Happy Friday! 

Started out the day with a quick one hour swim at the rec center, then a short run when I got home and finished off with a quick set of weights for strength training.

Tomorrow I'm off to Guelph Ont for a workshop with Solo swims. It's a meeting of the swimmers and there crews who are planning to swim Lake Ontario this summer, ( there are 6 of us I believe?) but not a mandatory workshop, it's just to get all us Aspirant's and crew together to show us what to expect for our swim.

Only Joanne and I are going from my team as no one of my team members including my swimmaster can make it, so I will be taking notes for everyone and will review it with my crew some time before my swim.

So how do I do weight training?  Here take a peek.....

:)

Bike day 31,30,30,

Today I biked, after having my morning coffee first.  I had a solid one hour 31km bike ride, averaging 30kph under hot humid conditions of 30C and hotter with the humidex which I love! I hope this weather keeps up so it heats the lake up fast!
If I had more time i would have gone longer, but I had to eat breakfast and get ready for work.

Getting better going forward!

I went for my second swim this week at the pool. I'm still feeling the effect of the virus, still a little cough and congestion, but I'm getting better each day and moving forward!

I have less then two months until my Lake Ontario swim,July 28th 2013, will I be ready?  I have no doubt!  let the longer swims commence! ...Soon as I get in the lake? Maybe starting Sunday, until then I'll still splash in the pool.

I finally posted up a new facebood Athlete page for my lake Ontario swim for life, hoping to get like's and share's and possibly donation to RVH cancer center which I'm swimming for.

Here is the Face book link open to public, so please like, share and donate to RVH if you can. Check it out! ....https://www.facebook.com/#!/LakeOntarioSwimForLife



I also have my charity link posted on the right side of my blog, but to make it easy for you You can also make donations for RVH Cancer center here ...RVH Cancer center 

Thanks


:)

Swimming in Gel?

After a week of fighting this virus and yes I'm still fighting, I went for my first swim in 10 day's not counting my lake swim last Monday. I swam 2000m and it felt like I was swimming in gel, very sluggish and tiring, albeit I still swam it in 36 min or ruffly under 2min per 100m! which surprised me, but still tiring.

The cough is still there and the lungs are still sore, but I'm sure if I don't die first I'll be OK! ;) ...

I just don't understand why Joanne, my wife, keeps asking me how my doctors appointment went? What!? What do I need to see the doctor for? That's just silly! ;)

In the mean time, tomorrow the weather is turning and we will be getting into some hot hazy humid weather! Woo Hoo! finally! Maybe by the weekend I'll be swimming in the lake, ( with wetsuit) but in the mean time, tomorrow, I plan on getting in a bike ride and run before work.


:)

Ruff Week

It's been a ruff week battling this virus with continuous coughing, hacking and wheezing all day long and worse at night, which started last Sunday with symptoms starting on Saturday. 

One week later I still have phlegm and coughing, and my lungs hurt with each cough feeling like they are bruised, but the coughing is becoming lest frequent which is a good sign!

I haven't done any training as a result, just resting and drinking fluids to ride this virus out.  I still feel strong physically not losing much fitness and I think I may have lost a few pound to, which is a good thing! lol ...I actually feel strong, I just can't breath is the problem! lol

In a way I think getting this virus is my bodys way of saying, "hey I need some time off  from training and for some needed recovery and healing"  Where my body's immune systems been compromised by being over worked, letting in this virus to shut me down! I know it sounds silly, but no one else in my family is sick, .....but then again? no one in my family have been getting close to me! lol

So for now I'm going to take the rest of this weekend off before starting back in the pool Monday and see how much fitness I've lost....or not! ......and continue building my swim fitness to ensure my goal of swimming across lake Ontario is complete!

:)

Feeling better

But still hacking up a storm! My lungs are sore from hacking and coughing as I  try to catch air while I wheeze with every breath. Other then that, each day is getting better and I should be back in the pool tomorrow.

