The Drought Is Over

Today for the first time in almost 3 weeks I swam and did a 1,100 meters in just under 30 minutes. Its a slow time I know. My main set was 10x100 on 2:30. I was giving myself a 30-40 second rest in between sets because I wanted to calm down and just make sure I gave each set its own respect instead of slowly dropping time and form as I progressed.

Long before Hurricane Katrina hit shore I was planning on riding to work the next two days. Thats 30 miles round trip and then 40-50 planned on Sunday. Add that to my 10+ last night and I'll go over 100 miles this week easy. Because I have changed up my weekend routines I won't get a run of any distance over 10k until Monday so my weekly run average is going to look terrible. Its Wednesday night and I have only ran 3 miles. I would normally be around 12-15 by now.

But I can't complain, I will get in a lake swim Saturday and add...I don't know, 500 meters I guess. Have only done one non-pool swim this year so I am being careful.

Lack Of The Runs

A bit of play on words with the title. Nothing would make my day more than a good 3-5 mile run early in the morning Monday thru Friday. I feel like I am more awake and have a greater since of accomplishment.

A few months ago when I realized I was lactose intolerant I stopped taking in dairy. My body responded very positively and I am so glad that about that, especially not having to...ahh...move my bowels 8 time a day and having a constantly upset stomach.

Except now that my body is working more optimiumly, some mornings I can't move my bowels enough when I get up. When I go for a run I have to worry about cutting it short just to make it home and finish the job. Now instead of my 0430 runs being something I look forward too, I wake up wondering if today is the day I get a full distance in. Will anyone else fess up to this same problem? What did you do to solve it?

So I have a two part plan. First I am going stop running in the mornings and instead ride my bike. That means I need to figure out lighting but I have a small red light I can hook onto my back and a headlamp I can put on my helmet, I can use side roads with good bike lanes and light traffic. Second, I am going to try to train my body to do what it needs to do before I go to bed so that I don't have such a problem when I get up and get back to my running routine in the morning.

I am determined to get to the pool tonight. I have set my whole day around it.

Making Do

Swim Update: 19 days since my last swim. I keep reminding myself that since then I have had an upper respitory infection for and then cut off part of my finger. Tomorrow is masters swim and now that ASU is back in session it should be interesting. AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH. I just flipped over to the team webpage to check the weekly news (8/30/2005) and the pool is closed until further notice. Will this never end. Okay, deep meditative breath, I will stick to the plan and run at 0430 and swim at my club in the afternoon. I need to go there anyway.

Training Update: Tonight was a 30 minute ride going 10.80 miles. Still know word yet from the professional coach. Sent in a second request for membership information tonight. Set up a good training weekend with new found tri-friends. Saturday is a lake swim, Sunday 40-50 mile bike ride on the course we did last Sunday and then individually do a mid-run on Monday, ( I will probably go 8 miles).

Family Update: Mighty Mo is doing great, thank you for your comments. Mistress was itch free by the time she got home last night. However she wore a synthetic shirt to work and the desert sun warming the shirt reactivated the allergens and she had a two hour scratch session till the benadryl kicked in.

Drat This Swimming Thing

I don't normally go more than a few hours without the "Mo Update" from Mistress. Even though today is a 'doctor' day I still expected them to get out earlier than 3 hours or at least return my call. See, Mighty Mo had his all to frequent allergy/asthma check up today and Mistress decided to get retested on the 70 point allergy test since she had not had one since moving here almost 8 years ago. The prescriptions and shelf stuff (Claritan D)worked pretty good for a while but just wasn't cutting it anymore.

One of the reasons I am in the 35-39 age group with a 2 year old son is that Mistress was very concerned about having children. From ages 2-7 she was literally a girl-in-a-bubble. Her allergy's and asthma were so bad she had plastic walls and everything she touched was in sterilized plastic bags or made of rubber. She lived most days at Seattles Children Hospital. Back in the mid-1970 there was nowhere near the medical technology with these kinds of things. So a big hurdle for her having children, was to pass that down to a child. Which is exactly what happened.

Thankfully technology is a beautiful thing. Well Mighty Mo is doing better, if better is the same dose of singular and we double some other multi-syllable thing, but he's officially off the nebulizer unless he gets too out of hand and starts turning blue. Which can happen to any two year old who alternates between thinking he is a dinosaur and a puppy.

So as I was changing for my swim at 5:30 pm, Mistress calls to tell me she had a bad reaction to several of the tests and they kept her for a few hours until the recovery meds took affect and the swelling went away. Interesting test for allergy's. They mark your body up from 1-70 and then poke you with 70 different allergens. Anything bigger than one inch squared and your allergic. So if your really allergic to say Horse then you could have a massive rash develop, which is exactly what happened. She tested positive to 58 out of 70, some really bad. So after being released, she was stuck in traffic an hour away and I had to get Mighty Mo because my mom had an appointment, long story short no swim.

Am I cursed to not swim? I'll try again tomorrow.

It took 30 minutes of my life but I got the cycling workout uploaded. Still getting used to Gimp, which Chris was nice enough to shot my way. I forgot to start my watch until I went 70% through the first loop. If you double click on the chart it will expand for easier reading.

As I was staring at the ceiling yesterday afternoon, not in a coma just relaxing, it was really great to training with a group of like minded guys. Like I have said I normally do all my training solo but there is something to be said for having a network to train with. I look forward to hooking up with them again.

This is the last week of the month which means I have all kinds of closeout stuff going on. I have to unfortunately cancel the lake swim that this group does each Thursday afternoon. That kind of bums me out.

A Return To Water

The cooking cut, or more appropriately shave, I gave my finger last week has scabbed up enough I feel confident I can get back into a pool without giving anyone the wiggles. Including myself.

No run this morning, still recovering for a few more hours from training in record heat over the weekend. Thats why today is a good day to stay out of the sun, record heat forecasted today as well. I am sunburned, not badly, but enough that the sunlight stings and add a shirt and sweat and I just didn't want to go there.

So Saturday was an 8 mile run, Sunday a 40 mile bike and today probably 1,250-1500 in the pool.

Thar's Hills In This Here City

I feel as if I have been given the secret handshake to enter the mystical area of hills that the elite cyclists and triathletes in Phoenix use to hone their craft. After three slightly different loops and some very tough grades, (PCH or better Stu I ain't lyin') we all packed it in.

Actually the term would be bonked it in. This is a record heat weekend for the Valley and during our ride the temp's went through the roof. I think I mentioned once before that on the really bad days, its not so much the high, high temp.'s but the sting of the sun (UV I think). It just hurts to be in it. On one portion of the loop the city was laying new ashpalt so for a good three mile stretch it was hot black asphalt radiating the heat back up at us.

All drama aside I can't wait to tackle the ride again.

As it turns out the doctor who contacted me is not really a triathlon coach. Rather he is in fact a pretty cool guy who is just sort of a connector. He knows about 4-8 people depending on the event and day that get together to train. Very similiar to the O.C crew led by Kahuna. For now this is great. They do lake swims and long rides, runnings on your own unless it's a mutual race. Most of them are prepping for Ironman Arizona next April which is good pacing for my own training.

