Miles and Miles of Texas

This past weekend was the inaugural Texas Independence Relay, a 207-mile relay off-the-charts ultra marathon. It tested every aspect of every athlete participating in it. Apparently, my mantra from the 2007 racing season continues: "Gee, imagined if I would have trained."

TIR was broken into forty legs, not including a prologue and epilogue. The pro & epilogues would be run by the team as a whole, while each of the forty legs would be run by individual members of the team. The team fortunate enough to have someone of my intensity, especially with regards to training (refer to aforementioned mantra to discover just how serious I am about training), was composed of eight employees of N---'s workplace (including N---), a trio of teenage cross country runners, and mois. Our team name was "San Antonio Soles," and, while not my personal preference for a team name, it apparently didn't hurt us, nor did my running each of my legs in a skirt.

Get Ready
The lead-up to TIR was typical of my racing the past year or so: Train at the absolute minimum due to either work or weather. To a certain degree, I think it was even below the minimum, as I seem to still be somewhat recovering from my post-White Rock injury (yeah, that one; it's been, what, nearly three months?). Funny thing about the whole knee bit is that running the 27.49 miles this past weekend seemed to have helped it. Weird, I know.

Somewhat of a training schedule was attempted, though, mostly focused around multiple 10ks on the Parkway. Unfortunately, the weather 'round these parts has been wackier than usual, so most of those planned 10ks were sidelined. Other than the final leg of the relay, it didn't seem to affect me much; my times were decent, considering how out of shape I was (and still am; where the @#%* is spring?), how far I had to run, and my absolute lack of adequate nutrition over the weekend. But I get ahead of myself.

Come race morning, N--- & I headed to the Institute to meet up with the rest of the team. I kind of didn't like that I had to drive the 30+ miles THE OTHER WAY before going to Gonzales, but the company made it worthwhile. The plan was to meet at 4:45, so N--- & I were there, ready to roll by 4:30. We didn't get under way until well after 5:00, making it look like we weren't going to make it to our registration time of 6:30...but, we did. With a superb striking of a gong (don't ask; I didn't) by N---, the Soles were on course, covering the 1.13 mile prologue in just over ten minutes. From there, it was into the van and off to Shiner to wait for our van to become active. Killing time in a doughnut shop, I graded some papers and took a little jog around the block to loosen up my legs; it was supposed to be eight hours before my first leg. Yeah, supposed to be.

Remember those cross country runners I mentioned? Thanks to their speedy leg work, as well as the concerted efforts of everyone else on the team, we were running nearly 90 minutes ahead of schedule. By the time S--- was spotted heading towards the red tent, I was stretched, hydrated, and ready to run, SportKilt and all. As S--- slapped the band on my wrist to start my leg, I glanced at the time: 2:42. This was going to be an awesome race.



Leg #1: Stage 11: Flatonia to Schulenberg
The 6.36 miles were completed in 50:06, averaging 7:52. While disappointed at not having hit closer to a 7:30 mile, I had to keep in mind several things: 1) It was hot; 2) I was unfamiliar with the terrain; 3) I'd been up without sleep since 3:30 in the morning; 4) I was hungry; 5) I still had three more legs to run before this was all said & done.

J--- ran after I did, so after his leg, we decided to head into Columbus for dinner. Most of the van went to Whataburger for burgers, but there was a Denny's next door, and a real, sit-down style meal was just too tempting. For the record, it would be nearly 1:00 the next afternoon, which made my French Toast Slam all the tastier, even in retrospect.

Leg #2: Stage 21: Eagle Lake - Chesterville
Darkness spread its cloak over the TIR in grand fashion. Stars sequined the cloak, bringing back childhood memories of stargazing and a feeling of heartache that, save a worldwide power failure, I would never see a sky like that near my home ever again. Sigh.

Digression aside, the evening legs would prove to be everyone's best, given the perfect running conditions. Granted, some stretches were somewhat scary, most of all, S---'s crossing of some river whose name escapes me. The promised police officers were either late or otherwise not there, making for what could have been a rather harrowing crossing, but the Department of Public Safety arrived shortly before S--- did at the bridge. True, the conditions were not idyllic, but S--- did make it across safely, as, apparently, did all other runners.

My leg would begin just after 9:30 that night, a 6.76-mile journey from the middle of nowhere to the edge of nowhere. However, I knew N--- was waiting for me, so I hurried myself as quickly as I would allow, given that I knew I had two legs remaining and that sleep would be a luxury we were likely to have to do without. Time for this leg clocked in at 52:09, averaging 7:40/mile. This was closer to my intended target pace. Too bad it would be the closest I would get.

Leg #3: Stage 31: Hershey Trail - Houston
"Bigfoot is scared of rhino noises."

Such was the advice of another team awating their runner in George Bush Park a little after four in the morning. Closer to the city, the stars had been drowned out by the glow of the gluttonous lights of H-town, making for an incredibly dark run. My headlamp, though, kept my path illuminated, including the "Bridge Out - 1 Mile" sign I spotted fifteen minutes into my run. Thankfully, the bridge was not really out, and I traversed the 6.79 miles without incident, save the loss of my reflective belt when I shed my long-sleeve shirt shortly after crossing the aforementioned bridge; the humidity was horrible.

Malnutrition was beginning to take its toll on me by this point. My stomach was in knots prior to the start of the stage, but mercifully subsided for most of the run. By the time I finished, I was famished, and my time reflected that the stage that remained to be run would be the most difficult of all. For stage 31, though, I managed a pathetic pace of 8:36/mile, racking up a stage time totaling 58:28. I suck but would suck more before we made it to San Jacinto.

Leg #4: Stage 38: South Houston - Deer Park
Daybreak brought no relief to my stomach. I was on the verge of hurling what remained of my Denny's feast from the evening before and the few bananas and Clif Bars I'd managed to ingest since when I spotted J--- making his way to me. He looked how I felt, and I knew I would look even worse at the conclusion of the next 6.45 miles. Just shy of an hour later, I would be proven correct. Sometimes, it wouldn't be so bad to be wrong, and I do wish this could have been one of those times.

There were some memorable spots to this leg, though. In addition to getting "Chick'd" (all-woman's team whose slogan on the back of the team shirts stated, "You just got CHICK'D") by a former Olympian, a support van helped me with navigation, hydration, and encouragement -- the latter provided in a Scottish accent, no less. Funny how the Scotsman was about the only one on-course not to comment on my attire (law enforcement seemed to like it; gang bangers cruising the hood Sunday morning didn't), but I, again, digress.

Stage 38 proved itself challenging for more than just the exhaustion, though. Myriad turns and obstacles (cars, brush, dogs, aforementioned gang bangers) made the course particularily difficult, but not insurmountable. Once I got my bearing on the directions and realized how close I was to the finish, I was able to pick up the pace some, but would prove to be trivial, for my finishing time for the 6.45-mile Sunday morning jaunt through the neighborhood clocked in at 56:26; 8:45/mile. Still, I didn't care, but for the .36-mile epilogue, my running for the Texas Independence Relay was over. Yee--haw.



What Doesn't Kilt You...
N--- brought the team home in style. Her form looked great, and the smile on her face, all the way to the finish, was a site for tired, sore eyes. Not to be outdone by her boyfriend in his kilt, N--- even wore a sport skirt as she brought us all home.

And so we finished. Total team time was 29:12:43 (8:36/mile) to cover the 207 miles and miles of Texas. Out of 63 teams in our division, we finished 19th. After crossing the finish, we received our finisher's medal (hefty things, too, although bailing wire, instead of the red zip ties, would have been a nicer touch), pizzas (warm food!), and beverages. Faces stuffed, we piled back in to the vans and headed home...well, to S---'s parents' home, first, for a much-needed shower. Gotta say, were it not for that post-race shower, the mid-race shower (and hour or so sleep) in the hotel rooms S--- scored for us using her rewards points, and the uber-comfy support van, the experience would have been drastically different. Thank you, S---, for everything.



Of course, thanks goes out to everyone on the team. The crew in van #2 totally rocked, for, apart from my snap when trying to navigate out of downtown H-town, not a harsh word was to be had amongst us all. Van #1 was just that, too, for, were it not for the cross country super stars, our pace would not have been as high as it was.

A poet once wrote that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Thankfully, he didn't have to smell us or our vans, for we smelled anything but sweet. However, a team by any other name, or with any other people at the helm or on the run, would not have had the soul to survive the intensity of the 2008 Texas Independence Relay. That's not to say I'm definitely running it again next year (TIR's proximity to TAKS is a major detractor, plus, I'm still considering IMAZ for 2009), but were I to, I can think of no better teammates to have.

Long post, I know, but thanks for reading.

TIR is Here

After several months and virtually no training, my first 'race' of the season is here. Fortunately, it's being run more for the fun than for time, but the Texas Independence Relay will be challenging. My bags are packed, and I need only pick up my groceries. Hope there's enough room in the SUV S--- has secured for our use.

The girls' basketball team played in the state semifinals tonight up in A-town. I played chaperon, but it went remarkably well. We were back at the school and all the kids were picked up & gone by a few minutes past ten. Far better than any of the swim meets last season.

