could lay my grubby little paws on. Once back at home, I donned my new outfit to make sure I looked the part, and gave myself the once-over in the mirror (pictures forthcoming). Convinced I looked like an intimidating bad-ass (in form-fitting lycra nonetheless), I walked outside to get a bike tube from my car, prepared to conquer the roads. Rummaging around in my car for the tube, I became aware that it was quiet outside. TOO quiet. As in the " murderer is about to get the hero in the movie" quiet, or the still quiet of the forest right before a bear charges through the brush and tears apart a helpless deer.
Lifting my head up and looking around, I realized two things;
1. The parking lot is a lot emptier when everyone goes home for winter break
2. Less cars in the lot means its easier for the police car to see the black clad, hooded figure rummaging around in the red camaro
20 minutes of questioning later (complete with my neighbors walking by with their mouths open, staring and pointing), I was allowed to strut with as much dignity as I could muster in my Lycra (not much) back into my apartment complex, thus culminating my first ninja experience.
God bless the vigilance of the Irvine PD.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Day 3 of Official Ironman Training
People have been asking me what my race preparation consists of for April 16th. So far my official training for the race in the past 3 days has consisted of;
- 3 hours of bike riding
- 2 failed attempts at yoga
- 200 pushups and situps
- 100m sprint to catch the bus
- 25 minute hot tub float
- 5000 yds of swimming
- 6 rounds of greco-roman wrestling with my brother (author's note: We were supposed to go 10 rounds for family dominance, but were interrupted by my grandmother kicking us both in the ribs and scolding us for fighting outside the restraunt)
- 30 minutes of running
- Walking 4 miles at midnight through the Pasadena Rose Bowl floats, carrying my girlfriend "piggyback".
It's rather unorthodox, but I feel that all this cross-training will only be beneficial come race time. In fact, I'm going to license this cross-training regime under the title " Gooches and Lycra; When two worlds collide". I mean, if people blogging about their boring lives on the internet makes money then......
- 3 hours of bike riding
- 2 failed attempts at yoga
- 200 pushups and situps
- 100m sprint to catch the bus
- 25 minute hot tub float
- 5000 yds of swimming
- 6 rounds of greco-roman wrestling with my brother (author's note: We were supposed to go 10 rounds for family dominance, but were interrupted by my grandmother kicking us both in the ribs and scolding us for fighting outside the restraunt)
- 30 minutes of running
- Walking 4 miles at midnight through the Pasadena Rose Bowl floats, carrying my girlfriend "piggyback".
It's rather unorthodox, but I feel that all this cross-training will only be beneficial come race time. In fact, I'm going to license this cross-training regime under the title " Gooches and Lycra; When two worlds collide". I mean, if people blogging about their boring lives on the internet makes money then......
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Why I was late to work today
Training
I have Ironman AZ in the spring, a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run extravaganza designed to send me deeper into insanity then I already am. What this means then is I keep slightly ridiculous hours to get the required workouts in, sometimes spinning on my bike or swimming in a pool at hours most people are asleep. I've been known to skip class, social events, even dates in order to get a workout in, so I'm pretty sure I'm either dedicated or an idiot who likes the entertainment. I lean towards the latter, especially on a morning such as the one mentioned below.
I couldn't sleep this morning for some reason, so I got up at around 5:30 am to go running. Following a path through UC-Irvine, I began a 6 mile run, shivering in the cold and questioning my sanity. Half awake, I began a climb into the hills behind the school , when all of the sudden my sunglasses began to become fogged and covered in water. Confused, I slowed down, wondering if a sprinkler system was on, then as if a switch had been hit, rain began to pour down from the heavens (Note that this could not have happened at a greater distance from my apartment...exactly 3 miles away). Gritting my teeth, I began the run back, my clothes quickly becoming soaked and my lower legs slightly mud-spattered. Rounding a corner in the hills, I lost my footing and slid out, much like a NASCAR racer that's spun out on a track, and now found myself lying on the side of the trail, partially covered in mud, soaked, tired, and slightly pissed off. I staggered back to my feet and continued to run, mud caking the back half of my body. Running down the last hill that brings the trail back into campus, I began to dream of a hot shower that would be the end of this little "hydro" run and began to relax. Too soon it turned out, as the following sequence of events occurred;
1. Construction Truck pulls out in front of the trail, blocking both trail, sidewalk and part of the road
2. Student on beach cruiser bicycle swerves to avoid truck blocking sidewalk, goes up onto trail
3. Bicycle clips me, sending me flying into a standing pool of water, mud and other yuck
4. Bicyclist loses balance on bike, slides bike into above mentioned pool, showering me with even more mud and water
5. Truck Driver who causes this begins to laugh
I sat in the pool for several stunned seconds as the rain continued to come down around me, then noticed the driver laughing and snapped. I made a bee-line for the truck, where the driver, seeing a 6'4 , mud covered nutjob with rage written all over his face heading his way, frantically began to lock his doors. I started pounding on the guys window, whilst saying dignified, classy things such as " You think that was #&$*!) funny?!?" and "Get your &#*$# ass out of here!". He revs the engine and peels out, almost taking my foot off, and I begin to chase him down the street, thinking in my bloodlust that I'm going to catch him and make him pay for soaking me.
