Life's Little Adventures

Adventures in Management - Finding out the Truth

2010-11-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

I had a great laugh last week that I have to share with you.

My manager, J, isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. In fact, some days he just downright drives me nuts. I really want him to go so I can take his place. He's been looking at some other opportunities, and because of that, there has been some churn in the Team's gossip mill going on the past few weeks about what would happen if he did move on to something else.

So last week I was sitting in my cube working when I overheard J. on the next row over talking to one of our project managers (another person who I don't especially trust). "XXX, you have to see this power point I made. You are the queen, I thought you'd appreciate it!" he bubbled over at her. She ooh-ed and ahh-ed over it and finally pronounced, "It's so manly!"

I choked a bit on the diet Coke I was drinking, stifling a laugh.

After he bounced back to his office, floating on the complement, I sent her an IM.

"Manly?? LOL!"

"Yeah, but I'd rather have him for a manager than KK." she wrote back.

I paused. Reread it. Yup, she said that, obviously thinking the IM came from someone else.

"Nice. LOL!" I wrote back, laughing to myself. Honestly, I know she doesn't care for me and what she thinks doesn't change anything.

You could hear the air suck out from that side of the room. The IM box disappeared. Then I heard frantic typing coming from over there.

"OMG, my face is so red! I'm really sorry!" She wrote in a new IM box. There was more, but I don't remember what it said.

"No biggie, XXX. It happens." I laughed over the cube wall. Seriously, it was funny. The downside is that she was holding up my departure to head to happy hour with some girlfriends.

To her credit she came over a few minutes later and sat down to talk about it. She fears for her job if I was her manager, which surprised me. She thought I didn't like her, but I figured she didn't like me. Life is a mirror. What you give is what you get, right? Who knows where that started.

In the end, I still don't trust this person much, but I wouldn't fire her by any means. She's bright, but she does what she can to get what she wants. I see through that and I think she knows it.

Gotta love the IM, huh?

Adventures in Flight - Love in the Air

2010-11-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

I love flying Southwest Airlines, not just because I work there, but because you can just interact with some real characters.

I was coming home from a conference in Connecticut on Friday evening. It was a week-long course and I was exhausted from all the learning and of course, the evening adventures as well. When I'm tired, I like to choose a seat near the engines for the sole reason that people are less likely to talk in that area because it tends to be noisier. It was a full flight so there were folks all around us.

As we prepared for landing, the flight attendants made their usual announcement for everyone to put their chairs and trays in the "full and upright position". They breezed through the cabin looking for offenders several times. On one such pass, one of them stopped to ask someone behind me to comply.

From behind me I hear a loud, upper-Midwest accent, "Jack put your chair up. Jack, your chair! She wants you to put your chair up." Obviously the man couldn't hear well because each time, she got louder.

"Jack, push the button!"

I started smiling to myself and the lady next to me was doing the same thing. "It must be longtime love," she said, and that made the situation adorable. I nodded in agreement with a big grin.

We landed and this older couple got even more adorable. I asked her what part of Minnesota she was from (I have dear friends up there and just love the accent.) She smiled and told me that she was actually from Wisconsin. Then with a twinkle in her eye she added with that nasaly twang known in that area of the world, "Kenosha, Wisconsin. Home of Hanes Underwear and Snap-On Tools."

This couple is a widow and widower, I found out later from the passenger who sat next to them on the flight. I assumed they'd been married for years. It turns out, they've been living together "in sin", as she called it, for over 20 years and are still very much in love.

I hope to be that wry and that much in love when I'm in my older years.

Spiraling

2010-04-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been draining, mostly emotionally, but physically as well. I've felt so out of control and lost.

About 3 weeks ago, I stopped swimming until I could get my shoulder and neck worked on by the chiropractor. Little did I know that it would be the last time for several weeks. It was feeling much better until the fall off my bike where I really injured it again. Since then, the only exercise I did was getting on a spin bike later that week.

To top it off, my house is under major repair where it's literally torn up. It's created such an uncontrollable chaos and mess, it's disconcerting.

The spiral continued. I haven't slept well at all, partly because of the chaos; partly because that shoulder is the on the side I sleep most nights. I wake up for an hour or two every night and can't get back to sleep without stewing. I try to read for a while and sometimes that helps. Because of this pattern, I've been shutting off the 4:45 alarm and skipping workouts. It's a nasty cycle. I miss workouts, which makes me more grumpy, which makes me not sleep enough...you get the picture.

Last night I finally gave up and took a Tylenol PM before heading to bed. In the past, that's helped keep me asleep. It helped a ton. I didn't budge all night and woke up around 6:30 feeling the best I've felt in a while. I actually feel like riding tonight, if I didn't have plans at the ballpark.

Construction will be done (hopefully) on Friday and I can get my both my physical and mental houses back in order by the end of the weekend. The triathlon is less than 60 days away now and I'm getting nervous about this large break in training. I'll finish, but it's not going to be as good as it should have been. I'll just be glad when this is all over.

Texas "hill" training

2010-03-28T12:02:00.001-07:00

Living in north Texas has brought me a new appreciation for wind. It's really blows here, especially in the spring as mother nature tries her best to let winter go with a bang. Just north of here, in Denton, there isn't much to break the wind between Oklahoma and Dallas. The wind is definitely stronger.

So yesterday I hopped on the bike with some friends and set out for a 30-ish mile ride. Because we don't have much in the way of hills here, I kind of look at these windy days as a simulated hill. You crawl up these mountains when the wind is right in your face.

I was really dreading the west wind even though I knew it'd be great training. The guy who planned the route said that most of the wind would be at our faces for the first 10 miles or so. Man, he wasn't kidding. There was a bridge running west-east that brought me down to the granny gear in a hurry and I still barely made it to 10mph. We had to stop several times along the way to re-group our tribe of 10.

Another downside to strong, gusty winds is that they get you off balance in a hurry if you don't anticipate it correctly. We were on a great sideroad with no traffic and were turning onto another road. I was yapping, not paying attention like I should have. Sure enough, between a turn, a gust of wind, and gravel, I ended up on my side in an instant. It scared me for sure as I'd only fallen off the bike one other time as an adult, and that was right when I got clips (yeah, you all have experienced that, right?).

This time, it hurt. Though I got right back up and took a breath, we continued on. We were only six miles in, but I thought I could stick it out. Thankfully, I was able to, but the first chance I got when we stopped at a roadside gas station, I downed a couple of Aleve to help it out.

But the great thing about going into a headwind is that a tailwind is sure to follow. At about 11 miles in, we turned east into a tailwind so strong that I was averaging about 20mph and coasting; barely turning the pedals at all! It rocked! We got another one of those bits later in the ride and it felt as if we were flying down the road! It's such an incredible feeling.

The last six miles were on beautiful, smooth pavement and on a road with a wide shoulder. It was right back into the wind again. We continued to just limp through it; at times it almost felt as if we could get off the bikes and walk faster. Granny gears on flats are tough on the ego. :)

But we finished. And we headed to a great pub in the square of old Denton that served us huge burgers. We wolfed them down in earnest.

On the way home, I swung by one of those urgent care places. The shoulder was throbbing from the fall and I worried that something might be cracked, or at least torn. I squeaked in about 5 minutes before it closed. Sure enough, the doc said that I'd dislocated the shoulder, though it'd popped back in place. The tendons near the clavicle (I think) were torn slightly. He gave me a sling and a prescription and sent me on my way. No swimming for about 2 weeks at least and minimal work on the arms. He said that being in good shape helped that it could've been worse. Whew! (By the way, thanks for making me drink so much milk as a kid, mom!)

So it looks like it'll be a week on the spin bike for my exercise since it's the least amount of motion. I'm just thankful it wasn't any worse.

2010-03-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes an old love calls to you and wakes you up again inside.

The roads have been my partner for about six months now. They're straightforward. Predictible. Safe.

Getting back on the Northshore trail was like finding an old boyfriend from 15 years ago. He's familiar, but changed. You know him, you know his faults, you know his great areas. But still, he's grown, a bit new, yet still comfortable.

There were surprise twists and turns I didn't remember. There were a few ups that made me stop to rethink what I was doing and some downs that were pure joy and fast. The trail wandered around and many times, I really wasn't sure where I was. Then occasionally, I'd come across a spot I'd been before and sighed with relief, only to wind up in another new area. There were turns I wasn't expecting. But the warm friendliess wrapped itself around me.

A calm came over me at times when all I could hear was the wind, creaking limbs, and the occasional critter scampering under the brush to avoid the heavy foot pounding. I could hear my heart and my breath. I could feel the sweat from the warm air on my face and body. It was as soothing as curling up close.

An hour later, I was spent. I was in my happy place. Maybe it's a relationship worth re-kindling.

Progress!

2010-03-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well you've heard me whining about the weight. It momentarily dipped below 160, but it's back again. But the good thing is, the fat must finally be turning to muscle. Clothes are fitting better. I'm content with that.

Yesterday, I ran about 75 minutes after work. It was gorgeous. On the way home I stopped to pick up some dinner. As I left the grocery store, I caught a glance of my legs in the reflection in the glass door exit. For a moment, I didn't recognize them. They looked more athletic and toned, like runner's legs should look. They're looking less like those hearty turkey drumsticks you see at the fair and more like solid machines. There's still work to do, but it was a nice surprise to notice the difference.

And today, a lady at work mentioned that she thought I was skinny! Really?! That might not be the word I was thinking, but it added to yesterday's shift in perception.

I'm content. I'm feeling better.

To top it off, there is definite progress in the way the training is going. The mileage last night was tough as it's ramping up over the week, but it was do-able. We had a great, hearty spin class on Wednesday night, so it felt good (and hard) to come to the week's long run with tired legs. While I didn't finish the time or mileage prescribed last night, I felt as if it was an accomplishment. I'll take it.

I'm content. I'm feeling better.

Thank goodness next week is a step-back week. It's tiring right now with the increasing intensity!

Train hard y'all!

Inspiration from a total stranger

2010-02-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

For a long time, I was a purist. I didn't run with an iPod, even on my long trail runs. I like to stay in my mind and especially in trail running, enjoy the scenery. There were a few times, I'd plug in, but not often.

These days, I've grown to rely on it more with the longer runs. I enjoy the music and it keeps my mind from getting too bored. Today though, the damn thing was goofed up. I've noticed that it's a little buggy sometimes when I recharge it. The next time I play it, all the treble is gone so all I hear is the background. Grrr...this morning I really wanted to work with the music since the training plan called for 75 minutes, 35 of which were tempo drills. But maybe it happened for a reason that it didn't work.

I was about 15 minutes into the warmup when a guy walked up with an Austin 70.3 race shirt on. He parked it on the treadmill next to me, so I asked him how he liked the race, how long he's been racing, etc. I normally am not much of a talker running, even less so at the gym, but he responded, then kept chattering back.

Turns out he lost over 100lbs in a year and now he's at the point where it's been off for quite a while. He's stablized at his current weight, which appears to be that of a normal guy. Amazing! I just am in awe of people, like my friends Janna and Deeann, who have managed to take off incredible amounts of weight like that and keep it off. And most times, they find themselves in a new life and a whole new outlook.

Sure enough, this guy was the same way. He tried his first 5k, then got into a couple of sprints, then found himself improving so much, he did a 70.3 last year and in a decent time. Wow! That's incredible. Now he has himself a coach and is working to do two 70.3's this season and possibly a full IM next year.

The guy has guts, that's for sure. I left him after my workout and he still had about an hour to go to finish his. Can you imagine doing 14 miles on the treadmill? That was his plan and he was already nearly halfway through it. It's really inspiring.

So for once, I was happy that the iPod was down. I got in a good workout, good chat, and managed to meet a potential new training comrade.

My workout for the day? I shifted my schedule a tad this week for other conflicts.
75min run.
20 min warmup
35 mins tempo -- 3 mins fast/2 mins recover 7x
20 mins recover/cooldown
Ended up with 7.6 miles. I'm content with that considering the warmup and cooldown were done at 5.7-5.8mph.

Swim tonight. Cycle tomorrow 2 hours.

Train hard y'all!

Saturday run

2010-02-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning was busy. My folks were flying in from San Diego in the afternoon, so all the errands, cleaning, shopping and oh yeah, homework, had to be crunched in before they arrived. Amazingly enough, I was looking forward to getting in a run that morning as well and made it a priority. After all, many of my peeps were out running the Cross Timbers trail race up on Lake Texoma.

I get up at the crack of dawn nearly every day whether I want to or not. Even if it's a weekend. Sure enough, 6am, the eyes popped open for a new day. It was still a little too cool for this blood, so I got some cleaning done and made the list for the rest of the day.

By about 8:30 the mercury rose just enough and I was ready to roll. I decided that I'd do about 6 miles and wanted to get in a few small hills. There's a route through Highland Village that is perfect. I plotted the out-back up on mapmyrun.com, laced up the shoes, grabbed the iPod and left.

I almost always hate the first 1/2 to 3/4 mile as the legs warm up and stretch out. Usually, I'm ready to quit, but have to power through it. Same thing happened. But by the time I reached my turn at Brazos about a mile into it, they felt great. The music was playing hard (did you know Simon and Garfunkel have some great running pace tunes?). The pavement just flowed under the feet. It felt fantastic and I knew the pace felt great - less strained than usual.

The slow rolling hills start in at about mile 2. The last time I'd done this route was before the half marathon in December. I was struggling that time. This time, they didn't feel hard at all. I motored up them and by the time I realized it, I was at the turnaround point. I stood there for a moment, then looked ahead of me to the next hill which peaked about 1/2 mile away.

Aw, what the hell? I was still feeling strong, so I extended the run another 1/2 mile and conquored this next hill before turning around. I noticed several other runners heading out for their runs. Most everyone waves in this part of town, even if they're on the other side of the street. Nice.

At about mile 4-5ish, the boredom started kicking in. This is where I tend to walk a few minutes before running again. I'm normally not tired, just bored of the pace. This time, I managed to plow through it (some friends were in my head telling me not to stop) and continue.

Again, before I knew it, I looked up and noticed the water tower that's close to the 1-mile mark. Holy crap, I'm almost done? Sure enough I'd hit the turn back onto the main road and back to the house. The legs kicked in and I pushed the pace the last mile or so, only stopping briefly for the traffic light crossing. Amazing!

So I re-mapped with the turnaround point, and sure enough, I'd added an extra mile more than I'd planned. Yippee! I'm hoping more runs continue like this. It's encouraging.

Train hard, y'all.

Soooo close!

2010-02-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

The goal starting after Christmas was to get down to 150-ish pounds by the end of March using Weight Watchers and tri training. I was probably sitting just a touch over 165. I don't know for sure because I was afraid to get on the scale, but the serious muffin-tops gave it away. I was probably at my all-time heaviest and felt like crap.

There have been some frustrating times and some setbacks as I bounce to happy hours and get too confident in my eating skills - reverting back to old ways. I've been hovering within about 2lbs of 160, going up and down for 3 weeks now, flirting ever so close to that milestone weight. At this point, just getting below 160 would be such a mind boost.

This week has been fantastic for training. The bit of warmth, especially after all the cold we've had, definitely did something to boost my spirits. To top it off, I got a much-needed kick in the ass from my friend and fellow blogger, Dave. He's seriously hard-core and is currently training for the Memorial Bataan Death March race in N.M. next month. He's planning to do it with a 40lb pack on his back. Amazing! I hear about his training and it inspires me to get off my butt and stop whining.

That said, the week was a great one for training! Got in a bit of distance and some speed work on the treadmill for running. There were two amazing swim days, one of which today was 3400yds in 55 minutes (ladder workout from 50-400 and back in 50 increment increases/decreases). I even got a bike ride in with a couple of chilly loops around WRL one afternoon (before heading to happy hour!) I'm hooked again!

Gotta keep focused and keep on track. The workouts are scheduled to get longer and more intense the next few weeks, though thankfully they'll be in increasingly warmer weather for some outdoor training finally.

And to top it off...the scale said 159 this morning. Whee!!!

Old habits

2010-02-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

They say that it takes 30 days to make a new habit stick. I'm not so sure when it involves good food, good wine/beer, or cheese.

I've been using the Weight Watchers website since the last week of December and was really sticking to it. But with the past few weeks' training increasing so much, I've slacked off a bit on logging every morsel passing through my mouth. I've gotten to the point where I do well tracking the first few days of the week, then slack. I need to get back in gear, because old habits are starting to creep back into the picture, not helping the weight loss at all.

This week was tough on workouts as well. I'd planned to hit it hard Wednesday and Thursday, knowing I'd be out of town for the weekend. Well the snow and ice didn't help matters at all. They gym never opens on time on these kinds of days, which screws up the time I have to work out before going to my job. This made me lose a couple of days.

But my trip was cancelled at the last minute. There was no reasonable way to get up to Minnesota on Friday flying standby, so I stayed home. Now you'd think that I'd have made up the workouts over the weekend, but then again, you'd be wrong. Laziness, or rather, procrastination kicked in heaviliy so I ended up not doing anything at all.

And I had cheese fries. The wonderfully, nasty cheese fries from Snuffer's. With ranch dressing.

So today is starting a new week, not only for getting back on track with food, but training. The intensity of the training plan I'm on is ramping up for the next wave. And there will be two days of at least 50 degree weather which is the tipping point for me for outside work. Hopefully, those two days I can get out on the bike after work.

Train hard everyone!

Mass swimming

2010-02-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

I guess you can tell by previous posts that I love to swim. I've always been a water baby, but who wouldn't be when you grow up in Southern California? I remember days after my parents divorced, we'd spend weekends with my dad on his sailboat where he lived. The marina had a small pool that was always over-chlorinated. My brother, Rob, and I would swim until Pop would pull us out, our eyes swelled shut from all the chemicals. Even in high school I swam my senior year and felt completely at ease. It was a place where the sweat wouldn't show.

But now I'm sort of re-finding my love of swimming through triathlon. It's a sport where I feel more competitive than most I do.

Today, my triathlon training buddy, April, and I did our first workout with Texas Triple Threat, a local triathlon club. They hold a swim every Sunday morning. This time of year they practice in a pool, but come late March, we'll be in Lake Lewisville doing open water swims.

April and I felt a bit of trepidation showing up at 7:30 this morning with about 25 other people. We thought we'd be outmatched by far. She set herself with the slow group and I set up about in the middlle as I eyeballed many a tattooed person with the Ironman symbol. It's terrifying.

Lo and behold, I warmed up and was held up by some of these guys. The coach suggested that I move up not one, but two lanes to the nearly fastest folks. After a warmup, we did 30 minutes of a continuous swim. The water was boiling like it does when you throw fish food into a pond full of koi. There were no lane lines to break the surge. It felt like it would in open water. It was incredible!

I got in with the guys in my group and was starting to pass... or try to pass. The guy with the purple cap and giant feet ahead of me apparently didn't get the memo that when someone touches your feet (several times, I might add) that he should've stopped on the wall and let me pass. I'd even hang out on the wall until he was halfway across the pool and catch up to him without much effort. I could see his inefficient stroke ahead of me and he drove me nuts. Finally at one point about halfway across the pool, I noticed that there was plenty of room, so I turned back around and got ahead of him. It worked until later when he was able to somehow get back ahead of me by sitting on the wall for a break. Bastard.

Thankfully the coach saw my frustration and suggested I move up to the fast lane. Finally I was in my element and excited to be pushed to keep up more. Where I enjoyed the more even pacing of the slightly slower lane, this lane really made me fight more to keep the pace higher. I think I'll go there next time. It felt so good to be in the top tier of swimmers. My biking and running aren't nearly as good so it feels great to be adept at one of the elements of triathlon

After the 30 minutes continuous, we did a few drafting/mass start drills which were a blast. We paired up and tried to keep up or physically pass some of the other swimmers. One guy pushed hard on me and game was on! I drafted him for the rest of that lap, but on the return, I pulled on his ankle and slowed him down, allowing myself to get just ahead of him. Yay!!!

On a side note, oh my Gawd triathlon guys are great looking! Holy cow, I think I finally may have found a bit of heaven. Now if I could only snag one of them...

Seeing progress

2010-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

133 days until the race.

Finally! There is progress in both my weight (down almost 5lbs since Christmas) and fitness! It's almost like finding old friends again. I am finally feeling like an athlete again and clothes are fitting how they should be...without hurting to wear them. Hee hee!

The warm weather certainly has helped get me motivated again. I'm beginning to think I'm a lizard, needing the warmth to really gain energy. Three times this week I was able to get outside and have great workouts because of the warmth and it made me happy.

Sunday afternoon, I conned my tri-training compadre, April, into getting in a ride outside. It was about 55 when we started and nearly 63, 2 hours later. Awesome! We rode from her house out a hilly route I've done before and came back. It was a bit of an awakening for both of us that there is a lot of work ahead, but we managed. I think we'll hit that route again with all the hills.

Monday after work I was able to get a good run in around the 'hood. It was windy and only 4 miles, but it felt fantastic having the sweat running down my forehead while outside again. I think I even was able to wear shorts! Love it.

Yesterday was the peak, though. I knew it'd be in the low 70's so I went into work early with my bike on the rack. My friend, Rick, and I zipped out of work at 3:30 to catch the last 2 hours of light. We were able to get in 2 fairly fast loops in around White Rock Lake, despite 25+kt winds when we headed south. He took me up one killer hill where I was breathing so hard I couldn't even cuss. Yep, definitely need to work on the hills more, especially for Kansas. We made it back to the cars right at sunset, thankfully.

I left him and headed to the gym to get in a quick pool workout as well. I wanted to work on speed rather than distance.

200m easy warmup

4x50m alternating single arm strokes (left side needs work)

4x50m alternating breathing sides (left side needs work here too)

10x50 on the 1:00 - stay at a consistent time (managed to do consistent :37-:38 every time)

200 cooldown

Love it!

