Feeling the burn...

I woke up this morning with a sore bum. (No, not from that, get your mind out of the gutter). I sunburned it in the tanning bed yesterday. Doh!!!

Today was my first taper rest day. Even though I didn't train, I was still busy doing triathlon stuff.

I took my bike to the shop for a new chain, front tire and check up. I then stopped by the travel store and picked up some inflatable cushions to sit on for the plane ride.

Last time I travelled overseas, after 8 hours my "rump" was in pain from sitting on a regular plane seat. I also picked up some anti-jet lag pills.

At lunchtime, I went to the Y to spend time in the steam room. The steam room at the Y is in the men's plus locker room. The plus membership is more of an exclusive club at the Y, they provide a relaxing lounge with leather seats, TV's, newspapers, towels, toiletries, steam room and hot tub. I don't have a Y plus membership.

Undeterred, I thought I'd go to the front desk and just act like a plus member and ask for the code to the locker room. It turns out this Y doesn't have a key pad code system, they have a card swipe system. Busted!!! Just by asking the wrong question. The person at the front desk realized immediately that my general membership doesn't allow me the access to the steam room. She said I could pay $15 per day to use the steam room.

I decided to save the $15 and do the next best thing. I snuck in. I loitered outside the door until a member unlocked the door with their card and I just followed them in. I could tell the guy I followed in wasn't comfortable with letting me in, but before he could say anything, I said "thanks, I'm just following you in" with a confident tone.

I will say, I'm glad I'm a general member and use the common folk change room, it's much more friendly and has better energy. The plus has a lot of old and non athletic guys wrapped in towels and sitting in lounge chairs reading newspapers and watching TV. No one was into pleasantries.

The oddest thing I saw was an iron and ironing board in the lounge area. It was set up so you could iron and watch TV at the same time. I envisioned some guy in his underwear and dark socks ironing his shirt. I wondered if a member requested an iron and ironing board, or if the Y thought it would be a good selling feature.

I will say the steam room was great. I did 5 minute intervals with a 30 second rest and lasted 25 minutes. I just realized the average person would not combine the word "intervals" and "steam room" in the same sentence.

I was sweating so much my eyes were burning from all the salt in my system. After using the steam room, I jumped in the whirlpool for another 10 minutes and then sat and cooled down for another 10 minutes. I wished I had a heart rate monitor on, I bet it was in the 120's after 20 minutes of steam.

After work I went for a shiatsu massage. It's pretty much a pressure point massage technique. Not the most relaxing, unless you like someone pressing their thumbs into you with full force. I knew I was going to be tight in the legs and ITB area, which I was, but it surprised me that I was really tight in the shoulder area.

Tonight, Alice and I went to the movie Shutter Island. I liked it. It was the first time in a long time that just the two of us went to a movie together. Normally it's also with one or both of the kids. As we were driving home from the movie, it felt like I time travelled back 25 years and Alice and I were 19 years old. It was like deja vu.

I told Alice I felt like I was 19 years old. Four years ago, I couldn't have said that. These past three years of getting in shape, losing 50 lbs and becoming an Ironman again has transformed my life on so many levels. One benefit is that I've gotten back the energy and optimism of youth. I now have the best of both worlds, energy and optimism of youth, combined with life experience and wisdom of middle age.

In high school I remember having tremendous energy and optimism. Alice describes my high school years to the kids as "your dad was Ferris Bueller". I found a picture from grade 11 where I organized "the Gotch Gang". Our school volleyball team was in the finals and we were there to support them.

I'm in the middle with the Colonel Saunders Tie (I worked part time cooking chicken at KFC and it was part of my work uniform). Alice is beside me on the left with the pompoms and long hair. What you can't see is we had all been drinking in the school parking lot before hand. It was a great memory and I feel by getting back into triathlons I've regained that unfettered spirit.

Taper Rest Day - No training