AWESOME!!!!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Picture's worth a thousand words
My buddy works for a big insurance company and was able to score company seats for the Wizards v Cavaliers, aka Lebron James and others. I can't begin to tell you how awesome the seats were.. I basically spent all game heckling the Cavs even though I like Lebron. How awesome were the seats? Well, these are all pics from where I was sitting.
AWESOME!!!!
AWESOME!!!!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Because I fear the wrath of LJ
LJ, I love you, but I'm lazy and as you clearly pointed out, I'm a taker. But since I did agree to give back a little, here's the plug.
Note: This is a plug for a free poker training deal. If you are not a poker player, you can stop here since this will just bore you to tears. Hell, it's boring me and all I did was ctrl+c and ctrl+v from cmitch's blog. Thanks cmitch.
Here's the plug:
If you aren't signed up for free poker training, you are missing out. If we play at the same tables, please ignore this post.
Get Cardrunners/Stoxpoker for Free
I continue to receive CRs and Stoxpoker for free thanks to their truly free poker training program just for playing on FTP.
The link: http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/
The details:
Earn 5.5k FTP points in a month and get 1 month of CRs free
Earn 3k FTP points in a month and get 1 month of StoxPoker free
No hit to rakeback
You keep your points
Pretty simple (I guess it is FTP paying ppl additional RB to play)
Go sign up
To follow up on Bayne's recent post about the FTC requiring "Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service" I was not paid anything to make this post. I just can't imagine why people wouldn't sign up for it. If you hit the required number of points then you get free access to the training sites. If you fall under the required number of points then you can get discounted access (I think - may need to read the TFPT website info)
Note: This is a plug for a free poker training deal. If you are not a poker player, you can stop here since this will just bore you to tears. Hell, it's boring me and all I did was ctrl+c and ctrl+v from cmitch's blog. Thanks cmitch.
Here's the plug:
If you aren't signed up for free poker training, you are missing out. If we play at the same tables, please ignore this post.
Get Cardrunners/Stoxpoker for Free
I continue to receive CRs and Stoxpoker for free thanks to their truly free poker training program just for playing on FTP.
The link: http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/
The details:
Earn 5.5k FTP points in a month and get 1 month of CRs free
Earn 3k FTP points in a month and get 1 month of StoxPoker free
No hit to rakeback
You keep your points
Pretty simple (I guess it is FTP paying ppl additional RB to play)
Go sign up
To follow up on Bayne's recent post about the FTC requiring "Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service" I was not paid anything to make this post. I just can't imagine why people wouldn't sign up for it. If you hit the required number of points then you get free access to the training sites. If you fall under the required number of points then you can get discounted access (I think - may need to read the TFPT website info)
Change
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
~Anatole France
I'm born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. I moved to Richmond, VA when I was 18 to go to U of Richmond and after graduating, I stayed here for 11 years, working for a CPA firm for 8 years and then moving to a bank that is more known for its credit cards. During my 11 years here, I've met a lot of people and have become friends with a few of them. There were good times and tough times but through it all, one thing I had in common was the fact that I was always surrounded by good people. Despite the fact that I wanted to get out of Richmond (again, I grew up in Tokyo... nuff said), I was starting to get comfortable. It was an easy life. I had friends here. I have a good job in a great company.
And I'm gonna leave all of that behind.
About a month or so ago, I got a call from a recruiter. It was completely out of the blue and I have no idea how they got my number. Some job opportunity for a big insurance company. I wasn't looking but I never turn away job opportunities without at least entertaining the idea so I decided to string the recruiter along. It turns out it is for a director level position (it would be a 2 level promotion for me) in financial reporting... after the phone interview, I got the feeling that despite the fact that they really liked my experience, they were concerned about my lack of experience at the director level. Nonetheless, they invited me to Tampa, FL which is where their operations are located to interview me in person. Now I always said that if you get me an interview, I will get the job. Yeah, I know, I'm cocky. I'm also 100% in the interview to getting the offer ratio so it's not like I can't back it up. But this was a stretch. It would be a two level jump. They know that. I didn't even know if I still wanted the job... as in literally, I went to the interview unsure of what I would do even if I got the offer. Of course the money is better... but that's not what drives me and personally, I don't care about titles and such. I mean they're nice... but I have so much more in my life that I'm proud of that career/work is just a piece of who I am. At the end of the interview, I'm kinda worried that I may have actually nailed it... I mean the reason I was worried was that if I didn't get the job, it's a nonissue. I have nothing to worry about and I just keep going down the red carpet that my bank has laid out for me. But if I get the job, I have to make a decision.
