I'm not fast

Not that I really thought I was, but when you go running with some people, you realize there's a whole other level of speed. It's insane how effortlessly really fast runners can glide along, looking like it's no big deal. But Paul is a very humble, helpful, and nice guy, so you wouldn't suspect he's so crazy fast.

So, after several attempts to go out to Coronado, CA, for military training, I finally made it out, and was able to meet up with Paul. I drove to the other side of San Diego ("discovered in 1912 by the Germans" -Ron Burgundy) to La Jolla. Just past the Ferrari and Bentley dealerships is Paul and Suzie's place. She was out with friends, so the two of us went out for some pizza and adult sodas. Great little joint for food! Then we swung by the beverage shop for some imported/unique barley sodas, and hung out for a while. Paul offered for me to come running with him and a friend on Sunday. I wavered, but he said it was going to be a slow run. I told him that his "slow" is probably my "race pace", but he assured me it was going to be about 8 min miles. Okay, I was in!

I shot out there early Sunday morning, thinking that I was running behind. Apparently I was the only one of us three that got up with the early birds. The run went well, but as we descended onto the boardwalk, Paul took off like he was in Land of the Lost, and the Sleestaks were chasing him. We quickly went from a sub-8 pace to somewhere around 6 pace. No problems, until I realized this was an out-and-back, and I was only half way done. And we had run down hill a lot to get here.

After the run we were headed out for some brunch; Suzie was famished, as is to be expected when eating for two. We went to a great little museum cafe, and the food was awesome. Then we walked around La Jolla, and engaged in a search for the perfect San Diego/La Jolla stuffed animal for Grace. She wound up with a stuffed Shamu.


It was a great time hanging out with them, and Spencer is way cuter in person than the pics show! What a happy little guy, but we wore him out. I hope I didn't wear out my welcome, hanging out watching a replay of the Ironman World Champs all afternoon, so that I can go hang out with them again on future trips.

The temps were nice: not too cold at night (low 50's) and moderate during the day (low to mid 60's), with sunny skies about half the time I was there. I got a good feeling for my new unit, and was able to catch up with some old friends, Chris and Allison, from back in the day when I was on active duty in Charleston. They cooked up a freakin awesome meal (well, Allison did), and we sat around and talked about the good people that we were stationed with back then. Great people, and I can't wait for Mendy to meet them.

In more recent news, I have discovered a fantastic new bit o' fashion for McG to sport while she's standing on the curb yelling at all the neighborhood kids, Marlboro dangling from her lips, rollers in her hair, and legs looking like barely ripe bananas. :-p

That's about it for now. I'm training hard, and getting tired! I guess that's how it's supposed to work, though.

Horray for small races!

So, when I picked up my race packet on Friday, this was the number I pulled out. Obviously for a different race, but please note the race format under the number.

I really didn't feel like getting up, mostly due to the previous week's cold and subsequent lack of training intensity. But, I figured I would go ahead and run it, and see what happened. At the site, I began my ancient poses for race success. (Honestly, they caught me somewhere outside a stretch)

After the race, Grace decided she needed to be carried around for a while, to celebrate her efforts to show up and mooch free food. She was a great cheering section, though. I'm sure her mom helped her focus.
Ah, some Chik-fil-A (supposed to be for the runners) is a nice way to warm up in the cold temps.
I decided to customize my own race number, making it a bit more accurate.
The skinny of it is that it wasn't a PR, and it didn't feel at all comfortable running this race. The hills really spiked my HR. But, it was a very small race, so I came in 9th overall, and 1st in my age group (30-39)!! That was good enough for a $35 gift certificate to a local running store. Glad I showed up, after all.

The search for the elusive 18.xx 5K continues...

I forgot the most important pic of all! Here's proof I actually did an event. :-p

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

Would someone please help me get this dude's crappy music out of my head? Every morning, when I go down to the work cafeteria, they are playing one of those stupid "light rock" stations that specialize in workplace music. Invariably, I get some horrid song stuck in my head for way too long. Yesterday it was the damn Goo Goo Dolls, with their song from that Meg Ryan movie where she dies and Nicholas Cage is an angel that lives....*vomit* Today, it's "Endless Summer Nights" by one of the mullet brothers, Dick Marx. (The other being Sir Michael Bolton) Oops, I guess he goes by Richard. Anyone know how to reset the inner jukebox? I gotta reboot this thing. Grrrrrr!

In other news, I had a decent run at lunch. My standard 4.28 mile loop, in 29:22. Not a record pace, but only about 35 seconds off. All this talk about the plank is making me want to try to incorporate it into daily life. The other day Nancy inspired me to do it for as long as possible. After 150 seconds I was shaking like a dog passing a peach pit. I would like very much to get that higher, and not look like I'm in the middle of an earthquake when I'm doing it.

Tomorrow evening it's off to the Atlanta area. I hope to get a nice long run in Saturday afternoon, on the Air Farce base (sorry, fly boys), and then cruise through Sunday until I can come home. If I have internet, I'll be in touch. If not, have a great weekend, and race/train hard!

Edit: A big shout out to my home girl Jess - have a great half this weekend!

