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

Veggin' Out

I have successfully navigated another Saturday without accomplishing squat, as related to work -- unless you count actually thinking about work enough to load up the laptop in Buckbeak for transport over to S--- & K----'s. Eh, I wouldn't either. What I will do, though, is whip out the lesson plans for E2 & E3, once I finish this blog post. So, let's get crackin'.

I'm a lot concerned about my health. No, I'm not dying, although I did feel like it during my run this morning. A little over three miles into what was supposed to be a 15+ mile outing, I began to feel light-headed...almost as though I were about to pass out or fall asleep. I stopped, tried to collect my thoughts and decided to head back at a light trot; not even a mile later, I bonked again. Staggering back to the main road, I resumed a jog (I was not going to let some heavy-set woman in lime-green Spandex run up the hill whilst I walked) and managed to get it back up to a decently-paced run within the next half-mile and finish just under an 8-minute pace. As far as runs go, the pace & distance were decent, but I clocked in ten miles short of what I had set out to do. Still, it gave me some time to contemplate the future.

The district swim meet was yesterday evening at PAC, and both teams did well. The girls' team from Steele took first (woohoo!) and Coach went in the water. In a way, I'm glad I didn't, yet it did hurt a bit to not be included in the frivolity...as though I have no place there. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I do.

Personal free time and training have taken a heavy hit since beginning the program last September, but, since I wasn't really racing, it didn't matter so much. Besides, I had an awesome finish in the SA marathon. However, with swim competitions so frequently, plus Saturday practices, and the less-than-ideal nutritional situation surrounding swim meets, the effects are more than evident -- which disheartens me, as I would really like to see the program (and other "non-traditional sports", as a football coach called it) succeed. One of my juniors, who was at the meet to cheer on his girlfriend, even asked me if I would consider coaching cross country and/or the mile in track next year. I told M--- I'd considered it but would have to see what pans out.

The remainder of my day was spent getting out-bid on a pair of speakers (again) for the rear DTS outputs on my receiver and getting Buckbeak looking sharp; now that it's clean again, it is certain to rain. I am now back over with the pups, roasting some vegetables in the oven for dinner; fish & brown rice are in the steamer. N--- is on her way over but is currently stuck in traffic, meaning I have a bit of time to get started on the next week's lesson plans. Of course, there is a Wii in the living room, and a round of tennis could be nice...

Tune in next time to find out what I did...providing I don't wait six months to post again and forget what I said last time. Whatever happens, thanks for reading.//d

Back in the Dog House

Seems like the only times I was really willing to make a post here is when it ices over an inch thick or when S--- & K--- go on a cruise and ask me to dog sit. As it was sunny &amp; 65° today, you can probably guess which one it is.

I've just arrived for another round of dog & house sitting, but I'm finding myself in a rather non-jovial mood -- quite contrary to what I'm typically like when here, as the droolsome threesome are quite good at rousing the spirits. Heck, there was even a (stray?) pup waiting for me when I parked the car; pretty dog & extremely playful.

But, here I sit, perplexed at the range of emotions stewing within.

When I returned home from a casual run with a co-worker (too gorgeous of a day to just do nothing, and a light run was right up my alley), I was welcomed by a phone call letting me know my grandmother had been taken to the hospital because of a low blood count. I'm presuming red blood cell, but mum didn't clarify. To make matters worse, the one time Cingular's service decides to crap out on me was when talking with mum, so I missed much of what she was said and had to resort to using a land-line. How archaic.

In trying to cope with the hospitalization and the potential outcomes of such, I tried calling N--- but got voicemail. I attempted to leave a message but couldn't articulate much of anything, let alone what was going on. So, I showered, left, and grabbed a bite to eat (sushi, rather than the pizza initially craved, was such a good choice) on my way over to the dogs. Wait. That didn't quite come out right.

Whatever.

I called back and left another message, doing something I've not asked of anyone in...years: I asked N--- to say a prayer for my grandmother. N--- doesn't even know her (she just met my family a few days ago [all of whom were completely enamored by her -- they love her!]), but it just felt like something I should do. Besides, it was all I could get out, and even after I asked this of her, I again lost my ability to speak. Good thing N--- knows me well enough to know I know how to speak.

Which leaves me in a ponderous state about many things. N---, of course, is one of them (In reflecting on the time [and events of that time {everything, indeed, happens for a reason}] that has passed since meeting her, I'm really feeling...peaceful about things; I like how things are progressing, as well as the rate at which they are.), as is the subject of (organized) religion, my stance on said subject, will I have to move and when...too many things to think about, so I don't think I'm going to.