I feel inclined to write more, but my eyes are heavy and my mind is wasted; today was a long day. The next several days promise to be every bit as long, only with several 6+ mile legs thrown in to wear me down physically, as well. I can't wait.

Wait I must, though, before writing more. Remember the Alamo and remember to check back for another update next week. Thanks for reading.

All the HITS.

What a day. I'd hoped/planned to be in bed around 9-ish this evening, but that didn't pan out too well (obviously, given the hour of this posting) due to a death in the family.

Mum called to let me know A--- had been discovered dead by some guy she had been living with. Aunt D--- is still in shock, and I guess I am, too. I've not talked with or seen A--- in nearly ten years, but I feel that hers was a lost life, finally lost. Sad. We read about people like this with great frequency but seldom connect that these people were real, with a real family, with dreams that were forever deferred.

I went & stayed with Mum for the evening, as Dad was at a church meeting and was unaware of the sadness that had encircled his house. The time was spent comforting Mum, trying to comfort N--- (on the phone; she'd had a rough day at the office), and finally getting around to grading those extra-credit papers I assigned nearly a month ago (eh, grades aren't due until Monday; I have time). Once home, it was time to ready the lessons for tomorrow and then request a return for a cell phone I stupidly bought in the wee hours of Tuesday, during a marathon grading session. Never, ever shop online for something you only think you might need when really, really tired. Phone turned out to be a piece (slick design, but entirely too kiddy & toy-like for my needs; not sure how D--- has managed with his, but he is with a different provider in a different city), so back it goes, providing the company permits it. Their stated online return policy is not in agreement with what's printed on the back of the invoice, nor does it jive with the online RMA request form. Hope I don't get screwed for more than the $30 I paid for overnight shipping. God, I am a putz. Actually, I'm more than that: I am a tired putz.

Now that that's straight, I'm going to drag myself off to bed. I still need to get my bag together for TIR and figure out what I'm going to eat this weekend whilst on the road. All the HITS, indeed. And, yes, "HITS" is an anagram; enjoy.

I'm off to bed. With the road trip to the game in A-town tomorrow, my next post won't be until Monday, at the earliest. Hope this tides you over real nice-like. Thanks for reading.

Readin', Writin', More Readin'

It is 2:43 in the morning, and I have just finished reading my fourth & sixth periods' essays. And I still think I need to do an Ironman to prove how much of an endurance athlete I am? Then again, I think I would have finished an IM-distance race in less time than it took me to read, annotate, and grade this last round of ramblings from the land o' BS High.

Not much point to this posting, other than to say to someone that I am done. Yawp. Yawn. Good night.

Case of the Mondays

Hackneyed, and possibly even used on my site before, but I don't care; I needed a subject and it fit, for today was so much a Monday.

It began with the Monday morning traffic jam at the copier that likes to do just that. Fortunately, it cooperated today, and I got my copies run in (more or less) enough time. Skip a few mintues into first period and an interruption by the techies to berate me and my telephone configuration (typical: never a problem when the problem solvers are around), and you start to get an idea of how my day was going. Actually, it wasn't too shabby after that, other than my diet going to heck because of the amount of stress I perceive myself to be under. But then I got thirsty after lunch.

Only once have I been more disgusted by how water tastes, but that was at least in a public swimming pool. This stuff, from the drinking fountain, tasted like paint, minus the consistency. A few email exchanges with faculty confirmed something was amiss in the aqua, and, with the vending machines out of bottled water, I found myself out of luck for a drink -- the entire afternoon. Ugg.

About the only bit of good news that came about from today was my refund from the bout I had with identity theft a few weeks back. That, I hope, is now completely behind me, and I am back on track with being in the relative money. At least, I'm feeling pretty good about my finances at the moment. Let's hope lightning doesn't strike anytime in the next few dozen years.

I'm still sorely out of shape, despite my hammeresque performance this past Saturday on the SAW ride -- and with a blown bearing on my front wheel, thank you very much. Of course, there will be no cycling options this weekend, as TIR (Texas Independence Relay) starts in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I've my leg assignments and times, and it looks like I'll have a good 7+ hours in between running duties, making for a not-so-rest-deprived weekend as initially planned. Check back in a week or so for an update on how that panned out.

Um...not much else to report. Web site's coming along with updates, and I've my name in a couple more hats for sponsorship. After TIR, methinks I'll be hitting up SportKilt, et al for funding options, both for racing this year and my consideration of a run at Ironman. Arizona in the spring is out, given the mad preparation required for TAKS -- I'm off right now to grade the final batch of essays, as a matter of fact. Wonderful way to end such a relative waste of a day.

With that said, I'll quit wasting your time and go off to read my kiddos' writing. Thanks for reading mine.

Please, Make It Stop!

I thought that after Saturday, things would get back to normal. I would be able to sleep. I would be able to eat better. I would not be awake past midnight, typing my thoughts for you, the world, to read. Boy, do I feel foolish.

The school's production of High School Musical ended two days ago, and I'm still hearing those @$(*& songs in my head. I've prescribed for myself a steady diet of Cure and Nine Inch Nails, but, thus far, to no avail. It does help when I'm at work and my mind is heavily occupied, but get me at home, and it's a different story. Even now, with Year Zero blaring in 7.1 channels of super awesome stereo, I can still hear how "this could be the start of something new"; new my arse; this crap's getting old, fast. With daylight savings time fast approaching, I'm hoping to catch B--- out on a ride sometime and query him about that background, semi-subliminal technique he mentioned some churches have made use of and the likelihood of the Mouse House making use of it, as well. But, I digress.

It looks as though my last post was on the 10th, so, let's see what all has transpired since N--- ran her season PR at the Houston Half:

• I didn't bandit the Houston Half. Much contemplation, coupled with much bad-mouthing of yours truly and/or anyone who even thinks about banditting a race, made me rethink things. That, plus a tight calf muscle which debilitates running, kept me off the course, and in the Houston Convention Center, grading papers. How exciting.
  
• Annual post-holiday party in Big D at D--- & K---'s. Oodles of fun, as always, though I fear a separation growing between the former & me. Perhaps I'm just misreading, what, with everything going on in our respective lives. I would truly hate to lose a friend as good as he.
• Chat with N---'s dad about the future. Went well and has made me feel confident about where N--- & I are headed and how we're going to get there.
• Sponsorship from Rudy Project. Not the multi-million dollar deal I was hoping for, but the discount on shades & lids has been handy. I so cannot wait to race with my new Syton.
• Aforementioned wrapping of HSM. Wonderful show to have been a part of. Not sure if I'll go again if asked, for the time commitment was a bit more than I bargained for. Still, apart from the technical difficulties beyond the control of all parties involved with production, all comments have been positive; the kids (for the most part) truly acted like real professionals. Color me impressed.
• Texas Independence Relay is now less than one month out. Looking forward to it, despite the self-perceived pathetic condition I find myself in. I just think it'll be cool to do it.
• It's TAKS season. The big test is exactly one month from tomorrow, and I'm a little concerned. I've been unable to spend as much time on writing as I would have liked, but I hope to remedy that, beginning this week. I'll pull out the prompts and get the kids to writing. Well, that's the plan, anyway. Hope it works here; it did at HMS.
  

Year Zero is winding down, so I guess I'll cue up Disintegration and make my way to bed with TTC. Tomorrow is a whole new day and another chance to get a whole lot of grading done. I'll need to be on top of my game to ensure that gets done, too. So, good night, and thanks for reading.

Red Lining

A couple of weeks ago, I made a post detailing my personal dilemma over using Oakley sunglasses with a Rudy Project helmet for racing & training. In concluding the post, which took me some two hours to compose in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, I'd decided to continue using the Oakley shades and pass the RP lid off to commuting duties, where it wouldn't really matter what it was seen with; my commuting rig itself is a hodge-podge of parts. I thought I could put the (non)issue behind me and get back to the more important issues of the day.

Through a series of rather fortunate events, a dialogue with RP was opened, and I found myself the ultra-pleased recipient of a pair of SportMask sunglasses, one of RP's flagships for their current lineup. According to my contact at RP, this particular style will be available later in the year, but is, at present, possessed only by Chris McCormack, 2007 winner of Kona, and yours truly. Pretty effin' cool, I think.

(as a side note, I noticed that the custom design I created for my Radars last summer was the same that Sam McGlone wore for her debut at Kona -- once again, pretty effin' cool.)