Tidbits and loose ends

First, a couple of outstanding questions:

Jess, I shaved because the old Captain Caveman face was starting to require "beard maintenance," which I'm ill-equiped to perform. And, during the HM, the Accelerade and water was just sort of soaking onto my face. Kinda gross, and uncomfortable. I had intended to shave it into some sort of wacky pattern at the request of the JavaFesters, but they only mentioned lightning bolts or something. With all the festivities, I didn't have time pre-race. So, back to my regular old face (for better, or worse).

Wes, I think I will be doing Langley Pond, Olympic distance. I'm thinking that will be the distance I'll focus on this year. I don't have the raw speed to be competitive in the sprints, and I can't realisically focus on half-iron or iron distance races. Maybe I'll find my speck in the sporting world. We'll see...

Man, the weather has been poopy for running. *this is where all you eskimos north of the Mason-Dixon call me a wus* Between snow, cold, rain, cold rain/snow, and Mendy's drill weekend, it's been tough to run a lot. I did go for a nice 3.4 miler the other night in the chilly temps (29 F?) and I'm sure people were looking at me funny from the safey of their steel chariots. We are both planning a 8-ish mile run tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. Next week, I'm going over-mileage for the MB Half, then start a taper program.

Today our local Fleet Feet was having their birthday sale. I picked up 2 pairs of Mizuno running pants and 1 pair of Mizuno tights, all Breath Thermo. I've heard great things about the BT material, and it should be better in the cold than just thin tights for...uh...maintaining my image. That thin spandex doesn't block all the cold, and the tights don't leave much to the imagination, if you know what I mean. I don't want to be arrested by Interpol for olive smuggling.

Updates tomorrow from the run!

I'm up, I'm up!!

Well, I decided to put an end to my sloth, and went for a run today around my favorite 4.28 mile loop (for consistency's sake). I knew at the half-way point that I was on a good run, and at the finish I was hopeful...

"Sadly," I was a measly 1 second off my all-time PR for this route, set last July. Today was 28:50. I could have found 2 seconds to shave somewhere...some...where...

But it goes to show you that the little nagging feeling to go for a run may be your body telling you something. Today, my legs were ready to play, even with the cool temps and chilling wind. Had I warmed up prior, who knows? ;-)

Go run, have fun!

Gratitude!

My sincere and heart-felt thanks to all the fast men (30-34 years old) for NOT racing in the Paris Mountain 5K today!

So, the alarm went off, and I was very tempted to turn it off, wake up when I felt like it, and hopefully catch Neese after the race. In fact, almost every fiber in my body was screaming for this. But I figured I wouldn't wake up in time, and we wouldn't make it over to Furman U, and I would let Neese down. Mendy and I both wanted to hang out with her again, because she's just so darn sweet and fun to talk with. And the chance to meet her husband and Anne was an additional draw.

Anyway, we made it there in time to enjoy the pandemonium of pre-race activities: ran out of shirts (even for pre-registered), apparently no race packets, delayed start, etc. Neese, Rhett (her husband), and Anne (Rhett's daughter) were right out front waiting for some slow pokes to finally arrive...us! By the time I got my bib number, there wasn't much time before the start. I did a couple hundred yards of warm up, and I am now a believer in this. Moments before the gun, I tried to share some last minute experience and tips with Neese and Anne, and then we were off.

I felt great, and was running a nice pace with a great feeling of efficiency. And I had my tights on, so I looked great! LOL I passed a bunch of people (I should have been way closer to the start line) and crossed the 1 mile marker at 6:09. SWEET! Then the wind came: 46 degrees and about 14 mph whipping across the lake through most of mile 2. Mile 3 greeted us with a little bump: a very steep up and down hill that just totally messes up your rhythm. It was about this time that I started regretting the large coffee (with 4 espresso shots) I drank on the way to the race.

I kept with my chosen pace group, wasn't passed, and traded places a couple of times with a young guy that finally edged past me. I crossed the line with 20:04 showing (a PR for me), but figure that if chipped, I would have actually had a 19:58. WOO HOO! It was good enough for 2nd place in my age group. Neese and Anne also had a great race with a very strong finish! This course, and today's weather was no joke, and it appeared that times across the board were down compared to other 5Ks with the same people.

I was happy that I braved the morning and weather, very glad to have hung out with Neese and her crew, and very happy to have Mendy and Grace there cheering me on ("Doing great, Daddy!"), which overshadowed the unfortunate disorganization of pre-race activities. I'm sure next year will be better, and I hope the race directors from this year direct next years race, as I'm sure they will iron out all the bugs. They really did a great job considering they had to handle two very separate races today with their full schedules with their running store. And, they are nice people, extremely easy to talk to.

When's the next one, Neese? :-)

"Those" runs

I really hate "those" runs. You know the ones that just don't turn out as well as you hoped, either in feel, speed, or distance, and sometimes a combination of several. For me, they tend to be very frustrating, and I immediately feel like going back out the door and running again, in an attempt to redeem myself. Not that the results would be much different: the factors that affect a run are built up over days prior to, not just the hours before. I had a couple this week, which could easily be attributable to fatigue from Monday's ride and the cold I'm currently enjoying. Add on top of those the horrid bouncing of Fuel Belt bottles on my back, and unseasonably warm weather (which I'm not used to), and I suppose I can't expect everything to go perfectly. And even if I do, they didn't, so I just have to suck it up and prepare well for next time.

