Thursday 29 December 2011

Two more days !

Good evening hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday .... I sure did .....this was the second year in a row I was able to have Christmas at home without being called out to work!! Very lucky!,,,,The last couple days has been full of excitement with the first snow which means plenty of work for me!!! Sleep has been a hard thing to get and it's snowing again!!
I'm well on my way for planning my meals and schedule for the upcoming months of training and can't wait to get into the fun hard training !!
I spent the day out trying on shoes!!!!! I think I tried on 50 pairs and still didn't find any I liked !! I need to find a shoe with a consistent stiffness over the entire bottom of the shoe no arch support no nothing....I will keep looking
I have been real lucky to keep my weight consistent over the holidays no plus no Negitive!!!!!!!
Im patiently waiting for my month of January to come out from coach Paul this is my favorite time !!! Looking forward to more training !!and excited to get fitted for my new orthotics on the 3rd I hope its not too long getting them, then break them in and get Back to running !!!

I wonder how busy the gym will become next week with all the new years resolution training !!
I hope most people see the importance of training and keep it up !!!! Its really not that hard to be fit !! Most people can squeeze 4 to 5 hours a week in at the gym that's all you really need to make a difference you don't have to be a body builder or a super fit endurance athlete to be healthy just make smart food choices get lots of rest ,eat well and live a stress free life!!
I've been doing a lot of reading about the importance of nutrition and the timing of it as well and that along with more organization will be my first topic to address also my hydration which is really suffering and my sleep !!! I'm putting that all in my schedule for next month!
Hope everyone has a great night and Take extra care if your traveling in winter weather!!!!!
Don't forget thank a snowplow operator for making your travel safe .....

Saturday 24 December 2011

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has a great Christmas ! Think about me when it snows tonight and me and my snow team are out making the roads safe for Christmas day travel! They are calling for 1 to three cm tonight so I hope it will just be a quick salt run !!!
I hope everyone has a fantastic day tommorow and enjoys these couple days off work and training! I know I sure will ! This Christmas has been our most successful so far !! All presents are wrapped and food is ready for tommorow ,,,,,usually we are up late in the night wrapping and preparing for the big day! Then wake up completely exhausted the next day !
Coach Paul gave me today off tommorow and my regular Monday off so all my aches and pains will have a chance to go away

Merry Christmas to everyone hope you all have a great day!

Friday 23 December 2011

And so it beginns

Good evening !
Had a great workout today !! I found out what 85 % of my maximum heart rate feels like for 2 hours !!!!! Man it feels good ! I watched people come into the gym workout and leave the gym and I was still there !! Today was amazing for me!!
I had a family meeting today first with my wife then with the kids and told them about my intentions and needs that is coming up shortly ! I guess I should have had this conversation before I signed up for the 70.3 ironman but oh we'll better late than never !!!
I talked to my wife about my plans of giving everything I had to my training and like always she said yes 100 % I told her my plans to speak to my friends and my work about my intentions....most of my friends know and my employer knows but I'm just reminding everyone and asking for a bit of respect while I take this on !!! I might miss the occasional function but it's not personal I just need to focus on my goals !
My kids like always are right on board !! I love them so much !!! They are my fuel!
Sometimes at work people like to play jokes and leave full boxes of cookies and bags of chips on my desk to watch me eat and fail ! Some people have a pretty sick sence of humor ! I am going to ask them politely to stop !! I hope they will understand how much this means to me!,,
8 more days till I start my plan ! Can't wait it's gonna be quite a ride!!!!!



"Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it."

Thursday 22 December 2011

Getting stronger

Good evening !!! The count down is on 12 more days before I put everything in the pot I have for the next 35 weeks ! The count down to ironman 70.3! Can't wait
This challenging year will really be exciting ! I have 11 days to get my plan in motion !to set up my nutrition to get my schedule made up and my weekly food planned out, also my new years resolution is also an exciting one one !!!!! It has nothing to do with triathlon but my triathlon success rides on my resolution staying in place! I have decided to let all the drama and other peoples crap float away and bring no stress from work home! I have found myself lately swimming away or running ,spinning and worrying about stuff from work that's not even work stress ! It's people and drama stress so as of January 1 it is out of my life!
I have already picked out a weight I am going to be for my first race in mid June at Guelph I want to be 220lbs but will settle for 230lbs that's 40 lbs and I have 6 months that's roughly that's about 24 weeks which is about 1.7 lbs a week which is completely achievable !!