While I've yet to run or ride with the shades (midterms are next week, and I was way behind schedule), I've tried them on and tried the lens swapping feature. Here's my assessment thus far:

• Unbelievably light weight (0.88 oz., according to the spec sheet)
• Slick adjustment via the nose piece (akin to the Tayo models [best sunglasses ever])
• Easy lens exchange, although I did notice some minor chipping on the overcoat of the Racing Red lens. This could have been a defect in the original manufacturing of the lens, though; I noticed no additional chipping with the two or three subsequent removals & reinsertions of the frame pieces from & to the lens itself.
• The red "Rudy Project" badges on the sides of the ear stems could get snagged, removing them from the ear stems. Should that (unlikely situation) ever occur, the badges appear to be easily replaceable.
• Hard carrying case is vastly improved over the cumbersome hard plastic case of glasses of yore, though its general design for dual-lens glasses eliminates the possibility of storing additional lenses for the SportMask, something hope to get resolved before this March's Texas Independence Relay

My plan is to sport them on the commute to work tomorrow, as well as at the Houston Half this Sunday (what do you think: should I bandit?) . I hope to eventually shift my entire sunglass array back over to RP (the hinges on the Oakley SquareWires are driving me batty), as well as replace my aging Atmos with something from Rudy (the RP helmet N--- got me for Christmas [the one that started all this ruckus] will be used for TT training, as well as for mountain biking)...maybe one of the older models, as the next gen stuff isn't available for another month or two; you can probably guess how impatient I am.

And thus ends my posting for tonight. It's getting late, and I still need to update my school Web site with next week's midterm info. I'll check back in after the weekend to say how N--- did, let you, my avid, sometimes rabid(?), readers know if I decided to bandit and how the SportMask did on its first few outings. As always, thanks for reading.

Yo-ga! Yo-ga!

I was feeling like absolute poop tonight. I really needed to get a swim in, and even made enough progress on the PAPE2 midterm to allow myself to go to the gym, but time got the better of me; lunch for the rest of the week still needed to be prepared, which included a trip to the grocer.

After talking with N--- (tomorrow's her birthday!), I changed into a pair of shorts and popped in a DVD I bought a few years ago, Yoga Conditioning for Athletes. I'd not done much of anything resembling yoga for several months, so I navigated my way through the DVD to the five-minute "mini" workouts, thinking I could handle that. Within seconds, I realized just how tight my body had become, but I persevered, stretching to the best of my (in)ability.

Who knew five minutes could make such a huge difference in one's physical & psychological well-being? When finished with the set, I felt completely rejuvenated, including nearly no pain in my right leg (it has since returned with some emphasis, but is much less noticeable than it was three hours ago.

And that's my two-bit post for tonight. I felt the strong urge to write something, but I didn't know where to begin. Yea, yoga.

I'm hoping to get a bit more sleep tonight, so my next posting should be a tad more coherent. Thanks for reading.

To Infinity, and Beyond

Today is the third day of the year 2008. It is the first day this week I have had Internet access at home.

When school let out for the holidays, I thought about signing on with this local ISP that provides a wireless solution for connectivity. Pretty ingenious, but pretty expensive, too -- at least for the startup. This ISP (which shall remain nameless, just in case they've any spiders out there, scouring the Web for people badmouthing them, regardless of how deserved such badmouthing may be) let me know they would be shutting down for the weekend and the ensuing holidays, but they would reopen on Wednesday, December 26th. I could then get signed up for wireless Internet service and be online in no time. No problem, and off I went to have a very merry Christmas.

Come Boxing Day, I called AT&T to cancel my service with them, disconnecting gramma's old telephone number in the process. I then trotted across the street to be greeted by a sign indicating they (the wireless ISP [shall I call them WISP?]) would be closed through the 26th, reopening on the 27th. No problem, thought I, as my AT&T service was to be active until the 27th. Goodness, was I ever mistaken.

On the morning of the 27th, my service was off-line, as promised. I made for the WISP when they opened at the early hour of 10:00, and had my contract & credit card ready for service, with the exception of one question on the contract: They wanted my mummy's maiden name. The WISP agreed to an alternate security question (after erroneously informing me that mother's maiden name was required by the DHS), so I signed on the dotted line and was promptly told it would be Monday (12/31) before my service could be connected: A technician needed to go on-site to plug in the access numbers into their proprietary piece of wireless hardware. When the lady behind the counter was queried for the reasoning, she had no real answer to speak of, stating there was not an ISP out there that would provide IP addresses for its servers. I retorted that every ISP I've ever dealt with did, she suggested I go sign up with them. I snatched my credit card and contract, told her I would, and left.

Five minutes later, I'm on the phone with AT&T, letting them know that I had made a grave mistake and wished to come home. They were more than forgiving, but could not return the old phone number to me; something to do with order processing time. Fine, no problem...new starting point for me in the house, or something. By 2:00 that afternoon, telephone and DSL service were back online. Life was again good. At least, until Monday.

Monday morning, I get up to go ride with J--- and a few other guys from Spectrum to Castroville (75-mile recovery-type ride out near Castroville). Trouble was, the Internet service was down, so I couldn't check weather temperature in SA-town, wind chill, and so on. What ever; I'd check it when I got home. And I did. Nobody at AT&T had an answer for me. The order that was put in the preceding Thursday (12/27) for service, could be open as late as eight o'clock that evening, and I should call back if need-be. I did, and continued to do so through this afternoon. For what ever reason, the physical line in the house went south on me and needed to be serviced. After two visits from a tech and three phone calls to the phone company, my service appears to be back up & running at 100%. I'm almost there, myself.

Today was my first bit of real, physical exercise for the new year. Yeah, I took the Felt out for an 18-mile jaunt yesterday, but that wasn't all too tough, despite the strong cross winds and frigid wind chill. Today, I ran the Parkway, feeling the effects of too much food and not enough exercise over the holidays. I had got to get back in the habit of eating healthily and making use of the gym when the weather outside is not cooperating with what I want to do. Guess that's a good enough resolution to tack on to the one of taking better care of myself. Cool.

Also, there has been some interesting developments in the eyewear & helmet department(s), but I'll report on that some time down the road. For now, I need to write my portion of the junior's midterm and tend to some house chores before bed time. I plan on hitting the gym tomorrow morning before HSM practice at 8:30. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. Happy New Year, and thanks for reading.

Mind Games

All this trouble over a bucket. A "brain bucket", that is, and for the past week, I've been worrying my pretty little head over the best options for my pretty little head.

See, N--- got me this new Rudy Project helmet for Christmas, complete with USAT decals & whatnot, and it is super-duper sweet. Trouble is, I've been running Oakley eyewear the past eight or so months, and, being the brand snob that I am, I just cannot mix and match the two...at least, not on the road. Further, sweet as the new RP helmet is, its color scheme doesn't match up too well with the rest of my gear, save the shoes I use for triathlon. To get around these dilemmas, I've been pricing Rudy Project eyewear and helmets, but I'm having a hard time justifying the additional costs involved for the former, to say nothing of finding something that satisfies my seemingly high standards. e-Rudy. om does have some nice closeout deals on both, but I'm not sold on those products' ability to please me; I don't want to settle.

To address the first issue (cost), I'm essentially screwed: Stick with Oakley, and I'll need to look at not only a new helmet (~$120+, depending on make/model), but also the cost of an additional lens for the Radar -- which I have only now learned how to replace. Should I opt for Rudy Project, I'm looking at a new helmet ($60 for a closeout special) and new casual glasses ($135 and up, depending on materials). Either manufacturer would require a new helmet for TT, but Oakley gives me more options, especially for looks.

Yes, when it comes to gear, looks are important: If you feel fast, you are fast. But, even if you aren't fast, you should at least look good. The RP lid does go well with my Sidi tri shoes, and the RP Freeon shades look good with everything I have, with the possible exception of my new running shoes; the Oakley Radar matches them perfectly.

Looking at the clock in the upper left of my screen, I see that I've been working on this post for over an hour -- nearly two. This is really <expletive> sad that I'm spending so much time & energy (to say nothing of potential money) on such a trivial issue. What I think I'm going to do is stick with Oakley. I already have both the sport and casual glasses, both of which are not only to my liking, but the former is also of my own design. The RP lid will be relegated to commuter duties, for which it is well-suited (nicer visor, bug liner, über-comfy fit), and I'll go with something along the lines of a Bell Sweep for road cycling...maybe even an XC model, too -- if I can get my arse out on my MTB more than once or twice a year.

With that said, I bid you a pleasant morning (even if it is 4:53 in the morning), and I go off to read Joyce and sip on some green tea. I do hope I'm not getting sick.

Stay warm. Happy New Year, and thanks for reading.

Rock, Rock On

Since February 10th, I have run 801.934 miles; a little over 400 miles of that was in preparation for the last 26.2, better known as the Wellstone Dallas White Rock Marathon.

My second marathon in my relatively short career as a runner (and I use the term loosely; despite my low mileage for the year, I still consider myself a cyclist), White Rock was also the second marathon for which I trained this year. After the debacle of Tri101, I refocused my training efforts on the San Antonio Marathon, but an injury sidelined me, and I did not think I would be able to be ready for it. So, White Rock it was to be, as a few folks from Steele were also running it. Misery, after all, does love its company.

Come race day, I was, indeed, miserable. The same injury that sidelined me from San Antonio continued to nag at me, though became somewhat migratory, moving from the lower ab area to the glutes, then to the hamstrings and knee area, before settling, in all places, in my neck & shoulder. Truly, I am at a loss for explaining any of it. I just suffered through the pain...probably better than what I did the weather.