Well, sure enough, by the following week, I get a verbal offer. I nailed it. What followed was probably the most stressful 2 days that I've had in a long time. As much as I act like nothing in the world scares me, I can only do that because I'm surrounded by my friends. It's easy to act tough when you know that you have friends that have your back. But this was a great opportunity... and a good chance for me to leave Richmond.
I talked to my boss about it the very next day. He then asked if I was comfortable talking to the CFO of our business segment so I said yes. So I talked to the CFO as well. This is where I'm convinced that I work for great people in a great company. They were very supportive... and appreciative of the fact that I was open with them about it. They essentially gave me advice on things to think about and they also mentioned that "as much as we would hate to lose you as an organization, opportunities like this don't come often, and we certainly cannot blame you for going after it." So, that weekend, I thought about all the pros and cons of staying vs leaving. Then, I realized that there were no cons for either one... I mean the cons were essentially missing out on the pros of each option. But there was nothing bad about it. So, I decided to take the job. My last day at my current company is next Friday. I'll be starting the new job in Tampa around mid December, after the blogger weekend.
Note: I will be unemployed during the blogger weekend so if you want to hook me up with drinks, I will graciously accept... I'm just sayin...
This decision, despite seemingly easy on paper, was not an easy decision for me. And the quote in the beginning was very fitting. There will be tons of things I will leave behind. As I started telling everyone at my current company, and they all started saying their goodbyes and giving me advice, etc, I realized that even these people that I work with or that I play basketball with will be missed. And these aren't even my friends! Of course, I'm sure I can find something similar down in Tampa. But, hence, the quote was so applicable. It's gonna be really hard to say goodbye to my friends. Of course, I can come visit or they can come visit but it will still be tough.
Having said all that, I would be lying if I said that I'm not excited. I am. Actually, I'm stoked. I'm definitely nervous and a little sad but I am mostly psyched for a new opportunity, new location, and a new life. I will enjoy the remaining time with old and new friends that I've made here in Richmond for in a month, I'll be starting all over again. But I am ready. And for that, I am psyched!
~Anatole France
I'm born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. I moved to Richmond, VA when I was 18 to go to U of Richmond and after graduating, I stayed here for 11 years, working for a CPA firm for 8 years and then moving to a bank that is more known for its credit cards. During my 11 years here, I've met a lot of people and have become friends with a few of them. There were good times and tough times but through it all, one thing I had in common was the fact that I was always surrounded by good people. Despite the fact that I wanted to get out of Richmond (again, I grew up in Tokyo... nuff said), I was starting to get comfortable. It was an easy life. I had friends here. I have a good job in a great company.
And I'm gonna leave all of that behind.
About a month or so ago, I got a call from a recruiter. It was completely out of the blue and I have no idea how they got my number. Some job opportunity for a big insurance company. I wasn't looking but I never turn away job opportunities without at least entertaining the idea so I decided to string the recruiter along. It turns out it is for a director level position (it would be a 2 level promotion for me) in financial reporting... after the phone interview, I got the feeling that despite the fact that they really liked my experience, they were concerned about my lack of experience at the director level. Nonetheless, they invited me to Tampa, FL which is where their operations are located to interview me in person. Now I always said that if you get me an interview, I will get the job. Yeah, I know, I'm cocky. I'm also 100% in the interview to getting the offer ratio so it's not like I can't back it up. But this was a stretch. It would be a two level jump. They know that. I didn't even know if I still wanted the job... as in literally, I went to the interview unsure of what I would do even if I got the offer. Of course the money is better... but that's not what drives me and personally, I don't care about titles and such. I mean they're nice... but I have so much more in my life that I'm proud of that career/work is just a piece of who I am. At the end of the interview, I'm kinda worried that I may have actually nailed it... I mean the reason I was worried was that if I didn't get the job, it's a nonissue. I have nothing to worry about and I just keep going down the red carpet that my bank has laid out for me. But if I get the job, I have to make a decision.
Well, sure enough, by the following week, I get a verbal offer. I nailed it. What followed was probably the most stressful 2 days that I've had in a long time. As much as I act like nothing in the world scares me, I can only do that because I'm surrounded by my friends. It's easy to act tough when you know that you have friends that have your back. But this was a great opportunity... and a good chance for me to leave Richmond.