So, I haven't discussed office-isms in a while. I've noted a few lately, since we've had a bunch of folks changing physical locations, changing floors, and general shuffling. There are an alarming number of younger men that have to, when standing at the urinal, bend over and reach for their urine gear because of belly size. I would personally see that as a sign for change; I can't imagine looking down and not being able to see Mr. Happy because of a big ole' meat shelter belly. But I guess that's why I'm me, and they are them. I do always hope that my apparent fitness efforts may inspire some folks around the office.

There's a group of guys that go down every morning to eat breakfast together. The group has grown from 2-3 to now about 6-7 over the past couple of years. A thought occurred to me this morning for a title of these guys: I shall call them Reservoir Dorks (in reference to this being an IT organization, but absolutely without any disrespect to them.)

My environment has shifted 180 degrees with respect to background noise. The lady that sits on the phone all day talking about what her 16 y.o. daughter wears swimming, the cost of wheelchair rental at Dollywood, the level of the water in the lake near her lake house, ice skating, Girl Scout cookies, Tupperware, and all things extremely geeky and technical about mainframe administration, has moved to another floor. My former manager, that used to hold 120db speakerphone conference calls all day, every day, has also moved floors. The two dudes in the next aisle that discussed matters of personal life and laughed very loudly at jokes have moved now. It's like a morgue around here most times now. Except for the residual tinnitus, that is.

Our new departmental Admin Asst has an open-format cubicle right outside the bathroom. I was considering it yesterday, and although it's spacious, I would not like to sit there. With a view of the bathroom doors, and my tendency to people-watch, I would inadvertently start noticing how long people have been in the potty, and label them as poopers or pee-ers. As disturbing as it would be to realize the guys who had just finished dropping a deuce, I would be very very uncomfortable concluding that some of the ladies had just finished pushing some brown. I don't like believing that women do that.

I was doing really well about getting into the Christmas spirit, but 4 days of weather in the mid-70s and sunshine has got me thinking about spring. Probably not all bad, since I should begin making my transition from base building to preseason transition. I will figure out a way to get some swimming and cycling in every week (though cycling is tough with the short daylight hours), while maintaining the running focus for the next couple of months. March isn't far away, and that's the first tri!

Cinque

Tag, I'm it. I don't know who I would tag in return, so I'll just tell you all a few nuggets about me. As such, no need to post the rules I suppose.

1) I was born in South Africa. I left when I was about 3 years old. No, I didn't swim across; I enjoyed the luxury of a transport ship with my family. I haven't been back since, mainly out of fear for being detained for conscription into the military and the ridiculous cost of travel there. I hope to return, but will have no idea where I'm going unless I return with either my brother, father, or somehow locate an uncle that may still live there.

2) I have/had a heart murmur. It doesn't seem to have affected my athletic ability much, but who knows? The last physical I had in 2006, the Doc mentioned that he still heard it. Oh well, I guess I'll keep going until it does something wacky.

3) I came very very close to dying as a child from a major intestinal infection. I didn't gain any weight from about 6 to 14 months old, if I recall what my dad has told me accurately. Apparently I didn't sleep through the night until this was cured, and the first night I did my parents hovered over me all night making sure I was still alive.

4) I enjoy classical music. Seriously! While I listen to mostly rock (classic and modern hard alternative), I will sometimes pop in some Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, or others, and really enjoy it.

5) In the Navy, I was a bomb disposal diver and parachutist. I used to hunt sea mines underwater with a handheld sonar and a big chunk of C4. I was trained in search, identification, and neutralization of all other weapons systems (from hand grenades, to IEDs, to nuclear weapons), but my main focus was underwater disablement/disposal operations. And yes, I can't discuss most of it in much detail. :-)

I did a 4.3 mile recovery run today. The legs felt stiff, which I suppose is expected given Thursday and Friday's runs. Still, the time/pace wasn't too shabby. No PR, and not even close, but a solid run. One thing I'm noticing about winter running: way more laundry produced! I rarely get away with using stuff twice, probably due to how much I sweat when running (gross, huh?), and I can't wash out tights, base layers, and long sleeve running tops in the shower like I could with shorts and a tank in the warmer months. Stupid winter!

We got our Christmas tree tonight, but that will be saved for another post. Hope you all had a great weekend!

A new day

First, I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, sentiments, and help in remembering my friend. To be sure, things are different now, just as with every loss. But he lives on in memories and reminders. So a sincere thanks in sharing my tribute.

I hope Thanksgiving gave everyone a chance to be with family and share special times and good food. Mendy and I enjoyed family times and lots of fantastic food. Thankfully, it wasn't too much of the latter! For the first year in many, I think we actually stayed ahead of the calories this year. Hopefully we can do the same for Christmas.

On the exercise front, I've been focusing on running, for obvious reasons. Wednesday I rode back to work after lunch in preparation of an after work ride. The weather cooperated nicely (68-70 deg temps, but with 9-12 mph winds), and I got in about 26 miles on an out-and-back, with the return a negative split. I wasn't pushing it, but it was nice to finish strong. Turkey day began with a great 7.38 mile run (per my Garmin) with my friend Chris (G-Man), complete with intermittent drizzle and pleasant temps. Somehow, Chris found a route with more uphill grades than downhills, but we survived. Well, I survived, but I'm sure Chris went out and did a good run or ride afterwards. Thanks Chris!