The final email from the organizers of the Rock said to plan for "hot and humid" weather on race day. Come Sunday morning, it was anything but hot, anything but humid. Temperatures hovered in the low 40s and radar showed thundershowers scattered all over the Dallas metroplex. Joy.

With a slight change in apparel for the race, N--- & I headed off for the AA Center (um, that's American Airlines Center...where the Stars play) and the start of our respective races (she was running the half, again as a training run for the Houston Half). I did decide to don my SportKilt (worn with tri shorts this time -- I learned my lesson on traditional Scottish styles [use your imagination] at the SkirtChaser 5k), and I'm glad I did, for the kilt helped shield my legs from the bitter cold. Movement was not at all inhibited, and commentary from racers & spectators alike helped keep me motivated. However, I was not the most uniquely dressed runner on the course: A group of relay runners were wearing identical "Stewie" costumes, confirming that runners are a truly unique breed.

Okay, the nitty gritty.

My cohorts from work all finished within their target times, and I did too: My official finish time was 3:28:55 (hours:minutes:seconds), a new personal record, bettering my time from San Antonio 2007, by nearly three minutes. It wasn't quite the 3:20:00-ish finish I was shooting for, but for that, I blame my myriad injuries and my less-than-smart decision to chuck my gloves before making it to the lake. In reviewing my splits, I can see how my times started going down within a mile or two of confronting the whipping, chilling winds of White Rock Lake. I somewhat recovered the last few miles of the marathon, but by then, it was too late; my target time was shot. All the same, I am happy, for two reasons: 1) I set a new PR; 2) I can quit running so #(*& much and start riding my bikes again.

The 2007 competitive season is more or less at an end, so I can start thinking about 2008. In all honesty, I don't think I'll be racing much, but, as I am considering a run at IMAZ in 2009, a few key races will be necessary for fitness tests only. Up for consideration are at least two HIM distance triathlons, Tour de Gruene, San Antoino Marathon (now the "San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon"), and the SunMart 50k trail race. Already set in stone are the Texas Independence Day Relay and Beach to Bay Relay Marathon. Providing I can keep constant with training for all three disciplines through the year (running will not be a problem, save continued injury), I should be in good shape for my sub-12 finish goal for IMAZ a year from April. If not...well, stay tuned to find out how all that goes.

For the "Thank Yous", it's the usual cast of characters, with a few new faces: D--- & K--- for inspiring me to "tri" and run in the first place; N--- for unbelievable support that would make even a pro envious; the R---s, for wonderful accommodations & hospitality; the Steele crew for keeping my psyched about the race as training dragged on; and, of course, my own family, both locally and in Dallas. The latter made the weekend every bit as memorable as crossing the finish line.

Winding down what will likely be the final posting for this year (unless I get SEVERELY bored during the winter holidays), I wish you a happy holiday season and thank you for reading.

Born Again?

I was ready to up & quit today.

Because Tri101 was canceled, I've been busting my bum the past few months to ready myself for the White Rock Marathon on December 9th. As a result, my swim & bike became virtually non-existent, save the occasional commute to work, and I literally could not tell morning from night when out for a run. This, joined with a nagging leg injury (got an appointment with a PT Friday next to try & remedy that -- just in time for the marathon!), had me in something resembling a pissy mood toward endurance sport training, be it marathon and even triathlon. I had doubts of formally setting my sights on Arizona in 2009.

Had doubts.

After a conversation with a fellow runner at school this morning, I got to thinking about things. Yeah, I'm fast. Not as fast as I could be, but I'm no pro (tri)athlete with an unlimited budget of resources. I'm just me: a high school English teacher with no one to answer to other than myself. While it does hurt the pocketbook when paying for stuff (race fees, bike parts, technical clothing -- and the list goes on), it is quite liberating when it comes to accounting for race results.

I skipped last night's scheduled 14-mile run due to the aforementioned nagging leg injury and a general will to not want to run for two hours in the dark. I did, however, make it out tonight for a light, 6-mile trek up & down the Parkway. While on this trek, I again became energized on making a good run at White Rock next weekend, even if I will have to drive back from Dallas by myself (N--- has been summoned to another training the following week; she flies out of Dallas that afternoon; merd). As for IMAZ, it's still up in the air. I've some time before registration opens, plus by not taking the crash-course method to training that has been so common to my marathon training these past two years, I think I can avoid the burnout. Then again, I'm also counting on some mad encouragement from my buddy D---, himself an Ironman.

For now, though, I'm going to take the snoozing kitty atop my lap into the bedroom, cuddle up and go to sleep. Thanks for reading, faithful readers -- and yes, I now know there are more than one of you. And so, a parting note: Like you, dear readers, I've encountered innumerable people in life, and some have been exceedingly dishonest. Unless mentioning someone by some semblance of a name (N---, D---, etc.), don't presume I'm talking about you.

Whatever your reason for reading, thanks for doing so.

@$#*% Weather

I'm not completely sure what to say here, other than that I felt strongly inclined to post something.

Training for White Rock, for all intents & purposes, is going swell. The long runs I've had the past two weekends all went extremely well (due, in large part, to the uber-supportive efforts of N---), as have the weekday runs; my track workout last Thursday felt great in spite of the monotony of running nine miles on a track. And then the weekend and its @$#*% weather arrived.

Saturday wasn't quite so bad, with slightly damp streets and an overcast sky. I sat down to begin CMC and wound up not moving for the duration of the day. Good news: I made it a little over 1/3 of the way through the reading & annotation of said book.

Sunday morning sucked even worse, as the streets were very wet, and the threat of rain hung in the air like the stench of a really wretched fart. (yeah, it seems I'm stretching in my figurative language, but, work with me here) Were it not for the breath of fresh air that is N---, the day would have been a total loss. She & I did some shopping for baking ingredients for Thursday's feast and then made it out for a few miles on the Parkway (despite my protests for an alternate route). Afterwards, it was more reading & annotating before an evening of Battlestar Galactica (newer series -- I'm really enjoying the parallels with a post September 11 world; too bad the ones who really need to see & understand it have probably never heard of it because it airs on Sci-Fi, not Fox) and eating sushi. Great way to spend the one year mark with the woman I love.

Despite the warm fuzzies brought on by having had N--- as part of my life the past year, this morning started out not so well: fog. Lots of it. It's still here, as a matter of fact, though not quite in the pea soup flavor of similes past; that was this morning. All that means for me is more reading & annotating of CMC (yea!) and no 23-mile run. I'm half-tempted to check the gym schedule for spin classes and some treadmill/pool time, but that would require packing a bag, a couple of changes of clothes, and a lot more effort than I am willing to invest at the moment. Methinks I'll just curl up with CMC and do some of that reading/annotating.

Thank you for reading. Annotating, of course, was optional. Should I not make it back here by Thursday, have a happy Thanksgiving.

Thor's Day

And, indeed, did the hammer fall.

I picked up my commuter bike from Bike Heaven last night, and it turned out far better than I had hoped. True, the walk-out price exceeded what I had hoped, let alone budgeted, for, but its maiden voyage this morning made up for it. I'll post pics up here when I get around to it.

After work, I had a six mile hill run on the schedule, so I headed out on the Parkway for my usual 6.25 mile excursion. By the time I crossed Savannah (roughly two-mile mark), I had a good idea I was going to beat last week's time. I had no clue I would beat it by nearly a minute: 42:39 was the final time, which betters last week's mark by 58 seconds; my average pace was 6:49/mi. Rock, rock on.

Despite my still-going-strong endorphin high, I do find myself pretty exhausted from the day, from the week, so I'm going to wrap this up and do up tomorrow's PowerPoop presentation before turning in. Breakfast is still at 5:30, and I find myself tempted to ride the bike over to the usual spot in the AM, as it's now equipped with lights & shiznit. Guess the boss was right: I am an exercise junkie. Just try to get an apology out of me for that, too.

Run hard. Pedal harder. Thanks for reading.

Rest for the Weary

Since healing from my track-induced glute injury, I've missed a singular workout. That was last Thursday, when, after riding home from work, I realized I was a little tired and needed a power nap before going on the day's scheduled 8-mile hill workout. I lied down around 5:30 in the evening and didn't arise from slumber until 5:00 the next morning. Guess I was more than a little tired.

After two days' rest, I am back on track. A relaxed-pace 10-mile jaunt with N--- yesterday morning was incredible, as the air was cool and my body felt grateful for the extra rest day during the week. Chores & such occupied the rest of my day, but I did manage to get to bed at a decent hour. The time change helped, too, and I was off & running by 7:00 this morning, this time at a little quicker clip, and with twice the distance to cover.

Living where I do is nice. I have innumerable routes I can run or bike, right out of my front door, with little-to-no traffic, and over varying terrain. Today was rolling-to-hilly, once I got off 78...five or so miles in. Despite my having the accursed iPod strapped to my arm (I ditched it at 17 miles, courtesy of N--- and the best darned support one could hope for), I did find myself lost in thought, especially over what happened yesterday in New York. Even though I wouldn't have known Ryan Shay from anyone, I do feel a deep loss for not only the running community, but also -- and especially -- for his wife. That she has such a close group of friend and fellow runners comes as small consolation; I pray she makes it through this peacefully.