I talked to my boss about it the very next day. He then asked if I was comfortable talking to the CFO of our business segment so I said yes. So I talked to the CFO as well. This is where I'm convinced that I work for great people in a great company. They were very supportive... and appreciative of the fact that I was open with them about it. They essentially gave me advice on things to think about and they also mentioned that "as much as we would hate to lose you as an organization, opportunities like this don't come often, and we certainly cannot blame you for going after it." So, that weekend, I thought about all the pros and cons of staying vs leaving. Then, I realized that there were no cons for either one... I mean the cons were essentially missing out on the pros of each option. But there was nothing bad about it. So, I decided to take the job. My last day at my current company is next Friday. I'll be starting the new job in Tampa around mid December, after the blogger weekend.
Note: I will be unemployed during the blogger weekend so if you want to hook me up with drinks, I will graciously accept... I'm just sayin...
This decision, despite seemingly easy on paper, was not an easy decision for me. And the quote in the beginning was very fitting. There will be tons of things I will leave behind. As I started telling everyone at my current company, and they all started saying their goodbyes and giving me advice, etc, I realized that even these people that I work with or that I play basketball with will be missed. And these aren't even my friends! Of course, I'm sure I can find something similar down in Tampa. But, hence, the quote was so applicable. It's gonna be really hard to say goodbye to my friends. Of course, I can come visit or they can come visit but it will still be tough.
Having said all that, I would be lying if I said that I'm not excited. I am. Actually, I'm stoked. I'm definitely nervous and a little sad but I am mostly psyched for a new opportunity, new location, and a new life. I will enjoy the remaining time with old and new friends that I've made here in Richmond for in a month, I'll be starting all over again. But I am ready. And for that, I am psyched!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Dropping off the face of the earth
That's kinda how I feel... I've been so busy in both my work and personal life that I just haven't had the chance to update my blog. I don't even know if anyone still follows or checks but oh well... I do have a twitter account but I never really tweet... I guess I'm not much of a twitter guy.
So, what have I been up to? Well, a lot and nothing at the same time. Last time I posted, I believe I was just giving up on doing a triathlon because my buddy was in NY that same weekend. I was also in the midst of trying to bench 250lbs 3 times so that I could claim that I can bench 150% of my body weight. So, let's see... athletically, what have I accomplished? A big fat NOTHING.
I am still not benching 250lbs, I have given up on doing a triathlon this year (no more tris locally), and so I guess my focus is now on the half marathon that I'm doing in Vegas right before the blogger weekend. Taking people's advice, I actually started to incorporate running into my workouts. I ran 5 miles on Sat, did 10 miles on Sun, and did a 5.3 mile interval workout today. In between, I lift weights but one thing I noticed when I mapped out my workout plan was that I didn't have a single rest day. I mean there are days I don't run but then I'm lifting... and on days I don't lift, I'm running... and I'm thinking this is getting in the way of my 250lbs bench goal. Mondays are my chest days and there are times I'm freakin exhausted after the 1st set which is essentially a warm up set. When the 15th rep of 135lbs feels hard, I just know it's gonna be a shit workout. And I've had a few Mondays with worthless piece of shit workouts which really pisses me off.
I am gonna have to figure out a way to get the workouts in and yet come up with at least one day off...
So here in VA, we now have a republican governor... For those of you that don't know, and concludes that since VA is the south, we must always have a republican governor, you are incorrect. The past 8 years, we have had a democratic governor and personally, I'd like to think that this is a big eff you to Obama. I mean come on. Some people are starting to think that maybe the government taking over business to protect the idiots... errr, I'm sorry, the less fortunate or whatever you want to call them, may not be such a great idea. Ultimately, we, the consumers as a whole, will suffer... it's like when they say you're only as fast as the slowest guy in the group, it holds true the way Obama is trying to run things. Oh well, this post is not intended to be a political post and as a hard working, fairly decent income generating individual, these days, I just avoid the news because all it does is piss me off. I never thought I would repeat what I said during Bush years but here it comes... 3 more years. I can't wait.
Where was I going with this post? I'm really not sure. I just know that I haven't written anything on here for a while and I kinda miss it. This was a nice outlet but now, it isn't much of one for me right now. Maybe because I don't really need an outlet? Not sure.