Hopefully tomorrow will bring another warm-ish day to get out for another long afternoon ride. I've put my aerobars on so I need to get used to using them and get the bike set up correctly so that parts don't hurt and I ride more efficiently this way.

Stay strong and train hard, y'all!

Swim practice with the kids

2010-01-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Normally I don't really care to hit the YMCA for swimming in the afternoons, but with the icy weather, roads were crazy in the morning and I wasn't even sure the gym opened on time. So I packed my gym back with swimming and running gear for after work in hopes that the one lap lane available during the kids' swim team practice would be open.

Perfect! I showed up and got in the pool just before 5pm as the next wave of kids poured into the pool and got it churning like a bunch of hungry koi. I'm always surprised to see how in synch they can be once they actually start doing their assigned laps, but beforehand, they're pure wiggles.

The churn in the pool makes it a harder practice, but one that is more realistic to a tri environment. As much as I don't care for all the extra commotion (as compared to the quiet 5am practices), they make for e great workout. I did 2000m and was definitely tired during and afterwards. I don't think I was fueled enough and felt as if I was working too hard for the effort. Remember that for next time.

Out of swimplan.com, this was the workout:

2x100 easy warmup

1x50m right breathing, 1x50 left breathing (repeat 4x)

12x100 on the 1:45. I ended up extending this to a 2:00 interval because of the kids and the effort

2x100 easy cool down

Have a great week.

Broken trainer and more treadmill

2010-01-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

I was set to set up the bike trainer in the living room to get in a great spin. I got this thing used from a friend about a year ago (free, thankfully) and it's been collecting dust since it arrived in my garage. I pulled it out, set it up, and with the cold, a plastic part snapped off of it. Crap! It blew the workout I'd planned last night. Oh well, I'll make it up later in the week and figure out a new plan for spinning this weekend.

So this morning I'd planned to swim. But then I remembered a sign at the Y that the pool was closed for a swim meet. Dangit! Thankfully I had my running clothes packed in my bag as well and did a quick change. Another good treadmill workout...

5 min warmup
Starting at 6mph, I bumped up the speed .1 each minute for 5 minutes, then reduced by .1 each minute for 3 minutes. Then starting at 6.2, I went up .1 for each of 5 mins, then down 3 again. Up 5 more, then .1 down for 10 minutes to slowly bleed off speed and time. Ended up with about 4 miles with cooldown. Nice workout and it helped to work up the speed.

Dave sent me a killer treadmill hill workout. Thanks, man! When I give that one a shot, I'll holler (or cuss) at you with the results.

Rock on, y'all!

3.5 treadmill

2010-01-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

I'm a wimp in the cold. I'd rather have a 90 or 95 degree day than one at 45. It wasn't that long ago that I enjoyed cold, but for some reason, I'm now at the point where I'd like to only visit the cold (like seeing my favorite friends in MN).

So when it's frigid like this (under 40...see I told you I'm a wimp), I end up hitting the treadmill to get in the miles. Today was no different. I loved taking a treadmill class at my old gym, which is sort of like a spin class - a mix of hills and speedwork. It breaks up the drone of the belt and pushes limits at times. If done right, it's a two-towel workout!

Today's workout is simple, but it can be hard depending on how you push it. The last 2 one-minute intervals were really difficult. And why is it that 1 minute goes by a lot faster when you're doing the recovery?

1 mile warm-up

10 x 1-minute intervals of 1mph faster than my "regular" speed.

1-minute recovery between intervals

1/2 mile cool-down (run, then walk at the end)

This week's plan

2010-01-04T07:54:00.001-08:00

There are 23 weeks left until the race (well, that's counting from Saturday) and my training plan doesn't really start until the 20 week point. That won't stop me though! I signed up for Texas Triple Threat triathlon training group and will start swim practices with them this week. If I remember the calendar right, those are W/F first thing in the morning.

As a minimum, I'll be getting 2 sessions of each skill in each week and hopefully at least one weight training session per week. With the gyms filled to capacity this month (damn NY resolution people), and the icy conditions (for us southerners) it'll be tough fighting the crowds.

The schedule is posted to the right and I'll have to stick to it.

Weight this week starting out is 164.4. Honestly, I didn't weigh myself after coming home from Mom's for the holidays. I know I was heavier, but I'm in denial. LOL!

Posting training later.

Start me up!

2010-01-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

155 days from today I'll be doing the 70.3! This blog will be more or less dedicated as a training log for not only the physical, but the mental part of the journey.

In my mind, I know I can do the distance and finish without much problem, but honestly, I'm scared shitless for all the training in the meantime. LOL! But this week, the training began.

Random thoughts for today...

It's only been less than a month since the half marathon out in Vegas, but I because I haven't taken the time to run since then much of that fitness is gone. Not completely, but a lot of it. I ran about 3 on the treadmill yesterday and I was surprised at how sore I am today.

Alma worked my triceps hard on Tuesday and when I swam on Thursday, they were still really sore. I worked through the workout, concentrating on form more than speed this time. I also worked on breathing on my left side a bit more, making sure I wasn't lifting my head which I tend to do.

Tri bars are now installed on the bike. If the weather turns out as nice tomorrow as it was this afternoon, I feel a 60-90 minute ride in store, you know, to test drive those bars. :)

I also recently signed up for Texas Triple Threat, which is a triathlon training group. It looks as if most of it is based out of the north Dallas area so that should help out quite a bit. There are also group swims at one of the pools that looks like it's on the way into work. Sweet!

Finally, I've made it a goal to drop at least 15lbs. I signed up for Weight Watchers online last Tuesday. Two of my dear friends, Deeann and Janna, have both inspired me by their gains (or rather, losses) over the past year or so using the system. They're both amazing women and they not only make me laugh with them, the make me smile as I see them become more confident. Not to be left out, Greg has made huge progress as well and he inspires me in so many other ways. Yay to y'all! Thank you!!!

I'm starting out at 165 and will confess to y'all the progress. Please help prod and poke me if you see something change for the worse. So far it hasn't been easy to stay within the point system, but it's been fun seeing how many extra exercise points I can rack up. Fingers crossed, this system will help.

'Nuf said for now. Please help keep me honest with at least logging workouts and updating the weight! Hugs!

Wordled!

2009-11-29T09:08:00.001-08:00

Seriously, how cool is this?! I'd love to make it a t-shirt. Better yet, maybe I'll wait until after the 70.3 to do it. I'd love to see how the words change.

This was on another blogger's site. What you do is go to the link on http://www.wordle.net/ and then copy in your blog link. It'll look at all the words you use on your blog and orders them by how often they appear. Beautiful, isn't it? You can change up the colors, fonts and even the way they're all layered.

1 week until the half in Vegas. I'm so not ready! LOL! Plow through it!

I need help: How to break the food cycles?

2009-11-24T12:46:00.001-08:00

I'm so frustrated with my weight. But I have nobody to blame but the person in the mirror.

Yesterday I was in the doctor's office for a regular checkup and while waiting, noticed a book on a shelf nearby, "You on a Diet: The Guide to Waist Management" or something like that. I thumbed through it as time ticked by.

One page about two-thirds of the way caught my eye. It had to do with particular types of snacks and what eating them blindly meant. It struck me hard. Soft sweets, like ice cream, which are the bane of my existance supposedly mean that you're depressed. Salty filler snacks, like Cheez-It's or pita chips, mean you're sexually frustrated. Damn! I guess I need to get happy and get a date, huh? LOL!

Workouts have been haphazard the past month. I've been having issues with waking up at night for about an hour, which causes me to set the alarm back to normal wake up time (5:45) instead of workout time (4:45). I've been frequenting lunch and happy hours with friends in the few times of being social. And to top it off, school is kicking my butt and I tend to munch while sitting at the computer.

I try to eat a good meal at lunch, preferably making this the largest of the day. The problems come when I get home and get into the habit of eating just to eat. How do you break that cycle? And how do you break the cycle of wanting something sweet after a meal. It's not big, sometimes just a bite of a piece of chocolate or even a cookie, but how do you get past that?

Many times at the end of the evening, I feel full and still not satisfied. It's frustrating. And I see it showing in my weight and how the clothes are fitting worse these days. You'd think someone who is good at planning and organizing might be good at doing the same things in her own life, but it's just not happening.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? I'd love to hear from you all either in the comments or even off line. adventurechick3@yahoo.com You rock!

200 days

2009-11-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks the 200 day countdown to the Kansas Half IM. 200 days to prep. 200 days to agonize. 200 days to train.

I'm just thinking out loud here. Okay, the keyboard clatter is about as loud as it gets over the crackle of the fire.

I'm wondering if trying to do a 70.3 next summer is feasible?

I'm wondering if it's too much to tackle that and continue with my current school schedule?

I'm wondering if it all makes sense?

I'm wondering what has to give? Most likely it'll be what little social life I have. "But it's only temporary", I tell myself.

I'm struggling to find time to train for just a half marathon, so I'm wondering how I'll fit it all in.

I'm wondering where this doubt is coming from because I KNOW once I put my mind to it and commit, I can do it.

I'm wondering how many people I'll pass? How many whose ass I'll kick? Will it be just one or several?

I'm wondering...

10.5 miles

2009-11-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

I've resigned myself to just finishing the half marathon in a few weeks. I'd hoped for about a 2:15 finish, but after today's long run, I'll just settle to finish. It's been a busy few months and I just haven't put in the time necessary to do well. That said, I'm okay with it. :)

Today I did a 10.5 miler, much to my own surprise. I'd mapped out a run at 10.3, but somehow got turned around a bit, so I rerouted on my own. I thought I might have only done about 9-9.5, but when I remapped the route I actually took, I was surprised to see 10.5. Yay! Here's what it looks like.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/tx/highland-village/588125830713335446

Starting temperature - 68. Breezy south wind. Above average humidity. New shoes (1/2 size larger because of rubbing with the old ones).

I always hate the first mile or so of my long runs. It takes a while for stuff to stretch out and settlle into a good pattern. But by mile 2-3, it feels great. This is a new route I've been wanting to do to really change up the scenery. It's perfect for at least the first 5 miles or so. There are rolling hills through the Highland Village area, miles 3 through 6. Some of these hills kick my butt. I store this info so that I use routes through here in training for the half IM next year. Kansas is hilly.

For the most part, I feel pretty good through mile 5. I take a couple of Clif Blox at the 1/2 hour point and they kick in about 10 minutes later, thankfully. The wheels started coming off around 5.5 miles. I was getting tired from the hills and running straight into the wind. There was construction, so no sidewalk, but luckily, a good portion of the road was closed and hard-packed dirt. I stayed there. Downed a vanilla Gu at the 1 hour mark. I thought I'd missed a turn so I thought my route was cut about a mile short at this point. Dangit.

Miles 5.5 to 6.5 were the busiest for traffic around the mall and because of a narrow, busy road with no shoulder. I'm going to have to work around that area again, unless I do it early in the morning. I walked a lot through this time, partly due to the traffic, partly just being exhausted. My Gatorade was nearly out and I couldn't find anything open to just refill with water. Ugh.

When I hit the light at Morris/Valley Ridge, I considered going straight home, but then turned right to adjust the course a bit to make up what I thought were lost miles. At this point, I figured I'd finish at about 9 miles. I forced myself to pass up another shortcut and continued on to College Rd which would give me 2 options on mileage and getting home.

At about mile 9 (which I thought was less at this point) I started to feel a little light headed, probably from the humidity, climbing temps, and not enough water. I decided to cut the run a bit and turn onto Kirkpatrick to come home, rather than go all the way to Garden Ridge. It was a good decision as it turns out. Had I continued on like I thought about doing, it would've added about another mile to the route. I was hot and light headed. It was good to be almost home.

Finally I turned onto my street and made it home. I was disappointed with the time (right at 2 hours) for 10.5 miles. I did walk several times for about a minute at a time. I think the gel and blox were done at the right times, but I wish I'd had more water/gatorade. I kept thinking I needed to just fill up with someone's hose. Next time I probably will.

Next week is 11+, then "taper" for the race. Whew! I can't wait to call the Lufkins to see how theirs went.

The agony and ecstacy

2009-11-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday I had to get in a long run. I theory, it was supposed to be 7 miles according to the training log. I was supposed to meet with my prospective trainer that afternoon in Coppell, where my gym is, and thought about just doing my mileage there after we were finished. I mapped out a run and thought it would be fine.

I met with Alma, the trainer, and had a great time. We talked and I was able to pick her brain on training and tri tips (not the beef, but the race). She even printed out elevation and maps for my Kansas race to discuss. I like her!

Anyway, after we met, I headed out to chase sunset, thinking I'd get my 7-ish miles and/or 7 minutes in before the sun went down. As I started out on the route I'd mapped out, I realized that the Andy Brown park which I was running near, had just over a 6 mile loop beckoning me to run to keep it from getting boring. Sure enough, I succumbed to the whole thing, and added with the mileage to get from the YMCA to the park entrance, it ended up coming to 8.5 miles! WTF!!??

The legs (and side stitches) balked at me at first, like they always do the first mile or two, but then I got into a groove. I kept going, but told myself that I'd do a 1 minute walk once I got to the far duck pond or 35 minutes, whichever came first. Fortunately, I didn't have to choose, as they came at about the same time. I decided to suck down a gel, walk for a minute, then keep going.

It was a great move looking back. The gel kicked in about 10 minutes later and carried me through to the end. I thought I'd end up walking maybe the last 1/2 mile or so, but kept carrying on until I made it back to the car 85 minutes later! Holy crap! For someone not training well this was awesome!

But I paid for it on Monday.

Damn I'm sore. To top it off, I did my first upper body workout with Alma on Tuesday and she pushed me to do weights I certainly wouldn't have done on my own. I'm learning from her and think she'll be great to develop the core muscles I'll need to help set the base for when I start really training in January.

Oh and I'm cussing her name today. I'm so sore, typing hurts right now. Everything from the waist up hurts. It's a good hurt though. It's the agony and the ecstasy all rolled into one.

6.3 mile run

2009-10-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

The past week or two has been chaos. I interviewed for, then got a new job so my life has been turned upside down. Of course, I have to admit to a few happy hours to celebrate the change, which lead to less sleep and not wanting to get up in the morning to work out. It's an ugly cycle. The nights I didn't go out, I stewed about what the change would bring and all the worrying. Suffice to say, I have a week under my belt now at the new job and it's time to get back on the road. The half is coming up really soon!

So it's been a while since I've posted. Or run.

I'm sort of wierd about the time to run. I do best first thing in the morning before I've had a diet Coke and much to eat. If I get a shower, likely I won't run either. I will occasionally run in the afternoon after I get off work, but that's only if lunch wasn't too big. You've gotta get through the hangups, right? LOL!

Saturday I didn't run. We had a trail cleanup for our trail running club I organized, then I had a ton of homework to get done. So I did what I had to do. Procrastinated it until Sunday afternoon.

Long story short, I ended up prying myself away from my Accounting studying to go for a run. Damn, it felt great! The last run I'd done was 2 weeks before (but I rode 145 miles on my bike in between), but it wasn't bad. I needed to up the mileage and did by a mile.

The weather was a perfect 73-ish degrees and I planned the route to mostly be a crosswind and the headwind at only the beginning. I'm no dummy. I went to mapmyrun.com and plotted out a 6-ish miler, extending one of my regular 5-mile runs to include a new area.

I purposely left and headed toward the newer part of the route first, so that I would be forced to finish the whole route. I couldn't get to a crossroads and opt out. I had to do the whole thing. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to make it.

This time of year is just gorgeous. The leaves are starting to change here and lawns are sprinkled with fun Halloween decorations. Some even play music. Most decorations make me laugh at the creativity or ostentatiousness of it all. It passes the time, and I like that.

It was tough to get in the groove at first; side stitches take over at about a mile or so. But they sort themselves out by the time I hit a major intersection at nearly 3 miles in. I turned the corner and walked for the time it took to get to the next sign, maybe 30-ish seconds. The legs started finally feeling stronger as I pushed up a small incline (I can't even call it a hill). The next thing I knew, I saw the power lines that go down the middle of the final turnoff street and I was thrilled. I hung on with exactly a 10mph pace, which for as little as I've trained, I'll take.

By Monday evening, everything was tightening up and I'm sore. It will get better. Now if I could only catch those Lufkins!

10/6 speedwork

2009-10-06T10:07:00.001-07:00

Good workout this morning. The plan told me I needed to do 3.5 and that's what I did.

1 m warmup at about 9.5 - 10.0mph.

Alternating 1 min at 7.5 with 1 min recovery. I'd planned to get in 10 reps of this, but only made it to 7. I actually took a 2 min recovery when I finished 5. At least I know where to improve.

Finished the last half-ish mile just recovering at about 6.1mph.

The heart rate definitely got up there. I was probably at about an 8.5-9(in the last few reps) on a 10 point exertion scale. The last two reps, I could feel the breath getting more labored and was more tired.

The next run is Thursday; another 3.5. I might try going back on the trails if it hasn't rained too much. Happy day all.

Five Things Sunday

2009-10-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

To heck with alliteration. I hereby deem Five Things Friday, changed to Sunday. Sundays are my play days. The relaxing ones. So for now, we're switching days, m'kay?

It was a great week!
1. Interview. Despite sweating all the way down to my hips (and thankfully not wearing something that showed it), the interview felt pretty darn good. I was receiving good visual feedback from nearly everyone. My former director, Jeffery, was in there too. She has a serious poker face and I had trouble reading her.

2. Success. So it turns out, I didn't need to read her after all. I found out on Tuesday afternoon that I got the job AND a 7% raise to boot! I was happy taking a lateral and would've even taken a small cut, but a freakin' raise?! Yeah baby! I start at the beginning of the next pay period and it can't come soon enough.

3. Happy hour. So it turned into several happy hours. A friend is going through a pretty rough time so a small group of my favorite work chicks went out for a few beers. We laughed all night and even survived a huge thunderstorm that poured overhead. The best part of the night though, was a spontaneous toilet papering event! We hit one of our other co-workers house with three rolls. Turns out, he saw us thorugh his front door and walked away. Yes, alcohol might have been involved. LOL!

4. Another finished class. With finishing a class and passing an opt-out test, I'm now 33.3% through. Still on target to finish next summer.

5. Wonderful friends. I got to spend some quality time with my friend Christi. She's so sweet and smart! My old TWA friends were at a BBQ on Saturday and it was great catching up with them. My closest friend posted a fantastic blog about her inspirations and it made me cry. Good tears though. She's beautiful.

I hope you have a wonderful upcoming week. Look for the good things.

We Will, We Will Rock You!

2009-10-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

What a great run today!

I'm in the 3rd week of training for the Rock-n-Roll Half in Las Vegas in December. Today was my first five miler in a long, long time. I remember when five was an easy run; now it was my "long" run for the week.

I was a tad worried this week wouldn't be as good. I hadn't gotten in any of my regular training runs for this week since I was a little distracted finding out I got a new job (starting soon). My long run from last week was delayed until Monday, so I figured I was way behind.

I plotted out a course on www.mapmyrun.com to make sure what I was planning to do was about 5 miles. Thankfully, it turns out it's 5.25! I'll take it! I grabbed my new iPod stacked with a running playlist and headed out the door.

I've done this route several times before, but always counterclockwise and usually in the dark, early morning hours. I decided to run it the other way to shake things up. About 1/4 mile into it, I got a sharp side stitch and walked for a minute or so before going again. I decided that I'd make it to Morris Blvd before taking a walk break, roughly 2 miles or so away.

Mist and drizzle mixed with sweat as I warmed up. I made it to Morris for the turn and still felt great so I spotted a traffic light and aimed for it, thinking I'd take a quick break then. And after passing that mark without walking, I aimed for the Valley Ridge turn. I swear this route is uphill the whole way. I was going at a nice even pace; the temps were good; and stil felt like I could run forever.

I continued without stopping, then looked up to see the final turn to the house just up ahead. Holy cow, where did the miles go and how the heck did it feel so good still? As I rounded the corner and neared the house, Queen came on with We Are the Champions and I rocked it to the house! What an awesome run.

Five things Friday (okay it's Saturday)

2009-09-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

1. Finally, I ran outside again! The other night I was down at the neighbors, barefoot. Occasionally, I like to trot home up the street. It hit me as I was trotting this time, that there wasn't any pain. None at all! So Friday I decided I'd do my 3 miler around the 'hood. Other than a couple of very minor twangs with a misstep, I think I'm back to being able to run normally again. Thankfully, fall temperatures are here which makes the accomplishment even more exciting.

2. I've applied for another job over in the maintenance department and this time, it feels pretty good. I had two good conversations with the hiring manager, who I've worked with before on projects with Ground Ops a few years back. I'm also excited to know that the director over him is my former director. I get her and like the way she works, even if she is tough. I need the change and this opportunity should be a good one for future career advancement. Interview is Monday morning. Fingers crossed.

3. I got a sweet card from a friend of mine who I look up to. It was a welcome surprise on a day that wasn't bad, but not great either. It's amazing how someone taking the time to do a handwritten note can make your day. Thanks, J!

4. Badminton. Who would've thought that such a genteel sport could be so ruthless? I learned to play last Sunday in order to get ready for the Corporate Challenge. My partner, Jade, was patient and really a great teacher. We ended up taking silver for women's doubles! I'm sore. LOL!

5. Swimming. I love swimming. Love it! Well one nice thing is that the sweat doesn't show when you're working hard. LOL! This week we did the Corporate Challenge and did a swim meet. The team didn't do badly at all; in fact, we took gold in the 4x50 mixed relay! I could've done a bit better in my 50 free, but missed the wall. Missed it! But I damn near caught up to the girl who passed me by the time we got to the wall.

Have a wonderful week, y'all!