I will leave you with one of Lance Armstrongs quotes ! I really like it !


     “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Spin class alone

Good evening !!!
4 more sleeps till the big day and by the looks of things it will be a green Christmas !
So green in fact I could cut my grass one more time ! With this warm weather the lakes up north are not frozen and I won't be going fishing new years eve like I've done for the last 25 years!!! A little upset about that !
This coming year is all about change for me so I'm glad there is no ice on the lakes ! I might as well start the year off with something new ! Because it's going to be the norm for the rest of my life I'm quite sure once I finally get in shape and reach my goals a new set will come but I'm not going to break stride until my current goals are reached !
Today was my first spin class all alone in my room ! Quite different than sweating it out with my tri buddies but still very satisfying!!! I put the head phones in turned up RISE AGAINST for those of you who don't listen to them it's very aggressive new rock lol and began to spin !
I had to stop though for a minute before I got going and think up a name for my solo spin class
I called it "washing the floor" because I knew when I was done that's what I would be doing!!
I had an amazing ride !!for some strange reason today I thought Paul's Wednesday spin classes were two hours long ! And proceeded to rip it up for two full hours ! My wife informed me it wasn't Saturday and wondered why I was still spinning ! I said I wasn't quite home yet and continued as she giggled and walked away !!
I knew tonight was going to be a difficult one to get started so when I was on my lunch break I did some Internet surfing for some interesting motivational quotes !! And I found one I really liked !'!!!!!!!

- “Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don’t think about them, I just do them.  The decision has already been made.” – Patti Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian


I liked it so much in fact I searched for more by the time I was done I had copied and pasted a 47 page word document !!!!!! I looked at them when I started spinning which helped me light the fire ! Once it was lit i put them down and turned up RISE AGAINST and went to work!!

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Great training day BUT

Good evening

I had an amazing training day ! Had a great cardio workout this morning! And I also had an amazing swim tonight !!!!! But everything in between was crappy ! My better half was layed off from her job ...... 4 days before Christmas ,, that really sucks but no sence worrying about it just need to work threw it !!! I'm going to look at it like training threw an injury.
I swam my 2500 m today in 59:33 mins which I thought was pretty good for me ! I wasn't racing but just cruising along...I really enjoyed it today ! I met another triathlete there swimming tonight ..just a little wave and a quiet good evening then right to work!! Not time to Chitt chatt,,,,,
I'm on day number two of being completely pain free in my bad foot and all I did was change back to a pair of orthotics from a couple years ago and switch shoes back to my saucony hurricanes I feel as if I can start to run again but will wait till after Christmas!!!!I have an. Appointment on January 3rd with a very good foot guy who says he will fix me up ! Can't wait this is goin g to be my season ! I'm going to own muskoka!!!!!
When I was thinking of my half ironman this summer I was thinking "I hope I Finnish"
But now I'm thinking I hope I finish well!!! I know I'm going to finish so I'd like to focus on finishing hard !! I am definatly putting In the training so It should work!!!!!

Monday 19 December 2011

Finally nearing the end

Good morning !