On a completely different topic, I am still digging the "Surviving Disaster" show but tonight was the premier of "V" which as most of you (I assume my general readership is my age or above) know, was an old show... in Japan, they always had some american shows on TV including Family Ties, Knight Rider, the A-Team, etc... V was one of them and growing up, I remember being freakin hooked on that show (and I was in love with Faye Grant - I apparently liked blondes from when I was really young). Anyways, so I decided that since I was so into it, I'd watch the season premier... and I'm not gonna lie, I actually kinda dug it. It's now officially set up on my DVR to record weekly along with House and Criminal Minds.
I guess this is enough for now. If you are still reading, thanks. I'm hoping it won't be so long till I post next time but it is what it is. I hope you all had a great Halloween and if I don't post till later, Happy Thanksgiving.
So, what have I been up to? Well, a lot and nothing at the same time. Last time I posted, I believe I was just giving up on doing a triathlon because my buddy was in NY that same weekend. I was also in the midst of trying to bench 250lbs 3 times so that I could claim that I can bench 150% of my body weight. So, let's see... athletically, what have I accomplished? A big fat NOTHING.
I am still not benching 250lbs, I have given up on doing a triathlon this year (no more tris locally), and so I guess my focus is now on the half marathon that I'm doing in Vegas right before the blogger weekend. Taking people's advice, I actually started to incorporate running into my workouts. I ran 5 miles on Sat, did 10 miles on Sun, and did a 5.3 mile interval workout today. In between, I lift weights but one thing I noticed when I mapped out my workout plan was that I didn't have a single rest day. I mean there are days I don't run but then I'm lifting... and on days I don't lift, I'm running... and I'm thinking this is getting in the way of my 250lbs bench goal. Mondays are my chest days and there are times I'm freakin exhausted after the 1st set which is essentially a warm up set. When the 15th rep of 135lbs feels hard, I just know it's gonna be a shit workout. And I've had a few Mondays with worthless piece of shit workouts which really pisses me off.
I am gonna have to figure out a way to get the workouts in and yet come up with at least one day off...
So here in VA, we now have a republican governor... For those of you that don't know, and concludes that since VA is the south, we must always have a republican governor, you are incorrect. The past 8 years, we have had a democratic governor and personally, I'd like to think that this is a big eff you to Obama. I mean come on. Some people are starting to think that maybe the government taking over business to protect the idiots... errr, I'm sorry, the less fortunate or whatever you want to call them, may not be such a great idea. Ultimately, we, the consumers as a whole, will suffer... it's like when they say you're only as fast as the slowest guy in the group, it holds true the way Obama is trying to run things. Oh well, this post is not intended to be a political post and as a hard working, fairly decent income generating individual, these days, I just avoid the news because all it does is piss me off. I never thought I would repeat what I said during Bush years but here it comes... 3 more years. I can't wait.
Where was I going with this post? I'm really not sure. I just know that I haven't written anything on here for a while and I kinda miss it. This was a nice outlet but now, it isn't much of one for me right now. Maybe because I don't really need an outlet? Not sure.
On a completely different topic, I am still digging the "Surviving Disaster" show but tonight was the premier of "V" which as most of you (I assume my general readership is my age or above) know, was an old show... in Japan, they always had some american shows on TV including Family Ties, Knight Rider, the A-Team, etc... V was one of them and growing up, I remember being freakin hooked on that show (and I was in love with Faye Grant - I apparently liked blondes from when I was really young). Anyways, so I decided that since I was so into it, I'd watch the season premier... and I'm not gonna lie, I actually kinda dug it. It's now officially set up on my DVR to record weekly along with House and Criminal Minds.
I guess this is enough for now. If you are still reading, thanks. I'm hoping it won't be so long till I post next time but it is what it is. I hope you all had a great Halloween and if I don't post till later, Happy Thanksgiving.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Another race
So last time I updated this blog, I indicated that I was gonna miss my first olympic distance tri because of my trip to NY to hang out with my best friend from high school. As upset as I was that I was missing my race that I trained pretty hard for, I had a blast in NY, just as expected so I have no regrets. Plus I only get to see him like twice a year so it was really a no brainer. So, Monday of this week, I signed up for a 10 miler here in Richmond for this weekend.
Below is the email I received:
"Congratulations Alan T. on finishing the Capitol 10 Miler on October 03, 2009.
For your records, the weather at start time was overcast, 65 degrees F, 93% humidity, wind South 3.5 mph.
There were 58 finishers in the Male 30 to 34 age group and 647 finishers in the 10 Mile Division.
Your overall finish place was 198, your age group finish place was 23 and your gender finish place was 135.
