off242.com

IMTX Race Report

2011-05-28T22:25:00.003-06:00

Ironman Texas was over, as in finished, a week ago. Sadly, it has taken me that whole week to finally sit down and write up a race report. So, here goes.

Nicholle & I took off Thursday morning to head to The Woodlands. Prior to departing, I had wanted to get in one, final Indo Row workout at the Y, so I did, following up with about fifteen minutes of spin class. Nicholle & I would likely have stayed a bit longer in spin, but the usual instructor was out, and the substitute was not in sync with what I had in mind for a proper taper.

Rather than take the Saturn up the road, we loaded up the Insight and set off, periodically stopping to ensure the straps on the aged Saris Bones were tight enough; they were. We hit The Woodlands by noon, right on schedule, and were able to check in our hotel a lot early. From there, it was off to the Athlete's Village for packet pickup. Apart from some longish lines, things went very smoothly, and new acquaintances (race friends) were made. Shortly thereafter, the obligatory pre-race purchases were made from the Ironman store to psychologically prep me for a finish: You can't wear the stuff if you don't cross the line.

Thursday wrapped up with a scheduled massage at Massage Envy and dinner back at the hotel (pizza & ice cream). Friday would be a frantic day, and Saturday would be…well, race day.

Come Friday morning, it was up fairly early to head to Northshore Park for a practice swim. Jason, Rodney, and I rode on over and met up with Bruce, Holly, Leah, and several hundred other athletes.

As for the lake, I typically respond to inquiries about the swimming venues with "I've swum in worse," but, for Lake Woodlands, this was the worst. Shallow, muddy, mucky, and just plain nasty, this lake had one thing going for it: The temperature. Friday morning's temperature was in the upper 70s (77, if memory serves), which I found ideal, considering that I planned to swim in just a tri kit, sans wet suit. After just under 30 minutes, my swim was done, and I felt fairly comfortable for race morning, so it was back to the hotel to see if all parties involved had come together to get the elusive MS Society kit to me. While they did, the kit wound up not working out; sizing made it entirely too tight, which was both uncomfortable and revealing, where certain parts of the anatomy were concerned. Sadly, in spite of the leaps and bounds exhibited by friends and family, and with World MS Day coming up on the 25th, I decided to race in the tried & true Bicycle Heaven kit, largely to Nicholle's insistence. If my wife was behind me for that choice in kits, who was I to refuse?

Early in the afternoon, Nicholle & I made our way to transition to drop off the Slice and the sundry bags needed for race day. Afterwards, Dad & Mom met us back at the hotel to chat and go over race day plans. Everything was coming together very nicely, including the earlier-than-expected arrival of Dan the Running Man Powers from Dallas. Yup, the catalyst for getting me into this whole triathlon & Ironman thing (which, ever-so-nicely, led to the meeting of the woman who would become my wife) was making a trip down for the race. Knowing so many would be at the finish line, with so many more monitoring via Twitter & Facebook, I was all but guaranteed to have a great race.

Race morning arrived, and Dan & I were dropped off near transition by Nicholle (many roads were blocked off, so she could only go so far). After getting fluids set up for the bike and the run, Dan & I picked our way along the run course down to Northshore Park. This was a bit of a hike, but manageable. A quick change and a couple of trips to the port-a-potty later, and I was making my way into the water. As I cross the timing mat, Black Sabbath's "Ironman" played over the PA system. "How hackneyed" was my first thought, but then I started wondering if I should have taken off my wedding ring. Talk about your omens. Both of them.

2.4-mile Swim | 1:27:27

Ironman Texas was an in-water start, which was OK, as far as I was concerned. However, the conditions were tremendously cramped for the slated 2,650 registered athletes (just under 2,200 were purported to have finished, although I've no idea how many actually started). Coupled with the blaring music on the PA system, I didn't even hear the gun go off. Rather, once I head the yelling and saw arms, legs, and heads moving, I started the watch and waited a few minutes before beginning my strokes. Once I did, though, it was bad news: On my first stroke, someone kicked my (left) hand, and my wedding ring slid right off my finger, gone. So, I stopped, freaked, and tried to decide what to do, knowing that the lake wasn't too deep. After what seemed like an eternity (3-5 minutes?), I convinced myself that, ring or no ring, there was a race going on -- a race I had paid a lot of money to do, trained a fair amount for, and had countless people waiting for me to get going.

All that pool swimming, and even the few swims I managed to get in at Boerne Lake were poor preparation for picking my way through so many athletes, some with good swimming abilities, many more without. But, pick my way through, I did, slapping, kicking, and whatnot to an untold number of individuals, with many, many, many more returning the favor. In a word, the swim was a cluster. But, the finish must have been spectacular to watch, for the canal seemed to be lined on both sides with cheering spectators. And that was just plain awesome. While the split was nearly ten minutes slower than my target time, I took it for what it was, thankful to get onto dry land so that the race could really begin.

112-mile Bike | 5:25:00

Timing just did not allow Nicholle & I to drive the bike course prior to the race, so I had only word of mouth to go by for what I was to encounter. That, however, turned out to be just fine. Other than a quick stop to adjust the speed sensor of the Knog NERD, the bike leg was everything for which I had trained: Cloudy, windy, and humid. The Slice had been rigged to be perfectly accommodating for these conditions.

The course was just as described, with rolling hills over smooth pavement (exception: ~3 mile stretch around mile 80), which made for a near-perfect bike split. The NERD was a tad off on calibration, so, were the course on-point at 112 miles, I showed 115.xx, which threw a few things off for pacing, but nothing insurmountable. I rolled into T2 five minutes ahead of my anticipated bike time, putting me within striking distance of an 11:30 finish, a full half-hour faster than the for which I was gunning.

26.2-mile Run | 4:13:40

Few things bike-related are worth the money apart from getting professional fit to one's bicycle, especially for the 140.6 distance. Despite the fitting taking place over two years ago, Cobb still has me dialed in perfectly for the Slice, resulting in a rejuvenated feeling in the legs coming off of even a 112-mile hammerfest. This was to be an amazing run.

Coming out of T2, around two o'clock, I kept reminding myself that I needed to pace properly, in order to avoid literally burning up on the run course. Granted, much of the cloud cover was still in place, but the sun was peeking through in some spots, and the humidity was unreal. Still, I found someone with whom to pass the time -- Mike, from Chicago -- and the Garmin 310xt he was sporting kept us running at a decent clip. However, I dropped off of him after a tad past two miles when I developed a cramp in my right arm, attempting to fish a sponge out of the back of my jersey. Once that was resolved (in case I forget to mention it later, Ironman Texas had the most amazing volunteers), I was back on/ahead of pace, catching back up to Mike in a few miles and then dropping him before finishing the first of three loops on the run course.

Dan & Nicholle were out by the riverbank to cheer everyone on (even me!), and I caught sight of Mom just before the split for the finish and second/third loops. Curious thing about that: There was no indication that runners were, in fact, headed in the right direction for the split, resulting in a bit of confusion among several competitors; nobody wanted to be DQd for an honest mistake. But, all was right in the end of the first loop, and laps two and three went by even better than the first. The beauty of a short, multi-loop course like IMTX has to offer is that, after the first loop, one is able to calculate how best to pace themselves each lap and in each section of the lap. This did not seem like running a marathon at all.

That said, there was some slight discomfort/pain on the run: Chafing in an uncomfortable region down south. Stupid me didn't think to stop for Vasoline from the med stations, which resulted in my walking more than what I wanted but not near as much as was walked at CdA in 2009. However, when it was clear that I would not only meet but also crush my goal finish time of twelve hours, I was able to push through the pain and cross the finish line looking and feeling fresh, ready to go for more.

Total Time: 11:16:09

Unlike many others, I did not cross the finish line with my arms raised. Yes, I beat my time from Coeure d'Alene by nearly an hour and my goal time by nearly forty-five minutes, but I wanted to cross the line in the same fashion which I raced: Steady and controlled. I let out an emphatic "Yawp!" when I hit the timing mat and an even more exuberant "Boo-Ya!" when I checked my watch. The volunteers at the finish, like those on course, were extremely helpful, yet were somewhat taken aback that I was chatty and asking them how their day was going. Just being friendly, I suppose. We were in Texas, you know.

Dan was the first to meet me at the finish, but Nicholle soon came along; I was so happy to see her, yet so saddened to inform her that I had lost my wedding ring a little over eleven hours ago. Even Dad & Mom were excited, even after such a long day out in the sun. Really, for as much as the competitors do, what with all the swimming, biking, and running, the spectators really have it much worse: "Sit. Wait. Cheer." is what one shirt, dubbed "IronFan" read. And that had got to take its toll. Fortunately for me, my IronFans carried themselves like true professionals.

Ironman Texas went extremely smoothly, but the aftermath was a different story. There was a fair amount of confusion at the finish line, as to what was where, and how to go about things, but this could have just been me being so wiped and in disbelief that it was all over so seemingly suddenly. A bit of miscommunication, coupled with my desire to continue moving in order to avoid cramping up, caused Dan & I to get separated from Nicholle & I my folks, but things were eventually straightened out.

Thanks

So much went into this race, and I don't just mean time and money. There was an obscene amount of training, graciously afforded by my supremely-supportive wife, and shared with fellow triathletes & educators, Jason & Rodney; even registering for the race likely would not have happened had it not been for those two guys. Equipment is also a heavy factor on a distance race like this, and Bicycle Heaven kept my bikes and me rolling throughout the year (and have throughout the years); there is no finer shop with no finer employees I have had the great fortune to know. Also on the bike front, John Cobb deserves another shout out for 1) Getting me interested in this whole bike fit & time trial approach to cycling; 2) Designing such a great saddle as the HC170 -- it is a lot minimalistic, but it works very well for me. Worn on the bike and the run, Rudy Project continues to earn praise for making such stellar sunglasses: The Sportmask Performance continues to be my "go-to" sunglasses for when the need for performance, with regards to comfort and visibility, is paramount. Dan, Dad, and Mom get a lot more thanks for making the trek out to The Woodlands just to watch me race…for 11+ hours. I'm sure they each had better things to do with their weekends, but I sure am glad they chose to spend it in the vicinity of the course -- and the same goes for all of you watching me online, especially you, April. Thank you to Cindy and the gang at the SA chapter of the National MS Society for the framework for raising funds & awareness for you, for Nicholle, and for the countless others out there affected by MS. Thanks, also, for working so hard to get a racing kit together for me. I'm sorry that the sizing & such didn't work out.

All of the aforementioned must make way for one person who trumps you all: Nicholle, my wife (yeah, I'm biased). Be it Ironman or just making it through a day at the office, she is my rock, my cheerleader, my very reason for striving as I do. Thank you, Nicholle, for putting up with me and this silliness of shooting for another Ironman. Thank you for feeding me, cleaning up after me, cheering me on, and checking me in reality when needed. Especially when needed. I could not have done this without you and will not be doing it again, as promised.

Thus ends this chapter in my life. Once was great, twice was even better, but there won't be a third. It would be too tough to top. However, multisport will continue to be used as a tool to raise funds and awareness for the National MS Society. The fund raising continues at http://www.off242.com/donate through October 2011. Please, donate early, donate often. :)

Regardless of if you've donated or not, thanks for reading.

Disappointed

2011-05-18T21:05:00.000-06:00

Good evening, John.

At this point, neither are acceptable options; the UPS depot is 20+ miles in the opposite direction of where we headed for the race. Fortunately, my parents are making a trip to The Woodlands on Friday and will be able to pick up the parcel from my house, so long as it is delivered tomorrow, Thursday, May 19. Since I will not receive the parcel until Friday, long after any real warm-ups or trials can be performed, I am leery to race with it on Saturday. I hope you can understand.

John, I really do appreciate that Jek Sports was able to comp the MS Society for this kit and work to get it to me in what may seem like a timely fashion. Yet, I am also sorely disappointed in the length of time it has taken for delivery. A confirmation was made a week ago that the kit would be shipped, without fail, this past Monday, for delivery on Wednesday; even that was pushing it, especially since discussions began nearly two months ago. It is realized that production does take time. Additionally, some time was lost in getting a design approved, which was beyond the control of Jek Sports. However, if there was even an inkling of a notion that the kit was not able to be delivered before an acceptable date (I believe early May, in order to allow for sufficient trial, was mentioned), it would have been really nice to have had this communicated more than 52 hours before the race; 12 hours before I am to depart.

With all of this said, I do thank you for the work Jek Sports does in assisting the MS Society and its Bike MS participants in looking sharp in cycling jerseys. I just can't promise that I will be able to toe the line at Ironman Texas in a Jek Sports kit, much as I, and my wife who has MS, was looking forward to it.

Cordially.//dale

What, Me Worry?

2011-05-13T16:37:00.002-06:00

Talked with the manufacturer of this storied MS Society tri kit yesterday. Though they've had the approved design since early-April, the finished product will not ship until Monday, arriving Wednesday afternoon. We leave Thursday morning for The Woodlands.

Much as I want to race in this made-just-for-me-and-for-free kit, I'm just not sold on the idea of doing a 140.6-mile race in a kit I've not so much as tried on. Still, the kit will be packed but so will the Bicycle Heaven kit. That one I know is race-worthy.

Still, I'm not going to panic. Not even going to worry. It'd mess up my taper, and with eight days to go, it's just not worth it.

Thanks for reading.

Join the Movement

2011-05-07T03:26:00.005-06:00

In less than two weeks' time, Ironman Texas will be over.

On the off-chance you'd not heard, I am participating in another Ironman triathlon on May 21, in The Woodlands, Texas. While this will be my second time at challenging the 140.6-mile distance, May will mark the debut of a full-distance Ironman race in Texas. A full Ironman race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run -- all within the same day. As of my writing this, the weather forecast calls for a high of 93, high humidity, and a light, southern wind. Then again, this is Texas, and a lot can change over the next dozen or so days.

What won't change is the following:

Race day will be May 21, beginning at at 7:00 AM. A 12-hour finish, would have me crossing the finish line by 7:00 PM.
My race number is 1467. This can be used to track my race-day progress at ironman.com or ironmanlive.com.
I am raising funds to support the National MS Society.

While fund raising is not required for my participation in Ironman Texas, your donations will help fund the myriad programs of the NMSS. Some 85 cents of every dollar donated goes into supporting these programs (the MS Society apparently has low operating costs), which include everything from developing & testing new treatments to counseling services for the newly-diagnosed and their families. In the short time since her diagnosis, Nicholle & I have been able to receive some of these services. As time goes on, we may become more reliant on them. Others are already, which is why your help is needed now.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the National MS Society, please visit http://www.off242.com/donate. There, you will find a link to my fund raising page for the 2011 Bike MS: Ride to the River, which serves as the online channel for my own fund raising. Despite the significant distance Ironman Texas will cover, it is but the first step towards a larger goal.

I hope you will follow me some on the 21st. If not through ironman.com, then perhaps on Twitter, @off242. Updates will be posted during race day on my progress, as well as for how fund raising and other preparations for Bike MS proceed.

As always, thanks for reading.

Less Than a Month

2011-04-24T18:19:00.003-06:00

...to train & taper.

...to nail down gear.

...to figure out what I'm going to wear.

A 2-piece tri kit, of course, but I'd been working with the MS Society and one of the companies they use for cycling jerseys for a tri kit, and I thought for sure that it would happen. But, here it is, less than a month out, and the art work was only this past week approved. On that final art work was where I noticed that they jersey had sleeves. After some email exchanges and phone calls, it was decided that the jersey would not, in fact, have sleeves. However, something the way the guy at the kit company talked made it sound like he'd never made a tri kit before; it sounded like cycling gear.

So, once again with the emails. Once again with the waiting game. Time, unfortunately, is not on my side. MS Society kit or no, though, I am racing for them. For Nicholle. For the other women & men out there affected by MS. And I have less than a month to prepare.

Thanks for reading.

The Ten Thousand Dollar Question

2011-04-18T19:39:00.002-06:00

Today was a day off for me -- a comp day for being blessed with a student teacher this semester -- and it was to be a full day of training; Ironman Texas is just over a month out.

N's alarm roused me from a dream about installing software of laptops in a computer lab (yup, full time nerd, right here), so it was off to the gym with me. Because of some construction in the walkway to the pool, I had to take the long way through the gym itself, rather than cutting through the locker room. This diversion afforded the opportunity to be approached by a fellow triathlete, an older gentleman herein referred to simply as "Joe."

Joe's attention was caught by my Buffalo Springs Triathlon shirt, so the conversation was quick to get off to the subject of triathlon, Ironman in particular. We briefly exchanged race stories, and I mentioned that I was training for Texas next month. Joe suggested I join him and his cronies for some training, given that he and all of them were multi-time Ironman finishers. It was then that it became apparent that Joe was anything but average.

For starters, there was the fact that it was just past 6:00 AM, and Joe was about to go off on a run with his friends. He invited me to go with them; guess he failed to notice the flip-flops and the behemoth of a swim bag over my shoulder. Then he suggested I join them for some open water swims in the Guadalupe -- something I have been interested in doing, given that said river is 40+ miles closer to home than is Boerne Lake. Greater distance, too. Trouble is, Joe and his group do the swims on Friday morning at 7:00 AM. My second mentioning that I was a teacher and had to be at work early seemed to be brushed off; a teacher from SAISD had joined them just this past Friday, so why couldn't I?

Inevitably, the subject of money came up as my reason for Texas being my last Ironman. Joe agreed that Ironman does get to be expensive. He spent a minimum of $6,000 on each of his five…sometimes upwards of ten. Thousand. Dollars. I mean, you gotta have a coach, right?

After a few more minutes, Joe excused himself to get going on his run, and I finally made my way out to the pool. It was to be my second Iron-distance swim this month, and it was good. Despite my feeling twinges of a sore neck from an ill night's sleep on Saturday, I managed to shave off nearly two minutes from my time just a over a week ago: 1:10:55 for the 2.4 miles.

A couple of hours later, I found myself at Local Coffee, meeting with a guy regarding MS. A friend from the MS Society suggested we sit down and talk, for he and his wife are about ten years down the road from where N & I are now. There is no teacher like experience, so I was grateful for the opportunity to listen, share, and learn. Rest assured, I was infinitely more impressed with this gentleman and how he focuses his energy and abilities than I was with Bob and his dropping ten grand on a single M-dot race. No doubt, I have respect for those of us who are physically able to push our bodies that distance, time and again, but, then I remember that WTC, owners of of the Ironman brand, is a for-profit entity. Further, the outlandish amounts of money that individuals the world over are willing to throw at that brand, manufacturers of equipment (wet suits, bikes, helmets, shoes, nutrition) , coaches -- whatever -- it, again, made me question: Why?

