Flashback

What can I say?  I’ve been slacking with my blog. Hopefully, this is the start of me getting some consistent writing done again.

I haven’t provided a real running update in a while, so here we go…

Compared to the fall/winter training of the past couple years, this year has been great.  I’ve been healthy, motivated and getting fit.

I thought it would be interesting to see exactly how much better Fall/Winter training in 2011-12 has gone compared to Fall/Winter of 2010-11, so I got out my log book to have a gander. Last year was pretty pathetic:

September Miles: 0

October Miles: 0

November Miles: 0

December Miles: 0

January Miles: 59

February Miles: 116

You get the idea…I didn’t get a lot of running done. My total mileage from September 1, 2010 until the Canadian Nationals on June 22^nd, 2011 was 821. An average of 19.5 miles per week!? Pretty disgraceful. At least it makes me feel a little bit better about some of the times I posted last year; the equivalent of a sub 4 minute mile on 19 miles a week!

This year I reached that amount (821) by Dec 15. and have already surpassed it by 400 miles. My past 2 months of weekly mileage have looked like this:

82, 92, 60, 84, 73, 71, 84, 91. I didn’t know I could count that high last year!

My workouts and weights have been consistently progressing and our first training cycle of the new year has gone very smoothly. Everyone arrived in Scottsdale by Jan. 3, in time for our first “official” practice of 2012. With everyone back in the fold for workout sessions, the intensity has definitely picked up.  We hit the track last week for the first time and did 2x (4x400m w/ 60 sec recovery). I was 64, 64, 63, 61 – 62, 61, 60, 57.7. Not bad for the first one. The first set felt like a jog and we just cruised through the second set nice and controlled. It was nice to get the legs spinning on the track again! Certainly better than the 5x2 min jog, 3 min walk that my chubby self struggled through at this time last year! 

We’re on a recovery week right now so I’m enjoying the low volume and getting ready for the three workouts in store for us next week.  I think I’m the lightest I’ve ever been at this time of year since I was about 16 or 17, so I’m definitely happy with where I’m at right now.

The next 2 cycles will be all about working hard and staying consistent. Then it will be time to start thinking about racing...

Amat Victoria Curam.

   - Linc

Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas from some of our Track Family down in Scottsdale, Arizona!!

Have a Safe and Happy Holidays!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

    - Linc

Blame Canada

I know I promised an actual running update, but my computer completely crashed last week and I wasn’t able to do it. I was able to recover the data and then miraculously, I got it to come back to life on Friday. So, a running update is coming, but this couldn’t wait…

The CBC Athlete of the Year was announced this weekend (here), and I have to say, I’m ashamed to be Canadian right now.

With all the great athletes this country has, Canadians decided to pick a dead horse as the Athlete of the Year; along with his rider, Eric Lamaze, who has previously served a 4 year suspension for testing positive for cocaine before the 1996 summer games. He then tested positive for a banned substance again, as well as cocaine, before the Sydney Games and was removed from the team.

A Horse is not even Human!! This is who we picked for our Athlete of the Year.

Others up for Nomination included Corey Perry (NHL – great finish to the season reaching 50 goals), Joey Votto (MLB – MVP caliber season), Patrick Chan (Figure Skater – World Camp), a slew of others, and Track and Field’s own, Dylan Armstrong. 

Track and Field is probably the most widely contested sport in the world. Dylan was the #1 ranked shot putter in the world in 2011, finished 2^nd at the World Championships, Won the IAAF Diamond League, Won the Pan Am Games, Broke the Canadian Record (more than once), and Won the World Athletics Final. It was sad to see how few votes were cast in his direction; in the direction of all the other REAL athletes, for that matter.

The Horse (Hickstead), received 56.9 percent of the votes. Patrick Chan was 2^nd with 11.6 percent and Dylan was 3^rd with 9.6 percent. 

Really, Canada!?! That is pathetic.

Those who voted for a dead horse and its coked out rider as our National Athlete of the Year should be ashamed of themselves.

I know I am.

  - Linc

Pop Champagne

Well, exactly one year ago today, I had a 2.5 inch incision cut into my lower abdomen, had my inguinal nerve removed and a square piece of gortex mesh stitched into my fascia to repair what’s known as a sports hernia.

Everything feels great and I’m just thankful that all has gone well and I’ve been able to return to training at a high level!

Since my season ended in August, I’ve been pretty bad/lazy about updating my blog, so a lot has happened since then. Stick with me and I’ll try to keep it brief!