On such a somber note, I believe I will sign off. Thanks for reading.

Double, Double Toil and Trouble

So, it's been a couple of weeks since my last post, and here's an update of how things are going.

• First semi-long run was last weekend: 18+ miles out in the Hill Country, with no injuries or other maladies to speak of. Post-run rub-downs, btw, rock.
• Figured out what (most likely) has been causing my pain when running track: I'm too much of a cyclist. That is to say, when going into a corner, I lean too much into the corner, instead of adjusting my stride/stance/whatever. Still working on a good resolution, but not many track workouts left on the schedule before White Rock.
• Air has a bit of briskness about it, as Fall, Texas style, has officially moved in. Runs have felt great, but it does make it extremely difficult to get out of a cozily warm bed in the mornings.
• I have been doing rather well with sticking to my schedule, but for a missed long run this past Sunday. See above comment regarding cozily warm beds.
  

And here we are with today: a double: Three miles easy in the morning; 12 hard(er) this evening. The morning run went well, with the pace picked up the last 3/4 miles or so, as I spotted another runner on the Parkway I was curious if I could catch; I did. Scared her, too. Runners and their headphones are more than just a nuisance & safety hazard on crowded courses (or MTB trails -- another story for another time), they're a safety hazard to themselves. This person was unable to hear my footfalls and/or breathing until I was virtually upon her, and she caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of her eye. Needless to say, her heart rate was well in the anaerobic range. Being the cordial runner I am (I will say 'hello', smile, and wave to others I encounter, even if they don't reciprocate), I apologized and continued my run.

Tonight's run was able to begin before night, as I was able to slip off campus more than an hour ahead of schedule (had a sub, since I was reviewing apps for NHS). After taking care of my license plate issue, I made it home, changed, and was running at exactly four PM. Hypocrite that I am, I had my iPod firmly strapped to my arm, earbuds in place (but with the volume adjusted to allow me to hear anything that might creep up on me), for I felt I needed the tunes to keep me focused on pace, instead of running the risk of running too fast (not likely) or too slowly. Even though I know my splits weren't even, I managed to average my target pace for White Rock: 7:58. Sweet.

N--- called a short while ago to let me know the editor of The Onion would be on "Fair Game" tonight to promote the new book, Our Dumb World -- an atlas of sorts. Despite my fondness for the rag, I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer. Last night was a late night (couldn't get to sleep: too psyched about my new PB for the Parkway -- 43:37!), and today's runs have totally taken their toll. With a faculty meeting on tap for first thing in the morning, I'll need all the rest I can get to guarantee my lazy bum is out of bed by 5:30, running by 5:45...in the morning.

Sorry to have rambled on for so long, but bad habits are hard to break. Regardless, thanks for reading.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Talk about a bittersweet beginning to the day: I wake up with the thought that today is the day N--- returns from Las Vegas (been there since Sunday afternoon for a work convention), get dressed & stretched for my run, start a load of laundry, and then step outside to be greeted by wet streets and light rain. I get the feeling Mother Nature is somehow upset with me and is bent on foiling my runs with whatever she can throw at me.

Knowing that I don't like running in the rain (premature wear on shoes) and am hesitant to ride in the rain (for while I do enjoy riding in the rain, I don't enjoy the 90-minute post-ride bike cleanings to avoid damage to the drivetrain), she's been throwing a lot of rain at me this year. A lot. No clue as to what the area's rain fall for 2007 is to date, but I'm willing to wager it is well above average. And to think, I was lamenting how much dust & dryness there was in my backyard last night whilst mowing. Heh, at least I got (most) of the leaves mulched up before the wetness returned.

So, now what? I can't head to the gym, for I started a load of laundry before walking out the door, and I sure as heck am not going to run in place in my living room for an hour. As has been par for the course this year, I guess I'll do nothing; nothing resembling exercise, that is N--- tells me she is in need of an alarm clock, so perhaps I'll begin poking around at what's out there.

Alright, enough of the personal stuff. Time for me to head on over to RadioShack.com to begin my shopping. Sorry to have bored you this morning, but thanks for reading.

Leaf Me Alone

Not much to report tonight, but to say that I am still on track for White Rock. My leg did me some grief this evening whilst mowing (more to mulch the leaves than to trim the grass; we've not had substantial rain in a while, though you'll hear nary a complaint from me) but is otherwise fine.

I'm off to stretch for a bit before bed, as I'm to be up early for an 8-mile "As You Feel" run. This morning's 6-mile "easy" pace run was every bit that, so I am a-o-k with focus and cadence. Providing I can continue long(er) runs with little-to-no pain, I should be geared up for a strong finish in Dallas in a couple of months. The more I think about it, the happier I am that I decided not to run San Antonio again. I'm still tempted to do the half, but methinks I'd rather volunteer at the RTR water station. Heaven knows the group has helped get me going with my running the past couple of years; 'tis the least I could do to return the favor.

Hark, have we not heard the chimes at 9:30? Probably not, but I do hear "Pictures of You" coming to a close, indicating that if I time my stretching & reading just right, I should be ready to doze off by the time "The Same Deep Water as You" cues up. Having said that, I am off to bed. Good night, and thanks for reading.

Not Half Bad

It's 11 o'clock on a school night, and I should be in bed. Obviously, I am not.

Since returning from an extended session at Borders this evening (reading, grading, and drinking my fill of green tea), I've been doing all I could to pretend the new week is not almost upon me. I did some shopping for Halloween costumes (ordered stuff, too! Buyer's remorse will hit me hard tomorrow morning, I'm sure), with only an undershirt remaining for procurement, and listening to all the Gwen Stefani music N--- picked up the other night at CD Exchange. Talented, sure, but she's just really not my thing. I'm left wondering, though, if G--- still has that late-90s crush on her he once had.

Dang. I just noticed I ordered the wrong #%! thing for my costume; the pants would be entirely too short. A just-dispatched email should take care of thing, but only if it gets there before the order can be placed. Sure hope karatedepot.com can remedy my mistake.

Big news for the weekend? N--- & I both ran the Helotes Half this past Saturday. N--- was shooting for a finish time of two hours, while I jokingly indicated my goal finish was October 13th. Somehow, I managed to get motoring at a good pace and finish in 1:39:39. Not too shabby for someone who A) hasn't been training; B) is still nursing an injury to the right glute. Yeah, that thing. It's STILL there. Fortunately, the longer runs seem to be doing it some good, as long as I keep my stride steady and remember to stretch properly before & after. Massage sessions with Rio Massage haven't been hurting much, either. :)

Given my still-somewhat-injured status and recent costume purchases, I will likely wait until mid-November to register for White Rock. At this rate, though, it looks like a go, kilt & all. The decision for the kilt, too, will be made in mid-November, with the Skirt-chase Run serving as the, well, dress rehearsal.

Right. My writing is getting a tad rich in the cheese department, so I'm going to cut out. After all, it is 11:25, and I'm supposed to be waking up in six hours for a six-mile run. I'll pop back in tomorrow or the next day to let you know how that goes...went...whatever.

Thanks for reading.

Running on Empty

"Wire, main office...tell them I said, 'Ow.' Got it!"

In the span of some 12 hours, I managed to log some 21+ miles: 8.4 miles after a 25-mile bike with D--- after work last night, and then a 12.something mile run this morning (part 1 of the previously mentioned dual workout planned for today). My glute was hurting something fierce for most of the run, but it was the last three or so miles that really did me in: I had no nutrition with me, save the Nuun-flavored water in my bottle. Well, at least I had that.

So, I limped in, making my final average 8:27/mi, something I was not happy about. I know I was moving at a much more brisk pace than that for the bulk of the run. However, between the heat and the humidity, I literally had nothing left but an empty tank. Still, I did manage to finish my run in time for work.

And now, here I am, counting my blessings that tomorrow is a rest day and that I do not have to race the Helotes Half on Saturday; it can be just a long, slow run with N--- and however many other people turn out. Despite tomorrow being a non-running day, though, I do still need to be up early for breakfast with "the boys." I'm starting to get a better grip on the whole blog thing, so, hopefully, I'll be reporting back in again and soon. Today was a busy day, with much to talk about. However, something far more important requires my attention: sleep. Be sure to get some for yourself. If anyone gives you any grief about, just tell them that you said it was okay.

Look for a recap of the Helotes Half sometime Sunday evening. Thanks for reading.

On a Roll for the Rock

Brief post, as I've higher priority things requiring my attention tonight, the least of which being lunch for the week: Poblano peppers stuffed with brown rice & Boca meat, served with a side of steamed vegetables. It's good to be a quasi-vegetarian.

I'm back on track for a running program, using the same one that D--- sent me last year for San Antonio, again modified for White Rock (the program was initially tweaked for SA, but had to be scrapped when I ran too hard on a track workout and tweaked something in my glutes). My right leg still isn't firing 100%, but I cannot just stand still, watching everyone else have all the fun. The last two runs I've done have produced noticeable sensations in my leg, but nothing to keep me from continuing to move. Two big tests this week: a dual on Thursday and the Helotes Half on Saturday. Based on how I feel after those two (or one, if it hurts that badly on Thursday), I'll get myself signed up for White Rock this weekend. Ah, peer pressure: Do we ever out-grow it?

