The Swimmer

Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte, at 2012 games in London.

Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte, at 2012 games in London.

2013 is setting up as a year of pushing boundaries and skirting limits. It’s all about embracing new things and recognizing fresh possibilities.

By the time you read this, I’ll be wrapping up my first swim lesson with my new coach.

In 2010, my lovely wife, Mary, decided that she was tired of all the smack-talking that her co-workers were doing about competing in a triathlon. She decided that she was going to show them what the Mary Baumer Experience was all about. That June she participated in her first sprint triathlon. Since then, she’s completed five sprints and last August, she completed her first Olympic-length triathlon. Continue reading

In training (again)

Mathias Steiner of Austria completing a lift @ Athens Olympics (photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Mathias Steiner of Austria completing a lift @ Athens Olympics (photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

I’m a big guy. By that I mean that I’m 6’3”. I am a mesomorph and generally look athletic.  I generally carry excess weight well, perhaps too well.

Like many people, as I got older and passed into my late 30s, I had gained a considerable amount of weight compared to what my weight was in high school. A more sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise were major contributors, as well as an American-style diet tilting towards processed foods. Heck; I like to eat, what can I say? Continue reading