From the flu last week to a wicked head cold , sore throat, stuffy nose, I look like a truck ran over me, and I missed my training yesterday and now it's 3 am and I'm wide awake lol !!!
I actually real glad that this all happened this month and not in January so when the dial gets turned up a bit I'm not sick then !!!!! Because getting sick with two kids in primary school and one in high school is a given, some of the nastiest viruses come from school !
I went to a Christmas party on Sunday and was talking to a friend that has decided to take up this wonderful sport of triathlon she said if Jeff Drinkle can turn his life around for the better so could she ! I'm so proud of her ! I think it was a great idea ! She is going to do the Guelph tri-a-tri and I'm doing the sprint the same day and told her I will be there to support her when the gun goes off !!!!!
I didnt even start training last season until may so I'm real excited about this season because I will have a whole years training under my belt and right now even feeling as sick as I have been lately still feel 100% better than last year at this time ! I also have a short break from work coming up too that is going to be the planning time for my training and life plan ! I might even pull out the sketch book and pencils and draw a couple pictures! That will be a welcome sign for my family because it seems the only time I draw is when I'm completely stress free with a clear mind ! I keep all my art stuff close at hand just in case I have some time but it never happens, that's another thing I'm going to do next year is more drawing !which will equal less stress!
This also will be my last season for hockey the risk of injury is so high I would hate to get a injury and mess this season of triathlon up ! The level of intensity you need to play at for that sport is incredible you need to be on the edge of insanity to play well ! That's why there is so many fights in hockey because the level of adrenalin is so high there is no choice
sometimes it is a very emotional game.
I'm keeping a sharp eye on my experienced triathlon friends and watching their minds start to work thinking of this up coming season ! This just fascinates me to watch this unfold with the Saturday spin classes possibly going to a three hour class when it's time to hit the pavement there will be a lot of prepared athletes hitting the road ! "ON YOUR LEFT" will be in a lot of athletes vocabulary this year !!!

Saturday 17 December 2011

Proper hydration

Good evening

I have came up to another hurdle ! Hydration!!!!!! Yes it might seem simple to some but to me I've been having a hard time staying hydrated so now to add to my list of things to focus more on in the new year. In the heat of the summer it was easier for me because I was hot and always drinking but with the cooler weather I haven't drank near enough. I've spent most of the day resting and reading articles on hydration and training to better understand it...my plan now is to set my phone for 1 hour intervals and have a drink even today after our long spin class I have drank about two liters of water and only been to the bathroom once!
I'm going to have quite a list of things to do come January 3rd !!! One is proper hydration two is proper nutrition which will lead to number three which is weight loss IF number two is done right should just happen, number four is sleep ! I need more of it! Number five is get my feet fixed and if the weight comes down it will be easier number six is stretching it has to be just as important as working out! ...quite a task for me to do but I have great faith in myself ! My coach ! My family friends ! And my very experienced training friends who have all been in the same shoes I'm in right now! Who have already completed what I'm training for !!
I've come to a point now in my training were I have to poop or get off the pot ! Stop talking about it and do it !
I also have a huge issue of letting things in my life outside of my triathlon life get to me!!! very Negitive people are causing me unneeded stress that I need to learn to either ignore or move on to a totally different situation ........
So finishing the race is only going to be part of my victory !!!! As coach Paul always says to me I need to put a value on all the things I'm going to attempt to do and let me tell you it's very valuable ! And also need for the success of my goals of ironman Canada 2013

Thursday 15 December 2011

Another hard day

Im finding it increasingly difficult to pull this week oUt of the bag! With the fatigue left from the flu and Paul's Wednesday night killer spin class tonight's work out was extremely hard!!!!! I managed to squeeze about 80 % out of myself but from reading my friend Lisa's blog sometimes that happens and I will chalk it up in the experience book!!! Now that I'm up late it will prove difficult to get up at 430 am for my cardio .....I'm thinking I will move it to the evening but I don't really like that on Friday night due to the two hour monster spin class on Saturday morning that will for sure put a end to any extra work around the house I was planning ....I think Saturday is going to be a sleep all day workout...... So 8 more days till Christmas!!!!!! What do I want ? Well first on my list is SLEEP that's all !!! Just extra sleep And I also want a garmin 310xt to track my training!! I hope Santa reads this !!! Finally starting to get a little hydration back into me and hopefully fully hydrated before Saturdays monster bike class !! TGIF tommorow !! Common weekend

Wednesday 14 December 2011

My Motivation!

Good afternoon !