With that rhetorical thought, I'm going to bow out. Check back for regular updates (honest!) on how training for the White Rock Marathon (a distance I do respect & appreciate, D---) goes along. Light a candle for the fast healing of my leg, and, as always, thanks for reading.//d

Racin' the Ranch

"Gee, imagine if I would have trained."

The above thought seems to have echoed countlessly this season: Austin Half Marathon; PlayTri Half-Iron; yesterday's Stonebridge Ranch Olympic tri. In Austin, I set a new PB for half marathon (94 minutes & change), while at SBR, I finished 27th OA and 3rd in my age group. I suppose it's not a bad exit for someone leaving the uber-competitive 30-34 AG and entering the soon-to-be-uber-competitive 35-39. But, I digress. Here's the break-down of the race.

Swim - 34:26.2
Despite getting conked on the head half-way through the first loop (2-loop course of 750m/loop), I felt fine through the swim. Perhaps because I was just happy to swim in a lake, again, but considering I've not done regular swim workouts in better than a month, I suppose my finishing 8th in my AG wasn't too shabby; I'm not sure how I finished in my wave, as all males, 49 and under, began together. I just don't feel the need to compare my swim time to everyone else's. Bike times , on the other hand, are another story, but we'll get to that in a tic.

Once we exited the water, it was an awfully long haul to T1, and I was unsure of where to hit the watch. I guess it was supposed to be right out of the water; I hit my split once entering the transition area. Whatever. It was after I exited T1 that the real fun began, anyway.

Bike - 1:05:38
Boo-yah. The wind was a real bear for the whole course, and I really fought it on the crosswinds, courtesy of the Zipp 404's deep rim. However, the lightness of the rear wheel really made up for it, as the 6.something-mile course was particularly hilly...at least for Dallas standards. Still, the 404s gripped the road rather well, allowing me to soar my way to a 2nd best bike split for my AG; 10th for all Age Groupers.

T2 transition was hairy -- really hairy. Unable to remember how much space was available before the dismount line, I opted to leave my feet in my shoes, clipping out to swing over once I hit the line. However, my left foot felt a tad too slippery on the pedal, so I opted to just dismount a lot more casually. How was I to know I was in contention for a medal?

Run - 47:23.6
I was very leery about doing the race because of the run. I'd injured myself a couple of weeks prior, training for the SA Marathon. As such, I'd done very little running since, with most of my race preparations coming from stretching. Going into it, I felt a burning sensation in my lung for the first few miles, finally getting into my stride after the turn-around and getting passed by a couple of relayers. With less than two miles to go, my cramping was gone, so I kicked it into high gear, passing the aforementioned relayers. In the final stretch before the finish line, I heard N--- should it, "Kick it!"...and my right leg promptly cramped.

I more or less limped across the finish line, collected my consolation prize and found N--- and her family, as well as D--- and K---. (K--- had done the sprint [as had N---] and finished admirably in her AG; N--- just ruled in hers, especially in the run: she looked so fluid.)

The End?
Thus went my last scheduled race of the season. Running San Antonio is definitely out, though White Rock remains a possibility. If I can find a way to get over this whole injury thing and get back on an aggressive running schedule, I'm fairly certain I can be ready to run a pretty strong marathon -- possibly beating my foundation of 3:31:08. Qualifying, I know, is a pipe dream, but I still think it'd be fun to run a race where so many of my co-workers will be. Besides, I've my SportKilt to really break in on a long run, and, as someone mentioned in transition after yesterday's race, it'd be hilarious.

As usual, I've a whole slew of people to thank, but one in particular stands out, and that is N---. Without her, I don't think I'd have the proper focus and/or attitude in my life, so thank you. Naturally, a huge thanks to Bicycle Heaven for setting me up with the wheels for the race, as well as the bike, transition bag, and other tidbits that make me feel like a supported athlete (as opposed to...oh, just go watch 'Grease'). Special thanks, as well, to N---'s parents for the room & board during the whirlwind trip to Dallas; brunch was the least of ways I could have said 'thank you.' Finally, a special thanks to my own mom & dad, without whom I never would have known a bicycle can go that fast. That Raleigh Capri put me on the fast track all those years ago. I do not think I will ever forget that bike, even though it cost less than the pedals alone on my current rig.

The 2008 season will be pretty nonexistent, as I the present plan for my finances doesn't permit for it. Then again, I said the same thing about this time last year, so who knows. Regardless, look for my ramblings here and there, and, as always, thanks for reading.

All for Naught?

The weather here has finally begun to cooperate. True, that means it's hotter 'n blazes out there, but at least there is no rain. That means regular, consistent runs & rides, not to mention a clean bike. I still get drenched, though; the humidity is awful.

I decided to read an email I received yesterday from the group putting on the Tri101 race this November. My delay was caused by thinking it was just another piece of hype from the group, touting something or other, but I was wrong...way wrong. It seems that the Tri101 race in The Woodlands won't even happen.

Apparently, there are some issues with getting the appropriate permits, safety something or other, or whatever the excuse was. What it comes down to, though, is that someone dropped the ball. A big ball, too, with the potential for great things. After posting the news in one thread of the 101 section of SlowTwitch, I see the same post another thread, with many comments, all forecasting doom for the 101 series; The Woodlands is the second cancellation this season. As The Woodlands venue was the championships, that certainly does not bode well for the organizers, now or for future events.

So, here I sit, debating whether or not I should go do a track workout. Yeah, I need the exercise, but I've just kind of lost my motivation...at least for triathlon. Stonebridge is still a month-and-a-half out, but that's only an Olympic distance race, and I know I'd have no trouble with it, even if it were to begin in an hour. Well, maybe not quite that short. I'm still in the SA area, and Stonebridge is all the way up in Dallas. I'd definitely miss my wave start time.

Right, I'm rambling. I need to go silence my alarm clock (guess I hit the wrong button when I reset it this morning) and get ready for another glorious day at work, readying my classroom and myself for the beginnings of the 07-08 school year. I've my own gripes about some stuff on that, but I'll save that rant for another time. For now, I need to run, 101 or not. Thanks for reading.//d

Home from the Holiday

Just a quick post to let all my avid reader know that I successfully returned from California, unscathed, untamed...just in case she didn't know that already, seeing as how we were on the return flight together after spending the previous six days soaking up the sun, enjoying August without triple-digit temperatures.

And, now that I am home, with my bikes, the weather, as if on cue, is scheduled to turn to <expletive>. I simply cannot win. Of course, it is just a forecast and is about as reliable and true-to-its-word as my ex, so, for all I know, come Saturday, I could be fully immersed in 100+ degree sunshine, pedaling my bicycle along, stupid grin on my face, all the better with which to catch the hordes of bugs infesting the countryside. Gosh, it's good to be home.

Speaking of, I am, and need to go in order to get things squared away after nearly a week. More to come on the goings on & my adventures in the Land of Fruits & Nuts. Thanks for reading.//d

Splintered

I seem to open my entries with the same lamentation of it being too long since my previous posting. This was not the intent, as I had intended to post something in the wake of doping & suspicions thereof that made up this year's Tour de Farce (wow, just noticed that only an "n" is missing to make 'farce' an anagram of 'France'; what a coincidence), but decided better of it. I've just been too bitter over the state of cycling -- professionally & personally -- to say anything on the subject.

Personally? Yes, well, in addition to not having ridden half of the miles I should have been able to ride during my summer hiatus (bloody weather), my main road bike had to go & break its fork. While I could bemoan the cheapness (of manufacturer -- certainly not of price) of a certain carbon fork manufacturer that also dabbles in baseball bats and so on, I will instead count my blessings that the cracks in the fork's epoxy were noticed when driving to a ride and not actually on a ride.

Here's where it gets (more) depressing: My ride (a no-frills Sandvik titanium frame loaded with Campy Chorus) has a 1" headtube, which makes matching forks a difficult thing to find...at least those within the price range I have set. A Ritchey fork was about all that was available, but was not full carbon; it sported aluminum dropouts and an aluminum steertube. The former I could tolerate, but the latter would have just added too much weight to an already less-than-svelte bike. With as little as I've been riding, I need all the help I can get, so adding weight to the bike was certainly not to my liking. Fortunately, though, a friend had a 1" fork (with a carbon steertube!) lying in his garage, and offered it to me, so it's going on the ti rig this week. After that, the bike will be posted on Craig's List for an amount that will hopefully afford me a new Chorus gruppo.

I really shouldn't be here writing this, right now. I should be just about to turn off the access road onto Retama Parkway on my Wednesday morning run. However, the long run got cut a lot short because, quite simply, I felt horrible. Extremely winded, sore quads, and my shins hurt like heck. I'm still not completely sold on the shoes I've been running in for the past few weeks, as I seem to have suffered through more shortened runs since their purchase. True, they feel great on my feet, but for the rest of me...I think I might just have to go back to Waveriders. Good, solid shoe, even if it is pricey.