For the record, I'm not Kenyan, nor am I that fast. Keep in mind this is taking place in the University Suburbs too, which is a very peaceful, quiet street. Pleasantville, if you will.
There's a ton of stop signs over where this is occurring, so his truck keeps having to slow for them, letting me keep him in sight. Finally, by the 3rd or 4th sign, he loses it and blows right through the stop sign, hoping to leave me in the dust. Unfortuantly for him, he misses seeing the bike cop sitting there as well, who is more then happy to pull out after him with lights flashing. Seeing this, I decide I don't want to be involved anymore, and head the other way. I glance over my shoulder, and spot the driver out of his car, motioning in my direction and gesturing, with the cop staring at me. That's never a good sign, so I begin to run faster. Glancing back, I can see the cop getting back on his bike, and begin to pull out. Picking up my speed, I reach the housing development where I live, and make it inside just as the bike cop pulls up onto the main street with his lights flashing. Racing into my apartment, I lock the door behind me, and jump in the shower still clothed, wondering if I'm going to spend the day behind bars. After about 10 minutes, with no loud knocking, I figured its safe and continue on with my day.
And that's why I do sports. Never a dull moment.
I have Ironman AZ in the spring, a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run extravaganza designed to send me deeper into insanity then I already am. What this means then is I keep slightly ridiculous hours to get the required workouts in, sometimes spinning on my bike or swimming in a pool at hours most people are asleep. I've been known to skip class, social events, even dates in order to get a workout in, so I'm pretty sure I'm either dedicated or an idiot who likes the entertainment. I lean towards the latter, especially on a morning such as the one mentioned below.
I couldn't sleep this morning for some reason, so I got up at around 5:30 am to go running. Following a path through UC-Irvine, I began a 6 mile run, shivering in the cold and questioning my sanity. Half awake, I began a climb into the hills behind the school , when all of the sudden my sunglasses began to become fogged and covered in water. Confused, I slowed down, wondering if a sprinkler system was on, then as if a switch had been hit, rain began to pour down from the heavens (Note that this could not have happened at a greater distance from my apartment...exactly 3 miles away). Gritting my teeth, I began the run back, my clothes quickly becoming soaked and my lower legs slightly mud-spattered. Rounding a corner in the hills, I lost my footing and slid out, much like a NASCAR racer that's spun out on a track, and now found myself lying on the side of the trail, partially covered in mud, soaked, tired, and slightly pissed off. I staggered back to my feet and continued to run, mud caking the back half of my body. Running down the last hill that brings the trail back into campus, I began to dream of a hot shower that would be the end of this little "hydro" run and began to relax. Too soon it turned out, as the following sequence of events occurred;
1. Construction Truck pulls out in front of the trail, blocking both trail, sidewalk and part of the road
2. Student on beach cruiser bicycle swerves to avoid truck blocking sidewalk, goes up onto trail
3. Bicycle clips me, sending me flying into a standing pool of water, mud and other yuck
4. Bicyclist loses balance on bike, slides bike into above mentioned pool, showering me with even more mud and water
5. Truck Driver who causes this begins to laugh
I sat in the pool for several stunned seconds as the rain continued to come down around me, then noticed the driver laughing and snapped. I made a bee-line for the truck, where the driver, seeing a 6'4 , mud covered nutjob with rage written all over his face heading his way, frantically began to lock his doors. I started pounding on the guys window, whilst saying dignified, classy things such as " You think that was #&$*!) funny?!?" and "Get your &#*$# ass out of here!". He revs the engine and peels out, almost taking my foot off, and I begin to chase him down the street, thinking in my bloodlust that I'm going to catch him and make him pay for soaking me.