Im a little upset i missed a day of blogging! it realy helps me focus on my training ! I had the flu and it really held on but i think im over it ! i missed my saturday bike , sunday weights and cardio , tuesday swim and cardio and i hope i can make tonights bike!
This picture is a photo of team Drinkle I keep this photo with me for my motivation to know they are always a step behind me threw all my long bikes ,runs and swims the times i dont feel like traininig I see their faces in my head saying go daddy go! and love to hear them talk of their dad who does triathlons!!!
if you cant read the sign my daughter is holding it says "KEEP THE BOUNCE  IN YOUR STEP CHAMP YOUR LOOKING GOOD!!"
and at the bottom of the sign it says "HAPPY FEET HAPPY FEET"
my fami;y usually rides their bikes while I run in the summer and when my feet would start hurting we would start screaming the words out on that sign out loud !!it helped me squeeze out the last few km! (people thought we were nuts)
All i know is i couldnt do it without them ...... I LOVE THEM!!!
When i was at my nutritionists getting my BMI done this week i asked when coach will turn up the training dial! as i suspected she said sooner than you think lol

Monday 12 December 2011

BMI

Good evening

Well I went to get my BMI done tonight and you guessed it!
It didn't go well ! I was down on my weight but up on my fat percentage due to a hydration problem !! I was down 4 liters of water...must have been due to the flu!
Never the less I scheduled another for jan 14 ish and plan on being 10 lbs lighter ! Lol
One of my friends Lisa went in after me and I must say she looked amazing!! Great job Lisa !!!
She is an amazing athlete and a huge inspiration for me! She also has a super amazing blog
DestinationIMTexas !!! I read that blog over and over when ever I need a boost ! I'll say it again ! Super amazing women !!!
The Durham region triathlon club. (DRTC) is full of amazing athletes and energy it's real hard not to succeed !
Off to bed ! I have a date with the pool at 5 am

Saturday 10 December 2011

Listen to your body

Listen to your body....Coach Paul said this to me a couple times over the last year !! I have listened well !! This week has been a hard week with all but me from team DRINKLE being down and out with the flu. I've started to use the term team DRINKLE this week since I had thoughts of scaling back my training and only doing little races that don't require such intense training and my wife said that this is a team working together to get you to your goals!! And thats how we came up with team DRINKLE !! And you guessed it new T SHIRTS !!So today I'm listening to my body and sleeping in ! Well most don't classify 8 am as sleeping in but I'm usually up at 430 am and now I missed spin class but well do it tonight !
Today as every other of my weekends is very busy I plan to do my groceries prepare all food for the week, do my two hour spin program, also put up the tree clean the house from this week form hell and make my food schedule !!! I have made a promise to myself to loose weight and you all who have been reading my blog know the hard time I'm having with this !!! Coach Paul said its a hard time of year to change things so January 3 is the day!! After that no excuses !!
I will continue to make my changes from now till then but if it comes off the rails I won't have a hissy fit !!!
Hmmmmm January 3rd "you ask why the 3rd" well opening ice fishing is January 1st and is usually quite a gong show !! It's a very important time for me and I want to include my son this year so he can have this wonderful tradition as well!

I hope all of you that went to spin class had have a great ride I will join you again on wednesday !!

Have a great day

Friday 9 December 2011

Flu

Just finished my hour and a half of cardio no off to care for another sick TEAM DRINKLE member my son!!!! I'm the only one left to avoid the flue virus!

Good night

Thursday 8 December 2011

December is a strange month

Good evening !!!

This seems to be a strange month for triathlon I see a lot of anticipation in most athletes eyes!! I'm very curious to see what is next to come !!!im not to sure what it is but something's up ........so what I mean by that is some of the more experienced athletes I see on a regular basis are acting like a race horse in a starting gate!!I know they are bursting with energy, making race plans, planning training and I think getting ready to turn it up a bit next month!! I am a complete rookie only starting my second season but I'm getting ready because a change is coming.
The flu has been seeking around my house this week and my son and I have been very lucky to not get it yet, my wife even got it after getting the flu shot!!! Both my daughters had it as well.
I think I might have had a touch of it because I've been a little off for the last couple days with a slight headache dizziness and a horrible nauseous feeling. I still trained threw it except for Tuesday I missed a swim and a hour of cardio due to everyone being sick with most of team Drinkle down I had a few extra chores to keep up on. This Saturday after spin class I think is going to be a movie day with some rest to get ready for the holiday season.
My weight workout today was good started to feel a bit dizzy on my last set but made it threw then jumped into the pool my swim was awesome I could have swam forever !! 3600 m and I had a lot left could have kept going!!!
I do most of my blogging on my iPad 2 so posting pictures is difficult, this weekend I plan on My laptop so some pics and links will be up!


