Waiting...Waiting...Waiting

Let me see if you fit this profile. You are a fitness enthusiast who likes to listen to your walkman, iPod, MP3, CD player while you do whatever it is you do. You have bought aftermarket headphones or earbuds because through usage you have found that the one provided with the player sucked because they stay fitted in the ear canal. Nothing wrecks a workout like having to fumble with putting an earbud back in ear every three minutes

Well I fit that profile and furthermore just got tired of my ears acting like a coat rack; running hat/bike helmet, Halo sweatband, sunglasses and then either hard frame headphones, ear buds that have a wrap around the ear or some modified plug fitting that was uncomfortable.

So I bought these waterproof headphone online for $25. They fit like shooting earplugs and due to the ridges will not come out of the ear. I will no longer have to search my workout bag for the missing foam piece to sit over headphones shaped like muffs. I dont have to worry about which color insert matches my ear shape. I no longer have to worry about fumbling with a loose ear bud that slips out of my ear while running.

The waiting, waiting, waiting title is that they haven't arrived yet. I am a victim of Hurricane Katrina, I asked for ground ship from Georgia and they haven't left yet.

Random Musings

Just some thoughts rattling in my head until the next blog.

1) My in-laws moved back into town for the third or fourth time since we have lived here. Whenever they come over, its always hockey (well not now) or country music through the cable box. I can't stand either (apology's to the Canadian bloggers).

2) I don't like to swim with old people.

3)When I was at the grocery store today, I was watching these two twenty pretty year old girls for lack of a better word, having a conversation about something or other. An older woman, late 40's or early 50's walked by and she when she saw the younger girls the expression on her face changed from placid-thinking-about-groceries to I suppose one of defeat or maybe envy or inevitability. It made me think, maybe the older woman was pretty like that when she was that age. Do young woman look at older woman who are 'mature' physically and think that's what they will look like? Guys have a saying about their girlfriends, "If you want to know what your girlfriend will look like when she's old, look at her mom."

4) I have no memory of being a child, (amnesia from a head injury) so it amazes me to watch my son learn and go and express himself. He says words now and signs things that I know I never thought him. I get to live my childhood again through him and it blows my mind.

5) Driving a new minivan is not that bad, but not something I really want to do all the time. Once per week is fine by me.

6) I love Fall. I lived for it Washington doing more running, camping and hiking than any other time of the year. Halloween costumes and decorations are already up in stores. Today I bought a butternut squash because I love them so much. I can't smell much (same head injury) but pumpkin I can smell because its strong. I love the sound of the wind, a crisp morning chill, an overcast day with drizzle, but I don't get that in the desert. I vow to take my son for hike in Flagstaff or Sedona before the end of the year.

Bike

I travelled over sunbaked desert to the Land Of Forgotten Hills for a 40 mile ride this morning. Had a much better experience today although it didn't start very well. I got out of the house late, showed up a few minutes late and then while heading out had to turn around and get my sunglasses. As I was madly making up time to the pack, I was clocked by an old woman in a car trying to find Maricopa County Hospital. Here is my side of the conversation:

No ma'am, Maricopa County Hospital is not around here its downtown.
Yes ma'am you technically are on the 202 West, but as you can see it stops right there, you want the other 202 West.
Yes ma'am they are quite clever here in Phoenix, there are two freeways labeled 202.
Yes ma'am they both connect with I-10.
Yes ma'am, both 202's go East/West.
No ma'am, they are actually two seperate freeways and no they do not connect.
Yes it is very confusing, this is how you get there...
Your Welcome ma'am, whats that?
Yes ma'am I am almost doing 25 mph, I am trying to catch up with my friends.
No ma'am I am not going to fall over the front of my bike, its called the aero postition, its a good thing.
Yes ma'am I know I look like Brad Pitt, I get that all the time. (I made that last part up)

So I never caught back up with the group, though we past each other going opposite ways down the road a couple times. I really moved through the hills hard today. Off the saddle pushing, never dropped to the last 'oh my god please make up the hill in this' gear.

I used Cytomax and mixed in maltodextros to bulk up the calories. Each bottle was about 300 calories. Tasted pretty good, even warm.

Distance: 42.5 miles
Time: 2:10 (off the top of my head)
Average speed: 17.7 mph
downhill max speed: 31.5 mph
uphill min speed: 10.5 mph

Swim

Just got back from my second lake swim of the year. I guess it would considered a BT since I did so horribly the first time. While the rest of the group, which is doing Soma 1/2 IM in 60 day, pulled out around 2,000 meters, I did not.

I stayed in a bay off to the side out and backs, slowly increasing the distance I moved from shore until I was confident enough to get across the whole bay. The confidence was not that I couldn't swim the distances, or keep my tack, it was swimming without that safety net of the pool. I'm sure everyone can relate from some point in their life.

Ten years ago I did not have this problem. Ocean swims, lake swims, boat to boat stuff, I never gave it a thought. Now coming back around it just fills me with anxiety.

In any regard I am super happy with this new group of training partners. In fact one of them was a nice guy I met at the Scottsdale Triathlon I did back in March. We were right next to each other in transition and talk a lot since we were so early. We both did the Valley of the Sun 1/2 marathon this year and we live only a few miles away from each other. It added instant depth to our conversations, talking about courses we have done together or similiar training routes around our homes.

