In search of my arms

I've been trying to find my arms and shoulders. After months of cyclocross with lots of biking, some running and NO swimming...I misplaced my arms. Sure I had to hoist my bike up and over barriers during races and sometimes practice but that what about the extent of my upper body training all fall and the late stages of 2010. So my arms disappeared and seem scrawny.

Once cyclcross ended, and I enjoyed a short break, but I have been staring at a 1/2 Ironman in April motivating me to find some arms again so I can swim and not drown. I dug out my goggles and returned to the pool, and yes more than 1 x a week like last year. I also resumed my killer sessions with my awesome trainer Mark Nilles in search of finding some upper body strength again. And in these sessions we sometimes Box. Yes punch the heavy bag, gloves etc. Talk about arm fatigue and a great way to punch out the stress all in one. A few times I even had a training session then went straight to masters afterwards. Not so pretty early on when my arms were MIA.

There are signs of life in my arms though as I was able to reach an all time PR on pull ups doing 21 full body, unassisted pull ups (yes broken in sets, but superset with another upper body workout without rest). I also managed a good chunk of MSM's annual 100 x 100s New Years swim.

So I'll keep after it so my arms don't stay like scrawny sticks poking out of my body like a snowman, so I can swim, not drown and pull myself through the water, so I can stand and climb on my bike and stay steady in aero, and run with power.