Right now, the answer is because it is late in the game for gearing up for Texas, and I have goals for this race beyond the finishing time. Texas will serve as a launchpad for me and my fundraising for October's Bike MS: Ride to the River. Cindy and others have been instrumental in working to outfit me in a one-off tri kit promoting the MS Society, and I look forward to sporting it at Ironman Texas, as well as at all future triathlons. Hopefully, others will don it, too, and the average Joe will become much more aware of how money can be better spent on making a cure for MS a reality, instead of chasing a dream 140.6 miles, again and again.

No Fiesta

2011-04-10T19:05:00.005-06:00

Today was the Fiesta Wildflower bike ride. This would have been my second century in three weeks, but, alas, it was not to be. By mile 60, my body was trashed.

Yesterday, N & I had 90-minute massages in order to relax, as well as get some knots & such worked out of our respective bodies. Unfortunately, the massages were late in the afternoon and did not permit what I felt to be sufficient recovery time before this morning's ride.

What was fortunate is that the ride went along familiar routes, not too far from home. When I knew, for certain, that I would not be able to finish the remaining 65 miles of the ride, the calvary was called, and N & Marzipan met me at a petrol station ten miles from home. That's how spent I was: Unable to pedal ten piddly miles.

Ten miles and one shower later, I was in bed and fast asleep. Narco Kitty did her thing extremely well.

While today was no party, ride-wise, it did provide some valuable insight for training.

No deep tissue massages within 24 hours of a main event.
Stretch the night before and the morning of an event.
Heart rate monitors aren't the be all & end all for monitoring performance. If you'd like to buy mine, it's posted in the Slowtwitch classifieds.
Always have an escape plan.
Any day where you can learn something from your training, regardless of what the training involves, is a good one.

Thanks for reading.

Tall Texan Race Report

2011-03-30T21:49:00.004-06:00

Years ago, when I began participating in the sport of triathlon, I got it in my head that I wanted to do a local half-iron distance race called the Tall Texan. It was put on by Britton's, a local shop with which I used to ride, and all I knew about it is that it was a tough course. A woman with whom I had been doing some training convinced me to put it on hold for my first season; jumping from sprints to halves was just not something she would recommend.

So, I did, and little thought was given to the Tall Texan for some time. In its early years, the Tall Texan (and I continue to specify, because Britton's also puts on the Small Texan [Olympic-distance] and Tiny Texan [sprint] at the same venue, albeit at a different time) was held in the late-summer, early fall months, but Jimmy saw it fit to move the date to mid-to-late March in order to accommodate those training for Ironman Coeure d'Alene or other Ironman races around the month of June. In the lead-up to Ironman Texas, finding a half-iron race that was not only close to home but also within my price range became somewhat of a priority. Fortunately, everything fell into place with the Tall Texan.

The 2011 edition of the Tall Texan was held on March 27. The day was overcast and considerably cool for south Texas, with temperatures somewhere in the mid-60s. Water temperature had risen a few degrees since the previous weekend and was reported to be 63° -- near-perfect.

Bikes had been racked the day before (minor inconvenience, given the distance to Boerne Lake from my house, coupled with $3.39/gal gasoline), so transition setup went smoothly. After a quick, pre-race run and stretch, I got (wet)suitted up and made my way down to the boat ramp for the race start. It was time to see if the roughly six weeks of solid training I'd been able to put in since the end of swim season had done anything for me or if I would suffer accordingly.

1.2-mile Swim | 39:38

For whatever reason (second open water swim this season, heartrate monitor belt a tad too tight, readjusting to swimming with a wet suit, etc.), this swim, personally, was awful. It took me until the first buoy to get into somewhat of a rhythm, and once that happened, I was pretty good.

A small field meant no crowding, kicking, fighting one another for position, but it also meant fewer heads to spot for sighting between buoys. Mental note: Don't forget the blue-tinted Swedes for such early morning, overcast swims.

Once back at the boat ramp, it was out of the water, onto my back for wetsuit stripping, and into T1 (1:43) to begin the bike leg.

57.45-mile Bike | 2:52:59

A great chunk of my time, in and outside of training is spent debating gear. Once again, the subject of a heartrate monitor (HRM) has been on my mind, as I started training with one again this past November, when it became clear that so much training would need to be done on my own; I needed to pace myself.

Although doubtful, I decided to race with the Suunto t3d HRM, a sports computer with speed/distance transmitters on my bicycle, as well as on my running shoes (those for training, anyway). The t3d did very well at tracking my heartrate, and it is presumed that it did so with the bike distance, as well; thus, what should have been a 56-mile bike leg turned into 57.45 miles. Other gear changes included switching back to Bebop pedals, an all-stainless steel design similar to that of Speedplay but at a fraction of the cost.

As for the leg itself, the cool, overcast conditions made for great cycling. The wind was present but not much of a factor, save in a few sections around the 30-mile mark. What was a factor was the "pavement." Many rural areas of Texas utilize chip-seal, which is, essentially, laying tar down on the road and scattering a few rocks on it. Technically, it might be considered pavement, but on a bicycle, it equates to bone-rattling, mind-numbing agony. Think of it like Texas's response to pavé.

This "pavement" rattled two of the bolts securing my spare bottle cage to my seat tube, resulting in a lot of worrisome noises and spots of parts (bolts, grommets) flying off the bike. Still, just a hair under 20mph was averaged for the course, which, given the hills and caliber of "pavement," wasn't too shabby. There was a fair amount of fading around mile 50, but once we hit the access roads for the final three miles, I was back in the game.

13.1-mile Run | 1:49:06

The entry into T2 (1:01) wasn't too swift (il pavé turned my body to Jello, so I was not about to attempt a flying dismount, but once in, the bike got racked, the helmet off, and the shoes switched. A high-five from Jimmy on the way onto the run course started me off, well, on the right foot.

The first mile or so of the run is along a rocky service road, making an arc around much of the lake, before it dumps onto Ranger Creek Road. A right turn takes you up a pretty long, steep hill and then a turnaround back to I-10. The quality of the pavement is much better than that of the bike, but the edge of the road is a lot rough. Translation: Survivable but not ideal running conditions.

Two loops around the course put athletes back at the finish for a well-earned snack bag. This, in addition to Powerbar Perform and other Powerbar goodies on course, made for a phenomenal race experience.

Total chip time: 5:23:43. 2/13 age group; 13/99 overall.

Wrap-up

This was my first triathlon of the 2011 season. Following Ironman Texas, I'm actually not too sure of how active I will be on the tri scene, apart from Trisition's weekend workouts. Money is becoming too much of a factor, now with a house in the picture, plus budget cuts looming. When I am spotted out & about, I plan to be sporting the orange, blue, and black colors of the National MS Society, raising funds & awareness for their Bike MS: Ride to the River event. My wife's recent diagnosis with multiple sclerosis has caused me to shift priorities and allegiances when it comes to promoting brands and/or organizations. If you want to help, then feel free to Join the Fight. Join the Movement.

After the race, I find myself still somewhat undecided on the electronics front but am leaning more towards abandoning the HRM setup. The compactness and feedback of such a device is nice, but I also feel I have a fair enough knowledge of where my body is during training/racing without all of the extra equipment. Of course, if Suunto were to slip a t6 my way, I could be very easily swayed. Regardless, training for Ironman Texas continues, and I appear to be on-track for a pretty good attempt at breaking twelve hours.

Here's to hoping, and thanks for reading.

Can't Sleep

2010-10-09T00:27:00.000-06:00

There are a number of possible reasons for why I cannot sleep tonight. One sounds no more plausible than the next, and there is precious little that I am willing to do in order to remedy this sleeplessness. A shot of NyQuil would be the easiest, but it is past midnight already, and I wanted to be up fairly early in order to run. Guess that won't happen.

Mid-week Update

2010-07-07T16:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I began my long-anticipated entry into grad school. According to the original plan (you know, the UTSA one), by this point, I would have been nearly half-way through my program. However, it would have required an ungodly amounts of both money and time (most of which of the latter would have been spent driving to & fro the 1604 campus; no thank you). While the TAMUK route may take a tad longer, so far (yeah, after a day-and-a-half), I'm enjoying it and look forward to seeing just how much can be done without ever actually setting foot inside of a classroom.

Elsewhere, tri training continues on somewhat of a predictable schedule:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: lift + run with Marzipan (AM) & ride (PM)
Wednesday: swim (AM) & track (PM)
Thursday: spin (AM) & lift (PM)
Friday: ride (AM) & swim (PM)
Saturday: brick @ Boerne Lake
Sunday: alternate weeks of (long) ride or run

When I'm not doing any of the above, I'll be parked in front of the computer, reading or doing something else school related. Of course, I still tend to the house stuff, too. Speaking of, I need to go ready the pesto for tonight's dinner. Hope you've no aversion to garlic.

Thanks for reading.

Ironman 2.0

2010-06-25T14:51:00.004-06:00

Despite all the throwing about of my weight & words, I did it: I signed up for Ironman Texas.

And so did a lot of other people, apparently. Regardless, the journey to get there will be interesting, if not (more) challenging than it was for my first, for I am no longer single, a full-time swim coach, and enrolled in graduate school. All the same, I am optimistic about how things are going to go. Even though Derek will not be joining us, there is a local crew of close to a dozen of which I know (half of which live within a mile of me) who will be going. Best of all, N is on board.

Time to go tidy up a bit. Dinner with friends in a couple of hours, and I need to make myself look a tad more presentable than my present state.

Welcome to Ironman 2: WTF Was He Thinking?

Thanks for reading.

Terrance, THIS Is Stupid

2010-06-24T15:47:00.002-06:00

I have a tendency to buy stupid . Even in high school, when I was given money to buy my own clothes, I tended to buy the most ludicrous, of-the-moment thing in the mall. Case-in-point: The "I've seen Elvis" shirt, immortalized in the panoramic senior class picture. Thank God Marzipan ripped my copy to shreds a few weeks back; too bad some nimrod had to go scan and post the thing on Facebook. But I digress.

Last night, the powers that be finally got around to announcing Ironman Texas. The full 140.6 event will take place on May 21, 2011, in the township of The Woodlands. Entry opens up tomorrow at noon; and Jason, Derek, and I are again debating registering. The catch, for me, again, is money. Now, Derek did rightly point out that logistics & such will be both cheaper and easier than that of last year's excursion to CdA. Registration fees, on the other hand, have gone up nearly $100 since signing up in 2008, which leads me back to my reason for writing.

Ironman is owned by a corporation, and is a brand name akin to Xerox or Coke; and, like any corporation, they want money. My money. What they give in trade is the opportunity to race on a hopefully well-planned, well-supported race course. This was the case for CdA, and I would expect no less for Ironman Texas; the eyes of the triathlon world will, instead, be upon Texas. In spite of the star treatment and being proclaimed "an Ironman!" by whatever his name is, I find myself having a hard time rationalizing that much money for that one race. I am closer than I have been in a while to paying off debt. N has a new car to pay for and still manages ample charitable donations and substantial savings. I feel I would not be pulling my fair share by registering for this race. True, I get "free" money for some of the workshops I'll be doing this summer, as well as money from the DATE grant for meeting targets for TAKS; but that is money that can be used to pay down debt. To pay for grad school. To save for a house. To do something more than swim and bike and run. I can do that here. For free. Besides, I am an Ironman, even if it is over my self-imposed 12-hour time frame.

Since starting this post, I ran into Jason & Rodney. Both have plans to register tomorrow at noon. According to Jason Matt & Andrea (neighbors to Jason) have plans to register too. All are expecting me to register as well. Truthfully, I want to, in spite of every indicator saying "no." while, physically, I should be in some of the best shape of my life, fiscally, I still have a long way to go---more than 140.6 miles, and step one of training is saying "no" to buying in to name brand like this. Let's see if I'm up for the challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Rough Roads

2010-06-07T17:23:00.002-06:00

The 2009-10 school year was a tough one. There was no one thing on which I can place blame for the toughness; but, since it didn't kill me, it has presumably made me stronger. If that's the case, I should be quite the strongman by summer's end, for the first few days of post-school have made me actually want to go back to work.

Things actually started out pretty well. I finally received my IRS refund, which was promptly re-directed to credit card bills, putting me within a month of getting one card wiped out. Saturday morning, I was suited up and on my way to Boerne Lake for the Trisition workout, when the battery light on Buckbeak began to flash. The car was later dropped off at the local garage who had answers for me: As expected, the alternator was shot. A new one would be ordered (to the tune of $400, plus $200 in labor), plus another $100 or so to fix the engine coolant leak. Good thing I nearly had that credit card paid off.

Sunday was expected to be an eventful day. It, too, began awesomely enough with a 50-mile outing with D--- through the New Braunfels area. After that, it was off to drive a bus for the band's performance at graduation, which, apart from the lack of A/C for part of the trip, went fine. However, just as we pulled in to the Coliseum, N--- called; her grandmother in Ohio was found slumped over in her room at post-surgical rehabilitation facility and could not be stabilized. She was not expected to last the afternoon. Sadly, she did not.

N--- did some checking and airfare is just too outrageously expensive for me to go. Add onto that my still trying to get admitted to TAMUK for grad school, arranging for a house inspector, managing Marzipan, and getting my car fixed. Fortunately, N--- is at peace with this; her grandmother is no longer experiencing the physical discomforts of this world and is, rather, "with the Lord." A real concern is how her grandfather will adapt to life without his partner for the past half century. There is family close to him, but, if you think about it, say a little prayer for his well being.

I chatted with the mechanic about an hour ago, and the car was still having electrical issues, even with the new alternator installed. As expected, they're working on it. That, I suppose, is really all we can do to work on our own charging needs: to "work on it." Despite my impatience with wanting my car back (got to get N--- to Austin airport tomorrow morning for her flight out; Frontier had no available flights out of SA until Thursday), I realize that some things just cannot be rushed, especially if you want them fixed properly.

Again, say a prayer for the Joneses (N---'s mother's family) that smoother roads may lie ahead. Thanks for reading.

5th Place!

2010-05-23T07:59:00.001-06:00

Marzipan!

2010-05-23T07:59:00.000-06:00

Re:set

2010-05-15T01:42:00.002-06:00

The time is now 2:42 AM, Central.

A noise awoke me at 11:47 PM, and I was unable to go back to sleep. Since then, I've tinkered with my TT bike (made some saddle adjustments & perma-mounted a flats kit to the rear bottle cage), played with Marzipan, and trolled on Slowtwitch and sundry other websites. Nothing seems to be working on lulling me to sleep. Not even the sound of the rain, strumming its typical lullaby on the roof, is working tonight. Or, this morning, as it were. At least it's the weekend.

Because I Cannot Sleep...

2010-05-06T20:56:00.004-06:00

...I, again, write here.

Hola, amigos. Yeah, it's been a long-<expletive> time since I've rapped at you. I'll not offer any excuses as to why, but I'm sure you can imagine. Besides, don't we all have more important things to do than to write down and/or read paragraph upon paragraph of someone's thoughts on life, the universe -- everything?

While it has been more than a thousand hours (obscure reference to a Cure song, which, interestingly enough, translates into 41.6 days; and that would, conveniently, round up to 42) since my last entry, there isn't really that much to report. The highlights:

N--- & I got a dog! Her name is Marzipan, and she is a great runner. Our first 5k is on May 22nd.
I competed in my first (and likely only) triathlon of the season in Kemah, TX. It was an awesome race, complete with a swim clinic by Andy Potts and a run clinic by Matt Reed. As expected, I sucked, but the swim was awesome: Ferry the competitors out 1500m into Galveston Bay, shove us overboard, and have us swim to shore to start the bike leg = Awesome!
N--- had knee surgery to remedy a piece of torn cartilage. She's on crutches for six weeks (three down, three to go), which has me rushing about, tending to her needs and keeping house, etc. This is nothing in comparison to everything N--- did for me/us last year in my lead-up to Ironman.
I registered for & dropped graduate courses at that school at 1604 & I10. The big reason for the drop was the lack of availability of promised grant money, as well as the general lack of not knowing WTF was going on between departments. Still awaiting word from TAMU Kingsville about acceptance into a program this summer.
I donated blood today for the first time in nearly three years. A "double" made me feel better and more alive than anything I've done in recent memory.

And that's about it for the goings on. Something worth mentioning, however, has been the debate over whether or not to participate in the rumored Ironman Texas.

See, I heard this rumor at the big race in Kemah that officials in The Woodlands (where the doomed Tri 101 Championships were to be held in 2008, but weren't) were cooperating with WTC to host a full IM race there in 2011 or 2012. Rumors were unofficially confirmed on Slowtwitch the week after, and, so, we tri geeks began speculation and planning what fun it would be to do such an event. I even had N---'s blessing to sign up & participate. However, in the near month that it's been since racing in Kemah, I've had some time to reflect on things, including rereading posts from last year regarding training and the lackluster feeling I had once I crossed the finish line in Coure d' Alene. Granted, things would likely be different (this is Texas, after all), but a tremendous amount of training and a fair amount of funding would need to go into the endeavor, and I just know if that's where I want to go. The only motivation I would have would be to break twelve (or eleven, if I were to actually get & stay serious) hours; but, even if I did, so what? The only guarantees I would have for the event is the loss of nearly $600, and an essentially unnecessary strain on my personal & professional lives. I am an Ironman, already. Even though my finishing time was not what I desired, I still crossed the finish line. Why would I need to do it again?

That question, I suppose, is where I will leave off. Disintegration is winding down (haven't listened to the album in its entirety in a long while; and, yes, I've missed it), and sleep feels to be coming upon me. Perhaps tonight's rest may bring some insight to the question which I now ponder regarding the rumored IM TX.

Thanks for continuing to read.

Down & Out

2010-02-23T03:54:00.003-06:00

It is nearly four o'clock in the morning. The alarm will be sounding soon, but I have been awake for nearly three hours. Insomnia, my old nemesis, has come back for a visit, and, while I would be pleased if it would leave, I would be more pleased if this fracking cough/sickness that has had me down the past week would make like a tree and leaf me alone.

Heading into last week's Austin Marathon, I was feeling fine. I'd no time to run that week, due in large part to prep for the Regional Swim Meet, but I felt pretty groovy, nonetheless. The same could not be said for N---. The poor lass came down with a cold three days away from the big event for which she had been training since September. Me, being the sympathetic husband, made her run anyway. Happy Valentine's Day and everything, huh?

N--- finished her first marathon, though far off from the time she sought. Finishing it at all, though, as sick as she was, was nothing short of awesome; my wife is tough. Me, I too finished, though nowhere near my target time. On the upside, I'll not have to worry about travel arrangements & such to Boston this year. Because of my lack of training, my body was severely worn down and I caught whatever it was that N--- had. Since, I've been coughing, hacking, and unable to sleep in the same bed as the now-healthy N---, as I don't want to keep her awake or re-infect her.

