Blog Posts

Hey all,

Total cop out, I know – but this week’s blog update is actually a new video, and I’m talking about ZONE 2 training. It’s an entry point to aerobic exercise and building up an aerobic platform, and going after those fat reserves in a more direct way.

Also, at the beginning of the video I talk about how I’d intended to talk about connection to environment – I figured that I should clarify after the fact that; although I have struggled with seasonal depression in the past, that’s not why I am saving that topic for another day. I want to develop the angle a bit more. I should also state that the reason I am not having such a problem with seasonal blues right now is likely because of diet and this nutty training schedule I’ve built that I am now following.

That training schedule is here: olympicdistancetrainingprogram.pdf

Feel free to check the video out.

Hey pilgrims,

I’ve been thinking about change a bit this week – I have once again altered my caloric intake which is likely a turbo-boring topic of conversation for most people, but the fact remains that exactly what I am doing at this point in time is not netting me the exact result I would like to see, so it seems a fool’s errand to continue along the same path expecting a different result.

Long story short: I increased my calories a few months back to see what would happen. Some of the results were favorable, others weren’t, so I’m going to try and rectify the ones that weren’t without negating the ones that were.

But, on a larger scale it becomes a metaphor for life. After 2 whole years of a pandemic it’s pretty easy to reflect and see what could have been handled differently and more successfully in that regard; systemically speaking, but on a more personal level since we’ve had little else to do beyond self analysis I think a lot of us have been doing some soul searching. Mass amounts of career changes, diet plans and workout regimens have been implemented by people who are trying to maintain control over something, ANYthing, and I am clearly no exception to that. Not a single one of us is the same now as when this whole thing started, and I’m sure some change has been for the better, and some for the worse.

In an interesting contrast, it seems obvious to me that there is also less forgiveness and redemption than ever before (at least on a public level, anyway) and a great number of things have become ‘deal breakers‘ when it comes to online acquaintance that never would have been deal breakers before. So with the obvious knowledge that change is completely possible, as well as the acknowledgement that misunderstanding amongst the masses is at an all-time high, why do we feel so compelled to ostracize each other so freely?

It stands to reason that since *I* am such a complex individual, that so is the person I’m seemingly at odds with on one social media platform or the other. Are either of us likely to change the other person’s mind about the topic at hand? It’s unlikely, though it would be a mistake for me to think that they’re incapable of changing their mind eventually. As a younger man, I did and said a lot of things I would no longer do or say because I learned better and changed my behavior. It would be ridiculous for me to assume that I was the only human capable of this.

So… don’t be afraid to go easy on each other.

Training this week has been intense. There were a couple extra bike/run workouts that did a number on my legs. As well, I’m a lot more focused on ZONE 2 training, which is a heart rate range that’s a bit lower than most people train in, HIIT being a very popular training format these days. ZONE 2 much more of a long game, as it’s ideal for endurance training.

Truth is, I’ve been in ZONE 2 for a while, but at the top end of that range (60-70% of maximum heart rate) often getting into the bottom end of ZONE 3. Gradually these ZONEs change and you’re able to go a little faster for a lot longer, and that speaks to me. In the process, you also retrain your mitochondria to go after fat stores your body already has, rather than glycogen stores from food you ate recently as is typical in ZONE 3. I’m still learning about it as I go but it’s certainly making for an interesting science experiment that I’m excited to see the results of.

Hey there, pilgrims,

I made subtle mention of contracting covid-19 in last week’s training update and since it’s been forefront in my brain, you get to read about it for a few minutes. I’m fortunate – and I credit this largely to my training, diet, and overall health although, yes I am vaccinated – that I had a milder-than-average go ’round with Covid-19, though not quite as mild as my girlfriend.

That being the case, I will say that several days in isolation is a long time when you don’t really have the energy to do anything creative or physically demanding, so it’s pretty easy for your brain to recede to the dark, dusty corners and even the strongest of us can start talking ourselves out of our own goals & dreams really quickly. I had Luann there with me, so I did have someone to talk to but when it came to matters of sadness and malaise, I was hesitant to go there – I did, and I’m glad I did, but not as soon as I should have.