Tomorrow the bike. But first I'll have to watch two Land Before Time DVD's with the Mighty Mo today. I actually like those movies but thats an endurance event on its own.

This and That

Well there was a monsoon last night so I had to leave all my gear in the office and hitch a ride home. Unfortunately I left my keys at home. So today I was unable to get any of my gear or any of my work done at my desk.

I was fortunate enough to have left my audit folder at home yesterday so at least I had that with me this morning, so I pulled up a chair, scrounged a pen and a calculator and got to work in a conference room. It was a forced rest day.

Tomorrow is a lake swim and then down to the office to follow up on some work, plus get in a short run. Then get the bike racked up and over Tribe for a new Serfas tri-seat. I had one on the Softride and its a much better seat for me. The Itialia Trans Am seat is not exactly right for my butt. So if anyone is in the need a for a back up seat, I got one for sale cheap.

My take from Katrina

I have been boots on the ground for two events very similar to Hurricane Katrina and want to make a few points about what's going on. First let me point out that my experience did not lead to the apocalypse that is occurring in New Orleans. It's truly become an Escape From New York landscape and I can tell you from some corollary experiences its worse than you can imagine. The struggle for physical, emotional and spiritual survival is as raw as it could ever be imagined.

Over the course of one twelve month period, I lived through Level 5 Super-Typhoon Omar (sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts of 230 mph) and an 8.3 earthquake. In one month alone there was two Level 3 typhoons and the Level 5, literally one right after the other. I have gone 6 weeks without electricity and facilities.

Its reported in New Orleans that not enough is being done in the city to protect civilians from rapes, beating, goods stolen from the needy. They are not getting enough food, water and medicine. Let me tell you all, having been through that, I believe every word of it. Its also completely one-sided, the media preys on suffering. Now it's that theres not enough food and water, next month it will be that the government isn't moving fast enough to repair the damage to the city.

While the news we here from the survivors is related while they are still in the thick of it; tired, hungry, thirty, uncomfortable, we have the luxury of seeing the relief efforts as they unfold. There is millions of gallons of drinking water for the city, millions of military rations ready to be brought in or be distributed. But to get there, clear access must be obtained. Roads cleared and supported. Areas of distribution established. Some model of control for the safety of relief workers.

The military or FEMA is not going to stand on a corner and hand out individual supplies to whomever comes by, they would become over run and their good stolen. They do drops that are big and impactful. The doom and gloom news reports by Big Media will spin this as a government that was lazy, that did not care enough, fast enough. Hogwash. You want to see a government not care or give comfort, we can talk offline.

What will occur is this. Once transportation issues are reviewed for safe passage so vehicles don't get stuck, caravans of 15 ton trucks loaded with supplies will move into the city, there will two dozen triage hospitals up within 24 hours (my guess). Where there was once nothing will become a massive complex of tents processing survivors names, checking them for immediate medical issues, providing food, water, bedding and eventually communication. This will materialize so fast that survivors will complain there is too many people around trying to control them.

Money is not people. Survivors right now in the city are expecting Angels to come down and rescue them. They expect SOMEONE to help them, much like a child needs a security blanket or a stuffed bear. A transitional item. But there is not enough people for that nor is that the best way to help them. Money is what will help them. Money to pay for all the things that they will get for free; medicine, food, water, blankets, gas, counseling, money to pay for the right people to provide the right thing for them.

You think only gas right now is bad. Wait till you go to Home Depot in the future. Every scrap of wood, metal, steel and concrete will be going to the South. I wouldn't be doing any additions to your house for the next year.

But that's just today and next week. Think about next month and the month after. There are 1 million displaced Americans right now. We are seeing a 21st century Grapes Of Wrath here. Remember the book written about the dust bowl of Oklahoma in the early 1900's and all the family's fleeing mostly west and to California. We will see the same here.

Texas has already begun what other states will also do, provide refugee relief. Be prepared to see your community open its arms to people with nothing left. It will make this Christmas so much more special to provide a hot meal and a gift to a child who has lost a home, a pet, god forbid a parent.

Well just my take. If anyone is interested in reading how I 'survived' day to day after my Super Typhoon or earthquake experience let me know in talkback and if the interest is there I'll type something up.

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It Off To Work I Go

I spend basically the first 7 days of the month in the office working on closing out the previous months audits and sitting in on meeting. So I am riding into work for the next few days at least. Its a 15 mile ride in, so I'll add 30 miles a day to my training. Saves me 2 gallons of gas a day or an extra $6 bucks that I'll probably just throw into a 'You Drive/I Buy' run to Starbucks.

I finished my jug of PowerBar Recovery and just bought CytoMax Orange. I liked the PowerBar, it has a good taste, but found it better for end of day or under the weather recovery rather than benefiting from it during exercise. I am going to mix my Cytomax with a pure carb alternative to bulk up the calories. I was looking for CarbPro because they have an Orange flavor that would mix well with the Cytomax, but had to settle for some other brand. Their both still within expiration but had to dust the cobwebs off. I guess they don't sell much CHO (carbohydrate) related items at the muscle head store next to my club.

Get it in and get it done.