Epic weekend!

What a really fantastic weekend! And not so much for the training, but just the fun and good times. If every weekend was like this, I wouldn't have any excuse to complain.

First off, the promised office-isms: The cafetorium let me "enjoy" three songs on Friday morning. I caught the end of that crappy Goo Goo Dolls song from the Meg Ryan dies/Nicholas Cage lives movie, then a jump into the way-back machine for "If this is it" by Huey Lewis & the News, followed by half of "Total eclipse of the heart". Yeah, chase that junk out of your head! The cafetorium also offers some interesting people watching opportunities. There is a lady that seems to consistently make the same order from the grill: 3 egg whites (very specific), scrambled with American cheese, and 2 links of breakfast sausage on the side. Does anyone else see this as totally freakin hilarious? Why bother with the egg whites at all? Whatever the chicken put in the yolks HAS to be better than whatever Jimmy Dean puts inside those sausage casings. And processed cheese is about as nutritious as deep-fried margarine. Whateva...

One of the stalls in the men's powder room is wheelchair accessible, but we have nobody on our floor using a wheelchair, so it's always up for grabs. And it's so luxurious and spacious! It reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer adopts 2 miles of 4-lane highway, then paints every other line black, making it into 2 wide lanes. It's a good thing there's not a TV and mini-fridge in there, or it would need a "Now Serving" number thingy.

After work we got Grace and met up with our good friends from Church for pizza at Brixx. We always love the food there, and it's served so fast. This time, fortunately, we arrived early so we seated in a reasonable amount of time. This is very important for Friday nights in Greenville: the lines grow very quickly, and 45 minute waits are pretty standard after about 6:30 PM. After dinner we went over to B&N for the kids to play, me to get a new triathlon magazine, and for everyone to get some Charbucks. (yes, Lisa, but any port in a storm will do) We ran into my teammate Chris and his lovely wife Janis, so naturally Chris and I talked about sport...again. We had just met at for lunch at the Thai place, and talked about nothing but training and racing. But, neither of us seem to ever tire of discussing it, so that's a good thing. All good things must end, and we made it home. Surprisingly, we all got into bed at a reasonable (for me) hour, and got a full night's sleep.

Saturday morning I slowly and begrudgingly got up and got ready for the CT group ride. It was very foggy, and parts of me were hoping it would be canceled. I got to the turn that leads to the shop, and the group was already taking off. I asked which group it was (A, B, or C) and the response was that everyone was together. Cool, so at least it wouldn't be a hammerfest. I joined in and enjoyed a nice ~25 mile ride at a reasonable pace, but with a few chances to sprint and climb with some of the fast dudes there. Teammate Pete Risell was also there, and we got a chance to chat a few times.

Afterwards it was the much anticipated pancake outing, though Grace didn't eat as much as we hoped. She fueled sufficiently for some house "shopping" and driving around, though. We ran some errands and measured the land we've been contemplating, then went downtown to Wild Wing for some tasty treats. Home at a decent time, we again were in bed at a reasonable hour.

Sunday was a great day at Church, followed by lunch at Panera (geez, do we eat out enough on the weekends?) and a trip to Target. Then, since Grace was not likely to take a nap, we all changed and headed for a fun family time in the pool at the Y. Grace had a BLAST, and didn't want to get out. Thankfully the pool was closing in a bit, so we used that. We wound up running into Pete again, who was there with his family having a swim day. We joked about the "training" we were getting in, and both half-heartedly committed to separately doing some sort of fitness activity later that day. It was great to meet them all, and we hope to see them again soon.

We stopped by the grocery store, then dinner was at Red Robin (no, I had salad) and Grace was starting to wear down. She ate like some kind of crazy eating machine, and we hoped for a food coma. Back at home I jumped on the trainer for an intense 30 minute ride. I should have waited for my food to settle more, but at least I got something in. After a while in front of the tube, Mendy and Grace headed up, but I followed about 30 minutes later. Grace finally went to sleep, and we again had a good night's sleep. Wow, 3 nights in a row! It doesn't make the mornings much more pleasant, though. Waking up sucks worse that going to sleep early.

So, in all, a fantastic weekend, lots of activity, and lots of eating out. Our neighbor saw us coming and going about 5 times over the weekend, and I'm sure he wonders what is wrong with us. It's pretty hard to actually catch us at home unless the timing is just right.