After several days, I opted to go to a doc-in-the-box last night (getting a regular appointment with my work schedule is near-impossible) and got a prescription for a steroid to dry up my sinuses (what the doctor says is causing my cough). The medication appears to be working in that my sinuses feel better, and I am coughing less. However, I began tossing & turning some four hours after sleepy-bye time and, rather than risk waking N--- or -- heaven forbid! -- the cat, I got up and have been biding my time since. Emails have been sent, some research papers have been graded (I ran out of pencil lead, of all things, and could not continue; oh, the luck), and I've pored through most of the new issue of 'Triathlete.' All that was left was to write to you, dear reader, and share my pathetic ponderings.

Now that all of that has been done, I can maybe catch an hour or two's sleep before N--- rises to hit her bicycle training. Depending on how I feel, I may join her in the garage for a bit (yesterday's trainer session was not productive [refer to previous comments regarding illness, feeling sorry for one's self, etc.]), if for nothing else than to watch awesomeness personified.

That's the news, folks, and I am out of here. Thanks for reading.

Hello, World.

2010-02-10T19:52:00.004-06:00

I've not published anything here in nearly three months. Not for lack of things to say, but I have had two things in ample supply as of late: Jack and <expletive> -- and Jack left town. With swim season almost in the bag (Regionals are this weekend; State, two weeks after that), I hope to have a bit more free time for things, including, but not limited to, being a full-time teacher again, triathlon, graduate school, and "other."

"Other" will include quite a bit, some public information and some not. What can be public will, quite obviously, be made so, but something that has been tugging at the back of my mind the past several months is getting involved with larger issues. Two, in particular, are Yield to Life (seeing cyclists and other road users as human beings and not just something inhibiting driving the maximum possible speed permissible) and Pick Up the Phone (suicide prevention). The former should be obvious, given that I ride my bike (not as much as, say, a year ago, but, again, the aforementioned ending of swim season within the next few weeks should remedy that), while the latter, too, is linked to cycling. See, I lost a friend to suicide, almost a year ago.

M--- lost his wife through the most seemingly unfathomable ways: A bee sting. Fast-forward 15 months, and M--- seemed to be getting along well with his life, cycling on a spiffy, new bicycle, going out with friends to honky tonks & such. Everything seemed normal. It wasn't.

For several weeks in early 2009, M--- was on my mind. I kept wanting to call him but never did. On Good Friday, I learned I never would get the chance; M--- had taken his own life.

Details were never revealed, but what would they have mattered? A friend, a person, was gone, and I had done nothing to keep it from happening.

Please, no comments about how it wasn't my fault, etc. Rather, if you know of someone who needs you, don't be afraid to pick up the phone; or write; or drop by for a visit. Social networks may still be somewhat the rage, but Facebook will never take the place of face time. For me, I'm in need of some sleep time, so I'm heading to bed. As always, thanks for reading.

Finisher

2009-11-16T22:06:00.005-06:00

At Trisition Area's Kona viewing party last month, I met several fellow IM finishers. Among them was an average Joe who had completed Couer d'Alene and was in training for Cozumel. He'd mentioned he was in need of folks with whom to run long, so we exchanged numbers, as I thought I might have some times for some longer, more casual runs. Those runs didn't pan out too well, but a few weeks ago, I received a text from J--- asking if I was interested in pacing the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon on November 15. Hmm...marathon...4:30 finish...10:15/mi pace...free...three weeks to train...sure, why not?

From there, I started hammering out some runs in excess of six miles (my longest since CdA) but never made it above a couple of fifteen-mile efforts. My planned twenty miler didn't pan out too well, due to the time of day, lack of nutrition, and sheer exhaustion from the week (and proctoring the SAT earlier in the day), so I was beginning to get a little concerned over my planned, Barney-style assault on a full marathon. Then I did a track workout (of mile repeats) at race pace and all of my fears evaporated; I knew I would rock this thing with energy to spare.

The marathon was yesterday. It was my third time running San Antonio and my slowest of them all, due to the chosen pace. I brought in everybody (who stayed with me) within the 4:30 window, even having time to stop and chit-chat with W---, another CdA finisher, who was spectating at the finish. In all, it was an enjoyable experience, but, more-so, it was a learning experience. In no particular order, here are some of the things I learned from running the 2009 Rock & Roll Marathon:

San Antonio's marathon sucks. The course itself is fantastic, but everything else surrounding the marathon (expo, getting to the start, getting out of the finish and back to the start [where your vehicle is parked]) could use a quick exit out of mediocrity.
It is possible to train for and complete a marathon in three weeks...providing the person attempting to do so has run marathons before and has completed an Ironman within the preceding six months.
Pretty girls run around a ten minute pace. In addition to those I met yesterday, N--- has just under a 10:00/mi pace on-tap for Austin, and girls don't get any prettier.
You can find some cool while running. Yesterday, I found a sequined, Michael Jackson-esque glove around mile eight. You bet I nabbed it and finished the marathon with it on my hand. I can't wait to see the pictures.
Non-mylar balloons do not make good "signs" for pacers -- especially with painter's tape being used to attach the pace numbers.
It's OK to have up to a half-cup of beer while running a marathon.
Lone Star Beer isn't half-bad. Then again, after 23 miles of running...
Even people who make a living coaching athletes have to walk from time-to-time
The Purple Menace isn't nearly as annoying if you don't have to share a hotel with them.
Red Robin totally rocks for post-marathon food.
Timex's titanium Ironman watch looks -hot but absolutely sucks for trying to keep track of splits in a marathon -- or a track workout. Specifically, each time I hit the lap-split button, the watch records two depressions, resulting in many, many screwy splits.
The Nike Free 5.0 is the most comfortable (running) shoe ever made. If you have the means, I highly suggest you pick up a pair. They are so choice.

There's more, I'm sure, but it's getting horribly, horribly late, and I need to be up early for swim practice. It will be another long week, with the TISCA meet on tap for Friday & Saturday. Three more school days, though, and then, after TISCA, I'm off for a week for the Thanksgiving break. Looking forward to time off to investigate grad school for myself, hopefully witness N---'s presentation for her wrapping up grad school, and, of course, swimming, biking, and running.

Thanks for reading.

Gruene with Envy

2009-11-08T12:43:00.002-06:00

Last weekend was the annual Tour de Gruene and accompanying time trials. For the first time since my re-entry into cycling in late-2000, I actually competed in the TTs, solo & team, and I am so glad I did. However, in looking at results and pictures from last weekend, I have reached the sad realization that I have let my body get into a sad state of affairs. Naturally, I am at fault for having allowed this to happen; I got too lazy after Ironman. Once I returned to work in early August, that was more or less the end of free time, and my exercising slacked off immensely, yet my calorie intake took no such break. From there, the imbalance worked against me in the worst way.

My posted time for the ITT (individual time trial) at Gruene last Saturday was 41:30, where I averaged 23.13mph over the 16-mile course. The good news is that I finished fourth in my category and am forced to upgrade to the Blitz category next year, as I proved too fast for the Schnell category in which I raced. The bad news is that I missed tying for third place by one second. Yes, one second. Worst yet, in reviewing the pictures, that one second (and then some) could have been had quite easily, had I paid closer attention to my form. I am finding that, again, my grip is creeping too far back on the aerobars, sitting me almost upright; that's a lot of wind resistance. Additionally, my elbows are a tad too wide. I am hoping that the former can be fixed with the obvious reduction in my girth. I may need to look at a different saddle, as well.

Sunday's TTT was run with T---, a buddy from SAW, with whom I have done countless rides, yet never raced. We fixed that this year (his suggestion, and I am so glad; I had no clue who would be willing to ride with me), although T---'s climbing legs were not operating as well as they typically do. We lost a fair amount of time over the 26.93-mile course but I lost nothing in having fun. Dropping down into the bars, with a buddy on your wheel, hammering for all it's worth is an exhilarating feeling that I would not want to trade for anything (okay, maybe a one-time winning super lotto ticket, but only on the condition that a portion of the money could be used to buy bikes and time away from other obligations to go train and/or race). Thank you, T--- for motivation to get back into training and for pulling us across the line in 1:18:55. We averaged 20.76mph, which is only 0.04mph under what I guesstimated we would do. Next year,though, we might wind up with one of those obligatory upgrades to Blitz or something. Full results are posted at www.tourdegruene.com; pictures, www.rxdesign.com.

The SA Marathon is next weekend; Austin, February. Apart from those, I've nothing on the radar, but I cannot let that stop me from getting back into a shape other than round. I'm thinking of a triangle -- so long as that it resembles a yield sign, as opposed to a pedestrian crossing sign.

With that, I'll sign off and leave you to do what you will. Whatever that may be, thanks for reading.

Back in the Rhythm

2009-10-25T14:22:00.002-06:00

To my countless, adoring fans who have wondered to where I had gone: Fear not, for I am, again, with you.

The start of the school year proved tougher than usual; a routine more difficult to establish. A routine, however, has now been semi-cemented, and, with afternoon practices now abolished, courtesy of the cooler weather (by Texas standards), I will find myself with more time to myself, though not necessarily more time to sit and type. This fall is going to be a busy one.

What's coming up:

SAW Board meeting tomorrow night. They're still searching for a replacement for me as Web dude, but volunteers aren't exactly forthcoming. I may be coerced into staying on for another term, should some changes get made.
Team pics at the pool on Wednesday, followed by a pasta party. Yea, pasta party!
Duel in the Pool #2
ITT & TTT at Gruene next weekend
Help K--- & T--- move
Proctor SAT on the 7th
Pace the 4:30 finishers at the SA Marathon (I'll be running it Barney-style!)
TISCA meet in Corpus
Thanksgiving

That, boys & girls, takes us through November; the remainder of 2009 will be every bit as busy, with 2010 shaping up to be one heckuva sequel. Bring it.

Time to fly on out of here. More updates (including some retroactive posts of significant events in the past) will be posted, now that my computer is again fully functional -- and that blasted keyboard issue has been resolved.

Hope you have been doing well. Thanks for reading.

It Has (Already) Begun

2009-08-19T06:08:00.002-06:00

I've been back to work for almost a week now, and I already find myself finding excuses to stay at the computer a little bit longer in the morning -- I mean, just look at the last time this blog was updated and ponder why I'm doing it right now.

For whatever reasons, here I sit, in need of readying myself for the day (and a long one it will be; tonight is the community gathering to introduce all of the school's athletic teams, which includes swimming, reminding me I need to get a few words together) and, instead, writing to you. While it's not quite as bad as Office Space, where every day was the worst day of the protagonist's life, I am already feeling the stress of an academic year that has yet to even begin. Hoo-boy.

Enough procrastinating, then. It's off to become presentable before heading off to school. If I don't see you tonight in the gym, accept an early thanks for listening...or, in this case, reading.

The NeXT Level

2009-08-03T20:47:00.002-06:00

The original post was rather disgusting, so I'll save you the mental image (but if you really want to know, you can read it here) and just post what has to be one of the best forum responses ever:

You can't put anything past an obese person. They've already proven they can take it to the next level.

That just really says it all. Except, that I hope I never have the motivation, or lack there of, to take whatever "it" is to that level. Hope you don't either. Thanks for reading.

IrDA

2009-07-27T20:59:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I scored a(nother) Polar S725x HRM off eBay for a decent price. This was the "Tour Edition" I'd my heart set on for some time, plus it included both the S1 foot pod and USB IrDA adapter, the latter used for uploading workouts to the computer. At least, it should be so easy. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the <expletive> thing to work, let alone be recognized by Device Mangler. I've tried a number of drivers from various chipset manufacturers, followed all of the instructions & suggestions off of the Polar site, but nothing; I ain't got <expletive>.

No real point to this post, other than to moan & groan over the conundrum that is use of the nifty, "new" S725x: On the main 'puter, I have the ProTrainer software installed, but no IrDA interface. On the laptop, I've a functioning IrDA interface, but no ProTrainer software. So, what to do. Methinks I'll do my prescribed StretchCordz & yoga workouts and then head to bed. It's been a long day, and tomorrow is looking to be another one. I can only hope to get this <expletive> IrDA adapter to work sometime soon; the next TT is this Saturday.

Thanks for listening to me whine, and thanks for reading.

Lessons Learned

2009-07-24T13:35:00.002-06:00

Read a story today in USA Today about ComiCon in San Diego. Today, apparently, is Star Wars day at the annual comic book/sci-fi convention, and the article entailed how fans of the two sets of trilogies are trying to reconcile the differences. From the sound of it, it sounds like the (older) fans of the original trilogy are becoming more accepting of the newer ones, although the younger generation has yet to learn to appreciate what came before, even though it comes after, chronologically speaking.

And so I got to thinking of assorted scenes, quotes, and so on from the new trilogy, and one stands out from TPM that I really like. Yoda, speaking to 9 year-old Anakin Skywalker, says, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." (italics, mine).

While I still consider the original trilogy far superior to the CG-riddled prequels of 1999 and thereafter, there is much that can be learned from them, the above quote, in particular. Still, ESB remains, not only my favorite of the Star Wars series, but also my favorite movie of all time.

May your fear never get the best of you and morph into anything more malevolent. Thanks for reading.

I Live, Again.

2009-07-15T21:46:00.002-06:00

That one lasted a little over a month.

For the second time in as many years, I tried to kill my @off242.com email address. Once, again, I failed -- but it wasn't for lack of trying! Some of you even updated your addresses this time.

This most recent attempt was inspired by May's purchase of an iPhone (at $199; they didn't drop down to $99 until a few weeks after N--- & I purchased one for the each of us; thank you, AT&T), as the checking of my own domain's email proved problematic, given the horrendous amount of spam that manages to easily work its way through my host's filters. Simply put, Gmail provided a cleaner product and made life easier for me. To heck with everyone else who had to go through and update their address books. To heck with them, again, apparently.

During a conversation with S--- yesterday afternoon (glad you called, G; it was good to actually hear from you, and I can't wait to meet up for lunch or something next week), I was informed that Gmail offers the ability to check accounts from other mail servers, apply its own, superior filters, and deliver to the Gmail box. Additionally, users can send messages from Gmail and use the return address of an external domain. In short, @off242.com, an address I have had in excess of ten years, now, can remain active -- and with 99.9% less spam, too! So, mad props to S---, without whose guidance I would be a sheep...@gmail.com.

For any of you who have already updated your address books, don't fret: Messages sent to my Gmail account will still get to me. Or, change it back to @off242.com; whatever works for you. Just keep the messages coming; keep in touch. As always, thanks for reading.

Point Two-five

2009-07-14T06:13:00.003-06:00

Ran this morning, feeling like poo the first 20 minutes or so. Things turned around shortly after the turn-around for the return leg, which wound up making for an amazing run. The only thing that came close to sucking about it was the sad realization that mapmytri.com was right: The route I had previously clocked at 6.25 miles is actually 6.00 miles...at least, according to the more accurately calibrated Polar foot pod, signaling the S725x HRM. Yeah, I'm back in geek mode, again, but more on that in the future. For now, I need to go sort through the past in the folks' attic; I apparently still have a lot of crap over there. I'll let you know if I find anything good.

Thanks for reading.

Nothing to Say

2009-07-13T13:53:00.003-06:00

Not that I can articulate, anyway.

The summer has been relatively uneventful, post-Ironman. I've cleaned house, I've read, I've watched assorted DVDs -- oh, and I've gone to see an alleged summer blockbuster. I know that I am old, for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was one of the worst films I have ever seen and the worst $10.50 I have ever spent. Going to see Bruno (which I won't be doing, so calm thyself) would likely be a step up in both entertainment and intellect.

Swimming, biking, running continues to be somewhat of the norm, although not so much on the swimming; I need to fix this, along with my right arm stroke. Last Thursday's outing to Boerne Lake was most disappointing, for I noticed the right arm provides absolutely zero, zip forward momentum. It as though I move my right arm through the water simply out of ceremony. No wonder my swim splits suck. Running is almost in the same boat, for I am just generally unmotivated to go run. Gotta fix that, though, for I've a 5k at the end of August. Now, cycling? That has been vastly improved since Idaho. Gotta keep that going, too.

But, first, it is time to clean house -- a task I intended to begin when my run fell to <expletive> this morning. Now that I have napped, fed, and goofed off for an unreasonable amount of time, I must begin. After all, tomorrow (and Wednesday, and Thursday), I get to go proctor TAKS! I truly know how to spend my summers.

Enjoy what precious little remains of the summer break, dear friends. Thanks for spending a bit of that time here, reading.

Additional Thanks

2009-06-29T13:16:00.003-06:00

It occurred to me while on weekend bike rides that I skipped giving some due credit to folks who totally deserved it. Mia cupla for the oversight:

Bicycle Heaven, without whom I would have had no race wheels, no new race frame, and a bike in less-than-optimal working condition. Thanks, Matt, Rick, Colby.
Rudy Project makes the best sunglasses & cycling helmets, period. As the name implies, Racing Red is, by far, the best lens option for racing in any conditions, and the SportMask frame is as lightweight & comfortable as it gets. Same goes for the Syton aero helmet. You guys rock.
Nike is no sponsor of mine, but I do want to comment on how nice some of their niche equipment is for training & racing. The Resolute, a mirrored Swedish-style swim goggle, is second to none in the water. On the bike, the old-school tri shoe (I forget the model, and they're still in transit back from CdA) cradles the foot for 100+ miles in comfort & style, while the carbon sole delivers power when & where needed; sucks that Nike got out of the cycling market. Nike does, however, still make some incredible running shoes; specifically, the Free. While not for everyone, I am happy to say that the Nike Free is the best shoe in which I've ever run. The two marathons for which I've worn the Free have had my feet surrounded in comfort from the first step to the last.
John Cobb & Elite Bicycles, in Tyler, Texas, are bicycle fit experts. It's a heck-of-a-drive to the middle of nowhere, but the journey will never be so scenic nor so worthwhile.
Jim Britton arranged to have a trailer filled with bikes & transition bags hauled to & from Idaho, making getting myself there & back again all the easier. Thanks, Ironman.

I'm sure there are others I have forgotten, and, for that, I apologize. The above just really needed to be called out for their contributions in making my race the success that it was...even though my finishing time was off-target. Sigh.

Thanks for the support, and thanks for reading.

I am [an] Ironman

2009-06-26T09:41:00.003-06:00

After twelve hours, eleven minutes, and forty-three seconds, my 140.6-mile journey had come to its end. This past Sunday, June 21, 2009, I became an Ironman. According to the bib numbers listed in the race guide, some 2,600 participants were set to begin the race, but, for a number of reasons, only 2,153 would complete the course. As I walked through the finishing area, fortunate to consider myself one of the "survivors," I could not help but think, "now what?" A big question, to be sure; after all, why was the journey even begun? To borrow from George Mallory, when asked why he had the desire to scale Mount Everest: "Because it's there."