For the record, I'm not Kenyan, nor am I that fast. Keep in mind this is taking place in the University Suburbs too, which is a very peaceful, quiet street. Pleasantville, if you will.
There's a ton of stop signs over where this is occurring, so his truck keeps having to slow for them, letting me keep him in sight. Finally, by the 3rd or 4th sign, he loses it and blows right through the stop sign, hoping to leave me in the dust. Unfortuantly for him, he misses seeing the bike cop sitting there as well, who is more then happy to pull out after him with lights flashing. Seeing this, I decide I don't want to be involved anymore, and head the other way. I glance over my shoulder, and spot the driver out of his car, motioning in my direction and gesturing, with the cop staring at me. That's never a good sign, so I begin to run faster. Glancing back, I can see the cop getting back on his bike, and begin to pull out. Picking up my speed, I reach the housing development where I live, and make it inside just as the bike cop pulls up onto the main street with his lights flashing. Racing into my apartment, I lock the door behind me, and jump in the shower still clothed, wondering if I'm going to spend the day behind bars. After about 10 minutes, with no loud knocking, I figured its safe and continue on with my day.
And that's why I do sports. Never a dull moment.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Urban Adventures
Overview
In April of 2006, I made the decision to move from my hometown of Tucson, AZ to the urban sprawl that is Orange County...or more specifically Irvine. My logic for the move was twofold;
1. I'd finished helping my family out of a tough spot
2. I was bored
I packed up my worldy posessions, and headed west like some Arizona style "Beverly Hillbilly". With $2000, a couple of bikes and guitars, and not a whole lot of planning, I would seek my fortune. The first 6 months out here, I lived in a mansion by the sea and almost ran out of money twice as I tried to acclimate to the dramatic price jump of SoCal. The next two years, I lived on campus at UC-Irvine, getting my ass kicked in graduate school with the corporate folks at a top-rated MBA program.
There's your 90 second summary.
Current thought
6 classes away from a Master's degree or 6 months to go. Take your pick. It still feels strange, but I've grown to accept that for $95,000 I get to have 3 letters at the end of my name the rest of my life (I wonder if I would've paid $500,000, if I could have had the alphabet at the end...or at least picked 13 letters in an order I liked.......). It's interesting though that the higher you go in education, the more people get so tied into their professional life they don't balance out their personal lives. This leads to a lot of unfulfilled professional people in their mid-30s with money, but no time to do anything, and they wish they "would've traveled more when younger, would've dated that girl, would've raced in cycling, etc". I've heard this a lot in the past few months, and see it as a cautionary tale. The key point here is a balanced lifestyle...work to get ahead, but don't do it to the extreme you miss out on what life has to offer. Sometimes you only have a limited window to do things, so take advantage of it!
In April of 2006, I made the decision to move from my hometown of Tucson, AZ to the urban sprawl that is Orange County...or more specifically Irvine. My logic for the move was twofold;
1. I'd finished helping my family out of a tough spot
2. I was bored
I packed up my worldy posessions, and headed west like some Arizona style "Beverly Hillbilly". With $2000, a couple of bikes and guitars, and not a whole lot of planning, I would seek my fortune. The first 6 months out here, I lived in a mansion by the sea and almost ran out of money twice as I tried to acclimate to the dramatic price jump of SoCal. The next two years, I lived on campus at UC-Irvine, getting my ass kicked in graduate school with the corporate folks at a top-rated MBA program.
There's your 90 second summary.
Current thought
6 classes away from a Master's degree or 6 months to go. Take your pick. It still feels strange, but I've grown to accept that for $95,000 I get to have 3 letters at the end of my name the rest of my life (I wonder if I would've paid $500,000, if I could have had the alphabet at the end...or at least picked 13 letters in an order I liked.......). It's interesting though that the higher you go in education, the more people get so tied into their professional life they don't balance out their personal lives. This leads to a lot of unfulfilled professional people in their mid-30s with money, but no time to do anything, and they wish they "would've traveled more when younger, would've dated that girl, would've raced in cycling, etc". I've heard this a lot in the past few months, and see it as a cautionary tale. The key point here is a balanced lifestyle...work to get ahead, but don't do it to the extreme you miss out on what life has to offer. Sometimes you only have a limited window to do things, so take advantage of it!
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