Hope you all had a great weekend, and sorry for the extremely long read on a Monday.

Folding mirrors

I'm glad newer cars are equipped with these. I'm also glad newer cars are smaller than the 70's battle tanks, which were piloted by the extremely elderly until about the mid-90's.

Today the weather has been up to 77 deg here, which I couldn't let get away. I took a half day (still lots of floating vacation days to take this year, and they don't carry over) to go for a ride. The wind was kickin' like karate, so it wasn't going to be a long ride. Just about 1.5 hours or so, which wound up being a hair under 30 miles. Lots of big hills on this route, as well as stop-and-go traffic. Funny, I hadn't experienced any training-induced drama in quite a while...

So on the way back, I'm riding up a feeder road that will cross over a main road, then up through a neighborhood. All of a sudden some old lady clipped me with her car mirror, and kept on going! Fortunately, I was in an aggressive stance and it didn't affect me really. But boy did I let her have it at the next light! I told her she was a not nice person, and lacked in abilities. Roughly...

It was a nice ride, though. Nice to get back on the bike after a couple of weeks off. On the up side, I was rarely winded, which made me feel good about the aerobic base I've built with the running. Now it's time to think about the transition into preseason. Hmmmm. Maybe after the 5K this weekend.

What a great way to spend a Monday, though. And tonight we are going in search of Stella, thanks to a post by Jess that got Mendy thinking. Maybe even sit outside, if it's still nice enough. Hope you all are doing as well as me, but probably not.

:-p

Just saw this, and think it's freakin hilarious. Pretty much my approach to training myself. Maybe I should go work at Dick's Sporting Goods.

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.

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...

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. :-)

School days, school days

Kids-will-drive-like-fools days. So, school is back in session. It's no more apparent than when I'm leaving our development in the morning for work. We live right next to a high school, and this one is notorious for spoiled kids with nice cars and crap attitudes. They never disappoint during the first few weeks of school. It makes it even tougher that I have to basically do a U-turn out of our development into the daycare on the other side, forcing me to cross the evil traffic twice. It gets worse: two lanes merge to one right at the entrance/exit to our development. Today, as some nice person was letting me through, some little punk in a BMW (older 3 series) was trying to get a high speed award from the local constabulary in attempts to cut off the normal traffic waiting their turn, so I slowly turned in front of him forcing him to stop. He gave me a dirty look! It goes along with what my buddy Eric wrote about today, regarding parental involvement in child development. Too many times they aren't there for the early years, so it's hard to expect they will pick up the ball when it's time to teach kids how to be functional members of society. But I do try to be the adult that was around when I was a kid: involved in the development all kids around me. I believe that it does take a village to raise a child, but without the parents there it's so much more difficult...and futile.

In other news, I rode my bike at lunch today. I decided to follow my normal lunch brick/TT route of about 14.2 miles, roughly. I expected it would take me about 45 minutes or so. I finished...

HAPPILY! 14.15 miles in 42:20 @ 20.06 mph avg

This is about 1 mph avg off my normal - and under 2 mph off my best - average speed for this route. Not too shabby, and today I was on my road bike so I had much less aero advantage! Hooray for recovery, and the remainder of the tri season is looking promising to me. All I have to do is get in the pool and survive now.

Mendy, I can't wait for you to come home! :-) Grace is sooooo sweet. All the time. Until late at night. And very loud. Yep, extreme intensity sweetness. Hurry!

How far I've fallen

After my difficult trainer ride on Wednesday, I decided to take Friday off for some mental rest and a bike ride. I made the decision Thursday to end the pain killers, just sick of being high all the time and having to plan my travel schedule around freakin pills. So, I slowly awoke Friday morning, got Grace ready for "school" (what we call daycare, to prepare her for actual school), and then got some calories and water in me for a ride. I realized I wasn't 100% prepared, as I would have been for a big ride or a race, but I wasn't planning on setting any world speed records either.

I set off on the bike, and immediately noticed the difficulty level in getting up to speed and maintaining it. It had been 2.5 weeks since I had been on the road, after all. What was I expecting? Surely it would take a couple of miles for my legs to open up and start turning the gears with some sense of purpose. It took some time, but eventually I was able to push up into the low 20's for an average speed. I decided to ride through the corner that very well could have been the end of life as I had known it before August 7th. I wanted to go relatively quickly through it, but some firefighters (from the engine company that responded to my call, coincidentally) were testing out a fire hydrant, spraying water across the corner. I slowed to go through, not recognizing either of the heroes, and continued on up the long grade from that corner.