Your time was 1:22:22.99 giving you an overall pace of 8:14 per mile."
What I learned from this race is that I need to train for the half marathon I'm running in December in Vegas. 10 miles is probably the max distance that I can wing it by cross training... the last mile was pretty brutal and hilly but even then, I felt like I was losing it (evidenced by the fact that according to my watch, I was around 72 minutes at mile marker 9). So Trebek, Peaker, you guys are right, I definitely need to start running/incorporating runs into my workout.
I really wanted to do a NY trip report too but updating my blog is fairly low on my priority list these days so as much as I want to (with lots of thoughts floating in my head), I just haven't had the chance.
Below is the email I received:
"Congratulations Alan T. on finishing the Capitol 10 Miler on October 03, 2009.
For your records, the weather at start time was overcast, 65 degrees F, 93% humidity, wind South 3.5 mph.
There were 58 finishers in the Male 30 to 34 age group and 647 finishers in the 10 Mile Division.
Your overall finish place was 198, your age group finish place was 23 and your gender finish place was 135.
Your time was 1:22:22.99 giving you an overall pace of 8:14 per mile."
What I learned from this race is that I need to train for the half marathon I'm running in December in Vegas. 10 miles is probably the max distance that I can wing it by cross training... the last mile was pretty brutal and hilly but even then, I felt like I was losing it (evidenced by the fact that according to my watch, I was around 72 minutes at mile marker 9). So Trebek, Peaker, you guys are right, I definitely need to start running/incorporating runs into my workout.
I really wanted to do a NY trip report too but updating my blog is fairly low on my priority list these days so as much as I want to (with lots of thoughts floating in my head), I just haven't had the chance.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
This and That
This post is gonna be all over the place, potentially. I have some things I've been wanting to type/write but just haven't had the time to make this a priority.
As you may or may not know, I've been training for my first olympic distance triathlon which is set to take place in Northeastern VA on 9/27. It consists of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and a 10k run (.9/26/6 in miles) where the swim takes place at this place called the Naylor's Beach where it's basically a river swim. I wouldn't say that I'm completely ready but I'm fairly certain that I can complete this... my goal was going to be able to do it within 3 hrs which depending on how the swim goes would be pretty tight (not a great time for anyone in my age group but great for a newbie like me). So last night, after basketball, I go to the pool to do some drills and as I was doing my warm up swim of 300yds, I felt good so I thought, maybe I should try swimming 1.5k to see what that's like... But being that I was tired, at first, I figured I would do 500 yds (that's 20 lengths of the pool). As I got to lap 20, I just thought, well I can keep going so I'll do 20 more. When it was all said and I done, I was at 60 and 6 more laps would give me a full mile so I was going to go ahead and do it when the life guard is waiting for me at the end of the pool. He tells me to hop out of the pool so I was a bit surprised but I just assumed they were closing... an hour early. Turns out a girl puked in the pool so they were getting everyone out. According to a friend of mine who used to be a lifeguard, it shouldn't be that big a deal because the pool has a mechanism to suck those things out - who knows, maybe the Y has a higher standard of cleanliness or something... I sure hope so but once I found out what happened, I was pretty glad the guy got me out of the pool.
So, I'm still feeling good about my swim (and btw, I'm paying the price today - my shoulders/arms/wrists are sore!) and I notice that I have a call from an unknown number. Turns out it's from my best friend in Japan. I knew he was gonna be in NY sometime soon for business but no dates were set. Well, it turns out that he'll be in town (in NYC) starting the 20th and then he'll be here for 2 weeks leaving on Oct 2. So basically, he'll only be here for one weekend... which happens to coincide with my triathlon. Of course, this is my best friend since high school who I made a crazy weekend trip for his wedding where I was in Japan for as long as I was traveling so giving up my tri to go visit him in NYC is a no brainer... having said that, I'm a little bummed because I was really looking forward to this triathlon and training pretty hard for it. I mean there will be other races but I don't know... anyways, so that's $80 of registration fee down the drain... having said that, I know I would have a blast in NYC - we always do and so I am definitely excited to see them. Lucko/LJ, you guys met my buddy last year (I think), wanna come out to the city? I still owe you guys drinks so it will be on me!
Anyways, so now, I'm searching for another triathlon that I can do this year - I have to do one this year because I don't think I can keep training the way I do now through the winter season without a little taste of what it's like to do an olympic distance tri.