Still at 271.3 lbs

BMI on Monday to see if I've lost some fat and put on some muscle !!!!

Good night cross your fingers for no snow !!!!

Wednesday 7 December 2011

When the going gets tough

Good evening !

Over the last couple days thoughts of just training for a little race or maybe not at all has crossed my mind just looking at the large volume of hours that needs to be put in to finish a big race ! I came home from work today a little down in the dumps my wife immediately knew what was up ! I said I've almost had enough and her comment was "we have stood beside you for a year now and pushed you when you needed and put up with your tired grumpy moods after hours of training and Im not going to sit back and watch you throw away your dreams and goals now go downstairs and get your damn bike" she said it with a small tear in her eye because she knows how important this is to me and she knows how tired I am !!
I don't know if any other athletes ever have these kinds of feelings but it sure makes it hard to find that extra to go forward and to top it all off the flu virus is making its rounds through my house and I'm the last survivor .....just waiting to get it is difficult bye itself ...and I hate being sick more than hate swimming in weeds....but we will see !!!!If you dont see me at spin class on Saturday you will know why!!!!
Some good news coach Paul is making the Saturday spin class 3 hours long now!!! We will for sure be ready for the race season now!!!!!

Monday 5 December 2011

Summer racing plans

Good evening I met with the coach to talk about my race plans for the summer and we have set a tentative schedule,,,,,,,,,, Guelph sprint ----June ,,,,,,gravenhurst olympic ------July,,,,,,, ,,,,, k-town long Kingston ------August,,,,,,,muskoka 70.3 half ironman September ,,,,,,with one muskoka training camp weekend thrown in there in July some time just for fun!!!
Full schedule indeed but I let coach Paul suggest what work best in my training schedule!! And I asked him about the distances I'd be doing near peek and they were some big numbers for me !! So some value and focus is most definatly in order !! Long runs of 24 km long bikes of 120 km
That sounds like a lot of fun!!!! Can't wait ,
Got some bad news from my youngest daughter she now has the flu !! And from my parenting experience it's a good time to drink lots of fluids and eat something soft because moms and dads are usually the next in line for flu virus ! And no I didn't get flu shot !!! Yep you guessed it !!! "afraid of needles"
The other bad news is the Kingston long course Is on my yearly trip on my guys 4 wheeler weekend and I will have to miss that!!! So I guess I will have to sell my bike or trade it on a tri bike!!!!! Yes that will really make my wife have a kitten !!!!!
Better get off to bed looks like snow tonight!!!!!