At the end of August I went up to Midland, Ontario (a couple of hours North of Toronto) to do some archaeology work with my brother. The first week or so wasn’t too bad, as I was still in downtime after the season. After that, things weren’t too much fun. I was working 10 hr shifts, which had me leaving the apartment at about 7am and returning at 6pm, depending on how far we had to drive (one day it was Windsor and back, 15hr day!). The work itself wasn’t exactly easy either; hauling a 40lb awkward wooden screen through vines, thorn bushes, poison ivy and dense forest while getting attacked by mosquitoes and digging holes every 10 meters to screen the dirt for artifacts.

Some days definitely sucked.

When I got home, it was time to kick off the work boots, throw on some running shoes and get out the door for 7 or 8 miles before it got too dark. I wouldn’t exactly call it ideal for training. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

It wasn’t all bad though. The snowmobile trails up north are great for doing mileage runs in the summer/fall and it was certainly nicer running than being in Scarborough. We also found a few cool artifacts along the way and a previously undiscovered Huron Indian village.

I worked there until the end of October when I finally got to head south. Perfect timing. Just as the weather was getting cold in Ontario, it had cooled off to ideal running weather in Arizona…I arrived in Scottsdale for the start of our first structured training cycle of the upcoming year. Without all the work, it was certainly easier to train harder and recover properly.

My first weekend down here, Mel and I made the trip up to the Grand Canyon for the first time. I proposed while we were up there (in case she said no, then I could throw her off) and she said “Yes”. Well, actually, she said “Are you serious?” a couple of times before saying yes! Haha. So, I’m engaged.

We went back to celebrate in Flagstaff for the night with my teammates Ellerton and Lisa. Instead of drinking champagne, we played flip cup and quarters. Keepin it classy.

I’ve settled in to a good routine down here now and we’re halfway through our second 3 week training cycle and things are going great. Workouts have been solid and the mileage is building.

I’ll hopefully have a more in depth “running” update in the next few days…

     - Linc

For The Glory Of Old State

It’s a sad day in Happy Valley.

It’s hard to describe the emotions that I’m sure many Penn Staters are feeling today. Disheartened, confused, sadness, disbelief, anger, shock, bewilderment, grief…

I was a Varsity athlete at Penn State for 5 years. I was also a teacher and coach in the State College community. The crimes that were committed by Jerry Sandusky were repulsive and disgusting acts of humanity; the most heinous of crimes that you can commit. It’s upsetting to know that there are people in the world like this, let alone to find out they are a part of the Penn State family. The fact that it was able to go on for so long makes it even worse…

Success With Honor.

This has long been the motto of Penn State Athletics and the Penn State community as a whole. Joe Paterno is the person who started this. He has always preached doing things the right way; that being successful in the classroom and as a human being were more important than winning. He has one of the best football graduation rates in the country and the second most academic All-Americans in FBS history. He has given back his own money and dedicated his life to making Penn State and its community a better place.

Could he/should he have done more? The answer is most definitely yes.

However, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy for us to say that. Had his superiors done what they were supposed to at the time, it would have been enough.

The lack of action throughout the entire athletic department/university is shameful. Why Mike McQueary didn’t act immediately is something I will never understand. To see what he saw and walk away from it to make a phone call is absurd. You are about 6’3 and 220. Go knock Sandusky’s ass out…Do something! He should not be on the sidelines Saturday while JoePa sits at home.

It really is upsetting to see how poorly Penn State is being portrayed through all this because of the acts of several brainless/disturbed individuals. That is not who We Are…

For all those who aren’t Penn Staters, it might be difficult to understand the passion, dedication and pride with which we speak about our Institution. It’s difficult to express in words how Penn State becomes ingrained as part of you…I’m saddened that this is how you will come to know and speak about the place we are so fond of.

Penn State is so much more than Joe Paterno, Tim Curley or the football team.

We Are…ranked among the top 15 public universities. We Are…the largest student-run philanthropy in the world (raising 78 million for the kids). We Are...over 8,500 top-ranked faculty. We Are…Olympians. We Are…Nobel prize winners. We Are…one of the top research universities in the country. We Are…44,000 other employees. We are 570,000 alumni.

We Are….Penn State.

I’m not defending the tragedy or actions/in-actions that took place, but, I will always be Penn State proud.

We’re ever true to you, dear old white and blue. Onward, State…

  - Linc