It was at this point that I really noticed my fatigue. Not being able to carry speed through the s-turn, I had to rebuild on the climb. But my legs were flat and my breathing labored. I just couldn't turn the pedals over. My average speed quickly dropped, and my plans to stop briefly at the bike shop and ride an additional 15-20 miles completely dissolved. All I wanted to do was end this ride. I was so disappointed. At CarolinaTriathlon, Jamie and Sideshow were happily surprised to see me out on the bike again, and we talked about various cycling and triathlon stuff. Jamie was trying to talk himself into racing the next morning at a local tri (which he wound up winning outright, I hear), and I was wishing I could even race. I went straight home after that, happy to have been able to ride, thankful that I was alive and had full body function, relieved at how rapidly I was healing, but completely dejected at how much fitness I had lost.

23.51 miles in 1:17:01 @ 18.32 mph avg

The rest of the day went well; Grace and I had some fun and played. Grandma called and offered to watch Grace over night on Saturday, which was a very pleasant surprise. I probably didn't make the most of it, but it was nice to relax and not watch any Dora or Little Einsteins. Sunday at church was great, and lots of people wanted to hear what happened while commending me on healing so rapidly. I felt good about life and really wanted to get back out on the bike and try to redeem myself for the weeks off. My legs did feel a bit sore, though.

The bike shorts slid on a bit reluctantly, with the sinking feeling that I may again be disappointed in my ride. Still, I was determined to do it. I took off and immediately struggled to maintain speed. I noted at key points that I was 2-3mph slower than I had been before. At about 7 miles into the ride I just wanted to quit. I could imagine pulling off the road, throwing my bike into the field, and having a big old tear-filled pity party. I contemplated officially ending my race season. Then I got a flat. What? Oh come on!!! Talk about kicking a guy when he's down! I changed it, at no blistering pace, while reflecting on how I felt. A nice older gent stopped to see if I needed a hand, but I was all set. Man, I felt low. Lower than when I was sitting on the sofa, drifting in and out of sleep, unsure of the extent of my injuries and their long term effects. Lower than when I saw the results of the Greenville Tri, and realized I probably would have placed 4th in my age group. Just emotionally wiped out.

I got the new tube in, flipped the bike back over (it's easier for me to change a flat with the bike upside-down), and decided I would turn around a couple of miles up the road and head home. I pulled a U-turn in a golf course parking lot, and headed back. Huge, ominous storm clouds were closing in, so I actually couldn't dilly-dally. I pushed hard on the way back, but just couldn't seem to get things going. My rear derailleur was out of adjustment and frustrating me, so I stopped a couple of times to adjust it. I made it home with only a few drops of rain on me, but completely dripping of sweat. And it wasn't that hot out: just the effort level to maintain such a dismal performance:

18.33 miles in 1:00:25 @ 18.20 mph avg

Yep, shorter than the previous ride, and slower. I gotta say, my happy tanks are pretty low when it comes to my current fitness. It feels like everything I've busted my butt for over the last grueling year of training is gone, and I'm almost starting over. I can't even imagine how difficult a run will be at this point. I'm kinda down about all of this. Freakin sucks! I was thinking of running at lunch, but perhaps I'll just get on the trainer tonight, or even skip a day to recover. Sorry to take Marcy's place as Debbie Downer on you guys. I'm told I will bounce back fast, given my base fitness level. We'll see, I guess.

It's a brand new me!

I decided (out of brute laziness) to let my facial hair grow over the last week or so. I was starting to look pretty scruffy, so this morning it all came off. Except the moustache (at least initially.) This is something I do occasionally just to freak Mendy out. With or without facial hair I look relatively normal. With just the 'stache, I look like a cop in the worst possible way. Seriously, it's like something you would see on the wall at the post office. Anyway, Mendy was grossed out, I got a laugh, and now I'm all clean shaven for another dreaded Monday morning.