I still am waiting to hear from the professional triathlon coach to see about that route which would be my perferred as he is 18/18 with clients finishing an Ironman and taken hundreds through marathons and 1/2 IM on down. He has finished quite a few Ironmans himself, Kona included as an age grouper, non-lottery.

Drove the minivan today to grocery shop. I called tremendous attention to myself my not knowing how to turn off the car alarm. Yeah I'm that guy.

Done and Done

Well I am *cough cough* owner of a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. Total time in the dealership including test drives by Mistress- 2.25 hours. When the boss of the company is the one selling to a VIP customer, it goes by fast. He put us at the head of the line in the finance department saving us a minimum of two hours.

Did I get a great deal? I guess. Got full value plus $700 on the Saturn and $5,000 off the Dodge, not including a $500 sentry alarm set up. Mistress is quite pleased which is all that matters to me. Mistress is amazed that Mistress turned so fast on her beloved Saturn Company. We have owned a Saturn for ten years.

I am paying more a month but its a shorter term and more expensive extended warranty.

I am tired and sunburned. It reached 119 degrees on our temperature gauge. I did not get enough fluids in me and sweated like a stuck pig.

I am doing a 50 miler with a new bike group in the morning and need to be out of the houes by 0545 to get there on time. Should be fun but right now all I can think about is bed.

Done and Done.

My Good Samaritan Of The Day

Today Mistress slept in way late and Mighty Mo got up way early so I, Intrepid Age Grouper, had to postpone my run for 2 hours and 20 degrees. Then it took me another 30 minutes to find all my crap to actually go run.

I am a bit bothered by running so late in the heat for my longer runs, short stuff fine, long stuff, not fine. But the water belt is jiggling, my ear buds keep falling out, I am sweating (damn humidity). I am just not comfortable. About 2 miles out I run up to a baby jack rabbit laying in the curb on the side of a busy road. As I come up he is using his front paws to scramble away from me as it appears he can't use his hind legs. So I stop for minute, I want to take him to a vet but have nothing to carry him in. So I squirt some water near him and on him and decide if he is there when I come back I will take him with me.

As I ran off I thought of hardcore Oldman and all the wildlife he sees on his runs and wished there was something I could do for the wounded animal. I grew up around all kinds of animals. The Colonel spent much of his life in the US Fish and Wildlife service as a special agent. My brother a few years ago himself became a federal wildlife special agent. So my family has an affinity for helping animals or having them about. Bald Eagles, Lemurs, badgers, bear cubs, hawks, owls, baby deer, we have taken care of or housed just about everything short of reptiles and spiders.

Its not a fun run but I manage through best I can. Having a footpod on my HRM showing me every 5 seconds how slow my pace is does not help my iratation level, or my HR come to think of it.

As I come back I start to look for the baby hippity. It looks like he moved into the weeds somehow and I start to curse myself for not doing anything earlier. Then I see him down the way still in the curb. He is still lying there, legs dragging, he is leaning against the curb wall breathing hard and quite scared. He has turned around and he can see the vehicles 3 feet away driving by at 45-60 mph and he is terrified.

So now I stop. I look around and find a discarded McDonald XL drink cup and get him scooped into it so his paws and head are outside the cup and legs at the bottom. I squirt some more water on his face and body to cool him off and now start walking a mile to the vet clinic.

I handed him over to the nurse and explained how I saw him and that I would rather see him put down quietly than die of dehydration in a concrete curb.

As I put that last mile or so home, I felt that...oh I don't know...grateful that I could help the little guy. No one should have to die alone and afraid, not even a little hippity.

Oh Good Lord Say It Isn't So

Wil said...

Heh - you'd better hope for negative splits my friend! Here's to you not getting chewed :)

Wil had left that in my talkback and was referring to me being late picking up Mistress who was waiting, oh yes she was waiting, for me to pick her up and get her car at the Saturn dealership before picking up Mighty Mo.

Well I didn't get chewed out, I got thrown under the bus by my mom. While I am pulling my Luke Duke imitation in rush hour my very own mother is extolling the virtues of good god...buying a minivan. Eeeeeek! By the time I arrive, 20 minutes late, it really was too late, Mistress drank the Kool Aid.

So now at 2 pm the family is going to meet a friend who is VP of the largest car dealership chain in Phoenix and I am buying a Dodge Grand Caravan. I am not kicking tires, I am not 'just looking', I am coming home a eunuch.

Luckily we just finished running a cross promotion with his dealerships that netted him a 100 sold cars in 2 months from our members and 20 just from our employees. As an owner of the company and him wanting to build another successful cross promotion I think there is some serious obligation to be coming my way. What I also think is interesting is that of all the cars that have been sold to employees, he has only brokered and set up with our employees with his employees and never actually stepped in to do the deal himself. He is doing ours himself.

I know him, he trains at the club Mistress works at, he is good friends with the manager of the club who is very good friends personally with Mistress and I outside work so this is going to be a fast and painless drill. I bet less than 3 hours in and out.

However no matter how much I save and get over, it still doesn't change the fact that by dinner tonight I will have a...a...gulp...minivan in my beautiful garage.

Oh good Lord, say it isn't so.

Professional Taxi At Your Service- Good Rates

I am still trying to figure out how to get in a ride. I'll let you know.

My partner had a brake problem and needed me to pick him up at the dealership this morning and drive him to the office. No problem, slight detour but no problem.

The Saturn VUE that Mistress drives was acting up last night and she scheduled an appointment with the dealership to have it checked. As a dutiful Mistress she arranged all the transportation issues and shuttling about. As she went to drive to the dealership she found the rear tire blown out. Not flat but a blow out. Well, she has clout and got a couple of trainers to change the tire for her but her call to the dealership notified her that she would miss the shuttle departure.

A frantic call later, I clear out my schedule to follow her to the dealership, drive her to my mom's to borrow The Colonels Explorer (he's in Korea this month) and then back to the office just in time to pick up two partners and meet our pastor for lunch. He had never had a Kobe Beef burger so we wanted to indulge him. I am in such a giving mood driving everyone around today that I pick up the lunch tab. Ouch, when you read two paragraphs down.

As we drive back to the club, car problem partner gets a call that his car was transferred to another shop and fixed. Now its another taxi for him way up north to get his car and back to the office.

Mistress calls telling me she gets her car back today but needs help shuttling all the borrowed and sitting vehicles around so that she can get Mighty Mo by 5 p.m. Also that the dealership could not find a problem at first and then found that the computer shut down the transmission and on top of having to buy one new tire, the front tire had a two inch nail in it and must be replaced. Mistress is tired of nursing this Saturn after 150,000 miles on the last Saturn that performed flawlessly. She has know told me I will be buying her a new Ford Explorer or Escape within the week. Gulp. "Yes, Mistress. As you wish, what color do you want?"