Swim meet

2009-09-23T05:16:00.001-07:00

So it's been 20 (cough, cough) plus years since my last swim meet. Needless to say I was a nervous wreck, but still excited. I was slated to do three events: 50 free, 50 back, and the 4x50 free relay.

SWA is making its debut in the Richardson Corporate Challenge and one of the events was swimming. We had a team of about 10 of us ranging from our early 30's to our early 50's. Making the master's requirement was no issue this year since most of us are over 40.

I've been working out fairly regularly, putting in 2-3 workouts a week in the pool, but doing mostly distance. I found a good website for creating swim workouts that have helped out a ton in not getting bored while still having strong workouts. I've been using them for triathlon training, but they have worked out just as well for the meet training.

The first race I had was the 50 free. I was pumped and only up against 3 other women in my bracket and age group. The gun went off and I could see that I was battling one other woman, but pulling ahead of her quickly on the first lap. I reached the end, did my turn and realized, "Oh shit!". I'd turned about 2 feet too early and missed the wall. (I was worried about this in practice 2 weeks before. That pool has a strange illusion to it that you think you're closer than you are.) I had to do sort of a dogpaddle back to touch the wall to make it legal. I was pissed!!! But that anger turned into energy. I had about a full body length to make up for in 25 meters and I nearly caught the girl. We touched the wall within a 1/2 second of each other at around 37 seconds. I wonder if I hadn't missed the wall how I would've done. Maybe around 33-34 seconds?

The backstroke went a bit better. I still was just a bit too far from the wall on this one as well, but was able to touch it and get a bit of a pushoff from it. I think I ended up at about :42 seconds. For me, I was content with this time because I'm not much of a backstroker.

The relay was the best event all the way around. We'd stacked our team with our fastest four, two of which were a couple who met and swam in college, Danee and Jason. Danee had won silver in the overall 50 free for women. The gun went off. Jim started us off well and got us about 2 body lengths ahead of the competition. I was behind him and kept the lead going with about the same distance. Danee smoked it and moved us further ahead. Finally Jason's anchor leg made us by far the leaders. We ended up taking home overall gold for the relay, a full 6+ seconds ahead of the nearest competition. Whee!

Fun stuff. Now I would love to get involved with Master's level swimming to see if I could compete more. Like I need another excuse for competition, right?

Five things Friday

2009-09-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I've stolen this from another friend who blogs. I love how she takes five (sometimes more) good things that happened throughout the week and shares them. I'll try to keep it going.

1. Packages in the mail. Love 'em. This week I got 5 in the mail, though 3 were books for school ordered off Amazon. The best was a surprise care package of goodies from St Croix from Greg and Deeann. Now I have stuff to make me think of my old home away from home. Sigh.

2. Finally a 3 mile run without stopping. See the previous blog.

3. Got an "A" in Marketing. I wasn't sure I'd end up with one, but made it, no problem.

4. An opportunity at a job change. A manager who used to be one of my customers is leading a team over in the maintenance department. He called me last Friday to tell me a job on his team was opening up and he wanted to give me a heads up. I talked to him for about an hour this week about it. I'm brushing off the resume again.

5. Survivor started. Dang show. I love it. I'm not hot on anyone in the cast just yet, but who cares, the game is still a blast. To top it off, all the other new shows are starting up so it's going to be tough to keep up with them all, work, workout, and still fit school in. Whew!

Week 1 - 79 days to go

2009-09-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

To some of you, this may sound silly, but today I ran 3 miles. Granted it was still on the treadmill but the milage is done. No walking. It's a small accomplisment, but for me right now, it's huge! I'm excited.

This week, I officially started my half marathon training for the Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half in December which I will be running with my fabulous friends, Greg and Deeann. It's just what I needed to keep me going since I deferred my Toyota Triathlon entry until next year.

I did about 2 minutes of walking, then kicked the belt up to about 5.8 for the first 1/2 mile. After that, I'd increase by .1 each 1/4 mile up to 1.5 miles. Then I upped the speed by .1 every 1/2 mile so I ended the last 1/2 mile at a 6.3 (9:21-ish pace). I like these workouts as it leaves the speed for the end. I think I'll start doing more speedwork on the treadmill in a few weeks, but don't want to risk more damage for now.

This weekend, I need to get in 4 miles. I don't think it will be a problem. Yay!

Looking forward

2009-09-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

So a while back I decided that next year I would do my first half Ironman. I chatted it up with a few of my girlfriends (many of whom did a wet, muddy, crazy 50k in the rain this weekend) and started digging for a good one to do.

I had a few requirements to look at. I didn't want it too difficult or too crowded (I hate big crowds). I didn't want a mass start in the water and I really didn't want a double loop of either the bike or run. One loop is enough, thank you. I initially wanted to make a trip of it and enjoy some scenery and make a vacation out of it, but moved that down on the priority list because I'd like to do RAGBRAI again next year. So, then I wanted it to make it within a day's drive.

So we narrowed it down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon in May next year or the Kansas Half IM in June. Fresh water and rolling hills won out over salt water, beaches and flats. We're on for Kansas on June 10, 2010.

So here we are and this blog will start to become more devoted to the ups and downs of the training. Along the way, I have a half marathon in December, a bum knee to contend with, and who knows what else to hurdle. I hope you stay with me and throw in good advice or tell me to suck it up when you think it's needed (and it will be needed for sure).

Now it's time to start planning and training and worrying. Gah!

Decision and deferral

2009-09-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted and for the few who are reading, I apologise. I know I should be using this blog as a source to vent frustrations, but I prefer to use it for happier times.

As you guys know, I've been trying to nurse a torn ligament in my knee and hoping that I could get it healed in time to do a the Toyota Olympic Triathlon here in Dallas next month. I've been continuing to ride and swim; hoping that I could be in enough shape to gut out the 6 mile run at the end. I've even been able to so some running on the treadmill. But today I decided to let this one go.

The knee really started bugging me again this week, almost as if I'd reinjured it again. I did a few miles on the treadmill last weekend and it wasn't bad at all. Sure, it twanged in the beginning, but it loosened up well after about 1/2 mile. It still hurts mostly after I wake up in the morning. Maybe it's the way I sleep, but this week, it's gotten worse again.

Knowing that I don't want to screw up a 1/2 marathon I have planned in December with Deeann and Greg, I decided that today, I'd look to see if there was a way to defer my tri entry until next year or even get a partial refund. Thankfully, I'm able to defer it and did. I'm really disappointed because I was really looking forward to this, but it's the right thing to do.

Live to run another day. Now I can start to think about the half marathon in Vegas in December and if that goes well, I'm looking at doing a half Ironman triathlon in May or June next year. Keep your fingers crossed that things will be better by then.

Therapy - back in the saddle again

2009-08-07T16:42:00.001-07:00

Ahh...I'm surprised to say it, but it was fantastic to be on my bike again.

You see, last week I missed it. I took the week off to recover from RAGBRAI and be ready for the triathon on Sunday (yeah, poor planning on my part), but as many of you know, I took a hearty tumble from a tube behind a friend's boat last week and tore a ligament in my knee. Thankfully, it wasn't a bad tear and the ortho doc recommended biking as my therapy.

Damn the luck!

Fridays I get off work at lunchtime, which leaves wide open trails (or pools) without much traffic. Today, I opted for a lap around White Rock Lake to test out the knee and see how it would hold up. A lap is about 9 miles, depending on which offshoots you take.

I took it really easy the first lap, avoiding the hills (okay, truthfully, I missed a turn) for the most part and just enjoying the ride. Suprisingly enough, I must've gained a lot of strength on RAGBRAI, as my average speed ended up at 15.8mph...again, I wasn't pushing it at all! The few hills that used to bog me down a bit were mere speed bumps now. It's amazing how perspective changes, isn't it?

So it felt really good that first lap so I decided to try a second round. This time I went ahead and tried a few of the "stronger" climbs and didn't feel a thing. Nice! This lap was a bit slower, but still, it wasn't bad considering.

The therapy was for my knee, in theory, but also for my soul. Nearly 2 weeks with little to no exercise left me edgy and craving more.

This ride helped, and thankfully, it didn't hurt.

Highlights from RAGBRAI

2009-07-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

I completely meant to journal at the end of each day, but just was too wiped out most days, especially after getting the tent set up, having dinner and a beer after the rides. In lieu of this, I'll give you some of the higlights that still make me smile.

1. Iowans are probably the nicest people in the country. I don't think there is such a thing as a mean one. They were always over the top willing to open up their town to 10,000+ crazy riders and help them out. They were on the sides of the roads watching the chaos from their lawns. It was priceless.

2. The roads are fan-freakin'-tastic, especially when compared to the chip-seal hell in Texas.

3. Pie. Homemade pie just rocks. We ate it nearly every day at one of our morning stops. I had rhubarb, strawberry-rhubarb, peanut butter, cherry (twice) and one other. Kelly's pies, which are usually located alongside the Porkchop Guy, are the best, though a lot of credit has to go to the church ladies who take the time to bake all week.

4. Taking the time to walk through all the towns. Each had their own little character.

5. Skillet tossing is a great way to vent some frustration and have a few laughs! One town charged a buck for two chances to throw a skillet at a dummy with a basketball head. Fortunately there was a large wire cage to separate the iron skillets from the spectators, though Deeann nearly got it over the fence on one toss.

6. Crazy cyclists in outfits. It's a cacophany of color and sights. There was one guy riding in a banana costume, a team of guys in kilts (worn like true Scotsmen), a group of guys in the worst dresses ever, a team of superheros, and supposedly a guy in a diaper. Just a diaper.

7. Iowa is just gorgeous. The cornfields swayed in the breezes and brought the best sweet corn for dinner.

8. Bringing together people from all over the country is a delight. Small "licence plates" on the back of each rider's bikes showed their names, where they were from, and even how many RAGBRAIs they'd done in the past. Surprisingly enough many were first year riders.

9. Riding with one of my closest friends made the whole ride better. We laughed, talked about life, sang to anyone within earshot about mullets and made up a few songs about the damn hills. Coming back to a super camp to a specially prepared dinner each night was the highlight of the day.

10. Speaking of damn hills, Iowa is not flat, contrary to popular belief. We did about 25,000+ feet of climb over the course of the week. To top it off, we never got off and walked the bikes!

11. Finding a swimming hole on a hot afternoon is a treat. We spied the cold pond with a dock on it and jumped in...along with about 200 other people. At that point, we didn't care about the cow shit or chemicals in it, it felt great!

12. Accomplishing a 100 miler for the first time is an adventure in itself. Thankfully, the route had a lot of flats that day.

13. Friends push you to go. Luckily on one rainy morning, Deeann pushed me to not give up on the first part of the morning, while Dianna and Maribel were in my head to get going as well. I'm glad they all did, as this turned out to be one of the most fun mornings of the trip.

14. Rain, fog, thunderstorms, heat, cool, and even hail were a part of the trip. At least we didn't get snowed on.

15. The Iowan version of "thank you" is "you bet". It cracks me up.

16. Spotting the Mississippi River after riding towards it for seven days is the most heart-wrenching sight ever. I was overcome with a sense of accomplishment and disappointment that it was over.

17. After 490 miles, I'm going to invest stock in Chamois Butt'r and Boudreaux's Butt Patste. 'Nuf said.

Worrying about parents

2009-07-16T13:41:00.001-07:00

An e-mail showed up in my inbox the other day with the title "Topsy Turvey Pop". In it Flo, my step-mom, told the 3 of us kids not to worry (which makes you start worrying immediately) but that Pop had broken his arm in a fall off the neighbor's boat. My dad is a very healthy, active 66-year old. You'd think he was in his early 50's easily.

He has been talking about selling everything, buying a sailboat, and cruising the oceans for many years. Flo likes sailing, but hadn't quite gotten to the point that she embraced the same ideas. She's picked up sailing over the years and recently took a captain's class, but her claustrophobia has gotten the best of her for long trips. That is, until last year.

In April, they chartered a bare sailboat for a month and sailed the Caribbean. After they came back, the house was on the market, the power boat they had in the canal behind the house was sold and they are ready to go. If they get the right price on the house, they're gone.

But all of this scares the crap out of me. I love so much that they're enthusiastic about their sailing adventures and that they're so full of life (still sickeningly like newlyweds after 26+ years of marriage). But I worry that he's starting to get to the point that there may only be 2 or 3 years left where he'll be spry enough to do this sort of adventure.

So while he was helping his neighbor on their boat, he went to step off the boat onto the dock. The boat moved back just a bit and he missed the dock. Only a few weeks before, he lost a cell phone and wallet to water damage (there's probably a good bar story there) so he was worried about it again. He wrenched around to catch the boat and ended up bashing his shoulder into the dock. He heard a lot of crackling. As it turns out, he crushed the top part of his humerus and tore some tendons. He'll be down for about 8 weeks.

It's these sort of things that are scaring me when he talks about running away on a boat like that. Surely he'll probably do fine, but will something like this happen while they're at some obscure island? Or worse, when they're at sea and in a squall? I worry that it takes so much time to heal once he gets older.

Is it wrong to worry so much or should we just encourage the dream? Or secretly hope the house doesn't sell?

Friday swims

2009-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I decided to check out the pool at the Y at lunchtime since I'm off early on Fridays. This turned out to be perfect!

My crack-o' morning swims have been tough. I have to be there at or shortly after 5am in order to get in enough of a workout before the kids start in on their team training at 6 and take all but one lane. It's been tough getting in anything more than about 1600-2000yds.

It hit me last night that I should check the Friday pool schedules and sure enough, it's pretty much open swim from about 10am on through the late afternoon. I think I've discovered my prime long swim time finally. So now I'll find a way to get my Friday swims in right after I get off work at 11/12pm and get the distance swims in. Whee!

I found a bunch of workouts online for people training for half and full Ironman triathlons. I tried a part of on on Tuesday and had to quit part way through it because of time. Today, I managed to do a 2600yd decent workout in about 1:15!

That was exciting, but the most exciting part of the day was when not one, but two people commented on my swimming telling me I should swim on the Master's team based on what they saw! Wow! That made my day. One was an older man and another a college kid practicing over the summer. Yippee!!!

Running haiku

2009-07-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Distant lightning glows
Footbeats keep the rhythmic pulse
Summer morning steam

There's always a conversation or song in my head. It can be exhausting. Many times I can't get it out and it just replays itself over and over, much like the movie Groundhog Day. Sometimes this happens when I'm running so I try to rechannel the noise into a creative outlet. I've written papers for school or blog entries as I run or ride many times.

Today, it was just a simple haiku that kept my mind running. It's not necessarily a good one, but it fell into the footstep patterns. Enjoy.

The plan this week

2009-06-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Holy crap! The RAGBRAI start is less than 18 days away and I'm both excited and nervous. To top it off, there's a triathlon 2 weeks after that. It's down to crunch time again.

This week, the goal is to mostly get time on saddle more than anything. I figure doing 3 days of riding in a row, though a couple of them just easy days riding to/from the gym to swim, will help out with getting the butt used to it. I'm hoping this strategy will pay off.

The rest of the week will have easy runs interspersed with 2-3 days of swim time. I'd like to start having 2 workouts each of swim/bike/run, but am not sure how this all will work.

Overextended again? Yup. Love it? Yup!

Pride

2009-06-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

There are few things that bring me greater happiness than watching friends accomplish things they didn't think were once possible. I get tears in my eyes as friends come across finish lines for the first time or accomplish goal times or even goal distances. I love watching them win the battles in their minds.

I love watching their eyes when they "get" something new. When something clicks. When they realize they just went further than they thought they could. I love it when a concept they read or asked about comes to fruition.

Is it a bit selfish to want to see these accomplishments come alive? They energize me in new ways.

Congratulations Deeann, Greg, Tonya, Janna! Kick some ass this fall, April! You all are working hard and deserve all the grins you get. You're doing great things! I'm proud of you all!

78 miles!

2009-06-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this afternoon I got done riding 78 miles in the 100 degree Dallas heat. I can't believe it! It's my longest ride to date and it makes me feel like I can do RAGBRAI here in a few weeks, no problem. Or at least a few days of it. Here's the rundown.

Good - Starting out the ride at 7:30 at 80 degrees and little wind. And heading west out of the glare of the sun coming up. Decided right then to do the 75 and not the 100 miler because of the heat. Good choice, as it turns out.

Bad - The wind kicked up just a bit and gave us a headwind for a good chunk of the ride.

Good - Not even 5 miles into the ride, meeting not one, but two people who are also doing RAGBRAI this year - Dick and...aw crap, what was his name? Anyway, the guy not Dick did it last year and gave us a lot of tips, including bringing only a few changes of clothes, eating anything from Pork Man (that sounds so bad) and bringing about $30 cash each day in small bills.

Good- No pain in either foot after having those warts dealt with last week.

Good - Great aid stations with super nice volunteers at every one. Lots of pickle juice.

Good - Mostly ate the right foods/drank at the right time. Did better than a lot of people who were sagging and cramping in the heat.

Bad - Around mile 30, a man passes me. His shorts are a little thin in back. Too thin, in fact. I can see his hairy butt crack. If it were a nice butt, that would be one thing, but it's one of those flat butts guys tend to get. I try not to make eye contact with it, but it stares at me. Thankfully, he moves ahead.

Good - Left the mile 37 aid station feeling really great.

Bad - Realizing that the reason my hooha is hurting so much is that my bike seat is canted at a very slight angle to the left. Need to remember to fix that at an aid station.

Good - Felt fantastic and rode well and fast through miles 40-45, even passing a few people.

Bad - Bonked at mile 45.5 as the heat kicked in and we had a long, slow mostly uphill to mile 50. Felt my head start to tingle and my body get a few chills. I know enough to know that this isn't a good sign. Rode at an agonizing 7-8 mph up this hill I thought would never end.

Good - Finding the aid station at the top of this hill wasn't an illlusion.

Good - Mile 50 aid station avoiding the very serious temptation of sagging in. The truck was there and I stared at it intently. One volunteer saved my ride by spraying me down with a pump sprayer full of cold water. He was my hero and told me to sit for a while, then go on. I need to write a note to the ride organizers.

Bad - Forgot to get the seat fixed. Ouch!

Good - Using my new thermal bottle and adding ice at every aid station. It kept the water at a cooler temperature than using the regular bottles - especially in this heat. Need to get one more smaller one for the front cage.

Good - Finally turned north where a tailwind could kick in to help. Miles 50-65 flew! The road was flat and fast. I rode the white line for most of the ride, smoothing out the path.

Bad - Tailwinds don't help keep you cool.

Good - Met and chatted with a guy named Ryan for these last 5 miles about trail running. Turns out he's the RD for El Scorcho and has done a bunch of long races.

Good - Felt pretty good going out of the 66 mile aid station knowing the end was very near. Turned into an old barnsour horse and scooted home quickly.

Bad - Bonked again near mile 70. The heat was bad and I couldn't make as good of time. Got queasy. Wanted to either cry or puke, but could do neither. At least the finish line would be in 5 miles.

Bad - Mile 75 and we're not at the end. Dropped a few f-bombs as I passed through the cute downtown area of Waxahachie. I didn't want cute, though, I wanted the f'ing finish line. Still wanted to cry!

Good - Another poor, beat up soul rode with me the last 3 miles. Not much chatter, but it was good to have another soul to share the misery with us.

Bad - A bank thermometer showed 101 degrees at 1:15pm.

Good - Finally finished at mile 78. Debbie and Rick had finished recently and were in each car waiting. Deb did 46 and Rick had all kinds of issues with tires. Need to remember to ask him if he overinflated for the heat (likely). Just glad to be finished.

Great - Huge burger, shake and diet coke went down in seconds. Didn't think I was that hungry. The shake rocked the hot belly.

Good - Home. Shower. Nap. All is good with the world.

Needles and feet don't mix

2009-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

So I won't gross you out too much but can I just tell you that having a needle stuck into your foot, or both feet even, numerous times isn't fun?

For those of you who are a little queasy about pain, I suggest you move onto another post, or better yet, another blog. If not, here are the gory details.

I had 2 plantar's warts, one on the ball of each foot, that were ugly, but didn't really bother me until recently. One got tender after a few rides this year so I decided that I needed to do something about it before RAGBRAI, otherwise it would be a long week.

So I was able to get in with my family doctor pretty quickly last Tuesday once the decision was made, which worked out perfect with timing. My aunt was coming to town for the weekend so I'd be healed enough to enjoy the weekend and because she was here, I would've missed out on workouts anyway.

I went in Tuesday afternoon with a fresh pedicure and flip flops, because of course, it'll be another week or two before I can get my toes looking good again. I talked to my doc who is an old, former flight surgeon about doing at least one, but preferably both feet. He warned me that it would hurt to have both feet down for a few days, but I told him that it was like pulling wisdom teeth; I might as well get them done at the same time and only endure the pain once. He tried to tell me.

He left for a few minutes, leaving me with the nurse and a good footsoak to soften things up a bit. Sadly, it wasn't as nice at some footsoaks I've had at the spa; this one had iodine or betadine (something freakishly orange) in the water and it didn't smell like lavender.

He came back in and asked again if I really wanted to do both. With no change in the answer, he grabbed a needle and filled it up with a numbing agent very much like the novocane you get at the dentist. And much like the novocane needle you get in your gums before getting a filling, this needle hurt like hell! He's a smart man and started with the foot that I was least concerned about, probably to make sure I went through with both of them.

I about came unglued on the table as he pierced the area around the ball of my foot over and over. Holy mother of God, I can't even describe the sharp pain, but it's enough to make your hair stand up on end, your palms to sweat, and even let a little tear go. Okay so I did more than let a tear go, I called him a few choice words that probably shouldn't be repeated. His nurse laughed. In his deadpan tone, he just said he'd been called these things before and started in on the other foot, not missing a beat.

