musings from a wandering mind

New Year.... New Beginnings

2012-01-02T18:41:00.001-06:00

So it's that time of year again. You know what I'm referring to. Yup, New Years resolution(s) time. I honestly can't say that I have any this year. Well outside of being more committed to my training regime this year. I also plan on reading more. Oh and to shoot more photography. Oh and to focus on a more minimalistic lifestyle. And to ... awww crap!! So I mentioned that I wanted to be more

Warrior Dash Race Report

2011-07-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

Post Race Yesterday I did Warrior Dash up at Afton Alps. I'm not a skier so this was my first time there. Pretty cool place with some nice scenery. My wave/heat started at ten and they suggested getting there an hour and a half ahead of your wave, which I think was about right. Having never driven there my caravan left at 7:30. This was plenty of time to get there (note to self Google Maps and

I Love Shamrock

2011-03-07T11:09:00.000-06:00

3 years ago I started down a pretty significant change in my life. One that concentrated more on physical fitness. Little did I know I was rekindling a long since burnt out competitive flame. The Shamrock Shuffle 5K in Eau Claire, WI has a certain special meaning to me. You see, it was this race (and a challenge by a very close personal friend) that really started my journey. One that I don't

Training Log for Feburary 28th

2011-03-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

Overall this week was a significant improvement over last week. Training volumes were much improved and the enjoyment factor has returned (partially because of the lessening snow piles). Training Volumes: Swimming: 2050 yards (+4.4% vs prev week) Biking: 27.2 miles (+189% vs prev week) Running: 14.5 miles (+353% vs prev week) Weights: 0 lbs (+0% vs prev week) Nutrition (C) A couple of bad

Training Log for Feb 21st

2011-02-28T05:30:00.008-06:00

Changing the date I publish my training log. My training weeks start on Mondays, so the log will now correspond to the starting on the day indicated but be published on the following Monday. I would say I've been suffering from training fatigue the last couple of weeks. I'm finding training for a marathon as one of the hardest things I've done in my life. Training volume this week was pretty

Race Report - Frozen Goose 5K

2011-02-06T07:30:00.002-06:00

Date: Feb 5, 2001 Location: Rochester,MN - University Center Rochester Stats: -Estimated Participants: <100 for 5&10K total Conditions: -Temp: 24F -Wind: E@3mph -Race Surface: Wet/Icy in places Personal Stats: -Pre-Race Weight: 174.0 lbs -Post-race Weight: 172.8 lbs -Sweat Rate: 20.2 oz/hour -Event Entered: 5K Run/Walk -Finishing Position: 3rd Overall, 3 Age-Group (est) -Goal Pace: 7:45

Training Log [Week of Jan 10]

2011-01-18T07:00:00.003-06:00

Second training log of the year. I hope to be able to publish this every week even though it might be giving my chief rival inside information. Nutrition (Grade C) This new weight control plan in LoseIt is starting to take hold. My weight seems to be in a holding pattern until my body gets convinced that I will continue to give it the proper nutrition it needs for this level of training. I was

The demon on your left shoulder

2011-01-17T07:30:00.012-06:00

A fellow triathlon friend shared this motivational quote with me and I can't help but pass it on. I am the demon perched on your left shoulder, the monkey on your back, urging you to go faster, ever faster until your heart pounds so relentlessly it feels as if it will shake apart in your chest-like an overtaxed water pump with cracked seals....oh you say you are above such pettiness? Well think

2011 Race Schedule [UPDATED 2/5/2011]

2011-01-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

One of the activities I do at the end of every race season is plan my race schedule for the next year. Its important as some of these races require significant build up and training.This years schedule is a mixture of pleasure and pure pain. We start the year off with some 5Ks and build pretty quickly from there. Among the pleasure is my first ever "Warrior Dash". Its a 5K obstacle course

Oratory

2011-01-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

Up here in the great white north the winters are long, hard, and cold. That's why rivalries abound around here. They heat things up. You got the Vikings and Packers, the Gophers and Badgers, to a lesser extent the Twins and Brewers, and then of course there's 'Sages and Biggtree.But after reading Biggtree's last post I'm left asking myself, "Self? Do I need a new rival?". You see his last post

The Year in Review: 2010

2011-01-10T05:30:00.024-06:00

Before we get to far into 2011, I think it important to review the year that was 2010. The year started off with a solid showing at the Winterfest Frozen Goose 5K, where I finished 3rd overall. It was the first race where my parents and sister came out to cheer me on. What an amazing feeling that is! Then came my first and only loss of the year. The Shamrock Shuffle. This race has become my

Training Log [Week of Jan 3]

2011-01-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

My first training log of the year. I hope to be able to publish this every week even though it might be giving my chief rival inside information.Nutrition (Grade D)This week I setup a new plan in LoseIt that should lead me to my marathon race weight. I was over my calorie budget on budget on 5 of 7 days. One of them was my Mom and Sisters birthday so I'll cut myself some slack there as I had zero

What to expect from this blog

2011-01-01T15:55:00.001-06:00

So a few days ago I said their were some changes to the blog. The most obvious of course is the background and overall scheme. But if you look a little deeper you can see the blog has been repurposed to to just my running/fitness/triathlon aspirations. Gone are the techy, political, and photography content.So what can you expect from a blog, as I said a few days ago, "with a purpose"? Well, diet

And so it begins...