I suppose the dread of Monday is because of awesome weekends like the one that's now in the record books. Friday was a nice swim at lunch to realize my 400m race time, and then after work I did hill repeats on the bike. The next time I tell you guys that I'm looking forward to or feel like doing hill repeats, someone please tell me to go sober up and sleep it off. The brutality on my legs was insane, but somehow I completed 10 repeats and rode home for a 25.61 mile total at 17.59mph avg (9-14mph on the repeats). So Saturday I just did a little core work and then some tasty sips at the wine bar after dropping Grace off with Grandma, and home for a viewing of "Factory Girl" and an early night. Weird but entertaining movie, just don't let the kids watch.

Okay, I just don't get what you guys like about the early mornings. I've heard, "Oh, you can get so much more done...blah, blah, blah..." I'm not buying it; if you start later you can get the same amount done by finishing later. Anyway, Sunday morning we were "awake" at 5:50 to go on the stupid group ride to check out the bike course of the race in a couple of weeks. I was asked to lead the fast group, so I felt an obligation to go. In the end, it wound up being a good ride and a fun morning. Anyway, the course is really nice, and I can feel the hill work paying off for me. I was cruising at over 30mph during one straight flat section near the end, and think I may seriously rock this race big time! Gonna have to run this week, though.

Afterwards we indulged in a huge breakfast at an old fashioned diner, showered up, and caught the matinee of "The Bourne Ultimatum." Since when is the matinee price for tickets $6.50? And how can a bucket of popcorn and two tubs of soda possibly cost $16? Great movie, though. My only complaint was the intentionally shaky camera work. Mendy had decided to quit training for Chicago, and the mood was very light and happy. It was such a nice day, with nice food and fun activities, that I hated to see it end. I grilled up some nice rib eyes last night and cracked a bottle of very tasty Cab Sauv, and slowly we surrendered to the end of the weekend. *sigh*

Today I need to get back in the game, though. It's going to be a scorcher today, so I may not be able to run at lunch...or possibly not at all until about 10PM. We'll see, and hopefully I won't push too hard in the heat. It would be nice if I took my own advice, wouldn't it? :-)

Want vs. Need

These days it's pretty tough for me to keep a well-rounded training plan together. What I feel like doing is 2 long rides, 1 intense/group ride, 2 hill repeat rides, and maybe 1 brick per week. That leaves me little time and even less energy to do a long run, tempo run, track work, long swim, and interval swim, as well as the additional bike rides I would like to do. I'm REALLY enjoying riding these days, if you can't tell. Fortunately, Mendy and I are good at accommodating each other. Unfortunately, our schedules are starting to clash a little bit; she pretty much has to do her long runs on Saturday morning for time and temperature considerations, and that's when one of the group rides is. That also leaves me to do my long run either mid-Saturday or -Sunday, or after work during the week. Since my "long" runs are shorter than hers (I'm only training for a HM...at the end of a Half Ironman :-) ) I don't mind so much doing them in the hotter hours. I'm also going to have to prepare for that, with the last part of the SC HIM occurring when the sun will be high above, smiling (sneering?) down at me.

So, with some juggling, I think I may be able to figure this thing out and get trained up. I've felt so much benefit from the recent focus on the bicycle: last night I rode to the tri clinic and was blasting up hills. In flats or false-flats I was holding 25-28mph, and I felt so strong. I want that for my run, also. Can't see it happening with the swim, at least for a while, though! LOL I'll just have to be satisfied with being "completitive" at the swim, vice "competitive", and just try not to lose TOO much time. :-)

One thing that I try to remember is a recent article by Chris Carmichael, where he details that if you don't have the time for a long ride or other training session, try turning up the intensity and frequency. While this is good to a point, it certainly won't turn 7 three mile runs in 4 days into a 21 mile run. But, it is helpful to get the muscles moving and stressed to a point that approaches simulation of extended efforts. Finding the balance between length and intensity is important, too. I could do a ton of 1 mile sprints on the bike, but I'd be better off doing a handful of 15 mile 90% effort rides, if what I would like to simulate is a 45-60 mile ride. With running, I can do a few of 4-6 mile runs that will be more beneficial than a bunch of 1-2 mile runs.

In other news, it's FRIDAY!!! Woo hoo, y'all! Hope everyone has a great weekend. Get out there and do something special with family and/or friends. And for goodness sake, be careful.