"There" is Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a town of some 34,000 folks, some 25 miles from the eastern border with Washington state, and a couple of hours south of the Canadian border. Out of the eight Ironman-sanctioned races held in North America (one of which is the Hawaii Ironman, which, as the world championships, requires a qualifying time unattainable by mere mortals such as I), Ironman Coeur d'Alene (CdA) had the perfect combination of location, familiarity with the course (I know several people who have completed the course since 2005), and timing (it's difficult for me to take extended time off during the school year). Late June in northern Idaho seemed perfect. But, we had to get there.

Fortunately, everything seemed to fall into place in early March. Whilst reading a story on MSNBC of a six-pound burrito (yours for the eating at some casino in Las Vegas; finish it, and you get unlimited rides on the casino's indoor roller coaster -- how's that for a prize?!), N--- happened upon a link for Frontier Airlines and allegedly cheap airfares. After a few clicks, emails, and phone calls back and forth, we had our airfare. As for getting the bike and transition bag (traditionally, a backpack stuffed with all of the gear a triathlete needs to complete a race [wetsuit, goggles, bike helmet & shoes, running shoes, and nutrition for twelve hours of racing, for example]), plan "A" was to throw it all in a bike transport box loaned to me by a friend. That, however, can prove problematic (and expensive and cumbersome), as we would be without a rental car; given our hotel's proximity to the race course, we simply would not need to travel, save from the airport to the hotel, and the hotel provided a shuttle. But more on that in a bit. Plan "B" became such, as Jim Britton, local bike shop owner and now fellow-Ironman, was having a trailer hauled up to CdA a week before the race. Fortunately, there was room on board for my bike and related gear.

The hotel at which we stayed was the Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort. As it sounds, the resort was expensive as all get out, but its location could not be beat: ~100 yards from the swim start and right in the midst of downtown CdA, which put us within walking distance of both the athlete's village and numerous restaurants, thus no need for a rental car. Additionally, the resort had 24-hour room service for Ironman weekend, so the early morning rituals of race day could be observed with minimal inconvenience; I left the hotel barely an hour before the race start. Nice.

Ironman does a great job of presenting its races, allowing athletes the opportunity to peruse & train on the course in the days leading up to the big race. Gatorade sponsored morning swims, from 7:00 -- 10:00 AM, complete with buoys and watching of athletes' stuff (dry clothes, etc.) while the athletes swam; some athletes even got free Gatorade, but I was not so lucky. From last year's race, the biggest topic of conversation was how cold the swim was. Lake Coeur d'Alene is rumored to be glacier-fed, so it's expected to be cold. However, for 2009, the water temperature was perfect, hovering in the neighborhood of 65° all week. I did only one morning swim, given time constraints with scouting the bike & run courses, and it was perfect. Too bad, for it would have been better practice to have had some rougher water in which to train.

The only downside to not having a rental car was that it would inhibit me from scouting the bike course (two 56-mile loops through town and then off to hillier terrain of the northwest). However, a quick post to a well-known triathlon forum found a ride from a couple in town from Louisiana to do the race; they, too, would be scouting the course that afternoon, despite the rain. Travis & his wife picked me up from the resort around 2:30, and we navigated our way around the somewhat convoluted route. From the backseat of their rented Monte Carlo, I actually began to have my doubts as my ability as a cyclist: These were some serious hills they had in northern Idaho. Why did I have such a hard time believing this was the same course elevation profile posted online? Where was the flat land so evident in Napoleon Dynamite? The next morning, better weather allowed me time to go for an early-morning spin on part of the bike & run courses, where my legs were able to loosen up some, and my confidence came back. I could would do this. After the ride, it was time to pack my transition bags and drop them and my bike off for the next day's race. Ironman was here.

Sleep was something with which I had had trouble in the weeks leading up to the race. Being in Idaho only made it worse, as I was still running on Central time, instead of Pacific. Couple with that the fact that it gets dark late (nearly 9:00 PM) and light early (shortly after 4:00 AM); I was usually up shortly after daylight. Race morning, though, I was up at 3:00 for breakfast (huckleberry pancakes & eggs!), and then managed to go back to sleep for another 90 minutes before rousing myself and getting my remaining gear together for the race. With a little over an hour remaining on the countdown to race clock, N--- & I made our way down to transition. Thirty minutes later, I was wetsuitted up and standing on a beach with two-and-a-half thousand of my closest friends, ready to get the show on the road. The noise & excitement from every body on the beach made it near impossible to hear one's self think; I barely even heard the cannon fire at 7:00 AM, signifying the start of the race. It was time to do the seemingly impossible.

SWIM - 1:26:04

The swim in Lake Coeur d'Alene would consist of two loops around a rectangular course. I've heard horror stories of the craziness of the swim starts -- 2,400 athletes trying to swim in a relatively narrow corridor of water -- so my plan was to wait a minute or so before entering the water -- which I did: I was literally the last one in the water. That plan didn't pan out so well, though, for, by the time I made it to the first turn, I was already in the thick of it, and nearest the turn buoy -- which is where I did not want to be. Somehow, though, I still found myself nearest the buoys at every turn, getting conked on the head, whacked on the back, kicked in the side. Survivorship helped me make it back to shore for the completion of the first loop, and then it was time to do it all over again. Loop #2, though, proved to be more challenging. Granted, there were fewer swimmers ahead of me, now, but the wind had really picked up, making for rough chop on the way out. Some swells must have been three feet high, and I had little choice but to ride it out, swimming on what felt like a treadmill, going nowhere fast.

Finally, I made it back to shore, had my wetsuit peeled off of me, and I was off to the changing tent for transition #1 (T1). Because of the rumored chill that was to be in the air for race day, racers were advised to change out of their swim attire and into dry attire for the bike & run legs. I heeded this advice and had probably the slowest transition in the five years I've been racing: 11 minutes, 32 seconds. Abysmal, but I was now ready to go ride.

BIKE - 6:03:10

Typically, hills & such do not seem as bad from a car as what they really are. The opposite was true of the CdA bike leg. Whilst Travis & I commented on how tough the course was going to be from the confines of a car, once out on the bike, it really wasn't that bad. True, the hills were real grinders (and made me glad I had opted for a 12-25 cassette, just to give myself an extra gear or two, should I need it), but all that made the bike course really tough was the chill in the air and the unceasing wind: There was nary a tailwind to be found! However, there were bagpipes, just before the first turnaround at the top of the course's first climb. Hearing the pipes four times on the course was nothing short of awesome.

Loop #2 felt easier than did loop #1, for I had a better idea of what to expect for the climbing and descents. Mid-way through the second loop, I knew I would not hit my target finish time of sub-six hours for the bike split and began to recalculate my finishing time and what it would take to still hit a twelve hour finish. However, when I entered T2 (the second transition, from bike to run), I saw I was just over six hours, and still had somewhat of a shot at nailing my finish time goal. T2 was much faster (2:46), and I was off & running.

RUN - 4:28:12

I had run three marathons prior to Ironman CdA, and in none of them did I walk. Ironman, however, is a different animal. I felt great the first 10k (~6 miles) of the run, but by mile seven, the mile markers were becoming sporadic, and it became difficult to get my run splits, to see if I was on pace. Shortly thereafter, I gave up and had to walk, feeling like I was going too hard. Taking in the right amount of nutrition to counter the cold (it was barely above 50° when I began the run, and rain was coming) became paramount, seconded by finishing. If it could be done in twelve hours, super. If not, well, I would still finish; death before DNF and all that.

Seeing so many fellow runners and triathletes was really motivational. I ran into (no, not literally) another poster from the triathlon forum, recognized by the kilt he wore on the run. With a little over 10k remaining in the race, I began to increase my pace, slowing down only once more to take in some fluids at the aid stations. As the course wound its way back into town, a kid on a corner, shouted out that there was less than a mile to go. The pace intensified even more. At the top of the final hill, a volunteer patted me on the back and said to hang a left and then it was seven blocks to the finish. Rounding that final corner was an amazing sight.

With one exception (the weather), everything I had heard about the course at Coeur d'Alene was true: It was beautiful. It was just the right amount of challenge. The volunteer support was superb. The entire town turns out for the finish to cheer athletes on, regardless of finishing time. Running into town, through the finishing chute, and hearing my name (mispronounced) that I was now an Ironman was a one-of-a-kind experience. As I crossed the finish line eleven minutes & change over my desired time, I received my finisher's prizes (a nice hat, a bland t-shirt, and a medal that will make a lovely Christmas tree ornament), and found myself asking, "[I've finished an Ironman,] Now what?" For starters, work. I focused entirely too much on my training this past school year and not enough on my students. Additionally, taking the GRE and beginning work on a Master's degree, although in what, I have not decided; I'm barely a week across the finish line -- work with me. Most importantly, though, is getting married next March. N--- has been wonderfully patient with me through the training and selfishness that accompanies the prep for a race like this. It's my turn to now support her.

Other thank yous go out to:

Dan & Kristine, for all of the help in getting prepared for what to expect from both Ironman and the town of Coeur d'Alene.
Dad & Mom for use of the camera, watching after the cat while N--- & I went adventuring in the Pacific Northwest, and for rides to & from the airport
Travis & Kristin for shuttling me around the bike course on a wet Friday afternoon. It's folk like you who make the triathlon community a great thing to be a part of.
Jennifer, Skyler, Taylor, Keith, & Tamara for meeting N--- & I at the airport with Mom. It made for one heck of a landing & reception.

Although she has already been mentioned, not enough can be said to thank N--- for her love and support on every front in this venture. From the times she literally dragged me out to go run to warm meals cooked after long bike rides to the simple smiles and cheers given while out on course, nothing can beat having someone as kind and as caring as she. Thank you.

And thus concludes my lengthy race report for Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2009. Thanks for reading.

By the Numbers

2009-06-10T14:14:00.003-06:00

The message for which I had been waiting was received today. While not entirely pleased with the results, getting the number I wanted was a one a million shot; well, one in 2400, give or take a few.

Bib numbers for the 2009 Ironman Coeur d'Alene were posted today, so, like all other tri-geeks anxiously counting down the remaining days, hours, minutes, seconds until the cannon goes off (almost down to single-digit days!), I rushed over to Ironmancda.com to find mine, and here it is:

807.

Kinda lackluster, I know...not something I can get entirely psyched about. One digit up, and it would have been a cool wheelset made by Zipp, but, I guess it's not possible to switch now. I will forever by bib #807 for this race, so I need to make sure I make the most of it. At least I can now compose that email for friends & family that includes the bib number, for whatever difference it makes; apparently, last name is the preferred method of tracking athletes over at ironmanlive.com.

Grumbling aside, that's now one less thing over which I need stress, if, in fact, I've been stressing. With ten days & change until race day, insomnia has again surfaced. Fortunately, I can sleep during the days, now, if need-be (which I did today; just got up from a ~4-hour nap; felt good), and do what I must in the evenings. However, a pattern must be established, so I'll be working on that in the lead-up to the weekend. Elsewhere, I've made the arrangements for transportation from the airport to the resort and dropped off the Slice and my transition bag at Britton's for the long ride up to Idaho. And, yes, I did remember to pack my Big Red for the special needs bags. Apart from the whole lack of sleep thing, I think I'm pretty well set. Come on, June 21st...or at least the 18th. Methinks I'll feel much more relaxed once I'm at the race site. One week to go.

With that said, it's time to tend to things around here. Both my & N---'s vehicles need oil changes, and I'd really like to make it through as much of that book that N--- gave me for Valentine's Day this year before the weekend, in order to devote full attention to an in-depth reading of In Cold Blood; I want to be better prepped for PAPE2 this year. Enjoy whatever's on your summer reading list, even if it does include this blog. Thanks for reading.

Gearing Up, Gearing Down

2009-06-08T20:42:00.001-06:00

Apparently, nothing can go as planned.

The plan was to clean the bike & pack up the transition bag after dropping N--- off at church for her mission trip to Galveston (after her first race of the season; she finished 2nd in her AG & 4th female, overall). A jury summons for N--- for Tuesday morning changed all of that, as there were no means of contacting the county courthouse over the weekend to request postponement, etc. , which means I made a quick trip out to Galveston Island today to drop N--- off. I tried checking in on peeps in the area I knew, but everyone was at work (or, not at home; L--- is a teacher, too, but even she didn't answer). Some four hundred miles later, I'm home.

Elsewhere, and after doing some reading on ST, I'd come to the conclusion that an 11-23 cassette might not be the best option for me for CdA. A quick call to Bicycle Heaven secured a 12-25 cassette for the Jet 90 (I didn't want to trust the season's "A" race to the aged cassette off the CAAD9), but, after installing it and finding the cassette rattled on the wheel, I freaked. Unnecessarily so, as it turns out I simply needed a 12-tooth lockring; silly Campagnolo equipment. While there, though, I ran into W---, C---'s girlfriend, also doing the course, as well as V---, a triathlete who has really taken off in to the multisport world, seeming to "live for the sport." V--- even quit his job with a local sports team to go work for Mellow Johnny's up in Austin. He seems to be enjoying it, including the perks: A new Trek TTX with Red componentry. Very, nice, but I'm still keen on my Slice; after all, it really does have my name written all over it.

Once back from the shop, lockring in hand, found the Slice now shined, primed, and ready to rock the bike course at Ironman Coeur d'Alene Sunday after next. Additionally, my bag is all packed (nutrition & all) and ready to be dropped off with the Slice tomorrow afternoon at Britton's for safe transport up to Idaho.

I've had quite the busy day; sitting in a car can be exhausting. Methinks I'll wind down with some reading and drift off to sleep. Enjoy your summer, and thanks for reading.

Finished

2009-06-05T19:33:00.002-06:00

Yup, the school year's (finally) over.

What has been said about the fifth year being the hardest is true: This was definitely one to test me on nearly every front. However, I survived -- and even renewed my contract for next year, which, I'm hoping, will not be much like the 2008-09 year at all. Rumor has it I'll have conference and athletic periods, N--- finishes grad school in December, which should help remove some of the stress on how (in)frequently we get to see one another, and having another swine flu outbreak (at least one that shuts down the entire district) seems unlikely. About the only thing that could cause difficulties are the new TEKS, but, like a good little school boy, I brought my binder home for the summer to start planning...once Ironman is over. With a little over two weeks until race day, I should be left with plenty of time for that sort of thing...unless I qualify.

<insert.laughter.here>

With that said, I'm off to get a massage. My body has all but shut down from racing & training the past two weeks, so it's time to start rejuvenating. Taper starts tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

CapTex 2009

2009-05-27T22:20:00.004-06:00

Great race, save the bike retrieval from transition. Thanks to the awesome support from those who made the journey to Austin, and thanks for reading.

HTFU

2009-05-19T20:33:00.002-06:00

I'm staring at 32 days until the gun goes off at Ironman Coeur d'Alene.

That countdown timer has whittled its way down from triple to double digits and, before too long, to single. There are a two or three more intense-ish weeks remaining until I begin my taper (sadly, at the same time school lets out for summer; now I really am grateful for Swine Break '09), and the workouts are every bit of that: Intense.

This past weekend was to see a century & follow-up run, but, due to the aforementioned Swine Break, the SAT I promised to proctor was rescheduled for this past Saturday. While the bike ride was definitely out, the run was still a possibility -- until the heavens opened up, literally, as I handed in my paperwork to the lead administrator. So, I went home & slept. Sunday was to be a bike ride to the gym, weight workout & swim, followed by a ride home. Stupidly, I left my bike lock at home, so I turned around at the gym and rode back home, narrowly avoiding being taken out by people in a hurry to get to church (seriously! two cars, making turns into two separate entrances, nearly took me out -- my front tire actually hit the rear bumper of the second car). By the time I made it home, I was livid and unwilling to do anything. Then N--- came over and game me a pep talk before she all but dragged me out the door to run with her. While the run was only six miles, and at a 9:something pace, it gave me a wakeup call: I need to harden the <expletive> up. Granted, it's not likely I'll have any near misses with the church crowd at Ironman, but I am likely to face some serious mental challenges out on course -- physical challenges, for certain -- and, unless I am fully prepared for anything that can get thrown at me, I may as well not even board the plane.

Hypocritically, I skipped this morning's workout, due only to nearly passing out after last night's harder-than-it-should-have-been 15-mile run, but did post a really good brick tonight. Swimming's scheduled for tomorrow morning, with the Ride of Silence having the green light for the evening. Meet at Hemisfair Park, if you're keen on the Ride of Silence; wheels down at 7:00. Yea or nea, keep an eye out for cyclists, and thanks for reading.

I'm in the Wrong Business

2009-05-18T14:27:00.001-06:00

So I'm sitting in a workshop, learning about blogging. Sit & ponder that one for a moment.

Right, that's what I was pondering, too. Personally, I was hoping for more on how to use blogs as a useful writing tool for teaching. For that, I do have my own ideas, and I'm hoping to get them in order sometime after Ironman has been put to bed, for it doesn't appear I'm going to get anything useful here.

The person running the workshop (remotely, from Arizona) is doing little more than serving as a human search engine for various blogs he's found and organized. Yes, it's that lame. I'll bet he gets "exceeds expectations" on his PDAS, though. Maybe I need to move to Arizona. Why not? J--- is. A--- & her husband moved there, too, and they're both triathletes. Hmm....nah, wouldn't work. N--- hates Texas because it's so hot; I can only imagine what she'd think of Arizona. Still, we'd be closer to an Ironman course, because we all know how much I'm enjoying the whole training process.

Speaking of, I'm off for a 15-mile run after this workshop is done. For now, I'm off to mapmytri.com to get a route together, as, after 34 minutes, there's been nothing mindblowing going on here. I so hope this is not how my kids feel.

Right. If you're keen on the run, meet me at the library ~4:30 this after. Thanks for reading.

Safe Transport

2009-05-10T16:30:00.003-06:00

The past few days have been tough, both in terms of training and in terms of going back to school after a week-and-a-half off. The down time was great for training, and I could have certainly used a lot more of it. I am totally looking forward to the summer holiday.

Yesterday was a brick workout out at Boerne Lake. I'd heard there would be a few people swimming at 7:00, so I headed out from N---'s just past six in order to get there and suited up in time. Glad I did, too, for the parking lot by the boat ramp was filled when I rolled in at 6:45. Apparently, several groups were meeting to swim at seven, including the Purple Menace, and all of them were intent on being in the park by 7:00 AM, for that is when the gate guard comes in. Make it in before she does, and you save $8 a car-load.

I wound up swimming the circumference of the lake with a small group of CdA-bound triathletes. My first time all the way around, according to one's GPS, we clocked 2.3 miles of open water swimming -- and in 1:08:33! Once out of the water, it was onto a bike ride, again with the same group. Some were more swift in "transition," while others took nearly 45 minutes to be ready to ride. Because I was an uninvited guest, I opted not to say anything and just hung back as best I could, until I saw how late it was getting -- and we were still nearly ten miles out. Thus, the proverbial hammer was dropped, and I rocketed back to the lake to get changed and head back to N---'s in order to grade papers until she returned from the lab. Unfortunately, her day didn't go as planned, either, so we just wound up hanging out together, making veggie burgers, and watching the HBO miniseries John Adams.