After the turkey feast, I was feeling very guilty, and went outside to punish myself with 50 "8-count body builders" (a Navy Diver exercise) to burn off some calories. Grace went to grandma's, and Mendy and I got home just in time for a fantastic short ride before dark. It was only 13.5 miles, but we had a great time and capped off the day with some movies, Port, and cheese. Gotta have some dinner, right?

This morning I was thinking of doing a tiny little run to attack some residual calories, since Mendy was going out for a 6-miler. I went a different route, and wound up doing 7.07 miles, running with her for the last 2 miles and finishing at our local coffee joint for some bagels and caffeine, our first calories of the day. I was happy to complete almost 14.5 miles in two days of (evil) running, doing the second half on an empty stomach but with almost the same pace.

Today was the dreaded shopping. I think most of it is done, so I guess it was worth it. I did get a couple of things for myself, and we rounded out the activities with a great dinner at Macaroni Grill and then picking up Grace from grandma's.

And the best part? The weekend is only just beginning! Maybe a swim and some weights tomorrow. Or a bike ride. Or some combination, thereof. Hope you all enjoy the weekend, and finish up the bird leftovers.

And now, a brief intermission...

I guess I couldn't go too long without testing myself against others. After INTENSE prodding by Neese (okay, she mentioned and suggested it, once each), I signed up for this race tomorrow morning. Am I "ready"? Um, no. The last 5K road race was in Jan, and it was about 20:45 (official time), so I have a decent goal to beat...not at my prime. My legs are still a bit sore after Wednesday's workout, and I haven't been doing any speed work at all. But, I will give it all I have and hope to get a PR out of it. RR to follow...

In other news: The lifting is less inspired than before, so I really need to buck up the aerobic base-building and running. Especially if I plan to upgrade to the full 26.2 in January (Lori, did you know it's only $35?). I have been longing for the high intensity training even more in the past couple of weeks. I know the resistance training is important, and everything I do now affects my performance next season, so I have to box in my focus and realize the near-term goals. In the end, I suppose it's a very good thing that I hunger for the next phase, instead of dreading it. That way I will be able to periodize much more effectively and easily.

While I'm running my 3.1 miles tomorrow, UltraBob and Scott will be killing it on the JFK Ultra 50 miler. Go get 'em, guys! And to those of us running the Turkey Trot (like Neese and I think Chris and wife Janis), have a blast and do your best! To all others, have a great weekend!

Restraint

I'm settling into a bit of a routine, though it will likely evolve a bit over the next few weeks to the extent I'm able to perform some activities during the week, and what has to wait until the weekend. I'm really enjoying the weight training (focusing not on mass or muscle endurance, but somewhere in between) and am finally back to some of the fun - cycling, running, swimming. The weight training will certainly evolved into more of a muscle endurance mode, mostly by maintaining the weight and just increasing the reps as I'm able to support it. If you are curious, the weight routines are on my training log, linked on the right sidebar.

Now to the aerobic base activity. Hmmm... I want to maintain minimal bike and swim for now, and focus on running. The problem I'm having is holding the reigns tight and not pushing myself. I did a nice 2+ hour ride on Monday (vacation day) and tried hard - REALLY HARD - to hold back, but some times I just had to push it. I rode the long way to Cleveland Park, which was nice, but in the park some dude decided he was too good to return a friendly "hello," yet wanted to suck my wheel. So I hammered it to drop (or at least punish) him a bit. That didn't help! But, it was largely a base-level ride and left me happy.

Today at lunch I went for a run on my 4.28 mile loop. My goal was to stay in the 150-155 HR zone, but I kept creeping up as I pushed it in a couple of spots. I ran-by-Garmin, but for my HR and not pace or time. I wound up spending the vast majority of the time in zones 3 & 4, and had a surprisingly decent pace for a restrained run: 7:44/miles (a hair over 33 minutes). Just about where I wanted to be. On average, at least. I did notice that I was controlling my HR through my breathing more than I suspected, and further believe that I have not been purposely breathing deeply enough over the last year to support much better pace. Must work on that.

But, apart from the HR pacing, I concentrated on posture and form: shoulders back, chin slightly up, hands relaxed with forearms parallel to the ground and at waist level, minimal upper body motion (bouncing, rotating, and swinging), and near flat foot strike with controlled stride length. A major revelation to me over the past season was to shorten my stride. Once I developed that, I never had shin splints. At all! And this has always plagued me, probably because I believed long legs should stride out more. Ben (from Carolina Tri) informed me during the Cleveland St YMCA Clemson Tri Clinic that I was, indeed, over striding, and this isn't necessarily better. Thanks (again) Ben!

Tomorrow I may swim, if I don't ride to work. Or I could go after work, when Mendy goes to the receiving of friends for her uncle's mom. (BTW, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers) Friday is Thai food with Chris and our tri buddy Eric. Speaking of Chris, check out his troubling race report from IM FL. Sad state of sportsmanship today. Makes you wonder what some people consider right and wrong. But hats off to Chris for taking a stand. Hats also off to Robin for a great job and leaving nothing back on her A race, the Mountain Masochist 54 Mile Trail Run. May not have turned out as planned, but it's a hell of a lot better than I could dream of doing! Way to go, guys!