Today's word: hyperhydration

a.k.a.: water intoxication or water poisoning

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

Marcy had asked a while back if I weigh myself before and after every run or ride. The truth is that I do try to, mostly because I have become concerned with my fluid weight loss and staying hydrated. And with that, hydrated properly without the risk of killing myself. Seriously! It's common for me to experience a net loss of about 5-6 lbs of fluid (considering approx 3 lbs of fluids consumed during ride) or 3-5 lbs during a 4-6 mile run in the heat (with no intake), or more with a longer run of 10-13 miles. So the immediate reaction is to just blast down a bunch of water, right? Well, we have to ensure the electrolytes are being replenished; they help balance fluid retention, cooling abilities of the body, and maintain proper muscle function. There is a very real and serious danger by either not replenishing them, or drinking so much water that you are essentially displacing the vital electrolytes in your system. As you all know, your heart is a muscle. The fibers are much more refined than skeletal muscles, however: they are smooth muscles that have an incredible amount of endurance for their density and weight. But if you rob them of what it takes to balance function, problems can arise. Please educate yourselves on this nutrition phenomenon, and hydrate appropriately. Steady water intake over long periods (vice blasting down a couple of gallons within a few hours of exercise) along with periodic moderate dose electrolyte replenishment (more so after long and/or particularly sweaty exercise) is what I would recommend to everyone as a base plan. Know your body, know the signs, and know when to stop.

So, other than that, I've been going at a pretty decent pace with the training. Last Thursday I essentially had 4 separate rides: a brick at lunch of 14.25 miles followed by a 2.4 mile run, a ride to the tri clinic of about 9 miles, 11 miles of sprint and coast with the tri clinic "students" trying to assist as many riders as possible and guide traffic, and then about 9 miles home. I was beat! Next day was a difficult 1500yd swim. By the time Saturday came around, I was happy that the group ride fizzled out due to rain: only about 5.25 miles and a lazy day.

Feeling lazy and inspired by the multitudes of people out riding and running (including Mendy's brother and his friend), I decided Sunday was a great day for hill repeats on the bike. I doubt I could have picked a more muggy day, however, especially as the sun came out and liberated all the recent rain from the grass and roads. I did okay, and knocked out 5 sprint repeats up a really steep and hateful climb, and then 2 more up a longer, more steady climb. Could/should have done more, but wanted to get back in case Mendy wanted to do something.

Yesterday was a "rest" day, mainly because Grace was out sick (congestion and boogers), so I couldn't really do anything during the day. After Mendy got home a nice thunderstorm decided to come out and play. Oh well, I guess there's nothing to do but go to Moretti's and get an Italian Flag pizza. Delicious! The guilt from that meal inspired me to do a quick 2.4 mile run at lunch (way off PR, BTW) and the Tuesday night group ride with the local tri/bike shop. We hammered pretty good for most of it, but also had to stop or ride slow many times for people to catch up. Still, a solid 31.5 miles with a lot of sprints, hills, and high speed pace.

I have been needing some bike work of late, so I'm glad to have ramped that up. I am feeling the need for running speedwork and long runs, however. I think about the G-man's pace for long runs and I wonder how it's humanly possible. He has reported holding a ~6:30/mile pace for 13 miles. One day, maybe, I'll be there too. At least I'm not too far off his swim times! :-) By the way, Chris, thanks for the props on your site!

Well folks, that's the high-level view of the last week. I honestly hope that, if you read anything, read and research the hyponatremia information. Especially you freaks living really close to the sun out in Arizona.

Saturdays rock!

I think Saturday has become the focal point of my week. On some levels I suppose that's sad, but I would counter that I don't neglect opportunities in other days; I simply celebrate Saturday for the glory that it is. Now, before I jump off into a Cure-esqe breakdown of the days of the week (yeah Marcy, you know that song I'm sure), each day has their own special purpose and I have tried to build some periodic joy into the weekdays also. It's just that Saturday is like the 80's WWF cage match of the days o' the week: No rules, lots of spandex, some chest pounding, and lots of sweat. I wake up when I'm darn well good and ready (read: no later than Grace is ready to get up), and leisurely prepare for my AM blast to torture the asphalt for existing where I decide to ride (or rather: negotiate a long ride to fit into the day's plans of Mendy's schedule and what we need to accomplish). Then the day is mine! (to go shopping, figure out somewhere to eat, possibly shop more, and make a futile attempt to watch a movie in the evening).