I kept my diet on track through the whole isolation period because I wanted to heal fast, and I did get some time in on some creative woodshedding, but my outlook was way more grim than I ever really want it to be again. I was back on top within a couple gym visits, which serves to illustrate how important that is in my life – but the memory of going there sucked.

So naturally, with training this week I hit it as hard as I could, which may have been a mistake, but I’ve made way bigger mistakes. I swam a kilometer on Tuesday, and rode 37km on the bike in 75 minutes on Wednesday. Got 45 minutes on the treadmill Thursday and another 60 minutes on the bike Friday.

That Friday 60 on the bike was a lighter effort than usual thanks to a medical device i had strapped to me for 24 hours. The hangup was that I didn’t want to sweat the sensors off, but nomatter how you slice it, I pedaled for 60 minutes straight.

Life won’t wait.

Beyond all of that, I’ve taken on another creative writing endeavor which detracts a bit from these blog posts in some ways, and in other ways it’ll likely start to permeate these posts a bit, too. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about it and conjuring ideas and I’m excited to get it to the point where I’ll be able to share it with all of you, even if it takes (a long) time.

Snotty and juvenile as it might sound – “Compared to what?” might be my favorite question. Context is so brutally important, and it seems to be that way now more than ever.

We hear ‘this food is healthy’ or ‘this activity is dangerous’ and the circumstances of the statement are always so vague that the message is never questioned, when being questioned is actually what validates the statement in the first place.

Contextually, I’ll say I’m a fast runner. With no unit of measure or no comparison to relate, I could just as easily say that I’m a slow runner. A more honest statement would be ‘I’m faster than I was last year at this time‘ and just as easily I can say ‘I’m slower than my girlfriend‘ and both statements are affirmed.

That light example gives context to why certain claims can be made without question, and the fact is that we hear those claims so frequently that they stick with us for our whole lives – sometimes they’re even put to music to embed the message even deeper for even longer.

People often conflate advertising slogans and scientific research, and it problematic because of the inequal financial situation of a chain fast food restaurant that would love to let you believe their product is healthy, vs spinach farmers who have a healthy product and no revenue with which to promote it.

All this to say: its important to be objectively critical of what we’re reading and looking at, and when in doubt – follow the money.

Training this week was interesting and brief. I had a great, long workout at a gym I dropped in to while on the road in Grande Prairie, AB performing w/ Robin Kelly. It was fun because I had nowhere important to be for several hours after, so I thoroughly beat myself to a pulp. Upon my return home, I managed to get a real good 900m swim in before I started showing symptoms of COVID-19, and everything came to a halt on Wednesday.

For all those concerned, my symptoms are totally manageable so far. We’ll be taking the time to rest and recover; naturally, and look forward to putting this illness behind us.

Through the coming months, we are extending our swim, bike, and run lengths. Our swim is up to 900m in length, and we’re roughly trying to add 100m per week as we go. We’re extending our Bike/Run combination workouts as well, and as these sessions lengthen, we have to perform them on non-work days.

A lot of the source material is still in development, so I haven’t posted the latest training schedule yet – but with my newfound Covid-19 isolation time, I imagine it will be along shortly. It’s going to get a little more specific than the last one, so hang in there. We’re 14 weeks away!

Hey all,

Thanks; as always, for clicking & watching & liking and subscribing to all of these things. January is always a funny time for me, as it is for a lot of people and it’s become faux pas to talk about the ‘seasonal blues’ and what I call ‘event fatigue’ for lack of a better term.

‘Event fatigue’ pertains to the low-down feeling that sets in after a big to-do happens… like a sporting event, or a big expensive holiday, or anything you might take part in that requires a bit of a build-up. Often feelings of dread, malaise, or sadness sink in. I talk a little bit about that in this new episode, as well as whole food plant based training and veganism – both of which I strongly encourage, but don’t aim to preach about.

We also set a new date for the full-length olympic triathlon this spring – training schedule and route to follow soon.

I hope you enjoy it, and get something out of it!
CLICK BELOW!!!