And I have exactly 4 minutes to meet her at my parents who live 20 minutes away. I guess I better start loading all my workout bags and bike up and get going.

Best of the US Triathlon

There was a first of it's kind triathlon held last week and not many people know about it. The Best of the US Amateur Triathlon was held in New Hampshire on August 20th.

Each of the 50 states had it's top male and female triathlete represented for a showdown of the Best of the Best of the Best. There were some unfortunate set backs on the national scene that caused some problems for athletes but from everything I have heard, this is going to be a really great system for triathlon.

I got into this because I know the top Arizona male, Dameon Hahn. I mean I am not buddy, buddy with him but my Tri shop, Tribe, sponsors him and we have met quite a few times in the store. I say this distinguishing remark only for its shear uniqueness which I fully embrace, Dameon is black and there is very few black triathletes.

Anyway after the championship race was created, the sponsors got a kick in the balls by most of the states backing out of the support they committed to their states representatives. So triathletes entering the qualifiers had no idea that if they won they would not have the promised state sponsorship assistance for airfare, food and board and would have to pay it themselves or get help from the community.

Kevin, who owns Tribe and sponsors Dameon, sent out a letter to his close friends asking to support Arizona triathlon, Dameon and his chance to battle it out back east. Well the support was so overwhelming that by the time I came in with my contribution he had already been 'over sponsored' with income.

So I came up with an idea to take the leftover money, my cash and an extra $150 bucks, and have Tribe throw a party for him after the race. Dameon could publicly thank his sponsors and maybe give a little speech. You know get him ready for the Show, when he goes pro.

Well if you clicked the link above you would know that he didn't do as well as hoped coming in 30th. The important thing is that there is now an event, which I hope continues, that is sort of like the World Series of amateur Triathletes. Unlike a BCS in college football that uses all sorts of mathematical formulas to figure out whose #1 instead of the two best teams battling it out for four quarters, the best from each state are all put on the same course and go stroke for stroke, aero to aero and sprint to sprint.

God Bless Competition
God Bless America

P.S. Lets hope Meg doesn't migrate south from Canada.

Possibility's

Got an e-mail from a triathlon coach who has a small group in my area of the Valley. I am taking the offer up to do a 50 mile ride with them Sunday morning and then discuss me joining his team over coffee. I gave him a short bio in a reply e-mail and he has this blogs address but I definitely think we should interview each other before reaching a decision on me linking up with him.

I know myself well enough to know this is bigger than me, but to change my paradigm and put myself under someones yoke to reach my Ironman Florida goals, that person better be prepared to be as committed as I am to me reaching my goals. Plus, lets be honest, there is plenty of hucksters out there trying to fill a niche and I don't think its a knock that we have some honest open discussion about how qualified he is to train me. I am willing to change my patterns if I respect the man and he can show me the way, but I am not a neophyte. Now this coach, to be fair is a doctor and has at least one degree his lists that is highly esteemable in the fitness industry. On paper he is looks good, so I will give him a serious consideration but I am more interested in a persons productivity than his pedigree.

Sidenote: I really can't stand idiots who get a $50 degree from the back of a magazine or online and consider themselves elite, sport specific professonal trainers. Nor do I have faith in Physical Therapists, Chiropractors and the like who take a couple of weekend seminars and start to peddle themselves out as experts. Give me a guy who graduated with a degree in art history who has completed (in relation to my needs) a couple of Ironmans, some shorter distance endurance stuff and taken others through to the same thing using his leadership.

Got my run in this mornin but I will be honest it wasn't great. After my meeting, I am pulling the yet-to-be-named-yellow-bike out of the Ford and get in some mileage. 30 miles would be nice but with mid day traffic in this town, it does get dicey.

Hey how about 'YellowBike'? Does anyone have that name yet? Reminds me of the Chevy Chase movie, Funny Farm, they had Yellow Dog.

I blame it on the sugar

You really need to remember my August=Birthdays=Extra Calories post to get the full humor of this story.

Yesterday was the birthday of another employee, a personal trainer, so I stopped by to wish a happy birthday. Now, normally you wouldn't be caught dead in a gym eating cake or baked goods but there was a big cake and dozens of little cupcakes for all to partake in, staff and members.

It was easier than usual for me to decline because I found out that the cake was made from eight packets of a meal replacement that we sell in a powdered form. Yeesh, no thanks. Even if it was 'rationalization' to eat the cake, it just smelled like sugar and fat. But it gave me a jones for sweets the rest of the day and could not resist a big plate of peanut butter and chocolate chip brownies with fudge frosting when I got home. Boy did it mess with my gut, all that sugar and sweetness.

So I was having a terrible time going to sleep, exacerbated by Mighty Mo who is getting his molars and needed some comfort time late into the night. So I made the decision to catch extra sleep in the morning and take a longer lunch to workout.

So right around 0500 when Mistress realized I was still in bed instead of deep into my run she nudged me asked if I was still going out to train, meaning "Hey you slept in you idiot."

Mind you I was asleep when I answered her with, "Honey promise me you won't be a prostitute for your mother."

After a flurry of gruff slaps about the head and shoulders, I awoke to Mistress telling me all sorts of unkind things that I could do with my body. Once she sorted out that I was asleep when I said it, she realized that:

1) I don't think she is a dirty whore, unless she wants me to,
2) I don't think her mom runs a dirty whore business, regardless of if she does or not,
3) I am not allowed in bed past 0415,

Once all that was sorted out, I just had to make sure of one more thing:
4) She won't raise my son in a whore house.

I can't help myself, I blame it on the sugar.

#5. Circulate, Compliment, Correct

Back when I was just a tadpole of an employee at my local health club, my manager instilled in me a Priority System. While it would be boring to explain all of them, I still apply those that I can to my current life.

So today as I walked back to my office, I noticed the 'oh-so-obvious-to-the-trained-eye' stance of a member who was unfamiliar with a machine. A very polite, overweight woman in new workout clothes staring at the name plate of an Adductor (inner thigh) machine. I asked her if she needed any help and she said she wanted to know how to use the machine.

So I asked if she had ever used it, as perhaps a trainer had showed her once and she had forgotten, she said she was new and just signed up yesterday. After thanking her for joining and making sure she was signed up for her first workout (she was, its Saturday), I explained that working the inner thighs for a first workout would not be in her best interest as she would most likely be extremely sore.

I mean come people, I know some of you have tried to macho the inner thigh machine and been humbled into soreness by one set of fifeteen reps using 20 pounds.

So I gently steered her into the Results Center, our functional training area, and introduced her to Mr. Core, how to draw it in and how to use it. Then four sets of bridges (or The Plank) for 15 seconds each. I then found the trainer meeting her on Saturday, introduced them and asked him to show her a few abdominal exercises on the Swiss Ball.

No matter what negatives I have to deal with during the day, and sometimes it feels like all I do is put out fires, I love helping members. To walk around an exercise floor (circulate) talk to people reaching their goals (compliment) and help those that need guidance (correct) I am living proof that people can get paid to do something they love.