On a completely different note, I've recently become a TV junkie... well, not really from most people's standards but for me who only had one show per week that I religiously watched (Criminal Minds), I am now at 4 shows... First one is Shaq Vs. It's an awesome show where Shaq goes around competing against the other athletes in their sports. It started with him vs Ben Roethlisberger in a football showdown and on to him battling against Albert Pujols in HR Derby, the two US women's olympic champion beach volleyball team in beach volleyball, Oscar Dela Hoya in boxing, and last night was him battling none other than Michael Phelps in swimming. Of course, each of these have handicaps to even out the playing field but it's just a fun time amongst competitive athletes talking shit but having fun. I'm not a big fan of Shaq but his personality is perfect for something like this. You can catch all the episodes here. It's entertaining as hell and also, just reminds you of how great these athletes are in terms of how good they are in their sport. I mean these are the best of the best but I think you forget how good they are when they are also surrounded by other superstars...
The next show is Surviving Disaster. This ex-navy seal walks you through a disaster scenario where the stage is set so it's real life like... and he walks you and gives you tips on what you can do to survive the disaster. First one was if the plane that you are on is hijacked, next was if you are in a tall office building (this was 10 stories) and there's a fire and you're trapped... most recent episode was how to survive a nasty hurricane (of Katrina variety, I imagine). It's actually a very interesting concept and I personally love it. I'm not saying that by watching this, if the particular disaster strikes, you'd be ready but I already learned a lot so far that I didn't know before. Next week's episode is when house robbers come in to your house... I think it's totally worth watching!
Last but not the least is 2 months $2MM. It's about these 4 twenty-something year olds who play poker professionally (LJ, you should know this since you work at CR and White Lime is one of the 4)... Anyways, the setting is that these 4 move to Vegas for 2 months with the intent to make $2 million amongst themselves. As of week 5, they are way behind, being up $35k ish as a group but it's interesting to see how these guys who are great pros but on the same token, very young guys go through bad losing streaks, tilt, deal with women and the temptations of Vegas. One kid went out, got drunk, and woke up with a $5k bar tab! They high-carded for a $1200 dinner for 6 people (hmmm, actually, didn't we do that in Vegas? I backed out but you guys are sickos) and just have no regards for money... of course, when you're like 22-25 and have made over a million dollars playing poker, I can see how you can be detached from reality. Poker is the basis but it's more a reality tv show than anything else and it's just entertaining as hell. Ah, the sneak peak into a life of degenerates. Good times!
Ok, I feel like I've written enough. I'm gonna go search for some triathlons in some appealing places and see if I can find one that's worth traveling to.
As you may or may not know, I've been training for my first olympic distance triathlon which is set to take place in Northeastern VA on 9/27. It consists of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and a 10k run (.9/26/6 in miles) where the swim takes place at this place called the Naylor's Beach where it's basically a river swim. I wouldn't say that I'm completely ready but I'm fairly certain that I can complete this... my goal was going to be able to do it within 3 hrs which depending on how the swim goes would be pretty tight (not a great time for anyone in my age group but great for a newbie like me). So last night, after basketball, I go to the pool to do some drills and as I was doing my warm up swim of 300yds, I felt good so I thought, maybe I should try swimming 1.5k to see what that's like... But being that I was tired, at first, I figured I would do 500 yds (that's 20 lengths of the pool). As I got to lap 20, I just thought, well I can keep going so I'll do 20 more. When it was all said and I done, I was at 60 and 6 more laps would give me a full mile so I was going to go ahead and do it when the life guard is waiting for me at the end of the pool. He tells me to hop out of the pool so I was a bit surprised but I just assumed they were closing... an hour early. Turns out a girl puked in the pool so they were getting everyone out. According to a friend of mine who used to be a lifeguard, it shouldn't be that big a deal because the pool has a mechanism to suck those things out - who knows, maybe the Y has a higher standard of cleanliness or something... I sure hope so but once I found out what happened, I was pretty glad the guy got me out of the pool.
So, I'm still feeling good about my swim (and btw, I'm paying the price today - my shoulders/arms/wrists are sore!) and I notice that I have a call from an unknown number. Turns out it's from my best friend in Japan. I knew he was gonna be in NY sometime soon for business but no dates were set. Well, it turns out that he'll be in town (in NYC) starting the 20th and then he'll be here for 2 weeks leaving on Oct 2. So basically, he'll only be here for one weekend... which happens to coincide with my triathlon. Of course, this is my best friend since high school who I made a crazy weekend trip for his wedding where I was in Japan for as long as I was traveling so giving up my tri to go visit him in NYC is a no brainer... having said that, I'm a little bummed because I was really looking forward to this triathlon and training pretty hard for it. I mean there will be other races but I don't know... anyways, so that's $80 of registration fee down the drain... having said that, I know I would have a blast in NYC - we always do and so I am definitely excited to see them. Lucko/LJ, you guys met my buddy last year (I think), wanna come out to the city? I still owe you guys drinks so it will be on me!