Doesn't sound that spectacular, does it? The big advantage Saturday has over M-F: Saturday has lots of flexibility in scheduling, there's time for a long ride/run/swim (or some combination, thereof), Mendy and I get to spend all of the non-exercise moments together, and we get a whole day with Grace. So, Saturday is like a like a little birthday/Christmas/Father's Day, once every week. My lovely wife plays a huge part in the success of my Saturdays, and I'm terribly grateful for her in that. Grace, though challenging at (many) times, is really a sweetheart with lots of love and personality. These ladies are such a blessing to me. Anyway, before I go all soft:

Friday I wasn't feeling it, but I swam after work. It was cut short due to lightning, though. Drat! It was shaping up to be a good swim:

675.00 yards in 11:05 @ 1:38/100yds

I fully intended to join the group ride at 8 AM this morning, but I stayed up watching Hannibal Rising (awesome flick, BTW!) and really enjoyed sleeping in with Grace this morning. So, I got up at 9 and got my stuff together to go for a ride (and possibly brick run). Lots of drama on the road with inconsiderate drivers and such, but it was a decent ride overall. Seems I had some brake rub, but at least my seatpost didn't shrink into the frame like last week. I barely made it back in time for Mendy to go meet a friend for a swim/bike workout, however. I expected a faster pace, given the race wheelset choice and aero helmet. I even got a 46mph top speed at one point. I must have just gotten lazy a few too many times and let my pace drop:

44.17 miles in 2:07:45 @ 20.75 mph average

So now I'm watching Coming to America after SNL has ended. I guess I'll get up to bed soon to get a start on Sunday. I am looking forward to church, and some family fun afterwards. I hope to get a long run in tomorrow, but we'll see. But, bottom line, I would like to thank Mendy for being such a trooper, so supportive, and such an ideal companion in the journey through life. She's pretty cool, understands what drives me, and puts up with an awful lot of car karaoke, but above all she shows that she loves me and would never take advantage of me. I hope you all have the same experience and joy. Thanks, Mendy!

Gotta love mini-Friday!

Even though I was super busy today, I was so happy it was a mini-Friday, or day before a mini-weekend. I still don't have complete plans for what we could do tomorrow, but it should be a fun day at any rate. I just hope Grace doesn't get too scared by the fireworks.

I was fortunate to have several snippets from the Monster Ballads commercial stuck in my head all day, but the recurring offender was Warrant's "Heaven". And the complete joy of this affliction is that the songs only play in 5 second increments, just like the commercial. I shake my fist angrily at that gosh darn commercial!

I apologize for that ugly outburst.

:-)

In other news, it's been a great few days for my personal performance, on the path to being the greatest athlete the world has ever known. If I can live to be 130 years old, and not age for the next 40 years, I'll nail that for sure! Bored yet? Probably. Anyway, Saturday I did another long brick. I planned for a longer ride, and absolutely a longer run, but at about 20 miles into my ride I noticed my seat post was sinking into the frame. I hadn't tightened the bolt enough after a last minute adjustment, and now my efficiency was going way down with my speed, and my knees were aching. I turned around and found a tractor repair place where I could move the post back up. That held up for a while, but the bolt holding the post was stripped out a bit, so I couldn't tighten it completely. To make a long story longer, I was beat by the time I got home, and my knees were killing me (proper bike fit is VERY important!) I was pushing so hard to get the run done, I started overheating badly. A tough workout, for sure. Here's the results:

Bike - 40.54 miles in 1:56:51 @ 20.82mph average
Run - 4.01 miles in 32:18 @ 8:03/mile

Sunday was lazy day, and Monday was a swim day. At lunch Mendy and I were able to get some good laps in, and I was again trying to focus on refining my stroke. I think this is starting to pay off, and the times are slowly improving:

1500yds in 26:00 @ 1:44/100yds
1st 500yd: 8:32 @ 1:43/100yd
2nd 500yd: 8:49 @ 1:46/100yd
3rd 500yd: 8:38 @ 1:44/100yd

Then I decided to do a baseline time trial run of my normal 2.4 mile brick run route right after work. I probably could have warmed up more, but I'm fairly happy with the results:

2.4 miles in 15:00 minutes @ 6:15/mile (128 feet of climbing)