This is my first pitiful attempt at putting a screenshot from the polar online. It was a effort that would make Rube Goldburg proud. I pray this gets easier with practice. I have found that by 2x clicking on the .gif will increase the size so it can be read.

Running Shoes..Check. Foot Pod..Finally

I finally took myself over to the track to calibrate the foot pod for my Polar S625X HRM. I went from memory on how to do it since I have not read up on how to do it since the purchase two months or so ago.

It seemed to go simple enough, now I just have to review the workout in download. I have been attempting off and on to get the Polar graphs online but man it is killing me. I think it comes down to the program I am pasting too. Oh well it will eventually happen.

I would like to thank Tri-Daddy for his passive-aggressive posting about he and I having these great HRM's and not using them to its potential.

A question of cleanliness

I retained the title of Worlds Worst Person In The Kitchen. Normally I just break things or burn down entire kitchens (2 different ones thank you) but this time I have done it to myself and its got me in a quandry.

Yesterday I cut off a part of my finger while helping Mistress cut green peppers for dinner. Please no sympathy as it doesn't hurt, it's quite numb thank you, but its going to be an open wound for at least a week and probably a bit longer until a scab can form, like I said it's not a just a slice, more like a...well a shaving off.

Anyway I am concerned about swimming. Even with a band-aid it is still bleeding quite a bit and I don't want to get into a pool with an open wound, more for pool hygiene than concern for myself. I guess when it scabs over that's different but that still be atleast a week from now.

I can work around it no problem. I ran 3 miles this morning and plan on some gym and stationary bike work today. I want to swim but want to do what is right for all pool users not just me.

What are your recommendations about swimming with an obvious wound and there is no way I can hide it. Wait till it scabs? Wait till a scab couldn't come off in the water? Put a band-aid on it and drive on?

Peloton One

This weekend Lance Armstrong and President Bush went for a mountain bike ride on the Crawford Ranch. The wire story, HERE.

Of all the amazing coloraries that have been made about this pairing up, let me make my own unique thought. The two of them combined have a resting heart rate of 82. Lance is noted as having a 35 bpm and the President 47. Now I take pride in my fluxuating bpm of 57-62 but those take the cake.

The fittest President in American history, maybe the fittest international politician ever and one of the great athletes of all time.

TaDa

Here is the photo of my new ride just after our maiden voygae which went so well. Once again here is the techy stuff:

2004 Giant TCR which is a 17 pound ultra-light composite compact road frame with Shimano Ultegra components ($$$),
Front fork upgrade to a carbon fiber Reynolds Ouzo Pro Intergrated ($350),
Handlebar upgrade to a wider Bontrager Race Lite CX Bar ($50)
Profile Design Air Stryke (folding) aero bars ($100)
Selle Itialia Flite Ti Seat ($75),
2 carbon fiber Bontrager Race X-Lite bottle cages ($50 each),
Rims upraded to Easton Vista ($250 set),
Sigma BC 1600 cyclocomputer ($25).

Did a 28 mile ride, average speed I think is about 19 miles per hour. I could really feel a big difference on hills. The gearing is better suited for hills. We rode a loop around a route that I have done many times and I averaged 3.5 mph up a hill that has always caused me problems. So that is nice.

There was two groups going out, a semi-professional team going 50-60 at a fast pace and a no-drop which going 30. I was in the no drop and there was six of us, none who had rode the course before. So we lost sight of the main group due to stoplights and made up our own route. Went through some million dollar mansion areas which made things nice to see.

When we got back I did a quick transition and ran for 23 minutes.

Like I have mentioned I have been praying and meditating a lot on the arc of my training and it turns out two of the guys in my group are in an Ironman training group that is situated right around my neighberhood. So I gave him my info an hope to here from him next week or from the coach. This is promising.

Well I am off to try and catch the end of Mighty Mo's swim lesson.

A Move In The Right Direction

Today I pick up my new bike. Well technically today I get to finally pay for it and get fitted, I am leaving it at the shop because I will be back at 0600 for a 30 mile group ride.

In reviewing my arc towards Ironman Florida, as I discussed yesterday, I first went to the easy stuff that could be upgraded to give me my best chance at successful training leading to ultimately finishing the course. So I looked at Lucille.

I love Lucille, my 1998 Softride Roadwing. I learned how to ride on Lucille, she has been my first and only bike I have ever owned. I bought her right off the assembly line at the Softride factory in Washington State.

But the Softride was not going to be my best weapon to employ at Ironman Florida. She would be a little over eight years old. And though I can still crank out 23 mph or better on the tabletop flat, well maintained bike lanes of Mesa, Arizona, I knew in my heart that a newer bike would be a better option and I can afford to upgrade.

At first I wasn't sure selling the Softride was the best thing, she is still a great bike. So I prayed on it for while. The Lord doesn't always give you what you want but always gives you what you need. I guess what I needed was the opportunity to help a felllow triathlete with a bike need, giving me the opportunity find what I need.

So...I know Flatman skipped all the exposition to get to this part. I HAVE A NEW SHINY THING.

A 2004 Giant TCR which is a 17 pound ultra-light composite compact road frame with Shimano Ultegra components ($$$),
Front fork upgrade to a carbon fiber Reynolds Ouzo Pro Intergrated ($350),
Handlebar upgrade to a wider Bontrager Race Lite CX Bar ($50)
Profile Design Air Stryke (folding) aero bars ($100)
Selle Itialia Flite Ti Seat ($75),
2 carbon fiber Bontrager Race X-Lite bottle cages ($50 each),
Rims upraded to Easton Vista ($250 set),
Sigma BC 1600 cyclocomputer ($25).

I will get a picture of it today or tomorrow and post it up.

Upward and Onward

I have mentioned a few times that while I was sick (and still I am still not 100%) I have been re-evaluating my current arc towards Ironman Florida next year. The goal is still the same but I think I need to sacrifice some personal hang ups to really be great.

Like a lot of people I think I can do anything, that's everything, all on my own. When it comes to training, I will compare my 20 years of exercise and personal knowledge, twelve years of being in the fitness industry and my two personal training certificates (one of them I was the last person in the United States to receive a perfect score, I know because I keep asking) up against anyone else and just decide I know what's best for me.

Know what, generally I'm right. But now I am not so sure. While triathlons and triathlon training is not new, nor is endurance racing like marathons of which I have done a few, (PB 3:15 Guam 1993), Ironman is a completely different animal. I am no longer sure that slowly ramping up and hammering out mile after mile, lap after lap, is in my best interest.

I currently use an ala carte approach to training. Workout in my gym by myself, run with my running group (no coaching) on Saturdays, ride long with Tribe Multisport when I can and get miles in during the week. I joined a swim team but I got my best results 1 on 1 with the now departed coach, and swam more distance by myself, than just clocking laps with the team which is much faster than I.