This morning was a planned 20-mile run, but I failed to take in adequate nutrition pre-run, as well as not loading up the Camelbak with a Nuun tablet. I tanked after 11 miles, and sulked back home to shower and feel sorry for myself.

About the only thing that has gone perfectly this weekend is arranging for the bike transport up to CdA. Rumor circulated around last weekend's fateful 1604 ride that J--- was taking a trailer up to CdA with room for several bikes. I swung by J---'s shop yesterday to inquire about it, and, while the price was a bit more than that of the airlines, that I would not have to fuss with a bike box (and that I could smuggle my Big Red for the special needs bag in the trailer) made it worth the extra $50. Barring theft or serious traffic accident, the Slice will be waiting for me in Idaho without the need for assembly and little-to-no maintenance. That alone made up for the longest 56-mile bike ride I can remember.

Tired and sore from this weekend's activities, I'm off to lick my wounds. Thanks for checking in, and thanks for reading.

Back to School

2009-05-07T05:41:00.003-06:00

Alas, the unscheduled break (aka school closures due to swine flu) has come to its end. Faculty & staff returned to school yesterday for a meeting and work day; the kids return today.

Over the break (including yesterday, since I was still without students), I managed to get in...

12,749 yards (including two trips to Boerne Lake!) swimming
217.3 miles (plus one 2-hour trainer ride) of cycling
51.99 miles of running

I'd have liked my bike mileage to be a tad higher, but, in all, I don't think it was too bad, considering Sunday's wreck, which effectively shortened bike mileage by 40; run, 10. Meh, whatever.

Tonight has (hopefully) another 20-mile run on tap, with brick workouts beginning with Trisition at the lake this Saturday. I'll see how the first one goes and then reschedule accordingly. However, both CapTex and CdA are creeping up on me really quick-like. Training must really stay ramped up, even though there are four weeks remaining in the school year. Lucky for me, most of it will be spent in testing, insuring the kiddos are ready for final exams that first week in June. From there, it's taper, taper, taper, all the way into Idaho.

See you on the Parkway tonight. For now, it's off to work. Thanks for reading.

To Be Continued...

2009-05-02T08:06:00.002-06:00

Apparently, this swine flue thing is still hot on the nerves of the powers that be at the Department of State Health Services. They've "recommended" the district stay shut down until May 11th, and the district, apparently, is complying.

While bad news for getting curriculum & whatnot knocked out, this is quite good news for training, as I have been blessed with yet another week to get in some serious training for CdA. At 49 days and counting, timing is actually pretty good. I just hope we don't wind up going too much further into June than what we already do. In a podcast, the superintendent requested that employees stay home and away from others to stop spread of the disease. While I am staying shy of others, staying home is just not something I can do too well; there's training to be done. Then there was snippet from USAToday:

Health officials say swine flu is preventable: the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests washing hands often, getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, eating nutritious food and drinking plenty of fluids.

Why we are expected to stay at home and do nothing, essentially waiting to get sick, is beyond me. I guess I'll just keep doing what it is I've been doing: Hitting those last three points hard and heavy. Of course, with all of that physical activity, getting plenty of sleep is a no-brainer.

I'm off to finish my tea and head out to the lake for a 2-mile swim. Tomorrow's the 1604 ride, for which I am quite stoked, followed by a rest day on Monday. Depending on how things go, D--- & I might head up to Comfort for some mountain biking.

Stay healthy, and thanks for reading.

Trainer Workout

2009-04-29T13:31:00.002-06:00

With the weather as iffy as it was this morning, I opted out of the scheduled bike ride and hopped on the trainer, instead. While not my preferred method of getting in bike time, it did let me spin on the TT bike (was going to take out the Cdale road bike, as the Slice's rear bottle cage mount is out of commission) for a couple of hours, instead. I have to say, today's workout was a real challenge. Here's what I did:

15 minutes easy
15 minutes leg drills (1-minute left, 1-minute right, 1-minute both; repeat)
20 minutes tempo
20-minute TT (all-out effort)
10 minutes easy
15 minutes tempo
15 minutes easy

Special thanks to the fine folks at Cycle Ops for posting some of Linsey Corbin's trainer workouts; they're a real life saver on days like today.

Nap time before this evening's swim. Good luck catching a siesta wherever you are. Thanks for reading.

Swine Break?

2009-04-27T10:07:00.000-06:00

Now doesn't that make you feel better?
The pigs have won tonight
Now they can all sleep soundly
And everything is all right

Wow. Friday's emergency faculty meeting blossomed -- nay, exploded! -- into a full-fledged shutting down of the whole district by the Texas Department of State Health Services this week. And just in time for TAKS, too!

So, just like for spring break last month, my district is again down while everyone else is in school. Truth be told, I was a lot disappointed about all of this; I was actually looking forward to going into the work today. But then I went for a run.

Thirteen miles and change later, I am pumped about getting a whole week off to do little more than train and maybe grade some essays. Of course, this week was supposed to be an easier week, but I'll just do a tweak here & there to get done what I can get done in the time I have been afforded. I just hope we don't have to go too much farther into June than what we already do. I'd kind of like to have that week in between finishing school and leaving for Coeur d'Alene to myself, to wind down and more effectively taper before departing for the Pacific Northwest.

I'm off to toy with my training schedule for the week. Weather permitting (and it looks really iffy this week [surprise]), I'll be able to get in at least one more long run and a long ride or two before Sunday's excursion around 1604.

Stay safe out there with the flu & such. Thanks for reading.

Birthdays

2009-04-23T04:48:00.000-06:00

Today is William Shakespeare's birthday. Two days ago was Robert Smith's birthday.

How coincidental is it that two of the greatest poets to have lived were born days apart from one another?

Thanks for reading.

Narcissism

2009-04-21T20:28:00.002-06:00

N--- sent me this article today:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30312181//

...and it was sobering, on how I perceive both myself and those around me (no, not you). Makes me wonder if that Facebook page (or Facebook itself, regardless of how many people it's put me back in touch with, for if they were all that important, why did we lose touch?) was really all that necessary.

I'm appreciative of the article, for I believe it will be helpful to me, personally. I've some serious growing up to do. Really, I think many of us do.

Whether you do or not, thanks for reading.

Sick & Tired

2009-04-19T21:16:00.002-06:00

...of all the @#%* wind.

Had to say it.

Thanks for reading.

Approaching Normal

2009-04-16T06:53:00.003-06:00

The past week has been exhausting. Tacked on to the passing of M--- have been complications in my own life, all of which have since been overcome, thanks in large part to the patience and love of those around me. I literally could not have done that on my own, less I be on my own. Regardless, I found myself completely exhausted upon my return from work to swap out attire in my gym bag (nearly 5km swum in the past 24 hours, coupled with riding & such). By the time I made it to the bedroom, all I recalled doing was slipping off my shoes and falling asleep atop the covers. I woke up a little over an hour ago.

So, here I am, now showered, dressed, and ready to go to work. Hmm...maybe "prepared" would be a better descriptor for that last clause, as I have been actively trying to find distractions from leaving the house. However, at 7:58, I fear I can delay no longer and must go. I just hope that this Thursday is a better day than was last, in terms of metaphoric bombs & such.

A closing, somewhat random note (though the inspiration for the title of today's post), is again regarding music. Blue October has released another album. While largely more commercial than others (and certainly not as good as its immediate predecessor), Approaching Normal does have some great tracks. "Weight of the World" and "Kangaroo Cry" stand out among my favorites. Download your copy from Amazon or iTunes to give it a listen. Thus far, the only thing upsetting me about the band is that I'll not be able to see them when they grace Sunset Station in June; ticket prices are cheap, but factoring in the Ticketbastard prices make a pair of tickets obscenely expensive. Bleh.

Off to work with me, off to wherever it is with you. Thanks for reading.

Cut Here

2009-04-12T03:40:00.002-06:00

"So we meet again!" and I offer my hand / / All dry and English slow / And you look at me and I understand / Yeah it's a look I used to know / "Three long years... and your favourite man... / Is that any way to say hello?" / And you hold me... like you'll never let me go

"Oh c'mon and have a drink with me / Sit down and talk a while..." / "Oh I wish I could... and I will! / But now I just don't have the time..." / And over my shoulder as I walk away / I see you give that look goodbye... / I still see that look in your eye...

So dizzy Mr. Busy - Too much rush to talk to Billy / All the silly frilly things have to first get done / In a minute - sometime soon - maybe next time - make it June / Until later... doesn't always come

It's so hard to think "It ends sometime / And this could be the last / I should really hear you sing again / And I should really watch you dance" / Because it's hard to think / "I'll never get another chance / To hold you... to hold you... "

But chilly Mr. Dilly - Too much rush to talk to Billy / All the tizzy fizzy idiot things must get done / In a second - just hang on - all in good time - wont be long / Until later...

I should've stopped to think - I should've made the time / I could've had that drink - I could've talked a while / I would've done it right - I would've moved us on / But I didn't - now it's all too late / It's over... over / And you're gone..

I miss you I miss you I miss you / I miss you I miss you I miss you so much

But how many times can I walk away and wish "If only..." / But how many times can I talk this way and wish "If only..." / Keep on making the same mistake
Keep on aching the same heartbreak / I wish "If only..."

But "If only...." / Is a wish too late...

A Loss

2009-04-10T05:33:00.004-06:00

I got word yesterday afternoon that, at some point earlier in the day, a cycling friend, with whom I'd ridden, literally, thousands of miles, committed suicide. The demons plaguing him since his wife's sudden death 18 months ago must have become too much for him, so he sought solace in eternal silence from this world; or, I suppose as much.

M--- had been on my mind for over a month, for I'd not seen him on any rides or elsewhere in so very long. I'd intended to call, or at least email, and I did not; it seemed as though when the thought occurred to me, it was not at a convenient point in time (in the midst of a ride, whilst teaching school), and the thought would be gone by the time it was no longer inconvenient. In essence, M--- was forgotten.

Sadly, this came to be too real yesterday, at least, perhaps, from M---'s perspective. Perhaps he felt forgotten or at least out of place; everyone around him still has their significant others. Everyone around him went about their daily lives, thinking, wishing he would "get over" the death of C---. I know I still miss C---, so I cannot fathom what the pain, the absence must have been like for M---.

This is a total departure from what I typically write here, but, being my blog, I can pretty-much write whatever the <expletive> I want. Additionally, having had the past 15 hours to think, mold into words what, previously, was only shock and silence, I finally felt ready to say something; writing is that outlet for me. Funny, me being an English teacher & all.

I need to go. The car's radiator needs replacing and, in a sad twist of irony, I'm off to pay more heed to the needs of a machine than I did to the needs of a friend. Thanks for reading.

Spring Break Wrapup

2009-03-23T05:08:00.002-06:00

Lots happened with the miles reported, but here's what I managed to accomplish, training-wise, over the 9-day spring break:

Swim: 7000 meters
Bike: 210 miles
Run: 19.78 miles
Two bricks: 1 swim/bike; 1 bike/run

It's weak for a week, plus, but I did lose two days for the bike fitting, plus the weather wasn't always cooperative (the above does not reflect trainer time for the bike). With only 90 days remaining until race day, I now have backup plans in place when weather is or may be an issue.

If you had one, I hope your break was a restful one. Thanks for reading.

New Bike!

2009-03-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

The Felt B2 has finally been retired. After last Saturday's ride over godawful asphalt out near Helotes, the decision to switch from aluminum to carbon was solidified, and I am now the pleased-as-punch rider of a Cannondale Slice 3.

I'll take it out on its maiden voyage tomorrow night, plus there's the whole bike fitting with John Cobb next week, so some adjustments, I'm sure, will be made. For now, it's bedtime. Oh, what dreams may come. Thanks for reading.

Perfect Ending to a Perfect Week.

2009-03-08T15:01:00.002-06:00

Winds blow, riding bikes doesn't.

The weather was better than it was last weekend, so I intended to take full advantage of it to break in the new Hed 6/9 wheelset on my TT bike. Meeting up with a guy I met off Slowtwitch at The Rim, we headed off for a 70-mile jaunt to Castroville. We knew it would be tough going out, due to the velocity and direction of the wind, but thought little of it in consideration of the promise of a killer tail-wind on the way back. That didn't exactly happen to plan (winds can shift direction--who knew?), but the ride was great, PLUS I met a fellow CdA-bound triathlete on-par with me in cycling ability. I am so looking forward to the lead-up to Ironman.

Today was another 70-mile ride, this time solo; this time on the Cdale. The winds were still blowing, making for a tough ride home. The cloud cover helped, but the rough pavement on River Road did not. That which does not kill me may make me stronger, but it certainly did no good for my lower back. I see a massage in my future.

But first, a trip to Target for N--- to pick up her new iPod, given the premature demise of the last one she had. Thank goodness for extended warranties.

Big training week ahead, so I'll see you on the road, at the pool, or next Saturday at Boerne Lake. Thanks for reading.

Tranced

2009-03-04T23:05:00.003-06:00

It's late, and I should be in bed. Unfortunately, I'm still a tad wired and have been unable to lull myself to sleep, so, here I sit, typing. This is not going to help tomorrow morning's scheduled track workout, I'm sure.

The past couple of days have rocked. Monday was "get your <expletive> back in the pool" day, and the temperature at the gym was a crisp 81°. While two weeks out of water did my form & function in the pool absolutely no good, it did feel good to get wet...and to break in the new Swedes (now featuring bungee cord!). There's just something amazing about that first swim with new goggles. Ah...

Right. Back to the rockin' past couple of days. Tuesday rocked because the ELA TAKS test was taken, finished, and put to bed, meaning work can feel less like it, and maybe, just maybe, I can teach the kids something other than how to take one, <expletive> test. After school, it was off on the TT bike for a 30-mile spin around the block. As luck would have it, the winds really picked up, but were nowhere near the Oz-like proportions they were on Saturday. That, plus a minor tweak of my elbow position made me not only more comfortable but also more powerful: It was though the wind wasn't even blowing, noticeable only when it was at my back, and my speed ramped up from the low 20s to the high 20s, pushing 30+. I love riding a bike.

Once home, it was off to Borders to pick up a copy of Speak (started a novel unit with that book as the focus; poor kids have no clue what's in store for them), as well as a couple of Tiesto CDs. I've recently rekindled an interest in his twist on music, scouring the Internet for favorite tracks, including the radio edit of "Tears from the Moon" (which was found through a kind soul on Slowtwitch -- thanks!).

The iPod is now filled with the usual fare, as well as some great trance tracks, which means my next long run is going to be that much cooler. I literally cannot wait. However, I will have to do just that, for the next long run will be Monday. Tomorrow is track and long swim; Friday, swim; Saturday & Sunday, bike, with Saturday's ride done on the TT bike with my new Hed 6/9 wheelset; I pick 'em up tomorrow. Yes, the past few days have been so good.

Before I get too excited, though, I need to get some sleep. Guess I'll try curling up with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, plow through some pages, and try to get some shut-eye. Four hundred splits are on tap for the morning, although I'm not looking to bust any records; rather, just keep my speed up where it needs to be. Again, distance isn't for a few days more.

Thanks for letting me entertain you this evening, and thank you, N---, for agreeing to go on that run with me around Boerne Lake, three years ago this day. Life continues to be good ever since.

For the rest of you, here's to the good life. Thanks for reading.

Still Recovering

2009-03-02T06:54:00.002-06:00

The difference a week makes is incredible.

Last weekend, I could barely move, I hurt so badly from 100° temperatures & such. This weekend, I rode and ran, but not on the same day. Saturday's 55-mile excursion into 30 MPH winds didn't kill me but certainly did not feel to make me stronger, either; at least, not immediately. I slept Saturday and piddled around the house most of yesterday until finding the energy to go for a jaunt out & back on the Parkway. I'm not sure if it was the tunes or just a general frisky feeling, but I managed a 7:20/mi pace for the duration of the run; it was awesome...until I got home. Post-run, I felt severely worn down, wanting to do little more than sit on the sofa and reflect; I barely wanted to eat.

Twelve hours later (nearly ten of which were spent sleeping), I feel much better. Obviously, I didn't make it to the pool this morning, but that will be remedied this evening or in the not-too-distant future. I feel confident about my running and think now I just need to increase the time spent in the lanes and on the bike. For the latter, daylight savings time kicks in next weekend, so as long as the weather doesn't dump snow or blow with gale-force, methinks I'll be okay.

It's off to school with me, now. Thanks for reading.

North Winds, Blow!

2009-02-28T08:00:00.003-06:00

From the weather desk:

NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED TODAY.

Looking at the windmill in front of the house, every bit of that 20--30 MPH wind is blowing in from the north, right now. Time to go suit up and ride a bike into that for the next four hours. Woohoo.

Thanks for reading.

Twenty-fifteen

2009-02-27T16:47:00.003-06:00

Great day today:

It's Friday
One more (school) day until TAKS
I'm feeling good enough to go swim tonight
My teaching certificate is good until 2015, so it looks like I'll have a job for the foreseeable future

In order to swim tonight, though, I need to run out to D&J for a new pair of goggles. Swedes are great, but the strap tends to wear thin after a few months. Maybe I'll look into a bungee or something. Regardless, it's out to 410 & Blanco with me before it gets to be too late. See you at the pool or in the AM on the bike. Thanks for reading.

Type B

2009-02-23T07:57:00.002-06:00

I am officially sick.

After a brief spell of feeling better, N--- shuttled me off to the Doc in the Box yesterday afternoon, mid-way through the first disc of season four of Battlestar Galactica. After hours of waiting, the verdict came back: Influenza, Type B.

Doc said that I should be on the down-side of this by now, since I've been feeling ill since Wednesday afternoon, but he prescribed the meds, anyway. A "quick" trip to the only local pharmacy still open after 6:00 PM on a Sunday got me what I needed, so it was back home for lasagna (yum!) and more Battlestar. When I finally cratered, N--- & I had just finished the first disc, and she made her way home. Mad props to N---, too: Drives all the way out from the other side of the universe, puts up with sick ol' me, takes me to the doctor, comes back, goes for a run, comes to get me, and still can sit through hours of sci-fi with me. Definitely says something of the perks of being an endurance athlete. No wonder I want to marry this gal.

So, here I am, at home, playing the pathetically sick boy. I managed a run up to the school to make copies & instructions for the sub and to grab the last stack of journals that I need to grade, meaning I will have plenty with which to occupy my time, just in case sleep doesn't overtake me. For now, it is time for a bit of breakfast. Wash thoroughly, and thanks for reading.

Anti-Bike?