Anyways, so now, I'm searching for another triathlon that I can do this year - I have to do one this year because I don't think I can keep training the way I do now through the winter season without a little taste of what it's like to do an olympic distance tri.
On a completely different note, I've recently become a TV junkie... well, not really from most people's standards but for me who only had one show per week that I religiously watched (Criminal Minds), I am now at 4 shows... First one is Shaq Vs. It's an awesome show where Shaq goes around competing against the other athletes in their sports. It started with him vs Ben Roethlisberger in a football showdown and on to him battling against Albert Pujols in HR Derby, the two US women's olympic champion beach volleyball team in beach volleyball, Oscar Dela Hoya in boxing, and last night was him battling none other than Michael Phelps in swimming. Of course, each of these have handicaps to even out the playing field but it's just a fun time amongst competitive athletes talking shit but having fun. I'm not a big fan of Shaq but his personality is perfect for something like this. You can catch all the episodes here. It's entertaining as hell and also, just reminds you of how great these athletes are in terms of how good they are in their sport. I mean these are the best of the best but I think you forget how good they are when they are also surrounded by other superstars...
The next show is Surviving Disaster. This ex-navy seal walks you through a disaster scenario where the stage is set so it's real life like... and he walks you and gives you tips on what you can do to survive the disaster. First one was if the plane that you are on is hijacked, next was if you are in a tall office building (this was 10 stories) and there's a fire and you're trapped... most recent episode was how to survive a nasty hurricane (of Katrina variety, I imagine). It's actually a very interesting concept and I personally love it. I'm not saying that by watching this, if the particular disaster strikes, you'd be ready but I already learned a lot so far that I didn't know before. Next week's episode is when house robbers come in to your house... I think it's totally worth watching!
Last but not the least is 2 months $2MM. It's about these 4 twenty-something year olds who play poker professionally (LJ, you should know this since you work at CR and White Lime is one of the 4)... Anyways, the setting is that these 4 move to Vegas for 2 months with the intent to make $2 million amongst themselves. As of week 5, they are way behind, being up $35k ish as a group but it's interesting to see how these guys who are great pros but on the same token, very young guys go through bad losing streaks, tilt, deal with women and the temptations of Vegas. One kid went out, got drunk, and woke up with a $5k bar tab! They high-carded for a $1200 dinner for 6 people (hmmm, actually, didn't we do that in Vegas? I backed out but you guys are sickos) and just have no regards for money... of course, when you're like 22-25 and have made over a million dollars playing poker, I can see how you can be detached from reality. Poker is the basis but it's more a reality tv show than anything else and it's just entertaining as hell. Ah, the sneak peak into a life of degenerates. Good times!
Ok, I feel like I've written enough. I'm gonna go search for some triathlons in some appealing places and see if I can find one that's worth traveling to.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Damn, I'm good
I'm chillin out in the afternoon watching football after running errands and stuff and this email pops up on my newly acquired blackberry (Tour which is freakin awesome if you have Verizon).
This is an automated message sent from Full Tilt Poker.
Full Tilt Poker Tournament #101593141 Silver $15,000 Freeroll NL Hold'em
Buy-In: $0.00
957 players
Total Prize Pool: $15000.00
Start Date: September 12 3:45 PM ET
Dear RecessRampage,
You finished the tournament in 253rd place.
There has been $22.50 added to your account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Ha ha ha, nothing like cashing in a tournament without even playing!!!
It's so weird that I used to pay attention to make sure I never missed tournaments like this and now, it didn't even occur to me. Good times!
This is an automated message sent from Full Tilt Poker.
Full Tilt Poker Tournament #101593141 Silver $15,000 Freeroll NL Hold'em
Buy-In: $0.00
957 players
Total Prize Pool: $15000.00
Start Date: September 12 3:45 PM ET
Dear RecessRampage,
You finished the tournament in 253rd place.
There has been $22.50 added to your account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Ha ha ha, nothing like cashing in a tournament without even playing!!!