Welcome to off-season 2007

I was so happy to cross the finish line Saturday. Not because I has set the world on fire with some blistering pace, or had broken through some fantastic distance barrier. I just wanted the competetive season to be over. Burn out.

All in all, it was a good race. I felt strong in the water, held a decent pace on the bike (especially considering some of the monster hills on the course), and had a good run. No podium finish, but 5/17 in my competitive age group, and 18/145 overall. During the bike leg, toward the end, I realized I still had to run and was filled with dread. I had noticed the burn out building over the last few weeks, but it really peaked at that moment. Much like Paul noted recently, I've been having trouble gathering enough motivation to train like I need to be. I just wanted the season to be over.

I know I'm not alone when it comes to these end-of-season sentiments and attitude. While some people can keep charging on at a constant pace, year in and year out, I think it's a function of truly maximizing your training and ability, along with cycles of peaking, that drive an athlete to desire - almost require - a break in the intensity. Surely many elite athletes also attribute an off season to injury prevention, be it soft and connective tissues due to altering the training focus, or joints and bones due to recovering focus and intensity and reducing complacency at the limits of performance.

So, I have done nothing since Saturday's race until today. I will probably ease into some training this week, but it will be low-key. My plan at this point is to:

• Rest tired muscles, connective tissue, and brain cells
• Get/keep moving with some aerobic benefit
• Hit the gym hard to build up some muscle mass in key areas, for about a month
• Begin base mileage and aerobic capacity building
• Chart my reentry to next season's training cycle

For the last step, I will need to decide on next year's race schedule. For sure, I will be more selective than this year. I also intend to include a greater variety of events, such as more running events and a couple of purely cycling events. I think that there's a different dynamic to competing in the single event races that will help me achieve and keep an edge in multi sport. I hope to break through some barriers that I'm sure exist, wherein I'm holding some of "it" back for the next leg of the race.

There are also some exciting things brewing for next year that I will share with you guys as soon as I'm able to. For sure, it's going to be an awesome season and I will realize a hope/dream that I had toward fall of last year, around the time that cycling was forever infused with my life and running was becoming a personal challenge.

But before all of that, it's going to be a great fall and winter with my family and friends, tons of good food, and reflection on my first of many years training hard and competing in triathlons. The good people I've met and relationships I've formed this season have opened my eyes, and the community that came together to help and support me when I tested physics was incredible, as were all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers from you awesome folks. Thanks for listening to me, laughing with me, helping me, educating me, and entertaining me. Don't go getting slack on any of it, though! ;-)

Okay, enough of the sappy stuff.

I guess plans can be good

What an awesome weekend! Friday really set my mood in motion, and I kept positive Saturday and Sunday, even becoming more hopeful of my performance in the upcoming Hickory Knob Sprint tri in a couple of weeks. I already picked out two really fast dudes, so right now the best I can realistically hope for is 3rd in my age group. Not downing myself, just reality; I haven't been doing this long, and my swim doesn't do me any favors. But, I think I can do well, and intend to be in the top 5. Or should I say "plan"?

At the end of my last entry, I mentioned planning on doing the group ride with Carolina Triathlon on Saturday morning. I also alluded to not planning on setting any land speed records, meaning I was going to try to have an easy-ish ride, hopefully hanging off the back of the B group. Half of that wasn't meant to be. I did join the group ride, but they decided (without consulting ME!!) to join the A (lightning fast) and B (pretty fast, but comfortable for me) groups, essentially creating a B+ group. The alternative was the *ahem* more conservatively paced C group, but that would have just made me irritated. {sigh} So, B+ group it was. We wound up going at a pretty fast pace in a lot of sections, but I held on okay. I pulled some, but tried to not push too much. One of the shop guys leading it, Sideshow (real name Tim, but nicknamed for his hair), had to peel off and get back to the shop, so we took a shortcut. Truth be told, everyone was supposed to take it, but the lead group didn't hear that, so they zigged when we zagged. Anyway, we wound our way back, and I wound up pulling the 3 of us up a ~2 mile stretch that's mostly a shallow uphill. At the light near the shop, I made a futile attempt to sprint finish, but Sideshow walked away from me. Still, it was a great ride:

42.76 miles in 2:14:50 @ 19.03 mph avg

I went straight to the coffee shop (Lava Java) to meet my ladiez, already gettin their grub on. I sat there in my spandex, looking goooooood, and chatting with our friend - the shop owner. Grace ate a whole bagel & cream cheese to herself! Then we went home, did some chores, and I talked Mendy into going to Northampton Wines for some relaxation and grub. Sooooo delicious!

Sunday started before I had planned, since I stayed up to watch Bug (not bad, but don't let the kiddies watch - boobies and wiener), but I did enjoy the trade off: we enjoyed a family breakfast out at our favorite diner. Then we were off to church to see Chris Sligh (of American Idol fame) play for the last time at our church. He left today for Nashville, where he is beginning his music career: Christian music, not country music. I had forgotten how great he harmonized with the lady that sings, and how well it all sounded with the band. Man, we are going to miss his contribution, but wish him well!