2009-02-21T13:23:00.003-06:00

You ever get the feeling that all the forces in the universe are working against you? While I don't think the gods are necessarily against me, I somehow think there is a conspiracy against me riding my bike outdoors. Seriously. Look at the facts:

After Longhorn, it was marathon season, so running took precedent.
Come December, the weather was an issue, making a soppy, wet mess of the roads.
January, I managed to build some decent base miles and regained my confidence, courtesy of some good MTB sessions (thanks, D---).
Now, February, swim season is over, and I get sick. Two days before the weekend's double-awesome area rides, including Freiheit. I am so <expletive> angry.

Here I sit, recovering from fever (hit a high of 101° yesterday!) and trying to find the strength to even hop on the trainer to get my legs spinning. Freiheit isn't until tomorrow, but I doubt I'll be able to make the century ride out of it that I had initially planned -- unless a minor miracle happens with my health. Eh, who knows.

On the up side, the TT bike has received a couple of upgrades: A new stem (thanks to a cleaning session where, during reinstallation of the old stem, I somehow stripped a bolt) and new wheels. Yup, I bit the bullet yesterday and ordered a set of race wheels, Hed 6/9 C2. They won't be in for a week or two, but that's fine by me. As I've not been out on the bike much at all lately, I doubt I could do them any justice.

I'm off to nap with the cat and sulk myself into feeling better. Thanks for coming to my pity party, and thanks for reading.

Houston Half

2009-02-14T22:11:00.002-06:00

Got a postcard in the mail today with the official results from last month's Houston Half-marathon.

Chip time: 1:36:03
Gun time: 1:37:26
Pace: 7:20/mi
Place within division: 28/544
Place within gender: 231/3548
Place overall: 315/8333

Not too shabby, but imagine if I would have trained.

Swim season ended today at the regional meet. More on that another time. For now, I'm ready for some well-deserved and seriously-delayed rest. Thanks for reading.

Countdown

2009-02-12T23:21:00.003-06:00

This is so cool:

Available at: http://www.ironmancda.com/cdaclock.html.

I really need to go to bed, but thanks for staying up with me. Thanks for reading, too.

Cool Pool

2009-02-12T22:19:00.002-06:00

A little whining goes a long way.

Remember my ranting about the temperature of the pool at the gym? After a week of non-returned phone calls, I decided to call again, this time reaching a competent rep who fielded my complaint, asked some questions, and took down my number to call me back when she had an answer. She called the next day.

A compromise had been reached between corporate management (from whom the edict of an 88° pool temperature supposedly had originated) and the local management. It wasn't the 82° for which I was shooting, but, rather, a mediocre 85°. Tonight was my first night back at the gym to swim (N--- wasn't feeling well, and it would have been too late ([about this time] when I would have left UTSA to return the pass key to her, and her health is more important than my swim time), and I am ecstatic to report that the pool temperature was a cool, crisp 84° -- the same as at Chisolm Hall. Of course, the gym pool is but four feet deep, all the way across, but, for my Thursday night swim, it did just fine.

Tonight's workout was focused on bi-lateral breathing, a technique I preach to my swimmers, yet have had difficulty in putting into practice for myself. My arm turnover is improving (thanks, in large part, to increased work with Stretch Cordz a couple of times a day), so bi-lateral breathing has become somewhat easier. I'm still no Thorpedo, but my 500-yard splits were about 20 seconds faster tonight than in weeks past. Woohoo.

Well, sports fans, it's way past time to call it a night. Tomorrow is what will likely be the last swim practice of the season. The regional meet is tomorrow night, and we are in a ridiculously tough region. That, plus the kids are tired. Real tired. Deseveredly so, too. They've put in a good, long season since Labor Day, and, with only two exceptions, all of them should be returning swimmers for next year. Hopefully, we can keep a better handle on eligibility this next year, but that's another topic for another time. For now, it's sleep-bye time. So sayeth the kitty.

Sleep well and enjoy sleeping in after tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading.

The Rudy Project Project

2009-02-12T18:31:00.005-06:00

I have a thing for sunglasses and have for several years. When I applied for and received sponsorship from Rudy Project last year, I knew things could get expensive. Until recently, though, I've actually been able to keep a pretty good handle on things. Here's my side of the story.

There was, of course, the helmet N--- got me in 07 for Christmas, which started the snowball rolling. From there, I received a complimentary pair of Sportmask Performance glasses in the same color scheme as what Macca wore in Kona 07. This past summer, RP released the Exowind, a dual-lens system with rocking lines that rivaled the Tayo. I tried the Exowind and liked them but wound up returning to the Sportmask Performance, due to its virtually non-existent weight and superior field of vision. Last week, though, I pulled the trigger on a pair of black Exowinds, with the intent of going Frankenstein on my other pairs of Exowinds in order to create a unique pair of glasses: Black frames with red accents. It worked, too, and they were, indeed, a sweet-looking pair of shades:

However, there was the issue of cost. I'd a good chunk of change invested in the Exowinds, even with my discount, and I remained unconvinced that the extra 10g of weight over the Sportmask was insignificant. That, plus the pinching I experienced at Longhorn (and after only 4-1/2 hours) made me leery about sporting them for the duration of CdA come June. Last night's run with the Sportmask solidified the feeling that it was the ideal pair of sunglasses for triathlon, for me. So, the black Exowinds are on their way back to RP for return. I may contact RP support to inquire about returning the other two pair of Exowinds I own for some sort of store credit (RP has finally released a multilaser red lens for the Sportmask -- wahoo!), but I'll check into that another time. For now, it's time to head out for the pasta party before heading out to the pool to swim. Thanks for bearing with me and my sunglass fetish, and thanks for reading.

Ghosts Run

2009-02-11T21:31:00.005-06:00

14-mile run tonight. Very casual pace. Very good soundtrack, too: Ghosts I-IV, by Nine Inch Nails. Strongly recommended, be it for running or just plain listening. ghosts.nin.com.

Thanks for reading.

The Sufferfest, Part 1

2009-02-08T22:13:00.004-06:00

Hot diggity! The difference a few hours and a clean house can make is incredible!

After an afternoon of doing little more than watching Serenity and the bulk of the Firefly series, N--- had to make her way home, so I decided to hop on the trainer and try to get in a workout before she got home. She made it home before the workout ended, but what an awesome workout it was.

A few weeks ago, I read about this Podcast site called thesufferfest.com, which posts workouts geared towards indoor trainers, complete with video and audio. The latest workout caught my attention by title alone: "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." While The Smiths did provide the opening & closing tracks, the workout was an interval type based on perceived effort, as opposed to a specific gear or cadence -- something that was right up my alley. I did pause a time or two to make a couple of minor tweaks to the arm rests on the B2, but after 10 or so minutes, I was totally in the zone and rolling for the duration of the video. If you own an iPod with video, or have a computer near where your trainer is set up, I highly recommend these videos, especially when they're as cheap as free.

Workout done, legs shot (but cleanly shaved after a shower), and swim practice a little more than six hours away tells me that it's time to get to bed. Methinks I will make a quick trip to the Quick Stop for some OJ, but then it's night-night time. Thanks for checking back on me, in consideration of the rough morning I had, and thanks for reading.

Breaking Point

2009-02-08T14:52:00.002-06:00

This morning was near-perfect for a bike ride: Cloudy, cool, and a barely-noticeable breeze blowing from the south. The plan was to roll out from home around 8:20 and meet up with the group for a ride that would clock in just under 90 miles. Of course, that was the plan. Enter my fragile mental state at an early hour with a less-than-idyllicly clean house. Yeah, I lost it.

Something seized hold that frustrated me how there just never seemed to be enough time in the day or days in the week to do what needed to be done, compounded by the fact that I still had not finished last week's laundry and that this week's was already over-flowing. In what was probably not a terribly flattering manner, I proclaimed, "<expletive> it," and changed from cycling garb into the attire of a domestic do-gooder: sweats & a t-shirt. Several hours and a considerably cleaner house later, I now sit at the computer, ready to draft up this week's lesson plans. But first, I thought I'd write to you, dear readers, for it has been so long.

Much has happened as of late, including the district meet (we advanced; regionals are this upcoming Friday & Saturday [yes, on Valentine's Day, of all days]) and a rocket trip to Dallas for the baby shower for the forthcoming twins of D--- & K---. The latter was a lovely, albeit rushed, trip up north for the shower and a bit of face-time with dear friends. That they are about to welcome two children into the world makes me extremely happy, in a vicarious sense. Before I get too teary-eyed, I'm going to get those lesson plans done and then try to spend some quality time with N---.

I do hope your Sunday has gone better than mine and that you, too, have a clean house and content kitty cozied on your lap...providing you're not allergic to cats, that is. I'd hate for you to be sneezing your head off just in the means of fulfilling my prerequisites for Sunday afternoon bliss. Whatever four-legged fuzzball you have on your lap, thanks for reading.

A Feel for the Water

2009-01-30T04:17:00.003-06:00

The past few weeks have been riddled with interesting swim experiences of my own. Here's how the past three Thursdays have gone:

01/15 -- The heater in the Fiesta Trails gym broke, putting the temperature at a brisk, 72°. It was awesome.
01/22 -- Heater fixed, water a miserable 88°. I maybe eeked out 1500m before succumbing to heat exhaustion. I am at a loss of words for the irony.
01/29 -- Still waiting for a return call from the gym's corporate offices in Dallas over the serious health concerns with their pool temperature. In the interim, N--- went and renewed her membership at Chisolm Hall, the 5-lane, 25-yard pool on the campus of UTSA. Granted, it is difficult to find lane time until late in the evening, due to heavy utilization by swim clubs, but the pool is a constant 81°, just like a pool should be.

Last night was my first dip at Chisolm Hall in over a year, and a dip was more or less what it felt like. I quit timing myself and more or less just spent the time getting a feel for the water, focusing more on myriad techniques (back wasn't half bad, either); I felt g-o-o-d in the water. Arm turnover was much higher, and I felt like I floated farther with each stroke, with each kick, than I ever had at the gym. I'm still no Thorpedo, but I do feel a lot more confident about my swim prep than I have in a long while.

Speaking of swim prep, I need to head out to swim practice. The kiddos have their district meet tonight, and we're all pretty psyched. It's bittersweet, for me, but I'll explain that one another time. Until then, get back to bed. Do you have any idea of the time?

Thanks for reading.

Nerdy English Teacher

2009-01-14T20:06:00.003-06:00

Below is the transcript of an email exchange from the newsletter editor of the bike club:

> Yep. Except I think I accidently put an apostrophe in Starbucks
> (Starbuck's) where there shouldn't be one.
>

Although, really, shouldn't there be? As the corporation spells it, it implies more than one Starbuck. Yet, as the name of an establishment, it should be possessive, either singular or plural, given the two Starbucks of relative fame: 1) First mate of the Pequod; 2) Pilot in the Battlestar Galactica series (of which, there are also two, although the character's purpose remains the same). So, is the company wrong? And, if so, why? Was inserting the apostrophe that much extra work that some intern or ad rep could not completely comprehend because s/he didn't pay attention in English class? Or was it a cost issue (one extra character * infinitive coffee cups = a load of money)?

Bah, whatever. I'll get the new schedule formatted and uploaded in the next few days. For now, it is bedtime, for swim practice will, again, come early.

Apostrophe or no, thanks for reading.

Passing the Torch

2009-01-04T22:08:00.005-06:00

Prayer to Saint Sebastian
(Patron of Athletes)

Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor's court, you chose to be also a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings, for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been. Amen.

Thanks, D---...and thanks to all of you for reading.

A Whale of a Good Time

2009-01-02T00:29:00.002-06:00

N---'s wanted me to add this picture for a long while, so, here goes:

The above was taken this past May in Corpus Christi, just after our running of the Beach to Bay and somewhat prior to my asking N--- to marry me. I thought it appropriate, now, given that 2009 is now well under way and that my 2+ week winter holiday is about to come to an end.

In spite of the mostly lousy weather and lack of fresh DVDs from Netflix, the holiday was a good one. During my break, I got much work done on miscellaneous projects (including grading!); visited, either in person or via telephone, with friends and family, near and far; got back on track with my training (okay, this week in Dallas has been somewhat of a wash, but it's my own <expletive> fault for not mapping out bike routes in McKinney before heading up here); got to see the Stars play at the AA Center in Big D (including rides on the light-rail system -- San Antonio so needs to get one of those); and welcomed in a new year. Busy, I know, but all in a couple of weeks' work for yours truly. Now I just need to get back to SA in order to get completely back in the swing of things.

It's after 12:30 in the morning, again, and I am still awake. I am hoping to get my sleeping back on somewhat of a regular schedule before too long; once back home, I cannot keep up with these late nights and early mornings.

It is hoped that the first 24+ hours of 2009 have been good to you and that the remaining 364 days are equally so. Thanks for reading.

Two Thousand and Nine

2009-01-01T00:43:00.003-06:00

A new year has arrived, and, once again, I find myself at the home of N---'s parents in McKinney. But, my, the changes over the past two years.

This year is set to be mine & N---'s year. So much is in store for us, both respectively and collectively. N--- will complete her masters in chemistry; I, Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Shortly after N--- walks the stage in commencement of her degree, she will walk down the aisle for us to exchange our vows and become husband and wife. I count myself among the fortunate, the blessed for having been granted a second opportunity to make good on the greatest gift of all, love.

It is a long haul until December, though, and much must be done in preparation. Granted, the wedding should not be terribly complex, given our simplistic plans (we will not be like the couples featured on We Network's bridal shows -- oh, how glad I am to not have cable), but N--- has another semester of independent research, as well as another chemistry course to suffer through this fall. Leading up to all of that, I have many miles to swim, bike, and run in preparation for IM CdA, the first of which taking place in ten or twelve hours or so, as me, D---, and N--- go for a fast-paced stroll around White Rock Lake. But, before I can even get to that, I need to get to bed.

Happy New Year, and thanks for reading.

Why Can't I Ride My Bike?

2008-12-26T08:14:00.002-06:00

The winter break was supposed to allow me time to get caught up on training, long bike rides, in particular. However, such has not been the case when it comes to cycling, for every day that I have scheduled a long ride (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and, now, today), it has been wet. Not the hard rain that can actually be kind of fun to ride in, but just the wet, sloppy stuff that is apparently commonplace in cities the likes of Seattle. Bloody weather.

Tuesday's botched ride was supplemented with a nearly 3-hour ride on the trainer (boy, was that fun & exciting!), while Wednesday's was a spin class, preceded by a 2km swim, so all is not completely lost. Today, though...eh...I guess I'll just wait & see what transpires. Cross your fingers for better weather during the break. Thanks, and thanks for reading.

Happy Christmas

2008-12-25T07:12:00.001-06:00

Just returned from the track with N---. Yesterday was her day to hammer out 2x1-mile splits; today was mine. Both days were beautiful, with a hint of winter in the air, but not so nippy so as to mandate winterish apparel.

As N--- & I get ready to open gifts to & from one another, I wanted to wish you all a joyous time of year, regardless of religious affiliations or lack thereof. Peace be with you, and thanks for reading.

Training Wheel

2008-12-22T20:43:00.003-06:00

The winter break is finally here...been here, actually, as Friday was the first, official day. However, I've had (and have, tomorrow) swim practice, albeit at not such an ungodly hour, so the day's have been anything but uneventful. Come the end of the week, I was finally over my sickness and ready to resume training. Cue the monkey wrenches.

Plan for Saturday: Ride to swim practice. Ride from JAC to Comal Elementary for the SAW ride, ride home with 70+ miles on the C-dale. Reality: Misty rain <expletive> that completely shot ride potential; I did not want to take another spill in that kind of weather, like I did during the last break. So, I took it easy riding home, earning myself the honor of changing a flat on the side of Pat Booker, at about the half-way point. It looked to be a piece of a broken beer bottle that had lodged itself in my tire, not fully penetrating the tire itself, but applying enough pressure to puncture the tube. Dang it.

Right, so I made it home, went to the post office to take care of my passport (CdA is so close to Canada, it'd be really nice to visit), then off to meet N---, K---, and T--- for lunch at CPK (don't you just love my heave use of initials & acronyms?), before jetting over to Bike Heaven for trainer parts. The new skewer for my aged, yet functional, Tacx Cylclesport Swing made it in a couple of days ago, and I went ahead and ordered a flip-flop (fixed + free hub) wheel for the commuter so I could throw a 10-speed cassette back on the old Mavic wheel for use with the trainer. The commuter is temporarily out of commission (flip-flop wheel should be in by Wednesday, I hope), but my trainer rig is now completely ready to go, trainer-specific tire & all. Thank you to all who helped me get it ready; you should know who you are.

That said, it is now bed time. One more day of swim practice this week and then it's truly holiday time...to the extent that I will not have to interact with the kids. I still have oodles of papers to grade, plus a quiz to write, but everything in due time. Hopefully, I'll be able to find the time before all is due.

Yeah, gonna go before the cheese starts rising above waist level. Stay warm where you are on the trainer, treadmill, or whatever gear you're using to keep moving through the holidays. Thanks for reading.

Go See This Film

2008-12-13T06:50:00.003-06:00

Last night was the San Antonio premiere of an independent documentary regarding the world's addiction to oil:

There were several amazing things about the experience of seeing this film last night. There were some revelations about the oil/gas/automotive conglomerates currently attempting to (and in some cases succeeding in) pulling the wool over American's eyes with our purchasing choices, but one cool, unexpected thing was that the director, Josh Tickell, was in attendance for a Q&A session afterwards. Additionally, it was revealed that San Antonio was a test market for this film.

Austin, yeah (where, surprisingly, the film was met with more objection that last night's debut), Portland, sure, but San Antonio? That's progression. Let's keep the trend going, eh?

Fuel is slated to run its test phase through December 18th but could be held over if enough people go see it. Do the world -- yes, the world -- a favor and go see it. Whether or not you agree with everything that the film has to say is irrelevant, but it is imperative that we agree with the core message: Our dependency on oil, foreign and domestic, must end. This film goes several steps further than to simply point out the obvious; how we can begin to end this dependency is provided to a culture grown accustomed to have the world spoon-fed to us.

It's the weekend. Rather than go see some fabrication of fantastically fake people doing unbelievable things on the big screen, head over to the Bijou Theater @ Crossroads Mall and get yourself a healthy dose of reality (and a spinach Alfredo pizza -- those things are awesome!). Films like Fuel don't come along every day, and their arrival, let alone stay, in a town like San Antonio is even less frequent. Let's start changing that. Then we can move on to changing our fuel, changing our world.

Thanks for reading.

A Wasted Week

2008-12-11T20:04:00.003-06:00

The week started out good: Good ride Sunday morning at a good pace in fantastic weather. Stretched on Monday. Swam on Tuesday (all 3200 meters, too, also at a good pace). Wednesday, it hit me. Hard.

Let's rewind a bit, just to have full perspective.