So I am at a crossroad. I am really considering going with a tri-team or a Ironman oriented personal training group. Both have draw backs, not including the monthly dues or training fees. But all elite athletes have a coach. Lance has Chris Carmichael, Jordan had a coach, Tiger has a coach. Most professional triathletes have coaches, trainers, nutritionists and physical therapists.

As a BOP, who just wants the opportunity to finish an Ironman in 17 hours, is it overkill to go to the next level? But this isn't like a marathon where you can just walk it in, if you have to. Well it kinda is if you can make it past the swim. Who is going to keep me accountable? I really don't have that problem right now and I have the blog. What about education and motivation? I am motivated but maybe I am not motivated correctly. I could certainly use the one on one advice of someone who understands my goals and is tied into my goals to help me succeed other than Mistress.

I don't have anyone to train with right now who has my goals or my best interest at heart. I don't have Robo Stu and I don't have Awesome-Training-Partner or Intrepid-Training-Partner nearby. I only have myself and people who will congratulate me to my face for attempting something they don't understand and are more than willing to alibi my failure if I don't make it.

Okay. I am officially looking into an Ironman trainer.

August=Birthdays=Extra Calories

Geesh, no matter how hard I train, I can't get past the plateau of Calories In and Calories Out. In the month of August, I am looking at a dozen birthdays on my calendar, including my own. I can't get away from all the lunches and get togethers because they are for peers or employees and it would just be bad form to not attend.

I know I should have better self control at restaurants, but man there is only so many times you can eat a salad or soup and sandwich while everyone else is getting such delicious plates of heaping food. No matter how many supplements I take to change the chemical reaction in my mind to want fat or sugar (5-HTP and CCK, by the way) I can only offer about 5 or 6 'No thank you's' before I give in. Not even my patented, "No thanks more for you." works anymore. Not every time, 5 or 6 no's can defuse a lot of situations but not all of them. August is worse for me than Christmas party's and dinners.

I guess this is just a carbo-periodization time. That's it, that's the ticket.

Who Knew

I am listening to a local sports show yesterday and they interviewed a new coach at ASU. For what sport you ask and why is this important. Well I wasn't sure at first what sport because it was the typical, "It's a building year...been watching this team with great interest..would love to fill the seats..blah, blah, blah."

After a few minutes they say the sport...Water Polo. WTF? Now this is the third time I have heard about water polo in the last month. I mean I guess I knew it was a sport but had no idea how big a deal it is? On my Yosemite trip last month one of the guys in the group played for UC Berkley. The Kahuna played in college and we talked about that when I was out there last month. Both of them gave me great insight on this little known sport and I definitely think I will go to see a match(?) when the session starts next February.

I bring this up because in a lot of ways it reminds me of triathlon. A relatively unknown sport but full of spirit and history and raving fans. Will I ever play water polo? Noooooo, I have a hard enough time swimming for my own triathlon efforts. But I appreciate the competitiveness of the sport and the ability it takes to play at the highest level. I'll give my support.

Motivation From The Pro's

Got an update from Joe Umphenour. Joe is my buddy who has been a professional ITU triathlete for twelve years. I believe him when he says its incredibly hard to maintain his professional status and keep sponsors happy for all that time. Yes he gets free room and board at the Olympic Training Facilities in Colorado. Yes he training up to 35 hours a week with trainers, physical therapists and such. I often get whoosy thinking of him doing all the fun stuff I would love to be doing, but he is sure to ground me with the hard work he does to keep his status and the sacrifices he must make to do so.

He just finished the Elite National Championships race in Bellingham, Washington. Finishing in 4th place he cemented his place on the World Championship team for races later this year. He is currently bouncing between 10th and 13th in world based the results of races being held in Europe that he is not doing. Consider that the difference between 10th place and 1st first place in an ITU race is less than two minutes. He remarked to me recently that dropping the bike bottle that had his carbs cost him on the run and cost him a podium. Is that dialed in training or what?

Compared to other sports professional triathletes make a pitance of money compared to other sports and I suppose rightly so if your comparing money based on revenues. For example 7th place money for an M-Dot IM is only $1,500. All that effort and training for that amount of money. Compare that to base salaries the bench warmers of the NFL, NBA and Baseball, they start at $250,000 on average.

If your ever interested in ITU events, which are based on Olympic (International) Distances, click here. The distance is something most of can do or have done or done longer so its interesting to look at the times of the pro's and compare to ourselves.

Why Does Monday Always Seem Like Square One?

I am not the only one who in The Valley Of The Sun affected by this damn Upper Respitory Infection (URI). The consensus is that its a nasty bugger who won't go. So as I dejectedly drove into work this morning it was 'comforting' to know that I was not the only one who had a relapse.

Going into the weekend I felt like I could go long, but shouldn't. I got up at the same time as I would for a long run but instead watched Land Before Time and the Scooby Doo Movie with my son while Mistress and Guest slept in. By Sunday a combination of URI, cabin fever, lack of energy and poor nutrition I was mentally just ready to give it all up.

A hot bath didn't work, so I tried a cold bath and didn't work. What worked was a dark room, some Powerbar Recovery and isolation. I woke up this morning feeling like I am finally, finally done with it.

So why does Monday always feel like square one? Am I the only one who judges his level of training by how many articles of clothing need to washed on the weekend? A low laundry weekend the sign of lack of training.

Every Monday is full of possibilities for an exciting new week of training. I have plans this week that are compatible with what I think is pushing it and will keep you all up to speed just like all of you plan on doing for me.

Think Big, think impossible, be great.

What inspires me?

I have been asked by Wil, to write about what inspires me. Here is my eclectic answer.

I am inspired by many things. The first that comes to mind is success. I have a half dozen magazine subscriptions that all include articles and notes and blurbs about people doing amazing things. Success is a journey that includes humble beginnings, a dream, putting that dream into your heart and creating passion and then taking that passion, putting it into your feet and ultimately accomplishing it. That journey is seldom a straight path and often includes setbacks and failures. Success breeds success. Nothing increases capacity like success and nothing tastes sweeter. Success means that a goal has been reached and far to few people reach any goal let alone create one.

I am inspired by people that leave a positive legacy. Duplication is the hardest thing a human can do. Raise a child to be a contributor to society. Hire and train someone to replace you and watch them do the same and so on and so on, all going back to the processes you instilled in many people but in one it took.

I am inspired by people who are getting into shape. I love to watch a guest walk into a health club intimidated, overweight and deconditioned. Then watch them create a healthy lifestyle, get their desired results and increase years to their life and increase the quality of those years. All the self-help crap pushed by anyone writing a book is bull dookie compared to the level of self esteem that is created by someone who has lost thiry pounds and half their body fat.

I am inspired by my mother who at almost twice my age, watches her grandson four days week, nine hours a pop, without any complaints when I can barely manage a few hours at a time.

I am inspired by God and the miracle of a sunrise, the beauty of a rainbow and the sound of a bird. The words and storys of the Bible.

Inspirational creativity comes to me off the cuff. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, though I have been accused of being a tool. I may be criticized for not being able to immediately think myself out of a paper bag but I am creative enough to rip it open.