After church, we came home again, and were off to the park downtown, cameras in hand. Grace had a BLAST playing on the slides and all the other playground toys. Then we had ice cream from the little truck (Grace ate a Dora head ice cream - kinda disturbing), and got thoroughly messy. What fun! Time to get in the water, right? We drove up to main street and parked, then wandered down to a new kids play area with a waterfall and fountain that shoots jets up at random patterns. The water was freezing, and the air wasn't hot (78 deg and in the shade), but Grace wanted to play. I decided she should change into her swim suit (yeah, a bikini) to play any more, since we would need warm clothes to change her in to. She flashed everyone before we could react, and then got her changed surfer style, behind a towel. After about 20-30 minutes, she was getting pretty cold, so I was somehow able to talk Mendy into going to the Mellow Mushroom for some grub. Perfect ending to the perfect day.

Okay, so it wasn't the end: we came home and sat out on the back deck enjoying the evening. Grace finally fell asleep around 9:30 and her parents were able to enjoy some nice shiraz. Awesome evening, mostly unplanned, but perfectly according to plan.

Today was back to the pool for some moderate distance and a nice run after work:
Swim: 1500yds in 25:54 @ 1:44/100yds (8:21, 8:51, 8:42 splits)
Run: 4.28 miles in 29:16 @ 6:50/mile

That is all: carry on...

Resume mental state of training

Because sometimes I do think I'm mental. Seriously.
This morning I got up super early for a run: 6:20, and out the door about 7 minutes later. Okay, so maybe that's not too early for the truly insane (Robin, Marcy, Jess, I'm talking to you 4:30 weirdos!), but it's a full 40 minutes before I have to wake up, which is the equivalent of paying money to receive hemorrhoids in my opinion. Regardless, I did it (the wakeup, not the 'roids). I had to make up for yesterday, when I skipped my lunch brick to go eat Thai with Mendy. Good trade, but the crazy hot food stuck around and I just wasn't feeling it after work, so I sat around like a turd. Anyway, you morning runners are officially out of your minds! Running early in the morning is like running at night, except the people are more hungover, less awake, and in a bigger hurry. I would like to say my pace suffered due to watching - and occasionally dodging - homicidal commuters. It probably had more to do with being half asleep, empty stomach, and just a touch of erratic pace. I honestly felt like I was going faster than the numbers, though:

4.28 miles in 29:55 @ 6:59/mile

The cool thing was that all day the run seemed like a dream, as if I hadn't actually done it. Weird, and cool. I again skipped my lunch workout, this time to lunch with my mental training mentor, Chris G-Man Giordanelli. The Greek food was great, but didn't compare to the sharing of training ideas, goals, history, fitness philosophy, upcoming race schedules, and some other chit-chat to fill in between talk of running, swimming, and cycling. We talked a bit about the wreck, and Chris shared how he was pleasantly amazed I had missed flying over the edge to the creek below, and how much the whole scene is still very vivid to him. I'm still/again very thankful that he, Clay, Cynthia, and the others were there to help me. Can't imagine if I was alone.

I left again inspired to push harder, break down barriers, and never quit striving for a new dream. I already had it in my mind to do something after work, probably swimming. After checking on Mendy's plans, I decided to ride to the gym to swim. That morphed into swimming and riding. Hmmm, what's left to do after swimming and riding? Might as well do a mini tri! What is wrong with me? Anyway, the stats:

500yd swim in 18:23 @ 1:41/100yd
13.95 mile ride in 41:06 @ 20.36 mph
2.4 mile run: 17:06 @ 7:08/mile

I'm now officially tired. I'm still planning on doing the group ride tomorrow, but I don't plan on setting any land speed records. Plans, schmans!

In the name of health!

I was contemplating breakfast this morning: Honey Nut Cheerios, with some skim milk, and about 2/3 cup fat free PLAIN yogurt on top. It made me notice (but not quite question) my dedication to eating healthy things on purpose, at the expense of any sort of flavor. Seriously, fat free PLAIN yogurt is something that I would never wish on anyone as a noticeable ingredient. It would be okay as part of a curry dish, or maybe with a lot of additions for taste, but as a prominent flavor...blech. Still, I eat this stuff, and often.

Now, I'm no monk when it comes to food. I will occasionally be seen eating pancakes, or even scrambled eggs with cheese and ham (gasp!). I enjoy some barley sodas in the evening, or a nice wine. I do eat fairly tasty food for dinner often. Truth be told, I LOVE food. As much as or more than any person I know, and I relish rich and (pleasantly) flavorful foods. I guess I just have a weird suffer gene when it come to choosing meals that really don't matter for flavor, but matter a ton for correct carbs, light texture and food weight, low fat content, and overall health. Does that make me weird? Perhaps just dedicated? I do enjoy great food intensely when I get that kind of treat, perhaps more so due to the "suffering". I don't mind so much.

Anyway, yesterday I did take Robin's advice and layed off the calves after work, having only done a swim at lunch. I did hit the roller a little, and just relaxed. Anyway, stats are:

1500yds in 26:34 @ 1:46/100yds

Not bad, but not what it was. And my endurance was off, as my pace suffered in each successive 500yd split. And it was difficult. I felt beat afterwards.