I teach high school. Yeah, not the most sanitary of environments. The past few years have been spent building up my immune system to pretty high standards -- successfully so, too. Friday night, I dove into the Schertz Pool as part of the Polar Bear Splash fund raiser...without my wet suit. Yup, just me in a square-cut suit and a pair of goggles. The water temperature was a crisp 43°, while the air was a cool 47°.

Sleep was not hard to come by Friday or Saturday night, but, come Sunday, I could not sleep worth a darned. Same for Monday. And Tuesday. Finally, Wednesday morning, my body had had all that it could take and shut itself down. No getting out of bed for practice; barely making it up and through the day for work. Once home, I fed, took some cold medicine after talking & coaching for wellness by N--- (what a gal), read, and was asleep by 8:00. Practice this morning was rough, but manageable. Same with the school day. And, here we are.

The purpose of this post was more or less to just have a place in which to whine. Yes, CdA is still 6+ months out, and I'm still feeling strong after a good finish at the marathon last month, but...that was last month. This week has just felt...wasted. I feel weighed down by the demands of work (swimming on its own is a full time job, to say nothing with teaching six English classes a day), in that I have virtually no free time. I literally wake up and go straight to work. If I'm lucky, I have about 30 minutes after swim practice at home before I have to head to the school. Typically, I'm there until 4:30 or later (twice this week, it was after 5:30 before I left), before heading home to maybe eat something before it's time to grade papers or read from one of the two novels my two different levels are covering; fortunately, I've read them both so it's mostly review. By then, it's after dark, and, after feeding the cat, I don't feel like doing much else except trying to get some sleep for the day begins all over again in less than ten hours. Being sick on top of all that isn't helping matters much, either.

Breathe.

Time to wrap this thing up before I go off on another rant. I really do like my job, what I do, working with kids, trying to make a difference. Catch me again when I'm a lot less groggy. I'll do my best to be Mr. Sunshine. Thanks for reading.

Priceless

2008-12-09T20:26:00.003-06:00

Terrible 2s

2008-12-02T21:00:00.003-06:00

Most people look to the end of their work day as a good time. For me, that, too, is typically the case. However, for whatever reason, today just plain sucked as soon as I locked up the bike in the garage.

After hurrying inside to change clothes and get going back out the door, I was met with challenge #1: Making a left-hand turn. Traffic, you see, backs up over a quarter of a mile, thanks to this most wonderful construction project on the Parkway, so I stupidly turned right and headed to 78. The challenge continued, due to even greater traffic congestion (all trying to turn left) onto 3009. In order to make it to the usual inspection house, I wound up taking the circuitous route, only to find out the joint quits doing inspections at 5:00. That was challenge #2: Finding a place that would inspect my car as late as it was (5:30). Mission accomplished, and just down the road, too. Once the car was again legal, it was a little further down the road to the folks' house to pick up chili making supplies for the post-Polar Bear shindig at my place this Friday.

I tried to time my arrival at the gym to avoid any aquatics classes, but I was unsuccessful, just as I was unsuccessful at getting to speak with a manager at the gym (raised my rates by $3/mo -- something I do not believe the are permitted to do, as I was a member of a gym absorbed by this golden conglomerate from abroad, and Texas state law is supposed to protect that sort of thing). Finally, after an hour, I got my lane and go going, but leaky goggles (methinks the string on my Swedes needs to be replaced) kept me from getting going well; I was also really tired and unfocused.

So, here I am, at home. Chili fixins are in the kitchen, ready for me to throw them all together, as are six packs of cornbread. After jumping in a freezing-cold pool Friday night, I know I'll be ready for it.

I'm beat, so I'm going to bed. My bad day pales in comparison to the garden variety day of many, especially those overseas, so, with that in mind, I ask you to keep those less fortunate than either or both of us in mind as you find yourself in a meditative state. Thanks, and thanks for reading.

Taking on Toutant

2008-11-29T06:43:00.002-06:00

Way back in January of 2001, I did the all-club New Year's Day Ride here in San Antonio. Knowing I would be in no shape to ride 60 or 70 miles after a 3-week holiday hiatus from the bicycle, I signed up for the 40-mile jaunt thinking it a piece of cake. After all, I had taken on the MS150 a few months prior and I had just won a trip to the wind tunnel at Texas A&M, so, truly, how hard could it be for a cyclist of my caliber. Ask a stupid question...

Less than 20 miles into the ride, I was gasping for air, barely able to make it up the first major climb on Scenic Loop. Six or seven miles later, when we hit Toutant Beauregard, I had my first real introduction to hill country climbing. I completely fell off the back of the group and had to even get off my bike by the side of the road. Heck, I may have even cried, disappointed as I was in myself. After suffering up its inclines and turns in the freezing cold (yes, it was actually cold that New Year's Day), I vowed to myself that I would conquer that climb.

Luck was on my side for doing so, too. I had just begun classes at UTSA for my BA and had a nice, long mid-day break for my Tuesday/Thursday class. I used this time to head out on the bicycle and ride Toutant Beauregard. By the time Spring Break hit, I had mastered its first false flat, as well as its two major up-turns: the first is a long, steep incline takes a semi-switchback approach to making its way up, while the second is a shorter climb, but far steeper than the first. After that, it's almost all down hill, all the way back to I10.

I rode up Toutant Beauregard yesterday for the first time in a year or two (the ride I did on Veteran's Day came the opposite direction, a near-suicide-pace descent around its twists & turns -- the opposite in more ways than one) and was amazed at not only how much the area had developed (more houses and even a Starbucks at the corner of TB & 10) but also with what relative ease I made it up the climbs. While it wasn't freezing, it was misitng the whole time, which added to the memorable mystique of one of my favorite rides in the area. The mist did create some doubts for my safety, but everything was just fine on Toutant and the ride back in...at least until I returned to the UTSA parking lot. I went down pretty hard, due to the slick streets, but, again due to the slick streets, injuries to me were minimal: A few scratches & bruises & gashed handlebar tape were the worst of it. My helmet appeared to have survived (still waiting for a callback from Rudy, though), and my sunglasses survived without a scratch, as well; Rudy Project makes some awesome stuff.

The weather appears to be more cooperative today, albeit a bit cooler outside. Today's training has on tap for it a 50-mile ride, followed immediately by a 4-mile run. I'll get to top those off today at noon with a massage. Life, it seems, is pretty good right now. Of course, I'll need to come crashing back to reality immediately thereafter and get grades entered and a test or two (or three? Hmm...LOTF, CMC, and finish the modified vocabulary; yup it'll be a busy day!) after my three days of sluffing off during the Thanksgiving break. Oh well. It's but a three-week haul until the Christmas holidays, so I feel confident I can make it. After all, if Toutant Beauregard posed no problems...

Thanks for reading.

Post-Marathon

2008-11-19T20:07:00.002-06:00

It's been a few days since the Rock & Roll Marathon in SA, and my body has recovered surprisingly well. I mean that in that I have virtually no aches & pains anywhere, save for my left Achilles, but that will likely stretch itself out when I can actually find some time to work out. And finding time to do that has been near-impossible this week.

Monday: Massage. I earned it.
Tuesday: Hockey game with N---. This was the 2-year anniversary of our first date, also a hockey game. The Rampage continue to lose, but N--- & I are very much the winning team.
Wednesday: At work until nearly 6:00. Got home to do more work for the forthcoming Polar Bear Splash, as well as laundry; I leave tomorrow for Corpus. Were it not for the fact that I have to be up for practice in a little over six hours, I'd likely head to the gym to sneak in a swim. Too bad I'm a wuss.
Thursday - Saturday: Will be in Corpus Christi for the TISCA swim meet. I plan to take running stuff with me but am unsure if I will be able to find time/locale to run whilst there. I'm not holding my breath for the La Quinta to have a fitness center, either.

And such will be my week after the marathon. I suppose taking some time off after such a major effort is a good thing, but I would like to be able to call the shots on it myself, rather than having my time dictated to me. It makes me feel so...helpless. Using the excuse that June 21 is still so far away won't cut it, either; I want to do well in CdA. Here's to hoping for a winning Super Lotto ticket or something.

With those idiotic thoughts, I bid you a good evening. I'll pop back in after TISCA to share the good news that I have returned to my training plan. Until then, get some work outs in for us both, and thanks for reading.

Rock and Roll!

2008-11-16T21:35:00.005-06:00

Today was the inaugural San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon. I ran all 26.2 miles of it, establishing a new PR for a marathon, and proving to me that the Nike Free is one of the nicest darned pairs of shoes made. I totally plan on wearing them next year for CdA.

There is much I could say about this weekend's events surrounding the marathon (expo was lame [where were the deals?]; concert started too late for we working types; the Rudy Project SportMask is friggin' awesome -- I honestly forgot I was wearing them -- especially when the black fangs are paired with the Racing Red lens), but I'll leave it at that I felt great throughout the run (with one exception) and that, again, I set a new PR, missing qualifying for Boston by a mere seven minutes. Soon.

Okay, so what's the new PR? Read it & weep:

Yup, that's it. Again, it's no qualifying time (as some guy in Spirit of the Marathon put it, "qualifying times are slanted for women and the elderly"), but it's the best I've been able to eek out since graduating to the full distance two years ago. After all, I went in with no expectations today, other than finishing. I was certainly not disappointed...well, not too badly, anyway; I always feel I could have done better.

But, there's always next year. Will I do the RNR SA, again? If nothing better comes along, sure. Providing the course doesn't change and I can hold steady, I just might be able to qualify next year. However, my attitude towards the marathon could change after Ironman. Ask me again in seven or eight months; I should be able to have an answer for you. As always, thanks for reading.

Want

2008-11-13T21:26:00.002-06:00

I'm always wanting more / Anything I haven't got / Everything I want it all / I just can't stop.

So rings true the decade-plus words of Fat Bob, for it seems that I am always wanting more. Ladies & gentlemen of the jury, I present exhibit "A," the Fuji D6:

I first glimpsed this beauty on ST several months back, and, after reading reviews & a video from this year's Interbike, I have reached the horrible conclusion that I cannot live without this bicycle. Never you mind the hefty price tag and the fact that I already have a TT bike, I want one of these. Were I to win Super Lotto, my first stop after the bank would be Joe's Pro Bikes to put one of these on order (size 54, Joe), complete with Hed 3 wheelset and, most likely, a Hed cockpit to match. Oh, and SRAM Red, too.; I've just been dying to give it a spin, and no time like the present to fulfill one's fantasies.

Sadly, that is all the D6 will remain: A fantasy. True, I can totally see myself on one of these, full-on aero, hammering out some course or other, but I can not see spending that kind of coin on a bike that will likely not get more than a couple of thousand miles out of me this next year; post-Ironman, probably even less. Sigh.

On this somber note, I bid you a good evening. Be sure to download your copy of the new Cure album, 4:13 Dream, from Amazon, and thanks for reading.

Back in Black

2008-11-12T19:37:00.003-06:00

I finally got out on my bike this past week, and it felt wonderful. That it was a 32-mile leisurely spin with the 2s AM crowd at Starbucks is irrelevant. What matters is that I got to ride my bike and have fun. While others were working, I was playing and having a great time doing so.

Because of the overcast conditions, I opted to wear the SportMask glasses -- something I've not worn much, since obtaining the Exowind. Awesome of a shade the Exowind is, I really enjoyed the near-nothing feel and unparalleled optics of the SportMask; I had, again, fallen in love with them. And that got me to thinking about colour options for CdA: Black & red. A perusal of Rudy's lineup more or less ruled out the Exowinds, for buying yet another set of them (in black) was just beyond my budgetary means, so I got to looking at options for the SportMask. An email to the offices in California, inquiring about buying just a pair of the "fangs" for the the SportMask performance (in black) was met with wonderful coincidence: The rep to whom I spoke just happened to have a pair on his desk that he was willing to ship straight to me for nothing more than the cost of shipping. Score.

N---'s flight wa supposed to land in a little over an hour, but it looks like it's going to be delayed some...closer to ten, maybe. I'm going to fly, so I can let Coach know I likely will not be at practice in the morning, due to my pending late night and already-exhausted state, and then head on out to the airport, regardless. Rest up, and don't forget to stretch -- the marathon's this weekend! See you in the starting chutes. Thanks for reading.

Better Than Last Monday

2008-11-03T18:53:00.002-06:00

While the data from my flash drive is still gone, today was a much better Monday than last. Nothing particularly special happened today to make it so, but nothing particularly awful happened, either. I'm hearing a lot of flack from students & parents about the college research project, but I'm simply passing the buck to the ST who wanted to spearhead the project; welcome to the big leagues, kid.

Typically, I get thoroughly depressed at this time of year, what with the time change and loosing that extra hour of daylight & all. However, day two of daylight savings time wasn't all that bad. I arrived home a little after five, changed, talked a bit with N---, stretched, and was out the door a short while later. What started out as a painful 6-mile jaunt out & back the Parkway quickly turned into a virtual hammerfest, courtesy of some guy with a baby jogger. For a couple of miles, he set a really good pace, but I guess the hills & weight of the baby jogger got to be too much, and I wound up overtaking him with a little over a mile left. And, now, hear I am: Home. And it's only seven o'clock.

It is, however, time to get some ironing done, for I am way behind on that lovely little chore. Toodles, and thanks for reading.

Gruene with Evny

2008-11-02T21:28:00.003-06:00

It's Sunday night, and I am once again stuck wondering where the <expletive> my weekend went. Actually, I kind of know, but it still seems unfair. Being 35 sucks, what with all the responsibilities & stuff.

This weekend was the somethingth-annual Tour de Gruene. Traditionally, Sunday has been race day, with a 2-person team trial on tap for all who dared...and could find a partner. The latter has always proven my undoing, considering where, in the season, the TdG always fell. This year proved to be no exception, but there was the possibility of actually being able to race: A solo TT on Saturday afternoon. The hitch: I proctored the SAT yesterday morning and wound up doing yard work the rest of the day. The good side to that: N--- & I got to spend a lot (more) quality time together, even if it was raking a seemingly never-ending yardful of leaves.

Sunday morning was back to punishing myself, pounding out a hair under 15 miles in a hair under two hours' time; being unable to run more than once a week has been devestating to my training. However, I did feel good this evening, and I even got to swim tonight...for the first time in nearly a month. More musings on the irony of a swim coach not swimming another time. For now, I must find a bed, for practice will, as usual, come early tomorrow morning.

Hope you remembered to set your clocks back last night. Get some rest to gear up for Monday, and thanks for reading.

Mon-day

2008-10-27T20:31:00.003-06:00

Today sucked.

It was Monday, of course, but that wasn't the worst of it. No, when I arrived at school, my SmartBoard wasn't working, but that still wasn't the worst of it. Rather, after rebooting my machine, the SmartBoard started to work, but my flash drive (the one with all of my school data on it) quit working. As in, all of my data (attendance records, grade book, book checkout for CMC, and so on) is gone. Completely. I am most displeased.

I do hope your Monday was somewhat better than mine. If not, share in the fact that tomorrow is that much closer to Friday, which is that much closer to the Thanksgiving holidays. For that, I am most definitely thankful. Thank you for reading.

Best (SA) Hockey Game Ever

2008-10-26T07:58:00.003-06:00

Through three teams and ten years, I've been a fan of San Antonio hockey. S--- has been there, too; it was not uncommon for us to bolt to the Coliseum after work to catch an evening game of either the Iguanas or the Dragons (and again the Iguanas), and, finally, the Rampage. San Antonio hockey has been good to me; it was mine & N---'s first date (a double with S--- & K---, too). Last night's bout with the Iowa Chops (formerly the Stars) failed to disappoint, either. It was, in my opinion, the best San Antonio hockey game ever. But what made it so great? For starters, N--- scored awesome seats on the flex pack tickets she got me/us for my birthday. Then, during the first period intermission, there was this:

Yup, S--- got to "dance for [his] dinner," winning a $50 gift card to Boston's Pizza, all for the low, low price of making a fool out of himself in front of the crowd at the AT&T Center and, now, you.

Hockey-wise, the Rampage won the game, 5-1, playing amazingly well. And, while I'm not known for being a fan of the fights at games, last night was an exception; SA & Iowa apparently had it in for each other, and S--- got some great shots using his Crackberry. Too bad we'll have to miss tonight's re-match, since N--- will be in the lab all afternoon. :-\

Fortunately, it's still early in the season, and we've nine tickets remaining in our flex packs. More to come as the season progresses. Hope to see you at a game. Thanks for reading.

Woohoo!

2008-10-24T06:19:00.002-06:00

No, the title of this post does not mean I got to go to the Nine Inch Nails concert last night (although that would have been so awesome). Rather, I actually peeled myself out of bed this morning with enough time to go for a run. I decided the pace would be quick, so I set a target time to finish in less than 30 minutes. After a mile, I re-set my goal to closer to 28 minutes. Final finish time: 27:59.37. I so rock.

That's it for now. It's now time to get cleaned up and go teach some English. Thanks for reading.//dhs

(N)INcoming

2008-10-20T06:08:00.002-06:00

As N--- & I left the Spurs game the other night, I thought I saw mentioning of Nine Inch Nails tickets for sale. When I last checked the tour schedule several months back, SA was not mentioned; Houston would be the closest they were to get, so I didn't pursue ticket inquiries any further. Stupid me: NIN will (again) play the AT&T Center this Thursday. Sadly, I will not make it.

It's just as well. Typically, come Thursday, I'm beat, anyway, and the last thing I'd want to go do is fight 20,000 people who know "Closer" and maybe one or two other songs just to see the band live...again. The image below was taken at the June 2006 show at Verizon, which was an incredible show. That, coupled with another show at the AT&T Center a couple of years prior, are enough to satiate my fondness for the band and its music. Of course, there have been three (THREE!) new albums since that June evening, but I know I'll live. Whether or not you make it to the show, thanks for reading.

(De)Boom! Skirt Chaser 2k9

2008-10-11T21:52:00.004-06:00

A quick blurb about the second run for the day:

The Skirt Chaser 5k was a total blast. The venue was a tad more crowded than last year and, initially, seemed smaller, both in size & locale. However, by the time the gun went off, there was quite the crowd of skirt-clad ladies and several dozen gents to give chase. N--- & I toed up in our respective classes and wound up bettering our time from last year by almost two minutes. My run time was 20'27", itself a new PR for the 5k distance; N--- & I were cheered as we crossed the line together, hand-in-hand, with the announcer commenting, "Hey, you caught yourself a skirt!" When it was all said & done, we found my folks and headed back to the car to find some grub (more grumbling on that another time, but I will say one would do well to avoid Applebee's in New Braunfels; flies buzzing in the restaurant paid better attention to our table than did the server or the manager).

Prior to the race start, N--- & I met Nicole DeBoom, the company founder & race organizer. A pleasant & easily approachable woman, she listened to the concerns N--- & I had emailed to the company a month or two ago over the logo found on Skirt Sports' men's attire, letting us know our emails did not go unnoticed and that Skirt Sports was looking into alternatives. She liked the idea of the tag line, "Mom always told me to watch out for fast women." Remember, kiddos, you read that one here, first.