For those of you with contacts, have you ever come back from one of those evenings after eating a bunch of hot wings and taken your contacts out? The first one is bad as your chili finger hits your eye, but the second one coming out is generally worse because you know what's coming. Well this second foot piercing was just like that. The nurse held my leg down as I hollered into a pillow to muffle the bellowing.

And with that, in a matter of a few minutes, I couldn't feel anything around the area. And I sighed. And asked for some paper towels for my sweat-soaked hands.

Thankfully, the lancing of the warts only took about 10 minutes and he was done with both. They were bandaged up with great purple gauze and dressings, but this was so big I couldn't get my shoes back on. Do you know how hard it is to just walk on the sides of your foot or on your heels? Not easy. And I have to tell you, you get some strange looks in Walgreen's as you hobble through the store because you missed a tactical error in getting large band-aids and antibiotic gels to clean it up later.

So a week later, I'm nearly healed, just in time to start riding again. The spots that were operated on are still tender and running isn't fun, but they'll be ready to go once RAGBRAI starts in a few weeks. I think and hope it was the right move at the right time.

9/11 heartache all over again

2009-06-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

I just put down a 45+ page document on the 9/11 commission's record of events for the morning of 9/11. It's part of one of my Psychology class assignments for the week and to be honest, I don't remember what we were supposed to do with this after we read it. The rest of the assignment will have to wait until tomorrow.

My heart is just aching all over again and I've been fighting back tears reading through it. I failed several times and had to walk away for a few minutes before picking it up to finish it.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. It's amazing how raw it can still be, even after nearly 8 years. I was a dispatcher for TWA, which had been taken over by American not 6 months before. I was working the international desk watching and taking care of our flights coming back from Europe and the Middle East. It was the peak of storm season so I knew my "guys" in the squadron were down in the Caribbean doing who knows what.

I remember hearing about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center so someone flipped on the TV in our office. Aviation junkies do that sort of thing, always hoping that it wasn't your flight; speculating on what could've gone wrong. We kept doing our jobs, but listening to the commentary from the Today Show out the corner of our ears. Our ATC guy was listening in to the daily shift conference call with ATC.

The second plane hit and collectively, our hackles went up. It didn't take long before either someone in the office told us or we all started reacting to calling our flights to land wherever they could. It was pure chaos. As we watched the towers smoldering, the Pentagon was hit.

Most of my crews were past the 40' longitude line which meant I had to start getting them into Canadian stations wherever we could land them. Canadian controllers were difficult to reach to have them radio the word to land asap. I struggled with trying to figure out how much to tell the crews. Too much and they might be focused more on the potential than flying; not enough and they could have just as many issues.

One of the guys in the back office, navigation I believe, started calling some of the cities in Canada and securing rooms for our crews with his own credit card. We didnt' know how we were going to get the crews to the hotels, we just knew we had rooms possible for them and we'd work out the details later.

The ASD screen, which shows the position of all aircraft at any given time, was slowly going blank as all the planes in the country quickly landed wherever they could. In St Louis, we had planes from companies we hadn't seen there before and even a few planes we hadn't seen in ages. A 747 sat outside our operations office parked quietly for the next week until it could leave.

Over the ATC conference call, I overheard NORAD on the call telling controllers on the west coast to tell flights that if they didn't turn around, they'd be shot down. One was a Korean Air flight off of LA somewhere; another was somewhere either on the way to Alaska or near Alaska. It sunk in that we were in some serious shit. Thankfully, both aircraft complied.

We were stunned and tried to figure out what to do next. Our planes had all landed. Now what?

With the relief that our planes were on the ground, the head turned off and raw emotion kicked in. The enormity of the situation was terrifying and suddenly, nothing felt safe.

It took several years to not get weepy at the thought of the events that day. Reading this commission report for an assignment really brought back the events of the day and many of the emotions.

Thank God there wasn't more.

Random musings 6/14

2009-06-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love the new Adiorondak chairs my dear friends Greg and Deeann made for me! I sat out front this morning in one of them, reading the newspaper and enjoying the quiet calm of the neighborhood before it woke up. Kitty even sat on one of the giant arms for a while mooching neck scratches.

Last week, I'd started mulling the thought of doing a half Ironman triathlon sometime next year. Saturday, I rode 55 miles in some nasty heat and humidity and at the end couldn't imagine running a half marathon after that. I swore, "No way!". Later that evening I was driving home from a friend's party and thought again, "Well hell, I've already got the mileage for the swim and the bike down, now all I have to do is work on the run." Hmmm...sounds like more thinking is in order.

I'm excited to start my latest class, Marketing. I was reading the first chapter this morning and all of a sudden got some new ideas about an issue at work. I forgot how much I loved school.

How many white shirts can one girl have? I bought 4 new tops today, but at least they were on sale. I go through them pretty quickly though as I'm not very graceful.

My neighbors rock! How many of your neighbors can you call good friends and tell 'em you love 'em as you walk out the door?

And then I looked at the calendar...

2009-06-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

I had a big "oh shit" moment yesterday.

Now that the Danskin tri is behind me, I knew it was time to hit the roads and just work on cycling for RAGBRAI which is coming up in less than 6 weeks now.

Then I looked at my activity calendar!

2 weeks after I get back from RAGBRAI is my next triathlon! Oh shit! I was hoping to be able to just do minimal training with the swim/run, but now I see I need to keep it up and probably, judging from my run time at Danskin, need to step up the running a bit.

Sigh... No biggie, but it sure takes away from the pure cycling focus.

Hit the pool today and enjoyed it. 2000yds.

100 warmup
5x100 at 2 mins
250 kickboard
2x500 at 10 mins (did 'em right at 8 mins)
150 cooldown

Danskin Triathlon - Austin race report

2009-06-10T04:36:00.001-07:00

What a perfect day! The early morning temps hovered around 70, the water temp was perfect and the winds stayed down until after we were all finished. You can't ask for a better day.

This year, I was excited, but not nearly as nervous as last year. I felt like an old pro and even Deeann seemed to be much more serene than last year at this time. We got to the race site, saw the line for the shuttles and decided that hoofing it just over a mile would be a lot less stressful than waiting amongst the squirming, squealing masses. It turned out to be a good decision. The moon and early morning sunrise kept the road light and calmed our souls.

After setting up our transitions, we wandered back to our favorite base of operations under a huge oak tree near the swim start. Just before 7am, we could hear the guys over the loudspeaker getting everyone ampped up and ready to go. The waves, spaced 3 minutes apart, started right on time and kept moving. I was in the 7th wave, one of two for the 40-44 year olds. Last year at this time, I hadn't done an open water swim before and was a nervous wreck, almost to the point of crying. This year, serious focus mode kicked in and I tried to weasel my way up towards the front of the wave. The gun went off and game on! No panic. No fear!

The swim felt fantastic, other than trying to quickly work around the slower people in my wave. The first bouy was nearly impossible to see, but kept following the wave in front of me and staying away from the kayaks. That didn't work, though as I ran into a kayak while trying to pass another swimmer. Damn! I found myself quickly into the wave in front of us, dodging women who were chatting with their friends. Seriously! Chat later and race, dammit! I rounded the first bouy and found myself with only a few light blue caps in front of me, which were other girls in my wave. Sweet! That made me want to push just a bit more. I saw one girl in my wave and tried to get in her wake but soon found myself passing her and moved on. As I neared the second bouy, I was then well into the group 2 waves ahead of me and passing many of them. It was very exciting! I could see the exit, found a chunk of unused water and powered through it. Sure enough, I checked my watch as I got out of the water and I was right on schedule with right at 17 minutes! Woo hoo! It gave me a new boost of energy to run up a small hill to the transition zone.

I was very lucky that my TA spot was right on the main aisle for all the events. It was quick, easy in and out. I'd forgotten a towel to dry my feet off, but it wasn't a big deal. I grabbed my bike sandals, threw them on and ran to the exit. As I ran, I ate 3 Clif Blox to get prepped and put the rest of the sleeve in a pocket. As a side note, the design of the Clif Blox packaging is great! They now come in a long sleeve of blocks so it makes it so much easier to open and put a few in your mouth with one hand. Love 'em.

My heart was racing after the swim and transition. It took a good 5 minutes on the bike for the heart to settle down and get into a better range. I had to keep telling myself to settle because I was so excited. Oh, I saw Doc and Hunter (Dusty's family) as they were walking into the race site. Yay! The bike ride was better than last year. I had hoped to average about 16.0 to improve over last year (15.5), but a few of the hills kicked my butt. On the flats and downhills, I was in the fastest gear I could go, so that helped the average. At the 6 mile point, I grabbed the last 3 Blox to start prepping for the run. As I rode, I didn't see many in my age group either passing me or me passing them. I thought I had a pretty good speed going. Though my bike calculator said I'd averaged 16.2, the official times showed it at 16.9. Nice! I'd taken some time off of last year as well. Yay!

I rounded the corner to head back into the transition area and was feeling really good. I downshifted to start getting weight back on my legs, then ran to my rack. The shoe transition wasn't as smooth as it could be, but as it turns out, the TA time was better than I thought. Though I was feeling good, I decided to grab another sleeve of the Blox in case I thought it might be good to get some last calories in during the early part of the run. I think it was a smart decision.

The run was what I'd expected, and maybe a bit better feeling. I hadn't focused on running hardly at all this year, so I figured I'd just muddle through it again. Last year was miserable and I walked a lot. This year, I told myself that I'd run to the big hill at the end for sure. Though it was tempting to slow down and walk, I kept to that promise. I felt much better than last year and was plugging right along. Several ladies in my age group passed me on this leg and I lost a lot of ground. That damn hill got me again this time, though not quite as bad as last year. This hill is one of those slow rollers that just seems to go on forever, though really it's probably less than 1/2 mile. It's at the end of the race, so you really have to dig deep to get up it. I admit to walking about 1/2 of it, but in spurts. I'd jog to a point, then pick a point to start running again. Finally once I hit the top of this bastard, I knew we were less than 1/4 mile to the finish. I looked at my watch and saw that my goal time of 1:36 was very do-able and kicked it in gear.

I crossed the finish line with a huge grin on my face! I could hear Greg on the sidelines and he greeted me at the end! Yay! I looked at my time and had nailed it! What a great finish! 11 minutes faster than last year and felt so much better! It was short lived though because both of us wanted to make sure we saw Deeann on the run. As it turned out, we missed her on the run, but barely caught her finishing thanks to Kait finding us and yelling at us that she was finishing. She had taken nearly 45 minutes off her time and we were thrilled!

Good:
Food and fluid management worked out really well. I ate a full sleeve of the Blox during the bike, then took another half early in the run. I drank early and often on the bike (and half the of the lake, I think) mainly on the downhills and flats, which helped keep me hydrated on the run. During the run, I only grabbed a sip of water at about the 2 mile point which was perfect.

Running without socks for 3 miles was fine. No blisters or hot spots. Any more mileage than that, I'd use socks.

Improvements:
The swim went really well, though I need to remember to spot an object on the horizon rather than looking for the bouy early on. I've read that and completely forgotten it.

I think I could push just a bit harder on the swim and the bike. Still new to the sport, I was holding back just a little worried about the run. I think I can go out a bit more next time.

I need to figure out a better way of changing into my running shoes. It felt slower than I'd hoped.

Overall, it was a good race. You can see in the post below this the times and placings. Next year, I'd like to shoot for top 10 in my age group, not just top 10%. That's a long ways away, but you never know, right?

Quick Danskin Tri update

2009-06-09T04:49:00.001-07:00

I don't have time for a full race report today, but wanted to just grin a bit. Check this out...

About a month ago, I threw out the times I thought I'd do on this race: http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=4264519818016288018

Swim 17 T1 2:30 (different/faster to put on shoes this year)
Bike 43 T2 2:00
Run 31:30 Final 1:36:00

And here's how it turned out:
Swim 17:52
T1 2:37
Bike 42:26
T2 1:40
Run 32:12
Final 1:36:49

Finished 191 out of 1976 in the field and 27th out of 281 ladies in my age group.

Holy crap, that's pretty spot on, huh? Needless to say I'm pretty exstatic. The rest of the girls in our group did well also. Deeann smoked the race and knocked 43 (YES 43!) minutes off her time from last year and probably is still grinning!

More updates to come.

Another good swim

2009-05-28T06:05:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's so much fun to see improvment!

This morning I changed up the swim routine just a bit, doing sprints first.

100 easy warmup
5x50 at 1 min
5x200 at 4 min
5x50 at 1 min
100 cooldown
(Total 1700)

The first set of 50's I worked on arm turnover more than form. Felt fast and it got the early morning blood pumping. I did most of these at about :40-:42.

The 200's are what really suprised me. The past few weeks, I've been getting them done regularly at 3:13 (for about a 47 second rest between sets). This morning, I consistently did them in 3:03-3:05. Wow! I don't know where I lost that 10 seconds, but they felt so much stronger.

Last week, I worked with a couple of girls on swim strokes and maybe it was a bit of a mind-refresher to me too. I also follow a good triathlon blog and last week she had some interesting video showing Michael Phelps' stroke. http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/?p=1342 I concentrated more on the stroke, mainly with reaching more in a breath stroke. Wow, I did feel a bit more power. Something must be clicking.

One week to go before the triathlon. Whee!

I feel the need for speed

2009-05-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Since I found the average speed function on the bike computer, I've become a bit obsessed. This morning's ride in, I managed to average 16.1mph overall. The first 13 miles I averaged 16.8, but admittedly, it's the considerably smoother and less trafficked half of the ride. I got to work 15 minutes earlier than I used to last summer. Whee!!

Amazing sights this morning -
- Incredible sunrise over the storm clouds leftover from last night's rain.
- A parade of mallards crossing the street; 12 babies in tow.
- A huge, bouffant hairdo on a teenager. It was reminiscent of the early 60's, but on a goth girl.
- Bright green lawns still heavy with rain.

Enjoy the day, all!

Olympic lenght triathlon

2009-05-26T06:18:00.001-07:00

So I'm debating doing my first olympic length triathlon (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run).

One of the guys in my circle of former Adventure Team friends has gotten into triathlons the past few years and said that he was planning to do this one this year. http://www.toyotausopentriathlon.com/site7.aspx

So I'm looking at my event calendar for the year and think it actually might fit in well with what is going on this fall. I have 2 major bike events, RAGBAI and Hotter n Hell, in July and August, then the next major event is a half in Las Vegas in December. I'm thinking that by the time I'm ready to start training for the half, this will be the mid-point.

Whaddya think?

Pre-triathlon

2009-05-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well this workout was in the plan for yesterday, but after a big breakfast with the neighbors, the belly decided that this would wait until Monday morning. We had another big meal last night and man, I was still full this morning.

Anyhoo, I got up this morning, checked the YMCA website to see what time they opened and was thrilled to see they opened at 7am. Game on! I grabbed the necessary gear and headed out. The plan was a bike-run-swim-bike. Technically, I was doing all the disciplines in order (sort of) and working them at about 80%.

The bike to the Y was fantastic. I did 8.7 miles right at :30 with an average of 16.8! Of course, there's one really good downhill on the way, but hey, I'll take it! There are a lot of great downhills on the course too (followed by uphills, dangit!)

Once at the Y, I went upstairs, changed shoes and jumped on the treadmill for 3.1. Kept the speed at 5.7 for the first .25 miles, up to 6.1 through mile 1, then 6.5 through 2.5 miles. At 2.5, I put the angle up to 2.0 and dropped the speed to 6.0 to simulate a slow, gradual, brutal hill at the end of the race in Austin. Then the final .25 miles, I cranked it up to 6.9 to finish it out. Bleh! Tiring! Finished in about :29, I think. I can't remember.

I did run without socks, which is something I'm considering for these sprint tris. It worked out well without any hot spots so I'll probably do it in Austin.

Waddled back downstairs to the pool to finish off the min-tri. After a quick, cooling shower I jumped in the pool and cranked out 800. I was excited about the time on that 800 until I realized I was doing yards instead of meters. Still, it's going to be pretty close. I got that 800 yards done in :14! Holy crap! Despite being really tired from the bike/run, this went pretty well. The open water with a bunch of other swimmers will slow me down a bunch, but I'm happy with this time, for sure.

Last year my times looked like this for my very first triathlon (same course as this year):
Swim 21:50 T1 03:26 (panicked on the first bit of the swim, then figured it out)
Bike 46:19 T2 02:09
Run 33:58 (choked completely on the run!)
Final 1:47:44

So now I'm going to throw this out there for my goal times:
Swim 17 T1 2:30 (different/faster to put on shoes this year)
Bike 43 T2 2:00
Run 31:30
Final 1:36:00

That's a big difference (and my high level goal), but I don't think it's that far out of reach. I'm in much better shape for the swim/bike than last year, but the run probably will be my downfall again this year.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Great ride!

2009-05-21T08:08:00.001-07:00

So yesterday was a perfect day for a ride into work again. Almost no wind, relatively dry air and cool temps. You can't ask for anything better than that.

I've been using a bike computer for a while now; normally it's set to the mileage screen so I can see how far I've gone. It's just where I like it. But for some reason yesterday I had it placed on the average mph screen and didn't realize it until about halfway to work. I didn't play with it much on the way there, but was excited to see I was holding steady near 15.0 mph average for most of the way, though there were several times on nice long straightaways I had a good 18-20mph pace going.

The morning part of the commute was a new record. Normally each leg of the commute averages about 13-13.5 mph, mainly because of traffic. Yesterday morning, I averaged 15.1! Whee!

My friend, Dianna, is regularly telling me I need to keep my foot positioned more flat, so that the downstroke is almost like scraping mud off my foot. All this time, I'd been lazy and made it more of a toe-down sort of stroke. I think keeping the foot flat really helped in using the entire leg to pedal rather than just the quads.

The same sort of technique was used on the way home, this time I was very concious of the average mph screen. I kept wanting to pump it up a bit more just to see if I could do 15.5 on the way home. Sure enough, I was able to average the 15.5 for the whole trip home. I knocked nearly 10 minutes off my normal commute each way! Whee!

Take that, bad traffic!!

5/13 workout

2009-05-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Skipped yesterday because of too many other things to get done (and it was too damn windy to ride), but made up for it this morning. I did a brick workout in the gym, meaning I did a session on the bike and immediately went over to the treadmill to run. It's funny how wobbly the legs are between the two. It takes a good 1/4-1/2 mile to really get steady again.

Spin (25 mins) -
Warmup 5 mins, increasing tension. Then I just used the music on my MP3 to determine if I was doing speed, hills or jumps. I love when (old) U2 comes on because it just energizes me.

Dreadmill (28 mins)-
Since no warmup was really needed, I jumped on and started out at 5.8mph. Then increased by .2 every 2 mins up to 6.6, then 2 mins each down again to 6.0. Then I just stayed at 6.4 through a song and took a quick slowdown after each one before ramping back up again. At 2.3 miles, I did 1/2 mile on a 2.5 incline to simulate that damn hill at the end of the run at our Austin tri. It was tiring, so I dropped to 5.8 again. Cooled down.

Good workout. Tired, achy, but worth it.

5/11 workout

2009-05-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Tired. Man, now I'm worried about the tri. Then again, maybe I'm still tired from the ride on Saturday. Maybe it's because I woke up long before the crack-ass of dawn (4-ish) and couldn't get back to sleep. Today's workout wasn't good.

Actually, I guess the run wasn't too bad. I did a 3 mile ladder in about 30 minutes, which included a 5 minute walk to start. I cooled off a bit before changing into my suit and swimming.

The plan was to do another 2000, but the arms were really tired. To top that off I was sharing the only lap lane open with another lady (normally not bad), but then a kid (young teen?) got in with a waist belt on and was jogging. To top it off, there was another young girl sitting on the steps at one end of the pool, invariably getting in the way. Dodging all three was frustrating. Top that off with being tired and I just gave up and left at 800yds. I could've probaby finished 1500, but there wasn't anything going on conduicive to a good workout.

I guess tomorow will be a weight/core day instead. Sigh..maybe I can get in a ride.

Miscellaney

2009-05-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

I love to socialize with a few people so when they make a call about a "status meeting at Stratos" at 3:30 late in the week, I'm usually in. Dangit if it wasn't my run/swim day. Did I do the right thing and go run? Nope. Sabotage.

I've been eating badly as well. I do well at work during the day for the most part, but now that I'm home quite a bit in the evenings doing schoolwork, I end up chowing down a lot. It's not pretty. I keep sabotaging my weight. Frustrating.

The past week or so has been really wet and windy. While the wet is great for my new lawn, it's not so good for the bike riding.

Fortunately today was a perfect day for riding. A few neighbor friends and I went down to Cedar Hill (south Dallas) for the organized ride down there. We did 42 miles and it was perfect. A few hills, perfect cool weather, lots of energy, and a big burger at the end. I love these organized rides. Thousands show up and it's such a great sense of camraderie. The legs are tired. I probably could've forced my way through the 60 miler, but it wouldn't have been fun. Next month.

Oh, I got a new pair of cycling shorts at REI yesterday. http://www.rei.com/product/765087 They were on sale and man, they were exactly what I needed. Lots of padding and very comfortable. They'll be great for RAGBRAI in July!

Update -
Friday bit the bullet and swam 2000yds strong.
100 warmup
5x200 x 4mins (these all went faster than usual...3:05-:08 most times!)
1x500 x 10 mins
6x50 x 1 min
100 cool down

Hey T if you're reading this, I hear the water at the lake is just about warm enough to swim now. If you're home Memorial Day weekend we should get you out there...

The war is over!

2009-05-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

"Get up! Get up!" General Katz yowled as she sat on my chest. "It's time to finish off the war!"

It was only 6:30 on a Saturday morning and it surely wasn't time to start the day. Unfortunately, the little general wasn't backing off. Reluctantly, I waddled out of bed to get her breakfast and get her off my back. Or rather, my chest.