Phone's ringing.

Okay, back, but I think it's time to wrap this up before it becomes a session about how expensive sports are ($200 for a fork [which I technically didn't have to pay, but you get the idea], $3000 retail for the new bike, $90 for new shoes, and $70 for a new watch [yeah, there were some that cost a little less, but, for whatever reason, I really like Nike watches]). Besides, I need to shower and would like to get some breakfast before I head off to my final day of GT training. As always, thanks for reading. See you in-line at the cashier.//d

Le Tour

For almost a week, now, the 2007 Tour de France has been winding its way across Europe. For the first time in about a decade, too, I've not really cared. Sure, I've checked on who's won stages, but "Tour Fever" has not taken me over, latching me to my computer screen or pop by a friend's house to watch a stage unfold. With so many big names not racing, including 2006 winner (at least as seen on TV) Floyd Landis, it's hard to not get excited. The real reason, I feel, has more to do with the reason for the absence of Landis, et al.: doping.

I've no intentions of launching into a tirade about how doping has ruined cycling, for I don't truly feel that...at least not on a personal basis. For me, cycling has always been more personal: a means of escape that feels like flying. In college, I scheduled my classes to allow for a 2-3 hour bike ride in between or would ride before classes, allowing for not only optimal parking, but also an exhilarating way to begin the day. I mentally wrote many of my essays while biking the hills of Boerne and Helotes.

But then came the scandals, beginning (for me, anyway) with Tyler Hamilton and the 2004 Olympics & Vuelte. Follow that up a couple of years later with Puerto, and things got downright nasty, including an additional implication of Hamilton, and culminating in the ousting of several 06 TdF pre-race favorites. But Floyd saved the day and resparked America's interest in the big bike ride...until doping tests revealed (or at least suggested -- I'm still undecided) he may not have legitimately earned the maillot jaune.

With the winners of the past eight years not invited (at least, according to what I've read) to this year's Tour, what's the point in following it?

This:


photo: AFP

This picture effectively captures what cycling is going through right now: something so awesome (and Vinokourov is that), battered and bruised, struggling to carry on. I particularly like the arm of a T-Mobile rider (former teammate?) offering a hand of support & encouragement.

So, while I'm still not fully psyched about the Tour, I am every bit as excited as ever about cycling. True, cyclists can be a bit elitist (all right, downright arrogant), but you get that in every form of sport. In cycling it just might be a tad more justified. Here's to hoping for a strong, dope-free finish for this year's Tour...and for cycling as a whole.

</soapbox>

Thanks for reading.//dhs

Monday Musings

Ah, the last Monday of summer school. 'Twas anything but bad, unless you count the lawnmower crapping out on me this afternoon, again leaving me with a partially-trimmed front yard, making it look as though the mower of said lawn quit, mid-mowing, to use the restroom and never came back. If only I could tell them that the mower is not in the restroom; rather, he is making an entry on his blog.

Weekend weather was half and half: Saturday sucked, Sunday rocked. N--- & I made it out for a little run in the morning, followed by a swim, which, in turn, was followed up by an afternoon of vegging out: Simpsons, sushi, and sorbet. It's good to be a triathlete. It's better to be in love.

A quick peek at lawnmowers from the local yocals makes me think I'll be waiting a bit to purchase a new one, given the uncertainty of what's happening with my house. Should I stay, I'll use some of my summer school money for a new one, else I just keep limping by with what I have. Hopefully, the weather will back off and keep the grass & weeds from growing so #(^*% quickly, but I'm not holding my breath. But maybe I should be.

Ye olde computer clocke reads 4:17, so methinks I'll throw a bag together and head over to the gym to lift & swim. I'm still sucking in the water, and Tri 101 is only getting closer, so I need all the help I can get.

Off I go. Thanks for reading.//d

Straight Sevens on Saturday

I guess the best way to keep me posting to this Blog is to have me trapped indoors. What's this, three consecutive days, now?

Once again, the rain kept me (and N---) from playing outside today (I feel bad for her, having to scrap her massive training day twice, in the same week, on account of the weather), and, with water aerobics classes starting so early on Saturdays, I was unable to get in a swim before needing to be home for today's Harry Potter-thon, where me and a few friends will, for whatever reason sounded logical at the time, attempt to watch all four of the current Harry Potter DVDs. It's going to be a long day. I mean, Dan did IM CdL in less time.

The home theater is all warmed up (courtesy of Tori Amos's latest), snacks are set, and the butterbeer needs only to be brewed together. T--- just called to say she & K--- are on the way, and N--- should be here before too long. Guess I'll head into the kitchen and finish up the butterbeer and get the pizzas started.

Weather looks like it's going to continue to suck for the foreseeable future, so check back soon for yet another update. Thanks for reading.//d

Overcast

It rained again this morning. It's been spotty, too, since I woke up and consumed some eggs & such for breakfast, meaning today is pretty-much a shot day for outdoor training, yard work, or anything else I wanted to do outside...except SeaWorld.

A---, M---, and the nephews are in town, so we're heading off to see the sharks and that big whale that does tricks. Hopefully, it'll take my mind off the poopy weather, and the sharks can get my mojo for swimming going, again. I tell ya, the past few times I've been in the pool, I just haven't felt it.

The tea kettle is letting me know my water is ready, so I'm bugging out now. Hope everyone else's day is going better than mine. If not, meet me in the shark tank in an hour.

Thanks for reading...d

Weathering the Storms

It's been raining here for what seems like a month, and I have to say, I'm sick of it. Really.

Alas, the first original post since PlayTri last April (technical difficulties; sorry), and I choose to open it by #(%*& about the weather, when that's only background to everything that's been going on since said triathlon. Where to begin?

Crookshanks. No, not Hermione's cat from the Harry Potter series, but my own fuzzy feline, has moved on. She somehow contracted a fairly common virus called feline infectious paritonitis (FIP), which, when it does what it's supposed to, starves a cat to death. Unfortunately, Crookshanks's strain did what it was supposed to. Poor girl dropped over a pound in a matter of weeks by not being able to keep anything, food or water, down. To make matters worse, fleas seized upon her in her sickened state (they later made themselves at home in my home, but more on that in a bit). She became too weak to fight on, but remained chipper right up to the end. It's been nearly two months, but I still miss seeing her trot across the lawn whenever I pull into the drive on my bike. I even miss her near-incessant whining. I don't, however, miss her fleas.

Fleas have to be the most difficult pest to rid one's home of. After six weeks and $200+ in expenses, I think I've finally rid my home of the little buggers; rather, I've not seen a living one here in a couple of weeks. Sevin Dust is definitely the bomb when it comes to that sort of thing. Raid flea foggers are not.

Backtracking to the same weekend that Crookshanks was put to sleep, N--- & I went down to Corpus Christi to run the Beach to Bay relay marathon. Granted, we weren't on the same team, but that didn't keep us from having a grand time while we were down by the beach. N--- ran the leg before mine, so I got to see her trucking into the chute to hand off to her teammate. What a stellar runner.

I'd a hard time getting to my hand-off person, but once I did, I motored on, using the angst I had inside of me over Crookshanks to motor through the 4.4 miles in 29'04", averaging 6:35/mi. Considering my leg was the bridge, even I was impressed with my time. Since then, though, my training has gone more or less down the toilet. Enter worst weather I've suffered through in several years.

Tri 101 is still a few months away, so I remain optimistic about being ready for it, despite my lagging behind on training. I'm finally coming to the "acceptance" phase of things and will begin adapting my training schedule to make full use of the gym and its amenities to accommodate the lousy weather.

Kind of a blah post, I know, but I felt compelled to type in some stuff tonight, in light of the poopy swim I had this evening. There just seems to be so little gas in the tank, literally & figuratively speaking, due in small part to the weather I seem to be unable to shut up about. So, I guess I'll just shut up all together. Besides, I still need to finish The Once and Future King.

I'll be more coherent next time, I promise. And, now that this thing is back up & running at 100%, updates should be a little more frequent. As always, thanks for reading.//d

Survivalism

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

That thought ran through my head quite a bit today when I queried myself as to why I had signed up to do a half-iron distance race so early in the season. In reality, though, I didn't directly sign up to do the race; rather, N--- transferred her registration over to me when it became clear that spreading her time between the three sports, work, and school wasn't working too well. Judging by today's results, I didn't do such a stellar job, either...and I didn't have school to think about. I am a slacker.

Over all, though, my participation in the Playtri Triathlon Festival was a success. My goal was to survive (er...finish), using the race as a baseline for how much work was to be done between now and Tri 101 in November. Needless to say, I have much to do. Read on to find out why.

Swim - 37:12 (88th OA)
Omigosh, was the water ever cold. From the previous days' events, there were several people who DNF-d (did not finish), due, according to rumor, to the frigid temperature of the water. But, I had my trusty wetsuit and I managed to stay warm enough to somehow negotiate 1800 meters of choppy water in Lake Carolyn, navigating a series of barely-perceptible buoys, trying to make around the assorted bends and back to shore.