Today was a brick, and what a brick it was. Man, I felt ON today. The bike started off kinda slow, but I kept pushing harder and harder. For some reason, I felt I had been foolin' myself about my previous attempts. Ah, f-f-f-foolin'! Yep, Def Leppard in the brain today. Oh well, the bike rocked, but the run REALLY rocked! It also started a bit difficult, but got stronger and stronger:

Bike - 14.19 miles in 39:49 @ 21.38mph average
Run - 2.4miles in 16:00 @ 6:40/mile

Thats a PR for the brick workout, and the transition was only :45 today. Nailed it all around. My neighbors think I'm nutz, though. I came around the corner with my bike as they were outside smoking on the back deck. I said hello, as did they, and ducked under my deck. Less than a minute later I'm running back out without a bike, but with running shoes on, and say hello again. Oh well, maybe I'll inspire them to quit smoking and/or get more active (hopefully "and").

I hope you all have an awesome 4th of July. Happy Birthday, America! And many moooooooore...

Stay safe, don't drink and drive, and run/bike/swim like it's your last time ever!

Jukebox hero

I'm not sure if it's come across yet, but I'm seriously guided by a strong internal jukebox. Most times it seems to be stuck on the 80's or early 90's, but sometimes tosses in some 70's. I actually play a game with Mendy (this is the clean one, actually) wherein I ask her what band it is every time a Led Zeppelin song comes on. She's caught on and knows what to say now (since I only do it for Zep songs), but she's often amazed by the variety of their music.

Anyway, when I'm out doing the do, exercising and pushing myself, I have a lot of grunting and groaning, a lot of sweat, and a lot of self-talk. I say stupid little things to encourage myself or validate my efforts. Many times, surprisingly, this puts some song in my head that would otherwise make me want to climb a water tower with a high powered rifle.

Yesterday I did a lunchtime brick, and as is customary during the recent ones, I'm pushing hard in the heat. Motoring. Just like Sister Christian. Yep, that gets locked in my nugget as soon as I tell myself, "Yeah, really motoring on now! Motoring, David!" Stick a fork in, I'm done. Anyway, it wound up being a decent brick:

Bike - 14.21 miles in 40m 07s @ 21.25 miles/hr
:54 transition
Run - 2.40 miles in 16m 45s @ 6m 59s /mile
Clear, sunny, wind 7mph, 48% humidity

Today I went to the pool (finally!) and got some laps in. I'm still trying to get comfy with my new swim style, and embed it into muscle memory. It felt okay, I suppose, and the last 500yds I progressively increased my effort. The last lap was full on sprint, and I was loving the feeling. Anyway:

50yd warm up
1st 500yd: 8:27 @ 1:41/100yd
2nd 500yd: 9:02 @ 1:49/100yd
3rd 500yd: 9:11 @ 1:50/100yd
4th 500yd: 8:35 @ 1:43/100yd
50yd warm down
2000.00 yards in 35m 18s @ 1m 46s /100 yards - avg 8:49/500yd

I wanted to run this evening, but I got tied up at the car dealership after lunch and didn't get to leave early. The plan is to do another long brick tomorrow, so hopefully that will work out with Mendy and I's collective plans.

In other news, I'm quite happy to now have a copy of a pic saved to my computer with Marcy jamming one of her digits somewhere into her sinuses. I wasn't in need of much uplifting before, but now I'm giddy! I hope she doesn't get the song Sister Christian stuck in her head now, as she motoring around in her runs and on the rower. :-)

It's not the age, it's the mileage

That's what turns a once sexual powerhouse band like Loverboy (below) to the middle-aged Porsche pilots you see here. That's the bad mileage, though, and the polar opposite of what is driving me these days. I gotta admit, though: they do still look goooooood! LOL

Oh, and I feel just awful that Marcy still has the song stuck in her head. Just AWFUL! ;-)

I did feel guilty about the 5K. Not at the time, but the next day; I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with friends and consuming tasty adult beverages. So, I ran the same area as the 5K was held on...eventually. That was the middle part of my long run, and the hills that adjoin the race course are pretty brutal 6 miles into a run. Still, I had a decent run for the heat and lack of proper hydration, though off my previous pace on the same basic route:

12.73 miles in 1:46:46 @ 8:23/mile
87-90 deg, 1911 calories, 9 lbs gross fluid loss

Friday was a swim almost identical to Thursday, except about 1 second faster...after 1750yds. BIG improvement! *rolls eyes*

Sunday evening we all loaded up and went to Cheeseburger in Paradise, a Jimmy Buffet-themed restaurant with awesome burgers and a nice atmosphere. We both wanted burgers, but didn't want to go too nuts. So, we got the mini burger appetizer which is 4 Krystal/White Castle size burgers, but WAY better! Grace had her own with some fries, and we devoured 1 1/2 each before our delicious food (chicken satays with rice and curry peanut sauce for me). Ah, happy belly...