But it was time. She was right. I looked outside to get my bearings on the day ahead. The ground was soft from a nice rain the night before. Clouds filled the day. Yes, this was the day to end the war that had been waging in my own backyard.

The war on crabgrass.

For years, I was resigned to the war. Hated the backyard because it was just so dull. I'd neglected it and paid for it heavily as the years took their toll. As the years passed, I was mowing less Bermuda and more of the crabgrass. It hit my knees at times it got so tall. Finally this spring I decided to attack.

In early March, after what was supposed to be the last freeze, I hit the backyard with roundup. Hit it hard. There was a bit of St Augustine grass that had been trying to move its allied forces in from neighboring lands, but it could never take hold of much but the edges. Where it stood, it stood firm. I allowed it to continue. But the nasty crabgrass got a full napalm-like explosion to kill it all. It worked. In a matter of weeks, it was crippled and dying.

But even in death, the crabgrass held onto its territory. Never letting go or relenting. I needed to get new reinforcements in to help the fringe army from next door. But to do this, I had to remove the decaying army still holding ground.

It took me 3 days of battle to finally pull the last of the dead crabgrass from the ground, all by hand and most of it holding tight in its roots. I took away 10, 30-gallon sized bags from the yard and sent it along to the trash. All the while General Katz was watching from a distance. It was exhausting but the war is over.

As the final hours of the battle were waged and the reinforcements brought in in waves (the transporters only held about 60 sheets of sod at a time), Katz patrolled the new territory, surveying the land, and sniffing it all out to make sure it was just right. She sighed, then as any good general, laid down in the sun, blissfully snoring in the sun.

All is good in the backyard lands these days. The new troops are standing tall and holding steady. As time goes on, these troops should propagate and take over the rest of the land.

Freedom reigns in St Augustine!

Swim

2009-05-06T06:36:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how much I'm enjoying the swimming lately. It's coming so amazingly easy so far it almost feels effortless. Now I'm not saying that to boast or anything, but I'm just so surprised.

This morning I set out to get in 1500 before going to work. I normally have an idea of how much I want to get done and roughly how I'll break up the effort. This was this morning's plan:

1oo warmup
5x200 at 4 min intervals
6x50 at 1 min intervals
100 cooldown

The 200's were consistently at 3:15, which gave me about 45 seconds to recover between sets. The 50's were between 43-45 seconds. I like doing these at the end of the workout when you're a little more tired so it sort of simulates having one last push to the end as hard as you can. This whole set took me 32 minutes. Wow! If only the other 2 tri-sports were going as well. LOL!

Had a few problems with my goggles seeping water. I can't find the pair Deeann gave me last year, though I know I've seen 'em recently. May need to hit REI on the way home to get another set.

I think Friday I'm going to try for 2000 and maybe get a ladder workout in. Hmm...

On a side note, yesterday I did an awful 3 miles on the dreadmill. Tiring. Need to work on the speed and distance considerably. Thursday I'll do 4.

Have a great hump day!

Friday workout

2009-04-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I rode my bike to/from work and man, I was wiped out after that. I'd planned to swim the next day but still was pretty beat, so I blew it off. As it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway as I got stuck in traffic and wasn't going to be able to squeak in a workout before a dinner party anyway.

Thursday I was "sick" but managed to work on my backyard quite a bit. Nice! It's making great progress (and I have a whole blog in my head about this...to come later).

Friday morning, I was wide awake at 4 so at 4:30 I just decided to get up and go work out. I hit the gym as it opened at 5. Ran a slow, tough 3 miles on the dreadmill. The legs were still pretty beat from the bike, amazingly enough. I didn't want to hit them too much more as I'd planned to go cycling again on Saturday (cancelled for wind).

Right after running, I changed into my suit and swam for 30-ish minutes and got in 1300m. Yay! Each time going, I've tried to up the distance by 100m (including warm/cooldown). This time instead of doing 100's and 50's, I did 4 sets of 150 on the 2 minute intervals, then did 8 50's on the 1 minute interval. I'm trying to leave the shorter, faster intervals at the end to help get the body ready to really produce speed at the end of the race. I hope it works out.

This was a nice way to get the body cooled down after running and before heading to work. I might do these a bit more often.

Still gotta get the bod ready for when I meet dreamy Jeff Probst in a few weeks. Sigh...

It's in the air

2009-04-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

One of the pure enjoyments of riding is being able to appreciate the air and sights around me as I wander through the neighborhoods. Yesterday, it seemed like my sense of smell was heightened for some reason. I probably looked like a happy dog hanging out a car window, sniffing the air as I pass by.

The morning part of the ride, I enjoy the quietness of most of it. There aren't as many cars on the road. I didn't smell as much going as I did coming home. Here are a few from the day...

Watering lawns - that wonderful smell of wet dirt and grass
Bacon frying
Onions sauteeing in butter (reminds me of Germany)
Barbequed meat - couldn't figure out exactly what was grilling, but it smelled fantastic
Car fumes - ugh. Not my favorite, but definitely something I get to encounter
Old Spice - I swear I could smell a guy's cologne or deodorant from across the street while I was waiting for a light.
Roses - intoxicating!
Honeysuckle-like smell, probably the last vestiges of the red-tips blooming
Dog poop - someone needs to clean up their back yard
Laundry detergent - passing by a laundromat
Sweat - the sign of a great workout!

Good training day!

2009-04-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the Weather Channel to get an idea of how the week would shape up for training and to see if I could get a commute to work in early in the week. Sure enough, Monday and Tuesday look good. I decide Tuesday is the best day for a commute so I can pre-plant work clothes in my locker at work and not have to worry about packing them with me.

So as I'm packing one bag, I'm trying to figure out what to do with Monday. If I go to the gym on the way to work, that means I have to pack another bag of work clothes. Hmm...I think about it a bit more, check my calendar at work, and realize that a lunchtime jog is in order. I figure I've got to run down to the locker room anyway to plant Tuesday's clothes so I might as well change and get a run in. I throw in my swimsuit as well, just in case I get the urge to throw in a swim after work as well.

Ahhh...today was PERFECT! It was 68 degrees, sunny and the wind was barely moving when I went down at 11 to change. Though I wanted to get in 4 miles, I figured I'd better back off for the ride tomorrow. It's going to be a beating, I'm sure. My hamstrings were still tight after doing a lot of yardwork over the weekend. What a nice run it was though. I got in 3 miles and it was just right.

I did end up going to the pool on the way home and got 11oo yards in today. I figure I'll just keep upping each workout by 100 yards or more. Woo hoo! Fun day!

Tomorrow, it's a 52 mile r/t bike ride to/from work. Again, the weather should be perfect. Wednesday should only be a swim as I know my legs will be shot.

Carry on, y'all!

Training - Swim today

2009-04-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yay for Deeann. She's making me get into the tri training. Thank you, chica.

Spent 30 minutes swimming today, which is the first time in a long, long time. Probably since last fall. I did 1000 yards and it felt pretty good. I had to get out of the pool before the next swim team practice started so this worked out well.

Have you ever gotten a toe cramp while swimming? It shouldn't be much but man, it does! It caught me off guard which made me kick my foot into the wall, which then scraped the shit out of my foot. Gawd only knows what kind of nasty kid pee I have in the scrape now. LOL!

One workout down. Tomorrow, either run or ride depending on the weather.

Oh we oh we oh we oh waaay aaahhaaahh...

2009-04-16T16:14:00.001-07:00

Yippee skippy! One of the best e-mails ever came through at work yesterday.

You see, last summer I was recapping the TV show "Greatest American Dog". It wasn't the best show around, but it got me a great little perk. CBS wanted to promote the show more so they asked the site I write for, http://www.realitynewsonline.com/ if we wouldn't mind interviewing the contestants as they were sent home. Why not, right? I had a fantastic time doing that, but in the swing of it, I got to be good phone friends with the guy who is the CBS rep.

As it turns out, we got to talking about Survivor and he became the contact for the contestants. Woo hoo! I do enjoy talking to him and make a point of it about once every week or two during the season.

Now those who know me, know that Survivor is my all-time favorite show and I'd just about kill to be on it. I've tried to get on for a long time, but nothing has quite hit the spot yet with the casting folks. So in the meantime, I'm working as many other angles as possible.

Back to yesterday's e-mail. My guy came through. The e-mail essentially is a ticket into the LIVE SURVIVOR: TONCANTINS FINALE in New York at the Ed Sullivan theatre!! I can't tell you just how excited I was to get that note, too. I squealed enough to have the prairie dogs pop their heads over their cubes to see what was happening. Once they saw that it wasn't that exciting for them, I tried to find a few of the people in the pool.

Ended up calling my brother, who is also an avid fan and he seems to be excited for me too.

Now I'm in travel mode, trying to figure out where to stay, how to get there, what the trains are and to which airport to go. Wow!

Once that's done, I have to figure out what to wear to make sure Jeff Probst drops whomever his latest girlfriend is, 'cause this chick is gonna get at those dimples.

I'll update you all again after the show.

Jake

2009-04-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's been over 2 years since I had to let Big Jake go. My 22 pound orange chatty cat with a head the size of a softball was part dog, part human (he'd belch and snore with the best guy), but mostly an obnoxious cat. And I loved him. The day I had to put him down, he had been sick for nearly a month and down to 14 pounds, which on him, was emaciated. Many times, mainly when he was "talking" to me in the middle of the night I threatened to shoot him, but I never really meant it. I was a blubbering mess for several weeks afterwards.

But why do I bring this up?

Yesterday I was flying home from a fabulous bit of tropical therapy in Belize (another blog) and the airline had Marley and Me playing. I'd read the book and knew the ending. I remember laughing through the whole book, then actually crying in the end. And this was before I lost Jake.

The movie was good, but not nearly as good as the book. But I knew about the ending. I kept a napkin from my drink back just in case I teared up. What I wasn't expecting was the outright rush of pain as the final scenes were coming up. It got to a point where I couldn't see anymore through the tears and that I thought I'd start sobbing if I continued watching. I unplugged my headphones, grabbed a book, and refused to look at the screen until we were on final approach. I never did see the ending, but know what happened. Just thinking about it kept my eyes wet.

How is it that 22 pounds of fur can still affect me so much several years later? As much of a pain-in-the-ass my boy was, I loved him dearly. I can't believe I still miss him so much.

Random stuff

2009-04-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Much like watching elementary school kids, it's hard not to laugh at the lineup of carpool vans at 4pm outside one of the entrances at SWA each afternoon. Each van is waiting for its charges before hitting the roads for home.
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I leave the door to my backyard open sometimes when I'm home and it's warm enough to do so. My cat, Tweak, enjoys rolling around in the dirt and hunting lizards. The other night the winds were high and something obviously spooked her. She came tearing through the door; into the hous, tail poofed out like a bottlebrush. At that exact instant, the wind blew the front door open (I didn't have it shut all the way apparently) and she took the opportunity to continue her tear through the house and out the front door. The door immediately slammed shut behind her. It all happened so fast, it didn't seem real.

In my laughter filled with tears, I wandered to the front door to find Tweak's fur completely blown up and pupils dialted to the fullest. She scampered back inside, then gave an insolent sniff in the air as if she meant to give that show.

It still makes me giggle thinking about it. Dumb cat.
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I also giggle when the cat snores. Sometimes it's a slight wheeze. Other times, it's a tiny snort. Either way, it's just so dang cute!
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The wind in north Texas is awful this time of year. It's just so dang gusty in the spring. Not a week goes by without a trip down the alley in search of an esacped garbage can. You'd think I was beating it or something. Sheesh. I'm ready for May and the wind to die down so I can ride more.
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It's almost time to start riding the bike to work again. I noticed on the drive in to work the other day that there was a bit of light on the horizon at 6:30ish. This is a great sign! One check with the sunrise/sunset tables and sure enough, the nautical sunrise, which is the glow on the horizon before actual sunrise, will start to be between 6:15 and 6:30 starting next week. Yay!
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I've had nothing but junk food this past week. Birthday celebrations are bad for the ass.
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There are 4 more days until I'm in Belize again.
There are 61 days until the Danskin triathlon in Austin (gotta seriously start getting ready for this).
There are 110 days unti RAGBRAI (7 day bike ride across Iowa - google it) kicks off, and yes, the getting ready for this also applies.
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Our RAGBRAI team is made up of mostly people from my flying squadron. Okay, they're still in and enjoying the flying time, but I'm retired. Yay!

Over the years, we've spent many days worth of St Croix per diem on Cruzan Rum, mine mainly on Mango rum. In honor of that, we named our team "Cruzan Around".

Thinking that we had a great opportunity to get the word out, I've been trying to get hold of either the company or a local distributor to see if they'd sponsor us by helping us with jerseys or donate rum to the cause. Surely we'd give some away to the other 10,000 people cycling across Iowa? No luck.

Fortunately, yesterday I got a text from my great friend, Greg, who said that we were now being sponsored by Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Wow, what a change, huh? Sadly, I think there will be just as many cyclists excited about this as they would've been for the rum. Either have a way of soothing the chafing.

Investment in sight

2009-02-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

The best money I ever spent was getting my eyes done last year. It's been a full year since Lasik and I can't tell you how wonderful it has been.

My first pair of glasses came sometime in about the first or second grade. Mom is legally blind because she's so nearsided; I inherited that from her. By the time I reached high school, I would wear contacts all the time. I even went into basic training with extended wear lenses and didn't take them out for the entire six weeks. It was tough, but sure beat wearing those birth-control glasses, as they are affectionately called. Believe me, you weren't getting any booty wearing those suckers. They were ugly.

Since moving to the Dallas area, I've become much more involved in sports and outdoor stuff. I can't tell you how many times I had to stop and fix contacts or just pull them out and put on glasses, just to get through events. If I cried during a sappy movie (a frequent event), the contacts would be toast and all fogged over. It sucked.

So last year, I bit the bullet and got the Lasik. Scared the ever-livin' poo out of me, but I did it. No regrets. I went from 20/700+ (legally blind) to 20/15 in a matter of 20 minutes. Best money I ever spent.

For the first time this year, I got to go tubing behind a ski boat. Before, I was afraid of losing either the glasses or contacts into the water. I got to do a triathlon without worry. I started riding bikes without worrying about the contacts drying out. I can cry and still see. The best part is waking up in the middle of the night and not only being able to see the clock, but being able to see enough to not hallucinate that someone is looking at me. It's amazing.

If you haven't done it and are considering it. Just do it. It'll be the best money you ever spent.

Monthly status update

2009-02-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

One of the best way to make sure you're working on goals is to revisit them occasionally. Since I posted my real-solutions for the year in January, I thought I'd check them out again to see how the first month went. Some were good, others not so much. I'll hit some of the highlights.

Exercise 5x/week - Whoops. Forgot I put this one in there so I'm glad it's being checked. Last month I was in a bit of a funk because of work, so I, at best, got in about 3x/week. The work crap is still there, but I'll have to start working on this one a bit more. So far, I've exercised both days in February and plan to keep the momentum going.

Lose the 10lbs. Hide from them - I'm down about 4 right now overall, and the pants are fitting more nicely. I'm in a fat club at work that has only 2 more weeks to go. Might as well power down to get a few more off when a payout is possible.

Save some money - Check. The savings is up a bit. Not much, but a bit.

Pay off 2 cards. Hide them - Check. I sucked it up in Jan and paid one off. The next one will be a few months away, but still possible.

Finish at least 15 credits - 3 are in progress, 3 more will be started Feb 15th. I plotted out my plan of action for the year on a spreadsheet (I'm sure some of you are surprised - LOL!) and it looks like I might be able to get 21 in this year if all goes well. Yay!

Run 750 miles this year - Well, I only got about 32 in last month. Not a good way to start the year, but it'll pick up. It's still very do-able.

Ride at least 2000 miles this year - Again, none for this month (not counting spin miles), but once it warms up, I'm looking forward to commuting to work and getting ready for RAGBRAI. Whee!

So it's off to a start. Can't wait to see how the year turns out!

2009-01-31T06:24:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I have to laugh at myself that actually I enjoy writing now.

When I was a kid, I would've rather been beaten to a pulp than have to sit at the dining room table and forced to write a paper for school. I would resort to tears of frustration getting started each time. It never just flowed.

I mentioned that to my mom after she read one of my blog entries recently and she was surprised. She reminded me that in the second or third grade I won a plaque in a writing contest about "What My Country Means to Me". I didn't remember that, but sure enough, I dug around in a box of treasures I've kept of my school years and there it was. Strange.

It wasn't until I did some reporting for a TV station in Rapid City, SD, that I realized how much fun it was. Maybe it was because I wasn't being forced to write about Shakespere or something I didn't care about. Because I did mainly feature reporting, I was able to go find fun and interesting stories about things that were interesting.

I once did an entire 60-second segment using alliteration while in Greenville, MS. Miss Mississippi lived nearby the town we were in and we were told that she was bringing in her standard poodles into the local dog beauty shop for cuts. Yeah, it was a slow news day. So I had a lot of fun with it, using alliteration around "P". It actually turned out fairly well, even though I had little video and not much story to work with.

Another of my favorite stories, also in Mississippi, was about a group of Italian ladies who got together every few weeks to make pasta. They were hilarious and they made it so easy to put together a funny piece. I don't think I laughed so hard the whole time I lived there. The difficult part of that one was the editing.

So a few years ago, I decided to capture the writing bug again and channel it in with my other favorite passion, reality TV. Oh c'mon! I know everyone out there has at least one show they'll watch, even if they don't tell anyone. I wrote into a website I read regularly and offered up my services. They gave me a crap show to start with, then I moved up from there to the one Survivor column I wanted more than any other, which allows me to analyze the editing and figure out who will be sent home next.

Now I get to practice on you all as well though the blog. Though it feels like a diary, it also feels like a way to see if something is working or not. I enjoy reading other people's blogs to get a feel for their rhythm and styles; hopefully pick up a few tricks along the way.

I can't believe this used to bring me to tears.

Hope

2009-01-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

I'm not really into politics, but the events of the past few weeks or so surrounding President Obama's innauguration give me the urge to just bust open a blog. Just one though, then it's back to the usual semi-mindless chatter.

To give you a little background, I'm about as middle-of-the road as they come. I lean mainly left when it comes to issues surrounding the environment, women's choices, and gay marriage. I lean mainly to the right when it comes to free enterprise with business, finances and the military, in general.

My dad and brother lean as far right as Atilla the Hun and you can't tell them anything. So I don't bother trying. My mom is pretty middle-of-the-road with a conservative lean. But what I think she and I have in common is the ability to see the grey areas. People like my dad and brother, to me, have their views so distorted, that they don't take into account the outside edges. And I have friends who swing so far left, they too are on the outside edges. There's a big area of grey in the middle.

But let's dig into the elections a bit. I was really torn last year when it came down to who to vote for. Both parties have had their pendulums swing so far to the right or left, that it's difficult to really make a sound decision for who will do the best job for this country, which is what it's supposed to be about in the first place. Nearly every leader, no matter if it's the President or just a general manager at your office, comes into the job thinking that they will do something that makes a difference. Nobody goes into a job with the intent of doing a bad job.

That said, it was a tough decision on who to vote for, but I voted. Both candidates had qualities I liked and both had negatives which I didn't. I struggled to figure out who I thought would be best for our country.

After living in the south for most of my adult years, I've found that there still is a separation of white vs. black in many places. When I lived a short six months in Greenville, Missisippi there was never a bigger gap than I saw there. Literally, there was a white and black side of town, with train tracks separating the two. I grew up in California and was absolutely floored that this kind of divide still existed.

Today, I'm proud of our country that the population was able to see a man instead of a black man. Or at least I hope they did. I'm happy to see that there was a large increase in the number of black voters who turned out to vote. I'm thrilled to see that a lot of white folks were able to do the same. It really shouldn't be an issue from here out, because now we, as a nation know that we can see past that.

But in saying all of this, I have to wonder if there were a vast majority of people who were caught up in the fervor of being able to say that they voted for the first black president or being able to say they were a part of history, no matter how small. I wonder that once this tide got started, it just couldn't be slowed down.

Last week, in the events leading up to the innauguration, the media continued to play to the frenzy, interviewing people off the streets who thought that President Obama will be the savior of the free world or the person who will make their lives good again. I fear that these same people are going to be so let down once he digs in and gets to work. There are many folks out there who think that change will happen quickly and that it will all be for the better. The honeymoon will wear off and they will see that the government is more than just the president.

If these people understand our system, they will need to open their eyes to the rest of the Senate and House. They will need to keep an eye out for what is happening locally that they can do something about. They can only change their own positions in life; they can't wait for someone from up above to come change things for them.

I only hope that this country, conservatives, liberals, and moderates alike, can just take their views, not skew them with vile hatred and support our country and our president to the best of their ability. I hope that President Obama is able to make the changes he wants to with the support of Congress and I hope that they are the right decisions for the country, not the political party. I hope that people will be able to see the mistakes for what they are. And I hope that those who oppose him can find some good in what he does do well. I hope we can get past the political diatribes on both sides to see the grey area which resides in the middle; the grey area which most of the population probably truely resides.

It's going to be a very interesting four years.

Back to School

2009-01-27T06:00:00.001-08:00

I've been procrastinating for a long time. Too long, in fact. But now, I'm thrilled to be getting back into the groove.

When I graduated from high school, I was burnt out on school and ready for a change for a while. I joined the Air Force thinking I'd use it as a tool to get myself into the Air Force Academy through a back door, just so I could go to college in Colorado (flawed thinking, right?) Though I tried for 2 years, I didn't make it in, but it probably ended up being a blessing in disguise. I like how my life turned out, even with out it.

So I picked up a few classes along the way at each of the bases I was stationed. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a math and science geek. The universities overseas only had lower level credits for Chemistry, Calculus and the sort. I racked up nearly 120 credits, but nothing added up to a degree.

Which brings us to the present.

