The Night Before Christmas

A True Classic

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

I ran along the ocean with the rain pouring hard and the wind blowing me backwards. You know you must look "hard core" when people are honking and cheering you on as you run by in this truly classic West coast weather.

I Wish all of you out there a Merry Christmas and to all a good night!

Cheers,

Andrew McCartney

Todays Top 5

Top 5 Albums of 2006

1. Snow Patrol - Eyes open (See Also)
2. AFI - Decemberunderground
3. The Raconteurs- Broken Boy Soldiers
4. TV on The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)
5. The Killers - Sam's Town

Chocolate Bread Batons

First of all Happy Solstice everybody!

I have just finished my first venture into "The Art of Bread Making." I made Chocolate Bread Batons which consist of a tender loaf with just the right amount of dark chocolate throughout it. This would be perfect with the amazing Cappuccino Simon made for Scotty and I this morning. Look for it in ten years on the menu of Victoria's newest and greatest coffee shop.

Meanwhile back to triathlon talk. With the Vikes taking a short break as most head home for a Christmas Break, I continue with just getting the mileage in. Not too much hard stuff this week. As for swimming, the highlight was a tough break point set on tuesday. Here are the details:

Main set:

Round 1)

10x50m - For this I was holding sub 31sec/50m with sub 27 strokes working on that efficiency

Round 2)

2X50m - 30sec/50m, 27 strokes

3X100m - 1.04sec average/100m with an average of 29 strokes/50

2X50m -30sec/50m, 26 strokes

Round 3)

2X50m - 30sec/50m, 27 strokes
3X100m - 1.04sec average/100m with an average of 29 strokes/50

2X50m - 30sec/50m, 26 strokes

-same as round 2 only I had to Even or Negative Split it

I love that workout! This set was my eye opener because It made me realize that ya, I can hold a low stroke rate and still have relatively fast times. Thanks Neil and Craig for the challenges. Question is, when are we doing the infamous "12 Days of Christmas?"

I would like to send a thankyou out to Mizuno for two years of amazing support. The New Winter collection is made up of really soft, comfortable fabrics and stylish lines and colours.

But I am off for the evening.
ciao for now,
Andrew McCartney

Todays Top 5

Top 5 Soundtracks:

1. Lost in Translation
2. The Life Aquatic
3. Saturday Night Fever
4. Amelie
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

"Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around the moon and pull it down."

Photo taken by me near home in Cordova Bay.

Photo From Times Colonist

Like the local weather, my recent training has been fierce. Highlights include an exciting workout on the Track.

Tuesday's workout was simple fast running 2x{ 400m, 200m, 200m +2km SS} Here are the stats:
round 1: 58(400m), 27(200m), 28(200m)
round 2: 59(400m), 27(200m), 27(200m)


Wednesday's main event was a 20min TT on the bike. Using the Powertap the test was to set a base line of the wattage I can hold for 20min. Ouch , the last 3min was a tough battle.


As for Friday, I have here now named Mt. Tolmie the wall of pain. What a workout! Before I went off to warm up I asked one of the coaches, "So, what can we expect for today." All she said was, "A lot of fun." She was right, here is what we did:

100m, 90m, 80m, 70m, 60m

100m, 90m, 80m, 70m

100m, 90m, 80m

100m, 90m

100m

Thanks Darren for the encouraging words, "Beach Bum, Beach Bum , Beach Bum! "

You have got to love the Pyramid workouts!

With the weather as it is, swimming has been a little unpredictable. Due to power outages the pool has been closed. It has also kept us indoors for cycling but running is a different story. I have always enjoyed running in extreme weather.

But that is all.

Your Friend,

Andrew McCartney

Todays Top 5

Top 5 Christmas Songs: (Corny and Sentimental)

1. Bing Crosby & David Bowie - Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
2. Dick Haymes - White Christmas
3. Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
4. Frank Sinatra - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
5. Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas

Words of Wisdom

Prior to Worlds my sister wrote me a letter. I received it two days before the biggest race of the year and It was the perfect e-mail for the situation. I hope it inspires you for your next competition or challenge that is ahead of you. This is what she wrote:

"I think that existentialism can be a great motivator in times like these. I use an existential perspective when ever I feel limitations bearing down on me- we often create invisible barriers when we become nervous, when in fact these are all manifestations of the imagination. Instead, I am completely free in every moment, and with this freedom I am completely free to choose what I do with that moment. Remember that life is only a series of moments, thus each moment dangles in time completely separate from past and future- the feeling that past/future depend on you is just a creation of your mind. Anyways, you've done all your training, right? You’ve put all the hours in? Of course, so all you can do now is live each moment to it's fullest from here on out." -Jenny McCartney

Ciao for now,
Andrew

Todays Top 5

Top 5 Alternative artists: (subject to change because Alternative is a happening thing)

1. Sufjan Stevens
2. Bright Eyes
3. TV on The Radio
4. Architecture in Helsinki
5. The Magnetic Fields

See also Updated Top 5 Classical Movies

Happy cause I'm tired!

Well I am just relaxing in bed with the Christmas lights on giggling in happiness. Wow, what a day! I woke up to a tough tough Break Point set. The main set was:
(8x50, 100 backstroke, 3x100(Lc)) twice through. For this set you really just have to forget about the daunting challenge and just do it and as Neil always says, "Don't be alarmed if you go fast." I held the goal pace of 32sec per 50 with 31 strokes and the 1.07 sec(100m) with 32 stroke rate.
Finished the 5km swim and off to the hot tub right after Bill the maintenance guy tossed my towel and clothes in the pool. Thanks Bill, next time you are going in. Bill likes to pick on us skinny triathletes. You would be swimming along and look up to the bleachers and he would have a coffee in one hand and the middle finger in the other hand. But it is all in good fun, he is actually a really cool guy.

Had a nap in the day (Recovery Point) for 3 hours that may effect me tonight but I felt I needed it.

Off to run practice an hour early so I would warm up with the early birds Mike, Mat and Darren. So good long warm up for 2 sets of 8x200m with 2km Steady State between sets. I held within 30 - 32sec per 200 . Driving home I was just sooo happy. Happy that these workouts are all money in the bank, an investment towards a nice withdrawal in the race season to come.

Solid Day and Happy birthday to Hatter. Cheers mate...

That's it I'm going to bed.
ciao
Andrew

Top 5

Top 5 favorite workouts.

1. Pure Gutsy hill repeats up the observatory on the Bike.
2. 3x {5x300m} on the Track. Classic!
3. Bricks!! 6x{3 laps around Ring road Campus(6km) and then 1km off the bike.}
4. "The 12 Days of Christmas" -not totally sure about the details but it worked out to be 11km of swimming once -Craig I have 3 requests for this sometime during the Christmas break
5. Victoria Wheelers Ride! - Basically a sunday hammer fest especially when the tour is on TV. Everyone feels like they are in the tour with sprints and all. It is a blast!

Words To Live By...

ATTITUDE

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people, think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to be and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes.

-Charles Swindoll

Todays Top 5

Top 5 Motivational Quotes

1. "Inside the ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down thats wrong" -Muhammad Ali
2. "A lot of people run to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." -Steve Prefontaine
3. "Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be" -George Sheehan
4. "Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible" -William Shakespeare
5. "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift." -Steve Prefontaine

Running in a Winter WonderLand

What a run, What a run. Who would think, here in Victoria.