Happy birthday to Victoria who turned 22 yesterday. Over the weekend she had a party with friends and yesterday we celebrated with a favorite of hers, dirt cake! which is a mixture or cool whip and crushed oreo cookies and other stuff! It tastes great but is a million calories!

Melissa lighting the candle to the dirt cake she made for Victoria.

 

Victoria blowing out the candle.





 

The girls dishing up the dirt.

Cup cakes the girls made for Victoria party on the weekend.



 

 

:)

Man cold alert

You can knock me down, but can't not knock me out!

Turns out my allergies aren't allergies after all, but just a little old lung virus turned into walking phenomena.  It's moving though my system pretty fast probably for the fact that I was so active over the weekend sweating it out, plus my level of fitness...... but man I can use an extra lung about now if you have any ! lol.....

BTW, I don't believe for a moment that the fact I went for my swim in the cold lake brought this man cold on, as it started Saturday with the feeling of my sore throat and diminished breathing, in fact I believe all the exercise I did and the cold swim has boosted my immune system to fight this virus swiftly as it moves though me quickly, albeit turning into walking phenomena and maybe not moving quick enough. lol

So it looks like no swimming for a few day until my lungs clear up.


:)

 This May long weekend was great and not so great. I started the weekend Saturday with a great group bike ride of 50km with the group and then added another 10km riding to and from the start point of the group ride for a total of 60km. Then spent the rest of my day puttering around the house.

Saturday I wanted to get a good start out for a ride out to Wasaga beach with a couple of friends for another 90km ride., But the not so great was I washed my bike shorts getting ready for the ride to Wasaga and hung them up to dry on the close line and when I went to grab them to wear for my ride I found them all shredded!! ....My dog Kaiya pulled them off of the close line and ripped them apart!

My shredded bike shorts courtesy of Kaiya.....

 

Ohhh, I was not happy!!.......

So I had to ride in regular shorts which wasn't so bad with my gel bike seat, but still not as comfortable as with bike shorts, which I have to buy a new pair now.

On top of losing my bike shorts I was feeling the effect of severe allergies, with a burning throat and tightness in breathing as well as a horse throat but physically strength wise I felt fine, except for the coughing of phlegm out of my throat and lungs from breathing in all the blooming flowering trees and their pollen.  lol

The ride went well and the weather was perfect and warm, just the way I like it! except for the smell of the blooming lilacs which was burning my throat, and finished the ride in just a little over 3 hours of bike time for just over 90km

When I got home I went to see Kaiya  in the yard resting in the shade as it was in the 80'sF  so I got out her favorite toy! the lawn hose and cooled her down while playing with her.

Kaiya playing with the water hose to cool off.

 Isn't she cute! how can I stay mad at her! ...

 

 

The group I rode with Saturday wanted to ride out to Wasaga on the Holiday Monday.  So again I went out with them for my third straight bike ride and second 90km in two day, again riding in just over 3hrs for 90km in hot humid weather in the 80'sF I loved it! and to my surprise my legs were feeling fine with a total of 250km of riding over this weekend!.....Not really because I have been training for my lake swim after all. ;)  lol

 

I was feeling good after the ride Monday except for my allergies which were getting worse, but the weather was nice and warm so I wanted to try a quick dip in the lake, as you saw in the video I posted yesterday which I quickly found out it will be another week or so before I can do some serious open water swimming there.

 

All in all it was a great weekend of training, taking some time off from my swimming for some recovery and to add some fitness with some solid cross training with biking,...... Just not so great with my bike shorts being shredded or these darn allergies! Cough wheeze hack cough cough! stupid tree pollen!  lol

 

 

 

 

:)





First lake swim this spring, in 58F water

More of my long weekend activities later


:)

Hoping for warm water

With this cold snap ending from this past week including snow showers most of Sunday, we are heading to warmer temps this week and hopefully warmer waters in lake Simcoe. 