Two weeks ago I started back to school and I love it! It's all online, so it may end up taking a bit of extra effort to stay diligent to studying, especially when warm weather beckons me outside. I felt like a kid the day the class opened up online for me to start digging in. I almost wanted to go out to buy a new outfit to wear, despite nobody being able to see it online.

There's just something wonderful about the smell of a new textbook and the sound it makes as you flip the corners to make that bbbrrrriiiip noise with the pages. There's magic in learning, even at the ripe age of 40. (Notice I left out the word "old"?)

Despite warnings from nearly everyone I talked to, I'm diving in head first with Statistics as my first course. As I said, I'm a bit of a math geek, so it hasn't been as awful as the dire warnings that have come unsolicited. Actually, it might have been a good thing to wait so long because through this online course, the angle is actually towards using a practical application of statistics. The course was developed in a way where all the homework and tests point the student towards using Excel effectively, rather than memorizing formulas and going through the math. Genius!

So now I'm working through my plan of action over the next 2-3 years so I can finish up in Aviation Technical Management, which is the path of least resistance. Other than a basic English class, all the credits I have are upper level management classes. I have this year planned out so that I can finish about 21 credits. We'll see how that pans out.

Yay! I'm so excited!

Kari Kennedy

Embry-Riddle University 2011

Tribute to Geeks

2009-01-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love geeks. There. I said it. I realized it the other night as I watched "Good Eats" on The Food Network.

Alton Brown, to me, is just the right package. He's interesting. He's funny. He digs chemistry and all kinds of scientific stuff (or at least he acts that way). To me, he's a geek in his own right. I love him. I'd call "dibs" if he ever got a divorce.

He's not the only geek who has caught my eye over time. Drew Carey? Yup, he's another one of my favorite geeks. But is he really one, or just a funny comedian? By appearance, he seems to be one. Once again, he's funny and wickedly smart. And for him, I love the black framed glasses.

His co-star, Ryan Stiles isn't exactly a pinup model, but you know what? I've always had a soft spot for him too. He's not the typical geek, but he's one that may be the guy who was a little socially awkward growing up but funny as hell! I wonder what he's like in person.

But in looking at this list, I suppose I’m drawn to funny guys who are smart more so than true geeks. I'm surrounded by techie geeks every day at work, but few catch my attention. Well probably because those who I might be interested in are already married.

Or gay.

I think I just like the people who have a certain uniqueness about them. My favorite boyfriends have all had their own fun idiosyncrasies. They usually weren't the perfect beauty types, but more average Joes. They were all funny. They all knew how to laugh at themselves. Maybe they just understood who they were and were good with it.

So why can't I find one for myself? Probably because the smart girls snatched these gems up already.

But remember Alton, if you are reading this and suddenly find yourself single…

Botox anyone?

2009-01-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

I am a person who always thought that plastic surgery and all this botox stuff was only a way to get around growing old. I think that people should just grow old gracefully and enjoy the lifelines that they've been given. Embrace the smile lines!

That was, before I noticed something the other day.

It was a gorgeous day here in Dallas. Temperatures were supposed to hit near 80 in January, so why not try out a new dress now instead of waiting for spring?

Having fine, thin hair on my head is, most days, a curse. It just doesn't do much and there's not much I can do with it. The upside of this, is that the hair on my legs is nearly non-existant or hardly shows up. Some weeks, it takes a light breeze for me to realize I need to shave.

But this projected warm day, I thought that it might be time for a quick leg scrape before heading off to work. As I plopped my left foot on the counter I noticed something horrifying! I saw wrinkles on my knees! What the hell?!

Curious as to where they might be coming from, I put that leg down and looked down. Sure enough, I have a little fatty deposit, which probably won't go away with running and cycling, just above my kneecap on the inside. Both legs! I felt like crying!

Now I don't mind my wrinkles on my face, but for some reason, this new wrinkle, pun intended, in my growing older just sent me over the edge that morning. Sigh. Now I'm not going to rush out to get botox or have a knee lift, but wow, what an awakening.

Have any of you noticed weird stuff like this as you get older?

Lists for the new year

2009-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah it's been a while since the last post. I meant to update it after Halloween at SWA, then after the beautiful and relaxing trip to Belize, but stuff just seemed to get in the way. So I'll get back to those one day; I resolve to do it.

I was awake in the middle of the night last week, something that has been happening with some frequency lately, and stewing about the year to come. I was mentally making a list of stuff I wanted to do in 2009. I work best with lists. A list has items you can scratch off or check off. A list complete feels like an accomplishment. An incomplete list makes me feel as if I have a target and it usually keeps me on track; away from distractions.

I don't think I like the idea of having new year's resolutions, per se. I like the idea of having real solutions (maybe where the word came from?) to things I can control in my life and make a difference. I suppose it's more like a goal list, as much as anything. Like I said, I'm good at goal-setting and lists. Hee hee!

Being new to the blogging world, I figured this would be as good of a place as any to start making that list; then checking in on it monthly to check the progress. Some items on the list are actually measurable and may be ticked off through the year. Others will be a bit less tangible, but the results will come over a longer period of time.

So what does make the list?

Be the friend I want to have. I haven't always been the most ideal friend at times, so I want to be the friend I want to be around. Hopefully, I can find some solid friendships that will last and make me feel as if there are many levels to them. I have a couple of these. I could do better in this department, though.

Write more. Write well. I have found in the past year or so that I actually enjoy writing. Much more so than I ever did in school. Now I'd like to learn how to make it more eloquent and enjoyable for me and the reader. Some of the other writers at RNO and blogs I read teach me something new each time I read their work. Any new input is appreciated, so help me out here. :)

Exercise 5x/week. I do this most of the time already, but there are days that I really don't feel like going to the gym or going for a run. Skipping workouts is a habit that gets easy if you let it. I don't want to let it.

Lose those 10lbs. Then hide from them. Yes, those same pesky 10 pounds I swore I'd lose last year are still hanging on with a vengance. I got down closer at one point last summer., but never hit the 10 pound threshold. With several goal races (below/side), I hope the work will pay off. Better yet, I will make the work pay off.

Take a trip with friends. I had a great mini-trip to Austin with my friends Deeann and Greg last summer. I also enjoyed a week with friends and some family in Belize in November. It was fun and chaotic, but I got to know a few of them better. I'll try again with another group of friends this year.

Save some money. Easier said than done, but I need to get my savings account at 5% of my income right now. Not much, but with other bills, at least it's something.

Pay off 2 cards. Hide them. I put all my cards in a safe place that isn't in my purse. Two of them can be paid off. I might be pushing it to get a third one done as well, but it would be a stretch goal. They should be for emergency use only. A great sale at Ann Taylor or a shoe store is not an emergency (dangit!)

Finish at least 15 credits at school. I really want to finish my degree. It's a long time coming. I'm enrolled and have a class scheduled to start in January. Time and money permitting, this goal is certainly achievable.

Race/fitness goals:

Run a 5k under 28 minutes. I just did one on Jan 3rd in 28:45 and was cramping the last 1/2 mile and slower. This one is do-able.

Run at least one half marathon and one 25k. The Yuengling Shamrock half in Virginia Beach is on the books for March. My brother and his wife are doing it as well. I'll have to figure out which 25k trail races I want to do this season.

Run 750 miles this year. That comes out to less than 15 miles a week average. It might be the hardest goal this year considering everything else going on, but it's worth a try.

Do a century bike ride. My good friend, Rick, proposed this one and I think it's easiliy possible.

Ride at least 2000 miles this year. I plan to bike to work again at least once a week when it gets a little warmer and the days get longer. I'm also planning to do RAGBRAI with friends this year. Doing the ride, plus all the training leading up to it should make this an easy hit. I almost said 2500 miles, but chickened out.

Compete in at least two triathlons. Improve on the time from last year on at least one of them. Again, this should be achievable with the Danskin Tri in Austin again. I'd like to try a few more.

Wow, this is a big list looking back at it. Each piece individually shouldn't be too hard, for the most part, but acheiving all of them will be a feat. I may be a running, biking, friending fool come next December! Next update will be in February.

Halloween at SWA

2008-10-29T11:29:00.001-07:00

Before I started with SWA, Halloween was just another minor holiday. It was mostly uneventful, except for the occasional great costume party. But since coming here, it's skyrocketed to one of my favorite days of the year. Here's why.

Every year, Southwest Airlines headquarters here in Dallas essentially shuts down, except for those folks who are critical for the operation to continue, like dispatch and crew scheduling. Nearly every department gets in on the fun in one way or another. Most either do a walk-through haunted house or carnival; the rest do full-on production shows. They're amazing.

And on top of that, nearly everyone dresses up in costume, hopping from show to show. People bring their kids. It's a hoot. I love watching new people watching the chaos, completely wide-eyed. It's certainly a celebration of fun and of all the hard work put in throughout the rest of the year.

When I first got here 6 years ago, Technology's skit was just pathetic. We tried to do a variety show based on TV shows. We thought it was pretty good, but then we got a peek at the one the Executive Office was doing and theirs was Broadway compared to our high school quality skit.

The next year, the gauntlet was thrown and we brought it on!

We finally figured out that the winning shows required a lot of musical productions. Believe me, none of us can sing worth a hoo-ha, but man, this group of computer geeks can really get the enthusiasm of the crowd going. For 4 years running we won first prize among all the skits.

Last year was especially hard with many huge projects going on, so we only put together a walk-through. It didn't win a darn thing.

After a year's hiatus, the Technology musical skit is back; this year titled, "Not Another Southwest Airlines Technology Department Halloween Musical!" And yes, it's filled with campy musicals and wit. And men in drag.

Men in drag? Yes, it's true. Some of them(straight and gay) manage to find a way to get in drag every year which should set off some kind of alarm, don't you think? Around here, it's almost second nature. Scary, isn't it? I mean, if Gary Kelly, our CEO as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray last year, can do it, why can't everyone!?

The lineup this year includes quite a variety from favorite musicals (SWA-fied of course) past and present including:

Grease (something about fuel hedging)

Airspray (a song from Hairspray)

West Side Story ("I like to be on American")

SWAmma Mia (mine)

Rocky Horror Picture Show (yes, it includes pelvic thrusts!)

High School Musical finale including a well choreographed basketball sequence

Parts of it are hilarious. Others are just meh, but the ending should be enough to get the audience full participation. It builds well and the costumes are really going to rock this show.

I can't wait to tell you more as the week progresses and hopefully post some pictures shortly afterwards.

Why I love my cat

2008-10-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

She could smell fear.

She stared at me, taunting me of the night to come.

That sweet little coo and giggle while her parents were around was all a ruse. I think she's an Eddie Haskell in the making.

The fun started as my brother and sister-in-law (SIL) were getting ready to leave for a wedding Saturday afternoon. I was holding my 7-month old neice, Chloe and trying to get to know her a bit before they left. Geula (the SIL) ran down the list of dos and don'ts, most of which I promptly either ignored or forgot. I mean, I had a rather successful babysitting business as a teenager, how hard could it be? Pfftt!

Let's just say, I think my tolerence threshold for noise has gone down considerably over the years.

She started fussing a little early, so I took her outside to enjoy the pretty afternoon. We stooped it on the front porch for a while, her back to me so she might forget that she was with a relative stranger (pun intended.) I saw my neighbor, Debbie, out in her yard, so Chloe and I wandered down to say hello. Deb told me that if I wanted, we could take the baby and her new granddaughter out for a walk later and I thought that a great time to kill some time.

Deb had to finish her lawn so we wandered back to the house thinking it might be time for a nap (the baby, not me at this point.) I figured I'd feed her, according to Geula's guide to baby care, and put her down. Well that's when the howling really started. I must've looked like Frankenstein to that child because every time I had her on my lap or would look at her, she'd cry. And we're not talking just a whimper, folks, we're talking full-on, blood-curdling scream. She would neither take a bottle, nor any solid food. Crap. Now what?

Oh crap! Crap! That could be the problem. I checked her diaper and it was a bit wet, so we got that changed . Did that help? Nope. But one thing was checked off the pissed-off baby list.

No food for her. No nap in sight. I consider whiskey...for her, not me.

Thankfully, my other neighbor, Marsha, who also has a 2-year old grandson, loaned me a stroller. I strapped Chloe in the seat, strapped her in and headed out for a lap or two around the block. Things calmed down and life was good for a few short moments while we enjoyed the fresh air.

No sooner had we gotten back to the house that the howling started again. I gave her toys, which soothed her for a moment or two. I tried feeding her again. No luck. I tried even just putting her in her crib for a while (blowing off the whole swaddling crap Geula tried to tell me about.)

While she was screaming in her crib, I called my mom who was a pediatric nurse and all around good source for anything baby related. And she knows the over-protective nature of my SIL .

She threw a couple more ideas at me, including trying to give Chloe a bath and play with her. I heard my step-dad, Jim pipe in from the background, "Don't put her in head first!" Yeah, great advice, Jim! But it made me laugh...and consider putting her in head first... She also suggested I put Chloe's back to my chest and try to disguise who was feeding her.

Alas, none of that worked either, and they'd only been gone about 2 hours at this point. I called Debbie to see if she was ready for that walk. Nearly the minute I put that kid's butt in the stroller, she stopped. We took the babies for a nice, easy walk around the neighborhood, checking out a new development; then finishing up through the park and home. Were gone about an hour and thankfully, Chloe sacked out for about 30 minutes or so and it was pure relief.

So now we have about 4+ miles of walking in so far. Really. As I take her in the house yet again, I try to hold her and the crying starts up again. I try to feed her and it continues. I try to put her in her play-jumpy-thingy and still no luck. I wonder if she's ever going to stop.

I text my brother, "CALL ME!". This is at about 7pm.

I put her back into the stroller where she calms a bit, but when I look at her, the crying starts again. I begin to understand how people can get to the point of shaking a baby. I step away.

Are you getting as agitated reading this as I probably felt that night?

I leave a phone message for Bob, nearly in tears, "I'm done. She hasn't eaten or slept since you left and you can hear what she's been doing since you left. Please, please call me." This is 8pm.

Mom calls again and can hear the screaming in the background. She's laughing softly. "I'm thankful for birth control, mom," were the first words out of my mouth. I don't know how people do this. She and I chat a bit more about some ideas, then she tells me to just put her down in her crib. "The baby is so exhausted, she'll probably just cry herself to sleep," she tells me.

As it turns out, this is the best advice of the night. By 9:15, the crying turns into tired sobs, which turn into silence. I grab a glass of red wine and plop down on the couch.

I'd planned on possibly taking her to a party with my old TWA friends, but once that was scrapped, I hoped to even possibly work on my resume for a job that might come open at work. Nope, couldn't get to that. The only thing I could do was type a few frantic notes on my Facebook account. Apparently people thought the updates were funny. In hindsight, they were.

Bob finally called around 10:30 (good thing there wasn't a real emergency) and asked how things were going after he saw my messages. I told him that she'd finally fallen dead asleep, but needed food when they got home. They asked if they might stay out longer or if I wanted them home. I was pissed at that reponse and said, "Well if you want your kid fed..." and I think he understood the tone. They were home around midnight, partially relieved to have gone out for once together and frustrated that the night went so bad for me.

Bob woke up Chloe to give her a bottle and the pint-sized terrorist in pink who had been torturing me all night was all coos and giggles once again. She didn't even scowl when I looked at her, but smiled. It was like some mental horror movie to me. He fed her, then she dropped off for the night, sleeping until after 8 the next morning.

Let's just say that the babysitting door is shut until she's at least 3.

I love my cat.

Survivor analysis and commentary

2008-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

I had to get the previous topic moved down a little, so I'll just prattle on about other stuff today.

Survivor: Gabon started last week with a bang and two episodes. I was stoked! We finally got to see more than a little of the tribes and got a flavor of more to come.

I've been reading some of the message boards out there, trying to stay away from spoiler information, but focusing on analysis. There are two themes going on this season. The first is all about Earth's Last Eden. Given that clue, which I can't remember when it was coined, I wonder if we'll have a male/female final two.

There also has been an underlying theme started possibly by some of Jeff Probst's commentary that there is an underlying current of Good vs. Evil. We've seen a lot of the characters this season who can readily fit into one of the two categories, and not necessarily all on one tribe.

Putting these two simple concepts together along with some of the editing we've seen during the show, I'll go on record right now to say that I think this might be a final two of Corrine (Eve/Evil) and Marcus (Adam/Good).

Corrine is a self-described bitch. Jeff agrees with her. One of her first quotes, and it may end up being the subtle "money quote" for the season, was, "I'm going to be a total bitcha nd I"m going to get rid of who I want to get rid of and hurt people's feelings and gonna laugh when people cry and gonna own it."

Contrast this with the relative hero's edit we're getting with Marcus. He's smart. He's beautiful. He's a doctor (though he said he was merely in the medical profession during the you-pick-em). He has the ladies and even the gay guys fawning over him. That could be a lot of power to weild throughout the game. Jeff, though, said that he can be arrogant. This may be his downfall.

Marcus has created "The Onion" alliance, keeping Corrine and Charlie close to him. He's planning to bring Jacquie into the fold and then round it out with Professor Bob. New clips out on the CBS website show hidden clips with Corrine and Marcus talking early. They bond quickly, then bring in the rest. I wonder if he will lose by taking a bite out of the apple and trusting Corrine to the end? Temptation is yet another theme this season, though it may apply more with just the Exile Island stuff.

None of the rest of the survivors really pique my interest this season as far as strategy is concerned. I don't doubt we'll see a fall of the Fang tribe similar to that of the Ulong tribe in Guatemala. I think our winner will come from the Kota tribe and probably from the Onion Alliance.

I hope Bob turns out to be this season's Yau-Man. That man is amazing and again, if you take a peek at the CBS extras, he's one whose mind is always turning. He's my sentimental favorite for the year.

Be sure to check out articles online at http://www.realitynewsonline.com/ . I post a "Who Will Go" column each Thursday morning with my picks as to who will fall next.

Difficult topic...avoid if you're having a bad day

2008-09-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

A dear friend's brother took his own life this morning.

It wasn't a surprise to any of us, but still, it's a shock knowing that someone you knew was so despondant that s/he felt the need to leave life.

He was about 63. He spent about 20+ years in prison; then got out about 3 years ago. He started his own house painting business and was actually talented when it came to faux finishes. He did good work and was getting to the point where he was supporting himself for the most part.

He'd been having problems working, climbing ladders and having enough energy to do his job. Recently, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with lung cancer and had an extremely nasty blood clot in his thigh. He could live 6 months. He could live 3-4 years. He wasn't able to work or have insurance, and his family was already supporting him through some tougher times. He felt as if he was a burden to them.

He called my friend Saturday night crying and telling her that he was going to end things. He didn't have much quality of life left and postponing it possibly a couple of years by having chemo and going to the county hospital. He asked if she would understand if he did it and admittedly, she did. She loves him, but she knew that he might just do it.

A friend of his was up all night with him Saturday and prevented him from going through with it. Finally, after a long night, she too, said that she understood his dilemma and left him.

He made a few more calls to family, telling them goodbye in different ways.

My friend woke up this morning to a phone call from her brother's roommate. His car was running in the garage. The roommate was afraid, but knew what she would find there. My friend had her call the police. They confirmed what we all expected, that he took his life.

So now it's a question of wondering if he did the right thing or not. Did he do it so he wasn't a burden to his family to support him? Did he really have only a meager life left? Could he have been pulled out of this spiral? We'll never know.

You know there are some really good reason why Dr Kevorkian should be able to do what he does. In this instance, I can see where it would be the right reason.

Paceline

2008-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, riding in a cycling paceline is a blast! The rush of speed and of bodies working in harmony is exhilarating!

One of my friends at work and volleyball partner in crime recently started riding his bike again after a long, 10-ish year hiatus. He knew I rode to work regularly and wanted to get back into the sport again.

A few weeks ago one evening, I got a text from him, "Wanna ride at lunch? Bring your bike to work." The cooler fall weather and an opportunity to get out of the office for a while made this an easy choice. I loaded up my steed and couldn't wait to get out of a meeting to go play.

The first time out we rode around the lake, then headed over to the "rich" part of town near Love Field and just rode around the neighborhoods. He struggled to keep up and I enjoyed an easy pace. We did 10-ish miles in that hour and both came back grinning.

Last week, I had a meeting cancel so it was my turn to text him. He'd ridden a longer ride over the weekend and was tired, but jumped at the chance to again enjoy the crisp, fall lunchtime ride. As we went, I asked him if he'd want to go do a 44-miler that weekend in Bonham. He thought that if he could do this lunchtime ride and recover well, he would do it.

Sure enough, Friday he said he could go and wanted to give it a shot. This was my first road ride ever the year before and I made it through. He plays sand volleyball regularly and is in shape. There was no doubt in my mind he could make it through, maybe being a little tired at the end.

So Rick picked me up early on Saturday and we met up with his friend, Linda, on the way in McKinney. We raced to get registered and just start.

Rick was like a jackrabbit for the first 10-ish miles, and I silently wondered if he'd burn out at about 35 miles. I had a tough time keeping up with him, especially with all those hills early on. We decided to skip the first aid station and move on.

About 12 miles in, Rick spotted a guy with a "classic" bike; one that was about 20+ years old and struck up a conversation with him. Turns out Wayne, originally from South Africa, was here from China on business and some friends conned him into doing the ride. It was a great bike in its time, but a little old technology compared to today. He was enjoying himself despite the older frame and getting a good view of the Texas countryside.

After a while, we realized we were all pacing about the same and decided to try a paceline. Rick started us out, then Wayne pulled for a while. I stayed trailing. I noticed a shadow behind me and realized that someone else had jumped onto the train. He introduced himself (John maybe?) and chatting. Nice guy. Before long, we had several others. Through this point, we were averaging about 17-18mph

We decided to stop at the 2nd rest stop, just to get the butts out of the seats for a few minutes and grab some ice for the bottles. Four of us continued on the paceline and it started to get hilly. Just as we started to get into a small hill, dang Rick, who was up front at the time, piped up and asked everyone to raise hands to see if it was Kari's turn to pull. Well crap! I didn't think I could go fast enough for these guys, especially on hills, but what the heck. They all raised their hands in agreement.