I am inspired by silence, broken by the slapping of my shoes and the labor of my lungs.

Flowers Revisited

I think I have somehow struck a cord amongst the males reading my blogpost on flowers. My two favorite responses are:

tarheeltri said... Comm, unfortunately I am going to have to take your link down on my site.That cannot be read by the Missus. See ya.

Chris said... Every week for the past 10 years??!? I hope my fiancee never reads your blog. There will be a SERIOUS case of envy there

Guys this is so easy to accomplish without being a sensitive-Mr. Ponytail-wussy boy. First and most importantly there is absolutely positively no walking into a floral shop. In fact it is strictly forbidden. All you have to do is pay attention to your surrounding. (Think about how closely you pay attention to all the bikes you see in a transition area, your very aware of your surrounding there aren't you.)


At least once per week you are going to walk into a grocery store to grab something, for me this is usually foodstuff for the weekend that we have run out of, O.J., Soy milk, eggs, beer, maybe some steaks for the BBQ, well they have flowers there too and their cheap. On average I spend about $5 a week for flowers. Chris, thats like 3 gels. Every now and then I may bigshot a $10 boquet if its a holiday or we have guests.

Men, never go into a flower shop. Run away as fast as you can. From experience its $50 minimum which is way overpriced and you feel like a putz for spending that much money on something that you could care less about and will die in five days anyway. Am I right?

Thats how its done. I don't even think about it anymore. I am just always in a grocery store getting something, so its nothing to get some daisys or tulips or sunflowers.

It may just soften the blow of you coming home someday with a new Shiny Thing for your tri-life.

What I am wondering is this...why no female responses?

Birthday for Mistress

Today is my wife's birthday. I call her my Mistress because there are so many connotations to that word. A Mistress of Love or a Mistress of Pain for example. But I call her Mistress because I have never lost that feeling of Want that I had when I first met her.

Do you remember when you met someone that you absolutely had to be with but knew she (or he, lets not discriminate) was out of your class, above your level, unobtainable. That's what I feel like on a daily basis. Well.. we have been married for ten years so maybe not daily, but you understand.

So I went out and bought an expensive piece of jewelry, (damn thing cost me a third of a new road bike) and she loves it. I never know what to get her so I just get her everything. Whenever we are out, if she remarks on something with interest, I will take a few days to feel her out to see if its something she really wants or needs and then get it for her. She is really a simple person which makes it easy. Just odds and ends for around the Casa, jewelry...and I need to put my shoes away.

Mistress does not read my blog, so this is an unproclaimed shout out to her, "I love you and I don't care who knows!"

mis·tress (my notations in blue) n.

1. A woman in a position of authority, control, or ownership, as the head of a household: “Thirteen years had seen her mistress of Kellynch Hall” (Jane Austen).
2. 1. A woman who owns or keeps an animal: such as a triathlete without a race.
   2. A woman who owns a slave. A woman married to a man who loves shiny things.
      
3. A woman with ultimate control over something (someone): the mistress of her own mind (or his actions).
4. 1. A nation or country that has supremacy over others: Great Britain, once the mistress of the seas.
   2. Something personified as female that directs or reigns: “my mistress... the open road” (Robert Louis Stevenson).
5. A woman who has mastered a skill or branch of learning: a mistress of the culinary art.
6. A woman who has a continuing sexual relationship with a usually married man who is not her husband and from whom she generally receives material support. (Shes told people shes not related to me but she gets half my money anyway)
   
7. Mistress Used formerly as a courtesy title when speaking to or of a woman.

From Ironman Live: Electrolytes

If you have 5 minutes read this article on electrolytes and their effort on Ironman training. It's not so much a plan for uptake of these minerals but more an educational tool on what exactly electrolytes are, where they are stored and why you should care about them.

Damn It I Have Been Tagged...Finally

Trimama tagged me to answer some questions to a new poll she came up with about marriage. I will however not push it forward as it is one of two New's Years resolutions that I have made and kept in my entire life (yeah like any of you have even kept one).

They are:
1) I will never forward chain e-mail.
2) Always return the shopping cart to a designated cart return location.

Okay to answer the questions:
Favorite movie: Princess Bride.
Our Songs: Theme song from the movie Somewhere in Time by Paganini.
Favorite Food: Steaks and microbrews.
Favorite hobby together: hacking on idiots that become national news stories.
Most peculiar: I have bought her flowers every week for the last ten years.

Is This Humidity Or Am I Swimming...

Actually today I was swimming but its hard to tell lately. With the monsoon season being especially hard on the Valley Of The Sun this year, Phoenix resembles more Florida than Arizona. The highs are below 100 degrees but the humidity and dew points are well into the 70's or higher. The storms are coming with more regularity than me with an upset stomach and they all drop at least an inch and hour.

Unfortunately a 7 year old girl who was fleeing her farm with her family was swept away and perished when an 8 foot flash flood pulled her away from the person holding her. That sucks.

I had an appointment at my club with a pool so I crawled into it this morning for a short recovery type swim. I did 10x100 on 2:30. I was averaging about 1:45 per 100 and I so needed the extra time for rest.

This thing in my system is not giving up gently. On Tuesday I thought I screwed up and had some kind of dairy (I am lactose intolerant) because I went to bed and woke up Wednesday with a 'hollow' feeling stomach. You know just that ache. Well it didn't go away yesterday or this morning so that and the cough are still hanging around. I stopped taking cold medicine Tuesday thinking that would help my body recover but now I am considering alternate workouts to a long run or bike this weekend. Doing either with a twitchy stomach, and I think you all know what I mean, is not the best, most productive way to train.

Back To The Basics

Well the workout today was both redemptive and invigorating. A thank you to all who were kind enough to leave me kind words. Isn't funny how something as simple as a bad cold can wipe you out?

Just finished a two set circuit of front lat pull downs, seated rows, incline chest, flat chest, leg extension, leg curl, calves, ten minutes of core work on a Swiss ball and 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Very basic, not difficult. Got the nose running and the lungs open.

Talked to the head coach of my swim team, Simon and he has been advising the other swimmers coming down with the same crude I did, to take our time coming back. So I will be back to the group next week.

Juggling a lot of different thoughts and actions on how I am going to approach my training through next November. I have been reviewing my goals and comparing them to my training patterns and my routines and may re-arrange the method and ways I do things. Oh I am still counting down to IMFL in 2006, come on I'm not giving that up, but I am moving need to adjust my periodization program. I am spending too much time in zones I should not be and think overall I am not maximizing my training time.

So with that subconscious rebuke, no more blogging today, I got ten minutes to spare and I am doing a few more sets of something.

"Any activity is better than inactivity"

A Rise From primordial Ooze

Today as the sun rises, so to must I rise from this lingering stuffy head and cough. The Dayquil and the Nightquil have run their course and my body is telling me it's time to finish this on our own.