Today I was still feeling rather dehydrated, so I didn't push too much in the pool. It felt like crap anyway, and I wanted to save something for tonight, for some special plans. (he he he)

1000yds in 16:50 @ 1:41/100yds

Tonight I went over to my friend Jim's house (who is a Pro 1/2 cycle racer and Elite cycling coach) for a full computrainer assessment and fitting. We changed a lot of measurements and settings on the Chariot of Dreams, and I got a great baseline of my performance potential and capability. I was happy with a 244 watt average output during the 10 minute time trial ride (averaging about 22.5 mph), but he said I would likely have seen more power if I kept my cadence about 90 rpms (vs. 105+ rpms), and it is most likely would equate to more efficiency for me. Good to know! I also found out that my right leg is slightly shorter than my left, which explains some things that happen to me when cycling and running, and is probably the only part of this whole paragraph that most of you understand! :-)

Tomorrow is maybe a brick, or maybe track. We'll see. All I really know is that I'm working for the weekend. (you're welcome Marcy)

Hammock or bicycle?

I gots the shakes, I've been a way so long! I guess that means I had a great weekend, right? Even extended it a day, as Mendy noted. Well, for a quick catch up, Saturday morning started later than I had anticipated. It had been many weeks since we had a Saturday morning family sleep-in, and I just didn't want to miss out on it. So, after slowly getting out of bed and a leisurely morning routine, I set out on my ultra brick workout. I planned a great bike route, and wound up doing about 49.5 miles. My plan for afterwards was a long (8-10 mile) run, but some right quad cramping cut it short. I'm just not looking to incapacitate myself with a stupid injury in the middle of the season. Here's Saturday's stats:

Bike: 49.46 miles in 2:22:15 @ 20.86mph avg
Run: 4.0 miles in 31:32 @ 7:53/mile (about 2 min slow transition)
Consumed 6.5 lbs fluid, but lost 12 lbs fluid gross, and est 4,328 calories burned

Bring on the wings!! We went out with Scott and Robin for some delicious treats at Wild Wing. I had no fear of calories for the evening. What a great time, and especially when they came back to our house for some more beers and some pool in the Man Lair. If I had a keg cooler in the room I think Scott would leave Robin for me. :-) Then again, maybe not...

Sunday we played hooky from Church and had a nice family day. Sadly, that usually means shopping until we have visited every single store in town. It was still fun, though: we met the F-I-L and B-I-L at Mellow Mushroom for some eats and bev's, and escaped the heat for a while. It was a really fun time, and a great way to spend Father's Day. I decided to take an unplanned but much enjoyed rest day, and grilled up some chicken, squash, and corn cobs while Mendy was off experimenting with Biofreeze. :-p

Monday morning started late. Mendy woke me at 7:45 asking me if I heard her before when she said to get up. I said, "Huh?" Then she told me that she had previously said to get up and my reply was "What?" I'll let you decide if I actually heard her. Anyway, I suddenly was overcome with rectal glaucoma: my butt just couldn't see getting out of bed. Yay, 3 family mornings in a row! The plan was to get some chores done, but we just screwed around all day and had fun. We finally made it to the Y to swim, but it was packed. Mendy did some laps, but I gave up and ran home. A couple of tough climbs, but it was a decent run in the 87-ish degree temps.

4.38 miles in 30:48 @ 7:02/mile

Today was back to the pool (and work..blah) for some much needed laps. I'm trying to clean up my stroke and overall style, but it's leaving me feeling like I'm working my butt off while not going any faster. I hope this starts to pay off soon.

1500 yds in 25:57 @ 1:44/100 yds

Oh, and for the title, we were trying to decide this weekend if we should get a hammock for mommy, daddy, and Grace to enjoy, or a bicycle for Grace to try and enjoy and daddy to develop hunch back teaching her to ride. Which do you think won?