We'd already started up the first small hill and I broke to get to the front. Turned out I sped up too much because Rick, who was behind me at that point, told me I'd dropped a couple of them. Ha! I slowed down a bit so they could catch up, then led the pace for a few miles. Fun! I didn't think I could do it, nor did I think I was fast enough for it. The guys were really encouraging.

We continued swapping out spots until about the 33 mile mark and averaged about 18-19 the rest of hte way. An extremely nasty car accident split us all up. Rick and I stopped to help initially; the other two stopped for a few minutes then went on. I won't go into the details, but it was bloody and required 3 medical helicopters to come take some of the vicitms away. There hasn't been a news link to see what happened to them.

On a brighter note, I'm so freakin' hooked on pacelines now! Wow! Fun stuff. It makes me think I might be able to move up into the next group in the Corinth bike riders. Whee!!

Biomimicry

2008-09-25T07:17:00.001-07:00

I'm a science geek at heart. Always have been. I found these articles today on biomimicry and thought some of you might find them interesting. Biomimicry can be described as finding a way to make things more efficient by looking at counterparts in nature. One of these articles, Mercedes takes a look at the box fish, a fisht that doesn't look streamlined at first glance, and uses some of the same "design" to create a concept car with amazing results. Enjoy!

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-7154-1-503504-1-0-0-503518-0-0-135-7145-0-0-0-0-0-0-1.html

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13501_23-236571.html?tag=homeCar

Random thoughts popping through my brain

2008-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

On TV: There are only two days left until Survivor starts again. Yay! It's my favorite season of all. I'm struggling to figure out who will win the $1M this season as none of the "characters" pop out at me . Usually, there is one, or two even, who you can pinpoint to make it to the end.

On the Season: My favorite time of year, though is fall. I love the warm days and cooler mornings. The colors are rich and vibrant, unlike the pastels of spring. There's a certain smell in the air, maybe anticipation of the holidays coming up soon. It's almost time to start firing up the oven to bake cookies and warm treats.

On Fall: Warm treats are great, but not when you're at the top of your tubby scale. Wow, I dropped about 10lbs a year ago and somehow it's creeped back up and even has added a few more. I'm off to Belize here soon and need to get down to a shape that doesn't involve popping out of my bathing suit. Ugh!

On Exercise: Tried running (more like joggling) this morning since the weather is cooler. Well, it's cooler, but is still humid. I did only 2 miles and man, it was a struggle. In my early morning shadows, the legs and arms just didn't look like those of an athlete. They looked like a bird flailing after being hit by a car. Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the picture. It was neither graceful, nor pretty. I miss the days when 5 miles was an "easy" run. The mileage will come back soon enough, as long as I get my butt back into it.

On Work: I'm so frustrated with my job right now. I LIKE to be in the middle of a lot of motion. When I moved teams back in February, I thought it might be a great opportunity to learn just one thing and learn it well. Well, I'm learning that I don't do well with only one thing (hence 2 jobs, writing online, sports etc.). I'm frustrated and bored. I'm starting to shake the trees to see what else I can do in the company without taking too big of a pay hit. I'm hoping I can hang on until January when the new budgets hit.

On Change: I'm excited for my friend, Becky. She has been frustrated in her job in the mortgage industry for quite some time now and has made a concerted effort to get out of it. Wow, when she does something, she does it BIG. She took some tests last week to become an insurance auditor. She passed them and gave notice on her job over the weekend. She literally could leave any moment now to go take care of business along the Texas Coast in the aftermath of Ike. Wow! I know this is a huge change for her, especially knowing she has to leave her wonderful boyfriend, Mike, behind, but I'm so proud of her for jumping in with both feet. She's smart and resourceful. I know she'll do well.

Link to Ike

2008-09-12T10:36:00.001-07:00

This is such a cool story to link to one of my best friends, Deeann, who was flying Ike yesterday (9/11). I've done exactly what Scott Blair (mentioned in the article) was doing in this storm many times. Between eye passes, it's nap, reading or food time.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/ap_on_re_us/eye_of_ike

Hurricane Ike, bumpy ride with bird's-eye view
By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 12, 7:07 AM ET
INSIDE HURRICANE IKE - Amid the engines' roar, the Air Force Reserve pilots and navigator worked calmly as their huge plane neared the eyewall of Hurricane Ike.

The gray cloud, looming 50,000 feet into the sky like a colossal concrete barrier was four miles thick, and the Lockheed WC-130J was hurtling into it.
"It's a big one, and it's going to get bigger," said Lt. Col. Mark Carter, 54, a pilot who has chased storms for 31 years. "It's off land now, and feeding on the warm water down there while it gets itself back together."
"Down there" is 10,000 feet below, where the swirling dark water and foaming waves of the Gulf of Mexico are only visible intermittently through the clouds.
Carter, and his fellow Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, were finishing a fourth trip across Ike, during a 10-hour, 3,000-mile trek to monitor the storm taking aim at the Texas coast.
The aircraft carved a 210-mile giant "X" pattern through Ike and its eye, just off the western tip of Cuba.
"We're the only military aircraft that has permission to fly through Cuban airspace," said public information officer Maj. Chad Gibson. "We share the information we gather with them."
Using high tech equipment aboard the $72 million plane, the crew gathers data on wind speed, barometric pressure and other information for the National Hurricane Center.
"The plane makes two observations a second," said Maj. Deeann Lufkin, 35, a meteorologist who stood behind a bank of screens as she monitored the storm.
Lufkin, who has more than 50 hurricane flights behind her, took the jostling of the storm as easily as a New York City subway rider handles rush hour.
Like everyone on the crew, Lufkin, of Northfield, Minn., is an Air Force Reservist — a civilian who works summers with the Hurricane Hunters, based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss.
"I love this job," said Lufkin, whose husband is also a Hurricane Hunter. "It is endlessly fascinating, and it is also extremely important. We provide information the satellites can't get. And we provide something satellites will never have — a human eye and brain."
The C-130 has been a workhorse of the U.S. military for nearly five decades, is a squat, broad aircraft, painted dull gray, with four black propellers curving over the wings like exotic flowers.
Inside, it resembles a high-tech auto mechanic's garage. Metal grids on the floor offer secure places to stash equipment, insulation covers most of the walls and ceilings, wires shake everywhere, red mesh behind the armless seats offer something to grab onto when the plane starts bucking and tilting in a storm.
Despite its plain looks, Tech. Sgt. Scott Blair, a big man with close-cropped gray hair and tattoos running up his arms, calls the aircraft his girlfriend.
"I've been married 21 years," said Blair, 38, who runs Fat Boy's BBQ restaurant in Picayune. Miss., when not flying into storms. "She's never had call to be jealous until I started flying on this plane. Now she calls it my mistress."
Flights can run as long as 15 hours, not counting preflight and post-flight briefings.
Once ordered into a storm, the 10 crews made up of six people each, fly on a rotating basis, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
The flights go into everything from developing tropical storms to Category 5 hurricanes. But they don't fly into a storm over land because of the danger of tornadoes.
Since the flights officially began in 1943, only four Hurricane Hunter planes have been lost in the bump and grind through the clouds — the last in 1974.
It doesn't take much to draw out stories of the storms that have tilted the plane at dangerous angles, sent shudders down its metal spine and through its human occupants, banging untethered people against the ceiling as ride-along journalists scramble for plastic bags amid lurching stomachs.
Blair, who dozed in free in-flight moments with a copy of the book "Unholy War" spread across his stomach, was nonchalant about the Ike flight.
But he remembers others that were more eventful.
"Hurricane Charlie, what was that '03, '04?" Blair said. "That almost beat us to death. We made a pass through it as a Category 2, and 45 minutes later, when we went back through, it was a Cat 4. Every reporter on board had a bag up to his face."
The storms are most dangerous as they build or break apart, Blair said. That's when a potentially deadly microburst of wind and huge up-and downdrafts threaten the plane.
Dangerous or not, the flights, with their combination of boredom and adrenaline-pumping moments, appear to be addictive.
"I'm going to keep doing this until I get too old or my hearing goes," Blair said. "Then I'll just sit up in Picayune (Miss.) and drink beer and eat barbecue and dream about it."

Making changes

2008-09-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

I just got back from another trip to MN to visit my dear friends Greg and Deeann. Getting time to visit with special people with whom you can be yourself is such a wonderful feeling. I'm fortunate to have them in my life.

I read a book in the past year about friends and it got me thinking about relationships I've had over the years. Some of my best and longest lasting friendships have come out of the military, partly because we've shared so much time together in odd situations and places.

The friends I've made since coming to Texas have been very satisfying as well. I'm lucky to have gotten in with a set of girlfriends (and their hubbies) who share a lot of the same interests and we've collectively grown quite a bit in the six years I've been here. It's amazing how some of them you can just give a look and they know what you're thinking (which can be good or bad!)

It has also been a delight to meet new people who give you a new perspective. I recently met a lady down the street (well, she actually tracked me down, but that's another story). She enjoys being active as well, and I can't wait to have her meet some of the other girlfriends. She also is such a warm, exciting person. I've learned to think about being a little more open because of her already, though I still have a ways to go.

I've learned so much from all these people over the years. Many have given me great advice and even have told me when I'm being to anal about something! (Laugh). We've leaned on each each other when we're going through rough spells. It's incredible to watch this group pull together when we have to.

But at the same time all of this is going on, I've also learned to let go of relationships. Some of these are with people who are energy-suckers. These are the people with some kind of drama always happening and they need to be bailed out or reeled back in from their personal struggles. Some just don't give a rip, so why bother? Some you just grow apart from. It hasn't been easy to let go in some cases, especially when they live close to you, but with others, it's a relief.

I truely enjoy the friendships I have now. They keep me grounded and at times, pull me out of the house when I'm down. They are blessings to me. Thank you!

My first storm...on the ground

2008-09-03T13:18:00.001-07:00

I love tropical weather!

I miss flying in hurricanes, but I sure don't miss the other 9 months of the year where the squadron is spinning out of control...you know, the ARTs bitching about the Reservists and vice-versa. The 3-ish months of storm season were always my favorite.

I've been watching Gustav the past few days, The Weather Channel on in the background at my house all weekend. It hit the coast on Monday morning and by the evening, the first few bands of the cirrus sheild from the storm was evident here in the Dallas area. It was beautiful.

All day Tuesday, I flipped between the radar and satellite images of the remnants of Gustav as it approached. By the time I left SWA that afternoon, I was in heaven. The clouds were in a banded pattern with a distinct arc. There were showers peppering the view towards the east. And the wind really picked up. I could see and feel the wind gusts hitting me.

All I could do was grin.

Can you believe that after 11 years and flying through close to 50 named storms, this is the first tropical storm I've been in on the ground? Amazing!

Great definitions

2008-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. (My favorite!)
Glibido: All talk and no action
Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people, that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The Bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an a ** hole.

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered from a real word.

Big Butt Day

2008-09-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

I know I probably shouldn't complain, but yesterday was a big butt day.

I went shopping, taking advantage of a few Labor Day sales at some of my favorite stores and found some fantastic deals! I even had a 20% off coupon for the entire purchase at Loft. Whee! I was in for good times, yeah!

Sunday, I had some awesome Pad Thai from Pei Wei, which I'm sure, made me retain a bit of water...or at least that's what I'm going to use as the excuse this week. Man, I had a helluva time getting into my "normal" pants size and really got grumpy with the lumps and bumps.

I really, truely have to get about 10lbs off this butt (and that's where it all is) and get into fighting shape for races and for Belize. UGH! It's just so hard.

Gas...

2008-08-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Bought a tank of gas for under $45 yesterday at $1.29/gal.

Isn't it sad to get excited about gas that is STILL over 3 bucks a gallon? Sheesh.

The Time Capsule

2008-08-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today I took a sick day and managed to make it fairly productive. Recently, I'd done a lot of filing and had a pile of paperwork I wanted to put into a storage box. I kept those boxes in the garage and they're full of records from the Air Force, taxes and other paperwork I decided to keep.

I took them into the living room and decided to go through them to see what I had in them. It was amazing! I had file pouches for each year I was in the AF Reserves (back to 1996), taxes back to 1998, credit card and utility records back to 2002 when I moved to Dallas from St Louis, and even found a package of photos mom sent me a few years back. There were even 4 notebooks of notes I'd taken during chemistry classes back in Germany. What an amazing find!

I realized that I really didn't need all this stuff so I sorted through it to figure out what could be shredded. I ended up with a stack of file folders about 2 feet tall. I kept only the past few years tax records and some house records. Everything else had to go.

So as I sat on the floor, watching bad morning TV and shredding, I found myself going through a pile of memories. The bulk of the paper were travel vouchers and pay statements from my time in the Reserves. Occasionally, a large packet would bring me back to my trips to Germany, Barbados, Panama and Honduras. THere were the many trips to St Croix, Florida and Hawaii.

There were records of being in my favorite room at the Buccaneer in St Croix. There were the numerous quick trips to Biloxi from both St Louis and Dallas. I even found some of the paperwork from my brief time in the IL Guard as a Boom Operator.

I had saved every one of my LES's, Leave and Earnings Statement, (pay stubs for your civilians). Those too, got shredded. Well, all except my very first one. I kept that first pay stub from my time in basic training, just to see how far I'd come. It was for around $300 for my first 2 weeks of service. I think I spent that much today just running errands. It's amazing how much changes in 22 years, isn't it?

Each one was its own little archive of memories. I almost hestiated to shred them, but realistically, there was no reason to save them. 2 large garbage bags are now by my back fence, waiting to be sent away. It's a sad way to say goodbye to memories, but at the same time, it's a clean feeling to be rid of stuff I just don't need.

What are in your personal archives?

Hotter N Hell 100k

2008-08-27T15:45:00.001-07:00

Oh heck yeah, the biking bug is firmly planted in my core. I'm loving it!

Last weekend was the Hotter 'N Hell 100. The main race/ride is 100 miles, IN AUGUST, IN TEXAS! Normally, it lives up to its moniker, but this year, a week of cooler weather sure helped out the heat. It still was close to 75 at the start, but by the time Maribel, Pierre and I finished at 11:30, it was in the low 90's.

What an amazing sight it is to see nearly 12,000 riders of all shapes and sizes saddled up and taking off. It started off with the sound of clips attaching to pedals and the excitement of the riders as they chatted and warmed up with the slow pack. It took about 25 minutes from the time the gun went off before we crossed the starting line and there were still thousands behind us. Incredible.

The night before, the girls and I all camped out. INstead of hitting the large grassy area behind the convention center, we just decided to park near a grassy flat spot in the parking lot. We looked like squatters and in a sense, I suppose we were. But the good thing was that we had great parking close to the center! It was noisy and bright that night, but we managed to eke out about 5 good hours of sleep before the rumble of cars started coming in around 5.

So during the ride, there were several times where large yawns came around. I was tired, but thoroughly enjoying the ride. There was a crash about a mile or two into the ride. Bikers slowed and passed the woman being loaded into the ambulance. It was a lot like rush hour traffic in Dallas on a Friday, sadly enough.

I tried to keep up with Maribel and Pierre for a while, but the traffic jam of bikes slowed me too much. I'd left Debbie behind me in about 3 miles with April, Dianna and Mitch coming in behind Deb. I hit the first aid station near 10 miles fairly quickly despite the crowds and decided to pass. It was crazy with people. I love hearing the whir of wheels on the ground when people are more quiet.

I stopped at the 20 and 30 mile aid stations, but didn't linger. They too were crowded and crazy. I refilled bottles and grabbed some cookies. After the 30 mile point, 3 girls crashed ahead of me. It was a tangle of bikes and bodies, and fortunately none were seriously hurt. I stopped to help pull bikes off of them, but they had plenty of help so I moved on.

A few miles after that was a temptation. The 100k I was on continued straight ahead after a railroad track crossing while the 100 miler turned left. For a moment, I seriously considered turning towards the 100 miler, but thought about having people waiting for me at the car. In hindsight, I wish I'd have done it now. It was a cooler than normal year, I felt great and as it turns out, most of our group came in 2 hours behind us. Maribel went through the same dillemma with the same outcome.

I skipped the 40 mile aid station and just grabbed some ClifBlox out of my pocket. Mmmmm! These taste like margaritas and I love 'em! Somewhere around the mid-40's, we turned onto a service road which parallels a highway. The pavement was awful chip seal which just bumps the crap out of you. What speed I had going was lost. It was frustrating and the heat was starting to kick in. My back was starting to tighten and knots formed.

Finally, the 50+ aid station came into view and I stopped to grab a quick treat and some cold drinks. As I turned the corner, I was excited to see Maribel and Pierre. I didn't think I'd catch up to them. Pierre had just gotten there and Maribel had been waiting for him for a while. I was really excited! We probably stopped for about 15 minutes, grabbing icy cold water, cookies and a few pickles (perfect for the heat!). And in a matter of minutes, Maribel said that it was time to go. We only had 9 miles or so to the finish!

She hopped on her bike and sped off. It was all Pierre and I could do to keep up with her. We did for maybe a mile, then it was just he and I. He sped ahead of me at one point, but I decided to give him a good chase. At the top of an overpass, I pushed hard to pass him. I told him to latch on and I'd pull him for a while. That lasted a few minutes, until we got to Shepard AFB.

Now going through the base wasn't going to be a big deal for me. I'd been there once long ago and have been on many bases otherwise. The course was on beautifully smooth road and even wound through a static display of some planes. We even passed by a beautiful C-130H and I grinned. The best part of the ride was yet to come.

I tuned onto a street and could hear a thunder of young voices yelling. Sure enough, there were about 200 of the students along the side of the road. The crowds voice died down somewhat so I bellowed, "Lemme hear you! Go Air Force!" and they roared again! It was sooo much fun! I put my hand up to high-five them as I passed by, nearly getting toppled near the end. What a delight. I grinned the whole rest of the way to the finish.

My 100k adventure ended without much fanfare. I spotted Maribel who'd finished just ahead of me. Pierre soon followed and we dashed over to the open fire hydrant to cool off. Amazing ride. I felt great and was hardly sore the next day.

Next year, 100 miles!

Inspiration

2008-08-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

I found this blog through another blog. http://jonnyoworld.blogspot.com/2008/08/media-friends-and-rain.html This triathlete is mildly retarded and battles Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis. A friend's son has the same disease and it tears him up.

"Now, millions of km later, after 14 years of sacrifice and small and tiny consistant improvement, ... i had a exceptionnal day and crossed the line at ironman canada in 8h39 minutes. Instantly, jonnyo the geneticly retarded athlete was now see by people that dont know him as a gifted elite athlete that as a special genetic inside of him to make him go this quick. Well, people just dont see the big picture, only the 2007 version of the athlete that i became. They dont see the other 13 years behind..., the coaches that have try to turn me away as i wasnt a good enough athlete......these 13 year where no magic....just consistant work. .."

This kid is amazing. The link itself is to one of his blogs from last year. I read some of the recent postings he has where he's getting ready to head up north for Ironman Canada. Amazing.

kk

Run training

2008-08-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

Let me start this blog by saying, Indian Food for lunch makes for heartburn later while running. LOL!

So last night I was just in the mood to do something physical after work and I really need to get some running in for a race up in MN soon. I grabbed my bag of running gear that morning and had forgotten that I had my swimming gear already in there. So what the heck, I decided when I got to the gym to do both.

The run actually felt really good! About a week ago, I did a fast mile on the treadmill to get warmed up for something else and didn't do much walking to start. It was fast and furi0us and fun! Last night, I tried to do something similar and I'm liking the results.

2.5 min warmup/walk
5 mins at 6.0
5 mins at 6.5
5 mins at 7.0 (whoa! didn't know I could do that!)
3 mins and 7.5 (even better!0
1 min at 5.5.
Ladder intervals at 30 seconds, recovering at 5.5 between. 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0.
Finished the last 1/2 mile at about 6.5, then did a cooldown.
Fun workout and I feel so much better about still being able to do a 5k at a decent speed, considering all I've really been doing is biking lately. Yay!

Once the heart rate recovered, I changed for a quick pool workout. Since the old-lady water aerobics crowd would be showing up at about 6, I had about 20 minutes to spare before they descended upon to pool.

After a brief 200yd warmup of the arms, I did 10, 1-minute intervals of the 50yds, concentrating on form more than anything. Did 4X25yds at 30 secs, then a quick cooldown.

I can really feel the speed when I know I've hit the stroke correctly. I'm also experimenting with kicking to see how much it actually adds (especially after watching the Olympic swimmers!). Also tried keeping my head a little further down and not have it pop up so much.

Fun stuff. Now I have all winter to figure out the good stuff. Watch out! I'm hooked on this triathlon sport! :)

More great riding moments

2008-08-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning I woke up early, checked the weather and decided it would be a great day to ride into SWA again.

Sunrise now isn't until about 6:45, and I need to leave around 6 to make it into work at a reasonable hour, so it was time to dig out the lights from my adventure racing box. My old front bike light didn't work anymore, even after recharging it, so I jury rigged a headlamp to stay on the handlebars. I did find my old taillight and with a quick battery change, it was up and running.

It was a cool 72 that morning. It was almost chilly in short sleeves and I wished I'd have worn my arm socks. That's a note to self for later.

The best part of the early morning darkness was seeing about a half dozen shooting stars. The first one came just as I was going down my block. I wasn't sure what I saw but thought it might be one. I saw another just a few moments later and remembered an article I read recenly about the Perseid meteor shower happening now. As I rode I saw more and just loved it.