The fight lasted well into yesterday. A bout of nausea and vomitting mid morning seemed to be the final gasping hold and I just had to get through the afternoon for the chills and goose bumps to fade away. A massive monsoon deluged our area and the traffic in the club just dropped. So I busied myself with training new employees and mentoring some old ones. By time I realized it was time for me to leave, I was mentally drained but physically felt well.

So today I climb out of my cold and back into my workouts. A double set of circuit equipment, some functional training (core work) and 20-30 minutes on the bike. Not a powerhouse workout full of intervals, drills and endurance, but enough to shake out whats left in my system and get better prepared for my long ride and run this weekend.

I think I said it best one hundred times this last week, "Being sick sucks." You can borrow that if you want. You know... the line, not the cold.

Its All A Blur This Week

What a long strange week already. This is Tuesday right? I worked a little over half a day yesterday, 14 hours, and my mind is just one big blur of cold medicine taken every five hours since Friday. I firmlly believe I could have been done in 10 or 11 hours if I could think clearly, let alone speak without stepping all over myself.

So today I am without a triathlete muse. I hope the rest of you have the day you want and get all you can from it. As for me, I am counting the hours untill I can get back into bed.

Its Not My Fault I Tell You

Yesterday my friends I was a victim of circumstances not my own. Saturday after a fine run/swim brick I was feeling a bit under the weather and my throat started to get very sore. I still planned on an early rise for my bike ride Sunday and went to bed early to get plenty of rest. Did I mention that Mistress has a friend in town?

I am awoken to sounds of obscene merriment downstairs around 11 pm.and upon investigation Mistress and friend have polished off a bottle of champagne and 5th of Kettle One Vodka. Now that's a lot of alcohol, no mater how long it took to drink, but each of them rarely drinks to excess throughout the year so they felt compelled to act like college girls and get all goofy. Oh goodness were they drunk. At 0200 Mighty Mo is crying because he is sick, I still have my sore throat and I have no idea were the girls are. I look at the window to check the pool, okay good no floaters. Twenty minutes calming the Mo and I go and find Mistress passed out on the couch and coax her upstairs.

Still planning on my ride I get up a 0430 instead of 0530 and decide to cut the ride short, in case Mo is up early and Mistress is not. The insipid door chime wakes Mighty Mo and he starts crying, Mistress is in no condition to rise and care for him so, I the struggling age grouper comfort my son dressed in my cycling shorts and jersey until he is okay.

Still believing I can get in a ride later that morning, Mistress awakens in a fairly good state but informs me she has dog training and then pedicures and then dinner set up with friend before dropping her off at the conference she is in town for. Guh, Guh and Doh!

So the Mighty Mo feeling better and me really not, spent the day on the couch each in his own state of unrest. I suppose I am due this Sunday confinement for being gone the last three weekends and Mistress needs to let off some steam but damn if that bike ride won't eat me for the rest of this week.

Saturdays In The Bag

Well no bike ride Friday, I am very sad to report. The Mighty Mo took a turn for the worse and I ended up waiting to get more prescriptions filled at the pharmacy and well he takes priority. Is it really bad when you know the pharmacist by name and know about his family and the same goes for him? Hell he remembered my birthday.

Drove up to SRC today for the group run, actually showed up 15 minutes later than normal for the 0630 start and no one was there. Did I miss the memo? So I started on my own. A very hot and humid run I must say. As I was coming back on the 10k I ran past a small group of unknowns, some with SRC apparel, but no group guides. Turns out it did start on time.

Finished the run and flew down to my pool club and put in 1500 yards. I did three drills: catch ups, finger tips, fists for 400 yards each and then some warm ups and cool downs.

Postscript on the run. Its normally so hot that the sweat just evaporates in the heat and drys your shirt. Which is nice because the shirt is not really that messed up. Today I had the unique ability to squeeze about a 1/2 cup of sweat out my cotton shirt.

The rest of today is Mighty Mo duty. Mistress and friend are doing the whole 80's movie song montage thing today, you know the part towards the end of the movie with the peppy song and the group is shopping, trying on outfits, eating, causing mischief all in fast motion, while simultaneously learning an important lesson on life and love. Yeah well all that without learning the lesson.

A Weekend Of Payback

I have been cashing a lot checks with Mistress by being gone three straight weekends. This weekend is my atonement. Today I need to take care of Mighty Mo for several hours while Mistress makes up some work and then picks up her best friend in town for a conference. If there is no storms I will get in an afternoon ride of 20-30 miles out into the desert.

I am allowed to go on my group run Saturday morning at 0630 (6-8 miles) then I will fly down to my club and get in a swim (1,500 yards). That should get me home in time to bring back Krispy Kremes for the ladies, maybe one for me thank you. When Mighty Mo gets up from the morning nap, we are going on a field trip somewhere fun. The zoo will be too hot so something indoors. For the 5th largest city in America, their is no aquarium or big science center or museum here. Even the zoo is not that impressive. I'll figure it out.

Mighty Mo went to a birthday party last weekend and although he recieved the "Most Polite, Never Stopped Running, Most Entertaining" child award, his low immune system couldn't handle all the germs and now he is having an immuno-deficency attack. I think I have posted in the past that he was born with an extremely low immune system compounded with off the chart allergies and asthma. It basically is a cold that rapidly turns into broncitis or pneumonia, but this always happens when he is with a group of kids or in a 'germy' environment. His system just can't fight stuff off like a normal kids system can. He is a trooper and with his meds and pedialyte we hope this should blow over by Monday but I it will be a clingy weekend. All about being a parent though right? Right.

Sunday, I would like a bike/run brick, if all goes according to plan.

I'll keep you posted.

What's A Guy To Do?

So I am sitting in our managers meeting today, sitting across from my partner whom I share an office with. I grab my green Gatorade bottle and squeeze some water in my mouth and put the bottle back on the table. Now the whole time I am doing this I am looking at my business partner and notice his complete attention focused on the bottle.

As I put the bottle back down, we make eye contact and I smile at him, but instead of smiling back he waves me in to whisper something to me. I figure he wants to mention something about Gatorade or comment on the meeting.

He says to me, "Do you know how many F-ing sports bottles of yours I had to move this morning to get my sh*t done..five." I just about fell down laughing it was so funny. Why you ask? Mistress said the exact same thing, almost verbatim, last night.

I guess I have a dozen or more bottles; one in each running belt I have collected (3), gatorade bottles (4), a bunch for the bike, always keep one in the car, a couple of nalogens, oh yeah I generally use them for liquid around the house so Mighty Mo or the puppy don't spill its contents all over the floor horsing around. So yeah a dozen is about right.

They are in the sink soaking, on the desk or counter airing out. On the floor half full around my desk. I guess I need to work on that huh?

The Experiment In Mind Reading Concludes

The 35-39 age grouper answers the following questions in today's installment of "GUESS WHAT THE WOMAN IS REALLY SAYING."

"Did the intreped athlete make the right decision last night?"
"Was Mistress happy or mad to see the athlete?"
"And most importantly- Did he train?"

