I’ve tried so hard to not let weeks go by without a blog post, but work finally got the best of me. Back on the weekend of the 4th of July I got hired to compose for an ABC Family Christmas movie, and I’ve been underground ever since. The turnaround was tight and I had to write music at a blistering pace throughout the entire month of July. It was an intense but completely rewarding job, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I got to write some ass-kicking action music, very much along the lines of the type of music that I ultimately would like to be doing all of the time. The movie is called “Christmas Bounty”, and its set to air during ABC Family’s ’25 Days of Christmas’ block sometime around Thanksgiving.
I actually find it easier to train when things are really busy….the workouts come as a welcome break from a non-stop barrage of sound and music that I’m exposed to when I’m writing all day. The sound of splashing water in the pool or the hypnotic humming of my bike trainer help clear my head and make it so much easier to keep coming up with fresh ideas. Writer’s block is not something I ever really come up against, but the speed and efficiency of my workflow is definitely something that I have to keep tabs on, and training helps me to stay sharp and focused.
I’m a few months removed from the days of the foot boot, and while I’m not quite 100%, I have been able to get back to a normal training regimen that includes all 3 tri disciplines. I’m running again, which makes me unbelievably happy! More importantly, I’m finally getting to race again!
This has been a busy week on the race front…….it started with the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier swim race on Sunday, which I finished in under an hour (00:59:16). This is a massive improvement from my 2010 time of 01:26:xx! I feels so unbelievably incredible to know that as I approach 40 that getting faster is still possible. It makes all of the hard work worth it and makes me believe that getting older doesn’t have to completely suck.
On Tuesday night I raced in the El Dorado Twilight Training Series crit race….I’m completely fascinated with bike racing right now, and while I’m a complete newb in terms of official USA Cycling events, I have watched enough bike races on TV and feel strong enough to be able to jump into a race, feel comfortable, and actually play the chess game of pack riding vs. breakaways. I learned a valuable lesson during this race about breaking away too early, paying the price of getting caught right before the finish line because my legs were finished. I’m looking forward to a few more weeks of Tuesday night racing as the series has 3 more races in August.
Yesterday I made the trip down to the Masters Long Course Meters Nationals in Mission Viejo. I raced in the 200 Free and fared much better than the last time I raced the 200 back at the Rose Bowl earlier in the year. I blew up in that race, going too fast out of the gates and leaving nothing in the tank for the finish. This time I around I went out conservatively, pacing myself more appropriately. I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of dudes that were 20 years older than me, but I take consolation in the fact that almost everyone there comes from a swimming background, and I do not.
3 races in one week? Hell yeah! It feels good to be back at it. I finally feel like I have my legs back, which is a good thing considering the training for Levi’s Gran Fondo is kicking into high gear and the Malibu Tri is only one month away. We’ve (TNT Cycle Team) got a 45 mile ride out in Pasadena tomorrow morning, and the elevation gain on our rides is starting to get serious. I’m so stoked to be feeling like myself again, and can’t wait to get out there this weekend!