The sunrise came and it was both beautiful and disappointing. The next few days will be covered in clouds so I figured this had been my best view of the meteor showers. I wonder if Greg and Deeann out in Guam are seeing them in those clear skies?

Olympic influence

2008-08-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

I've been glued to the TV this weekend watching volleyball (indoor and sand), gymnastics, cycling and swimming. I watch the athletes move in each of their sports and it inspired me to get to the gym this afternoon. I hope this wave continues.

With volleyball and swimming, Tivo has been a luxury. I slow down to watch the precise movement of their bodies. I'm looking at the fluidity of the swim strokes or the accuracy of passes. Maybe someday I can improve because of watching their technique.

4 baseball stadiums in 4 weeks!

2008-08-06T06:41:00.001-07:00

Last night I went to a Ranger game and completed a pretty cool accomplishment. I've been to 4 games in 4 weeks and each time, the home team won. Neat, huh?

Here's the rundown:
July 5, Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins - Free game for military members. Great evening with Deeann and her son, Chris. I'll have to go back when the new stadium is built.

July 19, San Diego Padres vs. St Louis Cardinals - Quick trip to St Louis with Mom and Jim. I was rooting for my Cards and they for their Padres. I love what they did with the new Busch stadium.

July 27, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres - Once again, it was my first time in the new Petco park. Mom and Jim took me and we had a great time and even got to see "The Closer" take the game to the end.

August 5, NY Yankees vs. Texas Rangers - What an awesome game, though the pitching left something to be desired. Went with the girls and had great seats hovering above homeplate, way up in the nosebleeds. We laughed while watching a poor pigeon trying to get out of the field. The wind from the dying Edouard made all kinds of eddys within the stadium.

River Cities Triathlon - Shreveport, LA 8/3

2008-08-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since posting. I went out to San Diego for a volleyball tournament, then spent two days at work trying to recover from time away. Then it was off to Shreveport this weekend for the triathlon. It's been a busy month, so I'm glad it's all finally over and behind me.

This was my second triathon and I was excited to experience this one with highly trained athletes and men as well. This is in comparison to the Danskin Tri back in June, where it was all women, many of which were doing a tri for the first time. It was a great warmup experience to get to the race this past weekend.

I didn't do much training again for this one, honestly. I've been biking a lot, but it's been about distance, not speed. Outside of that I swam once or twice and only ran at the Afton Trail run in early July. It's sad, but true. Next year will be a different story, though.

Based on my time and knowledge of what I did at the Danskin Tri in Austin, I figured I could do this one in under 2:15, with a decent chance of doing it in 2:00 even. The difference was that the ride was 18+ miles as opposed to 12 in Austin. With those resonable goal times in mind, I set out.

There were 4 other people in this race I knew - Yvette, Rob, Jennifer and Jeff. Yvette, Rob and I came with a posse to cheer us on - April, Becky, Mike and Martha. It was great having them there to help cheer us on! All but Martha had also signed up for the race, but dropped because they weren't ready.

The swag on this race is pretty incredible, so there is a reason even the dropped folks came out for it. We got 2 shirts (1 was tech, the other cotton), a cap, race poster, sunglasses, beach towel, socks and an awesome tri backpack to carry all the stuff in. Wow! It was worth the $100 entry fee for sure.

The race started at 8am with the first wave of fast males. There were about 11 waves after that, each going out in 4 minute intervals. I was in the 3rd from the last wave, so there were plenty of opportunities for catching people ahead of me.

The gun...or cannon really...for my wave went off at 8:32. I'd set up in a direct line with the first bouy, but paused for a moment, lettting some of the faster chicks get started (a trick learned at Danskin). I kept a good even pace, not panicking this time, and managed to pass quite a few people on the first leg. By the time I turned the corner, I was starting to see caps for the wave in front of me. I passed quite a few from the wave in front of me and even quite a few from my own. I pulled out of the water and noticed that I'd done the swim in about :18, which blew me away. I'd planned on close to :25! Whee!

I ran up the ramp and passed Yvette, who was in the wave in front of me. Little did I know it, but I was only about 90 seconds behind Jennifer, who's a serious triathlete!

I changed as quickly as I could and headed out on the bike. The bike portion is mostly flat with a few minor hills thrown in. I stayed in my big chain ring for most of the race, only dropping down to the middle chain ring twice for hills. The wind was tough on occasion, but I managed. I eyeballed some of the aero bars as faster people passed me. Hmmm...

I've been reading a Triathon Training Blog with some frequency lately (see it to the right?). This lady has some great ideas and thoughts around her training. I'll never get to her level of analysis and training, but there are some interesting reads. One of her blogs recently talked about how many cyclists tuck their knees in as they ride, I suppose to cut down on wind resistance. I noticed a few who passed me were riding like this and made a mental note to at least give it a shot someday.

For the most part, I hustled on the bike, but I did hold back just a little so I had some leg strength leftover for the run. In hindsight (and with Di's suggestion), I should've probably gone out a little harder to make up more time. In the end, I did the bike in 1:04. I think I can cut that closer to 1:00 or less next year without much difficulty (and maybe with new aero bars!).

The run just sucked the life out of me, unfortunately. It was mostly flat and even a bit was on trail. The heat was really starting to kick in and make its affects known to me. I struggled a bit the first 1/2 mile or so, then seemed to kick it in gear okay. But by about 1.5 miles, I was struggling again. I walked and jogged the remaining 1.5 miles, though I knew I was very close and capable of finishing in under 2:00 if I'd have jogged the whole thing. Finished the run in :35 and wish I'd have pushed that a bit harder.

All in all, I came up with a 2:02 overall. I have no doubt that next year with a little training and perserverence, I could get under 2:00 and maybe even under 1:55 if I push it. Of course, you'll have to remind me of this next year!

My new moniker

2008-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

I just left SWA this afternoon on my bike commute and was waiting at a light to cross Northwest Highway. In the lane to my right is the line of cars waiting to turn right. Next to me is a big truck with a burly Mexican dude in it. I nod and say hello, as his window is open and he looked over.

It starts "How far ju goeeeng?"
"26 miles or so."
"Eeen one day?"
"Yup, one way. I rode in this morning the same mileage."
"Where do you leeeve?"
"Lewisville"
"Lewisville!! Reeeeelyeee??!!"
"Yup"
"Oh leeedy! Ju haarrre whan creeezy gringa!!!"

I guffawed and he laughed with me. I caught myself chuckling to myself a couple times on the ride home.

So now I'm the creeezy gringa!

Bike mileage this week...

2008-07-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Sat - Peach Pedal - 40 miles
Sun - Ride to Little Pete's 16 miles
Tues - Commute to work - 54 miles (missed a turn)
Thurs - Commute to work - 52 miles (shaved 10 mins off my ride in!)

Total (drum roll)-
162 miles for the week!!!!

A downside to bike commuting

2008-07-16T13:43:00.001-07:00

I should've known not to trust Jennifer Lopez.

No, I'm not talking about the singer, J Lo, but our newest meteorologist for NBC5 who just moved here from Atlanta after finishing her stint on The Weather Channel. The girl hasn't quite learned about Texas weather yet. Or maybe her skills on localized meteorology just need some polishing. I'll cut her some slack though, as she's only been on air here for about 2 weeks. And I know what she's going through.

In any case, ol' Jenn told us that thunderstorms for Tuesday would be very scattered and west of Ft Worth. So I believed her; trusted her, and took off on my commute to SWA that morning thinking all would be good with the world on the way home. Cool even.

At about 4:45, I was closing up shop here at work and decided to take a peek at the radar. Sure enough, there was a huge storm which looked as if it might be just east of my route, but there was more light rain all over my route home. Surely, I didn't mind a little light rain. Still, I thought it might be time to high-tail it out of the office and try to get ahead of some of it.

The first few miles through the neighborhoods were just fine, thankfully. I was enjoying the relative cool of the afternoon and not having to try to duck under as many trees as possible to enjoy brief moments of shade. But by the time I got to 635 (about 6 miles into the ride), I knew I was toast!

It started to sprinkle, yet I still thought I might miss the bulk of the rain. I peddled furiously as the sky darkened and I heard my first rumble of thunder. Sure enough, I topped a small hill and saw that there were sheets of rain coming up and I had to find a place to get cover soon.

The rain started coming down heavier, so I pulled up to a laundromat on Josey with a good overhang to wait it out for a while. There, I chatted with an older lady who had coke-bottom glasses and a cigarette dangling precariously out of her mouth. Back in the day, her car broke down once and she was too scared to ask her co-workers for a ride, so she walked about 10-12 miles home one night. Wow. What can you say?

The rain appeared to lighten up a bit, but I could see trees still blowing hard with wind. It was getting to be about 6:05, so I decided to brave the wind and light rain and just go anyway. I was already wet, but worried about running out of daylight before I got home. As I rounded the corner of the building, once again, I could see a sheet of rain pouring just ahead of me on my current path. Sure enough, within about 100 yards, I was again in the middle of a downpour so I dove into the next shetered area, the awning of a gas station. As my neighbor Marsha would say, "It's a gully washer. It's a turd floater". Crap!

Here, I was "lucky" enough to have Pedrrrrrrro come chat with me as he exited the gas station. Pedrrrrrro had a beautiful way of rolling is r's, but his accent was thick. But that's not the most interesting thing about him. Nope, Pedrrrrro had about 1/4" of a big ol' hanger-downer from his nose and it was all I could do not to make eye contact or even stare at it as he yammered on and on. Now don't get me wrong, he was a very nice fellow, but holy cow, it was awful! It would teasingly wave at me with every exhale he did. "Hello, Kari! You can't ignore me! Look at me, while still trying to maintain a conversation!"

He rambled on and on about some things, occasionally asking a question to which I'd vaguely respond. He soon realized that I wasn't reciprocating the conversation much and told me that he didn't want to wear me out and that his girlfriend Marrrrrria also chatted a lot. So much chatting that he had to limit her to his 450 minutes a month. I had to laugh at that one. After about 10 minutes, Pedrrrro went on his way. It was one of those places where you wonder if a Candid Camera person is filming this interaction somewhere.

By about 6:15, the bulk of the rain had passed enough that I was ready to just get going again. I was thankful that I'd just bought a great Brooks shirt at Run On recently for safety - it's one of those day-glo greenish-yellow numbers that you can't miss. I took off and stayed on the sidewalks until I could get to side streets off Josey. As cars passed puddles, they'd spray a wall of water on my already drenched body. Im' sure a few thought it was comical.

The side streets werent' nearly as bad and I really only had one last leg of the ride that was a bit scary which was on Sandy Lake. I made it through that fine and by the time I hit the intersection of Sandy Lake and 35E, the rain stopped. I kept watching the sky, though, wondering if I'd finally found a breaking point or if I was in for another round of misery. EIther way, the motivation to get my butt home was high and I found myself making up all kinds of time the last 1/2 of the ride.

The streetlight fairies were who tortured me with red lights while I was in the rain decided to cut me a break and I managed to hit nearly all the lights green the last hour of the ride. It was a relief. Finally, I made it home about 7:30, unscathed and starting to dry out. I'm not sure my shoes will be dry enough for another ride to work tomorrow.

We'll see what miss Lopez has to say in the morning.

Peach Pedal - Weatherford, TX

2008-07-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

How often can one ride go straight into the wind?

Now I was a meteorologist at one time, but still can figure out which way the dang wind is blowing. All the flags in TX indicated a steady south wind Saturday morning.

We started out the ride heading south for quite a few miles. I thought that would be perfect, because that meant, at some point during the ride, and hopefully towards the end of it, we'd have a super tailwind to help blow us back home. Well it did seem as if we hardly had a tailwind at all. Oh well.

The ride started out at the Weatherford High School along I-20. We (friends, Donna, Mike and I) thought we would arrive in plenty of time to finish registering and getting our bikes in order to leave at 7:30, starting with the 100k folks, as Mike needed to be finished earlier for other stuff in the afternoon. There were 3lengths for this ride, 26m, 40m and 100k. We chose to do the 40m

The traffic flow to the school wasn't great at all and we weren't the only ones late. IN the end, we were parked, registered and headed out just before the 20m people left at 8am. It was a late start, but we made up some time.

We nearly missed the first turn west, as did many other folks. There was only a small marking in the road with colored arrows pointing the way to go. Of course, we had no idea what course color we were on, so we went with the correct choice of going with 3 out of the 4 arrows.

The course itself has plenty of rolling hills. There aren't any that are particularly steep, but there are a few that get you into the granny gear temporarily. Mike, Donna and I paced together well up until the 2nd aid station, where we did our first stop.

Donna was thrown from a horse about a month ago and thought she was doing fine enough to get back on the bike again. She's a good rider, but the angle at which she was sitting on the bike must've triggered some muscle cramps in her back as she struggled to catch her breath and be comfortable. Mike helped her stretch a little before heading back out.

The aid stations are full of enthusiastic volunteers who were quick to fill bottles with water or gatorade. They were cheerful and encouraging. The best treat was that there were massive bowls of cool, fresh peach chunks. I'm sure this is part of the grand plan to get us over to the Peach Festival!

All in all, it's a easy-moderate ride, despite the wind. Next time we'll either plan to be earlier or just camp out somewhere close. We didn't get to the Peach Festival in Weatherford after all, but did find a stand along the road and scored some fresh peaches. Mmm....!!

What I love about Minnesota

2008-07-09T17:56:00.001-07:00

These aren't necessarily in order, but they're all true. A recent visit to Deeann and Greg's house just punctuated this!

- Deeann, Greg and the rest of their family
- Beautiful countryside
- Nice airport (MSP)
- Twin cities; double the fun and the character
- Super-duper BINGO!
- Fried cheese curds
- Gosh, darn nice people
- Four full seasons and summers cooler than TX
- The fun accent
- Did I mention fried cheese curds
- Cribbage tournaments with The Marges

Afton, MN 25k

2008-07-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
I've decided to run off with a lumberjack (or NWA pilot, or cheese farmer) and stay in MN. Please help me by sending a parka and some snowshoes. :)

If you're looking for a beautiful, yet challenging, summer race I have one for you. Afton State Park is about 1/2 hour west of the twin cities, Minneapolis-St Paul and right on the St Croix river which separates MN and WI. There is a ton to do while in the MSP area afterwards and the people are just so darn nice! I'm coming back next year and would love to bring a contingent from TX.

http://www.aftontrailrun.com/index2.htm

The race reminds me of Bandera, challenge-wise, but that's where the comparisons end visually. There are a bunch of relatively steep climbs, blissful downhills, flat straightaways along the river and nearly the entire race is covered by a ceiling of giant trees to keep you cool in the 75-80 degree weather. Aid stations are plentiful and situated about every 2.5-3.5 miles. The shirt was a really nice Marmot short sleeve, tech shirt. It's also a decent race for family to come to as there are easy spots to catch up with your racer at aid stations.

And to top it off, everyone here has the delightful Minnesota lilt which you can't help but smile when you hear them talk. If I could find a job up here, I'd stay and brave the winters.

I originally signed up for the 50k in February, but life got in the way of training so I wrote the RD to bump me down to the 25k. As it was, most of my training ended up being regular, long bike rides to work a few times a week. I was pleasantly surprised at how that was enough to not make this race too miserable. I posted a time similar to that of my average Bandera years and was content with the results. I'll train harder next time.

The 50k folks got an early start at 6:30. The average to slower folks would need that time later as the heat and humidity kicked in later in the day. There were two folks from San Antonio here for that race. The 25k started an hour later and only did one lap compared to the two the 50k people would run. The temperature was deliciously cool, around 68 degrees.

The RD, who looks more like a skateboarder than ultrarunner, gave us the quick rundown before sending us out for the day. At the "go" I somehow got wrangled near the front of the 250 person pack, but fortunately, the trail was wide and I was easily passed by the jackrabbits.

We dove into the trees and down a hill for nearly a mile immediately. I kept thinking that the only bad thing about downs are that htey are nearly always followed by ups. Sure enough, we hit a section aptly named, Steep Climb, that had steps carved into the side of the hill. Oh and I passed a ski lift along the way.

Not too long afterwards though, we popped out of the cool woods and into a beautiful, green, grassy field where we stayed for a few more miles. We'd see other portions of this field later in the race again. This was about the only place that sunglasses would have been nice to have. I wore some, but honestly, I wouldn't wear them again to this race unless I was doing the 50k and running into the mid-late morning. You really don't need them with all the shade.

A wide swath had been cut through the grasslands and tiny purple flowers created a patchwork of bright color woven into the green. The trail continued on after the grassy knoll, diving back into the woods. It mostly was a wide jeep or horse trail covered in soft dirt and leaves while in the dense coverage. At one point, a giant, white-tailed deer bounded across the trail less than 30 feet away.

I love the solitude of trail running. I occasionally chat with someone for a few minutes, but mostly I enjoy the quiet time away from the real world and really take in the sights and smells of a different place. This was the perfect escape.

The trail continued through it's ups and downs until about the 7.5 mile mark where it dumped to a flat spot along the St Croix river for less than a mile. It was welcome relief for the legs for a few minutes. I took the headphone out of my ear and just listened to the river lap up against the steep bluffs. This section was short lived, though and it was back into the trees for another climb.

Then at mile 9.5, we popped back out to an aid station where my friend, Deeann was there waiting to say hello and take a few pictures. She'd never been to a trail run before and was just in awe of the carb buffet and how much fun people were having - runners and volunteers alike. Maybe I can convert her someday. :)

From there, it was another blissful, flat mile along the river again. I'd stayed behind a tall man sporting a shirt that said, "There's a nap in my future" for most of the race. He managed to catch a good break here and slowly left me behind.

The next 3.5 miles were more grasslands and trees, though the hills weren't bad. THe first 50k runners were starting to lap me at this point. The male and overall winner was blazing fast. He won with just over a 6.5 minute average. Wow! The woman who won could be Letha's twin sister. She was fast and looked great! Both offered up a "good job" as they swept by.

The final aid station came at 12.5 miles and I knew there was really only one big hill left to the finish. What I didn't remember is that most of this last few miles was basically a gently downhill. What a way to go! This is where the trail turned into a singletrack snowshoe trail. It was narrow and more like what we're used to in TX. It was quiet but for the sound of footbeats, breathing and myriad of birds cheering me on to the finish. The one steep climb on this portion was enough that it helped to grab onto trees to help pull you up. The 6th place 50k runner passed me in this area also grabbing trees to get himself up. He looked tired, but still had enough to finish up.

FInally, at the top of the last small hill, I saw the cars parked on the side of the road and knew the end was near. I could hear the crowds cheering for their runners. I came across the finish line to find Deeann grinning and happy to see me still upright. The finish line had hot burgers waiting for us at at 11:15 in the morning, it was still only 80 degerees!

I chatted with RD for a few minutes and he actually remembered me registering early and thanked me for coming all the way up. I got a personal e-mail from him later that evening again. Nice touch.

Overall, it's just a really good race and because of the beauty for the entire time, just nudged the Shadow of the Giants out of the top spot for my favorite race. I will definitely come back for this one and suggest you take a look at it.

Off for a nap, a Twins game, fried cheese curds and beer! I'll throw in some pictures when I get back...IF I come back. :)

Afton MN 25k - Elevation profile or EKG?

2008-07-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

I never should have looked!

The other day I was downloading a bunch of information for my upcoming trip to Minnesota and found an elevation profile for the 25k I'm doing on Saturday. Holy carp! Is this an elevation profile or the last EKG?!

When I originally signed up for this race, I was planning to do the 50k and was training for it well. An injury and then a virus knocked me off my training plan so I relented and had the RD lower me down to the 25k.

I still haven't been training much with all the work lately and with biking. I'm hoping that with all my distance biking the past 6 weeks or so, I have the endurance to make it through this race. I know I'll finish, but this certainly won't be my best race...especially if you look at these hills!

I'll post more after the race. Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

Survivor 18 open casting

2008-07-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

Survivor is one of the most intriguing shows around these days. People sneer that it's not really about survival, and surely it was never really set up to be that way. It's all about the social game - testing limits and testing trust. By far, it's my favorite show around and I haven't missed a single episode! Friends know this and have been trained not to call me between 7-8pm on Thursdays. I just don't answer the phone.

One thing I love about Survivor is that anyone can apply to see if they can be selected to be on the next cast. In some seasons, few if any applicants were actually cast; while many were just found on the street by casting agents mainly out in CA. That, however, hasn't stopped thousands of people from still trying to get on the show.

I love going to these things as you see people of all shapes and sizes trying to get on as well. One that caught my eye while I was waiting to go was a HUGE man, probably a biker, who sported a big mustache and was wearing a bandana. He had a huge, boisterous laugh that caught my attention. Knowing the physical limitations of the show, he wouldn't last long, but he would be fun to watch, possibly.

Last season was a good one with true fans getting an opportunity to play against some recent favorites. It was a great idea and great for getting real fans back on the show. I'd have killed to be on that season.

In years past, I thought about applying and had many friends say that I should, but commitments to the Reserves and my "real" job made it difficult to get away. Now that I've retired from the Air Force, an 8 week trip away to an undisclosed location doesn't seem nearly as much of a hurdle as it had in the past.

Last Friday there was an open audition again out at a local Honda dealership, so I figured it was time to give it a shot again. I'd done one last year and knew I'd blown it as soon as I walked out the door. This year, I had a better plan and idea of where I wanted to go with the plea for a callback. Did it work? It remains to be seen, but it felt much better this year.

I think I spoke way to quickly in order to get everything into the 2 minute requirement. I tried to make a point that the usual 35-45 year old woman they cast is either a wallflower, UTR player or one that is too old to help out much. I want to actually play the game agressively, rather than let it play me, y'know? I have a plan and want to win this sucker, not just show up and be one of the cast, only to go home.

Lynne Spillman and the rest of the casting team, please call me! :)