The upcoming weekend will be a busy one, but one that I hope to be productive. Of course, the direction I have planned could very easily be changed by what happens with my grandmother, but I will hold course & have faith as best I can that everything will be all right.

This was a weird one, I know, so for tonight, more than any time in recent memory, thanks for reading.//d

The Dash Likes

Hola, Amigos.

Yeah, it's been a while since I've rapped at ya, but two 007 got off to an interesting start.

I broke down and signed on with Dish Network through AT&T last December, and it's turned out to be a huge [expletive] mistake. Not only was there seldom anything decent on the however-many-hundred channels I received, but DN also tried to sneak in a few charges everyone who "helped" me through the setup process neglected to mention. I was not pleased and let the eight or so collective reps from AT&T & DN know as much. Guess that means I'll be mooching off Heaven for the grand tours again this year.

But life is not a pile of poo.

After several injuries that sidelined me the past few weeks, I managed an incredible 9-mile run tonight in just over an hour. Yes, the legs are a little sore, but it's nothing a bit of (or a bit more) stretching won't cure. At least I hope.

To cure my stank, though, I'm going to need a shower, so that's-a where I'm-a gonna dash off to. More updates will come, as I'm house-and-dog-sitting for S--- & K--- again this weekend; they're going on another flippin' cruise, if you can believe it -- but more on that later.

Thanks for reading.//d

Ice, Ice, Baby

For the second day in a row, school has been canceled. As a kid, I know I would have been ecstatic about having school canceled (and was, when it snowed in 1984, and we received two days off for it), but, now, I'd rather brave the elements, teach my stuff, and not have to worry about make-up days in a couple of months. I was actually disappointed when I received the call yesterday afternoon, thinking that it wouldn't be as bad as what forecasters had predicted -- after all, how often are they right? The pictures at right were what greeted me this morning when I stepped outside. Ice was everywhere.


Sixteen-inch long icicles dripping from the rooftops, a blanket of slipperiness over the stones by the workshop, and layer of ice half-an-inch thick over the chainlink fence -- which proved quite effective in keeping the gates shut. So, here I am, at home, again. Crookshanks can't decide if she's an indoor or outdoor cat (she'll go outside for ten minutes, come inside, then want to go back outside ten minutes later; like a fool, I oblige her), which makes getting anything done inside somewhat complicated.



According to the assorted weather outlets, today is the last of the worst, and I really do hope so. I'm anxious to get rolling and running again, and hope to be able to make it to Dallas this weekend to visit my new nephew, as well as visit some friends. For now, it's house cleaning time before trying to make my way to the gym. I just hope the mercury cooperates.

Happy New Year

A new year is again upon us, and I cannot help but wonder what the #%)(* happened to the old one. Wasn't it just New Year's, 2006?

Regardless, 2007 is here, and I enter the year in a somewhat somber state of mind. The racing schedule is uncertain for a number of reasons, with the exception of the Austin marathon. That's still on for February 17th.

Time again escapes me, so I'll cut this off now. Until later in the year...or next, considering how quickly 2006 rocketed by. Once again, thanks for reading.//d

Marathon Man

"You have to respect the distance."

That sentiment was expressed to me close to a year ago when I fancied I could handle the White Rock Marathon in Dallas. Instead, I opted to stick with the White Rock Half, and I'm glad I did; 13.1 miles really kicked my butt last December. After missing the boat for the Austin marathon in February (for which I am still thankful; it was COLD that day), I vowed to complete at least one marathon in 2006.

White Rock was a strong contender until my ("volunteer") position with the Steele & Clemens swim teams came along, so I backed it up a few weeks and signed on to do San Antonio, in spite of the ill I had heard after last year's disaster of an event, complete with awful weather and an even worse 2-loop course. The 2006 San Antonio Marathon was held today, November 12, and I don't think I could have asked for a much better baptismal marathon. Here's how it went.

The Good
Perfect weather (clear-to-over cast skies with temperatures in the 40s at the race start, high 50s at the finish) and a new single-loop course. The course was slated to begin in Alamo Plaza, wind through the King William area, then hook up with the Mission Trails to take runners past all five of San Antonio's Missions. The "running tour of San Antonio" aspect really worked to my advantage, as, at the start, Just before the start, I met a guy from Connecticut who was here to run the race and then tour San Antonio with his family for the next couple of days. He agreed to pace me (3:30 was our target finish), so I played tour guide as we made our way around town.