It's so weird that I used to pay attention to make sure I never missed tournaments like this and now, it didn't even occur to me. Good times!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Week 6 - Falling Behind
This is week 6 of the JT workout. If you've been paying attention, this is week 6 of 7. If everything went according to plan, I should be able to put up 3 reps of 250lbs on the bench next week... unfortunately, I don't see that happening. Now generally, I'm not one to psych myself out. If anything, I relish the chance to come through under pressure. In basketball, I was never afraid to pull the trigger... that's not to say that I would take stupid shots but I knew I was a good shooter and so even if I missed 5 in a row, I would just keep taking open shots, as long as they were good choices (I wasn't a stupid player either). That's my way of saying that I don't go into a workout, wondering or thinking that I might not be able to do something. I go, I do. Simple as that.
Having said that, I encountered yet another set back yesterday when I tried lifting... not to make this an excuse but the guy who was spotting me (huge gym rat) pointed out that, and I quote, "everyone is weak on Mondays... all the drinking and the partying that they do, they're not ready for a big lifting day on Monday." *sigh* That is so true for me - at least the drinking part... this weekend, I had 3 fantasy drafts and I definitely went overboard... I think I was feeling the effects till Sunday evening. Well, without further ado, here's my workout.
Flat Barbell
135 x 12-15 (did 15)
185 x 8 (easily got 7 up, on my way to getting the 8th one up, I hit a major wall, seemingly out of nowhere. I just couldn't lock up my arms so it ended up being a forced rep)
225 x 4-6 (the above set got to my head - 1 + 2FR - just couldn't get anything going)
250 x 1-3 (245 x 2 FR - I'm sure the guy spotting me thought I should just stick to 225)
225 x 2-6 (I had nothing left here - 2 FR)
Incline Barbell
95 x 12-15 (did 15)
135 x 8-10 (did 10)
155 x 6-8 (5 + 1 FR)
165 x 2-4 (3 + 2 FR)
See, the irony here is that I'm getting stronger on my inclines now. Last week, I could only do 3 reps of 155lbs. This week, I knocked out 5 and I was able to get 3 strong reps of 165lbs. Flat bench is falling apart though...
Dips 3 sets to failure
11, 15, 12 - Suprisingly, after the first two workouts, I was exhausted and did not have much left... obviously.
Pushups 3 sets to failure
25, 19, 20 - Same story as the dips. Keep in mind that any other day, I can do 50 easy (after cardio work - not after lifting)... yet on my very first set, I can't go any further than 25.
I'm not sure what to do now... The whole time, I was set on hitting my goal after 7 weeks... do I start over at around week 4 workout?
Having said that, I encountered yet another set back yesterday when I tried lifting... not to make this an excuse but the guy who was spotting me (huge gym rat) pointed out that, and I quote, "everyone is weak on Mondays... all the drinking and the partying that they do, they're not ready for a big lifting day on Monday." *sigh* That is so true for me - at least the drinking part... this weekend, I had 3 fantasy drafts and I definitely went overboard... I think I was feeling the effects till Sunday evening. Well, without further ado, here's my workout.
Flat Barbell
135 x 12-15 (did 15)
185 x 8 (easily got 7 up, on my way to getting the 8th one up, I hit a major wall, seemingly out of nowhere. I just couldn't lock up my arms so it ended up being a forced rep)
225 x 4-6 (the above set got to my head - 1 + 2FR - just couldn't get anything going)
250 x 1-3 (245 x 2 FR - I'm sure the guy spotting me thought I should just stick to 225)
225 x 2-6 (I had nothing left here - 2 FR)
Incline Barbell
95 x 12-15 (did 15)
135 x 8-10 (did 10)
155 x 6-8 (5 + 1 FR)
165 x 2-4 (3 + 2 FR)
See, the irony here is that I'm getting stronger on my inclines now. Last week, I could only do 3 reps of 155lbs. This week, I knocked out 5 and I was able to get 3 strong reps of 165lbs. Flat bench is falling apart though...
Dips 3 sets to failure
11, 15, 12 - Suprisingly, after the first two workouts, I was exhausted and did not have much left... obviously.
Pushups 3 sets to failure
25, 19, 20 - Same story as the dips. Keep in mind that any other day, I can do 50 easy (after cardio work - not after lifting)... yet on my very first set, I can't go any further than 25.
I'm not sure what to do now... The whole time, I was set on hitting my goal after 7 weeks... do I start over at around week 4 workout?
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