So, after 23.1 miles today, I find myself rather exhausted. That ten mile recovery run on tap for tomorrow may not be realized, but what is realized is that when one has a companion who not only runs but runs in a skirt, while being chased, and slows down for the chaser to catch her, life is pretty darned good. I've got mine, so go catch your own skirt. Thanks for reading.

Wish

2008-10-11T09:33:00.005-06:00

Woohoo -- I made it the whole way of my 20-mile run this morning. Of course, I managed an 8:41 pace for the run, but I'll allot myself the excuse that I'm racing a 5k in a little over six hours' time. That, plus the fact there was a lot of climbing on the run, as evidenced by mapmytri.com's elevation profile:

I did stop about mile 17 to refill the Camelbak at a Shell station. While refilling, I encountered a woman stopping by for breakfast. She queried me on the distance I'd covered (despite the cloud cover, the humidity was extremely high, and I looked like I'd just swum Boerne Lake) and commented that she wished she could do that. I'm unclear on if she meant just run or run 17+ miles, as she was driving a rather large SUV and was no waif herself. Still, when she passed me a mile or two down the road, she rolled down her window and cheered. Even if this person never laces up a pair of shoes to run a 5k, 10k, or whatever distance race, that a chance encounter fostered good feelings (and good will) towards running gives me a warm fuzzy inside. As such, I wish her, and you, well.

Skirt Chaser 5k is tonight, and I've some house work to tend to before heading up to Austin with N--- and my parents (they want to go!). I'll pop back in tonight or tomorrow to let you know how it went. My time last year was 22'06", and that was after a 22-mile run. I'm not necessarily wishing to beat it, but I do hope I can. Best wishes to you for a wonderful weekend, and thanks for reading.

Photo Finish

2008-10-10T20:38:00.005-06:00

Remember that sprint for the finish at last weekend's Longhorn that I thought would make a good picture? It did. Yes, that's me in the back in the Bicycle Heaven kit.

Yeah, that's it for tonight. Long day at the office today, so not much to report, other than I rested and vegged in front of the tele tonight. Busy day on tap for tomorrow, with a 20-mile training run in the morning and the Skirt Chaser 5k in the evening. Providing I've some down time in between, it should make for a good day. I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks for reading.

Weak End

2008-10-09T19:24:00.002-06:00

It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it certainly wasn't.

Today's training schedule called for an 8-mile run at no particular pace. By the time I made it home from swim practice (parents of a couple of the kiddos were very late picking up their charges from the pool), I needed maximum effort to make it to the bed and collapse. I think I called N--- before I fell asleep and woke up an hour later when Coach called. We discussed the thief in our midst and planned Monday morning's practice before I let her go. Sleep refused to come to me, so I decided to get up and do those eight miles. Barely one mile into the course, I knew running tonight was a bad idea.

So, here I am, having barely accomplished half of tonight's planned run, tired, beaten. Thankfully, tomorrow is a rest day, so I intend to take advantage of it and rest, although stretching is not completely out of the picture. Saturday will be a double-header, with a planned 20-miler in the morning and the Skirt Chaser 5k that evening. Sunday will be a 10-mile recovery run, providing I can still feel my legs, let alone move them. Tune in to find out if I made it and to laugh at my suffering. Happy Friday, and thanks for reading.

Longhorn 70.3

2008-10-06T19:37:00.004-06:00

It should go without saying that if, on the day of a race, you have to visit the medical tent before the start of the race, you're in for a rough day. Such was the case for me yesterday at the Ironman Longhorn 70.3 Triathlon, held in Austin.

Earlier in the year, I found myself without sufficient motivation to go out and do anything, so I decided to register for a race so late in the season that I would, in theory, remain constant with my training. It didn't work. What did work was signing up for one race after another, including Ironman Coeur d'Alene -- that was the real ticket. But back to the race at hand.

Despite the fact that Austin is less than an hour's drive from the house, N--- & I thought it best to stay the night in A-town, which wound up being a great dry run for how the morning of CdA should work, in terms of lodging, food, and so on. I was hoping D--- & K--- were going to be able to make it down, but D--- had the great misfortune of being selected for jury duty at the same time his company swamped him with a great deal of work. And I moan & groan about how busy I am.

Before the race began, I did my now-usual stretching routine, and, in the process, managed to lodge a tiny splinter in the palm of my hand. The nails on N---'s fingers were not long enough to get it out, so I had to make the aforementioned trip to the medical tent for a pair of tweezers. They were without that handy tool, but they did give me a hypodermic needle with which I was able to prick enough of the skin off and dislodge the offending hunk of whatever it was. Minor medical emergency aside, here's how the race went down:

1.2-mile Swim | 34:31

Mine was the fifth wave to go out, originally slated for a 7:41 AM start time. That didn't happen, as a number of athletes & others were delayed by the shuttle service from the Travis County Expo to the race start. Having been slowed down by getting to race starts before, I can't b&m too much, but delaying the start by 20 minutes? Grrr...

At race start, the water registered at 77.5 degrees, making it just barely cool enough for a wetsuit. My wetsuit, though, was lying in my closet, recovering from a mending job of a fingernail tear; breaking in the new Vortex2 will have to wait until open water swims start in the new year. Despite the "cooler" water temperature, I'm glad I left the wetsuit, for I found that while swimming, when I wasn't getting kicked or slapped in the head by my fellow competitors, the feel of the water was pleasantly reminiscent of Canyon Lake and the summers spent playing in the lake until all hours of the day. I felt truly relaxed and focused in the water, which helped set me up for a good bike. So good, in fact, that I was able to sprint up the ramp into T1 and onto the bike while those who finished in front of me were still fumbling to get out of their wetsuits.

56-mile Bike | 2:41:43

A good TT bike will set the owner back several thousand dollars. Those dollars represent quite possibly years in the design process, coupled with countless hours spent in a windtunnel to find-tune every facet of the bicycle for maximum velocity. Why, then, are the number stickers for the bicycle so <expletive> big? Looking at these things makes me think that every aerodynamic advantage designed into the bicycle gets negated by the sticker. Wait, where was I? Oh, yes, the bike leg.

Mounting out of T1 was slick, and the first 20 miles ticked by nearly effortlessly. Then I began to realize the painful truth: I had to pee. Because it was beginning to adversely affect my mental state (I literally felt faint at one point), I did something around mile 32 I'd never done in a race: I stopped & peed. On the side of a road. How redneckish of me. It probably cost me two minutes in up flat time, but the time it saved over the remaining 24 miles of the bike leg was incalculable. It didn't do much to regain my 22.3 average speed for the first hour (the wind was tough, despite the super sweet Zipp 606 wheelset M--- hooked me up with); the remaining time saw me wind up with a 20.8 average, which was respectable, but off the pace for which I was shooting. Next time, I suppose.

13.1-mile Run | 1:50:51

I suck at trail running. For this course, it certainly didn't play to my advantage, as the course was nearly a 50-50 split, with the toughest sections being off road. One section, in particular, was a hill affectionately referred to as "Quadzilla." We got to run it twice. Joy!

Fortunately, the entire run course was staffed by mondo-enthusiastic volunteers, including a group at the base of Quadzilla in superhero costumes, ranging from Batman to Superman to Buzz Lightyear. On the second round, Batman gave me a knuckle pump and said, "Good job," to which I replied, "Thanks, Batman."

"Thanks, Batman"? Did I really just say that? Good thing there was a little less than two miles left in the run; I was surely loosing my mind.

Running into the finish chute, I had a good sprint to the finish with the guy in front of me, but he nipped me at the line. However, it felt good to finish with such a rush. I think it would have made a good picture.

Finished: 5:11:50

The Ironman Longhorn 70.3 was the toughest Half course I've raced, but I am thankful for that, for it offered me the opportunity to really push myself, both physically and mentally, while, at the same time, setting a new PR. Will I do the course again next year? Not likely, as continuing training in the early part of swim season is proving too difficult. I need to get this sort of thing out of my system by summer's end...or, at least before morning practices start. Then again, if D--- is up for it next year, I could be easily coerced.

Speaking of, I need to wrap up this long-winded post of mine and head to bed, for morning practice is just a few hours away. To those of you who helped to get me to the starting line and across the finishing line, you have my most heartfelt thanks & gratitude, especially to my personal cheering squad: N---, Mom, & Dad.

My season will wrap up with the SkirtChaser 5k this weekend and the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon on November 16. Then, it's nothing but training for CdA. I can't wait, and I'll bet you can't, either. Read all about it here. Thanks for reading.

An Epic Century

2008-09-22T17:56:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the SAW WHC Century. I rode it...and then some.

Despite not having ridden a century in over a year, coupled with the fact that my longest ride the past several months has been somewhere in the upper 60s, I felt obligated to ride to the start. After all, Judson is barely five miles from home, so what kind of cyclist-training-for-an-Ironman would I be if I drove there?

As I pedaled down 78, I misgivings were already in place. However, I felt comfortable about pacing myself with the trusty S725x back on my wrist, ticking my heart rate, the time, and the miles by. The crowd was quite small, but a few familiar faces were present, including Murray, so off we rode a little after 7:30. A couple of the guys were a little squirrelly, gunning it not even 10 miles in, but the ride soon got under relative control, courtesy of Murray & me.

Rather than bore you with a mile-by-mile recounting of the ride and sprints for city limits signs (Murray & I tied at 3/ea), I'll say that this was the longest <expletive> century in the history of centuries. Even had the map been accurate, to say nothing of the occasional wrong turn, we were far over 100 miles for the ride. In fact, S--- crashed at mile 101, and we still had close to 10 miles before we were back at Judson.

(S---, btw, was okay, but his front wheel & tire were shredded. Fortunately, one of the guys' wife came looking for us in the car and picked up her hubby and S--- to cart them back to the start. Murray & I were on our own to finish.)

When it was all said and done, the odometer on the S725x read 121.7 miles, finished in a ride time of 6:32:52.5. I would stop the counter when we hit a rest stop, as well as when S--- crashed, but, either way you look at it, that is a seriously long day in the saddle. Regardless, it was a learning experience, and here is what I have taken away with me:

Never trust the accuracy of mileage on a map.
Guys you ride 50 or 60 miles with on a regular basis are not necessarily the best of companions for a 100+ mile outing -- especially when your training needs are so different.
Convenience stores no longer carry Yoohoo!
Watch out for those cracks in the pavement that look just wide enough to swallow a bicycle wheel; they are.
I am a bad-<expletive> on the bicycle.

And thus ends today's posting. I've just returned from a massage, and sleep is calling me. Unfortunately, so is my 4:00 AM wakeup call. Whatever time your wakeup call will be, thanks for reading.

Happy Feet

2008-09-20T08:45:00.002-06:00

Weird as it sounds, it came to me in a dream. When I awoke for my 10-mile run this morning, I had the notion that I should try running in a pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes I thought had given up the ghost, following a 12-mile trail run this past July. They were very much alive, as I found myself to be, during the duration of the run. Oh, and I used the Polar, too. Wonderful machine, when used properly.

So, it appears that Nike may just not be my niche. Slick of a product as they may make, I'm getting the impression that it's just not for me -- shoe-wise. Yes, I still love my ID Triax Speed 100, but I think in the lead-up to CdA, I'm going to stick with the Polar. Tomorrow will be the real test of endurance with the watch: The SAW Century, followed by a 4-mile run. Woohoo!

The morning's running late, and I've a yard to mow. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for reading.

Skipping

2008-09-16T20:55:00.003-06:00

There just doesn't seem to be enough time. I missed my second workout in as many days today, and I am most displeased with my apparent lack of effort in the realm of training. Good thing CdA is still many months away. Still, I'd like to not make a habit of this, but I'd also like to find some time to do some things for myself. It seems like all -- and I mean that, literally -- of my time is occupied with work. Take yesterday, for example:

4:00 AM - wake up
4:45 - 6:30 AM - swim practice
7:15 - 8:40 AM - prep for day & open house
8:40 AM - 3:05 PM - teach
3:30 - 5:30 PM - swim practice
6:00 - 9:00 PM - open house
9:30 - 10:45 PM - lesson prep for next day
10:45 PM - sleep

I'm enjoying the living daylights out of working with the swim team, but the additional duties have me swamped. Heck, I've not even had time to call parents about the kids, as the only time I seem to have is before swim practice or just before bedtime, and I seriously doubt parents would want a call at either of those times. I'm whining, aren't I?

Yes, I'm stressed. Still, I feel confident I will overcome this. The first cool front blew in a few days ago, and the pool temperature in the afternoon is already noticeably cooler; it shouldn't be too much longer until we lose afternoon practices. I'll still be without a conference period, but afternoon practices will end at 4:00, leaving me some extra time to tend to my teacherly duties on top of the swim team. Good thing serious IM training doesn't begin until (approximately) the end of the swim season.

Right, I need to go to bed. I'd like to not have a repeat of the past two days where I don't get to bed until some ungodly hour and then rise at an even more obscene hour. That I am just not as young as I used to be has become painfully obvious to this weary one. Get some rest, yourself, and thanks for reading.

The Ike-man Commeth

2008-09-11T22:18:00.002-06:00

Hurricane Ike started heading for the Gulf of Mexico a week or two ago, and it now looks like it's going to hit Corpus Christi, some 200 miles away from home. You wouldn't know it by visiting the grocery store or looking at the school closure list for tomorrow, though. The aisles containing the staples of necessity, as well as that of bottled water, were stripped all but bare (give you an idea about the health-conciousness of folk in the area: The whole wheat, good-for-you break N--- & I like so much was still available; the cheap <expletive> had been snatched up). Glad I needed but a few things for my weekly trip to the store. Glad I don't work in a grocery store.

As a warm-up to out-running the hurricane, I headed to the track tonight for my scheduled workout of 2x2-mile splits. As sub-varsity football games had been canceled for the weekend, and varsity bumped up 24 hours, my choices were limited. At the home campus, the track is still unuseable, due to the lagging behind installation of artificial turf (so much for June 10th), and the track closest to home was hosting a varsity game of the cross-town rival(?!), so I headed over to the middle school to try out their new track, only to discover they were hosting the 8th grade game. Fortunately, there was a little over two minutes left on the clock. Nearly half-an hour later, the game was over and the fans cleared enough out the way for me to run.

The sensation of running on a track was rejuvenating to me; it'd been several months since I stepped foot on the softened surface and ran timed splits. The sub-9-ounce shoes encompassing my feet helped me tick off the miles at a satisfactory pace (7:19, 7:14, 7:19, 7:12), and now I am back here. Tomorrow should be somewhat of an easy day, given the one o'clock release scheduled, all thanks to the aforementioned hurricane. It still baffles me how stupid people can be over a little wind and rain. We'll see what happens in the next 24-30 hours, which is when Ike is scheduled to make landfall. One thing that won't be happened, for sure, is the Wild West Hammerfest, so my weekend is all but shot. But that's another rant for another time. Despite the fact I don't have swim practice in the morning and that I do have only half-a-day to work, I need to get to bed. Maybe you should, too. So, goodnight, and thanks for reading.

The Phelps Effect

2008-09-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

It seems like the pool has been overflowing with would-be swimmers these past several weeks. I blame Michael Phelps.

Make no mistake: The man is a phenomenal swimmer. The folks who have been infesting the pool at the gym, though, are not. Myself included, of course, but I'm proud to say that I can cover more than 25 meters (one end of the pool to the other) without getting totally winded and needing to take a 5-minute breather. Tonight, for example, I covered 3,000 meters before I needed to stop. That's not to say I didn't want to, for the left lens of my goggle kept leaking. But, I suffered through the swim, nonetheless. Even with the stopping & fidgeting with the goggles the first couple of hundred meters, I still clocked the 3km at just over an hour. Not too bad for a guy with the hydrodynamics of a cinder block.

I could go on & on about swimming, but, instead, I need to find myself a bed and a pillow. Swim practice will still commence at 4:45 tomorrow morning, which is a little more than six hours away, and I am definitely in need of some beauty sleep. Sleep well, yourselves, and thanks for reading.

It's On

2008-09-08T20:44:00.002-06:00

As I'm sure you can tell by your calendar, today was Monday. Not that I had a case there-of, but today signaled the "official" start of my schedule for the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Marathon, coming up on November 16. Call me a slacker, call me what you will, for most folk have been training for this since June or so. Then again, I have been actively racing long-course triathlon since March or April or something, but...eh, who have I to impress? (well, only one, really, and from what she tells me, she's already impressed <grin>)

It's getting close to ten, and I still need to get cleaned up and ready tomorrow's lessons before crashing. More tomorrow, with some possible big news when it comes to just how much time I've been devoting to the swim program...gotta check with the rule book and the veteran coach. Until then, .: d says to get your beauty sleep and to always, always, email Strong Bad.

Recharging

2008-09-07T20:30:00.002-06:00

Today had a 50-mile ride on tap as a follow-up to yesterday's 60-mile outing. It didn't happen.

Instead, I was a bum, enjoying N---'s company and tending to things around the house that had been much-neglected since returning to school. The clothes are now ironed, the lessons are planned, and all is right with the world...except for the part where N--- & I return to our weekday routines and consider ourselves lucky if we get to talk on the phone for five minutes before either or both of us pass out from exhaustion. Sigh. It's only for a little while. But, so is the amount of time I have to sleep, unless I get going, so get going I shall.

Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

Fifteen Seconds

2008-09-06T04:23:00.003-06:00

Well, almost.

T---, N---'s sister, spotted this clip on YouTube this past week.

Around 14 seconds, there is a shot of an attractive young lady in a white blouse & pink running skirt, next to some guy in a black shirt & running kilt. That young lady is N---. The guy next to her is me. Yes, we are famous. World-wide. So cool.

The SkirtChaser 5k was a fun race, even if I did do it full Scottish style -- and with 22 miles in my legs from that morning. N--- has already signed us up for the 2008 race (haven't checked the calendar to see what's on tap for that morning, but I'm sure it's something similar; SA is a little over a month out from the day of the SkirtChaser), although she & I both had some comments to make to the title sponsor about its choice of suggestive logos on the guy's apparel. After three business days, there's been no response, but, based on my recent experience with customer service, etc. from some other companies, I'm not exactly surprised. Eh, whatever.

Right, so it's 5:30 on a Saturday morning, and I've been unable to sleep for the past 90-minutes. After tossing & turning for over an hour, I roused & parked myself here to tend to some business and will now excuse myself to tend to some house cleaning prior to my scheduled ride this morning. I'll certainly not set any land-speed records, but it will feel good to just get out & ride with no real agenda but to get in 60 miles...before returning home to clean & grade. Yippee.

Hope you slept well & can have a more relaxing weekend than I. Regardless, thanks for reading.