Well all the fussing over running to and from swim practice was moot as I left my running shoes at home. Dosen't it always work that way? To answer the last important question first, Did I train last night? Well of course. Like I said they, the swim coaches, changed the time of practice so I went to my club and swam there. It was a good workout and I was able to check in with the new managers we put in the club. Two birds with one stone.

Was Mistress happy or mad to see me last night when I got home and was it the right decision to choose the earlier workout? Mistress was very happy that I got home when I did. Between being dehydrated, running to you know where without warning and a Mighty Mo whose sole job now, it seems, is to sit on the puppy until he yelps, I was warmly greeted with a, "Hello Dear, I am sooo glad to see you, hold him, I'm going upstairs for few minutes. BTW, you're on your own for dinner, I didn't make anything."

"Wait, you didn't make anything? I can't cook. Is there anything in the...ah crap you can't hear me your upstairs."

So I guess I made the right decision after all.

"Ain't There No Love In This House?"

I think Mistress has been talking to Robo-Stu. And I certainly don't mean that in a bad way or to bring the persona of Stu to this blog. Robo is thru and thru a Tri Geek Kahuna icon and I only continue to mention him because I think he scared something loose in me and now I am jumpy.

Like the captain of the football team who is also the school bully, even though he always slams you into lockers you keep looking for some kind of approval that will never come. That might be a bit too tough, Stu is a great man and I look forward to meeting him again but he has a way of well...tough love. Now God Bless my wife she does too. I mean she has always been a 'tough love gal' but today has been a tough day for her and she wasn't into my 'waffling mood' and jumped on me like a cyclist on a Cervelo P3 Carbon.

I was explaining to her that I may or may not run to swim practice and that it was moved to a later time so I would be getting back later at night or that I would bail out of work now and go to my club and run and swim there or because she left work early and has been puking her guts up all day (among cough cough other things) I would come home a take over some Mighty Mo duties so she could get some rest. (I think that last offer was a kind gesture on my part even though I didn't want to do it).

Well she turns around and says, "Your the one that made this big commitment. Go to the gym or quit, its on you." Hello! Did Mistress just tell me to workout while she is in distress?

Well heck yeah I'm leaving to workout right now. But let me tell you this...I know Mistress and if I abuse this generostity and just blow off the fact that shes been blowing all day and workout till my hearts content and come home when I want, my house will not be content for a long time. She will use it against me for weeks that I did not help her when she was down.

Yes, yes, yes I know she said something different. But don't you get it-SHE IS A WOMAN. I don't understand women, even my spouse. So when my mind comprehends her telling me one thing its a pretty good sign I need to do EXACTLY the oppossite. So a quick run on the treadmill (damn monsoon warnings) and a swim in the pool.

Racing To Beat The Band

No sooner do I get into the house than the wind picks up to 40 mph and it rains two inches in an hour. This morning the news reports gusts of 65 mph, cars and manhole covers floated away, roofs collapsed on grocery stores and dozens of trees were struck by lightening. Fish were found in areas fish should not be. One of the biggest monsoon storms of recent history though not the fierciest.

I read about all the Alliance blogs in the mid-west and how they write about beating the storms before they hit. Its not something that I really have to worry about here but its now a concern with the monsoons.

Today is master's swim practice, at an outdoor pool. I can't believe that there would be practice during one of these but they can be so unpredicable that I will show up and if its cancelled its cancelled or if its called during the practice so be it. The only issue I have today is that I was going to run the 2 miles there and back from my office. Obviously that is not a smart plan if there is a repeat performance.

Training For The Day

So all the weather wonks said that today would start a trend of slightly below normal temperatures. "Wow what a great day to ride to work and back." So I jumped on the ole stead and peddled on in. Good ride, averaged a bit over 20 mph on the 15 mile ride to the office.

I was just outside and crap did it feel hot. I thought it is at least 110 degrees. So I check the online sources and no it is still 'below' normal at 102 degrees but its 30% humidity. No wonder it felt weird. Some deal called the Dew Point is at 68. Now supposedly this number is in relation to the monsoon season and the first three consecutive days over 52 or 55 signals the start of the monsoon. I don't know about all of that but I no if the number is high, that is bad. When the number is low, that is not as bad. I suppose in areas where the Dew Point is not even mentioned is flippin' great.

So I will complete the circuit, baring monsoon, and get in a nice 30 miles today.

My photo journey on the PCH

Robo-Stu is once again in front of the formation. During this shot he is instructing Joel on the finer points of proper training.

Do you notice the four leaf clover on Robo-Stu's jersery. I notice in a lot of my photos I am seeing this part of his jersey...the back of it that is. Geeesh and we haven't even left yet.

This is the original four horseman of Orange County. Their comraderie and friendship is quite evident and as I was driving back it makes me want to reconsider the singularity in which I train.

No good adventure is worth its salt without a proper 'Going Off' picture. Kahuna Jr. snapped this for us.

Oh look finally a picture of Robo-Stu from the front with my camera...doh, I am still behind him.

As the Kahuna writes about quite often I am still three days later haunted by the taunts of Robo-Stu. Not in a bad way by any means, more like a drill instuctor. He really only wants the people around him to be successful and yes it is tough love. Should it be any other way really?

When I took this, I think Head Doc was trying to convince Kahuna to do a triathlon race or a swim distance race the next day.

Prodigal Joel was having none of that and distanced himself.

Overlooking Trestles, which if I remember rightly is the name of an area that has some of the best waves in the world. The perfect tour guide Kahuna was pointing out numerous landmarks from our vantage and even snapped off a call to Kahuna Jr., to give him the surf update.

The first of hopefully more pictures of the Yosemite trip. Standing on Toulumne Pass at roughly 11,000 feet. Right after this is when altitude sickness really hit me.

Hooray! I go up an age group today

Today I turn 35 years old. While I appreciate birthdays more than so than say Father's day, today the best gift is that my next race will done in a less competitive age group.

Yesterday Mistress dragged me out to find a new or new and matching LazyBoy recliner as the one I got at 30 is officially destroyed as of last week. We went to some stores and I sat in dozens but I just didn't find anything to I liked. For one, the last chair is now discontinued so no more storage areas under the armrests, with built in massage controls. Now its all about design.

In my heart I would put that $500-$1800 on a new bike. Heck I would be fine in a $50 reclining camp chair, they even make them in ten different colors, and put the rest into a new ride. Oh well, I didn't bring it up but that's what happens I guess.

In a change of tune, I bought my mom a new Hoover Floormate. She watches the Mighty Mo four days a week for free and as such I feel I need to do good things for her. Plus as I have stated many times I am not a fake holiday guy like Mom's Day. I prefer to do nice things for my loved ones year round rather than be reminded by some Greeting Card-Candy-Industrial-Complex browbeating me and guilting me to buy something.

Today and tomorrow will be picture blog days. I have some pictures now from my camping trip and I got my film developed from the PCH trip. I also got a quarterly newsletter from my professional triathlete buddy, Joe Umphenour and he sent some great action photos. He is having a great session and I will write about that in detail later.