Bike - 2:48:41 (26th OA)
Omigosh, was it ever windy. Despite the fact that the course was essentially pancake flat, and on relatively well-paved roads, this was the toughest bike leg of a race I've done. Strong winds from literally every direction caused me to fight to keep the bike upright and going in a straight line. Psychologically, doing three loops of the same, blisteringly windy course took its toll on me by the mid-way point of lap two. Physically, my left leg began bothering me again on the second lap, but I was able to work through it with greater success than the same problem experienced at Gulfman last year. I'm thinking that a pedal change might be in order...Speedplay is seeming to be the most viable option, given the amount of available float.

But, speaking of equipment changes, I've decided that for long-course races, the Louis Garneau Chrono (or, the first generation of said helmet) is not the best of choices. Were it not for the consequence of instant disqualification, I'd have ripped the thing from my head by mile 30; it was that bad.

I tried something new coming into T2: dismounting with the shoes still clipped in. But for the problem of getting my left foot free of the shoe before the dismount line, and some crazy dismounting from a guy on my left, it was, for the most part, a success. I think with a bit more practice, I'll have it down.

Run - 1:54:05 (43rd OA)
Omigosh, was I ever tired by the time I hit the run. I'd my own little group of groupies at the race today (N--- was there the whole time, wonderful woman that she is -- she even gave me pirate socks as a good luck gift! what a gal, while D--- & K--- made it by for the run and the post-race pigout festival at Snuffer's), and they all commented on how good/comfortable I looked on the run. Based on how I actually felt, though, nothing could have been farther from the truth.

Because I had to fight the bike so much on the bike leg (as opposed to fighting the bike on the swim?), my shoulders were extremely tight. My cardio also felt way off, so I just ran with it, doing the best that I could. It was an interesting course (part of it went past an out-of-sight shooting range, so all were treated to the comforting, incessant sounds of gunfire; one runner remarked that it reminded him of being in Iraq), much of which was on concrete trailing, making for a hard-on-the-body run. It took every ounce of being I had to keep from abandoning after the first loop, but I made it through.

Summing It All Up
Swim - 37:12 (88)
T1 - 3:24
Bike - 2:48:41 (26)
T2 - 1:57
Run - 1:54:05 (43)
Total - 5:25:21
Placings - 34th OA / 8th AG

It was most likely due to my lack of preparation, but this was probably the toughest race I've ever done -- tougher even than Buffalo Springs. However, it was a good learning experience for me. A few examples:

• Don't use the Chrono helmet on long-course races
• In strong winds, it's best to use a less-deep front wheel (but I'd still like to use the 404s for Tri 101 in November, M--- & B---)
• One bottle is not really enough
• Nuun hydration tablets rock...but use only half of one per bottle
• Time pedals + me + long-course triathlon = possible need for new pedal system (not a word, M---)
• I have the most awesome, supportive group of friends anyone could ever ask for; thank you, all

For most of the day, it's been difficult to move. As a precautionary measure, I called in sick to work, and N--- made an appointment for me to get a massage before we head back home. But first, I need sleep. Disintegration is cued up on the iPod, so I will now bid you all a good evening and head off to slumber. As always, thanks for reading.//d

Case of the Mondays

Was this ever a Monday.

Blame it on the weather or what-have-you, but today was pretty-much a let-down. Nothing terribly great came of today, for I'd no energy to do much of anything but make it through the work day and plop down in front of the tele to watch a movie, Office Space. I needed something to reflect my mood and cheer me up, and the flick certainly did the trick.

I found myself somewhat inspired & motivated afterwards, but only enough to come in and type up most of tomorrow's Gatsby quiz for chapters 5 & 6. I still need to finish refreshing myself on 6 & 7 but will tend to that after I conclude this entry.

Training is beginning to wind down, as PlayTri is less than two weeks out. I don't feel ready for a strong showing, but, this is intended to only test my fitness and show how much stronger I need to be before Tri101 in November. Since I won't actually be fast, I will at least look fast; new tri gear from Speedo and Sugoi looks sharp. Now I just need to find a place to get a massage.

Goodness, this is a disjointed post, isn't it?

Breaking & Entering

Although Easter is still several weeks ago, today is a good Friday:

1) Spring Break has finally arrived & begun
2) My income tax refund finally made it in
3) I am now registered for Tri101 in The Woodlands this November.

Dear God, what have I done?

Now that I am registered for such a long-distance race, I suppose I should start training. Fortunately, I do have a schedule worked out, and it is (so far) a workable one...at least until swim season begins next year. But, that's a whole bunch of months away.

For now, I will stick with what I worked out during TAKS last month and see how that fairs me for PlayTri next month. So far, it's working, as my run & swim are both doing well. And, for having been off the bike for so long, I think I did pretty well on last Saturday's outings with the LBS and SAW. I hope to increase the mileage over Spring Break and through the summer, allowing me to really have a great racing season.

I've a 10-mile run to do in the morning, so it's off to bed with me. Thanks for reading.//d

Holy Half-Marathons, Batman!

Good gravy, was it cold this morning.

While not exactly alone in the dark, there was no one around me I knew. Still, as at triathlon races, you just can't help but make friends with everyone else who is there to suffer along with you. True, I didn't get any names, but I did meet a trio of guys who were decked out with 625x HRMs, complete with foot pods. We chatted about the 625's accuracy, training in general, and so on, and I felt justified in not running with my 625x, opting, instead, for a Nike Speed Triax 100 Super watch. Yes, the 625x would have given me every one of my splits (I missed several), but the times (most likely) would have been off. All the same, I felt free on the run. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Just for the half, more than 6,000 people signed up, so you can imagine the confusion when the gun went off at 7:00 AM. I missed the first mile split, hit the 2-mile, and missed every split again until mile 4...or was it 5? I dunno, but I was moving at a good clip until the full and half distances split. From there, it was one challenging hill after another. One guy completely deflated after seeing the climb we had to go up at mile 11; he uttered an expletive before dying.

Despite my lack of training (due in large part to injury), I still managed to finish the half -- and in pretty good time, too. According to my watch, my finishing time was 1:35:19; official time was 1:35:18, placing me 200th over all. N--- finished her half a few minutes later, crossing at 1:39 and change -- a new PB for her, too. The girl rocks.

If all goes well, I'll run the full Austin marathon next year. In the likely event the course remains the same, I know I've some serious training to do -- those hills are killers! Until then, it's focus, focus, focus on triathlon; PlayTri is just over two months away. I'll do my best to keep you, my avid readers, abreast of how training progresses, as well as if I'm ever able to get back out on my bike. Thanks for reading.//d

The Waiting Game

Tonight, I had the single worst restaurant experience of my entire life.

So, we're in Austin for the marathon. Me, N---, several of her regular running buddies, and two of my VPs from work are there, too. We all decide to meet for dinner, and Ms. S--- wants to go to this Italian chain restaurant with a location close to the hotel where she's staying (I'm crashing at B---'s house, which is also close to this restaurant), and it's close to where N--- and her friends are, so we agree. Table for nine.

I get to the restaurant right after talking with Mr. S---, the other VP, and reserve the table; 50-minute wait. No problem, as no one else is there; by the time they make it, we're down to 40 minutes. Still, no problem. We sit at the bar (which is mercifully smoke-free [thank you, Austin]), have some beverages and wait. And wait. And wait some more.

After 45 minutes, I go to check on the table and am told it will be another 45 minutes. The gang is still cool with this (some had ordered salads & appetizers), so we wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Every 15 minutes, I go to check on the table, and we finally get one -- after an hour and forty minute wait and much complaining on several peoples' parts. But, the fun doesn't stop there.

Once seated, we're given the obligatory bread and order our food (we'd plenty of time to look at the menu during our stay at the bar). I opted for the customized pasta bit, which proved to be a huge mistake -- almost as huge of a mistake as going to this restaurant in the first place.

The food arrives after we'd been at the restaurant for 125 minutes and an acquaintance of one of the VPs went to complain to management. My food was not present but made it to the table a very short while later. It was cold.

I'm usually keen on cold pasta, but the pasta was not thoroughly cooked, which made for inedible grub. Not only that, but the broccoli was cold and the chef went a little crazy with the olive oil dressing, too. If that weren't bad enough, I found odd pieces of other pasta types mixed in (not sure if they were cooked -- I didn't eat them), as well as some other things I was unable to describe.

Most everyone else had edible food, but I refused mine and refused to pay. After everyone made their way back to their respective hotels, I headed next door to a steak house for a baked sweet potato. I ate it at the bar, racked up a staggering $2.45 bill for one amazing spud, and am now back at B---'s, waiting for sleep to hit me. Guess I'm still a little worked up over yet another bad experience with a chain restaurant. I just hope I have enough energy to make it through the 13.1 miles in the 90-minute time slot N--- has set for me (actually, she's only told me she is certain I could do it in 90; I just want to see if I can).

Ah...

Guess I needed to think about sleep, as I now feel its familiar touch upon my eyelids. Sweet dreams to you all. I'll pop back in tomorrow with a post-race report. Thanks for reading.//d