Today was a new day, and I decided on a brick at lunch. The wind was about 14-16 mph, but I decided to do it anyway. Do race directors stop the wind? Uh, no. So, here was the result:

Bike: 14.23 miles in 40:30 @ 21.08mph avg
Trans: leisurely 1:36
Run: 2.4 miles in 16:56 @ 7:04/mile

My pace was off, probably due to the wind, which likely affected my run also. It was weird, though, since I felt like I was hammering on the bike and hitting higher speeds at the key points on the route that I normally monitor. Hmmm. Oh well, I guess it makes me stronger for next time. I can look forward (with tongue firmly in cheek) to swim drills tomorrow. *sigh*

You call that recovery?

So, at some point in the run on Saturday my calves decided to seize up, probably at different times. Today my left calf (the one I didn't notice) has been aching, and I've been trying to rub it. I attempted to roll it, but OUCH!!!! At lunch the plan was to swim. *harumph*

Run: 4.28 miles in 29:35 @ 6:55/mile

Yeah, uh, I forgot my swim stuff. Didn't realize it until I had parked at the gym, either. So, I went home (not enough time to go back to work and get swim bag, and return to gym) so I could get a run in. Remember, I already knew my calf hurt. But the run wasn't so bad, and my time improved about :35 over the last time I ran this. I felt better, and the breathing is way improved! I'll cover the Cordyceps thing when I have a bit more data to display.

Anyway, I go back to work and the calf tightens up a bit. I rub it, stretch it, and try to move around a bit. The end of the day rolls around, and I go get Grace, then shoot home. I ask Mendy if she wants to go for a family walk, and she just isn't up to it. (Doc diagnosed ear and sinus infections...ouch!) So, what better to do for recovery and with a tight/sore calf? Yep, go for a bike ride.

20.83 miles in 1:03:10 @ 19.70mph avg

I honestly was restraining myself. More than I wanted to. But that drive inside me kept sneaking up and grabbing my legs, pumping them harder. At the turn around, somewhere around 31:20, I decided I was going to shoot for a negative split on the return. I didn't quite make it, but had fun trying. And again, I was trying not to go too close to lactate threshold. Additionally, my rear cassette (newly switched out) was coming loose, and rattling. Not sure if that affected me to any credible degree, but it was annoying.

My friggen calf is tight now! I'll definitely swim tomorrow at lunch. After work? Well, that's any one's guess!! *Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha* I may do either a short run, or a longer (than recent: 6-7 mile) run. Until then, it's...

It was a typical Florida early morning...

...when I set out to do my pre-race brick yesterday afternoon here in South Carolina. (What is David talking about today? He must be back on the pain pills!) Let me explain: the temps were in the mid to upper 70's, but the humidity was in the upper 80%'s. The air was thick and sticky, but fortunately it was overcast. Seemed a lot like the weather Jess describes for her early morning runs. So I jumped on my bike to perform my first brick in over a month. I wasn't expecting a lot, and was a bit concerned about the afternoon rush hour traffic, but had to get it in for a Friday rest prior to Saturday race. I was pleasantly surprised!

Bike: 14.21 miles in 39:34 @ 21.55 mph average

Run: 2.4 miles in 16:41 @ 6:57/mile average

That's only 7 seconds off my PR for the bike course, which was done not as a brick workout, but rather a simple Time Trial back on July 4th. And the run felt much easier than it had, even though there was a bit of wooden leg in the beginning. This gives me some hope for Saturday's race, indeed!

In other news, I just noticed yesterday that I'm now linked off of Carolina Triathlon's website as a local athlete, so I guess I need to clean up my act for all the passers-by. :-) It really surprised me, and I'm honored to be included in fine company. I do wave the CT flag to anyone locally that's looking to get into either cycling or multisport anyway, so hopefully I can add some real content to this blog to validate the listing.

I hope everyone racing this weekend has an excellent time and finishes strong. Wes, rock that 5K brother! Catch you later with a race report, folks!

I godda boe my node

As is happens all too often, our little germ incubator brought a nice little end-of-summer head cold that Mendy and I are now enjoying. I slept like crap last night, and felt like dookie all day, so I skipped today's workout. Oh well, rest is important too. It does make me feel bad, though, that Grace may have been suffering a sore throat and the throbbing head we are, but couldn't articulate it and simply soldiered on, or worse got in trouble for being cranky. I'm glad she's getting to the point where she can begin letting us know what's going on, but all this talk of school starting is troubling. Maybe not quite so bad, since Grace does go to daycare all day, which we call school. But something about that threshold of *real* school.

So, I'll keep it brief on the exercise, as not to bore you fine folks. Nothing too exciting anyway. Last Thursday I did my normal 4.28 mile loop in 31:46 for a 7:25/mile pace. A couple of bike rides between, and Monday I repeated the run, this time in 31:05 for a 7:16/mile pace. Yesterday I again did the loop after a Tuesday ride. This run felt difficult and labored, with shortness of breath, an awkward gait, and a general sense of slowness. My time was 30:30 for a 7:08/mile pace. Wow! Clearly I need to work the kinks out of my style/stride, but the pace is really improving rapidly. I do need a couple of long bike rides before I start doing hill repeats and intervals to get back on form there. Maybe this weekend.