Sunday 4 December 2011

End of a busy weekend

So ends my busy weekend a little disappointed I didn't accomplish everything that needed to be done but the bare minimum has been completed! I had a very different day today unlike any other Sunday I've had in a while! Free time to myself no phones no kids no nothing !!!! But I managed to not have one minute to sit down !!! Hockey at 730 am till 9 am then home to see the rest of the family off for the day ! Quickly left for the gym ,,,,,,I warmed up then did my weights I wasn't rushed today so I added a couple extra different exercises in to my routine to get a real good work out. After I finished my weights I jumped into my cardio 45 mins on the elliptical then right into a full body stretch took about 1 hour, then into the hot tub and steam room for a treat (I don't usually have time to just sit in a hot tub),,,,,After the gym I thought I'd try to do the groceries ( not good ) NEVER go to the grocery store hungry !!!!
My grocery bill is usually around 130 a week but today it was 178 !!! My wife is going to have a kitten !! And I didn't even get everything on the list !!Then home to put the groceries away.
The other bad news is today was going to be a planning day so tommorow I could start my
calorie counting and start loosing this weight !!!!!! but unfortunately not enough time!!! So maybe I can plan tommorow and start Tuesday !!
40 more weeks to ironman 70.3 muskoka.
Yesterday I said I had something to talk about but was to tired to get into it !!! I will try today......I was talking to someone on Saturday that said something that made me a little upset.. I won't mention any names to protect the innocent or the guilty but this person asked me if I ever thought "if a certain individual could do something the why couldn't I "
So I said yes I have ! But I wondered why they asked me and they said " you are a little heavier so if I can do something they could do it better and faster because they are skinny and in better shape !
I didn't say anything In response to it but just walked away ! I should have thanked that person for saying that because it adds extra drive to my training.
I am not a triathalon expert by any means but I am an expert at following my coaches orders and learning from every thing I do so if my coach is an expert (which he is) then I am an expert athlete if I do everything he says! I have so much confidence in my coach the thought of a 2 km swim 90 km bike and a 21 km run kind of makes me giggle wondering what I wil do for the rest of my day after the race!! I will be so ready !!
I also now even if a smaller more fit person crosses the finish line before me big deal !!
I'm training to become a better athlete ! Racing only myself !
It's all about the training for me ,,,, the race is just the big show of how hard you trained ! Like a test of your training ! So when i make it to the race day I'm still the BIGGEST winner In my eyes and my families eyes !! And my friends eyes I know they are so proud of me for all my accomplishments so far and the new goals I have set !! They are behind me every step i take Mark my words ! I will finish my ironman !!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK


TRAIN HARD !!!!!


Oh and also 271.6 lbs today !!!!!!!

Saturday 3 December 2011

A busy weekend

Great day for the Santa clause parade today in whitby ! The DRTC float with iron man was a great hit!!!
Went to a wedding tonight after a great battle tonight with myself a became victorious !!!
No beer no whiskey !!!! I kept focused and made it through !! I had to keep looking at my photos from this summers races but I did it!! Not a real big issue for some but a huge deal for me!!
Sorry I have to keep it short today gotta get up early !!
I have a great one for tomorrow ..

Friday 2 December 2011

Busy weekend !

This up coming holiday season is going to be a busy one starting tomorrow !!! Up at 5 for bike class till 9 am then off to the Santa clause parade for 930 then off to my sons hockey game at 1 pm then a wedding at 430 then hockey Sunday morning at 7 am then off to the gym for cardio and weights !! I think I'm gonna need a nap !
I thought I'd try a ten km run this morning BIG mistake !! I had plenty of cardio but my feet couldn't take it I've been limping all day !!!! I think I've narrowed down the problem to a stability shoe with orthotics just don't work for me !!! I'm going to try my neutral shoes. Tomorrow !!!
I need to stop messing around and make that final commitment to drop the weight ! With the amount of training I do the weight should fly off ! 40 weeks till my half ironman at three pounds a week that's 20 weeks to reach my goal ..... So Sunday night I weight myself and start my next level !! That Im sure will be quit a battle at this delicious time of year !!!!!

Have a great night!!!!!

Thursday 1 December 2011

Willpower

Good evening !!!
Willpower !!! Where does it come from? I was swimming in the pool today and coach Paul has me down for a 2500 m swim on Thursday's so when I'm at 2200 m and I've had enough what is it that make me (us my fellow triathletes) keep going? After all who is going to know? Well I have a couple answers! I will know and if I skimp out on a work out It will bug me a lot also your coach will know ,,well maybe if it's only one workout you skimp out on your coach won't find out but one skimp turns into two that turns into a chronic problem of not finishing you're workout.
Lots of reason why you might not be finishing,,,,,,,your routine might be to long you might be tired but I really recommend trying to squeeze out that last 500 m !!!
This last week things are really starting to shape up for me !! All my workouts have been fantastic just a little on the tired side but that's normal for me .......this feeling I've been having is hard for me to understand since I've been out of shape all my life maybe feeling this good is normal.
Looking forward to meeting with coach Paul on Monday to discuss my future plans
Have a great evening !!


270.0 lbs