The Bad
Long lines for the 2649 race participants -- 30 port-a-potties for greater than 2500 race participants, plus spectators. Incidentally, of those who finished, only 965 were there for the full-bore marathon; 1684 did the half. I also didn't care for the options of only water or Gatorade at the aid stations. In my old age, I've grown not-fond of the ultra-sweet taste of Gatorade whilst running (or cycling, for that matter). Since Hammer Nutrition was a sponsor, I'd fully expected to see HEED on the course. Further, something other than water or Pepsi products (no Gatorade this time) to drink at the finish would have been nice, too. (Can you tell I post on SlowTwitch?). Oh, yeah -- $10 for parking at the Alamodome?! C'mon, guys...hide that crap in the race fee or something.

The Ugly
Mid-course nature breaks aside, the grimace on my face at mile 23.whatever when my right calf cramped could not have been pretty. Also, while technically after the race, some guy was side-swiped in the parking lot. I didn't see the crash, but I did see the impacted car spinning after the distinctive sound of screeching tires and scraping metal. To make matters worse, that car was a rental, and the guy who'd just finished the full marathon was not happy. I'm just glad my race finished better than his. Incidentally, neither driver was injured.

The Results
Total time: 3:31:00.3. Pace: 8:03.2 min/mi. Placement: 14th AG, 101st gender, 119th overall.

The Thank Yous
Obviously, all of this is D---'s fault. Yes, I now respect the distance and look forward to respectfully running Austin in February 07. However, I could not have kept anywhere near that pace today without the guidance of P---, vacationing running dude from Connecticut. Mad props, too, to the countless volunteers (outnumbered race participants, I'd wager) who helped keep everyone on the course hydrated and motivated.

And there you have my final race report of the year. My 2007 season is beginning to take form, with early contenders being the Austin Marathon in February and the PlayTri half-IM in April. I'll likely do CapTexas again in May (great way to end the school year) and Small Texan in July. The late season will be decided, based largely on how I do at PlayTri and CapTexas. But more on that another time.

As always, thanks for reading. //d

Three Dog Night

Holy crap -- three nights straight!

Yup, dog sitting gives one lots of free time to do the more exciting things in life, like watching dogs & grading papers, both of which are about on par with watching paint dry, grass grow, or flies procreate. All the same, it's good to have some semblance of downtime.

The iPod is finally working. Letting it run all night didn't do squat, but a reboot of iTunes seemed to do the trick. So, my Nano is now fairly fully loaded with a bevy of tunes matching my somewhat melancholic mood for this abnormal week in mid-September.

Upon my arrival at S--- & K---'s tonight, I popped in what has to be among the most depressing films I've ever seen; neither Closer nor The Hours could touch this one. It was a documentary about Wal-Mart, of all things: Wal-Mart:The High Cost of Doing Business...or something to that effect. If I weren't already dead-set against doing business with Wally World, I certainly am now. Heck, most of the Boxes that take advantage of China and other countries, for that matter.

Crap, it's already 9:30. I've still a hefty stack of papers to get through this evening, so it's off the Blog and back to the real world. As always, thanks for reading.//d

Cats & Dogs

Holy schneikes, a second post in as many days? What's the world coming to? Judging by the sounds of thunder and the flashes of lightning, it's anybodies guess, but the fact that I'm dog-[expletive] tired, in spite of having done little more than 30 or 40 minutes of jokingly awful flip-turns this morning in the pool, leaves little doubt that it's at least the end of the day. And it's not even ten o'clock. All the same, it was a productive day...sort of. I did get my laundry finished, as well as the aforementioned flip-turns (on a side note, it seems as though I'm not too strong in the pool as of late, most likely due to the fact that I'm so dog-[expletive] tired, but I've also just felt so...empty inside; reality, indeed, bites), and I even had time to swing by Best Buy and pick up an iPod Nano -- something I've had my eye on for some time now. Granted, my Shuffle did its job nicely, but having an LCD and better playlist management was something I'd longed for, and, given that the 2nd Gen Nanos just hit shelves, I thought I'd take advantage of it. Big mistake, and I'm not talking buyer's remorse. I headed back to my house to get a few files transferred over (Disintegration, in particular; tonight would have been perfect for it) but instead encountered a slew of technical difficulties, culminating in the moving of the MP3 drive over to Tyler in order to get the Nano to even work; the USB card I put in Jan a couple of months back hasn't done jack except cause for me one headache after another. Things weren't too much better with Tyler, but I at least seemed to not lose the connection with the Nano. Then again, it was still repairing itself when I called it quits after forty or so minutes. And now, it's time to call it quits in my ramblings here. While there's no tin roof to hear the lulling effect of the rain in its descent from the heavens, the rolling of the thunder and my dog-[expletive] tired state should all but guarantee a good night's rest. Here's to hoping, and thanks for reading.//d