To the shortness of breath issue: prior to the wreck I had been taking Cordyceps, a supplement derived from Himalayan mushroom, and one of the primary ingredients of a supplement product called Optygen. There was a perceived benefit from this supplement, such that I felt like shallower breaths were all that was necessary, and deeper breaths were very deep. I felt an increased efficiency in my oxygen handling. Since the wreck, I have taken none, and I feel like I have elastic bands around my chest when I'm running or riding hard. Coincidence? I don't know, but I stopped by the Vitamin Shoppe tonight and picked up three bottles (along with some vitamin E for my scars) to get back on track. Anyone else ever try either Optygen or simply Cordyceps? I will surely report back as I load back up on them and keep training. I'm hopeful it will help a lot, and a lot of elite athletes swear by it.

Anyway, sorry for my very poor blogging habits lately. I'm still frustrated, and have pretty much given up on completing the Half Ironman this year, in 3 weeks. That leaves me a race I could do this weekend (not likely), a sprint in a couple of weeks, and a race on the 14th. I can do both the second and third, but the timing of all this is rough since normal uninjured people have been ramping up for the HIM, while I tested and proved the laws of physics with my face and body.

Oh, on a wound note: All bandages are off!!! The cut on my lip is healing well, with only minor internal swelling. I tried to get rid of what appeared to be a pimple on it yesterday, but it turns out to have been a 1/8 inch wooden splinter. It popped right out without incident or pain. Yay! And as I mentioned, I am putting vitamin E oil on the affected areas which I hope will help them heal completely.

To those racing, have a good weekend! From Marcy's blog, I recognized Michelle and Paul. Go get 'em, folks!! And good training (and living) to the rest of us. :-)

Sweet, sweet redemption!

I'd like to thank you all for suffering through my "boo hoo" yesterday. The encouragement and reminders of the reality of recovery help me. I'm happy about a lot of things, but just so discouraged about my cycling performance. I felt like I had erased 9 months of training in a couple of weeks. But something Wes said stuck with me over the last 24 hours:
"we expect you to recover with the same drive, grit, and determination it took you to get there"

I realized that I hadn't got to this point by being mamby pamby, taking the easy road, and short cutting myself. I had gritted my teeth through the tough training, wallowed in the successes, and pushed myself hard...harder than I ever had in my life. Added to that, I feel bad about whining when others are having much more real and significant problems and obstacles in their life (Lori and recently Robin, for example), overcoming them with grace and dignity. I felt pretty stupid and selfish, to be honest.

So, today I decided to run at lunch to see how I'm doing. Nothing spectacular; just my 2.4 mile loop I use for time trial, brick runs, and taper week burner (short super high intensity) runs. My PR for this is 15:00 @ 6:16/mile (July 2nd) and the last time I ran it was July 31st in 15:44 @ 6:34/mile.

Today: 2.4 miles in 15:55 @ 6:38/mile

No wait, 2.4 miles in 15:55 @ 6:38/mile!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy cow, I'm freakin happy! I started thinking about my focus, intensity, and the drive that burned inside me up to August 7th. I found it, and I plan on holding on to it and riding it for all it's worth.

And to me, it's worth a lot! I guess I define myself by my physical capabilities and accomplishments, especially through adversity. I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, and I have the artistic capacity of a lawn jockey. What I enjoy is being outside and pushing myself to the limit. I wish I could accurately express how much it drives me, but I guess you can pick up on it by my reactions and moods recently. So this success has made my day. I'm not back to where I was before, but I will be soon. The cautious and smart approach may say to take it easy, but easy isn't in my blood.

How ya like me now, dawgs? ;-)

Vanity

So, Mendy and I are in the grocery store last night, and I see Powerade on sale. I grabbed a couple of bottles, but later found another display with more variety, and excitedly changed the bottles I had grabbed for all blue ones. I don't even know what flavor it is, or if I particularly like them. Why did I get these, you ask? Because they will match my tri bike when filling the water bottle on my frame. Yeah, Mendy had the same reaction: "Oh my goodness, that's a little much." My frame is matte black, but the tires, bottle holders, and other items have blue accents. In 5 years nobody will remember how fast I was, but I will look good in pictures. :-)

I made an important scientific discovery yesterday that I need to share: Running in 91-93 deg temps with 43-45% humidity and the sun blazing down without any appreciable breeze is pretty stupid, and freakin hot. Much respect for the Arizona wackos running in that blast furnace. I will admit that my legs were still a bit in recovery mode from the weekend, but I was only able to crank out 3.1 miles, in which I lost 3 lbs of body fluids out my skin pores. Probably should have run a bit slower, though. 3.11 in 20:17 @ 6:31/mile

I had planned to swim after work, but just felt drained. So we went and had some Mexican food, and then came home to hit some golf balls. Mendy just bought some girly girl clubs and wanted to get some practice in. Grace was all about the swing and the slide, so we had to take turns crushing the wiffle balls...all 25 feet they would go no matter how hard you hit them. LOL! We didn't last long, though, with temps still around 90 deg and rising humidity at 8:30 PM.

This morning the radio news dudes said, "Today, the high is going to be at least 100..." Uh, thanks? A bit more specific, please? At 10 AM it's already 90 deg and 48% humidity. Hooray.