2011-01-01T15:27:00.000-06:00

The first day of the year and what do I get the pleasure of having my breakfast interrupted by? Yup you guessed it. Cast into my face on the winds of old man winter comes a withered leaf from the biggtree mind. A text message... "Fhatty!!!" Ok, I admit the off season has been ... um ... well enjoyed. But you can't simply let that slide, so right back at you biggtree... Heeeello Pot ...and so it

Blog changes

2010-12-29T02:49:00.001-06:00

Just a quick update to everyone. Major overhaul of the blog tonight with a purpose. Stay tuned more to come!Location:Manor Woods Pl NW,Rochester,United States

Motivation Pitfalls

2009-04-01T05:13:00.000-05:00

Staying motivated in your weight loss or health improvement regimen is very hard work. My father who was a long time smoker used to criticize my mother about her weight. Until he had a triple bypass heart surgery and he himself had to lose weight. Today, he says its harder to lose weight than to quit smoking. Even thought his weight can now be a matter of life and death, it can be still be hard

Eliminating Daytime Distractions

2009-03-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

I've fallen into a nasty habit and today I'm taking measures to stop it. You see, I spend a fair amount of time in the gym every week day. While my employer is supportive of this, my responsibilities are slowing increasing and with that comes increasing demands on my time. That means, if I don't want to impact my gym time I need to make sure I stay as efficient as possible when I'm not in the

News from the Infirmary

2009-03-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

Its been a full three weeks since the Throwdown at the Shamrock and the recovery continues. I had intended to post an update last week but I simply wasn't in the mood. Admittedly, digging out of this hole had me a bit down.Tuesday, the 17th, was the first full day without the air cast and 24hrs later I was trying out a stationary bike. I limited the time on the bike to 20 mins and made it almost

Why do it?

2009-03-16T06:30:00.001-05:00

The last two Mondays I've outlined the changes I've made to my diet and the amount of physical activity I do. The next logical question is why put yourself through this?Flashback to last year ('08). At the time I felt my life was a mess on every aspect and level. I was in such fear of getting laid off, I worked crazy and insane hours. Of course when you do that you neglect other things like:

Still Recovering

2009-03-15T15:39:00.001-05:00

One week following my lost to The BiggTree, I'm still on the mend. Its been painful at times and with the recent nice weather spell - annoying. Monday morning I hurt like hell. Honestly, I'm not sure how I managed to make it to work. But, I figured if I can run the last half mile on this bum wheel, I certainly owed to my co-workers to get my ass into work. Lets face it, I work at a hospital and

The Workout Regimen

2009-03-11T05:36:00.001-05:00

In a previous post I outlined my diet. Today I'm going to show you what my workout schedule is like, so lets gets started.With the exception of Tuesdays, every week day is a cardio and weight lifting day. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays are my upper body workouts. Thursdays are my lower body workouts and Tuesdays are reserved for Yoga. Some people will tell you that this is unbalanced and that the

Homefield Advantage

2009-03-09T01:11:00.002-05:00

First, congratulations to a very worthy opponent. Biggtree, you ran a great race and I promise you'll get your rematch. First I'll have to heal up and dig myself out of the huge training hole I've now put myself in.BiggTree has already told his side of the story and now I shall share my own. But lets back up a bit as it will help you understand what transpired today. Word of warning, this will be

The Throwdown at the Shamrock

2009-03-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

#### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #####(PA Newswire) - Paul "The Bigg Tree" Buenger has defeated Mark "mumblingsages" Parry by 1 minute and 8 seconds. Mark "mumblingsages" lead the first 2.51 miles before fading to abdominal wrenching and an ankle that will need medical attention. Telemetry data is suggesting that up until that time the competitors were running about at about 8:45 to 8:50 mins per mile.

Pretty sure this was my "opponent" last night

2009-03-07T14:31:00.002-06:00

Its hard to tell in the video, but I'm pretty sure this was my opponent at his tennis match last night. I have nothing to fear.

'Sages Speaks Smack

2009-03-07T13:00:00.000-06:00

#### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #####(PA Newswire) - Reporters out side the home of Mark "mumblingsages" Parry were treated to a rare comment. In response to a reporter's question about the "Running FAIL" blog post by Paul "The Bigg Tree" Buenger he said, "Look, I'm trying my best not to give the guy bulletin board material. But damn it, that was funny. It's what I've come to expect from a guy who