This weekend is a long weekend with Monday being Victoria day holiday, so I'm planning on a high volume training weekend with biking, running, swimming and hopefully some open water swimming in Kempenfelt bay, with wetsuit of course. If I can manage the cold waters in the lake I will try to stay in as long as I can, but have a feeling it won't be to long. lol

My swimming is going steady and time is getting short! We are already into mid May leaving only 2 1/2 months until my Lake Ontario Swim.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy mothers day to all mothers.


My mom and me at her house today. She is my inspiration and strength! and who I am dedicating my Lake Ontario swim to. I love you mom!

:)

Zodiac

Ready to go!

Perfect Weekend and New HONDA 10 HP

This weekend was perfect!  Perfect weather for training and playing!

I managed to get in my swims and a few bike rides. I rode around 120km this weekend and my legs are feeling fine but my lower back is a little sore from being in areo most of the ride.

Well I couldn't get the Johnson 20hp fixed, the mechanic said it was to far gone and not worth fixing so I picked up the Honda 10hp and took back the Johnson to my friend to dispose of it. lol

I preped up my zodiac and put the Honda on it and took it out to the lake for a spin.  I am very happy with it, it runs perfect!!  I zipped around the bay ( Kempenfelt Bay, Lake Simcoe)  for a while then took it out of the water and back home! Oh and I tested out the water out, brrrrrrr still way to cold to swim in, maybe in a few weeks if this weather keeps up I can try,..... with a wetsuit.


:)

Running like a Chicken....

I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! Sure I'm getting my swims in, and now biking and running outside. yes training is going well, but there just isn't enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do! ...

Yesterday I found a Marine mechanic to fix my 20hp Johnson motor I picked up from a friend which wasn't running but said if I can get it fixed I can keep it.

I was looking though Kijiji and found a guy who was selling motors in the add that looked promising, and to see if he can fix my motor, so I call him to see what the prices were for his motors he had listed but didn't list prices on,and I asked if he could fix my motor.  He told me to bring it down, so I asked him where his shop is and he said he works out of his home and gives me his address.

Well, wouldn't you know it! he lives literally 1.5 km away, only 5 or so  blocks from my home! lol  I've been driving past his house for over 20 years and never realized he ran a marine shop out of his home as a marine mechanic! lol

So I take my 20hp Johnson motor to him to hopefully get repaired, but in the mean time I also looked at all the motors he had for sale and decided to pick up a 10hp Honda for cheap! and he guarantees it will run perfect! if not, I just return it and he will make sure it runs perfect! So I left a $50.00 deposit and will pick it up when and if my Johnson gets fixed.

Why buy the Honda if I can get  the Johnson fixed for my Zodiac?

One reason is I need the 10hp motor for my Zodiac so anyone can drive my zodiac while I swim.  In Ontario any motor over 10hp  you need to be licenced and with the 20hp motor on my Zodiac I will have a hard time finding someone who can operate the Zodiac legally.

Also the Honda is a lot newer the the Johnson 20hp which is a 1964 model which he said is a great motor and is why it's still kicking around, but the Honda is a 1990's something?  and I'll use the 20 hp on the Zodiac for me to toot around on (as I have my operators licence)

Which brings me to my Zodiac! I was given the Zodiac by the same friend who gave me the motor but the Zodiac as good as it is, is old, but works great! I've had it out several time last year using an electric motor, but it needs some TLC so I've been working on patching it up with a nice coat of rubber sealant over all the seems and it should be as good as new and ready to go with the Honda.

On another note! Speaking of boats and motors! I'm still looking for my second crew boat 24ft + motor or sail boat, prefeably on a volunteer basis for my Lake Ontario swim July 28-30. if anyone out there who has a boat or  knows of someone who has a boat  that might be willing to help out please let me know, my last prospect fell though as they are racing a regatta the same weekend on Lake Ontario.

Message me please to make a deal @  joepolcz@rogers.com , Thanks.

:)