Dog Days

It is a quarter past twelve in the morning, and I am aware of two things:

1) I cannot sleep
2) I will not be running with RTR in the morning

And it's a shame, too. I'd been looking forward to tomorrow's (well, technically today's) run the whole week -- a 22-mile jaunt from Mac, including Stone Oak, but now, it will not come to pass. As it is, I'm already extremely tired -- hit the proverbial wall twice on the short shop ride -- yet sleep evades me. I'm sure it's my own fault, too. I was the dolt who went to Borders a few hours ago for a pumpkin spice chai. Figured I'd be safe with the small; shows what I know.

So, here I sit, in the computer room at S--- & K---, looking after their trio of Boxers: Zoë, Big-a-Toe, and Four-of-Seven. I didn't name them; I just get to look after them from time-to-time. My time here (all eight hours of it) has been productive, though. I've essentially caught up on grading for my juniors and am set to begin grading my sophomore's CMC exam. Grades have also been updated for all classes, so I've now only the coming week's lesson plans to tend to tomorrow...er, today.

I'm not sure why it is I've been unable to sleep the past few days. One would think I'd be exhausted at the end of the day, ready for sleep, what, with my days now beginning at 4:30 in the morning for swim practice. Then again, I'm not the one who gets to swim. Yeah, I've tossed my name in the hat to assist with the swim team this year, which means practice twice a day, no stipend, but plenty of opportunity to learn. It's only been a few days, and my training has already taken a hit, but I believe that is due more to my lack of preparation for entering the program -- everything happened so quickly. One day I send out an email offering to help, the next day I'm on deck being primed for a coach's spot...even though it'll likely not happen until next year. Oh yeah, next year.

Next year appears somewhat fuzzy. My goal was to land a job in the Schertz district, teach with K---, and eventually work into the swim & cross-country programs. I got the job, but K--- moved. Then lightning struck, and the world changed. At least, it looked as though it was going to change; for a while, it did.

Kat entered my life during a weekend trip to visit D--- & K---. We instantly hit it off, sharing many of the same philosophies on life & relationships, exchanged business cards & a few emails, but nothing much happened. Then I called her. The following weekend, I again found myself in Dallas on the RBM ride and later at dinner before finding some comfy chairs to sit and literally talk the entire night. We shared something beautiful, and I came under the impression that I might need to start looking at moving to Dallas at the end of the current school year. But lightning struck again: Kat was being moved to Connecticut.

No problem. I thought I could even handle Connecticut, in spite of it being homeland of J---, Queen Bitch of the Universe; Kat's long-term plan was to move home to New York, which I knew I could handle, despite my disdain for the cold. I mean, all you need is love, right?

The hours-long phone conversations lasted a week or two more, but as the time of Kat's next trip grew closer, the conversations grew shorter. I came to realize with bitter coldness just how far apart we were, literally, even though I figuratively never felt closer to anyone, including L---. Now, the calls have all but stopped; we talked twice the past week, and for less than half-an-hour, total. I feel lost, alone. Wait & hope...if only it were so easy.

Such has been my life as of late and the excuse I plan to use for why I've not made an entry in so long -- not that this rambling tirade remotely qualifies itself as a competent entry, let alone a decent piece of prose, worthy of even electronic, online publication. Still, much of what was said was something I just needed to get out. I feel a little better, a little more tired now, so perhaps I can now find the sleep that has eluded me. Kat, if you're reading this, just know that I miss you, but that I do not wish to hold you back or otherwise complicate your life any more than what it already is. Be well; be at peace.

For the rest of you, be well & at peace, too, and thanks for reading.//d

Small Texan Update

Results for the Small Texan were posted today, and it looks as though I did better than I thought. I remained 26th overall (male/female; 22nd for male only), but moved up to 3rd in my age group. Out of 207 racers who finished, it's not too shabby...according to me, anyway.