#greenswell

Greenswell has two races coming up in your area in April and May and can use volunteers. We have volunteer positions available for aid stations, registration, cheer squads, finish line and more. Details in the links below.

This past week I've been able to get a kind of fresh-start on triathlon training with a new focus.  Not that I haven't logged a fair number of miles already this year, but now - post-baby, post IM 70.3 Muncie, post (mostly) injury, it seems like a whole new day.

New baby (born 6/2) is doing well, and sleep-wise things have settled down to the point where I can work out a couple of times a week in the AM.

My next race will be the Greenswell Wellness Evolution Triathlon & Duathlon.  This is an Olympic-distance tri, and is in my back yard.  I've swam at Alum Creek reservoir a few times, and the roads in this area are a routine part of my training rides.  It will be nice to race in a place I'm comfortable in.

Health-wise, I am not 100%, but feel better than I have in a long time.  I've run a few times, and I feel slow and weak, but it is good to be out there again.  Toe is doing OK...probably 80%...still ache-y on the run and (strangely) when swimming.  It feels like I'm one bad step from re-injuring it, but so far so good.  My calf is fine.  When it was hurting, I noticed the anatomy of my right (injured) calf is a bit different (bigger) than that of my left (healthy) calf.  Now that both feel fine, strangely they are still a bit different.

I got out to brick on Sunday, rode on Saturday, swam on Friday, ran on Thursday.  None easy (re-starting never is), but all good.

It still feels good to have IM 70.3 Muncie behind me, and having that race behind me definitely opens doors for other events.  Two things I noticed at IM Muncie when I racked my bike with the other 35-39 year-olds.  (1) My bike, the "Lead Sled," was no doubt the shittiest on the rack.  (2) Everybody else on my bike rack seemed ripped, at least compared to me.  Actioning on the things I can actually impact, I'll need to do some bike shopping!  As for the body...what can really be done about that?

The two I have my eye on are a Cervelo P2 or a Felt B16...will be scanning the interwebs for a deal between now and then.

On the brewing front, I have some time to brew (and workout) next weekend as my wife and kids will be out of town.  I am planning to brew my first lager, and this will be my first 10 gallon batch.  I am planning on brewing a scaled-up recipe of what's here:  http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/519

In preparation for this brew-session, I brewed a starter Sunday night.  I mixed up about a gallon of water and 4 cups of DME.  I ended up splitting this up among 4 different vessels; I ended up using flower vases, as this is a container that was handy that I knew nobody would miss if it was occupied for the next week or so.  I am using WLP810 - San Francisco Lager yeast that I ordered from Northern Brewer.  My last order I had some trouble with the yeast I received...they just did not want to wake up.  I think it might be the heat outside, and even though NB packs yeast with a cold pack I don't think they are doing well in transit.  Of my four vessels, after 12 hours in the vase....nothing.  Keeping my fingers crossed, but I've called my LHBS to order another vial through their distributor as a little insurance.  Hopefully my little beasties will wake up and start doing their thing, but if I need another vial, it would be nice to have one locally.  I think I might be done buying yeast through Northern Brewer until the weather cools down.

Looking forward to both beer and bricks next weekend.