Much love,
Davey

I’m in the throes of making the next video right now, which deals with the 1/2 triathlon we ran between Christmas & New Years and the strange time in-between that I felt compelled to address in that video, and here as well. (spoiler alter, I guess). as well, this week’s post is a little shorter as I’ve had a lot of writing to do as of late with a new undertaking that I’ll get into when (if) it turns into something. As well, I’ve been cramming songs for an upcoming performance with an Elvis Presley Tribute artist, and finishing a Confusionaires recording, so I apologize if it feels like I’m a little short on words this week.

I digress… The 2 weeks between completing our event and now has been a strange time of feeling directionless and melancholy. This happens to everyone following a big to-do. I’ve felt it coming off of tour, I felt it after this event, and I’ve even felt it coming home from vacation. This is a totally normal and important phase of life, wherein goals are reset and a turning of the page happens – and it’s totally powerful and deserves the respect it demands.

It’s important to be patient with yourself, though these times, but it’s also important to realize that the way out of this uncomfortable time is to make a new plan, set a new goal, or renew your focus on your priorities, all while realizing that you are under no obligation to rush this process, frustrating as it may feel to be there.

Think of it in terms of a weekend – a required rest and refocus time before going back to grinding for another 5 days. I feel that to acknowledge it in such a normal and common way takes a lot of the frustration out of the equation and allows for recovery – both mental and physical.

The big thing that helped us move forward was picking a new race day for the Olympic Length triathlon this spring. More on that to follow in the coming weeks!

That said, getting back on track with training this week has been great. Had a great swim and a great brick workout this week on monday/tuesday and I’ve been lifting weights to work the muscles that don’t get pushed as hard through the swim/bike/run activities. In a lot of ways I feel like I’m training to get ready to train… as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Over the holidays, I had a chance encounter with a beer that had been sitting a little to long. It made a mess out of me; the saving grace of which was timing. I was no longer in the throes of cooking 3 trays of cannelloni, and due to a certain global pandemic which shall remain nameless I managed to not have any company beyond my adoring girlfriend and canine karmic guide.

I don’t drink often nor do I drink in volume, but I haven’t exactly abstained from alcoholic beverages, either. As a matter of fact on a good day I would probably tell you that I have a ‘healthy relationship with alcohol’ but if we were to sand & file that sentence down past it’s veneer, I would likely tell you that I have a tumultuous relationship with every ‘consumable’ (for lack of a better term) available to me at any given time.

Without labeling myself an alcoholic, I can tell you quite easily that I have consumed alcohol as a means of escape and that I’ve done so with great ease and greater excess – but I’ve always had a problem with overindulgence of all kinds. What this particular instance rings back at me in the echo chamber of my thoughts is how powerful a substance can be. For me; it’s any substance, but in this case it was a brown ale.

Reflection has taught me that this power is to be revered, and deserves it’s reverence, because power is so easily abused. It’s unfortunate that so many ‘normal’ things in my life, both as an adult and as an entertainer and artist, yield that power. Or… maybe it is fortunate, and maybe I need to be cautious in letting my guard down.

That power deserves reverence.

Now, reverence is one of those words that drags my brain back to church, but it doesn’t have anything to do with Love, or God for that matter. Reverence is unabashed deep respect. The respect that you would pay anything that has the capacity to end you completely. The way a craftsman regards his tools, the way a samurai respects his sword. In that way, these things have the power to compromise my judgement, and thus my safety and my livelihood, and have certainly killed more people than cancer.

I don’t know where you are in your journey with anything, but I can say that every last one of us are on a spiritual journey of some kind or other, and that my experience has been that as I gradually remove the toxins from my life through various means, my mind & body & spirit are able to build their connection stronger.

Maybe I won’t abstain completely. Maybe I will.
I believe there are times for celebration and times for focus and discipline, but I will endeavor to revere that power more fully.

As an addict, I know that I will always need structure around these things in order to maintain order in my physical, mental, and spiritual life.

Training this week has been a challenge. There have been more than a few obstacles in my path in regards to time, but the time spent immersed in physical fitness has been beyond therapeutic. It’s very grounding and upon our first swim of the year, Lu and I both remarked that everything seems to have queued up after getting back into the fitness program.